Colossians 1:3 - "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you..."
Speaking of this verse, the learned Bishop Davenant says:
Speaking of this verse, the learned Bishop Davenant says:
In that the Apostle gives so frequent, so regular thanks to God for benefits conferred upon others, he shews the nature of Christian love, which rejoices with them that do rejoice, weeps with them that weep, and finally reckons the happiness and misery of its friends as its own. Parisiensis well terms love the most trustworthy and innocent of thieves, because it makes all the goods of its neighbor its own, and yet takes away nothing from him. Nay out of another’s good things it finds a gift which it may present truly acceptable to God, viz., the praising of God and giving of thanks.
The Apostle by his conduct reproves the envy and jealousy of this age: in which, so far from being willing to give thanks to God for the distinguished and excellent gifts of others, they are rather ready to turn the same to evil, and revile them with malevolent detractions. From which the disadvantage always happens, that they who, by rejoicing in the prosperity of others, would have found their own benefit, by envying it do but torment themselves: for set aside envy, and what I have is thine; set aside envy, and what thou hast is mine, as says Augustine in Psalm 139.
The Apostle by his conduct reproves the envy and jealousy of this age: in which, so far from being willing to give thanks to God for the distinguished and excellent gifts of others, they are rather ready to turn the same to evil, and revile them with malevolent detractions. From which the disadvantage always happens, that they who, by rejoicing in the prosperity of others, would have found their own benefit, by envying it do but torment themselves: for set aside envy, and what I have is thine; set aside envy, and what thou hast is mine, as says Augustine in Psalm 139.
