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9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

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10 For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after, they have "erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

XV.

11 But thou,

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God,

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flee these

O man of God,

7been seduced. A. V.

¶ Pro. xi. 28: He that trusteth in his riches shall fall. do. 27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. do. xx. 21: An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. do. xxiii. 4: Labour not to be rich. do. xxviii. 20: He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. ECCLUS. xxxi. 6, 8: Gold hath been the ruin of many, and their destruction was present. Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold. MAT. xiii. 22: The care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. LUKE, vi. 24: Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. do. xii. 21: So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. JAMES, v. 1: Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

1 Tim. iii. 7: Lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

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1 TIM. i. 19: Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.

EXOD. xxiii. 8: Thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. DEUT. xvi. 19: Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. MAT. xxvi. 15: [Judas] said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. See on ACTs, v. 2.

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" 1 TIM. i. 19: Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. I SAM. ii. 27: There came a man of God unto Éli, and said unto him. (The same expression occurs DEUT. xxxiii. i. 2: KINGS, i. 9: do. iv. 16, 40: do. v. 8.) 2 TIM. iii. 17: That the man of God may be perfect.

things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

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12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who "quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession ;9

14 That thou keep this commandment without spot,10 unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ :

15 Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the

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kings," and Lord of lords;

King of

8. Maintain the good combat. Dod. 9 profession. A. V. 10 and be without spot. Ma. Which in due times the Blessed and only Mighty will show, the King of kings, &c. Rh.

* 2 TIM. ii. 22: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, &c.

* See on 1 COR. ix. 24-26.

y Ver. 19. PHI. iii. 12, 14: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.-I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

HEB. xiii. 23: Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty.

1 TIM. v. 21. See on ROм. i. 9.

b DEUT. xxxii. 39: See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal. 1 SAM. ii. 6: The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. JOHN, v. 21: As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

REV. i. 5: Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness. See on MAT. xxvii. 11.

d See on 1 COR. i. 8.

e 1 TIм. i. 11, 17: According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God.-Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

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17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in 1uncertain riches, 12 but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy ;

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18 That they do good, that they be "rich in good works, ready to distribute, P willing to communicate; 13

12 Gr. the uncertainty of riches. A. V. 13 sociable. A. V.

f See on ACTs, x. 36. 8 See on 1 TIM. i. 17. See on JOHN, i. 18.

i See on Roм. xvi. 27.

* LUKE, xii. 21: So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. See on MARK, X. 24.

PRO. xxiii. 5: Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

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ECCLES. V. 18, 19: Behold that which I have seen it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. ACTS, xiv. 17: Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. do. xvii. 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

"TIT. iii. 8: This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. See on LUKE, Xii. 21. ROM. xii. 13: Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

P GAL. vi. 6: Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. HEB. xiii. 16: To do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation 14 against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.15

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20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, 16 and oppositions of science falsely so called :17

21 Which some professing have "erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.

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treasure, or pledge, bill, or bond. Ham. 15 apprehend the true life. Rh. profane vanities, or empty sounds. Hum. oppositions of falsely called knowledge. Rh.

9 See on MAT. vi. 20.

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See on ver. 12.

TIT. i. 9: Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. 2 TIM. i. xiv. See on 1 TIM. i. 18. t See on 1 TIM. i. 4, 6.

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" 1 TIм. i. 6, 19: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling. Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. See on GAL. ii. 5.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO

Timothy.

THAT this second epistle to Timothy was written while Paul was under confinement at Rome clearly appears from chap. i. 8, 16, 17; and, if we are correct in dating the first epistle to Timothy, after Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, it will follow that this second epistle must have been written during his second imprisonment in that city, and probably in the year 65, not long before his death. It is by no means certain where Timothy was when this epistle was written to him. It seems most probable that he was somewhere in Asia Minor, since St. Paul desires him to bring the cloak with him

which he had left at Troas (iv. 13); and also, at the end of the first chapter, he speaks of several persons whose residence was in Asia. St. Paul, after his usual salutation, assures Timothy of his most affectionate remembrance: he speaks of his own apostleship and of his sufferings; exhorts Timothy to be stedfast in the true faith (i.); to be constant and diligent in the discharge of his ministerial office; to avoid foolish, and unlearned questions; and to practise and to inculcate the great duties of the Gospel (ii.); he describes the apostacy and general wickedness of the last days, and highly commends the holy Scriptures (iii.): he again solemnly exhorts Timothy to diligence; speaks of his own danger, and of his hope of future reward; and concludes with several private directions, and with salutations. It is very justly remarked, that nothing sets the characters of great men in such a true light as their letters to their particular friends; while they are acting under the eye of the world, they frequently appear in disguise, and the real motives of their conduct are kept out of sight; but in their familiar correspondence they open their minds with freedom, and throw off all reserve. As this epistle, as well as the former, and that to Titus, were written to the author's most intimate friends, who were embarked with him in the same design, and with whom he could use the utmost confidence, we may reasonably expect to find him disclosing his own sentiments, divested of all artifice and disguise; and whoever attentively reads this epistle, and considers the circumstances under which it was written, will be sensible that it affords a powerful argument in favour of the divine origin of Christianity, proving that Paul was no deceiver, but that he sincerely believed the doctrine he preached.

Let us imagine a pious father, under sentence of death for his piety and benevolence to mankind, writing to a dutiful and affectionate son, that he might see and embrace him again, before he left the world; particularly, that he might leave with him his dying commands, and charge him to live and endure sufferings as he had done; and we shall then have the frame of the apostle's mind, while he was writing this epistle.

The apostle had been for some time under close confinement at Rome, at the mercy of a cruel and capricious tyrant. He had seen himself deserted by his friends in his greatest extremity; and had nothing before him but the certain prospect of being called to suffer death in the same cause to which he had devoted his life. In this situation, how does he behave? Does he seem to look back with concern on his past conduct, or to regret the sacrifice he had made of all his worldly interest? Can we discover any thing that betrays a secret consciousness of guilt, or even a suspicion of the weakness of his cause ? Does he even drop a single expression that can be

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