The Pulpit Commentary — Titus — Section 38

tione.l rules of society, nor 111 be enn e. moral man who merely fulfils the letter of the Divine commands. "All these commandments he.ve I kept from my youth up.... Yet one thing thou le.ckest," etc. He only is the true me.n whose governin(7 sympathies flow in the channels of eterne.l right, and whose activities are ever engaged ~ endeavours t-0 please the mighty Me.ker of his being. The will of God, and that only, is the datum of true ethics. III. GENUINE MODALITY 18 THE GRAND PURPOSE OIi' GOSPEL TEACHING. "But speak thou the things which become [befit] sound doctrine, that the aged men," etc. His tee.ching is to be in contrast with that of the false teachers mentioned in the previou, verses, and which led to immorality of conduct. This verse and the seve11th, urging Titus, as a preacher, to be a pattern in all things, both in his teaching and his cnn<luct, justifies the inference that the grand end of gospel teaching is the promotion of genuine 'TTWT'ality. In the eighth verse of the next chapter, Paul distinctly states that Titus WB8 so to teach that his hearers might be "careful to maintain good works." This is a point which what is called the "Church" hBS, in its teachings, practically ignored. The gospel has been preached to sustain theologies, to establish sects, and to maintai11 certain institutions, ecclesiastical and political, instead of rnakiDg men 'TTWT'ally good, honesr, faithful, e.nd heroically loyal to the "truth as it is in Jesus." Here, then, we have the only infallible tat of pulpit usefulnes,. In what does the real utility of the pulpit con- sist? In gathering large audiences? Any charlatan can do this; and, frequently, the greater the charlatan the most successful. In generating in the congregation the largest amount of superficial religious sentiment? This often emasculates the reason, diseases the conscience, enervates the will, and renderf the whole atmosphere of the soul insalu- brious and depressing. No; but in making men 'TTWT'al, the living agents evermore of good works. I estimate a true Church, not by the number of its members, the apparent earnestness of its devotions, or the amount of its contributions, but by the number of its professors who are too truthful to lie, too honest to defraud, too morally noble to do or to countenance a mean or a dishonourable act-to whom, in short, e.11 worldly wealth and power, and life itself, are held cheap as dirt compe.red with the right. When Churches are made up of such members, then, and not until then, they will command tbe confidence, the sympathy, the trade, and the influence of the world. Well does Emerson say, " There is no morality without religion, and there is no religion without morality. • This is the love of God, the.t we keep his commandments.' He who loves God keeps the commandment, loves God in action. Love is obedience in the heart, obedience is love in the life. Morality is religion in practice, religion is morality in principle."-D. T. Vers. 11-16.-'l'he ,oul...cullure of thtJ world. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation bath appeared to all men," etc. "Taking occasion from what he had just said of the connection between the conduct of Christians and the doctrine they pro- fessed to have received, and the connection of both with the glory of God, the apostle proceeds in these ver&es to ground the whole of his exhortations respecting tb,i behaviour of Christians in the essentially moral nature and design of the graclil of God, as now manifested in the gospel" (Dr. Fairbairn). As if the apostle had said, " You must exhort all orders, those of every age and condition, of each sex, bond as well as free, to struggle after spiritual goodness because the • grace of God,' or the gospel, has come to you." Our subject is the soul-culture of thtJ world. Man requires training. He needs physical training, intellectual training, and, above all, spiritual training, the tre.ining of the soul into a higher life. We have here the instrument, the process, and the md of true soul-culture. I. TBE IM8TBUME!o"'J OJI' TBUE SOUL-OULTtrRE. What is it? Not science, legisla- • tion, philosephy, poet,y, or any of the arts. What, then? "'!'he grace of God." Whe.t is that? Undoubtedly God's merciful plan and ministries to restore the fallen world. The Epiphany, or manifestation of this redemptive love of God for the world, we he.ve in the advent and ministry of Christ to this earth. "The grace of God" stands for the gospel. Concerning this instrument, observe : 1. It is the l011e of God. Divine love ie the cause, tht' essence, and the efi"ootive energy of all God'~ redemptive ministries. 2. II ia the love of God to ,aw. "That bringeth [bringing] salvation." Salvation, that is, the restoration of me.n to the knowledge, the imege, and the frit1ncl-  42 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. [ou. n. 1-16,