Vera. 9-16.-The worthless, the pernici(l1J,IJ, O,'Tld the desirable in aocial life. "But a.void foolish questions," etc. The te.ct brings under our attention three thingR. I. Tu& AVOIDANCE OF THE WORTHLESS IN SOCIAL LIFE. .. Avoid foolish question ■ o.nd geneo.logies." The "question~" and "genealogies" are referred to in 1 Tim. i. 4, The 11postle cho.ro.cterizes them as fo,,lish because they were of an utterly impractico.l nature, nnd consumed time and powers which were needed for other and better things. " Geneo.logies as found in the Books of the Pentate11ch, and to which wild o.llegorical interpretations had been assigned. Such purely fanciful meanings had been already developed by Philo, whose religious writings were b~oming at this time known and popular in many ol' the Jewish schools. Such teaching, ii allowed in the Christian Churches, Paul saw, would effectually put a stop to the gro\vth of Gentile Christendom. It would inculcate an undue and exaggerated o.nd, for the ordinary Gentile convert, an impossible reverence for Jewish forms and ceremonies." Old Wa\S the habit and strong wo.s the tendency of the Hebrews to concern themselves about their ancestry or genealo~y. A truly contemptible state of mind, this I What matters it whether we were born of kings or of paupers? "And contentions, and strivings about the Law." The cerem11nial law is here meant. evidently-the law concerning meats and drinks and holy days. "For they are unprofitable o.nd vain." How rife in Christendom have been in past ages, and still are, these miserable discuBSions, which a.re generated for the most part by the most ignorant and narrow-minded of the human race-mere "unfeathered bipeds" that Christianity has not converted into true manhood! The grand end of every mem her of the ~ocial realm should be "charity, that of a pure heart and of a. good conscit·nce." The only true Christianity in social life is allruism. II. THE EXCOMMUNICATION OF THE PERNICIOUS FROM SOCIAL LIFE. The former class -the irritating disputants about genealogies and ceremonies-are described as" unpro- fitable and vain." They are a worthless class, doing no goo<l whatever, but otherwise. The class we have here, however, is represented o.s pernicious, and to be rejected. "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admo11ition reject." The word "heretic" (u/p..,,,,&s) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. All heretics may be divided into three classes. 1. The theoretical unbeliever. They do not believe what others helieve to be true and orthodox. Though bigots denounce this as the worst of sins, true wisdom justifies it. It says that uniformity of opinion is an impossibility- an impossibility arising from a. variety in the faculties, education, and external circum- stances of men. And not only an impossibility, but an inexpediency. Did all men think a.like, e.11 minds would sink into a dead monotony. "Every man should be fully persuaded in his own mind." That, therefore, which the Church most fiercely denounces it should encourage and develop. There is more good in honest doubt than in half the creeds. 2. The profes,ional believer. A heretic more execrable know I not than he who every Sunday in the great congregation declares his faith in creeds, and every de.y, not only ignores them, but denies them in his life. These heretics make our laws, rule our commerce, fill our temples, create wars, anrl swindle the millions. 3. The practical disbeliever. These a.re insincere. They do not act according to their innate convictions, their intuitive beliefs. They believe-and they cannot help it-that the greatest Being should have the most reverence, the best Being the most love, the kindest Being the most gratitude; and yet, forsooth, they live Ii ves of irreverence, unlovingness, and in~ratitude. These are the worst kind of heretics. And how a.re they to be treated? They are to be excommunicated. "After the first e.nd second admoni- tion reject." They should be morally ostracized. "Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself." They are insincere men, and not to be accepted or continued in the circle of brotherhood. Whilst you have no authority In persecute them or crush then1 by force, you are bound to treat them as insincere men. Their own conscience condemns; they are self-condemned. Ill. THE SUPREMACY OF PURPOSE IN SOCIAL LIFE. Jn all the che.nges in social com- panionship and scene of residence to which the e.postle here points, he urges the ainiin" e.t one thing, viz. to "maintain good works for necessary US<'S, that they be not u;fruitful." What the II good works" are I have intimated in my remarks on 1,he preceding verses. They are works that have a right motive, a rigl,t stundurd, a11d a right influence. The grand end in the lire of a_ll ~ational and m_?ral bein~s shoul~ be the maintenance of good works. The apostle mt1me.tes that this should be the 11.1m: ., THE EPISTLE TO TITUS . [ OB. Ill, 1-llJ,
1. In all tM events qf life. He was now despatching to Titua from his eociety two dear friends and fellow-workere, Artemas and Tychi<:ua, inviting him to come at once to Nicopolis, where be had, in the use of hia discret.ionnry power, determined to remain through the wintt.r. Moreover, he had request,id Titus to bring with him Zenas the lawyer and Apollos. Apollos was a man, i,ot only of distinguished learning Rnd influence, but Paul'e intimate friend and fellow-labourer. In all this Paul keeps the one end in view, viz. that they should maintain good works. "Good works," the culmination of all good ideas, good impressions, good emotions, and good resolves. "Show me your faith by your works.'' In a good character man can alone find his heaven and from good works alont> can man produce a good character. 2. Jn the presuli11g spirit q.f life. "All that &re with me salute thee," eto. Brotherly love wu to animate, direct, and rule all their social movements and aotivitiea.-D. T. HOMlLETlOAL u~DEX TO
THE EPISTLE OF