The Apoftle begins his Epifle, after proper Salutations, with Expreffions of his Affection to Timothy, and general Acknowledgments of his foy in and Dependence upon the Grace of that Gospel, which he was employed to preach. 2 Tim. I. 1,-12.

egro
Sect. 1. to Timothy, my beloved Son

Paul thanks God for the Faith of Timothy and his Anceflors,
beloved Son; whofe humble 2 To Timothy my dearly
and faithful Services in the Gofpel.I have beloved Son: Grace, Mer-
the Father, and Chrift Jefus
our Lord.

2 Tim. I. 2. fo long proved, and whom I love with the Affection of a Father. Nor can I exprefs this Affection better, than by withing, as I moft fincerely do, that Grace, Mercy and Peace,

3

gracious attend thee, from GOD, the

gracious and merciful Father of all true Be
lievers, and from Chrift Jefus, his Son and
our Lord, who is alfo our Peace.

I give Thanks unto this bleffed GOD,
whom I ferve, after the Example of [my]
pious Progenitors, with a pure Confcience,
that, through his Goodness, laying the Cafe
upon my Heart, I am inceffantly mindful of
thee in my Prayers Night and Day, fo that
I scarce ever rife up in the Morning, or lie
'down in the Evening, without allowing
thee a Share in my devout Remembrance;
4 Defiring earnestly to fee thee, (as I am mind-
ful of thy Tears, which flowed fo plentifully
at our laft Separation,) that I might be filled
with Joy, in an Interview with fo dear and
5 amiable a Friend. And indeed thou haft,
as it were, an hereditary Title to my Re-
gard, as I alfo keep in Remembrance the un-
diffembled Faith which is in thee, and which
first dwelt in thy Grandmother Lois, and thy
Mother Eunice, who believed in Chrift he-
fore thee, and have been happily inftru-
mental, in communicating to thy Heart
thofe good Impreffions, which they felt on
their own: and I am perfuaded that [it is]
in thee too, and that thou ftill retaineft it, in
6 the midst of all Oppofition: For which
Caufe, I am the more encouraged to re-
mind thee of firring up the Gift of GOD (a),

ر

which

cy, and Peace from God

ferve from my Forefathers with pure Confcience, that without ceafing I have Remembrance of thee in my Prayers Night and Day ;

3 I thank God, whom I

4 Greatly defiring to fee thee, being mindful of thy with Joy: Tears, that I may be filled

5 When I call to Re membrance the unfeigned Faith that is in thee, which

dwelt firft in thy Grandmother Lois, and thy Mother Eunice; and I am perfuaded that in thee alfo.

6 Wherefore I put thee

in Remembrance, that thou ftir up the Gift of God, which

(a) Stirring up the Gift.] Ava(wupe. The Metaphor is plainly borrowed from ftirring up Fire, when it is almoft extinct; and fome have imagined it might refer to that Part of the Prieft's Office, which confifted in trimming the Lamps in the Temple, and fupplying them with Oil, in order to keep them continually burning: (See

Raphel

"

And recommends to him Courage in Defence of the Gofpel.

which is in thee by the putting on of my Hands.

7 For God hath not given us the Spirit of Fear; But of Power, and of Love,

and of a found Mind.

8 Be not thou therefore afhamed of the Teftimony Prisoner: but be thou Partaker of the Afflictions of the Gofpel, according to

of our Lord, nor of me his

the Power of God;

7

511

which is in thee by the Impofition of my Sect. 1.
Hands (b); whereby thofe miraculous Com-
munications of the Spirit were imparted to 2 Tim. I. 6.
thee, which it will be thy Duty to cherish,
by frequently engaging in thofe devotional
Exercifes and active Services, for which
they are intended to qualify thee.
Ex..
ert thyfelf therefore with Chearfulness and
Boldness, without dreading any Oppofition
that may arife; for GOD bath not given
us the Spirit of Cowardice and Fear, but of
Courage and of Love, and of Wisdom
(c);
and if we conduct ourselves prudently, un-
der the Influences of a Spirit of univerfal
Love, we may hope that his Spirit will
work mightily in us, to fit us for those
Services, which his Providence may point
out. Be not therefore afhamed of that 8
facred Truth, which is the Teftimony of our
Lord, taught by his Mouth, confirmed by
his Death and Refurrection, and the Defcent

