Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 29
The 29. Sermon.
COLOSS. 4. V. 1.
1 Ye maſters, doe vntounto your ſeruants that which is iuſt and equall, knowing that yee alſo hauehave a maſter in heauen.
You Maiſters, looke that you yeeld vntounto your ſeruants both wages, and meate, and drinke, as that which is right: and with moderate reſt, and recreation, ſome further recompence, according to the good ſeruice they hauehave done; as that which is equall: conſidering that as your ſeruants are to render an account vntounto you, ſo you muſt giuegive an account vntounto your Maiſter which is in heauen.
THE duty of maſters is. 1. To doe iuſtly, viz. that they giuegive that, which they agree vponuponDuties of Maſters to their ſeruants. according to the law, in regard of their wages.
Secondly that they deale equally towards them, viz. with conſideration beſides.
And therefore it is requiſit that the maſter account the ſeruant in ſome ſort as a child, and in that regard to carry an equall hand to him, as to his child, and to louelove him. And therefore we ſee that Naamans 2. King. 5. 13.ſeruant called his maſter Father.
And Ioſua, being a magiſtrate, called Achan, Ioſh. 7. 19.though a theefe, ſonne: ſuch affection is required of maſters and ſeruants one to another: the maſter ſhould rule and command as a father, and the ſeruant is to be dutifull as to a father.
By that which is equall therefore is ment allNote. things meet, beſides their meat, drinke, and apparell (which is of their bargaine) but eſpecially for their inſtruction, that they be taught and inſtructed in the will of God: and therefore ought they to hauehave liberty both to goe to the publike ſeruice of God, eſpecially on the Lords day, and alſo that they hauehave beſide ſome time for honeſt recreations.
And therefore better it is to be many mensNote. Horſes, or Oxen, then their ſeruants: for to their oxen they will giuegive meat for their worke.
But peraduenture to ſeruants they will deny that: and eſpecially will hauehave little regard that they ſerue God, for they will hardly ſpare them ſo long from their drudgery.
Furthermore according to their ſeruants faithfulneſſe, and as they hauehave profited their maſter by their ſeruice, ſo ought they to reward them. Deut. 15. 14. For it may be that the maſters life may be ſaued by his ſeruant, and therefore accordingly he is to hauehave regard vntounto him.
And therefore in that place of Deut. Howbeit a ſtranger might be kept as a ſeruant all his life, yet the Iewes are commanded, that if one of their bretheren. 1. one of the twelue tribes, if he were a ſeruant, hee ſhould goe out free atDeut. 15. 12. 14. the end of ſeuen yeares, at which time his Maiſter is commanded to giuegive him of his wine, and of his oyle and corne, and of what God did bleſſe him with: for that hee hath bene a meanes, whereby that hath bene increaſed. Euen ſo Maiſters are taught thatNote. according as God hath bleſſed and enriched them by the labour and meanes of their ſeruant, ſo they are to recompence them, ouer and aboue their wages: It followeth.
VERSE 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the ſame with thankeſgiuing.
3 Praying alſo for vsus, that God may open vntounto vsus the dore of vtterance, to ſpeake the myſtery of CHRIST: wherefore I am alſo in bonds.
4 That I may vtter it, as it becommeth me to ſpeake.
5 Walke wiſely toward them that are without, & redeeme the time.
6 Let your ſpeech be gracious alwaies, and powdered with ſalt, that yee may know how to anſwere eueryevery man.
VVEE hauehave heard of generall duties to all men, and particular to ſome ſorts. Now he commeth to a third kind of duties, which is of another ſort, as it were compounded of both, being partly generall, & belonging to all others, partly particular, which did after a more particular ſort belong vntounto them, viz: prayer, and thankeſgiuing, &c. As if the Apoſtle ſhould thus ſpeake;
And now to returne againe to the generall duties,Verſe 2. The Metaphraſe. and yet ſuch as for the moſt part belong rather vntounto you, then vntounto other perſons, and Churches, not ſo ſtated or affected as yours, I exhort you to take paines, and to continue in petitions, and requeſts vntounto God, with heed taken that it be not done careleſly and drowſily; the which both with continuance, painefulneſſe, and watching, muſt bee done and performed in thankſ-giuing, for graces, already receiued.
Praying in both ſorts, as for all men, and the faithfull aboue others, ſo eſpecially for mee, and Timothy, that God would open our mouthes wide; as a gate (otherwiſe ſhut) is ſet open, that wee may ſpeake the ſecrets of CHRIST, naturally, hidden from all men, and by deſpenſation of GOD alwaies to the comming of CHRIST, obſcurely knowne to the faithfull, yea to the Angels themſelues, for which I am in hold.
In which reſpect you are yet further to ſtrengthen and ſtretch out your prayers for mee, that all feare ſet a part, I may make it manifeſt, as it is meete, both in regard of the excellency thereof, and the ſpeciall truſt of the Apoſtleſhip, which is committed vntounto mee.
