We suffer persecution, but are not forsaken; we are cast down, but we perish not:

“"We are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; pursued, yet not forsaken." He still dwells upon proving that the whole work is to be ascribed to the power of God, repressing the highmindedness of those that glory in themselves. 'For not this only,' saith he, 'is marvelous, that we keep this treasure in earthen vessels, but that even when enduring ten thousand hardships, and battered on every side, we [still] preserve and lose it not. Yet though there were a vessel of adamant, it would neither have been strong enough to carry so vast a treasure, nor have sufficed against so many machinations; yet, as it is, it both bears it and suffers no harm, through God's grace.' For, "we are pressed on every side," saith he, "but not straitened." What is, "on every side?" 'In respect of our foes, in respect of our friends, in respect of necessaries, in respect of other needs, by them which be hostile, by them of our own household.' "Yet not straitened." And see how he speaks contrarieties, that thence also he may show the strength of God. For, "we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened," saith he; "perplexed, yet not unto despair;" that is, 'we do not quite fall off. For we are often, indeed, wrong in our calculations, and miss our aim, yet not so as to fall away from what is set before us: for these things are permitted by God for our discipline, not for our defeat.' "Pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed." For these trials do indeed befal, but not the consequences of the trials. And this indeed through the power and Grace of God. In other places indeed he says that these things were permitted in order both to their own humble-mindedness, and to the safety of others: for "that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn," he says: and again, "Lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me;" and in another place again, "that we should not trust in ourselves:" here, however, that the power of God might be manifested. Seest thou how great the gain of his trials? For it both showed the power of God, and more disclosed His grace. For, saith He, "My grace is sufficient for thee." It also anointed them unto lowliness of mind, and prepared them for keeping down the rest, and made them to be more hardy. "For patience," saith he, "worketh probation, and probation hope." For they who had fallen into ten thousand dangers and through the hope they had in God had been recovered, were taught to hold by it more and more in all things.”

“Above all the work of the new Testament as regards good actions, he now goes on to treat of its usefulness as regards the endurance of evils. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows the endurance of evils which they were suffering; second he makes this plain, at *for we who live*, etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he gives the cause why they are exposed to tribulations by God; second he shows that in these tribulations they behave patiently, at *we suffer tribulation in all things*, etc.; third he assigns the reason for this patience, at *always the mortification of Jesus*, etc. He says therefore: God has shone into our minds for the enlightenment of others, and this light is the greatest treasure. Wis. 7: *for the treasure is infinite*, etc. Is. 33: *the riches of salvation is wisdom*, etc. Now this greatest treasure we do not have in a precious place, but in a thing that is cheap and made of clay; and the reason for this is that its efficacy might be attributed to God. And this is what he says: *we have this treasure*, that is, that light by which we enlighten others, *in vessels of clay*, that is, in a body that is fragile and cheap. Ps. 102: *he himself has known our frame*. Jer. 18: *as clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in the hand*, etc. Is. 64: *and now, Lord, you are our father, but we are clay*. Therefore we have it in vessels of clay, so that the sublimity of this light might be *of the power of God*, that is, be attributed to God, and not believed to be from ourselves. For if we were rich, if powerful, if noble according to the flesh, whatever great thing we did would be attributed not to God but to ourselves. But now, because we are poor and contemptible, this sort of sublimity is attributed to God and not to us. And therefore God wills us to be held in contempt, and to be exposed to tribulations. Deut. 32: *lest they should say: our hand is exalted*, etc. And 1 Cor. 1: *that no flesh should glory*, etc. Wis. 12: *you sent forth your forerunners lest they should say*, etc. Consequently, when he says *we suffer tribulation in all things*, etc., he shows their patience in the things which they suffer. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows the evils which they suffer in general; second he enumerates them in particular, at *we are made poor, but not destitute*, etc. He says therefore: Truly we have this treasure in vessels of clay, because *we suffer tribulation in all things*; as if to say: no manner of being troubled is lacking to us. Acts 14: *through many tribulations*, etc. Nor is it a wonder, since as is said in the last chapter of Luke: *it behooved Christ to suffer, and so to enter*, etc. And although we are thus troubled, nevertheless *we are not straitened*. And he speaks after the likeness of a traveler, who, when no way is open to him by which he might go out of some narrow place, is straitened. As if to say: men who trust only in the world are straitened, if they are troubled on every side by the world, because no way of remedy is open to them, since they hope in nothing but the world. But we, although we are troubled in the world, because nevertheless we trust in God and hope in Christ, a way of escape and of help from God is open to us, and therefore we are not straitened. Consequently, when he says *we are made poor*, etc., he enumerates the tribulations in particular. Now there are four things in which men are accustomed to be troubled, and in these the apostles were troubled, namely in exterior things, in the unrest of their state, in the wounding of their reputation, and in the affliction of their own body. As to the first, therefore, he says *we are made poor*, that is, we are impoverished. For *aporos* in Greek is called *poor* in Latin; as if to say: we are so poor that necessary things are lacking. 1 Cor. 4: *even to this hour we hunger*, etc. But *we are not destitute* of God, who is our treasure. For riches are not sought for their own sake, but for the sufficiency of life. Whence men who are without the help and hope of God, if they lack riches, are destitute; but those who trust and hope only in God, however much they are made poor, are not destitute. Below, ch. 6: *as having nothing, and possessing all things*. But this does not suffice either — indeed, along with this we are troubled — *we suffer persecution*, namely from place to place. Matt. 10: *they will persecute you*. But *we are not forsaken* by God, who does not fail to provide help. Heb., last chapter: *I will not leave you*, etc. Ps. 9: *let them hope in you who know you*, etc. But along with this we are wounded in reputation, because *we are humbled*, that is, we are despised and reckoned as nothing. Jn. 16: *the hour comes, that whoever kills you*, etc. Matt. 5: *blessed will you be when they hate you*, etc. But because when someone is despised, and the cause of the contempt is present, the one who is despised is accustomed to be confounded; but when the cause is not present, he is not confounded, and in their case the cause of contempt was not present, therefore he says *we are not confounded*. As if to say: because the cause is not present, we do not care. Ps. 30: *in you, Lord, have I hoped, let me not be confounded*, etc. But as though these were few, he adds, for the heightening of the tribulation, saying *we are cast down to the perils of death, but we do not perish*, that is, we do not cease from good, or we do not perish because God sustains us. Job 11: *when you shall think yourself consumed*, etc. 1 Cor. 4: *as the refuse of this world*, etc. Ps. 43: *we are esteemed as sheep*, etc. Consequently, when he says *always the mortification*, etc., he adds the reason for this patience. Concerning which it must be known that in Christ such was the process: for from the beginning of his conception, having passable flesh, he suffered and died, but nevertheless within he lived by a spiritual life. But after the resurrection, that spiritual and glorious life was carried through even to the body, and the body itself was made glorious and immortal, because: *Christ rising from the dead, dies now no more*, etc. Whence from this a twofold state is taken in the body of Christ, namely of death and of glory. And therefore he says: that for this reason we patiently sustain the perils of death and the sufferings, that we may arrive at the glorious life. And this is what he says: *thus we always sustain*, that is, in all things and everywhere, *the mortification of Jesus*, that is, on account of Jesus, or after the likeness of the death of Jesus, Gal., last chapter: *the marks of the Lord Jesus*, etc. Because on account of the truth we have suffered, just as Jesus also. *In our body*, not only in the mind, Ps. 43: *for your sake we are put to death all the day*. *That the life of Jesus*, that is, the life of grace which Jesus gives; or the life of glory to which Jesus arrived through his sufferings, Lk. 24: *ought not Christ to have suffered, and so to enter into glory*, that is, might manifestly appear even to enemies. He says therefore *in* the future, namely in the resurrection, or even now the life of glory, *in our bodies*, not only in our souls, Judges 7: *the pitchers being broken, the lamps appeared*. And therefore Ambrose says: he did not fear to die, on account of the promised resurrection. *Bearing about*, that is, carrying and sustaining everywhere, because wherever we go we suffer and are not cut down. And this is so that *the life of Jesus*, which now lies hidden in our heart, *may be made manifest in our bodies*, namely when he will reform the body of our lowliness, etc., Phil. 3:21. Col. 3: *you are dead, and your life*, etc. 2 Tim. 2: *if we have died together, we shall also live together*.”

