1 Timothy 6:17-19

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THE TRUE USE OF RICHES

1 Timothy 6:17. 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.

TO inculcate duties, is no less the office of a pious minister, than to establish principles: nor should he shew less zeal in the one than in the other. Our Lord commanded his Apostles to enforce the observance of what men ought to do, as well as the reception of what they ought to believe [Note: Matthew 28:19.]: and St. Paul, whose zeal was so conspicuous in establishing the doctrines of the Gospel, evinces in every epistle not a whit less zeal to bring men under the influence of its precepts. He even descends to particularize all the duties pertaining to the different relations of life, as of husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, rulers and subjects; and he solemnly enjoined Timothy and Titus to do the same in their respective ministrations. Nay more, he “charged them” to speak on these subjects with all authority [Note: ver. 13, 14.]; and to press them on the attention of every distinct class of hearers, so that each might fulfil the duties which pertained more immediately to himself. The rich were not in this respect to be overlooked, any more than the poor; nor were they to be addressed with less authority than the poor. Timothy, though quite a young minister, was to consider himself as speaking in the name and with the authority of Almighty God; and was not merely to exhort, but to “charge,” the richest and most powerful of his flock, and most solemnly to enjoin on them a conscientious use of their wealth, for the honour of God, and for the benefit of mankind.

In the charge which Timothy was to give to the rich, we see,

I. The temptations which they are to avoid—

To fix the standard, and to draw an exact line between those who are “rich in this world,” and those who are not, is no easy task: because what would be wealth to a peasant would be poverty to a man whose rank and station in life called for a more enlarged expenditure. But we shall mark the character with sufficient precision, if we say, that the rich in this world are those who possess already, or are able by their different vocations to obtain, what is sufficient for their support in that rank of life wherein Divine Providence has placed them: for all persons so circumstanced have it in their power, by frugality and self-denial, to appropriate a portion of their income to the uses that are here specified.
But to persons so circumstanced many temptations will arise. They will in particular find occasion to guard against,

1. Pride—

[If from any source whatever a man have acquired an increase of wealth, and especially if he have acquired it by his own skill or industry, he immediately conceives himself entitled to a greater measure of respect and honour from all around him. He seems by that circumstance to have attained somewhat of intrinsic worth and excellence; never reflecting, that, as a horse is not a whit better for the trappings with which he is decorated, so neither is a man for the splendour with which he is encompassed. Even good King Hezekiah was led away with this folly, when the Babylonish ambassadors came to visit him: and the judgments inflicted on him on account of it, sufficiently shew how hateful it is in the sight of God.
Yet, such is the infirmity of human nature, that a man of this description is ready to arrogate also to himself some superior value even before God. He is now no longer to be addressed with all that plainness and fidelity which he admitted when in a lower station. Because “he is full, he is ready to deny the authority of God, and to say, Who is the Lord [Note: Proverbs 30:9.]?” or, if he pay attention to the outward observances of religion, he does It, not because they are due from him, but because he thinks it right to set a good example to others; just as if the duties incumbent on others did not attach equally to himself. A remarkable instance of such folly and impiety may be seen in King Uzziah [Note: 2 Kings 20:12 and 2 Chronicles 32:25.]; who, because he had greatly increased in military power, conceived himself authorized to invade the priestly office [Note: 2 Chronicles 26:16.]. But all such high thoughts of ourselves are most offensive to God: and therefore we solemnly caution all of you against admitting them into your minds; and “charge the rich in particular, that they be not high-minded.”]

2. Creature-confidence—

[It is exceeding difficult to possess riches, and not to trust in them for some measure of security or happiness; for both of which we ought to trust in God alone. Our Lord intimates this: for, when his Disciples expressed their wonder at that saying of our Lord, “How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!” he immediately explained himself, by saying, “How hardly shall they that trust in riches enter into the kingdom of God:” by which he would have them to understand, that very few could possess them without trusting in them [Note: Mark 10:23.]. “The rich man’s wealth is his strong city,” says Solomon [Note: Proverbs 10:15.]: he fancies himself encompassed with that which will protect him from evil, and secure to him the possession of present good. But this is greatly to dishonour God. He has given us all that we possess: he has given it to be enjoyed, yea, and richly to be enjoyed: but he never gave it to be trusted in: he never designed that men should rest in the gifts, and forget the Giver; or fix on senseless vanities the regards which are due only to “the living God.” To them belongs nothing but “uncertainty:” they cannot be depended on for one moment: they may, even whilst we think ourselves most secure of their continuance, “make themselves wings, and fly away.” Or, if they be not removed from us, we may in an instant be removed from them by Him who said to the rich man, “Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee.” Let me then guard you all against “making gold your hope, or saying to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;” for it is a grievous impiety in the sight of God, and “an iniquity to be punished by the judge [Note: Job 31:24; Job 31:28.].”]

Wealth is given for far other purposes than these; as will be seen, whilst I point out to the possessors of it,

II.

