498 Sect. 10. 20. Timothy is cautioned again vain Babblings. To conclude all, O my beloved Timothy, as thou valueft thine own Soul, and defireft Tim. VI. to give up thine Account with Joy, keep that Gofpel which is lodged with thee, as a facred Truft, and never fuffer it to be wrested out of thy Hands. Let thy very Soul dwell upon it, avoiding profane [and] empty Babblings, and the Oppofition of that which is falfely called Knowledge (e), but is indeed Ig21 norance, Pride and Folly: Which fome baving profeffed to purfue, have fatally wandered from the Chriftian Faith, fome entirely forfaking it, and others corrupting it with fuch Adulterations, that it is hardly to be known for that Religion, which came immediately out of the Hands of the Lord Jefus Chrift. And that thou mayeft ever oppofe fuch falfe Teachers, with Integrity, Courage and Succefs, may the Grace of Chrift [be] ever with thee in all Things, to guide thy Judgment and thy Conduct. Amen. Ver. 13. Ver. 15. O 20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy Truft, avoiding profane and vain Babblings, and Oppofitions of Science falfely fo called: fing, have erred concerning thee. Amen. the Faith. Grace be with IMPROVEMENT. H that we might often be fetting ourselves as in the Prefence of GOD, the great and bleffed GOD, whofe Almighty Power quickeneth all Things, and is the Life of univerfal Nature, and of the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall judge the Living and the Dead! Let the Thoughts of fo auguft a Prefence, awaken our Souls to Diligence in the Discharge of our Duty, and let it animate us with Courage to witness a good Confeffion, to whatever Inconvenience and Danger it may expofe us. Never let us forget that Appearance which be fhall manifeft, to whom all thefe fublime Titles belong, even that bleed and only Potentate, before whom all the Luftre of all the Princes upon Earth vanishes in a Moment, like that of the fmalleft Stars before the rifing Sun: The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone bath Immortality, and it is (e) Falfely called Knowledge.] Though it is not certain that the Name of Gnof ticks, or the knowing Men, was fo carly ufcd to denominate a diftinct Sect, yet highly probable, that they, who oppofed the Apoftle, made extraordinary Pretences to Knowledge, and this Text feems fufficient to prove it. Reflections on the Apoftle's Charge to the Rich. 499 and dwelleth in unapproachable Light. How aftonishing his Good- Sect. 10. nefs in vailing his Glory, fo that we may approach him, in bowing down his Ear to receive our Requests, yea in coming to dwell Ver. 16. with that Man, who is humble and of a contrite Spirit, and who trembleth at bis Word! (Ifa. lxvi. 2.) To him be Honour and Power everlafting. And let his infinite Majefy be deeply and affectionately remembered, amidst all the Condefcenfions of his Love. of Let the Rich in this World, fince the Riches which here diftinguish them cannot attend them into another, be engaged to receive Ver. 17. with all Reverence the Charge of our holy Apoftle. Too many them walk in Pride; but they fee, by the Sepulchres of many, once as opulent and as haughty as themfelves, and by a Thousand other Marks of the divine Power and human Weakness, how foon GOD is able to abafe them. (Dan. iv. 37.) Forfaking therefore, what they think, their strong Tower, and the high Wall, which, instead of sheltering, may foon crush them into Ruins, let them transfer their Confidence to the living GOD. Alarmed in a State which renders their Salvation almost as difficult, as it is for a Camel to go through a Needle's Eye, let them learn from hence how to improve what is another's, in fuch a Manner, that they may in due Time receive, what shall be for ever their own. (Luke xvi. 12.) Let : them learn to be rich in good Works, and by a Readiness to diftribute and communicate, let them lay up a celeftial Treasure; and drop with Ver. 18. Joy every gilded Trifle, which would hinder their laying hold on Ver. 19.. ecernal Life. Let the Minifters of that great Lord, who is so much higher than all the Kings of the Earth, at leaft fhew their Fidelity. to him, in giving fuch plain and faithful Charges, even to those, who, by their outward Circumftances, are placed in the highest Ranks of Life; being infinitely more folicitous about fecuring their Mafter's Approbation, than gaining the Favour of mortal Worms who lift up their Heads on high, because they have a few Grains of shining Duft at their Difpofal. And may the Men of GOD manifeft Ver. 20, 21. the like wife and pious Magnanimity, in avoiding the vain Glitter of a falfely pretended Science; when it would either lead them to err from the Faith, or to neglect those important Articles of it, which lie moft plain and obvious in the Word of GOD; and for that very Reason are too often difregarded by thofe, whom an empty Oftentation of Subtilty and Learning has taught, to treat the divine Wifdom of GOD as Foolishness. The END of the FAMILY EXPOSITOR on the FIRST EPIST LB 10 TIMOTHY.. |