0 It is easier to preach to men ten hours, than to pray for them one.
1. That they might have no secret reserves in
their obedience —
[He well knew that one sin indulged would destroy the soulp : he was aware that nothing but the most unreserved dedication of ourselves to God's service would be of any avail*1: he therefore prayed that they might do " all" the will of God.]
2. That they might attain the highest degrees of holiness —
[There is no absolute perfection or completeness in the creature ; but there are high degrees of holiness to which the upright may attain1. He longed that they might be as emi- nent as possible s.]
3. That they might be steadfast to the end —
[Many " endure only for a season, and in a time of temp- tation fall away ;" but the apostatizing of persons who have been hopeful, is death, as it were, to a faithful minister of Christ*. He knew that there were many seeking to turn them from the faith u: he therefore sought to have them so esta- blished that they might " stand."]
We may observe from hence,
1. What should be the standard of a minister's preaching —
[Faithful ministers are often thought too strict and severe ; but if they should desire such perfection for their people, they should labour also to promote it by their preaching. If they should lower the standard of men's duty, they would betray and murder the souls committed to them. Let not any then condemn the strictness or severity of what they hear, unless it exceed the Scripture standard.]
2. What should be the measure of the people's practice —
[There is no attainment with which we should be satisfied, while there remains any thing to be attained. What ministers should desire for us, we ought to desire and aim at for our- selves. Whatever then we may have attained, let us forget what is behind, and press forward toward that which is before.]
p Jer. xlviii. 10. i Ps. cxix. 6.
r TiXeioi kul 7T£7r\jypw/i£Voi imply, that he wished them not to con- tinue babes, but to arrive at a state of .manhood ; and not to be satisfied with a scanty measure of grace and knowledge, but to be " filled with all the fulness of God."
s 1 Thess. v. 23. * 1 Thess. hi. 8. u Col. ii. 8.