Philemon 1:21 Having confidence in your obedience I wrote to you, knowing that you will also do more than I say. The doctrine arising from hence is this, that righteous men being moved to honest, charitable, just, and necessary duties, will yield more than men can well request and require them to do. 1. The obedience of the faithful will super-abound because they set before them the example of God and delight to come near unto Him. They have experience of His bountiful dealing toward them, He is ready to grant not only what they ask but more than they ask. 2. The children of God have a free and willing mind, and seek to walk before Him with a perfect heart. And what will not a willing heart do? Will it not strive to attain to perfection? 3. Their joyfulness in the works of righteousness and godliness do exceed the trial of necessity. Though the Lord try His people with manifold afflictions, yet they are so far from quailing and cooling their willing readiness and ready willingness to do according to that they are required, nay, above that they are required, that they make the same much more excellent and famous. 4. They acknowledge all things to be from God and to be His; and therefore they will yield freely where He requireth and what He requireth and as far as He enableth them to their uttermost strength. The uses remain to he handled. 1. From hence we learn this point, that forwardness and zeal in good things is greatly to be commended. We cannot yield more than is looked for at our hands, unless we be earnest and fervent in the Spirit as men that are led by the Spirit. True it is there is no warrant to walk without our warrant or to run too fast without any guide. Hence it is that Solomon saith (Ecclesiastes 7:18, 19). Meaning thereby that as we should not suffer sin to reign in our mortal bodies (though we cannot wholly drive it away), so we should not seek a righteousness beyond the law. So then we must understand that albeit we are to be ready to yield more than can be required of us, yet we must not think to do more than God requires of us. If we speak of the duties that God commandeth, we come far short when we have done what we can, and we must confess we are unprofitable servants; but when we speak of good and Christian duties which our ministers or brethren crave of us and desire us to practise, we should willingly perform more than they ask at our hands. Let us therefore be fervent and zealous in all lawful and honest things. It is good always to be earnest in a good thing. 2. This doctrine is a comfort to ourselves and to other the servants of God, and an occasion of great joy when as we ourselves or others are forward and cheerful beyond expectation in good things. A notable example of both is offered to our consideration in the provision that was made and the furniture that was provided for the building of the Temple (1 Chronicles 29:9). Where we see that when David himself having a great zeal and delight in the house of his God gave of his own gold and silver, and the people and princes following his example spared no cost and expenses, it is said, "The people rejoiced when they offered willingly, for they offered willingly to the Lord, with a perfect heart: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." Again, there is great occasion offered unto us to glorify God and to praise His Name, whensoever He worketh this willingness in the hearts of His children, and when we see their zeal to abound and their readiness to go beyond any request that we can make unto them. Lastly, it is the duty of every man to labour to be answerable at the least to the expectation that the Church hath had of him, and to endeavour to be as good as he hath made show of, performing therein the practice of his profession, not deceiving any of the servants of God therein. this requireth of us a careful observation and marking of the manners of men, both of their beginnings and proceedings, and not to stand, as idle beholders, gazing in the air; that we may understand the time, the means, the forwardness, the knowledge, the show that hath been in many; all which have promised much and caused us to expect good things at their hands, and yet oftentimes in vain. (W. Attersoll.) Parallel Verses KJV: Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say. |
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