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GODLINESS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS
AS in the natural man there is a total alienation of heart from God, so, after that he has been in some measure awakened to a sense of his duty, there is in him a constant proneness to turn aside from God, and to rest in something short of a total surrender of the soul to him. This appears from the numerous controversies which were agitated in the apostolic age. Christians even in that day were not contented with receiving the truth as it is in Jesus, but laboured to blend with it some favourite notions, either of Jewish superstition or Gentile philosophy; by means of which they drew away the minds of many from the simplicity of the Gospel, and from that practical regard to it which constitutes our highest duty. It is observable, too, that persons addicted to this habit always lay a very undue stress on their own peculiarities, and display more zeal in the propagation of them than in the diffusion of the Gospel itself. It is in reference to such practices that the Apostle is speaking in the words before us. He is cautioning Timothy against being led astray by them, or giving any countenance to them in his ministrations, which should rather be directed to the inculcating and enforcing of vital godliness: “Refuse profane and old wives’ fables,” says he; “and exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise, that is, a carnal attention to such things, profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. This (this character of godliness, as deserving and demanding our exclusive regards) is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.”
In confirmation of this saying, I will endeavour to shew,
I. The profitableness of true godliness—
“Godliness” here stands in opposition to all that superstitious or contentious men would place in its stead. It is to be understood as comprehending a surrender of ourselves to God, as his redeemed people, and a life of entire devotedness to his service. Now this is profitable,
1. In relation to the present life—
[What is it that has deluged the whole world with misery? What but sin? The world would still have been a paradise, if man had continued to retain his primitive holiness: and, so far as divine grace prevails to restore holiness to man, the world is again restored to its paradisiacal state of happiness. True it is that the best of men are yet subject to wants, diseases, and death; so that how holy soever they may be, they must yet partake of the bitter consequences of sin. But the advantages enjoyed by the godly over all the rest of mankind are exceeding great.
First, The godly are delivered from the dominion of evil passions, which agitate all the rest of mankind.—See what the state of the world is by reason of pride, envy, malice, wrath, revenge: see what evils abound by reason of covetousness, ambition, lewdness, and selfishness, in ten thousand forms: mark the jealousies of rival kingdoms; the contentions in smaller societies; the feuds in families; and the workings of evil tempers in individuals: see how almost every human being has his life embittered by something inflicted by others, or brooding in his own bosom: and then say, Whether he has not the advantage, who has learned to “mortify his earthly members,” and to “crucify his flesh with its affections and lusts?”
Next, The godly are enabled to live under the influence of love:—and need I say what a source of comfort that is? Read the description of love as set forth in the 13th chapter of St. Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, and judge, whether the exercise of such dispositions be not conducive to the happiness of the soul.
Again; The godly are freed from numberless temptations, into which the ungodly rush without restraint.—The ungodly, by their intercourse with each other, are walking, either in the midst of thorns and briers, where they constantly receive or inflict some painful wound; or, if their path be more pleasant, they only countenance each other in ways, which bring guilt upon their souls, and involve each other in irremediable ruin. The godly, on the contrary, by keeping at a distance from such snares, avoid the evils connected with them; and by their mutual intercourse promote the edification of each other in faith and love, in peace and holiness.
Add to all this, The godly enjoy peace with God, and a blessed prospect beyond the grave.—Oh! who can estimate this advantage? Who can tell what joy a sense of God’s pardoning love brings into the soul? Who can declare what the believer feels in his secret walk with God; in pouring out his soul before him, in apprehending and pleading God’s gracious promises, in surveying the fulness of righteousness and grace which is treasured up for him in Christ Jesus, in contemplating every event as ordered for his spiritual and eternal good, and in looking forward to an eternity of bliss in heaven? Who, I say, can calculate these advantages, which are the exclusive portion of the godly?
