Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 24
The 24. Sermon.
COLLOSS. 3. V. 8. to the 12.
8 But now put ye away euen all theſe things, wrath, anger, maliciouſneſſe, curſed ſpeaking, filthy ſpeaking out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, ſeeing that yee hauehave put off the old man with his workes.
10 And hauehave put on the new, which is renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him.
11 Where is neither Gr…cian, nor Iew, circumciſion, nor vncircumciſion, Barbarian, Scithian, bond, free: but CHRIST is all, and in al… things.
THE Apoſtle proceedeth in the exhortation begunne. The drift as wee hauehave heard, is to moue vsus to holineſſe of life and good example, which hee hath ſpoken of in the ſecond Chapter before. But now (ſaith he) put you away all theſe things, wrath, anger, &c.
As if hee ſhould ſay, ſeeing that you are calledThe Metaphraſe. Verſe 8. to the hope of a better life, lay aſide farre from you, as things the which you cannot abide to bee in your ſight, not onelyonly the groſſer ſinnes before mentioned, but alſo all manner of ſin, without endeuour whereof there is no true mortification. For example, anger, heate, from whence commeth malice, which breaketh out at the mouth, by railing and reuiling.
Specially when you cannot truly charge them, take heed you lye not one againſt another, but putting off, as an old and rotten garment, the old man, which you bring from your mothers wombe, with the actions thereof, as it were ſo many tatters.
Now leaſt being found naked you bee aſhamed, put on, as a new and comely garment, the new man: which if you aske what it is, it is the ſame part which is renued in you, to the likeneſſe of him that made you: which likeneſſe conſiſteth in the knowledge of God.
Whereby ſhall come to paſſe, that howſoeuer the falſe teachers place in it being a Iew, rather thā being a Gentile, circumciſed, rather vncircumciſed: & the opinion of the common ſort is, that the Barbarian, & Scythian is in a farre worſe caſe then the Romane, and the ſeruant but a beaſt, in reſpect of the free-man: yet with God there is no difference, ſeeing CHRIST, whom by a new birth they hauehave put on, is in all, and is all that God reſpecteth, and accepteth of.
The ſumme of all which is a very earneſt exhortation to godlineſſe and holineſſe of life: The which ſtandeth: firſt, in the proceeding of mortification, and putting off the old man.
Secondly, in the quickning and putting on the new man.
Now lay aſide) as if ſhould ſay, heretofore ye hauehaveƲerſe. 8. walked looſely before yee were called, but now yee are called: this ſtate requireth another condition, another kind of life. And therefore thoſe, that hauehave heeretofore liued in idolatry, wantonneſſe, drunkenneſſe,Note. ſeeing now they hauehave gotten a new name, and profeſſion, muſt walke after a new ſort, holily.
And therefore the Apoſtle exhorteth in another place after this ſort, yee liue not now in darkeneſſe: but1. Theſſ. 5. 4. by the Goſpell are called to the light of the Goſpell: Now men in darkeneſſe hauehave on ragged garments, but in the light will go more cleanely. And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith: they that are drunke, are drunke 1. Theſſ 5. 7.in the night: but now that yee are called to the Goſpell, your light can neuer go downe in that regard: And therefore it is a ſhame for you to giuegive your ſelues to drunkenneſſe, vncleaneneſſe, couetouſneſſe, malice, euill ſpeaking, &c. So that it is a more fearefull ſinne which is committed vnderunder the Goſpell.
Thruſt away all) the word ſignifieth a violent thruſting away a thing with hatred.
Doctrine. Doct. Wee learne that wee are to loath and to abhorre, and caſt away ſinne from vsus.
And there is a great cauſe wee ſhould abhorre ſinne, which is a moſt abhominable thing, which the Prophet deſcribeth ſpeaking of the graces of GodEſay 4. 4. to his children, ſaith: God will waſh away their bloud, and not onelyonly that, but their filth, viz: comparing it to dung and the moſt filthy excrements, which can come from vsus.
So that if wee cannot abide our excrements nor the ſauour of the excrements of others, much more ought wee to abhorre this, which is more deteſtable. And therefore if wee beeing in our ſweetes, and fine apparell, and yet hauehave theſe about vsus, what are we but moſt loathſome and abhominable?
All theſe things) Here is a notable exhortation to mortification, by the which wee may learne this, viz: Doctrine That he, that putteth not away all ſinne, that is, which deteſteth and laboureth not againſt all ſinne, is not truely mortified. And therefore whereas ſome by nature, education, ill cuſtome, and bad companions, are more giuen to one ſinne, then to another, yet wee ought as to reiect other ſinnes, ſo theſe, which we are moſt prone and ready vntounto.
