07.04. Our Gentle Schoolmistress

IV OUR GENTLE SCHOOL­MISTRESS

Titus 2:10-14 THIS paragraph may be called the epiphany paragraph, because twice that word occurs within its precincts. There has been an epiphany of God’s grace; there will be an epiphany of His glory, and we know full well that that epiph­any will be ours also; for when He is manifested we also shall be manifested with Him in glory. "Epiphany" means manifestation, the shining forth of the hidden sun from which the veil­ing cloud has been withdrawn.

It is according to the method of the apostle that this marvelous paragraph, in which the two epiphanies meet, should be addressed in the first instance to slaves. Titus had been sent to Crete, that he might set in order the things that were wanting and appoint elders in every city; he was sent to organize the struggling churches in all parts of that island. Without doubt these little bodies, which shone like sparks of fire amid the encircling gloom, had a larger proportion of slaves in their composition than of any other class. There was that in the gospel message which constituted a powerful attraction to the downtrod­den serfs. Moreover, they needed, more than any other class, the most inspiring teaching that the apostle could communicate to lift them above the degrada­tion and misery of their lot, and to enable them to feel that in the discharge of the most menial and distasteful work scope was given to them for the high service of God. In this connection it is interesting to see that the closing words of our paragraph are "good works."

"Good works" is a characteristic phrase of this epistle. The Greek word is "beautiful." The apostle was extremely anxious that these poor house­hold slaves should abound in beautiful work. Titus was to be an example of such works (Titus 2:7). Those who believed in God were carefully to maintain "good works" (Titus 3:8). The converts were to learn to maintain "good works" for necessary uses (Titus 3:14). The intention gives character to the act, and noble or beautiful conceptions of Christian life would tinge with their own hues the most trivial act that called for doing. Therefore the apostle sets himself to store the hearts of the disciples with these lofty conceptions, that the white light of common life, passing through the stained glass of divine principles, may fall upon the pavement beneath in prismatic beauty.

Some who read these words may be occupied with the commonplaces of life. Domestic servants, children at school, tradesmen, mechanics-let them not suppose that these spheres of duty are insusceptible of bearing traits of beauty. The heart can shed the light of its own ideals upon the commonest, meanest details until they wax lustrous. Many a beautiful life is being lived in top attics and cellar kitchens, because a beautiful soul is prompting every act, irradiated by the gospel and irradiat­ing it. The mantle of the incandescent light may serve as a beautiful illustration for this. Its manufacture is on this wise. A piece of cotton or gauze fabric is formed of a bell-like shape. Then for weeks or months its texture is saturated by various chemical ingredients, which coalesce and form into a solid structure. After a while, when ready for use, the mantle is placed over a burner and a light applied. Immediately the slight gauze is consumed, but on the surface of the amalgam, to which it gave its form, the light and heat of mingled gas and common air will burn for a thou­sand hours. Similarly, on the flimsy groundwork of a very trivial act the loftiest thoughts, ideals, and motives may congregate, and remain long after the act itself has passed, giving light and leading men to glorify the Father who is in heaven.

Amid the multitudinous grandeur and interest of this paragraph, there is one central conception on which we may stay for a while, in the hope that its delicate beauty may exercise its witch­ery over our souls. The grace of God is compared to an instructress, a teacher of young children, and is depicted as keeping a school, within which all who love Christ are gathered. Hugh Miller, in his "Schools and Schoolmasters," has spoken of the various influences which equipped him for his life-work; and we are all pupils in many schools, and sit beneath the instruction of many masters. But amid all the influences that mold our lives, there is none so gentle, be­nignant, formative, and strong as the influence of our earliest and latest teacher, the grace of God. As I write there comes back to me a vision of a gentle lady to whom, as a little boy, I went to school. Even now I can see her pure and sweet face. She was never vexed. It was pleasant to learn what she taught, because of the charm of her personal character, which attracted young hearts and made them soft as wax to receive the die. And much of what I have learned in after life seems to have been but the devel­opment of what she gave in embryo. Many of us recall such in the sunny years that lie behind us in the morning light, and they give us a vision of what the grace of God must be.

Between the two epiphanies grace has set up a school. She hath brought salvation to all men, and she instructs those in whose hearts her loving words are welcomed. Have you entered her school? Are you sitting on her forms? There are several peculiarities.

All her teaching centers around a bi­ography. She teaches truth, but it is the truth as it is in Jesus. The way, the truth, and the life, of which she con­stantly speaks, are gathered up in His wonderful personality. To know Him is to know all that she can teach; and yet, after all that she can teach, He is always greater and more wonderful.

