many obtained a great liberty,or freedom of Speech, MUPPHNIICY, Is 6 the Dofrine of the Faith of Chriſt : For by the exerciſe of the D , cons Office, they had much Converſe both with the Paſtors ang M = bers of the Church, which Converſe did not only improve their "98+: ledge in the Dottrine of Faith, bat took off that exceſſive baſkfulner which poſſefſeth many, till they come to be fully acquainted with thing of which, and the Perſons before which they are to ſpeak which we ſee by daily experience. Or, the Apoſtle intends that Courage that ariſes from a good Conſcience. Thoſe that are careleſs and unfaithfy] in the Diſcharge of their Duty, Guilt makes them timorous ; but th. good and faithful Servant of God enjoys that Liberty and Courage which Faith in the Lord Jeſus gives, and without fear diſcharges all the
parts of his Office.
14 Theſe things I write unto thee, hoping to come
unto thee ſhortly t.
t I being now in Macedon, or at Athens, or ſome parts thereabouts have wrote to thee, whom 1 left at Epbeſus, theſe precepts 2bout the Officers of Churches, not being ſure I ſhall, but hoping my ſelf ſoon to come to Epheſus unto thee, which yet he did not, as we read ; for he met 7imothy at Troacs, ARS 20. 5,
I5 Butif I tarry long «, that thon mighteſt know how thou oughteſt to behave thy ſelf in the houſe of God, which is the church of the living God w, the pillar and || ground of the truth x.
u I do not know how God will diſpoſe of me, though T hope ſhortly to ſee thee; and therefore I have written to dire& thee how in the mean time thou ſhouldeft carry thy ſelf in the Affairs of the C burch, which I have committed to thee,which is a matter of great moment; for the w people which conſtitute the Church of him who is not like the God of the Heathens,a dead man conſecrated, and made a God ; nor a Being without Life,like their Tmages,but one who hath Life in himſelf, and from himſelf, is the Houſe of God, a People in, and amongſt whom hedwelleth,and amongſt whom he is worſhipped,and of whom he hath a great care,and for which he hath a great love,Chriſt having died for it, That be might ſanifie and cleanſe it with the waſhing of Water ly the Word, Eph. s. 26. and which (as a man doth by his Houſe) he is dai. ly inlarging, beautifying, and adorning with the Graces of his Holy Spirit, that (as there) v. 27. be might preſent it to himſelf 4 gliricus Church without ſpot or wrinkle,or\any ſuch thing, but that ir ſhould be holy, 2nd without blemiſh, x Which Church is the pillar and ground of truth, VAC 4 £Negivue; we want a goodEngliſh word whereby to tranſlite :5e latter of the two words in theGreek,which poſhbly hath advantaged 'he great Conteſts about the ſenſe of this Text, Tt comes from {/4s, which ſignifieth a Chair and a thing to ſupport ; and a Sear, the place, (ay ſome) in which the 7dol was ſet in the Pagan Temples. Thence this word £Negiopa is tranſlated, rhe nnd:rpropper, the Eftabliſher, any firm Bafis upon which a thing ſtanderb, or Jeaneth ; ſo that it is much of che ſame ſignificancy with the former word, which we rightly tranſlate a Pillar, the two things fignifying in uſe the ſame thing, that which un- derproppeth and holdeth up another thing,as the Pillars do the Build- ing, and the Bafis of the Tmage or Statue doth the Statue, P:Uars allo were of ancient uſe to faſten upon them any publickEdits whichPrinces or Courts would have publiſhed,and expoſed te the yiew of all : Hence the Church is called, the Pillar, and Baſis, or Sear of Truth, becauſe by it the Truths of God are publiſht, ſupported, and defended, and in it they are only to be found as in their proper ſeat and place ; for to it the Oracle and Myſteries of God are committed, and in it they are ex- poſed to the notice and knowledge of all, as publick Edits are vpon Pillars. But neither that ſaving Truth, nor the Faith which we give to it, is eftabliſht upon the Authority of the Churh,(as the Romariſts vain- ly pretend,) but upon the Authority of God the Author of it, The Church diſcovers and recommends the Truth, but the Teftimony it gives is not the foundation of it's Credibility. The Univerſal Church, (of which the Church of Epheſus,over which Timothy had a Charge, was a genuine part) is in the Senſe before expreft, the Pillar and $Suppor- ter, or Seat of Truth,
16 And without controverſie great is the myſtery of*o.1.4 godlineſs y, * God was || manifeſt in the fleſh z, * juſti-1 gy fied in the ſpirit (a): ſeen of angels b, *preached unto the | f rv
*Rom.14 L Pet.3.1h y The various uſe of the particle x} in the Greek, which we tranſlate * Epi. 3+
Ch
| Or, fy,
and, maketh it doubtful what is the force of it here, whether it relates 5, 6. to the Truth mentioned in the latter part of th another reaſon why Timothy ſhould have a care in the Houſe of God: If to the former, it is exegetical, and opens what he meant by Truth, viz. The Myſtery of Godlineſs, by which he means the Goſpel, which is the Do&rine of Godlineſs, being that
e former Verſe,or ſhews * Luk, 2» how he behaved himſelf 51,
which teacheth how aright to worſhip God, and walk before him; this he firft calls, then proves to bea Myſtery, a great Myſtery, The word is derived from the Heathens, who had Myfteries of their Superſtition
and Idolatrous Religion, A Myſtery ſignifies a thing ſacred and / _— r greater
13 For * they that have || uſed the office of a deacon | The Meathens alſo had their greater and leſſer Gods, and their gre zee N ; and lefſer Myſteries. Paul c he Goſpel, the Do&rine of Godlinels, *5ee Mat. well, purchaſeto themſelves a good degree r, and great |; pat: Myftery,and fay oh _ Edie Ph withent Controver- ' A by boldneſs in the faith which is in Chriſt Jeſus /. ' [fie; then he proveth it by telling us what it is, and giving us the ſum "1 ſtre by ' r A gooddegree of Honour; ſo that none hath reaſon to decline, [of it. 7 It teacheth us that he who was truly God, God over all, bleſſed «i En or to deſpiſe that Office, — This ſeems rather to be the ſenſe,than what [for ever,(as the Apoſtle ſaith) was manifeſted in the fleſh, Fob, 1. 14- The j pleaicth lome better, viz, That they purchaſe to themſelves. an | word was mate fleſh. How an infiniteNature could be perſonally unired £0 bigher degree in the Miniſtry of the Church; for though it be very |a finiteNature,ſo as to make onePerſon,is a Myſtery,and 4 greatMyſtery,
ed in the Spirit,el- *d the Spirit )byY perations,and
when
4
In