Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 2
The ſecond Sermon.
COLOSS. CHAP. 1. VER. 2. ad 6.
2 To them which are at Coloſſe, Saints and faithfull brethren in CHRIST: Grace bee with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
3 Wee giuegive thankes to God euen the Father of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, alwaies praying for you:
4 Since wee heard of your faith in CHRIST IESVS, and of your louelove towards all Saints.
5 For the hope ſake which is laid vp for you in heauen, whereof ye hauehave hauehave heard before by the word of truth, which is the Goſpell.
BEFORE the Apoſtle commeth to the ſubſtance and point of the Epiſtle, he doth wiſely (according to his manner) draw attention to that he ſpeaketh of. And therfore thereis, as it were, a Preface of the Epiſtle vntounto the 14. verſe: For as in a houſe, which is ſtately built there is a Porch to enter in by, ſo the Apoſtle, in this ſtately building of his hath firſt a Preface ſet before to draw attention: which he doth firſt from the authority of the Epiſtle, which we hauehave heard drawne from his owne perſon: Secondly, in the perſon of Timothy.
Next from the teſtification of the louelove, hee did beare vntounto them, from this verſe to the end of the Preface, which he laboureth in, as a Miniſter ought, to teſtifie his affection towards them, whereby the word might bee more louingly receiued and accepted, willingly and carefully practiſed: Doct. 1 Which ſhould be a duty of all Miniſters, that the people may be perſwaded of the Miniſters louelove towardes them, and then they will bee more eaſily perſwaded by the doctrine he teacheth: and in this the Apoſtle laboureth in all his Epiſtles. And by how much the more hee is to deale ſharpely with them, by ſo much the more he laboureth in this point to let them know that it is done in louelove. That the people may thinke they muſt be very reaſonable perſons, if when they know whatſoeuer the Miniſter ſpeaketh, yea euen that the ſharpe reproues of their Miniſter are done in louelove for their good, yet they do not accept it. And therefore in the Prouerb. it is ſaid, that the woundes of a friend are better Prouerb. 27.thē the kiſſes of an enemy: And he were barbarous, or ratherA fit ſimilitude. a mad-man, that for ſome grieuous diſeaſe, being prickt by the skilfull Chirurgion, if he will flee vponupon him and be reuenged of him: ſo when the Miniſters lanch the ſoares of their ſoules, in the Miniſtery of the word, what a barbarous rudeneſſe is it to fal out with the Miniſter for it? &c.
His louelove he teſtifieth, 1. by a louing ſalutation, & then by teſtifying that hee daily prayed for them, both thanking God, and deſiring all good things for them, and he proueth his prayer in a forme of thankſgiuing & petition for them which he ſetteth downe.
Of the perſons ſaluting we hauehave heard; the parties ſaluted are the Coloſſians, deſcribed by two titles, firſt title Saints, ſecondly, Faithfull brethren.
For the firſt, they are called Saints for two cauſes, one without themſelues in CHRIST, the other wrought within them by the ſpirit of CHRIST, by the ſpirit of ſanctification. Doct. 2 All that hauehave the feare of God are Saintes, becauſe they hauehave the righteouſnes of CHRIST, which is in heauen, without them: his ſufferings are accounted theirs, his fulfilling of the law is theirs, which is a greater righteouſneſſe, then the Angels hauehave, being the righteouſneſſe of God, as the Apoſtle ſaith. Againe they are righteous, in that being iuſtifyed, they are alſo ſanctified, and hauehave a beginning, and a care, and indeauour to walke holily, vprightly and ſincerely, for in ſome meaſure there is knowledge, eſpecially, in ſome meaſure there is in them a ſanctified vnderſtanding memory, will andRom. 6. 7. 8. affection, and an indeauour to do the will of God.
Ʋſe 1 This ſerueth to cōfute the Man of Romes blaſphemy, which wil hauehave none to be Saints but thoſe that he canonizeth. Ʋſe 2 Againe▪ this ſerueth to reproue vsus, which are ſo far frō this, that we will not abide to make profeſſion of holineſſe. For if it bee told many of their wretchednes, they wil ſay they are no Saints, & ſo they may ſay indeed, their liues teſtifie it. He that hath notRom. 6. the ſpirit of CHRIST is none of CHRISTS.
Ʋſe 3 Thirdly, this ought to ſerue as a bridle to withdraw vsus from ſinne and vnholineſſe, that when any filthineſſe commeth into our hearts, to wrong our profeſſion, &c. we ſhould examine our ſelues, doth this become me, which profeſſe holineſſe?
