Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee through prophecy, with laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

I. THE SPIRITUAL GIFT CONFERRED ON TIMOTHY.

1. It is not mere intellectual equipment, nor the mere possession of Divine grace, but the gift, which qualified Timothy for preaching the gospel. "For the work of an evangelist." It was a gift of interpreting the Scriptures, of dispensing the mysteries of grace with edification, of bringing forth things new and old out of the good treasure of a holy heart informed with truth.

2. It was a gift conferred by means of prophecy. The Holy Spirit had, by one or more of the prophets, declared his will to confer this gift upon Timothy. The prophecy was the Divine assurance as to Timothy's qualifications.

3. The response to this Divine act is signified by the action of the presbytery in formally designating him to his special ministerial work.

II. THE DUTY OF EXERCISING AND IMPROVING THIS GIFT. "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." There were several reasons to enforce this duty.

1. The prophetic declaration accompanied by the concurrence of the whole body of presbyters would fill his mind with a sense of his high privilege and great responsibility in the possession of such a gift.

2. The exercise of a gift is the only method of preventing its complete lapse. The disuse of a limb causes it to decay. All faculties must be kept bright and vivid by constant exercise.

3. Our Lord, by the parable of the talents, teaches us the sin and danger of hiding our talent uselessly in the ground. - T.C.

If the supernatural gifts with which Timothy was endowed were in danger of suffering injury from the neglect of the zealous, ardent, devoted evangelist, how much greater is your danger of neglecting the gift that is in you, and of suffering injury from its neglect? I have seen the desolation of a negligent ministry, if you have not. By neglect his gift seems to have decayed and died out of him. He preaches, but not as he once preached. Let me not be misunderstood. I do not say that every unsuccessful minister has neglected the gift that is in him. I am very far from saying so. Some have small ministerial gifts, little preaching power. Paul, in his younger days, made full proof of his ministry. He neglected not the gift that was in him. What gift have you? What qualification for the ministry which all true ministers have? You have the one great gift of the Holy Ghost, a renewed heart. Is this your gift? Do not neglect it. Strive to attain more of this blessed, living experience of the great truths you have to preach. I once heard a good man and a good preacher well known and greatly honoured in this town, say, in the retrospect of a long and prosperous ministry, I have nothing to boast of, for my voice has done more for my success than my intellectual power." I admired the modesty of the preacher, who, though favoured by a musical voice, had no reason to speak disparagingly of his intellectual powers. But he was wise enough to form a right estimate of the adventitious gifts of which, without being vain, he knew how to make a good use. To be vain of such things would be indeed a little, pitiable vanity. Yet, like John Angell James, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." "Neglect not the gift that is in thee." The words seem to say, Cultivate your own gifts; those which are natural to you. Do not be solicitous about gifts which God has not given you.

(R. Halley, D. D.)

Think, too, of the benefits to be derived in our own souls by personal service. God will never let a man be a loser by serving Him. The dense vapours that rise from earth to heaven return in pure water; so he who gives to God such as he has, shall receive from Him a good return. The spear that is used contracts no rust; the sword that is continually wielded remains untarnished; the arm in constant use becomes occasionally weary, but increasingly strong; so the child of God who labours for his master, though often wearied, gains great strength through that which he expends. The placid lake is sealed up in winter's frost from shore to shore, but the running rivulet escapes its power. The bewildered traveller on the Alps, half benumbed with cold, gets fresh circulation and warmth by his exertions to restore animation to the body of another. The reason why we have so many benumbed and frozen Christians in the present day is, that there are few personally employed in the work. We long for the time when every believer like the little waterfall and the alpine traveller shall be too active to freeze. Personal service brings its own reward; watering others, we are watered ourselves; warming others, we are ourselves warmed; blessing others, we ourselves are blessed. Do you say, what can God do by one? I reply, very much! By one He brought forth His chosen people from Egypt's thraldom; by one (and that a youth) Goliath was slain while the whole army of Israel trembled before him; by one the assembled Israelites were convinced that "The Lord He is God," and the prophets of Baal were slain; by one sermon, and that a simple one, three thousand hearts were opened. Time would fail to tell of what God has done by such men as Wickliffe, Luther, Calvin, Huss, Whitfield, Wesley, Pounds, Harlan Page, and why not you?

(G. Brown.)

Christians, Paul, TimothyEphesusBestowed, Body, Careless, Church, Conferred, Council, Divine, Elderhood, Elders, Eldership, Endowed, Gift, Gifts, Grace, Hands, Imposition, Laid, Laying, Message, Neglect, Negligent, Placed, Presbytery, Prophecy, Prophetic, Prophets, Revelation, Rulers, Spiritual, Utterance, Within1. He foretells that in the latter times there shall be a departure from the faith.
6. And to the end that Timothy might not fail in doing his duty, he furnishes him with various precepts.

1 Timothy 4:14

     5136   body
     5325   gifts
     7328   ceremonies
     7372   hands, laying on
     7745   ordination
     7967   spiritual gifts, responsibility
     8437   giving, of talents
     8467   reminders
     8783   neglect

1 Timothy 4:6-16

     7793   teachers

1 Timothy 4:11-14

     7796   teaching

1 Timothy 4:11-16

     1614   Scripture, understanding

1 Timothy 4:13-14

     7026   church, leadership
     7797   teaching

1 Timothy 4:13-15

     5465   profit

1 Timothy 4:13-16

     7760   preachers, responsibilities
     8236   doctrine, purpose

1 Timothy 4:14-15

     5556   stewardship

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