Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 7
The ſeuenth Sermon.
COLOSS. 1. V. 12. 13. 14.
12 Giuing thankes vntounto the Father, which hath made vsus meete to bee partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light,
13 Who hath deliuered vsus from the power of darkeneſſe, and hath tranſlated vsus into the kingdom of his deare Sonne,
14 In whom wee hauehave redemption through his blood, that is, the forgiueneſſe of ſinnes,
VNTOUNTO the prayer that the Apoſtle made for the Coloſſians he doth now adde the Thanksgiuing, which ought not to be ſeperated: whereby he ſetteth forth the ſaluation, which is offered vsus in CHRIST. As if the Apoſtle ſhould thus ſpeake.
And as we giuegive not ouer praying for you, ſo doeVerſe. 12. we not ceaſe to giuegive thanks to God the father, becauſe it is he, which by his holy ſpirit hath made vsus fit, to hauehave a parte in the inheritance of Saints, whom whether we conſider, as they are in the world by reaſon of their perfect bleſſedneſſe, may well be ſaid, that they are in light. This part of our inheritance ſtandeth firſt in that God hath with a mercifull hand pulled vsus out both of the preſent darkeneſſe of ignorance, and diſobedience, and from that which is to come, euen the fearfull puniſhment of them both. And ſecondly it ſtandeth in that the ſame God hath tranſlated vsus into the kingdome of his moſt deare ſonne, which being here begun in This life, ſhall be accompliſhed in the life to come. In which his deare ſonne we hauehave a full redemption, whereof one part is our iuſtification, which we hauehave allready receiued, wayting for that which remayneth, euen the redemption of our bodies. All which redemtion is purchaſed vntounto vsus in the obedience of the Sonne: which obedience was moſt ſpecially and moſt ſignally declared in the ſheadding of his blood.
Here are two things to be conſidered, the Actors of ſaluation comming from.
God ſimply conſidered in the three perſons verſe. 12. 13.
Chriſt, God, & man, verſe. 14.
So that the ſcope and drift of the Apoſtle is to ſet forth vntounto vsus the ſaluation prepared for vsus, ſet forth in 2. ſorts, one is proceeding from God the father by his ſpirit, the principall working cauſe,
And by CHRIST IESVS the materiall or meritorious cauſe of our ſalutatiō. For the 1. what God the father by his ſpirit hath done for vsus, it appeareth in that he, viz. That God the father hath fitted vsus for a portion among the Saints in light.
So that ſaluation is a portion among Gods Saints, which portion is in light, where we ſee that the ſtate of Gods children is compared to a part or portion, and that by lot. viz. an inheritance, as it was by lot, it is ſo ſaid, becauſe that in the old law the people of God vſed to deuide their inheritances by lot, as in the deuiding of the Land of Canaan. Which Ioſuah, and the Preiſts, and the cheife Elders did caſtlots for the inheritance of the Tribes.
Doctrine Seing that it is an inheritance, it ſheweth that it is by grace, and not by any merit. For euen as the father giueth the child his land, and inheritance, not for any deſert, but for his louelove to him, though hee neuer deſerued, nor neuer will deſerue ſo much at his handes, and if it ſhould be of deſert, it might be that the ſeruant ſhould cary it away from the child, which may peraduenture before hauehave gotten for his Maiſter the beſt part of the inheritance, or which may hauehave ſaued his Maiſters life, and therefore the child hath not the inheritance of deſert. And ſeing it is no ſtepand, but an inheritance, which we hauehave of God, we do not deſerue it.
Doctrine Againe, here we learne that ſith our inheritance cometh to vsus by lot, wherein God onelyonly ſitteth, iudgeth and directeth, it is not by any labour of ours, but onelyonly by the grace and fauour of God alone. Sith then it is ſo, let vsus ſee what our duty is, for as the Prophet ſaith, the Lord is my lot, my portion, it is aPſal. 16. fayer and beautifull inheritance, and hath fallen vntounto him in an excellent ground. And ſeing our inheritance is the ſame with Dauids, and as excellent as his was; and yet it is more notably ſet forth 1. Peter 2.1. Peter. 2. That whereas the Iewes were ſcattered from their inheritance into Pontus &c. This is now troden downe vnderunder foot by wicked men, this cannot be ſo. Againe that is faded and decayed, this can neuer decay1. Peter 5. and periſh, and therfore ſeeing our inheritance is ſo excellent, and ſo precious; whatc are ought we to hauehave to keepe it and maintaine it? for as we vſe in prouerbe, It is my free-hold, and therefore I muſt looke to it: ſo ſeeing this our free-hold, wee are to hauehave ſpeciall care, and regard aboue all things to keepe it ſure.
