DE-25-4 Frine, in the firſt place: and not to them alone, but to any ſuch NMatth.1C. ; 19. Lite 30.7. eſe Texts conclude the duty of Elders to take Maintenance, but the duty of thoſe who are Members of Churches to gire it them, which yet they may refuſe, as Paul himielf did, if cither the Peoples, or Minifters circumſtances Call tor, or will al- low fuch a thing, L : 19 Againl{t an elder ©c recelve not an accuſation, [|Or,1:47 bur || * before two or three witneſſes d. *Deutl.l9. , Whether an Elder in Years, Or in Office, though the latter be- 5. ing the Perſons formerly ſpoken of, ſeem here principally intend- ed. 4 Thar is, not to proceed to any judicial inquiry upon it, Deut, 17. 6. This was a Law concerning all Elders or younger Perſons, eſpecially in capital Caules 3 but the Apoſtle willeth this to be more ſpccially obſerved as to Othicers in the Church, whoſe faithful dit- charge of their truſts uſually more expoſeth them to Peoples queru- lous Tongues. 20 Them that ſin e rebuke before all f, that others
alſo may fear g.
e That is, that ſin publickly, and ſcandalouſly, ſo as others have taken notice of it. f Kebuke, not privately by a Miniſterial Core reption, but by a _— Eccleſiaſtical Correption, before the who'e Church, g That the Salve may anſwer the Sore, and the -Plaifter be as broad as the Wound, and that others may be afraid to do the like; this end of th&, MiSiment agreeth with that menti- oned Deut, 13, 11,
21 *1 charge thee before God and the Lord Jeſus SING. © Chriſt, and the ele& angels, that thou obſerve theſe
3. b . . >Tim.4.r, things b, || without preferring one before another, do-
} Or, pre- ing nothing by partiality z.
J#dice, þ By theſe things may be underſtood the whole of what went be- fore, or what followeth, I judge it moſt proper to refer it to all the Precepts foregoing in this Epiſtle, which evidenceth them to be things which he had received from the Lord, not what he di- rected without any expreſs notice of the Will of God as to them. This is evident by his grave, and ſevere charge to Timothy to obſerve them, for he chai geth him to obſerve them, as in the preſence of God, and Chriſt, and calleth the good Angels to be Witneſſes both of kis Faithfulnels in giving him this charge, and of 1imothy's Faithtulneſs, or Unfaithtulnels, according as he ſhould obſerve or negl<t the things given him in charge. He calls the Angels Elee? un- queſtionably in oppoſition to the evil and reprobate .:ngels, # He requires the doing of them, without reſpect to any perſons, Rich or Poor, Friends or Foes ; Partiality no way becoming a Judge inany Cauſe, who ought to hold the Ballance even, not inclining 1t any way, but judging things and not perſons. Some of the things before mentioned, may ſeem of too minute a conſideration tor the Apoſtle to lay ſuch a tres upon, or God to give him particular direttion | in : but the things are not ſo much to be conſidered as the end of the Precepts, which was the upholding the true honour and reputa- tion of the Church, which is a very great thing, and ſuppoſing the things given in charge tv have any tendency of that nature, they muſt not be judged ſmall, :
*A&.12.3, 22 * Lay hands ſuddenly on no man &, nei-
2Tim.1.6. ther he partaker of other mens fins /: keep thy ſelt
ure 77, P k By 1:ying on of hands on no man, is certainly to be underſtood, Do thou ſuddenly ſet 10 man apart to any Eccleſtaſtical Imployment, Laying on of hands was but an external Ceremony uled in bleſſing, Gen. 48. 14,15. and in the conferring of power upon perſons, Num. 27.18. Deut., 34. 9. In the New Teſtament we find this Rite uled. In Prayer upon healing the Sick, Mart 16, 18, As 20.8. 2, In Blcſſing, Mark 10. 16. -in conferring the Gitts of the Holy Ghoſt, 4#s 19. 6. 3.In Ordination,or ſetting Perſons apart to ſome Eccleſiaſtical imployment. Chap. 4. 14. Atts 6. 6, and being fo uſed, it is ſOmetimes put for the whole ation, This the Apoftle forbids Timothy to do ſuddenly, that is, without a firſt proof of the Perſon's fittedneſs for his wagk ; chap. 3. 10. both with relpett to his knowledge, and to his Holineſs of Converſation, 7 This parti- cipation of other Men's {in ought to be taken heed of in the whole courſe of our Conyerſation, but it ſeemeth here to be cſpecially for- bidden with reference to what was before ſpoken of, viz. the ſetting
9.9. neither of th
my CM, A
— FI * -
* FD om
©, > = * ied = 7 - =: < _— DT RET ER EIS 4 2 —Y > _— A ". - * __ e: b Fer <4 "IU a
he who puts into the Miniſtry any erroneous, or ignorant Perſons, or any Perſons of a lewd Converſation, makes himlelt guilty of all the harm they do, if he hath not firft raken a due and reaſonable proof of them, but hath laid hands upon them ſuddenly. Amongft other ways by which we intereſt our ſelves in others guilr, one is, by not hindriug it, having power ſo to d5, Ne, or they, whom it lies upon to admit, or not admit hien into the Miniftry, have a power to refuſe them, in cale upon proof of them they do-not find them apt to Teach, or fit for the Mimnftration they are to undertake ; or ſech tor Holineſs of L:fe as God 1 equireth ; God by his word declar- ing what ſuch Verſons ought to be, and commanding him or them firſt co prove ſuch perious, and to Jay hands on none /uddenly, hath inveſied him or them with ſuch a power of whici; Man cannot de- prive them. # The purity here nicntioned, is comprehenftive of
Chap. V. I. TIMOTHY.
niſhed exorbitant Members; but we ſhall want a good Proof, eicher] 1s moſt reaionable to under frand it here with relation to what went Defore, viz. partaking of other Men's fins, if thou canft not keep
Church. © Tſhall rot determine which of theie Opinions is righteſt,| the Church pure, hut ignorant or erroneous Perſons, or Sots will hut jeave the Reader to hisown Judgment. Whoever is here meant | get tato the Churcnh,yet let them not get inthrough thy hands,keey by Elders are declared 3 worthy of double bonour, by wiich is under- chy ſelf pure. . "
Men aparct for, or putting them into any Eccleſiaſtical lmployment ;i/treſſes that were Chriſtians, The Apoſtle not ignorant 0
23 Drink no longer water n, but uſe a little
verence, and alſo maintenance; 4 but eſpecially ſuch as take pains] wing o, for * thy ſtomacks ſake p and thine often yy in preaching the Golpel. firmities 4. l
71 Not wholly, as many did in thoſe Countries, and Timothy Pros