,transcriber's ,notes - ,this book uses ,,small ,,caps in headings throughout4 ,you might need to experiment with browsers and fonts to find one that shows ,,small ,,caps correctly4 - ,the text of the series shifts among font sizes and between one and two column presentation1 in an effort to maximize the amount of text that can appear on the printed page4 ,this transcription will dispense with that formatting because costs are so much lower in the digital world4 - ,the text comments on1 but does not include1 the text of the ,scriptures4 ,a copy of the ,king ,james ,version of the ,bible 7also known as the ,authorised ,version7 should be available from the same source where you obtained this e-book4 - ,the author refers to ,canticles1 which is another name for the ,biblical book ,song of ,solomon4 ,he also refers to two books that are not in the ,protestant canon3 ,ecclesiasticus and ,the ,wisdom of ,solomon4 ,these books are found in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible or on-line1 if desired4 - ,this book is a collection of men's opinions on the book of ,proverbs in the ,bible1 the inspired ,word of ,god4 ,the book was printed toward the end of the #aith century4 ,some of the comments might be considered culturally insensitive today4 - ,details of the ,transcriber's changes are enumerated after the text4 ,,the ,,preacher',s ,,complete ,,homiletic ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,with ,,critical ,,and ,,explanatory ,,notes1 ,,indexes1 ,,etc41 ,,by ,,various ,,authors ,,the ,,old ,,testament ,volumes #a-ba ,,the ,,new ,,testament ,volumes #bb-cb ,volume #ac ,the ,preacher's ,complete ,homiletic ,,commentary ,,on ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,proverbs ,by the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,harris ,author of the ,commentary on ,samuel ,,logo ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,funk ,,wagnalls ,,company ,,new ,,york ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,introduction and ,preface ,,verses ,,chapter ,i4 ,critical ,notes #a-d ,the ,author1 ,his ,method and ,his ,object #e1 #f ,the ,characteristics of a ,wise ,man #g-i ,the ,root of ,true ,knowledge and the ,means of ,its ,attainment #aj-ai ,enticement to ,sin and ,exhortation ,against ,yielding to ,it #bj-cc ,the ,cry of ,wisdom ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,critical ,notes #a-e ,human ,understanding and ,divine ,knowledge #f-aa ,god as a ,giver1 and ,man as a ,receiver #ab-bj ,the ,character of ,those from ,whom ,wisdom ,preserves #ba1 #bb ,the ,contrast in the ,end from the ,contrast in the ,way ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,critical ,notes #a-d ,blessings from the ,remembrance of ,god's ,commandments #e1 #f ,exhortation to ,confidence in ,god #g-ab ,the ,way 7#a7 to ,health1 7#b7 to ,wealth1 7#c7 to ,endurance #ac-ah ,wisdom and ,her ,gifts #ai1 #bj ,one of the ,proofs of ,god's ,wisdom #ba-bf ,god's ,keeping1 the ,reward of ,man's ,keeping #bg-bi ,doing ,justice and ,loving ,mercy #cj ,unlawful ,strife ,forbidden #ca-ce ,the ,oppressor ,not to ,be ,envied ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,critical ,notes #a-d ,the ,reciprocal ,duties of ,parents and ,children #e-ac ,the ,one ,thing ,needful #ad-ai ,contrasted ,paths and ,opposite ,characters #bj-bg ,the ,path of ,safety ,,chapter ,v4 ,critical ,notes #a-bj ,bitter and ,sweet ,waters #ba-bc ,three ,reasons for ,avoiding the ,way of ,sin ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,critical ,notes #a-e ,self-,imposed ,bondage #f-aa ,industry and ,indolence #ab-ai ,a ,student of ,iniquity #bj-bc ,the ,law of ,god's ,word #bd-ce ,a ,special ,sin and ,its ,penalties from ,which ,he ,who ,keeps ,god's ,law ,will ,be ,kept ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,critical ,notes #a-d ,the ,source of ,true ,life1 etc4 #e-bg ,a ,picture ,drawn from ,life ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,critical ,notes #a-c ,the ,nature of ,wisdom's ,call #d-i ,god's ,speech ,meeting ,man's ,need #aj1 #aa ,wisdom ,better ,than ,wealth #ab1 #ac ,wisdom and ,prudence #ad-af ,the ,source of ,true ,power #ag-ba ,the ,reward of ,earnest ,seekers #bb-ca ,the ,personal ,wisdom of ,god #cb-cf ,exhortation ,founded on ,human ,obligations to ,divine ,wisdom ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,critical ,notes #a-ab ,wisdom's ,feast #ac-ah ,the ,feast of ,folly ,,chapter ,x4 ,critical ,notes #a ,parental ,grief and ,gladness #b ,the ,comparative ,value of ,righteousness and ,riches #c1 #d ,divine and ,human ,providence #e ,the ,use and the ,neglect of ,opportunities #f1 #g1 #aa ,the ,way to ,present ,blessedness and ,future ,fame #h ,the ,doer and the ,talker #i1 #aj ,opposite ,characters #ab ,love and ,hatred #ac1 #ad ,laying ,up to ,give ,out #ae1 #af ,a ,false and a ,true ,estimate of ,life #ag ,the ,influence of ,example #ah ,three ,degrees of ,moral ,foolishness #ai-ba ,speech and ,silence #bb ,the ,source of ,true ,riches #bc ,a ,touchstone of ,character #bd ,the ,inheritance of ,fear and ,desire #be ,the ,whirlwind and the ,sure ,foundation #bf ,the ,vexatiousness of a ,sluggish ,servant #bg ,long ,life #bh ,hopes ,realized and ,disappointed #bi ,god's ,way1 ,destruction and ,salvation #cj ,the ,earth the ,possession of the ,righteous #ca ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #cb ,acceptable ,words ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,critical ,notes #a ,just ,weight #b ,pride and ,humility #c ,the ,infallible ,guide #d ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #b #e1 #f ,made or ,marred by ,desires #g ,the ,death of the ,wicked #h ,the ,wicked ,coming in the ,stead of the ,righteous #i ,the ,just ,man ,delivered from the ,mouth of the ,hypocrite #aj1 #aa ,the ,reward of the ,righteous ,citizen or ,ruler4 ,the ,fate of the ,unrighteous ,one #ab1 #ac ,contempt and ,tale-,bearing #ad ,helmsmanship #ae ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #af ,a ,gracious ,woman #ag ,mercy and ,cruelty #ah-bj ,sowing and ,reaping #ba ,deliverance from a ,confederated ,opposition #bb ,precious ,things ,possessed by ,unworthy ,owners #bc ,the ,desire of the ,righteous1 and the ,expectation of the ,wicked #bd-bf ,the ,liberal and the ,niggardly ,man #bg ,diligent ,seekers #bh ,trust in ,riches1 and ,trust in ,god #bi ,foolish ,home ,rulers #cj ,the ,winner of ,souls #ca ,the ,recompense of the ,righteous and the ,wicked ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,love of ,knowledge and the ,proof of ,it #b ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #c ,a ,right ,desire and the ,means of ,its ,attainment #d ,a ,husband's ,crown #e-h ,thoughts and ,words and ,their ,result #i ,show and ,reality #aj ,care for ,animals and ,cruelty to ,men #aa ,satisfaction from ,tillage #ab-ad ,the ,desire of ,wicked ,men and the ,fruit of ,righteousness #ae1 #af ,two ,examples of ,foolishness and ,wisdom #ag-ai #bb ,wounding and ,healing #bj ,joy from ,peace #ba ,all ,working for the ,good of the ,righteous #bc ,the ,concealment of ,knowledge and the ,proclamation of ,foolishness #bd ,the ,reward of ,diligence #be ,heaviness of ,heart and ,its ,cure #bf ,the ,guide and the ,seducer #bg ,the ,loss of the ,slothful1 and the ,gain of the ,diligent #bh ,the ,way of ,life ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,wise ,son and the ,scorner #b1 #c ,keeping the ,mouth #d ,the ,disappointment of the ,sluggard's ,desires #e ,a ,lawful ,hatred #f ,overthrow by ,sin #g1 #h ,the ,law of ,compensation #i ,the ,abiding ,light #aj ,the ,parent of ,strife #aa ,the ,ways of ,growing ,rich #ab ,deferred and ,accomplished ,hope #ac ,bound by ,law #ad ,living by ,rule #ae ,a ,bad ,way and a ,good ,understanding #af ,dealing with ,knowledge #ag ,a ,social ,link #ah ,the ,way to ,honour #ai ,the ,abomination of the ,fool #bj ,companionship1 ,constructive or ,destructive #ba ,pursuit and ,repayment #bb ,an ,inheritance ,incorruptible #bc ,land and ,its ,tillers #bd ,the ,child and the ,rod #be ,want and ,satisfaction ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,house ,builder and the ,house ,destroyer #b ,fearing and ,despising the ,lord #c ,speech a ,rod #d ,the ,clean ,crib #e ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #f ,seeking1 but ,not ,finding #g-i ,the ,fool and the ,prudent ,man #aj ,secrets of the ,heart #aa ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #ab ,what ,seems to ,be1 and ,what ,is #ac ,true and ,false ,mirth #ad ,satisfaction and ,dissatisfaction #ae-ah ,revelations of ,character #ai ,a ,levelling ,law #bj1 #ba ,an ,aggravated ,crime1 a ,questionable ,virtue1 and a ,present ,blessing #bb ,a ,fatal ,error and a ,certain ,good #bc ,the ,profit of ,labour #bd ,wealth1 with and without ,wisdom #be ,deliverance by ,truth #bf ,a ,sure ,refuge #bg ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #bh ,a ,king's ,true ,glory #bi ,great ,understanding #cj ,a ,sound ,heart #ca ,the ,oppressed and ,their ,oppressors #cb ,the ,death of the ,righteous and the ,wicked #cc ,the ,hidden ,made ,manifest #cd ,national ,salvation #ce ,a ,wise ,servant ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,critical ,notes #a1 #b ,the ,use of ,knowledge #c ,divine ,intelligence #d1 #e ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #f ,like in ,circumstances1 but ,unlike in ,character #g ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #h1 #i ,praying and ,living #aj ,out of the ,way #aa ,two ,worlds #ab ,self-,destroyed #ac ,a ,cheerful ,face and a ,broken ,spirit #ad ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #ae ,the ,continual ,feast #af ,a ,treasure ,without ,trouble #ag ,two ,feasts #ah ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #ai ,the ,way of the ,slothful and the ,righteous #bj ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #ba ,opposite ,tastes #bb ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #bc ,joy from a ,seasonable ,word #bd ,the ,upward and the ,downward ,path #be ,destruction and ,establishment #bf ,wicked ,thoughts and ,holy ,words #bg ,the ,curse of ,covetousness #bh ,studying to ,answer #bi ,god ,near and ,far ,off #cj ,cheerfulness and ,good ,tidings #ca-cc ,how to ,give and ,take ,reproof ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,heart and the ,tongue #b ,the ,weigher of ,spirits #c ,the ,establishment of ,thoughts #d ,all ,things for ,god #e ,heart-,pride #f ,the ,purging of ,iniquity #g ,pleasing ,god #h ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #i ,man ,proposes1 ,god ,disposes #aj-ae ,kings #af ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #ag ,soul-,preservation #ah1 #ai ,the ,end of ,pride #bj1 #ba ,the ,fruits of ,trust in the ,lord #bb-bd ,an ,unfailing ,spring #be ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #bf ,the ,mainspring of ,human ,industry #bg-cj ,different ,species of the ,same ,genus #ca ,a ,crown of ,glory #cb ,taking a ,city and ,ruling the ,spirit #cc ,the ,lot and ,its ,disposer ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,see ,homiletics on chap xv41 #ag #b ,the ,foolish ,son and the ,wise ,servant #c ,the ,trier of ,hearts #d ,the ,evil ,speaker and the ,listener #e ,a ,double ,revelation #f ,father and ,children #g ,a ,twofold ,incongruity #h ,the ,power of ,gifts #i ,how to ,make ,friends and ,how to ,separate ,them #aj ,correction ,must be ,adapted to the ,character of the ,offender #aa-ac ,phases of ,evil #ad ,the ,beginning of ,strife #ae ,inversion and ,restitution #af ,neglected ,opportunities #ag1 #ah ,true ,friendship #ai ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #bj1 #ba ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #a1 #ac1 #ad1 etc41 and on verse #bd #bb ,the ,merry ,heart #bc ,bribery #bd ,the ,eyes of a ,fool and ,those of a ,wise ,man #be ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #a #bf ,smiting the ,just #bg1 #bh ,two ,badges of a ,wise ,man ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,critical ,notes #a1 #b ,solitude #c ,the ,short-lived ,prosperity of ,evil ,men #d ,a ,good ,man's ,mouth #e ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvii4 #ae and #bf #f-h ,folly and ,its ,results #i ,twin-,brothers #aj1 #aa ,two ,citadels #ab ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #b and xvi4 #ah #ac ,answering ,before ,hearing #ad ,sickness of ,body and ,wounds of ,soul #ae ,prudence and ,knowledge #af ,the ,influence of ,talent #ag ,cross-,examination #ah ,the ,use of the ,lot #ai ,castle ,bars #bj1 #ba ,the ,power of the ,little ,member #bb ,a ,twofold ,good #bc ,rich and ,poor #bd ,the ,obligations of ,friendship ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,better ,part #b1 #c ,ignorance ,leading to ,sin #d ,suggestive ,comment4 #e1 #i ,the ,end of a ,false ,tongue #f1 #g ,two ,proofs of ,human ,selfishness #h1 #i ,see ,homiletics on verses #b and #e1 and on chaps4 viii4 #cf1 and ix4 #ab #aj ,incongruities #aa1 #ab ,two ,kings #ac1 #ad1 #ah ,domestic ,sorrow1 and ,how to ,avoid it #ae ,see ,homiletics on chap4 vi4 #i1 #aj #af ,a ,double ,keeping #ag ,the ,best ,investment #ah-bj ,relative ,duties #ba ,many ,plans ,working to ,one ,end #bb ,poverty of ,heart and ,poverty of ,circumstance #bc ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 x4 #bg1 xiv4 #bf1 xviii4 #aj #bd ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxvi4 #ab-af #be1 #bi ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvii4 #aj #bf-bi ,possibilities of ,human ,depravity ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,critical ,notes #a ,strong ,drink #b1 #c ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xiv4 #bi1 xvi4 #cb1 xix4 #ab #d ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #d #e ,deep ,sea ,dredging #f-ab ,an ,universal ,challenge1 a ,general ,rule1 and a ,rare ,virtue #aj ,for ,homiletics see also chap4 xi4 #a #ac ,for ,homiletics see chap4 vi4 #aj1 #aa #ad ,bargaining #ae ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 iii4 #ad1 #ae1 viii4 #aa1 xii4 #ad1 xviii4 #bj1 #ba #af ,necessary ,security #ag ,bad ,bread #ah ,thought ,before ,action #ai ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 x4 #ai1 xi4 #ac #bj ,an ,unnatural ,child and a ,natural ,law #ba ,see ,homiletics1 chaps4 xiii4 #aa1 xxi4 #e1 #g #bb ,the ,recompenser of ,evil #bc ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #a #bd ,god over ,all #be ,religious ,vows #bf1 #bh ,pillars of ,government #bg ,the ,candle of the ,lord #bi ,the ,glory of ,youth and ,age #cj ,pain as a ,preventive of ,pain ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,critical ,notes #a ,the ,king of ,kings #b ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvi4 #b #c ,the ,more ,acceptable ,sacrifice #d ,the ,ploughing of the ,wicked #e-g1 #ag ,two ,ways to ,wealth #h ,two ,ways #i1 #ai ,an ,angry ,woman #aj ,the ,desire of the ,wicked #aa ,instruction for ,those ,who ,need ,it #ab ,god's ,surveillance of the ,wicked #ac ,the ,cry of the ,poor #ad ,the ,pacification of ,anger #ae ,the ,joy of ,righteousness #af ,like to ,like #ah ,the ,ransom of the ,righteous #ai1 #bj ,see ,homiletics on verses #e1 #g1 and #i #ba ,a ,noble ,pursuit and a ,rich ,prize #bb ,a ,wise ,man and a ,mighty ,city #bc ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #b-c #bd ,a ,name of ,degrees #be1 #bf ,the ,sword of the ,sluggard #bg ,the ,sacrifice of the ,wicked #bh ,outlines and ,suggestive ,comments4 #bi ,the ,face and the ,way #cj1 #ca ,counsel ,against the ,lord ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,better ,than ,gold #b ,levelling ,down and ,levelling ,up #c ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #af #d ,see ,homiletics on chap4 iii4 #a-ah #e1 #f ,a ,hedged-,up ,way #g ,an ,analogy ,affirmed and a ,contrast ,suggested #h ,a ,worthless ,seed and a ,rotten ,staff #i ,the ,bountiful ,eye #aj ,a ,man ,who ,ought to ,dwell ,alone #aa ,a ,road to ,royal ,friendship #ab ,the ,preservation of ,knowledge #ac ,an ,active ,imagination #ad ,a ,deep ,pit #ae ,a ,fact ,stated and a ,duty ,inferred #af ,oppression and ,servility #ag-ba ,trust from ,knowledge1 and ,blessedness from ,trust #bb1 #bc ,god the ,spoiler of the ,spoiler #bd1 #be ,an ,infectious and ,dangerous ,disease #bf1 #bg ,suretyship and ,its ,dangers #bh ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxiii4 #aj #bi ,the ,destiny of the ,diligent ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,critical ,notes #a-c ,the ,temptations of the ,table #d1 #e ,the ,deceitfulness of ,riches #f-h ,feigned ,generosity #i ,the ,morally ,incurable #aj1 #aa ,the ,rights of ,private ,property #ab-bh ,parental ,duties and ,parental ,joys #bi-ce ,the ,drunkard's ,picture ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,critical ,notes #a-f ,house ,building #g ,a ,false ,estimate and a ,true ,one #h1 #i ,see ,homiletics on chap4 vi4 #ab-ai #aj ,the ,day of ,adversity #aa1 #ab ,positive ,punishment for a ,negative ,crime #ac1 #ad ,honey and ,wisdom #ae1 #af ,a ,social ,ambush #ag1 #ah ,the ,fall of an ,enemy #ai1 #bj ,see ,homiletics on verse #a1 and on chap4 xiii4 #i #ba1 #bb ,rule and ,reverence #bc-bf ,impartiality of ,truth #bg ,plan and ,patience #bh1 #bi ,an ,uncalled-,for ,testimony #cj-cd ,the ,sluggard's ,vineyard ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,critical ,notes #a-c ,god's ,mysteries and ,man's ,research #d1 #e ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xx4 #bf and #bh #f1 #g ,self-promotion #h-aa ,two ,ways of ,treating an ,enemy #ab ,giving and ,taking #ac ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #ag #ad ,clouds ,without ,rain #ae ,forbearance and ,persuasiveness #af ,use and ,abuse #ag ,obtrusiveness #ah ,see ,homiletics on chap xii4 #ah #ai1 #bj ,misplaced ,confidence and ,unseasonable ,songs #ba1 #bb ,a ,blessed ,recompense #bc ,the ,way to ,treat a ,backbiter #bd ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxi4 #i #be ,cold ,water and ,good ,news #bf ,the ,evil ,result of ,moral ,cowardice #bg ,too ,much of a ,good ,thing #bh ,a ,defenceless ,city ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,critical ,notes #a ,a ,gift ,wrongly ,bestowed #b ,the ,causeless ,curse #c-aa ,a ,low ,level #ab-af ,self-,conceit and ,indolence #ag ,needless ,interference #ah-bb ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xvii4 #ad1 xviii4 #f-h #bc-bh ,counterfeit ,friendship ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,divine ,property #b ,self ,praise #c1 #d ,wrath and ,envy #e1 #f1 #i-aa1 #ad ,tests of ,friendship #g ,want of ,appetite #h ,a ,man and ,his ,place #ab ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #ae #ac1 #ae1 #af ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xix4 #ac1 xx4 #af #ag ,a ,social ,whetstone #ah ,the ,reward of ,service #ai ,a ,correct ,likeness #bj ,insatiability #ba ,a ,crucible for ,character #bb ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xvii4 #aj1 and xix4 #bf-bi #bc-bg ,moral ,farming ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,critical ,notes #a ,cowardice and ,courage #b ,the ,penalty of ,revolt #c ,the ,most ,inexcusable ,oppressor #d1 #e ,lawkeepers and ,lawbreakers #f ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xix4 #a #g ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #a #h ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #bb #i ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xv4 #h1 #i #aj ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxvi4 #bc-bh #aa ,wisdom in ,wealth and ,poverty #ab ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #aj-aa #ac ,confession and ,forgiveness #ad ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xii4 #ae1 xiv4 #ae-ah #ae-ag ,vice and ,virtue in ,high ,places #ah ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 x4 #i-aj1 xi4 #c #ai ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #aa #bj1 #bb ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xiii4 #aa1 xxi4 #e #ba ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvii4 #bc #bc ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxvii4 #e1 #f #bd ,robbing ,parents #be;a ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #aj #be;b1 #bf ,self-,confidence #bg ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xi4 #bd-bf1 xiv4-#ca #bh ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #aj-aa ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,critical ,notes #a ,reproof and ,destruction #b ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #aj-aa #c ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 x4 #a1 v4 #a-bj #d ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvi4 #aj-ae #e ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxvi4 #bc-bh #f ,a ,snare and a ,song #g ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xiv4 #ca1 xxiv4 #aa1 #ab #h ,the ,citizen's ,enemy and the ,citizen's ,friend #i ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xxiii4 #i1 xxvi4 #c-aa #aj ,soul-,seekers and ,soul-,haters #aa ,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #ai-ba #ab ,a ,moral ,cancer in a ,king's ,court #ac ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxii4 #bb-bc #ad1 #ae ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xvi4 #aj-ae1 xiii4 #bd1 xix4 #ac1 #ad1 #ah #af ,victory ,not with the ,majority #ag ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xix4 #ac1 #ad1 #ah #ah ,divine ,revelation and ,human ,obedience #ai1 #ba ,masters and ,servants #bj1 #bb ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #ag and #bi #bc ,see ,homiletics on chaps4 xi4 #b1 xvi4 #ah-ai #bd ,criminal ,partnerships #be1 #bf ,safety from a ,snare #bg ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxviii4 #d ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,critical ,notes #a-i ,the ,sources of ,true ,humility #e1 #f ,the ,word of ,god #g-i ,the ,middle ,way #aj ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxiv4 #bh1 #bi #aa-ag ,four ,manifestations of ,ungodliness #ah-bj ,depths of ,wickedness #ba-bc ,burdens ,grievous to be ,borne #bd-bh ,lowly ,teachers #bi-ca ,kingly ,qualities #cb1 #cc ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xvii4 #ad ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,critical ,notes #a-i ,divine ,commands from a ,mother's ,lips #aj-ca ,a ,model ,matron ,,homiletic ,,commentary ,,on ,,proverbs ,,introduction ,,and ,,preface4 ,the ,hebrew word for proverb 7mashal7 means a comparison4 ,hence it includes more than we generally understand by the ,english word1 viz41 a pithy sentence expressing in a few words a well-known or obvious truth4 ,when books were few it was most natural that observations on life and manners should be compressed into the smallest possible compass3 hence proverbial teaching has been employed from the most remote antiquity4 ,it is highly probable that all proverbial sayings were at first literally comparisons1 as this would tend to fix them more indelibly upon the memory4 ,but the word by degrees came to express that which we now understand it to signify4 ,although a few more lengthy discourses are found in this book1 it consists mainly of a few short proverbial sentences1 often illustrated and enforced by most striking metaphors4 ,it has been almost universally received by both ,jewish and ,christian writers as the inspired production of ,solomon4 ,the most convincing proof of its canonicity is the fact that the ,new ,testament contains many quotations from it4 ,compare ,prov4 iii4 #aa1 #ab with ,heb4 xii4 #e1 #f2 ,prov4 iii4 #cd1 with ,jas4 iv4 #f2 ,prov4 x4 #ab1 with #a ,pet4 iv4 #h2 ,prov4 xi4 #ca 7,sept471 with #a ,pet4 iv4 #ah2 ,prov4 xxii4 #i 7,sept471 with #b ,cor4 ix4 #g2 ,prov4 xxv4 #ba1 #bb1 with ,rom4 xii4 #bj2 ,prov4 xxvi4 #aa1 with #b ,pet4 ii4 #bb2 ,prov4 xxvii4 #a1 with ,jas4 iv4 #ac1 #ad4 ,but1 were these wanting1 its superiority to every other book of a similar character would constitute a most weighty internal evidence of its ,divine inspiration4 ,moses ,stuart says of it3 ,all the heathen moralists and proverbialists joined together cannot furnish us with one such book as that of the ,proverbs4 ,and ,wordsworth remarks3 ,the ,proverbs of ,solomon come from above1 and they also look upward4 ,they teach that all true wisdom is the gift of ,god1 and is grounded on the fear of the ,lord4 ,they dwell with the strongest emphasis on the necessity of careful vigilance over the heart1 which is manifest only to ,god1 and on the duty of acting1 in all the daily business and social intercourse of life1 with habitual reference to the only unerring standard of human practice1 ,his will and ,word4 ,in this respect the ,book of ,proverbs prepared the way for the preaching of the ,gospel1 and we recognise in it an anticipation of the apostolic precept3 ',whatsoever ye do1 do it heartily1 as unto the ,lord4' ,dr4 ,guthrie considered that the high character which ,scotsmen earned in by-gone years was mainly due to their early acquaintance with the ,book of ,proverbs4 7,sunday ,magazine1 ,oct41 #ahfh1 p4 #ae47 ,although the greater part of the book was doubtless compiled by ,solomon during his life1 chapters xxv4--xxix4 were not copied out until the days of ,hezekiah1 and the last two chapters are assigned in the book itself to other authors1 of whom we know nothing4 ,it seems startling at first sight that a man whose character we know from other parts of the ,holy ,scripture to have been marred by so many serious defects1 should be the author of an inspired book1 but ,dr4 ,arnot remarks on this point that practical lessons on some subjects come better through the heart of the weary1 repentant king than through a man who had tasted fewer pleasures1 and led a more even life4 4 4 4 ,not a line of ,solomon's writings tends to palliate ,solomon's sins4 4 4 4 ,the glaring imperfections of the man's life have been used as a dark ground to set off the lustre of that pure righteousness which the ,spirit has spoken by his lips4 ,it is evident from the most cursory study of its contents that this book is rather ethical than doctrinal4 ,the following ,commentary has for its main object the setting forth the great moral lessons contained in it in a homiletic form4 ,it does not pretend to be a critical ,commentary1 although the latest and best criticisms have been quoted where they seemed to throw any new light upon the text4 ,but the book of ,proverbs is not easy to treat homiletically4 ,prof4 ,lockler1 the author of the expositions on the works of ,solomon in ,dr4 ,lange's ,commentary1 says1--,a theological and homiletical exposition of the book of ,proverbs has difficulties to contend with which exist1 in an equal degree in but few books of the ,old ,testament1 and in none in quite the same form4 4 4 4 ,to treat the book homiletically and practically1 in so far as regards only brief passages1 is rendered more difficult by the obscurity of many single sentences2 and in so far as it attempts to embrace large sections1 by the unquestionable lack of fixed order and methodical structure4 ,the main ,,divisions of the ,book of ,proverbs are3--,i4 ,a series of discourses on the excellency and advantages of wisdom1 and the destructive character of sin 7ch4 i4--ix474 ,,ii4 ,a collection of unconnected maxims on various subjects 7ch4 x4--xxii4 #af74 ,,iii4 ,short discussions on a variety of subjects 7ch4 xxii4 #ag--xxiv4 #bb71 with a brief appendix of maxims 7ch4 xxiv4 #bc1 #bd74 ,,iv4 ,the collection of ,solomon's proverbs made in the time of ,hezekiah 7ch4 xxv4--xxix474 ,v4 ,a supplement containing the words of ,agur 7ch4 xxx47 and of ,king ,lemuel 7ch4 xxxi474 ,annotated ,paragraph ,bible4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,proverbs4 ,see ,introduction4 #b4 ,instruction1 properly chastisement1 signifying moral training1 admonition1 then good habits1 the practical side of wisdom4 #c4 ,wisdom4 ,a different word from that in ver4 #b4 ,it means prudence4 ,justice relates to a man's attitude in relation with ,god1 and would be better translated righteousness4 ,judgment includes our duties to our fellow-man and should be rendered justice4 ,equity is uprightness1 sincerity of purpose4 #d4 ,subtlety1 prudence4 ,simple1 literally the open1 those easily persuaded4 #e4 ,wise counsels1 or capability to guide1 literally helmsmanship4 #g4 ,fools1 derived from a word meaning to be gross and dull of understanding4 ,gesenius understands it to signify one who turns away1 the perverse4 #aj4 ,entice thee1 lay thee open4 ,miller here reads1 if sinners would make a door of thy simplicity1 afford thou no entrance4 #ag4 ,some interpret this verse as referring to the godly who escape the snares laid for them1 others to the wicked1 who1 not so wise as the bird1 plunge themselves into ruin by plotting against the good4 ,then the blood and lives of ver4 #ah refer to the blood and life of the sinner4 #bj4 ,the word wisdom is in the plural form in the ,hebrew4 #bg4 ,desolation1 or tempest4 #bh4 ,to seek early denotes earnestly4 ,see ch4 viii4 #ag1 ,hos4 v4 #ae4 ,the person now changes from the second to the third1 as though wisdom were increasingly alienated4 7,miller74 #cb4 ,the turning away of the simple1 i4e41 their rejection of wisdom4 ,prosperity1 ,security1 idle1 easy rest4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,,the ,,author1 ,,his ,,method1 ,,and ,,his ,,object4 ,i4 ,four things connected with ,solomon would tend to commend his proverbs to the ,hebrew nation4 #a4 ,his remarkable antecedents4 ,the influence of any man in this world depends very much upon his antecedents4 ,if they happen to be such as are held in esteem by society1 they form at once letters of commendation for him1 and often prove stepping-stones to great positions4 ,the question1 ,whence art thou8 is more often asked than ,what art thou8 ,perhaps this was even more true of ,hebrew society than it is of ,english4 ,solomon was the son of a king4 ,the king whom he claimed as his father was the man whom ,god had honoured more than any other since the days of ,moses4 ,he was not only a king1 but a prophet and a poet1 who had no equal in the day in which he lived4 ,he was more than this4 ,his reputation as a warrior1 more than anything else1 endeared him to a people who looked upon him in this light as the best representative of their nation4 ,the fact that ,solomon was the son of ,david1 would ensure him the ear of the ,jewish people throughout all their generations4 #b4 ,his personal position4 ,he was not only the son of a king but a king himself--a king who had attained the highest pinnacle of royal greatness4 #c4 ,his practical wisdom4 ,the instance of this narrated in #a ,kings iii4 #af-bh1 proved to ,israel that the wisdom of ,god was in him to do judgment4 ,who so fit to utter proverbs concerning human life as a man who could thus so skilfully bring to light the hidden counsels of the heart8 ,the ,son of ,god ,himself speaks of ,solomon as a wise man 7,matt4 xii4 #db74 #d4 ,the variety of his experience4 ,experience is always a good reason why men should speak their thoughts4 ,those are most fitted to counsel others who have travelled by the same path before them4 ,solomon's experience had been great and varied4 ,he knew the real value of all that is held in estimation by men4 ,see ,eccles41 chapters i4 and ii4 ,these considerations gave weight to his words in the day in which he lived and among his own people1 and have done so in every succeeding age and in every nation in which his proverbs have been made known4 ,,ii4 ,the form in which ,solomon communicates his thoughts4 ,a proverb is a large amount of wisdom wrapped up in the fewest possible words4 ,it is like a corn-seed which1 though a tiny thing in itself1 encloses that which may expand and increase until it furnishes food for millions4 ,even a child may carry a large sum of money when it is in the form of golden coin1 although his strength would be quite unequal to the task if the same amount were in a baser metal4 ,one diamond may constitute a small fortune1 and may be easily carried and concealed upon the person1 but its value in iron could only be lifted by the united strength of many4 ,the proverb stands in the same relation to mental and moral wisdom as gold and diamonds do to copper and iron4 ,it is so portable that it can be carried and retained by the weakest memory4 ,,iii4 ,the main object of the utterer of these proverbs4 ,to give subtilty to the simple4 ,the man who has to travel a dangerous path may be ignorant of the way to arrive at his destination in safety4 ,his simplicity arises from his ignorance4 ,anyone who has gone the same way before1 and has thus experimentally gained the knowledge which he lacks1 can make him wise upon this subject4 ,solomon has trodden the greater part of the path of human life1 those who had not done so were the simple1 or ignorant1 to whom he here desires to impart the knowledge which might save them from moral ruin4 ,there were those in the days of ,solomon1 as there are now1 who would take advantage of simplicity to destroy character4 ,solomon desires to preserve and strengthen character by showing how to avoid and resist sin4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,the ,bible is not given to teach us philosophy1 but religion3 not to show us the way to science1 but the way to holiness and heaven4 ,notwithstanding1 therefore1 the extent and variety of ,solomon's knowledge in botany1 in natural history1 and other departments of science1 we have in preservation none whatever of his discoveries or his speculations on such subjects4--,wardlaw4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear ,solomon's wisdom4 ,did she come so far upon uncertain reports1 and shall not we receive with gladness his instructions1 since he is come to us to be our teacher8--,lawson4 ,verse #b4 ,the general idea of wisdom is1 that it consists in the choice of the best ends1 and of the best means for their attainment4 ,this definition admits of application both in a lower and higher department4 ,in the first place it may be applied to the whole conduct of human life1--in all its daily intercourse and ordinary transactions1 and amidst all its varying circumstances4 4 4 4 ,to accommodate our conduct to these variations--to suit to all of them the application of the great general principles and precepts of the ,divine law1 and to guide our affairs with discretion in them all1 requires wisdom4 ,and for enabling us to act our part rightly1 creditably1 and usefully1 from day to day1 there is in this book an immense fund of admirable counsel and salutary direction4 ,and then1 secondly1 the knowledge of wisdom may be taken in its higher application--to interests of a superior order1 to spiritual duties1 to all that regards true religion and the salvation of the soul4 ,wisdom1 in this book1 is generally understood in this its highest application1 as might indeed be expected in a book of instructions from ,god4 ,how important soever may be the successful and prudential regulation of our temporal affairs1 yet in a ,divine communication to man1 as an immortal creature1 we cannot conceive it to be the only1 or the principal subject4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #c4 ,to perceive the words of understanding is a phrase which may be interpreted as meaning the power of justly distinguishing between good and evil counsel--between that which is right in its principle and salutary in its operations1 and that which is unsound and pernicious4--,wardlaw4 ,all through ,ecclesiastes and throughout the present book1 the more mental aspects of sin are always made prominent--piety is called wisdom4 ,the saints are the wise4 ,the impenitent man is a fool4 ,nothing could be more natural than that just here there should be the broad assertion that knowledge is piety4 ,nothing could be more seminal4 ,a new heart comes from a new light4 ,if a man sees1 he believes1 he loves1 he hopes1 he serves1 he repents1 he rejoices2 and this as but new forms of the one blessed illumination4--,miller4 ,verse #d4 ,there are none that need to be politicians more than they that desire to serve ,god because they have to deal with the most politic enemies4 4 4 4 ,no gift is worse taken1 though never so well bestowed1 than this is1 where there is no feeling of the want of it4 ,the simple seeth not his defects1 the young man thinketh that he seeth great abundance of ability in himself4--,jermin4 ,the teacher offers to save the young and inexperienced from the slower and more painful process of learning by experience4--,plumptre4 ,over the gates of ,plato's school it was written3 ,let no one who is not a geometrician enter4 ,but very different is the inscription over these doors of ,solomon3 ,let the ignorant1 simple1 foolish1 young1 enter4--,cartwright4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e1 #f4 ,,the ,,characteristics ,,of ,a ,,wise ,,man4 ,i4 ,he will hear4 ,he shows that he values what he has already attained by giving heed to those who are able to add to his knowledge4 ,those who know the most are the most open to receive fresh knowledge4 ,,ii4 ,the necessary consequence of this willingness to hear is a growth in knowledge4 ,the wise man will increase learning4 ,there is an absolute promise in connection with spiritual wisdom4 ,whosoever hath1 to him shall be given1 and whomsoever hath not1 from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have 7,luke viii4 #ah74 ,he who has wisdom to give heed shall have his wisdom increased by giving heed4 ,to those who are willing to hear1 that what was once dark and difficult becomes clear and plain4 ,they understand a proverb and the interpretation2 the words of the wise and their dark sayings4 ,this hearing implies more than a mere reception of sound4 ,it includes a desire to translate precepts into deeds4 ,many who can understand the grammatical construction and literal meaning of the ,divine oracles cannot apprehend their spiritual signification because they do not desire to submit to their guidance4 ,this was the condition of many of the ,scribes and ,pharisees in the days of our ,lord4 ,they saw and yet were blind 7,matt4 xiii4 #ac2 ,john ix4 #ci74 ,if any man will do his will1 he shall know of the doctrine1 etc4 7,john vii4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,this growth in knowledge gives a man a guide for his own life and enables him to guide others4 7,for wise counsels1 see ,critical ,notes74 ,such a man will not sound all the mysteries of life or of ,god1 but enough will be made plain to give him a compass by which to steer2 and he will be able to lead others4 ,a diligent pupil will by-and-by be fit for a teacher4 ,how fully was the truth of these verses exemplified in the history of the ,apostles4 ,what dull pupils they were at first1 and even until after their ,master's resurrection4 7,luke xxiv4 #be47 ,but their willingness to be disciples--learners--fitted them at length to go and teach all nations4 7,matt4 xxviii4 #ai47 ,continuing in ,christ's ,word1 they came to know the truth1 according to ,his promise4 7,john viii4 #ca47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #e4 ,true wisdom is never stationary1 but always progressive2 because it secures the ground behind it as a basis for further advances4 ,he who is not adding is wasting2 he who is not increasing knowledge is losing from it1 says ,rabbi ,hillel4--,fausset4 ,as long ago as the time of ,melanchthon it was recognized as a significant fact that wisdom claims as her hearers and pupils1 not only the simple1 the young1 and the untaught1 but those who are already advanced in the knowledge of the truth1 the wise and experienced4 ,it is indeed ,divine wisdom in regard to which these assertions are made1 and it is precisely as it is within the department of the ,new ,testament with the duty of faith1 and of growth in believing knowledge1 which duty in no stage of the ,christian life in this world ever loses its validity and its binding power4 ,compare ,luke xvii4 #e2 ,eph4 iv4 #ae1 #af2 ,col4 i4 #aa2 ii4 #ai2 #b ,thess4 i4 #c2 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ah4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,verse #f4 ,if the law be dark to any1 the fault is not in the lawgiver1 but in those that should better understand it4--,trapp4 ,the sayings of the wise are but words 7two or three words71 and it is their shortness that maketh them to be dark4 ,now1 ,david said3 ,i will incline mine ear unto a parable--there is his study to understand2 ,i will open my dark saying upon the harp--there is the interpretation4 ,it is not ,david1 but ,he who came from ,david1 that there is spoken of1 and who1 despising inanimate instruments1 having made this world and the little world man1 and by ,his ,holy ,spirit having compacted his soul and body1 doth praise the ,lord by an instrument of many voices1 and to this instrument man doth sing the knowledge of ,his truth4 ,wherefore to understand the words of ,his wise prophets and penmen1 we must go to ,him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-i4 ,,the ,,root ,,of ,,true ,,knowledge ,,and ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,its ,,attainment4 ,when the husbandman comes to examine a fruit-tree1 he disregards everything in the way of leaf and branch2 if he does not also find evidence of fruit in the appointed season1 he considers that the end of the planting is not attained4 ,god1 the great ,husbandman1 here declares that all human wisdom and intelligence avail nothing unless they have for their basis that fear of ,him which enables a man to attain the end for which he was created4 ,i4 ,the fear of the ,lord springs #a4 from a practical recognition of ,his existence4 ,god1 to the vast majority of mankind1 is but a name2 they no more recognize the personality and moral character of the ,divine ,father than they recognize a personality and moral attributes in the wind or the sunlight4 ,he has no influence upon their hearts2 to them1 practically1 there is no ,god4 ,there is no fear of ,god before their eyes1 because there is no ,god4 #b4 ,from an experimental knowledge of ,his kindness4 ,the mightiest being cannot be reverenced for his power2 that may produce the fear which hath torment1 but not the reverence and godly fear which leads to willing obedience4 ,when a king's character is such that his subjects taste of his kindness and feed upon his bounty1 it begets a reverence which makes them fear to break his law4 ,the fear of the ,lord is synonymous with heart-religion1 and must be born of a personal experience of ,divine mercy4 ,this fear says1 ,o taste and see that the ,lord is good3 blessed is the man that trusteth in ,him 7,psa4 xxxiv4 #h74 ,,ii4 ,the means by which this beginning of knowledge ought to be attained4 ,the rule in creatures below man is1 that they instruct their offspring as soon as they are capable of instruction4 ,the eagle teaches her young to fly3 she stirreth up her nest1 fluttereth over her young1 spreadeth about her wings1 taketh them1 beareth them on her wings4 7,deut4 xxxii4 #aa47 ,and this is what ,god expects every parent to do in a moral sense4 ,a child ought to get his first ideas of ,god from his parent1 and his father's and mother's love ought to be the stepping-stones by which he rises to apprehend the love of his ,father in heaven4 ,this exhortation takes for granted that the parents will be possessors of this true knowledge1 and will impart it to their children4 ,,iii4 ,the reason given to the young for receiving and retaining parental instruction4 ,the coronet on the brow of the noble proclaims his place in society--sets forth his high position4 ,the necklace of pearls on the young and beautiful maiden proclaims the wealth of the wearer1 and adds to her attractiveness4 ,so the obedience of a good son to a true father proclaims him to belong to the noble in spirit--sets a crown upon his character4 ,and a daughter's reverential love for a good mother is a true indication of moral wealth4 ,that mother's words1 treasured in the memory and translated into life1 are so many precious pearls of soul-adornment1 and are in the sight of ,god of great price4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #g4 ,this1 the fear of the ,lord1 comes as the motto of the book4 ,the beginning of wisdom is found in the temper of reverence and awe4 ,the fear of the finite in the presence of the ,infinite--of the sinful in the presence of the ,holy2 self-abhorring1 adoring1 as in ,job's confession 7xliii4 #e1 #f71 this for the ,israelite was the starting point of all true wisdom4 ,what the precept ,know thyself was to the sage of ,greece1 that this law was for him4 ,in the book of ,job 7xxviii4 #bh7 it appears as an oracle accompanied by the noblest poetry4 ,in ,psa4 cxi4 #aj1 it comes as the choral close of a temple hymn4 ,here it is the watch-word of a true ethical education4 ,this1 and not love1 is the beginning of wisdom4 ,through successive stages1 and by the discipline of life1 love blends with it and makes it perfect4--,plumptre4 ,why is this the only way that ,god hath pointed out for the attaining to wisdom8 #a4 ,one reason may be the falseness of man's spirit4 ,the heart is deceitful above all things1 and so ,god will not entrust it with such estimable treasures of durable wisdom before a trial hath been upon it4 ,to him will ,i look1 even to him that is of a pure and contrite spirit1 and trembleth at my words4 #b4 ,here is another argument1 viz41 impossibility4 ,the natural man perceiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god1 c4 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad74 ,the eye sees not the sun1 unless it bear the image of the sun in it2 nor could it receive that impression if it were covered with dirt and filth4 ,so the necessary foundation of true wisdom is unfeigned righteousness and pureness4 ,the purging of a man's soul takes away the main impediments to true knowledge1--such as self-admiration1 anger1 envy1 impatience1 desire of victory rather than of truth1 blindness proceeding out of a love of riches and honour1 the smothering of the active spark of reason by luxury and intemperance1 c4--,henry ,moore4 ,where ,god is1 there is fear of ,god2 and where the fear of ,god is1 there are all things which ,god requireth4--,jermin4 ,the fear of the ,lord consists1 once for all1 in a complete devotion to ,god--an unconditional subjection of one's own individuality to the beneficent will of ,god as revealed in the law 7,deut4 vi4 #ac2 x4 #bj2 xiii4 #d2 ,psa4 cxix4 #fc1 c47 ,how1 then1 could they be regarded as fearing ,god who should keep only a part of the ,divine commands1 or who should undertake to fulfil them only according to their moral principles1 and did not seek also to make the embodying letter of their formal requirements the standard of life4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,verse #h4 ,the relation of the teacher to the taught is essentially fatherly4--,plumptre4 ,in ,scripture and that ,oriental speech framed to be its vehicle1 narrow examples stand often for a universal class4 ,honour thy father and mother1 means--obey all superiors4 ,thou shalt not steal1 means--keep clear of every fraud4 ,in those patriarchal countries1 obedience to a father was the finest model of subordination4 4 4 4 ,let the child take the first and obvious meaning2 let the man look deeper4 ,the earlier principles having been settled1 the ,proverbs have begun with a grand practical direction--that we are to listen to our teachers2 that we are to begin at our firesides1 and obey all the way up to ,god4--,miller4 ,verse #i4 ,the instruction and discipline of wisdom do at first seem difficult and hard1 and are like fetters of iron restraining the corruption and rebellion of nature2 but at length they are like chains of gold1 worn like ornaments and no burden at all4--,jermin4 ,nothing so beautifies as grace doth4 ,moses and ,joseph were fair to ,god1 7,acts vii4 #bj7 and favoured of all men4--,trapp4 ,as ,christ prays1 ,hallowed be thy name1 as his first petition1 so ,solomon put first in his promises mere beauty1 the mere prize of being right4 ,the best thing in being pious is the mere comeliness of piety4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ai4 ,,enticement ,,to ,,sin ,,and ,,exhortation ,,against ,,yielding ,,to ,,it4 ,i4 ,youth will certainly be tempted4 #a4 ,because he is in an evil world4 ,in this world everything that possesses life is in danger of losing it4 ,the tree is liable to have its root eaten by the worm1 the smaller creatures in the animal world are beset with danger from those above them in size and strength1 the fish in the sea is ever in danger of the hook and the net1 the bird of the fowler's snare1 the forest king of the hunter's gun4 ,man1 in respect to his mere bodily existence1 is surrounded by influences antagonistic to the preservation of his animal life4 ,and this danger often presents itself in the form of enticement4 ,the crumbs lure the bird into the trap1 the bait tempts the fish to bite the hook4 ,a smooth sea and light sunshine in the morning tempts the fisherman to the voyage upon the treacherous deep1 which becomes his grave in the evening4 ,moral life is not excepted from this rule4 ,wherever the youth finds himself in the world he will be tempted1 because he is everywhere surrounded by influences which war against his soul life4 #b4 ,because it is an ordination of ,god4 ,the ,divine ,ruler has ordained that men shall suffer temptation4 ,there are things in this world which are the common lot of all men1 from the highest to the lowest4 ,disease and death come alike to the proudest monarch and his meanest subject1 to the man of highest intellect and to the most unlettered savage4 ,and temptation is also an ordained heritage of man4 ,not even the second ,adam1 the ,lord from heaven1 was exempted from this rule4 #c4 ,because it is necessary for the formation of moral character4 ,the seaman needs to come into conflict with the stormy winds and the rough waves of the ocean if he is to become a skilful mariner4 ,the very effort which he puts forth to overcome them makes him more fit for his calling4 ,so men must have temptation in order to test their powers of resistance2 the struggle against sin1 if successful1 strengthens the moral character4 ,,ii4 ,the elements which form the strength of the temptation4 #a4 ,the secresy promised by the tempter4 ,let us lay wait for blood1 let us lurk privily for the innocent1 etc4 ,no one commits a crime against his fellow man1 without an underlying hope that he will not be found out2 he even persuades himself that it is hidden from ,god4 ,they say1 how doth ,god know1 and is there knowledge in the ,most ,high8 7,ps4 lxxiii4 #aa74 #b4 ,the hope of gain4 ,advantage of some kind is supposed to be the fruit of every sin4 ,that which the tempter uses here is an increase of wealth4 ,we shall find all precious substance1 etc4 ,this temptation is most common4 ,a man is persuaded that by a very slight risk he can make a large fortune1 that the deed will never come to light1 and these two persuasions have been the ruin of hundreds4 #c4 ,the number of the tempters4 ,here several are represented as tempting one4 ,come with us4 ,numbers always influence us even when no persuasion is used4 ,men are naturally inclined to do what the many do1 to go with the multitude4 ,there is an undefined feeling that safety is with the majority1 or1 at least1 that the being involved with many others lessens personal responsibility4 ,this element of temptation is very powerful in a world where the many go in at the gate which leadeth to destruction1 and few walk in the way which leadeth to life 7,matt4 vii4 #ac1 #ad74 ,,iii4 ,the way of escape from the tempter4 #a4 ,calling to mind his filial relation4 ,my son4 ,it is a great help to a youth who is in danger of being drawn away from his steadfastness in the path of virtue to call his parents to mind4 ,his father's instructions and example1 his mother's love and prayers1 the grief that his fall would bring upon them will1 if reflected on1 be a means of escape from the tempter's snare4 ,the thought that he is a son ought to be sufficient to keep him from straying4 #b4 ,a consideration of the certain end of sinners4 ,those who promise themselves and others secresy shall be taken openly4 ,the bird will not be decoyed into the net if he sees it spread1 the trap must be laid in secret if it is to be successful4 ,but sinners go on in sin although they are forewarned by ,god1 by their own consciences1 by the law of human society1 and by the experience of others what the end will be4 ,be sure your sin will find you out1 is written1 not only in the book of ,god1 but within us and around us4 ,the young man is to bear in mind that they are fools who tell him there is gain to be had by sin4 ,those who seek to take life in order to enjoy the property of others1 or in any way to wrong their fellows for their own fancied gain1 shall themselves1 like ,haman1 be hanged upon the gallows which they have made4 ,let the youth reflect upon the sad histories of those who now fill our convict-prisons1 and he will feel that it is indeed true that evil-doers lay wait for their own blood4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #aj4 ,i4 ,a supposition implied1 that sinners will entice4 ,sin is of so virulent and malignant a nature1 that it tainteth the whole air about it and filleth it with infection1 and there is no safety to be found within its neighbourhood without the blessed antidotes of piety and carefulness4 ,and the sinner will take as much pains to pervert his companions1 as the ,jews did to make proselytes1 and with the same fatal design and consequence1 viz41 to make them twofold more the children of hell than themselves4 ,for since the good have all other advantages1 and vastly outweigh them in intrinsic worth1 they will endeavour to come as near a level as they can by making up in number what they want in value4 ,besides1 it silences in some measure the loud alarms of their own consciences1 when they join with them in their vicious performances1 and the approbation of others1 by complying with their practices1 lulleth them to sleep in a dull security4 ,,ii4 ,a caution subjoined1 ,consent thou not4 ,to which end--#a4 ,consider the baseness and danger of consenting4 ,we must sacrifice our reputation1 render ourselves unfit for the company of men of worth1 and exchange the glorious liberty of the children of ,god for that of vassals of iniquity4 ,we must call in question the existence of ,god1 and expose ourselves to that avenging hand which will lie heavy upon sinners to all eternity4 #b4 ,take some plain and short directions to secure yourself against their enticements4 ,repel the first attempts upon your character4 ,when that which is wrong is spoken or acted in your presence1 do not suffer yourself to give it inward approbation4 ,withdraw from such society as soon as possible4 ,seek ,god's assistance4--,nicholas ,brady1 ,d4,d4 ,this verse1 in brief compass and transparent terms1 reveals the foe and the fight4 ,with a kindness and wisdom altogether parental1 it warns the youth of the danger that assails him1 and suggests the method of defence4--,arnot4 ,carry a severe rebuke in thy countenance1 as ,god doth 7,psa4 lxxx4 #af74 ,to rebuke them is the ready way to be rid of them4--,trapp4 ,verses #aa-ac4 ,two unreasonable and insatiable lusts they propose to gratify4 #a4 ,their cruelty4 ,they thirst for blood1 and hate those that are innocent1 and never give them any provocation4 ,who could imagine that human nature should ever degenerate so far that it should ever be a pleasure to one man to destroy another8 #b4 ,their covetousness4 ,what1 though we venture our necks1 we shall fill our houses with spoil4 ,see here 7#a7 the idea they have of worldly wealth4 ,they call that precious substance which is neither substance nor precious2 it is a shadow and vanity1 especially that which is gotten by robbery4 ,it is the ruin of thousands1 that they overvalue the wealth of this world4 7#b7 ,the abundance which they promise themselves4 ,those who trade with sin promise themselves mighty bargains4 ,but they only dream that they eat1 the housefuls dwindle into scarcely a handful4--,henry4 ,verse #aa4 ,the warning1 as such1 is true for all times and countries1 but has here a special application4 ,the temptation against which the teacher seeks to guard his disciple is that of joining a band of highway robbers4 ,at no period in its history has ,palestine ever risen to the security of a well-ordered police system1 and the wild license of the marauder's life attracted1 we may well believe1 many who were brought up in towns 7,judges xi4 #c2 #a ,sam4 xxii4 #b71 and the bands of robbers who infested every part of the country in the period of the ,new ,testament1 and against whom every ,roman governor had to wage incessant war1 show how deeply rooted the evil was there4 ,the history of many countries 7our own1 e4g41 in the popular ,traditions of ,robin ,hood and ,henry ,v47 presents like phenomena4 ,the robber-life has attractions for the open-hearted and adventurous4 ,no generation1 perhaps no class1 can afford to despise the warning against it4 4 4 4 ,without cause may mean in vain1 and receive its interpretation from the mocking question of the tempter3 ,doth ,job serve ,god for nought8 ,the evil-doers deride their victims as being righteous gratis1 or in vain4--,plumptre4 ,if sinners have their come1 should not saints much more8 ,should we not incite1 entice1 whet1 and provoke one another1 rouse and stir up each other1 to love and good works8 7#b ,pet4 i4 #ac2 ,heb4 x4 #bd2 ,isa4 ii4 #c2 ,zech4 viii4 #ba47--,trapp4 ,verse #ab4 ,the force of the verse noteth the allurement of wickedness from the cleanly despatch of it1 so that nothing appeareth of the doing of it4--,jermin4 ,we will be as ,sheol1 or ,hades1 as the great underworld of the dead1 all-devouring1 merciless4 ,the destruction of those we attack shall be as sudden as that of those who go down quickly into ,sheol4 7,numb4 xvi4 #cj1 #cc47--,plumptre4 ,verse #ac4 ,wickedness has always been a very bragging boaster4 ,these sinners make a brag like that which the devil made to ,christ3 ,all these things will ,i give thee4 ,covetousness is a strong chain to draw men on to wickedness4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,the first form of temptation is addressed to the simple lust of greed4 ,the second1 with more subtle skill1 appeals to something in itself nobler1 however easily perverted4 ,the main attraction of the robber-life is its wild communism1 the sense of equal hazards and equal hopes4 ,to have one purse1 setting laws of property at nought among themselves1 seems almost a set-off against their attacks on the property of others4--,plumptre4 ,verse #ae4 ,god will not take the wicked by the hand4 7,job viii4 #bj47 ,why1 then1 should we8--,trapp4 ,the affairs of this life are the highways of the ,king of ,heaven2 thou mayest walk in the ways of them1 but not with the wicked4 ,it is an argument of a wicked man but to company with the wicked4 ,we judge evil accompanyings to be next to evil deeds4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,they may talk of walking1 of walking in pleasures and delights1 to get thee to walk with them4 ,but1 though1 from what thou findest at first1 thou little thinkest what will be the end1 yet let me tell thee that it is to evil the journey tendeth2 to that it will quickly come1 for their feet run unto it4 ,what shame it is that evil should be so pursued after6--,jermin4 ,verse #ag4 ,these men are plotting with their eyes wide open4 ,the verse teaches the great doctrine of deliberateness to ruin4 ,men go to hell when they expect it2 at least1 they go when it is a trap to them1 of which they know the setting4 ,they go open-eyed on into the gin4--,miller4 ,the great net of ,god's judgments is spread out1 open to the eyes of all1 and yet evil-doers1 wilfully blind1 still rush into it4--,plumptre4 ,verse #ah4 ,these couriers of hell1 who carry the despatches of the devil1 cannot run faster to the hurt of others than they do to their own mischief2 they cannot make more haste to shed the blood of others than they do to shed their own blood4--,jermin4 ,verse #ai4 ,these ways are certainly some of the worst4 ,the persons described are of the baser sort2 the crimes enumerated are gross and rank4 ,yet when these apples of ,sodom are traced to their sustaining root1 it turns out to be greed of gain4 ,the love of money can bear all these4 ,when this greed is generated1 like a thirst in the soul1 it imperiously demands satisfaction wherever it can most readily be found4 ,in some countries of the world it still retains the old-fashioned iniquity which ,solomon has described4 ,in our country1 though the same passion domineer in a man's heart1 it will not adopt the same method1 because it has cunning enough to know that it will not succeed4 ,dishonesty is diluted1 and coloured1 and moulded1 to suit the taste of the times4 ,but the ancient and modern evil-doers are reckoned brethren in iniquity1 despite the difference in the costume of their crimes4 4 4 4 ,this greed1 when full-grown1 is coarse and cruel4 ,it has no bowels4 ,it marches right to its mark1 trading on everything that lies in the way4 ,if necessary it taketh away the life of the owners thereof4 ,covetousness is idolatry4 ,the idol delights in blood4 ,he demands and gets a hecatomb of human sacrifices4--,arnot4 ,midas1 the ,phrygian king1 asked a favour of the gods1 and they agreed to grant him whatever he should desire4 ,the monarch1 overjoyed1 resolved to make the favour inexhaustible4 ,he prayed that whatever he touched might be turned to gold4 ,the prayer was granted1 and bitter were the consequences4 ,what the king touched did turn to gold4 ,he laid his hand upon the rock and it became a huge mass of priceless value2 he clutched his oaken staff1 and it became in his hand a bar of virgin gold4 ,at first the monarch's joy was unbounded1 and he returned to his palace the most favoured of mortals4 ,alas for the shortsightedness of man6 ,he sat at table1 and all he touched turned to gold--pure solid gold4 ,the conviction rushed upon him that he must perish from his grasping wish--die in the midst of plenty2 and remembering the ominous saying he had heard1 ,the gods themselves cannot take back their gifts1 he howled to the sternly smiling ,dionysius to restore him to the coarsest1 vilest food1 and deliver him from the curse of gold4--,biblical ,treasury4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-cc4 ,,the ,,cry ,,of ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,the wisdom of ,god is the voice of ,god4 #a4 ,the wisdom of ,god in nature1 in the heavens which declare ,his glory and in the firmament which sheweth ,his handiwork is ,divine speech which speaks loudly of eternal power and ,godhead4 #b4 ,there is a voice of wisdom in the laws and economy of the old dispensation1 although that voice gave sometimes but an indistinct sound concerning ,divine mercy and judgment4 #c4 ,the wisdom of ,god as displayed in the plan of salvation by ,christ is the loudest1 the most persuasive and unmistakable voice of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,god's voice of ,wisdom is an earnest voice4 ,wisdom crieth4 ,the voice of the mother who thinks that her children are in danger rings upon the ear with no uncertain1 theatrical sound4 ,when the voice of ,paul rang through the ,philippian prison and fell upon the man who was about to destroy himself1 it was a loud voice1 because he was in earnest4 ,god has to deal with his human children who are in danger1 and therefore ,he speaks with earnestness when ,he says1 ,do thyself no harm4 ,the voice of ,god in the human conscience sometimes speaks as loudly as the trump of ,sinai4 ,he said by ,his prophets in the days of old1 ,turn ye1 turn ye from your evil ways1 for why will ye die1 ,o house of ,israel8 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa74 ,the voice of ,christ was an earnest voice4 ,his death enforced the earnestness of the appeals which ,he uttered in ,his life4 ,it proved the reality of ,his own and ,his ,father's desire that all should come to repentance4 ,the voice of the ,gospel ministry is an earnest voice4 ,those who have been baptised by the ,spirit of ,god1 beseech men to be reconciled to ,god 7#b ,cor4 v4 #bj74 ,,iii4 ,god's voice of wisdom has been uttered where men could hear it4 ,wisdom uttereth her voice in the streets1 in the chief places of concourse1 in the gates4 ,the merchant brings his silks and diamonds to the crowded cities1 because in them he is most likely to find purchasers4 ,the vendors of goods seek the broad thoroughfares1 because there they find streams of human beings to whom they offer their wares4 ,god has observed this method in offering ,his ,divine wisdom to the sons of men4 ,the highest wisdom of ,god--the ,gospel--was first proclaimed in the city of ,jerusalem1 at a time when there were gathered there men out of every nation under heaven 7,acts ii4 #e74 ,the apostles of ,christ preached in the chief cities of the civilised world1 in ,corinth1 ,athens1 ,antioch1 ,ephesus1 and ,rome4 ,and now the voice of wisdom cried in the principal centres of the population of the world4 ,the fishermen spread their nets where most fish congregate1 and the fishers of men are attracted to the places where most human souls are gathered4 ,,iv4 ,god's voice of wisdom addresses all classes of sinners4 #a4 ,the simple ones4 ,the unwary and those easily misled4 ,some men sin through ignorance or through the influence of others4 ,as the unwalled garden is open to the foot of every dog that passes by1 so the man who has no principle of his own to defend him is liable to have his soul entered and taken possession of by the first tempter who passes by4 #b4 ,the scorner4 ,he is a sinner of a deeper dye4 ,the child who is indifferent to his good father's love and the attractions of his happy home is a sinner1 but the son who mocks his parents and holds up their words to ridicule is certainly a greater sinner4 ,the simple man denotes a sinner who is passive in the hands of evil1 but the scorner is active against good4 ,he is placed before us in ,holy ,scripture as one who has reached the climax of human iniquity 7,psa4 i4 #a74 #c4 ,fools are addressed4 ,the man who would rather use means to increase his disease than seek to cure it1 may very properly be called a fool4 ,the blind man who chooses to remain blind when he might be healed is certainly a fool4 ,and certainly this is an appropriate name for those who love moral darkness rather than light4 ,he who hates the knowledge which would save him and prefers death to life is the most unwise man upon the face of ,god's earth4 ,v4 ,although sinners may differ in degree1 the same reproof and invitation are addressed to all4 ,a rich man may be able to satisfy the wants of a hungry multitude1 although all may not be equally hungry4 ,if a physician possesses remedies which can heal men whose disease is deeply rooted1 he will be able to cure those upon whom it has as yet a lighter hold4 ,the voice of ,god to men offers but one way of satisfaction and soul-healing1 viz41 repentance4 ,turn ye at my reproof4 ,and the gift of ,his ,spirit which accompanies repentance 7,acts ii4 #ch7 is powerful to change the greatest sinner into a saint4 ,,vi4 ,the rejection of ,wisdom's voice of invitation changes it to one of threatening4 ,the refusal of the invitation to the ,gospel feast shut out to retribution those who rejected it 7,luke xiv4 #af74 ,the space given for repentance will not last for ever4 ,a time is here foretold when ,god will not hear them who have refused to hear ,him4 ,their cry for help will be treated as they once treated the earnest cry of wisdom4 ,i will mock when your fear cometh4 ,,vii4 ,the blessed condition of those who accept ,wisdom's invitation4 ,the promises given under this ,old ,testament dispensation referred in a large degree to the present life4 ,dwelling safely here doubtless has its immediate reference to a home in ,canaan1 as in ,isaiah i4 #ai4 ,if ye be willing1 and obedient1 ye shall eat the good of the land4 ,yet the underlying principle is that ,god will take charge of the real interests of those who yield themselves to ,him--who fall in with ,his plans for their real eternal good4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bj4 ,what was in the views of godly men1 in ,solomon's days1 an abstraction1 became concrete when ,christ was manifested on earth4 ,the manifold character of this ,divine wisdom 7,isa4 xi4 #b1 #c71 and the multiplicity of all messengers of this wisdom of ,god in all ages of the ,church accord with the plural form4 7,see ,critical ,notes47--,fausset4 ,the ,orientals used the plural form to denote the highest excellence4 ,but wisdoms may be plural to denote wisdom in all forms1 or all wisdoms in one2 specially two forms of wisdom--wisdom in a worldly sense1 and wisdom in the spiritual sense which the natural man does not discern4 ,wisdom in both these senses unites in piety4 ,the pious man has spiritual wisdom of which the sinner knows nothing2 and fleshly or natural wisdom to avoid hell and to secure heaven1 to provide for death and get ready for an eternal world1 to a degree altogether superior to a fleshly nature4--,miller4 ,after that ,solomon hath brought in a godly father warning and instructing his sons1 now he raiseth up1 as it were1 a matron or queen-mother provoking her children unto virtue4--,muffet ,the words of men may be wise2 but when ,god speaks1 ,wisdom itself addresses us4--,lawson ,perhaps some wide law of association connecting the purity and serenity of wisdom with the idea of womanhood1 determines the character of the personification4 ,not in solitude1 but in the haunts of men1 through sages1 lawgivers1 and teachers1 and yet more through life and its experiences1 she preaches to mankind4 ,something of the same kind was present1 we may believe1 to ,socrates when he said that the fields and the trees taught him nothing1 but that he found the wisdom he was seeking in his converse with the men whom he met as he walked in the streets and agora of ,athens4 7,plato1 ,phdrus1 p4 #bcj47--,plumptre4 ,in the last day1 that great day of the feast1 ,jesus stood and cried1 saying ',come unto me and drink4' 7,john vii4 #cg47--,trapp4 ,in the ,scriptures1 ,wisdom cried unto men4 ,they testify of me1 said ,jesus4 ,the prophets all spake of ,his coming4 ,the sacrifice offered year by year1 continually proclaimed aloud to each generation the guilt of men1 and the way of mercy4 ,the history of ,israel1 all the days of old1 was itself ,wisdom's perennial articulate cry of warning to the rebellious4 ,the plains of ,egypt and the ,red ,sea1 ,sinai and the ,jordan1 each had a voice1 and all proclaimed in concert the righteousness and mercy of ,god4 ,and the things were not done in a corner4 4 4 4 ,but the wisdom of ,god is a manifold wisdom4 ,while it centres bodily in ,christ1 it is reflected and re-echoed from every object and every event4 ,there is a challenge in the prophets1 ,oh earth1 earth1 earth1 hear the word of the ,lord6 ,the receptive earth has taken in that word1 and obediently repeats it from age to age4 4 4 4 ,he hath made all things for ,himself4 ,he serves ,himself of criminals and their crimes4 ,from many a ruined fortune1 ,wisdom cries1 ,remember the ,sabbath-day1 to keep it holy4 ,from many an outcast in his agonies1 as when the eagles of the valley are picking out his eyes1 ,wisdom cries1 ,honour thy father and mother1 that thy days may be long4 ,from many a gloomy scaffold ,wisdom cries1 ,thou shalt not kill4--,arnot4 ,verse #ba4 ,wisdom's walk through the streets4 ,the ,lord and ,his ,spirit follow us everywhere with monition and reminder4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,in verse #aj sin was represented as trying to get in4 ,here wisdom is represented as trying to reach out4 ,sin is harmless unless it can get into the conscience4 ,wisdom is utterly helpless unless it begins with the flesh4 ,one strives to get in1 the other yearns to reach out4 ,the natural man discerneth not the things of the ,spirit4 ,she must begin1 therefore1 without4 ,the impenitent can only hear natural reasons4 ,the law is a schoolmaster4 ,the terrors of death are applied by the ,almighty to draw us nearer1 within1 and finally into the region that is spiritual4 ,it is out of doors1 therefore1 that ,wisdom must life up her voice4--,miller4 ,the voice of wisdom is heard everywhere4 ,it sounds from the pulpit4 ,from every creature it is heard 7,job xii4 #g1 #h74 ,the word is in our very hearts1 and conscience echoes the voice in our souls4 ,let us go where we will we must hear it1 unless we wilfully shut our ears4--,lawson4 ,in the ,temple she crieth for holiness and reverence1 in the gates she crieth for justice and equity1 in the city she crieth for honesty and charity4 ,or else by accommodation we may thus take the words1 the head is the chief place of concourse in man1 where all the faculties do meet and all affairs are handled3 the openings of the gate are the outward fences1 the city is the heart1 to all which wisdom strongly applieth her instructions4 ,in the head she crieth for a right understanding1 in the outward fences for watchfulness1 in the heart for upright sincerity4--,jermin4 ,verse #bb4 ,men are always going to be wise1 and therefore1 ,wisdom plunges upon this very difficulty4 ,you are going to repent2 but when8 ,and1 as a still more imperative question1 ,how long first8 ,you are1 perhaps1 a grey old man1 and your resolutions have been for fifty years4--,miller4 ,lovers of simplicity and haters of knowledge are joined together2 for where there is a love of simplicity1 there is a hatred of knowledge1 where there is a love of vice there is a hatred of virtue4--,jermin4 ,scorners love scorning4 ,the habit grows by indulgence4 ,it becomes a second nature4--,arnot4 ,these simplicians are much better than scorners1 and far beyond those fools who hate knowledge4 ,all sins are not alike sinful1 and wicked men grow worse and worse4--,trapp4 ,verse #bc4 ,the two things mentioned here are to be taken in connection with each other4 ,the latter is the result of the former--the former in order to the latter4 ,there can be no plea1 therefore1 for continued ignorance4 ,the ,word of ,god is in possession1 and the ,spirit of ,god is in promise4--,wardlaw4 ,when it is said3 ,turn1 c4 could an essay to turn be without some influence of the ,spirit8 ,but that1 complied with1 tends to pouring forth a copious effusion not to be withstood4--,j4 ,howe4 ,when we turn at ,his reproof1 ,he will pour out ,his ,spirit2 when ,he pours out ,his ,spirit1 we will turn at ,his reproof3 blessed circle for the saints to reason in4--,arnot4 ,little as we might have expected it1 the teaching of the ,book of ,proverbs anticipates the prophecy of ,joel 7ii4 #bh7 and the promise of our ,lord 7,john xiv4 #bf2 xv4 #bf47 ,not the ,spirit alone1 with no articulate expression of truths received or felt3 nor words alone1 spoken or written1 without the ,spirit to give them life4--,plumptre4 ,he that reproves and then directs not how to do better1 is he that snuffs a lamp1 but pours not in oil to maintain it4--,trapp4 ,there are no words that can make known ,wisdom's words but her own1 and there is no one that can make known ,wisdom's words but herself4 ,she can1 and here she saith3 ,i will4 ,and it is as she will1 not as she can1 and yet freely and fully too1 whereof she saith3 ,i will pour out4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,the reproof ,god administers4 ,god reproves 7#a7 by the ,scriptures2 7#b7 by ministers2 7#c7 by conscience2 7#d7 by ,providence4 ,,ii4 ,the submission ,he requires4 ,turn 7#a7 with penitent hearts2 7#b7 with believing minds2 7#c7 with prompt obedience4 ,,iii4 ,the encouragements ,he imparts4 ,the ,spirit is 7#a7 convincing2 7#b7 quickening2 7#c7 comforting2 7#d7 sanctifying4--,sketches of ,sermons4 ,verse #bd4 ,it is an honour to be invited to the feast of an earthly prince2 how much more to be bidden unto the banquet of the ,king of kings6 ,and as the desiring of any to dinner or supper is a sign of love and goodwill in him that offereth this courtesy1 so it is a point of great ungentleness and sullenness for a man1 without just cause1 to refuse so kind a proffer2 for1 in so doing1 he sheweth that he maketh none account at all of him1 who not only hath borne toward him a loving affection1 but he made declaration thereof in some sort1 and gone about to seal it by certain pledges of friendship2 yea1 that which is yet more1 he causeth him to lose the cost which he hath bestowed about provisions and entertainment1 and his messengers to lose their pains and their travail4 ,then1 when those who are bidden to the kingdom of ,god 7,luke xiv4 #ah7 desire to be excused1 how can this be but a great sin8 but1 when ,god shall not only call with ,his hand to a rebellious people1 continuing ,his ,word preached with all means pertaining thereunto2 as the grace offered in this respect is doubled1 so the sin of not profiting thereby is mightily increased4--,muffet4 ,god called for a famine on the land1 and was not refused2 ,god called for a drought upon the land1 and was not refused2 and1 no doubt1 should ,god call any other of ,his creatures1 they would not refuse to come unto ,him1 seeing those things which are not1 when they are called1 do come to ,god4 ,only man refuseth4 ,surely hence it is that the prophets of ,god do so often speak unto insensible things1 as3 ,hear1 ,o heavens2 give ear1 ,o earth4 ,for it is not seldom that ,god calleth to men and is refused4--,jermin4 ,verse #bf4 ,there is not in the ,lord any such affection or disposition of mocking as in man2 but when in the course of ,his providence ,he so worketh that ,he leaves the wicked to his misery1 or maketh him a mocking stock to the world1 ,he is said in the ,scripture to scorn1 or have them in derision 7,ps4 ii471 because ,he dealeth as a man which scorneth4--,muffet4 ,if ,god laugh1 thou hast good cause to cry4--,trapp4 ,there is1 as has been said1 a ,divine irony in the ,nemesis of history4 ,it is1 however1 significant that in the fuller revelation of the mind and will of the ,father in the person of the ,son1 no such language meets us4 ,sadness1 sternness1 severity there may be1 but from first to last no word of mere derision4--,plumptre4 ,even ,i1 not1 ,i also1 ,i1 who have warned you so often1 so tenderly1 so earnestly4--,stuart4 ,verse #bg4 ,cataline was wont to be afraid at any sudden noise1 as being haunted with the furies of his own evil conscience4 ,so was our ,richard the ,third after the murder of his two innocent nephews1 and ,charles the ,ninth of ,france after the ,parisian massacre4 ,these tyrants became more terrible to themselves than ever they had been to others4--,trapp4 ,you cannot paint an angel upon light3 so mercy could not be represented--mercy could not be1 unless there were judgment without mercy1 a ground of deep darkness lying beneath1 to sustain and reveal it4--,arnot4 ,here also the parallelism which we have traced before holds good4 ,the coming of the ,son of ,man shall be as the lightning in its instantaneous flashing4 ,and at that coming ,he will have to utter the same doom4 ,many shall seek to enter in1 and shall not be able4--,plumptre4 ,verse #bh4 ,does the sinner ever cry1 and not get answered8 ,does he ever seek diligently1 and ,god laugh at him8 ,the passage is the profoundest ,gospel4 ,a man has two ways of seeking1 before he becomes a ,christian1 and after he becomes a ,christian4 ,before he becomes a ,christian he seeks from natural motives1 otherwise he would be already spiritual4 ,we cannot say that natural seeking has no promise4 ,we think it has4 ,a man can only start outside the camp to get in4 ,the man who out of a deep sense of terror flies toward the wicket-gate under that schoolmaster the law1 will reach it if he keep on1 and that by promise4 ,if he begs ,god to make him spiritual and to give him the true motives of the kingdom with even a proper common spirit though it be under the terrors of escape1 he draws nearer all the time to being spiritual4 ,the light will at last break4 ,if he keeps on in that way he will emerge some day into the light of the blessed4 ,the action of common grace will merge into that which is saving4 ,but if his motives are too carnal2 if his state is mere terror2 if his moral part has been so abused that it has passed the boundary which our text suggests2 if there be the mere terror of the lost1 and the mere selfishness1 such as wakes up at the judgment day1 we could easily understand that oceans of such tears would drift a man only further off4 ,they are only a more insidious carnality4 ,the sum of the doctrine is1 that natural motives may become instruments of conversion if we seek ,god early1 but if we sin away the day of grace1 no terror1 however selfishly and therefore passionately expressed1 can become a saving prayer to bring us any nearer to the ,redeemer4--,miller4 ,this was ,saul's misery3 ,the ,philistines are upon me1 and ,god will not answer me4 ,this was ,moab's curse 7,isa4 xvi4 #ab74 ,this was the case of ,david's enemies 7,ps4 xviii4 #da74 ,even if ,god answer him at all1 it is according to the idols of his heart 7,ezek4 xiv4 #c1 #d7 with bitter answers1 as in ,judges x4 #ac1 #ad4 ,or1 if better1 it is but as ,he answered the ,israelites for quails and afterwards for a king2 better have been without4 ,giftless gifts ,god gives sometimes4--,trapp4 ,verse #bi4 ,those who do not choose the fear of the ,lord are condemned no less than those who hate it4 ,not to choose is virtually to dislike1 and ends in positive hatred4 7,matt4 xii4 #cj47 ,men are free in choosing destruction1 so that the blame rests wholly on themselves4 ,ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life4 7,acts xiii4 #df47--;,fausset4 ,god will give them a reason of their punishment4 ,no marvel if they who hate knowledge do not choose the fear of the ,lord4 ,for knowledge is the guide of election1 and if the guide be bad the choice cannot be good4 ,and to show the badness of the choice1 there being many fears proposed to man's choice to which man's life is subject2 to choose the fear of the ,lord1 freeth from all the rest2 not to choose that1 is to be a slave to all the rest4--,jermin4 ,verse #cj4 ,there is not a word here of disability1 it is all unwillingness4 ,point me to one passage in the ,bible where sinners are represented as being condemned for not doing what they could not do4 ,the blessed ,god is no such tantaliser4 ,when1 at any time inability is spoken of1 it is inability all of a moral nature1 and resolves itself into unwillingness4--,wardlaw4 ,can it be that none of ,god's counsel should be followed8 ,can it be that all his reproof should be despised8 ,yes2 not to have a care of following all ,god's counsel is to follow none3 not to have a mind that regardeth all ,his reproof1 is to despise all4 4 4 4 ,as the wings of the living creature which ,ezekiel saw1 were joined together1 so is the joining together of ,god's commandments1 our desire of yielding a general obedience unto them1 that must carry us up to heaven4--,jermin4 ,verse #ca4 ,their miserable end is the fruit--not of ,god's way1 but of their own4 ,his plan1 ,his device for them1 was a plan of salvation4--,wardlaw4 ,if a man plants and dresses a poisonous tree in his garden1 it is just that he should be obliged to eat the fruit4 ,if our vine is the vine of ,sodom1 and our clusters the clusters of bitterness1 we must leave our complaint on ourselves1 if we drink till we are drunken1 and fall1 and rise no more4--,lawson4 ,the sinner's sin is its own punishment 7,isa4 iii4 #i-aa47 ,hell is not an arbitrary punishment1 like human penalties1 which have no necessary connection with the crimes1 but a natural development of the seed and the bud 7,isa4 lix4 #d2 ,gal4 vi4 #h74 ,filled with their own devices--i4e4 filled even to loathing1 which is the final result of the pleasures of sin4 ,they did eat1 and were well filled2 for ,he gave them their own desire2 4 4 4 but while the meat was yet in their mouths1 the wrath of ,god came upon them 7,psa4 lxxviii4 #bi74 ,men's own desires fulfilled are made their sorest plagues 7,psa4 cvi4 #aa74--;,fausset4 ,bad will it be for them that shall eat of it2 and yet due will it be to them to eat of it1 because it is their own4 4 4 4 ,it is not said they shall gather the fruit of their ways1 which were some expression of their misery1 but they shall eat it1 it shall enter into them1 and be made1 as it were1 their very substance4 ,this it is that filleth up the misery1 filling is of their own devices1 that it is1 that maketh it be pressed down4--,jermin4 ,verse #cb4 ,when ,jeshurun waxed fat1 he kicked 7,deut4 xxxii4 #ae74 ,thus the objection is met1 that sinners often prosper now4 ,yes1 replies wisdom2 but that very prosperity proves their curse1 and accelerates the judgment of ,god4 ,it is they who are settled on their lees that say in their heart1 ,the ,lord will not do good1 neither will he do evil 7,zeph4 i4 #ab74--;,fausset4 ,prosperity ever dangerous4 #a4 ,because every foolish or vicious person is either ignorant or regardless of the proper ends and rules for which ,god designs the prosperity of those to whom ,he sends it4 #b4 ,because prosperity1 as the nature of man now stands1 has a peculiar force and fitness to abate men's virtues and heighten their corruptions4 #c4 ,because it directly indisposes them to the proper means of amendment and recovery4--,south4 ,because they are fools1 they turn ,god's mercies to their own destruction2 and because they prosper1 they are confirmed in their folly4--,baxter4 ,when sinners are moved a little by wisdom and turn away1 it is deadly2 it is worse than if they had never listened4 ,prosperity or tranquillity 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,the mere doing