writings; as hath been observed by the learned Grotius on the place; who from that and other indications conjectures, that the divine author had read the books of that learned Jew.

And for the Jewish history, whence had St. Paul the names of Jannes and Jambres, no where mentioned in the sacred chronicle, but from some other ancient records extant in his time, which he had read, and so far approved? Nor was St. Paul unacquainted with the heathen writers celebrated in his time; for these he sometimes makes use of for the conviction of the heathens with whom he had to do, and whose Apostle chiefly and especially he was, as by his learning the fittest for that office. Thus in his sermon to the Athenians, he quotes a testimony out of one of the Greek poets, in these words: "As certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." The poet he cites was of Cilicia, St. Paul's native country, named Aratus, who had this in his poems, "For we are also his offspring."

Thus also in his Epistle to Titus", he cites a verse of one of the prophets or poets of the Cretans, "One of them, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and slow bellies." Epimenides is the author of the verse, who was a prophet, not only in the sense that all poets are so called, but a pretender also to enthusiasm and prophecy in the stricter sense, as Cicero tells us in his book of Divination, and owned as such among the heathens, even the more learned of them. So in the first Epistle to the Corinthians', he cites this Greek sentence;

Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρῆσθ ̓ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.

i. e. "Evil communications corrupt good manners;" which is a verse of the poet Menander, as St. Jerom hath long ago observed. And that St. Paul had diligently perused the Epistles of Heraclitus the Ephesian, hath been abundantly proved by the learned Scultetus", who also gathers from the Platonic phrases often used by him, that he had read likewise some writings of the Platonists".

f Acts xvii. 28.

κ Τοῦ γὰρ καὶ γένος ἐσμέν.

Chap. i. 12.

* [Lib. i. 18.]

1 Chap. xv. 33.

m Orat. de Philol. et Theol. conjunc

· Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεύσται, κακὰ θηρία, tione, Delic. Evangelicis præmissa.

γαστέρες ἀργαί.

n Vid. Scult. Observ. in 2 Tim. i. 6.

Some few choice books of both these kinds, (but very few, according to his poverty,) St. Paul had made a shift to get and preserve, but for the present left at Troas, from whence he desires Timothy to convey them, as being of use to him. But let us go on in the words of the text.

"But especially the parchments," τàs μeμßpávas, a Latin word again made Greek, signifying the "skins of beasts," smoothed, dried, and fitted to receive writing on them, which we call parchments. These, as learned interpreters generally conclude", (nor can it well be otherwise imagined,) were St. Paul's adversaria, or commonplace books, wherein he had written down what he had observed, as worthy of more especial notice, in the reading either of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, or the other books but now mentioned, for the help of his memory. The blessed Apostle could not, by reason of his poverty, (as hath been already observed,) be the master and owner of a complete library of the learned books extant in his time; and if he could, it was not possible for him to carry it about with him in his travels; and therefore he had his parchments, wherein he had noted what he thought might be of use to him, out of the many books he had read. Concerning these collections, as being probably the fruit of some years reading and study, he gives Timothy a most special charge to take care of their safe conveyance to him: "but especially the parchments."

This may suffice for the explanation of my text. I come now to raise such useful observations from it, as, being so explained, it naturally affords us.

1. Then, I observe here, the poverty and mean estate of the great Apostle Paul. It is indeed Erasmus's observation on the place: "Behold the Apostle's goods, or moveables, a poor cloke to keep him from the weather, and a few books"!" And Grotius's note on the text is to the same purpose: "See the poverty of so great an Apostle, who could not want so little a thing as a cloke left at Troas, but charges Timothy to bring it with him from so remote a distance?!" Hence

n V. Est. et Grot. in loc.

En supellectilem Apostolicam, penulam quæ defendat ab imbribus et libros aliquot.

P Vide paupertatem tanti Apostoli qui rem tantillam tam longe relictam, inter damna censuerit.

St. Paul himself often takes notice of his own poverty. So, "Even unto this present hour, we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; and labour, working with our own hands." And that he lived by his labour, he tells us; "Yea, yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me." And the same thing he expresseth in other places, which I have not time now to recite.

This was a singular design of God's providence towards the Apostles in general, who were all of them kept in a poor and mean, yea in a most afflicted and miserable condition, as St. Paul observes; "For I think that God hath set forth us the Apostles last, as it were appointed unto death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. For unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; and labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless: being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day."

