Exposition of Colossians, Sermons · Chapter 2 · Verse 6
VER. 6. As yee hauehave therefore receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, ſo walke in him. &c.
This verſe, together with the ſeauenth, as they hauehave reference to the generall propoſition layd downe verſe 3. that in Chriſt all things needefull to ſaluation are to bee found, they containe an exhortation to cleaue to Chriſt, as the onelyonly way to life, the onelyonly root and foundation of all true happineſſe and comfort, therefore the Apoſtle ſayth, walke in him, rooted and built in him, and ſtabliſhed in the faith as ye hauehave beene taught, &c. but as this 6. verſe hath more neere connexion with the verſe immediately going before, it is inferred vponupon it, as an exhortation to the Coloſſians, to goe on in Chriſt as they had begunne, both in faith and in good life, expreſſed in the words (walke in him) together with the manner how they were to walke in him (namely) as they had receiued Chriſt Ieſus, who is further ſet out by his title (Lord) and that with an emphaſis with addition of the article (foreign) the Lord, or that Lord.
Interpretation.Let vsus come to examine the words of this verſe (as yee hauehave receiued Chriſt) (that is) as ye hauehave beleeued in Chriſt, for the Apoſtle hauing ſpoken of the ſound faith of the Coloſſians in the verſe before, he infers vponupon it, as ye hauehave therefore receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord, ſo walke in him, and theſe two being thus conioyned by the Apoſtle, wee cannot but vnderſtand by receiuing Chriſt, beleeuing in him. 1. Cor. 15.12. wee finde the taken promiſcually, in co…, as hauing both one ſence and ſignification, in the firſt verſe it is ſayd, the Goſpell which ye hauehave receiued and verſe the 2. except ye hauehave beleeued in vaine, the Apoſtle makes them of equall ſence and ſignification (the Lord) (that is) the onelyonly true Lord, and perfect Sauiour, by way of diſtinction, to put difference betweene the true Chriſt preached by the Apoſtle, and a falſe counterfet Chriſt taught by falſe teache…s, (ſo walke) (that is) ſo liue, it is a knowen phraſe of Scripture to put walking for liuing, but with this addition (in him) it implies thus much, that they ſhould goe on in their faith in Chriſt, and lead their liues by faith in him, and by the motion of his ſpirit according to his will, for that is to walk in Chriſt, as to walk in the law and commandements of God, is to frame the life according to the preſeription of his law and commandements; thus then theſe words are to be conceiued, as if the Apoſtle had ſayd.
As yee hauehave therefore beleeued in Chriſt Ieſus, that only true Lord and perfect Sauiour, ſo goe on in your faith, and liue by your faith in him, by the motion of his ſpirit according to his will.
Now from this ver. in generall, in that the Apoſtle doth exhort the Coloſſians to goe on in faith as they had begunne, is offered to our conſideration this generall concluſion.
That as we hauehave begun in any grace, be it faith, the feare Doct. 1 of God, humility, or any other,As we hauehave begunne in any grace ſo are we to goe on in the ſame. ſo are we to goe on in the ſame as we grow in yeeres, ſo are we to grow in grace, the Pſalmiſt ſaith of ſuch as be planted in the Lords houſe, they ſtill bring forth fruit in their age Pſal. 29.14. and there is reaſon for it.
Becauſe where grace is truely wrought, Reaſon. it extends it ſelfe not onelyonly to all the powers of the ſoule, but to all the parts of the life, and this is a maine difference betweene grace truely wrought and the counterfet ſhew of it.
The one holdeth out and encreaſeth, and the other is temporary, and vaniſhing as the morning dew, as the Prophet ſpeakes, Hoſ. 6.4.
