was e. drinker or water, i.e. accustomed to the exclusive UBe of water 811 e. drink. \\'batever his reasons for arlopting this course, it was too rigoroua for him. He needed a little wine for his stomach's se.ke and his often infirmities. This is not certainly to be qonsrrue<l into e. licence for the unlimited use of wine. He is only recommended the use of a little wine. And the very reason which is given for its use is against its use where the se.me r<'ason does not exist. It is only too obvious the.t alcohol 1s destructive to the stomach, e.nd the fruitful cause of infirmities. It ia destructive tu the bra.in e.s well as to the stoma.eh. "There is quite a marked type of mental degeneration which may result from continuous drinking during ten years without one instance of drunkenness. We have, as a statistical fact, that from fifteen to twenty per cent. of the actual insanity of the country is produced by e.lcohol." In the name of bee.Ith, then, its use is to be feared; but, where health demands the use of wine, it i, a sin not to use it. For the servant of the Lord must have his strength of body .,t a maximum for him. y III. A POTh"T TO BE OONSIDERED IN THE JUDGING OF MEN FOB OFFICE. .. Some nH'n's sins are evident, going before unto judgment; and some men also they follow after. In like manner also there are good works that are evident; and such aa are otherwise cannot be hid." Present judging has a look forward to future judgin"'. To future judgment all actions, bad and good, are regarded as going forward. B~t there is a difference, both in the case of bad actions and of good actions. Some men's sins are not.oriol18; and, as heralds, go before them to judgment, proclaiming their co11demnation. With regard to such, judging for office is an easy matter; but it is not 10 with others. "Their sins are first known after and by the judgment, not known beforehand like the first named. In regard to those whose character is not yet clear, circumspection in our judgment cannot be too strongly urged." The same difference applies to good works. Some a.re as clear as noonday ; and therefore there can be no hesitation in regard to the doers of them. There are, however, other good works which are not thus clear; these cannot be hid longer than the judgment. In ,·iew of the discovery of good deeds at present unknown, we cannot be too circum- spect in our judgment of men, lest by our La,,tiness we do injury to any.-&.••
EXPOSITION. with dift'erent shades of meaning (eh. L 10; CHAPTER VI. iv. 6, 13, 16: v. 17: 2 Tim. iii. 10: iv. 3; Ver. 1.-.Are servants for sertlant, a, are, Titus i. 9: ii. 10, etc.). Blasphemed (comps.re A.. V.; the doctrine for his doctrine, A.V. the similar passage, Titus ii. 5, where 6 h.&-yos Servant.II ; literally, suztleJJ. That elavee .-oii eeoii answers to 7/ 1i,1ia.u1ea.Mfl here). formed a considerable portion of the first Bh.a.u,p11µ.eiv does not necessarily mea.n Christi.an Chnrchee may be inferred from "blaspheme" in its restricted sense, but as the frequency with which their duties are often means " to speak evil of,'' "to defame," pressed upon them (see 1 Cor. vii. 21-24; and the like. If Christian slaves withheld xii 13: Eph. vi. 5-8; Col iii. 11, 22; 1 Pet. the honour and respect due to their muter,, ii. 18 (ol oiKe-nu); see also 1 Cor. i. 27-29). it would be as sure to bring 'reproach npon It must have been an unspeakable comfort the Christian doctrine as if it taught in• to the poor ele.ve, whose worldly condition subordination and rebellion. was hopeless and often miserable, to secure Ver. 2.-Let them serve them the rather for hie place ea one of Christ's freemen, with rather do them 1ert1ice, A.V.; that partake of the sure hope of attaining "the glorious the benefit are belieinng and bewr,ed, for are liberty of the children of God." Under the f aith/ul and beloved, partakers of the benefit, yoke; i.e." the yoke of bondage" (Gal v. 1). A. V. They that have believing masters. Pt'rbaps the phrase contains a touch of com- The direction in the preceding verse pas,ion for their state (comp Acts xv. 10). applied to all slavc,s, though chiefly to wha.t, How beautiful ie the contreat suggested in ea Alford aye, we.s far the commonest case, Matt. xi. 29, 30 I Kut.era (B•o-1r,hcu); the that of those who had nnbelieving masters. proper word in relation to Boiih.os. The But now be adds a caution with regard to doctrine (11 B,Ba.u,ca>.la.); equivalent to the Christian slave of a Christian master. "Cl.iristianity," as taught by the apostles There we.s e. danger lest the feeling that and their successors (aue the frequt1Jt use of slaves and masters e.re brothers in Obrist the word in tLe paBtural EviBtle1, though 11Lould unduly interfere with tbe Nll)80t OB. VI. 1-21.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 119