Therefore if thou abſtaine from murder, and thatIam. 2. 11. as thou thinkeſt for conſcience of ſinning againſt God, though thou doe not kill, yet if thou commit but adultery, thou art guilty of all the Commandements of God: for hee that hath no conſcience ofNote. fome one Commandement, hath no conſcience of Gods Commandements at all, for Gods cauſe.
It followeth; wrath, anger, malice, &c.
More particularly theſe words, foreign, and foreign ſignifie both one thing, how-be-it in regard of the diuers diſpoſitions of them, in whom they are, they be diſtinguiſhed▪ foreign is anger, which continueth in ſome by nature, that are long ere they be angry: but if they be angry, it is hardly quenched, being as the coales of Iuniper: and theſe, becauſe they are not eaſily prouoked, therefore they fauour and flatter themſelues that it is no ſuch great ſinne.
Againe, the word foreign is alſo an anger according to the diſpoſition of an other ſort of men, which will bee ſoone hot, and ſoone cold, and therefore thinke it a ſmall ſinne; but both theſe the Apoſtle heere condemneth: For anger is a grieuous and fearefull ſinne, and therefore many Heathen hauehave writ againſt it, as that which for a time bereaueth a man of his wits. In a man of much anger is much ſinne: For anger is cruell, Prou. 27. 4.and wrath raging, Eph: 4. 27. anger is a giuing of place to the Diuel, if it exceed. Theſe ſinnes are the cauſes: the ſinnes that follow are the effects of theſe:
and they are either
Inward, viz.
malice
or outward
Euill ſpeaking, reuiling, and lying.
Sometimes for the word vſed for malice, ſometimes taken for all manner of euill and ſinne, ſometimesMath. 6. 34. for cares, as in Mathew: the malice of the day is ſufficient for the day.
Here it ſignifieth with anger, a deſire to be aduenged, and a ſeeking alſo to be aduenged. This is cōtrary to the mildnes, which is ſpoken of before, & foloweth, which is a willingneſſe in men to do good.
This is a thing cleane contrary to the nature of God, and therefore ought to be cleane contrary to the nature of man, for as the Apoſtle ſaith, none will hurt his owne body. Now we are the fleſh one of another:Eph. 5. 29. and therefore the Heathen men ſay, that eueryevery one is a God, or deuill, one to another.
Euill ſpeaking: This is a grieuous ſinne, as that which taketh away the good name of a man, for we know a good name bringeth comfort vntounto a man: therefore it is compared to the ſweet oyntment, thatEc. 7. 3. comforteth a man, and therefore he that taketh away a mans good name, is as it were his hangman, and murtherer, in the time of his trouble, when this comfort ſhould moſt ſtand him in ſtead.
Againe, beſides that the name of men, the name of God alſo is blaſphemed, for eueryevery child of God carieth the name of his father in the forehead of his profeſſion. And therefore Rom. 2. the Apoſtle ſaith that the Iewes cauſed the name of God to be blaſphemed.
Another fruite of malice is reuiling, as we ſee when men are maliciouſly bent towards any, we ſee nothing is ſo vile and filthy, but we will giuegive it in their teeth; And though this be expounded of adultery and vncleanneſſe, yet becauſe that hath bene ſpoken of before, and this is the common place of anger, it ſeemeth rather to be referred to it, though the other be an abhominable ſinne.
Againe, malice hath another foule and ſhamefull effect, viz. to bring forth lying one of another. For if they can get any ſhamefull report of others, which is true, they will not ſticke, but caſt it forth: but if they can get no truth, they will inuent lyes againſt them to diſgrace them. But the Apoſtle ſaith, that though it be truth, yet we ought not to reuile one another, nor to vſe any ſuch reports, by repeating their ſinnes: for it is the duty of the magiſtrate or miniſter to rebuke, not of a priuate man in his owne quarrell to reuenge himſelfe.
Another reaſon he vſeth in bidding vsus to put off theſe old rags of ſinne, where he vſeth a notable metaphor, comparing mortificatiō to a putting off, of our cloaths and ſinnes, to filthy torne rags. AndNote. therefore as a man will be aſhamed of filthy rags, and therefore will caſt them off before he come in company; So ought we to doe, being come into the Church of God.
But eſpecially when we are to come into the preſence of God, into the ſeruice of God, we are to caſt of theſe tatters of ſinne, for as if we are to goe before a Prince we will not goe in any loathſome apparell, much leſſe cōming into the preſence of God ſhouldMath. 22. we come in our ſinnes.
And therefore our Sauiour CHRIST, when the man came not in a wedding garment, but was in a beggars garments, bids caſt him out.
Obiection. Obiection. But he called beggars, and therefore what other garments can he looke for at their hands?