The holy Ghoſt doth often vrge this vponupon vsus, that wee are to grow in grace, teaching therehy the neceſſity of this duty, therefore let no man think much to heare of it often, for I doe but now remember vntounto you that which heeretofore I hauehave handled at large, and the rather I recall it to minde, becauſe many are much wanting in this duety, as men grow in yeeres, Ʋſe. ſo they grow, not in grace, but in louelove and affection to the things of this world,Reproofe of ſuch as grow not …n grace as they grow in yeeres. who are more ignorant of the things of God, then commonly ſome of great yeeres? who are more couetous then they? who are more auerſe and backeward to eueryevery good duty, and eueryevery good action? it is needfull then we ſhould after bee put in minde of this, that as we grow in yeeres ſo we are to grow in grace, therefore to adde ſomething to that which heertofore hath beene ſayd to this purpoſe, let vsus firſt remember what Solomon ſayth, Prou. 16.31. age is a crowne of glory, when it is found in the way of righteouſneſſe, not when it is begunne, but when it is continued in that way, then it is honourable; what is it then, found in the way of ſinne? ſurely, farre from honourable, it is then baſe and contemptible, aged perſons found ignorant and ſinnefull, forfeit and loſe the reuerence and reſpect that ſhould bee giuen them amongſt men.
Againe, let it bee thought on, that it is a forfeiture and loſſe of Gods fauour, when aged perſons are found in the way of ſinne, what they hauehave beene in times paſt it skils not, if they hauehave beene forward in the feare of God heeretofore, and now are wholly fallen away, and with Demas embrace this preſent world, if they hauehave wholly loſt their firſt louelove,2. Tim. 4.10. Coloſſ. 4.14. zeale, &c, the Lord will take them as hee findes them, Mat. 24.46. that ſeruant is bleſſed whom his maſter at his comming ſhall finde doing his duty, but as it followeth ver. 48. if that euill ſeruant ſhall ſay in his heart, my maſter doth deferre his comming, his maſter will take him as he findes him, all the righteouſneſſe men hauehave done, ſhall not be remembred, if the Lord finde them doing wickedly, as appeares plainely, Ezek. 18.24. and indeed it ſhall ſtand vp in iudgement againſt them: if then we would not loſe the honour that of right is due from men to old age, if we would not forfeit the fauour of God, & being found by him in the way of ſin, encreaſe the waight of our iudgment, let vsus labour to grow in grace as we grow in yeeres, and as we goe before others in age, ſo let vsus exceede them in the graces of Gods ſpirit.
The next thing we are to marke, is the inference of this verſe vponupon the former, it depending on the former, as a concluſion, and exhortation grounded vponupon it, the Apoſtle ſaith, he ſaw in his Spirit the ſtedfaſt faith of the Coloſſians, and vponupon that doth inferre this exhortation, therefore as you hauehave receiued Chriſt Ieſus the Lord ſo walke in him.
Firſt he ſheweth they were ſound in faith, and then doth wiſh and exhort them to goe on as they had begun.
Hence we may gather.
That proceeding and going on in religion muſt bee Doct. 2 vponupon a good ground, and a good beginning,Proceeding and going on in religious muſt be vponupon a good groūd. men are not generally to proceed in religion as they hauehave begun how ſoeuer, but hauing begun well and in the truth, then they are to goe on.
For why? there may bee a beginning in errour,Note. and to go on in errour being conuinced by euidence of the truth is obſtinacy, & if the error be in the foundation of religion, it is hereſie, and to go on, yea, to run with ſpeed out of the way, it were better to turne backe, euen zeale it ſelfe, earneſt louelove of religion, and of ſuch as are religious, it muſt be bounded and kept within a right compaſſe, it muſt be ſquared by the rule of the Apoſtle Gal. 4.18. it is a good thing to louelove earneſtly alwayes in a good thing &c. this beeing ſo, the Papiſts hauehave no reaſon to open their mouths, Ʋſe. and to cry out againſt vsus for our ſeparation from them,Our ſeparation from the Papiſts iuſtified. becauſe wee walke not in that religion our forefathers receiued of them, and becauſe we hold not communion with them in their idolatry and ſuperſtition for that were to goe on in a wrong way, I know they brand vsus with the marke of Heretickes, in forſaking (as they ſay) the Catholicke ſociety, but they are eaſily anſwered, that wee hauehave ſeparated our ſelues not from the Catholique Church of Chriſt, but from the malignant Antichriſtian ſynagogue of Rome, and hauehave gone out of Babylon, as the holy Ghoſt hath commanded Reuel. 18.4 that wee ſhould not communicate with her in her ſinnes, and ſo bee partakers of her plagues.