He hath fitted vsus for this, wherein he doth plainely teach vsus, that there is no readineſſe, aptneſſe, and fitneſſe in our owne nature, and therfore we muſt hauehave our fitneſſe from God: A man is fit for his fathers inheritance: but for Gods inheritance we are not ſo, for wee are (euen all the world, in regard of Gods matters) naturally but blind borne. Againe thoughEſay 42. 7. wee had our ſight, yet we are lame and cannot reach ſo much as a hand to it, nor go one foote to it, and hauehave both theſe naturally, and therefore cannot by vsus bee cured, as the blind man ſaid. Againe, whichIohn. 9. Eph. 2. 1. is more, we are dead in ſinne, and therefore muſt bee new creatures, which wee cannot make our ſelues. And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, that we are not able2. Cor. 3. to doe good, becauſe wee are not apt, nor fit to doe good, and therefore what fitneſſe ſoeuer we hauehave it commeth from God: And this ought to cauſe and ſtirre vsus to thankfulneſſe vntounto God, as the Apoſtle heere doth. For ſeeing we are both made fit by God for his inheritance, and ſeeing hee hath beſtowed it freely vponupon vsus, therefore wee are the more carefully to bee thankefull, which wee ſhould not bee bound to doe, if it were of our ſelues, What this inheritance is hee ſheweth in making it conſiſt of two parts.
1. Pulling vsus out of darkeneſſe.
2. Carrying vsus into the Kingdome of his beloued Son. (Pulled vsus) Thereby ſheweth that hee vſeth great ſtrength to deliuer vsus, which confirmeth to vsus the doctrine before, of being vnable our ſelues to do. And therefore he deliuers vsus, and puls vsus out as of a priſon, which are vſually darke. And more notably he ſaith, that he puls vsus out of the pit without water, ſetting downEſay 42. Zach. 9. 11. and comparing this priſon to a pit or dungeon, wherein is onelyonly dirt, wherein wee ſticke, where is no water, where hee deſcribeth our damnable eſtate, for ſeeing we are caſt into ſuch a priſon, but eſpecially being caſt by God himſelfe, in his iuſt iudgement, how is it poſſible that wee ſhould deliuer our ſelues, and therefore our Sauiour faith: No man can come to me, but he muſt bee drawne by my Father. A man mayIoh. 6. bee in priſon and hauehave no will nor affection to come out, and therefore it maketh to the glory and praiſe of God, in doing the whole worke of our Redemption. And if, after the Church is called to CHRIST, ſhe findeth ſuch dulneſſe and heauineſſe in her ſelfe, that ſhee muſt bee drawne, though theyCant. 2. hauehave receiued grace and are drawne out of the pit. How ſhall they hauehave any ſtrength to get out, which are not yet drawne out of the pit and dirt? So that the firſt part is to be deliuered from blindneſſe, from ignorance, hardneſſe of heart, the wrath and iudgements of God, and condemnation.
The ſecond part is the making vsus pertakers of his Kingdome, And as the darkeneſſe wee are deliuered from, is partly in this life, and was after to bee accompliſhed, in hell, if we had not bene deliuered: ſo the Kingdome of God is begunne in this life, and is within vsus, and ſhall be perfected in heauen after this life: So that wee ſee thoſe, that are the children of God indeed, will in this life endeauor, to giuegive obedience to the commandements of God. And therefore though men profeſſe themſelues the ſeruants of God, yet their liues being not according to God, they are no ſubiects of God: For as hee that will profeſſe himſelfe to bee ſubiect to the King, and yet in his deed will yeeld obedience to the King of Spaine, and ſerue him, hee is doubtleſſe a Traytor. So it is with thoſe, that profeſſe themſelues to bee Chriſtians, yet if in their liues and behauiour they do not ſhew forth the fruites of it, they are nothing but Rebels to God, and ſeruants to the diuell, come they neuer ſo diligently to the Word, and Sacraments, &c.
Hitherto we hauehave heard what theſe two perſons, God the Father, and God the Sonne, hauehave wrought in our ſaluation. Now followeth the matter of our Redemption, viz. in him, viz. in his beloued Sonne we hauehave Redemption, becauſe we hauehave forgiueneſſe of ſinnes.
Here is ſet forth in whom, by whom, and in what price wee hauehave our redemption. For many men will confeſſe that they are ſaued by CHRIST, but when it comes to the meanes there they faile: For the enemies of the truth will ſay that they are ſaued by CHRIST, but yet that they are alſo ſaued by their merite and free-will: and they will ſay that the good workes they hauehave, they hauehave of God, and yet they hauehave no good workes at all, becauſe they hauehave it not by the meanes which God heere hath laid downe. Our Sauiour CHRIST is hee that hath redeemed vsus, and paid the price for vsus, and that wholly.
