the doctrines of abstinence from meats and marriage, and to regard them no more than an old woman's tale, and to exercise himself unto real godliness. Note here, Something that Timothy must forbear, and something that he must follow after he must forbear and refuse profane old wives' fables; if thou wilt not swim down the tide of these apostatizing times, take heed of steering thy course by profane, though ancient, customs, refuse them with scorn, and reject them with anger; one way to prevent apostasy, is to refuse ungrounded antiquity: that which Timothy is exhorted to follow after, is real godliness; this is his duty, both as a minister, and as a member of Jesus Christ : real godliness ought to be minded as every man's, especially every minister's, chief and principal business; religion must be our chief occupation.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

By bodily exercise he meaneth corporal austerities, abstinence from meats and marriage; all the external exercises of religion; these do profit a little, though but a little, in comparison of the profit of godliness. Where note, That fastings, humiliations, and watchings, with other bodily exercises, which serve to bring down the pride and wantonness of the body, have their proper and necessary use, and are expressive of a just revenge which a sinner takes upon himself for former excesses; they are, when wisely managed, what God accepts, but the least that God expects from us: Bodily exercise profiteth little. But observe, The universal usefulness of godliness to all the purposes of life, Godliness is profitable to all things. 1. It is profitable to make a man rich, to help him to get and increase an estate; because it makes a man wise and prudent, diligent and industrious, thrifty and frugal. 2. It is profitable to make a man renowned as well as rich; it is the only way to attain a good name and reputation: the godly man is a worthy and excellent man, and he is an useful and serviceable man, and such do seldom miss of a good reputation in the world; those that want goodness themselves, will yet commend it in others. 3. It is profitable for pleasure, as well as for riches and honour; for a life of religion doth increase the re

VOL. II

lish and sweetness of all our sensible enjoyments, so far is it from abridging us of any earthly delights: and besides, it adds to us a world of pleasures of its own; thus godliness is profitable unto men in all things, having the promise of happiness both in this life, and that which is to come, annexed to it.

9 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Note, That this phrase of a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, used here, was used before, chap. i. 15. That Christ came into the world to save sinners. Jesus Christ came into the world to save Learn thence, That this proposition, that sinners, and this, that such sinners as of ungodly will become godly, and persevere in the practice of godliness, shall be happy in the life that now is, and that which is to come; these two propositions are faithful and remarkable sayings, worthy of the acceptation of all reasonable creatures. Note farther, that the belief of this proposition, that godliness has the promise of this and the next life, will cause all christians, as it did St. Paul, to labour and suffer reproach, to labour in the work of God, to suffer reproach in the cause of God, and this without weariness and fainting. Note lastly, The title given to Almighty God, The Saviour of all men; that is, the preserver of all men, but especially of all good men, when their temporal preservation conduces most to the advantages of his glory and their good or if it be understood of eternal salvation, we must take it thus; that he publishes and proclaims, offers and tenders, salvation to all men, although believers only are actually saved, because they only accept the offers and conditions of salvation.

11 These things command and teach. 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Still our apostle proceeds in farther di rection and advice to Timothy, both as to

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his preaching and his practice, both as to his doctrine and conversation. 1. As to his preaching, he requires it to be done with due authority: These things command and teach, that is, these things teach commandingly, and with a necessary authority; the ministers of God speak from God, therefore may command from God. 2. As to his conversation, he exhorts him to exercise such a becoming gravity in his deportment, that, though he was very young, none might despise him or his function because of his youth where piety and mo. desty meet in young ministers, it will pre. serve their youth from contempt; and where levity and vanity are found, it will expose not only youth, but gray hairs also, to contempt and scorn. 3. He directs them to be not only a precedent to all ministers, but a pattern to all believers: Be thou an example of the believers, and that, 1. In word, or speech; look that thy discourse be wise and instructive, not idle and impertinent, much less frothy and profane, but let something for edification always drop from thy lips. 2. In conversation, look that thy gravity be beyond thy years, make up in thy deportment what is want ing in thy age; observe a just equality, neither be too amusing nor too prostrate, behave not thyself neither above nor below thyself. 3. In charity, show benevolence and exercise beneficence towards all ́mankind, according to thy ability and opportunity nothing gives a minister a greater advantage for the success of his labours than charitable distributions; this gives us a throne in the hearts of our people, when wisely managed. 4. In spirit, that is, in zeal and warmth of spirit, in fervency and affection, in an active and sprightly zeal for the glory of God and the good of souls, such a zeal as may render thee industrious in feeding, governing, aud instructing thy flock. 5. In faith, that is, in fidelity to, and constancy in, the true religion, not enduring either to be huffed or wheedled out of the truth; for it is a sacred depositum, an holy treasure, which we must transmit to our posterity, as our forefathers did to us with their precious blood. 6. In purity, in chastity and cleanliness, abstaining from sensual lusts, from wantonness and worldlymindedness; choose spiritual delights now, for they are the entertainment which we must live upon to eternal ages. By all this we see how much it is in a minister's own power to procure a due esteem to himself, at least to prevent his own contempt,

