Commentary Upon Colossians, Sermon 8
The eighth Sermon.
COLOSS. 1. V. 15. to the 21.
15 Who is the image of the inuiſible God the firſt borne of eueryevery creature.
16. For by him were all things created which are in heauen, and which are in earth, things viſible and inuiſible: whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers, all things were created by him, and for him.
17 And hee is before all things, and in him all things conſiſt.
18 And hee is the head of the body of the Church: he is the beginning, and the firſt borne of the dead, that in all things hee might hauehave the preeminence.
19 For it pleaſed the Father, that in him ſhould all fulneſſe dwell.
20 And by him to reconcile all things vntounto himſelfe, and to ſet at peace through the blood of his croſſe, both the things in earth, and the things in heauen.
THE holy Apoſtle hauing entred into the declaration of the redemption brought vntounto vsus, ſets forth the Cauſes.
Firſt, what God the father hath done for vsus: Secondly, what God the Sonne hath done for vsus. And now he commeth to a notable deſcription of God the Sonne, to ſhew vntounto vsus that in him we hauehave a full and plentifull redemption. As if the Apoſtle ſhould ſay.
This CHRIST (that you may know what aA Metaph. 15. plentifull & rich redemption you hauehave in him, to the end you may reſt in him alone) is thus ſet forth vntounto you as foloweth. As touching his perſon ſtanding of both natures, he is the moſt liuely and expreſſe image and caracter of God, not onelyonly of his qualities (if yet there were any qualitie in the God-head) but of his very nature and eſſence. In whom we may behold God, which is inuiſible, and touch him, that is inſenſible, which is the principall heir of all the creatures in the world, in whom we, that beleue, hauehave right vntounto them.
For by him are all things created in heauen and earth, things viſible and inuiſible, euen the Angels themſelues, to the worſhiping of whom you are ſeduced. And amongſt them, all, of what degree or place ſo euer they be, whether they ſit in Thrones, or whether they hauehave Lordſhip, principally, or power ouer other Angels, and all things elſſe, were both made by him and for him.
Wherefore he is before all things, and all things hauehave their continuance, and are vpholden by him.
And as touching his office, which he executeth in reſpect of both natures, he is the Head of the Church, which is his body, and he is the firſt fruites and firſt begotten of the dead, not onelyonly in reſpect that himſelfe is riſen, but alſo in that he is the Autor of our reſurrection, which is here begun, and ſhall be perfected in the laſt day, when he ſhall change theſe vile bodies, and make them like his glorious body.
For in him it is the good pleaſure of God that the grace of the ſpirit ſhould without meaſure fully dwel.
That by him he might reconcile vntounto himſelfe all things, making peace by the death of his croſſe betweene God and all men, whether it be they which hauing beleued in him before his comming, are now in heauen, or others, which being on earth, do beleeue in him.
Here there is a deſcription of Chriſt, God, and man, touching his.
Perſon, whereby hee gouerneth all things.
Office, whereby hee gouerneth his Church.
Summe; a deſcription of the excellency of our Sauiour CHRIST which conſiſteth of two parts.
One touching the gouernment of our Sauiour CHRIST, which hee hath ouer all things in heauen, earth, and hell; the other touching the particular rule ouer his Church.
Firſt he is called the image of the inuiſible God, that cannot bee ſeene by the eye of man. And not onelyonly is ment here but none can ſo much as come to the vnderſtanding of God, by the eye of the minde: But by our Sauiour CHRIST we ſee the God-head, thoſe that were aliue when hee was on earth did ſee the God-head in him: and we ſhall ſee God in him in heauen. This is proued by diuers places. 1. Tim. 3. 16. A wonderfull Miſtery, that God which is a light thatIoh. 1. 18. 1. Tim. 6. 16. no man can ſee, which is incomprehenſible, is yet ſeene and comprehended of a mortall man, ſo farre forth as man is able. 1. Iohn 3. None hath ſeene God at any time, nor can come to the knowledge of him, but the onelyonly begotten Sonne of the Father hath reueiled him. Ioh. 14. Whē as one of the Apoſtles ſaith to him, ſhew vsus thy Father: our Sauiour anſweres, O Phillip haſt thou bene with mee ſo long, and haſt not ſeene the Father. otherwiſe inuiſible. And this is a wonderfull miſtery, and an exceeding mercy, that God, which cannot bee conceiued in the capacity of men, ſhould yet be ſeene of vsus.
