(14) But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
What a beautiful close the Apostle, makes, in his advice to Timothy, as a security through grace from the general apostacy of the then times. And the same holds equally good now. A continuance in the delight and enjoyment of all the great Truths of God, must follow divine teaching. And Paul doth not speak of it, as though the thing was doubtful. Here, indeed, lies the distinguishing glory of a regenerated state, as marked from all the flaming professions, void of it in the world. The child of God knows the inspiration of scripture to be such, from the correspondence of what is said in it bears to his own heart. And the threefold witness, the Apostle elsewhere describes, of the Holy Ghost; the sacred word, and his own heart, confirms all he learns from God. 2 Corinthians 13:1. But where there is no divine teaching; no work of God the Spirit, in regenerating the fallen nature; there the blindness of heart remains, untaken away, and bitterness breaks out in a variety of directions against that preaching, which contends for the faith once delivered to the saints; and leaves no room for the Pharisee's righteousness to be puffed up. Reader! beg of God the Holy Ghost, to be always under the Lord's teaching, that in his blessed scriptures, you may be made wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.