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not make scruple of laying thy hands upon them: and, as for them that are otherwise, if thou do diligently enquire after their demeanour and conversation, they cannot be hid from thy notice; so as thou mayest refrain to admit them.

VI. 1. Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour.

Let those Christians, which are under the yoke of servitude, so carry themselves to their masters, though infidels, as accounting them worthy of all honour; not derogating ought from their obedience, because themselves are called to the knowledge and profession of Christ.

VI. 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 &c.

And, for those that have believing masters, let them not think they may abate ought of their due respects and observance to them, because they are their fellow Christians.

VI. 3. And consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And consent not to the true and saving doctrine of the Gospel.

VI. 4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, &c.

He is proud, knowing nothing, indeed, of what he ought to know; but vainly distempering himself about idle and frivolous questions and quarrels, about words whereof, &c.

VI. 5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.

Perverse and peevish brabblings of disputations of men of corrupt and depraved minds; void of all care and love of truth; aiming only at their own filthy lucre, as supposing gain to be the best and only godliness.

VI. 6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

But I say, contrarily, that godliness is great gain; and such as may give a man all-sufficiency in himself, if he have a heart content with his estate.

VI. 9. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts.

But they, that set down their rest and resolution that they will be rich, must needs fall into many temptations, and be miscarried with them; and cannot but be entangled in the snares of Satan, and drawn into many covetous desires.

VI. 10. Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sor

rows.

Which while some have immoderately coveted, they have been drawn to renounce their Christian profession, and have

wounded their souls with many sorrows, and have brought infinite mischiefs upon themselves.

VI. 12. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life. Fight thou that good and happy fight of a true and faithful champion of Christ, for the maintenance of his faith and Gospel, which thy true faith in him shall enable thee unto and crown thee for; and lay hold upon that blessed reward of eternal life.

VI. 13. Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confes

sion.

Who before Pontius Pilate made a just and undaunted profession of his Messiahship; telling him, that for this cause he came into the world, that he might bear witness of the truth. VI. 16. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.

Who only hath perfect and absolute immortality, as in himself; dwelling in that increated and infinite glory of Divine Majesty, which our weak and dark apprehensions cannot conceive or reach unto.

VI. 19. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Laying up in store for themselves, through the grace and acceptation of God, a good foundation of assured comfort, against the evil day, even the day of death; that they may, upon his merciful remuneration, obtain eternal life.

VI. 20. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

O Timothy, keep thou, sure and carefully, that precious treasure of sound and wholesome doctrine, wherewith thou art entrusted; avoiding those profane and vain janglings about idle questions, and those bootless quarrels of sophistry, which carry a shew of learning and knowledge, but indeed have nothing but frothy ostentation:

VI. 21. Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Which some professing, have been drawn into gross errors and mis-opinions concerning religion.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY.

I. 3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.

I do not only remember thee often; but I thank my God, whom I serve in that true religion which I received from my

forefathers being in substance the same which I now profess that he puts into my thoughts the remembrance of thee: for! take so much pleasure in recalling thy virtues and graces, that I hold it a great favour of God, that he hath given thee a place in my devotions, both by day and by night.

I. 5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, &c.

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith, wherewith thou art, amongst other graces, eminently endued; and that true piety, which was at first notably apparent in thy grandmother Lois, &c.

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I. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou quicken and stir up those gifts and graces of God, which were given thee by the imposition of my hands; not suffering them to go out, for want of use and excitation.

I. 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

But exercise them boldly and cheerfully: for God hath given us his Spirit, to enable us and bear us out in these holy services; which Spirit of his is not a Spirit of fear and cowardice, but a Spirit of power and resolution, a Spirit of fervent love to his Church, a Spirit of sincerity both of judgment and affection.

I. 8. But be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Be thou a cheerful partner of those afflictions, which follow the profession of the Gospel; not out of any strength of thine own, but out of the mighty power of God, upholding and encouraging thee therein;

I. 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;

Who hath saved us from sin and death, and hath vouchsafed to call us effectually into the state of saving grace, even to holiness and newness of life; not for any merit of our works, but for his own mercy's sake, upon his own good purpose and grace, which was decreed to be given to us, in and by Christ Jesus, before the world began;

I. 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light, through the gospel.

Which hath taken away from death all that power and tyranny, which he exercised over mankind; and hath made a clear way to life and immortality, for all that believe, through the Gospel.

I. 12. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

For I well know what a powerful and merciful God and Saviour it is, whom I have relied and cast myself upon: and I am fully persuaded, that he is infinitely able, against all the powers of hell, to keep and safeguard that my precious soul, which I have committed to his care and custody; and to bring it forth glorious, at that great day of his appearing; and to perfect that salvation of mine, which he so graciously hath undertaken.

I. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Hold fast both the substance of sound Christian doctrine, and the form of expressing and delivering of it, which thou hast heard of me; the sum of which doctrine is our faith in God through Christ, and our love to him and our brethren.

I. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

That good and precious treasure of the Gospel of Christ which was committed unto thy care and trust, and those singular graces which God hath bestowed upon thee, see that thou keep and maintain, with a happy increase; not out of any power and virtue of thine own, but by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in thee.

I. 18. In that day.

In that day of the last and general Retribution, when he shall come to reward every man according to his works.

II. 1. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is

in Christ Jesus.

Thou therefore, my son, be courageous and strong, in the maintenance of that Gospel of Christ, which thou hast received, through the grace that is given thee, by the same Lord Jesus Christ.

II. 2. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

And the same things, which thou hast heard me deliver unto thee, not in a corner, but publicly before many witnesses, as a truth worthy to be averred; even the same things do thou preach, and deliver over to faithful men, that may communicate them unto others; that so this blessed message of the Gospel, may be both diffused abroad, and transmitted to posterity. II. 3. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Thou knowest thy calling, that thou art by thy profession a soldier of Jesus Christ, serving under his colours; resolve thou

therefore to do and endure that, which belongs to thy place: be content to suffer and undergo all hardness, for his Name's sake.

II. 4. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath choses him to be a soldier.

It is not therefore, for thee, to be taken up with other cares and employments: no man, that gives himself to the wars, while he is in that service entangles himself in the affairs of his husbandry or bargainings; but devotes himself wholly to the military business which he hath in hand, that he may please his captain or general.

II. 5. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strife lawfully.

And, as it is in wrestling, every man, that strives, is not presently graced with the garland; but he, that wrestles skilfully, and according to the laws of that exercise: so it is in this holy station; not every Bishop is crowned and rewarded of God; but he, that manageth this calling gravely, holily, faithfully.

II. 6. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

The husbandman must first labour and take pains, in ploughing and sowing, ere he can be partaker of the fruits of his field; and, when he hath bestowed this profitable toil, he is well worthy to be the first that shall eat of his own labours.

II. 9. Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

I am persecuted, as an offender, for that I preach the Gospel of Christ; and am imprisoned, and put into bonds and fetters, for this only cause: but, howsoever they may bind me fast as they do, yet they cannot bind up and fetter the Gospel of Christ that word of his, both is and shall ever be free; for even in these bonds of mine, I do and will preach it unto all

comers.

II. 10. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake. Therefore, I endure affliction for those good offices, that I do towards the furthering of the salvation of the elect.

II. 13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

And, if we believe not, he loseth nothing by it; the misery and damage is ours; but, for him, he is the same he was (whatever become of us) just, and faithful in all his promises and undertakings: he cannot be less than his word; but will certainly do whatsoever he hath spoken.

II. 17. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is ·Hymeneus and Philetus;

And the doctrine of these profane heretics spreads abroad

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