If it be said, that this description of the believer’s advantages is not realized in fact, I grant that the generality of religious professors do not experience them to the extent that we have spoken of them. But why do they not experience them to this extent? Is it that they do not necessarily attach to vital godliness? No: but that godliness is but at a low ebb amongst those who profess to live under its influence. Were the professors of religion more like to the Apostles in vital godliness, they would, in the same proportion, be elevated above all the rest of the world, both in their character and enjoyments. They would indeed have their afflictions, as the Apostles had: but their “consolations should abound far above their afflictions,” yea and even by means of their afflictions. And, as it is said that “godliness has the promise of all this,” I will leave it all to rest upon that one saying, “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him [Note: Joh_14:23.].” Let the love of God the Father, and the in-dwelling of the Father and of Christ Jesus in the soul, be duly estimated, and we will leave any man in the universe to judge, whether godliness be not profitable as it respects this present life.]
2. In reference to the life to come—
[Of this there is so little doubt, that we need scarcely stop to confirm it, more especially as our further views of this subject demand a very peculiar attention. Let it only be recollected, that “to those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, God has promised eternal life [Note: Rom_2:7. 1Jn_2:25.];” and that “they who overcome in this warfare shall sit down with Christ upon his throne, as he sitteth on his Father’s throne [Note: Rev_3:21.]:” and nothing more need be added to establish this obvious and acknowledged truth.]
Such being the profitableness of true godliness, we proceed to state,
II. The importance of it in that particular view—
Those who have not duly considered this subject would not have expected to find such a peculiar confirmation of it as the Apostle has added in our text. When, in a preceding chapter, he was about to declare the stupendous mystery, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” he prefaced it with this declaration, that the truth he was about to utter was “a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation [Note: 1Ti_1:15.].” There the importance and mysteriousness of the truth easily account for the solemnity with which it is introduced: but where there is nothing affirmed but the profitableness of godliness, we seem to think so solemn a confirmation of it quite unnecessary. But we shall soon be of a different opinion, if we contemplate this truth in connexion with the subjects which both precede and follow it. We say then, that the profitableness of vital godliness ought to be regarded as a matter of primary and universal importance;
1. As tending to keep the mind from unprofitable speculations—
[The whole preceding context refers to speculations which either already existed in the Church, or should at a future period be introduced [Note: ver. 1–3, 7.]. Heretics and apostates were even then at work to spread their pernicious doctrines; those who were of Jewish origin “giving heed to fables and endless genealogies, which ministered questions rather than godly edifying that is in faith [Note: 1Ti_1:4 and Tit_3:9.];” and those from among the Gentile converts obtruding upon the Church their “profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called [Note: 1Ti_6:20.].” The effect of these speculations was exceedingly pernicious: for whilst “conceited and ignorant men doted about such questions and strifes of words, they filled the Church with envy, and strife, and railings, and evil surmisings, and perverse disputings [Note: 1Ti_6:4-5.],” and eventually turned many from the faith [Note: 1Ti_6:21.].
Now in every age of the Church there are many, who, being themselves, through the subtilty of Satan, turned away from the simplicity of the Gospel, labour to propagate their own peculiar opinions, and to “draw away disciples after them.” Their views are often extremely specious, as were those of the Jews who sought to honour Moses [Note: Col_2:20-23.], and those of the Gentiles who from a professed regard for the honour of Christ pleaded an exemption from obedience to the moral law [Note: Jude, ver. 4. 2Pe_2:1; 2Pe_2:17-19.]. Frequently there is much truth mixed up with their errors; and their mistake lies not so much in what they would maintain, as in the undue importance which they attach to some points to the exclusion or neglect of others that are equally important. In a word, they, though “false apostles” in reality, are often so specious, that they appear like apostles of Christ himself [Note: 2Co_11:3-4; 2Co_11:13-14.].
How then are we to guard against such deceivers? I answer, By having our minds fully intent on practical and vital godliness. We shall see in a moment, that by suffering our minds to be turned into the channel of controversy, we shall lose much of that heavenliness of mind, that sweetness of temper, that expansion of love, and that singleness of eye, which are the brightest ornaments of our religion, and indispensably necessary to our true happiness. And what shall we gain to compensate for this loss? Nothing but a conceit of our own superior wisdom, and an uncharitable contempt or hatred of all who differ from us. This is the point which the Apostle labours so strenuously to impress upon our minds. “Refuse,” says he, “all such exercises; for they are of little profit: but exercise thyself unto godliness,” the profit of which can never be duly estimated. Keep habitually upon your minds a sense of the value of true godliness, and you will have no disposition for controversies, nor any satisfaction in the company of those who would obtrude their noxious sentiments upon you. You will act rather in conformity with the apostolic injunction, “From such withdraw thyself [Note: 1Ti_6:5.].”]
