A worthy Plan of Life recommended to 2 TIMOTHY, ii. 22. But follow righteousness, The dangerous Influence, and the Cure of ISALAH, li. 7, 8. 12, 13. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings: for the moth fhall eat them up as a garment, and the worm fhall eat them like wool; but my righteoufnefs fhall be for ever, and my falvation from generation to generation. I, even I, am he that comforteth you. Who art thou that thou fhouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grafs, and forgetteft the Lord thy Maker, SERMON XII. The Conflict and Triumph of the good 2 TIMOTHY, iv. 7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Fudge fhall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Ic T is natural for us to defire to know the SERM. fentiments, the views, and expectations of our fellow men, when they have a near view of their approaching diffolution: and our curiofity of this kind is particularly strong, with respect to perfons who have been remarkably distinguished in life. This curiosity VOL. II. B is XII. XII. SERM. is laudable, nay has fomething virtuous in it; as the bed of death is a fituation in which we must all soon be (none of us know how foon), and in which we may wish to be capable of imitating the behaviour of those, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. In the words of the text we have an account, from the Apoftle Paul's own mouth, of what was his ftate of mind, what were his views and expectations, when he was just about to bid an everlasting farewel to this world. This Epiftle was the Apostle's farewel letter to Timothy his beloved friend, and to the Churches of Afia where Timo `thy was. It appears from other parts of it, that Paul was then a prisoner at Rome; fo closely confined, that Onefiphorus could scarcely find him out*; in circumstances of fuch disgrace and danger, that most of his friends had abandoned him †. He had already appeared before Nero the Emperor, and God had delivered him; but he did not expect any further deliverance. He did not pray for it . He knew that the time Chap. iv. 10. 16. * Chap. i. 17. of XII. of his departure was at hand-that it was SERM. the will of Heaven he fhould fuffer as a martyr for the Gospel, and give his dying testimony to that public caufe which he had fo bravely, faithfully, and fuccefsfully fupported during his life. I am now, fays he, ready, quite prepared to be offered up-He confiders his approaching fufferings and death as a facrifice, a noble facrifice in the cause of truth. The formidable, the awful profpect of an infamous and violent execution, was immediately before his eyes; but instead of being difmayed, he triumphs in it. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. He looks back on a life spent in the service of God and mankind with fatisfaction, and looks forward to the approaching reward with triumph. There is an allufion in the words to the celebrated exercifes and contests in the ancient world, in which the victors were crowned with garlands, and their praises B 2 XII. SERM. praises proclaimed before the greatest concourse of people imaginable, as marks of the public honour and applaufe. Accordingly, the Apostle fays, he had fought a good, an honourable fight, he had fuccefffully finished his course and reached the goal. Henceforth there was laid up for him, not a corruptible crown as a reward for his victory in any bodily exercises, but a crown of eternal life as the reward of righteoufnefs, which the Lord Jefus, the righteous Judge, would generously beftow on him at the glorious day of his appearing; and not on him only, but on all his faithful and expecting fervants. In fpeaking farther on this fubject, I fhall pass over many useful topics of difcourse which the words might fuggeft, and confine myself to these two things: I. To enquire on what account the Chriftian life is here and in other places of Scripture called a fight, or compared with thofe laborious exercises of running, wrestling, &c. which required the greateft exertion. II. To fhew you that the Christian life yields the most solid comfort and fupport at all times, but especially at that time when we ftand |