Romanos 1:8

DISCOURSE: 1819
A MINISTER’S JOY OVER HIS PEOPLE

Romanos 1:8. I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all.

AS a title of honour, a minister may assume the character of an ambassador from God. But the paternal relation is that which exhibits him before us in the most endearing view. Under the character of a father, St. Paul frequently addressed his converts [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:11.]. Sometimes he even compared himself with a mother “travailing in birth with them [Note: Gálatas 4:19.];” yea, and as a nursing mother, drawing forth, as it were, the breast to them, and “desiring to impart to them his very soul, because they were so dear to him [Note: 1 Tessalonicenses 2:7.].” There is scarcely one of his Epistles which does not begin with thanking God for them, and pouring forth his petitions in their behalf. The Church of Rome, though he had “never yet seen their face in the flesh,” were exceeding dear to him; and the more so, because the fame of their attainments had spread throughout the whole world. They were not all equally eminent; yet for all of them, without exception, did he return thanks to God: nor did he think it at all necessary to abstain from bestowing just commendations upon them [Note: Romanos 15:14.]. Nor shall we do wrong, if, with paternal regard, we express our thankfulness to God for the blessings he has bestowed on those over whom he has placed us, and whom he has graciously committed to our pastoral care.

We give thanks to God, therefore, brethren, for you all:

I. For those of you who have begun to manifest a concern for your souls—

Truly this is a just ground of thanksgiving to God—
[Look at the world around you, and see how regardless men are of their eternal interest — — — They even put God far from them; saying, “We desire not the knowledge of thy ways” — — — Every thing occupies in their minds a higher place than God — — —
But we need not think of others. Look only at your own conduct, from your youth up, till the moment that God was pleased to open your eyes to a sense of your guilt and danger. See how little you cared for God, or for your own souls. Instead of living unto Him who died for you, even to the Lord Jesus Christ who bought you with his blood, you lived altogether to yourselves, and were, so to speak, “without God in the world” — — — It is possible that some few may have known God, like Timothy, from their very childhood, and never experienced any remarkable change, whether of heart or life. But this is the lot of very few. The great mass of believers were once as manifestly alienated from God as the world around them still are. Compare, then, your present with your former state; and say if there be not reason to bless and adore God for the change that has been wrought in you — — —]
We do then, and will, thank God through Jesus Christ in your behalf—
[The change has proceeded from God alone. It was he who first “opened your heart to attend to the things which were spoken” in his blessed word. He quickened you from the dead; endued you with, I will not say new faculties, but certainly with new dispositions; by means of which, you have been brought to hate the ways which you once followed, and to seek the things which you once despised — — — And it is for Christ’s sake that God has vouchsafed this great mercy, even for the sake of him who bought you with his blood, and intercedes for you at the right hand of God — — — Through that Saviour, then, will I render thanks to God, and bless him for all that he has done for your souls. It may be that, at present, your attainments are but small. But God forbid that 1 should “despise the day of small things.” It is true, also, that where the change is but small, and but recently experienced, we have not that confidence in your state which we feel in reference to more advanced Christians. But nevertheless we rejoice, even as the angels in heaven do, at the first return of a repenting sinner to his God: and we desire to pray to God that he would establish all which he has wrought in you, and confirm unto the end the blessed work he has begun.]

But with yet greater delight will we return thanks,

II.

For those who have made some progress in the Divine life—

Over such persons we rejoice with very exalted joy—
[Of those who begin a heavenly course, how many “run well only for a season!” The stony-ground hearers are very numerous; and their end most deeply to be bewailed. How many thousands are turned aside by the fear of man; and “leave off to behave themselves wisely,” because they cannot bear the cross which an adherence to Christ would bring upon them! The cares of this life, also, arrest many in their course, and drag them down to the concerns of this perishing world. And not a few are ensnared by the lusts of the flesh, which they will not mortify; or by the vanities of the world, which they cannot prevail upon themselves to renounce. Even in the apostolic age there were many, who, “after having known the way of righteousness, have forsaken it,” and “turned back as a dog to his vomit, and as the sow that has been washed to her wallowing in the mire” — — — Shall we not bless God, then, for those who have maintained a steadfastness in the ways of God, and have made their profiting to appear? Surely, if augmented growth in corporeal and intellectual strength in a child be a ground of joy and gratitude to his parent, much more must a progress in the divine life, amongst his hearers, be an occasion of praise and thanksgiving to him who “watches over them in the Lord” — — —]
We do then bless God, through Jesus Christ, for you—
[We well know to what temptations you are exposed, and what conflicts with sin and Satan you have had to maintain; and we therefore adore him who has graciously given you strength according to your day, and held you up in his everlasting arms. O! when we think of the account which poor apostates have to give, and how fearful will be their condition in the eternal world; and when, on the other hand, we contemplate your future prospects; we cannot but bless God for you. Yes, whilst for them we weep, and would have “our eyes as a fountain of tears to run down night and day;” for you we would adore and magnify our God, and implore him to “perfect that which concerns you,” that what he has begun in grace may be consummated in glory — — —] Most of all, however, must we thank God,

III.

For those who are walking worthy of their high and heavenly calling—

To such our text more especially refers; because the Apostle specifies, as the peculiar ground of his thanksgiving, that “their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world.” Now for such we thank God,

1. Because of the glory which they bring to God—

[They live for God: they honour God: they commend his religion throughout the world. A man of low attainments causes but a dim light to shine around him: but a man who “runs well the race that is set before him,” is seen of all, and approved of all, whose judgment in any respect accords with the mind of God. He is, in fact, “a light in the world:” and those who behold him are constrained to “glorify our Father which is in heaven” — — —]

2. Because of the good they do to mankind—

[Who are they that promote the knowledge of God in the world? Who labour for the salvation of their fellowmen? I will not say that persons may not give the aid of their wealth and influence to a religious society from corrupt motives: but those who set on foot these societies, and exert themselves with most self-denying labour in them, are the persons of whom I am now speaking. In truth, but for them there would be little religious good done in the whole world. Works of humanity might go on without them: but works of religion would stagnate altogether. Nothing but apostolic zeal can do the work of an Apostle: but that work as far transcends every other, in real excellence and use, as the effulgence of the sun exceeds the twinkling of a star.]

3. Because of the blessings that await them in a better world—

[Who can contemplate the blessedness of a pious soul when admitted into the immediate presence of God, and not rejoice in its welfare? And can we see you, my brethren, pressing forward in your heavenly course, and labouring incessantly to finish the work assigned you, and not thank our God in your behalf? Would not the very stones cry out against us, if we were so insensible, so altogether destitute of love either to God or man? For those that are departed in the faith of Christ we cannot but rejoice: and for you who are daily ripening for glory, we cannot but feel a measure of thankfulness proportioned to the attainments they make, and the prospects they enjoy.]

Permit me now to address you “all,”
1.

Individually—

[That which rendered the Christians at Rome so eminent, was “their faith.” Let that grace, then, be cultivated by every one of you. That is the root from which every other grace proceeds. Abound in that; and every other grace will be carried on and perfected within you.]

2. Collectively—

[Be careful, all of you, that we be not disappointed of our hope respecting you — — — Then shall we thank God also for you in the eternal world, and have you as “our joy and crown of rejoicing” for ever and ever.]