nothing of impenitent men is carrying them downward4--,miller4 ,bernard calls prosperity a mercy that he had no mind to4 ,what good is there in having a fine suit with the plague in it8 ,a man may miscarry upon the soft sands as soon as upon the hard rocks4--,trapp4 ,not outward prosperity1 but the temper which it too often produces2 the easy going indifference to higher truths is that which destroys4--,plumptre4 ,verse #cc4 ,he shall enjoy genuine security4 ,his mind will enjoy unmoved tranquillity amidst all the turmoils and all the vicissitudes of this life 7,phil4 iv4 #f1 #g74 ,and he shall be quiet from the fear of ultimate evil4 ,the season of the impenitent sinner's last alarm shall be to him the season of peace1 and hope1 and joy4--,wardlaw4 ,be it so1 that some fits of fear1 like grudgings of an ague1 in the midst of fiery temptations1 begin sometimes to cause the faithful to quake a little1 yet the grace of ,god's ,spirit will drive them out in time1 and put them all to flight in such manner at the end1 that instead of timorousness1 stoutness2 of unquietness1 peace2 of bashfulness1 boldness2 of shrinking1 triumph will arise4 ,o1 the valiant courage and unterrified heart of the ,christian knight and spiritual champion1 who is furnished with the whole armour of ,god 7,eph4 vi471 and fighteth under the banner of ,divine wisdom1 his renowned lady and mistress6--,muffet4 #a4 ,temporally4 #b4 ,mentally4 #c4 ,spiritually4 #d4 ,externally4 7,isa4 xxvi4 #c1 xxxiii4 #ae1 #af2 ,jer4 xxiii4 #f2 ,deut4 xxxiii4 #ab1 #bh47--;,fausset4 ,his ark is pitched within and without2 tossed1 it may be1 but not drowned3 shaken1 but not shivered4--,trapp4 ,eternal life1 secure in the world to come1 casts a bright beam of hope across1 sufficient to quiet the anxieties of a faint and fluttering heart in all the dangers of the journey through4--,arnot4 ,there is now dwelling but in heaven2 hell is a prison2 earth is a pilgrimage4 ,in ,heaven there be many mansions1 wherein every room is the lodging of quietness1 the walls whereof are safety1 the gates security1 and all fear of evil shut out for ever4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,incline4 ,to sharpen or prick the ear1 like an animal4 #e4 ,god4 ,elohim4 ,one of five instances in the book in which ,god is thus designated1 the appellation ,jehovah occurring nearly ninety times4 ,in explaining the all but universal use of ,jehovah as the name of ,god in the ,proverbs1 while it never occurs in ,ecclesiastes1 ,wordsworth says3 ,when ,solomon wrote the book of ,proverbs he was in a state of favour and grace with ,jehovah1 the ,lord ,god of ,israel2 he was obedient to the law of ,jehovah2 and the special design of that book is to enforce obedience to that law4 #g4 ,sound wisdom4 ,miller translates this word something stable4 ,it is used but twelve times in ,scripture2 in ,job v4 #ab1 it is translated enterprise1 but the rendering given here would well fit in the context there2 and so in every other case4 ,that walk uprightly1 literally the walkers of innocence4 #h4 7,heb47 so as that ,he may keep1 or protect the paths1 etc41 i4e4 ,he manifests ,himself as a shield that ,he may cause the upright to keep the paths of judgment 7,fausset74 #i4 ,righteousness1 etc41 the same three words used in chap4 i4 #c 7see ,notes74 ,every or the whole path4 #aj4 ,when4 ,rather if or because4 ,this verse is antecedent to the consequence expressed in ver4 #aa4 ,heart1 the seat of desire1 the starting point for all personal self-determination 7,lange74 #ab4 ,deliver1 snatch1 as a brand out of fire4 ,evil man1 rather an evil way4 #ac4 ,level paths4 #af4 ,strange1 unknown1 wanton 7see #a ,kings xi4 #a-h74 #ag4 ,guide1 or companion1 confidant1 her lawful husband4 #ah4 ,house1 in the ,east means interests2 a man's whole blended well-being 7,ex4 i4 #ba74--,miller4 7,on ,vers4 #af-ah ,see ,note at the beginning of ,chap4 vii47 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-e4 ,,human ,,understanding ,,and ,,divine ,,knowledge4 ,i4 ,divine knowledge is within the reach of human understanding4 ,when a physician has created an appetite in his patient1 he sees that he is provided with food that will satisfy his hunger4 ,as ,god has given the eye1 so ,he has given light to meet its needs4 ,god has created man with a need1 and with capabilities of knowing ,him1 and has therefore placed such knowledge within his reach4 ,the ,word is nigh thee1 even in thy mouth1 and in thy heart1 etc4 7,rom4 x4 #h74 ,,ii4 ,the conditions of its attainment4 #a4 ,attention4 ,in all departments of knowledge we must begin by doing the easiest thing4 ,the first thing we have to do is to listen to what the teacher has to say4 ,everybody can do that4 ,this is the first thing to be done in order to attain a knowledge of ,god4 ,we can listen to ,his message4 ,we can receive ,his words1 incline our ear4 ,faith cometh by hearing4 #b4 ,retention4 ,the simple attention of the soul is not the reclaiming power4 ,the hearing will not bless us if we do not hold the truth in our memory4 ,and some seed fell by the wayside1 and the fowls came and devoured them up 7,matt4 xiii4 #d74 ,but the ploughed earth receives the seed1 and holds it1 and hides it1 and by retention comes seed to the sower and bread to the eater4 ,we must not only receive but hide the words of ,god4 #c4 ,reflection4 ,this prevents forgetfulness2 this is indispensable to retention4 ,the rules or grammar1 or of arithmetic1 must not only be received into the memory1 but meditated upon4 ,we must apply our minds to them in order to understand them4 ,the soul which receives and holds ,divine truth must apply itself to the understanding of it4 #d4 ,supplication4 ,if the learner has not only the book1 but the author of the book at hand1 he can turn to him and ask him to unfold the meaning of the difficult passages1 or to show him how to apply the rules4 ,we have not only the ,divine ,word of ,god1 but we have the ,divine ,spirit2 not only the ,book of ,wisdom1 but the ,author of the ,book1 the source of wisdom4 ,and ,he has promised to give wisdom for the asking4 ,if any of you lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 that giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not1 and it shall be given him 7,jas4 i4 #e74 ,there must be an asking in order to receive4 ,if thou criest after knowledge1 etc4 #e4 ,perseverance4 ,those who find a few diamonds upon the surface of the ground do not then bring their labours to a conclusion4 ,they dig down beneath1 and toil on for months and years if the mine yields4 ,they do not cease while they think there is more to be gained4 ,the ,divine wisdom is a mine which yields a little on the surface1 but we must not stop there3 we must dig down deep1 we must continue to hear1 to remember1 to meditate1 to cry for enlightenment1--we must ask1 and seek1 and knock1 and never cease to search for the hidden and exhaustless treasures of wisdom4 ,,iii4 ,the certainty of success if the conditions are fulfilled4 ,then shalt thou understand1 etc4 ,the mariner puts out to sea1 and fulfils all the conditions known to him for reaching the country to which he is bound1 but he may find a grave midway between his starting-point and his goal4 ,the husbandman sows the seed1 and fulfils all the conditions upon which a good harvest depends4 ,but his crop may fail notwithstanding3 he may not reap the golden grain4 ,but no such disappointment ever befals the earnest seeker after the knowledge of ,god4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,there are frequent allusions to hid treasure in the ,bible4 ,even in ,job we read that the bitter in soul dig for death more earnestly than for hid treasure4 ,there is not another comparison within the whole compass of human action so vivid as this4 ,i have heard of diggers actually fainting when they have come even upon a single coin4 ,they become positively frantic1 dig all night with a desperate earnestness1 and continue to work until utterly exhausted4 ,there are1 at this hour1 hundreds of persons engaged in it all over the country4 ,not a few spend their last farthing upon these ruinous efforts4 4 4 4 ,it is not difficult to account for this hid treasure4 ,the country has always been subject to revolutions1 invasions1 and calamities of different kinds4 4 4 4 ,warriors and conquerors from every part of the world sweep over the land1 carrying everything away that falls into their hand4 ,then1 again1 this country has ever been subject to earthquakes1 which bury everything beneath her ruined cities4--,thomson's ,land and the ,book4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #a and #b4 ,the sinner is here told how he may become serious4 ,in any conceivable path if thou wilt do that lowest conceivable thing--just listen2 and1 that thy listening may not be a mere passing flash1 if thou wilt pause upon it1 and attend4 ,if a man just takes a chair and thinks for a moment of death and judgment and eternity1 his heart begins to feel1 and it will go on feeling to any length4 ,it required the ,spirit1 no doubt2 but what is the ,spirit but the ,spirit of the ,god of ,nature8 ,he will come in the track of thought just as surely as a star is dragged after ,him in the track of gravitation4--,miller4 ,the ,word of ,god is a vital seed1 but it will not germinate unless it be hidden in a softened1 receptive heart4 ,it is here that ,providence so often strikes in with effect as an instrument in the work of the ,spirit4 ,the place and use of providential visitations in the ,divine administration of ,christ's kingdom is to break up the way of the word through the incrustations of worldliness and vanity that encase a human heart1 and keep the word lying hard and dry upon the surface4--,arnot4 ,angels1 who are so much our superiors1 apply themselves to the learning of it3 they are already supplied with the stories of truth1 and yet they desire to pry deeper into the mystery of it4 ,surely1 then1 the wisest of us ought to apply our whole hearts4--,lawson4 ,there are some who do hear1 or rather1 seem to hear4 ,they profess to be all attention2 but it is mere pretence--the mere result of politeness and courtesy to the speaker4 ,this is worse than not hearing at all1 inasmuch as it is the reality of neglect1 with all the guilt of hypocrisy added to it4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #b4 ,lie low at ,god's feet and say1--,speak1 ,lord1 for thy servant heareth4 ,his saints sit down at ,his feet1 every one to receive ,his word4--,trapp4 ,even as worldlings1 when they hear of some good bargain1 hearken very diligently2 or as they who think that one speaketh of them put their ears near to him that speaketh4--,muffet4 ,verse #c4 ,earthly wisdom is gained by study2 heavenly wisdom by prayer4 ,study may form a biblical scholar2 prayer puts the heart under a heavenly pupilage1 and therefore forms the wise and spiritual ,christian4 ,but prayer must not stand in the stead of diligence4 ,let it rather give life and energy to it4--,bridges4 ,knowledge is ,god's gift1 and must be sought at ,his hand1 since ,he is the ,father of ,lights1 and sells us eye-salve 7,rev4 iii4 #ag74--,trapp4 ,it is not any longer a ,nicodemus inclined towards ,jesus1 he cannot tell how1 and silently stealing into ,his presence under cloud of night2 it is the jailer of ,philippi springing in and crying with a loud voice3 ,what must ,i do to be saved8--,arnot4 ,verse #d4 ,the same image occurs in ,john v4 #ci3 ,search the ,scriptures4 ,not merely scrape the surface and get a few superficial scraps of knowledge1 but dig deep1 and far1 and wide4 ,the treasures are hidden by ,god1 not in order to keep them back from us1 but to stimulate our faith and patient perseverance in seeking for them4--,fausset4 ,men never prayed that way and were not answered4 ,men seek money--7#a7 always2 7#b7 as a matter of course2 7#c7 against all discomfitures2 7#d7 under all uncertainties4--,miller4 ,will not the far-reaching plans1 and heroic sacrifices1 and long-enduring toil of ,californian and ,australian gold-diggers rise up and condemn us who have tasted and known the grace of ,god8 ,their zeal is the standard by which the ,lord stimulates us now1 and will measure us yet4 ,two things are required in our search--the right direction and the sufficient impulse4 ,the ,scriptures point out the right way1 the avarice of mankind marks the quantum of forcefulness1 wherewith the seeker must press on4--,arnot4 ,this intimates 7#a7 a loss or want of something4 ,else men seek not for it4 7#b7 ,a knowledge of this want or loss4 ,else men sit still4 7#c7 ,some goodness indeed1 or1 in our own opinion1 of the thing sought4 ,men are1 or should be1 content to lose what is evil4 7#d7 ,some benefit to ourselves in it4 ,else few will seek it1 though good in itself4 7#e7 ,an earnest desire to find it4 ,else men have no heart to seek it4 7#f7 ,a constant inquiry after it1 wheresoever there is any hope to find it4 ,else we seek in vain4 ,so in seeking wisdom--we must want it1 and know that we want it1 and see good in it1 and that to ourselves1 and seek it earnestly and constantly1 if we would find it4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #e4 ,that which impels men to the pursuit is also the prize which rewards them4 ,if any distinction between ,god 7,elohim1 see ,critical ,notes7 and the ,lord 7,jehovah7 can be pressed here1 it is that in the former the glory1 in the latter the personality of the ,divine nature is prominent4--,plumptre4 ,he understandeth the fear of the ,lord1 whose understanding feareth the ,lord4 ,the knowledge of ,god is found in all ,his creatures1 but he findeth the knowledge of ,god who1 being lost in his sins1 is found by ,god in the acknowledgement of them4 4 4 4 ,and as fear advanceth to the knowledge of ,god1 so the knowledge of ,god bringeth us to the fear of ,him4--,jermin4 ,this knowledge of ,god is the first lesson of heavenly wisdom4 ,on the right apprehension of this lesson all the rest necessarily depends4 ,wrong views of ,god will vitiate every other department of your knowledge4 ,without right views of ,god you can have no right views of ,his law4 ,without right views of ,his law you can have no right views of sin1 either in its guilt or in its amount4 ,without right views of sin1 you can have no right views of your own condition1 and character1 and prospects as sinners4 ,without right views of these you can have no right views of your need of a ,saviour1 or of the person1 and the righteousness1 and atonement of that ,saviour4 ,without right views of these you can have no right views of your obligations to ,divine grace1 etc4 4 4 4 ,the fear of the ,lord1 founded on the knowledge of ,him1 is something to the right understanding of which experience is indispensable4 ,to a man who had never tasted anything sweet1 you would attempt in vain to convey1 by description1 a right conception of the sensation of sweetness4 ,and what is true of the sensations is true also of the emotions4 ,to a creature that had never felt fear you would hardly convey1 by description1 an idea of its nature2 and equally in vain would it be to make love intelligible to one that had never experienced that affection4 ,it is thus to a depraved creature with regard to holy and spiritual affections4 ,this fear of the ,lord--a fear springing from love and proportioned to it--such a creature cannot understand but by being brought to experience it4--,wardlaw4 ,the knowledge of ,god regulates the fear and prevents it from sinking into terror1 or degenerating into superstition1 but guides it to express its power in checking and subduing every corrupt affection and animating the soul to every instance of obedience4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-aa4 ,,god ,,as ,a ,,giver ,,and ,,man ,,as ,a ,,receiver4 ,i4 ,the fact stated--that ,god gives4 ,the nature of the good is to give4 ,god is the best of all beings1 therefore ,he is the greatest giver4 #a4 ,the kindness of ,god is manifested in the character of ,his gifts4 #b4 ,the resources of ,god are revealed in the abundance of ,his gifts4 ,the character and disposition of men are made known by what they give and by how they give4 ,god's gifts are good and perfect1 and are given ungrudgingly 7,jas4 i4 #e-ag74 ,but men's resources are not always equal to their desires to give4 ,but ,god is rich1 not only in mercy1 but in power2 ,he has given up to ,himself in the gift of ,his ,son1 in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge1 and beyond whom the ,father ,himself cannot give4 ,,ii4 ,some of ,his gifts enumerated4 #a4 ,wisdom4 ,sound wisdom4 ,real wisdom as opposed to that which is only a sham 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,the serpent--the devil--possesses cunning1 but not real wisdom4 ,our first parents were led astray by believing a lie--the fruit of following the tempter's guidance was unsoundness of body and soul4 ,the results of this wisdom of the serpent proved its falsity4 ,god gives the true wisdom4 ,he gives men the truth4 ,a knowledge of the truth about themselves1 about ,him 7ver4 #f71 brings stability of character--leads men into the right way of life 7ver4 #i7--;and thus tends to peace and blessedness of soul4 #b4 ,he gives protection by giving true wisdom4 ,he is a buckler1 etc4 7ver4 #g74 ,when ,abraham undertook to deliver ,lot from the hands of his enemies1 the skill with which he planned and carried out the attack 7,gen4 xiv4 #ad7 showed his wisdom4 ,after the victory ,god came to him and said1 ,fear not1 ,abraham4 ,i am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward 7,gen4 xv4 #a74 ,how had ,god just proved ,himself to be his shield8 ,not by sending a legion of angels to deliver him1 but by giving him the wisdom by which he had defended himself4 ,this is how ,he is a buckler to ,his children4 ,he preserveth the way of ,his saints 7ver4 #h7 by giving them wisdom and grace to understand and keep every good path 7ver4 #i74 ,,iii4 ,man as a receiver of ,god's gifts4 #a4 ,this wisdom and protection is only given to those who fulfil certain conditions4 ,wisdom is for the righteous1 the buckler for them that walk uprightly1 preservation for his saints4 ,these terms must be regarded as relative1 as we shall see presently2 but the fact that ,god has laid up ,his wisdom1 implies that it must be sought4 ,god had laid up a store of wisdom of ,joseph's guidance when ,pharaoh summoned him from the prison1 even as ,joseph afterwards stored up corn for the needy people2 but in both instances the gifts had to be sought for 7,gen4 xli4 #af74 ,daniel had wisdom laid up for him1 but he had to ask for the wisdom kept in store for him 7,dan4 ii4 #ah74 #b4 ,this best gift of ,god must be received into man's best place4 ,the knowledge which ,god gives must enter the heart1 the affections--thus it will be pleasant to the soul 7ver4 #aj74 ,he who holds the rudder guides the vessel4 ,there may be many important positions in a fortified city1 but he who holds the highest place commands all the rest4 ,understanding the word heart here to mean the affections1 the heart commands the man4 ,the will1 and even the conscience to an extent1 are wheeled about by the affections4 ,they are the rudder of the man2 they are the key to the position in the town of ,man-soul4 #c4 ,man1 by thus receiving ,god's gifts1 attains a relative perfection4 ,the understanding of every good way implies a walking in them4 ,those who receive ,god's wisdom walk uprightly--are saints4 ,the man who has long followed any profession may be said to be a perfect master of his business1 of his handicraft4 ,this does not imply that he can go no further--can attain to nothing higher4 ,the ,apostle ,paul speaks of an absolute and a relative perfection4 ,he had attained to the last but not to the first 7,phil4 iii4 #ab-ae74 ,to know what we ought to strive after and to choose the right way1 is the relative perfection1 which leads on to that which is absolute and entire4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #f4 ,one may1 indeed1 by natural knowledge1 very readily learn that ,god is a benevolent being2 but how ,he becomes to a sinner the ,god of love1 this can be learned only from the mouth of ,god in the ,holy ,scriptures4--,lange4 ,verses #a to #e teach plainly that a man may get light1 and that there are steps to it like money-getting2 and yet hardly have the words left his lips before ,solomon guards them3 ,jehovah gives wisdom--and guards them in a striking way1 for he says3 ,for1 that is1 the fact that it is the gift of ,god is the reason it can be proceeded so hopefully after by man4--,miller4 ,solomon knew this by experience4 ,the for gives the reason why he who is anxious to have wisdom should learn to know and worship ,god4--,fausset4 ,every beam of reason in men is communicated from the wisdom of ,god 7#a ,john i4 #i74 ,the simplest of the mechanical arts cannot be acquired unless men are taught of ,god4 ,how1 then can we be expected to understand the mystery of the ,divine will without light from the ,father of lights4--,lawson4 ,verse #g4 ,we are ill keepers of our own goodness and wisdom3 ,god1 therefore1 is pleased to lay it up for us1--and that it may be safe1 ,himself is the buckler and safeguard of it4 4 4 4 ,in this life1 he that walketh1 although he walk uprightly1 and seeing evil1 shuns it1 yet may receive hurt behind1 where backbiters too frequently make their assaults4 ,wherefore1 as he walketh to ,god before him1 so ,god walketh after him1 and even there1 where they cannot help themselves1 ,he will be a buckler to ,his servants4 4 4 4 ,but learn also that the buckler shows that they who will live uprightly must strive and fight4--,jermin4 ,heb41 substance1 reality 7see ,critical ,notes73 that which hath a true being in opposition to that which hath not4--,trapp4 ,he layeth up that which is essential for the righteous4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,the righteousness of our conduct contributes to the enlightenment of our creed4 ,the wholesome reaction of the moral on the intellectual is clearly intimated here1 inasmuch as it is to the righteous that ,god imparteth wisdom4--,chalmers4 ,he lays up or hides away4 #a4 ,that the wicked may not find it4 #b4 ,that the righteous may have to dig to get it 7the verb is the same as that from which hid treasures is derived in ,verse #d74 #c4 ,that it may be safe from the evil one4--,miller4 ,he walks uprightly who lives with the fear of ,god as his principle1 and the ,word of ,god as his rule1 and the glory of ,god as his end4--,wardlaw4 ,the most dreadful enemies of those who walk uprightly are those who endeavour to turn aside the way of their paths2 but against these enemies ,god defends1 for ,he keepeth the paths of wisdom and righteousness4--,lawson4 ,verse #h4 ,well may they walk uprightly that are so strongly supported4 ,god's hand is ever under his2 they cannot fall beneath it4--,trapp4 ,paths of judgment or justice are here1 by the substitution of the abstract for the concrete expression1 paths of the just1 and therefore synonymous with the way of ,his saints4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,we have certain vicarious rights4 ,one is1 to come out all well at last4 ,another is1 that all things shall work together for our good4 ,another is1 that we shall grow up into ,christ1 increasing day by day4 ,to realise each and all is required of ,god4 ,the track this takes ,him into for all is1 as to each man1 ,his path of judgment4 ,each such path ,he must walk in strictly4 ,to do so1 ,he must watch the saints4--,miller4 ,he is not the guardian of the broad way--the way of the world and of sin4 ,that way ,satan superintends1 the god of this world--doing everything in his power1 by all his various acts of enticement and intimidation1 to keep his wretched subjects and victims from leaving it4--,wardlaw4 ,he preserveth the way of ,his saints both from being drawn out of that way1 and from all evil while they walk in it4--,jackson4 ,if men will not keep their bounds1 ,god will keep ,his4 ,there is a right way for the saints to walk in4 #a4 ,because else it were worse living in ,god's kingdom than in any other kingdom4 ,for all kingdoms have rules of safety and of living4 #b4 ,god would be in a worse condition than the meanest master of a family4 ,he would have no certain service4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #i4 ,not as standing in speculation1 but as a rule of life4 ,knowledge is either apprehensive only1 or effective also4 ,this differs from that as much as the light of the sun1 wherein is the influence of an enlivening power1 from the light of torches4--,trapp4 ,not only does it enlarge our knowledge of ,god1 but it brings us to a full understanding of every practical obligation4--,bridges4 ,good signifies1 #a4 ,that which is just and right4 #b4 ,that which is profitable4 #c4 ,that which is pleasing4 #d4 ,that which is full and complete 7,gen4 xv4 #ae74 4 4 4 ,men must grow from knowledge of some good duties to knowledge of others4 ,they must go on till they know every good path4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #aj4 ,another picture of the results of living unto the ,lord4 ,not that only to which it leads a man1 but that from which it saves him1 must be brought into view4 ,here1 as before1 there is a gradation in the two clauses4 ,it is one thing for wisdom to find entrance into the soul1 another to be welcomed as a pleasant guest4--,plumptre4 ,spiritual joy mortifies sin4 ,his mouth hankers not after homely provision that hath lately tasted of delicate sustenance4 ,pleasure there must be in the ways of ,god because therein men let out all their souls into ,god1 the foundation of all good1 hence they so infinitely distaste sin's tasteless fooleries4--,trapp4 ,it was to open thus thy heart for wisdom that ,christ's heart was open upon the cross2 it was to make an entrance for wisdom into thy heart that the spear entered into the heart of thy ,saviour4 ,and what though wisdom enter thy heart at a breach1 a wound8 ,it is this that must heal thee and make thee sound4--,jermin4 ,here only has it any life or power4 ,while it is only in the head it is dry1 speculative1 barren4 4 4 4 ,before it was the object of our search2 now1 having found it1 it is our pleasure4--,bridges4 ,it is pleasure that can compete with pleasure4 ,it is joy and peace in believing that can overcome the pleasures of sin4 4 4 4 ,a human soul1 by its very constitution1 cannot be frightened into holiness4 ,it is made for being won1 and won it will be1 by the drawing on this side or the drawing on that4--,arnot4 ,verse #aa4 ,the man who has let knowledge come into his heart does but watch afterwards as he does in common walking3 discretion or reflection will keep him straight4--,miller4 ,men are subject to many dangers till they get wisdom4 #a4 ,their reputation is in danger4 #b4 ,the goods and estates are in danger4 #c4 ,their body and life are in danger4 #d4 ,the soul is in danger of eternal misery4 ,therefore sin is called folly1 and wicked men that go to hell are chronicled as fools all over this book4--,francis ,taylor4 ,though the heart of man by nature be a rebellious fort1 so that wisdom at first must enter it by a kind of force1 yet1 being entered1 it makes itself pleasant1 and keeps out and preserves the soul which kept her out4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-bj4 ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,those ,,from ,,whom ,,wisdom ,,preserves4 ,i4 ,the evil man4 #a4 ,his speech is corrupt1 verse #ab4 ,the closed grave contains death and holds within it the seeds of pestilence1 but while it remains unopened the corrupt influence remains enclosed in its narrow walls4 ,but should it be opened1 and its foulness allowed to fill the air1 it begins to set in motion that will strike men down to its own level4 ,the mouth of the wicked man while kept shut is a closed grave1 his iniquity is shut up within himself1 but when he speaks out the thoughts of his heart his mouth is as an open sepulchre1 and he spreads around him moral disease and death4 #b4 ,he is a man of progressive iniquity4 ,he walks in the ways of darkness4 ,when a stone is set in motion1 the momentum given to it1 if no other law comes into operation to prevent it1 will carry it to the lowest level in the direction in which it travels4 ,the progress of wickedness is downhill1 and walking in the ways of darkness implies a destination which in ,scripture is called outer darkness4 #c4 ,he delights in his downward progress4 ,sorry and joy are reveals of human hearts4 ,the saint rejoices in whatever things are pure1 lovely1 and of good report1 and in his increase of power to do the same4 ,that which rejoices him reveals his heart4 ,the sinner that rejoices to do evil and delights in the frowardness of the wicked1 brings to light the hidden things of darkness that are within him4 ,,ii4 ,the wicked woman4 #a4 ,she is1 pre-eminently1 a covenant-breaker4 ,the ribs of a vessel hold and keep together the whole structure1 and enable it to keep its cargo safe4 ,if the ribs give way1 all goes to pieces1 and the precious things which have been stored up within the ship are lost in the ocean4 ,human society is belted together--kept from going to pieces--by covenants4 ,they are the ribs which keep together the ,state4 ,the marriage covenant holds the first place4 ,the woman whose character is here depicted has broken the bonds of this most sacred covenant--to which ,god was a witness 7the covenant of an institution of ,his own ordination7--and has taken to the strange way of the devil4 ,well may she be called a strange woman4 ,that a woman should be guilty of such a crime--should choose such a course of life1 so opposed to all that is pure and womanly--is indeed a mystery4 #b4 ,she is a destroyer1 not only of herself1 but of others4 ,when the river has broken through its proper boundaries there is a present and continual destruction1 of which the bursting of its banks was only the beginning4 ,this woman in the past broke the moral boundaries of her life1 and is now not content to go to ruin herself1 but tries to take others with her4 ,to this end are her false and flattering words1 of which we shall hear more in chapter v4 #c4 ,she carries her victims beyond hope of recovery4 ,there are no rules without exceptions4 ,we know that there are those who have for a time been under the influence of such characters1 and have returned to the paths of virtue and honour4 ,but these are rare exceptions4 ,in the main1 it is1 alas6 true that none that go unto her return again4 ,a vessel founders at sea1 and we say that the crew is lost1 although one survivor may have been rescued4 ,we speak of an army being destroyed if one escapes to tell the tale4 ,where one who has taken hold on her paths struggles back to life and purity1 thousands go down with her to death1 bodily1 social1 and spiritual4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,to snatch 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,the way of evil4 ,the terms begin gently4 ,it is only the gentle aspects that are dangerous at first4 ,these are so fascinating that it requires us to be snatched to keep us out of the ways of darkness4--,miller4 ,verse #ac4 ,among the pests of men1 none are such virulent pests of everything that is good as those that once made a profession of religion1 but have left the way of uprightness4 ,the stings of conscience which such persons experience1 instead of reclaiming them1 tend only to irritate their spirits1 and inflame them into fierce enmity against religion4--,lawson4 ,darkness1 as thus set in contrast with uprightness1 may be interpreted as descriptive both of the nature of the ways1 and of their tendency and end4 ,the man who walks in uprightness walks in light4 ,his eye is single4 ,there is none occasion of stumbling in him4 ,he has but one principle2 his eyes look right on1 his eyelids look straight before him4 ,he is not always looking this way and that1 for devious paths that may suit a present purpose1 but presses on ever in the same course2 and this all is light1 all plain1 all safe4 ,the ways of darkness are the ways of concealment1 evasion1 cunning1 tortuous policy and deceit4 ,he who walks in them is ever groping2 hiding himself among the subtleties of fleshly wisdom3 and being ways of false principle and sin1 they are ways of danger1 and shame1 and ruin4--,wardlaw4 ,there is a strictly casual and reciprocal relation between unrighteous deeds and moral darkness4 ,the doing of evil produces darkness1 and darkness produces the evil doing4 ,indulged lusts put out the eye-sight of the conscience2 and under the darkened conscience the lusts revel unchecked4--,arnot4 ,the light stands in the way of their wicked ways as the angel did in ,balaam's way to his sin4--,trapp4 ,verse #ad4 ,though it be wormwood which they drink 7,lam4 iii4 #ae71 yet being drunk with it1 they perceive not the bitterness thereof1 but like drunken men rejoice in their shame and misery4--,jermin4 ,better is the sorrow of him that suffereth evil than the jollity of him that doeth evil1 saith ,st4 ,augustine4--,trapp4 ,here is a note of trial to discern our spiritual estate4 ,wicked men rejoice in sin2 good men sorrow more for sin than for troubles4 4 4 4 ,many triumph in their evil deeds because they have no good to boast of4 ,and men are naturally proud and would boast of something4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #af4 ,there is no viler object in nature than an adulteress4 ,though born and baptised in a ,christian land1 she is to be looked upon as a heathen woman and a stranger1 and as self-made brutes are greater monsters than natural brute beasts1 so baptised heathens are by far the worst of pagans4--,lawson4 ,this strange woman is an emblem of impenitence4 ,the passage #af-ai1 means the seductiveness and yet the betraying wretchedness of impenitence4 ,the woman who has left her husband has also left her ,god2 and the nulla vestigia retrorsum witnessed in her dupes is the warning for the saint by which he keeps clear of her undoing4 ,no man would err who would treat of adultery as having its lessons here4 ,but no man would understand the passage who did not understand it further as a great picture of impenitence4 ,the warnings are two3 7#a7 the un-stopping-short character of sin2 she who wrongs her husband will be seen universally wronging ,god3 and 7#b7 the unrecuperative history of the lost4--,miller ,twice ,solomon uses a similar expression1 the strange woman 7even7 the stranger1 to impress more forcibly on the young man the fact that her person belongs to another4 ,the literal and spiritual adulteress are both meant4 ,the spiritual gives to the world her person and her heart1 which belong by right to ,god4 ,in this sense the foreign women who subsequently drew aside ,solomon himself1 were strange women1 not so much in respect to their local distance from ,israel1 as in respect to being utterly alien to the worship of ,god4 ,lust and idolatry were the spiritual adultery into which they entrapped the once wise king4 ,how striking that he should utter beforehand a warning which he himself afterwards disregarded4--,fausset4 ,we are not to forget that the accomplished seducer has herself perhaps been seduced4 ,the fair and flattering words1 the endless arts of allurement1 are on both sides4--,wardlaw4 ,one who is as it were1 a stranger to her own house and husband by faithlessness 7,hitzig71 and hence a type of anything that is false and seductive in doctrine or practice4 4 4 4 ,by ,god's goodness ,solomon's words in this ,divinely inspired book were an antidote to the poison of his own vicious example4--,wordsworth4 ,verse #ag4 ,false doctrine and false worship are in ,scripture compared to harlotry and adultery4 7,numb4 xiv4 #cc2 ,judges ii4 #ag2 viii4 #cc2 ,psa4 cvi4 #ci2 ,rev4 xvii4 #a1 #b2 xviii4 #c47--,wordsworth4 ,it is ,god that is the guide of her youth1 whoever may be under ,him2 it is ,god's covenant that is made1 whosoever may be the contractor in it4 ,it is ,god who is first forsaken1 then forgotten2 forsaken in the beginning of wickedness1 forgotten in the hardened practice of it4 ,god hath appointed guides for youth--to stay the weakness of it1 and to which1 as unto ,god1 youth ought to yield obedience4 ,for elder years ,he hath appointed covenants as bonds and chains to hold them sure4--,jermin4 ,there is no trusting them that will fail ,god and their near friends4 ,if they fail ,god1 they will fail men for their advantage4 ,if they fail friends--much more strangers4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #ah4 ,when you get into the company of the licentious1 you are among the dead4 ,they move about like men in outward appearance1 but the best attributes of humanity have disappeared--the best affections of nature have been drained away from their hearts4--,arnot4 ,her house is not a building reared up1 but inclined and bowed down1 and she who dwelleth in it will1 by her life1 bring thee to the dead4 4 4 4 ,death is here twice mentioned to show that it is a double death1 a temporal death1 and an eternal death1 to which she bringeth men4--,jermin4 ,verse #ai4 ,who would cast himself into a deep pit in the hopes of coming out alive1 when almost all that fell into it were dashed in pieces4--,lawson4 ,it is as hard to restore a lustful person to chastity as it is to restore a dead person to life4--,chrysostom4 ,a sin which1 ,i am verily persuaded1 if there be another that slays her thousands1 may with truth be affirmed to slay its ten thousands4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bj4 ,here follows the whole ground of the exhibition3 ,that1 for the very purpose that thou mayest walk in the way of good men4 ,this is a grand1 pregnant doctrine4 ,this bad life was abandoned to its worst partly as a lesson4--,miller4 ,it is not enough to shun the evil way1 unless man walk in the good way4--,muffet4 ,he that walks in the way of good men shall meet with good men1 and that shall keep him from the company of evil men and women4 ,the paths of the righteous are too narrow for such3 he shall not be troubled with them4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-bb4 ,,the ,,contrast ,,in ,,the ,,end ,,from ,,the ,,contrast ,,in ,,the ,,way4 ,if men walk in two directly opposite directions they cannot possibly arrive at the same goal4 ,i4 ,the historic illustration of this truth4 ,the first inhabitants of ,canaan were allowed to dwell in the land until they defiled it to so great an extent by their sins that they were rooted out1 to be replaced by the ,hebrew people4 ,these1 in their turn1 became transgressors of ,god's law1 and consequently forfeited their inheritance4 ,,ii4 ,the reasonableness of this dealing4 ,uprightness leads to industry1 and the land which is industriously cultivated fulfils the end for which ,god gave it to the children of men4 ,uprightness leads to the rightful dividing of the land or of its produce among all its inhabitants4 ,it is ,god's will that none of his creatures should suffer bodily want3 if all men were truly upright and godly1 the poor and needy1 if they did not cease out of the land 7,deut4 xv4 #b7 would have a much larger share of its good things than they at present enjoy4 ,the ,hebrew civil and social laws show us what ,god's intentions are in this matter4 ,therefore none ought to complain if they are deprived of a gift which they have mis-used4 ,,iii4 ,the typical suggestion of the subject4 ,dwelling in the land of ,canaan was typical of the eternal dwelling in the heavenly country4 ,some of the first inhabitants of that country have been rooted out because of sin 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #d71 others have dwelt safely there for ages1 because they are1 literally1 perfect4 ,this is the destined home of all just men made perfect 7,heb4 xii4 #bc2 xi4 #ac-af4 ,matt4 xxii4 #cb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ba4 ,the ,israelite was1 beyond the power of natural feeling1 which makes home dear to every one1 more closely bound to his ancestral soil by the whole form of the theocracy3 torn from it he was in the inmost roots of his life itself1 strained and broken4--,elster4 ,as surely as a righteous man hath this right unto temporal things which a wicked man hath not1 that ,god doth account him to be worthy of them 4 4 4 4 ,wherefore it is observed1 that in ,scripture1 although the wicked are said to possess the things of the earth1 they are never said to inherit them2 but the godly are said to inherit the good things of the earth as receiving them from the love of their heavenly ,father4--,jermin4 ,verse #bb4 ,the very earth casts out the wicked4 4 4 4 ,the whole has a typical meaning4 ,this earth1 many conjecture is to be restored as heaven4 ,in that event1 the old ,canaan types will be very perfect4--,miller4 ,must not the righteous leave the earth too8 ,yes2 but the earth is a very different thing to the righteous and to the wicked4 ,to the latter it is all the heaven they will ever have2 to the righteous it is a place of preparation for heaven4--,lawson4 ,the event seemeth to be contrary to the promise here made1 for the earth commonly is possessed by those who take evil ways1 whilst in the mean season the godly are tossed up and down with many afflictions4 ,but we must consider for our comfort that1 the wicked wrongfully and unlawfully as usurpers1 possess the earth and the goods of this world2 and again1 that by many troubles1 and by death in the end1 they are put out of possession at last4 ,as for the godly1 they1 by right1 inherit the earth1 so that1 as ,abraham was the heir to the land of promise even when he had not a foot of ground therein1 in like manner all the godly are heirs of this world1 according to the saying of the apostle1 that all things are theirs 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bb72 howsoever often here they possess little or nothing4 ,in right they are heirs1 and in part possessors1 looking for a new heaven and a new earth1 wherein the just shall dwell 7#b ,pet4 iii4 #ac74--,muffet4 ,suddenly1 when they have feathered their nests and set up their rest1 the wicked may die sinning4 ,the saints shall not die till the best time--not till the time when1 if they were rightly informed1 they would desire to die4--,trapp4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,keep4 ,this word1 says ,miller primarily means to look hard at1 and generally to keep watch over1 as over a vineyard4 #b4 ,length of days1 properly extension of days4 #d4 ,good understanding1 or good success1 good reputation4 ,some read good intelligence1 i4e41 thou shalt be esteemed before ,god and man as one of good understanding4 #f4 ,acknowledge1 take notice of1 recognise ,him4 ,direct1 make level or smooth4 #h4 ,navel1 body or muscles4 ,marrow1 literally refreshing1 moistening1 in contrast to the condition described in ,psa4 xxxii4 #c1 #d4 #aa4 ,despise not1 or loathe not1 shrink not4 ,the word1 according to ,miller1 means to melt4 ,chastening1 discipline1 correction4 #ab4 ,the latter clause of this verse should be read1 and holds him dear1 or does him a favour1 as a father does his son4 #ac4 ,gets1 draws out4 #ah4 ,lay hold1 grasp1 from a ,hebrew root strong4 ,retaineth1 holds her fast4 #bj4 ,depths1 c41 were the floods divided into rivers and streams for the blessing of man4 ,dew1 or gentle rain1 or else the clouds signify the lower regions of the atmosphere where the dew is formed4 #ba4 ,them1 i4e4 sound wisdom and discretion2 ,sound wisdom1 the same word as in chap ii4 #g 7see notes there74 ,miller translates here as there1 something stable4 #be4 ,desolation of the wicked4 ,this is interpreted in two ways4 #a4 ,the desolation in which the wicked strive to overwhelm the good2 or1 #b4 ,the destruction which will sweep away the wicked1 leaving the godly unharmed4 ,a positive decision is probably not possible 7,lange's ,commentary74 ,stuart1 and most modern commentators1 adopt the latter view4 #bf4 ,confidence4 ,jehovah shall be as loins to thee 7,miller74 #bg4 ,withhold not1 c41 literally hold not good back from its master1 i4e41 from him to whom it belongs4 #ca4 ,envy thou not1 c41 or emulate not 7,vulg47 ,do not anxiously covet 7,stuart74 #cb4 ,secret4 ,his secret compact1 familiar intimacy4 #cd4 ,if1 or ,seeing that ,he scorneth the scorners1 c4 #ce4 ,the promotion1 c41 literally shame lifts up1 i4e41 in order to sweep away and destroy them2 so ,lange translates4 ,miller reads1 fools are each piling shame4 ,stuart says on this verse1 ,glory means here honour or an exalted station4 ,ziegler and ,ewald render the next clause1 ',shame shall elevate fools1' spoken sarcastically4 ,i prefer the meaning sanctioned by ,ezek4 xxi4 #bc2 ,is4 lvii4 #ad1 viz41 to take off1 to sweep away1 as the dust which is elevated by the wind and is swept off1 as may be seen in ,isa4 xvii4 #ac4 ,compare ,isa4 xxix4 #e2 ,psa4 xxxv4 #e4 ,at least1 the image understood in this way is very vivid4 ,it stands thus3 ',fools are elevated like the light dust1 and then are swept away in the same manner4' ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,,blessings ,,from ,,the ,,remembrance ,,of ,,god',s ,,commandments4 ,i4 ,the natural desire of a moral instructor4 ,every teacher desires that his pupil should remember his instructions1 and unless that which has been given is remembered it is useless to carry him further on4 ,memory holds a very important place in the formation of moral character4 ,moreover1 brethren1 ,i declare unto you the ,gospel which ,i preached unto you2 4 4 4 by which also ye are saved1 if ye keep in memory what ,i preached unto you 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #a and #b74 ,paul likewise exhorts his son ,timothy by means of his memory 7#b ,tim i4 #f74 ,see also ,hebrews x4 #cb2 #b ,pet4 i4 #ae1 iii4 #a1 etc4 ,solomon knew that his son could only profit by his counsel so long as he remembered it4 ,,ii4 ,when the memory does not retain moral teaching1 it is a moral rather than an intellectual fault4 ,let thine heart keep my commandments4 ,we find it difficult to forget where we love4 ,if a child loves his father1 he is not likely to forget his words4 ,christ reminded his disciples that they did not remember because their hearts were hardened 7,mark viii4 #ag1 #ah74 ,,iii4 ,when the heart keeps the ,divine ,word1 mercy and truth will not forsake the character4 ,where ,god's precepts find a place of abode1 there will likewise be found a merciful disposition towards men1 and a truthful and sincere piety before ,god4 ,if a tree has its roots in the waters1 we know that its greenness will not fail3 its leaf shall not wither4 ,the freshness and beauty of the foliage is the necessary outcome of its roots dwelling in the stream4 ,the mercifulness and the truthfulness of a man's character will be in proportion to his affection for1 and consequent retention of1 the words of ,god4 ,,iv4 ,the blessings which will accompany a remembrance of the ,divine teaching4 #a4 ,length of days4 ,we may infer from this that1 as a rule1 long life is to be desired4 ,the longer distance a pure river runs through a country1 the greater the amount of blessing which it diffuses on its way to the ocean4 ,the longer a man of mercy and truth lives1 the more he is enabled to bless his fellow-creatures4 ,a long life gives a man time to attain great knowledge of ,god1 and thus enables him to glorify ,him upon the earth4 ,a long life is also to be desired because the peculiar experience of earth belongs to the present life only4 ,when that is ended we have reason to believe that we shall enter upon an entirely new experience2 that which belonged to earth will have passed away with our earthly life4 ,it has often been remarked that a godly manner of life is favourable to length of days4 ,sin and anxious care tend to bring men to an early grave1 while purity1 and trust in a living and loving ,father are promoters of bodily health4 #b4 ,divine and human favour4 ,the human ruler is favourable to those who make it their business to obey his commands4 ,a wise and good father makes a difference in his treatment of those children who seek to please him and those who defy his authority4 ,god is the ,father1 and consequently the rightful ,ruler of men1 and having made laws for the guidance of ,his children1 it follows of necessity that those who seek to obey those laws must find favour with ,him4 ,he is in this sense a respecter of persons4 ,he has respect to those who have respect unto his commandments 7,psa4 cxix4 #f74 ,favour in the sight of man is also promised4 ,the value of a man's favour depends upon a man's character4 ,to find favour with some men would be to be known as an enemy of ,god 7,james iv4 #d74 ,it is written that ,jesus increased in favour with ,god and man 7,luke ii4 #eb74 ,but we know that ,he found little favour with the rulers of the ,jews4 ,therefore1 these words must be taken to refer to the favour of those whose favour is worth having4 #c4 ,peace 7,verse #b74 ,where the conscience and passions are at war there can be nothing but unrest1 but when the conscience is reinforced by the ,divine precepts1 she rules1 and the soul1 as a consequence1 enjoys peace4 ,peace must flow from the possession of ,divine favour1 and also from the consciousness of the good-will of good men4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,here we advance another step4 ,not only is it necessary to renounce and shun evil 7i4 #aj7 and to listen to the voice of ,wisdom and go in quest of her 7i4 #bj2 ii4 #a-d71 but it is also requisite to hold her fast under trial and tribulation 7ver4 #aa71 and to practise her rules by love to ,god and man 7verses #i1 #bg1 #cj74--,wordsworth4 ,my law4 ,he who made us knows what is good for us4 ,submission to ,his will is the best condition for humanity4 ,our own will leads to sin and misery4 ,the law of the ,lord is perfect1 converting the soul4 4 4 4 ,silently to forget ,god's law is a much more common thing amongst us than blasphemously to reject it4--,arnot4 ,where love makes the impression1 care locks it up4 4 4 4 ,philo saith1 ,thou forgettest ,god's law1 because thou forgettest thyself4 ,for didst thou remember thine own condition1 how very nothing thou art1 thou couldst not forget ,his law whose excellency exceedeth all things2 and therefore to fasten ,his law in our hearts1 ,god saith no more than that it is my law1 as if the strength of that reason were sufficient to strike them into us not to be forgotten4--,jermin4 ,we should be able to say to ,wisdom as ,cnis did to her lady ,antonia1 ,you need not1 madame1 bid me do your business1 for ,i so remember your commands1 as ,i need never be reminded of them4--,trapp4 ,the mental faculties have a close relation and a mutual dependence upon each other4 ,there are1 without doubt1 original diversities in the power of memory4 ,but memory depends greatly on attention1 and attention depends not less upon the interest which the mind feels on the subject4 ,he who feels no interest will not attend1 and he who does not attend will not remember4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #b4 ,length of days is the promise to the righteous--whether for earth or for heaven as their ,father deems fittest for them4 ,in itself1 the promise1 as regards this life1 has no charm4 4 4 4 ,but peace added forms the sunshine of the toilsome way4--,bridges4 ,the original is length of days and years of lives4 ,they are lives which religion promiseth1 one on earth1 another in heaven3 here such a long life as short days can make up1 but there days shall be years3 there shall be but one day1 lengthened into eternity4--,jermin4 ,where is the consistency of promising long life to wisdom8 ,where is the truth of such an assurance8 ,but certain grammatical endings give us immediate signs of another interpretation4 ,the verb add is masculine2 the words law and commandments are feminine4 ,on the contrary1 all are masculines among the nouns of the next clause4 ,unless there should be reason to do violence by an ungrammatical exception1 the nouns should be the subjects rather than the objects of the verb4 ,we translate therefore1 ,for length of days1 and years of life1 and prosperity1 shall make thee greater4--,miller4 ,such declarations are certainly not to be interpreted as a promise of long life in this world in every instance1 as the result of obedience to ,god's commands4 ,there are promises to ,israel of their days being prolonged in the land which are greatly mistaken when interpreted of the life of individuals2 and as pledging in every case its prolongation to all the good4 ,such passages relate to the continued possession of the land of promise by the people1 if they1 in their successive generations1 continued to serve ,god4--,wardlaw4 ,simple duration of life in itself to ,jewish mind1 a great gift of ,god4 ,years of life1 i4e41 of a life truly such1 a life worth living1 not the lingering struggle with pain and sickness 7compare the use of life in ,psalm xxx4 #e1 xliii4 #h74--,plumptre4 ,verse #c4 ,there was such a similitude of nature between the twins of love that at once they wept1 and at once they smiled2 they fell sick together1 and they recovered jointly4 ,such are these twins of grace4 ,in policy1 mercy without truth is a sweet shower dropping upon barren sands1 quite spilt1 and no blessing following it2 truth without mercy is extreme right and extreme injury4 ,consider them toward ,god and heaven4 ,a faith of mere protestation without good works1 such as truth without mercy1 and all the integrity of the heathen1 all the goodness that ,socrates could teach1 such is mercy without truth4--,bishop ,hacket4 ,the neck is1 in ,solomon's writings1 the organ and symbol of obedience4 ,to bind ,god's law about the neck is not only to do it1 but to rejoice in doing it2 to put it on and exult in it as the fairest ornament4--,wordsworth4 ,i4 ,the matter to be recorded--mercy and truth4 ,these two1 meeting and kissing in the ,mediator1 constitute the revealed character of ,god ,himself2 and ,he desires to see1 as it were1 a miniature of ,his own likeness impressed upon ,his children4 ,,ii4 ,the tablet for receiving it--the human heart4 ,the reference is obviously to the tables of stone4 ,the tables were intended to be not a book only1 but a type4 ,an impress should be taken on our own hearts1 that we may always have the will of ,god hidden within us4--,arnot4 ,let these graces be1 as with ,god1 in combination4 ,the want of one buries the commendation of the other4 ,such a one is merciful to the poor1 but there is no truth in him4 ,such a one is very just in his dealings1 but he is as hard as a flint4 ,nor must these virtues be in occasional and temporary exercise4 ,let them not forsake thee4--,bridges4 ,intimating--,i4 ,their forsaking us is more than our forsaking them4 ,our forsaking them may come of our weakness1 but their forsaking us comes of our wilfulness and hardness of heart in not entertaining them4 ,,ii4 ,it sets out the easiness of the loss of them through our corruption4 ,,iii4 ,it sets forth our great need of them4 ,,iv4 ,it intimates our great care and pains needful for the retaining of them4 ,they are easily lost1 but hardly kept4 ,a hawk must be well tamed before he is let fly1 else he will return no more4 ,these graces must be as carefully kept as providently gotten1 like riches4 ,and they must both be kept together1 else mercy may lie to do good1 and truth may reveal without cause what may do hurt4 ,therefore join both as ,god does 7,ps4 lxxxv4 #aj74--;,francis ,taylor4 ,mercy and truth are dear sisters1 blessed companions in ,god1 sweet companions in man4 ,mercy loveth truth1 truth loveth mercy1 ,god loveth both2 and if man love himself1 he will do so likewise4--,jermin4 ,these words correspond to the two tables of the law4 ,benevolence is at the bottom of the command1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour1 and what is right is that great glory which we are to love in ,god4--,miller4 ,verse #d4 ,in other words1 ,thou shalt be favoured and truly prospered1 ,god and man both bearing witness to thy well-directed efforts4--,stuart4 ,he that shows mercy to men shall find mercy with ,god 4 4 4 and men love to be dealt truly and mercifully with themselves1 even though they deal not so with others2 especially they that get good by our merciful and just dealing will favour us4--,francis ,taylor4 ,this favour of ,god and man1 i4e41 not of all indiscriminately1 but first and pre-eminently of the wise and devout1 such as agree with ,god's judgment1 is evidently in the view of the poet the highest and most precious of the multiform blessings of wisdom which he enumerates4 ,what1 however1 is this favour of ,god and man but the being a true child of ,god1 the belonging to the fellowship of ,god and ,his people1 the co-citizenship in the kingdom of truth and blessedness8 ,we stand here manifestly at the point at which the ,old ,testament doctrine of retributions predominantly earthly begin to be transformed into the supersensual or spiritual realistic doctrine of the ,new ,testament 7,matt4 v4 #aj-ab2 xix4 #bh-cj74--,lange's ,commentary4 ,the promise is all one with that of the ,apostle ,paul1 when1 speaking of righteousness1 peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost1 he saith1 that he which in these things serveth ,christ1 pleaseth ,god and is acceptable to men 7,rom4 xiv4 #ah74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e and #f4 ,,exhortation ,,to ,,confidence ,,in ,,god4 ,man is so constituted that1 in some respects1 he must have objects outside of himself to lean upon4 ,as a child1 he leans upon a wisdom and strength which is superior to his own1 and few men are so self-sufficient as entirely to lay aside this habit in after life4 ,in many things we must1 whether we will or not1 depend upon the guidance and help of others4 ,every man1 in common with the lower creatures1 must of necessity lean upon a power greater than his own4 ,the eyes of all wait upon ,thee 7,psa4 cxlv4 #ae74 ,but this is a leaning which needs no exhortation3 it springs from necessity4 ,the exhortation of the text implies that in some things men have to choose whether they will lean upon ,god or not4 ,i4 ,what is necessary in order to comply with the exhortation4 #a4 ,a knowledge of ,god4 ,we cannot place entire trust in any person of whose character we have no knowledge2 or1 if we do so1 we show our want of discretion4 ,if a traveller across ,central ,africa were to give himself up to the guidance of the first native whom he met1 he would probably find that his confidence had been misplaced4 ,the youth who trusts in the first companion who offers his friendship is like a blind man placing his hand in that of any stranger who may offer him guidance4 ,all lasting trust is based upon knowledge4 ,they that know ,thy name will put their trust in ,thee 7,psa4 ix4 #aj74 ,the confidence of a wise man is born of knowledge of character4 ,god can be known4 ,his only-begotten ,son hath declared ,him 7,luke x4 #bb2 ,john i4 #ah1 xvii4 #c74 #b4 ,love to ,god4 ,the character must be known1 and1 being known1 must be loved1 if there is to be a lasting confidence4 ,we shall not lean with much weight where we do not love4 ,the trust of a ,christian will be in proportion to his love to his ,lord4 ,the more intimate the knowledge1 the deeper will be the love2 the deeper the love1 the more entire the trust4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ knew ,his ,father 7,john xvii4 #be7 as no creature could know ,him1 and ,his love being based upon this profound knowledge1 ,his trust was entire and ,his obedience perfect1 even in ,his darkest hours4 ,but that the world may know that ,i love the ,father1 and as the ,father gave me commandment1 even so ,i do4 ,arise let us go hence 7,john xiv4 #ca74 ,we cannot do better than write after this copy4 ,,ii4 ,the necessary effect of such a confidence4 ,we shall acknowledge ,god in all our ways4 ,this must mean--#a4 ,a practical recognition of ,his presence4 ,we may be in the presence of a superior1 and know that we are in his presence1 without acknowledging it by showing him the respect that is due to him4 ,if this is the case1 we virtually ignore his existence4 ,a child whose behaviour is not deferential to his parent practically ignores him4 ,acknowledging ,god in all our ways implies a reverent attitude of soul towards ,him4 #b4 ,a belief in ,god's care for the individual life4 ,god makes himself known as the ,god of the individual man4 ,the care of the individual is his self-imposed task4 ,i am the ,lord ,god of ,abraham1 thy father1 and the ,god of ,isaac1 4 4 4 and behold ,i am with thee1 and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest 7,gen4 xxviii4 #ac1 #ae74 #c4 ,the reference of all our affairs to ,his guidance1 and a submission of our will to ,his4 ,this will be easy and natural in proportion to our knowledge1 and love1 and conviction that ,god will not think any of our concerns beneath ,his notice4 ,our submission will be in the ratio of our confidence--our confidence in the ratio of our knowledge4 ,,iii4 ,the promise of direction guaranteed to compliance with the exhortation4 #a4 ,men have many ways in life4 ,man's many ways spring from his many needs4 ,he has a living to earn in the world4 ,his hunger must be satisfied--his body must be clothed and fed4 ,his social wants must be met--he must have companions1 form relationships4 ,his mind must have food as well as his body4 ,the aspirations of his spirit form another way1 and demand direction and enlightenment4 ,but one way--the way of acknowledging ,god--is needful to make any and all the other ways profitable and pleasant4 #b4 ,the certainty of right guidance from the foreknowledge and power of the guide4 ,an ,alpine guide1 who has traversed a road many times1 knows from memory what is at the end of the journey4 ,he sees the end while he is on the way4 ,god's foreknowledge answers to our memory4 ,he sees the end to which ,he is bringing us while we are on the way4 ,and ,his power makes the accomplishment of ,his plans certain4 ,he can speak of them as finished before the means are set in motion to bring them to pass4 ,he said to ,joshua3 ,behold1 ,i have given into thine hand ,jericho 7,josh4 vi4 #b71 before any steps had been taken to overthrow it4 ,his guidance makes it certain that ,his designs will be accomplished1 whatever becomes of our plans4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #e and #f4 ,the heart1 the seat of the affections1 and also1 in ,hebrew psychology1 the conscience1 which is not a sure guide unless it is regulated by the ,lord's will and ,word4--,wordsworth4 ,once1 indeed1 man's understanding gave clear1 unclouded light1 as man's high prerogative--created in the image of ,god4 ,but now--degraded by the fall1 and darkened by the corruption of the heart--it must prove a false guide4 ,even in a renewed man--a prophet of ,god--it proved a mistaken counsellor 7#b ,sam4 vii4 #b1 #e74 ,yet throw it not away2 cultivate it2 use it actively2 but lean not to it4--,bridges4 ,he shall ,himself1 i4e41 by ,his own ,spirit4 ,there is an emphatic pronoun4 ,when we walk1 it is not we that walk1 but ,god4--,miller4 ,leaning to our own understanding is1 as far as it prevails1 a kind of practical atheism4 ,to form and prosecute our plans in this spirit of self-confidence1 is to act as if there were no ,god--as if the fool's thought1 or the fool's wish1 were true4--,wardlaw4 ,i4 ,the duty enjoined4 #a4 ,entire4 #b4 ,exclusive4 #c4 ,uniform4 ,,ii4 ,the blessing promised--,direction4 ,necessary on account of--#a4 ,our fallibility4 #b4 ,the hazards of the way4 #c4 ,false guides4 ,promised4 #a4 ,by the pointings of ,providence4 #b4 ,by the lessons of the ,bible4 #c4 ,by the influences of the ,holy ,spirit4--,outlines by ,rev4 ,g4 ,brooks4 ,the fundamental principle of all religion1 consisting in an entire self-commitment to the grace and truth of ,god1 with the abandonment of every attempt to attain blessedness by one's own strength or wisdom4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,the distant and unconfiding will come on occasion of ,state formalities to the sovereign2 but the dear child will leap forward with everything4 ,the ,queen of ,england is the mother of a family4 ,at one time her ministers of ,state came gravely into her presence to converse on the policy of nations2 at another1 her infant runs to her arms for protection1 frightened at the buzzing of a fly4 ,will she love this last appeal because it is a little thing8 ,we have had fathers of our flesh who delighted when we came to them with our minutest ailments4 ,how much more should we bring all our ways to the ,father of our spirits1 and live by simple faith on ,him4--,arnot4 ,we may be led for the exercise of our faith into a way of disappointment1 or even of mistake4 ,but no step well prayed over will ever bring ultimate regret4--,bridges4 ,every enlightened believer trusts in a ,divine power enlightening the understanding2 he therefore follows the dictates of the understanding more religiously than any other man4--,m4 ,cheyne4 ,the moralist1 in preaching this trust in ,god1 anticipates the teaching that man is justified by faith4--,plumptre4 ,see your confidence be not divided1 part on ,god and part on man4 ,such a confidence may keep you from the lions 7#b ,kings xvii4 #be7 but it cannot keep you out of hell4 ,a house built partly on firm ground1 partly on sand1 will fall4 ,to trust in ,god is so to lean upon ,him that if ,he fail thee thou sinkest4--,francis ,taylor4 ,he shall direct1 as ,he carefully chose out the ,israelites' way in the wilderness2 not the shortest1 but the safest way4--,trapp4 #a4 ,that our reliance may be rational we should know what it is that ,god has promised1 and what we may expect from ,him2 else we may be disappointed in all our hopes4 #b4 ,reliance must be accompanied with obedience1 with a purpose1 and endeavour to do the things that are pleasing to ,god4 #c4 ,reliance must also be connected with particular supplications to ,him to bless us4 #d4 ,it must be accompanied with diligence and prudence in our worldly affairs4 #e4 ,it excludes immoderate cares1 vain desires1 fretful discontent4 #f4 ,although reliance be so advantageous to us1 even for the present1 that it ought to be considered rather as a privilege than a duty1 yet it is a noble virtue and a disposition of mind most agreeable to ,god4 ,it is the greatest honour we can pay to ,him4 ,by it we show our belief in ,his wisdom1 power1 equity1 and goodness4--,jortin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-ab4 ,,the ,,way 7#a7 ,,to ,,health1 7#b7 ,,to ,,wealth1 7#c7 ,,to ,,endurance4 ,three exhortations are here given1 to each of which is attached a promise on reason to induce the young man to obey4 ,i4 ,an exhortation to humility4 7,verses #g and #h47 ,its peculiar appropriateness and importance will be seen if we consider--#a4 ,the person to whom the exhortation is addressed4 ,my son 7ver4 #a74 ,lack of experience has a great tendency to breed self-conceit4 ,as a rule1 those who have lived the longest and have most acquaintance with men and things are the least disposed to be wise in their own eyes4 ,ignorance is the mother of self-conceit4 ,these words are addressed to a young man1 because his youth would render him very liable to this fault4 #b4 ,that self-conceit does not end with oneself but is dangerous to others4 ,the man who insists upon the correctness of his knowledge of a dangerous way1 and will not listen to the experience of those who are better acquainted with it1 is sure to find some who believe in him and follow his guidance4 ,thus he may not only lose his own life1 but be the murderer of others4 #c4 ,it shuts a man up to his ignorance4 ,the only way to become wise is to feel we are ignorant4 ,as a lunatic must be shut up with others in a like condition while his madness is upon him1 so a self-conceited man must be imprisoned with the fools of the universe while he remains in that condition4 #d4 ,the ,divine woes which are levelled against such an one4 ,all the woes pronounced by our ,lord against the ,scribes and ,pharisees were against sins born of this sin4 ,the charge against them was that they were wise in their own eyes4 ,for judgment am ,i come into this world1 that they which see not might see2 and that they which see might be made blind4 ,and some of the ,pharisees which were with him said1 ,are we blind also8 ,jesus said unto them1 ,if ye were blind1 ye should have no sin3 but now ye say1 ,we see2 therefore your sin remaineth 7,john ix4 #ci-da74 ,woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes1 and prudent in their own sight 7,isa4 v4 #ba74 ,,ii4 ,the remedy against self-conceit4 ,fear the ,lord1 etc4 ,when those who are wise in their own eyes begin to reverence those who are much wiser than they are1 they will begin to depart from this evil which is the root of many evils4 ,esteem for those who deserve esteem will lessen their esteem for themselves4 ,a knowledge of the character and wisdom of ,god will produce reverence4 ,when a man renders to ,god the reverence which is due unto ,him1 and which is born of a right appreciation of what ,god is1 the scales of self-conceit will fall from his own eyes4 ,as the sun melts the hoar-frost from the windows and leaves a clear medium for the rays of the sun to enter the chamber1 so the contact of ,god with the human soul will melt away the self-esteem which shut ,him out4 ,how entrenched was ,saul of ,tarsus in his own opinions before he met the ,lord on the road to ,damascus4 ,how high an estimate he had of himself1 but how great was the change which acquaintance with ,christ wrought4 ,when ,job got an insight into ,god's greatness1 he said1 ,i abhor myself1 and repent in dust and ashes 7,job xlii4 #f74 ,self-conceit cannot live where there are right views of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,the promise here given to those who walk reverently before ,god4 ,certain it is that such a mode of life leads to bodily health4 ,those who walk in the fear of the ,lord live lives of purity1 of temperance1 of freedom from the consuming passions and corroding cares of the ungodly4 ,other things being equal1 or anything like equal1 godliness has the promise of the life that now is in this respect as in others4 ,but if we understand the words in this narrow sense only1 they seem to express only a small part1 and the inferior part1 of the blessing that comes to a man from the fear of the ,lord4 ,the bones here1 as in ,psalm xxxii4 #c1 xxxv4 #aj1 are put for the whole man4 ,and as the ,psalmist1 in the first-mentioned psalm1 expresses his sad condition of soul as well as body when he says1 ,my moisture is turned to the drought of summer1 so the marrow1 or moisture1 of the bones here expresses a vigour of the entire man4 ,sin breaks the bones of a man's spirit2 the consciousness of the ,divine favour which will flow from a reverential walk with ,god makes them to rejoice 7,ps4 li4 #h74 ,verses #i and #aj contain--,i4 ,an exhortation to a right use of temporal riches4 #a4 ,those who honour ,god with their gifts honour ,him who has first honoured them with their stewardship4 ,the man who is entrusted with the property of others1 has an honour put upon him by the trust4 ,potiphar put a great honour upon ,joseph when he committed all that he had into his hand1 and ,joseph felt that it was so4 ,this of itself should be a motive to a strict integrity and to devotion to the interests of ,one who has thus honoured us with confidence4 ,all temporal1 material blessings are given to men as stewards of ,god's property 7,luke xvi4 #a-ab71 and in this light they ought to regard themselves4 #b4 ,if men honour ,god with their substance1 they turn what would otherwise be a snare into a blessing4 ,the tendency of wealth is doubtless to make men god-forgetting1 self-confident1 selfish 7,mark x4 #bc2 ,luke xii4 #af2 ,jas4 v4 #a74 ,but those who use it for the advancement of ,god's kingdom--for the alleviation of human suffering--make a friend of this mammon of unrighteousness 7,luke xvi4 #i74 #c4 ,god cannot be honoured with our substance unless we first give ourselves to ,him4 ,the great desire of a true father in relation to his children is to secure their love4 ,having that1 everything else that is theirs will be his4 ,without that1 no offering1 no service1 can be acceptable4 ,god must have the man before ,he will accept his wealth4 ,,ii4 ,the promise annexed to this exhortation4 ,this cannot be the motive1 but it is the consequence4 ,any man who gave his wealth because he believed it was a good investment in this sense1 would not be honouring ,god with it4 ,we must give1 as we are commanded to lend1 hoping for nothing again 7,luke vi4 #ce74 ,and1 although the material rewards which are appended to a certain line of conduct under the old dispensation do not invariably follow it in the new and more spiritual one1 there is probably no ,old ,testament promise of earthly reward which is1 and ever has been1 fulfilled with so few exceptions4 ,verses #aa and #ab4 ,i4 ,an exhortation to patient endurance of affliction4 #a4 ,from the constitution of our nature we can but dislike or loathe 7despise1 see ,critical ,notes7 affliction itself4 ,there has never been one of the human kind who has welcomed affliction for its own sake2 nay1 more1 there has never been one who has not shrunk from it1 considered by itself4 ,no man can do other than grieve for the death of his friend when he considers his own loss merely4 ,no child of ,god can love pain or loss4 ,the man who is under the knife of the surgeon must groan in the unnatural condition in which he is placed4 ,even ,christ ,himself1 though ,he delighted to do the will of ,his ,father 7,psa4 xl4 #h71 shrank from the bitter cup of suffering4 ,if1 then1 pain--probably mental pain--was felt to be bitter by the ,sinless ,man1 how much more will a sinful man find it hard to bear4 #b4 ,the pain itself is that which renders us unable to see the connection between it and the benefit it is to work out4 ,while a man is suffering pain of body or mind1 his feelings1 more or less1 overpower his reason4 ,although we know that it is to work good in the future1 we fail often to realise the fact--feeling holds us down to the present4 ,,ii4 ,four considerations to help us in times of affliction4 #a4 ,its individuality4 ,my son1 despise not thou1 which implies that ,god chastises men as individuals--that he distinguishes between them4 ,there may be many sons and daughters in a human home2 no two are exactly alike1 therefore a wise discrimination must be exercised with regard to the chastisement or the discipline administered4 ,so ,god discerns the needs of ,his children4 ,no son or daughter need think that another cross would suit them better2 they may be assured that the one they bear is the one that has been especially prepared for them and is therefore peculiarly adapted for them4 #b4 ,its end4 ,it is educational4 ,it is correction1 not destruction4 ,even if it is rebuke1 or punishment for a particular sin1 it is designed to eradicate that sin1 and thus add to the character2 and we are assured1 on the highest authority1 that tribulation worketh patience1 experience1 and hope--all of which graces go to form a higher type of man 7,rom4 v4 #b1 #c74 #c4 ,its signification4 ,it means son-ship1 adoption4 ,it means that ,god has taken us in hand2 that ,he is ,himself presiding over our education2 that ,he loves us and desires our spiritual growth4 #d4 ,its ,author4 ,the ,lord4 ,we accept that from one who we know1 which we would not from a stranger4 ,if we can be sure that a man's motives are pure1 we judge of his conduct accordingly4 ,the consideration that affliction comes from the righteous ,father1 the ,king who cannot wrong any of ,his subjects1 ought to help us to take the rebuke with meekness1--to bear the pain1 although we cannot now see the profit4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #g4 ,this warning against self-confidence is closely connected with the preceding verse4 ,the wise in his own eyes is he that leans to his own understanding4 ,how striking is this connection between the fear of the ,lord and the fear of sin 7ch4 xiv4 #bg2 xvi4 #f4 ,gen4 xxxix4 #i-aj2 ,neh4 v4 #ae74--;,bridges4 ,get all the wisdom thou canst4 ,that is the very burden of these ,proverbs4 ,but as thou gettest it if thou seemest wise1 be sure that thou art weighed down with folly4 ,gabriel1 who has never sinned1 is foolish because he knows not the end from the beginning1 and we are foolish from a further cause1 that our wisdom has remains with it that are corrupt4--,miller4 ,the greatest hindrance to all true wisdom is the thought that we have already attained it4--,plumptre4 ,fear ,god1 and fear evil2 fear ,god to go to ,him1 fear evil to depart from it4 ,the wings of fear to carry thee to ,god are love and care1 the wings of fear to carry thee from evil are shame and sorrow4--,jermin4 ,verse #h4 ,the constant1 steadfast1 self-diffident operation of the religious principle is beneficial alike to body and soul4 ,it preserves the mind in tranquility and peace 7,isa4 xxvi4 #c71 and this is in a high degree conducive to the health and vigour of the bodily frame4--,wardlaw4 ,two sadnesses flow from not fearing ,jehovah--worn muscles and dried bones 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,the two are perfectly distinct4 ,one means aching labour1 the other1 horrible despondency4 ,the fear of ,god delivers from both4--,miller4 ,all ,god's laws come from one source and conspire for one end4 ,they favour righteousness and frown on sin4 ,the law set in nature runs parallel as far is it goes to the law written in the ,word4 ,vice saps the health both of body and mind4--,arnot4 ,verse #i4 ,works of piety and charity are evidently included4--,wardlaw4 ,who art thou1 that thou shouldest be able to honour ,him1 who is ,himself of infinite honour8 ,who would not in this respect employ his substance in ,god's fear1 seeing thereby thou dost honour ,him1 whom to serve is a high honour to the highest angels4--,jermin4 ,to devote a portion of our substance directly to the worship of ,god1 and the good of men1 is a duty plainly enjoined in the ,scriptures4 ,it is not a thing that a man may do1 or may not do1 as he pleases4 ,there is this difference1 however1 between it and the common relative duties of life4 ,for the neglect of it no infliction comes from a human hand4 ,god will not have the dregs that are squeezed out by pressure poured into ,his treasury4 ,he loveth a cheerful giver4 ,he can work without our wealth1 but ,he does not work without our willing service4--,arnot4 ,verse #aj4 ,at first sight the motive may be regarded as a selfish one4 ,but second thoughts give another view4 ,it is a trial of faith4 ,and it is a trial than which few are found more difficult4 ,it is hard to persuade a man that giving away will make him rich4 ,we look with new confidence to bank interest1 or the still better interest of a vested loan1 than to a return of profit from what is wholly given away4--,wardlaw4 ,men take care how to use their money to the best advantage by sea1 by buying land or cattle1 or by usury1 an easy trade2 thy best trade will be to maintain ,god's worship4--,jermin4 ,the consecration of substance1 as the seed-corn for the harvest1 is as strange to the world as would be the casting of the seed in the earth to an untutored savage4 ,yet is the result secure in both cases3 only with the difference1 the temper of the earthly sower has no influence on the harvest2 whereas the fruitfulness of the spiritual harvest mainly depends on the principles of the work4 ,most important is that we honour the ,lord--not ourselves4--,bridges4 ,verse #aa4 ,two things are forbidden here4 #a4 ,do not make light of 7despise7 the ,lord's chastening1 as if thou couldst easily cast it off--in insensibility to it1 not recognising the ,lord's hand in it1 and not humbling thyself under it4 #b4 ,do not1 on the contrary through pusillanimity1 be weary1 and impatient1 and despondent under the burden4--,cartwright4 ,not to feel thy evils would be inhuman2 not to bear them1 unmanly4--,seneca ,fainting and wearying may take place in two ways4 ,the heart may be overwhelmed by sudden trials1 giving an effect so stunning and overpowering that the spirit sinks into a temporary stupefaction1 and1 as the ,apostle has it1 we faint4 ,or it may become wearied out and exhausted by the long continuance of the same trial1 or by a rapid succession of different strokes of the rod4--,wardlaw4 ,having stated the blessings of wisdom1 it is logical to consider the apparent exceptions4--,miller4 ,for if ,god did despise thee1 ,he would not chasten thee1 if ,he was weary of thee1 ,he would not correct thee4--,jermin4 ,some think it a goodly thing to bear out a cross by head and shoulders1 and wear it out as they may1 never improving it4 ,as a man that1 coming out of a shower of rain1 dries again1 and all is as before4--,trapp4 ,prosperity and adversity1 in their wise mixture and proportion1 for our present condition4 ,each is equally fruitful and honouring the ,lord2 in prosperity1 by a wise consecration of our substance2 in adversity1 by a humble and cheerful submission4 4 4 4 ,it is correction1 this is for your humbling2 it is only correction1 this is your consolation4 ,it is the declared test of our legitimacy 7,heb4 xii4 #g1 #h74 ,his discipline is that of the family1 not of the school1 much less of the prison4--,bridges4 ,solomon here anticipates a covert objection1 if all the favour in the sight of ,god and man1 and the health which have been attributed to the fearers of the ,lord 7ver4 #a-aj7 really be theirs1 how is it that we see them so often sorely afflicted8 ,the reason is1 the ,lord sends these afflictions1 not for evil1 but for good to ,his people4--,fausset4 ,consider the afflictions we meet with in the character which the text assigns to them1 viz41 as corrections4 ,what reasons have we for viewing them in this light8 #a4 ,they are of ,god1 and ,god takes no pleasure in the misery of ,his creatures4 ,by some other demonstrations than the dark demonstrations of sorrow1 we know the benevolence of ,god2 and as afflictions are from ,him1 we have reason to deem them a part of the discipline of ,his love4 #b4 ,the rule or order of human afflictions indicates their corrective intent4 ,all do not come under this principle1 but many do4 ,it is manifest that many miseries of life are the results of sin1 and if we could see further1 it is extremely probable that we should attribute many human miseries to human sin which we now attribute to the naked sovereignty of ,god4 #c4 ,there is every reason to believe that a state of innocence would have kept the world from all suffering4 ,evils that extend so far1 or are of such a nature that our reformation could not shun them1 are instructive monitors that sin strikes deep1 and requires for its cure the hand that rules the world4 #d4 ,our afflictions have many alleviations4 ,if they were intended as mere punishments they would have been made more destructive4--,dr4 ,spencer4 ,the first distinct utterance of a truth which has been so full of comfort to many thousands1 the summing up of all controversies1 like those of ,job's friends 7,job v4 #ag7 or our ,lord's disciples 7,john ix4 #b7 as to the mystery of suffering4 ,it was the lesson which the book of ,job had proclaimed as the issue of so many perplexities4 ,here it enters into the education of every ,jewish child taught to acknowledge a ,father in heaven chastening him even as he had been chastened by an earthly father4 ,the ,apostle writing to the ,hebrews can find no stronger comfort4--,plumptre4 ,especially the well-beloved ,son1 who 7ver4 #ab7 was made perfect through sufferings4--,wordsworth4 ,god's strokes are better than ,satan's kiss and love2 ,god smites for life1 ,satan caresses for death4--,egard4 ,the kingdom of ,god in this world is a kingdom of the cross2 but all suffering tends evermore to the testing and confirmation of faith 7#a ,pet4 i4 #f-g74--,lange4 ,god's chastenings and corrections are no signs of anger1 but of love2 they are the pains which our healing and cure demand4 ,those who lie under the cross are often more acceptable to ,god than those who taste and experience ,his dainties4 ,he finds pleasure in our crosses and sufferings for this reason1 because these are ,his remembrance and renewal of the sufferings of ,his ,son4 ,his honour is also involved in such a perpetuation of the cross in ,his members 7,eph4 iii4 #ac2 ,col4 i4 #bd1 etc471 and it is this that causes ,him this peculiar joy4--,berleburg ,bible4 ,god loveth not thy correction1 but thee ,he loveth4--,jermin4 ,he that escapes affliction may well suspect his adoption4--,trapp4 ,the same stroke may fall on two men1 and be in the one case judgment1 in the other love4 ,in vain have ,i smitten your children1 they received no correction 7,jer4 ii4 #cj74 ,all were smitten1 but they only obtained paternal correction who1 in the spirit of adoption1 received it as such4 ,you may prune branches lying withered on the ground1 and also branches living in the vine4 ,in the two cases1 the operation and the instrument are precisely alike2 but the operation on this branch has no result1 and the operation on that branch produces fruitfulness1 because of a difference in the place and condition of the branches operated upon4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-ah4 ,,wisdom ,,and ,,her ,,gifts4 ,i4 ,wisdom is to be found4 ,she does exist4 ,precious metals and choice stones are to be found4 ,they have an existence1 and they exist in regions which may be reached by the exercise of man's intelligence and labour4 ,those who find them have to dig for them1 to seek for them1 to give time1 and strength1 and wealth to the search4 ,so ,wisdom1 although she is within reach of man must be diligently