TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE EPISTLE.

COLOSSIANS i. 3—12.

"We give thanks to God," &c.

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints.

Paul shews his love, not by giving thanks only, but also by continual prayer, in seeing that those whom he did not see, he had continually within himself.

For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven.

He speaks of the good things to come. This is with a view to their temptations, that they should not seek their rest here. For lest any should say, " and where is the good of their love to the saints, if they themselves are in affliction ?" he says, "we rejoice that ye are securing for yourselves a noble reception in hea ven.' Which is laid up, he saith; he shews its se

cureness.

Whereof, saith he, ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel; which is come unto you; He means it did not come and go away, but that it remained, and was there. Then because to the many the strongest confirmation of doctrines is that they hold them in common with many, he adds, As also it is in all the world.

It is present, he says, everywhere, everywhere victorious, everywhere established.

And bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since

the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.

Not in word, saith he, nor in deceit, but in very deeds [it bringeth forth fruit]. Either this is what he means by fruit, or else the signs and wonders. So that as soon as ye received it, so soon ye knew the grace of God.

As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

Doubt not, he saith, of the hope which is to come; ye see that the world is being converted. And what need to allege the case of others? what happened in your own case is even by itself a sufficient ground for belief; for ye knew the grace of God in truth; that is, in works. So that these two things, namely the belief of all, and your own too, confirm the things that are

to come.

But how is Epaphras for you a minister? In that he had gone to him, and declared to us, saith he, your love in the Spirit. This love is wonderful and stedfast; all other has but the name.

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

For this cause.

For what cause? Because we heard of your faith and love, because we have good hopes; we are hopeful to ask for future blessings also. For as in the Games we cheer on those most who are near upon gaining the victory, so doth Paul most exhort those who have achieved the greater part.

Since the day we heard it, saith Paul, we do not cease to pray for you. Not for one day only do we pray for you, nor yet for two nor three. Herein he both

shews his love, and gives them a gentle hint that they had not yet arrived at the end. For this is signified by the words, that ye might be filled. And observe, I pray you, the prudence of this blessed one. He nowhere says that they had been cut off from completeness, but, everywhere implies that they fell short. And that ye might be filled, he saith, with the knowledge of His will; not "that ye might receive," for they had received; but that ye might be filled with what as yet was lacking. Thus both the rebuke was given without offence, and the praise did not suffer them to sink down, and become supine, as if it had been complete.

In all wisdom, he saith, and spiritual understanding. For since the philosophers deceived them, I wish you, he saith, to be in spiritual wisdom, not after the wisdom of men. But if, in order to know the will of God, there needs spiritual wisdom; to know His Essence, what It is, there needs continual prayer.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord. With faith Paul always couples conversation. That ye might walk, saith he, worthy of the Lord. For this is the way of the best life. For he that hath understood God's love to man, (and he doth understand it, if he have seen the Son delivered up,) will have greater forwardness. And besides, we pray not for this alone, that ye may know, but that ye may shew forth your knowledge in works; for he that knows without doing, is even in the way to punishment. Might walk, he means not once, but continually, always advancing.

Unto all pleasing; and how? being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Seeing, saith he, He hath fully revealed Himself unto you, and seeing ye have received knowledge so great; do ye then shew forth a conversation worthy of the faith; for this needeth great things in life", greater far than the old dispensation. For he that hath known God, and been counted worthy to be God's

• Lit., "a great conversation."

servant, yea, rather, even His son, see how great virtue he needeth.

Strengthened with all might.

He is here alluding to trials and persecutions. We pray that ye might be filled with strength, that ye faint not for sorrow nor despair.

Through the power of His glory.

That, saith he, ye may have such forwardness as it becometh the power of His glory to give. Through the power, he saith, of His glory, because that everywhere His glory hath the power. He thus comforts those under reproach. He saith this of the Son, that He hath the power everywhere, both in heaven and in earth, because His glory reigneth everywhere. He saith not simply strengthened, but so as they might be expected to be strengthened who are in the service of so strong a Master.

Unto all patience and long-suffering.

What he saith amounts to this, we pray that ye may lead a life of virtue, and worthy of your citizenship, and may stand firmly, as they in reason should, who have been strengthened by God.

With joyfulness giving thanks unto God.

The connexion is this. We cease not praying for you, and giving thanks for the benefits already received.

Seest thou how he forces himself into speaking of the Son? For if we give thanks with much joyfulness, it is a great thing that is spoken of. For it is possible to give thanks only from fear, it is possible to give thanks even when in sorrow. For instance, Job

b According to the mightiness of His glory. Observe, the divine glory is not only a bright manifestation of splendour, but an energetic exercise of power. So it was in the days of Christ's earthly ministry, when the soldiers fell back before His Presence, (John xviii. 6). What will it be at the Great Day! Cp. 2. Thess. ii. 8.) Note in Bp. of Lincoln's Com.; E. V. has, according to His glorious power.

• E. V., punctuation different.

gave thanks indeed, but in anguish. Wherefore he said, "The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away." For, let not any say that what had come to pass pained him not, nor clothed him with dejection of soul; nor let his great praise be taken away from that righteous one. But when it is thus, it is not for fear, nor only because of His being Lord, but for the very nature of the things themselves, that we give thanks to the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Paul hath said a great thing. The Father hath not only given, but also made us strong to receive. By saying, Who hath made us meet, he shewed that the thing was of great weight. For example, were some low person to have become a king, he hath it in his power to give a presidency to whom he will; and this is the extent of his power, to give the dignity; he cannot also make the person fit for the office, and oftentimes the honour makes one so preferred even ridiculous. If however he have both conferred on a man the dignity, and also made him fit for the honour, and equal to the administration, then indeed the thing is an honour. This, then, is what Paul saith here, that God hath not only given us the honour, but hath also made us strong enough to receive it.

For the honour here is twofold, the giving, and the making fit for the gift. He hath made us meet for the portion of the inheritance of the saints in light, that is, hath appointed us a place with the saints. He did not say simply hath placed us in the inheritance, but hath given us to enjoy even the very same, for the portion is that which each one receives. It is possible to be in the same city, and yet not enjoy the same; but to have the same portion, and yet not enjoy the same, is impossible. It is possible to be in the same inheritance, and yet not to have the same portion; for instance,

Job i. 21.

⚫ E. V., "meet to be partakers of."