Imatges de pàgina
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Chrift; Paul had infinite pains travelling betwixt Jerufalem and Illyricum, in preaching the gospel, a vast and very large bounds: See 2 Cor. xii. 15. He gave up his ease and other accommodations to do his Master service, and spared not to travel through many countries, to the often hazarding of his life.

XI. As the apoftles and first founders of the chriftian church, were endued with extraordinary gifts and qualifications, fitting them for that extraordinary piece of work which they were employed about; fo, for the further spreading of the gofpel, their -commiffion did extend far, and they had the broad world for their charge, and were to preach the gofpel.to every nation, as God in his providence directed: From Jerufalem, and round about unto Illyricum, Paul preached the gospel. See Matth. xxviii. 18. Mark xvi. 15.

XII. It is much to the commendation of the mighty power of God, when the gofpel is fpreading far and near, and is doing good in the places where it is preached All this the apostle is fhewing, that the glorious power of the Spirit of God ght appear; and therefore he fays, From Jerufalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gofpel; or, I have filled the gofpel with fouls as a net with fishes.

XIII. As minifters ought to be faithful, and withhold nothing of the good counfel of God where-ever providence calleth them; fo ought they to preach nothing but the glad tidings of falvation through a Mediator; and in all their travel and labour among people, to be driving at nothing else but the booking of poor fouls in to Chrift, and catching them in the net of the gospel: I have fully preached the gofpel of Chrift; defiring to know nothing amongst them, but Chrift and him crucified.

VERSES 20. 21. Yea, fo have I ftrived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was

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the far fpreading of the gofpel, might be clearer, he obviateth an objection here. It might have been faid, Your travelling through all thefe countries from Jerufalem unto Illyricum, and preaching the gofpel, is not much, feeing the most of the difficulty of the work might be over ere you came there; the people might have been converted before you faw them. He answereth: That was not my way preaching the gofpel, for I earnestly defired and endeavoured to preach the gofpel in places which never heard of it before, and not where Christ was once named; and why fo? left I fhould build upon another man's foundation, and fo carry myfelf as if I had not been an apostle, whofe work it was to lay the foundation of the gofpel churches, and to found and fettle churches where there was none before, and thereby feem to rob others of their glory. Next, he fheweth how confonant this was unto the prophefies that went before of Chrift's kingdom; and for this cause citeth a paffage out of lfa. lii. 15. where it is foretold what fhall be the fruits of Chrift's exaltation, viz. That that which had not been told them, fhall they fee; and that which they had not heard, hall they confider: And this paffage the apoftle citeth, to fhew how this prophecy was partly fulfilled by his preaching, and how he had an eye to these promises and prophecies.

From verfe 20. OBSERVE,

I. As the Lord endued thefe officers who were called apoftles, with extraor dinary gifts and endowments; fo he fet them upon a very hard task, and gave them commiffion, next and immediately under

himself, to plant the gospel, and to lay the foundation of gospel churches, and to erect the chriftian model of church government: It was their part to lay the foundation, and to be wife mafter-builders; Paul did fo here, and fo did others lay the foundation of churches; Yea, fo did I ftrive to preach the gospel, not where Chrift was named, &c. See 1 Cor. iii. 10. 11. Eph. ii. 20.

II. The apostles, neither one nor other of them, were in their own perfons the foundation of the church, (as Papifts fondly imagine Peter to be, Matth. xvi. 18.) but all the foundation which they laid, was preaching the truth of the gofpel where it was not heard of before; and fo they but laid Chrift, who is the only foundation, 1 Cor. iii. 11. Ifa. xxviii. 16. and chief corner-ftone, Pfalm cxvii. 22.: for what he calleth a foundation, in the end of the verfe, he calleth a preaching of the gospel, in the beginning of it; So have Iftriven to preach the gospel, &c. left I should build upon another man's founda

tion.

III. It is laudable and commendable in ministers of the gofpel, to be fo defirous of preaching the gofpel, and of converting finners, that they ftrive and contend with great zeal and earnestness, as with a kind of holy ambition and defire of honour, ftriving to outstrip others; for fo did Paul: So have I strived to preach the gofpel; the original is emphatical, fignifying, to ftrive with ambition and holy earneftness, as being loth to be outstripped.

IV. As it is a matter of great difficulty to get a people brought under the gospel, who were living in atheism and idolatry before; fo is it a matter of great honour to be bleffed of God in laying the foundation of any good in a place; this made Paul thun to preach where Chrift had been heard of, left he fhould have robbed others of their glory and due honour, and made him ftrive to preach where Chrift bad not been heard of; So have I ftrived, &c.

From verfe 21. OBSERVE,

I. The news of Chrift, and of falvation thro' him, fpringing up in a place where there was nothing but atheism and grofs ignorance before, is a fruit and effect of Chrift's exaltation; and so it should be looked on, for in Ifaiah this is foretold as an effect of Christ's exaltation, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall fee.