sought after1 must be drawn out 7see ,critical ,notes7 by painstaking diligence4 #a4 ,wisdom is to be found in1 and drawn out from affliction4 ,the bee is said to suck honey from bitter herbs as well as from sweet flowers4 ,the context to these words is closely connected with them1 and declare him to be truly blessed who becomes by affliction a wiser and a better man4 ,it is within the reach of intelligent faith in ,god thus to extract the honey of wisdom from the sorrow which to the world worketh death 7#b ,cor4 vii4 #aj74 #b4 ,wisdom is to be found by study of the ,divine ,word4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god--they are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in ,christ ,jesus 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ae-af74 ,the record which ,god has given of ,his ,son is a revelation of ,his highest wisdom4 ,a crucified ,christ is a manifestation of the wisdom of ,god1 and by the study of ,him as revealed in ,holy ,scripture1 we may draw out understanding of how a man may be just with ,god 7,job ix4 #b71 and how a justified man may become a perfect man4 #c4 ,wisdom is to be found in the practice of ,divine precepts4 ,if any man will do ,his will1 he shall know of the doctrine 7,john vii4 #ag74 ,he shall know the reality1 the power1 of the wisdom which cometh down from above by personal and blessed experience4 ,understanding in these matters is drawn out by doing4 #d4 ,wisdom is found by communion with ,god4 ,those who talk much with men who are their superiors in goodness and intelligence1 and live on friendly terms with them1 must become wiser and better through the intercourse4 ,the stronger soul will mould the weaker4 ,the man who holds converse with the highest and best ,intelligence1 with the ,fountain of ,wisdom1 must draw understanding out of this ,living ,spring4 #e4 ,wisdom for special needs1 the understanding how to act in emergencies1 is drawn out from ,god by the confession of our ignorance and the pleading of ,god's promises4 ,solomon was himself an example of this4 ,by special prayer1 by obeying his own precept 7verses #e-f71 he obtained the gift of an understanding heart to judge the people 7#a ,kings iii4 #e-ab74 ,,ii4 ,wisdom is beyond comparison with anything outside herself4 ,she is better than wealth because she gives blessings which wealth cannot buy4 #a4 ,she gives real heart-satisfaction4 ,money will bring much ease and luxury to the bodily life1 but mere material comfort cannot gladden the inner man or keep away old age and sickness4 ,but ,wisdom gives a joy which has its home in the heart1 and which increases with the increase of years4 ,her ways are ways of pleasantness1 because they are ways of holiness4 ,love1 and joy1 and peace1 and all the graces which are the fruit of the ,spirit of ,god are the very elements which in perfection constitute the blessedness of ,god ,himself4 ,they are the fruits which ,his servants pluck from the tree of life1 which is in the midst of the paradise of ,god 7,rev4 ii4 #g74 ,to be holy is to be happy in the true1 deep sense of the word4 #b4 ,she introduces to better society4 ,wealth will do much in this way4 ,gold is a passport to honour in the world generally1 often to the ,church in the world4 ,but the holy character which is born of heavenly wisdom is the only possession which will open the doors of the ,church of the firstborn1 which will admit to the society of ,god1 ,his angels1 and ,his redeemed ones4 ,this is the true honour4 #c4 ,her gifts are for eternity4 ,no matter how precious or how great the joy1 the honour of earth passeth away 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #ca74 ,the gifts of ,wisdom are for ever4 ,the length of an eternity of days is in her hand4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ac4 ,never will this solid happiness be known without singleness of judgment and purpose4 ,the inestimable blessing must have the throne4 ,the waverer and half-seeker fall short4 ,determined perseverance wins the prize 7,phil4 iii4 #ab-ad74--;,bridges4 ,if ,god loves a son1 ,he corrects him2 and then1 ,o the blessedness of the man6 ,it actually makes us wise4 ,let us not forget the doctrine that affliction--as1 indeed1 everything--always benefits the ,christian4--,miller4 ,the coherence between this verse and the one preceding it is not to be neglected4 ,to persuade the more to patience under ,god's afflicting hand1 he tells us1 it is one way to get wisdom and happiness4 ,what though thou suffer chastisement1 and that be bitter to thee6 if thou get wisdom by it1 thou art happy4--,francis ,taylor4 ,saving wisdom is to be found and gotten4 ,it is not required that we create it4 ,we could not plan1 we could not execute1 a way of righteous redemption for sinners4 4 4 4 ,this is ,god's doing1 and it is all done4 ,all things are now ready4 4 4 4 ,but we are required to seek the salvation which has been provided and brought near4 4 4 4 ,understanding is a thing to be gotten4 ,it comes not in sparks from our own intellect in collision with other human minds4 ,it is a light from heaven4 ,religion is not all and only an anxious1 fearful seeking3 it is a getting too1 and a glad enjoying4--,arnot4 ,it was man who1 by losing wisdom1 became unhappy2 and it is man who1 by finding wisdom1 or rather being found by the wisdom of ,god1 is made happy again4 ,it was man whose understanding was deceived by the subtle serpent3 and it is man who1 by getting understanding1 deceiveth the serpent of his prey4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,here as in ii4 #d1 we have traces of the new commerce1 the ships going to ,ophir for gold1 the sight of the bright treasures stimulating men's minds to a new eagerness4--,plumptre4 ,wisdom brings more profit than any worldly riches1 because it brings better things than riches can4 #a4 ,it can quiet a man's mind1 which no wealth can do4 ,rich men have many cares--many griefs2 crowns are crowns of thorns3 nothing but wisdom can poise the soul in all tempests4 #b4 ,it affords a ladder to climb to eternal things1 like ,jacob's ladder1 that did reach from ,bethel on earth1 to ,bethel 7,god's house7 in ,heaven4--,francis ,taylor4 ,one grain of grace is far beyond all the gold of ,ophir1 and one hour's enjoyment of ,god to be much preferred before all the ,king of ,spain's annual entradas4 ,let me be put to any pain1 any loss1 so ,i get my ,jesus1 said ,ignatius4 ,what is all the pomp and glory of the world but dung8 7,phil4 iii4 #g1 #h74 ,i esteem them no better 7surely7 that ,i may win ,christ1 said ,paul1 that great trader by land and sea4 ,this gold we cannot buy too dear1 whatever we pay for it4 ,the wise merchant sells all to purchase it 7,matt4 xiii4 #dd1 #df74--,trapp4 ,the gain of fine gold weigheth very heavy in man's account2 but the gain of fine wisdom is better1 for that weigheth heavy in the balance of ,god's esteem4 ,tertullian1 comforting the ,christian martyrs1 writes3 ,if you have lost some joys of this life1 it is but a merchandise--to lose something to gain greater4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,as in the vision of ,solomon at ,gibeon1 so here2 ,wisdom being chosen does not come alone1 but brings with her the gifts which others who do not choose her choose in vain4 ,the words are almost the echo of those in #a ,kings iii4 #aa-ac4--,plumptre4 ,it is certainly not a uniform experience that a man lives long in proportion as he lives well4 ,such a rule would obviously not be suitable to the present dispensation4 ,it is true that all wickedness acts as a shortener of life1 and all goodness as its lengthener2 but other elements enter1 and complicate the result1 and slightly veil the interior law4 ,if the law were according to a simple calculation in arithmetic1 the holiest liver1 the longest liver1 and conversely1 the moral government of ,god would be greatly impeded1 if not altogether subverted4 ,he will have men to choose goodness for ,his sake and its own1 therefore a slight veil is cast over its present profitableness4 ,some power is allowed to the devil1 to try them that are upon the earth4--,arnot4 ,if ,god give his people a crown1 he will not deny them a crust4 ,if they have the good things of a throne1 they shall be sure of the good things of the footstool4--,trapp4 ,st4 ,augustine telleth us that length of days is eternity1 for whatsoever hath an end is short3 but riches and honour1 which by men are esteemed good things1 they are in the left hand4 ,it is not forbidden thee to enjoy the good things of this life1 but do not put that in the right hand which should be in the left2 do not prefer temporal things before eternal4 ,let us use the left hand for a time1 but desire the right hand for eternity4--,jermin4 ,the right hand in the ,bible everywhere means one's highest instrumentality or agency 7,rev4 ii4 #a74 ,we understand the text to mean1 therefore1 that wisdom is able to use long life as a splendid agency4--,miller4 ,it is eternity that filleth the right hand of ,wisdom4 ,days for the clarity1 length for the eternity4 ,as the glory is clear for the countenance1 so is it long for the continuance4 ,the gift of the left hand is short and temporal4 ,i4 ,riches and honour are ,god's gifts1 therefore1 in themselves1 not evil4 ,saint ,augustine3 ,that they may not be thought evil1 they are given to good men2 that they may not be thought the best good1 they are given to evil men4 ,chrysostom remarks that ,christ doth not say3 ,ye cannot have ,god and mammon1 but1 ,ye cannot serve ,god and mammon4 ,,ii4 ,all are not so1 but some2 and therefore it is necessary for us to learn whether ,god gave us the riches and honour which we have4 ,they came from ,god if 7#a7 they are honestly gotten1 7#b7 justly disposed1 7#c7 patiently lost4 ,,iii4 ,wealth and worship are1 for the most part1 companions2 for both those gifts lie in one and the same hand4 ,riches are the stairs whereby men climb up into the height of dignity1 the fortification that defends it1 the food it lives upon1 the oil that keeps the lamp of honour from going out4 ,,iv4 ,though riches and honour are ,god's gifts1 yet they are but the gifts of ,his left hand4 ,therefore it follows that every wise man will seek the blessings of the right4 ,let us strive for the latter without condition2 for the other1 if they fall in our way1 let us stoop to take them up4--,thomas ,adams4 ,verse #ag4 ,i4 ,the ways of religion are ways of pleasantness4 #a4 ,there is a pleasure in the duties relating immediately to ,god--in love1 faith1 reliance1 hope1 prayer1 and thanksgiving4 #b4 ,there is a pleasure in those occupations in which a religious man will be frequently employed--in studying the works of ,god and the ,holy ,scriptures3 in meditating on the perfections of the ,almighty1 etc4 #c4 ,there is a pleasure in that behaviour towards others1 and that manner of prosecuting our worldly affairs1 which ever accompany a religious disposition--in calm integrity1 honest industry1 and acts of beneficence4 #d4 ,there is a pleasure in performing our duty to ourselves--in temperance and control of the passions4 ,,ii4 ,the ways of sin are not ways of pleasantness4 #a4 ,no man can be happy who acts against his conscience4 #b4 ,if men persuade themselves that there is no future life1 the expectation of perishing utterly presents no agreeable prospect to the soul1 which has a natural desire of immortality4 #c4 ,every act contrary to reason and religion is1 if not always1 for the most part1 hurtful1 even in this life4--,jortin4 ,the excellency of the pleasure found in ,wisdom's ways appears--,i4 ,in that it is the pleasure of the mind4 ,,ii4 ,that it never satiates nor wearies4 ,,iii4 ,that it is in nobody's power1 but only in his that has it4--,south4 ,i am confident that the true ,christian hath more true pleasure in suffering for ,christ1 or in one act of mortification1 or victory over one lust1 than the highest earthly potentate hath in all the honour that is done him1 or good things enjoyed by him all his days4--,swinnock4 ,i4 ,wisdom of itself is satisfactory1 as it implies a revelation of truth1 and a detection of error to us4 ,we are all naturally endowed with a strong appetite to know1 to see1 to pursue truth2 and with an abhorrency of being deceived and entangled in mistake4 ,,ii4 ,in its consequences it is pleasant and peaceable4 #a4 ,it assures us we take the best course and proceed as we ought4 ,he that knows his way and is satisfied it is the true one1 goes on merrily and carelessly1 not doubting he shall in good time arrive at his destined journey's end4 ,wisdom therefore frees us from the company of anxious doubt in our actions1 and the consequence of bitter repentance2 for no man can doubt of what he is sure1 nor repent of what he knows good4 #b4 ,it begets in us a hope of success in our actions1 and is usually attended therewith4 ,what is more delicious than hope8 ,what more satisfactory than success8 ,and well-grounded hope confirms resolution and quickens activity1 which mainly conduce to the prosperous issue of designs4 #c4 ,wisdom prevents discouragement from the possibility of ill success1 yea1 and makes disappointment itself tolerable4 ,for we have reason to hope that the ,all-wise ,goodness reserves a better reward for us1 and will some time recompense us1 not only the good purposes we unhappily pursued1 but also the unexpected disappointment we patiently endured4 #d4 ,wisdom makes all the troubles of life easy and supportable1 by rightly valuing the importance and moderating the influence of them4 4 4 4 ,if sin vex and discompose us1 yet this trouble ,wisdom1 by representing the ,divine ,goodness and ,his tender mercies in our ever-blessed ,redeemer1 doth presently allay4 ,and for all other adversities it abates their noxious power by showing us they are either merely imaginary or very short and temporary3 that they admit of remedy1 or at most do not exclude comfort4 #e4 ,wisdom hath always a good conscience attending it1 that purest delight and richest cordial of the soul2 that brazen wall and impregnable fortress against both external assaults and internal commotions4--,barrow4 ,some degree of comfort follows every good action1 as heat accompanies fire1 as beams and influences issue from the sun4 ,thus1 saith one1 is a fore-reward of well-doing4 ,in doing thereof 7not only for doing7 there is great reward 7,psa4 xix4 #aa74--,trapp4 ,the paths of wisdom bring us to the peace of reconciliation with ,god2 to the peace of society and friendship with the angels of ,god3 to the peace of comfort and quietness in our own hearts4--,jermin4 ,they must be ways of pleasantness because ,thus saith the ,lord4 ,and if we feel them not to be so1 we know them not4--,bridges4 ,her ways are sometimes on hot coals and to burning stakes4 ,if there is anything unpleasant in her way1 it is to promote wisdom and so to promote more pleasantness another time4 ,all her paths peace1 or prosperity4 ,more thoroughly all of them than in the case of pleasantness4 ,while the happiness of a ,christian may flag in this world1 his prosperity never stops a moment4 ,his way is prosperous1 i4e41 he gains by every inch4--,miller4 ,both the way and the end to which the way leads is peace4 ,there are many ways in the world pleasant but not safe2 others safe but not pleasant4--,fausset4 ,verse #ah4 ,like that planted in ,paradise and promised by ,christ to all that overcome4--,wordsworth4 ,it is remarkable that this and other references in ,proverbs xi4 #cj1 xiii4 #ab1 xv4 #d1 are the only allusions in any book of the ,old ,testament1 after ,genesis1 to the tree itself1 or to its spiritual significance4 4 4 4 ,the tree of life which ,adam was not to taste lies open to his children4 ,no cherubim with flaming swords bar the approach4 ,wisdom is the tree of life giving true immortality4--,plumptre4 ,wisdom beareth not her fruit for everyone4 ,she is a tree of life to them that lay hold of her1 not to them that touch her with a light hand1 that seek after her in a perfunctory manner1 that think a little wisdom1 a little godliness1 to be sufficient for them4--,jermin4 ,the tree of life was the means ordained of ,god for the preservation of lasting life1 and continual vigour and health1 before man sinned4 ,so true wisdom maintains man in the spiritual life of ,god's grace1 and the communion of ,his ,spirit4--,diodati4 ,one view of man's true dignity arises from the amount of his susceptibilities of enjoyment on the one hand1 of suffering on the other4 ,think of what man was1 of what he is1 of what he is capable of becoming4 ,his capabilities are such that nothing beneath ,god ,himself can satisfy them4 ,his soul can be filled from no created fountain4 ,wisdom provides for him a portion adequate to his most unbounded desires1 to his most expanded capabilities4--,wardlaw4 ,as the tree of life in ,paradise1 which was a sign of ,god's favour1 or the tree which sweetened the waters of ,marah1 or the tree seen in the ,revelation1 or any living or good tree which bringeth forth fruit whereby men live4--,muffet4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai1 #bj4 ,,one ,,of ,,the ,,proofs ,,of ,,god',s ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,god had a personal existence before the world4 ,if we say that a man founded an institution--built a house--we imply that he existed before the institution or the house1 and that he exists as a separate entity from that which he has built or founded4 ,,ii4 ,the world did not come by chance--it is not an orphan2 it had a ,creator1 a ,father4 ,the world is not eternal4 ,the ,lord founded it4 ,he laid the foundations of the earth 7,job xxxviii4 #d74 ,,iii4 ,that the world which ,god has made bears the impress of ,infinite ,wisdom4 ,scientific investigation and discovery bear out the assertion of ,solomon1 that the ,lord by wisdom founded the earth4 ,the discoveries of astronomers reveal to us more and more the understanding which established the heavens4 ,solomon here selects one example of the wisdom of ,god1 as displayed in relation to the earth1 viz41 the process by which it is watered--by which ,god maketh it soft with showers1 and thus blesseth the springing thereof 7,psa4 lxv4 #aj71 and so gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater4 ,this philosophy of rain1 as it has been called1 is one which illustrates creative wisdom in a remarkable manner4 ,dr4 ,ure says1 ,to understand the philosophy of the beautiful and often sublime phenomenon1 so often witnessed since the creation of the world1 and essential to the very existence of plants and animals1 a few facts derived from observation and a long train of experiments must be remembered4 7#a7 ,were the atmosphere everywhere at all times of a uniform temperature we should never have rain1 or hail1 or snow2 the water absorbed by it in evaporation from the sea and the earth's surface would descend in an imperceptible vapour1 or cease to be absorbed by the air when it was once fully saturated4 7#b7 ,the absorbing power of the atmosphere1 and consequently its capability to retain humidity1 is proportionately greater in warmer than in cold air4 7#c7 ,the air near the surface of the earth is warmer than it is in the region of the clouds4 ,the higher we ascend from the earth1 the colder do we find the atmosphere4 ,hence the perpetual snow on very high mountains in the hottest climate4 ,now1 when from continued evaporation the air is highly saturated with vapour1 though it be invisible and the sky cloudless1--if its temperature be suddenly reduced by cold currents descending from above1 or rushing from a higher to a lower latitude1 its capacity to retain moisture is diminished1 clouds are formed1 and the result is rain4 ,air condenses as it cools1 and1 like a sponge filled with water and compressed1 pours out the water which it cannot hold4 ,how singular1 yet how simple1 the philosophy of rain4 ,who but ,omniscience could have devised such an admirable arrangement for watering the earth8 ,solomon could not have known how the earth was watered1 but he knew enough to awaken his admiration of ,providential love and skill4 ,,iv4 ,the exhibition of ,god's wisdom in creation is intended to lead men to listen to his ,word of ,revelation4 ,to this end the subject is introduced here by the preacher4 ,when such a ,being speaks1 it must be worth men's while to listen and obey4 ,the heavens and earth have a speech or language 7,psa4 xix4 #a1 #b74 ,they counsel us to seek ,him who hath measured the waters in the hollow of ,his hand1 and meted out heaven with the span1 and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure1--,him whose word shall stand for ever 7,isa4 xl474 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ai4 ,hitherto ,wisdom has been thought of in relation to men4 ,now the question comes3 ,what is she in relation to ,god8 and the answer is3 ,that the creative act implies a ,divine wisdom1 through which the ,divine will acts4 ,we have1 as it were1 the first link of the chain which connects this wisdom with the ,divine ,word1 the ,logos of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel 7,john i4 #c74--,plumptre4 ,the wisdom1 so spiritual as to belong only to the pious1 nevertheless has its reachings into all wisdom1 as we saw in chap4 i4 #bj1 where it is called wisdoms1 as embracing all forms of it4 ,creative wisdom1 therefore1 is part of the broad array4 ,but now1 as a more important teaching1 creative wisdom must include the spiritual4 ,god could not found the heavens without that holy character that makes the system possible4 ,its enormous intricacies could not be kept up without the harmonising influences of holiness4 ,government1 of course1 is built upon it2 justice1 of course1 is part of it2 and the whole world would be an unmeaning mass unless ,jehovah1 by wisdom1 shaped it1 viz41 in those ,diviner forms in which ,he is the governor as well as the builder and original schemer of the universe4 ,god would not have built the world without holiness1 and therefore1 in the very strictest sense1 by wisdom ,he founded the heavens1 because only that holy light1 which is the light of love1 could be the inspiring motive for building the habitations of ,his creatures4 ,we are to understand this verse as meaning1 therefore1 first1 that creative light merges into all light1 as one grand omniscience2 but1 second1 that creative light would be nothing without spiritual light2 that ,god's love and justice were the very spring and harmonious law whereon all are builded4--,miller4 ,the spirit of the recommendation seems to be that1 as it is the ,lord which giveth wisdom1 that which comes from such a source must be worthy the desire and the solicitation4 ,think of what ,wisdom1 as it exists in ,deity1 has done6--the wonders it hath wrought6 ,this will recommend ,god's lessons4--,wardlaw4 ,the river and the fountain are both of one nature1 and when pure water hath been looked on in the stream1 it is a pleasant thing to behold it in the conduit head4--,muffet4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-bf4 ,,god',s ,,keeping1 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,man',s ,,keeping4 ,here as we have the keeping of the ,divine commands resulting in a being kept by ,divine power and love4 ,i4 ,there is a possibility of losing what has been attained4 ,the injunction here given is not1 as in chap4 ii4 #aj1 to seek wisdom1 but as in verse #ah of this chapter1 to keep a hold upon what has been already gotten4 ,the ,scriptures abound in such exhortations4 ,barnabas exhorted the ,church at ,antioch to cleave unto the ,lord1 and he and ,paul1 when in ,pisidian ,antioch1 persuaded the disciples to continue in the grace of ,god 7,acts xi4 #bc2 xiii4 #dc74 ,the word of ,our ,lord to the ,church at ,thyatira was ,that which ye have hold fast till ,i come 7,rev4 ii4 #be74 ,there is no safety but in continual watchfulness and in constant study of ,divine precepts4 ,my son1 let them not depart from thine eyes4 ,a mariner may set out on his voyage with his vessel's head pointing in the right direction1 but if he does not hourly keep consulting the compass1 it will not avail him much that he started right4 ,the ,apostle speaks of men having made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ai74 ,the world1 the flesh1 and the devil are cross currents and contrary winds which can only be met and overcome by constant1 watchful reference to chart and compass4 ,,ii4 ,the blessing which will result from keeping wisdom1 viz41 ,soul-life4 ,as food and an observance of physical laws are the means by which the body is enabled to perform the functions which are natural to it1 so a constant receiving of ,god's thoughts and an observance of ,god's laws will enable the soul--the spiritual man--to fulfil the end for which it was created--to glorify and enjoy ,god4 ,such a man has the assurance that he is under the special guardianship of ,god4 ,all the subjects of this realm are under the protection of the monarch1 but she has a special and personal care for her own children4 ,so ,god is the ,saviour of all men1 specially of those that believe 7#a ,timothy iv4 #aj74 ,this particular regard of ,god for those who have become ,his children1 by falling in with ,his method of making the right with themselves and with ,him1 is guaranteed4--#a4 ,in the ordinary events of life4 ,as the heirs of the monarch are always accompanied by those who count it an honour to serve them and1 if needful1 to protect them1 so the heirs of salvation are ever attended by their body-guard1 the angels who are ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation 7,heb4 i4 #ad74 ,in the night not only do they encamp round about them that fear ,god 7,psa4 xxxiv4 #g71 but the ,lord ,himself is said to be their keeper 7,psa4 cxxi4 #e74 ,his peace keeps 7lit4 garrisons7 the heart 7,phil4 iv4 #g7 and gives the sweet sleep promised in verse #bd1 even although outward circumstances may be apparently adverse 7see illustration74 ,this was the experience of ,david in the night of his adversity1 even although he had brought it upon himself 7,psa4 iii4 and iv74 ,and the certain guidance which is promised in verse #f insures an avoidance of all real danger 7ver4 #bc74 #b4 ,in times of special visitation 7ver4 #be74 ,there was a desolation of the wicked in the days of ,noah1 but he and his house were shut in the ark by ,god ,himself 7,gen4 vii4 #af74 ,in the day when the ,lord rained upon ,sodom and ,gomorrah ,he delivered just ,lot 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #f74 ,when the abomination of desolation stood in the holy place at ,jerusalem as foretold by our ,lord 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ae71 those who obeyed ,his command and fled to the mountains escaped the terrible fate of those who remained in the city4 7,this is recorded by ,eusebius74 ,this assurance of constant guardianship and guidance is life to the soul 7,psa4 xxx4 #e74 ,fear of the future paralyses a man's energies1 but confidence in an over-ruling personal ,god gives him strength for action4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,the ,,last ,,hours ,,of ,,the ,,ninth ,,earl ,,of ,,argyle1 ,,executed ,,by ,,james ,,ii4 ,so effectually had religious faith and hope1 co-operating with natural courage and equanimity1 composed his spirits that1 on the very day on which he was to die1 he dined with appetite1 conversed with gaiety at table1 and1 after his last meal1 lay down1 as he was wont1 to take a short slumber1 in order that his body and mind might be in full vigour when he should mount the scaffold4 ,at this time one of the ,lords of the ,council1 who had probably been bred a ,presbyterian1 and had been seduced by interest to join in oppressing the ,church of which he had once been a member1 came to the castle with a message from his brethren1 and demanded admittance to the ,earl4 ,it was answered that the ,earl was asleep4 ,the ,privy ,councillor thought that this was a subterfuge1 and insisted on entering4 ,the door of the cell was softly opened1 and there lay ,argyle on the bed1 sleeping1 in his irons1 the placid sleep of infancy4 ,the conscience of the renegade smote him4 ,he turned away1 sick at heart1 ran out of the castle1 and took refuge in the dwelling of a lady of his family1 who lived hard by4 ,there he flung himself upon a couch1 and gave himself up to an agony of remorse and shame4 ,his kinswoman1 alarmed by his looks and groans1 thought that he had been taken with sudden illness1 and begged him to drink a cup of sack4 ,no1 no1 he said1 that will do me no good4 ,she prayed him to tell her what had disturbed him4 ,i have been1 he said1 to ,argyle's prison4 ,i have seen him within an hour of eternity sleeping as sweetly as ever man did4 ,but as for me----4--,macaulay4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ba4 ,simply attend to them4 ,watch like a sentinel1 intently eyeing4 ,solomon enjoins the voluntary1 and promises the involuntary4 ,the voluntary we can do1 save only for that grand helplessness1 an aversion of the will itself4 ,the involuntary we cannot do1 save only mediately through obedient acts4 ,attention is within our power if ,god gives grace to the will4 ,this is the drift of the promise3 ,you do your part and ,god will do ,his4--,miller4 ,eye these things as the steersman doth the load-star1 as the archer doth the mark he shoots at1 or as the passenger doth mark his way1 which he finds hard to hit and dangerous to miss4--,trapp4 ,verse #bb4 ,wisdom reveals the righteousness of ,god1 whereby a believer lives before ,god4 ,without this the man is dead in sins 7,heb4 ii4 #d1 ,eph4 ii4 #a74--;,fausset4 ,there is no life in the soul till knowledge come into it4 ,there was no living creature in the world till light was made4 ,god clears the understanding before ,he rectifies the will and affections2 ,he keeps the same method in the little world that ,he did in the great world4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #bc4 ,this promise has a direction embodied with it1 ,thou shalt walk in thy way4 ,we are required to keep the way of the ,lord1 and in the affairs of life to attend to our own concerns1 shunning the character of busybodies by not meddling in the affairs of others4--,lawson4 ,good success in the way may be crossed again2 what is crowned with good success in the end can never by crossed4--,francis ,taylor4 ,there shall be no cause to make thee stumble4 ,for he that is blind or weak may stumble1 though he be never so careful2 and he may stumble that is careless1 though he be never so well able to walk safely4 ,but wisdom shall take away thy blindness1 thy weakness1 thy carelessness4--,jermin4 ,thou shalt ever go under a double guard1 the peace of ,god within thee and the power of ,god about thee4--,trapp4 ,verse #bd4 ,peter in prison1 in chains1 between two soldiers1 on the eve of his probable execution1 when there seemed but a step between him and death4 ,yet in such a place1 in such company1 at such a moment1 did he lie down so fearlessly and sleep so sweetly1 that even the shining light failed to disturb him1 and an angel's stroke was needed to awaken him4--,bridges4 ,surely the way to sleep quietly in this world is to be asleep to the world2 his sleep is sweetest1 when he is asleep1 who1 when he is awake1 doth sweetly sleep in a neglect of worldly crosses or contentments4--,jermin4 ,verse #be4 ,so safe will all thy ways be that to fear will be a sin4--,plumptre4 ,from the terms before used1 respecting the final destruction of the wicked1 it is most likely that to it the reference is in this verse4--,wardlaw4 ,be not afraid is at once a precept and a promise to the godly4 ,they shall have no cause to fear evil tidings1 therefore it is their privilege that they are not to fear them 7,psa4 cxii4 #g2 xci4 #e74--;,fausset4 ,the ,christian is threatened by the sinners in all their ills1 whether for them or by them4 ,sin breeds the whole of them2 and the wise man would magnify the grace by saying that they are all equally indifferent4 ,let cares1 like a wild deluge come4--,miller4 ,let a ,david walk through the vale of the shadow of death he will not fear1 no1 though he should go back the same way2 for ,thou art with me1 saith he4 ,he had ,god by the hand1 and so long he feared no colours4--,trapp4 ,verse #bf4 ,beware of mistakes here4 ,do not say ,god is your confidence1 if ,he be only your dread4 ,an appalling amount of hypocrisy exists in ,christendom1 and passes current for devotion4 ,he who is himself most worthy is often more disliked than any other being1 and1 as if this ingratitude were not enough1 men double the sin by professing that they have confidence in ,him4 ,i have observed that sea-going ships do not trust to themselves in the windings of a river4 ,where they are hemmed in between rock and quicksand1 grazing now on the one and now the other1 they take care to have a steam-tug1 both to bear them forward and to guide them aright4 ,they hang implicitly upon its power4 ,they make no attempt at independent action4 ,but as soon as they get clear of the narrows--as soon as they have attained a good offing and an open sea--they heave off and hoist their own sails4 ,they never want a steamer till they come into narrow waters again4 ,such is the trust in ,god which the unreconciled experience4 ,in distress they are fain to lean upon the ,almighty4 ,while they are in the narrows they would hang on the help of a ,deliverer4 4 4 4 ,the line of their dependence seems ever tight by their constant leaning4 ,but when they begin to creep out of these shoals of life they heave off and throw themselves upon their own resources4 4 4 4 ,this is not to have confidence in ,god4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bg-bi4 ,,doing ,,justice ,,and ,,loving ,,mercy4 ,true wisdom in the heart will show itself in right dealing between man and man4 ,he who holds back any good thing by which it is in his power to bless another man is a thief4 ,the withholding is a crime for which ,god will visit4 ,this is true in relation not only to debts of justice 7,jas4 v4 #d7 but to so-called debts of mercy4 ,when the ,son of ,man shall come in ,his glory1 there will be some against whom ,he will bring the charge--,i was an hungered1 and ye gave ,me no meat2 ,i was thirsty1 and ye gave ,me no drink2 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took ,me not in2 naked1 and ye clothed ,me not2 sick and in prison1 and ye visited ,me not 7,matt4 xxv4 #db1 #dc74 ,there are five reasons against the postponement of any act of justice or mercy until the morrow4 #a4 ,the person who is in need to-day may be beyond your reach to-morrow4 ,death may remove him from your reach1 and he may go into eternity your creditor4 ,men and women have been saved from taking a step which would have been their ruin1 by a kindly word or act which would have come too late on the morrow4 #b4 ,if your needy friend does live to be helped on the morrow1 you may not live to give him help1 and you will then enter the presence of ,god a debtor to your brother4 ,to-morrow is ,god's property1 to-day is man's4 #c4 ,if your brother is not beyond your reach to-morrow1 his need has been increased by the delay4 ,if a man's condition calls for medical aid to-day1 and it is withholden1 the disease will have a firmer hold to-morrow and will be harder to cure4 ,what physician would say to a sick man in such a case1 ,go1 and come again8 ,human need is a disease that is increased by delay in dealing with it4 ,it is a weed that grows apace4 ,what is only a seed to-day will be a sapling soon4 ,if you delay the moral and intellectual training of the ignorant1 the chains that bind them will be harder to break to-morrow than they are to-day4 ,so that delay makes the demand greater1 and the debt which might have been easily paid when it was due becomes hard to meet by withholding4 #d4 ,to do the good to-morrow which might be done to-day is not to be an imitator of ,god4 ,the ,divine ,father makes ,his sun to shine to-day upon the evil and the good4 ,he does not say1 ,to-morrow ,i will give thee1 but1 now is the accepted time4 #e4 ,the postponement of that which is due is a devising of evil in the heart against thy neighbour 7ver4 #bi74 ,our ,lord1 in his parable of the good ,samaritan1 has answered for us the question1 ,who is my neighbour8 7,luke x474 ,it is the man who is in need1 and whose need we can relieve4 ,it is not merely a negative1 but a positive sin to withhold help to such a one--it is a violation of that rule of life which ,christ ,himself declares is the law and the prophets 7,matt4 vii4 #ab74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bg4 ,the borrower is then to repay his debt to the lender2 the finder to restore that which he hath taken up to the loser2 he which hath received anything into his custody1 is to bring it forth to him who reposed trust in him2 the master is to pay the servant his wages4 ,finally1 everyone is to practise that precept of the ,apostle 7,rom4 xiii4 #h74--,muffet4 ,this practical injunction may be applied3 #a4 ,to all lawful debts1 for articles purchased or work performed4 #b4 ,to government taxes1 which ought to be regarded as debts due to the community4 #c4 ,to debts of charity and benevolence4 ,for such debts there are4 ,they cannot indeed be claimed2 they cannot be made good in law4 ,but they are due--due on the principle of the royal law 7,matt4 vii4 #ab74--,wardlaw4 ,here ,solomon passes from general recommendations of wisdom to particular precepts of it4 ,he reverts to instances of mercy and truth 7ver4 #c74 ,he who is in need has a claim of ownership upon our property by the law of love1 which is the law of ,god4 ,need makes the poor the owner1 and ,god makes thee the dispenser of the goods which thou hast and which he needs3 so such benefits are called righteousness1 i4e41 a righteous debt or obligation 7#b ,cor4 ix4 #i2 ,matt4 vi4 #a1 alms2 ,greek1 righteousness74 ,the same principle applies in the case of spiritual knowledge which thou hast and thy neighbour has not4--,fausset4 ,with the luxuries of grace1 the wise man mixes in its conditions4 ,they are rugged like those of the ,apostle 7#a ,cor4 xiii74 ,if we enjoy the good of the ,gospel1 we are to render again according to the benefits shown us4--,miller4 ,it is the hungry man's bread which we hoard up in our own barns4 ,it is his meat on which we glut1 and his drink which we guzzle3 it is the naked man's apparel which we shut up in our presses1 or which we exorbitantly ruffle and flaunt in3 it is the needy person's gold and silver which we closely hide in our chests1 or spend idly1 or put out to useless use4 ,we are1 in thus holding1 or thus spending1 not only covetous1 but wrongful1 or havers of more than our own1 against the will of the rightful owners4--,barrow4 #a4 ,they who have had much experience in the world may be of infinite use by giving salutary advice4 #b4 ,if we are afraid of being thought meddling1 we can benefit others by a good example4 #c4 ,by vindicating the characters of those who have been unjustly defamed4 #d4 ,by not only giving alms1 but attention1 care1 and friendship to the needy4 #e4 ,by recommending our brethren to ,god in prayer4--,bishop ,porteous4 ,verse #bh4 ,this conduct is too common4 ,it may arise--#a4 ,from an avaricious reluctance to part with the money4 ,the avaricious man is so loath to part with the object of his idolatry that even a day's delay pleases him4 #b4 ,from indolent listlessness4 ,the man is not in a mood to be troubled4 ,he is occupied about something else1 or he is not disposed to be occupied at all4 #c4 ,from insolent superciliousness4 ,this is often discovered towards inferiors1 or towards persons against whom there exists a grudge4 ,it is the vice of little minds--ungenerous1 unjust1 unmanly4--,wardlaw4 ,he gives twice to one in need who gives at once4--,publius ,syrus4 ,keep as few good intentions hovering about as possible4 ,they are like ghosts haunting a dwelling4 ,the way to lay them is to find bodies for them4--,arnot4 ,verse #bi4 ,this evil may be practised in a great variety of ways4 ,as1 for instance--,a man in business does what he can to obtain another's confidence2 or1 whether he acts from this view or not1 he knows that he has that confidence1 and he takes advantage of it to obtain large quantities of goods from him1 when aware that his own affairs are precarious and his credit sinking4 ,there are not wanting cases in which the most nefarious crimes have been perpetrated through the medium of unsuspecting confidence4 ,the wife of a man's bosom1 or the child of his paternal love1 has been seduced by the unwitting confidence he has reposed in a seeming friend4 ,it is the very sin by which the devil beguiled ,eve through his subtilty44 4 4 ,all therefore who act such a part are of their father the devil4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,,unlawful ,,strife ,,forbidden4 ,i4 ,strife is unlawful when no good can come from striving4 ,the purpose or end of the strife must be the test as to whether it is right or wrong4 ,mere assertion of our rights or material gain is not the highest good4 ,if ,abraham had pushed the quarrel between his herdsmen and those of ,lot there can be no doubt that ,abraham could have established a lawful claim to a choice of the land4 ,but the good to be gained by striving was not worthy to be compared with the harm that would have been done1 and therefore ,abraham nobly forbore to insist on his rights4 ,,ii4 ,causeless strife is a self-infliction4 ,a man can hardly be involved in lawful strife without mental agitation1 how much more when he strives without cause4 ,when the four winds of heaven seem to meet upon the sea1 the waters foam and toss in ceaseless agitation4 ,the winds must cease to strive before the calm can come4 ,a man involved in an unlawful quarrel is like such a troubled sea4 ,reason and passion1 heaven and hell1 contend within him for the mastery1 and while the battle lasts he must be miserable4 ,,iii4 ,strife rarely ends with those who begin it4 ,man's relationship to his fellow renders it impossible for the results of his good or evil deeds to remain with himself alone4 ,if the head of a family enters into a quarrel1 the children will probably imbibe the spirit and suffer from the consequences4 ,if kings and rulers involve a nation in unnecessary war1 they bring needless suffering upon thousands of innocent people4 ,this consideration alone ought to make men beware of entering into a quarrel4 ,,iv4 ,causeless strife in the children of ,god gives a false representation of their ,father's character4 ,they are ,god's representatives upon earth1 they are expected to fashion their lives upon the ,divine model 7,matt4 v4 #dh74 ,god is a ,god of peace 7#a ,thess4 v4 #bc74 ,his contention is only with sin1 and its end is the establishment of peace upon earth by righteousness4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ca-ce4 ,,the ,,oppressor ,,not ,,to ,,be ,,envied4 ,the children of ,wisdom are strongly tempted sometimes to do this4 ,like ,asaph 7,psalm lxxiii471 they see the prosperity of the wicked encompassed with pride1 and clothed1 as it were1 with violence 7verse #f71 and they are tempted to say3 ,verily ,i have cleansed my heart in vain1 and washed my hands in innocency4 ,such a state of mind is--,i4 ,dangerous4 ,it is the first step to becoming like him4 ,envy of the oppressor may result in choosing his ways4 ,a conviction that there is anything belonging to the oppressor that can be envied may lead to becoming oppressors ourselves4 ,,ii4 ,unwise4 #a4 ,because the oppressor is held in universal abhorrence by men4 ,true it is that he possesses power1 or he could not oppress1 but sooner or later the power will be transferred to the hands of those whose rights he has trampled on1 and the outburst of rejoicing at his overthrow is the revelation of the hidden hatred of which he has all along been the subject4 #b4 ,because he is an abomination to the ,most ,high 7verse #cb74 ,as there is in the noblest of human kind an intense loathing of those who use their power to the injury of others1 so this feeling exists more strongly in the mind of ,god in proportion as his goodness and benevolence exceeds that of the most perfect man4 ,this is not only declared in revelation1 but is manifested in the retributions of ,providence4 ,since ,pharaoh and his hosts were overthrown in the ,red ,sea1 ,god has been slaying mighty kings who have followed in ,pharaoh's footsteps1 because ,he is good1 and ,his mercy endureth for ever 7,psa4 cxxxvi74 #c4 ,because of the contrast in the character1 and in the present and future reward of the oppressor and the child of ,wisdom4 ,the oppressor is froward4 ,he will not submit to the voice of instruction or correction1 but will be his own absolute lord and master4 ,his actions1 if not his words1 say3 ,who is the ,lord1 that ,i should obey ,his voice8 ,the righteous are submissive to the ,divine will--they are the lowly1 who are willing to learn of ,him who was meek and lowly in heart 7,matt4 xi4 #bi74 ,such opposite characters must necessarily meet with opposite dealing from a righteous ,ruler4 ,it is a righteous law that ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap 7,gal4 vi4 #g74 ,with the froward ,thou wilt show ,thyself froward--with the merciful ,thou wilt show ,thyself merciful--are the curse and the blessing which rest respectively upon1 not only the froward and lowly man1 but upon those to whom they belong--their house--those who are bound to them in family relation4 ,the scorn of the froward man reaps a harvest of scorn1 but grace is the reward of lowliness and humility 7verse #cd74 ,the contrast in the future inheritance is still greater4 ,the present curse and blessing may not be always evident to onlookers1 but the future glory and shame will be manifest to the universe 7,matt4 xxv4 #ca-cf74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #cb4 ,the ,lord will freely reveal to the righteous what ,he keeps from others--the truths and promises1 the blessings and joys of ,his covenant of peace1 secret to the soul that possesses them1 intransferable1 passing all understanding1 unspeakable and full of glory4--,wardlaw4 ,there is no less a secret of godliness than there is of any other trade or profession4 ,many profess an art or a trade1 but thrive not by it because they possess not the secret or mystery of it1 and many profess godliness but are little the better for it1 because they have not the true secret of it4 ,he hath that with whom ,god is in secret in his heart1 and he that is righteous in secret where no man sees him1 he is the righteous man with whom the secret of the ,lord is4--,jernim4 ,they shall be of ,his cabinet council who choose rather to lie in the dust than to rise by evil arts1 by wicked principles4--,trapp4 ,verse #cc4 ,whatever cost be there1 there can be no true cheer1 for ,god's curse mars all2 this will either rot the timber1 and pull it down1 or undermine the foundation1 and blow it up4 ,possibly there may be in thy house a loving wife1 loving children1 many servants1 stately rooms1 costly furniture1 dainty fare1 great earthly delights2 but1 man1 the curse of ,god is there4 ,a spoonful of this1 like copperas1 will turn all thy wine into ink2 thy sea of honey into gall and wormwood4 ,how can thy sweetest dish be savoury1 when the curse of ,god is thy sauce3 ,or thy finest raiment delight thee when in every suit there is the curse of ,god like a plague-sore8 or how can thy most beautiful building content thee1 when this curse of ,god on thee for thy wickedness turns it into a prison to keep thee1 who art in the bond of iniquity1 till the hour of death1 the time of thine execution8--,swinnock4 ,the houses of the wicked are of two kinds1 some dwell in their merits1 others in their vices4 ,the ,pharisees of the world dwell in the lofty houses of their own meritorious holiness4 ,but as ,st4 ,bernard saith1 ,what more foolish than to dwell in a house yet hardly begun8 ,the debauched people of the world dwell in the dirty houses of their wicked lives1 and cannot be gotten out of them4 ,but the curse of ,god is upon both4 ,the righteous dwell in ,god's mercy which covereth them from the anger of ,his justice4 4 4 4 ,the rich glutton may keep out ,lazarus1 but he keeps in ,god's curse4--,jermin4 ,here are the gods--could the philosopher say of his poor habitation1 meaning his heathenish household gods--whatever else is wanting to me4 ,how much more may the saint say so of his ,god4--,trapp4 ,verse #ce4 ,they shall be promoted1 indeed1 but their exaltation shall be like that of ,haman1 who was exalted when he was hung upon a gallows fifty cubits high4--,lawson4 ,this last contrast carries us forward to the coming day when all shall discern in the full delight of eternity 7,mal4 iii4 #ah74 ,the wise--the heirs of glory--are identified with the lowly 7verse #cd7--the heirs of grace4 ,self-knowledge--the principle of lowliness--is the very substance of wisdom4 ,their inheritance also is one--grace and glory 7,psa4 lxxxiv4 #aa74 ,for what higher glory can there be than the grace which hath redeemed a worm of the earth and made him a king and priest unto ,god8--,bridges4 ,humility is both a grace and a vessel to receive grace4--,trapp4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,doctrine1 ,literally something received1 handed over2 the author so describes it because he received it from his father4 ,the ,septuagint and the ,vulgate translate by donum1 a gift4 #c4 ,tender and only1 dearly-beloved--not that ,solomon was ,bathsheba's only son 7#a ,chron4 iii4 #e74 #e4 ,get1 ,heb4 acquire or buy--spare no cost4 ,the repetition of the verb makes the injunction more imperative4 ,forget is a word in ,hebrew that takes the preposition from4 ,in the idea of forgetting there is naturally involved that of turning aside or away from the object to be remembered4 #f4 ,miller translates the last clause3 ,love her1 and she shall stand sentry over thee4 #g4 ,the first clause of this verse contains only four words1 viz43 ,beginning1 or principal thing2 ,wisdom2 get wisdom4 ,its terseness has led to various translations4 ,hitzig and others read3 ,the highest thing is wisdom4 ,miller translates3 ,as the height of wisdom1 get wisdom4 ,delitzsch--,the beginning of wisdom is3 ,get wisdom4 ,with1 not to be taken in the sense of in connection with1 but by means of1 or at the price of4 #h4 ,exalt or esteem4 #i4 ,last clause1 or she shall compass thee with a crown of glory4 #aj4 ,as is all other instances 7see ,notes on ,chap4 iii4 #b71 ,miller translates the promise3 ,and they shall grow greater to thee through years of life4 #ad4 ,go not4 ,the ,heb4 is literally to go straightforward2 also1 to pronounce happy4 #ae4 ,avoid1 ,let it go1 reject it4 ,turn from it1 i4e41 even if thou hast entered1 turn back4 #af4 ,miller here reads3 ,for the mere reason that they sleep not1 rest assured they do mischief2 and that their sleep is stolen1 rest assured they occasion stumbling3 and understands it to mean that the more sleepless the industrious impenitent1 the faster he is carrying everything to eternal ruin4 ,but all other commentators of importance read as in the ,english version4 #ah4 ,shining light1 ,lit4 the light of dawn that grows and brightens even to the establishment of the day4 #ai4 ,darkness1 thick darkness1 the gloom of midnight4 #bb4 ,health1 or healing4 #bc4 ,above all other watching1 keep thy heart1 some read3 ,keep thy heart with all 7kinds of7 keeping4 ,issues--currents1 outgoings4 #bd4 ,froward mouth1 ,lit41 distortion1 crookedness4 #bf4 ,ponder1 make level1 or straight4 ,,note ,,on ,,verse #bj4--,there is an aspect of sameness in these beginnings4 ,but they are beginnings4 ,one of the characteristics of ,scripture is a division1 like ,childe ,harold into cantos1 or separate sonnets4 ,they are most conspicuous in the prophet ,isaiah2 and1 like grapes upon a bunch1 each wrapped in its individual rind1 but all clustered on a common stem4 ,if we ventured a conjecture1 it would be that this suited the ,israelitish worship4 ,the synagogue would take one of these cantos and use it for the day4 ,they were of irregular length1 but that would allow variety4 ,they have some repetitions1 but so have missals and breviaries1 that allow of choice on different occasions4 ,there was an aim to provide most of the points for recitation on each occasion4 ,what for one reading would seem very same1 for many readings would seem wonderfully diversified4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,,the ,,reciprocal ,,duties ,,of ,,parents ,,and ,,children4 ,i4 ,parental ,duty4 ,he taught me4 ,solomon1 and all children1 have many claims upon their parents to receive from them instruction in the revelation of ,god4 #a4 ,parents are responsible for the existence of their children4 ,they are the instrumental cause of their child's being in the world1 and his being in that state of probation upon which hang such infinite possibilities4 #b4 ,the child is so absolutely ignorant of the life into which he comes4 ,unavoidable ignorance has always a claim upon knowledge1 and the claim is assuredly increased in proportion as those who know and those who do not know are related to each other by a divinely constituted bond4 ,i am a stranger in the earth is the claim which every child puts in as a reason why he should be instructed and taught in a way which he should go4 ,hide not ,god's commandments from me is the appeal which the child's ignorance makes to those who have had some experience in the world4 #c4 ,children claim instruction because of their future relationship to others4 ,the neglect of a child's education is a sin against more than himself4 ,he will come1 in his turn1 to influence others4 ,upon his character will depend1 in a great degree1 the characters and eternal destinies of many in generations yet to come4 #d4 ,children have a claim upon their parents because they belong to ,god4 ,if a proprietor of land hands over to the cultivator a piece of virgin soil1 he does not relinquish his own claim thereby--he demands that his property shall be restored to him increased in value by being brought under cultivation4 ,the child is given to its parent by ,god in its undeveloped moral condition1 but ,god retains ,his own inheritance in the gift4 ,he looks for nurture1 for cultivation2 ,he demands from the parent such a fulfilment of parental duties as will ensure to ,him that ,his gift shall grow of more and more worth in the moral universe4 ,a day of reckoning on this matter will assuredly come4 ,solomon recognises the claim which children have upon their parents by recording his own parents' conduct in relation to himself and by giving us an example of his own method of instructing his children4 ,,ii4 ,filial ,duty4 ,hear1 ye children4 ,parents have claims upon their children4 #a4 ,from the simple fact of the relationship4 ,a good father claims the obedience of his son because he is that child's ordained guide and ruler4 ,he is to his son ,god's viceregent so long as his commands are in accordance with ,god's law4 #b4 ,from their larger experience4 ,they have trodden the path which the youth has yet to traverse1 they have climbed the hill which rises yet before him1 they have tested the worth of the things which will allure him4 ,their superior knowledge entitles them to say1 ,hear the instruction of a father4 #c4 ,from the self-denial which1 as parents1 they have exercised4 ,all that a good mother and father have done and suffered in order to advance the welfare of their children1 their toil and forbearing love1 constitutes a powerful claim to their children's grateful1 reverential1 attention and love4 ,solomon here gives an example of the honour in which every child should hold godly parents4 ,a ,,parent',s ,,most ,,precious ,,gift4 ,good ,doctrine4 ,verse #b4 #a4 ,because without it there can be no good character4 ,there can be no right feelings towards ,god unless there has been right teaching about ,him4 ,true views of ,god can only come from true doctrine concerning ,him4 ,without a right view of ,god there is no motive power to form character4 ,a man must know ,god as ,he is before he can begin to follow ,him4 ,there must be a true mirror to give a correct reflection4 #b4 ,because if there is not the beginning of a good character1 there will be an increasingly bad one4 ,when men have no right doctrine concerning ,god1 in other words1 when they do not know ,him as ,he is1 they invariably make a ,god after their own conceptions4 ,they bring ,god down to their level4 ,thou thoughtest that ,i was altogether such an one as thyself 7,psa4 l4 #ba71 has been the fatal mistake of men in all ages4 ,if a man falls overboard from the deck of a vessel1 he will not remain long at the level of his first fall4 ,if he is not rescued he will sink to such a depth as will be out of all comparison with it4 ,he will go lower and lower till his body finds the bottom of the ocean4 ,man's first fall from obedience to disobedience was a great fall1 but he has not been content with this moral distance between himself and his ,maker1 he has tried to drag ,god down with him and thus has brutalised and demonised the divine that was still within him4 ,in more than a material sense he has changed the glory of the incorruptible ,god into an image made like unto corruptible man 7,rom4 i4 #bc74 ,this changing of the truth of ,god into a lie will always take place where there is an absence of the right conceptions of ,god1 and the result must always be the moral deterioration which ,paul gives as the result in ,rom4 i4 #bf-cb4 ,there is as much relation between good or right doctrine and good and holy character as there is between good bread and pure water and a healthy body4 ,good bread will make good muscles and sinew1 bad bread will not nourish the human frame4 ,pure water is indispensable to health1 stagnant water will breed a hundred diseases4 ,and mistaken views about ,god must be fruitful of soul disease4 ,results prove this to be the case4 ,national and individual history prove the truth of it4 ,by their fruits ye shall know them 7,matt4 vii4 #bj74 ,as we can foretell what the quality of the harvest will be from the seed sown1 so can we tell what has been the character of the seed from that which it brings forth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,the common cry is ,who will show us any good8 and every man will lend both ears to a good bargain4 ,the doctrine here delivered is good every way1 whether you look to the author1 matter1 or effect of it4--,trapp4 ,god's commandments are not like the commandments of any other1 which are directed to the benefit of the commanders3 but ,god's commandments do only bring good to him that is commanded4 4 4 4 ,what is there so absurd1 as to despise ,his commands who doth command that ,he may have matter for rewarding3 for ,god doth not want our obedience1 but we do want ,his commanding4 ,therefore it is said1 ,as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their master1 and the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress1 so our eyes wait upon the ,lord our ,god until he have mercy upon us1 that is1 until ,he command us something1 and that1 thou1 ,o ,david1 callest mercy4--,jermin4 ,good4 ,i4 ,in itself4 ,it is most majestic1 as containing not trivial and common sentences1 but high parables and extraordinary mysteries4 ,it gives the highest direction in the greatest things4 ,,ii4 ,it is good to us4 ,good for profit and pleasure4 ,good for soul and body 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #b2 ,deut4 xxviii4 #a74 ,good for this life and the life to come 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #h74 ,good when it pleaseth us 7,psa4 cxix4 #g74 ,good when it crosseth us 7,isa4 xxxix4 #h74--;,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #c4 ,noteworthy is the prominence given to the mother's share in the training of the child4 ,among the ,israelites and the ,egyptians alone of the nations of the old world1 was the son's reverence for the mother placed side by side with that which he owed to his father4--,plumptre4 ,verse #d4 ,training1 discipline1 not foolish indulgence1 is the truest evidence of affection to our tender and beloved ones 7chap4 xiii4 #bd2 with #a ,kings i4 #f74--;,bridges4 ,he taught me4 ,the prayer of ,solomon1 at ,gibeon1 for wisdom1 as the principal of ,god's gifts1 was suggested to him by his father ,david1 just before his death4 7,see #a ,chron4 xxviii4 #i1 xxix4 #ai74--,wordsworth4 ,here ,solomon again commands the involuntary1 because he has shown the steps to it4 ,we cannot1 of all other things in the world1 live by a voluntary act1 but we can keep watch over the commandments4 ,i mean1 we can1 as it is a voluntary act1 if ,god makes us willing4 ,but we cannot live as a voluntary thing except through some form of anterior obedience4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-ac4 ,,the ,,one ,,thing ,,needful4 ,i4 ,human nature has many needs4 #a4 ,there are the needs of the body1 which begin upon our entrance into life1 and never cease until the day of our death4 ,these are common to all men1 and keep every man in an attitude of getting all through his life4 ,it is the demand of these needs--the effort to get what will supply them--that is the motive-power which keeps the world of men in motion4 #b4 ,men's needs are multiplied in proportion to the greatness of their sphere and their intellectual activity4 ,the needs of a judge upon the bench are more than those of a crossing-sweeper4 ,both have some wants in common1 but the intellectual and social position of the former has multiplied his needs far beyond those of the latter4 ,the needs of a master in a house of business1 or of a mistress in a family1 are more than those of their servants4 ,they have more claims to meet--more responsible positions to fill4 ,but the aim of each individual man1 woman1 or child is to supply their natural or acquired--their real or their supposed--wants1 whether material1 or intellectual1 or spiritual4 ,,ii4 ,there is one need above all other needs--one thing to be gotten before all other gettings--viz43 ,wisdom1 taking the word to mean godliness4 ,the husbandman finds that the field that has been given him to till needs many things before it will yield him a golden harvest4 ,but there is one thing1 among others1 that is indispensable1 viz43 the sunlight4 ,he will plough1 and harrow1 and sow in vain if this want is not supplied4 ,so all a man's gettings will fail to bring him a harvest of soul-satisfaction if this primal element be wanting4 ,,iii4 ,the blessings which follow the getting of godliness4 ,they have already been enumerated in chap4 iii4 #ba-bf4 ,see homiletics on that paragraph4 ,on verse #i see homiletics on chap4 i4 #i4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #e4 ,we cannot do it directly1 but there immediately follow the rules to be observed1 forget not1 etc4 ,it is astonishing how much is made of attention4 ,it is the only voluntary thing1 not muscular4--,miller4 ,for so much a man learns as he remembers4 ,the promise also of salvation is limited to keeping in memory what we have received 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #b74 #a4 ,because of the excellency of it4 ,things of high birth are excellent4 ,this wisdom is from above 7,james iii4 #ag74 ,things rare are precious4 ,true wisdom is not found in many4 #b4 ,because of the pleasure of it 7chap4 iii4 #ag74 ,no content in the world like that wisdom gives4 #c4 ,because of the profit of it4 ,every trade will tell you that wisdom thrives1 and folly beggars men4 ,so in spiritual things4 #d4 ,because of the necessity of it1 which is the strongest argument4 ,without it die1 nay be damned4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #f4 ,jerome wrote to a friend1 ,beg now for me1 who am grey-headed1 of the ,lord1 that ,i may have ,wisdom for my companion1 of which it is written1 ',love her and she shall keep thee4' ,forsake her not1 and thou will love her1 for love is bred by continuing together2 love her and thou will not forsake her1 for love liketh not of parting4 ,the manner of speech seemeth to intimate a union of marriage1 and indeed ,wisdom is a fit spouse for man's noble soul4--,jermin4 ,we turn an eye to ,wisdom1 and she turns an eye to us4 ,we watch and she watches4 ,in our ungodly state we cannot think of ,wisdom that she does not turn and step back to us by common grace4 ,and1 if we think so long1 and strive so earnestly as that she comes to us and is full in sight1 then each new fondness fascinates her and brings her close4 ,each wise thing that we do makes us wiser4--,miller4 ,it is worse with him that leaves good1 than with him that never did it 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #ba74 ,one goes blindfold to hell and hath less pains there2 another1 seeing1 hath more4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #g4 ,make religion thy business1 other things do by the bye4 ,as ,csar1 swimming through the waters to escape his enemies1 carried his books in his hand above them1 but lost his robe4--,trapp4 ,it can have no place if it has not the first place4 ,if it be anything it will be everything4--,bridges4 ,the mistake of the principal thing is that which maketh the principle disorder in man's heart4 4 4 4 ,but as that is light which showeth the light unto us1 so that is the principal thing which showeth the principal thing unto us1 even wisdom alone4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,what we are to acquire4 ,both divine and human learning1 which differ as means do from the end4 ,were there no ,divine learning1 human learning would lose great part of its value3 limited to the present life1 it must terminate on the confines of the grave4 ,and had we no human learning1 now that the days of inspiration have passed1 we should not be able to attain that which is divine4 ,,ii4 ,how we are to acquire it4 ,we must be taught by those who were in the world before us4 ,weeds and thistles only will be the spontaneous produce if the ground is not broken up and good seed sown4 ,,iii4 ,why we are to acquire it4 ,the pleasures of wisdom exceed all others--in kind1 degree1 and duration4--,bishop ,horne4 ,the world's maxim1 on the contrary1 is--money is the principal thing2 therefore get money2 and with all thy getting1 get more4--,fausset4 ,amidst all thy other acquisitions acquire this1 without which all others will be useless and even hurtful4--,menochius4 ,with1 rather by means of 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,we are to turn all our gettings into the channel of more grace4 ,we are to use all our properties for growing wiser4 ,we are to grind up all our corn into the bread of spiritual nourishment4--,miller4 ,venture all for wisdom rather than miss it4 #a4 ,what we lose is transitory1 what we get is durable4 ,a fee-simple is better than a leaf4 #b4 ,what we lose is hollow and empty1 what we get is full and substantial4 ,a sound timber tree is better than one hollow within1 though the latter make a bigger show4 #c4 ,what we lose is vain1 what we get is profitable4 ,a piece of gold is better than a counter4 #d4 ,what we lose is often matter of danger1 what we get is matter of safety and security4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #h4 ,of this recommendation of religion it is the more necessary to fix our attention because it is often refused to it by men of the world4 ,their notions of honour are apt to run in a very different channel4 4 4 4 ,a distinction must be made between fame and honour4 ,the former is a loud and noisy applause2 the latter a more silent and internal homage4 ,fame floats on the breath of the multitude2 honour rests on the judgment of the thinking4 ,fame may give praise while it withholds esteem2 but honour implies esteem mingled with respect4 ,the one regards particular distinguished talents2 the other looks up to the whole character4 ,it follows1 therefore1 that in order to discern where man's true honour lies1 we must look at the whole of what forms a man4 ,a mind superior to fear1 to selfish interest1 and corruption2 governed by this principle of uniform rectitude1 the same in prosperity as in adversity1 such is the mind which forms the distinction and eminence of men4 ,and such a character is formed solely by the influence of true religion4 ,,ii4 ,the honour which man acquires by religion and virtue is independent and complete4 ,it is independent of anything foreign or external4 ,wherever fortune is concerned it is the rank which commands our deference4 ,where some shining quality attracts admiration1 it is only to a part of the character that we pay homage4 ,but with goodness1 it is the whole man whom we respect4 ,,iii4 ,this honour is divine and immortal4 ,it is honour not only in the sight of man1 but of ,god1 whose judgment is the standard of truth and right4 ,it enters with man into a future state2 and continues to brighten through eternal ages4--,blair4 ,not only get1 keep1 and love her1 but also exalt her4 ,we are apt to think less of those things which we have1 however precious1 after the novelty has worn off4 ,beware of this feeling in religion4 ,religion richly repays in kind all that we can do to embrace her4 ,she exalts them who exalt her 7,psa4 xxx4 #a71 and gives them fresh reason for exalting her 7,psa4 xxxvii4 #cd74--;,fausset4 ,verse #i4 ,she is the diadem which bindeth up the shattered thoughts of man's understanding3 she it is which covereth and succoureth the broken cracks of man's invention3 she it is which delivereth the authority of sovereignty to the head1 and maketh the head to be the head1 in bearing rule and commanding the inferior affections and lusts of the heart and other members4--,jermin4 ,crowns were anciently given to many sorts of persons as tokens of general favour and esteem4 #a4 ,to wise men and learned2 to those who excelled in the arts and sciences4 ,godly-wise men deserve them much better4 #b4 ,to men famous for justice and other moral virtues2 to good lawmakers and judges4 ,godly-wise men excel in theological virtues1 which are far more excellent4 #c4 ,to conquerors4 ,a wise man is a conqueror over his passions and affections1 which make other men1 and great ones too1 very slaves4 #d4 ,to bridegrooms when they were married4 ,a wise man is married to ,wisdom1 the fairest bride in the world4 #e4 ,to kings on their coronation day4 ,so shall godly men be crowned when they die4 ,they know how to rule their own souls here1 and to direct others1 and to get an eternal crown in ,heaven4 ,a beggar being once asked what he was1 answered3 ,i am a king6 ,where is thy kingdom8 ,it is in my soul4 ,i can so rule my external and internal senses that all the faculties of my soul are subject to me4 ,and who doubts that this kingdom is better than all the kingdoms of the world8--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #aa4 ,he may boldly call to be heard who himself doth what he teacheth4 ,christ placeth doing before teaching 7,matt4 viii4 #ai71 for good doing leading the way1 though teaching doth not follow1 yet good works can1 as clear as the light1 teach those that look upon us4 ,paul saith1 ,we have received grace and apostleship to the obedience of faith2 one would have thought he should have said rather to the government and direction of faith1 but he saith1 obedience1 because examples do direct and govern better than words4--,jermin4 ,the two branches which constitute the sum of parental tuition--instruction and direction--teaching truth and guiding to duty4 ,the one part relates to knowledge1 the other to practice4 ,in all rightly conducted education1 the two should never be disjoined4 ,to teach duty without truth is to teach action without motive--virtue without its principle4 ,to teach truth without duty is to teach motive without the practice to which it should lead4 ,they are both partial1 and1 if kept asunder1 both worthless4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #ab4 ,having a good mixture of zeal and knowledge2 so that thy zeal doth quicken thy knowledge1 and thy knowledge guide thy zeal4--,trapp4 ,the way of wisdom is indeed narrow1 but in a narrow way there may be large steps2 for though our feet may be straightened from going aside1 yet they are not straightened from going on apace4--,jermin4 ,as goest refers to the ordinary course1 so runnest refers to extraordinary undertakings1 wherein the believer has to put forth more than common energy4--,fausset4 ,the word straightened seems to express the case of one in difficulty and perplexity--contradictory impulses and obstacles pressing and hindering him on every side1 perpetually producing embarrassment and apprehension--hedging up the way1 and hemming us in1 and destroying the freedom and comfort of advancement4 ,such is the case of a man who walks according to a worldly and carnal policy4 ,he is ever at a loss4 ,as circumstances are ever shifting1 he is ever shifting his principles and plans to suit them4 ,but the wisdom from above inspires a simplicity and a unity of principle by which a vast amount of this painful and agitating perplexity is taken away4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #ac4 ,often a ship's crew at sea are obliged suddenly to betake themselves to their boats1 or abandon the sinking ship4 ,such a case was recently reported of an ,american whale-ship in the ,south ,seas4 ,the huge leviathan of the deep1 wounded by the art of man1 ran out the distance of a mile by way of getting a run-race1 and thence came up with incredible velocity against the devoted ship4 ,she began to fill4 4 4 4 ,the word was given4 ,all hands went to work1 and soon all the seaworthy boats were loaded to the gunwale with the prime necessaries of life4 ,the deck was now nearly level with the water1 and the boats shoved off for safety4 ,after they had pulled a hundred yards away1 two resolute men leaped from one of the boats into the sea1 and made towards the ship4 ,they disappear down a hatchway4 ,in a minute they emerge again1 bearing something in their hands4 ,as they leap into the water the ship goes down2 the men are separated from each other and their burden in the whirlpool that gathers over the sinking hull4 ,they do not seem to consult their own safety4 ,they remain in that dangerous eddy until they grasp again the object which they had carried over the ship's side4 ,holding it fast1 they are seen at length bearing away to their comrades in the boat4 ,what do these strong swimmers carry1 for they seem to value it more than life8 ,it is the compass6 ,it had been left behind1 and was remembered almost too late4 ,now they have taken fast hold of it1 and will not let it go4 ,whatever they lose1 they will at all hazards keep it1 for it is their life4 ,when shall we see souls1 shipwrecked on the sea of time1 take and keep such hold of the truth as it is in ,jesus8--,arnot4 ,fasten and do not let slack4 ,one rough grapple is not enough4 ,wisdom insidiously glides away if we give time to the arch deceiver4 ,we are like a child trying to wake3 he grasps the apple that one gives1 but slackens as drowsiness creeps back4--,miller4 ,i4 ,because many thieves lie in the way to rob us of what wisdom teaches4 #a4 ,the devil steals away the seed of the word 7,matt4 xiii4 #i74 #b4 ,wicked men also1 by seducing us4 ,sometimes by persecuting us to make us forsake the truth 7,matt4 xiii4 #ba74 #c4 ,the world with its cares and profits seek to take this treasure from us 7,matt4 xiii4 #bb74 ,the flesh presents many pleasures to us which drown our wits4 ,,ii4 ,because we may lose wisdom ourselves by negligence4--,f4 ,taylor4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad-ai4 ,,contrasted ,,paths ,,and ,,opposite ,,characters4 ,i4 ,the just man's path4 #a4 ,it is a pre-ordained one4 ,the path which the sun takes through the heavens1 the path in which our earth encircles the sun1 are the paths which ,god has pre-ordained for them4 ,they are the only paths which they could take and preserve the harmony of the system to which they belong4 ,they are the orbits which are exactly adapted to the fulfilment of the end for which ,god created them4 ,so the path--the manner of life--of the godly man is the path in which ,god intended man to walk when ,he created him4 ,he called him into being in order that he might walk before ,him and be perfect 7,gen4 xvii4 #a74 ,the highway of holiness is the ,god-ordained path of man1 the old way which was trodden by ,his creatures for ages before man had any existence4 #b4 ,it is a blessing-dispensing path4 ,the sun1 by keeping ,god's pre-ordained path1 is a blessing to the world4 ,its rays possess a quickening power which develops the hidden life of the plant1 and so clothes the earth with beauty and fruitfulness4 ,without its heat and light our globe would be a great ,sahara--a vast wilderness of black barrenness4 ,it likewise brings into operation a sense in man which would otherwise be dormant4 ,the light of the body is the eye1 but where would sight be without sun8 ,creatures who have lived for years in darkness appear to lose the power of sight1 even if light shines upon their eye-balls4 ,the constant contact of the eye with light keeps alive the power of vision4 ,so with the just man's path4 ,without the godly this world would be a moral wilderness4 ,all the beauty of goodness there is in it comes from the life of the children of wisdom4 ,they that dwell under his shadow shall return2 they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine2 the scent thereof shall be as the wine of ,lebanon 7,hosea xiv4 #g74 ,and ,he keeps alive the inner eye of man--the conscience4 ,it1 too1 needs external light to play upon it to keep it alive4 ,and the holy walk of the godly does this for the ungodly1 it prevents the conscience from being utterly stifled by sin4 #c4 ,it is a progressive path4 ,it shines more and more4 ,the light of dawn has glories all its own1 but it is not strong enough to do the work of the noon-day rays1 its heat is not able to penetrate beneath the surface of the earth and wake up the life out of the seed-corn hidden there2 its brightness touches the mountain-tops1 but does not scatter the shadows in the valleys4 ,but when the sun reaches its meridian there is nothing hid from the heat thereof4 ,so with the children of wisdom4 ,when they first set out upon their journey their godliness is not so manifest to others1 nor does it yield so much comfort to themselves as when they have trodden the path for years4 ,but it must1 from a necessity of nature1 go on unto perfection4 ,just men will be made perfect 7,heb4 xii4 #c74 ,they go from strength to strength 7,psa4 lxxxiv4 #g74 ,they come to the perfect day4 ,,ii4 ,the wicked man's way4 ,it is in every point the converse of that which has just been sketched4 #a4 ,it is his own way 7chap4 i4 #ca73 not ,god's way1 not the way in which he was destined to walk4 ,it is an old way 7,job4 xxii4 #ae71 but not the oldest way2 it is a path cast up by the will of man and pre-,adamite sinners4 #b4 ,it is a way of darkness1 because it is a way of blindness4 ,blindness puts a man in the dark1 and1 being in the dark1 he has only the experience that springs from darkness4 ,wickedness puts out the eyes of the soul1 and1 like a blind ,samson1 it sits in darkness and the shadow of death4 ,a state of blindness is a state of ignorance4 ,a blind man cannot avoid objects that come in his way1 and when he falls in consequence1 he knows not the object that caused him to fall4 ,so the wise man here describes the ungodly as one who knows not at what he stumbles 7verse #ai74 ,he has no realisation of the real character of his tempters1 no insight into the sinfulness of sin2 the lack of a guiding principle turns his walk into a series of stumblings4 ,it follows of necessity that such a path is one of danger4 ,it is more dangerous to walk in the night than in the day4 ,the footpad or the highwayman can hide himself from our view in the darkness1 and come upon us unawares4 ,we may fall over the precipice at night that we could easily avoid in the day4 ,so it is in a course of sin4 ,a man who shuts his eyes to the light within him1 and rejects the light which is to lighten every man 7,john i4 #i71 will1 unawares1 be overtaken by retribution1 and fall into depths of remorse upon which he little counts4 #c4 ,like the path of the just1 it is a progressive path4 ,no man stands still in it4 ,the darkness thickens as the blindness increases1 and the blindness grows the longer men refuse to come to the light 7,john iii4 #bj74 ,men do not at once come to the height or descend to the depth of iniquity described in verse #af1 when1 unless they have done some iniquitous act1 they feel that they have lost a day4 ,the merchant may feel he has lost a day when he has failed to make a good bargain2 the scholar feels it when he has not added to his stock of knowledge2 the heathen emperor reckoned a day lost when he had not benefited some one2 but for a man not to sleep except he has done a mischief1 surely expresses as perfect a night as it is possible for human nature to attain to4 ,surely he then proves himself to be a child of him whose business it is to go about seeking whom he may devour 7#b ,pet4 v4 #h74 #d4 ,it is a path which is destructive to others4 ,as the good man1 by walking in ,god's path1 blesses his fellow-creatures as well as himself1 so the wicked man1 in his path of darkness1 is a curse to others as well as himself4 ,the force of evil example alone is pernicious to all who surround him1 but although he may begin in this negative way1 he soon advances to positive acts of sin1 until he lives upon the misery of others4 ,it becomes his meat and drink to drag others to destruction with him1 or1 failing that1 to do them as much injury as he can 7verses #af and #ag74 ,,iii4 ,the means of escape from this path of darkness and ruin4 ,enter it not1 and1 to make sure of not entering it1 give it a wide berth--pass not by it1 turn away 7verses #ad1 #ae74 ,when we see those whom we love in danger1 we multiply words of warning1 and are not careful to avoid repeating words which may have little or no difference in their meaning4 ,so ,solomon's anxiety shows itself here in the repetition of his exhortations4 ,but there is some gradation observed in them4 #a4 ,we are not to enter the paths1 not even to set one foot upon the forbidden way4 ,men may be tempted to venture a step or two just to take a glance1 and intend to turn back as soon as they have done so1 but it is enchanted ground1 and it is more than likely if they are once upon the track they will go further than they at first intended4 ,but if they do not enter it1 they cannot walk in it4 #b4 ,if you have already entered1 do not persevere another moment1 turn from it at once4 ,if the captain of a ship becomes all at once aware that he is steering his vessel upon the rocks1 he puts about at once4 ,the next best thing to not going wrong at all is to turn back--in ,bible language1 to repent1 to put the face in the opposite direction1 to turn the whole man back to the opposite goal4 #c4 ,in order to escape the danger of entering at all1 or of re-entrance after having once forsaken it1 avoid its very neighbourhood1 pass not by it1 go not in the way of temptation4 ,if a youth has been induced to gamble1 and has resolved to give up the habit1 let him not go near the gambling house--let him give up all intercourse with gamblers2 if he has been once under the fatal influence of strong drink1 he must taste it no more--not even look upon the wine when it is red 7ch4 xxiii4 #ca74 ,he must flee youthful lusts and the most certain method of doing this is to strike out another course--to follow after righteousness 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #aa1 #ab71 to get well into the way of wisdom1 to know from experience the blessedness of the path of the just4 ,men must have a way in life1 there is no neutral ground2 or if some men seem for a time to be living in the border-land1 a time will come when they must declare for one side or the other4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ad4 ,we must all enter somewhere4 ,we are all travelling4 ,we all necessarily follow something4 ,don't take the path of the wicked for it4 ,that is the doctrine4--,miller4 ,sin is like a whirlpool4 ,he who once ventures within the circle of its eddying waters in the self-sufficient assurance that he may go a certain length1 and then turn at his pleasure and stem the current back1 may feel the fancied strength of the sinews of his moral resolution but weakness in the moment of need1 and may--nay1 almost certainly will--be borne on further and further1 till1 all power of resistance failing1 he is carried round and round with increasing celerity1 and sucked into the central gulf of irrecoverable perdition4--,wardlaw4 ,jortin1 in his remarks upon ,ecclesiastical ,history1 relates the story of a colloquy between a ,father of the second century and an evil spirit in a ,christian1 whom he sought to expel4 ,upon inquiring how he dared be so impudent as to enter a ,christian1 the evil spirit replied1 ,i went not to church after him1 but he came to the playhouse after me1 and1 finding him upon my own ground1 ,i sought to secure him for myself4 ,whatever becomes of the story1 the moral of it deserves attention4--,leifchild4 ,we pray to be kept from temptation1 and our practice ought not to contradict our prayers2 otherwise1 it is evident that we mock ,god by asking from ,him what we do not wish to have4--,lawson4 ,verse #ae4 ,this triple gradation of ,solomon showeth1 with a great emphasis1 how necessary it is to flee from all appearance of sin4 4 4 4 ,entireness 7friendship7 with wicked consorts is one of the strongest chains of hell1 and binds me to a participation of both sin and punishment4--,brooks4 ,come not near4 #a4 ,because our corruption is so great that1 if we come near it1 we will both smell it with delight and smell