Commentary Upon Colossians 1 and 2, Chapter 1 · Verse 11
VERSE 11. Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience, and long ſuffering with joyfulneſſe.
NOw becauſe they that doe but ſincerely labour thus to be filled with the knowledge of God, and to walke worthy of the Lord, as hath beene ſaid, ſhall bee thought to bee ſtrang men in the world ſpecially by their old conſorts, 1 Pet. 4.4. and ſhall be ſure to bee ſcorned, taunted and diverſely ill intreated in the world (for all that deſire to live godly in Chriſt Ieſus, muſt ſuffer perfecution, 2 Tim. 3.12. that they may be like their Head,) therefore in the cloſe of his prayer, he deſireth that they may be ſtrengthned to all patience to beare theſe afflictions, be they never ſo great, or many, and long-ſufferance, bee they never ſo long in continuance; and becauſe there is a ſingular meaſure of ſtrength required herein, he asketh that they may bee ſtrengthened with all might, that is, with abundance of ſtrength, according to His glorious power, which being in Him infinitely, is expreſſed mervailouſly in His workes, that ſo they may bee able to beare theſe things, not with patience onelyonly, but even with joyfulneſſe, rejoycing that hereby they are made like to Chriſt, and counted worthy to ſuffer any thing for His Name ſake.
Christians have neede of ſpirituall ſtrength to walke with God in their ſpirituall conditions. Hence S. Paul, Eph. 6.10. Obſ. 1 exhorteth all to goe out of themſelves, for ſtrength and power from God, whereby they might bee able to withſtand thoſe ſpirituall enemies which will encounter them. Be ſtrong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
This ſpirituall ſtrength ſtands in two things.Eph. 6.10.
1 That the principium or cauſe of this ſtrengthning be from the ſpirit.
2 That the object of it whereabout it is converſant be ſpirituall things.
To ſtrive with God a little in Prayer is a ſigne of ſome ſtrength; but to wraſtle with God as Iacob did, not to let Him goe without a bleſſing, ſhewes great ſtrength. To beleeve a promiſe wherin there is a little difficulty, ſhewes ſome ſtrength; but for Abraham to offer up his Sonne in whom the promiſe was made, ſhewes great ſtrength: to beare a little iniury without deſire of revenge, ſhewes ſome patience, but to endure great and manifold perſecutions and reproaches, and with Saint Paul and Sylas to rejoyce in afflictions and to ſing in Priſon, ſhewes great ſtrength. To goe away cleare with all that preſſeth us, and make a play of them, this ſhoweth excellently glorious: bleſſed therefore was that ſtrength of GOD which made the Apoſtle rejoyce in infirmities; bleſſed of God are ye that carry your burthens cheerefully; and ſuch who are heavy in ſpirit, who goe mourning, oppreſſed with ſorrow, Que. they are weake yet, and though they have attained ſtrength, yet not all ſtrength.
But what ſtrength can make us rejoyce in afflictions, Anſ. when no affliction is joyous for the preſent?Iames 1.3.
Some thinke this a fruite of the ſpirit, given in times of extraordinary tryall; but Saint Iames his precept ſeemeth to binde in every ſeaſon, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. Afflictions therefore muſt be diſtinguiſhed; either they are for caſtigation of ſome ſinne which liveth in us, being uſed too gently; or of ſome guilt unrepented of; or elſe they are for manifeſtation of graces: the Author to the Hebrewes ſpeaketh of thoſe former, wherein GODS brow is bended and His angry countenance toward us, for ſo the word ſignifieth, and the concluſion inſinuateth, afterward they bring the quiet fruite of righteouſneſſe: in the ſecond, which are accompanyed with Gods favourable countenance, we may rejoyce: theſe are like ſunſhine ſhowers, wherein the Sun is more pleaſant, then the ſhowers tedious. Doe we not feele when we would be beſt occupied, evill then moſt preſent? If Gods inward ſtrength ſhould not uphold, we could not endure. If we have afflictions to ſuffer, we are white-livered, and the leaſt word of a wenches mouth, would make us be ready to deny with Saint Peter: and as in this regard we have need, ſo how can we walke to the glory of God, if we be not reſolute and valorous? doe ſuch ſouldiers credit their Captaine, which will faint and fly for any thing, and leave a man on the plaine field rather then ſuffer any incumberance? could any maſter endure to be ſo jaded with a ſervant, that would upon the leaſt paine or hardſhip ſhow him a paire of heeles?
