An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

CHAP. III.

HEE proceeds to instruct Titus in his office, to which end hee adds eight other Precepts.

Vers. 1. Put them in mind to bee subject to principa∣lities and powers, to obey Magistrates, to bee ready to every good work.

Precept 1. That hee command all Christians, quiet∣ly to give respect to Civil Order, i. e. That they submit themselves to the supreme Magistrate, and the inferiour Powers or Magistrates, that they bee obedient to Ci∣vil Laws, and shew themselves ready and chearful to e∣very good work, for the promoting of which, Magi∣strates are appointed.

Vers. 2. To speak evil of no man, to bee no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Precept 2. Of the duties of Charity towards any our of the Church, or within it, these duties are four. (1) That they respect the credit and reputation of o∣thers, speaking evil of no man. (2) That they bee free from strifes and contentions. (3) That they follow after moderation and equity, being ready (when need requires) to part from their private right. (4) That they bee gentle towards all, even the worst of men.

Vers. 3. For wee our selves also were sometime foo∣lish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts, and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

Hee gives two Reasons why gentleness should bee shewed towards some.

Reas. 1. Because wee before our conversion were such, as they now are; wee are all of us by nature, upon many considerations to bee blamed, yet wee desired to bee treated courteously and mildly by all: Therefore let us deal accordingly with those who are not yet converted: Hee sets down five diseases of our Natures. (1) Wee were foolish, because all the wisdome of men is meer va∣nity, so long as wee know not God, for wee are igno∣rant of the right rule, and the true fountain, and the due end of our actions. (2) Disobedient, Because men by nature, do nothing of those things which either God or conscience command, but that which pleases themselves. (3) Straying, viz. from the true way which leads to eternal life, and being deceived with errours, they go further off from God daily. (4) Serving, with delight, divers lusts and pleasures, which reign together, and as it were, by turns challenge a dominion over all the un∣regenerate. (5) Wee were destitute of the true love of God, living in malice and envy, rejoycing in the hurt, and sorry for the good that befalls our neighbour: ha∣ting one another, when all of us were most worthy to bee hated of God.

Vers. 4. But after that the kindness, and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Reas. 2. Because wee, although perverse, yet at length were converted by the Grace of God: Therefore ought wee to use gentleness towards those that are un∣converted, and hope well of them, who may possibly bee converted by the same Divine Grace.

Kindness] Hee explains this reason, and commends the grace that was shewed to us in our conversion, and proves it by eleven Reasons.

Reas. 1. From the more remote cause, viz. the good∣ness and kindness of God, which rejoyceth to put forth it self for our advantage, and to communicate good to us.

Reas. 2. From the neerer cause, which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the love of God, wherewith God is affected to man-kind above all other creatures.

Reas. 3. From the instrumental cause, or the man∣ner of revealing the Gospel, which hath no less gra∣ciously shined forth upon us, and without our procure∣ment, than the Sun (from whence the similitude of shi∣ning forth or appearing is fetch't) rises upon us without our help.

Reas. 4. From the next cause of our conversion, which is the effectual manifestation of God, as a Saviour, made to us, who as soon as hee manifests himself to our hearts, not as our Judge to condemn us, but as our Saviour, to save us, by this manifestation of himself hee draws our hearts to him, and converts us.

Vers. 5. Not by works of Righteousness, which wee have done, but according to his mercy hee saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Reas. 5. By way of removing all our works, and all merit in us, which either went in time before our effe∣ctual calling, or which could bee fore-seen and conside∣red, as if wee had done them.

Reas. 6. Expresly affirming that mercy is the cause of salvation,

Reas. 7. Making God the Author of the Sacraments, or the external means of salvation, and also the Author of our regeneration, and so of the internal means where∣by wee are led to salvation (conceive the same of other means) which are not from our selves, but the Holy

Ghost, or God the sole Author, who alone without us instituted the layer of Baptism for a Sacrament, and the grace signified by Baptism (viz. the washing of us from the filth of our sins, and the renewing of the Image of God in righteousness and holiness) hee alone works in us.

Vers. 6. Which hee shed on us abundantly, through Iesus Christ our Saviour.

Reas. 8. From the meritorious cause of the graces of the Spirit, plentifully shed upon us, which is Jesus Christ our Saviour, both the fountain from whom, and the chanel through whom, the grace of God is conveighed to us.