of it4 #b4 ,because wicked men stand upon the edge of their way to draw others into it1 as thieves watch for their prey4 #c4 ,we may stumble into that way ourselves1 if we be not pulled into it by others4 ,he that walks on the brink of a river may fall in4 ,there is but a narrow bridge between lawful and unlawful4 ,and that which is lawful to-day may1 by a circumstance1 be made unlawful to-morrow4--,francis ,taylor4 ,it would not be complaisance1 but cowardice--it would be a sinful softness which allowed affinity in taste to imperil your faith or your virtue4 ,it would be the same sort of courtesy which1 in the equatorial forest1 for the wake of its beautiful leaf1 lets the liana1 with its strangling arms1 run up the plantain or orange1 and pays the forfeit in blasted boughs and total ruin4 ,it would be the same sort of courtesy which1 for fear of appearing rude or inhospitable1 took into dock the infected vessel1 or welcomed1 not as a patient1 but as a guest1 the plague-stricken stranger4--,jas4 ,hamilton4 ,verses #af and #ag4 ,the devil1 their taskmaster1 will not allow them time to sleep1 which is very hard bondage4--,trapp4 ,the character of the wicked is here drawn in their father's image--first sinners2 then tempters4 4 4 4 ,judas with his midnight torches 7,john xviii4 #c72 the early morning assembly of the ,jewish rulers 7,luke xxii4 #ff72 the frenzied vow of the enemies of ,paul 7,acts xxiii4 #ab72 and many a plot in after ages against the ,church--all vividly pourtray this unwearied wickedness4--,bridges4 ,the fearful stage of debasement when the tendency to sin is like the craving for stimulants1 as a condition without which there can be no repose4--,plumptre4 ,the trouble of others is the rest of the wicked4--,jermin4 ,just as bread forms the flesh1 and makes it grow1 according as it is eaten1 so wickedness is the food of the spirit4 ,my meat is1 says ,christ1 to do the will of ,him that sent me1 and to finish ,his work 7,john iv4 #cd74 ,thy words were found1 and ,i did eat them 7,jer4 xv4 #af74 ,so in chap4 i4 #ca4 ,therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way--the meaning being1 that a man's way1 spiritually considered1 is all that forms him4 ,he feeds upon it4 ,if it is righteous1 it nourishes him in life4 ,if it is wicked1 it nourishes him in death4 ,he feeds on food of wickedness1 and grows exactly in proportion as he sins4 ,his very life is in its very self a deadly self-banqueting4--,miller4 ,they sin1 not of frailty1 but of malice2 not by occasion1 as it were1 but by an insatiable desire of committing wickedness4--,muffet4 ,verse #ah4 ,he sets forth betime in the morning and travels to meet the day4 ,the sun is an emblem1 not of the just1 but of the ,justifier4 ,christ alone is the light of the world4 ,the just are those whom the ,sun of ,righteousness shines upon4 4 4 4 ,when any portion of the earth's surface begins to experience a dawn diminishing its darkness1 it is because that portion is gradually turning round towards the sun1 the centre of light fixed in the heavens4 ,when any part of the earth lies away from the sun1 and in proportion to the measure of its aversion1 it is dark and cold1 in proportion as it turns to him again its atmosphere grows clearer1 until in its gradual progress it comes in sight of the sun1 and its day is perfect then4 ,so is the path of the just4 ,day is not perfect here in the believer's heart 4 4 4 but the machinery of the everlasting covenant is meantime going softly and silently as the motion of the spheres2 and they that are ,christ's here1 whatever clouds dim their present prospect1 are wearing every moment farther from the night1 and nearer to the day4--,arnot4 ,there is a day to be which shall be a day indeed1 without cloud1 without night1 without morning1 without evening4 ,unto this day leadeth the path of the righteous1 and which going on1 shineth more and more1 until at last when it seemeth to go out1 it shall be received into that light which never goeth out4--,jermin4 ,light is emblematical of knowledge1 holiness1 and joy4 ,the three bear invariable proportion to each other--holiness springing from knowledge1 and joy from both4 4 4 4 ,the entrance of ,god's word gives light4 ,but the entrance of this light into the mind is often1 like the early dawn1 feeble1 glimmering1 uncertain4 4 4 4 ,but it does not abide so4 4 4 4 ,he who is enlightened from above is eager for more of the blessed light4 ,he thirsts for knowledge1 and is on the alert to obtain it4 4 4 4 ,with growth in knowledge there is growth in holiness4 ,at the first dawn of spiritual light some faint desires are felt after ,god and sanctity4 ,these progressively increase1 and they show their influence in the increase of practical godliness4 4 4 4 ,and joy is the natural attendant of spiritual illumination and inward sanctity4 ,it1 too1 is progressive4 ,like the sun in every stage of his diurnal course1 it may be overcast by occasional clouds4 ,but as the sun appears the brighter on his emerging from the cloudy veil1 so the trials of the just serve to give lustre to their virtues4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #ai4 ,it is interesting to note the resemblance between these words and those of our ,lord 7,john xi4 #aj2 xii4 #ce74--,plumptre4 ,strange enough3 it is a confessed darkness4 ,there is a sort of common light that tells a man that impenitence is darkness4 ,and yet it does not teach him better4 ,like mere physical light at times1 some chemical ray is absent4 ,the darkness that remains is a darkness that may be felt4 ,it constitutes our eternal chains 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #d72 it binds a man on the car of ruin4 ,and like a ,christian1 who1 in his partial light1 may fail to know what is blessing him1 so the sinner in his absolute darkness1 takes industry for virtue1 and family love for wholesome righteousness2 and does not know the incidents of life that are stumbling blocks to eternal ruin4--,miller4 ,sinners are in such darkness that they are insensible to the objects that are leading them to ruin1 thus they stumble--#a4 ,at the great deceiver4 #b4 ,at one another4 #c4 ,at ,divine ,providence4 #d4 ,at their common employments4 #e4 ,at the nature and tendency of their religious performances4 #f4 ,at the preaching they hear4 #g4 ,at the blindness of their hearts4--,emmons1 from ,lange's ,commentary4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-bg4 ,,the ,,path ,,of ,,safety4 ,for ,homiletics on ,verses #bj-bb1 see chap4 ii4 #a-e1 etc4 ,verses #bc-bg4 ,i4 ,a man's most precious and real possession4 ,thy heart4 ,the heart here1 and in other parts of ,holy ,scripture1 is that part of a man for which the ,bible exists1 that in man to which the revelation of ,god appeals1 that which places a great gulf between him and all other creatures in the world1 that which links him to the angels of ,god1 that which entails upon him responsibilities and endows him with capabilities which will last throughout all the ages to come4 ,it is that spiritual nature which our ,lord calls a man's own soul 7,matt4 xvi4 #bf71 which ,paul speaks of as the inner man 7,ephes4 iii4 #af74 ,,ii4 ,the need of keeping1 or guarding the heart4 ,there are elements of evil as well as good in it4 ,in any kingdom where there are bad subjects as well as good1 there must be a watch kept over those out of whom submission to law is not to be got voluntarily4 ,they must be guarded lest they get the upper hand and overpower and tyrannise over the peace-loving obedient citizens4 ,in every human body there is some organ which is more prone to disease than others4 ,while some are strong and vigorous1 others are more or less delicate2 therefore a man needs to exercise care over his body4 ,so in the heart of the child of wisdom there is an evil element as well as a good one4 ,i see another law in my members1 says ,paul1 warring against the law of my mind 7,rom4 vii4 #bc74 ,every godly man has a tendency to moral weakness1 some opening in his spiritual armour1 some weak part in his moral constitution4 ,therefore it behoves him to keep guard over1 to watch vigilantly1 the lawless1 rebellious1 or diseased elements within him1 lest sin have dominion1 if only for a time1 where grace ought to rule4 ,,iii4 ,the importance of keeping the heart4 ,out of it are the issues of life4 ,the physical heart of man is well defended by nature1 because it is the spring of our bodily life4 ,from it1 as from a well1 issues life-blood1 which flows into every part of the body1 and without which a man ceases to live4 ,the strong ribs and the inner coverings of the heart which so well defend it show the necessity there is that it should be free to do its work without let or hindrance4 ,a sound heart is the life of the flesh1 says ,solomon 7chap4 xiv4 #cj74 ,if the heart is healthy1 the benefit is felt to the extremities of the body2 if it is diseased1 the whole physical frame suffers4 ,out if it are the issues of animal life4 ,a man who has charge of a well of water is bound to keep it covered and secured against the entrance of anything that might poison or even defile it4 ,upon its safe keeping depends1 perhaps1 not only the health of himself and his household1 but that of an entire district4 ,it is a centre of health if pure1 of disease if impure4 ,so upon the condition of the inner man depends the character of the outward life4 ,it is a well-spring of life in the sense that it determines the character of the life4 ,the streams which issue from it are the actions of man1 actions repeated are habits1 and habits form character2 and character influences other lives4 ,what a man is blesses or curses those around him1 and entails blessing or curse upon generations to come4 ,a good man in a neighbourhood is like a well of living water1 he diffuses and preserves moral health all around him4 ,,iv4 ,the way to keep the heart4--,the vigilance of a sentinel is manifested by his notice of the distant motion of the grass under cover of which the enemy is creeping towards the citadel4 ,he is ever on the look-out for the distant enemy4 ,the watchful general notes the first symptom of mutiny in the army1 and treads out the spark before it becomes a flame4 ,so the watchful heart-keeper takes notice of the first movement of rebels within4 ,the thoughts take their rise in the soul under the eye of none but ,god and the keeper1 and he must be on the alert at the first motion4 ,and as when the sentinel sees the first movement of the enemy he never thinks of advancing to fight him alone1 but communicates with one who has the power to overthrow him1 so when a man becomes aware of the first motion of evil in his heart1 ,god must receive the information--,he must be called upon to exercise ,his power to disperse or take prisoners the thoughts before they can become actions4 ,keeping of the heart includes a guarding of every inlet of temptation1 a watchfulness over the senses1 and any organ of the outward man which might lead us into temptation4 ,hence ,solomon exhorts his son to guard his eyes and his feet4 ,it has been asserted by some that there is nothing in the mind which has not first been in the senses2 and though this is a disputed point1 we are quite sure that there is much in the heart1 both of good and evil1 which entered by those gates4 ,there are thoughts there which have been kindled by what we have seen1 as ,achan's covetous desires were created by the sight of the goodly spoils of ,jericho4 ,the eye of ,david was the entrance-gate of the thought which ended in adultery and murder4 ,and the feet may lead us in forbidden paths--into the way of temptation--into the society of those whose words1 finding entrance by the ear1 may sow seeds of impurity within4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bj4 ,still he calls for attention4 ,it fares with many of us as with little children1 who1 though saying their lessons1 must needs look off to see the feather that flies by them4--,trapp4 ,the former verse having spoken of hearing ,god's ,word1 this speaketh of reading it4 ,for the beginning of obedience is to be willing to know what is commanded1 and it is a part of performance to have learned what is to be performed4 4 4 4 ,let ,god's ,word be in our heart1 it will be in the midst of it4 ,for the heart hath no outside1 all is the midst there3 the heart hath no outward show1 all there is inward truth4--,jermin4 ,verse #ba4 ,the terms of this verse may be compared1 for illustration1 with those of ,deut4 vi4 #f1 #h3 ,and these words1 which ,i command thee this day1 shall be in thine heart4 ,and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand1 and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes4 ,amongst the ,jews there was a sad propensity to take the latter injunction literally and externally4 ,hypocrites and formalists satisfied themselves with having little scraps of the law written on parchment1 and worn as frontlets on the forehead4 ,but this was a delusion4 ,the laws of ,god are never rightly before the eyes unless they are in the heart4 ,the meaning of the former clause of the verse is1 that the commandments of ,god should be kept constantly in view as the guides of the whole conduct4 ,and this will be the case when they are kept in the midst of the heart4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bb4 ,some medicines are good for one part of the body1 some for another4 ,this is good for all the body1 and all the soul4--,cartwright4 ,verse #bc4 ,that thou mayest keep thy heart sincere1 to use the similitude of a castle1 for so the heart is1--#a4 ,repair and fortify it diligently4 ,weak walls are soon broken down4 ,breaches give occasion for an enemy to enter4 ,thou wilt find something to mend every day in the understanding1 or conscience1 or memory1 or will1 or affections1 if not in all of them4 #b4 ,victual this fort1 else it cannot hold out against a siege4 ,feed it with good meditations from the creatures1 and out of the ,scriptures4 ,starved soldiers cannot defend a fort4 #c4 ,set up a regiment in thy soul4 ,no fort can be kept without government2 soldiers1 else1 will rebel and betray the fort4 ,commit that charge to a well-informed conscience2 submit all thoughts1 and words1 and deeds to it4 #d4 ,get arms in it to keep out enemies2 to wit1 ,god's prohibitions and threats in ,his ,word4 ,this is the sword of the ,spirit 7,ephes4 vi4 #ag74--;,francis ,taylor4 ,the man is as his heart is4 ,the heart is the spring and fount of all natural and spiritual actions1 it is the primum mobile1 the great wheel that sets all other wheels agoing2 it is the great monarch in the isle of man1 therefore1 keep it with all custody and caution1 or else bid farewell to all true joy1 peace1 and comfort4 ,when the heart stands right with ,christ ,he will pardon much and pass by much4 4 4 4 ,therefore we should keep our heart as under lock and key1 that they may be always at hand when the ,lord shall call for them4 4 4 4 ,the word heart is here put comprehensively for the whole soul1 with all its powers1 noble faculties1 and endowments1 together with their several operations1 all which are to be watched over4 4 4 4 ,it is a duty incumbent upon every ,christian to keep his own heart4 ,thou mayest make another thy park-keeper1 thy housekeeper1 thy shopkeeper1 thy cash-keeper1 but thou must be thy own heartkeeper4 ,with all diligence4 ,some understand this of all kind of watchfulness4 #a4 ,as men keep a prison4 ,how vigilant are they in looking after their prisoners4 #b4 ,as they keep a besieged garrison1 or castle1 in time of war4 ,a gracious heart is ,christ's fort-royal4 ,against this fort ,satan will employ his utmost art1 therefore it must have a strong guard4 #c4 ,as the ,levites kept the sanctuary of ,god and all the holy things committed to their charge 7,ezek4 xliv4 #h-ae74 ,our hearts are the temples of the ,holy ,ghost1 and therefore we should keep a guard about them1 that nothing may pass in or out that may be displeasing1 grieving1 or provoking to ,him4 #d4 ,as a man keeps his life4 ,the same word 7shamar7 is used in ,job4 x4 in reference to life4 ,with what care1 what diligence1 do men labour to preserve their natural lives4 #e4 ,as men keep their treasures4 ,there are few men who know how to value their hearts as they should4 ,it is that pearl of price for which a man should lay down his all4 #f4 ,as spruce men and women do their fine clothes4 ,they won't endure a spot upon them4 ,let not others be more careful to keep their outsides clean1 than you are to keep your insides clean4--,brooks4 ,the fountains and wells of the ,east were watched over with special care4 ,a stone was rolled to the mouth of the well1 so that a spring shut up1 a fountain sealed1 became the type of all that is most jealously guarded 7,song ,sol4 iv4 #bb74 ,so it is here4 ,the heart is such a fountain--out of it flow the issues of life4 ,shall we let the stream be tainted at the fountain head8--,plumptre4 ,keep the heart4 #a4 ,because it falls directly under the inspection of ,god4 ,man can judge only by what is external1 but ,i1 the ,lord1 search the heart4 #b4 ,because of the influence the heart has upon the life4 ,he that is concerned about making the tree good will probably make the fruit so4 #c4 ,care in keeping the heart is greatly to be regarded for itself4 ,is there nothing pleasant1 nothing honourable in being masters at home--in being possessors of our own spirits8 ,is it nothing that the peace of the kingdom is broken1 even though the constitution of it be not overthrown8--,doddridge4 ,a heart purified by the grace of ,god1 and firmly rooted in truth as its ground1 is the source and common fountain for the successful development of all the main activities and functions of human life1 those belonging to the sphere of sense1 as well as to the psychical and spiritual realms1 and this must more and more manifest itself as such a centre of the personality1 sending forth light and life4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,though to keep the heart be ,god's work1 it is man's agency4 ,our efforts are his instrumentality4--,bridges4 ,all vital principles are lodged there1 and only such as are good and holy will give you pleasure4 ,the exercises of religion will be pleasing when they are natural1 and flow easily out of their own fountain4--,john ,howe4 ,although ,solomon repeats himself1 he always advances upon the thought4 ,there is always some characteristic novelty3 and that novelty is the hinge of the purpose1 and imbeds its meaning in the life of the passage4 ,here it is the function of the heart4 ,it circulates life4 ,give it good blood1 and it will throw off disease2 give it bad blood1 and it will produce disease4 ,give it health enough1 and it will throw off incipient mortification2 give it no health1 and it will produce mortification4 ,solomon weaves this into experimental godliness4 4 4 4 ,guard the great central guard-post1 and no out-station will be cut off4 ,if it be1 for a time1 the heart will win it again4--,miller4 ,verse #bd4 ,while we speak1 we should never forget that ,god is one of the listeners4 4 4 4 ,take the principle of ,hagar's simple and sublime confession1 accommodated in thought to the case at hand ,thou1 ,god1 hearest me4 ,if our words were all poured through that strainer1 how much purer and fewer they would be4--,arnot4 ,it is true that vigilance over the heart is vigilance over the tongue1 inasmuch as out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 4 4 4 ,there is no surer index of the state of the inner man4 ,as is the conversation1 so is the heart4--,wardlaw4 ,while a fire is confined to one man's house1 even if it burns that house to its foundation1 all other dwellings are unharmed2 but when it lays hold of surrounding buildings1 all the city is endangered4 ,when an evil thought is confined to a man's own spirit1 kept within the limits of thinking or desiring1 though it may char his own soul with the blackness of perdition1 the evil ends with himself4 ,but when he allows his thought to become words1 he kindles a fire outside himself which may go on burning even after he has forgotten it himself4 ,verse #be4 ,let them be fixed upon right objects4 4 4 4 ,be well skilled in ,moses' optics 7,heb4 xi4 #bg74 ,do as mariners do that have their eye on the star1 their hand on the stern4 ,a man may not look intently upon that he may not love4--,trapp4 ,like one ploughing1 who must not look back4--,cartwright4 ,had ,eve done so she would have looked at the command of ,god1 not at the forbidden tree4 ,had ,lot's wife looked straight before her instead of behind her1 she would1 like her husband1 have been a monument of mercy4 4 4 4 ,in asking the way to ,zion1 be sure that your faces are thitherward 7,jer4 i4 #e74 ,the pleasures of sin and the seductions of the world do not lie in the road4 ,they belong to the bye-paths4 ,they would not1 therefore1 meet the eye looking right on4--,bridges4 ,verse #bf4 ,lift not up one foot till you find firm footing for another1 as those in ,psa4 xxxv4 #f4 ,the way of this world is like the vale of ,siddim1 slimy and slippery4--,trapp4 ,the habit of calm and serious thinking makes the difference between one man and another4--,dr4 ,abercrombie4 ,the feet of the soul are generally understood to be the affections4 ,and surely we have need to ponder the path of them before we give away to them4 ,st4 ,bernard maketh the two feet to be nature and custom1 for1 indeed1 by them we are much carried1 and great need we have to ponder the path of them1 so that they do not lead us amiss4--,jermin4 ,the best time to ponder any path is not at the end1 not even in the middle1 but at the beginning of it4--,arnot4 ,verse #bg4 ,it is as if the royal way was hemmed in by the sea1 and a fall over either side were danger of drowning4 ,some are too greedy2 others ascetic4 ,some are too bold2 others too diffident4 ,some neglect the one ,mediator2 others seek more mediators than one4 ,some flee the cross2 others make one4 ,some tamper with ,popery2 others1 from dread of it1 hazard the loss of valuable truth4--,cartwright4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,discretion1 ,lit4 reflection1 prudent consideration4 #c4 ,drop as an honey-comb1 distil honey4 #d4 ,wormwood4 ,in ,eastern countries this herb1 the absinthum of ,greek and ,latin botanists1 was regarded as a poison4 ,it has a bitter and saline taste4 #f4 ,this verse is rendered in two ways4 ,the forms of the two verbs may be in the second person masculine1 and so apply to the tempted youth1 or in the third person feminine1 and so be understood to refer to the harlot4 ,most modern commentators take the latter reading4 ,delitzsch translates3 ,she is far removed from entering the way of life3 her steps wander without her observing it4 ,stuart3 ,that she may not ponder the path of life1 her ways are become unsteady1 while she regards it not4 ,the rendering in ,lange's ,commentary is1 ,the path of life she never treadeth1 her steps stray1 she knoweth not whither4 ,the ,authorised ,version is1 however1 supported by ,rosenmuller and ,michaelis4 #i4 ,honour1 or power1 bloom1 or freshness4 #aa4 ,mourn1 or groan1 at the last1 lit4 at thine end4 #ad4 ,readings here again vary4 ,miller translates3 ,i soon became like any wicked man4 ,lange's ,commentary3 ,a little more1 and ,i had fallen into utter destruction4 ,the renderings of ,stuart and ,delitzsch are substantially the same as the ,authorised ,version4 #af4 ,in order to make the idea in this verse agree with those preceding and following it1 ,stuart and other commentators insert a negative3 ,let 7not7 thy fountains1 c4 ,lange's ,commentary considers this needless1 and retains the same idea by conceiving the sentence to be an interrogative indicated1 not by its form1 but by its tone3 ,shall thy fountains8 etc4 ,so also ,hitzig4 ,holden1 ,noyes1 ,wordsworth1 ,miller1 c41 read as in the ,authorised ,version4 #ai4 ,be ravished1 lit4 err1 used in the next verse in a bad sense1 and in chap xx4 #a1 and ,isa4 xxviii4 #g1 of the staggering gait of the intoxicated4 ,it seems to express a being transported with joy4 #ba4 ,pondereth1 or marketh out4 #bb4 ,shall be holden1 rather is holden4 #bc4 ,without1 for lack of4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,here we have started up1 and sent leaping over the plain1 another of ,solomon's favourites4 ,what elegant creatures those gazelles are1 and how gracefully they bound4 ,we shall meet them all through ,syria and ,palestine1 and the more you see of them the greater will be your admiration4 ,solomon is not alone in his partiality4 ,persian and ,arab poets abound in reference to them4 ,the fair ones of these fervid sons of song are often compared to the coy gazelle that comes by night and pastures upon their hearts4 ,they are amiable1 affectionate1 and loving1 by universal testimony1 and accordingly no sweeter comparison can be found than that of ,prov4 v4 #ai4--,thompson's ,land and the ,book4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-bj4 ,,bitter ,,and ,,sweet ,,waters4 ,i4 ,a wrong relation4 ,the relationship here forbidden is wrong4 #a4 ,because it is a sin against the tempter4 ,the tempter in ,eden had his load of iniquity increased by the yielding of the tempted one to his persuasion4 ,he increased his crime when he made another a partaker of his disobedience4 ,satan1 doubtless1 becomes worse every time that he persuades another to sin4 ,the gambler's guilt and misery is increased in proportion to his success in bringing others to ruin4 ,the young man in the text increases the guilt of the strange woman by yielding to her enticements4 ,he burdens her with new guilt and intensifies her iniquity1 and therefore helps to treasure up for her a greater remorse when her conscience shall awake and arise from the grave of sensuality4 #b4 ,because it is a sin against a man's own body4 ,that which is our own is generally valued by us1 and there is nothing material which is ours in a more exclusive sense than our bodily frame4 ,it is nearer to us than any other material possession1 and to sin against it is to sin against that which stands in the nearest relation to our personal moral individuality4 ,there are sins done in the body by the mind which are purely mental1 from which the body does not suffer2 but adultery forces the body into a relation which brings misery and disease upon it1 and in due season consumes and destroys it like a devouring flame4 ,every sin that a man doeth is without the body2 but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ah74 #c4 ,because it is a sin against human nature in general1 and national life in particular4 ,human nature is like the human body1 every man is linked to his fellow-men as the several members of the body are parts of one whole4 ,this solidarity--this union of interest--is more obvious when considered in relation to a particular community or nation2 and1 as no member of the human body can be disfigured without bringing the whole frame into a state of imperfection and loss of dignity1 so no man can degrade himself without bringing degradation upon the whole race4 ,the fornicator is a plague-spot upon the body of humanity2 and although other sinners bring disfigurement upon the body universal1 there is none who defiles it as he does4 ,god has written ,his mark upon the crust of the earth against this enormous sin 7,gen4 xix4 #bd1 #be74 #d4 ,because it makes ,god1 in a sense1 to bear the iniquity with the transgressor4 ,the youth who spends the money his father gives him in furthering his own wicked purposes makes his father an unwilling partaker of his crimes1 because the money was supplied by him4 ,god made this complaint against sinners in the olden time4 ,the good gifts of the earth which ,god bestowed upon the ,hebrew people were used by them in their debasing idol-worship4 ,god gave them the means of honouring ,him1 and they used ,his gifts in dishonouring ,his name4 ,so ,god gives to every man power to glorify ,him and to bless himself and the world by the formation of right relations4 ,when the power thus given is used in an unlawful manner1 ,god's own gift is used against ,himself4 ,the sinner turns the ,divine gift against the ,divine ,giver2 and while in ,god he lives1 and moves1 and has his being1 he lives and moves but to sin against his ,maker4 ,thus in ,scripture language ,god is made to serve with the sinner1 while ,he is wearied with his iniquities 7,isa4 xliii4 #bb-bd74 ,,ii4 ,the bitter waters which flow from this wrong relation4 7,verse #d47 #a4 ,the loss of honour4 7,verse #g47 ,to some men this is dearer than life4 ,the captain would rather go to the bottom of the sea with his ship than live with a shadow upon his good name and reputation4 ,the man who has lost his honour in the eyes of others has lost his honour in his own eyes1 and the loss of self-honour or self-respect is a calamity that is very bitter to the soul4 ,the man who will indulge in unlawful intercourse1 will find that he not only loses the respect of others1 but he will be unable to respect himself1 and this loss is the greatest that a man can sustain on this side of hell4 ,it is a draught which1 although there might be pleasure in the drawing1 will be very bitter in the drinking4 #b4 ,the loss of manhood's vigour and opportunities4 ,he will give his years to the cruel1 his strength to the stranger4 ,the loss of youthful strength and energy is the loss of years1 the youth becomes old before he is a man4 ,the vessel or the mansion that is charred by fire before it is completed presents a strange contrast4 ,the newness and freshness of the walls or the timbers that have escaped make the destruction of the rest more lamentable4 ,the building has been marred just upon the verge of completion1 the ship has been spoiled when she was all but ready for the voyage4 ,it is sad to see an old tree blasted by the lightning1 but it is a greater misfortune when the tree is in its prime1 when it is laden with fruit about to come to perfection4 ,but these are faint shadows of the sad spectacle which is presented by a youth who has become prematurely old by unlawful indulgence before he has reached his prime4 ,he is unfit to battle with the sea of life at the very time when he ought to be setting out on his voyage4 ,he falls short of fulfilling the demands of ,god and man at the moment when he ought to be bringing forth abundant fruit4 ,surely such a consciousness must be as bitter waters to the spirit4 #c4 ,the action of conscience and memory in a dying day4 ,and thou mourn at the last1 etc4 7,verse #aa47 ,the lamp that hangs from the stern of the vessel throws a light upon the wake of the ship and reveals the path that she has travelled4 ,memory is such a lamp to the human soul4 ,in the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus we find memory throwing such a light upon the past1 and enabling him to look back upon the path which had brought him to his present abode4 ,conscience sat in judgment upon it and united with memory to make his present cup a bitter one4 ,the bitterness that is always mingled with the life of the profligate becomes doubly bitter at the end4 ,memory throws her light upon his past1 and shows him the strength1 and honour1 and opportunities of life squandered in licentiousness1 and conscience anticipates future retribution and makes him feel the truth of the word of warning4 ,whoremongers and adulterers ,god will judge 7,heb4 xiii4 #d74 ,the bitterness is increased by the reflection that the sin was committed in defiance of counsel to act differently4 ,and thou say1 ,how have ,i hated instruction and my heart despised reproof 7verse #ab74 ,those who sin against the light of nature only1 find a recompense which is terrible1 yet which an inspired ,apostle declares to be meet 7,rom4 i4 #bg74 ,the sins here mentioned are sins against nature1 and nature asserts her right to punish her broken law and leave her mark upon the fornicator4 ,but when revelation1 and instruction1 and good example are added to the light of nature1 the cup contains ingredients of tenfold bitterness4 ,whoso breaketh one hedge1 a serpent shall bite him 7,eccles4 x4 #h74 ,how much sharper will be the sting if a double--a threefold--hedge is broken through4 ,,iii4 ,sweet waters flowing from a right relationship4 ,the waters are sweet or living--#a4 ,from a consciousness that a chaste wife belongs to him alone 7ver4 #ae74 ,the profligate can lay no such claim for the woman of his choice2 she is1 by her own consent1 common to all4 ,the husbandman has a very different feeling concerning his own field1 which he alone has a right to till1 and the common land which is open to all comers4 ,so the true husband has a feeling towards his wife to which the licentious man is an entire stranger4 #b4 ,because such a life is in harmony with the rights of society4 ,the brooks and rivers of the land cannot be pure if the springs are defiled4 ,the social life of a nation can only be healthy while the purity of the marriage relation is maintained4 ,god has written his doom whenever and wherever this sacred bond has been violated4 ,the consciousness of being a blessing to the world swells the stream of satisfaction which arises from a faithful observance of this relationship4 #c4 ,because a true marriage is man's completion4 ,the sinless man in ,eden felt a want until ,eve was given to him1 even though ,god had created him in ,his own image4 ,how much more does man now feel the need of a helpmeet for him1 such as he finds only in a faithful wife4 #d4 ,the waters are further sweetened by the reflection that this relationship is used to symbolise that existing between ,christ and ,his ,church4 ,christ is the ,head of ,his ,church for her good4 ,the true husband feels that he is the head of the wife for the same end4 ,the relationship becomes doubly blessed when looked at from this point of view4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #a and #b4 ,when the ,word of ,god enters the heart1 it will banish all pollution from the tongue4--,lawson4 ,perhaps painful experience 7#a ,kings xi4 #a-h1 ,eccles4 vii4 #bf7 had given the wise man wisdom and understanding4 ,therefore let us attend to it with fear and trembling4--,bridges4 ,god allows us to call that knowledge ours which originally is ,his4 #a4 ,because ,god give it us1 and that he gives a man land allows him to call it his4 #b4 ,because it is given for our good as well as other men's4 ,we are not like the builders of ,noah's ark1 that could not be preserved in it4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #c4 ,the strange woman occurs so often in this book1 that it is not probably she is introduced simply to denounce licentiousness4 ,indeed1 she so stands twin picture to wisdom1 that we come to a firm belief that she is introduced as the picture of impenitence4--,miller4 ,to hear her one would suppose that she was possessed of the most generous and disinterested spirit4 ,her tongue is taught by him who betrayed ,eve to paint the vilest sin with the most beautiful colours4--,lawson4 ,verse #d4 ,the wise counsel of the father puts those things together1 in his words which the folly of sinners putteth far asunder in their thoughts1 the beginning and end of lustful wantonness4 ,he that by foresight shall taste the bitter end will never lick the honeycomb4 ,he that by a wise consideration shall feel the sharp edges of the issues of it1 will never delight to smooth himself with the flat sides of the sword4--,jermin4 ,verse #e4 ,possession of hell is taken by the wicked before they come into it2 the devil giveth them that when he by wickedness possesseth their hearts4 ,there is no more to be done than to set up their abode in it4--,jermin4 ,verse #f4 ,the words1 if taken to refer to the woman1 describe with a terrible vividness the state of heart and soul which prostitution brings upon its victims2 the reckless blindness that will not think1 tottering on the abyss1 yet loud in its defiant mirth1 ignoring the dreadful future4--,plumptre4 ,verse #g4 ,let no one think what he will do when he is in danger1 and how he will get from her1 when once she hath got him to her1 but hear now what ye are to do to keep out of danger4--,jermin4 ,verse #h4 ,the devil will tempt you enough without your own help4 ,to tempt is his business4 ,as you love your life and your own soul1 give him no assistance in the work of destruction4--,lawson4 ,he that is the farthest from fire is safest from the burning of it2 he that is most remote from the way and course of the river is in less danger from the overflowing of it4 ,it argues too much mind to be in the house1 for anyone to come near the door of it4 ,it is more safe not to be in danger of perishing1 than being in danger not to perish4 ,chrysostom1 speaking of ,joseph1 saith1 ,it doth not seem so wonderful to me1 that the three children in the furnace overcame the fire1 as that ,joseph1 being indeed in a more grievous furnace than that of ,babylon1 came forth untouched4--,jermin4 #a4 ,because of thy proneness to evil4 ,straw will quickly take fire4 ,gunpowder is no more pat to take fire than our corrupt nature to be provoked to this sin4 #b4 ,because flight is the best fight here4 ,no struggle comparable to a safe retreat4--,f4 ,taylor4 ,verse #aj4 ,it is said that ,demosthenes gave this answer to a harlot who desired to seduce him from the path of virtue1 and demanded a hundred talents for her hire3 ,i will not buy repentance so dear4--,jermin4 ,one keenest torment of the damned will be to find that they are working hard in the very pit of the universe2 submitting to the sentence 7,matt4 xxv4 #bh71 ,take1 therefore1 the talent from him and give it to him that hath ten talents4 ,the adulterer might make himself a bankrupt1 and get himself sold for his transgression2 but that is a trifle compared with the sweeping surrender that must be made of all by the finally impenitent4--,miller4 ,verse #ab4 ,the climax goes on4 ,bitterer than slavery 7ver4 #i72 poverty 7ver4 #aj72 disease 7ver4 #aa7 will be the bitterness of self-reproach1 the remorse without hope1 that worketh death4--,plumptre4 ,though in respect of ,god's infinite mercy1 it be never too late in this life1 yet take heed how we stay too long4 ,it is true that the thief on the cross found mercy at the last hour2 but it hath been well remarked1 ,it was not the last hour1 but the first1 of the thief's knowing ,god2 as soon as he knew ,christ he was converted4 ,if1 therefore1 thou hast long known ,christ1 and hast not repented1 do not presume too rashly of mercy at last4--,jermin4 ,there are no infidels in eternity1 and but few on a death-bed4--,bridges4 ,verses #aa1 #ab4 ,dying regrets4 ,i4 ,the subject of these regrets4 ,it is a man who has disregarded through life the means employed to preserve or reclaim him4 ,what instructors has a man living in a country like this8 ,first1 ,your connections in life4 ,you may have been a member of a pious family1 or had an instructor or a reprover in a brother1 friend1 or religious neighbour4 ,second1 ,the ,scriptures4 ,third1 ,ministers4 ,fourth1 ,conscience4 ,fifth1 ,irrational creatures4 ,can you hear the melody of the birds and not be ashamed of your sinful silence8 ,can you see the heavenly bodies perform unerringly their appointed course and not reflect on your own numberless departures from duty8 ,sixth1 ,the dispensations of ,providence4 ,god has chastened you with sickness4 ,you have stood by dying beds4 ,,ii4 ,the period of these regrets4 ,it is a dying hour4 ,it is at the last1 when thy flesh and thy body are consumed4 ,such a period is unavoidable4 ,the last breath will expire1 and the last ,sabbath will elapse1 and the last sermon will be heard4 ,such a period cannot be far off4 ,for what is our life8 ,it is a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away4 ,it is a flood4 ,it is a flower4 ,it is a tale that is told4 ,it is a dream4 ,such a period may be very near4 ,such a period is sometimes prematurely brought on by sin4 ,,iii4 ,the nature of these regrets4 ,this mourning is 7#a7 dreadful4 ,a dying hour has been called an honest hour4 ,the world then recedes from view4 ,the delusions of imagination give way4 ,criminal excuses vanish4 ,memory goes back and recalls the guilt of the former life1 and conscience sets the most secret sins in the light of ,god's countenance4 7#b7 ,it is useless4 ,not as to others1 but as regards the individuals themselves4 ,we are to describe things according to their natural and common course1 and not according to occasional exceptions4 ,and in this case exceptions are unusual4 ,and we are borne out in this assertion 7#a7 ,by ,scripture4 ,there we find only one called at this hour4 7#b7 ,by observation4 ,we have often attended persons on what seemed their dying bed3 we have heard their prayers and their professions2 we have seen their distress and their relief1 and1 had they died1 we should have presumed on their salvation4 ,but we have never known one of these1 who1 on recovery1 lived so as to prove the reality of his conversion6 ,we have often asked ministers concerning the same case1 and they have been compelled to make the same awful declaration4--,jay4 ,verse #ad4 ,in a spiritual sense this may be applied to those who hold the truth in unrighteousness 7,rom4 i4 #ah71 and who1 although they dwell in the midst of holy men in the ,church of ,god1 set their example at defiance by evil lives4--,bede4 ,verse #ae4 ,desire after forbidden enjoyments naturally springs from dissatisfaction with the blessings already in possession4 ,where contentment is not found at home it will be sought for1 however vainly1 abroad4 ,conjugal love is chief among the earthly gifts in mercy granted by ,god to ,his fallen creatures4 4 4 4 ,whatsoever interrupts the strictest harmony in this delicate relationship1 opens the door to temptation4 ,tender domestic affection is the best defence against the vagrant desires of unlawful passion4--,bridges4 ,do not steal water from others4 ,although the strange woman saith1 ,stolen waters are sweet1 yet remember that the dead are there 7ch4 ix4 #ag1 #ah74 ,the wife is called a vessel in #a ,pet4 iii4 #g4 ,these words also have been expounded by ancient interpreters in a spiritual sense1 which may well be present to the reader's mind2 and they have been applied to the pure waters of ,divine wisdom1 a sense which is suggested by ,jer4 ii4 #ac4--,wordsworth4 ,if ,god had laid all common1 certainly ,man would have been th' incloser3 but since now ,god hath impaled us1 on the contrary1 ,man breaks the fence1 and every ground will plough4 ,o what were man1 might he himself misplace6 ,sure to be cross he would shift feet and face4--,george ,herbert4 ,spiritual ,self-helpfulness4--,i4 ,man has independent spiritual resources4 ,he has a cistern1 a well of his own4 ,first3 ,he has independent resources of thought4 ,every sane man can and does think for himself4 ,thoughts well up in every soul1 voluntarily and involuntarily4 ,secondly3 ,he has independent resources of experience4 ,no two have exactly the same experience4 ,thirdly3 ,he has independent powers of usefulness4 ,every man has a power to do a something which no other can--to touch some soul with an effectiveness which no other can4 ,wonderful is this well within--inexhaustible and ever active4 ,,ii4 ,man is bound to use these resources4 ,drink waters out of thine own cistern2 do not live on others4 ,self-drawing--,first3 ,honours our own nature4 ,secondly3 ,increases our own resources4 ,self-helpfulness strengthens4 ,the more you draw from this cistern the more comes4 ,thirdly3 ,contributes to the good of the universe4 ,the man who gives only what he has borrowed from others adds nothing to the common stock4 ,the subject--,first3 ,indicates the kind of service one man can spiritually render another4 ,to priest1 rabbi1 sectary1 ,i would say--,man does not require your well2 he has a cistern within4 ,what he wants is the warm gospel of love to thaw his frozen nature1 and to unseal the exhaustless fountain within1 to remove all obstructions from its out-flow1 and to make it as pure as the crystal4 ,the subject--,secondly3 ,suggests an effective method to sap the foundation of all priestly assumptions4 ,let every man become self-helpful1 and the influence of those who arrogate a lordship over the faith of others will soon die out4 ,the subject--,thirdly3 ,presents a motive for thankfully adoring the ,great ,creator for the spiritual constitution ,he has given us4 ,we have resources not1 of course1 independent of ,him the primal fount of all life and power1 but independent of all other creatures4 ,we are not like the parched traveller in the ,oriental desert1 who1 because he cannot discover water1 dies of thirst4 ,spiritually1 we can walk through sandy deserts bearing an exhaustless spring within4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,verse #ah4 ,it is not only to feed and clothe her1 and refrain from injuring her by word or deed4 ,all this will not discharge a man's duty nor satisfy a woman's heart4 ,all the allusions to this relation in ,scripture imply an ardent1 joyful love4 ,to it1 though it lie far beneath heaven1 yet to it1 as the highest earthly thing1 is compared the union of ,christ and ,his redeemed ,church4 ,beware where you go for comfort in distress1 and sympathy in happiness4 ,the ,lord ,himself is the source of all consolation to a soul that seeks ,him2 yet nature is ,his1 as well as redemption4 ,he has constructed nether springs on earth and supplied them from ,his own high treasures2 and to these ,he bids a broken or a joyful spirit go for sympathy4 ,to rejoice in the wife of thy youth--this is not to put a creature in the place of ,god4 ,he will take care of ,his own honour4 ,he has hewn the cistern1 and given it to you1 and filed it1 and when you draw out of it what ,he has put in1 you get from ,himself and give ,him the glory4--,arnot4 ,verse #ai4 ,in a spiritual sense1 this imagery1 derived from the limpid fountains and beautiful animals of the natural world1 is regarded by the ancient expositors as descriptive of the delicious refreshment and perfect loveliness of ,divine truth1 and the infinite blessings which it bestows on those faithful souls which are united to it in pure and unsullied love4--,wordsworth4 ,verse #bj4 ,a rare instance in which a canto does not begin with ,my son1 but with ,why4 ,the question is intended to be pressed4 ,the commerce with the strange woman is so plainly mad that the rightly educated impenitent cannot possibly answer the wise man's question4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-bc4 ,,three ,,reasons ,,for ,,avoiding ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,sin4 ,these verses contain three reasons why the way of sin should be avoided1 and the way which ,god has appointed should be followed4 ,i4 ,because there is no place secret enough to commit sin4 ,the sinner often comforts himself with the thought that what he has done1 or is in the habit of doing1 is not known--that the actors of the deed were the only persons privy to it4 ,the text declares that there is no such thing as a secret place1 because there is no place where the eyes of the ,eternal do not penetrate4 ,god is a witness of every crime committed in secret4 ,he is not only a witness after the deed1 but of the deed4 ,therefore there is no place secret enough to be a place of sin4 ,the thought of the ever-present ,god should deter the sinner4 #a4 ,because the ,divine presence is a pure presence4 ,people who are in the habit of committing the sin against which the whole of this chapter is directed1 would possibly shrink from being guilty of it in the presence of a pure man or woman4 ,how much more should they be deterred by the fact that the eye of the pure and holy ,god is upon them4 #b4 ,because the presence of ,god is the presence of ,one who has authority to punish4 ,the presence of the chief magistrate of a nation would be sufficient to prevent the most hardened criminal from committing crime4 ,a thief would not steal before the face of the man whom he knew could punish him4 ,the presence of ,god is the presence of the highest authority in the universe1 of ,one who is irresponsible to any other for ,his acts 7,job4 ix4 #ab71 of ,one who hast power most terrible1 of ,one who has always visited this sin with penalty4 ,the presence of such an ,authority ought surely to make the adulterer quake at the very thought of his sin4 ,,ii4 ,because1 though the sinner may not be apprehended by human law1 he shall be laid hold of and bound by his own deeds 7verse #bb74 ,many sinners of this kind go at large in the world1 and are never reached by human law4 ,no officer of justice will ever lay his hand upon them1 and no material chains will ever bind them4 ,but they are already taken and imprisoned by their own evil habits1 which have bound them in chains of increasing thickness as the acts of sin have been repeated4 ,this is a thraldom from which escape can come in only two ways4 ,a man must either cease to be1 or he must repent1 before he can be free4 ,annihilation would set him free1 because in ceasing to be he would cease to sin4 ,but the repentance demanded by ,god is the only thing which will break his chains and permit him to retain his existence4 ,we have no proof that there will ever be any way of escape by the first means1 but we have abundant proof that the second is open to all men on this side of death4 ,,iii4 ,because the unrepentant adulterer will die as he has lived--a fool 7ver4 #bc74 ,a fool is a man without knowledge1 one who acts from impulse rather than from reason4 ,the sinner here pourtrayed is not a fool because he had not had instruction1 but because he has not heeded it4 ,nature1 ,history1 ,revelation and ,conscience were his instructors1 but he has disregarded them all4 ,if he had listened to them he would have gained an experimental knowledge of the blessedness of godliness and purity1 of which he must now go out of the world as ignorant as he entered it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ba4 ,practical atheism is the root of human depravity4 ,the eye1 even of a child1 is a check upon a man1 but the thought of an all-seeing ,god inspires no alarm4--,bridges4 ,the sin is not against man1 nor dependent on man's detection only4 ,the secret sin is open before the eyes of ,jehovah4 ,in the balance of ,his righteous judgement are weighed all human acts1 this not excepted4 ,there is a significant emphasis in the recurrence of the word used of the harlot herself in verse #f3 ,she ponders not1 but ,god does4--,plumptre4 ,because the ways of a sinful man are not before his own eyes1 therefore are they before the eyes of ,god3 because sinful man doth not ponder his goings1 therefore the ,lord pondereth them2 because man doth not look on his ways with the eye of care1 therefore the ,lord looketh on them with the eye of wrath2 because man doth not weigh his goings in the balance of due consideration1 therefore ,god doth weigh them in the balance of severe justice4 ,the opening of our eyes over our sins is the shutting of ,god's eye towards them2 the shutting of our eyes upon them is the opening of ,god's eyes against them4 ,for though we hide our ways from ourselves1 we cannot hide them from ,god4 ,we hide ,him from ourselves2 we do not hide ourselves from ,him4--,jermin4 ,the meaning is1 that directly in ,god's eyes are the ways of every man1 as though there were no other creature in the universe2 as though the wise man were saying1 ,why1 because the way seems smooth1 and you seem helped in your folly1 do you go on in your impenitency1 and embrace the bosom of this wanton8 ,for the way of every man is directly in the sight of ,god4 ,he takes the most emphatic interest in our schemes1 whether we are doing well or ill4 ,he helps us either in sinning or doing right1 for ,he levels all 7one's7 paths 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,not that we are to involve ,him in the folly of any sin1 but if a man desires to drink1 ,he levels the way for ,him4 ,if he wishes liquor1 ,he gives it2 if he desires to steal1 ,he gives the eye and the nerve4 4 4 4 ,the ,divinity seems to help the struggling1 whether saint or sinner1 but the impenitent must not therefore imagine that it is righteous to go on4--,miller4 ,verse #bb4 ,the licentious flatter themselves that in old age1 when the passions are less fiery1 they will easily extricate themselves from the dominion of their lusts1 and repent and seek salvation4 ,but ,job xx4 #aa declares that the old sinner's bones are full of the sins of his youth1 which shall lie down with him in the dust4 ,augustine1 after experience1 says3 ,while lust is being served the habit is formed1 and whilst the habit is not being resisted necessity is formed4--,fausset4 ,verse #bc4 ,surely it is most just that he who lived without following instruction should die without having instruction2 he that in his life would not do as he was instructed1 deserveth that at death he should not be instructed what to do4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,with a stranger1 rather1 for a stranger4 #c4 ,when thou art come1 rather1 for thou hast come4 ,humble thyself1 literally let thyself be trodden under foot4 ,make sure1 importune1 urge4 #aa4 ,one that travelleth1 a highwayman1 a footpad4 ,armed man1 literally1 a man of the shield4 #ab4 ,a naughty person1 a worthless man4 #ac4 ,teacheth1 motions4 #ad4 ,frowardness1 perverseness4 #af4 ,six1 yea1 seven4 ,a peculiar proverbial form1 for which ,arabic and ,persian gnomic literature supply numerous illustrations4 ,elster probably gives the simplest and most correct explanation1 deriving it purely from the exigencies of parallelism4 ,the form of parallelism could not1 on account of harmony1 be sacrificed in any verse4 ,but how should a parallel be found for a number8 ,since it was not any definite number that was the important thing1 relief was found by taking one of the next adjacent numbers as the parallel to that which was chiefly in mind 7,lange's ,commentary74 #ag4 ,a proud look1 literally1 haughty eyes4 #ba4 ,continually1 for evermore4 #bb4 ,lange's ,commentary translates into the imperative form1 let it lead thee1 etc4 #bd4 ,evil woman1 literally the woman of evil4 #bf4 ,last clause means an adulteress allures to that which may cost a man his life 7,stuart74 #cj4 ,despise4 ,some translators render this word scorn1 others disregard4 ,stuart1 ,wordsworth1 and others adopt the former and understand the words to mean men do not despise the thief1 they do despise the adulterer4 ,noyse and others1 adopting the latter rendering1 take the sentence to mean men punish even a thief1 how much more an adulterer4 #cb4 ,last clause1 literally ,whoso will destroy his life1 he does it4 #cd4 ,jealousy1 i4e41 of the injured husband4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-e4 ,,self-,,imposed ,,bondage4 ,i4 ,man's highest glory may become the chief instrument of his trouble4 ,the human tongue1 or rather the power of speech1 is a gift that stands preeminent among the good gifts of ,god to ,his creatures4 ,it is man's most potent instrument of good or evil4 ,the tongue of the statesman1 when used wisely1 may bring blessings on millions1 but when it is made the tool of ambition it may entail misery upon generations4 ,the tongue of a ,christian1 when used wisely1 may be the means of bringing others into the way of life1 but his unguarded words may be a stumbling-block in the way of many4 ,the warning of the text reminds us that when the tongue is not kept in check by reason and consideration the glory becomes the means of ensnaring the whole man4 ,the horse is a most useful servant to man1 but the creature must be under proper control or he may be the means of inflicting the most serious injury upon his rider4 ,if the rudder of a vessel is left to the guidance of the waves1 the vessel is very likely to find herself upon the rocks4 ,so with the tongue of man1 it must be under the control of reason or it may bring its owner into danger and disgrace4 ,when a man binds himself by solemn promises to a stranger of whose character he must be ignorant1 he is very likely to involve himself and those dependent on him in much trouble1 and perhaps in dishonour4 ,a promise hastily made without due consideration of the consequences has often entailed upon a man years of suffering4 ,,ii4 ,the same instrument which1 thoughtlessly used1 brings a man into a snare1 may1 when rightly guided1 be the means of his deliverance4 ,the promise made by ,herod to ,herodias 7,matt4 xiv4 #g7 was one which ought never to have been made4 ,the king was ensnared by allowing his tongue to utter rash words1 of which even he upon reflection repented4 ,in his case1 without doubt1 it would have been a much less sin to have broken his promise than to keep it4 ,but in the case before us1 the advice given by ,solomon to his pupil is1 not to break his word1 but to use the same instrument by which he bound himself1 to obtain1 if possible1 a release4 ,this he is to do--#a4 ,by means purely moral4 ,there are other means which a man might try4 ,he might use threatening2 he might employ falsehood2 but these would be sinful4 ,the only lawful means are those here implied1 viz41 words of persuasion and entreaty4 #b4 ,without delay4 ,he must endeavour to rectify his error at once2 every day that passes over his head may be bringing nearer the day when he may be called upon to redeem his promise1 and so he is to give no sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids4 ,,iii4 ,this advice is to be followed as a matter of duty4 ,the man who has acted imprudently is bound to endeavour to deliver himself by lawful means4 ,he is not to allow pride to hinder him 7ver4 #c74 ,he is bound to try and prevent his life from being marred in the future--perhaps to its very close4 ,for a man who is fettered by a promise which ought never to have been made1 is like a creature born to enjoy freedom who has been taken captive by the hunter or the fowler4 ,and as it is more than lawful for the roe or the bird 7ver4 #e7 to try to regain its freedom1 so is it the duty of man to use all right means to the same end4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,the custom of striking hands at the conclusion of a bargain has maintained its ground among the customs of civilised nations down to the present time4 ,to strike hands with another was the emblem of agreement among the ,greeks under the walls of ,troy1 for ,nestor complains1 in a public assembly of the chiefs1 that the ,trojans had violated the engagements which they had sanctioned by libations of wine and by giving their right hands4 7,iliad1 ,book ,,ii4 i4 #cda1 see also ,book ,,iv4 i4 #aci74 ,the ,roman faith was plighted in the same way2 for in ,virgil1 when ,dido marked from her watchtowers the ,trojan fleet setting forward with balanced sails1 she exclaimed1 ,is this the honour1 the faith1 ,en dextra fidesque8 ,another striking instance is quoted by ,calmet from ,ockley's ,history of the ,saracens4 ,telha1 just before he died1 asked one of ,ali's men if he belonged to the ,emperor of the ,faithful1 and being informed that he did1 ,give me1 then1 said he1 your hand1 that ,i may put mine into it1 and by this action renew the oath of fidelity ,i have already made to him4 7,calmet1 vol4 iii74 ,see also ,job xvii4 #c2 #b ,kings x4 #ae4--,paxton's ,illustrations of ,scripture4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,the two characters are carefully distinguished4 #a4 ,the companion1 on whose behalf the young man pledges himself4 #b4 ,the stranger1 probably the ,phnician money-lender1 to whom he makes himself responsible4--,plumptre4 ,god graciously directs our temporal affairs by ,his providence1 and condescends1 in ,his word1 to give us instructions concerning them4 ,if we regard not these1 we need not be surprised though ,his providence convince us1 by dear-bought experience1 of our folly and sin4--,lawson4 ,the son has just been warned against the deadly wound of a stranger4 ,he is now cautioned against a hurt from in imprudent friend4 4 4 4 ,our ,god1 while he warns against suretyship1 has taken it upon ,himself4 ,he has given ,his word1 ,his bond--yea1 ,his blood--for sinners3 a security that no powers of hell can shake4--,bridges4 ,solomon1 on different occasions1 condemns the practice of suretyship4 ,this condemnation is general4 ,it does not follow1 however1 that what he says is to be taken as an unqualified prohibition1 to which there are no circumstances that can constitute an exception4 4 4 4 ,there are cases in which it is unavoidable2 and there are cases in which the law requires it2 and there are cases in which it is not only in consistence with law1 but required by all the claims of prudence1 justice1 and charity4 ,these1 however1 are rare4 ,and it may be laid down as a maxim regarding the transactions of business1 and all the mutual dealings of man with man1 that the less of it the better4 ,in such cases as the following1 it is manifestly inadmissible1 and may even1 in some instances1 involve a large amount of moral turpitude4 ,i4 ,it is wrong for a man to come under engagements that are beyond his actually existing means4 ,such a course is not merely of imprudence1 but there is in it a threefold injustice4 ,first1 to the creditor for whom he becomes surety4 ,secondly1 to his family1 if he has one1 to whom the requisition of payment must bring distress and ruin4 ,thirdly1 to those who give him credit in his own transactions1 with the risks of his own trade4 ,,ii4 ,the same observations are applicable to the making of engagements with inconsideration and rashness4 ,the case here supposed is evidently that of suretyship for a friend to a stranger4 ,and the rashness may be viewed either in relation to the person or to the case4--,wardlaw4 ,it may at first excite surprise that ,solomon should have thought it needful to dwell so much as he does in the ,proverbs on the evil of suretyship 7xi4 #ae2 xvii4 #ah2 xx4 #af2 xxii4 #bf2 xxvii4 #ac71 and that in his lessons of moral prudence he should assign the first place to cautions against it4 ,the reason is probably to be found in the peculiar circumstances under which the ,proverbs were written1 and the special design of the author in writing them2 although1 doubtless1 ,solomon had a general and universal purpose in composing them1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 who employed his instrumentality in the work1 looked far beyond ,solomon and his times1 and extended his view to all ages and nations of the world4 4 4 4 ,but the occasion which gave rise to the writing of the ,proverbs was a personal and national one4 ,many strangers resorted to ,jerusalem in the days of ,solomon from all parts of the civilised world1 for the purpose of commerce and trade4 ,borrowing and lending money was much in vogue2 and many shrewd and crafty adventurers speculated on the credulity of rich capitalists4 ,solomon addresses his son ,rehoboam 7ver4 #c74 ,he was born before his father's accession to the throne1 and ,solomon reigned forty years4 ,we hear nothing of him until his ripe maturity1 and then we are told of an act of egregious folly4 ,it was evident he was just the person to be the dupe of licentious spendthrifts and griping usurers4 ,the courtly parasite who desired to find means for paying his own debts1 or indulging his own vices1 and the avaricious money-lender1 would find a victim in the princely heir to the throne1 whom they would flatter with eulogies on his generosity1 and would puff up with proud notions of the exhaustless wealth to which he was the aspirant4--,wordsworth4 ,verse #b4 ,in the passage before us the warning is not so much against suretyship in general as merely against the imprudent assumption of such obligations1 leaving out of account the moral unreliableness of the man involved2 and the counsel is to the quickest possible release from every obligation of this kind that may have been hastily assumed4 ,with the admonitions of our ,lord in ,his ,sermon on the ,mount1 to be ready at all times for the lending and giving away of one's property1 even in cases where one cannot hope for the recovery of what has been given out 7,luke vi4 #cj-cf3 comp4 with #a ,cor4 vi4 #g71 this demand is not in conflict4 ,for ,christ also plainly demands no such readiness to suffer loss on account of our neighbour1 as would deprive us of personal liberty1 and rob us of all means of further beneficence4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,for bills and obligations do mancipate the most free and ingenuous spirit1 and so put a man out of aim that he can neither serve ,god without distraction nor do good to others1 nor set his own state in any good order1 but lives and dies entangled and puzzled with cares and snares2 and after a tedious and labourious life passed in a circle of fretting thoughts1 he leaves at last1 instead of better patrimony1 a world of intricate troubles to his posterity1 who are also taken with the words of his mouth4--,trapp4 ,verse #c4 ,this appeal is not1 obviously1 to the bond-giver1 who has seduced us to endorse him1 and is as helpless as we to get anybody off2 but the bond-holder1 for a securityship is to beg off in the most unspeakable abjectness1 and to press and to urge the credit to release our name4 ,now1 ,i say1 this is not simpliciter1 the gist of the inspiration4 ,but if we introduce the ,gospel2 if we see in this a great picture of our guilt2 if we see in the bond-holder the ,friend to whom we are to appeal2 if we see in the bond-giver sin in all the seductive forms in which it has come down to us from the original transgressor2 if the grip of the suretyship is the law1 and the form of the law is the broken covenant2 if the act of our striking hands is the way we have accepted the curse of ,adam1 and the way we have volunteered under this stranger's burdens1 then the whole passage becomes complete1 and we are ready for the appeal1 ,go1 humble thyself1 c4 ,that is the very ,gospel4--,miller4 ,st4 ,gregory1 ,bede1 and other ancient expositors1 apply these injunctions in a spiritual sense4 ,to be a surety for a friend is to take upon thee the charge of looking to another's soul1 says ,st4 ,gregory1 who also1 reading the latter clause of the verse in the sense of urging and importuning 7see ,critical ,notes71 explains it thus3 ,whosoever is set before others for an example of their living is admonished1 not only to watch himself1 but to rouse up his friend3 for it sufficeth not that he doth watch well1 if he do not rouse him also over whom he is set from the drowsiness of sin4 ,verse #d4 ,has this precept any connection with our spiritual interests8 ,it has4 ,it is a part of the eighth commandment1 and though men regard it rather as a loss than as a sin to endanger their outward estate1 it is both a sin and a temptation4 ,men who once seemed upright in their dealings have brought reproach upon religion by living and dying in other men's debt1 and by having recourse to unjustifiable methods1 suggested by distress1 to relieve themselves4 ,the effect of suretyship1 even with the most upright men1 has often proved hurtful to their souls1 embittering their days1 and unfitting them for the cheerful service of religion4 ,we are the servants of ,christ1 and must not disqualify ourselves for ,his service by making ourselves needlessly the servants of men4--,lawson4 ,verse #e4 ,it is evident1 however1 that the language implies1 ,if1 with all your efforts1 you are unsuccessful in obtaining your discharge you must stand to your engagement4 ,treachery would be a much greater loss in character4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-aa4 ,,industry ,,and ,,indolence4 ,a contrast4 ,i4 ,the industrious insect4 #a4 ,nature is intended to be a moral teacher to man4 ,the most saintly natures of ancient and modern times have regarded ,god's works in this light1 and ,god ,himself has led the van in so often pointing man to animate and inanimate ,nature for instruction and comfort4 ,he first announced this truth when ,he said to ,noah1 ,i do set my bow in the cloud1 and it shall be a token of a covenant between ,me and the earth 7,gen4 ix4 #ac74 ,this is the first record of the enlistment of ,nature as a helper to the human soul1 the first recorded instance of ,god's pointing out to man what ,he intended all natural objects to become to his spiritual nature4 ,here the son of ,solomon is exhorted to gain instruction--to be stirred up to a sense of duty--from a study of one of ,god's inferior creatures4 #b4 ,nature becomes the instructor of those only who consider her ways4 ,the existence1 within a man's reach1 of the most beautiful painting in the world will be of no advantage to him unless he studies it4 ,it is only as he considers it that it will convey to him the thought of the painter4 ,the works of ,god are within the reach of men1 but they must be looked at and considered if they are to be to him what ,god intended them to be4 ,god placed the bow in the cloud and the tiny ant upon the ground to be subjects of meditation4 ,the ,psalmist considered the heavens before he was moved with a sense of his own littleness and ,god's majesty 7,psalm viii474 ,solomon's precept is1 ,consider the ant4 #c4 ,the lessons which are to be learned from the study of the ant4 ,industry1 improvement of opportunities1 and individual action4 ,the amount of work done by this insignificant insect ought to be enough to shame an indolent man into activity4 ,her care in embracing present opportunities is a loud rebuke to those who would put off until to-morrow what1 perhaps1 can only be done to-day4 ,she says1 by her diligent use of present hours1 ,i must work the works of ,him that sent me while it is day2 the night cometh1 when no man can work 7,john ix4 #d74 ,especially her individual effort is held up as worthy of imitation 7ver4 #g74 ,while some men wait for another to take the initiative1 to clear the path for them1 she puts forth her own individual effort without guide1 overseer1 or ruler4 ,each man must do his own work in the world1 each one has responsibilities of his own which will not admit of being discharged by proxy4 ,he must find out his individual duty1 and not try to shift the burden upon the shoulders of another1 or wait for another to go before him in the way4 ,,ii4 ,the indolent man4 #a4 ,he does the right thing at the wrong time1 or indulges to excess in a gift of ,god which is intended to be used in moderation4 ,sleep is one of ,god's most precious gifts to man in his present condition4 ,it is a necessity of human nature4 ,the prophet ,elijah had an angel of ,god to watch over him while he slept4 ,god saw that it was the medicine he most needed in that hour of bodily fatigue and mental depression4 ,but if he had been sleeping at the hour of evening sacrifice1 when the nation had to choose between ,god and ,baal on ,mount ,carmel1 he would have been guilty of a great sin against himself1 his nation1 and his ,god4 ,israel was promised the land of rest after they had fought their way through the desert4 ,rest is the reward of labour and not to be substituted for it4 ,and although intervals of rest are necessary and right1 life is meant for work1 and the motto of every man ought to be that of the famous coadjutor of the great ,william of ,orange1 ,st4 ,aldegonde1 ,repos ailleurs 7rest elsewhere74 ,the sin of the sluggard is the abuse of a great blessing1 the doing of a right thing at the wrong time4 #b4 ,the consequence of such conduct4 ,this can be abundantly illustrated from human experience4 ,if the farmer rests when1 regardless of cold and storm1 he ought to be ploughing or sowing1 poverty will be coming upon him when his barns ought to be filled with plenty4 ,the man who lets slip his spiritual opportunities through soul-indolence1 will find himself in a state of soul-poverty at the end of life4 ,when he ought to be reaping an abundant harvest of soul-satisfaction from a life whose energies have been used to bless himself and others1 he will find himself in a state of soul-destitution4 ,the rich man said to his soul1 ,take thine ease1 when he ought to have aroused it to prepare for the future which was coming up to meet him4 ,but for the neglect of this ,god branded him as a fool 7,luke xii4 #bj74 ,,illustrations ,,of ,,verses #f-h4 ,when ,i began to employ workmen in this country1 nothing annoyed me more than the necessity to hire also an overseer1 or to fulfil this office myself4 ,but ,i soon found this was universal1 and strictly necessary4 ,without an overseer very little work would be done1 and nothing as it should be4 ,the workmen will not work at all unless kept to it and directed in it by an overseer who is himself a perfect specimen of laziness4 ,he does absolutely nothing but smoke his pipe1 order this1 scold that one1 discuss the how and the why with the men themselves1 or with idle passers-by4 ,this overseeing often costs more than the work overseen4 ,now the ants manage far better4 ,every one attends to his own business and does it well4 ,in another respect these provident creatures read a very necessary lesson to ,orientals4 ,in all warm climates there is a ruinous want of calculation and forecast4 ,having enough for the current day1 men are reckless as to the future4 4 4 4 ,now the ant provideth her meat in summer4 ,all summer long1 and especially in harvest1 every denizen of their populous habitation is busy4 ,as we ride or walk over the grassy plains1 we notice paths leading to their subterranean granaries2 at first broad1 clean and smooth1 like roads near a city1 but constantly branching off into smaller and less distinct1 until they disappear in the herbage of the plain4 ,along these converging paths hurry thousands of ants1 thickening inward until it becomes an unbroken column of busy beings going in search of or returning with their food4 ,i read lately1 in a work of some pretension1 that ants do not carry away wheat or barley4 ,this was by way of comment on ,prov4 vi4 #h4 ,tell it to these farmers1 and they will laugh at you4 ,ants are the greatest robbers in the land4 ,leave a bushel of wheat in the vicinity of one of their subterranean cities1 and in a surprisingly short time the whole commonwealth will be summoned to plunder4 ,a broad1 black column stretches from the wheat to the hole1 and1 as if by magic1 every grain seems to be accommodated with legs1 and walks off in a hurry along the moving column4--,thompson's ,land and the ,book4 ,solomon's lesson to the sluggard has been generally adduced as a strong confirmation of the ancient opinion1 that ants have a magazine of provisions for winter2 it can1 however1 only relate to the species of a warm climate1 the habits of which are probably different from those of a cold one2 so that his words1 as commonly interpreted1 may be perfectly correct and consistent with ,nature1 and yet be not at all applicable to the species that are indigenous to ,europe4 ,but ,solomon does not affirm that the ant laid up in her cell stores of grain1 but that she gathers her food when it is most plentiful1 and thus shows her wisdom and prudence4 ,the words thus interpreted will apply to the species among us1 as well as to those that are not indigenous4--,kirby and ,spence's ,entomology4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #f4 ,we may infer ,rehoboam's character from such exhortations as these4 ,and these and following precepts derive much interest from what we have reason to believe was his character4 ,his position bore some resemblance to that of our own ,charles ,,ii41 at the voluptuous court of ,versailles1 before his accession to the throne1 and the character of the one was in some respects similar to that of the other4 ,the unhappy example of his own father ,solomon1 in his old age1 was more potent for evil than the precepts of the ,proverbs were for good4 ,at the age of forty-one ,rehoboam was a feeble libertine4 ,the warnings of the ,icn ,basilik fell flat on the ears of the royal author's own son1 and ,rehoboam derived little benefit from the book of ,proverbs4--,wordsworth4 ,verses #f to #h4 ,our whole present life is the time for action2 the future for retribution1 which shall be ushered in by the judgment3 the latter is the harvest 7,matt4 xxv4 #c1 #d74--;,fausset4 ,how is man degenerated from the nobility of his creation1 that an insect must be a pattern unto him4 ,he that goes well without a guide is fit to be a guide1 he that does well without an overseer is fit to be an overseer1 he that orders himself well without a ruler is fit to be a ruler4 ,let the ant1 therefore1 be a guide unto the sluggard1 and teach him to guide himself1 who guides herself so carefully4 ,let the ant be his overseer1 which he sees to overgo himself so much in pains and labour4 ,let the ant be his ruler1 and by her example command him to work which rules herself so well in working4--,jermin4 ,first1 as the ant in summer gathereth whereupon to live in winter1 so every ,christian in a time of quietness should gather out of ,god's word1 that in trouble and adversity he may have wherewith to live spiritually4 ,secondly1 we ought to labour by the example of the ant1 that we get the fruit of good works1 in the harvest of this present life1 so sedulously and diligently1 that in the time of winter and judgment we perish not with hunger4--,st4 ,augustine4 ,these precepts have a spiritual meaning and are to be applied to the soil of the heart and mind4 ,as ,bede says here1 ,the present life is compared to summer and harvest1 because now1 in the heat of trials1 we must reap and lay up for the future1 and the day of death and judgment is the winter for which we must prepare1 and when there is no more any time for preparation4--,wordsworth4 ,man1 that was once the captain of ,god's school1 is now1 for his truantliness1 turned down into the lowest form1 as it were to learn his ,a ,b ,c again2 yea to be taught by these meanest creatures4 4 4 4 ,let no man here object that word of our ,saviour1 ,take no thought for the morrow4 ,there is a care of diligence1 and a care of diffidence2 a care of the head and a care of the heart2 the former is needful1 the latter sinful4--,trapp4 ,verse #i4 ,much more loudly would we call to the spiritual sluggard--thou that art sleeping away the opportunities of grace2 not striving to enter in at the strait gate 7,luke xiii4 #bd72 taking thy salvation for granted2 hoping that thou shalt reap where thou has not sown1 and gather where thou hast not strawed 7,matt4 xxv4 #bf72 improve1 after this pattern1 the summer and harvest season--the time of youth1 the present1 perhaps the only moment4 ,the ant hath no guide4 ,how many guides have you8--conscience1 the ,bible1 ministers6 ,she has no overseer4 ,you are living before ,him whose eyes are a flame of fire4 ,she has no ruler calling her to account4 ,every one of us must give account of himself to ,god4--,bridges4 ,epaminondas1 finding one of his sentinels asleep1 thrust him through with his sword2 and1 being chidden for so great severity1 replied1 ,i left him but as ,i found him4 ,it must be our care that death serve us not in like sort1 that we be not taken napping4 4 4 4 ,our ,saviour was up and at prayer a great while before day 7,mark i4 #de74 ,the holy angels are styled watchers 7,dan4 iv4 #aj71 and they are three times pronounced happy that watch 7,luke xii4 #cg1 #ch1 #dc74--,trapp4 ,verse #aa4 ,two things are denoted in this imagery4 #a4 ,that idleness will quickly bring poverty4 #b4 ,that it will come as a destroyer4--,stuart4 ,i look upon indolence as a sort of suicide1 for the man is effectually destroyed1 though the appetite of the brute may survive4--,lord ,chesterfield4 ,god will not support thee without work1 but by work1 that is ,his holy ordinance 7,gen4 iii4 #ai73 ,do thy part1 and ,god will do ,his4--,egard4 ,a most dreadful simile6 ,one who has waited for a fight knows how slowly the armed men seem to come up4 ,they may be hours passing the intervening space4 ,there is no sound of them4 ,they are not on the roads1 or on the air1 either in sight or echo2 and yet they are coming on6 ,the intervening time is the sluggard's sleeping time2 and it seems an age4 ,but his want will come4 4 4 4 ,all slothfulness is1 no doubt1 rebuked2 but especially that which has all heaven for its garnered stores2 all hell for its experience of want2 all time for its season of neglect2 and all eternity to break upon its sleep4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-ai4 ,a ,,student ,,of ,,iniquity4 ,i4 ,we have in these words a picture of a man so wicked that he makes it his study how to commit sin4 ,the sin of many men1 perhaps of most men1 arises from thoughtlessness1 weakness1 or slothfulness 7see verses #i1 #aj71 but there are others who make sin their business1 and apply themselves to it with as much diligence as the merchant gives to his trade1 or the man of letters to his pursuit of knowledge4 ,he deviseth mischief 7verse #ad71 his heart deviseth wicked imaginations 7verse #ah74 #a4 ,those who wish to compass any particular end must think upon the means by which they can accomplish it4 ,progression in iniquity is not always accomplished without thought1 and wicked men have to plan much and think deeply sometimes before their malicious devices are ripe for execution4 ,the thief has to study his profession before he can become an accomplished burglar4 ,the sharper must spend much time in acquiring the skill by which he preys upon less experienced gamblers4 ,the murderer must ponder deeply how he is to do his bloody deed without detection4 ,it cost ,haman a good deal of thinking before he could devise a scheme likely to injure ,mordecai4 ,the chief priests and scribes held many consultations before they compass the death of ,christ 7,mark xi4 #ah1 xiv4 #a-ee1 etc474 ,the wicked man of the text is a student of ways and means4 #b4 ,he is constant in his studies4 ,if a man professes to make any branch of knowledge his particular study and only applies himself to it by fits and starts1 we know he is not much in earnest about it1 but if he is constant in his application1 he demonstrates by his perseverance that he intends1 if possible1 to excel4 ,the wicked man here pictured by ,solomon has made up his mind not to fail through lack of continuous application1 he deviseth mischief continually 7ver4 #ad74 ,if one plan fails1 he begins to form another2 when one scheme has brought the desired end1 he at once sets to work at a fresh one2 as a natural consequence--#c4 ,he makes progress1 he walks with a froward mouth 7ver4 #ab71 his feet become swift in running to mischief 7ver4 #ah74 ,the man who is always in the practice of any art can hardly stand still in it4 ,he can hardly fail to become more and more of an adept4 ,he sees where he might have done better yesterday and supplies the deficiency next time4 ,and this is true of the work of wickedness as of any other work1 practice makes perfect4 ,there are men1 for instance1 who from constant practice lie like truth4 ,the more the man studies how to injure his fellow-creatures1 the more easily he can plan2 the oftener he plans1 the easier he finds it4 #d4 ,in order to carry out his designs he invents an original language 7ver4 #ac7 ,there is no member of the body which cannot become a medium to convey thought4 ,the eye is very eloquent in this work1 the hand1 the lip1 the finger1 the whole body may do this to some extent1 and are sometimes blessedly so employed when affliction has shut out our fellow-man from hearing the human voice1 but this man of wickedness makes his whole body a medium for the conveyance of his evil plans and desires4 ,he yields his members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 7,rom4 vi4 #ac74 ,the common every-day language of outspoken honest men will not do to convey his thoughts1 because his thoughts are against the welfare of his fellow creatures4 ,this compels him to use a language which is comprehended only by those who are like himself4 ,the eye can be used in this way as a more safe and swift instrument than the tongue4 ,a look may embody a thought that would need many words to express4 ,the glance of one wicked man to another has often been the sentence of death to many4 ,and so1 in a less degree1 perhaps1 with the foot and the hand1 as ,matthew ,henry says1 ,those whom he makes use of as the tools of his wickedness understand the ill meaning of a wink of his eye1 a stamp of his feet1 the least motion of his fingers4 ,he gives orders for evil-doing1 and yet would not be thought to do so1 but has ways of concealing what he does1 so that he may not be suspected4 ,,ii4 ,the end of such a man4 7,verse #ae47 #a4 ,his very success will bring his ruin4 ,the man who makes it the business of his life to lay plans against the comfort of his fellow-creatures may succeed for a time1 but by-and-by he will find himself so famous1 or infamous1 that a reward may be offered for his person1 and his very success in deceiving others in the past will possibly so throw him off his guard as to make him an easy prey to those who now lie in wait to bring him to justice4 ,but if he escape the messenger of human retribution1 he is sure of the ,divine ,nemesis4 ,god's law and the universe are against him4 ,in sowing discord in the world1 he has sowed destruction for himself1 and he must reap it4 ,however cleverly he may have outwitted his fellow-men1 he has not deceived ,god1 and ,his law is that ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap 7,ephes4 vi4 #g74 #b4 ,the punishment will come when least expected4 ,suddenly shall he be broken 7verse #ae74 ,the thief makes it his study to find an entrance into his victim's house when he least expects him1 and he finds himself one day repaid in his own coin4 ,when he is enjoying his fancied security an officer of justice visits him1 and suddenly he is summoned to answer for his crimes4 ,this we find is generally the case with retribution2 it not only comes certainly1 