The Pulpit Commentary — Titus — Section 54

In him, _n~f in men•~ rep'.·esen_tati_ons ?f him. "He_ tha~ cometh to God musl helieve that he 1s. To ~lit'vo m _him 1mph_es :_ 1. T~ believe in w~t he is in himself. Tho ?nly absolut.e existence, withou~ begmnmg, without HUccess10u, without end, who ia m all and_ through all, the all-mighty, the all-wiae, the all-good Creator and SustRiner of the un•verse. This faith in him is the most philosophic, the most universal and the most hlessed and ennobling faith. 2. To believe in what he is to us-the F;ther the Proprietor, and the Life. "Not willing that any should perish." This is the faith ~hat i_s enjoined _upon ~s e_very_where in the Old Testament and the New; not faith in mfalh~le propol!lt1ons, m mfimte pe~sonality; not faith in man's ideas of God, but in God 11111,self, a.s the Source of all hfe, the Fountain of all virtue, the Standard of all excellence. "Trust in him that liveth for ever." .. Not in priesthoods, not on creed, Is the faith we need, 0 Lord; These, more fragile than the ,-eed, Can no rest for souls afford. Human systems, what are they? Dreams of erring men at be8t, Visions only of a day, Without substance, without ,-est. Firmly fix it, Lord, on thee, Strike its roots deep in thy love; Growing ever may it be, Like the faith of th,·se above. Then though earthly things depart, And the heavens pass away, Strong in thee shall rest the heart, Without fainting or decay." (' Biblical Liturgy.') ID. THE SUJ'REME PURPOSE oF A TRUE LIFE. "To maintain good works." What are good works ? 1. Works that have right moti:ves. Works that society may con- sider good, that Churches may chant as good, are utterly worthless unless they spring from supreme love to the Creator. "Though I give my body to he burned, if I have not Jove, I am nothing." "Love is the fulfilling of the Law." 2. Works that have a right standard. It is co11ceivable that man may have a right motive aud yet his work be bad. Was it not s"mething like this with Saul of Tarsus wl,e11 he was persecuting the saints? We make two remarks in relation to these good works. (1) The main- tenance of these works requires strenuous and constant effort. "I will that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works." There are so many forces within and without us to check and frustrate the maiotenance of good works, that we require to he constantly on our guard to see that our motives are right. It may be that good works flow from angelic natures as wat-ers from a fountain, as sunbeams from the sun; but it is not so with us. Their light in us i~ the light of the lamp, and to be clear and useful there mnst be constant trimming: u.nd feeding with fresh oil; for the streams to be purr, the fountain must be kept cleao. We mus~" watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation." (2) The great work of the Christian ministry is tu stimulate this effort. "I will that thou affirm confidently, to the end that they which have believed God may be careful to maintain good workH." "This is a faithful saying, and these thi!!gs I will that thou affirm con- stantly, that they which have believed in God," etc. In lour other texts of Scripture we have" a faithful saving." The fir~t is 1 Tim. i. 15, "That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." The second is 1 Tim. iv. 8, 9, "This is a faithful saying, Godliuess is l'rofitable unto all things." The third is 2 Tim. ii. 11-13, "It is a faithful saying, If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him." The fourth is our text, "This is a faithful saying." What? That God makes men morally right by his grace. This is an undoubted fact. That God is the essential Foundation of all true faith. Who can question this? Or that the ~npreme purpose of moral existence is to maintain "good works." Who will ,:?:ainsay this? Or that all ministers of the gosp<'l should raithfully and co1Jstantly exhort their hearers to maintain good work!. These, indeed, &re all faithful sayings, and should be practically realizt>d by every man.-D. 'l'. OB. m.1-16.) THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 69