And ſeeing you dwell amongſt thoſe that are ſtrangers from God walke wiſely, that you bee neither infected with their euils, nor they hauehave occaſion to ſpeake euill of the truth, and that, by the light of your godly conuerſation, they may bee alured to giuegive care to the truth, therein-following the example of diligent Marchants, that to redeeme their loſſes that are paſt, watch to take all oportunity of gayning.
More particularly looke to your ſpeeches, in the wiſe ordering whereof Chriſtian wiſedome is ſingularly diſcerned, that it bee alwaies (as ſauory meate) wel ſeaſoned, whiles you ſhal be able to anſwere eueryevery man according as their particular eſtates require.
The ſumme is an exhortation vntounto certaine Chriſtian duties, eſpecially concerning the Coloſſians, though belonging alſo to all Chriſtians.
Firſt a duty towards God, viz: prayer.
Secondly towards men, how to carry themſelues, whether within or without the Church.
For prayer in generall, wee are to conſider, that it conſiſts on two parts, petition and thankeſ-giuing, and therefore by prayer hee onelyonly meaneth heere petition, and ſuit vntounto God, becauſe of the other part, viz thankeſ-giuing, he after exhorts them them too.
Concerning prayer, the excellency of it is not here to bee ſpoken of: as that it is a key to open all Gods treaſures, &c.
But wee are to conſider that which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of heere, viz: exhorting them to continue, and to bee watchfull vntounto prayer: by which, both continuance and feruency in prayer are vnderſtood: For continuance in prayer, it is the ſame as to pray alwaies, as the Apoſtle requireth in another place, when hee ſaith: pray continually: It is not meant1. Theſſ. 5. 17. that one ſhould doe nothing but pray: for then wee ſhould not eate nor ſleepe. But hee meaneth that wee ought to keepe a ſteddy and continued courſe of prayer, not onelyonly publickely, but priuately, and particularly in our cloſets. For wee hauehave not onelyonly generall, but particular matters to pray for, which concerne our ſelues particularly.
And the Apoſtle ſaith that men are to continue this ordinary courſe of priuate prayer: For many will beginne, but will ſoone bee a weary of it: And therefore hee meaneth that the ordinary courſe, which wee ſee vſed to bee three times a day ordinarily, is not to bee left off. And therefore it is called the ordinary ſacrifice, which was onelyonly in the morning and euening offered, yet called the continuallExod. 29. 38. 40. 41. ſacrifice, becauſe it was continually offered eueryevery day.
Secondly, in that hee ſaith, watch vntounto prayers, heeNote. noteth that it muſt bee a feruent, not a drowſy prayer, and wee muſt keepe our mindes cloſe vntounto God, that they doe not wander abroad: And that it bee done with earneſtneſſe, not drowſineſſe, which is oft turned into ſinne: which commeth either from the cares of this life, or from ſorrow: As the Diſciples, when our Sauiour exhorted them to pray, they by ſorrow for his departure were ouer-come withLuke 22. 45. ſleepe.
But furthermore, as wee are to aske in prayer, ſo wee are to returne vntounto the Lord in thankeſ-giuing, contrary to the cuſtome of men, that are watchfull enough to aske, but returne not with thankes: and a generall fault it is that wee are long in our Petitions, and ſhort in our Thankeſgiuing.
This corruption wee ſee in the nine Leapers,Luk. 17. 17. 18 that were earneſt in their petitions vntounto CHRIST, but forgot to giuegive thankes, when they had receiued their deſires.
But the Apoſtle exhorts vsus to bee as watchfull to thankſ-giuing, as to petition, contrary to our corrupt nature.
And ſeeing by reaſon of the benefits of God wee want, and our great wants, wee hauehave neede to aske ſupply of God.
So is there none of vsus, but wee hauehave receiued many and ample bleſſings of God; and therefore hauehave as iuſt cauſe to returne him thankes.
But many men hauehave their eye all vponupon their wants, that they wil neuer look vponupon the graces & bleſſings of God, beſtowed on them, whereof they are forgetfull.
And as many are faulty in this, ſo there are more which are guilty of this fault, as to thinke all is well with them; and therefore cry Peace, peace to themſelues, thinking they hauehave need of no more grace of God: and therefore neglect to cry and ſue vntounto God earneſtly for further graces and mercies. And as it is a generall ſinne, in regard of mens particular eſtate, ſo alſo in regard of the generall eſtate of the Church. This is a generall ſinne, that men forget to pray for things ſhe needs, and to giuegive thankes for fauours ſhewed her.
And many there are, who hauehave their eyes ſtill vponuponNote. the wants and blemiſhes of the Church, and are ſtill crying out vponupon them; And becauſe of that, are neuer thankfull vntounto God for thoſe mercies that God hath beſtowed vponupon the Church, as the Word, and Sacraments, which they may freely come vntounto in peace: yet they ſay, that all is but as Popery, ſo vnthankfull vntounto God are they for theſe mercies, contemning them, as nothing, becauſe they want thoſe which are are alſo conuenient.
