also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mys- tery of Christ,' Col. iv. 3. Admirable are the expressions whereby this holy man declares how deeply his heart was engaged in the Lord, Rom. i. 9. He tells them that his very soul and spirit was set upon it ; ' whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.' Never did any desire more for prefermentin the church, than he to preach the gospel in the church : ' I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift,' ver. 11. He professetli himself a debtor to all sorts of men ; he hath a heart and tongue to preach to all that have an ear to hear. ' I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians ; both to the wise and to the unwise,' ver. 14. Yea, he was ready to preach the gospel at Rome itself, ver. 15, where he should stand in the mouth of death and danger ; this so took up his thoughts, that for it he threw all worldly concerns behind him : ' I seek not yours, but you,' 2 Cor. xii. 14. He had rather preach them into Christ than their money into his purse : and as for their respect and love, though it was due to him, yet he lays it aside : ' I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.' His duty he will do towards them, and leaves them to look to theirs towards him. God will reward the faithftil minister, though his people will not thank him for his labour. In a v/ord, his very life was not valued by him, when it stood in competition with his work. Acts xx. 24 : ' But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus.' And not without great reason is it, that ministers should prefer their duty above all tem- poral respects ; they are servants to God, and a servant must look to his work, whatever becomes of himself. Abraham's servant would not eat till he had done his message ; and when it had succeeded, he would not stay to lose time, Gen. xxiv. 56. It is necessary the minister should fulfil his ministry ; not that he should be rich, nor be in reputation. The incomparable value of sovds is such, as should make us hazard our whole temporal, to promote their eternal salvation : he that wins souls is wise, though he lose his own life in the work.
Section II. — We come to a more particular inquiry into what the apostle means by 'utterance,' which he desires may be given him. A parallel place to this we have. Col. vi. 3, 4. Three things we may conceive the apostle aims at in this request. First, By ' utterance,' may be meant, liberty to preach the gos- pel; that his mouth might not be stopped by the persecutor: now he desires they would pray for him, that he might not be quite taken off' his work. What a grievous affliction it is to a faithful minister to be denied liberty to preach the gospel ! So long as Paul might preach, though in a chain, he was not much troubled ; the word was free, though he was bound ; but to have his mouth stopped, to see poor souls ready to perish for want of that bread which he had to give, and yet not be allowed this liberty, went to his heart. ' O pray,' saith he, 'that utterance may be given.' If he might not preach, neither would he live ; for upon this account alone he desired life, — the furtherance of their faith, Phil. i. 25. O, how far are they from Paul's mind, to whom it is more tedious to preach, than grievous to be. kept from the work ! How seldom should we see some in the pulpit, were it not a necessary expedient to bi'ing in their revenue at the year's end.
Section III. — The liberty of the gospel, and of the ministers to deliver it, are in an especial manner to be prayed for. First, Because this is strongly opposed by Satan and his instruments. Wherever God opens a door for his gospel, there Satan raiseth his batteries ; 'A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries,' 1 Cor. xvi. 9. No sooner doth God open his shop windows, but the devil is at work to shut them again, to hinder the free trade of his gospel. Other men's servants can work peaceably in their master's shop, but as for God's servants, every one hath a stone to throw in at them, as they pass by. When Paul began to preach atThessalonica, the city was presently in an upi-oar : 'These that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also,' Acts xvii. 6. Indeed, what they said was true ; let the gospel have but liberty, and it will turn the world upside down, it will make a change, but a happy one ; this the devil knows, and therefore dreads its approach. Secondly, Because it is the choicest mercy that God can bless a nation with. Happy are the people that are in such a case; it is the gospel of the kingdom, it lifts a peo-
THAT UTTKRANCE MAY BE GIVEN TO ME. 795