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I. MINISTERS' DUTY IS IN THREE THINGS HERE —

1. Take heed unto thyself. Thou art set in a high office, in a dangerous place; take good and narrow heed, look well to thyself, thy heart and way.

2. Take heed unto thy doctrine. Though thou be never so well-gifted and approved both of God and men; though thou be an extraordinary officer, as Timothy was; yet "take heed unto thy doctrine."

3. Continue in them. This hath relation, it appears, unto verses 12 and 15, as well as unto the preceding part of this verse.

(1) Continue in thy work. Thou who art a minister, it is a work for thy life-time, and not to be taken up and laid down again, according as it may best suit a man's carnal inclinations and outward conveniences.

(2) Continue in endeavours after greater fitness for thy work. No attainments in fitness and qualifications for this work can free a man of the obligation that lies on him to increase and grow therein more and more.

(3) Continue in thy vigour and painfulness and diligence.

II. THE DOUBLE ADVANTAGE PROPOSED TO ENCOURAGE MINISTERS TO THIS HARD DUTY.

1. Thou shalt save thyself. Thy own salvation shall be promoted and secured thereby. But how doth faithfulness in the ministry of the gospel further the minister's salvation?

(1) Faithfulness in man's generation-work is of great use and advantage to salvation. "Well done, good and faithful servant."(2) Thou shalt save thyself from the guilt of other men's sins and ruin, if thou be faithful in the ministry. "Thou hast delivered," or "saved," "thy soul," (Ezekiel 33:9).

(3) Faithfulness and painfulness in the ministry of the gospel promote a man's own salvation, in so far as the work of Christianity is woven in with the right discharge of the office of the ministry. Many ministers can say, that if they had not been ministers, they had in all appearance lost their souls.

2. Thou shalt save them that hear thee. There is little hope of that man's being useful to save others, that minds not his own salvation: and therefore the apostle puts them in this order, "thyself," and then, "them that hear thee." Thou shalt save them. The great end of both preaching and hearing is salvation; and if salvation were more designed by preachers and hearers, it would be more frequently the effect of the action. Thou shalt save them. Not that ministers are of themselves able by all their endeavours to carry on this great end; they are only God's tools and instruments (1 Corinthians 3:6, 7). Concerning this —

(1) We find that the Lord hath appointed this great ordinance of the gospel-ministry for this end — the saving of men (Ephesians 4:11-13).

(2) He hath also given many promises of His presence, blessing, and success, to follow and attend them whom He sends on this great errand.

(3) He hath also revealed much of His mind about ministers' duty in order to this end of saving men. This also makes the end more hopeful.

(4) "We find that the Lord doth qualify and fit them whom He makes successful. He makes men "able ministers of the New Testament," the word of life (2 Corinthians 3:5, 6). Now we return to the question to be resolved, by what means may ministers best win souls?

I. What this text speaks about this matter. It looks two ways upon this question.

1. Take heed unto thyself.

(1) Take heed that thou be a sound and sincere believer.

(2) Take heed to thyself, that thou be a called and sent minister. This is of great importance as to success. He that can say, "Lord, Thou hast sent me," may boldly add, "Lord, go with me, and bless me."(3) Take heed unto thyself, that thou be a lively, thriving Christian. See that all thy religion run not in the channel of thy employment. It is found by experience, that as it fares with a minister in the frame of his heart and thriving of the work of God "n his soul, so doth it fare with his ministry both in its vigour and effects. A carnal frame, a dead heart, and a loose walk, make cold and unprofitable preaching.

(4) Take heed unto thyself in reference to all the trials and temptations [which] thou mayest meet with. Be on your guard; "watch in all things" (2 Timothy 4:5). No men are shot at more by Satan than ministers; and he triumphs not more over the foils of any than theirs: and Christ is liberal in His warnings of dangers, and in His promises of help in them.

2. Take heed unto thy doctrine. Art thou a minister? thou must be a preacher; an unpreaching minister is a sort of contradiction.

(1) Take heed unto thy doctrine, that it be a Divine truth. "Let a man speak as the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11). And therefore it is needful that ministers be well acquainted with the Holy Scriptures. [It is] a bad token of the temper of that man that relishes any book more than the Word of God.

