2 Tim. iii. 10. Thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering , charity, patience.
IN every age of the world there have been persons adverse to the truth of God, and actively engaged in frustrating his designs for the salvation of men. In the days of Moses, Jannes and Jambres sought to harden the heart of Pharaoh : and in the apostolic age, many seducers arose to draw away from the faith those who had embraced the Gospel of Christ. Against their influence St. Paul guards his son Timo- thy : and that this young minister might be the bet- ter able to distinguish them, the Apostle reminds him of " all that he had heard and seen in him."
The word which, in the text, is translated, " thou hast fully known," is in the margin translated, "thou hast been a diligent follower of." And from this little diversity of construction, I shall take occasion to propose to you the character of the Apostle, for your investigation, that you may " fully know it ;" and for your imitation, that you may "diligently fol- low it."
I propose it, then,
I. For your investigation —
Take notice, then, what was,
1. His doctrine —
[This was uniformly an exhibition of the Lord Jesus Christ, as crucified for the sins of men, and as effecting thereby our reconciliation with God On this subject he main- tained the utmost jealousy ; suffering nothing, either in himself or others, to obscure it. When St. Peter himself had, by undue concessions, endangered the purity of this doctrine, St. Paul reproved him before the whole Church^. And, if an angel from heaven had attempted to establish any doctrine in opposition to this, he v^^as prepared to denounce him as ac- cursed ^ All that he preached, either led to this doctrine, or
=» Gal. ii. 14. ^ Gal. i, 8, 9.
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arose out of it ; for " he had determined to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified."]
2. His spirit —
[This was in perfect accordance with the doctrine which he preached. "The whole manner of his life" was regulated by it; and marked a determined " purpose" to live only for the Saviour in whom he believed, and to put forth all his powers for the propagation of the Gospel of Christ. In the discharge of this duty he had shewn the utmost "fidelity'^;" concealing nothing that could be profitable to his hearers, but boldly " declaring to them the whole counsel of God." He knew that, " in every place, bonds and afflictions awaited him:" but " none of these things could move him :" neither counted he his life dear to him, if only he might discharge, to the satisfaction of his own conscience, the high office which had been committed to him. This was his uniform course of life, from the first moment of his conversion : and all who knew him could bear witness to it.]
3. His conduct —
[His zeal for God was duly blended with love to men. He bore with all, however weak, however ignorant, however perverse, they were : nor could the most cruel treatment divert him from his purpose. In the midst of all the injuries he sustained, he still prosecuted his labours of love with all imaginable " long-suffering, and charity, and patience;" " be- coming all things to all men, if by any means he might save some ;" and accounting it rather a matter of self-congratula- tion than of grief, if he should be called to pour forth his blood as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of his people's faith '^. O that men would study this chciracter, and seek to have it embodied in their own experience ! For this end]
I will propose it,
H. For your imitation —
St. Paul himself says, " Be ye followers of me, as I am of Christ." And so would I say to you, as in my text. Be diligent followers of him in the above respects.