Ob.But (ſay they) do you think all that communicate with the Church of Rome, being (as you ſay) Babylon, are liable to the plagues of Babylon? what ſay you then to your own forefathers who liued & died in the time of popery? will yet ſay they were all caſt away and condemned? ſee the cunning of theſe men to bleare the eyes of the world, and at this doe many weake and ſimple Chriſtians ſtumble.
Anſ. I anſwer them no, we are not ſo to thinke, that were to ſtep vp into Gods iudgement ſeat, and to limit the power, and goodneſſe of our moſt powerfull and gracious God, we are to perſwade our ſelues, that at one time or other, & by one way or other, the Lord gaue light, and an holy departure in his truth, to as many as did belong in his election, euen in the middeſt of the darkneſſe of popery, we find it in the booke of God, Melchiſedecke, Naaman the Aſſyrian, Cornelius and others, hauing (for any thing we know) ſmall or no means of true knowledge, yet by the working Spirit of a gracious God, were mercifully pulled out of ignorance, and worſhipped the true God, therefore wee are comfortably to hope of our forefathers liuing in time of ignorance that they found mercy with the Lord, & to this purpoſe we hauehave an excellent place, Reuel. 9.4. where it is ſayd, it was commanded to the Locuſts riſing out of the ſmoke of the pit, that they ſhould not hurt the graſſe of the earth, neither any greene thing, neither any tree: but only thoſe men which hauehave not the ſeale of God in their foreheads. A ſweet teſtimony of the power and mercy of our moſt gracious God, who can, and no doubt did, euen when Antichriſt was at his height, and in the middeſt of his Romiſh Locuſts, preſerue his choſen from hurt by thē, to their deſtruction. We ſee then how we may with comfort anſwer the cauilling queſtiō of the popiſh ſort touching the ſtate of our forefathers, we ſee alſo our ſeparation from their heretiall ſynagogue iuſtified.
Heere againe we are to marke the phraſe of the Apoſtle, he ſayth not, as ye hauehave beleeued, but as as ye hauehave receiued, thus he ſets out the nature of …ge faith.
That true faith it a receiuing of Chriſt with all his benefits, Doct. 3 True faith is a receiuing of Chriſt with al his benefits.and this is confirmed by that Ioh. 1.12. As many as receiued him, to them he gaue power to bee the ſonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his name, where we ſee beleeuing and receiuing Chriſt are made both one; and this is a matter of great comfort to all that truely beleeue in Chriſt,Comfort to all that truely beleeue in Chriſt. they by faith doe really receiue Chriſt,Vſe. they doe it not (as the Papiſts cauill) in meere imagination, but really they receiue him, and ſo ſtand truely and really iuſt in Gods ſight by Chriſt his righteouſneſſe, being imputed vntounto them, and receiued by them, now this comfort the Papiſts labour to wreſt from vsus, and againſt it they reaſon thus.
If a beeleeuer bee truely and really iuſt by Chriſt his righteouſneſſe imputed and receiued, Objection. then was Chriſt truly and really a ſinner by our ſinnes layd on him, for you will not ſay, he was a ſinner by infuſion of ſinne, but by ſin imputed to him, now (ſay they) that cannot be, that hee was truely a ſinner by ſinne imputed vntounto him, for hee is not truely a ſinner that payes the debt of ſinne, an innocent and iuſt man may doe that, but he is truely a ſinner, that either hath ſinne truely in him, or is ſo by imputation ſtrucken, that the ſinnes are made his owne really, and he in all reſpects to bee dealt withall, as if he had ſinned himſelfe, but to ſay that Chriſt was ſo a ſinner, is to ſay, he was auerted from God, the ſlaue of the Diuell, & ſonne of perdition, which is blaſphemy.