Queſtion. Queſt. Whether in the body and Man-hood, or God-head of CHRIST is it ſeene?
Not in the Man-hood, for it is too weake to expreſſeSolution. the God-head of his Father, and touching the God-head he cannot bee comprehended in himſelfe being equall with his Father, & as incōprehenſible as the Father being one with him. And therefore he is vnderſtood of vsus, & is the image of the Father, as his God-head, and Man-hood are both ioined together.
Queſtion. Queſt. What great thing is this that CHRIST is the image of God, ſeeing Adam, a bare man, was the image of God? And the woman is Image of1. Cor. 11. man, and man is the image of God▪ euen in this wretched eſtate, and therfore no ſuch wonderfull a thing to bee the image of God.
Anſ. Adam is called the image of God in regard ofSolution. ſome ſparkles of the image, which God had ingrafted in him, by creatiō he was not the image of the Eſſence of God, nor had any of his Eſſence. Againe, mā is ſaid to be the image of God, in regard of the rule which God hath giuen him ouer his wife, wheras our Sauiour CHRIST hath in him the Eſſence of his Father, being perfect God, hauing the God-head ioyned to his Man-hood, in one and the ſame perſon.
Obiection. Here we are to anſwere an obiection of certaine heretickes. If he be the image of God, then hee is not God, for the image and the thing is not all one.
Anſwere. Anſ. We do not vnderſtand an image heere to bethat, which doth repreſent the accidents or lineamēts of things (as images of earthly things doe) for the images, that are made of a man, cannot repreſent the Eſſence, but the accidents and lineaments of the body of a man: but CHRIST is ſuch an Image of his Father, which is the thing it ſelfe, as the word is1. Cor. 1…. vſed in other places. As wee are after the Image of Adam, being the thing it ſelfe. Againe, Hebr. 9. 23. Theſe things, viz. ceremonies, being the ſhadowes of thoſe things which were the truth, being not the image it ſelfe: And therefore their argument is a falſe reaſon, for the vnderſtanding of this; To know how CHRIST is the image of the Father, and of the Holy-Ghoſt, and of himſelfe as God, viz. that he in the God-head, and Man-hood did repreſent the infinite power of God, It may appeare by that in Ioh. 1. Ioh. 2.1. We hauehave ſeene him as God himſelfe, for in all his words, and workes, and whatſoeuer he ſhewed ſuch vertue and power, viz. euen of God himſelfe; He cō manded the diuels and they came out, commanded the ſeas and windes, and they obeyed, which none, Angell, or men could euer doe, and therefore there appeareth the image of God.
Againe, there is an infinite mercy ſet forth vntounto vsus in IESVS CHRIST in ſauing his childrē, in that by him we are ſaued. Againe, an infinite iuſtice reueiled to vsus in our Sauiour CHRIST, who hath borne in his owne perſon for vsus the infinite wrath of God, & hath made ſatisfaction for vsus in his owne bloud. And in that one action of his ſuffering appeared both the infinite iuſtice, and mercies of God, and therefore the image of God.
This may be conſidered after this ſort, for ſeeing the Angels themſelues ſtoupe to looke into this myſtery, Wee may by this meane example of the prophane Hiſtory ſee ſome ſmall reſemblance of this thing, ſeruing ſomewhat to open it: and yet take heed that with reuerence we conſider this, ſo deepe a myſtery of our Sauiour CHRIST.
