med of * my chain 9. * Ads 29, 0 Whether O0nefiphorus was at this time alive, or no, is very 20, doubtful, for he only prays for 1.is Family in this Text, and falu- Eph. 6.20; reth them only, Chap. 4. 19. fp Either when he was in Afa, or (which is more probable, by reaſon of what followeth) at Rome, whither he might attend him, or- follow him, q and ſhew kinds neſs to. him when he was a Priſoner ; for which Pau} prayeth Mer- cy for his whole Family, _ - 17 But when he wasin Rome r, he ſought me out very diligently, and found me 5. 7 Whither he might go upon his private Occaſions, and Being there, s he made it his buſineſs to find out Pau), and reſted not un- til he had found him, either at his Inn, or in the Priſon where he was put. 18 The Lord grant unto him he may find mercy of
the Lord in that day t: And in how many things he miniſtred unto me at Epheſus, thou knoweſt very
well.
t This would incline us to think that 0ne/iphorus was yet alive the term mercy he here prays that he may find of the Lord is com- prehenſive of all good, both Corporal and Spiritual,which he prays God the Father to grant to this good Man, to find from the Lord Jeſus Chrift in that day, when he ſhall come to judge the Quick and the Dead; for he had not only miniftred to the Apoſtle while he was a Priſoner at Kome, but many ways at Ephejus (where proba« oly this Oneſiphorus lived) which Timothy being there well knew,
CH AP. II
He exhorts Timothy to commit the Goſpel to others that they might teach, 1,2. and as @ good ſouldier and busbandman to ſtrive and endure hardſhip for Chriſt, 3———6, and to lay his Exhortations to heart, and eſpecially the Article of Chriſt's Aurreliien He propoſerh to him his own example, and the certain recompence of ſufferirg, 7 12. He exborts bim rightly to divide the Word of Ged, and oppoſe ſtrife of words and dotrines of Apoſtates, namely, of rb5ſe who denied the Reſurrefttion, 14. 18. Though fome fall away, yer the Elefion (tands ; and this ratified by our Sanitification,19=21, He exhorts bim to flee youthful luſts and fooliſh queſiions, and 10 en. deavour after divers Chriſtian and Paſtoral Vertues, 22——26,
1 = therefore my ſon, be ſtrong in the grace | that is in Chriſt Jeſus a. « The ſenſe is, cither ſhew thy ſelf a ſtout and valiant man, not being affrightedat the dangers that threaten thee in the publithing, and defence of the Goſpel, which brings the glad tydings of the :Grace of Jeſus Chriſt ; Or he thou ftrong through the gracious in- fluence of Chrift Jeſus, without which thoucanft do nothing. "_ 2 And the things that thou haſt heard of me {| a-l| Or, 9 mongſt many witneſſes b, the ſame commit thou to faichful men, who ſhall be * able to teach others al-* (Tim. 3,
ſo c. 2. | b The Do&rine of the Goſpel which thou haſt heard from me, Tit» I. 9. canfirmed by the teſtimony of many of the Prophets of old, or, which thou heardft from me committed to thy truſt, there being many witneſſes preſent, when thou wert ordained,or ſet apart to thy Office, c Commit unto others that ſhall be ſet apart for thy Minj- fry ; but let them be ſuch as have an ability to communicate their knowledge to others, and ſuch as thou ſhalt judge will be faithful to
Spiritual Health. This Do&trine 7imorby had been inftrufted in by Paul, whether he had given him a written form of it or no, 1s not much material z for this (if he did) was not that which he would have him hold taft, but to keep the /4ea, or pattern of that
their truſt, : | 3 * Thou therefore indure hardneſs d asa good ſoul-+ cy, x, g, ier of Jeſus Chriſt e, & 4+ 5+ d la
+4. 4 4
Chap. 1I.
* 1; Cor.g.
4 In the Greet it is ſuffer evils, [c. evils of afflition, expe& them, and encounter ani patiently endure them. e Remembring that the Life of a Miaifter is not a life of eaſe and pleaſure, but the life of a Sgullier, whole life is a life of hardſhip, expoled to numberleſs ha- Zards and dangers. : :
4 No man that warreth, intangleth himſelf with the
affairs of this life f, that he may pleaſe him who hath
choſen him to he a ſouldier g.
# Having told Timory that his Life was to be the Life of a Sou!- aier, in which he would be expoſed to many Difficulties, and Dan- gers and Hazards, he bere mindeth him of the Law and Cuſtom of Souldiers, who being once entred in the Muſter-Roll,uſe to ſeque- fier themſelves from other Imployments in Trading, Husbandry,or the like, 'g That thereby they might be at the Command of their General, or Captain, to be callzd out upon what ſervice he pleaſeth: So he who is a Miniſter of the Goſpel, ought not voluntarily, and of choice, engage himſelf in ſecular Imployments, but give up himſelf wholly to the Miniſterial Work, that ſo he might pleaſe the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath choſen him to be his Souldier. ; : And * if a Man alſo ſtrive for maſteries 6, yet is he not crowned 7, except he ſtrive lawful-
ly k
where divers ſtrive by wreſtling, fighting, racing, where there is a Crown propoſed as the Prize for thoſe who are the Conquerors in the Game : e They have not that Crown ſet upon their heads ; + unleſs they keep to the Laws of that Game wherein they are ex- erciſed, So it is in the Spiritual Warfare, or Conteſt, there is a far greater reward, even a Crown of Glory, propoſed for ſuch as overcome ; but none ſhall have it, unleſs thoſe who keep to the Laws which God hath'made for thoſe who exerciſe themſelves in that Spiritual Combate.
6 * || The husbandman that laboureth muſt be firſt
I. TIMOTHY.
h And look as it is in the publick Games in uſe amongſt you,
* 1 Cor.9. \ Fo
'' Or, the busband-
partaker of the fruits /.
1 As the Apoſtle before had compared the Miniſter of the Goſ- pel to a Souldier, and from thence concluded his Duty, not to in- 1:21 1, tangle himlelf unneceſſarily in ſecular Imployments : and to thoſe bourin that exerciſe themſelves in their publick Games, and from thence firſt , myſt concluded the obligation upon him to keep to the Diyine Rule in be partaker the managery of his Office,and of himſelf,under the oppoſition he of th> ſhould meet with; to here ze compares him to an Husbandman,(as
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