Wherefore the uſe of this is to ſtirre us up to begge ſtrength which may make us couragious in all evill, Vſe not give in, though we feele difficulties, great enmities againſt us. We ſee how lewd ſervants of men have choſen to live no longer then their maſters, but have by their owne hand dyed beſide them. The ſubjects of mortall men as Kings, will follow them, and at their pleaſure fight in the Canons mouth, and run upon death valorouſly. What a ſhame is it that wee ſhould not bee reſolute for our God? to endure the worſt that can befall for His Name. The want of this is to bee rebuked: this maketh ſome they cannot abide to bee noted as men more ſtrict; call them Puritane, you daſh them out of countenance, they cannot endure any diſpleaſure from men. O cowardize, ô naked Chriſtians, whom a little paper ſhot from a pot gun, doth diſmay, and cauſe to ſhrinke in from the colours of their God! you timorous heartes, were you truely juſt, you ſhould be confident as Lions.
With all might] We have not need of ſtrength only, Obſ.but great ſtrength; as Paul bids Chriſtians get cōpleate furniture, to cover them, the whole armor of God. We are every where weak; could we ſee the enemies we have, what ſtrength we have need of by us that we may not be daunted; could we marke what foyles wee take; what neede we have of ſtrength to renew our battell, and charge them againe, ſtanding up from our falls; if wee conſider the manifold adverſities, the allurements with which the Divell doth fight, what might is ſufficient to keepe us, that our mindes be not broken neither with one or other? The LORD open our eyes, then wee who take no thought of theſe things, we will ſeeke to that heavenly armory for this ſpirituall amunition.
Let us therefore by this be ſtirred up; if we heard, Vſe as we did in eighty eight, that an infinite Armado were comming againſt us, would wee not raiſe all the ſtrength of the Land to encounter with them? Shall we make skar-crowes of the fleſh, the world, and legions of evill ſpirits, that we neglect to levie any forces, to provide any ſtrength wherewith to reſiſt them?
According, Obſerv.or by his glorious might] Obſerve from whom commeth all our ſtrength, even from the ſtrong GOD. It is GOD that ſtrengthneth us to ſuffer afflictions;Phil. 4.13. Pſal. 18.2. wee are able to doe every thing in Him ſtrengthning us: He is the rocke, He is the ſtrength of Iſrael bleſſed for ever. Like as a valorous Captaine, when his ſouldiers droope, doth with ſpeeches of incouragement put new ſoules, as it were, into them, animating them to battell: So our heavenly Captaine, further than He doth inſpire and create ſtrength in us, we are void of it: We by nature are of no ſtrength this day;Rom. 5.1…. the LORD muſt give it us: He giveth ſtrength to His people; yea, He muſt, when we have it, ſtirre us up to uſe it, girding our loynes to this battell, teaching our fingers to warre, and our hands to fight, or elſe to draw it forth; I have heard it twice that ſtrength is of the Lord.Pſal. 18.34 Pſal. 62.11
This teacheth us where to ſeeke our ſupply, Vſe 1 even in povertie of ſpirit to come unto the Lord, who is the Fountain: Courage for evill we have, but no courage for good: It is thou, Lord, muſt make our faint hearts couragious, thou muſt inſpire them. We can trouble our ſelves with many things, and goe away with it, but if any thing be to be affected or ſuffered for thy Name-ſake, we cannot abide it.
This ſheweth to whom all praiſe is to be returned, Vſe 2 from Him, and to Him are all things; the waters that come from the Sea returne unto it.
Now for the conſequent of this ſtrength in us, it is ſet downe in three effects, the one Patience, the other Long-ſuffering, which have annexed a companion, even Ioyfulneſſe in afflictions. Theſe three are daughters of ſpirituall courage, though they are not twins, all got at once in us.