I anſwer, Anſw. he is truely a debtour that vndertakes the debt of another, and of his owne accord bindes himſelfe to pay the debt, and thus did Chriſt, he willingly vndertook the debt of Gods choſen, and ſo become truely a debtour for them.
Againe it is no blaſphemy to ſay that Chriſt hauing out ſinnes on him, was in that reſpect to God for vsus, as eueryevery one of vsus is in himſelfe to God, they are the words of the Apoſtle Gal. 3.13, that hee became a curſe for vsus &c. and ſo redeemed vsus from the curſe of the Law, therefore let not the Papiſts thinke to wring this ground of comfort from vsus, that Chriſt willingly vndertaking to ſatisfie for our ſinnes, became truly a ſinner, by our ſinnes laid vponupon him; and wee againe became truely righteous by his righteouſneſſe receiued by true faith, the comfort of this will neuer faile vsus.
The next thing we are to marke in this verſe is, that the Apoſtle ſayth, the Coloſſians receiued Chriſt Ieſus (the Lord) adding theſe words (the Lord) by way of diſtinction, to put a difference betweene the true and falſe Chriſt, for falſe teachers preached Chriſt Ieſus, onelyonly as the ſonne of Dauid, and ioyned Moſes vntounto him, and made a mixture of the Law and the Goſpell, and vrged circumciſion as neceſſary to ſaluation, but the true Apoſtle taught Chriſt Ieſus as the onelyonly true Lord and Sauiour, and ſo the Coloſſians receiued him, hence I gather.
Doct. 4 That Chriſt muſt be taught, and muſt be receiued with due reſpect of his glory, as the onelyonly Lord of life, and as a perfect Sauiour,Chriſt muſt be taught and receiued as the only Lord of life and as a perfect Sauior or elſe he is not taught, nor receiued, as he ought to be, wee finde Act. 3.14.15. Saint Peter in his ſermon giues him theſe titles, the holy one, and the iuſt, the Lord of life whom God hath raiſed from the dead &c. and that iuſtly, he being properly, and by nature holy and iuſt, and making all his members ſo, and he being the authour and giuer of life and glory, and ſo is he to bee taught and ſo to be receiued; Saint Iude in his Epiſtle verſe the 4. ſaith that certaine intruding deceiuers did deny Chriſt Ieſus, and marke how hee deſcribes him, that onelyonly ruler who is God and our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, for ſo the words are to be read.
Now this I note to let vsus ſee that the Papiſts are in this regard blame woorthy, Ʋſe. and iuſtly to bee taxed they teach and profeſſe Chriſt to bee a Sauiour,Confutation of the Papiſts. yet not a perfect Sauiour in himſelfe by merit, but a Sauiour in vsus, and indeede onelyonly an inſtrument of Saluation, giuing vsus grace to merit, our owne Saluation, for they teach that through his merits, God doth poure into eueryevery true Chriſtian a particular iuſtice or righteouſneſſe, whereby he is ſanctified and made able to doe good workes, and to merit eternall life; they be their owne words; and ſo they derogate & detract much from the glory of Chriſt, yet they are not or at the leaſt ſeem not ſo perſwaded, they would make the world beleeue they honor Chriſt, much more by their doctrine then we do by ours, though we teach that Chriſt is a perfect Sauiour in himſelfe, in regard of merit, and that only our faith doth apprehend and apply his perfect righteouſneſſe & merit, they plead thus for themſelues.
