Unto me who am less than the least of all
saints
This is an instance of the great humility of the apostle, and
indeed the greatest saints are generally speaking, the most
humble souls, as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, and others; these
have the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others;
they rejoice in the grace of God manifested to others; they are
willing to receive instruction, nay admonition, from the meanest
believer; they have the least opinion of their own works, and are
the greatest admirers of the grace of God; and do most
contentedly submit to the sovereign will of God: the reasons of
their great humility are, because they have the largest
discoveries of the love and grace of God and Christ, which are of
a soul humbling nature; they are the most sensible of their own
sinfulness, vileness, and unworthiness, which keeps them low in
their own sight; they are commonly the most afflicted with
Satan's temptations, which are suffered to attend them, lest they
should be exalted above measure; they are the most fruitful
souls, and boughs laden with fruit hang lowest; and they are the
most conformable to Christ, who is meek and lowly. The phrase
seems to be Jewish: there was one R. Jose "the little", who was
so called, it is said, because he was (Mydyox Njq) , "the least of saints" F12: but
the apostle uses a still more diminutive word, and calls himself
less than the least of them; and adds,
is this grace given;
that is, the gift of grace, as before, the ministerial gift:
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches
of Christ;
the riches of Christ, as God, lie in the perfections of his
nature, in the works of his hands, in his empire and dominion
over all, and in the revenues of glory, which result from thence;
and these riches are underived and incommunicable, and are
ineffable, yea inconceivable: his riches, as Mediator, lie in the
persons of the elect, in the grace that is laid up in him for
them, called the riches of grace, and in the inheritance he is
possessed of for them, called the riches of glory; and these rich
things are communicable, as well as solid, satisfying, and
lasting; and they are unsearchable to the natural man, and cannot
be fully investigated by believers themselves; they will be
telling over to all eternity: and they will appear unsearchable,
when it is considered what they have procured, and what blessings
have been dispensed according to them; what a large family Christ
has maintained by them, and how richly and fully he has provided
for them, and to what honour and grandeur he raises them all. Now
it was great grace to intrust the apostle with such a ministry,
to put such treasure into an earthen vessel; it was great grace
that qualified him for it; and it was great grace in particular
to the Gentiles, that he should be appointed to publish these
among them; and so the apostle esteemed it, and himself unworthy
of such honour.
F12 T. Hieros. Bava Kama, fol. 3, 4. Misna Sota, c. 9. sect. 15. Juchasin, fol. 79. 2.