Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 5
The fifth Sermon.
COLOSS. 1. 9. 10. 11.
9 For this cauſe we alſo, ſince the day we heard of it, ceaſe nor to pray for you, and to deſire that yee might be fulfilled with knowledge of his will, in all wiſedome, and ſpirituall vnderſtanding,
10 That ye might walke worthy of the Lord, and pleaſe him in all things, being fruitfull in all good workes, and increaſing in the knowledge of God,
11 Strengthened with all might through his glorious power, vntounto all patience and long ſuffering with ioyfulneſſe.
THE Apoſtle hauing giuen thanks to God for the graces the Coloſſians had receaued, as namely for the grace of faith, louelove, and for the ſincerity of both that they were not vaine and in ſhew onelyonly, but true faith and ſincere louelove, doth now alſo make his prayers vntounto God, that, as they had begun, they might goe forwards, till they came to the perfection God had appointed them.
The ſumme of theſe three verſes is a prayer, that the Apoſtle doth make for the Coloſſians, for all manner of Chriſtian conuerſation, and for all Chriſtian duty whatſoeuer, ſo that in theſe 3. verſes are ſhut vp whatſoeuer may be required of a Chriſtian man, ſo that the like prayer in ſo few wordes is ſcarſe to be found in the Scripture againe. Wherein theſe two things are to be conſidered, firſt, the cauſe why the Apoſtle prayeth, ſecondly the prayer it ſelfe layd downe in the reſt of the text. For the firſt, for this cauſe Viz. becauſe of that for which we hauehave giuen thanks before, Viz. your faith and louelove, becauſe that it is wrought aboundantly in you. Doctrine Whence wee learne that thoſe that are called to the knowledge of the truth, and are endued with excellent guiftes, of faith, hope, and louelove &c. are they, for whom wee ought moſt eſpecially to pray, and as they are lift vp higher, by the Lord to heauen (as it were) to be as ſtarres to the reſt of the world, by ſo much the more are we to pray for them, that they may ſtand in the truth, and be daylie increaſed in the guiftes of God: And this is a common thing often obſerued and mentioned in the Scripture, that thoſe, whom God hath aduanced with graces, he will be further gratious to them, and therfore we are more to regard them in our prayers. And therfore our SauiourLuk. 8. 18. ſaith, thoſe that hauehave ſhall hauehave more aboundantly. And the ſame we ſee verified, that he that hath 5. tallants hath gained. 5. more, he that hath gained 2. hath two more, he that hath one, hauing hid it, and being iudged to hauehave it taken away, the King commandeth it to be giuen to him that had 5. andLuk. 4. 19. 24. 26. Iam. 1. 5. they obiect that he hath 5. he anſwers, he that hath, ſhall hauehave in aboundance. And Saint Iames ſaith, God giueth without vpbrayding, he giueth without grudging or repining, or caſting it in their teeth; which receaue of him: for he doth not as men, who hauing beſtowed much on a man, if he come againe, he will lay it in his diſh, that he hath beſtowed on him allready, this and this, and ſhall he giuegive him more? but the Lord doth not ſo, but to whom he hath giuen much, he will yet giuegive more. And therefore the Lord in ſome ſort doth after the manner of men, from whence the prouerbe of our Sauiour is taken, that when men are rich, others will giuegive great guiftes vntounto them: but the Lord doth after a farre other manner: for the Lord feareth none, neither is behoulden to any, as men are to thoſe, that are greater then they,Reaſons ſhewing that thoſe. that hauehave grace, ought eſpecially to be commended to God. and therfore for that cauſe beſtoweth not his guiftes.
The reaſons why they, that hauehave receaued graces from God, are more ſpecially to be prayed for, and that thoſe, that are entred into the liſts of Chriſtianitie, are principally to be recommended vntounto God, are diuers, and worthy to be conſidered. Reaſon. 1 The firſt is in regard of themſelues, for though they hauehave receiued, yet they ſtill want, and therefore they are not ſo much to regard that they hauehave, but alſo to regard that they want: for vnles a man doe looke to his wants and corruption, though he hauehave but one little grace, he will be li…ted vp againſt God and againſt men, and therefore to be prayed for. As we ſee in Poperie, that howſoeuer they hauehave no guiftes, but naturall and common, yet are they puffed vp in the pride of their hartes, in this regard, that they boaſt they can merit at Gods handes. And therefore we are to conſider that in thoſe, that hauehave the greateſt guifts, there are great wants, and cauſes of humiliation, for which cauſe they hauehave need to be prayed for.
Another reaſon is in regard of other men, leaſt they be lifted vp aboue others: which is done, in that by ſeing our owne weakeneſſes, and infirmities we may be kept from not being lift vp againſt others, and in regard of their infirmities to contemne them. And therfore the Apoſtle ſaith, if any man be fallenGal. 6. 1. by occaſion into any fault, ye which are ſpirituall, reſtore ſuch an one with the ſpirit of meekeneſſe, conſidering thy ſelfe leaſt thou alſo be tempted. And therfore it is neceſſarie, to ſee our ſinnes, that we maybe the more able to beare with the weakeneſſe of others.
Thirdly in regard of the enimie, for thoſe that are entred into Chriſtianitie, and are indowed with the graces of God, and are entred into the Goſpell, and profeſſion of God and godlineſſe, the deuill is moſt buſie to preuent the ſame, and to ſow tares by and by after good ſeed is ſowne.Math. 13.
