1 Timothy 1

How should they that are called be affected with God's discriminating love; how should the vessels of mercy run over with thankfulness; how should they stand upon Mount Gerizim, blessing and praising God: O begin the work of Heaven here! Such as are patterns of mercy, should be…

As suppose a cloud cover the sun, this makes no change in the body of the sun; so though the divine nature be covered with the human, this makes no change in the divine nature. Second, there is no period put to his being (1 Timothy 1:16). Who only has immortality.

Secondly, keep assurance by humility: pride estranges God from the soul; when you are high in assurance, be low in humility. Saint Paul had assurance, and he baptizes himself with this name, chief of sinners, (1 Timothy 1:15). The jewel of assurance is best kept in the cabinet o…

God in this respect is most fit to be a Lawgiver; he is wise in heart (Job 9:4). He has a monopoly of wisdom (1 Timothy 1:17). The only wise God.

He is semper existens, namely, from everlasting to everlasting; it is God's title, a jewel of his crown. 1. He is called, The King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17). 2. Jehovah, a word that properly sets out God's eternity; a word so dreadful, that the Jews trembled to name or read it, t…

This is that blessed harp which drives away sadness of spirit. Hear the sounding of this harp a little (1 Timothy 1:15): This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; he took not only our flesh upon him, but our…

God is wise in heart, that is, he is most wise. First, God is only wise; he does monopolize and ingross all wisdom; therefore, he is called [reconstructed: the only wise God] (1 Timothy 1:17). All the treasures of wisdom are locked up in him, and no creature can have any wisdom,…

He is perfectly good: Earthly fathers are subject to infirmities: Elijah (though a prophet) was a man of like passions (James 5:17), but God is perfectly good: All the perfection we can arrive at in this life is sincerity; we may a little resemble God, but not equal him: He is i…

(Psalm 103:1). Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. O! how should the vessels of mercy run over with praise: (1 Timothy 1:13). Who was before a persecutor, and injurious, but [in non-Latin alphabet] I obtained mercy. I was bemiracled with mer…

I am He that blots out sin for my own name's sake. As when a creditor freely forgives a debtor (1 Timothy 1:15). I obtained mercy.

This business therefore was engaged in for us (Isaiah 9:6): "To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given." And Paul plainly tells us what he came into the world for (1 Timothy 1:15): Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Jesus Christ, to the end that he might be a Redeemer to manki…

It is evident then that these appellations do not belong to one sort of ministers, not one more than another. And for what is pleaded by some, from the example of Timothy and Titus, it is said, that when any persons can prove themselves to be evangelists (1 Timothy 4:5), to be c…

(4) In exhorting, comforting, and restoring to the enjoyment and exercise of Church privileges such as are recovered from the error of their ways; all according to the laws, rules, and directions of the Gospel. (1) (Matthew 18:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 4:14; Titus…

(2) John 6:15; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4, 6. (3) 1 Timothy 1:19, 20; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4; Titus 1:13; Jude 3. (4) Ephesians 4:20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

Q. How else do they differ? A. Justification makes no real change in the soul, as when the judge acquits a man, but makes him never a whit the more honest than before; but Sanctification makes a great change in the soul from sin and corruption to purity and holiness (Romans 6:17…

Q. What is the Church militant? A. It is that part of the catholic Church which is warring and fighting here on earth against spiritual enemies, the devil, the world and the flesh (Ephesians 6:12; Philippians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Timothy 1:18). Q. And what is the Church T…

For if that righteousness of his satisfied God, who in condemning us is greater than our hearts, then it may satisfy our hearts much more. The righteousness of his life and death is not only a sufficient ransom (1 Timothy 2:6), but there is 'plenteous redemption' in it (Psalm 13…

And not only so, but delivers them up to Satan — that being the consequence of it, which therefore, because it implies the former, is put to express the whole proceeding. Which delivery of him to Satan was not a giving him a commission to carry him on to more sin, for the end pr…

King Manasseh had sold himself to Idolatry and witchcraft, and had shed innocent blood exceeding much, and caused Judah to sin, 2 Kings 21, 6, 16; for which he was led captive: yet when he humbled himself and prayed, God was entreated of him. 2 Chronicles 33.13. And Paul saith o…

And seeing they that are the chief reformers of the Protestant assemblies do generally make sanctification a fruit of faith, and do define faith to be a special assurance of mercy in Christ; it must needs be out of controversy their judgement, that a man receives his first assur…

Neither will the first compleat our interest in that body without the latter. Hence are they frequently conjoyned by our Apostle, not only as those which are necessary to, but as those which essentially constitute the union of the whole mystical body and communion therein (Galat…

And they are thus called, because indeed there is no such predominancy of malice in any sin in this world, as wherein there is not a mixture of error, either notional or practical, of the mind or of the heart, which is the cause or a great occasion of it. See (1 Timothy 1:13; Ma…

And in very many places it is recommended as a special Grace and Duty, 2 Corinthians 6:6. Galatians 5:22. Ephesians 4:2. Colossians 3:12. And it is often also ascribed to God, Romans 2:4. chap. 9:22. to Christ, 1 Timothy 1:16. [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩] is properly [⟨in non-Latin…

And this title is in the Scripture applied to God. (1) To beget faith and trust in him, as the author of temporal, spiritual, and eternal life, with all things that depend thereon (1 Timothy 1:10). (2) To beget a due fear and reverence of him, as he who lives and sees, who has a…

Therefore the great end which God will ultimately effect, being his own glory in Christ, and the salvation of the elect by him, the wisdom whereby it was contrived must needs be eminent and glorious. So the Apostle tells us, "Then is the end when Christ shall have delivered up t…

But is it no encouragement to them, to see that by God's appointment, the tenders of his grace and mercy are made to their souls, by men subject to alike passions with themselves, and who if they had not freely obtained grace, would have been as vile and unworthy as themselves?…

And if you ask, what the believer's hope is built on? Answer: Christ, and free grace is the foundation of it (Colossians 1:27), Christ in you the hope of glory; (2 Thessalonians 2, second to last verse) good hope through grace; (1 Timothy 1:1) Jesus Christ which is our hope. Not…

Some again are of mind, that love is the very nature and form of faith: but it is otherwise. For as confidence in God, so also love is an effect which proceeds from faith (1 Timothy 1:5). The end of the law is love from a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned.

