Titus 2 - Wells of Living Water Commentary

Grace Teaching How To Live

Titus 2:1-15

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

The Book of Titus is one of the most practical in its message, of any of the Epistles. It is grace teaching us how to live.

Titus 1:1-16; Titus 2:1-9 presents God's demands as to Christian life from varied viewpoints. Here we will briefly set these forth. Paul had left Titus in Crete that he might accomplish certain things. These things would have presented a real task anywhere, but in Crete they called upon Titus to do the seemingly impossible. Let us set forth these things step by step.

1. A call to ordain elders of a certain type in every city. To ordain elders might not have been difficult; however to ordain elders such as God demanded was another matter. Here are the Divine requirements: "If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly." This alone would have been difficult indeed, but the Lord still further stated, "A bishop must be blameless, * * not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but * * sober, just, holy, temperate."

Even in our day of culture and of advance in Christian knowledge, it is not at all easy to secure as church leaders men of such qualifications. We are certain that poor Titus felt the impossibility of the task in Crete. Paul, himself, granted that the Cretians were naturally "liars, evil beasts, slow bellies," How then could God expect so much from so evil a people? We merely stop to say that God has never lowered these standards. What He required in Crete, He requires in our present-day churches.

2. The demand upon aged men. In Titus 2:2 we read: "That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in the faith, in charity, in patience." Aged men may be naturally grave, but they are not naturally patient; neither do they humanly abound in charity or love. As we grow older we are liable to grow a bit sour, and exacting.

3. The demand relative to aged women. Titus 2:3 says, "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things." Here again Titus must have hesitated. Aged women are not overly careful in their criticism of the younger generation. They may have a tendency to false accusations and harsh judgments. However God does not lower His standards to meet the natural propensities even of the aged women in Crete and in

4. The word concerning young women. Titus 2:4 says that the young women should be sober, love their husbands, love their children. They should be "chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands." Such demands are "hard" on the young women of our day, let alone of Crete and of Paul's day.

They are to be sober, not chasers, after pleasure; they are to love their husbands, and to be obedient to them, not to be lords over them; they are. to love their children, not to shun the responsibility of having children; they are to be discreet and chaste not to dress as the godless dress, and to yield their persons to vile social amusements; they are to be "keepers at home" and not gadders about.

"We might go on. God has given us many true young women among our Christian youth, but they do not abound in holiness in our day, any more than they did in Crete.

5. A word of command for young men. Titus 2:6 lays upon them all the principles laid down relative to young women, then adds this: "Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Alas, alas, how poor Titus must have felt in the Isle of Crete, with so high a standard for the young men. How also does the true pastor of today feel the lack of young men such as described above. They are indeed few and far between.

6. A final exhortation to servants. In Titus 2:9 and Titus 2:10, servants are instructed to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; not purloining, but showing all good fidelity. Thus God delivers His ideal for servants. It is an ideal unknown in Crete, and unknown here apart from the Gospel.

I. ADORNING THE DOCTRINE OF GOD (Titus 2:10, l.c.)

1. An unspeakable privilege. The doctrine of God, our Saviour, is a doctrine of marvelous glory. When Minister Woo, in Washington, D. C., was discussing the ethics of Christ as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount, he said that they were beyond the reach of men. He was correct. The Bible does hold up a standard of Christian living that surpasses anything known to men. The other doctrines of God, our Saviour, are all on a platform, exalted far above human reach.

The doctrine is, as is the Lord, perfect, pure, holy, and unspeakable.

It is such a doctrine that servants, and also young men and young women, aged men and aged women, and elders, are all called upon to adorn. To hold forth the Word of Life is one thing; to adorn it is another. To preach Christ is one thing; to magnify Him in deed and in truth is another thing.

Saints adorn the Gospel of Christ when they live a life that reaches its message. They adorn the Gospel when they give their all in life or in death to support and sustain the Gospel.