Example we hauehave in Nehemiah that hauing authority from the King to build the Temple, when a falſe Prophet named Shemagah, whom hee tooke to hauehave bene a true Prophet, had bid him hide himſelfe in theNehem. 6. 10. houſe of God becauſe that night he ſhould be laid in waite for and ſlaine. He conſidering that hee was the Prince of the people, ſaith: ſhal I do thus? Is it not a ſhame for me? &c. Where the conſideration of his authority did withdraw him from this ſhamefull and cowardly thing. And ought not much more the conſideration of our high eſtate in CHRITT, that are Chriſtians, with-draw vsus from ſinne? Ought not wee much more to be aſhamed of it, which is ſo ſhameful and abhominable a thing? Are not wee Kings (as it is ſaid) & Prieſts in Chriſt, & ſhall not wee hereby beReu. 1. 6. with-drawne from ſinne, then which nothing is more baſe? If a Noble-mans ſonne giuegive himſelfe to baſe things vnfit for his eſtate, wee will rebuke him for it, as from a thing vnfit him, and will ſay to him, doth this become a Gentleman? &c. And ſeeing we can rebuke him, why can we not much more rebuke our ſelues of our ſinnes, which are farre more deteſtable and vnſeemely for the children of God?
Faithfull, 1 religious, which hauehave receiued theTitle 2. truth of God, and ſubmit their ſoules vntounto it: & this the Apoſtle exhorteth Timothy vntounto. So that in that he1. Tim. 6. 11. 2. Tim. 1. 19. ſaith ſome had made ſhipwrack of faith, it is not ment of iuſtifying faith, but of religiō in a good cōſcience: for religion cannot abide to ly in a filthy conſcience.
Doct. 3 Theſe two go together: for whoſoeuer is a Saint, is truely religious, working holineſſe in the ſight of God, for none can be holy before God, vnleſſe he be truly religious before God, for a man cannot bring forth good fruite, before he be a good tree, and hee cannot, vnleſſe hee bee a new creature, bring forth the effects of a new creature. Now to bee as a good tree, is to be truely religious: for thoſe gorgeous workes, as building Colledges, &c. if they be not of religion, they are euill. So contrary, if a man bee truely religious, hee will bring forth good workes: True religion hath the true fruites of it, toIam. 1. 26. & 3. 17. 27. keepe himſelfe from the luſts of the world, and to viſite the ſicke, the fatherleſſe, and widdowes. So that if hee bee a Saint, he is holy, if holy, he is religious: if hee louelove not holineſſe, hee is not religious, make what profeſſion hee can, though it be neuer ſo good. From the Titles we come to the benefits deſired.
He wiſheth
1 Grace.
2 Peace.
Grace, the fountaine of all goodneſſe, is God, and the graces of his children are as ſpringes and fruites, that proceed from the meere grace, louelove, and fauour of God: which fauour and grace of God the Apoſtle wiſheth to them.
Doct. 1 So that here we learne that all good things whatſoeuer come from Gods grace and mercy alone. For if by works, then not by grace, for then grace wereRom. 5. not grace.
Secondly, he wiſheth Peace, viz. all things neceſſary for this life, proſperity, health, &c. as is the manner of the Hebrews in wiſhing peace, to vnderſtand all outward proſperity.
Doct. 2 Hee ſetteth grace before peace, to teach vsus firſt to ſeeke for the fauour of God, and then to looke for the fruits of the fauour of God. But we vſually doe cleane contrary: for we ſeeke firſt the fruits of Gods grace, for peace, wealth, proſperity, &c. and not care for the grace and louelove of God: But our looking for thoſe things, without hauing the louelove of God, is nothingHe that hath all things hath nothing, vnleſſe he hauehave Gods fauour. but hatred of God; our gold, no gold, our peace no peace, our louelove of parents and of men, hatred of God. And better were it that wee had none of all theſe, then to hauehave them without the louelove of God … CHRIST. The Prophet, when as two Kings came againſt Ahaz, telling him hee ſhould bee defendedIſa. 7. 2. from thoſe Kings (howſoeuer Ahaz was a wicked King & would not beleeue it) yet he tels him a ſigne2. King. 16. 2. 3. Iſa. 7. 14. and token of it, that a Virgin ſhould conceiue and beare a ſonne, &c. Noting therby that all benefits whatſoeuer are from God in CHRIST alone. And therefore if we ſeeke for any thing out of CHRIST, wee ſeeke amiſſe, and if wee deſire any thing before theNote. louelove of God, we do as harlots, which louelove the gifts better then the perſons that giuegive them. In that hee ſaith, Grace and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord IESVS CHRIST, Hee there ſhutteth not out the Holy Ghoſt, as though it came not as wellNote. from him, as from the Father and from the Sonne. For in the word grace, the Holy Ghoſt is included, ſeeing that grace is the gift of the Holy Ghoſt alone.