Now our actions are sanctified and savor of grace, when they are performed upon new principles and new ends. New principles, duty sways the conscience, and love inclines the heart: (1 Timothy 1:5) the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and good conscience, an…

Reason 1. The faith whereby we live, is that faith whereby we are justified: but the faith whereby we live spiritually, is a particular faith whereby we apply Christ to ourselves, as Paul says (Galatians 2:20): I live, that is, spiritually, by the faith of the Son of God: which…

Therefore the place must be understood of the doctrine of Christ and not of his miracles alone, as Paul teaches in Galatians 1:8: If we or an angel from heaven preach to you anything beside that which we have preached, let him be accursed. And to this effect he blames those who…

Ibi anima ubi amat, et amor figit Oculum: love is a knitting affection — this knits the soul to Christ. Where there is love out of a pure heart, there is faith unfeigned (1 Timothy 1:5). 3. That faith is sound and effectual, that purifies the heart, and is fruitful in the course…

This further appears by another passage in that Epistle, where this act of the Apostles approving by the Spirit, and receiving perfect fore-knowledge what would fall out, and what they should do, is by him illustrated by the example of Moses, who [in non-Latin alphabet] fore-kne…

And thus much of those which the Lord in mercy and wisdom receives of us. Now follows those means which he has given us, and they are attributed to the Lord himself directly, as his titles, to be used, either simply (Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 1:17), in an oath (Deuteronomy 6:13; Jer…

There is one ground of boasting that the Lord will have removed in a sinner's justification and obtaining the pardon of sin by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ; but there is another ground or matter of boasting that man might have if he could reach out the hand to b…

The life (says the Apostle, Galatians 2) that I now live in the flesh, is by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. And (1 Timothy 1:15) this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Jesus Christ came to the world to save sinners, of…

1. Because He meritoriously purchased life to them; which is the thing here mainly understood; as following immediately on the back of His sufferings. 2. Because they have life from Him efficiently, as He works it in them, and by the gospel begets them; therefore He is said (1 T…

For the Lord had nothing to procure to Himself; to speak simply, there could be no addition made to the glory of God thereby; therefore, it is said (John 6:39-40), This is the Father's will that has sent me, that of all that he has given me, I should lose nothing, but should rai…

2. It may be considered as it looks to the Mediator; and so it speaks out the Mediator's design and work; it is that wherein He is employed, and with which He is taken up, even to get elect sinners brought from under the curse of God, and freely justified through Himself. So tha…

3. Consider that as sometimes knowledge is put for faith, so this assent may be put for faith, where yet more is implied in it, especially considering that, (Romans 10), faith is called, faith of the heart, with the heart man believes; now believing with the heart being an act o…

The Scriptures which we cited before do confirm this, as Psalm 18:23. I kept myself from my iniquity; and 2 Chronicles 6:29. where Solomon says, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief; or as it is 1 Kings 8:38. The plague of his own heart. This implies these tw…

2. It is Antinomian doctrine to make opposition between the Gospel promise, and the debt of the promise: the debt of works (Romans 4 and Romans 11) is law-debt due to the worker, as a hireling is worthy of his wages, because he has done the work perfectly, according to a covenan…

1. Because no man — not the finest and sweetest nature — can engage the grace of Christ, or with his penny or sweating, earn either the kingdom of grace or glory, whether by way of merit of condignity or congruity (Romans 9:16): "So then, it is not in him that wills, nor in him…

The Apostle says (1 Corinthians 2:12), Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. The converted can say, I was such a man (1 Timothy 1:13). [illegible], but I obtained mercy;…

The churches of Galatia, to whom Paul prays, grace and peace. 1 Peter 3:18: for those that he was to bring to God, and in no place of Scripture, nor yet 1 Timothy 1:15, is it said, Christ died for sinners as sinners, but only for those that were sinners, which can never prove th…

And thus did that evangelical prophet Isaiah chiefly set forth the intent of Christ's sufferings for justification, Isaiah 53, throughout the chapter, as David before had done the story of his passion, Psalm 22. And thus to show the use and purpose of his sufferings was the scop…

Now if a man should pray for men in any calamity, how much more in this, the greatest of all the rest — we ought most to pray for our brethren when they sin. Reason 2: Taken from the duty that lies upon a Christian to exhort his brethren (Hebrews 3:12-13) and (Leviticus 19:17),…

Man had fallen from the love of God to the creature, and was conscious to himself of having displeased his maker, and so lay under the fears of his vindictive justice. Now God by Christ declares his love to the offender, in the fullest and most astonishing way, reconciling himse…

AMEN. 1 Timothy 1 — To the King everlasting, immortal, invisible, to God only wise be honor and glory for ever and ever. AMEN.

For otherwise he calls the law holy and good. As (1 Timothy 1) we know that the law is good, if it be rightly used: to wit, civilly to bridle evildoers, and spiritually to increase transgressions. But, whoever observes the law to obtain righteousness before God, makes the law wh…