So likewise ye
This is the accommodation and application of the parable to the
disciples of Christ, who whether ministers or private believers,
are as servants, and should be as laborious as the ploughman, and
the shepherd; and as their condition is, so their conduct should
be like theirs: the employment of the ministers of the word lies
in reading, prayer, meditation, and study; in preaching the word,
and administering the ordinances; and in performing other duties
of their office: and every private believer has business to do,
which lies in the exercise of grace, as the work of faith, the
labour of love and patience, of hope: and in the discharge of
duty with regard to themselves, in their families, the church,
and the world; and these servants should be continually employed;
and when one work is done, another is to be taken in hand: saints
should be always believing, hoping, waiting, loving, and doing
one good work or another; as preaching or praying, reading,
hearing, and doing acts of benevolence and charity; and God and
Christ are to be served by them in the first place, and then
themselves: but some that would be called the servants of Christ,
mind their own bellies, and not the service of Christ at all;
others in the service of Christ, seek nothing but themselves;
others are for the serving themselves first, and then Christ; but
the true servants of Christ, serve him in the first place, and
seek first his righteousness, and his kingdom, and the honour of
it, believing that all other things shall be added to them: and
when these have done all that are commanded them, they are not to
think their service thank worthy: as for instance, if the service
be preaching the word, a man so employed ought to be thankful to
God, that has bestowed ministerial gifts upon him, and makes his
labours useful, and uses him as an instrument, to do much good to
the souls of men, and for his glory, and has put such an honour
upon him; but he is not to expect thanks from God, for his most
diligent and faithful performance of his work, or imagine that he
merits any thing at his hand thereby: or if the business be
hearing the word, a man should be thankful to God, for the word,
ordinances, and ministers, for liberty of waiting upon God in
such a way; for health of body, and inclination of mind, for such
service; and for all the good, profit, and advantage, he gains
hereby; but he is not to think that he lays God under any
obligation to him by so doing, or deserves thanks, or a favour
from him on account of it: or if the employment be prayer, a man
should be greatly thankful to the God of all grace, that there is
a throne of grace for him to come to; and for a mediator, who is
the way of access to God; and for the assistance of the Spirit in
prayer; and for all the blessings which are given, as an answer
of prayer; but he is never to entertain such a thought, that God
is obliged to him for his prayers, or should thank him for them:
or if the work be doing of good with worldly substance, such
should be thankful to God for their substance he has given them,
and for hearts to make use of it; but ought not to conclude, that
they hereby merit his favour, or that this is any gain to him:
but on the other hand, Christ directs his disciples, saying,
when ye shall have done all those things which are
commanded you;
as preaching, or hearing, or reading, or praying, and every other
act of divine and religious worship; or all acts of justice and
benevolence among men; every duty both for matter and manner, as
it should be, according to the will of God, from right
principles, and to right ends, and by the assistance of the
Spirit and grace of God:
say we are unprofitable servants;
not in such sense as unregenerate men are, who are disobedient,
and to every good work reprobate and unfit, ( Romans 3:12 ) (
Titus 1:16 ) or
as the slothful servant, who did not what his Lord commanded, (
Matthew
25:30 ) . Nor is this the sense, that they are unprofitable
to men; for they may be, and are very useful and serviceable to
men, and to the saints; but that they are so to God, by whose
grace and strength they are what they are, and do what they do;
and can give nothing to him but what is his own, and his due; and
so can lay him under no obligation to them, nor merit any thing
from him; no, not even thanks, and much less heaven and eternal
life. The Persic version, quite contrary to the sense of the
words reads, "we are pure or clean servants, for we have done"
and the Ethiopic version leaves out the word "unprofitable", and
reads "we are servants"; we acknowledge ourselves to be servants:
we have done that which is our duty to do;
wherefore, as diligence is highly proper, and reasonable in doing
the work of the Lord, humility is necessary, that a man may not
arrogate that to himself, which do not belong to him; or boast of
his performances; or place any dependence on them: or have his
expectations raised on account of them; since when he has done
the most and best, he has done but what he should, and what he
was obliged to, and in that is greatly deficient: a saying
somewhat like this, is used by R. Jochanan ben Zaccai F26;
``if thou hast learned the law much, do not ascribe the good to thyself; for, for this wast thou created.''