Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 25
The 25. Sermon.
COLOSS. 3. V. 12. to the 16.
12 Now therefore a… the elect of God, holy, and beloued, put on tender mercy, kindneſſe, humbleneſſe of minde, meekeneſſe, long ſuffering:
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiuing one another, if any man hauehave a quarrell to another: euen as CHRIST forgaue you, euen ſo doe ye.
14 And aboue all theſe things put on louelove, which is the bond of perfectneſſe,
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one body, and be yee amiable.
WE hauehave heard how the Apoſtle after he hath ſet downe vntounto vsus the doctrine of the Goſpell, hath exhorted all men to holineſſe of life, conſiſting in mortification and quickning.
Of the firſt we hauehave heard, and entred into the ſecond: we hauehave heard a generall exhortation to quickning, which we hauehave heard to be deſcribed, by the new man, and is more perticulerly expounded, and ſet forth in this text. As if he ſhould ſay.
To come to a more particular deſcription of theƲerſe 12. The Metaphraſe. new man, decke your ſelues (as it becommeth the Elect of God, and ſuch as are holy through his louelove, the cauſe both of your election and holyneſſe) with tender compaſſion, eaſineſſe to bee imployed, humility, mildeneſſe, long-ſuffering.
Which vertues muſt be declared effectually, not onelyonly in forbearing one another, but alſo in frankly forgiuing one another, if any hauehave a quarrell one againſt another, euen as CHRIST hath frankly forgiuen you, euen ſo do yee.
And though thoſe bee ſingular vertues, yet aboue them all, as the roote and mother of them, decke your ſelues with louelove, which is as it were a bond to bind in a bundle, thoſe, and all other vertues, tending to perfection, and without which there is no ſoundneſſe in any of them, what glittering ſhew ſoeuer they carry.
And though the ſpirit of the old man within you, hath a deſire to contend, yet let the peace of God beare the ſway and ouer-come: vntounto the which peace you are euidently called, in that you are members of one myſticall body. For the better entertainment of which peace, bee gratefull one to another, as well in conferring, as in requiting benefits.
The ſumme is a declaration and ſetting forth particularly of the new man, which wee are exhorted to put on.
Firſt, he ſets forth the particular vertues: then the mother of them.
Hee had before exhorted them to put on the new man, renewed in knowledge, and holineſſe:
Now a man might aske what this new man is? and therefore hee ſetteth forth what it is by eueryevery quarter of it: what cloth and cote wee muſt put on.
Heere the Apoſtle noteth that naturally we are allNote. naked, and ſhamefull in the ſight of God: and therefore as modeſt perſons will bee aſhamed to looke on their owne nakedneſſe, ſo we naturally are naked and deteſtable in the ſight of the Lord▪ and therefore we muſt bee aſhamed of our nakedneſſe, and labour to get on thoſe garments, whereby wee may bee holy and couered in the ſight of God, which elſe are abhominable in his ſight.
This was it that the Lord exhorteth the Church of Laodicea, That ſhee thought her ſelfe rich, &c. but thou art naked and poore: and therefore come and buy white cloathing of mee to couer thy filthineſſe andReu. 3. 17. 18. ſhame, which prouoketh mee: But how ſhall we buy, ſeeing wee hauehave nothing to giuegive the Lord? The Prophet anſwereth, buy for nothing. And therefore ſeeingIſay 58. 1. 2. for coſtly apparell, comely onelyonly in the ſight of men, we will both giuegive exceeding much, & go for it, what a ſhame is it for vsus that we wil not go for this apparel, which maketh vsus coſtly in the ſight of God?
And theſe are not onelyonly comely, but precious garments, and coſtly: In Prouerbes 4. and in diuers places they be called Iewels, and Pearles, and pretious ornaments, and bracelets, &c.