II. It may be a great encouragement for the ministers of the gofpel to undertake the preaching thereof, even in a place where he was never heard tell of before, when they confider how it was foretold of old, and promifed as a fweet fruit of Chrift's exaltation, that fuch fhould fee and understand much of Chrift, who never heard of him before; and it may be great joy and peace to a faithful fervant of Chrift's, when he feeth how the fruits and effects of his pains in the ministry are: conform unto old promifes, and his carriage is confonant unto old prophefies; thus doth Paul make ufe of that paffage out of Ifaiah, faying, As it is written.

III. Where the gofpel cometh forth with power and the manifestation of the Spirit, there people obtain new difcoveries; they fee themselves otherways than ever they did before, and they get brave and excellent difcoveries of noble Jefus; he is laid open to their view: The gofpel difcovereth and unfoldeth the beauty of this excellent Redeemer; To whom he was not spoken of, they fall fee: and they that: have not heard, fhall understand.

VERSES 22. 23. 24. For which caufe also I have been much hindred from coming to you.

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But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great defire thefe many years to come unto you; Whenfoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I truft to fee you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be fomewhat filled with your company.

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HE next thing he speaks of in this conclufion is anent his coming to fee them: And, ift, He gives the reason why he has not come to them as yet, verle 22. For which caufe alfo I have been much bindred from coming to you; which hath reference to the preceding purpose, where he fheweth how bufy he was in the eastern parts, preaching and planting churches thro' Syria, Afia, and Greece. 2dly, He lays down fome grounds of hope that he will now fee them; as, 1. Now having no more place in these parts; now having no more churches here to plant, and to bring in to the gospel. 2. And having a great a defire thefe many years to fee you; I no fooner heard of your faith in Chrift, but I as foon defired to come to you; and fo thefe many years. I have been ftill defirous to make a vifit. And, 3. I have a purpofe to come to the weft parts, and to take a journey even towards Spain, and then I will fee you as I país by. 4. When, thro' the Lord's affiftance, I take my journey towards these weft parts, I hope God fhall fo'difpofe, as that I fhall fee you, and that I fhall also get a convoy or a guide of you in my way; but I refolve not to make only a fhort stay and away, but to stay fometime with you, and to be filled and refresh ed with your.company.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Men may project and propose many things, but the fupreme Governor of heaven and earth difpofeth as he thinketh fit: Paul was thus hindered from going to Rome; for which cause also I have been much bindred from coming unto you.

II. Gracious fouls fhould and will difpense with the want of their company and fellowship whom they heartily defire, when the kingdom and intereft of Chrift is a gainer thereby; they will difpenfe with their own private, when the public intereft of Jefus is upon the advancing hand: This he giveth as a ground to quiet and fatisfy the Romans anent his not coming

to them, that the planting and fettling of churches in the eastern parts fo took him up, that he could not win to fee them; for which caufe alfo, fays he; that is, for being taken up with fill the net of the gofpel with the regions a cities betwixt Jerufalem,, and round abou unto Illyricum, I have been much hindred from coming unte you.

III. The main ground of a gracious fervant of Chrift his defiring to transport and flit from one place to another, is, the good of the gospel, and the further spreading of the gofpel of Chrift, when he feeth he can, in all probability, advance the inte reft of Chrift more in another place: That which made Paul defirous to leave the East, and come to the Weft, was, because there was no more place for him in thofe parts, and his coming weftward would further the gospel more.

IV. A gracious and honest-hearted minifter of the gofpel, will have a great love to, and a strong defire after, the communion of the faints; great delight and complacency will he have to converfe among them, and earnestly will he feek to be comforting, refreshing and strengthening them; thus was it with Paul here: And having a great defire these many years to fee you.

V. The longing defire that is among faints, after the fellowship and company of one another, as it is not carnal, but upon a fpiritual account; fo it is not vain, light and fuperficial, but ferious, fixed and abiding: I have a defire thefe many years to come unto you,

VI. The end and fcope of all the labours, travels and journeys of the faithful fervants of Chrift, is not vain glory, curiofity, felf-intereft; but allenarly the good of the gospel, the promoting of the intereft of Jefus Chrift: This was Paul's end which moved him to refolve upon a journey into Spain; Wherfoever I take my journey into Spain.

VII. Faithful fervants of Chrift may be

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fhooting far, and projecting and intending noble exploits and acts, for the furtherance of the kingdom of Chrift, and yet God think fit to take the purpose off their hand inftead of the performance, and fo dif pose of things in his wife providence, as the work intended fhall be left to other hands to accomplish: Paul, we fee here, intended a journey to Spain, for planting and fettling the gofpel there, and yet for any thing we find on record in fcripture, he never came to Spain, yea, much we find that fays he never came thither; for at his first coming to Rome he was a pri foner, and after his releasement he went eastward, for fo he promised in his epiftles written from Rome, as Phil. ii. 24. and Philem. 23. and at his next coming to Rome he was apprehended by Nero, and martyred.

