his Office in all its parts, becauſe of the wickedneſs of Men in future times, 1——5, He foretel!s bis own approaching Death; bis Hop: and Comfort herein, 6——$, He willeth him to come ſpeedily tc him, and bring Mark with bimz and certain other things which be | wrote fer, g 13. He warns bim of Alexander a Copper-ſmith ; Cori, | ani complains of Brethren who had forſaken him. ar bis firſt anſwer. ng ; prays for them, 14 16, But God then had been, and would be with him, 17, 18, He concludes with divers Salutations, and the Apoſtolical Benedifion, 19 =——22,
Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing b, and his kingdom c.
2 Who ſeeth, and obſerveth what thou doeft, and will one day call thee to account for thy diſcharge of thy Miniſtry, 6 And be- fore the Son of God, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom thou haft more reaſon to regard, not only becauſe he is thy Maſter, and thou his Servant, in a ſpecial ſenſe, but becauſe he is to be thy Judge alſo; tor he ſhall be the Judge, as of thoſe that are dead before his com- ing, ſo thoſe alſo who ſhall be alive at his _— I Cor, 15, 52. 1 Theſſ. 4. 15, 17. c When He ſhall appear the ſecond time, and ſet up his Kingdom of Glory, delivering up his Mediatory Kingdom to his Father ; I charge thee, as in the Preſence of God, and this Chriſt; or as thou haſt a regard to God, and to this Chriſt, and feareſt the angry Face of this Judge, or believeſt his ſecond coming, or expefteft a ſhare in his Kingdom of Glory, A moſt ſevere ob- teſtatien, charge, or adjuration, What is that duty which is uſher'd in, in ſo ſolemn a manner ? It followeth, 5
2 Preach d the word e, be inſtant f in ſeaſon; and out of ſeaſon g, reprove h, rebuke #, exhort k, with al] long-ſuffering 1, and dodtrine m.
d Proclaim like an Herald, cry like a common Cryer in the hear- ing of a Multitude, Thus God to 1ſzzah, Chap, 58. 1, Cry aloud, ſpare not, lift up thy Voice like 4 Trumpzr, e The word of Truth, Chap. 2.15. or the Goſpel, called the word, by way of Emphaſis, See Max. 4. 23. and 24. 14. Mark 1. 14. and 13..10, and 16. 15, The Word of God, not old Wives Fables, endleſs Genealogies, per- verſe Diſputings, unedifying Queftions, &c. This precept refleas upon unpreaching Minifters, and impertinent vain Preachers, f Be earneft and diligent, This refle&ts upon a cold and perfun{ory Preaching, God bid 1ſaiah cry aloud, lift up his Voice like a Trumpet. Sinners are like deaf Adders, g That is at all times, not on the Lord's Days only, but any other time when thou haſt opportunity, not in times when thou mayeſt do it with ſafety, but when the wiſdom of the Fleſh tells thee it is out of ſeaſon. This refle(ts up- on ſuch as preach rarely, and conſult their Fleſh, whether they ſhould perform it at all, or no. þ Reprove, zasyZoy, Convince ſuch as gain- ſay tne Truth. 7 Kebuke all ſinners, all that live an ill Life, This reflects upon thoſe effeminate Preachers, againſt whom Ezekiel de- nounced the woe, Ezek. 13. 18. That ſow pillows to all arm-holes ; that propheſie ſmooth things inſtead of the right things of the word. k Perſuade or comfort, (the word ſignifies both). as thou. ſeeſt occaſi- on. I But do what thou doeft prudently, with meekneſs. God needeth not thy paſſhon, though He makes uſe of thy Art in Inftru-
13s
Ma. 34. ts 14,
ſhed. 2
chap.2.
fle&ts upon flattering, fawning, unfaithful Preachers, and ſuch as vent their own paſhon, rather than purſue their dueend for Inftru- Ction and Reformation of Souls, F 3 For the time will come 7, when they o will not indure ſound dodrine p, but after their own. luſts q ſhall they heap to themſelves teachers r, having itching ears [; | |
7 This time always was, (as appears by the writings of the Pro- phets) but it will come more and more ; as the World grows older, it will grow more mad, o Very many that ſhall live in the World, yea, in the boſom of the Church, p will. not indure that Preaching which hath any ſoundneſs in it, or 1s of any tendency, life, power, or efficacy, to recover their Souls from the diſeaſes of Sin and Lufts; q But in fayour of their own Lufts, and to ſecure their fatisfa&ion in them. 7 Will be finding out Teachers, not according to God's, but to their own Hearts, and there will be plenty of them to be found, they ſhall beap them up, chuſing them without any Judg- ment, regarding nothing but whether they will not be ſmart upon their Luſts. { For their Ears itch, and they muſt have thoſe that will ſcratch them, The diſeaſe of Luft in their Souls brings forth an itch in their Ears, that they will haye a mind to hear only ſuch as will by ſcratching pleaſe them,
VOL. Ih
TIMOTHY.
|
; ;Tin.s. * Charge thee therefore before God a, and the Lord| 6
Qion. m Doitſoasto join Inſtruion with thy Reproof, This re-|
_ Chap. IV.
4 And they ſhall turn away their cars from the cruth t, and * ſhall be turned unto fables «. *iTim.r,
e Either in contempt, or ſcorn of it, as being delivered in two 4» & 4+ 7» plain Notions or Stile z or through Impatience, not induring their Luſts ſhould be touched, and the evil of their ways ſhewed them.
u Delighting -to hear Fables, any idle Stories, or impertinent Diſ- courſes, provided they touch not their Luſts, Miſa non morder, the Maſs will not bite, was an old ſaying of the Popiſh Faition,
5 But watch thou in all things, * endure afflicti- *chap..s. ons w, do the work of an evangeliſt x, || make full & 2.3. proof of thy miniſtry y. || Or,fulf'!,
w Watching implyeth, 1. A negation of Sleep. 2. Aa indu- ſtrious keeping our ſelves awake for ſome end. Keep thy ſelf from all ſin, and from all idleneſs and lazineſs, and do this induftriouſly, that thou mayeft honour God in thy work, x For thy work is a great work ; the work of one who is to publiſh the Goſpel : Or, of one who is left by me the Apoftle of Chriſt to ſettle the Church, which I have laid the foundation of, 4s 21. 8. Eph, 4.1:. y Make a full proof unto others of thy Faithfulneſs in thy Miniſterial Office and Imployment,
6 For I am now ready to be offered z, and the * Phil. :. time of * my departure is at hand 4. 23. |