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1 TIMOTHY v. 21-23.
"I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect
angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before
another, doing nothing by partiality. Lay hands hastily on no man,
neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. Drink no
longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and three
often infirmities."
HAVING spoken of Bishops and Deacons, of men, and women, of
widows and elders, and of all others, and having shown how great was
the authority of a Bishop, now he was speaking of judgment, he has
added, "I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and
the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one
before another, doing nothing by partiality." Thus fearfully he
charges him. For though Timothy was his beloved son, he did not
therefore stand in awe of him. For as he was not ashamed to say of
himself, "Lest by any means when I have preached to others, I
myself should be a cast-away" (1 Cor. ix. 27); much less
would he be afraid or ashamed in the case of Timothy. He called the
Father and the Son to witness. But wherefore the elect Angels?
From great moderation, as Moses said, "I call heaven and earth to
witness" (Deut. iv. 26); and again, "Hear ye, O
mountains, and strong foundations of the earth." (Mic. vi. 2.)
He calls the Father and the Son to witness what he has said, making
his appeal to Them against that future Day, that if anything should
be done that ought not to be done, he was clear from the guilt of it.
"That thou observe these things without preferring one before
another, doing nothing by partiality." That is, that thou deal
impartially and equally between those who are upon trial and are to be
judged by thee, that no one may pre-occupy thy mind, or gain thee
over to his side beforehand.
But who are the elect Angels? It is because there are some not
elect. As Jacob calls to witness God and the heap (Gen. xxxi.
45), so we often take at once superior and inferior persons to
witness; so great a thing is testimony. As if he had said, I call
to witness God and His Son and His servants, that I have charged
thee: so before them I charge thee. He impresses Timothy with
fear; after which he adds, what was most vital, and bears most on the
maintenance of the Church, the matter of Ordinations. "Lay
hands," he says, "suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other
men's sins." What is "suddenly"? Not upon a first, nor a
second, nor a third trial, but after frequent and strict examination
and circumspection. For it is an affair of no common peril. For thou
wilt be responsible for the sins committed by him, as well his past as
his future sins, because thou hast delegated to him this power. For
if thou overlook the past unduly, thou art answerable for the future
also, as being the cause of them, by placing him in that station, and
of the past too, for not leaving him to mourn over them, and to be in
compunction. For as thou art a partaker of his good actions, so art
thou of his sins.
"Keep thyself pure." This he says with reference to chastity.
"Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake
and thy often infirmities." If one who had practiced fasting to such
an extent, and used only water, so long that he had brought on
"infirmities" and "frequent infirmities," is thus commanded to be
chaste, and does not refuse the admonition, much less ought we to be
offended when we receive an admonition from any one. But why did not
Paul restore strength to his stomach? Not because he could not--for
he whose garment had raised the dead was clearly able to do this
too,--but because he had a design of importance in withholding such
aid. What then was his purpose? That even now, if we see great and
virtuous men afflicted with infirmities, we may not be offended, for
this was a profitable visitation. If indeed to Paul himself a
"messenger of Satan" was sent that he should not be "exalted above
measure" (2 Cor. xii. 11), much more might it be so with
Timothy. For the miracles he wrought were enough to have rendered him
arrogant. For this reason he is left to be subject to the rules of
medicine, that he may be humbled, and others may not be offended, but
may learn that they who performed such excellent actions were men of the
same nature as themselves. In other respects also Timothy seems to
have been subject to disease, which is implied by that expression,
"Thy often infirmities," as well of other parts as of the stomach.
He does not however allow him to indulge freely in wine, but as much
as was for health and not for luxury.
Ver. 24. "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to
judgment; and some they follow after."
In speaking of ordination, he had said, "Be not partaker of other
men's sins." But what, he might say, if I be ignorant of them?
Why, "some men's sins are open beforehand, going before them to
judgment, and some they follow after." Some men's, he means, are
manifest, because the), go before, whilst others' are unknown,
because they follow after.
Ver. 25. "Likewise also the good works of some are manifest
beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid."
Chap. vi. ver. 1. "Let as many servants as are under the yoke
count their masters worthy of all honor, that the Name of God and
His doctrine be not blasphemed."
Let them count them "worthy of all honor," he says; for do not
suppose, because thou art a believer, that thou art therefore a free
man: since thy freedom is to serve the more faithfully. For if the
unbeliever sees slaves conducting themselves insolently on account of
their faith, he will blaspheme, as if the Doctrine produced
insubordination. But when he sees them obedient, he will be more
inclined to believe, and will the rather attend to our words.
But God, and the Gospel we preach, will be blasphemed, if they are
disobedient. But what if their own master be an unbeliever? Even in
that case they ought 1 to submit, for God's Name's sake.
Ver. 2. "And they that have believing masters, let them not
despise them because they are brethren, but rather do them service,
because they are faithful and beloved partakers of the benefit."
As though he had said, If ye are thought worthy of so great a
benefit, as to have your masters for your brethren, on this account ye
ought more especially to submit.
"Going before to judgment." This he had said, implying that of
evil actions here some are concealed, and some are not; but there
neither the good nor the bad can be concealed. And what is that going
before to judgment? When one commits offenses that already condemn
him, or when he is incorrigible, and when one thinks to set him right
and cannot succeed. What then? 'What is the use of mentioning
this? Because if here any escape detection, they will not hereafter.
There all things are laid open; and this is the greatest consolation
to those who do well.
Then because he had said, "Do nothing by partiality," as if under
the necessity of interpreting it, he adds, "As many servants as are
under the yoke." But you will say, What has a Bishop to do with
this? Much surely, for it is his office to exhort and to teach these
too. And here he makes excellent regulations with respect to them.
