1 Timothy 3:12

Husband of one wife.

A negligent father

I was once the guest, says Mr. Moody, of a Christian man, whose children were turning out badly. One night a conversation took place about them; and with tears trickling down his cheek he said, “My four eldest sons turned out badly, and I am afraid that the others are following their example.” I said: “Let us look into this thing. Tell me about your family. How many nights do you go to church?” “On Sunday night. I am an officer in the church, and I am there on Sunday night.” “What about Monday?” “Oh, I am a deacon, and I am at the church on Monday night.” “What about Tuesday night?” “I am connected with the city government, and I have to attend committee-meetings of the council.” “Wednesday night is prayer-meeting, and you go to church?” “Yes.” “That is how you are occupied four nights. What do you do the other three?” “I belong to the Masons. I hold a high office in the lodge, and have to be there.” “That accounts for five nights. Of course, as you hold a high social position, you are often out at dinner-parties and committees. You go out perhaps one night each week to dinners and committees.” “It will average all that.” “Then,” I said, “there is one more night, that is, Saturday night; what do you do then?” “Oh, I am superintendent of the Sabbath school, and I lock myself in my room and prepare the lesson for my Bible-class on the following day.” “You don’t let your children into your room then, do you?” “No; certainly not.” “Then your children have to get off early in the morning, and they are away from family prayer?” “Yes; some get off early, and others rise late, and they are not present at morning worship.” “And you have to get away as early, as possible to your business” as soon as I get through worship I am off. What time do you take dinner. At six o’clock.” “You see your children at six. But you are not always prompt. I suppose half-past six, is it not?” “Yes, that is about the average.” “And your meetings begin about half past seven; so that you have but little time with your children. What have you done for them?” And at that very time he was trying to be made mayor of the city. He dropped his head, and said that he had never thought of it in that light before. There are many just like that. They are giving their time to public affairs, to the utter neglect of their children and their homes.

Evils of polygamy

Titus, brother of Africaner, was the only individual on the station who had two wives, and fearing the influence of example, I have occasionally made a delicate reference to the subject and by degrees could make more direct remarks on the point which was one of the barriers to his happiness; but he remained firm, admitting, at the same time, that a man with two wives was not to be envied, and added, “He is often in an uproar, and when they quarrel he does not know whose part to take.” He said, he often resolved when there was a great disturbance, he would pay one off. One morning I thought the anticipated day had come. He approached my door leading an ex upon which one of his wives was seated. “What is the matter?” I inquired. Giving me a shake of his hand, and laughing, he replied, “Just the old thing over again. Mynheer must not laugh too much at me, for I am now in for it.” The two wives had quarrelled at the outpost, and the one in a rage had thrown a dry rotten stick at the other, which had entered the palm of her hand, and had left a piece about an inch long, and the thickness of a finger. The hand had swollen to nearly four times its usual size. “Why” I asked, “did you not bring her sooner?” “She was afraid to see you, and would not come till I assured her that you were a maak mensche”(a tame man). Having made an incision and extracted the piece of wood, she was melted into tears with gratitude, while I earnestly exhorted her to a better way of life. (Dr. Moffatt.)

Purchase to themselves a good degree.--

The good degree

The words refer, in the first place, to a faithful discharge of the duties attached to the office of the deacon. They that have “used the office of a deacon well” are they who have laboured in the diaconate with honour to themselves and glory to their Master; for “well” is the same word used in the latter part of the verse, and translated good--a good degree. It is the specific term for the beautiful in human action, in contrast to the grudging discharge of mere obligation. It implies in the labourer not only diligence and zeal, but also carefulness and purity of motive; and the best use of every power and opportunity that God has entrusted to us--the frank, loving, self-abandoning, self-forgetting discharge of a holy obligation. Such an idea cannot be confined to any special office, and it is not, therefore, the particular work done which is thrown into the front, but the grace shown in the mode of doing it--the beautiful discharge of duty for God, in whatever sphere of the Church it may be, and whatever the exact nature of the duty Which is done. But, further, the words furnish a stimulating motive to this earnest discharge of duty, by setting before the soul’s desire a certain advantage that is to be secured by it. Here we must carefully put away the idea of buying--that is, of meriting in any way, as if we bargained with God. It has been thought that the word “degree” refers to ecclesiastical position and church office; but such a meaning would be an appeal to professional selfishness, and would be utterly out of harmony both with the spirit of St. Paul, and with the meaning of his language. We must look much deeper to find the mind of God. A good degree is a degree full of honour, praise, and joy, and such as the soul may covet with all the force of a renewed and sanctified affection. In what consists the good degree, which results from the honourable discharge of duty?

