First. With respect to that readiness that was continually in the heart of those that hated him, to destroy him with his doctrines; Second. Or it may be understood with respect to the readiness of this blessed apostle’s mind, his being ready and willing always to embrace the cross for the word’s sake; or, Third. We may very well understand it that he had done his work for God in this world, and therefore was ready to be gone.
[Readiness of enemies to destroy the apostle and his doctrine.]
First. For the first of these: The enemies of God and his truth, they never want will and malice to oppose the Word of God; they are also always so far forth in readiness to murder and slaughter the saints, as the prophet cries to Jerusalem, ‘Behold the princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood’ (Eze 22:6), that is, they had will and malice always at hand to oppose the upright in heart. And therefore our Lord Jesus saith, ‘they are they that kill the body’; he doth not say they can do it as relating to their will, and their custom, if let loose; and we may understand thereby that it is no more to them to kill the people of God, than it is to butchers to kill sheep and oxen. For though it be indeed a truth that God’s hand is always safe upon the hilt of their sword, yet by them we are killed all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Psa 44:22; Rom 8:36). That is, in their desires always, as well as by their deeds, when they are let loose, as Paul’s kinsman said to the captain, ‘There lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with a curse,[2] that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee’ (Acts 23:12,13,21). And hence it is, that by the Word they are called dragons, lions, bears, wolves, leopards, dogs, and the like; all which are beasts of prey, and delight to live by the death of others.[3] Paul therefore seeing and knowing that this readiness was in his enemies to pour out his bowels to the earth, he cried out to Timothy, saying, ‘make thou full proof of thy ministry, for’ I am now ready to be slain; ‘I am now ready to be offered’ (2 Tim 4:5,6). These words thus understood may be useful many ways.
1. To show us we live, not because of any good nature or inclination that is in our enemies towards us; for they, as to their wills, are ready to destroy us; but they are in the hand of God, in whose hand is also our times (Psa 31:15). Wherefore, though by the will of our enemies, we are always delivered to death, yet ‘behold we live’ (2 Cor 6:9). Therefore in this sense it may be said, ‘Where is the fury of the oppressor?’ It is not in his power to dispose of, therefore here it may be said again, he is not ‘ready to destroy’ (Isa 51:13). The cup that God’s people in all ages have drank of, even the cup of affliction and persecution, it is not in the hand of the enemy, but in the hand of God; and he, not they, poureth out of the same (Psa 75:8). So that they, with all their raging waves, have banks and bounds set to them, by which they are limited within their range, as the bear is by his chain. ‘Surely the wrath of men shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath thou shalt restrain’ (Psa 76:10; Job 38:10,11).
2. This should encourage us not to forsake the way of our Lord Jesus, when threatened by our adversaries, because they are in his chain: indeed they are ready in their wills to destroy us; but as to power and liberty to do it, that is not at all with them; who would fear to go, even by the very nose of a lion, if his chain would not suffer him to hurt us.[4] It is too much below the spirit of a Christian to fear a man that shall die (Isa 51:12,13). And they that have so done, have forgotten the Lord their Maker, who preserveth the hairs of our head (Luke 12:7). Yea, let me tell you he that so doth, he feareth to trust the Lord with his life, estate, and concernments, and chooseth rather to trust to himself, and that too out of God’s way; and though such persons may lick themselves whole now, while they are fallen and senseless, they must count for these things again, and then they shall see that fear of men, and to be ashamed of Christ, will load them with no light burden. Also, it is an uncomely thing for any man in his profession to be in and out with the times; and to do this when winked at by men, that they would not do if they frowned. Do such fear God? nay, they fear the fear of men, when they should sanctify the Lord himself, and let him be their dread, and let him be their fear (Isa 8:12,13).
3. Let the readiness that is in the enemies of God to destroy, provoke thee to make ready also, as I said a little before; go out to meet the armed men; ‘David ran to meet Goliath’; rub up man,[5] put on thy harness, ‘put on the whole armour of God, that thou mayest be ready,’ as well as thy adversaries, as blessed Paul was here, ‘I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand’ (1 Sam 17:46-48). But because this will fall in fittest under the second head, I shall, therefore, discourse of it there.
[The readiness IN MIND of the blessed apostle to suffer.]
Second. The second thing considered in the words is this, that to be ready might be understood with respect to the blessed apostle’s mind, that was graciously brought over into a willingness to embrace the cross for the Word’s sake; and thus in other places he himself expounds it. ‘I am ready,’ saith he, ‘not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Acts 21:13). That also implies as much where he saith, ‘Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God’ (Acts 20:24). As the enemies, then, were ready and willing in their hearts, so he was ready and willing in his. This man was like to those mighty men of Solomon, that were ready prepared for the war, and waited on the king, fit to be sent at any time upon the most sharp and pinching service (2 Chron 17:12-19). A thing fitly becoming all the saints, but chiefly those that minister in the word and doctrine. Understand the words thus, and they also teach us many things, both for conviction and for edification.
1. Here we see that a Christian’s heart should be unclenched from this world; for he that is ready to be made a sacrifice for Christ and his blessed Word, he must be one that is not entangled with the affairs of this life: how else can he please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier? Thus was it with this blessed man; he was brought to God’s foot with Abraham, and crucified to this world with Christ; he had passed a sentence of death upon all earthly pleasures and profits beforehand, that they might not deaden his spirit when he came to suffer for his profession (2 Tim 2:4; 2 Cor 1:8,9; Gal 2:20, 6:14).
2. This shows us the true effects of unfeigned faith and love, for they were the rise of this most blessed frame of heart; read 2 Corinthians 4:8-13, and compare it with 2 Corinthians 12:9,10; and men may talk what they will of their faith and love to the Lord Jesus, and to his holy gospel. But if they throw up their open profession of his name for fear of those that hate him, it is evident their mouths go before their hearts, and that their words are bigger than their graces. ‘If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small,’ and so thy faith and love (Prov 24:10). Herein is love, ‘that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).