VIII. God's extraordinary manifeftations of himself and his mind, at fome times, as to fome pieces of our ordinary employment, giving us full clearness and perfuafion thereanent, fhould not be always expected of us, and fo made the ground of our walk, as that we will attempt nothing without the fame; the Lord letting out thefe communications as he thinketh fit, at fome great exigence and nick of difficulty: for here we fee the apostle refolving often to come to Rome, and now profeffing to go to Spain, without any immediate impulfe, though fome times, as Acts xvi. 6. 9. 10. his course was directed by fuch a compass.

IX. In all our undertakings, refolutions, and journeys, we fhould always have an eye unto the fupreme, over-ruling, and all-difpofing hand of Providence, with dependence thereupon, and fubmiffion thereunto, even though our purposes be thereby croffed; therefore fays Paul, I trust to See you in my journey. See Jam. iv. 13. See Jam. iv. 13. 14. 15.

X. It is the duty of Chriftians to be gentle, courteous, and civil to all, but efpecially to the fervants of God; Paul trufeth to be brought on his way by them,

and that not out of any vain glory, as defiring pomp and worldly magnificence in fuch attendance, but as a token of lɔve and respect to him.

XI. Chriftians vifits and conference fhould not be for putting off of time, or for fome fruitless exercife, but for fpiritual edification and fpecial advantage, and fhould be fo improven; fo defirous should they be to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift: If first I be filled with your prefence; there is the ufe Paul would make and intend of his vifit, even to be much refreshed with their company, and with feeing the grace of God fhining among them.

XII. It is much fatisfaction and contentment unto a gracious minifter, to see the grace of God fhining among a people; it is a filling, fatisfying, and an upmaking fight to fee the work of God thriving among a people; a gracious minister will count himself made up when he fees this, tho' he has many other wants: The apoftle speaketh of being filled with their company, or with them.

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II. So tender and careful ought all the fervants of Chrift to be of the neceffitous faints of God, that they fhould not think it below them to be expreffing their tendernefs and love by taking effectual courses, not only to testify love to them in that case, but alfo to fupply their wants, and to relieve them in their ftraits: The apostle here was very folicitous and very diligent in preffing the fe of Macedonia and Achaia to fend a contribution to thefe faints at Jerufalem, 2 Cor. ix. 3. 4. 5. and having got it up he would carry it hin feif to them, fo defirous was he to have them relieved: But now I go to "ferufalem, to minifter unto the faints. to the faints. See Gal, ii. 10.

III. Grace, and a poor condition in the world, do oftentimes meet together; God fo ordering it in his wife providence, that even fuch as are rich in faith fhould have but a poor portion in the world, James ii. 5. that they may learn better the way of

ready upon his journey; But now I go unto Ferufalem. And the occafion of his going thither is particularly fet down, and that fo much the rather that he would warrily and prudently put the Romans to imitate thefe in Macedonia and Achaia, and fend fome relief for the poor faints at Jerufalem; To minifter (or being already upon the work of miniftring,) unto the poor faints at Jerufalem; I am going to play the part of a deacon, and carry fome relief unto thefe impoverished believers through famine and perfecution, according as was condefcended on, Gal. ii. 10. and the bufinefs was a contribution gathered up among the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, (remote regions from Jerufalem,) for thefe poor faints: Now, fays he, It bath pleafed them; they were convinced of the neceffity of it, and did it of their own accord, freely and cheerfully: And this he cometh over again quietly to ftir up the Romans to do fomething, and fur-faith, and clofe dependence on God, and ther fays, And their debtors they are; it is a kind of debt which common equity calleth for, that feeing the Gentiles have been partakers of the good things of Chrift and of the gofpel, which was in fome kind theirs, as being peculiarly pro mifed unto them; it is their duty to be miniftring to them in carnal and perishing things, to be accounting it a public and holy piece of fervice to be communicating of the things of a world with them; and therefore thus, while he fpeaketh of fuch grounds of the equity of this as concerned the Chriftians at Rome as much as thefe in Macedonia and Achaia, he infinuateth what is expected at their hands.

OBSERVATIONS.

I. Our profeffion of love and kindnefs towards any fhould not be complimenting and formal, but real, chriftian, and terious; he profeffeth a great defire to them, and now to fhew the reality and fincerity of his profeffion, he tells them the reason of his prefent ftay from them, Now I go unto ferufalem.

may long more for the poffeffion of that kingdom which is promifed to them: We hear of the poor faints at ferufalem."

IV. God's great goodnefs, kindness and faithfulness towards his own, even when empty handed, appeareth in that he difpenfeth not fo with all his people at once, but maketh fome in a capacity to help and relieve others, and fetteth fome on work to deal with thofe who have, and moveth, their hearts at length to give fomething for their fupply who want; and thus, and many more ways, doth he make good his word towards them: Tho' at this time the faints at Jerufalem were impoverished and deftitute of worldly comfort, yet the Lord ftirreth up Paul to mind their condition at this time, and to deal with the faints in Macedonia and Achia, who are in a capacity to fend fome relief to them: It hath pleafed them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certain contribution.

V. Tho' when we are in fraits we be ready to queftion God's carefulness and

mind

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