SermCLIÌI. Of the Necefty ofgood Forks: 345: 2. BY his own boarine and Converfation among them. And this is the fub- jed ofthe two following Chapters, in which lie gives him a ftri& charge, to be very careful both his Doetrine and his Life. Of his Do&rive, that it be ac- Cording to the foundnefs andpurity of the Gofpel ; not fuch corrupt and adulte- rate fluffas the falfe Apoftles and Teachers were wont to vend among them, Chap. 2: r. But fpeak thou the things which become found Do3rine ; which he elfewhare .calls the Dolirine of Troth which is according to Godlinéfs, fuch a Doetrine as tends to reform the lives of Men, to make them better, and more like to God. And then he thoúld be careful likewife, that his Life and Converfation be exeínplary in all Virtue and Goodnefs ; without which the belt words will beof littleweight, and the wifeft Do&tines and Counfels of fmall efficacy and force to perfuade others to the pra&ice of them, ver. 7. In ad things(hewing thyfelapattern ofgood works. When found Do&rive is feconded by the good life of the Teacher, it muff have great Authority and force of perfwafion, ver. 1.5: Theft' things fpeak, and exhort, and rebuke with all asthority; let no man defpife thee. If the Minifter ofGod dd but fo preach and fo live, this will give him Authority, and fet him above con- tempt ; let Men defpife fuch an one if they can; More particularly, as he would have him inftru& Men in general, in all the Virtues ofa good life ; fo more efpecially, the feveral ages and conditions of Men in the Duties and Virtues refpe&ively belonging to them ; to young and old; Men and Women. And becaufe great fçandal had beenbrought upon the Chriftian Religion, by the undutiful carriage of Servants and Subje&s towards their Matters and Magiftrates, upon a falfe notion of Chriftian liberty, advanc'd and propagated by the falfe Apoftles and Gnoflick Libertines, he gives Titus in particular, charge to put Chri- ftians in mindoftheir Duty in this particular, and to inculcate it earneftly upon them, that the Chriftian Religion might not be flander'd upon this account, Chap. 2. v. g: tb. Exhort Servantsto be obedient to their Mailers, &c. that they may adorn the doflrine ofGod our Saviour in all things. Chap. 3. í. Put them in mind to be fubjed to principalities andpowers; and to be ready to every good work ; that is, in fhort, to endeavour to be good in all relations, and in all forts and kinds of good - nefs. And then, ver. 8. he lays great ftrefs and weight upon this matter, that Chri- iteans fhouid conflantly and upon.all occafions be taught the great neceffity of the Virtues ofa good life. This is a faithful Paying, &c. By which folemn and vehe- ment kind ofexpreflìon, the Apoftie feems to infinúate, that the falfe Apoftles did exalt the Virtue of Faith, to the prejudice and negleet ofa good lift ; as if by a mere fpeculative belief and profeffion of the Chriftian Religion Men were difchar- ged and releafed from the pra&ice of all Virtue and Goodnefs. And this is very probable, becaufe we find thefe kind oflicentiousDo/trines very frequently refle&ed on, and reproved by the Apoftles in their Epiftles, and efpecially by Su Paul. The falfe Apoftles made theChriftian Religion a matter of mere fpeculation and difpute, but laidnoweight upon the Virtues ofa good life. And therefore St. Paul; after he had charged Titus to inculcate upon Chriftians theneceffityof good Works, immediately adds, But avoidfoolf, queflions, andgenealogies, and contentions, and firivings about the law : for they are unprofitable and vain; intimatingthat the falfe Apoftles inftead ofprefÌing the neceffity ofa good life, did amufe peopleWith thefe idle notions and difputes. But to return to my Text. This is a faithful fayin . This kind of Preface the Apoftle uferh.feveral times, but always when he is (peakingof fomething that is ofgreat weight and concernment to us, and which deferves our ferious attention and regard; as in r Tim. i. a 5. This is afaithfulfading, and Worthy Ofall accepta- tion, that jefus Chrf came into the world to fave finnerci a Tim. 4. 8. Goddnefs is profitable unto all things, having thepromife of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithfulfaying. And 2Tim. 2. II, 12: This is a faith- ful faying ; Ifwe bedead with him, we (hall alfo kve with him; ifwe fufer, we (hall alfo reign with him: If we deny him, he alfo will deny us. And fo hkewife here in the Text, This is a faithful faring, that they which have believedin God; Y y fhhould
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