Titus 1:12-13 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.… 1. In becoming without understanding, and in all the things of God by nature as ignorant as the brute beasts (Psalm 73:22; Jeremiah 10:14; Proverbs 20:24). 2. By giving up themselves to be led with sensuality as brute beasts (2 Peter 2:12). This naturally arises out of the former; for when men are deprived of understanding, judgment, reason, as every natural man is in the things of God, they must needs be led by other guides, of lusts, appetite, sense, and sight, even as the beasts are. 3. By the practice of many beastly and brutish properties. For what properties have unregenerate men, which are not more beseeming evil and hurtful beasts than men? (1) If we consider the respect between God and him his heart knoweth no subjection; but as was said once of Israel, he is as an unruly heifer, he knoweth no yoke, acknowledgeth no master, lifteth up his heel against his feeder, and careth not for the owner of his fat pasture. (2) If we consider natural men in themselves, no beast is so unclean and foul as they whose filthy hearts are fit for nothing, but to be stinking cages and dens for filthy birds and beasts, wholly bespotted as the leopards (Jeremiah 13:23), swinish men, wallowing in the dirt and mire of sinful pleasures, and revolting from every good way as dogs to their vomits; for so the apostle termed such Jews as revolted from Christianity to circumcision, beware of dogs. (3) Consider them in respect of their neighbour, no evil beast is so cruel and venomous as they; in regard of the former the Scriptures ascribe the property of the devil himself unto them, calling them ramping and roaring lions, such as David and Christ Himself had to do withal (Psalm 22:13) such a one was Nero whom Paul had to do withal (2 Timothy 4:17). And for their savageness and greediness they are called dogs and wolves (Zephaniah 3:3). And for subtlety and craft to hurt they are termed foxes (Luke 13:32). In regard of the latter, namely, their poison and venom, Christ calleth them serpents and generation of vipers; their tongues are like stings, sharpened against good men, and the poison of adders and asps is under their lips (Psalm 140:3), hence doth the Lord threaten most cruel and inevitable enemies under such speeches (Jeremiah 8:17). Whereby he would describe and signify the implacable and virulent malice and rage of the Chaldeans. Now man being above all other born a sociable creature, and to live in society with God and men in the family, Church, and commonwealth, hath by his hostility against God, and enmity against man, after a sort put off the nature of man, and by such degenerating of good right hath lost even the name of man also. (T. Taylor, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. |
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