Ephefus, and found the judaizing teachers there bufily employed in spreading their pernicious errors.

4. In the first epistle to Timothy, the fame fort of persons, doctrines, and practices, are reprobated, which are condemned in the fecond. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 1-6. with 2 Tim. iii. 1—5. and 1 Tim. vi. 20. with 2 Tim. ii. 14. and 1 Tim. vi. 4. with 2 Tim. ii. 16.-The fame commands, inftructions, and encouragements are given to Timothy in the first epistle, as in the second. Compare 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14. with 2 Tim. iv. 1-5.--The fame remedies for the corruptions which had taken place among the Ephefians, are prefcribed in the first epiftle, as in the fecond. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 14. with 2 Tim. i. 6, 7.-And as in the fecond epiftle, fo in the first, every thing is addressed to Timothy, as fuperintendant both of the teachers and of the laity in the church at Ephesus: All which I think imply, that the state of things among the Ephefians was the fame when the two epistles were written. Confequently, that the first epiftle was written only a few months before the second: and not long before the apostle's death.

These arguments appeared fo convincing to Pearson, Le Clerc, L'Enfant, Cave, Fabritius, Mill, Whitby, and others, that they were unanimoufly of opinion Timothy was left by the apostle in Ephefus, as he went into Macedonia, not after the riot of Demetrius, but after he was released from his first confinement in Rome. And from that circumstance they infer, that he did not write his firft epiftle to Timothy till some time in the end of the year 64, or in the beginning of 65.—I think it was written from Nicopolis. See Pref. to Titus, fect. 1.

To the late date of this first epistle, there are three plausible objections which must not be overlooked.

Object. 1. It is thought, that if the first epiftle to Timothy was written after the apostle's release, he could not, with any propriety have faid to Timothy, chap. iv. 12. Let no man despise thy youth. But it is replied, That Servius Tullius, in claffing the Roman people, as Aulus Gellius relates, lib. x. c. 28. divided their age into three periods. Childhood, he limited to the age of feventeen: Youth, from that to forty-fix: and old age, from fortyfix to the end of life. Now, fuppofing Timothy to have been 18 years old, A. D. 50. when he became Paul's assistant, he would

would be no more than 32. A. D. 64. two years after the apoftle's release, when it is fuppofed this epiftle was written. Wherefore, being then in the period of life, which, by the Greeks as well as the Romans, was confidered as youth, the apostle, with propriety, might say to him, Let no man despise thy youth. ·

Object. 2. When the apostle touched at Miletus, in his voyage to Jerufalem, with the collections, the church at Ephefus had a number of elders, that is, of bishops and deacons, who came to him at Miletus, Acts xx. 17. It is therefore afked, What occafion was there, in an epiftle written after the apoftle's release, to give Timothy directions concerning the ordination of bishops and deacons, in a church where there were fo many elders already? The answer is, The elders who came to the apoftle at Miletus, in the year 58, may have been too few for the church at Ephefus, in her increased state, in the year 65. Béfides false teachers had then entered, to oppofe whom, more bishops and deacons might be needed, than were neceffary in the year 58. Not to mention, that fome of the first elders having died, others were wanted to supply their places.

more.

Object. 3. Because the apostle wrote to Timothy, that he hoped to come to him foon, 1 Tim. iii. 14. it is argued, that the letter, in which this is faid, muft have been written before the apoftle faid to the Ephefian elders, Acts xx. 25. I know that all ye, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no But if, by this, the first epistle to Timothy is proved to have been written before the apostle's interview with the elders at Miletus, his epiftles to the Philippians, to the Hebrews, and to Philemon, in which he promised to visit them, must likewise have been written before the interview in regard his declaration refpected the Philippians, the Hebrews, and Philemon, as well as the Ephefians: For they certainly were perfons, among whom the apostle had gone preaching the kingdom of God. Yet no commentator ever thought the epiftles above mentioned, were written to them before the apostle's interview with the Ephefian elders. On the contrary, it is univerfally acknowledged, that these epiftles were written four years after the interview; namely, during the apoftle's first imprisonment at Rome. Wherefore, when he told the Ephefian elders, that they and his other converts, among whom he had gone preachVOL. IV.

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ing the kingdom of God, should fee his face no more, as it was ne point either of faith or practice, which he fpake, he may well be fuppofed to have declared nothing but his own opinion resulting from his fears. He had lately escaped the rage of the Jews, who laid wait for him in Cenchrea to kill him, Acts xx. 3. This, with their fury, on former occafions, filled him with fuch anxiety, that in writing to the Romans from Corinth, he requested them to ftrive together with him in their prayers, that he might be delivered from the unbelieving in Judea, Rom. xv. 30, 31.— Farther, that in his fpeech to the Ephefian elders, the apostle only declared his own perfuafion, dictated by his fears, and not any suggestion of the Spirit, I think plain from what he had faid immediately before; ver. 22. Behold I go bound in the spirit to Jerufalem, not knowing the things which shall befal me there; 23. Save that the Holy Ghoft witneffeth in every city, faying, that bonds and afflictions abide me. Wherefore, although his fears were happily disappointed, and he actually visited the Ephefians after his release, his character as an inspired apostle, is not hurt in the leaft; if in saying, he knew they should fee his face no more, he declared, as I have said, his own persuasion only, and no dictate of the Holy Ghoft.