2. An impossible thing made possible. Our heart goes out to Titus. He was told to do that which, seemingly, could not be done. He may have thrown up his hands; he may have cried out, "God does not know the Cretians, He does not understand their evil propensities." "How," thought Titus, can such ideals be carried out; how can such holiness, such sobriety, such self-control, be expected of Cretians, men who dwell in the flesh?

The pastor of today stands aghast even as Titus stood aghast. We are often asked to lower God's standards, and to make them easier on saints.

II. THE ADVENT OF GRACE (Titus 2:11)

1. Grace the key to holy living. Titus could now no longer misunderstand God's call to holiness. God knew that the Cretians were evil; He also knew the power of the grace of God.

Over against all of the natural sinfulness of the Cretians and of us all in our natural estate the Lord through the Word: The grace of God hath appeared the grace that bringeth salvation.

2. Salvation the way to righteousness. It was as though God had said, "Sin is great but salvation is greater." In other words God said, in a new and an effective way, what He had said before: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous."

Thus where sin abounded in Adam, grace superabounded in Christ, "For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many."

3. Accordingly sin is now condemned in the saved, that the righteous deeds of the Law may be fulfilled in them.

In the New Hebrides with its villainous, man-eating debauchees, Howard Taylor could go, and see the Islands where Satan and sin reigned changed to peace loving and holy living Christians.

In Crete, in the heart of heathendom, or anywhere, and at any time, God can change the black heart and make it white. He can not only impute the righteousness of God in Christ, but He can impart the holiness of God, in the Christ.

III. THE MESSAGE OF GRACE FOR THIS PRESENT LIFE NEGATIVELY STATED (Titus 2:12)

Our verse runs like this: "The grace of God * * hath appeared * * teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." There are two things before us, or one thing spoken in two ways.

We are to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. That is, we are not to give any place to these things.

1. The ungodly are those who change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man. The ungodly are those who change the truth of God into a lie, and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator. The ungodly are those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge. The ungodly are those who say: "There is no God."

God hath said that the way of the ungodly shall perish. He speaks of the perdition of ungodly men.

The ungodly man is the opposite of the righteous man, the God- fearing man. He is included in 1 Timothy 1:9 with the lawless and disobedient, the unholy and the profane.

2. Worldly lusts come as a result of ungodliness. In Romans we read that God gave up the ungodly "unto vile affections." Again we read, "As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind."

The fourteenth Psalm says; "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Immediately it adds: "They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy."

IV. THE MESSAGE OF GRACE FOR THIS PRESENT LIFE POSITIVELY STATED (Titus 2:12, l.c.)

Grace not only gives us a message of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts but it adds: "We should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

We have now three things before us:

1. Living soberly. This includes the believer's inner life. We remember how, in the second chapter of Titus, the aged men and the aged women and the young men are all exhorted to be sober, and sober-minded.

The word carries us into the realm of our mental attitude. We must not be carried about by winds of doctrine. We must not be up today and down tomorrow. We should have that gift of the Spirit which is a sound mind, a sane and a sober attitude; not flighty within, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, but to think soberly.

2. Living righteously. Righteously is our attitude toward people without. A righteous man is a man who is right in his dealings, and righteous in his acts. He does not defraud his brother. He does not seek to further his own advance, by riding over the rights of others.

3. Living godly. We should live with God on the throne of our hearts. We should live godlike. Here is our attitude toward God. "Soberly," looks within at the heart; "righteously" is what we are to those around us; "godly" is what we are toward the One above us. These are the realms where grace operates.

There are some who imagine that grace gives license to licentiousness. In answer to this, the Apostle Paul asks the question: "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" Then he cries out, "God forbid!"

We are saved by grace and apart from works. However, grace brings no excuse to careless, indifferent living. God's greatest appeal to holiness is the fact that the grace of God found us, washed us, and made us white.

V. THE MESSAGE OF GRACE FOR THE COMING AGE (Titus 2:13)

Let us connect our three verses as follows: "The grace of God * * hath appeared * * teaching us * * that, * * we should live * * looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

According to this, grace does not only teach us how to live in this present world but it tells us how to live anticipating another world. Grace does not teach us that we should live alone with the Calvary work of Christ in view, but we should live also with His glorious Appearing in view.