For we see him everywhere commanding the servants rather than their
masters, showing them the ways of submission, and treating them with
great regard? He exhorts them therefore to submit with great
meekness. But the masters he recommends to forbear the use of terror.
"Forbearing threatening" (Eph. vi. 9), he says. And why does
he thus command? In the case of unbelievers, naturally, because it
would have been unreasonable to address those who would pay no heed to
him; but where believers were concerned, what was his reason?
Because masters contribute greater benefits to their servants, than
servants to their masters. For the former furnish the money to
purchase for them sufficient food and clothing; and bestow much care
upon them in other respects, so that the masters pay them the larger
service, which is here intimated, when he says, "they are faithful
and beloved, partakers of the benefit." They suffer much toil and
trouble for your repose, ought they not in return to receive much honor
from their servants?
MORAL. But if he exhorts servants to render such implicit
obedience, consider what ought to be our disposition towards our
Master, who brought us into existence out of nothing, and who feeds
and clothes us. If in no other way then, let us render Him service
at least as our servants render it to us. Do not they order their
whole lives to afford rest to their masters, and is it not their work
and their life to take care of their concerns? Are they not all day
long engaged in their masters' Work, and only a small portion of the
evening in their own? But we, on the contrary, are ever engaged in
our own affairs, in our Master's hardly at all, and that too,
though He needs not our services, as masters need those of their
servants, but those very acts redound to our own benefit. In their
case the master is benefited by the ministry of the servant, but in
ours the ministry of the servant profits not the Master, but is
beneficial on the other hand to the servant. As the Psalmist says,
"My goods are nothing unto Thee." (Ps. xvi. 2.) For say,
what advantage is it to God, that I am just, or what injury, that
I am unjust? Is not His nature incorruptible, incapable of injury,
superior to all suffering? Servants having nothing of their own, all
is their masters', however rich they may be. But we have many things
of our own.
And it is not merely so great honor, that we enjoy from the King of
the universe. What master ever gave his own son for his servant? No
one, but all would rather choose to give their servants for their
sons. Here on the contrary, "He spared not His own Son, but gave
Him up for us all," for His enemies who hated Him. Servants,
though very hard service is exacted of them, are not impatient; at
least, not the well-disposed. But how many times do we utter
discontent? The master promises to his servants nothing like what God
promises to us; but what? Freedom here, which is often worse than
bondage; for it is often embittered by famine beyond slavery itself.
Yet this is their greatest boon. But with God there is nothing
temporal, nothing mortal; but what? wouldest thou learn? Listen
then, He says, "Henceforth I call you not servants. Ye are my
friends." (John xv. 13, 14.)
Beloved, let us be ashamed, let us fear. Let us only serve our
Master, as our servants serve us. Rather not even the smallest
portion of service do we render! Necessity makes them philosophers.
They have only food and lodging; but we, possessing much and
expecting more, insult our Benefactor with our luxury. If from
nothing else, from them at least let us learn the rules of philosophy.
The Scripture is wont to send men not even to servants, but to
irrational creatures, as when it bids us imitate the bee and the ant.
But I advise you but to imitate servants: only so much as they do
from fear of their masters, let us do from the fear of God; for I
cannot find that you do even this. They receive many insults from fear
of us, and endure them in silence with the patience of philosophers.
Justly or unjustly they are exposed to our violence, and they do not
resist, but entreat us, though often they have done nothing wrong.
They are contented to receive no more and often less than they need;
with straw for their bed, and only bread for their food, they do not
complain or murmur at their hard living, but through fear of us are
restrained from impatience. When they are intrusted with money, they
restore it all. For I am not speaking of the worthless, but of the
moderately good. If we threaten them, they are at once awed.
Is not this philosophy? For say not they are. under necessity, when
thou too art under a necessity in the fear of hell. And yet dost thou
not learn wisdom, nor render to God as much honor, as thou receivest
from thy servants. Of thy servants each has the apartment assigned to
him by thy rules, and he does not invade that of his neighbor, nor do
any injury from a desire of more than he has. This forbearance the
fear of their master enforces among domestics, and seldom will you see
a servant robbing or injuring a fellow-servant. But among free men it
is quite the reverse. We bite and devour one another. We fear not
our Master: we rob and plunder our fellow-servants, we strike them
in His very sight. This the servant will not do; if he strikes, it
is not when his master sees him; if he reviles, it is not when his
master hears him. But we dare do anything, though God sees and hears
it all.
The fear of their master is ever before their eyes, the fear of our
Master never before ours. Hence the subversion of all order, hence
all is confusion and destruction. And we never take into consideration
the offenses we have committed, but if our servants do amiss, we call
them to a rigorous account for everything, even to the least
misdemeanor. I say not this to make servants remiss, but to chide our
supineness, to rouse us from our sloth, that we may serve our God
with as much zeal as servants do their master; our Maker, as
faithfully as our fellow-creatures serve us, from whom they have
received no such gift. For they too are free by nature. To them also
it was said, "Let them have dominion over the fishes." (Gen. i.
26.) For this slavery is not from nature: it is the result of some
particular cause, or circumstances. Yet, notwithstanding, they pay
us great honor; and we with great strictness exact services from them,
whilst to God we hardly render the smallest portion, though the
advantage of it would redound to ourselves. For the more zealously we
serve God, the greater gainers we shall be. Let us not then deprive
ourselves of such important benefits. For God is self-sufficient,
and wants nothing; the recompense and the advantage reverts altogether
to us. Let us therefore, I beseech you, be so affected, as serving
not God but ourselves, and with fear and trembling let us serve Him,
that we may obtain the promised blessings, through Jesus Christ our
Lord, with whom,
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