Exposition of Colossians, Sermons · Chapter 1 · Verse 22
Ver. 22 VER. 22. In the body of his fleſh through death, to make you holy and vnblameable, and without fault in his ſight.
Heere we hauehave part of that propoſition, that is layd before vsus in theſe two verſes, expreſſing the materiall cauſe of the reconciliation of the Coloſſians to God, in theſe words (in the body of his fleſh through death) then followes in the ſecond amplification of the Apoſtles propoſition, from the end of their reconciliation in the next words (to make you holy and vnblameable, and without fault in his fight.
Interpretation.Come wee to the firſt of theſe, In the body, that is, in the body of his Sonne Chriſt (it is added) of his fleſh, to let vsus vnderſtand that Chriſt had and hath a true humane body, a body of fleſh and bloud, like vntounto ours in all things, ſinne onelyonly excepted (through death) that is, through death of that body, and ſo the words are thus to bee conceiued, as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, In the true humane body of Chriſt his Sonne, deliuered to death, crucified and broken vponupon the croſſe. I might heere ſtand to ſhew that Chriſt his body crucified was and now glorified in heauen, is a true ſubſtantiall body, a body of fleſh taken from the ſubſtance of the Virgin Marie his mother, and not a phantaſticall body, a body in appearance onelyonly, a mathematicall or maieſticke body as the Vbiquitaries fooliſhly call it, who affirm that Chriſt his body by reaſon of the perſonal vnion is eueryevery where preſent, but to paſſe by that. Obſerue wee that the Apoſtle ſaid verſ 10. it pleaſed the father to reconcile al things vntounto himſelfe, and to ſet at peace through the bloud of his croſſe, and heere hee ſaith that the Coloſſians were reconciled in the body of his fleſh, hence ariſeth this point of inſtruction.
That both the body and bloud of Chriſt is the price of Doctr. 1 redemption, and the matter of reconciliation,Both the body and bloud of Chriſt be the price of redemption. and when wee read of that wee hauehave remiſſion of ſinnes through the bloud of Chriſt, wee muſt vnderſtand the whole paſſion of Chriſt, euen his body broken, & his bloud ſhed, a point that need not be ſtood vponupon for the proof of it (no queſtiō) we eaſily conceiue and condeſcend to the truth of it, yet is it not needles to be remembred, it may ſerue to direct our faith touching the death of Chriſt that we are to eye by faith the body & bloud of Chriſt for the remiſſion of our ſins, wee finde it taught by Chriſt himſelfe that to the nouriſhment of our ſoules to life eternall, Vſe. wee are by faith to feed both on his body and bloud Iohn 6.53.We are to eye by faith the body & bloud of Chriſt for the remiſſion of our ſinnes. Except ye eat the fleſh of the ſonne of man, and drinke his bloud, ye hauehave no life in you, and in the next verſe whoſoeuer eateth my fleſh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life, and our Sauiour hath ordained in the Sacrament of the Supper outward viſible ſignes both bread and wine to repreſent & bring to our remembrance both his body and bloud, and to ſignifie vntounto vsus that Chriſt is diſtinctly ſet before vsus in the Sacrament, as meat and drinke, and as perfect ſpirituall nouriſhment to our ſoules yea Bellarmine himſelfe the Arch-pillar of the Romane Synagogue ſaith in plaine termes, that the forme of bread alone doth not exactly repreſent Chriſt as dead, vnleſſe withall there bee ſeene his bloud as ſhed, and the forme of wine alone doth not ſufficiently repreſent Chriſt as ſacrificed, for (ſayth hee) onelyonly bloud is no ſacrifice;Confutation of the Papiſts. wickedly therefore deale the Papiſts, we may conclude againſt them out of this their owne mouths, who in the Sacrament of the ſupper take away the cup from the people, and will not ſuffer them to hauehave it; beſide the breach of the inſtitution of the Sacrament, they goe flat againſt the doctrine of the Apoſtle, concerning one principall vſe of the Sacrament, which is to ſhew foorth the death of Chriſt, which is liuely done, when both bread and wine are deliuered, one for the fleſh, the other for the bloud and not otherwiſe, and therfore he ſayth,…. Cor. 11.26. as often as ye ſhall eat this bread and drinke this cup, yee ſhew the Lords death till he come; yea, they are no leſſe commanding ſpeeches ver. 28. let a man eat of this bread and drinke of this cup, then that is, let a man examine himſelfe, it is therefore ſacrilegious in the higheſt degree to withhold the cup from the people, it deſtroyeth the integrity and ſoundneſſe of the Sacrament, and leaues to the people but a maimed and halfe matter of ſpirituall nouriſhment in Chriſt, and an halfe ſatisfaction for their ſinnes which is moſt wicked and damnable: let vsus therefore hold faſt and reioyce in the perfect & moſt full ordinance of Chriſt, in that both bread and wine are deliuered vntounto vsus, and let vsus not forgoe the comfort we may hauehave in this poynt, that they are viſible ſignes of the body and bloud of Chriſt, and doe ſignifie that by faith we feed vponupon whole Chriſt, both his body and bloud for remiſſion of our ſinnes, to the perfect nouriſhment of our ſoules to life eternall. One thing further is offered vntounto vsus from theſe words, I hauehave heeretofore ſpoken of it, ver. 14. therefore I will onelyonly now recall it to memory. The Apoſtle ſayth not ſimply, in the body of his fleſh, but addes through death, as before the bloud of his croſſe.