2. As sustaining the mind under all the trials and difficulties that we may have to cope with—
[To this the Apostle refers, in the words following my text. Exercise yourselves, says he, in this, which will be so profitable to your souls; “for” from my own experience I can declare, what support you will find from such conduct, in all the trials that you may be called to endure; “for therefore we both labour (gladly), and suffer reproach (cheerfully), because” we are upheld by a consciousness that we are living entirely upon God, and for God [Note: ver. 10.]. That the lovers of subtle questions and curious disputations have a zeal, we acknowledge; and that they will often make sacrifices in defence of their tenets, we acknowledge: but in self-denying labours, and patient sufferings for the honour of God and the welfare of mankind, their exertions are paralysed. Their minds become contracted; and they are altogether occupied in maintaining their peculiar notions, and in gaining proselytes to their own party. Not so the persons who steadily labour for the attainment of vital godliness. They have their hearts more and more enlarged with love both to God and man. They feel so rich a recompence sweetly and continually flowing into their souls, that they only regret they cannot do a thousand times more for God, and that they should ever experience any thing but unqualified delight in what they suffer for him [Note: 2Co_12:10. “We take pleasure,” &c.]. They will “forget all that is behind, and press forward to that which is before;” like persons in a race, who have no desire but to fulfil the will of God, and to “finish their course with joy.” In this respect then, no less than in the former, is godliness truly profitable; and that it is so, “is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.”]
Let me then, in this view of the subject, entreat you all,
1. To esteem godliness according to its true character—
[The greater part of mankind deny the necessity of it even to their eternal welfare: and, if you justify your zeal by a reference to the future judgment, they will not hesitate to affirm, that such exertions are not necessary to the salvation of the soul, and that to abound in them is to be “righteous over-much.” Then, as to the present life, almost all wilt maintain, that such godliness as the Gospel requires will be subversive of our interests and our happiness in the world; and from those considerations will urge us to lay aside what they call our needless peculiarities. But be assured, that there is no real happiness even in this world, and much less in the world to come, but through an entire devotion of the soul to God. Let no man deceive you in relation to this matter; for “it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation.” The whole Scripture, from the beginning to the end, bears testimony to this truth, that God’s service is perfect freedom, and that religion’s “ways are ways of pleasantness and peace.” If it be said, that piety will involve us in trouble, for that “all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution;” we reply, It is true: but nevertheless the consolations of the godly shall infinitely over-balance their afflictions; nor are “the sufferings of this present life worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us [Note: Rom_8:18.].” Let this then be a fixed principle in all your hearts, that “the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”]
2. To seek it according to its real worth—
[The word which we translate, “exercise thyself” unto godliness, is taken from the Grecian games, in which those who engaged stripped themselves of all unnecessary clothing, in order that they might be able to exert themselves with more effect [Note: ã ý ì í á æ å ó å á õ ô ὸ í ver. 7.], Now in this manner should we address ourselves to the work of religion. We should feel that the utmost possible exertions are necessary for the attaining of such a measure of it as will secure the prize. We should cast off every thing that may impede our progress in it; and determinately engage in it as those who will at least take care not to lose the prize through any fault or negligence of their own. You well know how those who were to contend in the Olympic games denied themselves, and by what a long course of training they endeavoured to fit themselves for their respective contests. O, brethren, enter thus into the prosecution of true piety, “avoiding all foolish questions as unprofitable and vain [Note: Tit_3:9.];” and keeping your eye steadily fixed on the attainment of the Divine image in your soul: then will you “grow up into Christ in all things as your living Head,” and then will you find that “you will not labour in vain or run in vain.”]