There is in the Hiſtories recorded, A King, whichThis ſimilitude is warily to be vſed. his ſonne by Adultery hauing tranſgreſſed the Law, and ſhould hauehave loſt his eyes, by the importunity of the people was intreated not to do it: yet becauſe the King would not hauehave the Law broken, he found out a way to keepe the Law, and becauſe hee would not hauehave them to hauehave a blind King, he put out one of his ſonnes, and one of his owne eyes. Where was iuſtice in that the King would execute the Law, and mercy in ſparing his ſonne, but this was imperfect iuſtice, and mercy.
But in CHRIST both are perfect.
Doctrine Now in that CHRIST is the image of his Father, this teacheth vsus that we are to content our ſelues by the knowledge of the God-head, which is reuealed vntounto vsus in CHRIST, and by CHRIST, and not to go to ſeeke him any further.
Inheritour, and heire of all creatures, for howſoeuerƲerſe. 15. it be otherwiſe interpreted, yet it ſeemeth rather to be this, becauſe as in the Law, the eldeſt ſonne was heire of all, or of the moſt part of the Fathers poſſeſſions. So CHRIST he is the heire of all, and thoſe that hauehave any thing, hauehave it by him, and hauehave right by him. His father hath put all things vnderunder hisPſal. 8. Heb. 1. 1. Cor. 15. Doctrine. feete.
He that hath any poſſeſſion, or power, neuer ſo great, if he hauehave it not by CHRIST, it is none of his, hee is an vſurper, whatſoeuer he be. And therefore it condemneth them, that get not their goods with good conſciences; Nay though they may come to it by their parents, yet hauing not the teſtimony of the Spirit of God, that he is the child of God, it is not his. Therfore Pro. 15. Better is a little with the feare of Pro. 15. 16 Pſal. 37. 16.God, then great treaſure with trouble. And this is the reaſon that better a little, with Gods feare, becauſe if he be the child of God, that hath it, it is his owne, and he may vſe it: but if he be not, be he neuer ſo wealthy, he ſhall anſwer the Lord for it, and his iudgement ſhall be the greater for it. For if he, that eateth browne bread ſhall anſwer for it, if he be wicked, much more ſhall he that feedeth and fareth of the beſt, as he abuſeth more of Gods bleſſings, and therefore let them looke vntounto it, that hauehave receiued any from God.
As CHRIST is the Image of God, and heir of all things, ſo alſo it is ſaid. That he made all things. Which he proueth by a deuiſion, whether in heauen or earth, meaning vnderneath, or aboue alſo: and if any make a dout of that, he taketh it away, and ſaith, whether viſible o… inuiſible, whatſoeuer things were made, were made by him.
Ʋiſible and inuiſible He vſeth this vponupon occaſion of an errour in the Coloſſians, that they worſhiped Angels, departing from the truth, and therefore the Apoſtle ſtandeth vponupon this point, handling Angels, of what order or degree ſoeuer.
Doctrine Whether Thrones, viz. ſuch, as ſit in Thrones, or Lordſhip, viz. which hauehave Lordſhip, or whatſoeuer they were, were made by him, and therefore not to be worſhiped, but of that afterward, when we come to the errour; Ʋſe. but here we learne how fitting that good order is, how acceptable it is vntounto God, in that the Angels, which are with out ſinne, and hauehave no ſuch need, as we, are not without order and ſeing they do vſe order, how much more are we to ſeeke for order, which are ſo corrupt and confuſed? And if inferior Angels, in regard of order, obey thoſe ouer them; much more ſhould we be obedient to thoſe ouer vsus. And if wicked ſpirits, to the accompliſhing of their wicked purpoſes, hauehave their orders, ſome to command, ſome to obey, Therefore much more ought we. And yet here ariſeth comfort for vsus, thatNote. if the wicked Angels obſerue order for to hurt vsus, yet the good Angels, much more for ouer defenſe. And the deuils though they are very ſtrong and exceeding ſubtil, yet it is not to be doubted but by their fall they hauehave loſt much of that ſtrenght, which they had by their Creation.
The end of the eighth Sermon.