The Church being with child, that is, deſirous and taking paynes to bring forth Chriſtians, andApocal. 12. children vntounto God (for it asketh great paynes to beget a Chriſtian) we ſee the deuill is wayting and leering to deuoure them, when they come out, as the kite houereth ouer the chickens, to deuour them, when they are young. So the deuill is ready to deuour the children of God at the firſt when they are young and tender, and new borne: for when they are ſtrong, he doeth not ſo much aſſault them.
Fourthly, a principall reaſon, why we are to pray for them is, becauſe a Chriſtian by reaſon of his profeſſion (as it were) carieth in his forehead that name of God, and therefore the falles of him, more then of any other, doe tend to the diſhonour of God, and are turned againſt God himſelfe. Indeed it is a ſhame that the fall of the ſeruant ſhould be layd vponupon the Maiſter, for if a maiſter or father hauing laboured to bring their ſonne or ſeruants vp in the feare of God, it is a ſhame that the fault ſhould be laid on the Parent or Maiſter: for we vſually ſay, if one thus brought vp, doe fall in his life, their parents or Maiſters hauehave done their part, but he is an vngracious child, or ſeruant. But men doe not ſo to God; for if any of his children fall, they lay it ſtraight and impute it vntounto God himſelfe. And therefore we ought the more to pray for them, that are exalted by the Lord, that by their fals the Goſpell of God may not be diſhonoured. And as they are placed in higher place, and are indewed with greater guifts, ſo the more earneſtly we ought to pray for them. And therefore let vsus examine whether, when we hauehave a Miniſter to enter, and come vntounto vsus, to inſtruct vsus, we hauehave commended him to the Lord, or whether we hauehave beene thankefull for any bleſſing, that we hauehave receaued by our Miniſter.
Doctrine We (ſaith the Apoſtle pray) if the Miniſter pray for the peoples increaſe and growing forward, much more ought the people to pray for themſelues, for the going forward in grace, that the good word begunne in them ſhould increaſe, and proceed till it be ripe.
Doctrine Thus much of the cauſe, the prayer followeth, for all things neceſſarie for a Chriſtian. All good things whatſoeuer we hauehave come from God, we hauehave of our ſelues no knowledge of God, nor of the graces of God, no ſtrength to enter or continew in the wayes of God, but we muſt hauehave it from God himſelfe, which is proued by the Apoſtles praier: for none pray for that they hauehave themſelues. And therefore we ſee here the opinion of the Philoſophers vayne, yet in one part true, in that they held none ſhould pray for that they had, but in that they prayed n…t for vertues, becauſe (ſaid they) men hauehave vertues of nature, and therefore they prayed to their gods onelyonly, for thinges of this life. But their opinion is fals, that any vertue is of nature: for we hauehave no1. Cor. 4. 7. …m. 1. 17. good thing in vsus by nature, but by the guift of God. But we learne that whatſoeuer good thing we hauehave is of God, eſpecially, which concerne the kingdome of God, & therfore to be often asked of him alone. This ſerueth to confute the error of Popery, who will make our ſelues to hauehave free will to good, or any good things of our ſelues. And not onelyonly to confute the opinion of Poperie but the practize of Popery in vsus ſtill: for though in our iudgement, we nouriſh not that opinion of Popery, but confeſſe, and approue and acknowledge theſe graces proceede from GodVote. yet in our hearts and practiſe wee nouriſh it: when as we do not vſe the meanes of increaſe: in the graces of God in vsus, in praying, in diligent hearing the word, and vſing and frequenting the exerciſes of religion, which is the moſt dangerous thing of all. He deſires firſt that they may be filled with all knowledge: this is the firſt thing in Chriſtianitie, that a man hauehave knowledge and vnderſtanding; for though a thing be good, yet being not of knowledge, it is euill to him that doth it. This knowledge, is ſet out by two wordes, the one ſignifieth to iudge betweene things, what is good, what euill, what is holy, what prophane. And not onelyonly he requiers to iudge of the things themſelues, but of the meanes which are to be vſed for the doings of men. For men often diſcerne and iudge well the things, but fayle in the meanes: Sarah ſhe beleeued well and iudged well, that there ſhould be a bleſſed ſeed, but ſhe iudged euill, andGen▪ 18 fayled in the meanes, for ſhe diſpaired in her ſelfe being old, and therfore gaue to Abraham her ma…d. So Rebecka ſhe iudged well of the bleſſing, which ſhould be to Iacob, better then Iſaac did, yet of the meanes ſhe iudged not rightly, and therfore abuſeth her husband and maketh her ſonne abuſe him by a lye. Another word is here vſed, which ſignifieth not onelyonly to iudge of the thinges and the meanes but alſo to iudge rightly of the perſons, times, and places with other circumſtances, which is a neceſſary thing in Chriſtianitie. For it is not enough to know of the thinges and meanes to doe them, but of the circumſtances, when, where, and before whom to doe them. As to know to what perſon he is to ſpeake and when &c. As for example. Abigale when ſhe ſaw her husband was drunken, ſhe would not reproue1. Sam. 25. 37. him in his drunkenneſſe, but doth it afterward: where we ſee the time is to be rightly iudged of.
The end of the fifth Sermon.