Obiection. How ſhall our Sauiour CHRIST be the ſaluation of all men, ſeeing hee was not man at all times, for how can his bloud deliuer a man, when it was not ſhedde?
Anſwere. His bloud ſhed in due time hath ſuch power and ſtrength, becauſe it is not the bloud of man, but of God & therfore it reacheth to all the times before, it is not onelyonly belonging to them, that come after, but to Adam and the Fathers, and therefore it is ſaid that the death of our Sauiour CHRIST reacheth to theRom. 3. former ſinnes.
Queſtion. Secondly, how can our Sauiour CHRIST, being but one man redeeme by his death ſo many, euen all that are to be ſaued. For as in wars whē priſoners are taken, one man can redeeme but one man, and therefore how can our Sauiour being one redeeme all the Saints from the beginning to the end of the world.
Anſwere. The Apoſtle anſweres, That Adam being but one man, ſeeing his owne ſin, was able to condemne all men, he being but a man and not a God, andRom. 5. therefore ſhall not CHRIST being the Son of God by his ſo many ſuffrings be able to ſaue thoſe that are to be ſaued?
Queſtion. Thirdly, our ſinnes deſerue puniſhment eternall, without end, being cōmitted againſt the eternal God, now the troubles of our Sauiour CHRIST were but for a time, he being but about 33 years on earth, how can his ſhort ſufferings counteruaile eternal death?
Anſwere. Anſwere, he was not man onelyonly, but alſo God, and therefore was able, at once, to ſatisfie for al the puniſhment due for euermore to his childrē & ſeruants, for his infinite God-head did ſuſtaine his Man-hood in ſuffering, eſpecially on the croſſe & the night before. Therefore it is ſaid by the eternal Spirit, he offered vp the ſacrifice for vsus, ſuffering that, and bearing that,Heb. 5. which men and women ſhould hauehave ſuffered for euer in themſelues.
But our Aduerſaries of the Church of Rome, obiectObiect. of the Aduerſaries. we are not ſaued by CHRIST from all our ſins, and therefore they abuſed that place to the 3 of the Rom. expounding the former ſinnes to be originall and the reſt to be ſatisfied and wrought out by vsus. Againe they ſay the puniſhment we are to worke out, he hauing taken away the ſinne originall.
But we hauehave proues for this againſt them, for ſaithSolution. 1. Ioh. 2. Iohn. 3. the Apoſtle he is the propitiation for ſinnes, viz. euen all. And in Iohn he is the lambe of God that taketh away our ſinnes, not that did, but that doth take away, as thoſe that were, ſo alſo thoſe, that are.
Againe for that they ſay CHRIST taketh away the ſinnes only and not the puniſhment: they doe greatly abuſe God himſelfe, for in Eſay 53. CHRISTEſay. 53. hath ſuffered the puniſhment, and therfore this were to accuſe God himſelfe of falſe-hood, and cruelty, that would promiſe the taking away of our ſinnes, and forgiueneſſe of our dets by CHRIST, and yet would exact the vtmoſt farthing at our handes: what an vniuſt thing were this?
Obiection. They proue this by Dauid, that for his ſinnes he was puniſhed, by perſecution at the handes of his Sonne, and driuen from his kingdome, and after it is told him his ſinnes were forgiuen.
Anſwer. But it were iniury to puniſh ſinne twiſe, Now ſeeing the puniſhment is borne in CHRIST, the children of God are not puniſhed (for that were infinit, and could not be ſuffered) but onelyonly chaſtened. ForReu. 3. ſaith God, thoſe I louelove, I chaſten, ſo that if it come fromHeb. 12. louelove, it is no puniſhment.
Againe, from the effect it appeares it is no puniſhment, becauſe it is for their good, on whom it is laid, and therfore no puniſhment. For puniſhments are to deſtruction.
And the Apoſtle in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes comparethHeb. 12. all the afflictiōs that God laieth on his ſeruants to the corrections, which a father layeth on his child. For a father correcteth his child for two cauſes: firſt that he might be better, for though he doe him neuer ſo much iniury, euen to burne his houſe, yet if he louelove his ſonne, he will onelyonly correct him, ſeeking, to bring him to good order.
Another cauſe is that by his example and correction the reſt of his children may be kept the better in awe. Euen ſo the Lord dealeth with his children as a louing Father, chaſtiſing them for their good.
The end of the ſeuenth Sermon.