into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil, which whilst some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely so called, which some professing, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee, Amen." (1 Tim. vi. 7, to the end.) This was the blessed doctrine these messengers of eternal life declared, and what is more, they lived as they spoke. You find an account of their reception in the world, and the way of their living, in his first epistle to the Corinthians; "For I think," saith he, "that God hath set forth us, the apostles last, as it were, appointed to death; for we are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake: we are weak, we are despised: even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and have no certain dwelling-place, and labour, working with our hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted we suffer it; being defamed, we intreat. We are made as the filth of the world, and are as the off-scouring of all things unto this day." (1 Cor. iv. 9.) This was the entertainment those faithful followers of Jesus received at the hands of an ungrateful world; but he who tells us of this, also tells us, it is no unusual thing: "For," saith he, "such as will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution." Besides, he knew it had been the portion of the righteous in preceding ages, as in his excellent account of the faith, trials, and victory of the holy ancients, in his epistle to the Hebrews he does largely express, where he tells us, how great a sojourner Abraham was, even in the land of promise, a stranger in his own country, for God had given it unto him and his posterity, dwelling, saith he, in tents with Isaac and Jacob. And why not better settled? Was it for want of understanding, or ability, or materials? No; he