Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 9
VERSE 9. For this canſe wee alſo ſince the day wee heard it, doe not ceaſe to pray for you, and to deſire that yee might be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wiſdome and ſpirituall underſtanding.
I Told you in the third Verſe, how the Apoſtle propoundeth his fact of Thankſgiving and Prayer, digreſſing hitherto as matter did occaſion. Now hee returneth to expound and open to them the forme and ſumme of them; the order inverted, firſt of his Prayer, which was laſt mentioned in the third Verſe, then of his Thankſgiving. His Prayer to the twelfth Verſe. His Thankſgiving with the occaſionall opening of a head of doctrine, to the eighth Verſe of the ſecond Chapter. In the Prayer theſe points lye in order.
1 The occaſion, For this cauſe.
2 The Perſons, the Apoſtle with other, Wee.
3 The time, From the first heare ſay of it.
The manner in two points:
1 Vnceſſantly, not ceaſing.
2 Fervently, which is infolded in this double word, We pray, we deſire.
Laſtly, here is the matter of his Prayer, which reſpecteth them either as they were to doe GOD's will, or to endure his pleaſure.
For the firſt, The grounds of obedience.
The obedience it ſelfe.
The fruit of it.
For the firſt, The grounds of obedience, are: 1. The gift of knowledge, that they might know the will of GOD fully. 2. Gifts or graces practicall, with wiſdome and ſpirituall underſtanding. The obedience it ſelfe followeth, firſt ſet downe in generall, That they might walke worthy the LORD: Secondly, opened by two particulars, pleaſing Him, fruitfully; the fruit of this obedience, is a growing up into more familiar acquaintance with, or knowledge of GOD. Now as they were to endure many things, he wiſheth them a convenient grace in this regard:
1 Setting downe the grace it ſelfe, That they might be ſtrengthened with all might.
2 The fountaine, GOD's glorious power.
3 The End, which is double: as trials ſometime are ſtrong and long; ſo againſt the one wee muſt have Patience, againſt the other long ſufferance, accompanied with joyfulneſſe.
Thus is the Prayer.
The thing that needeth explication moſt, is in thoſe words, with wiſdome and ſpirituall underſtanding. This Greeke word foreign, as cockmah in the Hebrew, to which it anſwereth, hath a double acception: Sometime it noteth out the knowledge of hidden heavenly things, thus it is expounded, Prov. 30.3. one end of the verſe doth interpret the other, wiſdome in the beginning is conſtrued by the knowledge of holy things in the end. So in 1 Cor. 2.6. We ſpeake wiſdome amongst the perfect, that is, points of hidden knowledge, the great myſtery of CHRIST; and thus onelyonly prophane Authors take it, as Ariſtotle, Tully.
2 This word Wiſdome, is put for that practicall vertue, which doth deliberate about, and move us to doe things behoofefull, commandeth and ordereth actions: And the Septuagint uſe this word foreign, for the ſame which the Philoſophers ſignifie onelyonly by foreign. Now in this place it is thus to be taken: for it cannot be put for the theory of GOD's will, becauſe it is annexed as a different thing from that which wee expreſſely asked in the words before. Againe, in the third Chapter, Col. 3.1….Wiſdome ſeemeth to be that which maketh a man teach and admoniſh himſelfe, and ſo bring into act that which hee knoweth out of the Word. Now if you ask what it differeth from underſtanding; and how ſpiritual underſtanding differeth from knowledge? To the firſt, Wiſdome maketh us put the thing in execution: Spirituall underſtanding doth perceive and judge aright of that which Wiſdome conſulteth on, and executeth: And this differeth from knowledge, becauſe this as Wiſdome is about matter of fact gotten by experience, wheras Knowledge conceiveth onelyonly things in themſelves, not conſidering of them as they are here, and now performed.
Now for the doctrines from the ninth Verſe.
Firſt in generall, the Apoſtles example doth teach; That Miniſters muſt not onelyonly teach and admoniſh, Obſerv.but pray for their people. 1 Sam. 12.23.GOD forbid that I ſhould ceaſe to pray for you. Moſes, Aaron, and Samuel were thus ſtiled, ſuch as called on His Name: the Prieſt was as well to offer up incenſe, and bleſſe in the Name of the Lord, as to ſlay the ſacrifice. Againe, all our watering and planting is nothing without GOD's increaſe; which how can we looke for, if we will not aske it? Spare to ſpeake, and ſpare to ſpeed. Moſes Prayer did more againſt the Amalekites, than all Iſraels weapons.