of his Spirit; nor of me, who am now his
Prifoner; but refolutely own thy Regard to
me, and take thy Share in the Afflictions,
which may lie in thy Way, while bearing
a courageous Teftimony to the Truth of the
Gofpel, according to the Evidence derived to
it from the miraculous Power of GOD;
9 Who hath faved us, Who bath faved us from that Ruin, into
and called us with an holy which the World hath fallen by its fatal
Calling, not according to
our Works, but according Apoftacy, and hath called [us] out from the
to his own Purpofe and reft of Mankind, by an holy Calling, not ac-
Grace cording to any diftinguished Merit of cur
own Works, but according to his own Pur-
pofe, and thofe rich Overflowings of Grace,

given

Raphel. è Polyb. in loc.) while others have thought it alludes to the Form of Flames, in which the Spirit defcended. Acts ii. 3. See I Thef. v. 19. and Note there. Compare Gen. xlv. 27. Septuag.

(b) Impofition of my Hands.] See the Note on 1 Tim. iv. 14.

(c) GOD hath not given us, &c.] Perhaps Paul added this under an Apprehenfion, that the tender Spirit of Timothy might have been fomething terrified by the Profpect of Perfecution.

(d) Given

9

512

The Grace of the Gospel was made manifeft by Chrift: Sect. 1. given to us in Christ Jefus from eternal Grace which was given us in Chrift Jefus, before the Ages (d), as he was appointed, in the everWorld began, 2 Tim. 1. 9. lafting and immutable Counfels of GOD, to be a Redeemer and Saviour unto us, 10 But this long concealed Grace is now made manifeft, by the illuftrious Appearance of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who, by what he has done and fuffered in human Flefh, for the Salvation of his faithful Servants, bath in effect abolished Death, has depofed it from its tyrannical Empire, and thrown a Light on the important Doctrine of Life and Immortality by the Gospel (e); which gives us a more exprefs Affurance and more lively View of it, than any former Difpenfation

had

10 But is now made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, who hath abolished Death, and hath brought Life and Immortality to Light, through the Gospel :

(d) Given to us in Chrift Jefus from eternal Ages.] I fee no Reafon for rendering it, as Dr. Whitby would do, according to his Purpofe before all Ages, and the Grace given us in Chrift Jefus. The Grace might be faid to be given us in Chrift, as the Father ftipulated with him, through his Hand, as well as for his Sake, to give us that Grace which we do actually receive.

(e) Thrown a Light upon Life and Immortality.] Life and Immortality is put by a ufual Hebraifm for immortal Life, as Archbishop Tillotson well obferves, (Vol. iii. p. 112.) in his Difcourfe on thefe Words; in which he has fhewn, how uncertain the Heathens were, as to the Doctrines of a future State of Retribution, and the comparative Obfcurity of that Light, in which it was placed under the Old Teftament. The former Article is much illuftrated by Dr. Whitby's learned and excellent Note. But what Mr. Warburton has written upon this Subject, in his Divine Legation, Vol. I. and what is faid upon it, in the laft Edition of the Critical Enquiry into the Opinions of the ancient Philofophers, has done abundantly more than any Thing elfe, to vindicate the Propriety of this Expreffion and I muft refer to thefe learned and ingenious Writers, for the moft fatisfactory Commentary on thefe Words of the Apoftle.

-But the learned and pious Dr. Hodges (who, fo far as I can judge, has given us a greater Variety of new and plaufible Interpretations of Scripture, than any other Divine in the Hutchinfonian Scheme) contends, that the Word alaposav ought to be rendered Incorruption, and that Chrift himfelf is to be understood both by Life and Incorruption; fo that the Text muft refer to his throwing Light on Pfalm xvi. 10, 11. and on other Scriptures, where it was foretold, that the Meffiah fhould be the Light of the World, and beftow incorruptible Life upon others, by raifing himself from the Grave before he was corrupted there. But if any fhould ftill think this Expreffion refers to the future State, to which Dr. Hodges apprehends it has no Regard, he would have him confider it as applicable to the Gentiles only; on which Account he fuppoles, the Apostle prefently after fpeaks of his being appointed as their Teacher, Ver. 11. This violent Interpretation (for fuch on the whole it appears to me) is intended to obviate the Objection, which arifes from this Text, againft feveral new Criticifins, by which this ingenious Writer would find References to a future State and the Refurrection, in Pallages of the Old Teftament, in which they were never before thought See Dr. Hodges Elibu, p. 251-2

of.