HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-Political duties. The apostle now turns to the duties which Christians owe to the pagan world around them. L THE !o'ECESSITY OF THE INJUNCTION TO POLITICAL SUBMISSION. "Put them in mind." The words imply that the duty was already known, but needed to be recalled to Cretan memory. It is but too certain that the injunction was needed. Once a democratic state, now for over e. century under Roman Jaw, and always remarkable for a factious e.nd turbulent spirit, the Crete.n impatience of authority was reinforced by the spirit of insuhordine.tion which was such a characteristic of the Jewish part of the community. II. THE DUTY OF SUBMISSION TO CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY. "Put them in mind to be subject to e.uthorities, to powers, to obey the magistrate, to be ready towards every good work." The very redundancy of words used here is eignificant, as if to exclude the possibility of an eve.sion of the comme.nd. 1. Gover'f'.,ment is of God. "The powers that be are ordaintld of God" (Rom. xiii. 1; 1 Pet. iL 13). 2. The form of government does not affect the duty of obed:ience. Monarchies, republics, oligarchies, have in them alike the ordination and power of God for the welfare of society. 3. There are limits to thiB obedience, but the apostle does not fiz them. The exceptional cases are not men- tioned, because they a.re summed up either in ihe primary Je.w of self-preservation, which is antecedent to e.ll government, or in the supremacy of conscience, which must e.lways obey God rather than men. A king may become insane and murder his subjects, but the first principles of nature justify their resort to force in self-protection (Acts v. 29; iv. 9, 20). The king may command his subjects to practise idole.try. In that ca11e, if the Christian cannot resist, he must die. ill POLITICAL DUTY IN THE CABE OF CHRISTIANS INCLUDES MORE THAN SUBMISSION. They must be "ready toward every good work." As the magistre.tc is appointed to be a terror to evil-doers and the praise of them that do well (Rom. xiii. 3), the disposition of Christian subjects to every good work has a tendency to make government ee.ay and light.-T. C. Ver. 2.-The right deportment of <Jhristiam toward all men, It is described first 1Jegatively, then positively. L 'J'HEY MUST NOT BE REVILERS. "To speak evil of oo man." 1. What evils apring /r(iffi tl.t: •wr<mfJ wie of the tongue I "It ie an unruly evil" (Je.s. iii. 8). 2. If the flVil OJI, TI!. 1-16.) THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 49
we spook of other• ia falae, 'llHl an, 1landerer1; if it i, true, we m agavnat chMity. It usually betokens a malignant spirit. 3. it is to forget the exam,ple of C!hrist--" who, when he was reviled, reviled not again;" and the precepts of Christ, who taught us "to love our enemies." Let Ohristiane, therefore, guard their tongues, and let their words be few and well-ordered. II. THEY MUoT NOT BE OONTENTIOU8. "No brawlers." 1. Such a diwposition mars the influence of C!hristUJITI people. 2. It is inwnsi.1tent with the spirit of him who did not atrive, nor was his voice heard in the atreets. 3. It leads to unseemly retaliations from the world, to the dishonowr of C!hrise. III. THEY MUST &E l"OBBEABING. "But gentle." It suggests the idea of giving way, of taking wrong rather than of revenging the injuries we receive. IV. THEY -MUBT BE MEEK TO ALL MEN. "Showing all meekness to all men." 1. Meekness is a froit of the Spirit. (Gal. v. 22.) 2. It is precious in God's sight. (1 Pet. iii. 4.) 3. It is a characteristic of true wisdom. (Jas. iii. 17.) 4. It is neces- sary to a Ohristian walk. (Eph. iv. 1, 2.) 5. It is specially needed in our conduct toward our fellow-men (Jas. iii. 13); in our efforts to restore the erring (Gal. vi. 1) and to insiruot opposere (2 Tim. ii. 24, 25).-T. C.