6 

6:1 We then not only beseech, but as fellow - labourers with you, who are working out your own salvation, do also exhort you, not to receive the grace of God - Which we have been now describing. In vain - We receive it by faith; and not in vain, if we add to this, persevering holiness.

6:2 For he saith - The sense is, As of old there was a particular time wherein God was pleased to pour out his peculiar blessing, so there is now. And this is the particular time: this is a time of peculiar blessing. Isa 49:8.

6:3 Giving, as far as in us lies, no offence, that the ministry be not blamed on our account.

6:4 But approving ourselves as the ministers of God - Such as his ministers ought to be. In much patience - Shown,

1. In afflictions, necessities, distresses - All which aregeneral terms.
2. In stripes, imprisonments, tumults - Which are particularsorts of affliction, necessity, distress
3. In labours, watchings, fastings - Voluntarily endured.

Allthese are expressed in the plural number, to denote a variety of them. In afflictions, several ways to escape may appear, though none without difficulty in necessities, one only, and that a difficult one; in distresses, none at all appears.

6:5 In tumults - The Greek word implies such attacks as a man cannot stand against, but which bear him hither and thither by violence.

6:6 By prudence - Spiritual divine; not what the world terms so. Worldly prudence is the practical use of worldly wisdom: divine prudence is the due exercise of grace, making spiritual understanding go as far as possible. By love unfeigned - The chief fruit of the Spirit.

6:7 By the convincing and converting power of God - Accompanying his word; and also attesting it by diversmiracles. By the armour of righteousness on the right hand and the left - That is, on all sides; the panoply or whole armour of God.

6:8 By honour and dishonour - When we are present.By evil report and good report - When we are absent.Who could bear honour and good report, were it not balanced by dishonour? As deceivers - Artful, designing men. So the world represents all true ministers of Christ. Yet true - Upright, sincere, in the sight of God.

6:9 As unknown - For the world knoweth us not, as it knew him not. Yet well known - To God, and to those who are the seals of our ministry. As dying, yet behold - Suddenly, unexpectedly, God interposes, and we live.

6:10 As sorrowing - For our own manifold imperfections, and for the sins and sufferings of our brethren. Yet always rejoicing - In present peace, love, power, and a sure hope of future glory. As having nothing, yet possessing all things - For all things are ours, if we are Christ's. What amagnificence of thought is this!

25 This chapter contains the last public discourse which our Lord uttered before he was offered up. He had before frequently declared what would be the portion of all the workers of iniquity. But what will become of those who do no harm? Honest, inoffensive, good sort of people? We have here a clear and full answer to this important question.

25:14 Our Lord proceeds by a parable still plainer (if that can be) to declare the final reward of a harmless man. May God give all such in this their day, ears to hear and hearts to understand it! The kingdom of heaven - That is, the King of heaven, Christ. Mar 13:34; Luk 19:12.

25:15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one - And who knows whether (all circumstances considered) there be a greater disproportion than this, in the talents of those who have received the most, and those who have received the fewest? According to his own ability - The words may be translated more literally, according to his own mighty power.And immediately took his journey - To heaven.

25:18 He that had received one - Made his having fewer talents than others a pretence for not improving any. Went and hid his master's money - Reader, art thou doing the same? Art thou hiding the talent God hath lent thee?

25:24 I knew thou art a hard man - No. Thou knowest him not. He never knew God, who thinks him a hard master. Reaping where thou hast not sown - That is, requiring more of us than thou hast given us power to perform. So does every obstinate sinner, in one kind or other, lay the blame of his own sins on God.

25:25 And I was afraid - Lest if I had improved my talent, I should have had the more to answer for. So from this fear, one will not learn to read, another will not hear sermons!

25:26 Thou knewest - That I require impossibilities! This is not an allowing, but a strong denial of the charge.

25:27 Thou oughtest therefore - On that very account, on thy own supposition, to have improved my talent, as far as was possible.

25:29 To every one that hath shall he given - So close does God keep to this stated rule, from the beginning to the end of the world. Mat 13:12.

25:30 Cast ye the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness - For what? what had he done? It is true he had not done good. But neither is he charged with doing any harm. Why, for this reason, for barely doing no harm, he is consigned to outer darkness.He is pronounced a wicked, because he was a slothful, an unprofitable servant. So mere harmlessness, on which many build their hope of salvation, was the cause of his damnation!There shall be the weeping - Of the careless thoughtless sinner; and the gnashing of teeth - Of the proud and stubborn. The same great truth, that there is no such thing as negativegoodness, is in this chapter shown three times:

1. In the parable of the virgins;
2. In the still plainer parable of the servants, who had received the talents; and
3. In a direct unparabolical declaration of the manner wherein our Lord will proceed at the last day. The several parts of each of these exactly answers each other, only each rises above the preceding.