Grace certainly is found at the Cross, for by grace have we been saved. Grace, however, will be glorified at the Coming of Christ. Have we not read, "That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus"?

Grace began its marvelous blessings toward us on the Cross. Grace will continue its blessings as the eternal ages roll by.

Grace teaches us to look for Christ's Coming: therefore, the Cross teaches us to look for His Coming. When God saved us, He had far more than our present salvation in view.

In grace God predestinated us unto the adoption of children. In grace He chose us to be holy and without blame before Him in love. In grace, He purposed, in the dispensation of the fullness of time: that we might obtain an inheritance in Him, and be to the praise of His glory. In grace when we believed, God gave us the sealing of the Spirit of promise, until the redemption of the purchased possession.

Do we marvel, therefore, that grace turns our eyes onward and upward toward the Second Coming of Christ? That is the beginning of the glorious fruition which awaits us. His Coming is our Blessed Hope. Then will the exceeding riches of God begin to unfold.

VI. THE CLIMACTIC VISION OF CHRIST'S GRACE (Titus 2:14)

Our verse says: "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Once more the Spirit of God carries our minds back to the agonies of Calvary. Having just told us that we should live looking for the Blessed Hope, He would hold us to the main discussion of holy living as the objective of the Cross.

When Jesus Christ died on Calvary, He had many things in view. Three of these are distinctively set forth in our verse.

1. He had in view redeeming us from all iniquity. In other words, He died that He might put our sins forever under His Blood. He died in order that our sins might never be mentioned against us. He died that He might wash us, and make us whiter than snow. He died that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

2. He had in view the purifying unto Himself of a peculiar people.

(1) He wanted us to be a purified people, that is, pure in word and thought and deed. Having been washed in His Blood and made legally white, He wanted us to live white, that is, righteously, soberly, and godly. In other words, He desired not alone to impute unto us His Divine righteousness, but to impart unto us personal holiness.

(2) He wanted us to be a peculiar people. The word peculiar does not mean fanatical. It does mean a people different from other people. It does mean a people specially His own. We remember the words of the Holy Ghost through Peter "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people."

In the Old Testament it is put this way: "The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." All things are His in one sense. We are His in a peculiar and special sense.

3. He had in view a people zealous of good works. Of Christ it was said: "The zeal of Thine House hath eaten me up." There is no place in the province of God for a lukewarm believer. God even went so far as to say to the Laodiceans "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth."

It was that evil servant who wrapped his pound in a napkin, to whom Christ said: "Thou wicked and slothful servant." Let us be zealous of good works.

VII. A FINAL COMMAND (Titus 2:15)

"These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." This is the way our key verse runs.

1. God foresaw a time when His ministers would soft pedal some things. Therefore, He gave the command to them to speak, to exhort, and to rebuke with all authority. What are the things which God would have thus spoken? They are His commands to elders, to aged men, to aged women, to young women, to young men, and to servants. In other words, we are to preach separation and cleansing and sanctification.

Let us pity the present day apostasy, and the world-mixing which we find among saints with sinners. Let us not condone such things. Let us show every man how to possess his vessel in righteousness, and in true holiness. Let us acclaim a Spirit-filled, God-endued spiritual life and walk among God's people.

2. God fore-seeing, fore-warned and fore-commanded. We are told two things:

(1) We are to speak with all authority; that is, vested with all power. Did not Jesus say: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature"? Yes, but He also said: "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth: Go * * and, lo, I am with you."

It is with this authority, God-given, and with this power, God-endued, that we are to speak, to exhort and to rebuke the very things which we have considered today.

(2) We are to let no man despise us. That is, God has made us a stone wall and an iron pillar. What He tells us to say we must say, neither courting favors, nor fearing frowns.

Ecclesiastics who would hinder us, must be set aside. The world which would close our mouths and seal our testimony, must be denied. We must preach His bidding at any and every cost. It is for us to preach the whole counsel of God, to proclaim a commanded message, and to proclaim it fearlessly.