All her students learn from the same book. There is but one manual for them all. From the moment they enter her school-house, to the last one they spend there, they turn the same leaves, though, under her gentle teaching, these glow with an ever-growing meaning. The pupils of grace begin at the highest forms and end with the lowest, and those who know most take the lowest places, supposing that they know noth­ing at all. They confess that they are less than the least of all saints, that they have not apprehended, but are labori­ously following on.

There are no fees, except that every scholar has to bring, as they are wont still to do in the remoter parts of Scotland, each one a contribution to the common fire.

There is a system of rewards and pun­ishments in the school of grace-prizes to be won, penalties to be avoided. The lessons are always turned back if they are not perfectly learned. The scholars are kept close, even in the lovely sum­mer days, if they have not completed their tasks; and there are times when the teacher has been known to use the taws; but the infliction of chastisement has ever seemed an unwelcome task, only resorted to when all else had failed. Her voice is low and sweet, her foot­step noiseless, her hand soft and tender. Her power lies in her winsomeness, which attracts and charms, her patience, which counts no pains extravagant if only some young learner can be induced to apply himself to knowledge. Her portrait has been limned by an immortal hand, and hangs forever in the portrait gallery of God’s Book; but there she is also known as wisdom.

"Doth not wisdom cry,
And understanding put forth her voice?
In the top of high places by the way,
Where the paths meet, she standeth;
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud: ...
Receive my instruction, and not silver;
And knowledge rather than choice gold."
We are taught what we are to deny.

"Ungodliness and worldly lusts." One of the first lessons of children is to restrict and limit the indulgence of each passing whim and fancy for the sake of some worthier aim. It is impossible to make much of the young life the gate of which is always on the swing and open to every intruder. To discriminate and refuse is a prerequisite to all true ad­vance. The child who stops to gather all the flowers in the spring hedgerows is not the one to send on urgent messages.

Similarly, if we would have the frui­tion of God’s glorious grace, we must deny all that is inconsistent with God and godliness, which is godlikeness. We must resolutely deny and die to all that is inconsistent with God and unlike God, all that would grieve the Holy Spirit, all that would create surprise and dislike in those who live on most familiar terms with God. Ungodliness and worldly lusts are closely connected. The heart of man, like a climbing plant, must adhere; and if its support be not God, then it will be that system of things by which we are surrounded, known as the world. We must have one or the other, and these are mutually destructive. To have God is to be unworldly; not to have God is to be consumed by divers worldly lusts, which war against the soul. Therefore the apostle does well to class these twain; they are two sides of the same bad coin, and grace teaches us to deny each.

We are taught what to practise. "To live soberly, righteously, godly, in this present world." Soberly: that is our behavior toward the things around us, whether pleasures, gains, or acquisitions of any kind. Righteously: that is our behavior toward our fellows, adopting as our code of dealing with them the standard of unvarying rectitude and honor. Godly: that is our behavior toward God-to love Him, resemble and obey Him. Are you ever at a stand, not knowing what to do for the best in respect to some question of practical life or honor? Take the hard problem into the presence of the grace of God; she shall instruct thee. How much we miss that would help us in determining our course amid the perplexities of the present evil world!

We are taught what to look for. "The blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (R.V.).

We are taught what to believe. That Jesus "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us." This was the prime end of our Saviour’s coming into our world. All His work culminated in the cross; there He stood as our substitute, and bought us to be His own, and He will never be satisfied till we are redeemed from all iniquity and purified even as He is pure. There is no need that any of us should live under the power and tyranny of sin. We have been re­deemed from under its accursed yoke, and have only to assert our freedom on the warrant of God’s Word. This is one of the favorite lessons of grace. As some holy woman, whose purity of character and dignity of mien secured her from molestation, might have gone among the slave populations of the Southern States after the great war, explaining everywhere to them the nature of President Lincoln’s proclama­tion, assuring them that they were free and urging them to assert that freedom, so does this blessed teacher instruct us of our freedom and urge us to act on it.

Lastly, we are taught what we are to be. "A people for His own possession" (R. V.). These Cretan converts were in many cases but too familiar with the thought of being owned by another-­often by a cruel and hateful master, who exercised his deadly rights to the full. It was a mighty inspiration when they came to realize that they were much more Christ’s, set apart for Him­self and bearing His image and super­scription.

Oh, that grace may more perfectly explain to us the majesty of our high calling, and enable us to realize it! Let us sit at the feet of our gentle teacher, with humble and teachable hearts, to hear her lovely voice and weave her instructions into the warp of our mortal human life.