Say they, Object. power giuen to vsus throgh the merits of Chriſt to merit our owne ſaluation, it is a greater gift then faith to lay hold on his merits to our iuſtification, it is a greater gift to make vsus able to merit our own ſaluation, then to giuegive vsus faith to apprehend the merit of Chriſt to our iuſtification and ſaluation, and ſo it doth more magnifie the merit of Chriſt, for the greater the gift is, the greater is the glory of the giuer, therefore (ſay they)our doctrine doth more honour Chriſt then yours, to this I anſwer. Anſw. Firſt, they muſt prooue out of the word of God, that ſuch power is giuen thē, which they are neuer able to do, before they make cō pariſon betweene that power & faith. Again I anſwer thē, it is a greater gift of God to vouchſafe vsus eternall life without any deſert of ours thē to make vsus able to deſerue it, it is more for the glory of God, and it doth more magnifie Gods grace and Chriſt his merits, that wee ſhould hauehave euerlaſting life of the free gift of God, through the merits of Chriſt apprehended & applied by faith, then of our deſeruing by his gift, therefore it is a meere cauill and ſhift of the Papiſts, thus to plead for defence of their doctrine and we are to renounce it, as much derogating and detracting from the glory of our onelyonly Lord and perfect Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus.
Come we to the laſt words of this verſe (ſo walke in him) In that the Apoſtle doth teſtifie of the Coloſſians in the verſe before, that they had ſtedfaſt faith in Chriſt, and in this verſe, that they had receiued and truly beleeued Ch…iſt and vponupon this doth exhort them to walke on by their faith we are taught.
Doct. 5 That a good Chriſtian muſt not only beleeue in Chriſt, & by his faith receiue Chriſt,True beleeuers muſt not only beleeue in Chriſt but muſt alſo liue in Chriſt by faith and by the motiue of the Spirit. & his benefits, for remiſſion of his ſinnes, & to his iuſtification, but his whole life muſt bee a walking and going on in that faith; a true Chriſtian muſt not onelyonly beleeue in Chriſt, but he muſt alſo liue in Chriſt by faith, and by the motion of his Spirit, wee hauehave this further prooued vntounto vsus by the example of our Apoſtle Gal. 2.20. he ſayth, that Chriſt liued in him (that is) by his ſpirit and in that, that he liued in the fleſh, hee liued by faith in the ſonne of God, Gal. 3.11. hee makes it generall citing the words of the Prophet, that the iuſt ſhall liue by faith, and Rom. the 8.1. hee ſayth, ſuch as are in Chriſt, walke not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit, and indeede as many as beleeue in Chriſt to their iuſtification, muſt alſo liue in him by faith, and finde him powerfull in them by Spirit, to their ſanctification.
The poynt no doubt is cleere, for the truth of it; yet happily ſome may deſire to bee more particularly enformed touching this duty,How wee are to liue by faith in Chriſt in our generall calling as Chriſtians, & in our particular places and callings. and may demand how they are to liue by their faith in Chriſt, the generall being not ſo eaſie to be vnderſtood; know therefore for our better and more ſpeciall inſtruction in this poynt, that our faith in Chriſt, muſt ſhew it ſelfe powerfull, not onelyonly in our iuſtification in the ſight of God, and in our inward renouation, faith purifying the heart Act. 15.9. which things are not ſo ſenſible and eaſie to bee diſcerned, but wee are to walke by our faith in Chriſt, our faith is to bee working in our outward actions both of religion, and generall calling, as we are Chriſtians, and in the outward actions of our particular places and callings.
How is that may ſome ſay? Queſt.
I anſwer, Anſw. when faith makes vsus doe the workes of our callings in hearty and ſincere obedience to Gods commandements, with diligence and with prayer in quietnes and contentment, referring the ſucceſſe of our labours to the Lord, when we labour in our callings therein to obey the commandements of God & do our office with diligence, calling on God for a bleſſing on our labour, and for the iſſue of our labours we reſt our ſelues vponupon the promiſe of the Lord, Heb. 13.5. I will not faile thee, neither forſake thee, then we walke by faith in the outward workes of our particular callings.
