1 Timothy 6

Now that God is a Spirit, and is not capable of bodily shape or substance, probatur. 1. A body is visible, but God is invisible, therefore he is a Spirit (1 Timothy 6:16). Whom no man has seen, nor can see, not by an eye of sense. 2. A body is terminated, can be but in one place…

God knew, if your estate had not been lost, your soul had been lost. God saw riches would be a snare to you (1 Timothy 6:9). Are you troubled that God has prevented a snare?

'Tis a duty to provide for our charge (1 Timothy 5:8): If any provide not for his own he is worse than an infidel: To lay up for our family, here's the wisdom of the serpent; but we must lay out for the poor too, here's the mixture of the dove. (1 Timothy 6:17) Charge them that…

None of those who belong to the election are so rough-cast and unhewn but God can polish them with his grace, and make them fit for the inheritance. 7. God is the best Father because he never dies, (1 Timothy 6:16) Who only has immortality. Earthly fathers die, and their childre…

They care not though their servants should serve the devil, so long as their bodies do them service. That which St. Paul says to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:20), Serva Depositum, Keep that which is committed to your trust, is of a large extension. Not only have a care of your own soul,…

2. Love. Love loves mercy: It is a noble, bountiful grace. Mary loved Christ, and how liberal was her love! She bestows on Christ her tears, kisses, costly ointments. Love is like a full vessel, will have vent; it vents itself in acts of liberality. Secondly, to communicate to t…

The Pharisees who were covetous derided him. (3.) Covetousness is a mother-sin, a radical vice (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money is the root of all evil. — Quid non mortalia pectora cogit Auri sacra fames — Hor.

Indeed a man may follow the world too much, he may make too much haste to be rich. The ferryman may take in too many passengers into his boat, to the sinking of his boat; so a man may heap up so much gold and silver as to sink himself in perdition (1 Timothy 6:9). But one cannot…

There are, says Solomon, four things that say it is not enough (Proverbs 30:15): the grave, the barren womb, the earth, the fire; and I may add a fifth thing — the heart of a covetous man. Such as are not content with daily bread, but thirst insatiably after more, will break ove…

The consideration of this difference, has manifold and profitable use. First, we may see how reasonable the counsel of the Apostle is, 1 Timothy 6:17, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, and put not their trust in uncertain riches, but in the l…

As for the wearing of apparel, we have no special rule, nor precept in God's word: and therefore our direction, must be the example and fashion of the most grave and godly, in that calling whereof we are; whose precedent must be our direction in all cases, whereof we have no pre…

And (John 12:3) our Savior Christ allowed of the fact of Mary, which took a pound of ointment of Spikenard very costly, and anointed his very feet, so that all the house was filled with the smell; though Judas did esteem it waste. Yet if it so fall out that the Lord does grant u…

But if we do but a little look into the corruption of our nature, we shall see that we are deceived. For being in prosperity, we are not troubled: but if once we be pressed with adversity, then we howl and weep, and as Paul says (1 Timothy 6:10), men pierce themselves through wi…

God was busy for six days in making this world, the angels all that while stood wondering with themselves, to what end, or for whom all this was prepared. At the end of the sixth day, they saw God to set down into the world this little thing called man; and then they ceased thei…

This light comes from inherent acts of grace in us: (1 John 2:3-5; 1 John 3:14). (2) From the testimony and rejoicing which results from a good conscience: (2 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 1 Timothy 6:17-18; Hebrews 13:18). (3) From the experience they have had of the Lord'…

Answ. 1. We are to make believers know if they believe not, and walk not worthy of Christ, in all holy duties; their faith is a fancy, and a dead faith, and the wrath of God abides on them, and they are not believers. 2. Though they be believers, wrath must be preached to them,…

Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure; or faithful: bread and drink are unfaithful, uncertain, and winged to natural men. (1 Timothy 6:17): Riches has a [illegible], an uncertainty, like ghosts or spirits that you see, but they vanish out of your sight, and disappea…

Civil honor and worship is commanded in the second table. They are expressed by godliness and righteousness (1 Timothy 6:11) and godliness and honesty (1 Timothy 2:2). 1. For religious worship.

Now if this excellent glory by the veil of the firmament were not obscured, man were not able to bear it (Job 37:20): If man speak, he shall be swallowed up. (1 Timothy 6:16): He dwells in light which no man can approach to, whom no man has seen, nor can see, until we are receiv…

Thus much the very words import: and the same words are again used in the next verse. And Paul bids Timothy, avoid them that teach otherwise, that is, any different doctrine as necessary to salvation, beside that which he taught (1 Timothy 6:3). And the reason of this sin, is: b…

The king must not lift up his heart against his brethren (Deuteronomy 17:20). Rich men (says Paul) must not be high-minded (1 Timothy 6:17). Job would not despise the cause of his handmaid (Job 31:13).

The use. This must teach us that are members of the visible church, to fear and to suspect ourselves: and not to content ourselves, because we have some good things in us: but we must labor to be sealed up to the day of our redemption, and to lay up a good foundation against the…

And three things cause a lameness or feebleness in this foot, the lust of the eye, that is covetousness; the lust of the flesh, and pride of life. The third duty is, that we must run the race from the beginning to the end, and finish our course, so as we may apprehend life everl…

Further, we learn from hence, that no man is to think highly of himself in regard of outward privileges, as birth, honor, wealth, favor, nor to glory in them (Jeremiah 9:23). Rich men must not be high minded (1 Timothy 6:17). Nay, the King may not lift up his mind above his bret…

In the meantime, such a title never agrees to any but to God only; because he rules over all kingdoms. Notwithstanding he denies not but Kings, Princes, and Magistrates have their just titles; yet so, as themselves be subject to God, and maintain his right and dominion: for it b…

