_Yea, and all that will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, shall suffer
Persecution_.
WHEN our LORD was pleased to take upon himself the form of a servant,
and to go about preaching the kingdom of GOD; he took all opportunities
in public, and more especially in private, to caution his disciples
against seeking great things for themselves, and also to forewarn
them of the many distresses, afflictions and persecutions, which they
must expect to endure for his name’s sake. The great apostle _Paul_
therefore, the author of this epistle, in this, as in all other things,
following the steps of his blessed Master, takes particular care,
among other apostolical admonitions, to warn young _Timothy_ of the
difficulties he must expect to meet with in the course of his ministry:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For
men shall be lovers of their ownselves, covetous, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those
that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more
than lovers of GOD; having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they who creep into
houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with
divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth. Now, as _Jannes_ and _Jambres_ (two of the _Egyptian_
magicians) withstood _Moses_ (by working sham miracles) so do they
also resist the truth; and (notwithstanding they keep up the form of
religion) are men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.”
But, in order to keep him from sinking under their opposition, he tells
him, that though GOD, for wise ends, permitted these false teachers,
as he did the magicians, to oppose for some time, yet they should now
proceed no farther: “For their folly (says he) shall be made manifest
unto all men, as theirs (the Magicians) also was,” when they could
not stand before _Moses_ because of the boil; for the boil was upon
the _Magicians_, as well as upon all the _Egyptians_. And then, to
encourage _Timothy_ yet the more, he propounds to him his own example;
“But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which
came unto me at _Antioch_, at _Iconium_, at _Lystra_; what persecutions
I endured; but out of them all the LORD delivered me.” And then, lest
_Timothy_ might think that this was only the particular case of _Paul_,
says he, in the words of the text, “Yea, and all that will live godly
in CHRIST JESUS, shall suffer persecution.”
The words, without considering them as they stand in relation to the
context, contain an important truth, that persecution is the common lot
of every godly man. This is a hard saying, How few can bear it? I trust
GOD, in the following discourse, will enable me to make it good, by
shewing,