ner, he lives in perpetual watchfulness; he who neglects this vigilance of mind, he, although he may pass days and nights in prayer, is, notwithstanding, judged to sleep. To this vigilance of mind Christ calls us in Mark xiii. 35, 36, Watch, for ye know not when, &c. Rev. xvi. 15, Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth, &c. 1 Cor. xvi. 13, Watch ye; stand fast in the faith, &c. 1 Thess. v. 6, Let us not sleep, but let us watch, &c. Peter, 1 Epis. v. 8, Watch, because your adversary, &c. It therefore behoves us to observe these vigils, if we wish either ourselves or our prayers to be acceptable to God. Hence Augustine, Serm. 23, in Evang. Matt. Watch in heart, watch in faith, watch in charity, watch in good works. And Bernard, in vigil. Petri et Pauli; Vigils are proposed for this end, that we may awake, if we shall have slept in any sin. Yea, as Cyprian speaks, De orat. Domin. All godly men ought, even when they sleep with their eyes, to watch with their heart. As it is written of the person of the Church, I sleep, but my heart waketh, Cant. v. 2. Instructions. 1. Hence is inferred the sottishness of our age: For we, as often as we assemble for public prayers or the preaching of the word, thereupon sleep in open day; whereas our forefathers in the primitive church, passed even whole nights without sleep with alacrity, that they might enjoy these spiritual exercises. 2. Our impiety and vanity is also inferred: For vigils among us are scarcely destined to any thing but wickedness or foolishness. 3. We may also conclude: That he raises his voice in vain to God in prayer, who sleeps in the conversation of his life: For God requires no less, nay, much more watchful minds than eyes, from those invoking his name. 4. The prayers of the ungodly and impenitent are accounted dreams rather than desires; because they are recited whilst the heart sleeps in sin. Thus far of watchful ness. With thanksgiving] We come to the last condition which is required in persons praying, and in prayer itself, namely, gratitude, and thanksgiving flowing from thence. And rightly indeed is thanksgiving coupled with prayer: For in praying, whether we have respect to benefits already received, or look forward to those to be received, whether we consider those deferred, or altogether denied; on all these accounts we are bound to give thanks. 1. It is just that those seeking and expecting new benefits should shew themselves grateful on account of those before received: because, as even Aristotle rightly and wisely observed, Ethic. 9, A return is required to preserve friendship: but to God we have nothing that we can return except gratitude, Ps. cxvi. 12, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me? I will take the cup of salvation, &c. 2. We ought to shew ourselves grateful for benefits received; because in vain does he ask new benefits who shews himself unmindful of those supplied; The hope of the unthankful shall melt away as the winter's hoar frost, Wisd. xvi. 29. 3. Thanks are even to be given for those deferred, yea, for those denied. For when those things which we seek are deferred, it is done that they may be conferred at the most advantageous time for us; that we may esteem them more when bestowed: when they are altogether denied, it so happens, because God knew that those things would be hurtful to us which we judged for our advantage; on the contrary, that those would be as useful, which seemed to us to be bitter and unpleasant. This is what Chrysostom intimates, when he says, that we must thank God, not only for manifest benefits, but for more hidden ones, which are afforded us unsolicited and in opposition to our desires. Of this kind are sickness, poverty, persecution, and almost all those things which are commonly thought hard to be endured. And among these and the like, the opinion of Augustine, in Epist. Joan. tract. 6, is to be received, who asserts, that the pious and faithful, when they are not heard according to their will, yet are heard to their safety. On these grounds, therefore, it is manifest, that thanksgiving, inasmuch as it is a tribute due to God on many accounts, is never to be intermitted. Hence we are taught, 1. That almost all men are more prone to ask and to complain, than to be thankful. 2. That those ungrateful men are wholly unfit to offer unto God the sacrifice of prayer. 3. That good and evil are not to be measured by our sense, but must be left to the judgment of God our Father: for here is the fountain of ingratitude, that we do not believe those things to be best for us which are sent by God. The old poet was not undeservedly praised by Plato, in Alcibiades, lib. 2, because he had prescribed to his friends this form of prayer, O Jupiter, grant to us thy blessings whether we pray for them or withhold our prayers, And repel from us all evils even though we pray for them. 4. That we must not be rash or angry, if those things should be denied us which we desire; but rather give thanks to God the Father, who lovingly and prudently denies us hurtful things, even when they are foolishly and inconsiderately sought by us. 5. That nothing can happen to the pious and faithful, for which they may not and ought not to give the most deserved thanks; according to that injunction of the Apostle, 1 Thess. v. 18, In all things give thanks. Thus much for the condition of legitimate prayer. Vers. 3, 4. Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Many things are to be prayed for from Almighty God, both on our own account and that of others: but the Apostle, passing by other things, excites the Colossians to seek one great and necessary thing, namely, the propagation and increase of the Gospel. And that very justly too for when this celestial light has diffused itself, and penetrates the hearts of men, all other blessings of God are added to them without asking. Matt. vi. 33. In these two verses two things are to be observed generally: For whom we must most especially pray; What on their account is to be earnestly sought from God. For whom? For us] That is, For me and the other faithful ministers of the Gospel. Withal praying also for us.] In the preceding verse (as you have heard) he excited the Colossians to constant prayer: Now he teaches that it behoved them to remember, not only themselves, but also their brethren, and especially ministers. Thus in 2 Cor. i. 11, the Apostle says, that he trusted for Divine assistance, the Corinthians helping together with him to propitiate God by prayer. Nor is it without cause they who desire the increase of the Gospel from the heart, are excited to pray for the Apostles and other ministers; because a good and faithful minister is the public treasure of the Church, and therefore to be loved and cared for by all who love or care for the edification of the Church. Hence let us observe, 1. That it is the duty of all the pious, assiduously and earnestly to pray to God for pastors and ministers of the Gospel. 2. That they who do not love them even for their vocation alone, although they have nothing else worthy of their love, have little of the Christian mind; they who vex and harass them, are plainly of a diabolical spirit. 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. 3. They who are in a low station, and of less sanctity, nevertheless may and ought to pray for them who are in a more eminent station, and endowed with greater sanctity: For the Apostle himself not only did not despise the prayers of the people of Colosse, but importuned them to a still greater degree. Hence says Augustine, in Psal. xxxviii. The Apostle prays for the people; the people pray for the Apostle all the members pray for themselves; The Head intercedes for all. 4. To pray God for others we have no need of the mediatorial intercession of any one, but of mutual charity and necessity. Augustine speaks admirably on this head, cont. epist. Parmen. lib. 2. cap. 8, where he reprehends Parmenianus,* because he had said that a bishop is a mediator between the people and God: and he forthwith adds, All Christians commend themselves to one another's prayers. But he for whom no one mediates, but he himself for all, he is the only and true Mediator. See more in the same, tom.7. 5. That the Papists vainly and foolishly, in those dumb prayers of the living, endeavour to ground that mediato This was a schismatical African bishop, elected by the Donatists, after Donatus, their chief, in 350; he wrote several things in defence of his heresy, which were refuted by Optatus and Augustine. |