Hence we are taught: that we are not to faſten the eyes Doctr. 2 of our mindes vponupon the body and bloud of Chriſt ſimply,Chriſt his body broken & his bloud ſhed ought to be the obiect of our faith. but vponupon his body broken, and his bloud ſhed, eſpecially when wee come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Wouldſt thou receiue grace, comfort, ſaluation or any bleſſing from the Lord, come then to Chriſt hanging, bleeding and dying vponupon the croſſe, Vſe. if thou come not to God by Chriſt,Grace comfort and eueryevery good thing comes from God thorow the death of Chriſt. and by him ſuffering and bleeding on the croſſe (as one ſaith well) there is no hearing God, no helping God, no ſauing God, no God of mercy to thee at all.
Come wee to the ſecond amplification of the Apoſtles propoſition in the words following (To make you holy and vnblamable, & without fault in his ſight) the word (holy) to omit other acceptions of it, doth heere ſignifie pure, cleane from all ſpot of ſinne, for ſo the next words do expound it vnblameable, and without fault,Interpretation. the word (vnblameable) is giuen to Chriſt, he is ſaid to be a lambe vndefiled, there is the ſame word that heere is vſed, when therefore the Apoſtle ſaith to make you holy, and addes further vnblameable, and without fault, his meaning is this,1. Pet. 1.19. to make you pure and cleane, ſo as you cannot iuſtly bee challenged, blamed or reprooued for any ſpot of ſinne: Now this holineſſe is twofold, either by imputation of Chriſt his holineſſe or inherent in vsus, and that is onelyonly begun in this life, and ſhall be conſummate and made perfect in the life to come, and that the Apoſtle doth meane not only the firſt, but alſo the ſecond, it is cleere by the like place, Epheſ. 5.26.27. where he ſets it out in the ſame terms, and ſayth, it is wrought by the waſhing of water through the worde, therefore inherent holineſſe is onelyonly begunne in this life, and to be made perfect when wee ſhall bee perſonally ſet before the Lord, and ſhall ſee him face to face in Heauen, ſo much alſo the Apoſtles phraſe doth imply, thus then the words are to be conceiued, to ſet you before his owne face free from all ſpot of ſinne by imputation of Chriſts holineſſe, and by holineſſe inherent begun in this life, to be made perfect when you ſhall ſee the Lord face to face in Heauen.
Heere firſt wee are to marke that the Apoſtle ſayth, the end why the Lord did reconcile the Coloſſians to himſelfe, communicating vntounto them the merit of Chriſt Doctr. 3 his death, it was to make them holy: hence ariſeth this concluſion,Reconciliation with God and holineſſe inherent euer goe together. that reconciliation with God, and holineſſe euen inherent begunne in this life euer go together. Whoſoeuer is reconciled to God by the death of Chriſt, is in ſome meaſure ſanctified, and hath holineſſe begunne in him in this life, for its the end the Lord doth propound to himſelfe in reconciling men vntounto himſelfe, and can the Lord bee diſappointed of his end? What ſhall withſtand him?Tit. 2 14. againe it is one end of the death of Chriſt to purge from ſinne, he gaue himſelfe, ſaith the Apoſtle, to redeem from iniquity, and to purge vsus to be a peculiar people vntounto himſelfe, zealous of good workes.
Therefore, to whomſoeuer Chriſt is a Sauiour by merit to him alſo he is a Sauiour by efficacy, theſe two are euer vndiuided.