Another ſort of people in the Church there are that ſeeing themſelues better then other Churches, in other places, content themſelues with their eſtate, which they hauehave, as though there could bee no amendment, nor remouall of thoſe corruptions which are yet remaining: whereas yet there ought to bee this care in eueryevery one of vsus, that as we ought to be thankefull for the mercies. God giueth vntounto the Church, which are to be thanked for; ſo further we being not our ſelues by our place able to reforme the wants, yet ought wee to goe to the Lord for redreſſe.
And the Magiſtrates eſpecially are to labour for the reformation, according to the word of God, of thoſe things that are amiſſe. And thus much of prayer in generall.
Then he commeth to exhort them to pray particularly,Verſe. 3. for them which were Miniſters. Indeed praier is a principall duty, which a man can performe vntounto others; which duty we owe to all men, but eſpecially to thoſe which are ouer vsus; as the Magiſtrates, though1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. euill, much more if they be religious. And as for others, ſo for the Miniſters wee are to bee carefull to1 Reaſon why Miniſters ſhould bee prayed for. 2 Reaſon. pray for them; becauſe the Lord hath ſet them to be the ſpeciall meanes of his glory in the miniſtery of his Word, wherein they aduance the kingdome of Chriſt. Againe, they are the meanes of our calling, by deliuering the word of God for vsus; and therefore they are the ordinary meanes of our ſaluation.
Againe, they are to be prayed for; becauſe in their3 Reaſon. fall the Diuels kingdome is exalted: And contrariwiſe, by their ſtanding the Diuels fall is procured, and the kingdome of God aduanced. And we are to pray for them, that they may both teach, admoniſh, Note.comfort, and exhort, and reproue vsus for our good.
And the Apoſtle teacheth them the cauſe why they ſhould pray for him, viz. that he may be loſed: viz. ſeeing now he was in priſon, and could not preach, as before time, indeed being bound, yet the word was not bound: for he laboured by Letters and Epiſtles, which hee ſent abroad to this Citty, and that Citty: And therefore he wils them to pray that he may hauehave free liberty to ſpeake: and therefore compares the opening of his mouth to a doore, that it may be throughly opened, to preach the whole will of God to all men freely, without any flattery, or reſtraint. And he giueth a reaſon that they ſhould pray for the opening of their mouthes, becauſe it is a Myſtery; ſignifying that the Goſpell is a hid thing, a thing hid from the wit and reaſon of men: for howſoeuer the knowledgeNote. that there is a God, and the creation be no myſteries, becauſe eueryevery one hath that knowledge naturally in him, though the Atheiſts would gladly put out that light: yet the redemption by our Sauiour Chriſt is a myſtery hid from the reaſon of Men and Angels, before it was reueled. Againe, it is a myſtery, becauſe in a ſort it was hid from the Iewes, before the comming of Chriſt, being not ſo plainly knowne as afterward. And ſeeing it is a ſecret of God, we ought to deſire toVeſe. hauehave it opened, as men will be deſirous to know the ſecret councels of a Prince when they are publiſhed.
And he ſaith further, that they pray that hee mayƲerſe 4. ſpeake as he ought to ſpeake: which is in
Matter,
Manner.
Matter, that he may teach the truth of God, and all the truth of God, as the Apoſtle ſaith to the Epheſians.
Secondly, that hee may preach that is was profita…le, and therefore not thoſe things that tend to breed contentions.
Thirdly, men ought not onelyonly to pray that the Miniſter ſpeake truth, & that profitable truth, but thoſe things eſpecially which the people hauehave moſt need of: for ſome things are more needfull for one people then for another.
The Manner, that it be done with the louelove of God ſincerely, and with the louelove of the people, and deſire of their good: and that it be done, not with the feare of any man, or pleaſing any: nor of enuy, malice, nor any other euill affection, and boyling of heart. But as the Apoſtle Peter ſaith: Let him that ſpeaketh, ſpeake as the 1. Pet. 4. 11.words and Oracles of God. Thus much of the duty to God.
Towards Men, he exhorteth to duties alſo: for heVerſe 5. ſaith: Walke wiſely towards them that are without. In the Epiſtle to the Epheſian… he vſeth the ſelfe-ſame words,Epheſ. 5. 15. but there generally towards all men: But here he vſeth it particularly, to walke wiſely, to thoſe that were without. For beſides Chriſtians there were in this Citty Heathen men vncalled, and Iewes, which held of their ceremonies; and therefore the Apoſtle willeth them to walke wiſely, becauſe the corruption of men is ready to catch any thing againſt the Goſpell, by the profeſſors of it, ſpeaking ill of it, if they ſpy euill in them. And alſo errour is like to a Canker, that if itAſimile. begin, it ſpreadeth further, and corrupteth as it goeth, 2. Tim. 2. 15.
The end of the 29 Sermon.