Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Thessalonians 3:5

5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God , and into the patient waiting for Christ .

Here the Apostle prays for them again, as he had done a little before, chap. 2.17. and as this shews how much they were in his heart; so the frequent mingling of Prayers with his exhortations shews they could not be effectual without God. And he prayes for two things, 1. To have their hearts directed into the love of God; which is either meant passively for Gods love to them, to have their hearts, that is their whole Soul ingaged in the study, contemplation and admiration of this love; Or rather actively, for their love to God; to have their hearts set strait into the love of God, as the Greek word imports; drawn out towards him as a strait line to its Centre, or as an arrow directed to the mark. Till Mans love is set upon God, the motions of the heart are crooked and irregular. As the wayes of sin are call'd crooked wayes, Psal. 125.5. and Iohn Baptists Ministry was to make crooked things straight, Isa. 40.4. The turning mans heart and wayes towards God makes them strait. David prays, Psal. 119.36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies; [non-Latin text not transcribed], Or, bend my heart. As we bend a crooked stick to make it straight. Or as he he prays God to unite his heart to his fear, Psal. 86.11. so here Paul, to direct theirs to his love, by which some understand all Religion. We learn hence, that to direct mans heartto the love of God is the work of God, and beyond our power. And the hearts of the best Saints stand in need of a more perfect and constant direction unto the Love of God.

Patient sufferings for Christs sake; as the Apostle calls his sufferings for Christs sake, the sufferings of Christ often, 2 Cor. 1.5. Phil. 3.10, &c. and patience for his sake, is call'd the patience of Christ, Rev. 1.9. In this sence, the Apostle prays they may have hearts ready to suffer, and patiently to suffer for Christs sake, Heb. 10.36. Iam. 5.11. and suited to a suffering state, which the heart is naturally averse and disinclin'd unto. And the word is often used in this sence for patience under the Cross. And so the Apostle hath his eye in his Prayer upon the suffering state these Believers were in for Christs sake. If the sence be rendred as in our Translation, he prays for their hearts to be fixed upon the coming of Christ, to look towards it, and patiently to wait for it. The Greek word being often taken for the patience of expectation as well as of suffering, Rom. 8.25. Heb. 10.36. and so it is the same as waiting for the Son of God from Heaven, mentioned 1 Thes. 1. last. and looking for the Saviour, Phil. 3.20. that hereby they might not faint under their sufferings, nor be surprized by his coming. And because the hearts of the best are apt either to be remiss or secure upon the delay of Christs coming, he therefore prays their hearts might be directed to a patient waiting for it, as the Apostle Peter upon the same account exhorts Believers to the girding up the Loyns of their Mind, 1 Pet. 1.13.

Marginal references: Or, patience of Christ.