since an holy and exemplary deportment, faithful and constant labours, never fail to do that in some measure: but if we fail here, what other methods soever we use, we shall find God making good his threatening, 1 Sam. ii. 30. that they which despise him shall be lightly esteemed: nor will any titles, dignities, or pre-eminences above others, secure the guilty from the efficacy of this curse, which will cleave to their persons, yea, to their memories, like a girdle to their loins.

13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

St. Paul, being uncertain when he should see this young labourer again, adds farther instructions to those already given him. And here, 1. He requires him to give attendance to reading, that is, be diligent in private reading the holy scriptures, to enable him to teach, instruct, and exhort others, what they ought to believe and know, and what they ought to practise and do. Where note, That the illuminations and teachings of the Holy Spirit must not take off any ministers from reading and studying the holy scriptures, but we must fit ourselves the better thereby to exhort, direct, and instruct others. 2. He stirs up and exhorts Timothy not to neglect, but to excite, to use, and diligently improve, those eminent gifts which were given him by prophecy, that is, according to the foregoing prophecies concerning him, and by laying on of the hands of the presbytery, when he was ordained. Where note, That the ceremony of laying on of hands in ordination, is very ancient and apostolical; not accidental or indifferent, but a very ne. cessary rite in the performance of that service; neglect not the gift which was given thee, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Note, 2. That persons ordained ought, with great care and diligence, to stir up the gifts of God's Holy Spirit conferred upon them; for negligence quenches the Spirit of God in them.

15 Meditate upon these things, give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

He exhorted him to read the scriptures be

fore, now to meditate upon what he read. Where note, That if those who were inspired, and divinely qualified, must yet read, meditate, study hard, and employ their whole time to fit themselves for the ministerial work, what shall we think of the ignorance and impudence of our lay-preachers, who, without any such divine qualification, or without any call or commission, without giving themselves wholly to these things, dare presume to teach the scriptures, when they never understood them; nay, can hardly read them! Meditate on these things, and give thyself wholly to them. Be in them, says the original, lay out thy whole strength and time in studying God's will, and making known thy people's duty. Three things are here implicitly condemned in persons set apart for the holy function. 1. Sloth and negligence; it is a painful service we are engaged in, and wae unto us if we be slothful in business, if we be sparing of our pains for fear of shortening our days, and hastening our end; verily the lamp of our lives can never burn out better than in lighting others to heaven. 2. Worldly-mindedness, 1 Pet. v. 2. feed the flock, but not for filthy lucre: the spiritual man must not so mind earthly things as to make them his principal aim and scope; for if so, he will act accordingly, and defeat all the ends of his ministry. The apostles had no settled maintenance, but their subsistence to seek yet were wholly in these things. How much should we be so now, who have our maintenance legally secured! How should we seek the kingdom of God, and the welfare of our people's souls, seeing all other things are added to us, in measure, though not in excess! 3. Incumbrance by worldly business: he that must give himself wholly to these things, what leisure can he find for magistracy, for managing law-suits, for farming of lands, and for secular concerns: we cannot make a business of two things so widely different from each other. Can we be spiritual persons, and yet mere seculars in our thoughts and care? Well therefore might St. Paul say to Timothy, But thou, O man of God, flee these things, 1 Tim. vi. 11. Observe lastly, The reason which the apostle subjoins why he would have Timothy do all this That his profiting may appear to all men; he must read, meditate, pray, and study, that he may improve and profit himself; though he was inspired, yet he must not rely upon the Spirit's assistance without his own endeavours: and his im

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provement by study must appear not barely to himself, but to others, to his people as well as himself, yea, to all persons; his growth and improvement by study and exercise must be so conspicuous, that all his flock may bear witness to it, and bless God for it. Meditate on these things, and give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all men.

