Meditate on these things
Not only on those instructions, advices, and exhortations, which
the apostle had given him, throughout this chapter, which might
be very useful to him, often to think of, and revolve in his
mind, and seriously consider and reflect upon; but upon the
Scriptures, the reading of which he had recommended to him, and
the doctrines contained therein; it becomes every man not only to
read, but meditate on the word of God, and much more ministers of
the Gospel. The Scriptures should be read with care, and be
industriously and laboriously searched into, as men dig in mines
for silver or golden ore; and passages in it should be carefully
compared together, the more obscure with those that are more
plain and easy; and the whole is to be studied with great
attention and application: give thyself wholly to
them:
to the reading of the Scriptures, meditation upon them, and
preaching the doctrines contained in them, clear of all secular
affairs, or worldly business and employment. The apostles threw
off the branch of deaconship, or ministering to the poor, that
they might give themselves up wholly to the ministry of the word,
and prayer; and much more should worldly business be cast off,
where the circumstances of ministers and churches will admit of
it; a Christian soldier, or minister of the Gospel, ought not, if
possible, to be entangled with the affairs of this life; he finds
enough to do without, in the discharge of his ministerial
function; and though the apostles sometimes wrought with their
own hands, yet it was not because they had so much leisure from
the ministry, or time on their hands, or because they had not a
power of forbearing working, but out of necessity, see ( Acts 20:34 ) ( 1
Corinthians 9:6 1
Corinthians 9:7 ) ( 2 Timothy
2:4 ) , or these words may be rendered, be thou in
these things;
let thine heart be in them; for if a minister's heart is not in
his work, if he does not take delight in it, it will be a slavery
and drudgery to him; spend all the time and strength in them,
give thyself continually to them, and be always diligent and
laborious in them: that thy profiting may appear to
all;
that it may be manifest to all that attend the ministry of the
word that there is an increase in gifts, a growing in spiritual
knowledge, an improvement of the talents bestowed: or that this
profiting or increase might appear in all things; in every branch
of the ministry, both in exhortation or consolation, and in
doctrine; or that it might be manifest among all; that is, all
that hear might receive some profit, might learn, and be
comforted and edified; faith might be increased, and the joy of
it be furthered; and all under the ministry visibly thrive and
flourish.