"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider
them garbage, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)
I count all things but loss - Not only my Jewish privileges, but all others of
every kind; with every thing that men count valuable or gainful, or on which
they usually depend for salvation.
The excellency of the knowledge of Christ - That superior light, information,
and blessedness which come through the Gospel of Jesus Christ; justification
through his blood, sanctification by his Spirit, and eternal glory through his
merits and intercession. These are the blessings held out to us by the Gospel,
of which, and the law, Jesus Christ is the sum and substance.
I have suffered the loss of all things. I have made a voluntary
choice of Christ, his cross, his poverty, and his reproach; and for these I have
freely sacrificed all I had from the world, and all I could expect from it.
And do count them but dung - the vilest dross or
refuse of any thing; the worst excrement. The word shows how utterly
insignificant and unavailing, in point of salvation, the apostle esteemed every
thing but the Gospel of Jesus. With his best things he freely parted, judging
them all loss while put in the place of Christ crucified; and Christ crucified
he esteemed infinite gain, when compared with all the rest. Of the utter
unavailableness of any thing but Christ to save the soul the Apostle Paul stands
as an incontrovertible proof. Could the law have done any thing, the apostle
must have known it. He tried, and found it vanity; he tried the Gospel system,
and found it the power of God to his salvation. By losing all that the world
calls excellent, he gained Christ, and endless salvation through him. Of the
glorious influence of the Gospel he is an unimpeachable witness. See the
concluding observations on the 9th chapter of the Acts, (Acts 9:43 (note)) on the character of
St. Paul.
"Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. Burning must come before shining. We cannot be of great use to others without cost to oursleves".
Sowing in Abundance....Paying Forward
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Friday, May 03, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Men Ought Always To Pray
"He spake a parable unto them....that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Luke 18:1)
And he spoke a parable unto them To his own disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads, in order to encourage them to prayer, with perseverance in it; since such sore times of trial and affliction were coming upon the Jews, of which he had spoken in the preceding chapter; and such times more especially call for prayer; see ( Psalms 50:15 )
[to this end], that men ought always to pray.
This is opposed to them, who pray not at all, or have left off prayer before God, or who pray only in distress; and suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an opportunity; should be constant and assiduous at the throne of grace, and continue putting up his requests to God, though he does not presently return an answer:and not to faint;
by reason of afflictions, temptations, desertions, and delays in answering prayer; and prayer itself is an admirable antidote against fainting under afflictive providences: it is with the Jews an affirmative precept that a man should pray, (Mwy lkb) , "every day" F11; it was usual with them to pray three times a day; see ( Psalms 55:17 ) ( Daniel 6:10 ) there is no set time fixed by Christ; men should be always praying. This is not to be understood, that a man should be always actually engaged in the work of prayer; that he should be continually either in his closet, in private devotion to God, or attending exercises of more public prayer, with the saints; for there are other religious exercises to be performed, besides prayer; and besides, there are many civil affairs of life, it is every man's indispensable duty to regard: nor does our Lord mean in the least to break in upon, or interrupt the natural and civil duties of life; but his meaning is, that a man should persevere in prayer, and not leave off, or be dejected, because he has not an immediate answer; and this is clear from the following case.
"Tarry at the promise till God meets you there. He always returns by way of His Promises."
And he spoke a parable unto them To his own disciples, as the Ethiopic version reads, in order to encourage them to prayer, with perseverance in it; since such sore times of trial and affliction were coming upon the Jews, of which he had spoken in the preceding chapter; and such times more especially call for prayer; see ( Psalms 50:15 )
[to this end], that men ought always to pray.
This is opposed to them, who pray not at all, or have left off prayer before God, or who pray only in distress; and suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an opportunity; should be constant and assiduous at the throne of grace, and continue putting up his requests to God, though he does not presently return an answer:and not to faint;
by reason of afflictions, temptations, desertions, and delays in answering prayer; and prayer itself is an admirable antidote against fainting under afflictive providences: it is with the Jews an affirmative precept that a man should pray, (Mwy lkb) , "every day" F11; it was usual with them to pray three times a day; see ( Psalms 55:17 ) ( Daniel 6:10 ) there is no set time fixed by Christ; men should be always praying. This is not to be understood, that a man should be always actually engaged in the work of prayer; that he should be continually either in his closet, in private devotion to God, or attending exercises of more public prayer, with the saints; for there are other religious exercises to be performed, besides prayer; and besides, there are many civil affairs of life, it is every man's indispensable duty to regard: nor does our Lord mean in the least to break in upon, or interrupt the natural and civil duties of life; but his meaning is, that a man should persevere in prayer, and not leave off, or be dejected, because he has not an immediate answer; and this is clear from the following case.
"Tarry at the promise till God meets you there. He always returns by way of His Promises."
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