Every man's work shall be made manifest
The doctrine he preaches shall be sooner or later made manifest
to himself, and to his hearers; who shall see the inconsistency,
irregularity, and deformity of such a building; at first so well
laid, then piled up with such excellent materials, and at last
covered in with such trifling or incoherent stuff:
for the day shall declare it;
meaning not the day of judgment, though that is often called the
day, or that day, and will be attended with fire, and in it all
secrets shall be made manifest; but the apostle intends a
discovery that will be made of doctrines in this world, before
that time comes: wherefore this day rather designs a day of
tribulation; as of persecution, which tries men's principles,
whether they are solid or not; and of error and heresy, when men
are put upon a re-examination of their doctrines, whereby persons
and truths that are approved are made manifest; or of some great
calamity, such as the destruction of Jerusalem, whereby many
wrong notions the Jews yet retained were discovered: but it is
best of all to understand this day of the Gospel day, and of the
progress of Gospel light, especially in some particular periods
of it; as in the primitive times, at the reformation from popery,
and the more remarkable Gospel daylight, which will be in the
latter times, when the impertinence and inconsistency of many
things which now obtain in the ministry will be seen; see (
Ephesians 5:13 ) .
Because it shall be revealed by fire:
not that day, but the man's work, or doctrine:
and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it
is;
by the fire is meant, not the general conflagration of the world,
when that, and all that is therein, will be burnt up; much less
the fire of purgatory, the "papists" dream of, for the punishment
of evil actions; for the apostle is not speaking of the actions
of men, good or bad, but of the doctrines of ministers; rather
the fire of tribulation and affliction, which, as it is for the
trial of the grace of faith, so of the doctrine of faith, whereby
it becomes much more precious than of gold that perisheth; or of
some fiery dispensation of God's vengeance, as on Jerusalem:
though the word of God, which is as fire, seems to be intended;
which in some certain times so blazes forth, and will more
especially in the latter day, that by the light of it, both
ministers and churches will be able to see clearly the bright
shining lustre of the gold, silver, and precious stones; and with
so much heat, as to burn up the wood, hay, and stubble; when the
difference between these things will be most easily discerned.