Anſwer. It is true, we are all beggars, and worſe.Solution. nay worſe then the vileſt rogues and vagabounds, before we come to him: But being admitted into his houſe, he offers vsus royall garments, which if we put not on, caſting away our old rags, our iudgement is the greater.
The old man 1. the originall corruption, whichƲerſe. 9. is the root of all ſinne, and therefore is calledRom. 7. 14. 23. ſinne it ſelfe, and a law of the members, for that it giueth direction to all the members, as a law, to doe that which is naught, as it giueth direction to theNote. hand, foot, eyes, and toung, to ſinne. Therefore in Rom. 7. 25. the Apoſtle ſaith, I ſerue in my fleſh the law of ſinne. And it doth not onelyonly giuegive direction, but as a law, it ruleth vsus: for we can no ſooner hauehave a wicked motion, put into vsus, to be moued to a wicked thing, but preſently it ſetteth vsus in hand, and ſetteth vsus about it, till we be regenerated.
The ſecond part of the exhortation to quickning: put on the new man: where regeneration and newneſſe of life is compared to a new garment, which is to be laboured to be put on of vsus, becauſe it pleaſeth God, and his holy Angels, and Saints.
And if we deſire ornaments to decke our ſelues before men, much more to decke our ſelues with thoſe ornaments, which may be acceptable before God. And therefore theſe are ſaid in the Prouerbs to be ornaments, abiliments, precious, chaines, bracelets &c.
That it is called the new man, as that which maketh a man a new, though he be but yong: & though he be an old man, yet by this meanes an old man is made a new man, if he hauehave piety and godlineſſe in him, it maketh him to floriſh and bud againe; though his hand faile him, yet if he hauehave the hand of faith, if his …oot faile him, yet if he hauehave the foot of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe to walke to heauen, he is in an excellent eſtate. Whereas contrariwiſe, he that is yong, and is not regenerate, is an old man: and therefore he that is both vn-regenerate and old in body, he is in a pittifull caſe.
What is it to be a new man? to be renewed in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. Hereby is ſet forth what we are by creation, what by nature, what by grace and regeneration. For the firſt, when we were created, we were made holy, like vntounto God, not of the nature of God, but like in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe.
But what are we now? void of knowledge of God and of righteouſneſſe. For what we know, we onelyonly know ſo much, as ſhould make vsus inexcuſable: no ſauing knowledge, much leſſe are we able to walke righteouſly before God.
The excellent eſtate, that we are reſtored vntounto, is here ſet forth, and in the Epheſians more plainly,Eph. 4. 24. to be renued firſt in the knowledge of God, ſecondly in the walking holily before God, and thirdly in walking iuſtly and vprightly before God.
So that now we are to ſee the excellency of our regeneration. For howſoeuer the creation of man was a more excellent worke thē to make the world, and therefore the three perſons are brought in conſultingGen. 1. 26. together ſhewing an excellent worke. ButNote. to make a Chriſtian man is a greater worke, then to make a man: for then in the creation there was no let nor hinderance: But now ſince our fall, there are hinderances▪ as namely Satan hindereth, and our owne corru…tion hindereth, and therefore this a more excellent worke.
Againe, we are reſtored to a better ſtate then Adam, for his was earthly, and vncertaine: for he mightler. 32. 40. fall, as he did: we may ſlip, but we can not fall eternally, being once called truly, Pſ▪ 37. 24. 28. &. 1. Pet. 1. 5.
Againe, Adam was ſubiect to temptation, and therefore by temptation had a fal of the deuil: but the time ſhall be when the deuill ſhall hauehave no power to tempt vsus in the heauens: And therefore our eſtate is more excellent▪ and this worke more excellent.
Queſt. Queſt. Why then did God let Adam fall? Solution. Anſwer. To ſhew a greater fauour to his childrē in CHRIST: Doctrine from hence we now learne that thoſe, that hauehave not part in this knowledge, and holineſſe to God, and righteouſneſſe to man, hauehave no part in this regeneration: And therefore let eueryevery one examine whether all theſe be in him, or are begun, or no: if any be wanting; thē there is no tokē, that he is the child of God
Laſtly, whereas he ſaith, there is neither Grecian▪ Iew, Barbariam, free, bondman, but CHRIST is all, and in all things. He ſheweth that all, which are pertakers of this regeneration, and are renued after the image of God, are all of like account in the ſight of God, for God accepteth not the perſons of any, more then of another. The which ſerueth for the comfortA comfort for ſeruants and meane people. of thoſe that are ſeruants, or in baſer eſtate then other men, that they need not be diſcouraged thereby: for if they feele themſelues renued in knowledge, wiſedome, holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, their eſtate is as good, as of any, in the ſight of God.
The end of the 24. Sermon.