but at a time when it is least looked for4 #c4 ,his ruin will be complete4 ,he shall be broken without remedy 7verse #ae74 ,the crime of murder is regarded by our code of law as one which deserves the extremest penalty which man can inflict upon man4 ,the murderer1 as a rule1 is visited with a punishment which1 so far as his earthly existence goes1 cuts off all hope for the future4 ,the man who is pictured to us in these verses is one who appears to have completed his character as a sinner4 ,the number seven is often used in ,scripture to denote perfection--completion2 and this student of iniquity appears to have succeeded so well in his studies that there is no vice which is not found in one of the seven things which go to make up his character4 ,his pride leads him to refuse ,god's yoke1 and to carve out for himself a way without reference to the will of ,him in whom he lives and moves4 ,but his lying tongue betrays a sense of weakness4 ,he fears that his plans1 though so skilfully laid1 may not succeed1 and therefore he has recourse to deception to help him out with them4 ,and so cruel is he that he shrinks from no misery that he may bring upon others in the furtherance of his own designs2 neither the character nor the life of his victims is spared4 ,he is a false witness that speaketh lies and soweth discord1 his hands shed innocent blood4 ,for so diseased a member of the body politic there seems nothing left but amputation4 ,so complete a sinner must suffer a complete ruin4 ,finally1 that such a character should be an abomination to the ,lord 7verse #af7 is most natural1 if we consider how entirely it is at variance with what ,god is ,himself4 ,like seeks and loves like4 ,the musical soul seeks and delights in those who love music4 ,the courageous ,jonathan delights in the courageous ,david4 ,god is humble4 ,he makes a right estimate of ,himself and others4 ,this is true humility4 ,who is like unto the ,lord our ,god1 who dwelleth on high1 who humbleth ,himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth8 7,psa4 cxiii4 #e1 #f74 ,how great a contrast is ,he in this respect to the man of proud look8 ,god is a ,god of truth 7,psa4 xxxi4 #e71 it is a blessed impossibility with ,him to lie 7,titus i4 #b74 ,how can ,he do other than abominate a lying tongue8 ,he is the ,saviour of men 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #aj72 this sinner seeks to destroy them4 ,he is the ,author of peace and the lover of concord2 this man's aim has been to sow discord even among brethren4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,it should be remembered that1 in the ,east1 when people are in the house they do not wear sandals1 consequently their feet and toes are exposed4 ,when guests wish to speak so as not to be observed by the host1 they convey their meaning by the feet and toes4 ,does a person wish to leave the room in company with another8 he lifts up one of his feet2 and should the other refuse1 he also lifts up a foot and suddenly puts it down again4 ,when merchants wish to make a bargain with others without making known their terms1 they sit on the ground1 have a piece of cloth thrown over the lap1 and then put a hand under1 and thus speak with their fingers4 ,when the ,brahmins convey religious mysteries to their disciples1 they teach with their fingers1 having the hands concealed in the folds of their robe4--,roberts1 in ,biblical ,treasury4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,he who is nobody in deeds is often strong in words4 ,he whose hands are idle has a tongue anything but idle2 and he tries by words suited to men's humours to win that favour which he cannot by deeds4--,cartwright4 ,walketh implies progress in evil1 as the tendency of all sin is to grow more and more inveterate4--,fausset4 ,every idle man is a naughty man2 is1 or ere long1 will be1 for by doing nothing men learn to do evil4 ,and thou wicked and slothful servant1 saith our ,saviour 7,matt4 xxv4 #bf74 ,he putteth no difference between the idle person and the wicked person4 ,the devil will not long suffer such an one to be idle1 but will soon set him to work4 ,idleness is the hour of temptation4--,trapp4 ,verse #ac4 ,he conveys his meanings1 and carries on his scheme1 and promotes his ends1 in every sly1 covert1 unexpected way4--,wardlaw4 ,not speech only1 but all other means by which man holds intercourse with man1 are turned to instruments of fraud and falsehood4 ,the wink which tells the accomplice that the victim is already snared1 the gestures with foot and hand1 half of deceit1 half of mockery--these would betray him to anyone who was not blind4--,plumptre4 ,verse #ad4 ,the wise man had showed before the outward rivulets1 now he shows the inward fountain1 a corrupt heart4 ,this is added lest we should think that only outward signs and gestures are evil4 ,if neither by outward signs nor gestures a wicked man dare express himself1 yet his heart is evil4--,francis ,taylor4 ,as the agriculturist applies himself wholly to the ploughing and sowing of his land1 so the froward gives himself wholly to iniquity1 seeking his harvest of gain1 or of enjoyment of malignity1 in traducing or lying1 or in praising with words whilst all the time traducing by signs4--,fausset4 ,where frowardness soweth the field1 what can grow but contentions only8 ,but these are first sown in the heart by mischievous devices1 and their being come to a ripeness1 then are they gathered1 and are again sown in the outward actions of discord1 one harvest serving to bring on another until they bring the seedsman to the harvest of destruction4 ,the force of the verse is1 that when wickedness is silent outwardly1 it is devising mischief inwardly1 that it may practice it the more abundantly4--,jermin4 ,verse #ae4 ,therefore1 if a thing be so ruinous2 if it be a fountain of sin2 if it be sending forth corruption in such a manner as to increase the mass of it1 and never diminish it2 if it be putting forth causes of quarrel both with ,god and man1 then that thing must be crushed4 ,we would expect a sharp1 clean end4 ,if it be a root1 it must be threaded to its very eye1 and all the life of it must be traced and crushed quite out of it in the soil4--,miller4 ,the word suddenly shows the vanity of the sinner's hope that he shall have the time or the gift of repentance 7,job4 xxi4 #ag1 #ah2 ,psa4 lxiii4 #ai74--;,fausset4 ,it were pity such a villain should go without his reward4 ,the wise man1 therefore1 doth not leave him without his judgment denounced1 and it is a grievous one4 ,for he that spendeth time to devise mischief shall not have time at last to devise help for the preventing of his own sudden mischief4 ,he that by plots maketh the breaches of strife1 shall at length be broken suddenly into pieces1 without hope of piecing himself together again4 4 4 4 ,of ,satan it is said that he fell like lightning from heaven1 the fall whereof is most sudden1 and so that it never riseth again4 ,and so cometh the calamity of malicious1 froward hearts3 such is the breaking fall of their destruction4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,this1 curtly1 is a restatement of the picture just passed2 not exactly1 but ripened a little1 and advanced into a more mature expression4--,miller4 ,it is an evidence of the good-will ,god bears to mankind1 that those sins are in a special manner provoking to ,him which are prejudicial to the comfort of human life and society4--,henry4 ,the things which ,god hateth are the things which the devil maketh4 ,he cannot be the author and hater of the same thing4 ,and therefore it is not man1 but the wicked things in man1 which ,god abhorreth1 and which1 did not man love1 ,god would still love man1 although ,he hateth them4--,jermin4 ,verse #ag4 ,a proud look or lofty eyes might seem to have little to do with a worthless man 7see ,critical ,notes on verse #ab71 but a man is a man of emptiness solely because he is depending1 in divers ways1 upon himself4 ,humility is the very first lesson towards salvation4 ,a man could not live a whole long life taking a little more sleep if he was not arrogantly depending upon something within himself4 ,hands that shed innocent blood3 ,the movements of such a man are all deadly4 ,the amiable may be fairly stung by such rude speech1 but the wise man intends to imply that a deceived impenitence deceives and festers all about it4 ,the worldly father that misguides his son sheds his blood4 ,it is astonishing how much there is in the ,bible of this cruel language 7,psa4 v4 #i2 ,isa4 i4 #ba1 c474--,miller4 ,verse #ah4 ,the heart underlies the seven vices which are an abomination to ,god1 and in the midst1 because it is the fountain from which evil flows in all directions4--,starke4 ,verse #ai4 ,if the heavenly dew descends upon the brethren that dwell together in unity 7,psa4 cxxxiii471 a withering blast will fall on those who1 mistaking prejudice for principle1 cause divisions for their own selfish ends 7,rom4 xvi4 #ag1 #ah74 ,if we cannot attain unity of opinion1 perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment 7#a ,cor4 i4 #aj71 at least let us cultivate unity of ,spirit 7,phil4 iii4 #af74--;,bridges4 ,verses #ab-ai4 ,as respects the arrangement in which the seven manifestations of treacherous dealing are enumerated in verses #af-ai1 it does not perfectly correspond with the order observed in verses #ab-ad4 ,there the series is--mouth1 eyes1 feet1 fingers1 heart1 devising evil counsels1 stirring up strifes2 here it is eyes1 tongue1 hands1 heart1 feet1 speaking lies1 instigating strife4 ,with reference to the organs which are named as the instruments in the first five forms of treacherous wickedness1 in the second enumeration an order is adopted involving a regular descent2 the base disposition to stir up strife1 or to let loose controversy in both cases ends the series4 4 4 4 ,the six or seven vices1 twice enumerated in different order and form of expression1 are1 at the same time1 all of them manifestations of hatred against one's neighbour1 or sins against the second table of the ,decalogue2 yet it is not so much a general unkindness as rather an unkindness consisting and displaying itself in falseness and malice that is emphasised as their common element4 ,and only on account of the peculiarly mischievous and ruinous character of just these sins of hatred to one's neighbour1 is he who is subject to them represented as an object of especially intense abhorrence on the part of a holy ,god1 and as threatened with the strongest manifestations of ,his anger in penalties4--,dr4 ,zckler1 in ,lange's ,commentary4 ,verses #af-ai4 ,there is one parallel well worthy of notice between the seven cursed things here and the seven blessed things in the fifth chapter of ,matthew4 ,in the ,old ,testament the things are set down in the sterner form of what the ,lord hates1 like the ,thou shalt not of the ,decalogue4 ,in the ,new ,testament the form is in accordance with the gentleness of ,christ4 ,there we learn the good things that are blessed1 and are left to gather thence the opposite evils that are cursed4 ,but1 making allowance for the difference in form1 the first and the last of the seven are identical in the two lists4 ,the ,lord hates a proud look is precisely equivalent to ,blessed are the poor in spirit2 and ,he that soweth discord among brethren is the exact converse of the peacemaker4 ,the coincidence must be designed4 ,when ,jesus was teaching ,his disciples on the ,mount ,he seems to have had in view the similar instructions that ,solomon had formerly delivered1 and1 while the teaching is substantially new1 there is as much of allusion to the ancient ,scripture as to make it manifest that the ,great ,teacher kept ,his eye upon the prophets1 and sanctioned all their testimony4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bj-bc4 ,on verses #bj and #ba1 see ,homiletics on chap4 i4 #g-i1 and iv4 #a-d4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,god',s ,,word4 ,i4 ,the ,divine law as a lamp4 #a4 ,it is like a lamp because it is portable4 ,a light that cannot be carried from place to place will be useless to a man who has to find his way home in the dark on an uneven road4 ,life is such a journey1 and the commandment of the ,lord can be carried in man's memory and heart3 ,thy ,word have ,i hid in mine heart1 that ,i might not sin against ,thee 7,psa4 cxix4 #aa74 #b4 ,its existence declares that men need light from a source outside themselves4 ,a man's eyes on a dark night are not sufficient to enable him to find the right road4 ,if he depends simply upon them he will find that the light within him is darkness 7,luke xi4 #ce74 ,he must have external help4 ,the existence of ,god's revelation in the world proves that man has not enough light within him to guide his feet into the way of peace4 ,his own spiritual perception will not enable him to find his way through the night to eternal day4 #c4 ,it is in constant requisition4 ,the position and relation of our globe to the sun makes it certain that night will constantly succeed the day4 ,and while the night continues to follow day the lamp will be needed to illumine the darkness4 ,the ,divine lamp will never be out of use while temptation1 and doubt1 and sin1 and ignorance beset the path of man1 as certainly as the revolution of the globe brings the night4 ,,ii4 ,the commandment as a guide4 ,when thou goest1 it shall lead thee 7verse #bb74 ,where leading is promised ignorance is implied4 ,the man who trusts to another to guide him acknowledges by the act that the guide knows more than he does4 ,scripture takes for granted that man is ignorant4 ,its existence implies that man needs information and direction concerning his life4 ,,iii4 ,the commandment as a guard4 ,when thou sleepest1 it shall keep thee4 ,a keeper1 or guard1 implies danger in general1 and in this instance in particular4 ,there is a general danger in times of pestilence1 and there is a special danger in some places and under some circumstances4 ,there is a danger common to all vessels when sailing the ocean1 but there are some parts which are especially dangerous4 ,so it is with men in relation to sin4 ,there is the general liability to fall into sin common to all men1 but there are dangers which more especially beset youth and inexperience1 and there is one sin above all others which is terrible in its effects and ruinous to the whole man4 ,the text applies to a general keeping from the common danger and to a special keeping from this special danger 7verse #bd74 ,,iv4 ,the commandment is a keeper1 a guide1 and a lamp to those only who keep it4 ,a man binds his sandal upon his foot and it keeps his foot1 because it has itself been kept in its right place4 ,there is a mutual keeping4 ,there can be no keeping by the word unless there is a keeping of the word4 ,a greater than ,solomon has told us this truth4 ,our ,lord1 in ,his parable of the sower1 reminds us of those wayside hearers who1 not keeping the word1 were not kept by it1 and of those who1 like the rocky or thorny ground1 kept it only for a while and were only kept by it until the time of temptation scorched them1 and their profession withered away 7,matt4 xiii4 #a-g74 ,and our ,lord ,himself used the commandment in the hour of ,his temptation to keep ,him4 ,to all the advances of the tempter he replied1 ,it is written4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bj4 ,the first feature that arrests attention in this picture is1 that effects are attributed to the law of a mother which only ,god's law can produce4 ,the inference is obvious and sure4 ,it is assumed that the law which a mother instils is the ,word of ,god dwelling richly in her own heart1 and that she acts as a channel to convey that ,word to the heart of her children4 ,to assume it as actually done is the most impressive method of enjoining it4 ,parents are1 by the constitution of things1 in an important sense mediators between ,god and their children for a time4 4 4 4 ,your children are1 by grace1 let into you1 so as to drink in what you contain4 ,the only safety is1 that you be by grace let into ,christ1 so that what they get from you shall be1 not what springs within you1 but what flows into you from the ,springhead of holiness4 ,to the children it is the law of their mother1 and therefore they receive it2 but in substance it is the truth from ,jesus1 and to receive it is life4--,arnot4 ,we have already noticed 7ch4 i4 #h7 the fifth commandment as comprehending the first five2 just as the tenth commandment comprehends the latter five4 ,they ought to be painted so in churches4 ,handed down so1 we verily believe1 to ,moses1 each table must have carried five commandments4 ,honouring our father1 in all the broad meaning of that term1 is the first commandment in1 not with 7as in ,eng4 version71 promise 7,eph4 vi4 #b74--,miller4 ,verse #ba4 ,bind them continually signifieth such a care of firm binding as when one1 to be sure of binding strong1 doth as it were always hold the strings in his hands1 and is continually pulling them4 ,and surely we had need so to bind continually ,god's commandments and law to our hearts and necks1 for they are but loose knots which the best of us make1 and they are ever and anon slipping back1 unless our diligence be still pulling hard to keep them close4 ,to bind that to our hearts which bindeth us to godliness1 is to loose ourselves2 to tie that about our necks which ties us to religion1 is to free ourselves4 ,a good father's commandment1 a good mother's law1 doth tie us in observance unto ,god's law2 if1 therefore1 we shall bind the one upon our hearts continually1 if we shall tie the other about our necks1 this will give us the freedom of true sons1 both with ,god and man4 ,this hearty binding1 and willing tying of ourselves1 taketh away all burdensome feeling of any tie or binding for us4--,jermin4 ,bind them upon thine heart for ever1 because through all eternity these commandments will be the very highest objects of affection4 ,holiness will be the greatest treasure of the blessed4 ,and1 second1 tie them about thy neck for a still higher reason ,holiness is a bright ornament4 ,it is precious on its own account4 ,it is worthy1 not on account of what it does1 or of what it seems1 but of what it is4 ,that is1 if we neither had joy in it or won profit by it1 it would be glorious like a necklace upon the blind1 intrinsically1 and on its own account4--,miller4 ,verse #bb4 ,no such guide to ,god as the ,word1 which1 while a man holds to1 he may safely say1 ,lord1 if ,i be deceived1 ,thou hast deceived me2 if ,i be out of the way1 ,thy ,word has misled me4 ,if thou sleep with some good meditation in thy mind it shall keep thee from foolish and sinful dreams and fancies1 and set thy heart in a holy frame when thou awakest4 ,he that raketh up his fire at night shall find fire in the morning4 ,how precious are ,thy thoughts unto me1 ,o ,god 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #ag74 ,what follows8 ,when ,i awake1 ,i am still with ,thee 7verse #ah74--,trapp4 ,i4 ,the thing to be done4 ,the ,word of ,god is to talk with us4 ,a man's character is obviously much influenced by his habitual talk4 ,sentiments received in conversation powerfully affect the mind4 4 4 4 ,the idea of dealing with the ,holy ,scripture as a conversible companion is implied in the very name1 ,the ,word of ,god1 and in the statement that ,god1 who in sundry times1 and in divers manners1 spoke to the ,fathers1 by the prophets1 has spoken to us by ,his son 7,heb4 i4 #a74 #a4 ,the ,word of ,god will talk to us instructively4 ,no part is addressed to mere speculation or curiosity4 ,it has always in view the object of furnishing the mind with that which shall be useful in the highest sense1 and for the longest duration4 #b4 ,it will talk without flattery4 ,our best friends seldom dare to tell us all that is thought of us4 ,but the ,word of ,god tells us what we actually are1 and where our faults and danger lie4 #c4 ,it will talk with us affectionately4 ,faithful are the wounds of a friend1 yet they may be wounds after all1 to minds too susceptible4 ,but there is a depth of love even in the sternest rebukes of the ,word of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the particular time when the ,word of ,god may talk with us4 ,when thou wakest4 #a4 ,to forewarn us4 ,every day is a little life1 and who can say what the coming hour may bring forth4 #b4 ,to fore-arm us4 ,there is not an hour in which some temptation may not present itself1 or some principle be severely tried4 ,a spiritual armour is therefore necessary1 while a part of that armour1 which is indispensable1 is the sword of the ,spirit1 the ,word of ,god 7,eph4 vi4 #ag74 #c4 ,to pre-occupy us4 ,how is it1 said a friend to a learned physician1 that amidst such employment and continual exercise of mind you preserve such unruffled tranquillity8 ,it is1 said he1 because ,i give the first hour of every morning to the ,holy ,scriptures and to prayer4 ,much benefit may well be expected from a pre-occupation of the mind and heart1 so entirely consonant to the whole tenor of man's relations to his ,maker and perpetual benefactor4--,bullar4 ,observe three benefits of keeping instruction1 and in each the fit time and the act4 ,a man walking1 needs a guide2 sleeping1 needs a watchman2 awaking1 needs a friend to talk with him4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #bc4 ,the reproofs of the law may alarm and terrify1 but they are not to be less valued on that account4 ,the threatenings of hell guard the way to heaven1 and strongly urge us to keep the ,king's highway1 the only way of safety4--,lawson4 ,the parallelism with ,psalm cxix4 #aje1 deserves special notice4 ,the alliteration1 the law is light1 like the ,vulgate1 lex1 lux1 reproduces a corresponding paronomasia in the ,hebrew4--,plumptre4 ,he that hath the word of ,christ richly dwelling in him1 may lay his hand upon his heart and say1 as dying ,ecolampadius did3 ,here is plenty of light4 ,under the law all was in riddles2 ,moses was veiled2 and yet that saying was then verified4 ,there was light enough to lead men to ,christ the end of the law 7,rom4 x4 #d74 ,reproofs of instruction1 or corrections of instruction4 ,a lesson set on with a whipping is best remembered4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bd-ce4 ,a ,,special ,,sin ,,and ,,its ,,penalties ,,from ,,which ,,he ,,who ,,keeps ,,god',s ,,law ,,will ,,be ,,kept4 ,i4 ,from the huntress of souls4 ,the animals of tropical jungles are compelled at intervals to forsake their safe retreats and come down to the brink of the river to quench their thirst4 ,this necessity of their life involves them in danger4 ,the instinct of the lion tells him that the antelope will be compelled1 by the cravings of his nature1 to come to the place of water1 and therefore he lies in wait there to make him an easy prey4 ,and the hunter1 being fully aware of the same fact1 crouches by the river-side and takes both the lion and his prey4 ,thus the natural bodily instincts are used as means by which the lives of the creatures are destroyed4 ,the danger of which the young man is here warned arises out of the existence of a ,god-given and1 therefore1 lawful desire4 ,the huntress of souls--as she is well named in verse #bf--takes advantage of this lawful propensity and uses it as a means of the destruction of her victim4 ,she knows that the young man1 from the strength of his lawful desires1 is1 comparatively1 an easy prey to the seducer1 hence it is to him that she points her weapons4 ,these weapons are3 #a4 ,flattery4 ,fair words cost nothing4 ,a score of base coin can be purchased for a copper1 and are worth exchanging for one golden piece4 ,the dogs lick the hand of the vendor of their meat1 but this not out of any affection for him4 ,they do not use their tongue out of any affection for him1 but for what he has4 ,so the adulteress1 and so indeed all flatterers4 ,they give the base coin only in the hope of getting gold in return--fair words for real benefits4 ,they will lick the back of the hand in order to get something out of the palm4 #b4 ,her beauty4 ,the beauty of a woman is a powerful weapon1 and1 if rightly used1 may be a means of greatly blessing others4 ,but1 alas1 how often has it been debased to the vilest purposes1 how many times have strong men been cast down by it1 how many sons of the mighty has it brought low1 even to the dust6 ,the keeping in the heart of the law of ,god's word will teach the young man to estimate flattering words and mere external beauty at their real worth4 ,,ii4 ,from the inevitable marks left upon both constitution and character by unlawful intercourse 7vers4 #bg1 #bh74 ,a man's raiment cannot be kindled into a flame without its retaining the marks after the fire has been extinguished4 ,the scar of the burn will remain even after the wound is healed4 ,so those who yield to the solicitations of the strange woman will find that soul and body will suffer from the effects of the sin long after the action has been committed4 ,,iii4 ,from the deserved contempt of all the pure-minded 7vers4 #cj1 #ca74 ,it is a sin compared with which a theft is a light crime in the eyes of ,god1 and therefore in the eyes of the best men4 ,a thief may make restitution for his crime1 but this sin cannot be atoned for by an after act4 ,gold may be repaid fourfold1 but dishonour brought upon a husband by a wife's infidelity is a blot which cannot be effaced4 ,the loss of the poor man's ewe-lamb might be atoned for1 but ,david could not have restored to ,uriah an innocent wife4 7,see #b ,sam4 xii4 #a-f74 ,hence the much heavier punishment under the ,mosaic law for adultery than for theft4 7,see ,exod4 xxii4 #a-d2 ,lev4 xx4 #aj47 ,,iv4 ,from the fury of a lawful jealousy 7ver4 #cd74 ,where there is true love there is a jealousy for the honour and reputation of the object loved4 ,the man who is not jealous for the honour of his country is not a patriot4 ,the father who is not jealous for the reputation of his family is not worthy of the name4 ,and so the husband who is not jealous of his own and his wife's honour is a stranger to real love4 ,there is a right and lawful jealousy4 ,god calls ,himself a jealous ,god 7,exod4 xx4 #e74 ,there are rights which belong to ,him alone1 and ,he is justly displeased if they are given to any other being4 ,paul tells the ,corinthian ,church that he was jealous over them with a godly jealousy 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #b74 ,he was their father in ,christ1 and he felt that his honour as well as theirs was staked upon their living holy lives4 ,and the righteous jealousy of the injured husband spoken of in the text is to be dreaded1 because it is righteous--because it has just grounds for its existence1 and because ,god will see to it that the wrong is avenged4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,this probably refers to the care with which women in the ,east paint their eyelids1 in a great measure in order to captivate the men1 who1 from the manner in which they are muffled up1 can often see no more of their persons than their eyes--which may1 indeed1 be one reason why so much pains are taken to set them off4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,the image would hardly occur to us1 who never go barefoot1 and are never or rarely exposed to any liability of treading upon burning coals4 ,if we decided to expose the same sentiment by a similar image1 we should say1 ,can one handle hot coals and not be burned8 ,but in the ,east travelling parties kindle fires in the open air for cooking and for warmth1 and a passenger might easily burn his naked foot by treading inadvertently upon the hot but not glowing place of one of their recently quitted fires4--,kitto4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bd4 ,bound and kept in the heart as a friend1 that law will prevail to keep the youth from the strange woman4 ,observing a great swelling wave rolling forward to devour him1 this faithful teacher imparts to the young voyager on life's troubled sea a principle which will bear him buoyant over it4 ,a slender vessel floats alone upon the ocean1 contending with the storm4 ,a huge wave approaches1 towering high above her hull4 ,all depends upon how the ship shall take it4 ,if she go under it she will never rise again3 if she is so trimmed that her bows rise with the first approaches1 she springs lightly over it1 and gets no harm4 ,the threatening billow passes beneath her1 and breaks with a growl behind her1 but the ship is safe4 ,the law and love of the ,lord1 taught by his mother in childhood1 and maintaining its place yet as the friend of his bosom and the ruler of his conscience1 will give the youth a spring upward proportionate to the magnitude of the temptation coming on4--,arnot4 ,that which is said of ,jael is true of the strange woman4 ,she brought forth soft words1 but a hard nail2 in her mouth was a gentle hammer1 but in her hand a heavy one4 ,open force is more easily resisted1 but that which is hid in the beginning with fair words in the end stingeth most cruelly4--,jermin4 ,flattery4 ,that constitutes the risk4 ,if impenitence would tell the truth1 or even if we would allow the truth1 there would be no danger4 ,but hers is an alien tongue in this1--that though we deliberately admit it is a cheat1 we accept its flattery4--,miller4 ,verse #bf4 ,a famine of bread followeth the gluttony of lust1 and it is life itself that is destroyed by it4 ,he that is thus brought to a morsel of bread on earth1 shall be brought to a drop of water in hell1 if repentance do not in time beg a gracious pardon for him4 ,that man's life is precious1 the devil himself affirmeth1 who seeketh to make it vile2 he saith1 who laboureth to destroy it1 that ,skin for skin1 all that a man hath will he give for his life 7,job ii4 #d74 ,how unworthy valuers are they therefore of their own lives who esteem them less than the devil does1 and who makes them a prey to the adulteress1 who as a lion hunteth after them4--,jermin4 ,nothing is so bewitching as womanly enchantment4 ,nothing in esse1 when it is base1 is so contemptible4 ,nothing sweeps a man with such a perfect storm of influence4 ,nothing leaves him so perfectly defrauded and unpaid4--,miller4 ,verses #bg and #bh4 ,fire is a favourite emblem for wickedness4 ,wickedness burneth as the fire 7,isa4 ix4 #ah1 see also ,isa4 lxv4 #e74 ,the 7#a7 pain1 the 7#b7 waste1 the 7#c7 growth1 and the 7#d7 small beginnings of sin are all instanced in the fire4 ,bosom4 ,here is just where sin is taken4 ,sin is not only the inward but the outward enemy1 not only the coals in our bosom but the coals 7or fierce tempting occasions7 in the midst of which we walk4--,miller4 ,sin and punishment are linked together by a chain of adamant4 ,the fire of lust kindles the fire of hell1 says ,henry4 ,he cannot afterwards plead the strength of the temptation4 ,why did he not avoid it8 ,who that knows how much tinder he carries about with him would wilfully light-up the sparks8--,bridges4 ,perhaps such an one may think to tread upon coals1 thereby to tread them out1 but he will first tread the fire into his own feet3 perhaps such an one may think to walk in the ways of lust1 thereby to walk them out1 but he will first walk out the strength of his body and means4 ,the affections are the feet of man's soul1 and if they walk upon this fire they will be inflamed suddenly4--,jermin4 ,verse #bi4 ,though the plea of a sleepy conscience be not guilty1 the sentence of ,god is1 not innocent4 ,it was for this wickedness that ,god destroyed ,sodom and ,gomorrah2 it was for it ,he brought the deluge of waters upon the world1 and as it is observed1 for no other sin do we read1 that ,god is said to have repented to have made man1 but for this4--,jermin4 ,verse #cj4 ,compared with an adulterer1 a thief is not treated with so much ignominy4 ,the laws of modern society have reversed the maxims of ,solomon2 and1 to the dishonour of ,christian nations1 an adulterer1 who steals what is most precious to a man1 and what is irretrievable1 is treated by the law with more lenity than a thief1 who robs him of what is comparatively of little value and may be easily replaced4--,wordsworth4 ,adultery is worse than theft4 ,it is before us in the commandments as the greater sin 7,exod4 xx4 #ad1 #ae74 #a4 ,it is a far greater theft4 #b4 ,the provocation to theft is greater4 ,what drives the one1 wantonness draws the other4 ,one may preserve his bodily life by his sin1 the other destroys it4 ,hunger is a great provocation to evil 7ch4 xxx4 #i74 ,necessity is a sore weapon4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #cc4 ,the three things here mentioned may be referred to three causes4 ,the wound to the devil1 the enemy of mankind1 the dishonour to ,god1 dishonoured by the adulterer1 the reproach to sin1 which is the true object of reproach4 ,the devil woundeth out of malice1 ,god dishonoureth in justice1 sin reproacheth by nature2 and where nature hath fastened the reproach or stain it is not any art that can take it out or wipe it away4 ,he that giveth this good counsel was himself an example of what he writeth4 ,as ,jerome saith1 ,solomon1 the sun of men1 the treasure of ,god's delights1 the peculiar house of wisdom1 blurred with the thick ink of dishonour1 lost the light of his soul1 the glory of his house1 the sweet perfume of his name1 by the love of a woman4--,jermin4 ,what an indelible blot is the matter of ,uriah upon ,david still4--,trapp4 ,verse #cd4 ,howbeit he may not kill the adulterer1 but if no law will relieve a man1 yet let him know that he shall do himself no disservice by making ,god his chancellor4--,trapp4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,apple of the eye1 the pupil1 literally the little man of the eye1 referring to the reflected image of a man seen in that organ4 #c4 ,bind them refers to the rings with large signets1 upon which maxims were inscribed 7,stuart74 #d4 ,kinswoman1 rather1 an acquaintance1 a familiar friend4 #g4 ,simple1 inexperienced4 #h4 ,went1 moved leisurely1 sauntered4 #i4 ,in the black and dark night1 literally1 in the apple1 or pupil of the night4 #aj4 ,literally1 a woman1 the attire of a harlot1 with no connecting word between1 as though the woman were nothing but such a dress4 ,subtil1 guarded4 ,wordsworth renders her heart is like a walled fortress4 #aa4 ,stubborn1 rather boisterous1 ungovernable4 #ad4 ,the offerings here named are those of thanksgiving for blessings received4 ,of such offering1 which1 in accordance with the law 7,lev4 vii4 #af71 must be eaten by the second day1 the guests partook1 so that a rich feast is here offered to the young man under the garb of religious usage4 #af4 ,with carved works1 rather1 variegated coverlets of ,egyptian linen4 #bj4 ,the purse1 etc41 indicating long delay2 the day appointed1 rather1 the day of the full moon4 #bb4 ,straightway4 ,the ,hebrew implies that he had at first hesitated1 until the fear of his to take the decisive step was overcome by evil appetite1 and he now1 with passionate promptness1 formed the vile purpose and executed it at once1 to cut off all further reflection4 ,here is evidently a stroke in the picture of the profoundest psychological truth 7,lange's ,commentary74 ,the latter clause of the verse is literally1 and as fetters for the punishment of a fool4 ,it has been variously rendered4 ,many expositors read1 ,as the obstinate fool is suddenly caught and held fast by a trap lying in a forbidden path1 so has the deceitful power of the adulteress caught the young man4 #bc4 ,the liver stands here as representative of the vitals in general as in ,lam4 ii4 #aa1 as in some instances the heart1 or again1 the reins 7,psa4 xvi4 #g2 lxxiii4 #ba1 etc474 ,according to ,delitzsch1 the liver is here made prominent as the seat of sensual desire4 ,since the ancient ,greeks1 ,arabians1 and ,persians1 in fact1 connected this idea with the organ under consideration1 this view may be received as probably correct 7,lange's ,commentary74 ,knoweth not that it is for his life1 i4e4 that his life is at stake4 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,signification ,,of ,,the ,,strange ,,woman ,,of ,,this ,,chapter1 ,,and ,,of ,,many ,,kindred ,,passages ,,in ,,the ,,book4--,although most modern commentators attach no other meaning to this woman than that which would occur to the general reader1 there are some who1 as will be seen from the comments1 agree with most of the early expositors in attaching to the representation an ideal meaning also4 ,wordsworth1 referring to the original meaning of the word mashal1 or proverb 7see preface71 says1 ,by a consideration of the proper meaning of this word mashal1 used in the title of the book1 and by reflecting on the use made of it in the ,gospels1 we are led to recognise in the ,proverbs or ,parables of ,solomon not only moral apothegms for practical use in daily life1 but to ponder deeply upon them as having also a typical character and inner spiritual significance concerning heavenly doctrines of supernatural truth1 and as preparing the way for the evangelical teaching of the ,divine ,solomon1 ,jesus ,christ1 in parables on the mysteries of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,following out this principle of interpretation1 he continues1 ,as in ,solomon's delineation of ,wisdom we recognised ,christ1 so in the portraiture of the 'strange woman1' who is set in striking contrast to ,wisdom in this book1 we must learn to see something more than at first meets the eye4 ,doubtless we must hold fast the literal interpretation1 and must strenuously contend for it2 4 4 4 but in the gaudy and garish attire and alluring cozenage of the strange woman we may see a representation of the seductive arts with which the teachers of unsound doctrine1 repugnant to the truth of ,christ1 endeavour to charm1 captivate1 and ensnare unwary souls1 and to steal them away from ,him4 ,there is a harlotry of the intellect--there is an adultery of the soul1 and this harlotry and adultery are not less dangerous and deadly than the grossest sins and foulest abominations4 ,indeed they are more perilous1 because they present themselves in a more specious and attractive form4 ,hengstenberg1 commenting on ,eccles4 vii4 #bf1 says1 ,there are strong grounds for thinking that the woman of the ,proverbs is the personification of heathenish folly1 putting on the airs of wisdom and penetrating into the territory of the ,israelites4 4 4 4 ,the key to ,prov4 ii4 #af1 #ag1 is ,jeremiah iii4 #d-bj4 ,in ,prov4 v4 the evil woman must needs be regarded as an ideal person1 because of the opposition in which she is set to the good woman1 ,wisdom4 ,if ,wisdom in chap4 vii4 #d1 #e is an ideal person1 her opponent must be also4 4 4 4 ,in chap4 ix4 again1 the evil woman is put in contrast with ,wisdom2 4 4 4 the explanation is1 in fact1 plainly given in verse #ac4 ,last of all1 in chap xxii4 #ad1 we read1 'the mouth of a foreigner is a deep pit1' etc4 ,that the writer here treats of false doctrine is clear from the mention of the mouth4 ,nahum iii4 #d1 presents an analogous instance of such a personification4 4 4 4 ,to the woman here1 corresponds in ,rev4 ii4 #bj3 'the woman ,jezebel1' a symbolical person4 ,miller1 as will be seen in the suggestive comments on chap4 ii4 #af1 looks upon this woman as an emblem of impenitence4 ,the following comment is by ,professor ,plumptre3 ,the strange woman1 the 'stranger1' may mean simply the adulteress1 as the 'strange gods' the 'strangers' 7,deut4 xxxii4 #af2 ,jer4 iii4 #ac71 are those to whom ,israel1 forsaking her true husband1 offered an adulterous worship4 ,but in both cases there is implied also some idea of a foreign origin1 as of one who by birth is outside the covenant of ,israel4 ,in the second word used1 this meaning is still stronger4 ,it is the word used of the strange wives of ,solomon 7#a ,kings xi4 #a-h71 and of those of the ,jews who returned from ,babylon 7,ezra x471 of ,ruth1 as a ,moabitess 7,ruth ii4 #aj71 of heathen invaders 7,isa4 ii4 #f74 ,whatever form the sin here referred to had assumed before the monarchy 7and the ,book of ,judges testifies to its frequency71 the intercourse with ,phnicians and other nations under ,solomon had a strong tendency to increase it4 ,the king's example would naturally be followed1 and it probably became a fashion to have foreign wives and concubines4 ,at first it would seem this was accomplished by some show of proselytism4 ,the women made a profession of conformity to the religion of their masters4 ,but the old leaven breaks out4 ,they sin and 'forget the covenant of their ,god4' ,the worship of other gods1 a worship in itself sensual and ending in the foulest sin1 leads the way to a life of harlotry4 ,other causes may have led to the same result4 ,the stringent laws of the ,mosaic code may have deterred the women of ,israel from that sin1 and led to a higher standard of purity than prevailed among other nations4 ,lidonian and ,tyrian women came1 like the ,asiatic hetaer at ,athens1 at once with greater importunity and with new arts and fascinations to which the home-born were strangers4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-d4 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,true ,,life1 ,,etc4 ,i4 ,the true life of man depends upon his relation to the ,word of ,god4 ,keep my commandments1 and live 7verse #b74 ,the life which is given to man upon his entrance into this world is not life in its highest sense1 but an existence in which he is to obtain life4 ,it is not all of life to live4 ,those who do not keep ,god's commandments are living existences1 but in the moral signification of the word they are dead4 ,it was said by the highest authority--by the ,son of ,god ,himself--that it had been good for ,judas ,iscariot if he had not been born 7,matt4 xxvi4 #bd74 ,existence is not a blessing1 oftentimes a curse1 unless a man is born again1 not of blood1 nor of the will of the flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of ,god 7,john i4 #ac74 ,christ taught the same truth when ,he said1 ,man shall not live by bread alone1 but by every word of ,god 7,luke iv4 #d74 ,man is not flesh and blood only1 he has not a mere animal existence1 but moral capabilities and needs1 which must be nourished by the thoughts of ,god4 ,if this is not done1 he has no life worth the name4 ,,ii4 ,the relation that a man should have to the ,word of ,god is like that which a rich man has to his banked money4 ,lay up my commandments with thee4 ,the best place for money which the merchant wishes to use constantly is a safe bank1 from which he can draw out at any time of need4 ,so the ,word of ,god must be laid up in the mind ready for constant use4 ,the ,word of ,god must dwell in us 7,col4 iii4 #af74 ,it must be stored up to furnish us with encouragement and admonition in the unceasing warfare with temptation which we are called upon to wage4 ,it must be at hand at the moment of need4 ,,iii4 ,it is to be guarded with the same care as the eye is guarded by the eyelid4 ,as the apple of thine eye4 ,the eye is carefully protected by nature because it is the organ of a most precious sense--of a sense of which we stand in the greatest need--without which we walk through the world in darkness4 ,the revelation of ,god in the ,holy ,scriptures is the only light which enlightens us amid the darkness of ignorance and mystery by which we are surrounded4 ,without it all our future would be darkness indeed4 ,hence its preciousness1 and hence the value we ought to set upon it4 ,,iv4 ,it is to hold to us a relation like that of a pure1 and tender1 and beloved sister4 ,say unto ,wisdom1 ,thou art my sister4 ,the ,word of ,god is the highest wisdom4 ,the relationship of brother and sister1 where it is what ,god intended it to be1 is a very tender and pure relationship1 involving willingness to undergo self-denial for the sake of her who is loved1 to listen to her advice1 to seek her welfare4 ,in this light we must regard the wisdom of ,god as revealed in the ,word of ,god if existence is to become life to us4 ,we must exercise self-denial for her sake4 ,i prevented the dawning of the morning1 and cried3 ,i hoped in ,thy word 7,psa4 cxix4 #adg74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,as ,god would have us keep ,his law as the apple of our eye1 so ,he keeps ,his people 7,deut4 xxxii4 #aj71 in answer to their prayer1 as the apple of ,his eye 7,zech4 ii4 #h74 ,we guard the eye as our most precious and tender member from hurt1 and prize it most dearly4 ,as we guard the pupil of the eye from the least mote1 which is sufficient to hurt it1 so ,god's law is so tender and holy a thing that the least violation of it in thought1 word1 or deed1 is sin2 and we are so to keep the law as to avoid any violation of it4 ,the law resembles the pupil of the eye also in its being spiritually the organ of light1 without which we should be in utter darkness4--,fausset4 ,the instruction of the ,word is the same to the soul which the eye is to the body4 ,for as the body without the sight of the eye runneth upon many things that hurt it1 and falleth at every little stumbling-block1 so the soul most fearfully runneth into sins if it want the light and direction of the ,word4--,muffet4 ,man are off and on in their promises3 they are also slow and slack in their performances4 ,but it is otherwise here3 the very entrance of ,thy ,word giveth light 7,psa4 cxix4 #acj71 and the very onset of obedience giveth life4 ,it is but ,hear1 and your soul shall live 7,isa4 lv4 #c74 ,sin is homogeneous1 all of a kind1 though not all of the same degree4 ,as the least pebble is a stone as well as the hugest rock1 and as the drop of a bucket is water as well as the main ocean1 hence the least sins are in ,scripture reproached by the names of the greatest4 ,malice is called manslaughter1 lust1 adultery1 etc4 ,concupiscence is condemned by the law2 even the first motions of sin1 though they never come to consent 7,rom4 vii4 #g74 ,inward bleeding may kill a man4 ,the law of ,god is spiritual1 though we be carnal4 ,and as the sunshine shows us atoms and motes that till then we discerned not1 so doth the law discover and censure smallest failings4 ,it must therefore be kept curiously1 even as the apple of the eye1 that cannot be touched1 but will be distempered4 ,careful we must be1 even in the punctilios of duty4 ,men will not lightly lose the least ends of gold4--,trapp4 ,in some bodies1 as trees1 etc41 there is life without sense1 which are things animated1 but not so much with a soul as with a kind of animation2 even as the wicked have some kind of knowledge from grace1 but are not animated by it4 ,or rather the wicked do not live1 indeed1 for life consisteth in action1 and how can he be said truly to live whose words are dead8 ,but keep ,god's commandments1 and live indeed1 live cheerfully with the comfort of this life1 which makes life to be life2 live happily in the life of glory hereafter1 which is the end for which this life is lent us4--,jermin4 ,verse #d4 ,since1 ,o youth1 thou delightest in the intimacy of fair maidens1 lo6 here is by far the loveliest one1 ,wisdom4--,cartwright4 ,wisdom has been represented as a wife1 and here she is called a sister4 ,as ,didymus says 7in ,caten1 p4 #ajd71 ,wisdom is called a mother1 a sister1 and a wife4 ,she is a mother1 because1 through her1 we are children of ,christ2 she is a wife1 because1 by union with her1 we ourselves become parents of that which is good2 she is our sister1 because our love to her is chaste and holy1 and because she1 as well as ourselves1 is the offspring of ,god4 ,such is the love of ,christ1 who is the true ,wisdom1 and who is all in all to the soul4 ,compare ,his own words1 applied to every faithful and obedient soul3 ,the same is my brother1 and my sister1 and mother 7,mark iii4 #ce74 ,do thou love the true faith with sisterly love1 it shall keep thee from the impure love of the strange women of false doctrine 7,bede74--,wordsworth4 ,holiness is positive4 ,sin is negative4 ,the one is to love ,god1 and also our neighbour4 ,the other is not to love ,god or our neighbour4 ,the one shows itself in a positive delight in the abstract holiness2 the other not in a positive delight in the opposite1 viz41 in an abstract sin1 but a delight in women1 a delight in money1 a delight in praise1 a delight in everything except moral purity1 and therefore a delight in things which are innocent when in limits1 and that are only guilty when the soul is let in upon them without curb of superior affection4 ,if a man calls ,wisdom his kinswoman1 then he may love wine or love without moral danger4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-bg4 ,a ,,picture ,,drawn ,,from ,,life4 ,the woman depicted here has been before us twice before4 7,see on chap4 ii4 #af-ai and vi4 #bd47 ,we will therefore confine ourselves in this chapter to the picture of her dupe4 ,he fully justifies his right to the title here given to him1 viz41 a young man void of understanding4 ,i4 ,because he did not wait for temptation to seek him1 but went where he knew it would meet him4 ,those who carry gunpowder upon their persons ought never to go into a blacksmith's forge1 ought never even to approach the door lest some sparks fall upon them4 ,how much more foolish is he who1 knowing that there is a tendency to sin within him1 seeks out the place where the spark will be fanned into a flame4 ,this young man is found near the corner of the house of his temptress1 he went the way to her house4 ,,ii4 ,he goes to ruin with his eyes wide open4 ,the woman's character is plainly written upon her dress and upon her face4 ,there is no pretence at disguise4 ,she boasts of her infidelity to her husband4 ,yet he yields to her invitation2 yet he believes her professions of attachment to himself4 ,the most silly fish that swims will not bite if the steel hook gleams through the bait1 but this simpleton takes the hook without any bait4 ,the ox resists when he feels that he is being driven to death1 but this fool goes deliberately to the house of death4 ,he walks into the snare which he knows has been the death of myriads of his fellow creatures4 ,the remedy for this folly is found in vers4 #a-d4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #e-bg4 ,from the earlier and copious warnings against adultery the one now before us is distinguished by the fact1 that while chapter v4 contrasted the blessings of conjugal fidelity and chaste marital love with unregulated sexual indulgence1 and chapter vi4 #bj-ce particularly urged a contending against the inner roots and germs of the sin of unchastity1 our passage dwells with special fulness upon the temptations from without to the transgression of the sixth commandment4 ,it also sets for the folly and the ruinous consequences of yielding to such temptations1 by presenting an instructive living example4 4 4 4 ,aside from the fact that it is nocturnal rambling that delivers the thoughtless idle youth into the hands of temptation 7verse #i71 and aside from the other significant feature that after the first brief and feeble opposition1 he throws himself suddenly and with the full energy of passion into his self-sought ruin 7verse #bb1 comp4 ,james i4 #ae71 we have to notice here chiefly the important part played by the luxurious and savoury feast of the adulteress1 as a co-operating factor in the allurement of the self-indulgent youth 7verse #ad seq474 ,it is surely not a feature purely incidental1 without deeper significance or design1 that this meal is referred to as preceding the central or chief sin2 for1 that the tickling of the palate with stimulating eats and drinks prepares the way for lust is an old and universal observation 7comp4 ,exod4 xxxii4 #f1 #a ,cor4 x4 #ag1 as also similar passages from the classical authors74--,lange's ,commentary4 ,apart from the external blandishments which are portrayed in this passage1 there belongs to them a power of internal deception the most fallacious and insinuating--and this not merely because of their strength1 and of their fitness to engross the whole man when once they take possession of him1 and so to shut out all reflection and seriousness--those counteractives to evil passions2 but because of their alliance with1 and the affinity which they bear to1 the kindly and benevolent and good feelings of our nature4 ,as the poet says--himself a wild and wayward1 and most dangerously seductive writer--the transition is a most natural one1 from loving much to loving wrong4 ,let all such affections be sedulously kept at bay1 and the occasions of them shunned and fled from1 rather than hazarded and tampered with4 ,let them never be wilfully encountered1 or presumptuously braved and bid defiance to1 lest the victory be theirs2 and no sooner do they win the heart than they war against the soul4--,chalmers4 ,verse #e4 ,this woman not only represents the harlot and the adulteress literally1 but it is also a figure of whatever seduces the soul from ,god1 whether in morals or religion1 and whether in doctrine and practice1 or in religious worship4--,wordsworth4 ,strange1 indeed1 if she alienate us from the very ,god that made her1 and stir the jealousy of the very ,being that gives us our power to love her4 7,hosea ii4 #h47--,miller4 ,verse #f4 ,god is ever at ,his window1 ,his casement is always open to see what thou dost4--,jermin4 ,verse #h4 ,circumstances which give an occasion to sin are to be noticed and avoided4 ,they who love danger fall into it4 ,the youth 7as verse #ba shows7 did not go with the intention of defiling himself with the strange woman1 but to flatter his own vanity by seeing and talking with her1 and hearing her flatteries4 ,it is madness to play with ,satan's edged tools4--,faussett4 ,the beginning of the sad end4 ,the loitering evening walk1 the unseasonable hour 7,job xxiv4 #ae2 ,rom4 xiii4 #ab1 #ac72 the vacant mind4 ,the house was empty1 and therefore ready for the reception of the tempter 7,matt4 xii4 #dd1 #de71 and soon altogether in his possession4 ,how valuable are self-discipline1 self-control1 constant employment1 active energy of pursuit1 as preservatives under the ,divine blessing from fearful danger4--,bridges4 ,verses #g-i4 ,the first character appears on the scene1 young1 simple in the bad sense of the word2 open to all impressions of evil1 empty-headed and empty-hearted2 lounging near the place of ill-repute1 not as yet deliberately purposing to sin1 but placing himself in the way of it2 wandering idly to see one of whose beauty he has heard1 and this at a time when the pure in heart would seek their home4 ,it is impossible not to see a certain symbolic meaning in this picture of the gathering gloom4 ,night is falling over the young man's life as the shadows deepen4--,plumptre4 ,verse #i4 ,he thought to obscure himself1 but ,solomon saw him2 how much more ,god1 before whom night will convert itself into noon1 and silence prove a speaking evidence4 ,foolish men think to hide themselves from ,god1 by hiding ,god from themselves4--,trapp4 ,verse #aj4 ,a careless sinner shall not need to go far to meet with temptation4 ,the first woman met with it almost as soon as she was made1 and who meets not everywhere with the woman ,temptation8--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,though ,i indulge in amours1 do not think ,i am averse to the worship of ,god2 nay1 ,i offer liberally to ,him3 ,he is now therefore appeased1 and will not mind venial offences4--,cartwright4 ,it is of course possible that the worship of ,israel had so degenerated as to lose for the popular conscience all religious significance2 but the hypothesis stated above 7see note at the beginning of the chapter71 affords a simpler explanation4 ,she who speaks is a foreigner who1 under a show of conformity to the religion of ,israel1 still retains her old notions1 and a feast-day is nothing to her but a time of self-indulgence1 which she may invite another to share with her4 ,if we assume1 as probable1 that these harlots of ,jerusalem were mainly of ,phnician origin1 the connection of their worship with their sin would be but the continuation of their original cultus4--,plumptre4 ,an awful portraiture of the mystery of iniquity4 ,it is applicable also to corrupt churches1 especially to the spiritual harlot described by ,st4 ,john in the ,apocalypse4 ,she professes zeal for ,god's house and service1 while she is offending ,him by heretical doctrine1 and insulting ,him by the fascinations of idolatrous worship1 with which she beguiles unwary souls to commit spiritual fornication with her4 7,see ,rev4 xvii4 #a-e2 xviii4 #i47 ,as ,bede says1 following in the steps of ,basil and others3 ,all the description which is here given is true1 in a literal sense1 of the meretricious allurements of an adulteress2 but it is to be interpreted also spiritually4 ,false doctrine tricks herself out with the embellishments of worldly rhetoric and spurious philosophy1 and is ever lurking at the corners of the streets1 to allure and deceive the simple1 and to caress them with her embraces2 and she makes religious professions4 ,she has her couch adorned with heathen embroidery1 and yet sprinkles with the odours of spiritual virtues2 but ,christ says of her in the ,apocalypse1 ,i will cast her into a bed1 and them that commit adultery with her into the great tribulation1 except they repent of their deeds 7,rev4 ii4 #bb74--,wordsworth4 ,the immoral devotionist4 #a4 ,the absurd conduct of those who indulge in immorality1 and think to compound with ,god for so doing1 by paying ,him outward forms of worship4 #b4 ,all external observances vain and useless unless they are accompanied with purity of heart1 and real goodness of life4 ,true religion is an end1 and all external observances are only means leading to that end4 7,see ,micah4 vi4 #e47 ,agreeably to this ,st4 ,paul assures us that the end of the ,christian revelation is to teach men to live soberly1 righteously1 and godly in this present world 7,titus ii4 #ab74 ,and ,christ assures us that no ceremonious method of atonement without practical goodness will entitle us to the rewards of ,christianity 7,matt4 vii4 #ba74 ,all duties enjoined by ,god can be enjoined by ,him only for the good they do us4 ,can a man be profitable unto ,god1 as he that is wise is profitable to himself8 7,job xxii4 #b74 ,and in which way can we possibly conceive how an immoral man can reap any benefit from the mere forms and ceremonies of religion8 ,is there any reason to think that ,god will accept this religious flattery instead of purity of life8 ,no1 rather it is an aggravation of his crimes4 7,see ,isa4 i4 #aa47--,n4 ,ball4 ,verse #ae4 ,o how diligent is wickedness1 thinking that thing never done soon enough which is too soon done at any time6 ,o how diligent a helper is ,satan of wickedness1 administering all opportunities for it6 ,and1 therefore1 as the harlot seeketh diligently1 so she findeth readily4 ,which is the shame of religion in many that profess it1 and who are so slow in the performance of religious duties1 as if they were both servants and masters1 and had the commandments of ,god at their own command1 to do them at their pleasure2 which is a great reason that they are so ill observed4 ,but if they would use their own diligence1 they should find ,god much more diligent to give a blessing to it4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,her coverings of tapestry could not cover her naughtiness1 her carved work could not embellish her own deformed work1 her white ,egyptian linen could not make white her black ,egyptian soul4--,jermin4 ,verse #ag4 ,this might have minded the young man that he was going to his grave1 for the bodies of the dead were so perfumed4 ,such a meditation would much have rebated his edge--cooled his courage4--,trapp4 ,verse #ah4 ,but what if death draw the curtains1 and look in the while8 ,if death do not1 yet guilt will4--,trapp4 ,verse #ai4 ,instead of saying1 ,my husband1 she contemptuously calls him the goodman1 as though he were unconnected with her4--,fausset4 ,man may not be at home1 but ,god is always at home1 whose house is the world3 man may be gone a far journey1 but ,god's journey is at once to be everywhere2 ,his farthest off1 to be present always4 4 4 4 ,she talketh that the goodman was not at home1 but the good woman was not at home either2 she saith that her husband was gone a far journey1 but she herself was gone much farther from her duty4 ,if she had been at home1 to have heard her conscience the home reprover of wickedness1 the goodman1 though not at home1 had not been so much wronged2 if she had not gone far from her covenant1 her husband1 though gone far1 had still been near and present in her heart4--,jermin4 ,our hearts must be guarded against the admission of sin by stronger motives than the fear of detection and disgrace1 for artful solicitors to evil will easily baffle such restraints as these4 ,joseph might have expected his master's favour by complying with the wishes of his mistress1 but the motive that induced him to decline her company was irresistible1--,how can ,i do this great wickedness1 and sin against ,god8--,lawson4 ,verse #bb4 ,he goeth to the slaughter when he thinketh he goeth to the pasture2 or as those oxen brought forth by ,jupiter's priests1 with garlands unto the gates1 but it was for a slain sacrifice 7,acts xiv4 #ac74--,trapp4 ,the butcher's yard would show the meaning of this first similitude4 ,in every sort of way the ox may be coaxed1 and apparently to no purpose4 ,but though he may stand1 ox-like1 like a rock1 yet the experienced herdman knows that he will suddenly start in4 ,this is his nature4 ,one inch may cost a hurricane of blows2 but at a dash1 as the butcher expects1 he will suddenly rush in to his doom4--,miller4 ,verse #be4 ,cut off the beginnings of desire4 ,the first trickling of the crevasse is the manageable1 and therefore1 more culpable1 period of the difficulty4--,miller4 ,verse #bf4 ,as ,solomon himself subsequently was 7,neh4 xiii4 #bf74 ,so ,samson and ,david previously4 ,it is better to learn by the awful example of others than by our own suffering4 ,experience keeps a dear school1 but fools will learn in no other4--,fausset4 ,the house of the harlot had been compared before to the grave1 to the world of the dead2 now it is likened to a battle-field strewn with the corpses of armed men4 ,the word speaks rather of the multitude than of the individual strength of those who have perished4--,plumptre4 ,in a figurative sense1 some of the greatest teachers of ,christendom have been seduced by the allurements of heresy1 and have been cast down from their place in the firmament of the ,church1 like stars falling from heaven4--,wordsworth4 ,the valour of men hath oft been slaved by the wiles of a woman4 ,witness many of your greatest martialists1 who conquered countries1 and were vanquished of vices4 ,the ,persian kings commanded the whole world1 and were commanded by their concubines4--,trapp4 ,the secret thought that one can saunter toward her house 7verse #h71 and at any time turn back1 is cruelly met by most discouraging examples4 ,the whole passage is the more impressive1 if we consider it as a warning against confidence in strength1 and particularly grand1 if we mark the second clause4 4 4 4 ,all men are strong1 and strong in the most substantial sense4 ,all men1 saved1 are princes 7,rev4 i4 #f72 and they are offered the second place in ,god's kingdom 7,isa4 lxi4 #g47 ,all men are bone of ,christ's bone2 all men are born with a birthright to be kings and priests1 if they choose to be1 and brothers of ,emmanuel4--,miller4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--,places of the paths in the midst of the highways4 ,these ways are roads1 solitary paths1 not streets in the city1 and the delineation proceeds in such an order as to exhibit ,wisdom2 first1 in verse #b1 as a preacher in the open country1 in grove and field1 on mountains and plains1 and then in verse #c1 to describe her public harangues in the cities1 and in the tumult of the multitudes 7,zckler74 #c4 ,at the entrance of its doors1 i4e4 standing on the further side of the gateway 7,zckler7 at the entrance of the avenues 7,stuart74 #d4 ,the ,hebrew words for men are different in the two clauses1 the first signifies men of high position1 the second men of the common sort 7,psa4 xlix4 #b7 7,fausset74 #e4 ,wisdom4 ,this is a different word from the one used in verse #a1 and may be translated subtilty1 or prudence1 and though it is here used in a good sense1 may1 when the context requires it1 be translated artful cunning4 #f4 ,excellent1 literally princely1 generally rendered plain1 evident1 obvious4 #g4 ,mouth1 lit4 palate4 ,speak1 literally meditate2 the word originally meant mutter1 and grew to mean meditate1 because what a man meditates deeply he generally mutters about 7,miller74 #h4 ,froward1 literally distorted1 or crooked4 #i4 ,right to the man of understanding1 and plain to them that have attained knowledge 7,zckler74 ,to the men of understanding they are all to the point 7,delitzsch74 #aa4 ,rubies1 pearls4 #ab4 ,dwell with or inhabit4 ,witty inventions1 skilful plans 7,stuart71 sagacious counsels 7,zckler74 #ad4 ,sound wisdom1 the same word as in chap4 ii4 #g 7see note there74 ,stuart reads here1 ,as for me1 my might is understanding2 ,delitzch1 ,mine is counsel and promotion4 #ag4 ,early1 i4e41 earnestly 7see on ch4 i4 #bh74 #ah4 ,durable4 ,zckler thinks this rather signifies growing4 #ba4 ,inherit substance1 abundance4 #bb4 ,jehovah possessed me4 ,the signification of this verb has been the subject of much discussion2 ancient expositors1 believing ,wisdom here to be the eternal ,son of ,god1 deemed it necessary to reject the translation of the ,septuagint1 etc41 who rendered it created1 as the text then became an argument with ,arians against the eternal co-existence of the ,son4 ,but most modern commentators1 whatever view they take of the signification of ,wisdom1 agree in rejecting the reading of the ,authorised ,version4 ,the majority render it1 created2 ,delitzch reads1 brought me forth2 ,wordsworth and ,miller1 got possession of1 or acquired4 ,wordsworth says1 ,the word occurs about eighty times in the ,old ,testament1 and in only four places beside the present it is translated 'possess2' viz41 ,gen4 xiv4 #ai-bb2 ,psa4 cxxxix4 #ac2 ,jer4 xxxii4 #ae2 ,zech4 xi4 #e2 in the last two it may well have the sense of getting1 and in the former of creating4 #bc4 ,set up1 ,stuart1 ,miller1 and early expositors render anointed2 ,delitzch and ,zckler prefer the ,authorised rendering4 #bf4 ,earth1 etc41 the land and the plains1 or the beginning of the dust of the earth4 #bg4 ,set a compass1 etc41 marked out a circle1 i4e41 when ,he fixed the vault of heaven1 which rests on the face of the ocean4 #cj4 ,as one brought up1 as director of ,his work1 or1 as a builder at ,his side4 #cf4 ,sinneth against1 misseth1 so ,stuart1 ,delitzsch1 and ,miller4 ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,personification ,,of ,,wisdom4--,there has been great discussion among expositors as to who1 or what1 is to be understood by this personification4 ,many modern and all ancient expositors consider that it refers exclusively to the ,divine ,word1 the ,eternal ,son of ,god1 others understand it as relating entirely to an attribute of the ,divine nature4 ,there is a middle view1 which is thus put by ,dr4 ,john ,harris in his sermon on verses #cj-cf3 ,others1 again reply that it refers exclusively to neither--but partly to that wisdom which begins in the fear of the ,lord1 partly to the ,divine attribute of wisdom1 and partly to the ,son of ,god1 the second person in the ,godhead4 ,we cannot do better than give the views of a few eminent expositors and writers4 ,delitzsch thus comments on verse #bb3 ,wisdom takes now a new departure in establishing her right to be heard and to be obeyed and loved by men4 ,as the ,divine ,king in ,psa4 ii4 opposes to ,his adversaries the self-testimony3 ',i will speak concerning a decree6 ,jehovah said unto me1 ,thou art my ,son1 this day have ,i begotten ,thee2' so ,wisdom here unfolds her ,divine patent of nobility2 she originates with ,god before all creatures1 and it the object of ,god's love and joy1 as she also has the object of her love and joy on ,god's earth1 and especially among the sons of men4 7,see his translation of the verb in this verse--,critical ,notes74 ,wisdom is not ,god1 but is ,god's2 she has personal existence in the ,logos of the ,new ,testament1 but is not herself the ,logos2 she is the world idea1 which1 once projected1 is objective to ,god1 and not as a dead form1 but as a living spiritual image2 she is the archetype of the world1 which originating from ,god1 stands before ,god1 the world of the idea which forms the medium between the ,godhead and the world of actual existence1 the communicated spiritual power in the origination and the completion of the world as ,god designed it to be4 ,this wisdom the poet here personifies2 he does not speak of the personal ,logos1 but the further progress of the revelation points to her actual personification in the ,logos4 ,and since to her the poet attributes an existence preceding the creation of the world1 he thereby declares her to be eternal1 for to be before the world is to be before time4 ,for if he places her at the head of the creatures1 as the first of them1 so therewith he does not seek to make her a creature of this world having its commencement in time2 he connects her origination with the origination of the creature only on this account1 because that priori refers and tends to the latter2 the power which was before heaven and earth were1 and which operated at the creation of the earth and of the heavens1 cannot certainly fall under the category of the creatures around and above us4 ,wordsworth1 in accordance with the principle of interpretation set forth in the note at the beginning of chapter vii4 says1 ,we should be taking a very low1 unworthy1 and inadequate view of the present and following magnificent and sublime chapters4 4 4 4 ,if we did not behold ,him who is essential wisdom1 the co-eternal ,son of ,god1 and recognise here a representation of ,his attributes and prerogative4 ,the arguments in favour of this view are thus summed up by ,fausset3 ,wisdom is here personal ,wisdom--the ,son of ,god4 ,for many personal predicates are attributed to ,him3 thus1 subsistence by or with ,god1 in verse #cj2 just as ,john i4 #a saith1 ',the ,word was with ,god1' which cannot be said of a mere attribute4 ,moreover1 the mode of subsistence imparted is generation1 verse #bb1 #bd1 #be 7see ,,critical ,,notes74 ,in verse #bb ,god is said to have possessed or acquired wisdom1 not by creation 7,psa4 civ4 #bd71 nor by adoption1 as ,deut4 xxxii4 #f1 ,psa4 lxxiv4 #b1 but by generation4 ,the same verb is used by ,eve of her firstborn 7,gen4 iv4 #a74 ,moreover1 other attributes are assigned to ,wisdom1 as if she were not an attribute but a person--'counsel1' 'strength1' etc4 ,also1 she has the feelings of a person 7verse #ag73 ',i love them that love me4' ,she does the acts of a person4 ,she enables kings to rule1 and invests them with authority 7verses #ae1 #af74 ,she takes part in creation1 as one brought up1 or nursed1 in the bosom of the ,father1 as the only-begotten of ,his love 7,john i4 #ah74 ,she cries aloud as a person 7verses #a-d71 and her 'lips' and 'mouth' are mentioned 7verses #f1 #g74 ,she is the delight of the ,father1 and she in turn delights in men 7verses #cj1 #ca71 answering to the rapturous delight into which the ,father breaks forth concerning ,messiah 7,isa4 xliii4 #a2 ,matt4 iii4 #ag1 xvii4 #e2 ,eph4 i4 #f74 ,she builds a house1 prepares a feast1 and sends forth her maidens to invite the guests 7ch4 ix4 #a-c74 ,all which admirably applies to ,messiah1 who builds the ,church1 as ,his house1 upon ,himself the rock 7,matt4 xvi4 #h1 etc471 and invites all to the ,gospel feast 7,luke xiv4 #af1 etc474 ,he is ,wisdom itself absolute1 and as the ,archetype1 from ,him wisdom imparted flows to others4 ,as such1 ,he invites us to learn wisdom from ,him who is its source1 'counsel' and 'sound wisdom' 7ver4 #ad71 are in ,him as attributes are in their subject1 and as effects are in their cause4 ,the parallel 7ch4 i4 #bj1 #bc71 ',i will pour out my spirit unto you' 7see ,john vii4 #ch71 conforms the personal view4 ,the same truth is confirmed by the reproof 7ch4 i4 #bd71 ',because ,i have called1' etc41 compared with ,christ's own words 7,matt4 xi4 #bh1 etc47 ,so ,christ is called the ,wisdom of ,god 7,col4 ii4 #c74 ,as ,wisdom here saith ',i was set up1' or 'anointed from everlasting1' so the ,father saith of ,messiah1 ',i have set' or 'anointed my king' etc4 7,psa4 ii4 #f74 ,as in verse #bd1 ,wisdom is said to be 'brought forth' or begotten by ,god before the world1 and to have been by ,him in creating all things 7verses #bg-cj71 so ,messiah is called the ',son of ,god1' and is said to have been with ,god in the beginning1 and to have made all things 7,john4 i4 #a-c7 and to have been begotten before every creature 7,col4 i4 #ae-ag72 and ,his goings forth are said1 in ,mic4 v4 #b1 to have been from of old1 from everlasting4 ,the argument for the opposite view is thus stated by ,dr4 ,wardlaw3 ,the objections to its meaning ,christ1 or the ,word1 are1 to my mind1 quite insuperable4 ,for example3 7#a7 ,the passage is not so applied in any part of the ,new ,testament4 ,i do not adduce this consideration as any direct objection to the interpretation in question4 ,i mean no more than this1 that from its not being so explained there1 we are relieved from any necessity of so explaining it4 ,such necessity1 then1 being thus precluded1 the direct objections may be allowed to have their full force4 ,observe1 then 7#b71 ,wisdom here is a female personage4 ,all along this is the case4 ,now1 under such a view1 the ,scripture nowhere else1 in any of their figurative representations of 'the ,christ1' ever thus describe or introduce ,him4 ,the application1 on this account1 appears to be exceedingly unnatural4 7#c7 ,wisdom does not appear intended as a personal designation1 inasmuch as it is associated with various other terms1 of synonymous1 at least1 of corresponding import 7verse #a1 chap4 iii4 #ai1 #bj74 ,were it meant for a personal designation1 like the ,logos or ,word in the beginning of ,john's ,gospel1 this would hardly have been admissible4 7#d7 ,that the whole is bold and striking personification of the attribute of ,wisdom1 as subsisting in the ,deity1 appears further from what she is represented as saying in verse #ab3 ',i1 ,wisdom1 dwell with prudence1 and find out knowledge of witty inventions4' ,here ,wisdom is associated with prudence2 and the import of the association is1 that ,wisdom directs to the best ends1 and to the choice of the best means for their attainment2 and prudence1 or discretion1 teaches to shun whatever might1 in any way or degree1 interfere with and impede1 or mar their accomplishment4 ,this is precisely what wisdom1 as an attribute or quality1 does4 ,and it is worthy of remark1 that this association of wisdom with prudence1 is introduced by the ,apostle as characterising the greatest of the ,divine inventions and works--that of our redemption4 ,wisdom was associated with prudence in framing and perfecting that wonderful scheme 7,ephes4 i4 #g1 #h74 7#e7 ,it is very true that there are many things here1 especially in the latter part of the chapter--indeed through the whole--that are1 in a very interesting and striking manner1 applicable to the ,divine ,messiah4 ,but this is no more than might have been anticipated1 that things which are true of a ,divine attribute should be susceptible of application to a ,divine person4 ,we quote1 in conclusion1 the remarks of ,dr4 ,aiken1 the ,american editor and translator of this portion of ,lange's ,commentary3 ,the error in our ,english exegetical and theological literature with respect to our passage has been1 we think1 the attempt to force upon it more of distinctness and precision in the revelation of the mysteries of the ,divine ,nature than is disclosed by a fair exegesis4 4 4 4 ,if it be not unworthy of the ,holy ,spirit to employ a bold and graphic personification1 many things in this chapter may be said of and by the personified ,wisdom which these authors regard as triumphantly proving that we have here the pre-existent ,christ1 the ,son of ,god4 4 4 4 ,we can1 to say the least1 go no farther than our author has done in discovering here the foreshadowings of the doctrine of the ,logos4 ,we are inclined to prefer the still more guarded statements1 e4g41 of ,dr4 ,pye ,smyth 7,scripture ,testimony to the ,messiah71 that this beautiful picture cannot be satisfactorily proved to be a designed description of the ,saviour's person2 or that of ,dr4 ,john ,harris 7,sermon on chap4 viii4 #cj-cf73 ',at all events1 while1 on the one hand1 none can demonstrate that ,christ is here directly intended1 on the other1 none can prove that ,he is not contemplated2 and perhaps both will admit that1 under certain conditions1 language such as that in our text may be justifiably applied to ,him4 ,one of these conditions is1 that the language be not employed argumentatively1 or in proof of anything related to ,christ1 but only for the purpose of illustration2 and another is1 that when so employed1 it be only adduced to illustrate such views of the ,son of ,god as are already established by such other parts of ,scripture as are admitted by the parties addressed4' ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,wisdom',s ,,call4 ,even if we reject the direct ,messianic interpretation of this chapter1 and understand ,wisdom here to be only a poetical personification of an abstract attribute of ,god1 it would be impossible1 we think1 for any minister of the ,new ,testament to teach from it1 and not find his way to ,him who was in the beginning with ,god 7,john i4 #b71 to the ,christ who is the ,wisdom of ,god 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bd71 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge 7,col4 ii4 #c74 ,to say the least1 the language is admirably adapted to set forth the ,incarnate ,son1 the ,saviour of the world4 ,the introductory paragraph reveals the intense desire of ,wisdom to win disciples4 ,i4 ,from her taking the initiative4 ,wisdom addresses man first4 ,when two persons have become estranged by the wrong-doing of one1 he who is in the wrong will be slow to find his way back to the other to acknowledge his fault4 ,because he is in the wrong he may conclude1 and in many cases would rightly conclude1 that an advance on his side would be useless4 ,but an advance from him who is in the right would be more likely to be successful2 such a course of conduct on his part would carry with it a powerful magnetic force to draw the offender back1 and would be a most convincing proof of the desire of him who had been rightly offended to effect a reconciliation4 ,and if the offence had been committed1 not once1 but many times1 the reluctance of the offender to face his offended friend would be increased in proportion to the number of times the act had been repeated1 and if1 notwithstanding these repeated offences1 advances should continue to be made from the other side1 the desire for reconciliation would be made more and more manifest4 ,wisdom is here represented in this light1 and ,god in ,christ did take the initiative in reconciling the world unto ,himself 7#a ,cor4 v4 #ai74 ,the ,incarnate ,wisdom came to men because men would not1 and could not1 by reason of their moral inability1 come to ,him first4 ,in proportion to the distance men wander from ,god do they feel the impossibility of returning to ,him unless they can receive from ,him some encouragement to do so4 ,this encouragement they have in the fact that the ,son of ,man came to seek and save that which was lost 7,matt4 xviii4 #aa71 that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us 7,rom4 v4 #h74 ,,ii4 ,from the variety of places where ,wisdom's voice is heard 7verses #b and #c74 ,if a man has goods to sell1 he seeks those places where he will be most likely to find buyers2 if he has thoughts which he wishes to make public1 he goes where he will find the most hearers4 ,the pilot has wisdom which he wants to sell the less experienced ship-master1 and he runs his cutter out into the highway of the channel4 ,he is found at the entrance of the gates of the water-ways1 at the mouths of the rivers2 he places himself in the way of those who need his wisdom1 and who will pay a good price for his skill4 ,in proportion to a man's earnestness to obtain a market1 or a hearing1 will be his endeavour to seek out the places where he will most likely succeed4 ,wisdom is here represented as frequenting the most conspicuous places1 the most crowded thoroughfares1 to find buyers for that spiritual instruction which is to be had without money and without price 7,isa4 lv4 #a74 ,christ was found imparting the treasures of ,his wisdom wherever men would listen to ,his words4 ,he went up into a mountain and taught 7,matt4 v4 #a74 ,he was found in the streets of the cities1 in the temple1 at the publican's feast 7,luke v4 #bg71 in a boat on the shore of the lake4 ,when multitudes were gathered at ,jerusalem at the feasts1 ,he was among them 7,john vii4 #ad and #cg74 ,at other times ,he went about all the cities and villages1 teaching in their synagogues1 and proclaiming the ,gospel of the kingdom 7,matt4 ix4 #ce74 ,and thus ,he revealed ,his intense desire to give unto men those words which ,he declares to be spirit and life 7,john vi4 #fc74 ,,iii4 ,from the earnest tone of her call4 ,doth not ,wisdom cry4 ,when the voice of ,christ was heard upon earth it was in no indifferent tone ,he addressed ,his hearers4 ,he was moved with compassion towards the multitudes who followed ,him 7,matt4 xiv4 #ad74 ,on the great day of the feast ,he stood and cried1 saying1 ,if any man thirst1 let him come unto ,me and drink 7,john vii4 #cg74 ,with what earnestness must ,he have uttered ,his lament over ,jerusalem3 ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace 7,luke xix4 #db74 ,a man's tone is more or less earnest to us in proportion as he gives proof that he is willing to follow up words by deeds4 ,judged in this light1 how earnest must the call of ,christ to men sound when they consider that ,he was willing to face ,gethsemane and ,calvary to give effect to ,his words4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 i4 #bj1 #ba4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,she crieth by the written word1 by ministers1 and by the dealings of ,providence4 ,instead of the clandestine whisper of the adulteress in the dark1 ,wisdom puts forth her voice openly in the day1 and in a style suitable to every capacity1 so that all are left without excuse if they reject her1 preferring darkness to light4--,fausset4 ,the eternal ,son of ,god gathers1 plants1 builds ,his church by a voice i4e41 ,his ,word4 ,all true teachers of the ,word are crying voices through which ,christ calls4 ,out of ,christ's school is no true wisdom4 ,so long as ,christ's wisdom is still speaking outside thee it avails thee nothing2 but when thou allowest it to dwell in thee it is thy light and life4--,egard4 ,we cannot promulgate as doctrine1 but we think the last day will show that wisdom plied every art2 that what was1 all things working together for good in behalf of the believer1 was something analogous in tendency in the instance of the sinner2 that if the sinner thought his lot defeated repentance1 he was mistaken2 or that1 could he have fared otherwise1 his chances would have been improved3 all this was largely error2 moreover1 that he will be held accountable at last for quite the opposite1 and punished for a life singularly favoured and frequently adapted as the very best to lead him to salvation4--,miller4 ,in her ministers1 who are criers by office1 and must be earnest 7,isa4 lviii4 #a74 ,see an instance in holy ,bradford4 ,i beseech you1 saith he1 ,i pray you with hand1 pen1 tongue1 and mind1 in ,christ1 through ,christ1 for ,christ1 for ,his name1 blood1 mercy1 power1 and truth's sake1 my most entirely beloved that you admit no doubting of ,god's final mercies towards you4 ,here was a lusty crier indeed4--,trapp4 ,this form of interrogation1 which expects as its answer an assenting and emphatic yes1 truly1 points to the fact clearly brought to view in all that has preceded1 that ,wisdom bears an unceasing witness in her own behalf in the life of men4--,zckler4 ,verse #b4 ,standeth implies assiduous perseverance4 ,instead of taking her stand in dark places1 in a corner1 like the harlot 7chap4 vii4 #i71 she standeth in the top of high places4--,fausset4 ,wisdom is representing as haunting all human paths4 ,folly lives upon them1 too4 ,wisdom does not claim them as her own2 ,folly does4 ,wisdom has but one path4 ,and she haunts every other to turn men out of such diverse journeyings into the one great track of holiness and truth4--,miller4 ,verse #c4 ,thereby intending 7#a7 to reach the whole concourse of the lost1 and 7#b7 to make human life at these great rallying places of men1 speak its own lessons1 and utter the loudest warnings against the soul's impenitence4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #d-i4 ,,god',s ,,speech ,,meeting ,,man',s ,,need4 ,i4 ,divine ,wisdom has spoken because ,god's silence would be human death4 ,when a man is lying in prison awaiting the execution of the extreme penalty of the law1 after he has petitioned the monarch for a reprieve1 the silence of the monarch is a permission that the sentence is to be carried out4 ,his silence is a death-knell to the criminal who has asked for pardon4 ,it is an anticipation of the steel of the executioner1 of the rope of the hangman4 ,he longs for the word that would bring pardon4 ,there is death in the silence4 ,in the history