Vſe. Now then is it ſo, that reconciliation with God, and holineſſe euer goe together,They deceiue themſelues who thinke they hauehave part in the merit of Chriſt his death and yet want holines. how then do… they deceiue themſelues, who thinke that the merit of Chriſt his death belongs to them, and yet hauehave not any meaſure of holineſſe in them, nay whatſoeuer is holy they euen hate to bee drawen to it, whatſoeuer is vnholy they wallow in it, they tumble in it, they ioy in it, yea, they euen wiſh to liue in it, and grow old in it, ſuch there bee too many, and yet they fancy to themſelues, that the merit of Chriſt belongs to them, which indeed is a meere fancy helped forward by ſtrong deluſion of the Diuell: I may bee bold to tell thee whoſoeuer thou art, for the Lord himſelfe hath taught mee ſo to ſpeake, Heb. 12.14. If thou liue not in ſome meaſure an holy life here, thou ſhalt neuer ſee the face of God to thy comfort and ſaluation, thou ſhalt ſee him indeede but to thy ſhame and confuſion, ſo as thou ſhalt call to the mountaines to fall on thee, and to hide thee, but in vaine from his preſence; let our meditation a little ſettle on this poynt, and let vsus often thinke vponupon the difference of holineſſe and prophaneſſe, the one proouing vntounto vsus euerlaſting ioy with God when this life ſhall bee ended, and the other aſſured woe with the Diuell and his Angels in the bottomeleſſe pit of hell for euer, if wee throughly thinke of this difference, wee ſhall finde it a peircing argument to pricke vsus forward to an holy life, it will doubtleſſe force from vsus one of theſe concluſions.
Now liue like a Chriſtian amongſt men, and euer liue like a Saint among the Angels in Heauen, or now ſoake in ſinne and wallow in filthy pleaſure for a ſeaſon, and then rot in the reward of it, an euerlaſting curſe from the preſence of the Lord, in the pit of euerlaſting perdition.
One thing more briefely note wee, the Apoſtle ſaith, not to make you onelyonly holy, but addes further vnblameable and without fault in his ſight,
Hence wee may gather that where the Lord hath begunne Doctr. 4 true holineſſe, there he will make it perfect,The Lord hauing begunne true holines in any he will perfect it. 1. Theſ. 5.23. whom hee hath begunne to ſanctifie, he will fully perfect in the end, and this is further cleere by that prayer of the Apoſtle, Now the very God of peace ſanctifie you throughout, this was a prayer of faith, hee was perſwaded the Lord would ſanctifie them as himſelfe ſayth Phillip. 1.6. I am perſwaded of this ſame thing, that hee that hath begunne this good worke in you, Vſe. will performe it vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt;Comfort to them in whō the Lord hath begunne the leaſt meaſure of true holineſſe. and this is a notable comfort to all ſuch, in whom the Lord hath begunne the leaſt meaſure of true holineſſe, they may bee ſure hee will perfect it.
Some complaine of the want of ſanctification (an holy complaint found but in few) yet ſome thus complaine that they finde a dulneſſe and deadneſſe in reſpect of all good motions, and the diuell taking aduantage vponupon this, many times perſwades them, they are fallen away, and God hath giuen them ouer. Such muſt know, it is a courſe euer held by the Lord, it is that which Gods choſen hauehave euer taſted, yet without reiection, they hauehave had alterations in them, ſomtimes ſweet motions in their ſoules, ſometimes deadneſſe and dulneſſe of heart, what change thinke you felt Dauid, when hee cryed, Pſal. 15.11. Oh caſt mee not away from thy preſence, and take not thine holy Spirit from me. If euer thou haſt had the firſt fruites of the Spirit, an hatred of thine owne ſinne, a purpoſe of not ſinning in any thing, though now deadneſſe poſſeſſe thine heart yet content thy ſelfe, and waite for full holineſſe in time to bee giuen: the Lord hath once begun holineſſe in thee, and he will perfect it. It is an excellent place and to bee remembred of vsus. Wee through the Spirit, waite for the hope of righteouſneſſe through faith, The Apoſtle ſayth not,Gal. 5.5. they which are iuſtified doe in the ſpirit by faith yet feele the hope of righteouſneſſe, but they wait ſtill for it. So thou in the midſt of conflicts and terrors which often aſſault thee wayt patiently for righteouſneſſe and in time it ſhall be reuealed and made perfect vntounto thee in the Kingdome of heauen.