Exposition of Colossians, Sermons · Chapter 1 · Verse 3
Ver. 3 VER. 3. We giuegive thankes to God, &c.
In this verſe, the Apoſtle beginnes the preface to his whole Epiſtle,The beginning of the preface to the whole Epiſtle. and continues it to the twelfth verſe, and it ſtands vponupon a congratulation and a prayer. The congratulation from this third verſe to the ninth, the prayer in the verſes following.
The generall expoſition of the Apoſtles congratulation & prayer.The words of this third verſe, containe the generall propoſition both of the Apoſtles congratulation and prayer, that he and Timothy did congratulate and reioice and pray for the Coloſſians, his congratulation is expreſſed by the manner of it, namely, a giuing thankes to God, who is heere deſcribed by relation to Chriſt (we giuegive thankes &c.) his prayer is ſet out by the time (alwayes) that whenſoeuer hee prayed, hee was mindefull of them, and prayed for them: theſe are the generall things contained in this verſe, wherein we are to marke that the Apoſtle expreſſing his congratulation or reioycing, by giuing thankes for good things, that thankeſgiuing fals into prayer, he beginnes in thankeſgiuing and he ends in prayer; his thankeſgiuing begets and brings foorth prayer: The point hence ariſing is this.
Doct. 1 That one grace well vſed brings forth another, as there is a combination of ſinnes,One grace well vſed brings foorth another. one ſinne neuer goes alone but begets and brings forth another; ſo is on grace attending vponupon another, and is linked and lapped within another, where grace is well vſed it will encreaſe, the things of this world, the more they are vſed the more they are worne, but it is contrary in the graces of the ſpirit of God, one of them begets and brings forth another,Rom. 5.4. as the Apoſtle ſaith patience &c. we may obſerue it in our ſelues, that as many as hauehave hearts opened as Lidia had,Act. 16.14. to attend to the word preached, that attending with care brings vsus to vnderſtand the word, vnderſtanding and knowledge vſed begets faith and good affection, thoſe being ſtirred vp and exerciſed, bring foorth a proportionable meaſure of obedience and practiſe, where the grace of attention and meditation is is not vſed, it makes many good leſſons fall as ſeede vponupon the pauement, and makes men ignorant of ſome principall things wherein they hauehave often beene inſtructed; Vſe. this ought to teach men to make much of the leaſt meaſure of grace,We muſt make much of the leaſt meaſure of grace. Mat. 25.29. let them cheriſh it and vſe it, and it will increaſe as our Sauiour hath promiſed to him &c. And not to goe from the particular heere offered, if men congratulate and reioyce with others for good things found in them, or vſe to reioyce for good things beſtowed on themſelues temporall or ſpitituall, giuing thankes to God for the ſame, that reioycing of theirs going vp to Heauen in thankes to God; from him will be ſent downe further grace, euen the grace of prayer and calling vponupon God, and from thence further feeling and comfort in thoſe good things.
Secondly, in that the Apoſtle gaue thankes and made Doct. 2 prayer to God onelyonly,Religious inuocation belongs only to God. we are taught that religious inuocation ſtanding in petition, and thankeſgiuing belongs only to God, and this may be confirmed, beſides many teſtimonies of Scripture, by many reaſons viz. the very inſtinct of nature teacheth, whom we make our God, him to pray vntounto; though the Heathen had many gods, and ſo did not call on the true God, yet they thought none was to be called vponupon but a God; they alwaies call on him or them, whom they accompted gods,Iona. 1.5. the mariners being heathen Idolaters cried eueryevery man to his god, ſo that to whom prayer belongs, hee is God by opinion of the Heathen, yea the bruite creatures in their kinde call on God &c. he giueth food &c. in many verſes Dauid exciteth all creatures to praiſe the Lord.Pſal. 147.9. Pſal. 148. Secondly, Inuocation is a ſacrifice of the New Testament foretold;Mal. 1.11. Heb. 13.15. hence giuing of thankes is called a ſacrifice. Now all ſacrifices are to be offered to God only.Exod. 22.20. Act. 14 14. He that offereth &c. Barnabas and Paul rent their clothes &c. when the people of Lyſtra would hauehave ſacrificed vntounto them. Thirdly, bee able to heare, vnderſtand and helpe them that pray vntounto him, yea he muſt hauehave knowledge of their hearts, becauſe prayer is ſometime,Exod. 14 15. Suſpirium cordis, but a ſigh of the heart. Wherfore crieſt thou, ſayth the Lord to Moſes, yet hee ſpake neuer a word.1. Sam 1.13. Act. 1.24. Hannah ſpake in her heart &c. but God only knoweth the hearts, therefore to God onelyonly muſt prayer be made. Laſt of all, Inuocation and Faith muſt alwayes goe together, it is the argument of the Apoſtle. How ſhall they call &c. Rom. 10.14.Now we muſt beleeue only in God therefore to him only muſt we pray, Ʋſe. this point being thus cleered and prooued,Confutation of inuocation of Angels & Saints. it meeteth with the opinion of the Papiſts, who hold and labour to maintaine inuocation of Angels and Saints departed, that opinion cannot ſtand with this truth of God: but they endeauor to vphold their opinion by this reaſon; ſay they it is lawfull to call vponupon men liuing heere vponupon the earth, while wee liue together we may requeſt one anothers prayers as Paul did, therfore it is lawfull to call on Saints departed, for ſay they, if it be not lawfull,Rom. 15 30. then is it for one of theſe cauſes, either becauſe they will not heare vsus, but (ſay they) that is not ſo, becauſe now they hauehave greater louelove vntounto vsus; then when they were on the earth: or becauſe they know not what we pray for, but that alſo is not ſo, becauſe look how the Angels know the conuerſion of a ſinner and reioyce, ſo the Saints departed know it, or laſtly, becauſe iniury is done to God or to Chriſt, but this is otherwiſe, for then wee might not requeſt men liuing to pray for vsus.
