Crom the enjoyment of our pouesaiona; (c) because riches cannot satisfy the deep hUDger of the human heart, 3. The ,arfdy of trusting in God. "But upon the liTing God, who gi'veth us all things richly for enjoyment." (1) God ia the sole Giver of all we poasess. (2) He giveth to us all richly according to our need. (3) He giveth it for our enjoyment, ao that we may take comfort in hia rich provision. (4) As the living God, he is an unexhaustible Fountain of blessing•, 10 that no uncertainty can ever attach to the supply. II. THE RIOH ABE ENCOURAOBD TO MAKE A BIOHT UBE 01' THEIB WEALTH. 1. " That they do good." (1) Rich men may do evil to others by fraud or oppression, and evil to themselves by he.bits of luxury and intemperance. (2) They are rather to abound in acts of beneficence to all men, and especially to the household of faith, after the example of him who "went about every day doing good" (Acts x. 38). 2. "Rich in good work,," as if in opposition to the richea of this world. They are to abound in the doing of them, like Dorcas, who was "full of good works and almsdeeds." Wealth of this sort is the least disappointing both here and here- after, and haa no uncertainty in its results. 3. "Ready to distri1mte." Willing to give unasked; cheerful in the distribution of their favours; giving without grudging and without delay. 4. " Willing to communicate." A.s H to recognize, not merely a common hurnll.Il.ity, but a common Christianity with the poor. The rich ought to share their possessions with the poor. III. ENCOUBAOEMENTB TO THE DISCHARGE OP THESE DUTIES. "Layin!! up in store for themselves as a treasure a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold upon the true life.'' 1. It is possi"ble jCYr rich believers to lay up treasure in heaven, This treaRure is a foundatirn against the time to come. (1) Not a foundation of merit, for we are only saved by the merit3 of Christ; (2) but a founda- tion in heaven, solid, substantial, and durable-unlike uncertain riches of earth; good in ita nature and results-unlike earthly riches, which often are the undoing of men. "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness" (Luke xvi. 9). 2. Our riches ma,y have an influence on our true life hereafter. " That they may lay hold on the true life." (1) Not iu the way of merit; (2) but in the way of grace, for the very rewards of the future are of grace ; (3) the end of all our effort is the true life, in contrast to the vain, transitory, short-sighted life of earth.-T. C. Ven. 20, 21.-0oncludtng e,;,;hortation and benediction. The parting counsel of the apostle goes back upon the substance of all his past counsels. U includea a positive and a negative counsel. L A POSITIVE COUNSEL. "0 Timothy, keep the deposit" entrusted to thee. This refers to the doctrine of the gospel. It is "the faith once delivered to the saints• . (Jude 3). 1. TIie doctriM of the gospel is thus not something discovered by man, but delit1t1red to man. 2. It iB placed in the hands of Timothy as a trustee, to be kept for lhe use of otlwrs. It is a treasure in earthen vessels, to be jealously guarded again,t robber■ and foes. 3. If it ia kept, it will in turn keep us. Il. A NEGATIVE OOUNBEL. "Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and opposition,; of knowledge falsely so called: which some professing erred concerning the faith." 1. The duty of turning away from empty discourses and the ideas of a false kfurwledge. (1) Such things were utterly profitless as to spiritual result. (2) They were antago- nistic to the doctrine of godliness; for they represented theories of knowledjae put forth by false teachers, which ripened in due time into the bitter Gnosticism of ater times. It was a knowledge that falsely arrogated to itself that name, for it was based on ignorance or denial of God's truth. 2. The danger of auch teachings. (1) Some members of the Churoh were led to profess such doctrines, perhaps because they wore a seductive aspect of asceticism, or pretended to show a shorter cut to heaven. (2) But they lost their way and "erred concerning the faith." This false teaching under- mined the true faith of the gospel. (3) As the tense implltis an event that occurred m the past, these persons were not now in the communion of the Ephesian Oburch.-T. C.
Ver. 8.-The health of religion. "Wholesome words." There is no word more representatin of the spirit of the gospel than thia word "wholesome." 1' ahows 111 &Mt the ppel means health. 134 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [oe. v1. 1-21.