Philemon 1:6 That the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. I. IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL MEN EARNESTLY TO DESIRE AND PROCURE THE GOOD OF OTHERS, AND TO STIR UP OURSELVES AND OTHERS TO INCREASE IN THE GRACES OF GOD'S SPIRIT. The growing and proceeding of our brethren in the best things should be sought for of us. Reasons: 1. Christian profession is a way in which men must not stand still; they must not stay in one estate, but be always stirring forward. 2. Christians are compared to children. Children are always growing in age, increasing in stature, going forward in knowledge. So must we grow in grace, until we come to a perfect aged man in Christ. 3. We must so walk in our way and hasten to our journey's end, that we may obtain the prize. He that overcometh and holdeth out to the latter end only shall be saved. He that giveth over is a faint soldier, a weak workman, a slow runner, a feeble wrestler. (1) We learn that God hath a just action and suit to commence against all idle and unprofitable drones, that be truants and no proficients in the school of Christ. (2) We are bound to use the means that may further these gifts in us, that is, the ministry of the Word, which being reverently used hath a promise of blessings. (3) Seeing we should desire our own profit and others, it condemneth three sorts of men: first, such as stand at a stay; secondly, such as go backward; thirdly, such as envy the good and growth of others in the best things. (4) Seeing we should all seek to profit ourselves and others in godliness, we must know that it is our duty to stir up the gifts of God in us, that we do not bury them as in a grave; we must exercise the gifts that we have by continual practice. Use maketh men prompt and ready, want of use maketh men untoward. II. THE GIFTS AND BLESSINGS OF GOD, WHETHER TEMPORAL OR ETERNAL, BESTOWED UPON ANY, MUST NOT LIE HID OR DEAD, BUT BE USED AND EMPLOYED TO THE GOOD OF OTHERS, AND SO YIELD A FELLOWSHIP AND COMMUNION TO OTHERS. Reasons: 1. We are servants unto all, to do them good and to further their salvation. 2. We are members of the same body, and therefore in this respect should profit one another. We see it is so in every part of our body: the eye seeth not for itself, the head inventeth not for itself, the hand worketh not for itself, the foot walketh not for itself, but they do these duties for the whole body. Thus it ought to be among all the faithful; if Christ Jesus be our head, we must be affected as mutual members one to another. 3. We are all of us stewards and disposers of the manifold graces of God. God committed His goods to us, and made us stewards of His family, to minister in season to all in the household, and He will take an account how we use them. Uses:(1) This teaches us to remember the benefit and good of others, and not only to desire, but to effect the same as much as we can, especially their eternal good. It is a good thing to do good unto the bodies of our brethren, but the chiefest good is to do good to their souls. (2) Such are reproved as have gifts and yet use them not but hide them, and so diminish them by idleness and want of conscience. (3) Seeing we must employ that which we have received to the benefit of others, it serveth greatly to comfort such as have been careful to communicate to others those things that they have received, and to make them partakers of the same comfort that they have reaped by them. III. IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERYONE TO MANIFEST AND SHOW FORTH, YEA, TO SPREAD ABROAD AND TO SPEAK OF THE GIFTS OF GOD BESTOWED UPON THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. When God is good towards us, and distributes His graces among us, we must be ready to acknowledge them, when we feel them in ourselves, or see them in others. Reasons: 1. To the end that God's graces being seen and known He may he glorified and blessed for them, who is the author and giver of them. It ought to be our chiefest desire and study that God may have His praise and glory among us. 2. Because the more they be known and farther they are spread, the larger praise and more abundant thanksgiving may be given unto God and yielded to His name by many. 3. In respect of others, because the more the goodness and graces of God are spoken of, and the more largely they are dispersed, the more by that means may be stirred up to an imitation of their example. Uses:(1) We see there may be sometimes a foolish modesty in concealing those good things which should be uttered and published, if they may further the cause of religion, or provoke others to godliness, or bring glory to God. God is not ashamed of us to be called our God, and to do us good; let us not, therefore, be ashamed to acknowledge Him to be good unto us, and confess His goodness to the sons of men. (2) Seeing it is our duty, when God hath been good unto us or others, to make known His goodness. We learn hereby how the saints of God may be rightly and religiously honoured of us, and remembered to their everlasting praise. It is our duty to give thanks to God who hath blessed them with His graces and governed them by His Holy Spirit, and to pray unto Him so to direct us and dispose of our ways that we may follow their godliness and walk in their steps wherein they have gone before us. (3) We must beware that vainglory be not the end which we seek for. We are to give the glory to the author, not to the instrument; to God, not to man; to the Creator, not to the creature. (W. Attersoll.) Parallel Verses KJV: That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. |
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