SECT. III. Of the Occafion of writing the firft Epifle to Timothy.

After Paul was released from his bonds in Rome, and Timothy had returned to him from Philippi, whither he had sent him, Phil. ii. 19. it is reafonable to fuppofe, that they went together into Judea to vifit the Hebrews, according to the apostle's promife, Heb. xiii. 23. taking Crete in their way. And having exhorted and comforted the brethren in Judea, who were greatly diftreffed by the tumults which brought on the war with the Romans, they departed to vifit the Coloffian and Ephefian churches; the latter of which merited the apostle's particular attention, on account of the pains he had been at in planting it, as well as on account of the number and quality of its members. See these things more fully narrated, Pref. to Titus, fect. 1.

On his arrival at Ephefus, finding the falfe teachers bufy in fpreading their errors, he no doubt rebuked them fharply, and charged

charged them to teach the true doctrine of the gospel. And because the neighbouring churches of Afia, by reafon of their frequent intercourse with the Ephefian brethren, might be either greatly profited, or greatly hurt, according as truth or error prevailed in Ephefus, the apostle, when going from that city into Macedonia, judged it neceffary, that Timothy fhould remain there, for the purpose of restraining the falfe teachers, by publicly confuting their errors, and condemning their evil practices.

But Timothy being young, and the truft committed to him being weighty, the apostle, after his departure, wrote to him this excellent letter from Philippi, or rather from Nicopolis, Titus iii. 12. to direct him in the discharge of his duty; and, at the fame time, to establish his authority with the Ephefians. Agreeably to this design, the commiffion given to Timothy, at parting, to oppose the false teachers, is mentioned, and the particular errors he was to condemn, together with the truths he was to inculcate, are specified in chap. i.-For the same purpose, in chap.ii. the apostle prescribed the manner in which the public worship of God was to be performed in the church at Ephesus.—And, because it was neceffary that Timothy should be affifted by a fufficient number of well-qualified fellow-labourers in the miniftry, the apostle, in chap. iii. explained the qualifications of the per fons he was to ordain as bishops and deacons. In chap. iv. he foretold the herefies which were to prevail in the church in after times, and the mischiefs which they would occafion, that the faithful might be fenfible these things did not happen by accident, but were permitted of God, and would be directed to an happy iffue. In chap. v. he inftructed Timothy in the right method of admonishing the old and the young of both fexes. And mentioned the age and character of fuch widows, as were to be employed by the church in teaching the younger women. the principles of religion.-Lastly, in chap. vi. he described the duties which Timothy was to inculcate on flaves; condemned ftrifes about words, and perverfe difputings; fpake strongly against the inordinate love of money; and required him to charge the rich to be rich in faith and good works.

With thefe directions and rules to Timothy, in his character of fuperintendant of the church at Ephefus, the apostle mixed many earnest charges to him, in his character as an evangelift,

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to shew himself a pattern of all the virtues which he recommended to others. And, confidering the excellency of Timothy's difpofition, and his great veneration for the apostle, it cannot be doubted, that he obferved the directions and charges contained in this letter, with the most religious care. There is even reason to think his labours at Ephefus were so blessed of God, that the false doctrines and corrupt practices of the judaizing teachers in that city, were for a while repreffed. For at the time the epistle to the church of Ephesus was written, fhe feems to have maintained an excellent character, as appears from what is expreffed in that letter, Rev. ii. 1.-7.

SECT. IV. Of the Ufe which the Church, in every Age, is to make of St. Paul's Epiftles to Timothy and Titus.

Though the errors of the judaizing teachers in Ephefus, which gave rife to the apoftle's epiftles to Timothy, have long ago difappeared, the epiftles themselves are still of great use, as they ferve to fhew the impiety of the principles from which these errors proceeded. For the fame principles are apt in every age to produce errors and vices, which, though different in name from thofe which prevailed in Ephefus in the apostle's days, are precifely of the fame kind, and equally pernicious.—These epiftles are likewise of great use in the church, as they exhibit to Christian bishops and deacons, in every age, the most, perfect idea of the duties of their function; teach the manner in which thefe duties should be performed; defcribe the qualifications neceffary in those who aspire to such holy and honourable offices, and explain the ends for which these offices were originally inftituted, and are ftill continued in the church.

The very fame things, indeed, the apostle, about the fame time, wrote to Titus in Crete; but more briefly, because he was an older and more experienced minister than Timothy. Nevertheless the repetition of these precepts and charges, is not without its use to the church ftill, as it maketh us more deeply fenfible of their great importance: Not to mention, that in the epiftle to Titus, there are things peculiar to itself, which enhance its value. In fhort, the epiftles to Timothy and Titus

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