Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given… I. Let us observe what he says of HIMSELF. "I am less than the least of all saints." However high religion may rise in the superstructure, it always lays the foundation very low, in the deepest self-abasement. And those of you who have passed through the process, well know that the day of conviction is a day of self-annihilation. I believe, that if there be one word that will comprehend more than another the substance of genuine religion, it will be found to be "humility." For which reason, we presume, our great reformer, Luther, when he was asked, "What is the first step in religion?" replied, "Humility." "What is the second?" he replied, "Humility." "What is the third?" he replied, "Humility." And does not the language of the Apostle Peter correspond with this, when he says, "Be ye clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." Abraham said, "I am but dust and ashes"; Jacob — "I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies"; Job — "Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee?" Isaiah — "Woe is me, for I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips"; Peter — "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord"; John, the forerunner of the Saviour — "Whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose." A few words, however, will be here necessary, by way of elucidation, or rather qualification. 1. I hope you will not consider this character of Paul, as the offspring of falsehood and affectation. Christians have often been ridiculed for depreciating themselves. The case is this: where show is a substitute for reality it is always excessive. Actors always surpass the original characters. Some people angle for praise with the bait of humility; I hope you will never be caught by it. Adams, in his "Private Thoughts," with that searchingness of spirit so peculiar to him, says, "O Lord, I want more humility. And why do I want it? To be noticed and admired for it. Ah, my God, I see that my humility is very little better than pride." Baxter observes that he had always considered Judge Hale defective with regard to experimental religion; "But," says he, "the cause was, he had witnessed so much pretence and hypocrisy during the Commonwealth, that he rushed into the opposite extreme." Remember that Paul here speaks from his real views and feelings, when he says, "I am less than the least of all saints?" And you will observe also on what he fixes his eye in this comparative depreciation of himself. "I am less," says he, "than the least of all saints." "Saints" means "holy ones"; it is therefore of holiness of which he speaks; not of his condition, not of his natural talents, not of his learning, not of his knowledge, but of holiness. "Let each esteem other better than himself." The maxim will not apply universally; to use it in some cases would be folly. It would be absurdity, not humility, for a strong and healthy man to esteem a weak, sick one, as more able to do many things than himself; or for a wealthy man to suppose that a poor man is richer than himself; or a scholar to suppose that an illiterate man is wiser than himself. But it is otherwise with regard to holiness: there you never should presume in your own favour; never suppose that another exercises less self-denial or conscientiousness than yourselves. He may have imperfections, but those imperfections may have extenuations which may not attach to your deficiencies. In a word, you only see the actions of another; whereas you may feed upon your own motives and principles. II. Observe what he says of his OFFICE. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach." calls Paul "the herald of grace." He well deserves the name; he is always magnifying it; never loses sight of it for a moment. He connects it, you see, with everything. He connects it with his conversion, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant to me-ward." He connects it with his conversation in the world, "Not by fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we have our conversation in the world." He connects it with his unparalleled exertions: "I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." He connects it with his functions: "Unto me, who am less than the least; of all saints, is this grace given." What grace is there here? What do princes when they want ministers, or masters when they want servants? They will be sure to take those who seem the most meritorious, and who already possess the qualities and excellences they require in them. Why? Because if they have them not, they cannot impart them. God can; and therefore, in calling His servants He also qualifies them; and therefore frequently takes the most unsuitable and the most inadequate, in order to show that the excellency of the power is of God, and not of man. When the apostle says, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given," he shows the estimation in which he held the work in which he was engaged. And, my brethren, though the ministry has been degraded and rendered despicable by many who have been attached to it; yet; in itself the work is honourable and glorious; and they who properly discharge it, as the apostle says, ought to be "highly esteemed in love, for their works' sake." III. Let us observe what he says of his AUDIENCE. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles"; not exclusively, but immediately, extensively, and peculiarly. And there is something remarkable and worthy of notice in this. And here you see in the apostle's case the nature of the Christian dispensation. You will observe that the Christian dispensation did not properly commence till the death of Christ. Accordingly during His abode on earth He was the Minister of the circumcision only. And when He sent forth the apostles and the seventy, He said, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But upon His resurrection from the dead, when this glorious economy had actually commenced, His language and His commission was conformable to it; then said He to them, "Go into all the world, and teach the gospel to every creature." There is nothing, therefore, in the Christian dispensation like that of Judaism. Judaism was of Divine origin: but then it was exclusive; it was confined, and it was necessarily confined, to a particular nation. In the nature of the case it never could have become a universal religion. How could all the males in all the countries of the earth have repaired three times a your to Jerusalem, to appear before the Lord and to worship there? Christianity has no localities; our Saviour said to the woman, "The hour cometh, yea, now is, when neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem (exclusively) shall men worship the Father; but all shall worship Him in spirit and in truth." The gospel therefore overlooks everything that is external and adventitious in men's condition, and regards them as men only. IV. Observe what he says of his SUBJECT. "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" the model after which all ministers should be conformed; all of us should be able to make use of the same language with them. They could say, "We preach not heathen virtues, not Jewish economies, not moral systems, not worldly politics, not Church discipline, not the difference in forms and modes of worship; we have a noble theme. We leave nature to the philosophers; our philosophy is to know 'God manifest in the flesh.' We leave the planets to astronomers; our astronomy is to teach people to adore 'the bright and morning Star,' to adore 'the Sun of Righteousness,' rising with healing under His wings. We leave geometry to the mathematicians; our geometry is to teach people 'to comprehend with all saints, what is the height, and depth, and length, and breadth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge'; our arithmetics to teach men 'so to number their days, as to apply their hearts unto wisdom.' We leave criticism and language to the rhetoricians, concerned only to be skilled in the language of Canaan, and to speak according to the living oracles of God. 'We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord'; 'We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them which are called both Jew and Greek, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.'" The world has its riches, but they are easily comprehended; and Solomon summed them all up when he said, "Vanity of vanities; vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity." All the wealth of the world, all the world calls good and great, is infinitely inferior to mind. I say to mind. The riches of the Saviour are for the soul, and for eternity; they are therefore invisible as to the senses; and they are boundless too, so that no creature in heaven or earth can ever fully explore them. (W. Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; |
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