Such therefore as bow not their knees to GOD in ſecret for their people, Vſe neglect their dutie; yet ſome are ſo unacquainted with this exerciſe, that out of their books they cannot ſay two lines; it may be ſaid of them, The Priest hath forgot his Prayers.
We muſt be admoniſhed of our duty: The occaſion was handled above. And thus much from this that the Apoſtle ſaith; We Pray.
From the time, Obſerv.marke, wee muſt not delay going to GOD when occaſion is offered; that precept every where pray: foreign, is thus fitly conſtrued, Pray in every opportunitie; let it not ſlip thee: It is good taking the ſeaſon in every thing, ſtriking while the iron is hot, for time and tide ſtay not: from that day he heard; he did take the occaſion of devout remembring them to God. Delay is here alwayes dangerous. For at the firſt comming of occaſions, we are affected with them; but if we work not with this motion, like as fire not blowed nor fed with fewell, it goeth out. Againe, wiſdome biddeth us redeeme the opportunitie.Eph. 5.…5.…6.
Here therefore men are to be taxed, Vſe who put off and quench the ſpirit, whoſe modò & modò non habet modum, who are ever in purpoſe, never in performance, who cry yet a little ſleepe, a little folding the hands, ſleep over their ſpirituall harveſt.
We muſt from his example be exhorted, for as hee followed CHRIST, ſo farre forth wee must follow him.
Marke thirdly, that he prayeth unceſſantly; Obſerv.which teacheth us, how we muſt perſevere in Prayer: not like them who a day or two will begin this duty, and then lay it by all the quarter: the Apoſtle biddeth every one of us perſevere in prayer for the Saints; Eph. 6.18.not that we muſt keepe houres ſtinted, as if thoſe houres paſſe us, we muſt not pray that day, or like the Euchites never ceaſe pattering; but we muſt daily, at fitteſt ſeaſons take up this duty. This not ceaſing, ſpeedeth with GOD, giveth Him no reſt, out-wraſtleth Him: this CHRIST by a double Parable calleth us to; one of the widdow: Luke 18.3, 4. Luke 11.5.the other of the friend in the night-time importuning his friend. For GOD doth often delay, to ſee if we will follow Him, and not give Him over.
Thoſe then who are ſet downe with fainting hands, Vſe letting fall their prayers, muſt be ſtirred up to hold out unceſſantly by this example. Delayes ſhould not hinder us from hoping well. That ſeed that lyeth longeſt in the earth, riſeth higher than any other: So that prayer groweth to the moſt glorious iſſue, which GOD ſeemeth long to bury in forgetfulneſſe.
From this that hee doth not pray howſoever, Obſ. 4 but with an hearty deſire: Marke here, That our prayers muſt bee fervent: Hee doth not continue a forme of words without affection; for it is not vox, but votum, that ſoundeth in GOD's eare;I…. ….16. The prayer of the righteous availeth much, if it be fervent. Our SAVIOUR doth reach, that theſe onelyonly ſpeed, theſe fervent prayers, by that trebled phraſe, Aske, Seeke, Knocke, all importing the ſame matter, heartie calling on GOD. If one aske us a thing, but being indifferent, doth rather to prove us, than that hee careth; when we diſcerne it, we hold our owne. So GOD &c.
To rebuke luke-warme devotion; Vſe 1 nay, our frozen prayers, when the heart hath no deſire in it after that the mouth ſpeaketh.
To ſtirre us up in this dutie: Vſe 2 Now the mother of deſire, is ſpirituall Poverty, from ſight of our wants, weakneſſes, perills, &c.
From the Matter in generall, he wiſheth their proceeding in grace, obedience, and patience. Obſerve hence,Obſerv. What things wee are to wiſh thoſe that are called, even theſe here named: The Apoſtle knew how many begunne in the ſpirit, but ended in the fleſh; hee knew that if they did not gather, they would ſcatter. He well perceived how buſie Satan would bee to ſteale this grace out of their hearts. For as theeves watch them that have treaſure and great charge about them, letting penniles travellers alone: So doth Satan, he is buſie to rob thoſe whom GOD hath truſted with His graces.