This argument hath many branches. Firſt I anſwer to it in generall, that the conſequent is naught, we may requeſt the liuing to pray for vsus, therefore we may pray to Saints departed, becauſe for the firſt we hauehave both precept and promiſe, for the other neither. Againe, touching their proofes firſt it is true, Saints departed hauehave greater louelove, for louelove continueth for euer.1. Cor. 13.8. Yet the louelove of Saints departed is nothing elſe but a conſtant vnchangeable and continuall deſire, whereby they wiſh eternall happineſſe and ſaluation to the whole Church of God, and to all the faithfull, and that the kingdome of Chriſt might be perfected in all his members, thus we may grant that Saints in heauen doe pray for vsus that is, they wiſh well to the whole militant Church, and to all the members equally and indifferently, but to ſay they pray for one and not for another, cannot be granted, becauſe it is contrary to that louelove they beare equally to all, and further they are exempt from that feeling of our particular miſeries, which they had on the earth, becauſe that would detract from their perfect ioy and glory, therefore we may not conclude from their louelove, that they pray for any one in particular. Secondly, whereas they ſay, as the Angells know the conuerſion of a ſinner ſo the ſaints departed know it. We anſwer, there is not the ſame reaſon why the ſaints departed ſhould know it as the Angells doe; becauſe the Angells are appointed miniſtring ſpirits and know many particulars which happen vntounto vsus,Heb. 1.14. and many of our priuate neceſſities, but the Saints do not, being alwaies abſent, and yet worſhip, and conſequently inuocation of Angels is forbidden in the ſecond Chapter of this Epiſtle and eighteenth verſe, therefore much more of Saints they neither knowing nor hearing our prayers Ob. God reueales to them what is praied for; we anſwer againe, this appeares not by any place of ſcripture. Secondly, to what end ſhould we pray vntounto them if they know not what we aske but by reuelation (and to the laſt thing they alledge we anſwer. That it doth derogate from Gods glory and from the perfect mediation of Chriſt to call on Saints departed, whereas they except. Then to requeſt the liuing to pray for vsus, we anſwer as before, the caſe is not alike. Firſt becauſe we hauehave both precept and promiſe for the one and not for the other. Secondly, we make not the liuing mediators, as they doe Saints departed, but only requeſt their mutuall praiers to commend our ſuites to Chriſt our head; they hauing a fellow feeling of our wants, as we hauehave of theirs, and ſo as members together, we ſend vp our mutuall praiers vntounto God, and exerciſe our charity one towards another, and ſo notwithſtanding this cauilling of the Papiſts it ſtill remaines a firme truth that inuocation and prayer belongs only to God.
Now to the Apoſtles deſcription of God to whom he gaue thanks and praied; God is here deſcribed by relation to Chriſt, that he is the father of Chriſt our Lord and Sauiour,God is the father of Chriſt as he is God, and as he is man. the word (father) here ſtanding in relation to Chriſt is taken perſonally as before we noted, and that we may rightly conceiue how God is the father of Chriſt, Chriſt being both God and man, we muſt know that God is the father of Chriſt in reſpect of his deity, by nature, becauſe he is of the ſame eternall eſſence with the father, begotten from all eternity, and ſo the only begotten ſonne of God,Ioh. 3.16. and in reſpect of his humanity, not becauſe he had ſubſtance of body and ſoule from the ſubſtance of his father, but becauſe as man he was conceiued by the worke of the holy Ghoſt, and by perſonall vnion his humanity is aſſumed and doth ſubſiſt in his deity,Luk 1.35. the word was made fleſh, and thus God is the father of Chriſt.