Let us therefore learn to repent early, lest our long-continued harshness should confirm the reign of Satan within us; for as soon as we have been abandoned to this tyranny, his rage will have no bounds. It is particularly worthy of notice, that the cause and source of so great…

And thus was fulfilled the prediction of Isaiah (53:7), that he was led as a sheep to the slaughter. And yet he gave, at the same time, that good confession, which Paul mentions, (1 Timothy 6:12), a confession not by words, but by deeds; not that by which he consulted his own ad…

The fear of the Lord is his treasure. Godliness is the gain that he is covetous and greedy of; 1 Timothy 6 verse 6. Hypocrites long for discoveries, more for the present comfort of the discovery, and the high manifestation of God's love in it, than for any sanctifying influence…

And by the same word is the bounty of God in other things expressed. The living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17. (2.) This pouring out has respect to the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and not to his Person. For where he is given he is given absolutely,…

And for our Encouragement in this part of our Work, this Necessity is such, as that it is by all sorts of Christians allowed, pleaded for, and the thing it self pretended to. For, whereas the Gospel is eminently,[[original in non-Latin script]], or [[original in non-Latin script…

Beware you lose not your God in the Crowd and hurry of Earthly business. Mind that solemn warning, 1 Timothy 6:9 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. The inhabitants o…

For the fashion of this world, the scheme of this world passes away. You see it did with Job; in what a goodly fashion was his worldly estate in the morning, how was it dressed and adorned in perfect beauty in all its excellencies (as we heard it before described,) yet before ni…

Be content with those things you have. And certainly he that is not content with what God allows him, lies under a grievous temptation, by fraudulent and unjust courses to carve out his own condition to himself, and to invade the rights and properties of others: Let us therefore…

Do your riches increase? Set not your heart upon them; make use of what God has given you without such pinching and self-denial which the Lord Jesus never commanded in his precepts of that kind; God never gave riches to save, but to use; take heed of exceeding the bounds in spen…

What would you give, sirs, to come safely to heaven? Do but lay up a good foundation for yourselves against the time to come, and thereby you do (as it were) lay hold upon eternal life (1 Timothy 6:19). Press forward, and be aiming at perfection, take heed of (so much as) seemin…

Oh what good may these do you upon a temptation to carnal confidence! Tremble to pierce and prejudice your soul again, never lean upon this broken reed, that will run into your hand and heart, and pierce you with many sorrows here, and be in danger to drown you in eternal perdit…

Alas, poor creatures, if you get a treasure in the world, what will you do for a treasure when you must be gone from here? Your earthly treasures will not purchase eternal happiness, you cannot always live here; therefore lay up in store for yourselves a good foundation against…

I acknowledge, true repentance is never too late; but when a man can hardly stir his hand, or lift up his eyes, now is a very unfit time to begin the race from earth to Heaven. 4. This earnestness for Heaven is compared to fighting, which implies violence (1 Timothy 6:12). Fight…

The little ants, and painstaking bees; by nature's instinct led; These have their summer granaries, for winter furnished. (Proverbs 6:6-7) But you my soul, whose summer's day is almost past and gone; What soul-provision do you lay in stock, to spend upon? (Matthew 6:20; 1 Timoth…

God is a bountiful rewarder of such as diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6). They must not indeed work for wages, nor yet will God suffer their work to go unrewarded; indeed, it sufficiently rewards itself (1 Timothy 6:6). And its reward is twofold, (1) present, and in part; (2) f…

3. We must follow after meekness. This precept we have (1 Timothy 6:11). Meekness is there put in opposition to those foolish and hurtful lusts, which Timothy must flee from.

If ministers give offense in anything, not they only, but their ministry will be blamed (2 Corinthians 6:3). Indeed, if servants, Christians of the lowest rank and figure, if they be unfaithful, and disobedient to the government they are under, the name of God, and his doctrine,…

The third thing in fruition, is to have the sweet and comfort of all that we do use, or else we do not enjoy that we have. If a man should have the use of his estate, and meat, and drink, if he have not the sweet and comfort of it, he cannot be said to enjoy it; but when the com…

I have read of Antipater King of Macedonia, that when one presented him a Book treating of happiness, his answer was, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], I have no leisure; you have been presented with Sermons, and now with a Book treating of heavens happiness, take heed that no earthl…

This is the [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], the Master-design, which engrosseth all their time, studies and contrivances. The Will has past a Decree for it, the Heart and Affections are fully let out to it, They will be rich, 1 Timothy 6:9. This Decree of the Will, the Spirit of Go…

Oh then! what a vanity is it to set the heart and let out the affections on them! You can never depend too much upon God, nor too little upon the creature, 1 Timothy 6:17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded and trust in uncertain riches. REFLEC…

This spiritual affection extends itself as far as natural affection, namely to wives, husbands, children, parents, brethren, cousins, friends, etc. Much is this urged and pressed in the Scriptures, as (Isaiah 55:1-3), (Matthew 6:19-20, 33), (John 6:27), (1 Timothy 6:11, 19). §.…

5. Who are over suspicious of their wives, and thereupon over strict in taking account of them. Saint Paul calls surmises evil, and that not without just cause: for evil they are in their nature, and evil in their effects, being occasions of many mischiefs: but in none so evil a…

This is it which the Apostle here intimates under these two words, fear and trembling. In both these respects Saint Peter commands servants to be subject in all fear (1 Timothy 6:1) (1 Peter 2:18). So proper is this fear to a servant in relation to his master, as where it is wan…

God can make a way for a man to escape, when he is in, he can break the snare, tread down Satan, and make the soul more than a conqueror, though it have entered into temptation: Christ entered into it, but was not in the least foiled by it, but 4. It is, as the Apostle expresses…