The duties they are to perform—

To be dispensed in acts of benevolence is the true use of wealth—
[Nothing is given to us for ourselves alone. As the sun in the firmament possesses not its light and heat for its own aggrandizement, but for the benefit of the whole creation, so all that we possess is for the good of those who lie within the sphere of our influence. It is a talent committed to us by Almighty God, who will call us to an account for the improvement we make of it. He permits us, as we have before said, “richly to enjoy” whatever he has bestowed upon us: but our richest enjoyment of it should be in the exercise of Christian benevolence. We should “do good” with it: we should be “rich in good works;” accounting ourselves rich, not in proportion to what we can amass or spend upon ourselves, but in proportion to the good which we are thereby qualified to dispense, and the benefits which we are enabled by it to confer upon the Church and on the world around us. Nor should our wealth be disposed of in this way “grudgingly, or of necessity;” we should be “ready to distribute, and willing to communicate;” precisely as one member of our body would be to administer to any other that needed its assistance. These are the dispositions which the rich are to cultivate, and these the works in which they are to abound.]
Nor is this less their interest than it is their duty—
[By such acts as these “we lay up in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, and eventually lay hold on eternal life.” In hoarding up money, we lay it up for others (not by any means knowing who shall actually inherit it): hut by dispersing it in acts of piety and beneficence, we store it up for ourselves, rendering that “a firm foundation,” which was in itself “uncertain;” and that “eternally” permanent, which was in itself confined to “this present world.” If the present enjoyment alone were considered, this mode of disposing of it would be our truest wisdom, since there is an infinitely richer zest arising from the exercise of love to God and of benevolence to man, than from all the selfish gratifications that wealth can ever purchase. But besides the present satisfaction arising from these sources, there is a full confidence in the soul that God himself will minister to our necessities in the time of need [Note: Psalms 41:1.], and an assured hope of his approbation in the day that he shall judge the world. Not that there is any thing meritorious in works of charity, or that they shall go before us to procure for us an entrance into heaven: but “they will follow us [Note: Revelation 14:13.]” as evidences of our faith and love, and be brought forth before the universe for special approbation and reward. God has pledged himself, that “what we give to the poor he will regard as lent to him, and that he will repay it again [Note: Proverbs 19:17.];” not even a cup of cold water being forgotten, but every the smallest act of kindness being “recompensed at the resurrection of the just [Note: Luke 14:14.].”]

Such then being the duty of the rich in relation to their wealth, I come, in conclusion, to address to them a solemn charge respecting it—

Brethren, if I were addressing you as persons ignorant of Christ and of his salvation, I should, notwithstanding I come as an ambassador from God himself, and speak to you in Christ’s stead, be satisfied with the language of entreaty; and should “beseech you, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God.” But since ye profess to have believed in Christ, you acknowledge your obligation to fulfil his will: and therefore, instead of beseeching you to make this use of your property, I solemnly charge you, or, as the word is elsewhere translated, “command” you [Note: 1 Timothy 4:11.], to comply with his injunctions in respect to these things.

1. If you would approve yourselves upright before God, fulfil ye this duty—

[Guard against the snares of wealth. Mark the operation and effect of riches upon your mind. See whether they produce a haughtiness of spirit, or a complacency of mind, as if they could afford you any substantial comfort: and beg of God that you may, to your latest hour, be as lowly as the poorest of men, and as dependent upon your God as are the ravens, which subsist by his providence from day to day. Remember, that God is a jealous God; and that a departure from this line of conduct will subject you to his heavy displeasure [Note: Mark 10:23.].

God in having imparted more liberally to you than to others, has conferred on you the distinguished honour of being his almoners: yea, if I may so speak, of being in his place to your more necessitous fellow-creatures: and by your cheerful execution of your trust he will judge of your love to him: for “if you see your brother have need, and shut up your bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in you?” Be then like the Saviour himself, who “went about doing good:” and let it be the joy of your heart so to minister of your abundance to the poor, that “every ear which hears you may bless you, and every eye that beholds you may bear witness to you [Note: Job 29:11.].” If you be essentially defective in this duty, you are destitute of pure and undefiled religion [Note: James 1:27.]

2. If you would be accepted of God in the eternal world, be obedient to this command—

[It is remarkable, that in the account which our Lord has given us of the day of judgment, the discharge or neglect of this duty are the prominent grounds of the sentence that shall be passed on the whole race of mankind. Doubtless there will be many other subjects of inquiry: but still the peculiar stress laid on the offices of love sufficiently prove, that whatever else may be brought forward, these must occupy the most distinguished place [Note: Matthew 25:34.] — — — “Make then to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, and go hence, ye may be received into everlasting habitations [Note: Luke 16:9.].” “Lay up treasures in heaven, where the bags will never wax. old, and where neither rust can corrupt, nor thieves break through to steal [Note: Luke 12:33.].” The harvestman scatters, in order to a future harvest: do ye the same: and know, that, “if you sow bountifully, you shall reap bountifully:” but, if you cast your seed with a niggard hand, your harvest will be proportionably small and scanty [Note: 2 Corinthians 9:6.]. In a word, if you are rich in this world, endeavour to be “rich towards God [Note: Luke 12:21.];” and so act, that God himself may bear this testimony to you in the day of judgment; “he hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; and his horn shall be exalted with honour [Note: Psalms 112:9. with 2 Corinthians 9:9.].”

END OF VOL. XVIII.