of men's lives there are many other instances when the silence of those whom they desire to speak embitters their life4 ,there are many who keep silence whose speech would fall upon the heart of those who long for it1 as the dew and gentle rain falls upon the parched earth4 ,a word or a letter would be like a new lease of life1 but the silence brings a sorrow which is akin to death1 which perchance is the death of all that makes life to be desired4 ,a parent who has no word from his absent son goes down in sorrow to the grave4 ,jacob was thus going down mourning when the words of ,joseph reached him4 ,then his spirit revived 7,gen4 xlv4 #bg71 and the aged1 sorrowful patriarch renewed his youth4 ,the life of man--all that is worth calling life--depends upon ,god's breaking the silence between earth and heaven4 ,his silence is that which is most dreaded by those who have heard ,his voice4 ,hence their prayer is1 ,be not silent unto me2 let1 if ,thou be silent unto me1 ,i become like them that go down into the pit 7,psa4 xxviii4 #a74 ,if a man had been left without any communication from ,god1 he must have remained spiritually dead throughout his term of probation4 ,for he is by nature what is called in ,scripture1 carnally-minded1 which is death 7,rom4 viii4 #e74 ,every man1 if left to himself1 forms habits of thinking and of acting that cause him to be tied and bound with the chain of his sins4 ,and if ,god had not spoken he must have remained in this condition1 which is spiritual death4 ,therefore1 ,god has broken this silence with an ,awake1 thou that sleepest1 and arise from the dead 7,ephes4 v4 #ad74 ,the nations were walking in the darkness and the shadow of death when the light shined upon them 7,luke i4 #gi71 in the person of ,him who is the ,word and the ,wisdom of ,god1 who1 ,himself1 declared ,the words that ,i speak unto you1 they are spirit1 and they are life2 ,i am come that they might have life1 and that they might have it more abundantly 7,john vi4 #fc1 x4 #aj74 ,,ii4 ,human nature needs the voice of ,divine ,wisdom because the soul cannot rest upon uncertainties 7verses #f-h74 ,if a man is in the dark upon any subject1 he is in a condition of unrest2 there is a desire within him to rise from the state of probability to one of certainty4 ,if a boy works a sum and does not know how to prove that it is right1 he does not feel that satisfaction at having completed his task that he would do if he could demonstrate that the answer was correct4 ,after all his labour he has only arrived at a may-be4 ,so the result of all efforts of man's unaided reasonings concerning himself and his destiny was but a sum unproved4 ,there was no certainty after ages of labourious conjecture4 ,there might be a future life and immortality1 but it could not be positively affirmed4 ,although the sum might be right there was a possibility that it was wrong4 ,the world by wisdom arrived at no certain conclusions in relation to the ,divine character and the chief end of man1 and uttered but an uncertain sound on the life beyond the grave4 ,how can man be just with ,god8 ,if a man die shall he live again8 were never fully and triumphantly answered until the ,incarnate ,word stood by ,his own empty grave and said1 ,i ascend unto my ,father and your ,father1 and to my ,god and your ,god 7,john xx4 #ag74 ,he brought rest to the weary and heavy laden 7,matt4 xi4 #bh71 because ,his words were truth1 and plainness1 and certainty 7see verses #f-h72 before they had been only error1 or obscurity1 or conjecture4 ,,iii4 ,the wisdom of ,god is appreciated by those who have realised its adaptation to human needs4 7,ver4 #i47 ,there is a twofold knowledge1 or understanding1 of ,divine truth1 as there is of much else with which we are acquainted4 ,there is an acquaintance with the general facts of ,divine revelation--a theoretical understanding of its suitableness to the needs of men1 and there is a knowledge which arises from an experience of its adaptation to our personal need--a practical understanding which springs from having received a personal benefit4 ,the chemist knows that a certain drug possesses qualities adapted to cure a particular malady1 but if he comes to experience its efficacy in the cure of the disease in his own body1 he has a knowledge which far surpasses the merely theoretical4 ,it is then plain to him from an experimental understanding4 ,the wisdom of ,god in the abstract1 or in the personal ,logos1 is allowed by many to be adapted to the spiritual needs of the human race4 ,they see the philosophy of the plan of salvation in the general1 but its wonderful adaptation and rightness is only fully revealed when they have found the knowledge by an experimental reception of ,christ into their own hearts4 ,to him that thus understands all is plain4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #d4 ,christ offers ,himself as a ,saviour to all the human race4 ,i4 ,the most awakening truth in all the ,bible4 ,it is commonly thought that preaching the holy law is the most awakening truth in the ,bible1 and1 indeed1 ,i believe this is the most ordinary means which ,god makes use of4 ,and yet to me there is something far more awakening in the sight of a ,divine ,saviour freely offering ,himself to every one of the human race4 4 4 4 ,does it not show that all men are lost--that a dreadful hell is before them8 ,would the ,saviour call so loud and so long if there was no hell8 ,,ii4 ,the most comforting truth in the ,bible4 ,if there were no other text in the whole ,bible to encourage sinners to come freely to ,christ1 this one alone might persuade them4 ,christ speaks to the human race4 ,instead of writing down every name ,he puts all together in one word1 which includes every man1 woman1 and child4 ,,iii4 ,the most condemning truth in all the ,bible4 ,if ,christ be freely offered to all men1 then it is plain that those who live and die without accepting ,christ shall meet with the doom of those who refuse the ,son of ,god4--,mc,cheyne4 ,they are called to repentance1 they are called to the remission of their sins2 they may and must repent1 and they1 by repentance1 are sure of pardon for all their sins4 ,the good angels have not sinned1 the bad angels cannot repent2 it is man that hath done the one1 it is man that must do the other4--,jermin4 ,o men4 ,some render it1 ,o ye eminent men1 7see ,critical ,notes71 whether for greatness of birth1 wealth1 or learning4 ,but the world by wisdom knows not ,god 7#a ,cor4 i4 #ba72 and not many wise men1 not many mighty1 not many noble1 are called 7verse #bf74 ,and yet they shall not want for calling1 if that would do it4 ,but all to little purpose1 for most part4 ,they that lay their heads upon down pillows cannot so easily hear noises4 ,the sons of men1 i4e41 to the meaner sorts of people4 ,these1 usually1 like little fishes1 bite more than bigger4 ,the poor are gospelised1 saith our ,saviour4 ,smyrna was the poorest1 but the best of the seven churches4--,trapp4 ,several ways whereby ,god addresses ,himself to men4 ,how different the method which ,god uses towards the rational from that which ,he uses towards the material world4 ,in the world of matter ,god has not only fixed and prescribed certain laws according to which the course of nature shall proceed1 but ,he is ,himself the sole and immediate executor of those laws4 4 4 4 ,it is to ,himself that ,he has set those laws1 and it is by ,himself that they are executed4 ,but ,he does not deal so with the world of spirits4 ,he does not here execute the laws of love1 as ,he does there the laws of motion4 ,he contents ,himself to prescribe laws1 to make rational applications1 to speak to spirits4 ,he speaks to them because they are rational1 and can understand what ,he says1 and ,he does but speak to them because they are free4 ,and this ,he does in several ways4 #a4 ,by the natural and necessary order and connection of things4 ,god1 as being the ,author of nature1 is also the author of that connection that results from it between some actions and that good and evil that follows upon them1 and which must therefore not be considered as mere natural consequences1 but as a kind of rewards and punishments annexed to them by the ,supreme ,lawgiver1 ,god having declared by them1 as by a natural sanction1 that 'tis ,his will and pleasure that those actions which are attended with good consequences should be done1 and that those which are attended with evil consequences should be avoided4 ,not that the law has its obligation from the sanction1 but these natural sanctions are signs and declarations of the will of ,god4 #b4 ,by sensible pleasure and pain4 ,a thing which everybody feels1 but which few reflect upon1 yet there is a voice of ,god in it4 ,for does not ,god1 by the frequent and daily return of these impressions1 continually put us in mind of the nature and capacity of our souls1 that we are thinking beings1 and beings capable of happiness and misery1 which because we actually feel in several degrees1 and in several kinds1 we may justly think ourselves capable of in more1 though how far1 and in what variety1 it be past our comprehension exactly to define4 #c4 ,by that inward joy which attends the good1 and by that inward trouble and uneasiness which attends the bad state of the soul4 ,this is a matter of universal experience4 ,it is ,god that raineth this pleasure or this pain in us1 and that thus differently rewards or punishes the souls of men1 and thus1 out of ,his infinite love1 is pleased to do the office of a private monitor to every particular man1 by smiling upon him when he does well1 and by frowning upon him when he does ill1 that so he may have a mark to discern1 and an encouragement to do his duty4--,john ,norris4 ,verse #e4 ,a man may be acutely shrewd and yet be a fool1 and that in the very highest sense4 ,nor is this a mere mystic sense4 ,he must be a fool actually1 and of the very plainest kind1 who gives the whole labour of a life1 for example1 to increase his eternal agonies4--,miller4 ,the heart is frequently used1 simply for the mind or seat of intellect as well as for the affections2 so that an understanding heart might mean nothing different from an intelligent mind4 ,at the same time1 since the state of the heart affects to such a degree the exercise of the judgment1 an understanding heart may signify a heart freed from the influence of those corrupt affections and passions by which the understanding is perverted1 and its vision marred and destroyed4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #f4 ,the discoveries of ,wisdom relate to things of the highest possible excellence2 such as the existence1 character1 works1 and ways of ,god2 the soul2 eternity2 the way of salvation--the means of eternal life4 ,and they are1 on all subjects1 right4 ,they could not1 indeed1 be excellent themselves1 how excellent soever in dignity and importance the subjects to which they are related1 unless they were right4 ,but all her instructions are so4 ,they are true in what regards doctrine1 and holy1 just1 and good in what regards conduct or duty4 ,there is truth without any mixture of error1 and rectitude without any alloy of evil4--,wardlaw4 ,right for each man's purposes and occasions4 ,the ,scriptures are so penned that every man may think they speak of him and his affairs4 ,in all ,god's commands there is so much rectitude and good reason1 could we but see it1 that if ,god did not command them1 yet it were our best way to practise them4--,trapp4 ,the teaching is not trifling1 though addressed to triflers4 ,right things--things which are calculated to correct your false notions1 and set straight your crooked ways4--,adam ,clarke4 ,verse #i4 ,if aught in ,god's ,word does not seem to us right1 it is because we1 so far1 have not found true knowledge4 ,to those who have bloodshot eyes1 white seems red 7,lyra74 ,he who would have the sealed book opened to him must ask it of the ,lamb who opens the book 7,rev4 v4 #d-i74--;,fausset4 ,the first part of this verse wears very much the aspect of a truism4 ,but it is not said1 ,they are plain to him that understandeth them2 but simply to him that understandeth4 ,it seems to signify1 who has the understanding necessary to the apprehension of ,divine truth--spiritual discernment4 ,he who is spiritual discerneth all things4 ,they are all plain to him who thus understandeth4 ,it may further be observed1 how very much depends1 in the prosecution of any science1 for correct and easy apprehension of its progressive development to the mind1 on the clear comprehension of its elementary principles4 ,the very clearest and plainest demonstrations1 in any department of philosophy1 will fail to be followed and to carry conviction--will leave the mind only in wonder and bewildering confusion1 unless there is a full and correct acquaintance with principles or elements1 or a willingness to apply the mind to its attainment4 ,so in ,divine science4 ,there are1 in regard to the discoveries of the ,divine ,word1 certain primary principles1 which all who are taught of ,god know1 and which they hold as principles of explanation for all that the ,word reveals4 ,they who are thus taught of ,god1 perceive with increasing fulness the truth1 the rectitude1 the unalloyed excellence of all the dictates of ,divine wisdom4 ,all is plain--all right4 ,the darkness that brooded over the mind is dissipated4 ,they have an unction from the ,holy ,one1 and know all things 7#a ,john ii4 #bj74--,wardlaw4 ,when a man gets the knowledge of himself1 then he sees all the threatenings of ,god to be right4 ,when he obtains the knowledge of ,god in ,christ1 then he finds that all the promises of ,god are right--yea and amen4--,adam ,clarke4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj1 #aa4 ,,wisdom ,,better ,,than ,,wealth4 ,i4 ,wisdom is to be preferred to wealth because it belongs to a higher sphere4 ,the wisdom by which men succeed in finding gold and silver reveals the superiority of mind over matter4 ,the apparatus of the miner or digger reveals that his thought1 by which he is enabled to find the precious metal1 is more than the metal itself4 ,the precious stones which the merchant gains by trading are inferior to the wisdom he puts in operation to gain them1 even though it is a wisdom which is only devoted to gaining money4 ,the mental power which he puts forth shows that he is possessed of intelligence1 which1 belonging to the region of mind1 belongs to a higher sphere than material wealth4 ,when the wisdom is that spoken of in the text1 the wisdom which springs from the very ,fountain of goodness1 it is not only preferable because it is the offspring of mind1 but because it belongs to the higher region of spiritual purity4 ,,ii4 ,wisdom is to be preferred to wealth1 because it had an existence before wealth4 ,the world1 with all its precious stones1 and rich mines of gold and silver1 is but of yesterday compared with wisdom4 ,the mental and spiritual wealth of ,god was before matter2 upon that wisdom--as we learn in this chapter--depended the existence of the material 7vers4 #bb-cb2 chap4 iii4 #ai1 #bj74 ,mental wealth is eternal1 material wealth belongs only to time4 ,gold had a beginning1 because the earth had a birthday1 but wisdom is as old as ,god4 ,,iii4 ,wisdom is to be preferred to wealth1 because it is an absolute necessity to man's well-being1 which gold is not4 ,the first man1 in his state of sinlessness1 had no need of what men now call wealth1 but wisdom--spiritual wisdom--was absolutely necessary to his continuation in a state of blessedness4 ,men need worldly1 intellectual wisdom1 even to make money4 ,many who inherit wealth lose it because they lack wisdom to use it rightly4 ,but they can be blest without wealth1 but not without the wisdom which leads to holiness4 ,wealth may bring pleasure with it1 but to do so it must be united to true wisdom4 ,many who roll in riches have no pleasure in them2 sometimes their very wealth adds to their unhappiness4 ,mental wealth enables men to extract some enjoyment from material wealth1 but the riches of goodness makes gold and silver a means of increasing men's happiness4 ,,iv4 ,wisdom is to be preferred to wealth1 because the latter may be destructive to character1 and the former is its constructive power4 ,many men have been morally destroyed by their riches4 ,but true wisdom is that by which a holy character is formed1 the sustenance of the spiritual life4 ,riches may ruin2 the wisdom which ,god gives to those who seek it at ,his hand can but bless4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #aj4 ,thou canst not make as thy chief aim the acquisition of silver and that of true wisdom at one and the same time1 for those aims mutually conflict1 and each claims the whole man 7,matt4 vi4 #bd74 ,to accept the one involves the rejection of the other as the chief portion4 ,he who lives for money is void of wisdom 7,luke xii4 #af1 #bj71 and is called in ,scripture a fool4--,fausset4 ,had it been said1 ,receive silver1 who would not have held out his hand to receive it8 ,had it been said1 ,receive gold1 who would not have been forward and glad with both his hands to have taken it8 ,but it is instruction and not silver1 wherein1 lest a worldly heart be afraid that the taking of silver were forbidden him1 the next words show the meaning1 that is but instruction rather than silver1 as it is knowledge rather than gold4 4 4 4 ,he that seeketh gold and silver diggeth up much earth1 but finds little of them1 but he that receiveth instruction and knowledge1 which are1 indeed1 of a golden nature1 even in a little shall get and find much4 ,wherefore ,clemens ,alexandrinus saith1 ,it is in the soul that riches are1 and they alone are riches whereof the soul alone is the treasure4--,jermin4 ,the first warning uttered by this wisdom from above is the repetition of a former word4 ,the repetition is not vain4 ,another stroke so soon on the same place indicates that he who strikes feels a peculiar hardness there4 ,the love of money is a root of evil against which the ,bible mercifully deals many a blow4 ,there lies one of our deepest sores4 ,thanks be to ,god for touching it with line upon line of ,his healing ,word4 4 4 4 ,a ship bearing a hundred emigrants has been driven from her course and wrecked on a desert island1 far from the tracks of men4 ,the passengers get safe ashore with all their stores4 ,there is no way of escape1 but there are means of subsistence4 ,an ocean unvisited by ordinary voyagers circles round their prison1 but they have seed1 with a rich soil to receive1 and a genial climate to ripen it4 ,ere any plan has been laid1 or any operation begun1 an exploring party returns to head quarters reporting the discovery of a gold mine4 ,thither instantly the whole company resort to dig4 ,they acquire and accumulate heaps of gold4 ,the people are quickly becoming rich4 ,but the spring is past1 and not a field has been cleared1 not a grain of seed has been committed to the ground4 ,the summer comes1 and their wealth increases1 but the store of food is small4 ,in harvest they begin to discover that their stores of gold are worthless4 ,a cart-load of it cannot satisfy a hungry child4 ,when famine stares them in the face a suspicion shoots across their fainting hearts that their gold has cheated them4 ,they loathe the bright betrayer4 ,they rush to the woods1 fell the trees1 till the ground1 and sow the seed4 ,alas6 it is too late6 ,winter has come1 and their seed rots in the soil4 ,they die of want in the midst of their treasures4 ,this earth is a little isle--eternity the ocean round it4 ,on this shore we have been cast1 like shipwrecked sailors4 ,there is a living seed2 there is an auspicious spring time2 the sower may eat and live4 ,but gold mines attract us2 we spend our spring there--our summer there3 winter overtakes us toiling there1 with heaps of hoarded dust1 but destitute of the bread of life4--,arnot4 ,verse #aa4 ,first1 because everything else without it is a curse1 and with it just what is needed2 second1 because it is necessary to all beings1 and even to ,god himself1 as the spring of action2 third1 because it is glory and wealth in its very nature4--,miller4 ,surely he that thinketh himself adorned with precious stones1 showeth himself to be of less price than the stones are4 ,to whom ,clemens well applieth that saying of ,apelles1 who1 when one of his scholars had painted ,helena set out with much gold1 said unto him1 ,alas1 poor young man1 when thou could'st not draw her fair thou hast made her rich4 for so1 when many have neglected the jewel of the soul they seek to prank out the body with jewels4--,jermin4 ,the wisdom of goodness1 or virtue4 #a4 ,is absolutely and without any limitation good1 absolutely and without any limitation useful and desirable4 ,it alone can never be misapplied1 can never be criminal4 ,this we cannot pronounce of any other good4 ,riches may be a snare1 honours a burden1 even the endowments of the mind may be a snare to us4 #b4 ,it is far more unchangeable than the value of all other goods and endowments4 ,the value of riches is regulated by our wants and the wants of the society in which we live4 ,the value of honour changes according to the opinions1 the usages1 the political institutions of mankind4 ,the value of sensual pleasure depends much on our constitution1 age1 and health4 ,even the value of mental endowments is subjection to vicissitudes4 ,the value of true wisdom alone is invariably the same4 #c4 ,it is much more independent of station than any other good4 ,riches would cease to be riches if all men lived in abundance4 ,honour would lose much of its value if it gave us no precedence over others4 ,a great proportion of the value of sensual and mental pleasures would be reduced to nothing if every man possessed them1 and each in the same degree4 ,but no man loses anything if another be virtuous likewise1 but if all were virtuous all would infinitely profit thereby4 #d4 ,it has a pre-eminent value1 by the effects it produces in us4 ,it renders us3 7#a7 much better1 7#b7 more useful1 7#c7 more happy4 #e4 ,it alone fits us for a better life4 ,it passes for as much in heaven as it does upon earth1 and much more4 ,it alone assimilates us with ,god4 ,what we call riches1 power1 and knowledge1 are poverty1 weakness1 and darkness1 with ,him4--,zollikofer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,,wisdom ,,and ,,prudence4 ,i4 ,wisdom and prudence are here represented as dwelling together in express unity of action4 ,elster remarks upon this passage3 ,prudence denotes here right knowledge in special cases1 in contrast with the more comprehensive idea of intelligence in general2 the practical realisation of the higher principle of knowledge found in wisdom4 ,prudence is as necessary to wisdom1 as the hand is to the will4 ,prudence asks what is the best time1 the best place1 and the best manner in which to carry out what wisdom has designed4 ,it has therefore been defined as wisdom applied to practice4 ,wisdom decrees that a certain word is to be spoken4 ,prudence decides upon the best time1 place1 and manner in which to say it4 ,prudence must always dwell with wisdom1 if the designs of a wise man are to be brought to a successful issue4 ,in all ,god's plans both are always in operation4 ,consider their manifestation in the plan of redemption4 ,the wisdom of ,god is manifested in the conception of plan4 ,his prudence was shown in the choice of the time1 place1 and manner of the manifestation4 #a4 ,the time was the fulness of time 7,gal4 iv4 #d71 when all the streams of human wisdom and greatness which had been flowing through the world for ages1 had converged into one head and were seen to be powerless to accomplish the regeneration of the world4 ,then ,god sent forth ,his ,son4 #b4 ,the place of the manifestation4 ,when the wisdom of a commander has decided that a battle must be fought1 his prudence is called in to decide where it must take place1 where all lawful advantage will be upon his side4 ,our world was chosen by ,divine prudence as the scene of the battle between the powers of ,good and ,evil because1 seeing that here the human race had been most shamefully defeated by the devil1 it was most fitting that here the ,prince of ,darkness should be defeated by ,one in human form--that the victory should be won where the defeat had been sustained4 #c4 ,the manner in which1 or the means by which1 man's redemption was accomplished4 ,the life of the ,incarnate ,son of ,god was adapted to influence the hearts of men4 ,his death for their sins was calculated as probably no other event could have been1 to beget within them a love which is powerful enough to make them new creatures4 ,the fact that millions of men and women have been thus born to a new life through the cross of ,christ is a revelation of its adaptation to human needs1 and a manifestation that ,divine wisdom dwelt with ,divine prudence in the plan of redemption2 that in this1 as in all ,his other workings1 there is no exhibition of sagacious counsels 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,,ii4 ,divine wisdom and prudence act in union for the promotion of moral ends 7verse #ac74 ,there is a wisdom and prudence which do not act in concert for this purpose1 but for the very opposite4 ,there is a manifestation of prudence choosing the best time1 place1 and method in which to work out an evil design4 ,the plan of the tempter to ruin our first parents was a great display of united wisdom and prudence4 ,the time1 the place1 the means chosen were all calculated to effect the purpose4 ,but the wisdom and prudence of ,god unite to put down sin1 to banish its evil influence from the universe4 ,as we see the combination of wisdom and prudence in the ,father's plan of redemption1 so we see them combined in every act and word of the ,son of ,god while ,he was manifest in the flesh4 ,the means ,he used to silence ,his enemies1 to instruct ,his disciples1 to enlighten the ignorant multitude1 were all revelations of ,his ,divine wisdom and prudence4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,that is1 this spiritual light1 which the very first proverb 7ch4 i4 #b1 #c7 says is holiness2 takes possession of any intellect2 dwells in it2 nay1 makes a dwelling in it2 for holiness can dwell in nothing else2 and that intellect1 though it may be the very mind of ,god1 is stirred up by nothing else to do all that is grand in its total history 7verses #bb-cj74 ,satan1 with such splendid intellect1 what is he but the universe's insanest fool8 ,he toils for worse wages than anybody in the whole creation4 ,but could wisdom get a lodging in that peerless intellect1 what different results6 ,she gets a lodging in our earthly faculties1 and turns us about from sowing to our death1 to a splendid harvest of eternal favour4--,miller4 ,wisdom1 in the most comprehensive aspect1 is to be regarded as giving origin to all arts and sciences1 by which human life is improved and adorned2 as by her inventive skill developing all the varied appliances for the external comfort and well-being of mankind2 as planning the wondrous frame of universal creation1 which1 with all its varied beauty1 fills us1 in the view with astonishment and delight2 and conceiving1 in the depths of eternity1 the glorious scheme--a scheme dark with brightness all along--which secures the happiness of man for ever1 and in which she appears in her noblest and most attractive display1 the whole1 from first to last1 discovering the manifold wisdom of ,god4--,wardlaw4 ,in the first address of ,wisdom 7ch4 i4 #bb-cc71 her words were stern and terrible4 ,the first step in the ,divine education is to proclaim the terrors of the ,lord1 but here she neither promises nor threatens1 but1 as if lost in contemplation1 speaks of her own excellence4 ,prudence4 ,the subtilty of the serpent1 in itself neutral1 but capable of being turned to good as well as evil4 ,wisdom1 high and lofty1 occupied with things heavenly and eternal1 does not exclude1 yea1 rather1 dwells with the practical tact and insight needed for the common life of men4--,plumptre4 ,wisdom here beginneth to draw her own picture1 and with her own pencil4 4 4 4 ,the force of the verse is1 that ,wisdom is there where there is a fitness of worth to entertain her4--,jermin4 ,i draw all into practice1 and teach man to prove by their own experience1 what is that good1 and holy1 and acceptable will of ,god 7,rom4 xii4 #b74--,trapp4 ,all arts among men are the rays of ,divine wisdom falling upon them4 ,whatsoever wisdom there is in the world1 it is but a shadow of the wisdom of ,god4--,charnock4 ,prudence is defined1 wisdom applied to practice2 so1 wherever true wisdom is1 it will lead to action4 4 4 4 ,the farther wisdom proceeds in man the more practical knowledge it gains1 and1 finding out the nature and properties of things1 and the general course of ,providence1 it can contrive by new combinations to produce new results4--,adam ,clarke4 ,verse #ac4 ,to fear retribution is not to hate sin4 ,in most cases it is to love it with the whole heart4 ,it is a solemn suggestion that even the religion of dark1 unrenewed men is in its essence a love of their own sins4 ,instead of hating sin themselves1 their grand regret is1 that ,god hates it4 ,if they could be convinced that the ,judge would regard it as lightly as the culprit1 the fear would collapse like steam under cold water1 and all the religious machinery which it drove would stand still4--,arnot4 ,the godly avoid evil and do good--not merely from habit1 education1 the hope of reward1 or the fear of punishment1 but from hatred of evil and love of goodness4--,cartwright4 ,the affection of hatred as having sin for its object is spoken of in ,scripture as no inconsiderable part of true religion4 ,it is spoken of as that by which true religion may be known and distinguished4--,jon4 ,edwards4 ,wisdom having shown where she dwelleth1 she showeth likewise where she dwelleth not4 4 4 4 ,he that saith1 ,the fear of the ,lord is to hate evil1 is ,himself the ,lord that hateth evil4 ,and1 doubtless1 every one should hate that which ,he hateth1 whom all must love4 ,now1 in an evil way1 there be some ringleaders1 and such are pride1 arrogancy1 and the froward mouth1 for these draw many other after them4 4 4 4 ,and as for the ,eternal ,wisdom1 how much ,he hateth them1 ,his little regard of ,himself showeth plainly and fully4 ,for it was ,his hatred of ,satan's pride1 reigning in wickedness1 as well as ,his love to man captivated by it1 that made ,him to become man2 yea1 a worm1 and no man1 and by ,his humility to destroy pride1 which ,he so greatly hated4--,jermin4 ,it is not only ,divine holiness1 observe1 that hates evil1 it is ,divine wisdom4 ,this conveys to us the important lesson that the will of ,god1 along with his abhorrence of all that is opposed it1 is founded in the best of reasons4 ,all that is evil is contrary to ,his own necessary perfection1 and1 consequently1 to the eternal fitness of things4--,wardlaw4 ,as it is impossible to hate evil without loving good2 and as hatred to evil will lead a man to abandon the evil way1 and love to goodness will lead him to do what is right in the sight of ,god1 under the influence of that ,spirit which has given the hatred to evil1 and the love to goodness2 this implies the sum and substance of true religion1 which is here termed the fear of the ,lord4--,adam ,clarke4 ,god's people partake of the ,divine nature1 and so have ,god-like sympathies and antipathies 7,rev4 ii4 #f74 ,they not only leave sin1 but loathe it1 and are at deadly feud with it4 ,they purge themselves--by this clean fear of ,god 7,psa4 xix4 #g7--;from all pollutions1 not of flesh only1 worldly lusts1 and gross evils1 but of spirit also1 that lie more up in the heart of the country1 as pride1 arrogancy1 etc4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ad-af4 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,true ,,power4 ,i4 ,moral wisdom is the strength of kings4 ,i have strength2 by me kings rule4 ,there is a kind of strength in all wisdom4 ,the serpent's strength is in his subtlety4 ,the strength of the kingdom of darkness consists in a kind of wisdom of which our ,lord speaks1 when ,he says1 ,the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light 7,luke xvi4 #h74 ,many kingdoms have been founded and governed upon the basis of merely human sagacity4 ,but in all such government there are elements of weakness4 ,the foundation of all lasting1 true government is to be found only in moral wisdom1 in other words1 in holiness4 ,that king or ruler will in the long-run have the firmest hold upon his subjects who is himself ruled by ,divine wisdom4 ,his strength will be found in the fact1 that he rules himself before he attempts to rule others4 ,his personal character will be his chief strength4 ,christ ,himself is strong to rule1 because ,he is pre-eminently the ,holy ,one4 ,,ii4 ,without moral wisdom there can be no righteous government4 ,by me princes decree justice4 ,a man's laws will be the outcome of his character4 ,he will not make righteous laws unless he has himself submitted to moral rule4 ,we are assured that all ,god's decrees in relation to all ,his creatures are righteous1 because we know ,him to be altogether righteous4 ,he was been declared by ,him who knows ,him best to be the righteous ,father 7,john xvii4 #be71 therefore we know that only righteous laws can be decreed by ,him4 ,and it is only in proportion as rulers are influenced by ,him1 and partake of ,his character1 that they rule in righteousness4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ad4 ,wisdom's life is a thing of system4 ,it has an assured result4 ,it is the card-building of the spirit4 ,one card supports another4 ,it builds out with a declared dependence to the very end4--,miller4 ,the ,son of ,god is a counsellor1 as ,isaiah calleth ,him2 for ,he is both of the privy council of ,his ,father1 and the adviser of ,his ,church4 ,moreover1 ,he hath strength in ,him1 being the arm of ,god to conquer sin1 with hell and ,satan1 and is able to do whatsoever ,he will4 ,substance 7sound wisdom1 see ,critical ,notes71 or the being of things1 is likewise ,his1 for ,he causeth all creatures to be and subsist4--,muffet4 ,direction how to act in all circumstances and on all occasions must come from wisdom3 the foolish man can give no counsel1 cannot show another how he is to act in the various changes and chances of life4 ,the wise man alone can give this counsel1 and he can give it only as continually receiving instruction from ,god3 for this ,divine ,wisdom can say1 substance1 reality1 essence1 7see ,critical ,notes on ,sound ,wisdom71 all belong to me3 ,i am the fountain whence all are derived4 ,man may be wise1 and good1 and prudent1 and ingenious2 but these he derives from me1 and they are dependently in him4 ,but in me all these are independently and essentially inherent4--,adam ,clarke4 ,many things are done1 but not having counsel for the foundation of them1 are weak and rotten and fall again to nothing4 ,many have understanding what is to be done1 and how to do it1 but have not strength to effect it3 again many have strength of effecting1 but have not understanding how to go about it4 ,but the eternal wisdom hath all4 ,it is no strength which by ,his strength is not supported1 no understanding which by ,his understanding is not enlightened1 no counsel which by ,his counsel is not guided4--,jermin4 ,knowledge is power1 and knowledge in union with wisdom--the ability to use knowledge aright--multiplies the power4 ,in proportion as there is understanding and wisdom1 is there strength--moral and spiritual strength--strength to act and to suffer1 to do and to bear4--,wardlaw4 ,verses #ae1 #af4 ,the chief monarchs of the world come unto their sceptres by the power and permission of the ,son of ,god4 ,lawgivers and counsellors1 by ,his direction and inspiration1 give advice and invent politic laws4 ,inferior rulers keep their places1 countenance1 and authority by ,his assistance1 whereunto they also rise by ,his secret disposing of matters4 ,finally1 judges and justices who used to keep courts and sit on benches1 do by ,him1 from ,him1 and for ,him1 pronounce sentence1 handle matters of state1 execute laws1 and finally determine all cases4--,muffet4 ,here is a ,divine prophecy concerning ,him who said1 ,all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth 7,matt4 xxiii4 #ah71 and who has on ,his head many crowns 7,rev4 xix4 #ab71 and on his vesture and on ,his thigh a name written1 ,king of ,kings1 and ,lord of ,lords 7,rev4 xix4 #af71 and of whom it is written1 that by ,him were all things created1 that are in heaven1 and that are in earth1 visible and invisible1 and ,he is before all things1 and by ,him all things consist 7,col4 i4 #af1 #ag74--,wordsworth4 ,kings are kings only as they are wise1 that is1 wise in the sense of holiness4 ,it does not mean holiness as altogether distinct from virtue1 but holiness as that moral right which belongs to all ranks of moral intelligences4 ,the virtue that belongs to ,god1 and the virtue that belongs to ,gabriel1 and the virtue that remains in man1 and the virtue that is wrecked in hell1 are not all different qualities of moral right1 but are all identically the same4 ,one moral quality inheres in all4 ,government being a moral work1 the man that governs must have a moral heart4 ,and1 as there are no two sorts of virtue1 he truly exercises his kingship just in proportion as he is holy1 i4e41 in the language of this inspired book1 just in proportion as he is spiritually wise4--,miller4 ,every kingdom is a province of the universal empire of the ,king of ,kings4 ,men may mix their own pride1 folly1 and self-will with this appointment4 ,but ,god's providential counter-working preserves the substantial blessing4--,bridges4 ,this language may be considered as implying #a4 ,that human government1 in all its branches1 is the appointment of ,divine wisdom4 #b4 ,that all who sustain positions of authority and power should set habitually under the influence of ,divine wisdom4 #c4 ,that no authority can be rightly exercised1 and no judicial process successfully carried out1 without the direction of ,wisdom4 #d4 ,that ,divine wisdom exercises control over all human agents in the administration of public affairs4--,wardlaw4 ,by me kings reign1 not as if men did behold that book1 and accordingly frame their laws1 but because it worketh in them when the laws which they make are righteous4--,hooker4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag-ba4 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,earnest ,,seekers4 ,i4 ,the mutual love which exists between ,wisdom and her children4 ,there is always a mutual love between a true teacher and a diligent1 receptive pupil1 and the love on each side has a reflex influence on both master and pupil1 and renders it more pleasant to teach1 and more easy to learn4 ,when a child loves his parent1 and the parent is teaching the child1 love oils the wheels of the intellectual powers1 and furnishes a motive power to conquer the lesson4 ,and when the parent feels that he is loved by his child and pupil1 the love is a present reward4 ,there is such a love between ,christ and ,his disciples4 ,peter appealed to ,christ's consciousness of being loved by him when he said1 ,lord1 ,thou knowest all things2 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee 7,john xxi4 #ag74 ,and ,christ loves ,his pupils4 ,greater love hath no man than this1 that a man lay down his life for his friends4 ,as the ,father hath loved me1 so have ,i loved you 7,john xv4 #i1 #ac74 ,this mutual love imparts patience on the one side and perseverance on the other4 ,it was ,christ's first love to us that gave ,him patience to endure the cross and despise the shame 7,heb4 xii4 #b74 ,and it is the responsive love of the disciple that enables ,him to endure unto the end4 ,it is the love that is born of the consciousness of being loved that stirs up to the diligent seeking of the latter clause of the verse1 which expresses-- ,,ii4 ,a certain success to the seekers of wisdom4 ,in ,holy ,scripture earnest seeking and finding are complements of each other4 ,the one does not exist without the other4 ,seeking ensures finding4 ,finding implies seeking4 ,if any man lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 who giveth to all men liberally1 and upbraideth not 7,jas4 i4 #e74 ,god's promise is absolute4 ,it can only fail on one of three suppositions4 #a4 ,that when ,god made the promise ,he had no intention of keeping it1 or--#b4 ,that unforeseen circumstances have since arisen which render ,him unable to fulfil ,his word1 or--#c4 ,that the conditions have not been fulfilled on the part of the seeker4 ,we know that ,god's holiness and omnipotence render the first two impossible1 and therefore1 whenever there is no finding1 we are certain that there has been no real1 earnest seeking4 ,for the promise is limited by the condition1 they that seek me early1 or earnestly4 ,if a traveller has a long journey to perform and many difficulties to overcome in the way1 he shows his determination to arrive safely at his destination by setting out at early dawn4 ,those who are anxious to make a name1 or a fortune1 show their anxiety by rising early and sitting up late4 ,there are degrees of earnestness in seekers after ,divine wisdom as in all other seekers4 ,but those whose seeking is the most earnest will receive the most abundant reward4 ,the ,syro-,phnician woman who besought ,christ to heal her daughter was a type of earnest seekers4 ,she redoubled her efforts as the apparent difficulties increased4 ,she asked1 she sought1 she knocked4 ,and she received not only what she sought1 but a commendation from the ,lord for her earnest seeking 7,matt4 xv4 #bh74 ,,iii4 ,what those find who find ,god4 ,the reward promised to those who seek ,god is ,god ,himself4 ,in finding ,him they find #a4 ,the lasting riches of righteousness 7vers4 #ah1 #ai74 ,this a wealth which will last4 ,however great the satisfaction1 however many the blessings which may flow from the riches of the earth1 passing away is written upon all4 ,yea1 long before the end of life the riches may make themselves wings 7chap4 xxiii4 #e74 ,among many other qualities that make moral wealth incomparably superior to material wealth1 not the least is its durability4 7,see on vers4 #aj1 #aa2 also chap4 iii4 #ae1 #af47 #b4 ,guidance1 ver4 #bj4 7,see on chap4 iii4 #f1 etc47 #c4 ,reality in opposition to shadow1 ver4 #ba4 ,the hungry man who dreams that he is feasting experiences a kind of pleasure4 ,but the feast is only in vision4 ,there is no power in it to appease his hunger1 or nourish his frame4 ,but1 if on awaking1 he finds a table really spread with food1 he then has the substance of that of which in his dreams he had only the shadow4 ,worldly men walk1 the ,psalmist tells us1 in a vain show1 i4e41 in an image1 an unreality 7,psa4 xxxix4 #f74 ,they walk1 says ,spurgeon on this verse1 as if the mocking images were substantial1 like travellers in a mirage1 soon to be filled with disappointment and despair4 ,there are many who dream that they are being satisfied while they are morally asleep4 ,but by and by they awake and find that they have been feeding on visions of the night1 that they have been spending their money for that which was not bread1 and their labour for that which satisfieth not 7,isa4 lv4 #b74 ,to all who are conscious of this soul-hunger1 eternal wisdom here offers substantial heart satisfaction1 a well of water springing up into everlasting life4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ag4 ,the philosopher could say1 that if moral virtue could be seen with mortal eyes1 she would stir up wonderful loves of herself in the hearts of the beholders4 ,how much more1 then1 would the wisdom of ,god in a mystery6 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #g71 that essential wisdom of ,god especially1 the ,lord ,jesus1 who is altogether lovely1 the desire of all nations4 ,my love was crucified1 said ,ignatius1 who loved not ,his life unto the death 7,rev4 xii4 #aa74 ,neither was there any love lost1 or can be1 for ,i love them that love me4 ,men do not always reciprocate1 or return love for love4 ,david lost his love upon ,absalom2 ,paul upon the ,corinthians2 but here is no such danger4--,trapp4 ,the characters whom ,christ loves4 ,christ loves those who love ,him4 7#a7 ,because ,he has done and suffered so much for their salvation4 ,we naturally prize any object in proportion to the labour and expense which it cost us to obtain it4 ,how highly1 then1 must ,christ prize1 how ineffably must ,he love ,his people4 ,for this1 among other reasons1 ,his love for them must be greater in degree1 and of a different kind from that which ,he entertains for the angels of light4 7#b7 ,because they are united to ,him by strong and indissoluble ties4 ,the expressions used to describe this union are the strongest that language can afford4 ,the people of ,christ are not only ,his brethren1 ,his sisters1 ,his bride1 but ,his members1 ,his body1 and ,he consequently loves them as we love our members1 as our souls love our bodies4 7#c7 ,because they possess ,his ,spirit1 and bear ,his image4 ,similarity of character tends to produce affection1 and hence every being in the universe loves his own image when he discovers it4 ,especially does ,christ love ,his own image in ,his creatures1 because it essentially consists in holiness1 which is of all things most pleasing to ,his ,father and ,himself4 7#d7 ,because they rejoice in and return ,his affection4 ,it is the natural tendency of love to produce and increase love4 ,even those whom we have long loved become incomparably more dear when they begin to prize our love and to return it4 ,if ,christ so loved ,his people before they existed1 and even while they were ,his enemies1 as to lay down ,his life for their redemption1 how inexpressibly dear must they be to ,him after they become ,his friends4--,payson4 ,seeking wisdom early implies #a4 ,that it engages our first concern and endeavour1 while matters of an inferior consideration are postponed4 #b4 ,the constant use of the proper means to obtain it4 ,if we see one continually practising any art1 we judge that it is his intention to be master of it4 #c4 ,the using them with spirt and vigour4 ,the superficial and spiritless performance of duty is as faulty as the total omission4--,abernathy4 ,all fancy that they love ,god4 ,but those who either do not seek ,god at all1 or seek ,him coldly1 whilst they eagerly seek the vanities of the world1 make it plain that they are led by the love of the world more than by the love of ,god4--,fausset4 ,it is ,his love to us that makes us to love ,him2 and1 doubtless1 ,he that loves us so as to make us to love ,him1 cannot but love us when we do love ,him4--,jermin4 ,seek early1 as the ,israelites went early in the morning to seek for manna 7,exod4 xvi4 #ba71 and as students rise early in the morning and sit close to it to get knowledge4 ,to seek the ,lord early is to seek the ,lord 7#a7 firstly2 7#b7 opportunely4 ,there is a season wherein ,god may be found 7,isa4 lv4 #f71 and if you let this season slip1 you may seek and miss ,him4 7#c7 ,affectionately1 earnestly 7,isa4 xxvi4 #f74 ,that prayer that sets the whole man a-work will work wonders in ,heaven1 in the heart1 and in the earth4 ,earnest prayer1 like ,saul's sword and ,jonathan's bow1 never returns empty4--,brooks4 ,verse #ah4 ,spiritual riches are durable4 #a4 ,because they are gotten without wronging any man4 ,temporal riches are often gotten by fraud and violence1 and1 therefore1 are not lasting4 ,the parties wronged use all means to recover their own1 and ,god punishes unjust persons4 ,spiritual riches no man can challenge from us4 #b4 ,they are everlasting riches1 and therefore durable4 ,that must needs last long which lasts ever4 ,these are true1 not transitory riches1 which often change their masters4 ,they will swim out of the sea of this world with us1 out of the shipwreck of death4 ,neither fire nor sword can take them from us4--,francis ,taylor4 ,in the matters of rank and riches1 the two strong cords by which the ambitious are led1 the two reciprocally supporting rails on which the train of ambition ever runs1--even in these matters1 that seem the peculiar province of an earthly crown1 the ,prince of ,peace comes forth with long challenge and conspicuous rivalry4 ,titles of honour6 their real glory depends on the height and purity of the foundation whence they flow4 ,they have often been the gift of profligate princes1 and the rewards of successful crime4 ,and the best the fountain is low and muddy3 the streams1 if looked at in the light of day1 are tinged and sluggish4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,honour is with me4 ,he who saith it is the ,king of ,glory4 ,to be adopted into the family of ,god1--to be the son or daughter of the ,lord ,almighty1--this is honour4 ,high born6 ,we are all low-born until we are born again1 and then we are the children of a ,king4--,arnot4 ,verse #bj4 ,christ guides infallibly by--#a4 ,his ,word4 ,it is all truth4 #b4 ,his ,spirit4 ,men mistake and think they are guided by ,god's ,spirit when they are guided by their own1 or by a worse spirit4 ,but certainly when ,christ's ,spirit guides ,he guides aright4 #c4 ,his example4 ,all other men have their failings1 and must be followed no further than they follow ,christ4 ,he is the original copy2 others are but blurred abstracts4--,francis ,taylor4 ,i lead in the way of righteousness1 which is to say1 ,i got not my wealth by right and wrong1 by wrench and wiles4 ,my riches are not the riches of unrighteousness1 the mammon of iniquity 7,luke xvi4 #i72 but are honestly come by1 and are therefore like to be durable 7ver4 #ah74 ,st4 ,jerome somewhere saith1 that most rich men are either themselves bad men or the heirs of those that have been bad4 ,it is reported of ,nevessan1 the lawyer1 that he should say1 ,he that will not venture his body shall never be valiant2 he that will not venture his soul never rich4 ,but ,wisdom's walk lies not any such way4 ,god forbid1 saith she1 that ,i1 or any of mine1 should take of ,satan1 from a thread even to a shoelatchet1 lest he should say1 ,i have made you rich 7,gen4 xiv4 #bc74--,trapp4 ,verse #ba4 ,the great ,i ,,am 7,exod4 iii4 #ad7 is the only substantial reality to satisfy the disciples of ,wisdom4--,fausset4 ,the followers of ,christ shall be no losers by ,him4 ,they shall not inherit the wind1 nor possess for their portion those unsubstantial things1 of which it is said1 they are not 7chap4 xxiii4 #e71 because they are not the true riches4 ,it is not for want of riches to bestow1 nor for want of love to ,his people1 that ,he does not bestow upon every one of them crowns of gold and mines of precious metals4--,lawson4 ,here is no yawning vacuum1 but a grand object to give interest to life1 to fill up every vacancy in the heart--perfect happiness4 ,all that we could add from the world would only make us poorer1 by diminishing that enjoyment of ,god for the loss of which there is no compensation4 ,there is one point--only one--in the universe where we can look up and cry with the saintly ,martyn1 ,with ,thee there is no disappointment4--,bridges4 ,i will fill their treasures4 ,this is a great promise4 ,it is made in a kingly style4 ,there is no limit4 ,it will take much to fill these treasures1 for the capacity of the human spirit is very large4 ,god moulded man after ,his own image1 and when the creature is empty1 nothing short of ,his ,maker will fill him again4 ,although a man should gain the whole world1 his appetite should not be perceptibly diminished4 ,the void would be as great and the craving as keen as ever4 ,handfuls are gotten on the ground1 but a soulful is not to be had except in ,christ4 ,in ,him dwelleth all the fulness of the ,godhead bodily1 and ye are complete 7i4e41 full7 in ,him4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bb-ca4 ,,the ,,personal ,,wisdom ,,of ,,god4 ,i4 ,the antiquity of the ,personal ,wisdom of ,god4 ,wisdom in the abstract must have existed before the creation of the world1 because the world bears marks of wisdom4 ,there must have been in ,solomon the wisdom to design the temple before it took the form of beauty which made it so famous4 ,there is skill hidden in the artist's mind before it is manifested upon his canvas--the very existence of the picture proves the pre-existent skill4 ,the world is a temple of large proportions1 the beauty of which man can but copy afar off1 and its existence proves the pre-existence of wisdom resident in a pre-existent person4 ,as the world bears evident marks of great antiquity it proclaims an ,all-wise ,cause which must necessarily be older still4 ,there is no person known to the human race who claimed to have an existence before the world except ,jesus ,christ4 ,he claimed--and it is claimed for ,him by those who bore witness to ,him--to have been before the world was1 and to have been conscious of ,his divinity before the foundation of the world4 ,he claims to have been possessor of a glory with the ,father before the world was 7,john xvii4 #e71 a glory which included intellectual and moral wisdom4 ,and the claim of ,his apostle concerning the pre-existence of the ,word of ,god is most unmistakable 7,john i4 #c74 ,the existence of other and inferior sons of ,god before the creation of this world is implied in ,scripture 7,job4 xxxviii4 #g71 but we have no direct revelation concerning them4 ,we feel that we could not apply to them1 or to any creature1 the words of the text1 ,the ,lord possessed me in the beginning of ,his way1 etc4 ,but1 in the light of the ,new ,testament revelation1 if we give them a personal application1 we must apply them to the ,son of ,god1 the ,eternal ,word1 and to ,him alone4 ,the words point to an existence distinct from ,god4 ,i was by ,him1 and ,i was with ,him4 ,and yet the intimate relationship and fellowship described does not express inferiority1 but finds its fulfilment only in ,him who not only was in the beginning with ,god1 but who was ,god4 7,on this subject see note47 ,,ii4 ,the ,personal ,wisdom of ,god the delight of the ,eternal ,father4 ,i was daily ,his delight 7verse #cj74 7#a7 ,likeness in character is a foundation of delight4 ,a man who is godly delights to see his own godly character reflected in his son4 ,the recognition of moral likeness in the uncreated ,son gave delight to the ,eternal ,father4 ,nothing gives ,god so much joy as goodness4 ,hence ,his joy in ,his only-begotten ,son4 7#b7 ,equality of nature is a source of delight to the good and true4 ,fellowship with an equal gives joy4 ,christ1 when on earth1 ever claimed this equality with the ,father4 ,he claimed an eternity of being4 ,before ,abraham was1 ,i am 7,exod4 iii4 #ad2 ,john viii4 #eh74 ,omniscience is claimed for ,him1 and ,he gave evidence that ,he possessed it4 ,he knew what was in man 7,john ii4 #be74 ,and ,jesus knowing their thoughts1 etc4 7,matt4 ix4 #d74 ,divine energy4 ,my ,father worketh hitherto and ,i work 7,john v4 #ag74 ,independent existence4 ,as the ,father hath life in ,himself1 so hath ,he given to the ,son to have life in ,himself 7,john v4 #bf74 ,holiness4 ,which of you convinceth me of sin8 7,john viii4 #df74 ,almighty power4 ,all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth 7,matt4 xxviii4 #ah74 ,in the eternal ages1 before the creation of the world1 the ,father looked upon this brightness of ,his glory and express image of ,his person 7,heb4 i4 #c71 and this ,divine ,equal gave joy to the uncreated ,god 7,isa4 xlii4 #a74 ,,iii4 ,the delight of the ,personal ,wisdom of ,god in the creation of the home of man4 ,rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth 7verse #ca74 ,the artist has joy in the thought of his completed work while it is in progress4 ,he joys in that which is not as yet in outward form1 but which is1 in the completeness within his mind4 ,the architect1 who sees day by day the building being reared which he knows will be the wonder of coming ages and the means of yielding comfort to thousands1 rejoices in the thought of the blessing that is to come out of his work4 ,he experiences an emotion1 with which a stranger cannot intermeddle 7,prov4 xiv4 #aj74 ,and so ,eternal ,wisdom is here represented as regarding the future home of man4 ,he saw its adaptability to the wants of the creatures who were to inhabit it--its inexhaustible resources for the supply of all man's physical and many of his intellectual wants1 and the thought of the missions to whose happiness the earth's riches and beauties would minister throughout the ages gave ,him joy4 ,the best natures among human-kind delight when they are able to produce what will increase the happiness of their fellow-creatures4 ,the poet rejoices when he feels that his thought will cheer the hearts of other men4 ,the inventor is glad when he has made a discovery which he knows will be a boon to his race4 ,and so the ,eternal ,wisdom of ,god looked with joy upon the earth which ,he had called into being for the habitation of the race whom ,he was about to create4 ,the joy that would be theirs gave ,him joy when ,he looked upon creation with their eyes4 ,,iv4 ,the special delight of ,personal ,wisdom in man himself4 ,my delights were with the sons of men4 #a4 ,his delight in man would arise from the fact that he was a creature different from all pre-existing creatures4 ,man is a link between mind and matter4 ,he is a compound of the animal and the angel1 of the dust of the earth and the breath of ,god4 ,the material creation was called into being before man4 ,the angelic and spiritual creatures existed before man4 ,man was1 as it were1 the clasp which united the two1 and his unique character1 we may well believe1 made him a special object of interest to his ,creator4 ,new combinations give joy to those who1 by combining forces1 or material1 or thoughts for the first time1 bring about a new thing in the earth4 ,they create a power or an idea which would not have existed if these elements had remained separate4 ,man1 as he came originally from the hand of ,god1 was such a perfectly balanced compound of mind and matter1 of body and spirit1 that his ,creator had joy in the contemplation of ,his work1 and declared it to be very good 7,gen4 i4 #ca74 ,if we apply the words of the text to the second person of the ,godhead1 we know1 from ,scripture testimony1 that ,he was the ,creator of man1 for without ,him was not anything made that was made4 ,he is as rich in invention as ,he is in goodness4 #b4 ,the delight of ,christ would be especially with men1 because in ,his own nature ,god and man would meet in an eternal combination4 ,the commander who can pluck victory out of the jaws of defeat1 by the combination of certain forces not yet brought upon the field with others which have been already defeated1 is allowed to give evidence of the highest military skill4 ,the statesman who1 anticipating the defeat of one measure1 reserved another method of tactics in the background which he knew would ensure an ultimate success1 and who used the very means by which he had been defeated as a lever to establish a better law and a more lasting benefit1 would be considered to display ability of the first degree1 and to be a benefactor of his race4 ,and the contemplation of such a victory beforehand must be an occupation of the deepest interest to the mind which originates the plan and carries it into action4 ,christ is1 beyond all comparison1 the leader of men4 ,he saw beforehand that human nature would be defeated in its first conflict with evil4 ,he knew that ,satan would enter in and spoil this new principality of ,god4 ,but ,he had already made preparation for this defeat1 and ,he purposed1 by means of the very human nature which would be thus defeated1 in combination with ,his own divinity1 to spoil the spoiler and lead captivity captive4 ,by the eternal union of ,his own nature with the human ,he purposed to place man on a firmer standing ground1 and gain for him the power of an endless life4 ,christ becoming the head of the race has defeated sin in the human nature that was itself defeated1 and the grace which ,he has thus imparted to man has lifted him to a higher level than that in which he was created4 ,and if the first edition of man1 which was of the earth1 earthy 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #dg71 gave joy to his ,creator1 how much more must ,he have rejoiced in the prospect of that second edition which was to be made after ,his own likeness1 and to be the reward of the travail of ,his soul 7,isa4 liii4 #aa71 although even then ,he knew at what a cost this work would be accomplished 7#a ,pet4 i4 #bj74 ,,note ,,on ,,the ,,relation ,,of ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,god ,,to ,,the ,,father4 7,verses #bb-cj1 ,john i4 #a74 ,on this subject ,dr4 ,john ,brown says1 ,that the ,son is essentially and eternally related to the ,father1 in some real sense1 as ,father and ,son2 but that while distinct in person 7for 'the ,word was with ,god'71 ,he is neither posterior to ,him in time 7for 'in the beginning was the ,word'71 nor inferior to ,him in nature 7for 'the ,word was ,god'71 nor separate from ,him in being 7for 'the same was in the beginning with ,god'71 but ,one ,godhead with the ,father2 this would seem to come as near to the full testimony of ,scripture on this mysterious subject as can be reached by our finite understanding1 without darkening counsel with words without knowledge4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bb4 ,the beginning of ,his way evidently means the commencement of creation1 when ,jehovah set out in ,his course of creative and consequently of providential manifestation of ,his eternal perfections4 ,when this was we cannot tell4 ,we may know the age of our own world1 at least according to its present constitution4 ,but when the universe was brought into being1 and whether by one omnipotent fiat1 or at successive and widely varying periods1 it is beyond our power to ascertain4 ,one thing we know for a certainly revealed fact1 that there were angelic creatures in existence previous to the reduction of our globe to order and to the creation of man upon it4 ,these holy intelligences contemplated the six days of work of ,divine wisdom and power in this part of the universe with benevolent transport4 ,the morning stars sang together1 and all the sons of ,god shouted for joy4 ,how many other creatures1 and of what descriptions--how many other worlds1 and how peopled1 might have existed before man and his earthly residence we are unable to affirm4 ,when men1 indeed1 begin to talk of its being absurd to suppose the universe so recent as to have been only coeval with our own globe1 or our own system1 they forget themselves4 ,they do not speak considerately nor philosophically4 ,there is no lapse of ages or any point of measurement in eternity4 4 4 4 ,beginning is as inconsistent with the idea of eternity as termination is4 ,go as far back as imagination1 or as numbers heaped on numbers1 can carry you1 there still remains the previous eternity1 during which our speculative and presumptuous minds may wonder that ,divine power had not been put forth4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bc4 ,it was in the last times1 that the ,eternal ,wisdom was set forth unto us1 but it was from everlasting1 that ,he was set up to be a king over us4 ,it was in the fulness of time that ,he offered ,himself for us1 but it was from the beginning that ,he was anointed to be priest unto us4 ,it was upon the earth that ,his gracious lips taught us1 but it was before the earth was that ,he was ordained to be a prophet for us4 ,it is in ,him that all are chosen who come unto eternity1 and ,he ,himself was chosen from eternity4 ,from everlasting he was set up our ,king1 to set us up an everlasting kingdom4 ,from the beginning was ,he anointed our priest1 to anoint us in a priesthood that shall never end4 ,before the earth was1 ,he was ordained our prophet1 to order our feet in that way which shall bring us from earth to heaven2 ,he was chosen that we might be the chosen people of ,god4--,jermin4 ,verse #bd4 ,the order of creation corresponds to that which we find in ,genesis i4 ,still more striking is the resemblance with the thoughts and language of the book of ,job1 chap4 xxii41 xxvi41 xxxviii4 ,a world of waters1 great deeps lying in darkness--this was the picture of the remotest time of which man could form any conception1 and yet the co-existence of the uncreated wisdom with the eternal ,jehovah was before that4--,plumptre4 ,at the period referred to here1 creation was not yet actually framed and executed1 it was only framed and planned2 the whole being at once1 in all its magnificence and in all its minuteness1 before the eye of the omniscient mind1 in its almost infinite complexity1 extent1 and variety1 yet without the slightest approach to confusion6 ,all there1 in one vast and complicated1 yet simple idea6--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bg4 ,god's setting a compass upon the face of the deep seems to refer to ,his circumscribing the earth when in its fluid state1 assigning to it its spherical form1 and fixing the laws by which that form should be constantly maintained4 ,i think it probable that this refers to the earth in the state in which it is described previous to the beginning of the six days' work1 by which it was reduced to order1 and fitted for and stocked with inhabitants4 ,how was the fluid element held together in the spherical form8 ,the answer is1 ,god set a compass upon the face of the deep1 saying1 ,this be thy just circumference1 ,o ,world6 ,by the power of gravitation1 affecting every particle1 drawing it to the common centre1 the equilibrium was maintained1 the globular form effected and kept2 which may here be meant by the poetical conception of sweeping a circle from the centre1 and defining the spherical limits of the world of waters4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bi4 ,though great be the noise of the roaring of the sea1 great the inconstancy of the tumbling waves1 great the looseness of the flowing waters2 yet the voice of ,god's decree is easily heard by them1 constant is their obedience unto ,god's commandment1 firmly do they keep the bounds of ,his law4 ,but in the noise of our disorders1 little is ,god's ,word heard by us1 in the lightness of our hearts1 much is the will of ,god slighted1 in the looseness of our lives every way doth a careless regard of ,god's law spread itself1 which could not but drown us in a sea of ,god's wrath1 did not ,he who was when the bounds of the sea were decreed1 purchase by the red sea of ,his blood a gracious pardon for us4 4 4 4 ,fitly is ,god said to appoint the foundations of the earth only2 for that alone founded the whole earth1 no more was needful for it4 ,but how little doth ,god's appointment prevail with man1 a little piece of earth4 ,how often are ,god's purposes in the means of salvation disappointed by him4 ,to lay firm the foundations of grace in man's heart1 the ,eternal ,wisdom1 who was when the foundations of the earth were appointed1 came down from ,heaven1 and here was pleased to work out ,his life thereby to accomplish the work of our redemption4 ,and shall not this1 then1 make us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling8--,jermin4 ,verse #cj4 ,to ,wisdom the work was no laborious task4 ,she sported1 as it were1 in the exuberance of her strength and might4--,plumptre4 ,verse #ca4 ,what was it that here attracted ,his interest8 ,man had been created in the image of ,god--free to stand or fall4 ,this freedom was the perfection of his nature4 ,his fall was permitted as the mysterious means of his higher elevation4 ,his ruin was overruled for his greater security4 ,this habitable earth was to be the grand theatre of the work that should fill the whole creation with wonder and joy4 ,here the serpent's head was to be visibly bruised1 the kingdom of ,satan to be destroyed1 precious spoil to be divided with the strong 7,isa4 liii4 #ab74 ,here was the ,church to be framed1 as the manifestation of ,his glory1 the mirror of ,his ,divine perfections 7,ephes4 iii4 #aj1 #ba74 ,considering the infinite cost at which ,he was to accomplish this work1 the wonder is that ,he should have endured it2 a greater wonder that1 ere one atom of the creation was formed--ere the first blossom had been put forth in ,paradise1 he should have rejoiced in it4--,bridges4 ,of all earthly creatures1 ,christ delights most in men4 #a4 ,because man is the chief of ,god's creatures upon earth1 made after ,god's image1 and for whom all the rest were made4 #b4 ,because ,he took on ,him the nature of men1 and not of angels 7,heb4 ii4 #af74 #c4 ,he conversed most familiarly with men when ,he was incarnate4 ,men only had reason and wisdom to delight in ,christ's company1 and to give ,him occasion to delight in theirs4 #d4 ,because ,he gave ,his life for them1 that they might live with ,him for ever4 ,it seems1 then1 that ,he took great delight in them1 and means to do so for ever4--,francis ,taylor4 ,did our ,saviour1 before ,his incarnation1 rejoice in the habitable parts of the earth1 and delight in visiting and blessing the sons of men8 ,then we may be certain that ,he still does so2 for ,he is1 yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever1 the same4 ,still1 ,he prefers earth to heaven2 still1 ,his chief delights are with the sons of men2 and while1 as man1 ,he intercedes for them in ,heaven1 ,he still1 as ,god1 visits our world1 to meet with and bless ,his people4 4 4 4 ,and how great will be our ,saviour's happiness after the final consummation of all things6 4 4 4 ,if ,he loved1 and rejoiced1 and delighted in them before they knew and loved ,him1 how will ,he love and rejoice in them1 when ,he sees them surrounding ,his throne1 perfectly resembling ,himself in body and soul1 loving ,him with unutterable love1 contemplating ,him with ineffable delight1 and praising ,him as their deliverer from sin1 and death1 and hell1 as the author of all their everlasting glory and felicity4--,payson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #cb-cf4 ,,exhortation ,,founded ,,on ,,human ,,obligations ,,to ,,divine ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,because ,christ1 the ,eternal ,wisdom1 has manifested ,his sympathy with man1 we are under obligations to come into sympathy with ,him4 ,a man who has manifested his sympathy with1 and delight in1 another's welfare by most substantial acts of benevolence and self-denial1 has taken the most reasonable method of awakening an answering sympathy in the breast of him whom he has thus regarded4 ,and the obligation on the part of the recipient is increased in proportion to the amount of self-sacrifice undergone on his behalf4 ,if such a benefactor desires and asks for the friendship of him whom he has befriended1 it would seem impossible that such an appeal could be made in vain4 ,the eternal wisdom of ,god has gone to the utmost of even ,his infinite capacity of self-denial to show ,his delight in1 and regard for the human race4 ,this1 coupled with ,his eternal existence and ,his almighty power1 is here made the basis for an exhortation to men to listen to ,his words1 ,now1 therefore1 hearken unto me1 ,o ye children6 ,,ii4 ,those who are thus drawn into sympathy with ,eternal ,wisdom come under conditions of life4 ,here is a repetition of an oft-repeated truth of revelation1 that life and ,god's favour are inseparable--identical 7ver4 #ce74 ,we can see shadows of this truth in the intercourse of men with their fellow-creatures4 ,if a poor outcast child1 surrounded by influences of evil to which he must yield if left to fight them single-handed1 is lifted out of his degradation into a godly home1 the favour of the friend who thus raises him changes his miserable existence into something worth calling life in comparison4 ,the child who1 by wilfulness1 has forfeited the favour of a good parent1 feels his entire existence clouded1 but forgiveness through reconciliation brings light and life back to his life4 ,how much more is it so when we come into sympathy with ,christ by hearkening to ,his voice and taking ,his yoke1 and are by ,him lifted out of a life of bondage to sin into the glorious liberty of the sons of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,those who refuse thus to come into sympathy with ,eternal ,wisdom are self-destroyers1 because they are ,god-haters4 ,he who refuses to drink of the ,fountain of ,life1 must1 of necessity1 be left to soul-death4 ,there is nothing that gives more sorrow to a human being than to know that the evil from which he is suffering is self-inflicted4 ,if a man loses his sight through a wound which he receives from another1 although he feels his blindness to be a terrible calamity1 it lacks the element of bitterness which would be added to it if it had been brought about by his own wilfulness4 ,the man who loses a limb in lawful battle looks upon his loss as an honour1 because it was inevitable4 ,but his feeling would be very different if he knew that he had been crippled for life by his own folly4 ,it will be the main ingredient in the bitter cup of those who disregard the invitations of ,divine ,wisdom that they are moral suicides4 ,the consciousness of this is a perpetual hell to the human spirit4 ,and the mere neglect is sufficient to give the death-blow4 ,it is not necessary to be in positive opposition to ,god and goodness4 ,not to listen is to refuse4 ,not to wait on ,god is to sin against ,him--is to despise the provisions of ,his mercy4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #cd4 ,hovering about the avenues of a royal residence1 there are in ,eastern as well as in other countries1 always to be seen groups of people1 some of whom are attracted by the impulse of curiosity1 others by the hope of obtaining some mark of royal favour4 ,the assiduity and perseverance requisite for succeeding in their suit1 and waiting the propitious moment of presenting themselves in the presence of their sovereign1 is not1 as may be easily supposed1 at all times consistent with personal ease and convenience1 and1 accordingly1 here and there may be observed individuals seated upon a stone1 or reclining upon the grass1 in anxious expectation for the appearance of the sovereign on his way to daily exercise4 ,to sit at the gates of a king is a custom of great antiquity4--,paxton's ,illustrations of ,scripture4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #cb4 ,o sweet courtesy6 as if it were but a small matter that the ,eternal ,wisdom should become our ,master1 and teach us as ,his scholars2 or that1 being our ,lord1 ,he should teach us as ,his servants2 or that1 being ,god1 ,he should teach us as men2 yet greater is ,his love1 and1 as a ,father ,he teacheth us as ,his children4 ,and well may ,he call us ,his children1 for it is ,he that teacheth us who1 by adoption1 hath made us to be ,his children1 which by hearkening unto ,him we show ourselves to be4--,jermin4 ,verse #cd4 ,uriah watched at ,david's gate as a token of service 7#b ,sam4 xi4 #i74 ,lazarus watched at ,dives' gate as a token of dependence 7,luke xvi4 #bj74 ,courtiers at royal entrances for smiles of favour4 ,let the sinner do all these things4--,miller4 ,not watching awhile1 and then going away if they be not let in presently1 but waiting patiently till they be let in4 ,not only taking occasion of learning offered1 but waiting to find occasions1 as petitioners wait on great men till their causes be ended4--,francis ,taylor4 ,wisdom here appears as a sovereign1 separate and secluded1 in the style of ,oriental monarchs1 so that only those know anything of her who diligently keep watch at her doors4 ,wisdom1 who is universal in her call and invitation 7verses #a-c71 yet1 in the course of communication in order to test the fidelity of her admirers1 veils herself at times in a mysterious darknesss1 and reveals herself only to those who never intermit their search 7,matt4 vii4 #g74--,von ,gerlach1 in ,lange's ,commentary4 ,there ought to be an expectation raised in us that the vital savour diffused in and by the ,word may reach us2 and many are ruined for not expecting it--not waiting at the posts of ,wisdom's door4--,john ,howe4 ,verse #ce4 #a4 ,natural life is found by it1 not in regard to the beginning of it1 but in regard of the comfort and continuance4 #b4 ,spiritual life1 or the life of grace4 ,wisdom is the life of the soul1 and what were the world worth if there were no light8 #c4 ,eternal life1 or the life of glory4 ,this is indeed the life that ,christ1 the wisdom of ,god1 died to purchase for us1 and lived among us to show us the way to it4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #cf4 ,doing without is a stupid misery2 but hating wisdom is an insane marvel4--,miller4 ,not to love and earnestly seek ,wisdom is to sin against her4 ,to disregard her is to hate her1 and is virtually1 though unconsciously1 to love death2 for it is loving things1 which as being opposed to wisdom1 bring with them death4--,fausset4 ,what meaneth this all where one would think there could be none8 ,can there be an all to hate ,him who loveth all that is8 ,but if it were not so1 why do so many resist ,his holy will1 despise ,his heavenly laws1 rebel against ,his sacred pleasure8 ,are not these effects of hatred8 ,besides1 so doth ,he challenge the all of our affection1 as not to hate all things for ,his sake1 is to hate ,him4 ,now they that hate ,him1 which can they love8 ,surely it must needs be death1 because in all things else ,he is4 ,but that is the fruit of sin1 and they that love the tree must needs love the fruit also4 ,but to whom do we speak these things1 or why do we speak them8 ,where shall we find open ears1 or seeing eyes1 when now almost men care not whom they look after1 so that they do not look after themselves8--,jermin4 ,a child or an idiot may kindle a fire which all the city cannot quench4 ,in spite of their utmost efforts1 it might destroy both the homes of the poor and the palaces of majesty4 ,so a sinner1 though he cannot do the least good1 can do the greatest evil4 ,the ,almighty only can save him1 but he can destroy himself4--,arnot4 ,sin is a self-injury4 ,there are three facts implied in these words3 ,firstly1 ,that man is capable of sinning4 ,this capability distinguishes man from the brute1 and belongs to all moral beings4 4 4 4 ,it is our glory that we can sin2 it is our disgrace and ruin that we do so4 ,secondly1 ,that sin is something directed against ,god4 ,all the laws of man's being--physical1 organic1 intellectual1 and moral--are ,god's laws1 and violating of them is rebellion against heaven4 ,thirdly1 ,that sin against ,god is a wrong done to our nature4 ,this is true of all sin1 physical as well as spiritual4 ,we cannot violate the laws of physical health1 without losing at the same time something of the life1 elasticity1 and vigour of the mind4 ,that sin injures the soul admits of no debate3 it is a patent fact written on every page of history1 and proclaimed by the deep consciousness of humanity4 ,from this unquestionable fact we may fairly deduce three general truths4 ,i4 ,that ,god's laws are essentially connected with the constitution of man4 ,from this fact two things follow4 7#a47 ,that all sin is unnatural4 7#b47 ,that an evasion of the penalties of sin is beyond the power of the creature4 ,,ii4 ,that ,god's laws are the expression of benevolence4 ,we wrong our souls by not keeping ,god's laws4 ,obedience to them is happiness4 ,the voice of all ,divine prohibitions is1 ,do thyself no harm1 the voice of all ,divine injunctions is1 ,rejoice evermore4 ,we infer from this fact--,,iii4 ,that ,god's laws should be studiously obeyed4 7#a47 ,right requires it4 ,all ,god's laws are righteously binding upon the subject1 and disobedience is a crime4 7#b47 ,expediency requires it4 ,a life of sin is a life of folly1 for it must ever be a life of misery4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,verses #cj-cf4 ,i4 ,from the beginning1 the welfare of man engaged the complacent regard of ,god our ,saviour4 ,he derived delight from the material creation because it was to be subservient to man4 ,,ii4 ,we may therefore expect that all ,his communications and intercourse with us would be made to harmonise with our welfare also4 ,we are warranted in expecting that all ,his communication with us will harmonise with the wants of our nature--that the means will be adapted to the end4 ,accordingly verses #ce and #cf imply that so perfect is that adaptation between the provisions of mercy and the necessity of man1 that he who rejects them wrongs his own soul1 that who receives them receives life4 ,,iii4 ,may we not infer that1 even of this habitable part1 ,he would rejoice in some spots more than in others1 especially in such as are set apart for the diffusion of ,his truth and the promotion of ,his designs4--,dr4 ,j4 ,harris4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,wisdom1 in the plural1 as in chap4 i4 #bj1 to express excellence and dignity4 #b4 ,she hath mingled her wine4 ,some commentators understand the mingling to be with water1 others with spices2 both were customary among ancient ,orientals4 #g4 ,latter clause4 ,most commentators translate1 he that rebuketh the wicked1 it is his dishonour1 or1 it is a dishonor to him1 i4e41 to the wicked man4 #aj4 ,the ,holy1 generally understood to stand in apposition to ,jehovah4 #ac4 ,a foolish woman1 rather1 the woman of folly1 an exact opposition of the personified wisdom of the former part of the chapter4 ,clamorous1 violently excited 7,zckler74 #ae4 ,who go right on their ways4 ,who are going straightforward in their paths 7,stuart74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-ab4 ,,wisdom',s ,,feast4 ,i4 ,the home to which ,divine ,wisdom invites her guests is one which has cost time and labour in the preparation4 ,wisdom hath builded her house4 ,the building of anything implies the expenditure of time and labour4 ,when the eagle builds her nest and prepares a house for her yet unborn young she spends much time in her work and bestows much labour upon it4 ,in the building of a house for human habitation1 whether it be a palace or a cottage1 time and care1 and thought and labour must be given to the building4 ,and so it is in mental building2 when thoughts are to be gathered together and fashioned into a book1 the gathering and the building involves the expenditure of mental labour1 and of many hours and days1 and sometimes years1 before the work is completed4 ,and ,god has not departed from this rule in the works which ,he has wrought for the benefit of ,his creatures4 ,the house which ,he has built for the habitation of man was not brought into its present form all at once4 ,god did not create the heavens and the earth in one day or in a short period of time4 ,we read that in six days the ,lord made heaven and earth1 the sea1 and all that in them is 7,exod4 xx4 #b71 and the record of the rocks confirms the testimony of revelation that the preparation of the earth for man was a work of time4 ,in creation ,divine ,wisdom builded her house4 ,and what is true of creation is true also of redemption4 ,the incarnation of the ,son of ,god took place in the days of ,tiberius ,csar1 but the process of building the plan of redemption had been going on for ages4 ,in the ,mosaic dispensation it was seen in outline4 ,its sacrifices were shadows of the house which ,god intended hereafter to build in the human nature of the man ,christ ,jesus4 ,the temple of ,herod was forty-six years in building 7,john ii4 #bj71 but the temple of ,god was in course of preparation for more than forty-six generations before it was brought to completion in the ,word made flesh 7,see ,hebrews1 chap4 ix74 ,,ii4 ,that which has been long in preparation is strong and enduring in character4 ,it hath seven pillars4 ,the snow-flake is not long in being formed1 and it is not long in duration4 ,the bubble upon the stream is built in an instant1 and passes away as quickly4 ,but the coral island has taken many years1 and cost a million lives1 to build it1 and now it stands a rock in the midst of the ocean1 and has become the home of man4 ,all that is strong and lasting in the world has taken time in its formation4 ,so is it in the refuge where that is found which will satisfy the soul of man4 ,it was long ere it was completed1 but it is a lasting edifice1 built upon a sure foundation 7,heb4 vi4 #ah1 #ai74 ,,iii4 ,the house which ,wisdom has builded contains that which will satisfy human need4 ,the soul-blessings which ,god offers to men are often compared to a feast 7,isa4 xxv4 #f2 ,matt4 xxii4 #d74 ,here ,wisdom is spoken of as having killed her beasts1 mingled her wine1 furnished her table4 #a4 ,it is plain that the human spirit needs a feast from the fact that ,god has spread the board4 ,when the ,lord ,jesus furnished a table in the wilderness for the multitude it was to supply a manifest need4 ,it was to meet ,israel's need that ,god fed them with manna in the wilderness4 ,man's spiritual nature must starve without the feast which ,god's wisdom has prepared4 ,the existence of the feast proves the existence of the need4 #b4 ,this feast is of the best quality4 ,the man who prepares a feast for his guests prepares of his best4 ,the feast prepared by a poor man will be the best at his command2 the banquet of a king will be such as befits his rank and resources4 ,the banquet to which ,divine ,wisdom invites her guests is furnished with the most costly provisions that even ,god has to give4 ,christ1 who declares ,himself to be meat and drink to the spirit of man 7,john vi4 #ea1 #ed1 #ef7 is the best gift that ,god can bestow upon man--the best food that ,heaven could furnish4 #c4 ,wisdom's feast is one in which there is variety4 ,there is flesh1 wine and bread 7verses #b and #e74 ,the feasts of the rich and great consist of many different dishes1 and the variety adds to the enjoyment of the guests4 ,god has provided many different kinds of food to satisfy our bodily appetite4 ,although they are all adapted to the same end1 viz41 to the nourishment of the body1 the difference in the composition and flavour adds much to man's enjoyment4 ,the human spirit1 like the human body1 craves a variety in its food1 and ,god has satisfied that craving4 ,the revelation of ,god in ,christ 7in other words1 the ,gospel7 reveals a great variety of spiritual truths upon which the spiritual nature of man can feed4 ,there are things new and old in the ,gospel treasury 7,matt4 xiii4 #eb74 ,and new revelations of life and immortality will be brought to light throughout the coming ages1 and the feeling of those who partake of the royal banquet will be like that of the ruler of the feast at ,cana3 ,thou hast kept the good wine until now 7,john ii4 #aj74 ,,iv4 ,those who invite to ,wisdom's feast must be pure in character4 ,the sending forth of maidens seems to convey this idea4 ,maidenhood is a type of purity4 ,the character of the inviter must be in keeping with the nature of the invitation4 ,if a man gives an invitation to the ,gospel-feast1 he will find that those whom he invites will look at the invitation through the glass of his character1 and unless it is one through which the invitation can be favourably viewed1 there will be little hope of his words proving effectual4 ,character and doctrine are inseparable4 ,god intends the first to be a recommendation of the last4 ,the invitation to ,come1 from the lips of the ,lord ,jesus1 was mighty in its power1 because the purity of ,his teaching was equalled by the purity of ,his life4 ,the great power of the invitation to ,wisdom's feast in the mouths of the first ,christian teachers sprang from the character of those who gave the invitation 7see #b ,cor4 i4 #b74 ,v4 ,the means by which the guests are brought in4 ,they are invited4 ,there can be no compulsion in bringing men to the feast of ,wisdom4 ,no man can be compelled to partake of a feast4 ,persuasion can be used1 and men can be induced to eat of it from a sense of need1 but force is useless4 ,a man may be placed at the board and kept there against his will1 but the eating must ever be his own act4 ,and so it is with the spiritual blessings which ,god has prepared for men4 ,all the force that can be exercised is the force of persuasion4 ,the first servants who went forth to invite men to the ,gospel-feast were fully convinced that the weapon which they were to use was that of persuasion4 ,now then pray you in ,christ's stead1 be ye reconciled to ,god 7#b ,cor4 v4 #bj74 ,knowing the terrors of the ,lord we persuade men 7#b ,cor4 v4 #aa74 ,,vi4 ,the publicity and general nature of the invitation4 ,she crieth upon the highest places of the city4 ,on this head see ,homiletics on chaps4 i4 #bj1 #ba2 viii4 #b1 #c4 ,,vii4 ,the different characters with whom ,wisdom's servants meet in giving her invitation4 ,they meet with the wise and just man 7ver4 #i71 and with the wicked1 who are again classified as the simple 7ver4 #d71 and the scorners 7ver4 #g74 ,there is often a great difference in things of the same class and kind4 ,all the fruit upon a tree may be bad1 but all may not be equally bad4 ,so among sinners are men of different degrees of sinfulness4 ,there are the simple--those who are merely heedless of ,divine teachings through a culpable ignorance and thoughtlessness1 there are men so bad that they scorn all ,god's invitations and set at nought ,his threatenings4 ,this character is held up in ,scripture as having reached the climax of iniquity1 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 i4 #bb47 ,the just man 7ver4 #i71 is here synonymous with the wise man4 ,he only is a wise man who has a worthy end which he sets himself to attain1 and who uses the best means to attain that end4 ,hence the good or just man is the only truly wise man4 ,he lays hold of all the means within his reach to increase his godliness1 to get power to enable him to do justly1 to love mercy1 and to walk with ,god1 and thus shows himself to be a member of the kingdom of the good which is the kingdom of the wise4 ,he must be a just man1 one who is upright in all his relations in life1 one who will not knowingly leave undone his duty to his fellow-men4 ,a man who is right in his relations towards ,god will not fail in his relations towards men4 ,simeon was a devout man1 therefore he was a just man 7,luke ii4 #be71 so was ,cornelius 7,acts x4 #b1 #bb74 ,but these wise men are not all equally wise1 and none are so wise that they cannot increase in wisdom1 and therefore ,wisdom sends forth her invitations to all to the wise and just men as well as to the simple and the scorner4 ,,viii4 ,the opposite effects of the invitation upon opposite characters4 ,the scorner hates it--the wise men loves it 7ver4 #h74 ,when the sun shines upon a diseased eye it produces a sense of discomfort1 but the same light falling upon a healthy eye gives a sensation of pleasure4 ,the opposite feelings are the results of opposite conditions4 ,the different receptions which are given to ,god's invitations arise from the different spiritual conditions of the men who hear them4 ,the man who loves darkness rather than light because his deeds are evil is pained when he receives wisdom's invitation1 because the very invitation condemns him4 ,it is a rebuke to him 7verses #g and #h7 for continuing to reject the feast for husks1 for preferring to spend money upon that which is not bread and his labour upon that which satisfieth not4 ,hence he who thus reproveth a scorner gets to himself shame1 and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot 7verse #g74 ,the preacher of the ,gospel endures the shame of the cross when he delivers his message to such an one1 but it meets with quite an opposite reception from the wise and just4 ,a wise man because he is wise desires more wisdom4 ,those who know most about a good thing are those who desire to know more1 and this desire prevents them from being offended with those who offer to give them more knowledge4 ,even if ,wisdom's invitation takes the form of a rebuke 7ver4 #h71 the wise man1 considering that the end of the rebuke is to do him good1 loves the ambassador of ,wisdom who administers it4 ,when a sick man receives severe treatment from a physician1 he accepts it patiently because he bears in mind the end in view1 viz41 his restoration to health4 ,and this is the light in which all wise men regard ,divine reproof1 whether it comes directly from ,himself in the form of providential dispensations1 or through the medium of the lips of one of ,his servants4 ,the message which is a savour of death to the scorner1 is a savour of life to them4 ,,ix4 ,if the invitation is effectual1 there will be a forsaking and a fearing4 ,forsake the foolish and live 7verse #f74 ,the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom 7verse #aj74 ,a forsaking of the wrong path must go before the entrance into the right one1 and a fear that we may go wrong will help to keep us in the right way4 ,a wholesome dread of ,god's displeasure will lead a man to repentance1 which is but another name for a change in life's end1 and aims1 and purposes4 ,a conviction that he has been going in the wrong direction will cause him to lend a willing ear to those who invite him to set out on the right path2 and the acceptance of the invitation is the beginning of a life of true wisdom1 because it is the beginning of the only safe and satisfying course of life4 ,x4 ,whatever reception is given to the invitations of ,divine ,wisdom1 ,god is above all human approbation4 ,if thou be wise1 thou shalt be wise for thyself2 but if thou scornest1 thou alone shalt bear it 7verse #ab74 ,the sun will go on shining1 whatever men think or say about it4 ,all the approbation of all the world will not add to the glory of the light that rules the day1 and if men were to find fault with the manner in which it dispensed its light and heat1 it would still hold on its way rejoicing1 as a strong man to run a race4 ,the children of ,wisdom1 who accept the ,divine invitation1 and fall in with ,god's way of saving them1 do not make ,god their debtor in any way4 ,he would still be the moral ,sun of the universe1 if all mankind were to turn a deaf ear to ,his invitation1 and all the praise of all the good in ,heaven and earth cannot add one ray to the moral glory of ,his being4 ,the scorn of the scorner cannot harm the ,god whose revelation he scorns1 any more than a man could injure the wind that blows upon him by beating it4 ,if men disapprove of ,god's way of governing the world1 or of ,his conditions of salvation1 it cannot harm the ,divine ,being in any way4 ,he is above all the approval or disapproval--all the rejection or acceptance of any finite creature4 ,eliphaz1 the ,temanite1 spoke truly when he said1 ,can a man be profitable to ,god1 as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself8 ,is it any pleasure to the ,almighty that thou art righteous8 ,or is it gain to ,him that thou makest thy ways perfect8 7,job xxii4 #b1 #c74 ,it therefore follows1 as a matter of course1 that the ,divine plan of redemption has been devised solely out of regard to ,his creatures2 that love is the only motive that prompts ,him to multiply invitations and warnings2 and that the sufferings which are entailed upon men by their rejection of ,his provisions spring from nothing selfish or arbitrary in the ,divine character4 ,,xi4 ,the acceptance of the ,divine invitation is an obedience to the lawful instinct of self-love4 ,self-love is often confounded with selfishness1 but they are widely different4 ,the principle of self-love is recognised as lawful and right throughout the ,bible4 ,god commands a man to love his neighbour as he loves himself1 thereby laying down the principle that self-love is necessary and right4 ,our ,saviour appeals to this ,divinely-implanted instinct when ,he urges men to save their souls1 because of the infinite profit which they will thereby gain 7,mark viii4 #cf74 ,and the fact that ,god has made self-love the standard whereby we are to measure our love to others1 and that it is urged upon men as a motive by the ,divine ,son1 at once places a great gulf between it and selfishness4 ,obedience to self-love leads men to obey ,wisdom's invitation and thus to become truly wise themselves4 ,self-love leads men to desire to make the best of their existence1 and no man can do this unless he accepts the call to the feast which ,wisdom has prepared4 ,the ,hebrew nation thought they could get profit to themselves apart from the acceptance of the ,divine proposals4 ,they persuaded themselves that they could do without ,god's way of life1 and that the feast which ,he had prepared could be neglected with impunity4 ,but they found when too late they had done themselves an eternal wrong by making light of the call of the king's servants4 7,see ,matt4 xxii4 #ad74 ,but ,wisdom is justified of her children1 and although our ,lord likens the men of that generation to children who neither dance to the sound of joyful music nor mourn to strains of lamentation 7,luke vii4 #ca-ce71 there have always been some who have so regarded their real interest as to be willing guests of the ,divine ,inviter4 ,obeying ,his call they come into possession of a righteous character1 the only attainment of real profit which can be gotten out of existence4 ,it is the only end worth living for4 ,the end of a true soldier's existence is not the keeping of his bodily life4 ,that with him is quite a secondary consideration4 ,neither is it his happiness4 ,these things are nothing to him in comparison with the attainment of a character for bravery and fidelity to his trust4 ,and so with every man in ,god's universe4 ,not ease and comfort1 nor fame or high position1 but character is that only which will make existence really profitable1 which will make it a gain to life4 ,happiness will1 of necessity1 follow godliness1 but it is not the thing to be aimed at4 ,the attainment of the highest earthly fame1 or the amassing of vast riches1 will not necessarily make a man a good companion for himself1 and if he is not this1 he has failed to draw true profit out of his existence4 ,he may be a wise man according to men's judgment1 but if he has failed to consult his own true self-interest1 he is a fool4 ,a position in heaven would be nothing to such a man if he could obtain it4 ,the blessedness of the heavenly world springs from the holy character of those who inhabit it1 and this can be obtained only by listening to ,wisdom's voice1 and so gaining that fear of the ,lord which is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy1 which is understanding 7ver4 #aj74 ,if thou be wise1 thou shalt be wise for thyself 7ver4 #ab72 in other words--thou thyself shall reap the first and principal benefit4 ,,xii4 ,the consequence of the rejection of ,wisdom's invitation must be borne by him who rejects it4 ,if thou scornest1 thou alone shalt bear it4 ,if a man refuses to use the power which he possesses to walk1 he will1 in the course of time1 lose the power of using his limbs4 ,the man who will not listen to the promptings of self-love will stifle its voice4 ,but though he may destroy self-love1 he cannot destroy himself4 ,that belongs to ,god alone4 ,man can make his existence into a terrible burden1 can change that which ,god intended to be a blessing into a curse1 and in this sense he can destroy himself--can lose his soul2 but he must live still1 and bear the consequence of his choice4 ,we can burn up the most costly articles and reduce them to black ashes1 but no power of man can annihilate a single particle of the ashes4 ,they exist still in some form or another4 ,so men1 by scorning ,god's invitations1 can blacken and spoil the existence which ,god has given them1 but they cannot annihilate themselves4 ,they must live and bear the self-imposed burden4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,this may derive some illustration from a custom which ,hasselquist noticed in ,egypt1 and which may seem to be ancient in that country4 ,that it has been scarcely noticed by other travellers may arise from the fact that1 although they may have seen the maidens on their way1 they had not the means of knowing on what errand they were bound4 ,he says that he saw a great number of women1 who went about inviting people to a banquet in a singular1 and without doubt1 in a very ancient manner4 ,they were about ten or twelve1 covered with black veils1 as is customary in that country4 ,they were preceded by four eunuchs2 after them1 and on the side1 were ,moors1 with their usual walking staves4 ,as they were walking1 they all joined in making a noise1 which1 he was told1 signified their joy1 but which he could not find resembled a joyful or pleasing sound4--,kitto4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,house among the ,hebrews was an image of all well-being 7,exod4 i4 #ba74 ,it means shelter4 ,it means nurture4 ,it means repose4 ,it means the centre of all provision4 ,it means the home of all convivial feasts4 ,if ,wisdom has built such a shelter for the lost1 it means she has furnished for them every possible necessity4 ,an ,eastern house depended upon columns that were around a court4 ,samson put his hand upon such interior supports4 ,if ,wisdom has hewed out her seven pillars1 ,it means that the provision she has made for the saints is absolutely secure4 ,the very number seven betokens a perfect1 because a sacred support2 and we have but to ask upon what the ,gospel rests in its eternal promises and in the righteousness of its ,great ,head1 to settle the question as to these sacred pillars4--,miller4 ,the ,holy ,spirit--having described in the foregoing chapter the office and work of ,christ1 as ,creator1 in the world of nature--now proceeds to describe ,his office and work in the world of grace4 ,solomon1 the son of ,david1 and the builder of the holy house at ,jerusalem1 here describes the operation of ,his own ,divine ,antitype1 the ,essential ,wisdom1 in building ,his house4 ,the ,son of ,god1 having existed from eternity with the ,father1 in the fulness of time became ,incarnate1 building for ,himself a mystical body--the ,church universal4 4 4 4 ,wisdom's seven pillars represent the perfection and universality of ,christ's work in both respects4--,wordsworth4 ,pillars1 and polished pillars4 ,anything is good enough to build a mud wall2 but the church's pillars are of marble1 and those not rough but hewn2 her safety is accompanied with beauty4--,trapp4 ,if ,wisdom dwell anywhere1 herself must build the house2 if she set up the pillars1 herself must hew them4 ,nothing can be meet to entertain her which is not her own work4 ,nothing can be fit for ,god's residence1 which is not made fit by ,god's influence4--,jermin4 ,in the preceding chapter1 ,wisdom represented herself as manifest in all the works of ,god in the natural world2 all being constructed according to the counsels of an infinite understanding4 ,here1 she represents herself as the great potentate1 who was to rule all that she had constructed2 and having an immense family to provide for1 had made an abundant provision1 and calls all to partake of it4--,adam ,clarke4 ,verse #b4 ,she hath mingled her wine1 viz41 with spices and other exhilarating ingredients1 as was the custom in the ,east 7,cant4 viii4 #b74 ,not with water which is the emblem of degeneracy4 ,the wine mingled with aromatic spices is the exhilarating joy and comforts of the gospel 7,isa4 lv4 #a1 ,matt4 xxvi4 #bi74--;,fausset4 ,does ,christ give us ,his own flesh and blood1 to nourish and refresh our souls8 what grace1 what comfort1 what privilege will ,he withhold8 ,he is most willing to communicate this provision to us4--,lawson4 ,god's favour and grace is always ready to be found when it is faithfully sought4 ,our faith can never make ,him tardy in desiring that at the present which ,he cannot give till hereafter1 or in being beforehand to demand that which ,his ability is behindhand to perform4 ,the messengers say not in the ,gospel1 ,be there at such a time1 and in the meanwhile things shall be prepared1 or1 ,go with me now1 and dinner will be ready anon2 but ,come1 for all things are now ready4--,dod4 ,christ provideth for ,his the best of the best2 fat things full of marrow1 wines on the lees 7,isa4 xxv4 #f72 ,his own blood1 which is drink indeed2 besides that continual feast of a good conscience1 whereat the holy angels saith ,luther1 are as cooks and butlers1 and the blessed ,trinity joyful guests4 ,mr4 ,latimer says that the assurance of salvation is the sweetmeats of this stately feast4--,trapp4 ,without asking what the flesh and wine especially mean1 they are figures of the manifold enjoyment which makes at once strong and happy4--,delitzsch4 ,verse #c4 ,her maidens4 ,sermons and providential strokes1 the whole heraldry of the doctrine of salvation4--,miller4 ,wisdom being personified as a feminine word1 fitly has maidens as her ministers here4 ,may there not also be an intimation 7as ,gregory and ,bede suggest7 of the natural feebleness of the ,apostles and other ministers of the ,gospel who have their treasure in earthen vessels 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #g71 and also of the tender love which the preachers of the ,gospel must feel for the souls of those to whom they are sent8 4 4 4 ,the great ,apostle of the ,gentiles speaks of himself spiritually as a nurse and a mother4--,wordsworth4 ,she1 together with her maids1 crieth2 she puts not off all the business to them1 but hath a hand in it herself4 ,we are workers together with ,god1 saith ,paul4--,trapp4 ,verse #d4 ,ignorance is not a cause that should stay men from hearing the ,word of ,god1 but rather incite them to it4 ,their necessity doth require it1 for who hath more need of eye-salve than they whose eyes are sore8 ,and who have more need of guides than they who have lost their sight and are become blind8 ,and especially when the way is difficult and full of danger4--,dod4 ,verse #e4 ,not for the first time1 in ,john vi41 or on the night of the ,last ,supper1 had bread and wine been made the symbols of fellowship with eternal life and truth4--,plumptre4 ,indeed1 to come and to eat2 to come to ,wisdom by attention is to eat of her instructions by receiving it into the soul4--,jermin4 ,the invitation is free4 ,so it is throughout the ,bible4 ,the blessings of salvation are the gift of ,god4 ,they are offered to sinners with the freeness of ,divine munificence4 ,not only may they be had without a price1 but if they are to be had at all it must be without a price4 ,this is one of their special peculiarities4 ,in treating with our fellow-men in the communication of good1 we make distinctions4 ,from some1 who can afford it1 we take an equivalent2 from others1 who cannot1 we take none4 ,we sell to the rich1 we give to the poor4 ,in the present case there is no distinction4 ,all are poor4 ,all are alike poor2 and he who presumes to bring what he imagines a price1 of whatever kind1 forfeits the blessings1 and is sent empty away4 ,the invitation1 too1 is universal2 for all men1 in regard to divine and spiritual things1 are naturally inconsiderate and foolish1 negligent and improvident of their best and highest interests4 ,and it is earnest1 repeated1 importunate4 ,is not this wonderful8 ,ought not the earnestness and the importunity to be all on the other side8 ,should not we find men entreating ,god to bestow the blessings1 not ,god entreating men to accept them8 ,wonderful8 ,no1 we may answer in the terms of the ,negro woman to the missionary when he put the question1 ,is this not wonderful8 ,no1 ,massa1 it be just like ,him4 ,it is in the true style of infinite benevolence4 ,but is it not wonderful that sinners should refuse the invitation8 ,it is not in one view1 and it is in another4 ,it is not1 when we consider their depravity and alienation from ,god4 ,it is1 when we think of their natural desire for happiness1 and the manifest impossibility of the object of their desire being ever found1 otherwise than by their acceptance of them4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #g4 ,the reproof given is duty discharged1 and the retort in return is a fresh call to repentance for sin past1 and a caution against sin to come4--,flavel4 ,here caution is given how we tender reprehension to arrogant and scornful natures1 whose manner it is to esteem it for contumely1 and accordingly to return it4--,lord ,bacon4 ,the three verses1 #g-i1 in their general preceptive form1 seem somewhat to interrupt the continuity of the invitation which ,wisdom utters4 ,the order of thought is1 however1 this3 ,i speak to you1 the simple1 the open ones1 for you have yet ears to hear2 but from the scorner or evil-doer of such1 ,i turn away4 ,the rules which govern human teachers1 leading them to choose willing or fit disciples1 are the laws also of the ,divine ,educator4 ,so taken1 the words are parallel to ,matt4 vii4 #b1 and find an illustration in the difference between our ,lord's teaching to ,his disciples and to them that were without4--,plumptre4 ,the passage is telling the consequences to the poor hardened man 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,man is not like a thermometer1 raised or sunken by every breath1 but he is the subject of a change which makes a difference in moral influences4 ,without that change1 instruction hardens him4 ,with that change1 it moves him and makes him better4 ,without the change the thermometer is always sinking2 with the change it is rising all the time4 ,this teaching is had in all forms in the ,new ,testament4 ,john says1 ,i write unto you1 little children1 because your sins are forgiven you 7#a ,john ii4 #ab72 his plain implication being1 that it would be useless to write except for the grace of forgiveness4 ,we hear of a savour of death unto death 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #af72 and ,christ tells 7,john xv4 #bd7 that if ,he had not come among them1 and done the works that none other man did1 they had not had sin4--,miller4 ,verse #h4 ,by which ,i do not understand that we are forbidden to preach to the impenitent1 but that we are to contemplate two facts3 first1 that unless they are changed our preaching will make them worse1 and1 therefore1 second1 that though our preaching is a chosen instrument of the change itself1 yet1 if they are scorners--i4e4 if they are what our ,saviour calls swine 7,matt4 vii4 #f71 and ,he means by that1 specially incorrigible--we are not to scatter our pearls to them4 ,we are not to intrude religion upon scoffers4 ,we are to withhold the good seed to some extent 7yet with infinite compassion for all17 for what may more reasonably be hoped to be the good and honest ground 7,mark iv4 #h74--,miller4 ,we must distinguish between the ignorant and the wilful scorner4 ,paul did it ignorantly1 in unbelief 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ac74 ,his countrymen deliberately refused the blessing1 and shut themselves out from the free offers of salvation4--,bridges4 ,verse #i4 ,instruction may be given with advantage to the wise4 7#a7 ,no truly wise man will account it impossible to make accessions to his wisdom4 ,such a man is not wise in his own conceit 7,rom4 xii4 #af74 ,his entrance into this course is of too recent a date1 and the efforts which he has made to gain wisdom too defective1 to permit him to think his wisdom incapable of augmentation 7,john viii4 #b74 ,and 7#b7 every wise man1 whatever be the nature of his wisdom1 will wish it to be increased as much as possible 7,prov4 xviii4 #ae74 ,hence 7#c71 whatever instruction is given to him which is adapted to his character and circumstances1 that is1 which shows wherein he is defective1 either in the end which he is pursuing1 or in the manner of his pursuit1 no matter by whom the instruction is given1 he will account himself happy in having it1 and will be the better for it4--,sketches of ,sermons4 ,verse #aj4 ,men cannot begin to be wise except in holiness2 unless it begins to be the fact that ,god is teaching a man1 you cannot teach him4--,miller4 ,the heart that is touched with the loadstone of ,divine love trembles still with godly fear4--,leighton4 ,this knowledge of the holy is the knowledge of all that is involved in hallowing ,god's name2 knowing experimentally all that tends to our sanctifying the ,lord in our hearts and in life4--,fausset4 ,some of the true wisdom is a nucleus1 round which more will gather4 ,a little island once formed in the bed of a great river1 tends continually to increase4 ,everything adds to its bulk4 ,the floods of winter deposit soil on it4 ,the sun of summer covers it with herbage and consolidates its surface4 ,such is wisdom from above once settled in a soul4 ,it makes all things work together for good to its possessor4--,arnot4 ,verse #ab4 ,as we are not aware that the mass of the impenitent actually scoff at religion1 we must look at this word1 so often selected by ,solomon1 as meaning that practical scorn1 by which men1 who profess to respect the ,gospel1 show it the practical contempt of their worldliness4--,miller4 ,the principle involved in the parable of the talents 7,matt4 xxv47 is embodied in the first intimation4 ,the talents are in the first instance not won by the servant1 but given by the master4 ,so wisdom is specifically the gift of ,god 7,james i4 #e74 ,those servants who use the talents well1 are permitted to retain for their own use both the original capital and all the profit that has sprung from it2 whereas he who made no profit is not allowed to retain the capital4 ,thus the ,giver acts in regard to the wisdom which it is ,his own to bestow4 ,the wisdom1 with all the benefit it brings1 is your own4 ,every instance of wise acting is an accumulation made sure for your own benefit4 ,it cannot be lost4 ,it is like water to the earth4 ,the drop of water that trembled on the green leaf1 and glittered in the morning sun1 seems to be lost when it glitters in the air unseen2 but it is all in safe keeping4 ,it is held in trust by the faithful atmosphere1 and will distil as dew upon the ground again1 when and where it is needed most4 ,thus will every exercise of wisdom1 though fools think it is thrown away1 return into your own bosom1 when the day of need comes round4 ,equally sure is the law that the evil which you do survives and comes back upon yourself4 ,the profane word1 the impure thought1 the unjust transaction1 they are gone like the wind that whistled past1 and you seem to have nothing more to do with them4 ,nay1 but they have more do with you4 ,nothing is lost out of ,god's world1 physical or moral4 ,when a piece of paper is consumed in the fire and vanishes in smoke1 it seems to have returned to nothing4 ,if it bore the only evidence of your guilt1 you would be glad to see the last corner disappear before the officers of justice came in4 ,all the world cannot restore that paper and read the dreaded lines again4 ,the criminal breathes freely now no human tribunal can bring home his crime4 ,but as the material of the paper remains undiminished in the mundane system1 so the guilt which it recorded abides1 held in solution1 as it were1 by the moral atmosphere which encircles the judgment-seat of ,god4 ,uniting with all of kindred essence that has been generated in your soul1 it will be precipitated by a law1 and when it falls1 it will not miss the mark4 ,thou alone shalt bear it4 ,those who have not found refuge in the ,sin-bearer must bear their own sin4 ,sins1 like water1 are not annihilated1 although they go out of our sight4 ,they fall with all their weight either on the sin-doer or on the ,almighty ,substitute4 ,alas for the man who is alone when the reckoning comes4--,arnot4 ,a man's self is not that which he is for a short time and space1 but that which he is for continuance1 indeed for an endless continuance4 ,and therefore that which we are in this life is not ourselves1 but that which we shall be1 that is ourselves4 ,so that whosoever is wise for that time is wise for himself1 and for that time we shall be wise if we be made so by the instruction of ,eternal ,wisdom4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac-ah4 ,,the ,,feast ,,of ,,folly4 ,that which strikes one upon reading this description is the analogy and the contrast which it presents to the feast of ,wisdom4 ,i4 ,its analogies4 #a4 ,both appeal to elements in the nature of man4 ,man is a compound1 a complex being4 ,he possesses a moral nature1 a conscience1 which can be satisfied only with moral truth and goodness1 to which ,wisdom appeals with her wine and bread of ,god's revelation1 and whose cravings they alone are able to appease4 ,and he has sinful inclinations and passions which hanker after forbidden things1 to which ,folly appeals when she sets forth the attractions of her stolen waters and her bread eaten in secret 7verse #ag74 ,god's wisdom and love are shown in appealing to the first1 and ,satan's cunning and malice are manifested in the adaptation of his appeal to the second4 #b4 ,both invite the same kind of character1 viz41 the simple1 the inexperienced1 those who have not tasted the sweets of godly living1 yet know not from experience that the dead are in the house of ,folly1 that her guests are in the depths of hell 7verse #ah74 ,two potters may be desirous of possessing the same lump of clay in order to fashion it each one after his own desire4 ,it is now a shapeless mass1 but they know its yielding and pliable nature renders it capable of assuming any form1 of taking any impress1 which they may please to impart to it4 ,the inexperienced in the experimental knowledge of good and evil are very much like potter's clay2 and here ,wisdom and ,folly1 ,god and the devil1 holiness and sin1 stand side by side bidding for the clay1 the one desiring to fashion out of it a vessel unto honour1 sanctified1 and meet for the ,master's use 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ba71 and the other anxious to make it a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction 7,rom4 ix4 #bb74 #c4 ,both invite to the feasts through those who possess powers of persuasion4 ,though in the first ,wisdom herself does not go forth1 but sends her maidens1 and in the second the woman herself goes out into the streets1 yet they both belong to the sex which is1 by common consent1 allowed to be most skilled in the art of persuasion4 ,history is full of instances of their power to influence for good and evil4 ,there have been many ,lady ,macbeths1 both in public and private life1 and many handmaidens of the ,lord whose influence has been as mighty on the side of good4 ,both ,wisdom and ,folly possess ambassadors whose persuasive powers are mighty4 #d4 ,they utter their invitations in the same places4 ,wisdom crieth upon the high places of the city 7ver4 #c74 ,folly sitteth at the door of her house1 on a seat in the high places of the city 7ver4 #ad74 ,they both give invitations where they are most likely to obtain guests4 ,in the places where many congregate are found the greatest variety of characters and those who have the most varied wants1 and as in such places those who have wares of any kind to sell are sure of finding some to purchase1 so the ambassadors of ,divine wisdom and the emissaries of evil are certain1 where the multitudes are gathered together to find some to listen to their respective voices4 #e4 ,both use the same words of invitation1 and offer the same inducements4 ,a feast is promised in both cases1 i4e41 both inviters promise satisfaction--enjoyment--to their guests4 ,if a man coins bad money he must make it look as near as possible like the gold or he would not get anyone to accept it4 ,it is only afterwards that his dupe finds that it lacks the ring of real gold4 ,so the tempter to evil must make the advantages he professes to dispense look as much like real good as he possibly can4 ,the false friend will often-times adopt the phraseology of the true1 and will never be wanting in arguments to win his victim4 ,the incarnate wisdom of ,god reminded ,his disciples that they might1 in this respect and in others1 learn something from the children of this world1 who1 in some matters1 are in their generation wiser than the children of light 7,luke xvi4 #h74 #f4 ,both make the invitation wide and free4 ,whoso is the word used by both4 ,the kingdom of darkness1 as well as the kingdom of light1 is willing to gather of every kind 7,matt4 xiii4 #dg74 ,the only condition is ,enter in and partake of the banquet prepared4 ,,ii4 ,the ,contrasts4 #a4 ,in the character of the inviters4 ,in the one case they are maidens1 emblematical 7as we saw in considering the first feast7 of purity2 in the other she who invites is evidently a bold and wanton woman1 identical with the one described in chapters v4 and vii4 7compare v4 #f1 vii4 #aa1 #ab1 with verses #ac1 #ad74 ,each one who invites is an embodiment of the principles ruling in the house to which she invites2 each one sets forth in her own deportment what will be the result of accepting the respective invitations4 ,so that1 although the words used may be similar1 the simple might be warned from the difference in aspect and demeanour of those who use them4 #b4 ,in the place to which the simple are invited4 ,in the former case1 says ,zckler1 it is to a splendid palace with its columns1 to a holy temple of ,god2 in the latter to a common house1 a harlot's abode1 built over an entrance to the abyss of hell4 ,the first invitation is to the abode of a righteous king1 where law1 and order1 and peace reign2 the second is to an abode of lawlessness and self-seeking1 and consequently of incessant strife and misery4 ,those who dwell in the first are ever magnifying the favour by which they were permitted to enter2 the inhabitants of the latter are eternally cursing those by whose persuasions their feet were turned into the path which leads to death4 #c4 ,wisdom invites to what is her own2 ,folly invites to that which belongs to another4 ,wisdom hath killed her beasts and mingled her wine2 she cries1 ,come1 and eat of my bread 7verses #b1 #e74 ,folly saith to her victim1 stolen waters are sweet1 and bread eaten in secret is pleasant 7verse #ag74 ,the first is therefore a lawful meal3 its dainties may be enjoyed with a full sense that there is no wrong done to oneself1 or to any other creature in the universe1 by participating in it4 ,it may be eaten publicly2 there is no reason for concealment--no sense of shame4 ,but the guests of ,folly are all wronging themselves1 and wronging ,god1 and wronging their fellow-men by sitting down at her table4 ,and they feel that it is so even when the waters taste the sweetest1 and the bread the most pleasant4 ,hence their banquet is a secret one1 for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret 7,ephes4 v4 #ab74 ,hence they love darkness rather than light2 they hate the light1 lest their deeds should be reproved 7,john iii4 #bj1 #ba74 #d4 ,the contrast in the results4 ,there are poisonous fruits which are pleasant to the taste1 but which lead to sickness and death4 ,and there are bitter herbs which are not palatable1 but which bring healing to the frame4 ,some of ,wisdom's dishes are seasoned with reproof and rebuke 7verse #h71 but the outcome of listening to her call is an increase of wisdom and a lengthening of days and years 7verses #i-aa74 ,the feast of ,folly is sweetened with flattery 7chap4 ii4 #af1 vii4 #ba74 ,the lips of the tempter drop as an honey-comb 7chap4 v4 #b71 but there is a deadly poison in the dish4 ,eating of her food brings a man down into a devil2 the bread and wine of ,wisdom nourishes and strengthens him until he becomes equal unto the angels of ,god 7,luke xx4 #bf74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #a-ah4 ,the prototypical relation of the contents of this chapter to our ,lord's parables founded on banquets 7,matt4 xxii4 #a-ad1 ,luke xiv4 #af-bd7 is evident1 and therefore its special importance to the doctrines of the call of salvation4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,verse #ac4 ,clamorous1 that is1 so bustling as to allow no time for repentance 7see #e1 #f71 like ,cardinal ,mazarin1 of whom it was said that the devil would never let him rest4 ,the sinner is so hurried along in the changes of life1 as apparently to unsettle any attempted reformation4 ,knows nothing2 an expression grandly doctrinal4 ,the impenitent is blankly dark4 ,eccles4 vi4 #e represents the perishing as like an untimely birth4 ,he hath not seen the sun1 nor known anything4 ,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad74 ,where can ,wisdom be found8 says the inspired man 7,job xxviii4 #ad-bb74 ,the depth saith1 ,it is not in me2 and the sea saith1 ,it is not with me4 ,the woman of folly is blankly ignorant2 for the fear of the ,lord is the beginning of wisdom1 and if she had not the beginning1 then mental light1 if she have any1 must be but as darkness 7,matt4 vi4 #bc74--,miller4 ,a foolish woman is clamorous1 and hath many words1 but they are words only1 for she knoweth nothing2 the folly of sin is clamorous1 and maketh many promises of pleasure and contentment1 but they are promises only1 and she performeth nothing4--,jermin4 ,verse #ae4 ,her chief aim is to secure the godly1 or those inclined to become so2 for she is secure as to others1 and therefore takes no great trouble in their case4--,fausset4 ,even the highway of ,god1 though a path of safety1 is beset with temptation ,satan is so angry with none as with those who are going right on4--,bridges4 ,verse #af4 ,wisdom sets up her school to instruct the ignorant3 ,folly sets up her school next door to defeat the designs of ,wisdom4 ,thus the saying of the satirist appears to be verified3-- ,wherever ,god erects a house of prayer1 ,the devil surely builds a chapel there2 ,and it is found1 upon examination1 ,the latter has the larger congregation4--,defoe4 --,adam ,clark4 ,folly does not invite the scorners1 because she is secure of them1 but only the simple1 i4e41 those who are such in the judgment of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,scripture expresses not what she says in outward words1 but what is the reality4 ,whosoever turns in to her is a simpleton4 ,cartwright takes it that she calls the pious simple4 ,verse #ae favours this4--,fausset4 ,verse #ag4 ,folly shows her skill in seduction by holding out1 in promise1 the secret enjoyment of forbidden sweets4 ,alas6 since the entrance of sin into the world1 there has been perverse propensity to aught that is forbidden1 to taste what is laid under an interdict4 ,the very interdiction draws towards it the wistful desires1 and looks1 and longings of the perverse and rebellious heart4--,wardlaw4 ,the power of sin lies in its pleasure4 ,if stolen waters were not sweet1 none would steal the waters4 ,this is part of the mystery in which our being is involved by the fall4 ,it is one of the most fearful features of the case4 ,our appetite is diseased4 4 4 4 ,oh1 for the new tastes of a new nature6 ,blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness4 ,when a soul has tasted and seen that the ,lord is gracious1 the foolish woman beckons you toward her stolen waters1 and praises their sweetness in vain4 ,the new appetite drives out the old4--,arnot4 ,many eat that on earth that they digest in hell4--,trapp4 ,indirect ways best please flesh and blood4 ,sin1 taking occasion by the commandment1 wrought in me all manner of concupiscence 7,rom4 vii4 #h74 ,we take this from our first parents1 a greedy desire to eat of the forbidden fruit4 ,all the other trees in the garden1 although the fruit were as good1 would not satisfy them4 4 4 4 ,such is the corruption of our nature1 that we like best what ,god likes worst4--,francis ,taylor4 ,verse #ah4 ,of course he knows not4 ,if the sinner only knew that he were already dead1 he might wake up with a bound to the work of his salvation4--,miller4 ,all sinful joys are dammed up with a but4 ,they have a worm that crops them1 nay1 gnaws asunder their very root1 though they shoot up more hastily and spread more spaciously than ,jonah's gourd4 4 4 4 ,when all the prophecies of ill success have been held as ,cassandra's riddles1 when all the contrary minds of afflictions1 all the threatened storms of ,god's wrath could not dishearten the sinner's voyage to these ,netherlands1 here is a but that shipwrecks all2 the very mouth of a bottomless pit1 not shallower than hell itself4 4 4 4 ,as man hath his sic1 so ,god hath ,his sed4--,t4 ,adams4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,x4 ,we here enter upon the second main division of the ,book of ,proverbs1 which is composed of a number of distinct propositions or maxims1 having but little connection with each other and answering to the modern signification of the word proverb4 ,wordsworth here remarks that the ,proverbs of the present chapter are exemplifications in detail of the principles1 practices1 and results of the two ways of life displayed in the foregoing chapters which constitute the prologue4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,heaviness1 grief4 #c4 ,the soul of the righteous1 literally1 the spirit of the righteous4 ,but ,he casteth away1 etc4 ,zckler and ,delitzsch have read1 but the craving of the wicked ,he disappointeth4 ,miller thus translates the whole verse3 ,jehovah will not starve the righteous appetite1 but the craving of the wicked ,he will thrust away4 #d4 ,dealeth1 rather1 worketh4 #f4 ,zckler and most commentators translate the second clause of this verse1 the mouth of the wicked hideth or covereth violence or iniquity4 ,stuart reads1 the mouth of the wicked concealeth injury4 ,miller adheres nearly to the ,authorised ,version1 and understands it to mean that wrong shuts up all chance of feast and comfort4 ,it will be observed1 that this latter reading renders the clause antithetical to the former part of the verse1 which is not the case with the other renderings4 #i4 ,be known1 i4e41 be made known1 or discovered4 #aa4 ,for second clause1 see on verse #f4 #ad4 ,lay up1 literally1 conceal1 i4e41 husband the knowledge and understanding which they possess for the right time and place1 do not squander it in unreasonable talk or babbling 7,zckler74 ,near destruction1 rather1 is a near destruction1 i4e41 is a quickly destroying agency 7,lange's ,commentary74 #af4 ,labour1 i4e41 the gain1 the reward of labour4 ,fruit1 gain1 antithetical to the subject of the first clause4 #ag4 ,not1 ,he is in the way1 but ,he is the way4 ,erreth1 causeth others to err4 #ah4 ,not1 with lying lips1 but is of lying lips4 ,the meaning of this second clause does not stand in the relation of an antithesis to the preceding1 but in that of a climax1 adding a worse case to one not so bad4 ,if one conceals his hatred within himself1 he becomes a malignant flatterer2 but if he gives expression to it in slander1 abuse1 and base detraction1 then1 as a genuine fool1 he brings upon himself the greatest injury 7,zckler74 #bb4 ,delitzsch and ,zckler read the second clause1 and labour addeth nothing thereto1 i4e41 ,god's blessing is in itself all in all1 and makes right without any effort4 ,stuart and ,miller translate as the ,authorised ,version1 and the former understands it to signify that sorrow shall not necessarily increase by riches when it is ,jehovah ,himself who bestows them4 #be4 ,when the whirlwind passeth1 the wicked is no more4 #bi4 ,jehovah's way is a fortress to the upright1 but it is destruction to the workers of iniquity4 #ca4 ,cut out1 rooted out4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,parental ,,grief ,,and ,,gladness4 ,the generalisation of the first nine chapters here descends into particular applications4 ,the chemist dilates upon the power and excellence of certain elements1 and then illustrates what he has affirmed by showing their action in particular cases4 ,solomon has dwelt long upon the general blessings which will flow from listening to the counsels of ,divine ,wisdom1 and he now shows some particular instances of it4 ,he begins with its effect in the family4 ,consider-- ,i4 ,how the author here speaks from personal experience4 #a4 ,in his relation to his father4 ,men in positions of far less importance than that which ,david held are solicitous that their sons should possess such a character and such mental qualifications as will enable them to fulfil the duties which they will bequeath to them at their own departure from the world4 ,the owner of a large estate1 if he has a right sense of his own responsibilities1 desires that his heir should be one who will exercise his stewardship wisely and generously4 ,the head of a mercantile firm hopes that the son who is to succeed to his position will be prudent and far-seeing1 and possess an aptitude for business4 ,if a monarch is what he ought to be1 and feels how very great is his power for good or evil1 it will be a matter of the deepest anxiety to him that the son who is one day to sit upon the throne should be one who will discharge his weighty duties wisely and well4 ,david was such a monarch1 and we can well imagine how great was his solicitude that his well-beloved son ,solomon should possess such gifts and graces as would enable him worthily to fulfil the high position he would one day be called to occupy4 ,and1 from what we know of ,solomon's youth and early manhood1 we have every reason to believe that he was such a son as gladdened his father's heart4 ,in the wonderful seventy-second ,psalm--which1 although it has its entire fulfilment only in the greater than ,solomon1 refers1 doubtless1 in the first instance1 to the great king--we have a glimpse of ,david's desires and hopes concerning him4 ,he begins with a prayer for him3 ,give the king ,thy judgments1 ,o ,god1 and ,thy righteousness unto the king's son 7verse #a74 ,and then he gives utterance to the hopes which he cherished concerning his prosperous and beneficent reign--hopes which1 alas6 would have been sadly dimmed could he have foreseen the cloud which overshadowed ,solomon's later days1 but which were founded in the evidences which he gave of youthful piety and devotion4 ,solomon knew that he had been the gladness of his father's heart1 because he had been a wise son1 and therefore he spoke from experience when he uttered the first clause of this proverb4 ,but he spoke no less from experience when he gave utterance to the opposite truth4 ,solomon was a father as well as a son1 and he speaks #b4 ,in his relation to his son4 ,rehoboam's youth and manhood--for he was a man long before his father's death--were not1 we may fairly conclude1 of such a character as to give his father much joy1 but was such as to awaken the gravest fears concerning his conduct when he should become absolute master of the kingdom4 ,we well know how these fears were justified by his conduct on his accession to the throne4 ,the great crime of ,david's life had been committed before ,solomon's birth1 and had1 therefore1 had no bad influence upon him1 but the sins of his own old age were a bad example to set before his son1 and could not have been without their evil influence4 ,from what we read of ,rehoboam1 we can but conclude that he had been a foolish son1 and that ,solomon's heart was heavy with sadness concerning him when he penned these words4 ,these thoughts suggest a lesson which parents should deeply ponder1 viz41 that whether parents shall have gladness or grief in their children depends not so much upon the excellence of their words as upon the godliness of their lives4 ,solomon uttered thousands of moral precepts1 but had he uttered as many more1 they would not have had much effect upon ,rehoboam4 ,what his son needed more than wise sayings was the power of a godly life4 ,this must ever accompany moral teaching3 nay1 it must go before it1 for a child can receive impressions from a holy example before it is old enough to appreciate abstract teaching4 ,a parent's wise sayings will never do a child any good unless there are correspondent doings4 ,a good example is the best education4 ,consider-- ,,ii4 ,how very much our joy and sorrow in this world depend upon our relationships4 ,in proportion as the wise are related to the foolish or to the wise1 will be their grief or their gladness4 ,distant relationships are not very effective in this way1 but near relationships are powerful in proportion to their nearness4 ,and the relation of parent to child is in some respects nearer than any other--nearer1 perhaps1 even than that of husband and wife4 ,our children are a part of ourselves1 and what they are makes or mars our lives4 ,how much does that little pronoun my carry with it6 ,to hear that any young man has disgraced his manhood and thrown away his opportunities is an occasion of sadness to us4 ,this is increased if he is the son of anyone we have known and loved4 ,but if good parents have to reflect that my son has become a reprobate1 how bitter is their sorrow4 ,but when the folly is not so great as this there may still be much heaviness in a parent's heart4 ,wise and foolish are relative terms4 ,a good father's joy is proportionate to his son's goodness1 for we understand wisdom and folly here to stand for the wisdom of goodness and the folly of sin1 and a very little amount of wickedness will make a good mother's heart heavy4 ,let children then learn from this text to reflect how much power to give joy or sorrow rests with them1 and to act accordingly2 and let parents1 considering how entirely their future happiness or misery will depend upon the character of their children1 begin to train them1 both by example and precept1 from their tenderest years4 7,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 iv4 #a-d47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the future may be imperative4 ,we prefer this view4 ,let a wise son make a glad father4 ,if a man has a good son1 let it be his one all-sufficient gratification4 4 4 4 ,men toil for their children1 and give themselves pain in their behalf to an extent absolutely heroic1 considering how they abnegate self1 but to an extent altogether disproportioned1 as between their temporal and eternal warfare4 ,this is one way we destroy our children4 ,if their temporal inheritance is threatened1 we are all on thorns2 but if they are doing well or ill in piety1 we give it but little notice4 ,the verb1 therefore1 as an imperative1 means most4 ,let a foolish son be the grief of his mother1 that is1 an unconverted son4 ,he may be all smiles and amiableness1 and the father's business may be doing well1 but if he is a fool1 spiritually1 it should be his mother's grief4 ,and then follow the reasons--7,for7 treasures of wickedness profit nothing1 etc4--,miller4 ,perhaps this first sentence may have been placed in the front to point to the value of a godly education in the personal1 social1 national influence1 connected both with time and eternity4--,bridges4 ,the father is specially said to be gladdened by a wise son as he is of a more severe nature1 and not so likely to form a partial estimate1 and therefore not so easily gladdened as the mother2 so that it is the stronger praise of the wise son to say that not only the mother1 but also the father1 is gladdened by him4 ,on the other hand1 the mother is apt1 through fondness1 to ignore the errors of her son1 and even to encourage them by indulgent connivance4 ,the wise man admonishes here that she is laying up heaviness in store for herself4--,fausset4 ,after the previous general description of ,wisdom1 ,solomon begins with what is uppermost in his own mind1 ,what would be the character of his successor8 ,what would become of his throne1 his wealth1 his people1 after himself8 ,see his melancholy forebodings in ,proverbs xvii4 #b-ba1 #be2 xix4 #ac2 ,eccles4 ii4 #ah1 etc4 ,solomon has one son1 and he is ,rehoboam4 ,this thought lies underneath many of the sayings in the ,proverbs4--,wordsworth4 ,every son should be an ,abner1 that is1 his father's light1 and every daughter an ,abigail1 her father's joy4 ,eve promised herself much in her ,cain1 and ,david did the like in his ,absalom4 ,but they were both deceived4 ,samuel succeeds ,eli in his cross1 though not in his sin4 ,virtue is not1 as lands1 inheritable4 ,let parents labour to mend by education what they have marred by propagation4--,trapp4 ,do you hear this1 young man8 ,it is in your power to make your father glad1 and ,god expects you to do it4 ,here is an object for your ambition1 here is an investment that will ensure an immediate return4 ,come now1 make your choice4 ,whether you will try to please these fools who banter you here1 or to gladden your father's heart that is yearning for you there8 4 4 4 ,these companions that come between you and him--what have they done for you1 and what would they do for you to-morrow1 if you were in distress8 ,they have never lost a night's rest by watching at your sick bed1 and never will4 ,but your father what has he done1 and yet will do8 ,the command of ,god is that you gladden your father and not grieve him4 ,your conscience countersigns that command now4 ,obey4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,the ,,comparative ,,value ,,of ,,righteousness ,,and ,,riches4 ,i4 ,wealth when lawfully gotten is profitless for many very important things4 ,death is mentioned in the text1 it has no power over that in any form4 #a4 ,wealth will not deliver you from the daily dying1 which is the lot of all men4 ,it has been said that as soon as we are born we begin to die1 and we know that it is certain that as soon as men have attained their prime1 their outward man perisheth day by day 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #af74 ,the richest man cannot purchase exception from this law with all his wealth4 #b4 ,neither can wealth prevent the death which we call premature4 ,man of vast fortunes are often brought down to an early grave2 the seeds of disease within them hasten the operation of the law of death which has passed upon the whole human race4 ,a galloping consumption cannot be held in check even with golden reins4 #c4 ,treasures of wealth will not insure a man against sudden death4 ,the morning finds the rich man looking over his vast acres1 or counting up his dividends1 and saying ,i have much good laid up for many years2 and before the sun sets another has entered into possession of all his riches4 #d4 ,lawfully-gotten wealth will not only not deliver from premature death1 but may sometimes bring it on4 ,wealth is very apt to produce very mistaken views in a man's mind4 ,when he has amassed a large portion of this world's goods1 and is in a condition of moral bankruptcy1 he is very prone to imagine that he is secure in the enjoyment of all that he has acquired1 and that nothing can come between his riches and himself4 ,then ,god may read him a lesson by saying1 ,thou fool1 this night thy soul shall be required of thee 7,luke xii4 #bj74 ,had the man in the parable been a poor man he would not have died so soon2 his wealth not only could not deliver him from death1 but it hastened his end4 ,and many men walking in his footsteps have been brought to their graves in a similar manner and for a similar reason even when the wealth has been honestly gained4 ,we have no reason to think that the rich fool amassed his riches dishonestly2 his sin consisted1 not in his having riches1 but in his trusting in them4 ,,ii4 ,if treasure gotten by honest toil is profitless to deliver from death and other evils1 how much less will the treasures of wickedness1 i4e41 ill-gotten wealth1 be profitable to work such a deliverance4 ,the means used to obtain it were opposed to the law of righteousness1 which does rule in the universe notwithstanding all the apparent exceptions1 and it is as foolish for a man to expect to derive real profit from it as it would be for a man to expect to construct a pyramid which would stand upon its apex4 ,the latter would not be more contrary to natural law than the former is to spiritual law4 ,and treasures of wickedness are not simply profitless1 they bring the man who has them under the curse of the ,righteous ,ruler of the world4 ,they not only bring no profit but they bring great loss4 ,no man can make an unlawful bargain or commit any other dishonest act to gain money without bringing a blight upon his spiritual nature1 without entailing upon himself moral death4 ,and if the acquirement of the treasures of wickedness must subject a man to this greatest calamity1 how impossible is it that they can be profitable to deliver from any lesser evil4 ,,iii4 ,righteousness1 on the other hand--#a4 ,has often delivered from bodily death4 ,all the extraordinary deliverances from death recorded in the ,bible took place in connection with righteousness1 thereby showing us that righteousness is stronger than death4 ,enoch did not see death because he was a righteous man4 ,noah and his family were exempted from the premature death which overtook the rest of the world for the same reason4 ,all the resurrections from the dead were wrought either through the instrumentality of righteous men or by the immediate action of the righteous ,son of ,god4 #b4 ,does deliver always from the curse of bodily death4 ,death is the penalty of sin2 it is therefore a curse4 ,we read that ,the sting of death is sin2 and the strength of sin is the law 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #ef74 ,but ,christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law1 being made a curse for us 7,gal4 iii4 #ac74 ,we are justified by ,his righteousness if we appropriate it by faith 7,rom4 iii4 #ba-bf71 and thus obtain the victory over death through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #eg74 ,here a relative righteousness delivers from the condemnation of death4 ,but this is the foundation of a personal and actual righteousness of character which delivers from spiritual death now1 and will one day deliver the body from the grave4 ,if ,christ be in you1 the body is dead because of sin2 but the ,spirit is life because of righteousness4 ,but if the ,spirit of ,him that raised up ,christ from the dead dwell in you1 ,he that raised up ,christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by ,his ,spirit that dwelleth in you 7,rom4 viii4 #aj1 #aa74 ,here ,paul argues from the greater spiritual deliverance to the lesser bodily one1 and shows how1 in all senses1 righteousness delivers from death4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the proverb means the treasures of an unsaved man4 4 4 4 ,the highest opulence of the dead sinner is of no possible profit3 but the righteousness of the saved sinner1 even without any opulence at all1 is a fortune2 for1 like the charm of the lamp1 it makes for him everlasting blessedness4--,miller4 ,a man may seem to profit by them1 and to come up wonderfully for a time4 ,but what was the profit of ,naboth's vineyard to ,ahab1 when in his ivory palace he was withering under the curse of ,god8 7#a ,kings xxi4 #d-bd with xxii4 #ci74 ,what was the profit of the thirty pieces of silver to ,judas8 ,instead of delivering from death1 their intolerable sting plunged him into death eternal 7,matt4 xxvii4 #e74--;,bridges4 ,righteousness delivereth from death1 to wit1 in the time of vengeance2 for uprightness is that mark of election and life which the ,lord1 spying in any when ,he plagueth the wicked for their transgressions1 spareth them1 and preserveth them from destruction4 ,thus1 although the righteousness of the just person deserveth nothing at ,god's hands1 neither is any cause of man's preservation or salvation1 yet it serveth as a sovereign treacle to preserve the evil-doer from that deadly plague1 which is sent from the ,lord to destroy the disobedient1 and as a letter of passport to safe-conduct the faithful person in perilous times1 and to protect him from all dangers4--,muffet4 ,observe--,i4 ,the excellency of these comforts in themselves4 ,they are treasures--that is1 heaps of outward good things4 ,the word includeth a multitude1 for one or two will not make a treasure2 and a multitude of precious things1 for a heap of sand1 or coals1 or dust1 is not a treasure3 but of silver or gold1 or some excellent earthly things4 ,it is here in the plural1 treasures1 noting the greatest confluence of worldly comforts4 ,,ii4 ,the impiety of the owners4 ,they are treasures of wickedness4 ,the purchaser got them by sinful practices4 ,they were brought into his house slyly at some back door4 ,he was both the receiver and the thief4 ,treasures of wickedness1 because gotten by wicked ways1 and employed to wicked ends4 ,there is an ,english proverb which too many ,englishmen have made good1 ,that which is got over the devil's back is usually spent under the devil's belly4 ,when sin is the parent that begets riches it many times hath this recompense1 that they are wholly at its service and command4 ,,iii4 ,the vanity of those treasures3 they profit nothing4 ,they are unable to cheer the mind1 to cure the diseases of the body1 much less to heal the wounds of the soul1 or to bribe the flames of hell4 ,alas6 they are so far from profiting1 that they are infinitely prejudicial4 ,such powder-masters are blown up with their own ware4 ,these loads sink the bearer into the unquenchable lake4 ,aristotle tells us of the sea-mew1 or sea-eagle1 that she will often seize on her prey1 though it be more than she can bear1 and falleth down headlong with it into the deep1 and so perisheth4 ,this fowl is a fit emblem of the unrighteous person1 for he graspeth those heavy possessions which press him down into the pit of perdition4 ,they that will be rich 7that resolve on it1 whether ,god will or no1 and by any means1 whether right or wrong71 fall into temptations1 and a snare1 and into many foolish and hurtful lusts1 which drown men in destruction and perdition 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #i74 ,men that scrape an estate together unjustly are frequently said in the ,word of ,god to get it in haste1 because such will not stay ,god's time1 nor wait in ,his way till ,he send them wealth1 but must have it presently1 and care not though it be unrighteously4 ,fair and softly goes far4 ,none thrive so well as those that stay ,god's leisure1 and expect wealth in ,his way4 4 4 4 #a4 ,be righteous in thy works or actions4 ,deal with men as one that in all hath to do with ,god4 ,if thou art a ,christian1 thou art a law to thyself2 thou hast not only a law without thee 7the ,word of ,god71 but a law within thee1 and so darest not transgress4 ,thy double hedge may well prevent thy wandering4 4 4 4 ,be righteous in buying4 4 4 4 ,take heed lest thou layest out thy money to purchase endless misery4 ,some have bought places to bury their bodies in1 but more have bought those commodities which have swallowed up their souls4 ,injustice in buying is a canker which will eat up and waste the most durable wares4 ,in buying1 do not work either upon the ignorance or the poverty of the seller4 ,be righteous in selling4 ,be careful1 while thou sellest thy wares to men1 that thou dost not sell thy soul to ,satan4 ,be righteous in the substance of what thou sellest1 and that in regard of its quality and quantity4 ,god can see the rottenness of thy stuffs1 and heart too1 under thy false glosses1 and for all thy false lights4 ,be righteous in regard to the quantity4 ,they wrong themselves most who wrong others of their right4 ,the jealous ,god is very punctual in this particular 7,lev4 xix4 #ce1 #cf74 #b4 ,be righteous in thy words and expressions1 as well as in thy works4 ,the ,christian's tongue should be his heart's interpreter1 and reveal its mind and meaning2 and the ,christian's hand should justify his tongue1 by turning his words into deeds4 ,the burgess of the ,new ,jerusalem is known by this livery3 ,he walketh uprightly1 worketh righteousness1 and speaketh the truth in his heart2 he sweareth to his own hurt1 and changeth not 7,psa4 xv4 #b1 #d74 ,his speech is the natural and genuine offspring of his heart2 there is a great resemblance between the child and the parent4 ,there is a symmetry between his hand and his tongue2 he is slow to promise1 not hasty to enter into bonds1 but being once engaged1 he will be sure to perform4--,swinnock4 ,wickedness is in itself a treasure laid up against the day of wrath2 and as that profiteth nothing1 so neither do the treasures of wickedness4 ,for as he that setteth himself to any employment1 perhaps may lose one way and get another1 but if1 in the general upshot and confusion1 he finds his estate to be bettered1 then is his employment said to be profitable2 so in the treasures of wickedness1 there may be gain of wealth1 honour1 pleasure1 and loss of credit1 quiet1 comfort1 but in the conclusion the loss will be most grievous1 and therefore profitable they cannot be4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c1 #d4 ,,divine ,,and ,,human ,,providence4 ,i4 ,a general rule4 ,god supplies all the needs of ,his children 7verse #c74 ,we take the word soul here to mean what it often does in the ,old ,testament1 viz41 the bodily life1 and1 therefore1 understand the promise to be similar to that in ,psalm xxxiii4 #ai1 etc4 ,god's special providential care is over the righteous4 ,this we should have expected if this and like promises did not exist4 ,the animal creation1 as a rule1 care and provide for their own offspring4 ,there are men and women who have fallen so low as not to care for the well-being of those dependent on them1 but wherever there is any virtue left in human beings it will certainly manifest itself in making some efforts to secure from want those who are nearly related to them and dependent upon them4 ,god has laid it as a charge upon ,his creatures to care for the bodily wants of their children1 and ,he has implanted within men and women an instinct which is generally strong enough to lead them to do it4 ,it is an apostolic sentence--,if any provide not for his own1 and specially for those of his own house1 he hath denied the faith1 and is worse than an infidel 7#a ,tim4 v4 #h74 ,god has taught us that the righteous are bound to ,him by a closer tie than we are bound to each other by flesh and blood relationships4 ,for whosoever shall do the will of my ,father which is in heaven1 said ,christ1 the same is my brother1 and sister1 and mother 7,matt4 xii4 #ej74 ,he was more nearly related to ,his disciples than to those of ,his brethren who did not believe on ,him4 ,they were ,christ's own 7,john xiii4 #a7 in a sense in which other men were not1 and ,he provided for their necessities because they held this special relation to ,him4 ,god has a general care for all that ,he has made4 ,he cares for the life of the tiniest wild flower1 and feeds it with light and moisture according to its need4 ,he giveth to the beast his food1 and to the young ravens which cry 7,psalm cxlvii4 #i74 ,he maketh ,his sun to shine and ,his rain to fall upon the fields of the unjust1 and is kind to the unthankful and the evil 7,luke vi4 #ce74 ,then it follows from necessity that ,he1 the ,righteous ,father1 will not suffer the souls of the righteous to famish4 ,when ordinary means will not meet their need1 ,he will employ special means to do so4 ,there are many instances upon record in the history of ,god's ,church in which1 the supply not being obtainable within the ordinary working of ,his providence1 ,he has gone into the region of the supernatural for sustenance for ,his children4 ,,ii4 ,special exceptions to this rule4 ,if we understand these words as referring to the bodily life1 we must admit that there have been exceptions to it4 ,some of ,god's children have suffered from want1 some have starved to death in dungeons because they have been righteous4 ,but these special exceptions have been for special ends4 ,solomon's father1 when he was haunted by ,saul1 was doubtless often in want of food1 but this severe discipline fitted him for the position he was afterwards to occupy as the ,king of ,israel4 ,paul tells us that he was often in hunger and thirst1 in fastings1 in cold and nakedness 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #bg71 but he likewise tells us that he gloried in tribulation1 because it worketh patience1 and patience experience1 and experience hope1 etc4 7,rom4 v4 #c1 #d74 ,whenever there are partial or entire exceptions to this rule1 we may rest assured that those who are the subjects of the exceptions have their material loss more than made up to them4 ,,iii4 ,special relationship to ,god will not secure exception from want unless the necessary conditions are fulfilled4 ,he1 whether saint or sinner1 becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand 7ver4 #d74 ,if a godly man is not diligent in business1 he will come to want as certainly as an ungodly one4 ,god's children are not exempt from the working of the natural and providential laws of the world in which they live4 ,if they transgress any physical law1 they must pay the penalty4 ,the disregard of such law is a tempting of the ,lord their ,god 7,matt4 iv4 #e-g74 ,and what is true of physical laws is true of providential laws4 ,if a husbandman is ever so prayerful and trustful1 he will not have a crop in harvest unless he works hard in the days of ploughing and sowing4 ,and the most spiritually-minded tradesman will not earn a living unless he gives due attention to his business4 ,god's promises were never made to ferry our laziness 7,beecher74 ,it is sheer presumption to expect ,god to give us our daily bread if we neglect to do all within our power to earn it4 ,even in ,paradise nature would not yield her treasure without diligence on the part of man4 ,adam was to till the ground1 to dress and keep the ,garden of ,eden 7,gen4 ii4 #e-ae74 ,and this dependence of success upon diligence is--#a4 ,good for the man himself4 ,he has bodily and mental powers which cannot be developed without constant exercise4 #b4 ,good for others4 ,a man who does not bring all his powers into play defrauds society of the benefit it might receive from his latent abilities4 ,,iv4 ,when the conditions of growing rich are fulfilled by unrighteous men1 the wealth attained by diligence shall be taken away by justice4 ,riches and poverty are comparative terms2 it is certainly not true that every diligent man makes a fortune2 probably ,solomon means no more than that diligence always brings some amount of reward4 ,however that may be1 we must put the declaration ,the hand of the diligent maketh rich side by side with that in the preceding verse1 ,he casteth away the substance of the wicked4 ,the professional thief exercises a diligence which is not surpassed by many honest men1 if by any4 ,he deals with no slack hand1 and he generally succeeds in getting rich for a time4 ,but if he is diligent1 the detective officer is vigilant1 and the substance he has gathered will one day be scattered by the hand of justice4 ,and there are many unprofessional thieves in the world who gain their riches by means quite as unlawful as their professional brethren1 although they sail under other colours4 ,substance thus obtained is as surely marked by ,god for scattering as that of the housebreaker or highwayman1 although ,he sometimes delays long the apprehension of the culprit4 ,against all such the sentence has gone forth1 ,yea1 they shall not be planted2 yea1 they shall not be sown2 yea1 their stock shall not take root in the earth3 and ,he shall also blow upon them and they shall wither1 and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble 7,isa4 xl4 #bd74 ,there are three reasons why wealth1 which has been gathered by unrighteous diligence1 should be scattered4 #a4 ,such unrighteous dealing is a sin against ,god4 ,it is a defiance of the eighth and tenth commandments1 for all men who get rich unlawfully must both covet and steal4 ,when ,god's thou shalt not is thus disregarded1 we may be certain that ,he will vindicate ,his right to give laws to ,his creatures4 #b4 ,it is a sin against man4 ,such a man's diligence must have caused much misery to many of his fellow-creatures4 ,men cannot satisfy lawless desires without bringing unhappiness to others4 #c4 ,wealth unlawfully gained is sure to be made an instrument of oppression4 ,wealth always gives some amount of power1 and he who has trampled on the rights of others to get riches will be sure to use them for their oppression when he has obtained them4 ,verse #d may be applied spiritually4 ,if material good cannot be obtained without diligence1 most assuredly spiritual blessings cannot 7#b ,pet4 i4 #e1 #aj1 etc474 ,it is as necessary for the spiritual powers to be kept in constant exercise1 if they are to be healthy and strong1 as it is for the body or the mind4 ,the needs of others as well as our own demand diligence in spiritual things4 ,and whatever exceptions there may be in the rule in relation to material good1 this higher wealth will always be in proportion to the diligent use of means4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #c4 ,should the wicked by permitted to hold their substance all their days1 ,death1 that terrible messenger1 shall at last drag them from it2 nor shall their glory descend after them to the grave1 but that wickedness by which they acquired it shall lie down with them in the dust and torture their souls in hell4--,lawson4 ,the substance of the wicked is of the earth1 earthy4 ,it pertains not to the soul1 and partakes not of its imperishable vitality4 ,o the miserable but sadly common mistake of the rich man in the parable1 when he addressed his soul in terms of congratulation1 as if1 in the abundance of worldly good1 it had got what would give it real and permanent satisfaction 7,luke xii4 #af-ba74 ,casting it away is an act indicative of regarding it as worthless4 ,the substance of this world is that on which the hearts of the sons of men are set4 ,but ,god will cast it away4 ,he will not only bereave them of it--and that1 it may be1 suddenly--but what is there in all this substance that can avail as purchase money for the soul and for heaven8 ,had a man the world to offer1 ,god would cast it away4 ,he would say1 ,thy money perish with thee6 ,riches profit not in the day of wrath4 ,the famished soul must then die1 and die for ever4--,wardlaw4 ,as the end of the former verse must chiefly be understood of spiritual death1 because temporarily the righteous die as well as the wicked1 so1 with ,st4 ,jerome1 ,i understand this of a spiritual famine4 ,now1 as the course that is needful to preserve the body is so to nourish it that it may neither be glutted with fulness nor pined with emptiness1 but in such sort to feed it that it may still have appetite for food1 the same is the care which ,almighty ,god taketh of the soul's health2 for ,he so feedeth the righteous that ,he will not suffer them to famish1 and yet ,he doth not so fill them as that they do not hunger and thirst after righteousness4 ,the time of fulness is heaven1 where1 as there will be no danger of sickness to the soul1 so no lack of plenty4--,jermin4 ,it might be objected1 ,if ,i strain not my conscience1 ,i may starve for it4 ,fear not that1 saith the wise man4 ,faith fears not famine4 ,necessaries thou shalt be sure of 7,psalm xxxvii4 #be1 #bf2 xxxiv4 #ae72 superfluities thou art not to stand upon 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #h74--,trapp4 ,verse #d4 ,the diligent 7,hebrew1 charutzim1 from charatz1 to cut short1 or settle72 those who are decisive in all things1 who economise their time and means--prompt in movement4--,fausset4 ,riches were first bestowed upon the world as they are still continued in it1 by the blessing of ,god upon the industry of men1 in the use of their understanding and strength4--,bishop ,butler4 ,the ,lord's visits of favour were never given to loiterers4 ,moses and the shepherds of ,bethlehem were keeping their flocks 7,exod4 iii4 #a1 #b2 ,luke ii4 #h1 #i74 ,gideon was at the threshing-floor 7,judg4 vi4 #aa74 ,our idle days1 as ,bishop ,hall observes1 are ,satan's busy days4 ,active employment gives us a ready answer to his present temptation4 ,i am doing a great work1 and ,i cannot come down 7,neh4 vi4 #c74--;,bridges4 ,not only will ,god provide for the wise1 but wisdom itself is a provision4 ,the hand of the diligent makes riches1 even if it earn little2 the meaning being that active work is itself a treasure2 or1 passing into the realm of piety1 which is the one intended1 he is a poor man who is a sluggard in his soul's work1 and a rich man who is awake and active4 ,our treasure is within4 ,my meat is1 said our ,great ,exemplar1 to do the will of ,him that sent me4 ,and on our dying bed our money will be of small account1 but our work will be the splendid fortune that will follow the believer 7,rev4 xiv4 #ac74--,miller4 ,the advantages of virtuous industry4 #a4 ,the industrious man performs and accomplishes many things which are profitable to himself and others in numberless respects4 ,let his station be never so humble1 yet that which he does in it has influence more or less upon all other stations4 ,if he completely fulfil his duty1 every other can more completely fulfil his4 ,let the faculties1 the endowments of a man be never so confined1 yet by continued uninterrupted application he can perform much1 often far more than he who with eminent powers of intellect is slothful or indolent4 #b4 ,he executes them with far more ease and dexterity than if he were not industrious4 ,he has no need of any long previous contest with himself1 of long previous consideration how he shall begin the work1 or whether he shall begin it at all4 ,but he attacks the business with alacrity and spirit and pursues it with good-will4 #c4 ,he unfolds1 exercises1 perfects his mental powers4 ,and this he does alike in every vocation2 because it is not of so much consequence to what we apply our intellectual faculties1 as how we employ them4 ,whether we apply them to the government of a nation or to the learning and exercise of some useful trade makes no material difference4 ,but to learn to think methodically and justly1 to act as rational beings1 with consideration and fixed principles1 to do what we have to do deliberately1 carefully1 punctiliously1 conscientiously1 that is the main concern4 ,virtuous diligence is a continual exercise of the understanding1 of reason1 of reflection1 of self-command4 #d4 ,the industrious man lives in the entire true intimate consciousness of himself4 ,he rejoices in his life1 his faculties1 his endowments1 his time4 ,he can give an account of the use and application of them and can therefore look back upon the past with satisfaction and into the future without disquietude4 #e4 ,he experiences neither languor nor irksomeness4 ,he who really loves work can never be wanting in means and opportunities for it4 ,to him every occupation is agreeable1 even though it procure him no visible profit4 #f4 ,he alone knows the pleasure of rest for he alone really wants it1 he alone has deserved it1 he alone can enjoy it without reproach4 #g4 ,the industrious man alone fulfils the design for which he is placed on earth1 and can boldly give an account to ,god1 to his fellow-creatures1 and to himself how he has spent his life4--,zollikofer4 ,this rule applies alike to the business of life and the concerns of the soul4 ,diligence is necessary to the laying-up of treasures1 either within or beyond the reach of rust4 4 4 4 ,a world bringing forth fruit spontaneously might have suited a sinless race1 but it would be unsuitable for mankind as they now are4 ,if all men had plenty without labour1 the world would not be fit for living in4 ,in every country and under every kind of government1 the unemployed are the most dangerous classes4 ,thus the necessity of labour has become a blessing to man4 4 4 4 ,it would be a libel upon the ,divine economy to imagine that the tender plant of grace would thrive in a sluggard's garden4 ,the work is difficult4 ,the times are bad4 ,he who would gain in godliness must put his soul into the business4 ,but he who puts his soul into the business will grow rich4 ,labour laid out here is not lost4 ,those who strive lawfully will win a kingdom4 ,when all counts are closed1 he who is rich in faith is the richest man4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,,the ,,use ,,and ,,the ,,neglect ,,of ,,opportunities4 ,i4 ,man has opportunities given to him which it is a mark of wisdom to embrace4 #a4 ,he has the literal and temporal summer4 ,when the harvest is ripe the reaper must take down his sickle and toil at the ingathering of the grain if he would have bread to eat in the days of winter4 ,the fisherman must spread his net in the season when the fish are abundant and watch his opportunity to catch the passing shoal4 ,the merchant must take advantage of the flood-tide of commercial prosperity to make money so that he may not be brought to bankruptcy in times of depression4 ,these things cannot be done at any time1 but the opportune time must be laid hold of and improved4 #b4 ,he has a mental summer4 ,youth is the season usually given to man to develop his mental faculties and lay up stores of knowledge for use in after life4 ,those who embrace this season and industriously improve it1 that gather in this summer1 are wise sons1 and reap an abundant reward in the time of manhood and old age4 #c4 ,he has an opportunity given to lay the foundation of a godly character4 ,the season of youth is most favourable for this work4 ,the youthful mind is more susceptible of moral impressions than those of a man who has grown to manhood without yielding to their influence4 ,the young tree can be easily trained to grow in the desired direction1 but it is impossible to bend the trunk when it has acquired any degree of strength4 ,so it is comparatively easy to form habits of godly thought and action when we are young1 although by the power of ,god's grace it is not impossible at any time4 ,he who subjects his will to the ,great ,teacher in his early days will enjoy an abundant blessing in old age from this gathering in summer4 ,,ii4 ,he who neglects thus to improve his opportunities is--#a4 ,likened to a man who sleeps through the season of harvest4 ,he sets one blessing of ,god in opposition to the other4 ,toil and rest are both ,divine ordinances1 and both are good and blessed in their season4 ,sleep is felt to be an incalculable boon at the end of each day of toil4 ,the rest of the ,sabbath is a priceless gift of ,god1 and is needed to renew both body and mind after the six days' labour4 ,longer seasons of rest are good and needful at certain periods of life1 and it is a sin against ,god not to use the ordinary opportunities of rest which are given to all1 or ought to be1 or to refuse to make use of extraordinary opportunities when they are given to us by the providence of ,god4 ,but this is quite a different thing from making life a time of indolence--from neglecting to do work either belonging to the body1 mind1 or spirit2 which1 if done at all1 can only be done in the given opportunity1 or cannot be done so well at any other time4 #b4 ,such a sleeping in harvest brings shame--7#a7 ,to the man himself4 ,he is accused by his own conscience4 ,conscience will recognise the authority of ,god's institutions1 and the lazy man will be brought to feel that he is out of harmony with the ,divine ordinations which govern the world4 ,a time will come in his experience when he will feel the want of the material good1 or of the knowledge1 or of the favour of ,god1 which he would have possessed if he had used his opportunities1 and his poverty in one or all of these respects will make him ashamed when he compares himself with those who gathered in summer4 7#b7 ,it brings shame upon