But I would have you without carefulness
This is another reason, by which the apostle confirms the advice
he gives to virgins to remain such, because the married state is
full of cares, whereas the single life is no more free from them;
and therefore he wishes them to continue in such a state, that
they might be without anxious and distracting cares of temporal
things, things relating to the good decorum and sustenance of a
family, and so be more free and at leisure for the service of
God; which he illustrates, by showing the different cares that
married and unmarried persons are involved in:
he that is unmarried, careth for the things that belong to
the Lord;
such as hearing the word, reading it, meditating upon it, praying
to God and attending upon all ordinances, taking every
opportunity to glorify God, and do good to others; but this is
not to be understood as matter of fact, that unmarried persons
are so studiously concerned for these things, or that this is the
case of all of them; there are many unmarried persons think
nothing about them; and are not at all concerned with them; but
the meaning is, that such persons are more at leisure, and can
more conveniently attend to these things, and ought so to do; and
they that have the grace of God will be more or less solicitous
to observe them:
how he may please the Lord;
for when these things are attended to in faith and fear, from a
principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, the good
of their own souls and others, they are well pleasing to the
Lord; and though they are not meritorious of eternal life, yet
they are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, and will be
taken notice of with approbation, and followed with a reward of
grace another day.