AN ILLUSTRATION

GRACE TEACHES US HOW TO WORK AS WELL AS HOW TO LIVE

"To every man according to his several ability" (Matthew 25:15). A rescue missionary was lecturing where he was unaccustomed to speak. He said that every Christian, however poor or busy, could do personal work for Christ, if willing. After the lecture a woman said: "What can I do? I am a poor widow with five children to support. How can I find time to go to anyone about Christ?" "Does the milkman call at your house?" "Of course." "Does the baker?" "Yes." "Does the butcher?" "Yes," was the curt reply, and the woman turned away. Two years after, the man of God spoke in the same place. After the service a woman said, "I am the person who was vexed with you when you asked whether the milkman and baker and butcher visited me. But I went home to pray. God showed me my duty. Through my humble efforts five persons have been led to the Saviour, and they all are consistent working members of the church." From Home Study Quarterly.

The Blessed Hope

Titus 2:1-15

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

The Second Coming of Christ remains unto this hour as the Blessed Hope. It is the lamp that shineth in a dark place until the day dawns, and the daystar arises in our hearts. When we lose sight of the Blessed Hope of Christ's personal and imminent Return, we leave ourselves in darkness. We might as well turn off the light on a dark night and hope to see clearly, as to turn off the truth of the Lord's Return, and hope to see through the present darkness.

1. The Lord's Return is the Hope of the Church. There are some persons who imagine that the Church will convert the world, but that is absolutely contrary to God's Word. According to the Bible the Church is ever to be a suffering minority, a people called out from among the nations with but one hope set before it, and that, the hope of Christ's Return. Increasing darkness, moral disillusion, civic and social collapse, the rumors of wars, and distress of nations never upset the peace of the Church which knows the fact of the Blessed Hope.

2. The Lord's Return is the hope of Israel. During the twenty-three hundred years since the Children of Israel were led captive to Babylon, God's chosen nation has been trampled under the feet of the Gentiles. Israel is paying the price of her apostasy from the faith, and of her crucifixion of our Lord. However, it will not be forever that God's anger will be kindled against His people. The Lord promised Israel national forgiveness. A nation will be born in a day. At that time her heart will be made clean, and her hands will be washed with pure water. God also promised the national restoration of His people. They are coming from the east, the west, the north, the south, from all the nations whither they have been driven, and they are coming to dwell in their own land. God has also promised the national world-wide blessing which Israel will be in the day of Christ's Return. Then Gentiles will come to her light, and kings to the brightness of her rising. God, through His people Israel, will cover the world with the knowledge of the Lord, even as the waters cover the sea.

3. The Lord's Return is the hope of the physical earth. The earth and the beasts upon the earth are all under the curse. They are groaning and travailing together even to this day. God has promised, however, that the earth will be brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God. The plowman will overtake the reaper, the sower of seed, he that is gathering the grain. The mountains will melt with new wine. Instead of the thorn will come up the fir tree, instead of the brier, the myrtle tree. The lion and the bear will eat together with the cow and the ox. "They will not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain."

I. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST A PURIFYING HOPE (1 John 3:1-3)

'"Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."

1. The evil servant (Matthew 24:44-51). Here we have the story of the evil servant who said, "My lord delayeth his coming." The result was that the servant began to eat and to drink with the drunken. The lord came, and cut that servant asunder, and appointed him his portion with the hypocrites. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." It has always been true: the Christian, or the Church that forgets the Blessed Hope and postpones the Lord's Return will inevitably become world-centered and carnal in their lives.

2. The call to holy living. In Colossians 3:3-4 we read of that Blessed Hope, and in Colossians 3:5 the admonition is given that we mortify our members which are upon the earth. As the message of Christ's Second Advent grips the soul, the believer puts away anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying one to another.

3. The power of the Blessed Hope. In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul's words are recorded, wherein he says, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him." When the imminent Return of the Lord stands before us we will be deeply concerned with all that we are, and all that we do, knowing that we must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ to receive the things done in the body.

II. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS A PACIFYING HOPE (James 5:7-9)

1. In last day scenes the Apostle James, was not slow to tell us, in the Holy Ghost, about certain conditions which would be present in the last times. The rich man is described, whose riches are corrupted, whose gold and silver is cankered. They had been living luxuriously while they held back the hire of the laborers who mowed down the fields. That certainly is an exact picture of what we have today; while thousands are half starved, and thinly clad, the rich are living in pleasure, and nourishing their hearts as in a day of slaughter. The result is that laboring men are banding themselves against the rich.

2. The Judge at the door. After James described the conflict between capital and labor which would dominate the last days, he addressed the saints, saying, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the Coming of the Lord. Behold, the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until He receive the early and latter rain." Then James added these words, "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the Coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

In the next verse, James, the Lord's brother, gave this comprehensive statement, "Behold, the Judge standeth before the door." Thus it is that the Second Coming of Christ is the pacifying hope.

3. The coming joy. In John 16:1-33 the Lord is recorded as saying, "Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice," It is only a little while that we see Him not, and then a little while and we shall see Him. The Book of Hebrews puts it this way: "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come and will not tarry." We do not need to care for the present hour of suffering when we live unctionized by that Blessed Hope.

III. THE COMFORTING HOPE (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

1. The sway of death. In Romans 5:14 we learn how through the sin of one, death reigned. The death that was pronounced upon Adam fell also upon Adam's seed. The world today is one enormous graveyard. The message of Genesis 5:1-32 is "he lived, and he died." With the exception of two, Enoch and Elijah, that has been the role of every life. Death reigns.

2. The dead in the Lord. In Revelation 14:1-20 are these strengthening words, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth." Although death reigns, physical death has never been able to hold the saint in its power. We can look the grave in the face and cry out, "O grave, where is thy victory?" Death to the saint has become no more than the door that leads to the life elysium. All die, but not all are held in the power of death.

3. The resurrection of the saints. When Paul sought to comfort the Thessalonians because of their dead, he urged them to sorrow not as others who have no hope. Then he told them that the living who remain until the Coming of the Lord shall in no wise prevent the saints who have died prior to His Return. The Spirit goes on to tell us through Paul that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and the living who remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. Then the Spirit adds, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." In a world under the sway of death we can hear the Apostle, saying, "I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump."

IV. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS AN INSPIRATIONAL HOPE (Acts 1:11)

1. The great commission. In Matthew 28:1-20 we read the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to us to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. When an array is commanded to march on any perilous undertaking the commander delights in addressing his army, thereby giving them inspiration and courage for their undertaking. He tells them that their country is counting on them. He tells them of the rewards that will be theirs if they have victory.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave a great command to preach the Gospel to every creature. This inspired His disciples to service. It was after He had gone up, but while they were still gazing into Heaven, that He sent down two shining ones to say unto them, "This same Jesus, * *, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." It was under the inspiration of that Blessed Hope that the early Church labored and wrought.

2. The present occupying. In Luke 19:13 there is the call given to "occupy till I come." Then follows the parable in which Christ is described as going "into a far country to receive for Himself a Kingdom, and to return." At His Return He calls His servants before Him, and gives them their rewards. The real inspiration of service is the thought of the Lord's Return. Even now we can hear the Master saying, "Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

Dwight L. Moody, the evangelist, said that when the truth of the Lord's Return gripped his soul he was sent forth with an inspiration to preach the Gospel to lost men. The great power of missionary inspiration today is the Second Coming of Christ.

V. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGING HOPE (Titus 2:13)

1. A saved people. Titus 2:11 of our chapter tells us how the grace of God appeared bringing salvation. We can remember the time when the Lord found us, and the Spirit wooed us. We can remember how our sins weighed heavily upon us until the Lord in mercy saved us. That hour of our salvation lingers with us yet.

2. A separated people. Titus 2:12 of our chapter gives God's call to the saved, and tells them that they should live denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts. That, however, is a negative command. Here is the positive: that they should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, The negative is turning our backs upon the old life and walk; the positive is turning our faces toward a new life and walk under the power of the Spirit.