Vers. 7. That being justified by his grace, wee should bee made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Reas. 9. From the nature of free Justification, seeing wee are justified not by works, but by the grace of Christ.

Reas. 10. From the manner of entring upon life eter∣nal, to the possession whereof, wee are admitted, not as buyers or Merchants, but as heirs appointed.

Reas. 11. From the instrumental cause, hope, or faith, which relye upon the free promises of God (not any of our merits) and altogether exclude our works, so that wee are made heirs of life, according to the hope, which the promises of God have given to us.

Vers. 8. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, That they which have be∣leeved in God, might bee careful to maintain good works; these things are good and profitable unto men.

9. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentious, and strivings about the Law, for they are unprofitable, and vain.

The third Precept is this, That hee conjoyn with the Doctrine of faith, the Doctrine of good works, pro∣ceeding from faith, and urge it with Authority, and see that the faithful maintain, or bee Patrons of good works, seeing life is freely bestowed upon them: Hee gives two Reasons of the Precept. Reas. 1. Because this saying concerning this Precept is a faithfull saying, or wor∣thy to bee beleeved, and most necessary and true, which cannot frustrate or deceive those that obey it.

Good] Reas. 2. Because this kinde of Doctrine is good and profitable unto men, because it tends to the glory of God, the confirmation of our selves, touching the certainty of salvation, and to the edification of o∣thers in the faith, and the conversion of Infidels.

Foolish] Precept 4. That hee restrain foolish que∣stions, wherewith men use to intangle themselves, and to hinder themselves from holding any thing firmly in the known truth: Such are Genealogical questions, or Chronological, and contentious dispu∣tations, and strivings about Law-ceremonies, or the like.

For they are] Hee adds the Reason, Because though those questions make a shew of wisdome, yet they are foolish and vain, and unprofitable, nothing tending to edification in faith and holiness of life.

Vers. 10. A man that is an heretick, after the first and second admonition, reject:

Precept 5. Wherein the Apostle enjoyns Titus to re∣ject by Excommunication the man that is an Heretick, or that holds contrary to sound Doctrine, and makes a di∣vision or sect in the Church, or breaks the unity of the Church by any errour of his (when hee is openly con∣victed before the Presbytery, and admonished the first and second time) and neither trouble himself and the Church, more than needs, with the disputations of such kinde of men, or spend that time which is appointed for in∣structing of the Chuch, in vain disputations with these perverse men.

Vers. 11. Knowing that hee that is such, is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

Hee subjoyns a Reason, because it is in vain to dispute against one convinced of obstinacy already; for hee hath fallen from the truth, and is so overthrown, that hee will not indure to bee edified any longer, and rejecting the light offered in the admonishing of him, hee makes it plainly appear that hee doth violence to his own con∣science.

Vers. 12. When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Ty∣chicus, bee diligent to come unto mee to Nicopolis, for I have determined there to Winter.

Precept 6. Concerning private affairs, whereby hee recalls Titus from Crete, and wills him to come to Nico∣polis, where the Apostle seems not to have been when hee wrote these things (as the addition of some unskilful Scribe hath set it down in the end of the Epistle) but there hee intended to Winter.

Vers. 13. Bring Zenas the Lawyer, and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing bee wanting unto them.

Precept 7. Concerning private matters also, That hee would assist Zenas and Apollos in their journey, men very well skilled in the Scripture, but no wise weal∣thy.

Vers. 14. And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they bee not unfruit∣ful.

Precept 8. That hee instruct not onely the faithful a∣mongst the people, but also the Preachers of the Gospel, or those that are of the Pastoral order, that they go be∣fore others in the communication of their goods, and distributing according to necessity. The reason whereof is given, lest whilst they exhort others to good works, they themselves should bee without fruit.

Vers. 15. All that are with mee salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace bee with you all. Amen.

Hee concludes the Epistle, (1) With commendations sent to Titus from the Brethren. (2) With salutations sent from himself to the faithful in Crete. (3) With an Apostolical benediction, where hee comprehends not Titus onely, but the Churches also, to whose use this Epistle was written, sealing up his wish, and the truth of the whole Doctrine, with his AMEN.