The sentence which we have just penned occursin Paul's second Epistle to his beloved sonTimothy—an epistle marked, as we know, by intenseindividuality. All thoughtful students of Scripturehave noticed the striking contrast between the twoEpistles of Paul to Timothy. In the first, theChurch is presented in its order, and Timothy isinstructed as to how he is to behave himself therein.In the second, on the contrary, the Church ispresented in its ruin. The house of God has becomethe great house, in the which there are vesselsto dishonor as well as vessels to honor; and where,moreover, errors and evils abound—hereticalteachers and false professors, on every hand.
It is in this epistle of individuality, then, that theexpression, "The man of God" is used with suchobvious force and meaning. It is in times of generaldeclension, of ruin and confusion that thefaithfulness, devotedness, and decision of the individualman of God are specially called for. Andit is a signal mercy for such an one to know that,spite of the hopeless failure of the Church as a responsiblewitness for Christ, it is the privilege ofthe individual to tread as holy a path, to taste asdeep communion, and to enjoy as rich blessings,as could be known in the Church's brightest days.
This is a most encouraging and consolatory fact—afact established by many infallible proofs, andset forth in the very passage from which our heading4is taken. We shall here quote at length thispassage of singular weight and power:
"But continue thou in the things which thouhast learned and hast be