3. The place of the expectant hope. If God calls us out of the world, and calls upon us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, He does it urging us to live looking for that Blessed Hope, and the Glorious Appearing of our Lord.

The Lord knew that the saved would be a suffering people, therefore He urged them to be always looking for the Blessed Hope. How wonderful is that hope!

VI. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS THE HOPE WHICH PROMISES ISRAEL HER SALVATION (Acts 15:16-17)

1. The present scattering of Israel. In Matthew 23:1-39 is the startling statement which Christ spoke concerning His own chosen people: "Your house is left unto you desolate." During many centuries the Children of Israel have been driven from pillar to post under the feet of the Gentiles. During this hour of Israel's travail, the Lord is visiting the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His Name. However, Israel herself nationally has been sidetracked cast off by God.

2. The coming tribulation which awaits Israel. The Lord spoke of the great tribulation. That day is now hastening. It has been the day of Jacob's trouble, the day of the great indignation of God in which His wrath will reach its consummation in the judgments which shall befall the Jews. Israel has not yet drunk the dregs of the cup of her sorrows. There still remains the saddest hour.

3. The day of promise which foretells Israel's redemption. After the Gentiles have been visited, then the Lord will return the second time, and build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down. The Word of God is plain. It says that blindness In part has happened unto Israel until the times of the Gentiles come in, and then it adds, "And so all Israel shall be saved."

The Lord Jesus Christ will come again. He will come as Zion's Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. This is His promise when He takes away their sins. Let no one think that God's promises will not stand. His covenant is unbreakable.

VII. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IS THE HOPE OF THE NATIONS (Isaiah 11:9)

1. The great rebellion. In the second Psalm we read how the nations of the earth, and their rulers, will set themselves together, and the rulers will take counsel against the Lord, and against His Anointed. They will say among themselves, "Let us break Their bands asunder, and cast away Their cords from us." That Scripture is now being fulfilled before our very eyes. The spirit which controls the world, is the spirit of the negation of God, and the rejection of His Son. That spirit will hold sway under the rule and reign of the coming antichrist.

2. The great judgment. The Lord tells us of the tribulation as being a period not only when Israel will drink her bitter cup, but when the nations which have smitten Israel and denied the Lord shall be judged. The seals will be broken; the trumpets will be sounded; the vials will be poured forth, and the earth will reel to and fro as a drunkard. Men will hide in the dens and the caves of the earth, and will cry unto the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth in the Heavens, for the great day of His wrath will have come.

3. The great restoration. Following the judgment of the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and the battle of Armageddon, comes a new era to the earth. God's judgments are always constructive. He will judge the nations, and the inhabitants of the earth, in order that they may learn righteousness. Daniel 7:1-28 describes the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven, and we read of how there will be given unto Him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion will be an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and which shall not be destroyed. It is for this cause that we say the Second Coming of Christ is the hope of the nations. Under the reign of Christ the world will laugh out in gladness, and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

AN ILLUSTRATION

"THE BLESSED HOPE"

Hope transforms. Henry Howard, of the Inland South American Mission, after telling of the death of an Indian's babe, says, The next morning I went to perform the last rites over the little body, and as I took my place among the saddened and silent group on the hallowed knoll, where hoes, axes, knives and crosses mark the last resting places of those who have passed into the unknown, I saw the blessedness of the Gospel, and realized the need of it more than ever before. The people of our party, the Lord's people, were calm and silent, but close by there were mothers who had laid their loved ones to rest and who as yet knew not Christ, "The Resurrection and the Life." I shall never forget the scene. They leaped into the air like animals that had received a mortal wound, and with cries of anguish and baffled despair fell again with all their weight on the graves of their dead. That they repeated until they fell exhausted, and they lay with their faces to the ground, beating it with their hands, as though seeking in vain to hear voices now silent forever. I cannot describe the emotion that shook me, but God gave me power as I spoke of the hope so sure and certain in Christ, our blessed Redeemer. The Expositor.