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94 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..