(2) Take heed unto thy doctrine, that it be plain, and suited to the capacity of the hearers. "Learned preaching," as it is called, is a vanity, pleasing principally to such as neither design nor desire edification. Two things would help to plain preaching —

(a) Clearness of knowledge. The alleged depth of our doctrine often proceeds from our own darkness.

(b) Humility and self-denial.

(3) Take heed unto thy doctrine, that it be grave and solid and weighty. "Sound speech, that cannot be condemned" (Titus 2:8).

II. But now we come to the second thing proposed, — to give some answer to this question from other things in the Word. And I shall —

(I)  Show some things that must be laid to heart about the end, — the saving of souls,

(II)  And then shall give some advice about the means, (I) About the end — the winning of souls. This is, to bring them to God. It is not, to win them to us, or to engage them into a party or to the espousal of some opinions and practices, supposing them to be never so right and consonant to the Word of God; but the winning of them is, to bring them out of nature into a state of grace, that they may be fitted for, and in due time admitted into, everlasting glory. Concerning which great end, these few things should be laid deeply to heart by all that would serve the Lord in being instrumental in reaching it —

1. The exceeding height and excellency of this end is to be laid to heart. It is a wonder of condescendence, that the Lord will make use of men in promoting it: to be workers together with God in so great a business is no small honour.

2. The great difficulty of saving souls must be laid to heart. The difficulty is undoubted: to attempt it is to offer violence to men's corrupt natures, and a storming of hell itself, whose captives all sinners are. Unless this difficulty be laid to heart, ministers will be confident of their own strength, and so miscarry and be unfruitful.

3. The duty of winning souls must be laid to heart by ministers. That it is their principal work, and they are under many commands to endeavour it.

4. The great advantage there is to the labourer by his success is to be pondered. Great is the gain by one soul: "He that winneth souls is" happy as well as "wise" (Proverbs 11:80; Daniel 12:8). Won souls are a minister's "crown and glory and joy" (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:20). (II) For advice about the means, I shall add these few, besides what hath been said —

1. Let ministers, if they would win souls, procure and retain amongst the people a persuasion of their being sent of God. That they are "Christ's ministers" (1 Corinthians 4:1).

2. Let ministers, if they would win souls, purchase and maintain the people's love to their persons.

3. It would further the winning of souls, to deal particularly and personally with them. Not always nor altogether in public (Colossians 1:28; Acts 20:20, 21).

4. Ministers must pray much, if they would be successful. The apostles spent their time this way (Acts 6:4). Many good sermons are lost for lack of much prayer in study. But because the ministry of the Word is the main instrument for winning souls, I shall therefore add somewhat more particularly concerning this and that both as to the matter and manner of preaching.

(1) For the subject. matter of gospel-preaching, it is determined by the apostle expressly to be "Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

(2) As for the manner of successful preaching, I shall give it in a negative and positive from these two places — 1 Corinthians 1:17; and 2:1-4. I shall only instance in things that this Scriptural negative doth check and reprove in the way of preaching.

(a) The establishing and advancing of Divine truth upon the foundation of human reason.

(b) It is to preach with excellency of speech and "words of man's wisdom," when men think to reach the gospel-end on sinners by force of even spiritual reason and persuasion.

(c) This also is checked in the apostle's words — the setting forth the beauty of the gospel by human art. The truth of the gospel shines best in its bare proposal, and its beauty in its simple and naked discovery.

(3) The positive is — "In demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4).

(a) Paul preached so, as gave a demonstration that the Holy Ghost was in him, sanctifying him.

(b) Paul preached so, as gave a demonstration that the Spirit of God was with him, assisting and helping him in his work.

(c) Paul preached so, as [that] a demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost was given to the hearts of the hearers.

III. To conclude: you that are ministers, suffer a word of exhortation. Men, brethren, and fathers, you are called to a high and holy calling: your work is full of danger, full of duty, and full of mercy. And, lastly, for people. It is not unfit that you should hear of ministers' work and duty and difficulties: you see that all is of your concernment; "all things are" for your sakes, as the apostle in another case. Then only I entreat you —

1. Pity us. We are not angels, but men of like passions with yourselves.

2. Help us in our work. Ii you can do anything, help us in the work of winning souls.

3. Pray for us. How often and how earnestly doth Paul beg the prayers of the churches!

(R. Trail, M. A.)

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KJV: Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

WEB: Pay attention to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.