Firſt then mark,Obſerv. What is a fruit of Chriſtian ſtrength needfull for us, even the Patient abiding of all evils; Patience is ſuch a vertue as maketh us ſtand under, not fainting. If wee ſhould ſee a man beare two or three thouſand waight, would wee not gather, ſurely that man had great ſtrength? If we ſhould ſee one ſtanding his ground, being aſſailed with an hundred, would we not ſay, he were very ſtrong that could ward off all theſe aſſaults? needs then muſt that Patient be ſtrong that ſtandeth under evills heavier than the ſand, evils within, evils without, that endureth when hell and the world, yea, our owne treacherous hearts doe lye heavie on us. So Salomon concludeth of impatient fainting under afflictions, that it is a token of weakneſſe. If thou fainteſt in the day of adverſitie, thy ſtrength is ſmall; as if we ſhould ſee one that ſhould ſinke when any thing were laid on him, we would ſay, hee were but a weake man,
Which convinceth that valour, falſely ſo called; Vſe many thinke that valour to challenge the field, and caſt their gauntlet of defiance downe upon any trifling provocation, to ſweare GOD out of heaven, if any thing croſſe them; but blinde men diſcerne not of colours, this is notable impatience and weakneſſe. As a man whom with halfe a finger we may throw downe to the ground, is a weake body: So thy ſoule which every thing moveth out of place, is a very weake ſpirit.
Marke how Long-ſuffering is an argument of great ſpirituall ſtrength: Obſ. 2 This is a vertue which maketh us hold out in patience under the continuance of evill on us; it maketh Patience have her perfect worke, and be at length no leſſe than in the beginning; it is not counterfeit biting in of anger by two yeares together, like as in Abſolom; but a continuance of true patient bearing our croſſe: to lift up a quarter of wheat or two, were rare ſtrength, though one ſhould ſtand under it but a while; but to carry it foure or five miles, were a token of ten-fold ſtrength: So to beare our burthens any time is a fruit of glorious ſtrength, but to carry them at length, argueth treble vertue.
To convince the falſe eſtimation of men touching this matter.
To aſſure thoſe that long have endured, Vſe 2 of GOD's ſtrength dwelling in them.
Now as Paul deſireth theſe three things for the Coloſsians; ſo he teacheth us thus much, Obſ 3 That wee have need of theſe vertues, we have need of Patience (ſaith the Scripture) Heb. 10.36. need indeed to beare our evils, to forbeare and expect, the receiving of our good things wee looke for; a Porter whoſe calling is to beare, had need of ſhoulders: So we that are called to beare many afflictions, had need of patience, but wee have no leſſe need of long-ſuffering; for ſo deepe are our ſtaines, that they will not come out, unleſſe we be long dowſed in theſe waters of afflictions, which maketh GOD many dayes continue our evils. Now how ſhal we hold under long afflictions without long-ſufferance? yea, we have need of the joy of the HOLY GHOST: No life can laſt without delight, and though to the being it be not ſo neceſſary, yet it is altogether needfull for the well being of us, that like Paul and Silas we ſing, not able to ſleepe for joy.
To ſeeke theſe things, Vſe we have need of them, and may have more, it is not good to ſeeke them when we ſhould uſe them; begge them before. Obſerve how haſty and impatient thou art, ſhort-ſpirited, not able to beare any thing; Pray the Lord to give thee wiſdome patiently to endure his will, he will give it, and not upbraid thee: think how though thou art patient now, yet ever and anon it is ready to be crazed, yea, broken in thee, pray for long-ſuffering; treaſure up joy againſt evill houres; fire doth well againſt winter, and while thou mayeſt, take it, deny thy fooliſh rejoycing, exerciſe thy heart with godly ſorrow. Such as ſow in teares, Pſal. 126.5.ſhall reape in joy. We live neither having exerciſe of theſe things, nor feeling want of them, nor ſeeking after them; our hearts love to be in the houſe of vaine mirth; woe will be to this ſecurity, and this laughter ſhall end in mourning: Woe to you that now laugh, Luk. 6.25.yee ſhall weepe.