SERM.
VIII.

The other is the Confiderations here fuggefted to Timothy, as Motives or Inducements to behave himself well, taken from the Dignity of the Charge committed to his Care, viz. the Church of the living God; and from the Importance of the Character he was to make good in that Church, implied in the Ground and Pillar of the Truth.

The first and most obvious Remark, and which is indeed the very letter of my Text, is, that St Paul wrote this Epiftle with defign to inftruct Timothy, how he ought to bebave himfelf in the House of God. And tho' there may not feem at first Sight any great Matter to be collected or inferr'd from hence; yet, if we duly confider the perfonal Qualifi cations and Character of Timothy, with other Circumftances of St Paul's writing this Epistle to him, we shall find, if I mistake not, a Matter very worthy our Attention.

Timothy was a Man, by all Accounts of him, that one would searce have imagined should have stood in need of Inftruction or Admonition, concerning his Carriage in his Station and Ministry.

THE

He was One whom the Apoftle knew per- SERM. fectly well. One whom He had Himself ordain'd to the Miniftry, 2 Tim. i. 6. One who had been recommended to him by the univer fal Teftimony of the

Iconium, Acts xvi. 2.

Brethren at Lyftra and

One of whom He had taken the Charge, and had the Conduct ever fince his Ordination; and over whom he had exercised a Power of a very fingular Nature, Acts xvi. 3. in order to remove all Obftacles to his Success in preaching the Gospel. One whom He had, moreover, chofen to be His Companion in His Travels, and Coadjutor in His Labours. In a Word, One of whose unfeigned Faith He was perfuaded, 2 Tim. i. 5. to whom he had committed the Depofitum, 1 Tîm. vi. 20. and 2 Tim. i. 14. and of whose Fidelity in that important Truft, He had undoubted Proof from much Experience.

Timothy was alfo in himself a Perfon of great Abilities, whofe Praise it was that from a Child he had known the holy Scriptures, which were able to make him wife unto Salvation, thro' Faith in Chrift Jefus, 2 Tim. iii. 15. which were able to make the Man of God perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto all good Works,

Z 2

SERM. Works, ver. 17. He was One who had been

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completely instructed by St Paul himself, in the Form of found Words, 2 Tim. i. 13. ii. 2. iii. 14. One on whom the Prophecies had gone before that he should war a good Warfare, 1 Tim. i. 18.

He was a Perfon moreover unblamable in his Morals, and quite irreproachable in his perfonal Conduct. One against whom there lay no Exception, but that he might be too young for fo great a Trust, and so high an Office as was conferr'd upon him, 1 Tim. iv. 12. Yet with his Youth he was fo fevere and strict in his Way of living, that the Apoftle himself thought fit to advise him to relax it in part, 1 Tim. v. 23.

All these Things we find spoken of Timothy in the New Teftament, and many of them in this very Epiftle. Yet to this fame Timothy fo well inform'd and disciplin'd already, fo unexceptionably regular and exemplary, fo well reported of and efteem'd, doth St. Paul write this Letter of particular Instructions, that he might know how to behave bimfelf

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It may may indeed be faid that notwithstanding SER M. Timothy's Learning, Probity and Virtues, he might want fome Directions or Rules concerning the Discharge of the Epifcopal Office; he being one of the first that was to fucceed the Apostles in that Charge.

True: But yet we find that altho' St Paul gives Rules to him in this Refpect, he doth not confine himself to fuch Points; but makes many serious Exhortations to him to remember and practife thofe Things which he could not be ignorant of; and fuch as his Profeffion of Chriftianity would have indifpenfably obliged him to, tho' he had not alfo laid under the fuperinduced Obligations of the Paftoral Office.

It is further remarkable, that this Letter was wrote in that Age of the Church when the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost were conferr'd on Believers; and more efpecially on the Minifters, and Guides of the Church, who were frequently furnished with fupernatural Helps and Abilities, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ, Eph. iv. 12. Nay and at a Time too, when

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SER M. St Paul meant not to be long abfent from him; for he tells him in my Text that He hoped to come unto him fhortly. Which, one would have thought, might have rendered his writing fo long, and fo particular a Letter of Inftruction the lefs neceffary. whereas his coming as he had proposed was hot certain, and he might happen tô tarry long, fo certain and fo great, in his Opinion,

was the Important

But

Timothy's good Behaviour in the mean Time, that He was determined to omit nothing that might any way contribute to prevent the leaft Mifcarriage. And therefore that He might fully exprefs his affectionate Regard Regard for Timothy's Perfon, as well as his fatherly Care and Concern of the Church over which he had placed him, He writes this elegant and moving Epiftle, wherein he folemnly and earnestly preffes him to be circumfpect, to hold Faith and a good Confcience, chap. i. 19. to exercife bimfelf unto Godliness, iv. 7. To take, Heed unto himfelf and to bis Doctrine, that he might both Jave himself and thofe that beard him, iv. 16.

He lays before him the great Gain of Godfinefs, vi. 6. the Snares and Mischiefs of Covetousness