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in general, while chsctging God of injustice and par
tiality, and of being the author of sin, and of compell
ing men to sin, and such like expressions, should re
member that it is the height of presumption and
madness for finite creatures to reply against their
’Creator and to condemn his ways. The Lord says
“* For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts.” Isa. lv. 8, 9. “His way is in .the sea,
aud his path in the great waters, and his footsteps are
not known.
Let the church of God, and all the lovers of truth,
and also our friend ‘Coo'k, ? be at the feet of Jesus and
hear his word, and follow him, and find rest to their
souls. p
Remarks on Ist. Tim. iv. 16.
lake hoed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine;
continue in them : for in doing this thou shalt both
save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
In this chapter Paul foretelleth that in the latter
•iimes there will be a great departure from the faith,
which has bad its fulfillment, and is being fulfilled in
our day, and which proves conclusively that he spake
by the Spirit of inspiration. And he also gave direc.
lions to Timothy relative to his.coursc in the church
of the living God, wliat he should teach, and how he
should'conduct, and that he should not be neglectful
>of the gift which was in-him.as.a minister of Christ,
and that he should meditate upon these things, and
give himself wholly to the work the Lord had called
him to, and that his profiting might, appear to all.—
Paul was not a self-styled “ Doctor of Divinity,” but
au Apostle of Christ, and one of the twelve Judges of
Israel, and was qualified to teach and instruct Timo
thy, who was but a youth, yet one of the Lord’s min
sters, and had received his tuition in the school of
Christ, or heavenly sohool, where Jesus presides as
the only Reverend Doctor of Divinity the church of
God lias ever had, orrth&t She-ever will need. And
all the gifts the church Ims, or -ever -will have, the
Lord Jesus has given, for when he ascended on high
he gave .gifts unto men, and Paul speaks of -those
.gifts, and the purpose for which they were given.—
.Sec Eph. iv. B—lo. As much as we are in favor of
human learning, when we come to speak of the Spirit’s
toaching, and of spiritual gifts, we can never advo
cate the necessity of instituting Colleges and Semina
i-iosfor the instruction and qualification of piousl
young men for the ministry, for it is unscriptural and
uncalled for, and a reflection upon the Wisdom of the
Great Master Builder of the House of Assemblies,
uud Teacher of liis people. When a man is called of
God to preach, and to give himself wholly to the
work, he does not go to the schools of men to be ed
ucated and to be qualified, but lie-enters the school of
Christ and there receives hisdipfloma, and graduates
nn gospel order, as all the prophets, apostles and min
isters of Christ have ever done. Whai Paul said to
timothy in the versos proceeding our text-are appli
cable to the disciples of Jesus who arc-called to min
ister in word and doctrine, and should be strictly ob
served by thorn.
fake heed unto thyself This is spoken relative to
bis practical course in the ministry. A minister of
Christ is exposed to the shafts oT the enemy from ev
ery quarter, and therefore niusCbe clothed with the
panoply of heaven, or armor of God. And when thus
clothed he is invincible to all the fiery darts of the
v ieked. But why take heed unto himself? We an
°v > the command of the Great Head of the church,
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MESSENGER.
‘flrtotigh the inspired apostle is, follow Jesus. And
to follow Jesus is to deny self old wicked self We do
not mean by this that the physical man is to deprive
himself of the necessaries and comforts of life, O no.
But to put offthe old man wdth liis deeds is tie com
mand,-and to put on the new man which after God is
created in righteousness, &c. Timothy was a child
of God experimentally, %ut yet was possessed of a
fallen, unsanctified disposition like as we have.—
When a man is exposed to any danger he should take
heed to his course and be careful how he w r alks. So
in relation to Timothy, and every minister of Christ.
In his -private walk in his family and among men, he
-should control his own disposition, and live according
to his profession. In appearance a man may be ■“ a
saint abroad,'-and a devil at home.” A man may
preach, seemingly, like an angel, and yet pursue ,a
reckless, imprudent course, acting out an ungovern
able disposition. He may be drunk with passion, or
something else, as drunkeness does not consist always
in the improper use of intoxicating liquors. Any
species of viee and immorality is condemned by the
law -of Christ, and hence to be a professed minister of
Christ, and be into some, or all the practices of un
godly men is a disgrace to the very name of the min
istry. To take heed, is to be careful and cautious in
one’s practical course of life, conduct, conversation,
and deportment among men, and in the Church of
‘Christ. If this had not been an important consider
ation -Paul would not have enjoined it upon Timothy.
