Ver. 16.-Salutation and conclusion. "All that are with me ~a.lute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen." I, MABK HOW THE EPISTLE, WHICH BEGAN Yi'ITH THE FAITH OF GoD'S ELECT, ENDS WITH GRACE AND LOVE. II. MARK THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED BY GRACE BETWEEN THE WIDELY ijQATTERED MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH. They are one holy, happy family, united by love. The threefold repetition or the word "all " suggests the deep unity of the body of Christ, in spite of its inward distractions and errors and sins. Ill. 'l'HE SALUTATION IMPLIES THA'l', THOUGH ADDRESSED TO Trrus, TBE EPISTLB WAS TO BE COMMUNICATED TO THE WHOLE CHURCH IN CBETE.-T. C.
Vera. 1, 2.-Subjection to the state. Society bas reached no ideal perfection iu government, nor has God himsell' laid down any outward form as an idP,,d. A11 64 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. [OH, Ill, 1-16.
nations are justified in variety of choice. There has been government by judoes nnd governments monarchical, republican, autocratic, and constitutional. All that ;e 'need to_ notice is that s~iety needs to be g(J'l}8rned. Lawlessness always ends in anarchy, rmsery, and desolation. I. LEARN SUBJECTION TO THE STATE. This is beautiful. Restraint is better than the liberty of licentiousness. Compare a river that keeps its bounds to one that over- flows its banks. Men are justified in resisting tyrannies, whether of autocrats or mobs. but they must. not forget that all well-ordered societies exist only by s1tbjection. ' II. LEARN SELF-CONQUEST IN YOURSELVES. Controllinu the ton"ue avoiding all bitterness and" brawling," and showing that there is a ma,~istracy 0 or"th~ heart as well as a magistracy of the state.-W. M. S.
Ver. 5.-The mercy of God. "According to hie mercy be l!llved us." Mercy is th_e _key-note of redemption. It is the music of the Psalms; the spirit of ChrisL's mrmstry, and the motive of the atonement. It is the very heart of God-as permanent as his justice and bis righteousness; "for bis mercy endureth for ever." I. SALVATION IS NOT A SUPERSTRUCTURE OF MAN'S. "Not according to works of righteousness which we have done." Good actions do not make a good man; it is the ~ood man that makes the good actions. If man is to be saved, he must have new life fron, within. Mercy meets his case. God's pity and compassion are seen in this. He gives the new heart that makes the new lire, and so he saves us from self and sin. II. SALVATION IS A DUAL WORK. This is" the washing of regeneration," the redemp- tion that comes to the heart through the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. But the removal or the stain of sin is not all. The heart, however clean, is not to be a blank. • A rww likeness is to be brought out. So there is to be the "renewing of the Holy Ghost." We are made new creatures in Christ Jesus. God's likeness comes out again in the soul. We are made holy with God's holiness, and beautiful with God'e beauty.-W. M. S.
Vers. 8, 14.-Christian characfm'. "To maintain good works." This is a repeated counsel, and shows how much need there was of showing that the "belief" sµoken of in the eighth verse should not be a mere speculative creed. This Titus is to "affirm constantly," showing that there were those then who had a tendency to autiuomianism, or neglect of the Law of moral order and beauty. L PERMANENCE. "Maintain." Men weary of their efforts after the attainment of a Di vine ideal. Holiness i~ not a gift, it is a growth; and a growth, not like that of a µlant, which is unconscious, but a growth that involves obedience. Maintain" works" -give them continuance, by aliment and nurture. ll. CoMPREREYSIVENESS. "Works." For life covers a large sphere. We are apt LO forget that Christianity covers all spheres-the civil, social, moral, spiritual. For ages the Church was merely ecclesiastical. "The religious" were such as shut them- ,el ves out from the world, deeming its pursuits and duties below the dignity of a spiritual religion, which ma.de the soul and its feelings and devotions everything. Now we have moved into a wider inheritance; we believe in the Christianization of common lif~; the consecration of art and science and common duty to Christian ends. We are simply to ask if the work given us to do is a good work, and we are to be earnest in "every good work." And we have seen that the tree must first be made good; for it is " the good man that, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things." -W.M.S.
Vera. 1--3.-Duty. "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers,~ etc. "Very careful," eays Dean Spence, "and searching have been the apostle's cl1arges to 'l'itus respecting the teachers of the Church, their doctrine and their life; very particular have beeu bis directions, his warnin:;11 and exhortations, to ,,,en and women of differeut ages, on the subject of their home life. But with the exception of a slight digression, in the case of a slave to a pagau master, hie words had been written with a reference generally to Christian life aruoc.g Christians. But !here was then a great life outside the little Christian world: how were the people of Christ to regulate their behaviour ia their dealings with the vast pagan world outside? Paul m. m.1-15.] THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 65