Ioh. 1.14.We are further to marke that God is the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt,How we are to conceiue of Chriſt in reſpect of Gods choſen. whereby the Apoſtle giues vsus to vnderſtand how we are to conceiue of Chriſt in reſpect of Gods choſen, as that he is their ſauiour and their Lord, not only as he is Lord ouer all creatures, but in more ſpeciall manner, and that in a double reſpect, firſt in reſpect of freee donation from his father,Ioh. 17.9. ſecondly in reſpect of his worke of redemption. Ye are not your owne, for yee, &c. and ſo much may ſerue for the meaning of the words.1 Cor. 6.19.20 Now we are to mark that the Apoſtle gaue thanks and ſent vp praiers to God, not as he is an abſolute God, but as he is the father of Chriſt, and in him a father to all that belong to Chriſt. And this is the Apoſtles ordinary forme of praier and thanksgiuing in the beginning almoſt of eueryevery Epiſtle: Our leſſon hence is this, that our praiers to God muſt in like manner be offered vp in the name and mediation Doct. 3 of Chriſt only. There is one God, and as there is one God,Praiers muſt bee offered vp to God in the mediation of Chriſt onelyonly. ſo one mediator, in his name only muſt we come to Gods throne. How the Papiſts do cauil on this place it is known, ſay they Chriſt is the only mediator of redemption, but the ſaints are mediators of interceſſion, this diſtinction is moſt fooliſh, it makes the body not anſwer to the ſhadow, nor the trueth correſpondent to the figures, for the high prieſt in time of the law was in figure a mediator both of expiation by ſacrifices, & of interceſſion by praiers,1 Tim. 2.5. & did ſhadow and ſhew, that in time of the new teſtament both theſe things ſhould be conioyned and meete together in Chriſt: again, it doth rob Chriſt of a great part of his honor belonging to his Prieſthood, for Chriſt hath not onelyonly by his owne ſufficient ſacrifice, conſecrated, but ſits alſo at the right hand of his Father, to make requeſt for them.Heb. 10.14. Rom 8.32. Heb. 7.24.25. Chriſt his Prieſthood is euerlaſting, therefore his interceſſion is perpetuall, it is the Apoſtles reaſon, and to this wee may ioyne other reaſons. Firſt; we by reaſon of ſinne, & becauſe of our vnworthineſſe are all chaſed from the throne of God, and wee are not able to ſtand before the throne of glory, till it be changed into a throne of grace, he therfore that is our mediator and interceſſor to goe betweene God and vsus, muſt bee able to take away ſinne and to procure righteouſneſſe, life, and the fauour of God. Chriſt onelyonly is able to do theſe things, therfore in his name onelyonly muſt we offer vp our prayers. Againe, he muſt be our mediator, in whoſe name we hauehave promiſe to be heard:Ioh. 14.13.14. but in Chriſt onelyonly this promiſe is made, Whatſoeuer ye ſhall aske, &c.
Rom. 8.26.Obiect. Object. We read the ſpirit it ſelfe maketh request. and ver. 27. the ſpirit maketh requeſt for the Saints, therefore Chriſt is not our mediator onelyonly.
Anſw. The anſwer is eaſie, if we obſerue the words, and rightly vnderſtand them. For when the Apoſtle ſaith, the ſpirit maketh request for vsus with groanes, we may not take it that the Holy Ghoſt is ſubiect vntounto griefe or paſſion, but that he doth breath into the hearts of the faithfull, ſuch motions whereby they do earneſtly cry vntounto God, he maketh or teacheth them to pray with moſt vehement deſires, ſighes, and groanings: or hence is he ſaid to make requeſt for them as we heare it;Reu. 22.17. The Spirit and the bride ſay (come) not that the holy ghoſt doth pray for the comming of Chriſt, but becauſe he enflameth the Church with a vehement deſire of his comming: ſo it remaines a trueth, that Chriſt only is our mediator and interceſſor between God and vsus.