Aud unto the doctrine. This is another important
consideration. He was, not only to take heed unto
himself, but also unto the doctrine. The doctrine of
Christ is the foundation principles of the experience,
faith and practice of the church of rthe living God.—
It is called sound doctrine. It came from heaven, and
is set or fixed deep in the experience of the saints.—
Without it all of the notions of men on religious sub
jects are not worth a straw, or in other w r ords, are of
no account. The principles winch compose the doc
trine of Christ are taught by the revelation and teach
ing of the Holy Spirit. They are not taught as a
science in the schools of men, nor by human erudi
tion, as many vainly suppose. These principles, such
as the accountable, and j ustly condemned state of sin—
ners as transgressors of God’s law, effectual calling
b y free justification by the blood and righteous
ness of Christ, election, predestination, or God’s de
terminate purpose of love and mercy in bis beloved
“Son, and also of his wrath and vengeance, and other
kindred principles we could mention, altogether em
body the doctrine which Timothy was directed'to lake
heed unto. Notwithstanding it is sound doctrine, and
reveals the only way of -life and salvation from the
depths of darkness and despair, -yet men will not en
dure it, yea, thousands who profess to be the follow
ers of Jesus, ignore it entirely. But the doctrine is
invaluable, and must be contended for and preached.
It will never do to yield any point, or principle of
doctrine to please men, or to obtain the good-will of
our fellow-creatures, unless the truth pleases them.
Therefore as it was said to Timothy, so it will apply
to the heralds of the cross in general, take heed unto
the doctrine, faithfully preach it in the love of it, and
remember its principles arc God-lionoring, and God
glorifying, but abasing to worms of the dust. This
is why men in their fallen state are opposed to it.—
Furthermore, the saints, whose only hope of salva
tion is in Christ Jesus our Lord, are comforted, edi
fied, instructed aud fed, when Christ, embodying
sound doctrine, is preached. They are profited thereby.
They grow and thrive under it.
Continue in them. Yes, Timothy, and all of Christ’s
ministers,are not simply to take heed unto them
selves and unto the doctrine, but to continue in them,
or in other words, to pursue the same course all the
time, without turning to the right or left under .any
circumstances whatever. It is the way of self-denial
and bearing the cross of Christ, and yet it is the only
way which affords any substanital peace and quiet
ness of mind ‘to the Lord’s ministers. Men who have
entered the ministry for the sake of a living under
the -pretest of great solicitude for sinners, will very
-easily relinquish t-heir profession for the loaves and
ifisbes, if-a fair opportunity for a more profitable bus
iness presents itself. But wl>en any one of-the heralds
■of the cross can settle down i-n -ease and quietness at
home, and not feel the responsibility of his calling,
proves to our understanding, a state of alienation of
■mind which will soon destroy his resting place, and
perish him out of the consumption. Not take his life
in a natural sense, but reduce him to a state of dis
tress, sorrow and wo, so that his life would be
miserable to him, and his own clothes would abhor
him. But a faithful minister learns by experience
that a continuation, practically, in the way of obedi
ence is most for his happiness and peace of mind, ami
for the glory of God. Therefore, to continue to take
heed unto himself, and unto the doctrine is well pleas
ing to God.
For in doing tlm thou shall both save thyself and
them that hear tkee. A question arises, how save him
self by doing this? We will proceed to answer. It
should be distinctly remembered that Timothy was
already a subject of grace, for Paul sa} T s in his second
epistle to him, (chap. i. verse 9,) “Who hath saved
us, and called us with an holy calling, not .according
to our works, but according to his own purpose aud
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began.” Timothy, therefore, was called, as
well as Paul, to an experimental knowledge of this
salvation, not upon the principle of works of obedi
ence, but upon the principle of God’s purpose and
grace. Salvation is deliverance, -consequently Timo
thy was to deliver himself in doing as he was direct
ed by Paul in our text. And it was-upon the prin
ciple that God worked in him to will and to do, that
he worked out his own salvation or deliverance. Not
that be was to work out his final deliverance from
sin, death, hell and the grave, as though some part
ot the work of salvation depended upon himself after
he v. as called by grace, but by doing what is express
ed in the text, he practically, saved or delivered him
self from the vile practices of the men of the world,
Vt ho ne\ er made any pretensions to religion, or in
reference to the unscriptural doctrines and practices
of self-righteous professors, work-mongers and hvpo
crites. And not only so, but he also saved himsejlf
from reproaching and dishonoring the cause of Christ
b 3 r an unworthy course of conduct, and also saved
himself from giving any just occasion for the adver
saries to speak reproachfully. Not that it was possi
ble for him-to-escape persecution by doing this, for
they that li-ve godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per
secution ; but be enjoyed the gracious smiles of his
Redeemer, and the answer of a good conscience to
wards God, and the sweet assurance of his acceptance
in the Beloved, and God was therein glorified.
Timothy was, not only to save himself, but also
them that heard him in his practical course in the
-ministry. Many, very many, suppose that the inspir
ed Apostle bad reference to the eternal salvation of
sinners, and that he, and the other Apostles were Co
workers with God in this great salvation. As there
is no such expression found in tho Scriptures as co
workers with God, or God and Cos. working together
in the salvation of sinners; all consistent O. S. Bap..