Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Timothy 6:12

12 Fight the good fight of faith , lay hold on eternal life , whereunto thou art also called , and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses .

The fight of Faith is our encountring that opposition which we meet with from the World, the Flesh, or the Devil for a strenuous defending the Doctrine of Faith, or making it good by a Life sutable to the rule of Faith. This is called a good fight either in opposition to the bad [illegible: 1 letter]ights of the men of the World in maintenance of their lusts, or the ludicrous fights usually in their publick games, or of the intrinsick nobleness and exercise of it, or the good event, or issue of it and Timothy is bid to fight it, by a metaphor either drawn from Souldiers, or such as exercised themselves in their games.

By eternal Life is meant a right and title to it, which he calls to him to lay hold as is thought by a metaphor from those that were exercised in their games, and did what they could first to lay hold of the prize proposed to Conquerors.

To which Eternal Life, or rather to which good fight thou art called both by the internal call of Gods Spirit, and by thy more external call to the Ministry.

And to which thou hast obliged thy self by Covenant or Promise, made either in thy Baptism, or when thou wert set apart to thy ministry, or of which thou hast given a pledge, by thy profession, and practice in the sight of the Christians in Ephesus.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 9.25, 26. chap. 1.18. 2 Tim. 4.7.; Phil. 3.12, 14. Verse 19.