Ʋſe. 1 To paſſe ouer the opinion of the Papiſts. Firſt of all our meditation vponupon this point ought to be to this purpoſe,In praier to God we muſt be far from a conceipt of any worthines in our ſelues. are we to come to God in praier, in the name and meditatiō of Chriſt alone? muſt we hope to be heard & reſpected of the Lord onelyonly in, and for his beloued ſon Chriſt Ieſus, then it ought to be far from vsus, when we come to God in prayers to be lift vp in any the leaſt conceit of any worthines in our ſelues though we be regenerate, and though we be the children of God and ſuch as feare God, yet muſt we not thinke to be heard for our faith, and for our feare of God, if we doe, we come not in the mediation of Chriſt, for to come in his name & mediation is not only in word to call on God through Ieſus Chriſt, and to conclude our prayers with theſe words commonly vſed at the ſhutting vp of prayer (through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord) but to offer vp our praiers in the merit of his death the price of our redemption, and that cannot ſtand with any the leaſt confidence in any thing in our ſelues. Object. Againe, we comming in confidence of ſome thing in our ſelues, we come to a God cloathed with iuſtice and iudgement, ready to powre out his wrath vponupon vsus; happily ſome will ſay, may wee not in our praiers ſtand vponupon it, and pleade it in the ſight of God that we are his ſeruants and children: did not Dauid thus.Pſalm. 86.2. 2. King. 20.3. Did not Hezechiah thus frame his praier. I beſeech thee O Lord remember, &c. hath not God promiſed to heare and and accept the praiers of his children?
Anſ. Dauid and Hezekiah in the places cited, Anſw. did not plead the merit of their righteouſneſſe, but onelyonly teſtifie that they were the children of God regenerate, and ſuch men as to whom God hath promiſed to be good and gratious, they did onelyonly aſſure themſelues that Gods promiſe of helpe and deliuerance pertained to them in particular, becauſe they were of that number. For as we hauehave it, the eies of the Lord are vponupon, &c. Thus far as many as truly feare God,Pſal. 34.15. may vſe the benefit of a good conſcience and their owne integritie, to confirme them in the promiſes of God made to his children, their conſciences bearing witneſſe that they are ſuch as truely feare God, they may hereupon comfort themſelues with aſſurance that their praiers are precious to the Lord. That is the vſe of the feare of God in the time of praier, we are not to plead to bee heard for the feare of God, but to aſſure our hearts by it to bee accepted in, and through Chriſt.
Again, the conſideration of this may comfort vsus againſt Ʋſe. 2 a fiery dart of the Deuill,Comfort againſt a fiery dart of ſatan. wherewith he many times troubles the weake, namely this, that they are vnworthy, vile, and wretched, the deuill will goe about to perſwade them, that they are ſo vnworthy as they may not pray to God, nor expect any fauour from him, in this caſe the weake Chriſtian may comfort himſelfe, and raiſe vp his heart, and beat backe the aſſault of Satan with this, that he comes to God not in his own name, nor any other name, but in the name of Chriſt, and in him his vnworthineſſe is couered; in and by him, the throne of glory and Iuſtice is changed into a throne of grace, and therefore we are not to be driuen away from God, in regard of our vnworthineſſe, but to be truely humbled for it, and to bewaile it, and in humble confeſſion of it to come to God, who hath promiſed to hauehave reſpect in Chriſt to ſuch as are of broken and contrite hearts. In this deſcription (Father of our Lord, &c.) Doct. 4 the Apoſtle further teacheth vsus how we are to conceiue of Chriſt;They that acknowledge Chriſt their Ieſus, muſt alſo acknowledge him their Lord. Mat. 11.29. the point of inſtruction is this, that as many as acknowledge Chriſt their Ieſus, muſt alſo acknowledge him their Lord, that is the right faith in Chriſt, we hold it an Article of our faith, wee are taught as much by Chriſt himſelfe, that ſuch as come to him by faith, and find comfort in him, muſt take his yoke on them, how then doe they deceiue themſelues, and feed vponupon a fancy, who will hauehave Chriſt to beare the burden of their ſins, and yet neuer ſubmit their neckes to beare his yoke, Vſe. a Redeemer they will hauehave him, but not a Lord,They deceiue themſelues, who will hauehave Chriſt a Redeemer but not a Lord. they will hauehave a portion in his redemption, but their owne luſts muſt be their Lords, they will be ſaued by grace, and yet liue the life of nature, follow after drunkenneſſe and all manner of prophaneſſe, as they are led by the luſts of their owne hearts, let ſuch know that they are bewitched with a ſtrong deluſion of the Deuill, they ſet vp a Chriſt of their owne framing, and beleeue not in Chriſt propounded and ſet forth in the Goſpell, for let them thinke on it with reaſon, can they imagin that they hold Chriſt their Lord, whom they daily deſpite and crucifie, I think they are not ſo fond and fooliſh. Now this they doe by their ſinnes, who continue hardened and vnrepentant in their ſinnes, therefore it is ſaid, one day they ſhall ſee him whom they hauehave pierced, if men hold not Chriſt a Lord,Reuel. 