Titus (Section 238)

Section 238 "That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."—Titus 2:10 The apostle greatly values the doctrine of the gospel, or he would not care so much to have it adorned. The apostle highly esteems the practical part of religion, hence he regards it as the beauty and ornament of the gospel.

What a wide range of practical instruction we find in this short letter! With what holy ingenuity is this interwoven with the doctrine!

We are bidden to obey the precept, that we may adorn the doctrine.

We have in our text—

I. A name of adornment for the gospel.

"The doctrine of God our Saviour."

1. It sets forth its greatness: "doctrine of God." Our fall, ruin, sin, and punishment were great. Our salvation and redemption are great. Our safety, happiness, and hopes are great.

2. It sets forth its certainty. It is "of God."

It comes by revelation of God.

It is guaranteed by the fidelity of God.

It is as immutable as God himself.

3. It sets forth its relation to Christ Jesus: "of God our Saviour."

He is the author of it. He is the substance of it.

He is the proclaimer of it.

He is the object of it. The gospel glorifies Jesus.

4. It sets forth its authority. The whole system of revealed truth is of God. The Saviour himself is God, and hence he must be accepted. The gospel itself is divine. God's mind is embodied in the doctrine of the Lord Jesus, and to reject it is to reject God.

Let us believe, honor, defend and propagate this "doctrine of God our Saviour." What else is so worthy of our love and zeal?

II. A method of adornment for the gospel. This is a remarkable verse. Observe—

1. The persons who are to adorn the gospel. In Paul's day, bond-servants or slaves. In our day, poor servants of the humblest order.

Strange that these should be set to such a task!

Yet the women slaves adorned their mistresses, and both men and women of the poorest class were quite ready to adorn themselves. From none does the gospel receive more honor than from the poor.

2. The way in which these persons could specially adorn the gospel. By obedience to their masters. Verse 9. By endeavors to please them: "please them well." By restraining their tongues: "not answering again." By scrupulous honesty: "not purloining," verse 10. By trustworthy character: "showing all good fidelity."

All this would make their masters admire the religion of Jesus.

3. The way of adornment of the doctrine in general.

Negatively: it is found— Not in the decoration of the building, the priest, the choir, or the worshippers. Nor in the attraction of peculiar garb and speech. Nor in the finery of philosophical thought. Nor in the tawdriness of rhetorical speech.

Positively: it lies in another direction.

We must adorn it by our godly lives.

Adornment, if really so, is suitable to beauty. Holiness, mercifulness, cheerfulness, etc., are congruous with the gospel.

Adornment is often a tribute to beauty. Such is a godly conversation: it honors the gospel.

Adornment is an advertisement of beauty. Holiness calls attention to the natural beauty of the gospel.

Adornment is an enhancement of beauty. Godliness gives emphasis to the excellence of doctrine.

Let us all endeavor to adorn the gospel, by—

Strict integrity in business.

Constant courtesy of behavior.

Unselfish love to all around us.

Quick forgiveness of injuries.

Abundant patience under trials.

Holy calm and self-possession at all times.

Gems

Yes, and mark you, this is to be done not as the prerogative of a few grandly gifted spirits, and on some occasion which may lift them proudly up to the gaze of the universe. As found in the text, it was of the power of the poor Cretan slaves the apostle was writing; of their power, too, not in some tremendous trial, as of torture or martyrdom, to which the cruelty of their masters sometimes subjected their faith, but of their power to do it "in all things"—in the daily, lowly, degrading service of a menial—in the small things as well as the great, in the squalid stall and fold as well as in the splendor of the palace; absolutely, in "all things" to adorn the glorious gospel of God. O blessed bondsmen of Crete! going forth under the lash and the chain, yet with hearts of faith under their burdens, and smiles of love amid their tears, doing work for God impossible to an angel!—Charles Wadsworth, D. D.

We have all heard the story of the girl who said she had been converted, for she now "swept under the mats." Koba, an Indian warrior, recently gave evidence of his conversion by saying, "I pray every day, and hoe onions." An Indian could not give a much better evidence of his sincerity than that. Manual labor is not the chief joy or pride of an Indian warrior.

Fox says, "When people came to have experience of Friends' honesty and faithfulness, and found that their yea was yea, and their nay was nay; and that they kept to a word in their dealings, and that they could not cozen and cheat them; but that if they sent a child to their shops for anything they were as well used as if they had come themselves, the lives and conversations of Friends did preach. All the enquiry was, Where was a draper, or shopkeeper, or tailor, or shoemaker, or any other tradesman that was a Quaker?" A Brahmin wrote to a missionary: "We are finding you out. You are not as good as your Book. If your people were only as good as your Book, you would conquer India for Christ in five years."

Light conceits and flowers of rhetoric wrong the Word more than they can please the hearers; the weeds among the corn make it look gay, but it were all the better they were not amongst it.—Leighton.

All may of thee partake:

Nothing can be so mean, Which with this tincture (for thy sake) Will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause Makes drudgery divine: Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, Makes that and th' action fine.

—George Herbert.