Heere firſt hee ſetteth the cauſes, then the vertues. The cauſes, 1. becauſe we are choſen and elect: therefore to doe good works, to walke holily, and put on the cloth of righteouſneſſe, as the Apoſtle ſaith to the Epheſians: He hath choſen vsus, that we ſhould bee holy Ephe. 1. 4.and blameleſſe: Where wee ſee what a falſe charge the Papiſts giuegive vponupon the holy doctrine of Election, that it is a doctrine of looſeneſſe, whereas the Apoſtle teacheth vsus it is a doctrine to moue to holines of life.
Another reaſon, Becauſe yee are holy. Here hee taketh a ſimilitude from the veſſels of the Temple, ſet a-part for the ſeruice of God in the Temple: And therefore we ſee the fearefull iudgement of God vponupon Bal…aſar, for prophaning the veſſels of God in hisDan. 5. 3. 30. banquet. Euen ſo, we being ſeperate, and ſet a-part by holineſſe of life, to the ſeruice of God, it is a ſhame for vsus to giuegive our ſelues to ſerue men, or our owne luſts and affections.
A third reaſon is in the word Beloued: yee are loued of God, therefore louelove the things that he loues.
Queſt. Queſt. How ſhall I know that I am the beloued child of God?
Anſ. If I finde in me the fruits of the grace ofSolution. God; I muſt examine my ſelfe therefore, whether I hauehave faith, whether I hauehave the louelove of God in me, or no; whether I hauehave any righteouſneſſe in me, or no. And therefore the Apoſtle Peter ſheweth, that wee2. Pet. 1. 10. may make our election and calling ſure by good works; And therfore the cauſe that men ſtumble, and breake their neckes in matter of election is, that they will go to the Vniuerſity of Election, before they hauehave been at the Grammar-ſchoole of Calling, and Sanctification. And therefore they argue: Hee that is elected ſhall be ſaued, liue he as he liſt. Which yet is falſe: forNote. the elected ſhall liue holily: And ſo contrary, If I be a reprobate, I ſhall be damned, liue I neuer ſo holily and godlily. But this alſo is falſe: for as he that is elected to ſaluation, muſt needs bee ſanctified; ſo he that is not, cannot. And therefore wee are not to climbe to the top of Gods Councell to know our election, but muſt begin below by our ſanctification.
Now we are elected all of vsus, onelyonly by the louelove and grace of God, we hauehave nothing of our ſelues, and therefore none are better then another, nor can helpe our ſelues any whit. And becauſe wee are elected by the free grace of God, it is another reaſon to proue that we ſhould put on holineſſe.
The vertues follow. Bowels of Compaſſion, viz. the tender affection one towards another, 1. Kings. 3.1. King. 3. 26. which was ſhewed when as the childe ſhould be cut in ſunder, the right mother her bowels were moued within her at the danger of the childe, and by no meanes would hauehave it diuided. This is the compaſſion which we ſhould hauehave one towards another, euen when we ſee any in danger; much more when they are in trouble, which we ſee to be often in our Sauiour CHRIST.
Secondly, Eaſineſſe to be vſed: for ſo the word ſignifieth, whereby a man is ready and eaſie to giuegive himſelfe to the vſe of other, contrary to the peruerſneſſe and frowardneſſe that is in many. This is a neceſſary thing: for as inwardly there ought to be compaſſion, ſo outwardly there ſhould be cheerefulneſſe of countenance, and readineſſe to be helpfull vntounto other. This is as belonging to all, ſo to rich men eſpecially, becauſe they are ready to fall into this roughneſſe, being puffed vp with pride, by reaſon of riches, as wee ſee in the churliſhneſſe of Nabal to Dauid.1. Sam. 25. 10.
Thirdly, Modeſty and Humility, whereby we thinke baſely of our ſelues, and highly well of others. The contrary wherof we ſee practiſed amongſt vsus, in that men thinke too well of themſelues, and therefore ſet a cheape priſe of other men, contrary to the Apoſtles precept. Phil. 2. 3.
Obiection. Queſt. But I ſhal then thinke a lye: for ſhall I thinke that he hath more knowledge then I, being ignorāt?