“Persecuted, but not forsaken,.... Pursued from place to place, and followed with menaces, curses, and reproaches; laid hold on, proscribed, imprisoned, and threatened with the severest tortures, and death itself; but our God never leaves us nor forsakes us; though we are followed close by evil men, and left by our friends, we are not forsaken of God: cast down we sometimes are, as an earthen vessel; Co2 4:7, which may be cast out of a man's hands, in order to be dashed to pieces; or as a man in wrestling, see Eph 6:12 may be thrown to the ground by his antagonist, so we are sometimes foiled by sin, Satan, and the world: but not destroyed; we are still safe in the hands of Christ, and are kept by the power of God; and, indeed, to what else can all this be ascribed? it is surprising that earthen vessels should bear and suffer so much, and not fall, or be dashed to pieces.”

“Persecuted, but not forsaken - Διωκομενοι, αλλ' ουκ εγκαταλειπομενοι. The διωκομενοι, pursued, is peculiar to the δρομος, or race, when one being foremost others pursue, and get up close after him, endeavoring to outstrip him, but cannot succeed: this is the meaning of ουκ εγκαταλειπομενοι, not outstripped, or outgone, as the word implies. So in Plutarch: τους απολειφθεντας ου στεφανουσι, they do not crown them that are distanced or left behind. So says the apostle, Co1 9:24 : All run, but only One receiveth the Prize. Cast down, but not destroyed - Καταβαλλομενοι αλλ' ουκ απολλυμενοι. This also belongs to wrestlers, where he that throws the other first is conqueror. And so Hesychius: καταβαλει, νικησει, ῥιψει, to cast down is to overcome, to throw. And then, the being not destroyed signifies that, although they were thrown down-cast into troubles and difficulties, yet they rose again, and surmounted them all.”

“not forsaken--by God and man. Jesus was forsaken by both; so much do His sufferings exceed those of His people (Mat 27:46). cast down--or "struck down"; not only "persecuted," that is, chased as a deer or bird (Sa1 26:20), but actually struck down as with a dart in the chase (Heb 11:35-38). The Greek "always" in this verse means, "throughout the whole time"; in Co2 4:11 the Greek is different, and means, "at every time," "in every case when the occasion occurs."”