1.7. they cannot hold him a Sauiour, for theſe two are conioined. If euer then we would find comfort in Chriſt, we muſt learne to make him our Lord, and ſuffer him to rule in our heart and liues. Now to the laſt words of this verſe, wherein the Apoſtle ſets it downe in generall, that hee praied afterward, expreſſing the particular matter of his praiers, and hee ſettes it not downe barely, that he praied, but together with it, the time (alwaies) that is to ſay, euer when he called vponupon God for himſelfe he ceaſed not to pray for them, as he ſaith verſ. 9 not to ſay any thing of the time heere mentioned, we ſhall ſpeake of it more fitly, cap. 4.2. The point hence to be obſerued is this. In that the Apoſtle praied for the Coloſſians for whom hee gaue thankes, by his example wee are taught that we are to lift vp our praiers to God, euen then when wee hauehave cauſe to praiſe God, when wee hauehave iuſt Doct. 5 cauſe to giuegive thankes to God for good things in our ſelues or others, euen then are we alſo to bee humbled in praier,When wee pray to God we hauehave alſo iuſt cauſe to praiſe him, and ſo on the contrary. for why? beſides this that there is no man, who hath ſuch meaſure of gifts and good things, but that ſo long as he is in this world hee hath his wants, and is to pray for a ſupply for them; beſides this, praier is a ſpeciall meanes ſanctified and appointed of the Lord, to procure and to bring downe his bleſſing on good things for the continuance and increaſe of them: yea ſuch a meanes, as by it other meanes, which muſt not be neglected, receiue a bleſſing from the Lord, good meanes ſeruing for the continuance of good things vntounto vsus, vſed without praier are commonly croſſed and curſed, becauſe the Lord cannot away to be made a ſeruant to fleſh and bloud, but being vſed with praier they are bleſſed and they proſper. Therefore praier muſt reach as farre as any matter of thankeſgiuing, what things ſoeuer doe miniſter matter of praiſe and thankeſgiuing to the Lord, the ſame giues vsus iuſt cauſe of praier for a bleſſing vponupon them, and wee muſt take knowledge of this duty, and labour to practiſe it.
In the time of want men will fall on their knees, Vſe. and cal on the Lord,Men are wanting in the practiſe of this dutie. Hoſ. 5.15. Exod. 5.1. with ſome men, want is more forcible to make them pray, then the commandement of God, the commandement came to Pharaoh, let my people goe that they, &c. but he in his ruffe and proſperity anſwered, who is the Lord, yet afterward when hee was plagued, and his ſtomacke beaten downe with an iron rod, hee confeſſed the Lord,Exod. 10.17. and deſired Moſes and Aaron to pray for him. Thus many in time of ſickeneſſe, trouble and diſtreſſe will pray vntounto the Lord, but in time of health and plentie, in time of abundance, they are hardly drawne to this duty, nay, then they ſay vntounto God, as we hauehave it, depart from vsus &c. men many times promiſe vntounto themſelues a perpetuity in their goods,Iob. 21.14.15 as the rich man did, but wee know the anſwer of God vntounto him,Luk. 12.19. thou foole, &c. and take we heede we deſerue not the ſame title, would we hauehave ſure and certaine hould of good things, then pray we for the continuance of them, let our praier reach as farre as we hauehave matter and cauſe of thankſgiuing, euen then when Gods bleſſing is on our Tabernacles,Iob. 29.6. as Iob ſpeaketh, when wee waſh, &c. when wee hauehave the bleſſings of God in abundance, then are we to bee humbled in praier, and becauſe we are commonly careleſſe of this duty in time of proſperity, know we, that if we lift vp our hands and voices in praier onelyonly, when we are vnderunder the hand of God, that praier is a praier of nature, not of grace: for nature teacheth the bruit beaſt to groane vnderunder the burden, when we are pinched then nature teacheth vsus to cry for helpe, it is not a praier of grace, and the free ſpirit of God, and ſuch praier, may ſtand and goe hand in hand, with wilfull rebellion againſt God, the Lord ſaith, his people in time of a great dearth aſſembled themſelues for corne and wine, and yet they rebelled againſt him, Hoſ. 7.14.if then we would hauehave our praier a free will-offering, and ſo pleaſing vntounto God as a ſweet fruit of his owne ſpirit, and a teſtimony of our free obedience, we muſt be carried to a quicke and ready performance of it, euen then when we hauehave matter of praiſe and thankſgiuing