Againe, our faith is to ſhewe it ſelfe powerfull in our outward croſſes and afflictions that befall vsus in our bodies or goods,How faith muſt be powerfull in our outward croſſes & afflictions. wee are then by faith to rely vponupon that promiſe of God, 1. Cor. 10.12. that the Lord will either giuegive ſtrength to beare them, or deliuerance out of them, and though temporary things faile vsus, yet we are by faith to retaine hope of mercy and of life eternall, and to wait on the good pleaſure of the Lord for our deliuerance, the Prophet ſayth; Iſa. 28.16. he that beleeueth ſhall not make haſte; thus we ſee in ſome part how we are to liue by our faith in Chriſt, in regard of our outward actions, both of religion and of our particular callings, and in the outward afflictions of this life.
And theſe things I rather inſiſt in, Ʋſe. which are things more ſenſible and familiar,Reprofe of them who liue not by faith in Chriſt that heereby wee may trie our ſelues whether wee walke in Chriſt, and liue by faith in him or no, and if by theſe things wee try our ſelues, we ſhall finde that many of vsus come ſhort of this duty, for why? doe not moſt amongſt vsus ſpend their dayes in the cares of this world? they care not onelyonly to doe the workes of thelr callings, which is commendable, but they care for the iſſue of their labors, which belongs only to God, and theſe cares, ſo take vp their hearts, that no good thing can enter into thē, & do not many ſeem to truſt in God ſo long as it pleaſeth him to vouchſafe vntounto thē the means of life, & maintenance but if theſe be taken away then they are confounded in themſelues, as if there were no God to care for them; is this a life of faith? no, no, this is to liue by ſence, like bruit beaſts, this is not to truſt God vppon his word and promiſe, but vponupon his pawne, like the diſtruſtfull vſurer, who will not truſt a man without ſome ſpecialty, or ſome pawne, ſo if the Lord pleaſe to lay downe his pawne as mony, goods, lands &c. and leaue them in our hands, wee truſt him; but if theſe bee taken from vsus, wee doubt of his prouidence and goodneſſe, and breake out into diſtemperd ſpeeches, yea, ſome are ſo diſtruſtfull of the prouidence of God, that they think when they hauehave plenty of outward things, if they ſhould bee ſomewhat liberall towards good vſes, then they and theirs might happily be brought to want, ſee how cunning our owne corruption is to deceiue vsus, what is this but to prooue againſt our ſelues, that we are not the children of God, for wee know wicked men are tender ouer their owne children, euen beares and lyons prouide for their yoong, ſhall then the God of all goodneſſe wlthdraw his hand from helping his ſonnes & daughters, and making ſupply with intereſt of that they giuegive to a good vſe, it is not poſſible, let vsus then be better aduiſed; & that we may be ſtird vp to this duty now deliuered, know wee this for a truth, if our faith bee not in ſome meaſure powerfull in all actions and paſſions of our liues wee yet beleeue not in Chriſt to our iuſtification, but wee are yet in our ſinnes, and our caſe as yet is damnable for without queſtion, as many as hauehave receiued Chriſt Ieſus by faith to their iuſtification, cannot but feel the power of that faith to their renouation, and in the whole courſe of their liues; let them as many as hold themſelues intereſſed in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, labour to feele the power of their faith in ſuch things as they may beſt iudge of it, as in the outward actions of religion, and of their particular places & callings & in the outward afflictions that befall thē.
When all things in this world, friends and meanes, yea, health and ſtrength faile vsus, yet let vsus then by faith reſt on the promiſe of God, and certainely hope for mercy and life eternall, that ſo we may liue by faith, and may alſo die by faith, and both in life and death finde comfort in this, that we are truly iuſtified, and within the compaſſe of Gods ſpeciall louelove aod fauour in Ieſus Chriſt.