Doct. 3 We praiſe God, viz. He & Timothy. Here conſider that they giuegive thankes to God alone, becauſe all grace & mercy, both of eternall life, and the comforts of this life come from him, and therefore our petitions are to be made to him for them, and praiſe to be rendred vntounto him for enioying them.
Queſtion. Queſt. How can this be? did he not preach, eate, and drinke, and apply his occupation?
Anſwere. Anſ: Here the Apoſtle meaneth, that he kept a conſtant courſe of prayer for them: And to the Theſſ▪ he ſaith, Pray without ceaſing, where as a man is bound to1. Theſſ. 5. 16. do his buſineſſe in his calling alſo, but the meaning is to keepe a conſtant courſe dayly of this duty. Therefore the ſacrifice in the Law, which was done morning and euening, is called a continuall ſacrifice, becauſe of the continuall courſe of it: ſo here he meaneth that daily, ſo often as they pray, they make mention of them in their prayers.
Doctrine. The duty of all Chriſtians to keepe daily a continuall courſe priuately in prayer. More particularly the miniſter is to pray for his people, not only in the Church, but priuately at home, as the Apoſtle here did. And therfore we muſt not thinke our ſelues diſcharged of priuate prayer for publicke. Which ſheweth it is a dutie of all Chriſtians, as to pray in the Church, ſo alſo to pray priuately in their families, and alſo by themſelues, and therfore to ſet a time apart for that purpoſe. Reaſons of it are great:Reaſons of priuat praier. firſt there is no man or woman of what ſtate ſoeuer, but they hauehave particular ſins, which eueryevery one hath not. For when they pray in the houſe, they deſire pardon of ſinnes, which are common to the houſe: but I may hauehave committed a ſinne the which they hauehave not, and I may hauehave receaued particular bleſſings, which others hauehave not, and I hauehave need of ſome particular bleſſing in my place, that others hauehave not need of. And therefore it is neceſſarie that we ſhould make a choiſe of ſome particular time, wherein by our ſelues we may hauehave recourſe to God.
Wee giuegive thankes) whenſoeuer he prayed he gaue thanks, and for that he prayed he gaue thanks. For howſoeuer there were great faultes in the Church,Note. yet he is thankfull for ſome good thing left them. But ſuch is the corruption of our dayes, that howſoeuer we are moſt eſpecially bound to this duty of thankſ-giuing, as being the duty of the Angels, and that which after this life we ſhall only performe in heauen, yet though both priuately & publikly we wil peraduenture pray and aske ſtill of God, we are negligent in rendering thanks.
God the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt) whereby God is diſcerned from all other Gods. In the Law he was deſerned by the God of Abraham, Iſaac, and Note.Iacob, but this is a more excellent difference, which here the Apoſtle giues, that our God is the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, not the God of the Turkes, and Infidels &c.
Then is ſet forth the cauſe of his thanks Ʋiz. for their louelove and faith Queſt. Queſt. Why doth the Apoſtle giuegive thanks and prayeth for them, which were called already? Why doth he not rather pray for heathen and wicked men that ly groueling in their ſinnes? Anſwer: we are bound indeed to pray for all. But we1. Tim. 2. 1. are more ſpecially bound to louelove and pray for thoſe,Gal. 6. 10. that are called already: for as God ſhewes more tokens of his louelove to a man, ſo muſt I ſhew, more and more tokens of it. For howſoeuer Gods louelove cannot increaſe, yet the tokens of it increaſe, but ours muſt increaſe, as we ſee the tokens of Gods louelove to increaſe towards any.
The degrees then of our louelove and of our prayers towards others are that we are bound to pray for all, but eſpecially for thoſe, that are of …he houſhould of faith, and amongſt them for Ioſeph viz. for thoſe that are afflicted, and amongſt them that are in affliction we are eſpecially to pray for thoſe, that ſuffer for the Goſpell ſake.
The end of the ſecond Sermon.