The design of Providence was, that hereby the world, to whom the Apostles preached the Gospel, might be fully convinced of their sincerity in the preaching of it; that they sought not themselves, or their own ease and advantage, but were content for the propagation of the Gospel, of which they were Ministers, to endure the greatest inconveniences, necessities, and extremities. This was sufficient to satisfy all sober and reasonable persons, that they had no design of their own; that their only aim was the advancement of that truth, which, with so great a loss and hazard to themselves, they constantly published to the world.

But this was not to be the standard and measure of the Ministers of Christ, in the after more flourishing and prosperous condition of the Church, when "kings should become their nursing-fathers, and queens their nursing-mothers," as it

1 Cor. iv. 11, 12.

r Acts xx. 3k.

1 Cor. iv. 9-13.

was prophesied. The Church of Christ, even in the first ages and times of persecution, had its yaλnvny, its "calm" sometimes, when the powers of the earth favoured them, and allowed them a more peaceable and prosperous condition. But when Constantine declared himself Christian, the Church grew slpendid and glorious, and the succeeding Emperors thought it their glory, to advance the wealth and honour of it. This prosperous estate of Christians, with some few interruptions, is (God be praised) conveyed down to us at this day, and may it for ever continue! whilst the designs of those that envy the Church's prosperity perish, and are brought to nought. But if ever a time of poverty and affliction shall befal us, we are then to follow the example of the Apostles of Christ; to be contented with our poverty and affliction, and by no means to be deterred from the constant asserting of the truth we preach and profess.

But this is not the point I intend to prosecute, there being another observation as naturally arising from my text, and which I designed to be the chief subject of my discourse at this time.

2. Therefore I observe, that even the divinely-inspired persons and Ministers of God, did not so wholly depend upon divine inspiration, but that they made use also of the ordinary helps and means, such as reading of books, with study and meditation on them, for their assistance in the discharge of their office.

St. Paul had his books which he had read, and his manuscripts too, or collection of notes, which he found to be useful to him, and therefore gives Timothy a special charge to convey them safely to him.

And it is farther to be observed, that he earnestly exhorts his son Timothy to the same course of reading and study"; "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee by, prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery. Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." Where we have several things observable to our purpose. 1. The exhortation is to Timothy, a man

t Isaiah xlix. 23.

u 1 Tim. iv. 13-15.

B b

placed by the Apostles Bishop at Ephesus, the Metropolis of the Lesser Asia, which, though called the Lesser, was of a very great and wide extent; a man that was the beloved son, or darling scholar and disciple, of the great Apostle St. Paul; a man marked out long before by prophecies, as one that should prove a very eminent and excellent person, or by the spirit of prophecy in the Apostles, after a singular manner appointed to the Ministry of the Gospel; a man accordingly endowed with extraordinary and immediately infused abilities, signified by the Xápioμa, or "gift," said here to be given him in his ordination. This man St. Paul exhorts to reading and meditation, for the better discharge of his office. 2. The order of the Apostle's exhortation to him, is observable; "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine:" to reading, before exhortation or doctrine. He is advised to be himself first a well-read and learned Divine, that he might be the better able to instruct and teach others. 3. The emphatical words used by the Apostle in the exhortation, are remarkable. He adviseth Timothy, not only to "read" and "study," that he might be able to exhort and teach with profit; but presseth him to "give attendance" to reading, not to "neglect" the supernatural gift bestowed on him, to "meditate" on what he read and learned, and to addict and "give himself wholly" to these things. All which phrases plainly signify the greatest industry and diligence to be used by him in reading and study, and the other exercises there mentioned. The same thing, doubtless, St. Paul intends, when he admonisheth the same Timothy to "stir up the gift of God" within him, where the Greek word is ȧvalwπupεîν, which properly signifies to "cherish" or "rekindle" fire, (that will otherwise go out and die in its own ashes,) by blowing it up, and adding new fuel to it.

Thus the gifts of God in men, even the extraordinary gifts, such as Timothy had, will soon decay, die, and be extinguished in the ashes, as it were, of their sloth and negligence, and require continual refreshment and reparation from their diligence in reading, studying, and praying; and I add also, charitable using and exercising those gifts for the good of others. A learned man thinks, that the Apostle, speaking of