The Pulpit Commentary — Titus — Section 37

a love wtened on the supremely lovable; a healthy patience, a patience that ■ball bear up with fortitude and magnanimity under all the trials of life. 11 As becometh holiness "-reverent in demeanour. Let the whole life he full of that "holiness without which no man can Ill! the Lord." "Not false accusers "-not slanderers, It bas been observed that old women are specially tempted to garrulity and querulousness; hence the exhortation here. "Teachers ol' good things "--of that which is good. 'l'hings good in themaelves as well as in their tendencies and is5ues; teachers, not merely by words; but by example. "That they may teach [train] the young women t.o be sober." The expression, "to be sober," should be omitted. "To love their husbands." The duty implies that the husband is lol'eworthy; there are some men who are called husbands so morally abhorrent and disgusting, that t.o love them would be impossible. The ideal husband mUBt be loved. "To love their children." A mother's love, of a certain kind, is proverbial. M:ikrnal love, wrongly directed, has been one of the chief curses of thti race. "To be discreet "-sober-minded. A proper cheerfulness in mothers ~s a precious virtue, but volatile frivolousness is a serious evil. "Chaste "-purity of the body, fre&- dom from obscenity in language and life. Nothing in society is more beautiful then a- thoroughly chaste woman-chaste in language, chaste in dress, chaste in movement; and nothing is more disgusting then the reverse-a women unclean in appearance, in costume, in language, in manners. "Keepers [workers] et home." Wives must work as well as husbands. Work is a condition of health and of true enjoyment. An idle wife is a bane both to herself end her family. "At home." This may not mean entirely iu her own house, but in her own sphere, it may be in the garden, the (ield, the school- room., the Church, etc. "Good "-kind, amiable, sympathetic, generous, free from ell that is malign, envious, end jealous. "Obedient [being in subjection] to their own husbands." This implies, of course, that the husband's commauds ere wise, right, end useful. "That the Word of God be not blasphemed." This refers, perhaps, t.o ell the previous exhortations, end expresses a grand reason for the cultivation of ell virtues. Our conduct in ell thingil should be such e.s t.o bring honour rather than dishonour on our Lord end Master. "Let your light also so shine before men, that they may see your good works, end glorify your Father which is in heaven." "Young men likewise exhort t.o be sober-minded." Youth, in the swelling streams of its passions, the wild play of it.s fancy, end its craving for the romantic, is fearfully exposed to mental inso- briety. Hence, no duty for the young is more urgent than that of obtaining a self- masterhood. Titus, whom Paul commends to exhort young men t.o this duty, was himself a comparatively young man. He could scarcely have been more than forty, years of age. "Brought up in a pagan home, 11ot improbably in the ln.xurioUB end wicked Syrian Antioch, drawn to the Master's side in the fresh dawn of manhood, tried in many a difficult t.ask end found faithful, the words of Titus exhorting the youth of Crete to be sober-minded or self-restrained would be likely to have greet weight." "In ell things showing thyself a pattern [ensemple] of good works, in doctrine showing uncorrnptnes:;, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary pa.rt may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you rus]." In order that the exhortations of Titus might he\·e full force, Paul here edaresses an admonition to him. He is to show himself a "pattern of good works" in ell things; he is to be a model of excellence in ell his relation~ to the men end women of Crete, both the aged and the young. He IllUBt be pure, grave, and sincere. His preaching, too, should he such that could not be "condemned "-sound, healthy, practical, not fanciful, sentimental, and morbid. Ah I how many sermons preached every Sunday men of reason, thoughtfulness, conscience, recoil from and condemn I "Exhort se"ents to be obedient [in subjection] to their own masters, end to please them well [to be well plea.sing to them] in ell things; not answeri11g agaiu [not gainsaying]; not purloining, but showing ell good fidelity." Herein is enjoined on servants obedience, acquiescence, honesty, faithfulness. All this implies, of course, that the master is what he ought to be, that hie commends ere righteous, that his words ere truthful, and that the work he enjoins is lawful end right. "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in ell things." From this it would seem that even sieves, in righteously serving their masters, may even honour God in their humble service. Thus from thls passage we learn that genuine morality reaches the very springs of the heart, the fountain of ell ....:tiona. He ill not a morel men who only acts in strictest conformity to the oonnn-  OIL D. 1-16,] THE EPISTLE TO TITUS.