16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto

the doctrine; continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

As if the apostle had said, "Have a special regard to the piety of thy life, and to the purity of thy doctrine, and this continually; so shalt thou do what lieth in thee, to save both thine own soul, and the souls of all thy people." 1. Take heed unto thyself. Our lives must be such as become ministers of God, and preachers of righteousness; for the eyes of God and the whole world are upon us; the observing eye of God, the censorious and insidious eye of the world, who will charge the miscarriages of a single person upon the whole order, and condemn all for the faults of one therefore let every one take heed unto himself; the honour of our profession requires it, the conscience of our duty challenges it, a due regard to the glory of God and our own reputation commands it. 2. Take heed unto thy doctrine, that it be the pure and uncorrupted word of God, expounded agreeably to the sense of the ancient church, and of our own church in particular, which has with the greatest care followed the ancient pattern: many errors are abroad in the world, which have adulterated the truths of the gospel; it is therefore prudential and necessary, that the ministers of God keep at a great distance from every opinion which looks like heretical, and not to come within the reach of suspicion : it is not enough for us to be innocent, unless we appear so. Note farther, The order of the words: St. Paul bids Timothy first to take heed of his life, and next to his doctrine; not first to his doctrine, and then to his life: Take heed to thyself, and to thy doctrine. Because the success of our doctrine depends upon the goodness of our lives; it is this must render our doctrine operative and effectual; this is the principal thing; we must do as well as teach, for who will believe him in the pulpit, who

profusely, to the dishonour of her husband's memory, and her own personal disgrace, she is dead in sin, dead to Christ and his holy religion, whilst she lives in the world; and so is not to be looked upon by the church as a vital member of it, much less to be maintained by the church's charity. This is what St. Paul thought needful to give Timothy in charge concerning widows, that so they might be found blameless, and without scandal to religion.

8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

That is, "If any professing christianity, and having ability, provides not for his own kindred, but especially for those of his own house, as parents or children, he liveth so. contrary to the christian faith, that in effect he denies it, and is worse than an infidel, who ordinarily take care of their parents, and make provision for their poor relations." The old heathens had this

amongst them as an universal principle of nature, to honour the gods, and provide for their parents; affirming, that no man can do any thing more acceptable to the gods than by heaping favours upon their parents; and that nothing can be a greater evidence of atheism and impiety, than to neglect and despise them. Learn hence, That it is most unnatural to be hardened against those to whom we stand engaged by near relation or natural bonds; the light of nature teaches infidels much better.

9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man. 10 Well reported of for good works ; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

Our apostle had given directions concerning such widows as were to be maintained by the church's charity in the preceding verses; he speaks now of such widows as were to be admitted into the church's service, under the name of deaconesses, whose

office it was to take care of the aged and impotent, to be stayed monitors of the younger women, to attend poor women in labour, and to assist at the baptism of the

female sex. St. Paul advises, that none be admitted under threescore years of age, and none that was divorced from one husband, and married another: Let not a widow be taken into the number, that is, of church widows or deaconesses, under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man only. Next, St. Paul lays down the general and particular qualifications of such widows as should be elected into the church's service; the general qualification is fruitfulness in good works: If she have diligently followed every good work. Where note, It is not her age alone, nor her poverty alone, but her christian behaviour before all, that gave her a right to the church's service and maintenance. The particular qualifications follow: if she has brought up children religiously, if she hath lodged strangers or christian travellers hospitably, if she has condescended to the meanest offices, not disdaining to wash journeyings; if according to her ability she the very feet of poor christians in their has done all the good she possibly could, though much short of what she desired. Note here, That in those hot countries persons travelled on foot, and without shoes, wearing only sandals, and having few or no inns for entertainment, or but little money to defray travelling charges, it was a very great work of pious charity to entertain them in their houses, to wash and cool, rechristian strangers, to receive and lodge fresh and cleanse their feet, and to administer to their necessities; such widows as are thus qualified he directs may be taken into the church's service, and partake of her maintenance.

11 But the younger widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; 12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

be idle, wandering about from house 13 And withal they learn to to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busy-bodies, speaking things which they ought not. 14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some are already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any man or woman that believeth have wi