Anſ. We are not ſo to thinke, but yet not to thinkeSolution. our ſelues better then we are. And this is eſpecially meant of ſanctification.
And therefore when we ſee a man liue without anyNote. outward blot of diſorder, we are to thinke better of him, then of our ſelues, becauſe Wee know more euill in our ſelues, and can accuſe our ſelues of more ſinnes then we can do another man, whom we cannot know ſo well as our ſelues, and which hath peraduenture leſſe knowledge then we.
Fourthly, Meekneſſe, whereby anger is both preuented and pacified: for whereas hee had ſpoken of two kindes of anger, one ſudden, and another continued. This doth take them both away.
Fifthly, Long-ſuffering, when hee will not bee prouoked to anger, but put it off. This bringeth forth: firſt, bearing one with another, and not preſently to reuenge, as the manner is: And ſecondly, to forgiue, for that is the right and true bearing one with another: for elſe we do not forbeare: for there be many that will forbeare for a time, but will put it off till a further time of reuenge, which is a more horrible ſinne, as wee ſee in wicked Abſolon, that did make a ſhew of louelove to Ammon, and ſayd to2. Sam. 13. 20. 28. his ſiſter: Hee is thy brother, yet after reuenged that iniury done to him in his ſiſter, with his death.
This forgiueneſſe the Apoſtle proueth by the example of our Sauiour Chriſt, who exhorteteth alſo to forgiueneſſe, if our brother offend, not onelyonly ſeuenMath. 28. 22. times, but ſeuenty times ſeuen times; and ſeing the Lord hath forgiuen vsus infinite talants, we ought much more to forgiue our brother our debt, which is not an hundred pence in reſpect of the other.
Hauing ſet downe all theſe, he after commendeth one principall vertue, viz. that which is the mother of them all, viz. LoueLove, where we are to ſee the opinion of the Papiſts, who make louelove the cauſe of all the other vertues, becauſe it is the mother.
True, wee will grant that LoueLove is the Mother ofNote. 1. Tim. 1. 5. them, ſo that they grant that Faith is the Grandmother, from which LoueLove it ſelfe proceedeth. And therefore as the branches come indeed from the truncke,A Simile. and receiue ſap by it, but from the root: ſo do theſe graces come of LoueLove, from Faith. So that LoueLove is indeed the mother of theſe, as the Apoſtle, 1. Cor. 13. ſheweth, that the fruits of LoueLove are Long-ſuffering, &c. For as the mother for LoueLove doth thinke all painesA Simile. to be nothing, becauſe of the affection ſhee beareth towards her childe, euen ſo, if we hauehave louelove, it will bee laborious and ſtirring. And therefore it is not enough outwardly to bow, and make curteſie, vnleſſe louelove be in the heart.
LoueLove, the bond of Perfection. id eſt, whereſoeuer louelove is, there will be the performance of all duties. For if there be louelove towards me, I ſhall hauehave this man to beNote. my hand, to helpe me; that man to bee my foot, to carry me; and the Miniſter mine eye to direct me, &c. So that hereby it is that wee are all bound and tyed together in all good duties.
Doctrine And then he ſaith, we muſt hauehave the Peace of God to rule vsus, where he noteth, that by nature our ſpirits are contentious, and ready to fall out; and therefore it is neceſſary that wee let the Spirit of God bee the controller of our out-ragious affections, as the Controller of the houſe.
Laſtly, Thankefulneſſe: This is another fruit of LoueLove, and a ſingular Nurce of peace and quietneſſe; when by guifts men giuegive one to another, and requite one another, they teſtifie their thankfulneſſe one to another. This was the practiſe of the children of God in their Feaſts and Solemnities, as we ſee in Heſter 9. 19. according as wee vſe at the beginning of the yeare, to ſend New-yeares-gifts. And therefore it is a commendable thing, and neceſſary to maintaine louelove one amongſt another, to vſe to giuegive mutuall gifts, and to bid one another to Feaſts.
The end of the 25 Sermon.