(2.) Make your own peace with God ; for till then you are never fit to pray or act for the public good of the nation with any hopes of success.
(3.) Promote a sound well-tempered reformation in the land. Pro- mote God's interest, protect his truth and servants against those that malign and hate them, and all endeavours to a thorough reformation.
SEVERAL SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-U.
SERMON I.
For the grace of God that bruigeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying tingodliness and worldly lusts, we shoidd live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present tvorld ; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave him- self for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a pecidiar people, zealous of good ivorJcs. — 'Titus ii. 11-14.
In the immediate context tlie apostle had given direction to servants to walk amiably and faithfully in their relations ; and the argument which he urgeth to persuade them is, that by this means they would 'adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things,' ver. 10 ; that is, represent it with advantage, and render it acceptable to the respects of others. Duties of relations are of so much use to the quiet and welfare of human society, that, when they are faithfully performed, they do much commend any way or doctrine, and induce others to speak well of it ; and therefore, saith he, Be faithful in your relations, that you may make the doctrine of God comely, and adorn the gospel. Now, this adorning the gospel, it is not only an act of policy, but duty ; it is but a doing right to the gospel, and giving it its proper lustre. Why? Because the same gospel which calls for duty to God as to his worship, doth also enforce the duties of our relations. A man may put a var- nish upon an evil way by a plausible carriage ; and though his principle have no tendency to such a practice, he may do it because it is comely in the world. But it is otherwise here. The gospel, that hath ap- peared to all sorts of men, presseth all sorts of duties. Yea, and which is more, it giveth grace to perform them ; for the apostle doth not only argue here, but direct ; he doth not onl}' show them what they must do, but how they may come to do their duty in this kind ; for saith he, ' The grace of God which bringeth salvation,' &c.
In the words you may observe the teacher, the lesson, the encourage- ment and inducements to learn.
1. The teacher is the grace of God, described, ver. 11.
2. The lesson is the whole duty of our heavenly calling, set forth ver. 12, and there — (1.) Negatively, in departing from evil, ' denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.' (2.) Positively, in cleaving to that
38 SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [SeR. I.
which is good, ' We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.' Where you may observe that the duty of the creature is distributed into three ranks and parts, according to the several objects to which it is referred. Soberly we must walk as to ourselves ; righteously as to our neighbour ; and godly that the Lord himself may not be defrauded of his portion. There are, in a moral consideration, but three things in the world — thyself, thy neighbour, and God ; and suitably doth the apostle distribute and parcel out christian offices and duties ; soberly as to ourselves, righteously as to our neighbour, and godly as to God.
3. The encouragements to learn, and they are two. If we look for- ward, there is hope ; if we look backward, there is gratitude, or an obligation arising from the death of Christ. In short the two great motives and inducements are the hope of eternal life, and the end of Christ's deatb. Hope of eternal life : ver. 13, ' Looking for the blessed hope,' &c. The end of Christ's death ; ver. 14, ' Who gave himself for us,' &c.
The text being long, I shall forbear exposition till I come to handle the several branches.
I shall first begin with the teacher, described ver. 11, 'The grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men.' The grace of God is described by its property ; it is %a/5t9 77 a-cor^pio^i, a grace bringing salvation, or tending to salvation, as the word signifies; and by a special adjunct, its present manifestation, eire^dvif}, 'it hath appeared;' suddenly broken out, like the light of the morning after a dark night ; and then there is the extent of that manifestation, it hath appeared to all men. Some indeed refer this extent, not to the word eTre^avq, ' it hath appeared,' but to the word, atari] pi,o<?, ' bringing salvation ;' and they read it as we do in the margin ; ' The grace of God, that bringeth salvation to all men, hath appeared;' there is not much difference. To supersede all doubt and dispute about the matter, all meii here signifies all sorts of men ; for the apostle had spoken of servants and bondmen, that they in their relations should glorify God ; and he proves it by this argument : ' The grace of God hath appeared to all men ; ' that is, to the l)ondman as well as to the lord and master ; therefore they in their places are to discharge their duties as well as others ; for the gospel, as I said, hath appeared to all men, and presseth all sorts of duties.