I. It consists in a higher state of spiritual life, a stronger faith, a brighter hope, a more entrancing and captivating love; in short, a larger possession of god, as if the Deity within flung His own grace and glory over the soul in which He dwells. Grace is but the soul’s health, the restoration of a sin-stricken creature into the full enjoyment for which it was intended. A large measure of grace is, therefore, a high measure of health--and is not health delightful? Is there pleasure in the aching head, in the weary limb, in the scorching fever, or the racking pain, or the feebleness and languor and strange incapacities of sickness and disease? But must not the same thing be true of the soul? Doubts, fears, alarms, conflicts, strange searchings of heart, dim gropings of spirit, and occasional agonies of conscience, and the gnawing aching pain of a self-upbraiding memory, are all the symptoms of spiritual sickness. That the honourable discharge of every duty promotes the health of the soul is clear enough. The more constantly duty is done, the more constantly faith and hope and love are present; and then they grow by exercise till they become the soul’s habit, its very life, the breath of its being, a part of the living self in the all-pervading presence and power of God. That this high measure of spiritual life is the good degree of the text, is shown by the last words, “great boldness in the faith.” The literal meaning of the word translated “boldness” is freedom, frankness, and confidence of speech. It has two relations. One looks toward man when the soul, rich in its own love for Christ, and actually overflowing with icy in the Holy Ghost, pours out to others the fulness of its own affection--not with an effort, but freshly, naturally, spontaneously, as the living spring within the soul itself, the power of the Holy Spirit of God flows forth into utterance. Such a boldness of speech to others about their souls implies a glow and warmth of emotion, a strength of experience, and a power of love such as might fill the soul of an angel. Then there is another meaning of the word. It is used elsewhere for boldness of access to God.

II. But a good degree includes a further idea, and that is a higher state in glory, a place nearer God in the world to come, a more perfect knowledge of Him, and a more entrancing enjoyment of Him for ever and ever. This, we must bear in mind, springs from the other, and is but its completion. God is infinite. His gifts will be boundless as Himself; His gifts of knowledge, of holiness, of strength, of joy and rapture, will be infinite. There is in God no limit whatever. If for all eternity we shall enjoy more and more of God, it will be because the power to enjoy grows by enjoyment as the soul becomes larger and larger with the God who fills it. Grace here increases the capacity for glory hereafter. The more grace, the more glory. (E. Garbett, M. A.)

Faithfulness in an inferior position leads to a higher

Dr. Morrison wrote to his friends in England and asked them to send him out another missionary. A young man from the country came and offered himself. He came to the office of the Missionary Society and was introduced to the gentlemen of the board and had a long talk with them. They then asked him to call again in an hour or two, and they would give him an answer. In talking the matter over after he was gone, they came to the conclusion that this young man would not do to go as the colleague of Dr. Morrison. Finally, they said to Dr. Phillips, one of their members: “Doctor, you see the young man and tell him that we do not think him fit to be a missionary; but that if he would like to go out as servant to the missionary we will send him.” The doctor did not like much to do this; but he did it. He told the young man just what the board said. Now, many a young man would have been angry on hearing this, and would have said: “No, I shall do no such thing. If I can’t go out as a missionary, I won’t go at all.” But this young man did not feel or act so. After hearing what the doctor said, his answer was: “Well, sir, if the gentlemen don’t think me fit to be a missionary I will go as a servant. I am willing to be a hewer of wood, or a drawer of water, or do anything to help on the cause of my heavenly Master.” He was sent out as a servant, but he soon got to be a missionary, and turned out to be the Rev. Dr. Milne, one of the best and greatest missionaries that ever went to any country. (R. Newton, D. D.)