others4 ,no man can suffer alone for his own sin4 ,those related to him suffer also in proportion to the nearness of their relationship and to the affection which they bear to him4 ,the son who fritters away the season of youthful opportunity disgraces his parents4 ,by-and-by he becomes a father1 and his children partake of his shame4 ,the whole subject reminds us that bare admission into the ,divine family is not the end1 but the beginning of a ,divine life4 ,there must be a gathering ever going on4 ,and beside this 7see verses #a-d71 giving all diligence1 add to your faith1 virtue2 and to virtue1 knowledge2 and to knowledge1 temperance2 and to temperance1 patience2 and to patience1 godliness2 and to godliness1 brotherly kindness2 and to brotherly kindness1 charity 7#b ,peter i4 #e-g74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,look at the large harvest of opportunity in labouring for ,god4 ,the great and diversified machinery of religious societies1 needing direction and energy2 the mass of fellow sinners around us1 claiming our sympathy and helpfulness4 ,while we have time1 let us do good 7,gal4 iv4 #aj74 ,how high is the privilege of gathering with ,christ in such a harvest6 7,matt4 xii4 #cj74 ,how great the shame of doing nothing1 where there is so much to be done6 ,what a harvest also is the present accepted time 7#b ,cor4 vi4 #b74 ,mark the abundance of the means of grace1 the living verdure of the gospel4 ,can ,i bear the thought of that desponding cry of eternal remorse--,the harvest is past1 the summer is ended1 and ,i am not saved8 7,jer4 viii4 #bj74--;,bridges4 ,the opportunity is in all matters carefully to be observed4 ,he gathereth in summer who1 redeeming the time1 maketh his best advantage of the season2 for the summer is that fit season wherein the fruits are got into the barn for the whole year following4 ,he that thus in due season provideth for his body or soul1 is worthily called a son of understanding1 or a wise man2 for he hath not only prudently foreseen what is best to be done1 but wisely took the occasion offered unto his best advantages4 ,on the contrary side1 he sleepeth in harvest who fondly letteth slip the most convenient means or opportunity of doing or receiving good4 ,such a one is a son of confusion1 that is to say1 one that shall be ashamed or confounded1 by reason of the want or misery whereunto he shall fall through his own folly4--,muffett4 ,the use of the word son in both clauses implies that the work of the vine-dresser and the plough had been done by the father4 ,all that the son is called to do is to enter into the labours of others1 and reap where they have sown4--,plumptre4 ,as the former verse commendeth labour and pains and therein diligence1 so this commendeth the diligence of watchfulness1 in taking opportunity and not omitting it4 ,for there may be much labouring1 but there will be little benefit1 unless there be a gathering in summer4 ,the taking of pains may show a mind to gather1 but the unseasonableness of the pains will not show the wisdom of the mind4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,god affords opportunities for good4 ,in this view we may regard the whole period of life4 #a4 ,you are blessed with a season of ,gospel grace while many are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death1 upon you hath the light shined4 #b4 ,you have a season of civil and religious liberty4 ,what advantage do we possess above many of our ancestors who suffered for conscience sake6 ,they laboured1 and we have entered into their labours4 #c4 ,who has not experienced a day of trouble8 #d4 ,where is the person who does not know what we mean by a season of conviction8 ,,ii4 ,i would enforce upon you the necessity of diligence to improve your reaping season4 #a4 ,consider how much you have to accomplish4 ,the salvation of the soul is a great--an arduous concern4 ,religion is a race1 and you must run2 it is a warfare1 and you must fight4 ,the blessings of the ,gospel are free1 but they are to be sought1 and gained4 #b4 ,consider the worth of the blessings which demand your attention4 4 4 4 ,is it not desirable to be redeemed from the curse of the law2 to be justified freely from every charge brought against us at the bar of ,god2 to be delivered from the tyranny and rage of vicious appetites and passions8 ,great is the happiness of the good here2 but who can describe the exalted glory and joy that await them hereafter8 #c4 ,remember that your labour will not be in vain in the ,lord4 ,the husbandman has many uncertainties to contend with1 but probability stimulates him2 how much more should actual certainty encourage you4 #d4 ,remember that your season for action is limited and short4 ,harvest does not last long4 ,your time is uncertain as well as short4 #e4 ,reflect upon the consequences of negligence4 ,is a man blamed for sleeping in harvest8 ,does every one reproach him as a fool8 ,you act a part more absurd and fatal1 who neglect this great salvation4 ,having made no provision for eternity1 your ruin is unavoidable4 ,it will also be insupportable4--,jay4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f1 #g1 and #aa4 ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,present ,,blessedness ,,and ,,future ,,fame4 ,we connect the first and last of these verses1 because the latter clause in both is the same4 ,i4 ,opposite characters revealed by a great contrast in speech 7verse #aa74 ,when a righteous man opens his mouth1 it is as if the cover was removed from a pure1 clear well of water4 ,he has no evil intentions to conceal2 his words are an index to his heart4 ,by them men may read his thoughts with the same ease as they can see what is at the bottom of a clear spring of water4 ,there is medicinal virtue in them--they heal as well as refresh the spirits of men4 ,what a well of life have the words of ,christ been for centuries to millions of the human race4 ,but a wicked man cannot let all the thoughts of his heart be laid open to the light of day4 ,his mouth conceals injury 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,he has plans which are not devised for the good of his fellow-creatures1 and he must use his words not to reveal1 but to hide what is in his mind4 ,and if he lets his tongue loose1 and permits his thoughts to flow out into words1 they do not bless his hearers1 but are like a poisonous stream1 carrying moral death wherever they flow4 ,,ii4 ,character yields a present blessing or a present curse4 ,blessings are upon the head of the righteous1 etc4 ,a man's present comfort within himself1 and the inheritance of good-will he now receives from his fellow-men1 as well as the favour of ,god1 are all dependent upon what he is in his character4 ,the kingdom of heaven is now inherited by him4 ,all the beatitudes uttered by our ,lord speak of a present blessedness4 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 etc4 ,the opposite truth is not expressed1 but it is implied4 ,curses1 not blessings1 are the present inheritance of the man whose mouth is covered by violence4 ,,iii4 ,character determines the nature of our future fame 7verse #g74 #a4 ,the memory of the righteous is blessed1 because what they did upon the earth is the means of bringing blessings upon others after they are gone4 ,many a son has received kindness for the sake of the righteousness of his father4 ,god blesses the children for the father's sake4 ,i will make him prince all the days of his life for ,david my servant's sake1 whom ,i chose1 because he kept my commandments and my statutes 7#a ,kings xi4 #cd74 ,fear not1 said ,god to ,isaac1 for ,i am with thee1 and will bless thee1 and multiply thy seed for my servant ,abraham's sake 7,gen4 xxvi4 #bd74 ,cyrus was raised up to deliver ,israel for ,jacob's sake 7,isa4 xlv4 #d74 ,men can but bless the memory of those whose past godliness is the means of bringing blessings upon them in the present4 #b4 ,the just man's memory is blessed because he leaves behind him reproductions of his own character4 ,all life will reproduce itself4 ,after a tree has decayed and gone to dust1 others will be in full life and vigour that were seedlings of the old tree4 ,intellectual life is reproductive4 ,the man of mighty genius leaves disciples to carry out his ideas after he is gone4 ,good men are the parents of good children1 or make other men good by their words and lives4 ,they that dwell under his shadow shall return1 and they shall grow as the vine 7,hosea xiv4 #g74 ,the good must be held in blessed remembrance so long as there are those upon earth who are the reproductions of their character4 #c4 ,the memory of some is blessed because they did deeds which never can be reproduced by others--which have left a fragrance behind them which can never be repeated4 ,the one act of ,abraham1 when he prepared to offer up ,isaac at ,god's command1 can never be repeated2 but it is the one which1 above all his other acts of faith1 causes him to be held in everlasting remembrance4 ,and so it has been with many of the leaders of the ,church in all ages4 ,they have performed acts of godly heroism which we cannot imitate1 but of which we reap the reward1 and for which we bless their memory4 ,especially is this true of ,him who is pre-eminently the ,holy ,one and the ,just1 whose glorious name is blessed for ever 7,psa4 lxxii4 #ai71 because ,he endured the cross and despised the shame4 ,but the converse of all this is the lot of the wicked4 ,we can but remember them when we are brought face to face with the evil they have left behind them2 but we turn from the remembrance as we turn from some offensive putrid object1 while the memory of the just is as a sweet savour4 ,contrast the feelings with which ,christendom now regards the emperors of ,rome and the fishermen of ,galilee4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #f4 ,not one1 but many blessings are on the head of the righteous3 the blessing of peace1 the blessing of plenty1 the blessing of health1 and the blessing of grace1 shall be upon them4 ,the precious ointment of the ,lord's favour and blessing shall be so poured upon their heads as that it shall not here stay1 but run down to the rest of the members of their bodies1 and enter into their very hearts4--,muffet4 ,blessings3 not simply good things1 but good things bestowed by another2 not simply good things bestowed by another1 but divinely bestowed as sacred benedictions4 ,blessings are for the righteous exclusively1 that is1 for no one else4 ,for the head2 not the mouth1 not the hand2 because often without either's agency4 ,on his head2 because unconsciously1 and sometimes even when asleep4--,miller4 ,verse #g4 ,the memory of the just is blessed 7#a7 because of his winning friendship2 7#b7 because of his unfeigned piety2 7#c7 because of his steadfast patience2 7#d7 because of his noble1 public-minded activity4--,ziegler1 from ,lange's ,commentary4 ,and what signifies an empty name8 ,it brings honour to ,god1 and prolongs the influence of his good example who has left it4 ,his good works not only follow him1 but live behind him4 ,as ,jeroboam made ,israel to sin after he was dead1 so the good man helps to make others holy whilst he is lying in the grave4 ,should it so happen that his character is mistaken in the world1 or should his name die out among men1 it shall yet be had in everlasting remembrance before ,god2 for never shall those names be erased from the ,lamb's book of life1 which were written in it from the foundation of the world4--,lawson4 ,not what he remembers1 but what is remembered of him4 ,he blesses after he is dead4 ,so does the wicked1 but1 like most other growths in nature1 by his decay4 ,name2 that which is known of a man4 ,the name of ,god is that which may be known of ,god4 ,the memory of the righteous1 viz41 of the ,church of ,god1 is that which propagates her1 and causes her to hand down her strength4 ,our walk about ,zion1 our telling her towers1 our marking her bulwarks1 is for this grand aim1 among the rest1 that we may tell to the generation following 7,psa4 xlviii4 #ab1 #ac74--,miller4 ,i4 ,the memory of the just is blessed1 self-evidently so1 for the mind blesses it and reverts to it with complacency1 mingled with solemnity1--returns to it with delight from the sight of the living evil in the world1 sometimes even prefers this silent society to the living good4 ,they show in a most evident and pleasing manner the gracious connection which ,god has constantly maintained with a sinful world4 ,his uninterrupted connection with it by justice and sovereign power has been manifest in mighty evidence3 but ,his saints have been the peculiar illustration of ,his grace1 ,his mercy1 acting on this world4 ,,ii4 ,it is so1 when we consider them as practical illustrations1 verifying examples of the excellence of genuine religion2 that it is a noble thing in human nature1 and makes1 and alone makes1 that nature noble2--that1 whatever scoffers may say1 or this vain world would pretend to disbelieve1 here is what has made such men as nothing else1 under heaven1 could or can4 ,,iii4 ,their memory is blessed while we regard them as diminishing to our view the repulsiveness and horror of death4 ,our ,lord's dying was the fact that threw out the mightiest agency to this effect4 ,but1 in their measure1 ,his faithful disciples have done the same4 ,when we contemplate them as having prepared for it with a calm resolution--as having approached it--multitudes with a calm resignation and fortitude1 and very many with an animated exultation2--as having passed it1 and emerged in brightness beyond its gloom--they seem to shine back through the gloom1 and make the shade less thick4 ,,iv4 ,it is blessed1 also1 as combined with the whole progress of ,god upon the earth--with its living agency throughout every stage4 ,he has never1 and nowhere1 had a visible cause in the world1 without putting men in trust with it4 4 4 4 ,think of what men have been employed and empowered to do in the propagation of truth1 in the incessant warfare against evil1 in the exemplification of all the virtues by which he could be honoured4--,john ,foster4 ,verse #aa4 ,a ,church is but a body of righteous men4 ,what would the world do without the ,church8 ,the influences of a ,church1 and that a land is ruined without a ,church1 and that one generation hands on the worship of ,god to another1 are all illustrations on a grand scale of how the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life4 ,a good man will constantly be doing good to others4 ,but wrong covers the mouth of the wicked1 so that he can give no blessing2 so keeps him from any possible usefulness1 that he cannot utter good1 or make his mouth1 as the righteous can1 a fountain of life to all about him4--,miller4 ,in a hot summer's day ,i was sailing with a friend in a tiny boat on a miniature lake1 enclosed like a cup within a circle of steep1 bare ,scottish hills4 ,on the shoulders of the brown1 sun-burnt mountain1 and full in sight1 was a well1 with a crystal stream trickling over its lip1 and making its way down towards the lake4 ,around the well's mouth1 and along the course of the rivulet1 a belt of green stood out in strong contrast with the iron surface of the rock all around4 ,what do you make of that8 said my friend1 who had both an open eye to read the book of ,nature and a heart all aglow with the lessons of love4 ,we soon agreed as to what should be made of it4 ,it did not need us to make it into anything4 ,there it was1 a legend clearly printed by the finger of ,god on the side of these silent hills1 teaching the passer-by how needful a good man is1 and how useful he may be in a desert world4 4 4 4 ,the ,lord looks down1 and men look up1 expecting to see a fringe of living green around the lip of a ,christian's life-course4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,,the ,,doer ,,and ,,the ,,talker4 ,i4 ,a definition of a wise man4 ,he is one that will receive commandments4 ,the reception of commandments implies a commander1 and a willingness to obey his laws4 ,the wise man is willing to obey good laws even at the expense of some self-sacrifice1 because he has a strong conviction of the benefits that will arise from submission4 ,the laws which govern a well-ordered ,state will not be irksome to a right-minded citizen4 ,he feels that submission to them will bring only comfort to him4 ,the yoke will bring ease1 and he proves that he is a wise man by accepting it4 ,the commandments here are the commandments of ,jehovah4 ,he only is a truly wise man who is willing to submit his will to the ,divine will1 to take upon himself the yoke of ,him whose yoke is easy 7,matt4 xi4 #cj71 who is the ,lawgiver who makes free indeed 7,john viii4 #cf74 ,he obeys ,his commandments from the full conviction of the benefits and blessings which flow from keeping them4 ,he knows that the obedience must come before the comfort1 that ,incarnate ,wisdom has placed the commandment first1 and then the reward ,ye are my friends1 if ye do whatsoever ,i command you 7,john xv4 #ad74 ,he can say1 from past experience concerning the ,divine commands1 ,in keeping of them there is great reward 7,psa4 xix4 #aa71 and the blessedness that he has tasted he knows to be but the earnest of what is to be in the future1 and therefore he is willing to sacrifice present advantage and worldly ease to obedience to them4 ,he is like the trader who has received a sample of a rich cargo from a distant land1 and who is so convinced of the value of the whole from that which has come to hand1 that he is willing to undergo any present privation in order to become its possessor4 ,the ,son of ,god likened such an one to a wise man1 which built his house upon a rock1 for it is evident that to receive commandments is here equivalent to doing them 7,matt4 vii4 #bd74 ,,ii4 ,a distinguishing mark of a fool4 ,he is a prater4 ,he is one who is willing to talk1 but not to act2 willing to give out words1 but not to receive instruction2 and therefore he is one who can give out nothing by speech that is worth giving4 ,unless the earth receives good seed into its bosom1 it cannot give out seed to the sower and bread to the eater4 ,unless a man receives into his heart the good seed of the kingdom1 he can never bring forth moral fruit 7,matt4 xiii4 #bc71 and he can never do more than prate about spiritual truths4 ,there are many words but no meat4 ,there is only one ,being in the universe who can be a giver without first being a receiver1 and that is ,god4 ,outside of ,him1 all must receive of ,his fulness if they would be anything more than mere talkers on eternal realities4 ,all such men are fools4 ,where is the wise8 ,where is the scribe8 ,where is the disputer of this world8 ,hath not ,god made foolish the wisdom of this world8 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bj74 ,,iii4 ,the end of such a mere talker4 ,he shall fall4 #a4 ,in the estimation of those who he pretends to instruct4 ,no men are so prone to assume the office of instruction as men who are ignorant1 but such men cannot long hold a place in the estimation of others4 #b4 ,he shall fall into deeper folly4 ,those who refuse to receive that ,divine commandment which will make them truly wise1 must sink lower and lower into sinful folly4 ,the longer he refuses the offered wisdom1 and refuses to put his neck under the yoke of ,god's commandments1 the heavier will grow the chains of sinful habit1 and the more firmly will they be riveted4 #c4 ,he shall fall into righteous retribution4 ,this will be proportionate to the opportunities he has had of receiving wisdom4 ,and thou1 ,capernaum1 which art exalted unto heaven1 shall be brought down to hell 7,matt4 xi4 #bc74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a fool is in nothing sooner and better recognised than in his conversation4--,geier4 ,it is striking how often ,solomon dwells upon sins of the tongue2 no member is so hard to control2 none more surely indicates the man4--,fausset4 ,the heart is the seat of true wisdom1 and a teachable spirit is the best proof of its influence4 ,for who that knows himself would not be thankful for further light4 ,no sooner1 therefore1 do the commandments come down from heaven1 than the well-instructed ,christian receives them1 like his father ,abraham 7,heb4 xi4 #h2 ,gen4 xxii4 #a-c71 with undisputing simplicity2 welcomes the voice of his heavenly teacher 7#a ,sam4 iii4 #aj1 ,acts x4 #cc1 ,psa4 xxvii4 #h1 cxliii4 #aj71 and when he knows that it is the ,lord1 girds himself with all the ardour of the disciple to be found at ,his feet 7,john xxi4 #b-g74 ,but look at the professor of religion destitute of this heart-seated wisdom4 ,we find him a man of creeds and doctrines1 not of prayer2 asking curious questions rather than listening to plain truths2 wanting to know events rather than duties2 occupied with other men's business to the neglect of his own 7,luke xiii4 #bc1 #bd2 #a ,tim4 v4 #ac74--;,bridges4 ,it is one of the marks of true wisdom1 and none of the least1 that it is not self-sufficient and self-willed4 ,this is the evident import of the former part of this verse4 ,we might consider the disposition in reference both to ,god and to men--to the ,supreme ,ruler and ,lord of the conscience1--and to existing human authorities4 ,the wise in heart will receive ,god's commandments4 ,this1 true wisdom will do implicitly4 ,it will never presume on dictating to ,god1 or on altering and amending ,his prescriptions2 but1 proceeding on the self-evident principle that the dictates of ,divine ,wisdom must in all cases be perfect1 will bow in instant acquiescence4 ,with regard also to earthly superiors1 a humble submission to legitimate authority1 both in the family and in the ,state1 is the province of wisdom4 ,there is a self-conceit that spurns at all such authority4 ,it talks as if it would legislate for all nations4 ,it would give commandments rather than receive them4 ,it likes not being dictated to4 ,it plumes itself on its skill in finding fault4 ,there is no rule prescribed at which it does not carp1 no proposal in which it does not see something not to its mind1 no order in which it does not find something to which it cannot submit4 ,this is folly1 for1 were this temper of mind prevalent1 there would be an end to all subordination and control4 ,the prating fool1 or the fool of lips1 may be understood in two ways4 ,first1 the self-conceited are generally superficial4 ,there is much talk and little substance3 words without sense3 plenty of tongue1 but a lack of wit4 ,light matter floats on the surface1 and appears to all2 what is solid and precious lies at the bottom4 ,the foam is on the face of the waters2 the pearl is below4 ,or1 secondly1 the reference may be to the bluster of insubordination2 the loud protestations and boasting of his independence on the part of a man who resists authority1 and determines to be a law to himself4--,wardlaw4 ,the word commandments 7,e4,v471 might often be translated laws4 ,one set of passages would just change words with another4 ,the word translated commandments means primarily something fixed4 ,it answers to the ,new ,testament law 7,rom4 viii4 #c71 and is adapted to the reasonings of the apostles4 ,he of the wise heart means the truly wise4 ,he of the fool heart might seem good for the rest of the sentence4 ,but a deep philosophy reminds the inspired man that men are not such fools as to believe in sin1 as the pardoned ,christian does in holiness4 ,they know a great deal more than they either act or utter4 ,a vast deal of the worldliness of men is a mere lip service1 like that to the ,almighty4 ,and1 knowing that the lost man is aware of his perdition1 and has been told his folly1 the proverb does not account him a fool in his deep sense1 so much as superficially1 and in the mad actings of his folly4 ,in his heart he knows he is deceived4 ,in his lips he is constantly deceiving himself4 ,in his acts he keeps up a fictitious life4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #i-aj4 ,,opposite ,,characters4 ,i4 ,he who walketh uprightly4 #a4 ,is a restorer of an ancient path4 ,the way of uprightness is much older than the human race1 and was originally the only way known in the universe to intelligent and moral creatures4 ,uprightness is as old as ,god4 ,crooked walking is of the creature and but of yesterday compared with uprightness4 ,he who walks uprightly is a restorer of the breach made in heaven1 and re-establishes the old paths 7,jer4 vi4 #af7 of righteousness upon earth4 ,the way of uprightness was the way in which man walked in ,eden4 ,in ,eden also man lost his way by entering the by-path of transgression and thus ceased to walk with ,god4 ,he shall be called a repairer of the breach1 a restorer of paths to dwell in 7,isa4 lviii4 #ab74 ,a man who reopened up some ancient and important highway to a great city would be regarded by the citizens as a benefactor2 how much more ought he to be held in esteem whose life reveals this ancient highway of holiness1 who by his uprightness becomes himself a way to others4 #b4 ,he obeys an ancient command4 ,when ,abram was ninety years old and nine1 the ,lord appeared to ,abram1 and said unto him1 ,i am the ,almighty ,god2 walk before me and be thou perfect--upright 7,gen4 xvii4 #a74 ,often the great want of a partially-civilised country is a straight and level road1 by which commerce can easily find its way to the central city1 and a royal edict is sometimes issued that such a road should be made4 ,the great want of the world in the day when this command was given to ,abram was an example of uprightness in human life4 ,the need of the world in this direction is still great1 and the ancient command given to the patriarch is still in force4 #c4 ,his walking is not limited to the present life4 ,he walks in the same way after death as before it4 ,he shall enter into peace3 they shall rest in their beds1 each one walking in his uprightness 7,isa4 lvii4 #b74 ,heaven has no better way of walking than the way of uprightness1 and death will not make any change in the moral characteristics of the godly man1 except to intensify and strengthen them4 ,the death of the seed-corn will not be the means of giving birth to a different kind of seed1 but only of making an increase of the same kind4 ,death is needful1 not to change one thing for another1 but to make much out of little4 ,death will bring heaven to the godly and upright1 but it can give nothing to an upright man better than his uprightness1 but this it can do1 it can render him more entirely and completely upright4 ,hence the path of the upright is a path which death cannot end--a path which1 begun to be trodden in time1 will be continued in throughout eternity4 ,the happiness of the human creatures who make up a family1 or a larger community1 will depend very much upon the uprightness of each member4 ,heaven's blessedness springs from the perfectly upright character of each citizen of that perfect city4 #d4 ,his upright walk is sure1 or safe1 because it is preservative of character4 ,uprightness is to character what salt is to food4 ,he who walks uprightly can never become less godly and righteous1 but must of necessity become more and more so2 hence the ,psalmist's prayer1 ,let integrity and uprightness preserve me 7,psalm xxv4 #ba74 ,,ii4 ,the two phases of character are placed in contrast to that of the upright man4 #a4 ,that of the man whose evil nature does not lie entirely upon the surface4 ,he that perverteth his ways and yet endeavours to cloak his perversion1 to hide his wrong-doing4 ,the winking of the eye mentioned in verse #aj indicates an effort after concealment4 ,those who pervert their ways pervert nature in order to attain their ends4 ,the eye is intended by ,god to be a revelation of the soul1 and where integrity and sincerity dwells1 it is so4 ,but he who walks crookedly or perversely makes an unnatural use of his eye1 and by means of it endeavours to work ill to his neighbour4 ,but all his efforts at concealment will at some time or other be ineffectual2 the very means he uses to conceal his evil plans may be the means of awakening suspicion4 ,and if he succeeds in blinding the eyes of his fellow men1 the ,lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness1 and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #e74 ,the day of judgment will reveal the guilty secrets of many who have never yet--nor ever will be until that day--fully known4 #b4 ,that of him whose perversity is manifest to all4 ,the prating fool cannot conceal what he is4 ,upon him and upon his destiny1 see ,homiletics and ,suggestive ,comments on verse #h4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #i4 ,an upright walk is ,christian1 not sinless1 perfection 7,job i4 #h72 walking before ,god1 not before men 7,gen4 xvii4 #a74 ,impurity1 indeed1 defiles the holiest exercise4 ,but if the will be rightly bent1 the integrity will be maintained4 ,show me an easier path1 is ,nature's cry4 ,show me1 cries the child of ,god1 a sure path4--,bridges4 ,to walk uprightly1 or to walk in integrity1 means to act according to one complete scheme3 not as the fool does 7verse #h71 behaving one way and believing another4 ,it means to aim for something stable 7chap4 ii4 #g72 and hence1 of course1 not to lay our plans so that we ourselves know they must ultimately fail4 ,he walks surely or securely1 i4e41 must certainly succeed4--,miller4 ,the dissembler walks in crooked paths4 ,like ,judas1 who put on a cloak of charity to hide his covetousness 7,john xii4 #f71 he conceals the selfish principles which regulate his behaviour under the appearances of purity1 prudence1 and other good qualities4 ,but he cannot hold the mantle so tight about him as to conceal from the wise observer his inward baseness4 ,it will occasionally be shuffled aside1 it will at length drop off1 and he shall be known for what he is1 abhorred by all men1 and punished with other hypocrites4--,lawson4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,while ,dr4 ,wardlaw may think ,proverbs an exception1 ,,ii ,tim4 iii4 #af tells us that ,all scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness4 ,walking uprightly stands opposed to all duplicity1 all tortuous policy1 all the crooked arts of manuvering1 for the purpose of promoting reputation1 interest1 comfort1 or any other end whatsoever4 ,he who walketh thus1 walketh surely4 ,he walks with a comfortable feeling of security1 a calm1 unagitated serenity of mind4 ,this springs from the confidence in that ,god whose will he makes his only rule4 ,in the path of implicit obedience he feels that he can trust4 ,and further1 the way in which he walks is the surest for the attainment of his ends4 ,proverbs are generally founded in observation and experience1 and express their ascertained results4 ,hence1 even though not inspired1 they have generally truth in them4 ,it has become proverbial that honesty is the best policy4 ,the meaning is1 that acts of deceit very frequently frustrate the object of him by whom they are employed1 and land him in evils greater than the one he meant1 by the use of them1 to shun4--,wardlaw4 ,first--the heart of the upright man hath ,god's own eye to behold it1 and ,his ,spirit to testify the faithfulness of it1 and so receiveth comfort from ,him1 as ,job did1 when in the confidence of his cause and conscience he saith1 ,o that some would hear me1 behold my desire is that the ,almighty would answer me 7,job xxxi4 #ce74 ,secondly1 the course of their actions is such as will endure light1 and the more they are examined the better they will prove1 and therefore they need not fear any might or malice1 or cunning adversaries that shall seek their disgrace4 ,and upon the assurance of this the prophet professeth his undaunted courage and magnanimity1 with challenge also to his calumniant enemy1 whosoever he were1 ,i have set my face like a flint1 and ,i know that ,i shall not be ashamed4 ,he is near that justifieth me1 etc4 7,isa4 l4 #g1 #h74 ,thirdly1 their bodies and state are in ,god's custody1 and ,he hath undertaken the defence and preservation of them1 whereas the wicked are out of ,god's protection and perpetually go into peril4 ,fourthly1 their souls are prepared for death and for judgment1 and therefore more desire to be dissolved than are afraid to hear of the nearness of their dissolution4--,dod4 ,i4 ,an upright walker is sure of easily finding his way3 it requires no laborious dealing to find out what is just4 ,,ii4 ,he treads upon firm ground2 upon solid1 safe1 and well-tried principles4 4 4 4 ,the practice built on such foundations must be very secure4 ,,iii4 ,he walks steadily4 ,a good conscience steers by fixed stars1 and aims at fixed marks4 ,an upright man is always the same man1 and goes the same way2 the external state of things does not alter the moral reason of things with him1 or change the law of ,god4--,sydney ,smith4 ,i4 ,the way of uprightness is the surest for despatch1 and the shortest cut towards the execution or attainment of any good purpose1 securing a man from irksome expectations and tedious delays4 ,,ii4 ,it is fair and pleasant4 ,he that walketh in it hath good weather and a clear sky about him2 a hopeful confidence and a cheerful satisfaction do ever wait upon him4 ,being conscious to himself of an honest meaning1 and a due course in prosecuting it1 he feeleth no check or struggling of mind3 no regret or sting of heart4 ,,iii4 ,he is secure of his honour and credit4 ,he hath no fear of being detected1 or care to smother his intents4 ,,iv4 ,he hath perfect security as to the final result of his affairs1 that he shall not be quite baffled in his expectations and desires4 ,he shall prosper in the true notion of prosperity1 explained by that ,divine saying1 ,mark the perfect man1 and behold the upright1 for the end of that man is peace4--,barrow4 ,verse #aj4 ,the connection of the clauses is--to speak feignedly and to speak rashly are both alike dangerous3 to do the former hurts others1 to do the latter hurts oneself4 ,when we avoid cunning and feigned speaking1 we are not to run into the opposite extremes of prating folly4--,fausset4 ,the one shuts his eye to conceal his subtlety1 the other opens his mouth to declare his folly4 ,the one winketh1 but sayeth nothing2 the other says too much1 but thinketh not what he says4 ,the one giveth sorrow to the deceived in his malicious bounty2 the other taketh a fall from the superfluous bounty of his own words4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,love ,,and ,,hatred4 ,the lawfulness or unlawfulness of hatred and strife depends upon the subject or occasion of such feeling4 ,god hates sin1 and we know that this hatred is the fruit of one of ,his highest attributes4 ,the ,divine and ,incarnate ,son of ,god foretold that ,he had not come to send peace on earth1 but a sword 7,matt4 x4 #cd71 and therefore even ,he was an occasion of strife because ,he was a hater of sin4 ,there is then a holy as well as a wicked hatred1 a lawful as well as an unlawful strife4 ,but the hatred of the text being placed in contrast with love is evidently the malicious hatred of a wicked man4 ,i4 ,the hatred of the wicked is--#a4 ,insatiable4 ,it has been said that those who hate have first injured4 ,this is doubtless true1 but there must have been some amount of hatred to prompt the injury4 ,but after the injury has been inflicted1 the hatred is not diminished1 but is generally increased4 ,herodias prevailed upon ,herod to put ,john the ,baptist into prison1 but this did not lessen her malice4 ,it was such a devouring flame as could be quenched by nothing but his blood4 ,the pain which conscience inflicts upon him who has injured another is put to the account of the injured person1 and goes to increase the bitterness of the anger against him4 #b4 ,it is generally impartial4 ,wicked men generally begin by hating good men1 but they come in time to a habit of hating bad men too4 ,the blind man will be as likely to strike his friend as his foe4 ,hatred is blind1 and those who begin by hating those whom they consider their enemies1 generally end by hating their so-called friends4 ,,ii4 ,the effect of hatred4 ,it stirs up strife4 ,this implies that the materials for strife are already in existence4 ,there are no signs of mud upon the surface of a peaceful lake1 but it only requires some disturbing element to be thrown in to show that it is lying at the bottom4 ,the spirit of the most sanctified man has some evil tendencies within it1 which may be stirred up by undeserved hatred4 ,only ,one who ever wore our human nature had with ,him no germ of strife which might be stirred up by hatred4 ,only ,one could say that temptation found nothing in him 7,john xiv4 #ac74 ,the elements which may be stirred up by strife have a lodging place in the most sanctified human spirit1 and when strife is thus stirred up by hatred the whole soul or the whole society is influenced for evil4 ,when the lake is stirred up from the bottom all the waters are more or less troubled1 and when the elements of contention are at work even in a good man or in a ,christian community the whole man or the entire community is ruffled and disturbed4 ,in contrast with this hatred1 which is not only sin in itself but1 by stirring up strife1 is an occasion of sin in others1 is placed the love which covereth or does away with sin4 ,i4 ,love covers sin by forgiving it4 ,malicious hatred1 even when it is directed against sin1 will but incite to more sin4 ,but forgiveness of the sin may lead to its being forsaken1 and the mere fact of being forgiven may give the sinner an impulse after a better life in the future1 and thus enable him to efface the remembrance of the past4 ,if a man is deeply in debt to another1 and that other gives him a discharge of his debt1 the very fact of his being legally free may give him such new energy to work as may enable to pay that which he owed4 ,and a sense of being forgiven a moral debt will sometimes have this effect upon the soul4 ,god's covering up of sin by forgiveness is the beginning of a new life to those who are willing to accept ,his pardon 7,psa4 xxxii4 #a1 #a ,john i4 #g74 ,,ii4 ,love covers sin by forgetting it4 ,it is in the nature of love not only to forgive an injury1 but to forget that the injury has ever been done4 ,and a consciousness that our sin is covered by being forgotten is very healing to the spirit4 ,for a soul that has lived a sinful life is like a man that has passed through a campaign and received many wounds4 ,he requires skilful treatment and gentle nursing2 and when the wounds have been bound up1 and have perhaps1 begun to heal1 care must be taken that no rough hand re-opens them1 and causes them to bleed afresh4 ,a work spoken which shows that the sinful past is still remembered by those who have professed to forgive1 may re-open the wounds with a fatal effect4 ,love covers sin as ,god declares that ,he covers it4 ,his promise is not only ,i will forgive their iniquity1 but1 ,i will remember their sins no more 7,jer4 xxxi4 #cd74 ,,iii4 ,love covers sin by making active efforts to recover the sinner4 ,love will not be content with forgiving when forgiveness is sought1 but it will go out of its way to recover the erring4 ,the godly man will walk in the footsteps of ,him who came to seek that which was lost4 ,god did not wait until man returned to ,him before ,he held out hope of forgiveness4 ,as soon as ,satan's hatred had led man into sin1 ,he held out hope of return to holiness by the promise of ,him who should bruise the serpent's head 7,gen4 iii4 #ae74 ,and in the fulness of time1 by the gift of ,his ,son1 ,he showed the depth of ,his love and ,his desire to cover the sin of the world4 ,and as in many human homes there are those who owe their present moral standing1 the recovery of all that makes existence worth having1 to the love that followed and sought them when they were outcasts1 so those who people the heavenly home--that multitude which ,god alone can number--are the fruit of that ,divine love which not only covered a multitude of sins by forgiving and forgetting the sin1 but sought out the sinner in order to forgive him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,love covereth all sins1 saith ,solomon1 covers them partly from the eyes of ,god1 in praying for the offenders2 partly from the eyes of the world1 in throwing a cloak over our brother's nakedness2 especially from its own eyes1 by winking at many wrongs offered it4--,t4 ,adams4 ,hatred disturbs the existing quiet by railings2 stirs up dormant quarrels on mere suspicions and trifles1 and by unfavourable constructions put upon everything1 even upon acts of kindness4 ,as hatred by quarrels exposes the faults of others1 so love covers them1 except in so far as brotherly correction requires their exposure4 ,love condones1 yea1 takes no notice of a friend's errors4 ,the disagreements which hatred stirs up1 love allays2 and the offences which are usually the causes of quarrel1 it sees as though it saw them not1 and excuses them 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #d-g74 ,it gives to men the forgiveness which it daily craves from ,god4--,fausset4 ,to abuse the precept in #a ,peter iv4 #h 7where this text is quoted7 into a warrant for silencing all faithful reproofs of sin in others1 would be to ascribe to charity the office of a procuress4--,cartwright4 ,first1 it makes us to cover and pardon the wrongs that others do us4 ,secondly1 a loving carriage maketh others pardon the wrongs that we do them4 ,thirdly1 it maketh ,god to pardon the offences which we commit against ,him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,,laying ,,up ,,to ,,give ,,out4 ,i4 ,the practice of the morally wise man4 ,he lays up knowledge 7verse #ad74 ,the present position of a man in social life is often the result of a laying up in the past4 ,the man who has made it the business of his past life to lay up money is now a rich man4 ,his present wealth arises from his past storing4 ,an artificer or professional man who laid up knowledge in his youthful days is able to command a good position in his mature life4 ,but there are differences between those who lay up riches1 or mere intellectual wisdom1 and him who stores moral wisdom--the only real and lasting wealth4 ,the man spoken of in the text lays up that which is truly his own now1 and will be throughout eternity4 ,the riches of godly wisdom are not transferable either before or at the time of death4 ,material wealth may go at any time in our life1 and must be left behind when we leave the world4 ,and while we call it ours it is but lent us by ,god4 ,he takes a wider range1 and lays up for a life beyond time1 and what he lays up now will make him what he will be in the ages beyond death4 ,he is determined to be crowned rich towards ,god in the day when he shall be summoned to appear and give an account of his stewardship4 ,most men are layers up of riches and knowledge in a greater or less degree4 ,the truly wise man banks for moral character1 and intends to be considered rich in the city of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,it is because spiritual knowledge is laid up that wisdom is found in the lips 7verse #ac74 ,the possession of wealth or of intellectual knowledge is no guarantee that wisdom will be found with it4 ,a rich man may not know how to use his riches to the best advantage4 ,he might know how to gather it1 but may not know how to spend it for his own good4 ,a man may gather much intellectual knowledge without being able to make it profitable1 or a source of enjoyment either to himself or others4 ,a man may be able to gather timber and stones together and yet not know how to build a house out of them after he has gathered them4 ,a housewife may collect a store of wool and stuffs1 but not be skilful enough to fashion the materials into garments for herself and her household4 ,so knowledge1 in its general sense1 is not necessarily accompanied by wisdom2 but spiritual knowledge and spiritual wisdom are never separated4 ,the one is always joined to the other4 ,when there is a laying up of the knowledge of ,god1 there wisdom will be found4 ,no man can truly know ,god and not have wisdom enough to reduce his knowledge to practice in the building up of a godly character4 ,where knowledge is in the heart there will be wisdom in the lips and life4 ,,iii4 ,this knowledge and wisdom will be used for the benefit of others4 ,it will be found in the lips4 ,the man who is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder1 which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old 7,matt4 xiii4 #eb74 ,he has a store from which he draws according to the need of those whom his words can benefit4 ,his instructions are like the viands of the thrifty housewife1 stored up in abundance against the time of need1 and suited1 both as to quantity and quality1 to the wants of the needy soul 7verse #ba74 ,,iv4 ,the influence and the fate of him who refuses to lay up knowledge4 ,his mouth is a near destruction 7see rendering in ,critical ,notes74 ,the man who refuses to lay up the knowledge of some calling or profession is both a fool and a knave1 because by such neglect he makes himself dependent when he might be independent1 and because he eats the bread earned by industrious men4 ,how much more foolish is he who will not lay up that by which he may acquire a character which would make him an equal with the angels of ,god4 ,but his neglect injures others beside himself4 ,he wrongs his fellow-men by withholding his influence from the side of that which is righteous1 and consequently defrauds the world of that which it is the duty of every man to give it4 ,but he does not stop here4 7#a7 ,he adds the positive evil influence of sinful words4 ,the ,bible speaks often of the evil influence of sinful speech4 ,it likens it to the poison of venomous reptiles 7see ,psalm lviii4 #d2 cxl4 #c2 ,jas4 iii4 #h74 ,but these creatures can only destroy the body1 whereas the fool's mouth is often a destruction to both body and soul4 7,on this subject see homiletical remarks on chapter i4 #aj-ai74 7#b7 ,but he is a curse to his own existence as well as to that of others4 ,that which is a destruction to them makes a rod for his own back 7verse #ac74 ,such a man's mouth utters falsehood and slander by which he creates enemies without4 ,that which he speaks brings guilt upon his conscience1 which becomes an instrument of chastisement within4 ,and a guilty conscience creates imaginary enemies as well as keeps us in remembrance of real ones4 ,an old writer says1 ,the guilty conscience conceives every thistle to be a tree1 every tree a man1 every man1 a devil1--afraid of every man that it sees1 nay1 many times of those that it sees not4 ,not much unlike to one that was very deep in debt and had many creditors1 who1 as he walked ,london streets in the evening1 a tenter-hook caught his cloak4 ',at whose suit8' said he1 conceiving some sergeant had arrested him4 ,thus the ill-conscienced man counts every creature he meets with a bailiff sent from ,god to punish him4 ,such a conscience is indeed a rod for the fool's back 7chap4 xxvi4 #c74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ac4 ,through the lips of the ,christian other men get wisdom4 ,if we will think of it1 men get it in no other way4 ,faith cometh by hearing 7,rom4 x4 #ag74 ,the ,church hands itself down1 by the blessing of heaven1 from lip to lip4 ,but then from the same lips comes a rod4 ,the good man1 not listened to1 becomes a scourge4 ,christ ,himself becomes an instrument of death4--,miller4 ,solomon and his son admirably illustrate this contrast4 ,such wisdom was found in his lips1 but fruit of an understanding heart1 that all the world came to hear of it 7#a ,kings iv4 #ca74 ,rehoboam was as void1 as his father was full1 of understanding4 ,his folly prepared a rod for his back 7#a ,kings xii4 #ac-bd74 ,learn then to seek for wisdom at the lips of the wise4 ,the want of this wisdom1 or rather the want of a heart to seek it1 will surely bring us under the rod4 ,in many a chastisement we shall feel its smart2 for the loose education of our children 7chap4 xxix4 #ae72 for carnal indulgence 7#b ,sam4 xii4 #i-aa74 ,and how different is this rod from our ,father's loving adoption 7chap4 iii4 #aa1 #ab72 this1 the mark of disgrace4 ,will not the children of ,god cry1 ,turn away the reproach that ,i fear1 for ,thy judgments are good 7,psa4 cxix4 #ci74--;,bridges4 ,the wise man carries the ornament of his wisdom in his lips2 the fool shall bear the disgrace of his folly on his back4--,fausset4 ,he who trembleth not in hearing shall be broken to pieces in feeling4--,bradford4 ,the dwelling of wisdom is in the heart1 but there it is hid2 in the lips it is found4 ,there it sitteth1 like an ancient ,israelite1 at the gates of the city1 marking what goes out1 and weighs it before it passeth1 that nothing issue forth which may disparage the honour or wrong the estate of the city4 ,there shall folly find it1 as smart and heavy in the reproof of it as a rod is to the back1 and which is fit for him whose tongue is void of understanding4 ,for it is reason that his back should bear1 whose tongue will not forbear4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,to lay up knowledge very obviously implies that value is set upon it4 ,men never think of seeking and accumulating what they regard as worthless2 and in proportion as an object is prized will be the degree of eagerness with which it is pursued1 and of jealous vigilance1 with which it is laid up and guarded4 ,thus the miser4 ,with what an eye of restlessness and eager covetousness does he look after the acquisition of his heart's desires6 with what delight does he hug himself upon his success6--with what avidity does he add the increase to his treasures1 carefully secreting them from all access but his own6 ,with a care incomparably more dignified and useful how does the man of science mark and record every fact and observation1 whether of his own discovery and suggestion or of those of others6 ,how he exults in every new acquisition to his stores6 ,he lays all up in his mind1 or1 fearful of a treacherous memory1 in surer modes of record and preservation4 ,hints that lead to nothing at the time may lead to much afterwards4 ,some one in another generation may carry out into practical application1 or into the formation of valuable theories1 the facts and conjectures that are now1 in apparent isolation1 laid up for such possible future use4 ,the true philosopher1 to use a colloquial phrase1 has all his eyes about him4 ,he allows nothing to escape notice1 and nothing1 if he can help it1 to pass into oblivion4 ,but1 alas6 in this respect1 as in others1 the children of this world are1 in their generation1 wiser than the children of light4--,wardlaw4 ,who would not heedfully foresee where his arrow shall hit1 before he shoot it out of his bow2 lest it should destroy any person or other creature through negligence8 ,who would not be very circumspect and wary in discharging a piece1 lest he should do mischief by it8 ,and yet1 by these1 a man may affright1 and not hurt2 and hurt1 and not kill2 and kill1 and not die himself2 but what arrow1 what shot1 what artillery1 what murdering piece is to be compared to the mouth of a man that is not guided by a wise and watchful forethought8 ,great woe is worketh unto other men1 but it surely bringeth death unto himself2 every word that breaketh another man's skin doth certainly break the caul of his own heart2 and he that doth aim at another to give him a wound1 surely cannot miss himself to violate his own life4--,dod4 ,the part of wisdom is to treasure up experience1 and hold it ready for use in the time and place of need4 ,everything may be turned to account4 ,in the process of accumulating this species of wealth1 the wonders of the philosopher's stone may be more than realised4 ,even losses can be converted into gains4 ,every mistake or disappointment is a new lesson4 ,every fault you commit1 and every glow of shame which suffuses your face because of it1 may be changed into a most valuable piece of wisdom4 ,let nothing trickle out1 and flow away useless4 ,after one has bought wit at a heavy price1 it is a double misfortune to throw it away4 ,as a general rule1 the dearer it is the more useful it will be4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae1 #af4 ,a ,,false ,,and ,a ,,true ,,estimate ,,of ,,life4 ,i4 ,a false estimate of life in its relation to riches4 ,it is a mistake to look on wealth as a strong city in which we can be secure from the evils of life4 ,a commander1 who knows that there is behind him a fortress into which he can retire in case of need1 may be brought to ruin by forming an over-estimate of its security4 ,he may underrate the ability of the enemy to follow him thither4 ,strongholds have been undermined1 and those who had trusted in their strength have been destroyed by that very confidence2 or pestilence has broken out on account of the number who have taken refuge in the fortress1 and so that which they deemed their strength has been their weakness4 ,these events have proved that the estimate taken of their safety was a wrong one--that even the refuge itself might be the cause of destruction4 ,so with a rich man's wealth4 ,if he looks upon it as a resource under all emergencies--if he thinks it can purchase him immunity from all ills--he is a terrible self-deceiver4 ,wealth cannot drive back disease2 nothing can keep death from storming his stronghold2 and sometimes a single day brings together such an army of adverse circumstances that the strong city goes down before it1 and is never rebuilt1 or the very refuge itself is the cause of moral ruin4 ,therefore ,let not the rich man glory in his riches 7,jer4 ix4 #bc74 ,,ii4 ,a false estimate of life in relation to poverty4 ,it is a mistake also to look on poverty as a destruction4 ,if the rich man errs on the side of excessive confidence1 the poor man errs on that of fearfulness4 ,he should remember--#a4 ,that the blessedness of life here does not consist in what a man has1 but in what he is4 ,wealth may be a curse to existence1 and so may poverty1 but a good conscience1 a godly character1 is a continual feast4 ,and it is quite as easy1 perhaps more so1 to do justly1 to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with ,god in poverty as in wealth4 ,a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth 7,luke xii4 #ae74 ,this is the declaration of ,him who created man1 and who1 therefore1 knows his needs4 ,the poor are the objects of ,his special regard4 ,hath not ,god chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith1 and heirs of the kingdom which ,he hath promised to them that love ,him8 7,jas4 ii4 #e74 #b4 ,he should keep in mind the day of levelling and compensation4 ,son1 remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things1 and likewise ,lazarus evil things1 but now he is comforted1 and thou art tormented 7,luke xvi4 #be74 ,,iii4 ,a right estimate of that which constitutes life1 viz41 righteous labour 7verse #af74 ,the first clause of this verse suggests 7#a7 that there can be no true life without righteousness2 7#b7 that righteousness must show that it exists by honest labour2 7#c7 that the honest labour of a righteous man1 whether of hand or brain1 shall bless his existence4 ,from the second clause we learn 7#a7 that godless men likewise labour for a harvest4 ,there are as hard workers among the godless as among the good4 ,they toil for earthly gain all the more earnestly because they have no other to possess3 that which belongs to the present life is their all4 7#b7 ,that there is no blessing in the gain of the ungodly4 ,the gain of a sinner only tends to confirm him in his ungodliness--it tendeth to sin4 ,if a tree is bad at the root the larger it grows the more bad fruit it will bear4 ,the richer a bad man grows the worse he becomes1 the greater are his facilities for sinning himself1 and the more evil is his influence upon others4 ,sin being at the root of his actions1 sin will be in the fruit4 ,the whole subject teaches us not to make poverty and riches the standard by which to measure a man's blessedness or misfortune4 ,beecher says1 ,we say a man is 'made4' ,what do we mean8 ,that he has got the control of his lower instincts1 so that they are only fuel to his higher feelings1 giving force to his nature8 ,that his affections are like vines1 sending out on all sides blossoms and clustering fruits8 ,that his tastes are so cultivated that all beautiful things speak to him1 and bring him their delights8 ,that his understanding is opened1 so that he walks through every hall of knowledge and gathers its treasures8 ,that his moral feelings are so developed and quickened that he holds sweet communion with ,heaven8 ,o1 no1 none of these things4 ,he is cold and dead in heart1 and mind1 and soul4 ,only his passions are alive2 but--he is worth five hundred thousand dollars6 4 4 4 ,and we say a man is 'ruined4' ,are his wife and children dead8 ,o1 no4 ,has he lost his reputation through crime8 ,no4 ,is his reason gone8 ,o1 no2 it is as sound as ever4 ,is he struck through with disease8 ,no4 ,he has lost his property1 and he is ruined4 ,the man ruined6 ,when shall we learn that 'a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth'8 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,it is not a strong city1 but his strong city4 ,you see how justly the worldling is called an idolater1 for he makes not ,god his confidence1 but trusts to a thing of nought2 for his riches1 if they are a city1 are not a strong city1 but a city broken down1 and without walls4 ,how hard is it for rich men to obtain an entrance into that city that hath foundations1 when it is a miracle for a man that hath riches not to trust in them4--,muffet4 ,the rich man stands independent1 changes and adversities cannot so easily overthrow him2 he is also raised above many hazards and temptations2 on the contrary1 the poor man is overthrown by little misfortunes1 and his despairing endeavours to save himself1 when they fall1 ruin him completely1 and perhaps make him at the same time a moral outlaw4 ,it is quite an experienced fact which this proverb expresses1 but one from which the double doctrine is easily derived3 7#a7 ,that it is not only advised1 but commanded1 that man make the firm establishing of his external life-position the aim of his endeavour4 7#b7 ,that one ought to treat with forbearance the humble man2 and if he always sinks deeper and deeper1 one ought not to judge him with unmerciful harshness1 and in proud self-exaltation4--,delitzsch4 ,as soldiers look upon a strong city as a good place which they may retire to for safety in times of flight1 so worldly men1 in their distress and danger1 esteem their wealth the only means of relief and succour3 or1 as a marching army expects supply1 if need be1 from a well-mannered and well-victualled city1 so men in their fainting fits1 and under dreadful crosses1 expect to be revived by their earthly cordials4--,swinnock4 ,the word destruction is capable of two meanings4 ,first1 there are temptations peculiar to poverty as well as to riches4 ,agur was aware of these when he prayed1 ,give me not poverty1 lest ,i steal and take the name of my ,god in vain 7chap4 xxx4 #g-i74 ,he who gives way to such influences of poverty ensures destruction as much as he who is full and denies ,god1 and says1 ,who is the ,lord8 ,secondly1 as we found in the preceding clause to refer to the state of mind--the confidence of safety inspired by his wealth in the bosom of the rich1 it seems fair and natural to understand the latter clause on a similar principle4 ,the destruction of the poor will then mean1 that which1 in their own eyes1 is their destruction2 that which engenders their fears and apprehensions--their constant dread of destruction4 ,they are ever apt to contrast their circumstances with those of their wealthy neighbours1 and to deplore their poverty1 and fret at it as that which keeps them down1 depriving them of all good1 and exposing them to all evil4 ,and1 without doubt1 it is the source of many and heavy sufferings1 both in the way of privation and endurance4 ,but the poor may indulge their fears1 and make themselves unhappy without cause4 ,their forebodings may be more than groundless4 ,if by their poverty they are exposed to some evils1 they are exempted by it from others4 4 4 4 ,let the poor seek the peace1 and comfort1 and safety which are imparted by the ,gospel2 and thus1 possessing the true riches1 they will not need to fear what man can do unto them4 ,the worst of all destructions will be far from them4--,wardlaw4 ,the wealth of the rich1 even in this world1 is their great capital4 ,the destruction of the poor is the helplessness1 and friendlessness1 and creditlessness1 and lack of instruments incident to poverty4 ,in the spiritual world the distinction is entire4 ,the rich get richer1 and the poor get poorer1 and both by inviolable laws4 ,all works for good for one1 and all for evil for the other4 ,the last ,proverb explained it4 ,wisdom1 by its very nature1 grows1 and so does folly4 ,all other interests vibrate3 sometimes worse1 and sometimes better4 ,but ,wisdom1 like the ,god that chose it1 has no shadow of turning4 ,if it begins in the soul it grows for ever4 ,if it does not begin it grows more distant4 ,there is never rest4 ,wealth in the spiritual world1 by the very covenant1 must continually heap up2 and poverty1 by the very necessities of justice1 must increase its helplessness4--,miller4 ,naturally the author is here thinking of wealth well earned by practical wisdom1 and this is at the same time a means in the further effort of ,wisdom2 and1 again1 of a deserved poverty1 which1 always causes one to sink deeper in folly and moral need4 ,compare the verse following4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,surely this should humble us1 that riches1--that should be our rises to raise us up to ,god1 or glasses to see the love of ,god in--our corrupt nature useth them as clouds1 as clogs1 etc41 yea1 sets them up in ,god's place1 and saith to the fine gold1 ,thou art my confidence 7,job xxxi4 #bd74 ,the destruction of the poor is their poverty4 ,they are devoured by the richer cannibals 7,psa4 xiv4 #d71 as the lesser fish are by the greater4 ,men go over the hedge where it is lowest4 ,poor and afflicted are joined together 7,zeph4 iii4 #ab74 ,so are to want and to be abased 7,phil4 iv4 #ab74--,trapp4 ,here he is describing what is1 rather than prescribing what ought to be4 ,the verse acknowledges and proclaims a prominent feature in the condition of the world4 ,it is not a command from the law of ,god1 but a fact from the history of men4 ,in all ages and in all lands money has been a mighty power1 and its relative importance increases with the advance of civilisation4 ,money is one of the principal instruments by which the affairs of the world are turned1 and the man who holds that instrument in his grasp can make himself felt in his age and neighbourhood4 ,it does not reach the ,divine purpose1 but it controls human action4 ,it is constrained to become ,god's servant1 but it makes itself the master of man4--,arnot4 ,the rich man often goes about his ,sion1 or rather his ,jericho1 and views the walls thereof2 he marketh the bulwarks1 and telleth the towers of it4 ,he looks upon his wealth1 he marks his bags1 he tells his moneys1 and therein is his confidence2 thereby he thinketh to outstand any siege or assault1 and1 placing his security on it1 dareth to oppose his strength to any right or reason2 whereas ,god with a blast of ram's horns is quickly able to throw down all his might and his greatness4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,the labour of the righteous tendeth to life or serves as life4 #a4 ,because it is a good thing in itself4 #b4 ,because it procures good1 each stroke earning its pay4 #c4 ,because it increased1 and that on for ever1 making us holier and happier1 and making other holier and happier through the endless ages4 ,it serves pre-eminently as life1 therefore1 literally1 is for life4 ,but the fruit1 or gains of the wicked 7and we must not fail to note the crescendo in the second clause1 ,the labour of a righteous man--the gains of a wicked man2 the righteous still toiling1 the wicked having made his harvest17 serve to sin or as a sin-offering4 ,that is1 they are all demanded by justice1 and are all consumed by the expiation of his sins4 ,pious acts are a life4 ,wicked gains go to swell what our great creditor seizes4--,miller4 ,labour1 not idleness1 is the stamp of a servant of ,god2 thus cheered by the glowing confidence1 that it tendeth to life 7,john vi4 #bg74 ,occupy till ,i come--,do all to the glory of ,god 7,luke xix4 #ac2 #a ,cor4 x4 #ca7--this is the standard4 ,thus the duties even of our daily calling tend to life4 ,god works in us1 by us1 with us1 through us4 ,we work in and through ,him4 ,our labour1 therefore1 is ,his work--wrought in dependence on ,him2 not for life1 but to life 7,rom4 viii4 #ac2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #aj2 ,phil4 ii4 #ab1 #ac74--;,bridges4 ,the words are fitly chosen3 labour in honest industry is the righteous man's ordinary way of living4 ,revenue 7fruit7 not gained by honest labour is frequently the wicked man's livelihood4--,fausset4 ,it is not directly said1 as the previous clause might lead us to expect1 that the fruit of the wicked tendeth to death1 but to sin4 ,this1 by the wise man1 is considered as the same thing4 ,it tendeth to sin1 and1 consequently1 to death4 ,thus it is said1 ,when lust hath conceived1 it bringeth forth sin2 and sin1 when it is finished1 bringeth forth death 7,jas4 i4 #ae74 ,between the two there is an intimate and inseparable connection4--,wardlaw4 ,the righteous are laborious1 as knowing that to be the end of their life4 ,for themselves they labour1 to lead their lives with comfort here1 to get the life of glory hereafter4 ,for others they labour1 to supply the wants of their disconsolate life on earth1 and to help them forward to the blessed life of heaven4 ,wherefore ,st4 ,bernard saith well1 ,when we read that ,adam in the beginning was set in a place of pleasure to work in it1 what man of sound understanding can think that his children should be set in a place of affliction for to play in it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,example4 ,we take here the rendering of all recent commentators as given in the ,critical ,notes1 and understand the verse to set forth the truth that no man liveth to himself4 ,his character is reproduced in others4 ,i4 ,a good man is a way1 because he is the means to an end4 ,the way to the city is the road by which we reach it4 ,the life of a holy man is a way to spiritual and eternal life1 because it is the means by which men come home to ,god4 ,if there were no good men in the world1 there would be no means by which sinners could be brought from death unto life4 ,christ is pre-eminently the way1 because ,his life is the great means by which men learn to know and to return to ,god4 ,no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me 7,john xiv4 #f74 ,the longer a path is trodden the more distinctly it proclaims itself as a way4 ,so a good man becomes a more evident way the longer he lives4 ,a good life is so distinct in its teachings that both sage and savage are compelled to admit its influence1 and the longer it exerts its power for good the more pronounced it becomes4 ,the ,son of ,god has for ages been the way to life1 and the longer ,he continues to be so the more distinctly is ,he seen to be the means to this end4 ,,ii4 ,the conditions to be fulfilled in order to become a way of life4 #a4 ,the man must keep instruction4 ,it is not enough to receive it4 ,the ,word of ,god must not only be heard1 but must be kept4 ,if ye know these things1 happy are ye if ye do them 7,john xiii4 #ag74 #b4 ,he must submit to discipline even when it takes the form of reproof4 ,this is implied in the last clause of the verse1 ,he that refuseth reproof causes to err4 ,the man who has attained a position in any profession1 and has thereby become qualified to lead others1 has done so because he has submitted to discipline even when it has been in the unpalatable form of reproof4 ,such a man can well exhort others to submit to that by which he has become fit to be their guide4 ,even the ,son of ,god learned obedience by the things which ,he suffered 7,heb4 v4 #h74 ,,iii4 ,an ungodly man injures others as well as himself4 ,he not only wanders from the path himself1 but he causeth 7others7 to err4 ,we often hear it said of a godless man--of one who refuseth reproof--that he is nobody's enemy but his own4 ,this cannot be4 ,it has been truly said that nothing leaves us wholly as it found us4 ,every man we meet1 every book we read1 every picture or landscape we see1 every word or tone we hear1 mingles with our being and modifies it4 ,this being so1 every man makes every man with whom he comes in contact better or worse1 and as every good man draws others into the path of life1 so every man who refuses to submit to ,divine discipline drags others with him in the broad road that leads to destruction4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,st4 ,basil1 answering the question1 ,with what mind anyone ought to receive the instructions of reproof administered unto him1 giveth this answer1 ,with the same mind that befitteth him who1 being sick of some disease and troubled for the preserving of life1 receiveth a medicine1 namely1 with the greatest desire of recovering his health4 ,for there is a way of life though a man be not sick but dead unto sin4 ,and the hand that putteth into this way is instruction1 and that which must keep us in the way is the keeping of instruction3 for he that refuseth reproof erreth1 erreth in refusing1 erreth more by refusing4--,jermin4 ,this is the idea of other verses 7#aa-ac73 that a man going to heaven blazes a path for others4 ,he is a way4 ,others travel upon him in his prayers and in his example4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,three ,,degrees ,,of ,,moral ,,foolishness4 ,i4 ,a liar4 #a4 ,a liar is a fool because he fights for a weak cause4 ,when a case can only be made out by lying it is manifestly a bad one4 ,a man who will strive to uphold such a cause reveals his folly4 #b4 ,because he makes use of a weak weapon4 ,among tribes ignorant of the methods of civilized warfare we find weapons which are little better than slim rods1 and1 although their points are sharp and poisoned1 yet they proclaim their weakness when they come into collision with an experienced swordsman4 ,lying is such a weapon1 and its use reveals the utter folly of him who wields it4 ,it can no more stand against truth than the wooden spear of a savage can turn aside the thrust of a ,damascus blade4 #c4 ,because by lying he degrades his moral character4 ,the serpent lost his upright position by being linked with lying1 instead of going erect1 ,god passed upon him the sentence--,upon thy belly shalt thou go1 and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life 7,gen4 iii4 #ad74 ,the liar finds that this is his doom4 ,he can no longer hold up his head like an honest man among his fellow-men1 he must henceforth crawl and wind his way through the world1 and eat the dust of ignominy and scorn4 ,men turn from a liar as they do from a serpent4 ,it is assuredly the height of folly for a man thus to throw away that which alone makes him worthy to be called a man4 ,,ii4 ,a liar who conceals hatred by lying4 ,this man displays a higher degree of iniquity and folly4 ,there are those who lie simply to serve their own purposes and have no dislike to the person whom they deceive4 ,there is often much lying when there is no special malice4 ,but when lying is used to conceal hatred--which is murder 7#a ,john iii4 #ae7--there is a double folly because there is a double sin4 ,the lying of the father of lies is simply a blind to conceal his intense hatred of the human race1 and this makes him the greater sinner4 ,,iii4 ,a liar who utters slander4 ,when malice finds vent in lying slander we have an exhibition of greater iniquity and therefore of greater folly4 ,it is bad to be a liar1 it is worse to conceal hatred by lying1 but it is worse to let the hatred of the heart break forth into false accusations of the innocent4 ,the tree that is most richly laden with the ripest fruit is the one upon which the birds will congregate4 ,we never find them passing by such booty to peck at green fruit4 ,the pirates lay in wait for vessels with a rich cargo1 empty vessels pass by unmolested and secure from attack4 ,so it is always the best men who attract slanderers1 men of little or no moral worth are not considered foemen worthy of their steel4 ,god declared ,job to be the best man in all the earth1 perfect and upright1 one who feared ,him1 and eschewed evil 7,job i4 #h74 ,and it was because he stood thus pre-eminent that the tongue of the great slanderer was used against him2 being from the beginning a liar and a murderer of character he gave one of the most complete exhibitions of his real nature when he pointed his lying hatred against the best man of his day4 ,the ,holy ,one of ,god did not escape the tongue of the slanderer4 ,he was a man gluttonous1 and a wine-bibber 7,matt4 xi4 #ai71 one that perverteth the people 7,luke xxiii4 #ad74 ,when ,he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows ,he was esteemed smitten of ,god and afflicted 7,isaiah liii4 #d74 ,all lying and malice1 whether concealed or manifested1 becomes the most palpable folly when looked at in the light of the coming of the ,lord1 who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts 7#a ,cor4 iv4 #e74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if we desire the credit of wisdom let us use better means to obtain it than artificial disgracings of our brethren1 for that cometh not from above2 it is no gift of ,god2 it is sensual1 carnal1 and devilish4 ,do not hearken to the reports of such wicked persons as seek to defame others and detract from their good name2 they are but foolish and base pedlars that utter such infectious wares1 and therefore they cannot be wise chapmen that traffic with them and receive them at their hands4 ,here is consolation for them that are molested and vexed unjustly for the ,gospel's sake by clamorous and false accusers2 let them consider what account ,god maketh of their malicious adversaries2 ,he calls them fools and derideth their practices1 and1 therefore1 in the end it shall be seen that when they have spat all their venom they have but shot a fool's bolt and procured shame and sorrow to themselves4--,dod4 ,the folly of slander4 #a4 ,if this practice be proved extremely sinful it will thence be demonstrated no less foolish4 ,and it is indeed plainly the blackest and most hellish sin that can be2 that which giveth the grand fiend his name1 and most expresseth his nature4 ,he is the slanderer1 ,satan1 or dragon spitting forth the venom of calumnious accusation1 the accuser of the brethren1 the father of lies1 the great defamer of ,god to man1 of man to ,god1 of one man to another4 ,and highly wicked that practice must be whereby we grow namesakes to him4 #b4 ,the slanderer is plainly a fool because he makes wrong judgments and valuations of things1 and accordingly driveth on silly bargains for himself1 in result whereof he proveth a great loser4 ,he means by his calumnious stories either to vent some passion boiling within him1 or to compass some design which he affecteth1 or to please some humour that he is possessed with2 but is any of these things worth purchasing at so dear a rate8 ,can there be any valuable exchange for our honesty8 ,can anything in the world be so considerable that for its sake we should defile our souls8 #c4 ,because he uses improper means and preposterous methods of effecting his purposes4 ,as there is no design worth the carrying on by ways of falsehood and iniquity1 so there is scarce any 7no good and lawful one at least7 which may not more surely1 more safely1 more cleverly be achieved by means of truth and justice4 4 4 4 ,he that is observed to practise falsehood will be declined by some1 opposed by others1 disliked by all4 #d4 ,the slanderer is a fool1 as bringing many great inconveniences and troubles upon himself4 7#a47 ,by no means can a man inflame so fierce anger1 impress so stiff hatred1 raise so deadly enmity against himself1 and consequently so endanger his safety1 ease1 and welfare as by this practice4 ,men will rather pardon a robber of their goods than of their good name4 7#b47 ,and he is not only odious to the person immediately concerned1 but generally to all men who observe his practice2 every man presently will be sensible how easily it may be his own case to be thus abused4 7#c47 ,he also derogateth wholly from his own credit1 for he that dareth thus to injure his neighbour1 who can trust him in anything that he speaks8 7#d47 ,this practice is perpetually haunted with most troublesome companions1 inward regret1 and self-condemnation4 7#e47 ,the consequence of this practice is commonly shameful disgrace1 with an obligation to retract and to render satisfaction2 for seldom doth calumny pass long without being detected and confuted4 7#f47 ,the slanderer doth banish himself from heaven and happiness4 ,for1 if none that maketh a lie 7,rev4 xxii4 #ae7 shall enter the heavenly city1 assuredly the capital liar1 the slanderer1 shall be far excluded from felicity4 ,all these things being considered1 we may1 ,i think1 reasonably conclude it most evidently true that he who uttereth slander is a fool4--,barrow4 ,better4 ,he who hideth hatred is of lying lips4 ,the alternative is offered with a delicate touch of irony4 ,he who cherishes hatred must choose between being a knave or a fool--a knave if he hides1 a fool if he utters it4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ai-ba4 ,,speech ,,and ,,silence4 ,i4 ,the wisdom of not always using the tongue when we might4 ,he that refraineth his lips is wise4 ,the reputation of a good man may be much injured by even speaking the truth at certain times and to certain persons4 ,the silence of a man who can speak wisely and eloquently is a revelation of self-control1 and often adds more to the dignity of his character than words can4 ,the ,son of ,god opened not ,his mouth before ,his false accusers1 and thus revealed ,his power of self-control--,his moral majesty4 ,that ,he could be silent in such circumstances is a manifestation of the deep ocean of conscious innocence within ,him1 and is an unparalleled exposition of ,his own precept1 ,in patience possess ye your souls4 #a4 ,silence is wisdom when we feel that speech would be useless to convince4 ,when we feel that a foregone conclusion has been arrived at which no argument or appeal could shake4 ,this has been the case in the history of the confessors and martyrs of the ,church in all ages1 and was pre-eminently so when the ,lord ,jesus ,christ stood to be tried before men who had determined to murder ,him4 #b4 ,silence is sometimes more convincing than speech4 ,men are often more impressed by acts than by words1 by a spirit of forbearance than by a passionate vindication of our rights4 #c4 ,silence does not necessarily imply acquiescence4 ,the ,eternal ,himself is sometimes silent from displeasure4 ,these things hast thou done and ,i kept silence 7,psalm lv4 #ba74 ,,ii4 ,the blessing of using the tongue when we ought4 ,the tongue of the just is as choice silver4 ,the lips of the righteous feed many because they supply a need4 ,man needs a medium by which to express the value of his labour or his merchandise1 and silver supplies this want4 ,and he likewise needs a medium by which to express his thoughts1 and speech is this medium4 ,but unless it is the speech of a just man it will be a curse and not a blessing4 ,it must convey good thinking if it is to be as choice silver to a needy man4 ,the prisoner who stands at the bar charged with a crime of which he is innocent feels that the tongue of the man who pleads his cause is more precious to him than much silver4 ,to the man who is seeking after ,god1 the tongue of one who can tell him words whereby he shall be saved is as choice silver 7,acts xi4 #ad74 ,the words of ,peter were so esteemed by ,cornelius4 ,the heart of the ,ethiopian eunuch was more rejoiced by the preaching of ,philip the ,evangelist than it would have been by the possession of the treasure of his mistress 7,acts viii4 #bf-ci74 ,the words of ,him who was the ,just ,one 7,acts iii4 #ad7 are and ever will be a strength to the needy in his distress 7,isa4 xxv4 #d72 more precious to those who are conscious of their soul-poverty than thousands of gold and silver 7,psalm cxix4 #gb72 and it is in proportion as men are like ,him in character and disposition that their speech will bless the world4 ,,iii4 ,the sin of using the tongue too much4 ,the shell and the kernel of the fruit were intended by ,god to grow together2 the latter cannot grow to perfection without the former1 yet the shell only exists for the kernel4 ,the soul and body are ordained to grow together2 the body only exists for the soul1 yet the soul can only manifest itself through the medium of the body4 ,but the body without the soul is worthless4 ,man's thought and word were intended by ,god to act together2 thoughts are useless without speech in which to clothe them2 words without thoughts have no reason for existence1 they are shells without kernels1 bodies without souls1 and their use is a sin against ,god's ordained method4 ,where there is a multitude of words there is not much thought1 and therefore there is sin4--#a4 ,against a man's self1 because every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment 7,matt4 xii4 #cf74 #b4 ,against society1 because the man utters sounds which contain nothing to benefit4 ,god has ordained thought to feed the soul as ,he has ordained bread to feed the body4 ,where there are words men have a right to expect thoughts upon which to feed1 as they have a right to look for the kernel within the shell4 ,when they get the first without the last they are robbed of what is their due4 ,,iv4 ,the origin of idle and worthless talking4 ,the heart of the wicked is little worth4 ,fools die for want of wisdom4 ,where there is no moral wisdom there can be no real worth2 no thoughts can be generated in the heart that is not under the influence of ,divine teaching that will supply the needs of needy men4 ,as is the fountain so must be the stream4 ,the tree is known by its fruit4 ,o1 generation of vipers1 how can ye1 being evil1 speak good things8 ,for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 7,matt4 xii4 #cc-cd74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ai4 ,a man of inordinate talk runs inordinate risk4 ,he must be a ,god that can talk all the time and never trespass4 ,and1 therefore1 as blunders come home to roost1 he is a prosperous man who reduces the volume of his speech4--,miller4 ,the fool talks for ever upon nothing1 not because he is full1 but because he is empty2 not for instruction1 but for the pure love of talking4 4 4 4 ,the sphere of social intercourse that stimulates the conversational powers at the same time teaches the wholesome discipline of the tongue--that beautiful accomplishment of silence which1 however1 alike with its opposite grace1 derives its chief loveliness as the fruit of ,christian humility and kindness4 ,the wisdom is especially valuable under provocation 7#a ,sam4 x4 #bg2 #b ,kings xviii4 #cf74 ,and even in the unbending of innocent recreation the discipline of godly sobriety is of great moment4 ,the sins of this little member are not trifles4--,bridges4 ,refraineth as with a bridle1 for we must by force bridle our tongue as an untameable member 7,jas4 iii4 #b-h74 ,xenocrates1 in ,valerius ,maximus1 says1 ,i have been sometimes sorry that ,i spoke2 ,i never have been sorry that ,i was silent4--,fausset4 ,if thou be master-gunner spend not all ,that thou canst speak at once1 but husband it1 ,and give men turns of speech2 do not forestall ,by lavishness thine one and others' wit1 ,as if thou mad'st thy will4 ,a civil guest ,will no more talk all than eat all the feast4--,george ,herbert4 ,i4 ,the general vice here referred to is not evil speaking from malice1 nor lying or bearing false witness from indirect selfish designs1 but it is talkativeness3 a disposition to be talking1 abstracted from the consideration of what is to be said1 with very little or no regard to1 or thought of doing1 either good or harm4 4 4 4 ,those who are addicted to this folly cannot confine themselves to trifles and indifferent subjects3 they cannot go on for ever talking of nothing1 and1 as common matters will not afford a sufficient fund for perpetual continued discourse1 when subjects of this kind are exhausted1 they will go on to scandal1 divulging of secrets1 or they will invent something to engage attention3 not that they have any concern about being believed otherwise than a means of being heard4 4 4 4 ,the tongue used in such a licentious manner is like a sword in the hand of a madman3 it is employed at random1 it can scarce possibly do any good1 and1 for the most part1 does a world of mischief4 ,,ii4 ,the due government of the tongue4 ,the due and proper use of any natural faculty or power is to be judged of by the end and design for which it was given us4 ,the chief purpose for which the faculty of speech was given to man is plainly that we might communicate our thoughts to each other in order to carry on the affairs of the world2 for business1 and for our improvement in knowledge and learning4 ,but the good ,author of our nature designed us not only necessaries1 but likewise enjoyment and satisfaction4 ,there are secondary uses of our faculties3 they administer to delight as well as to necessity1 and the secondary use of speech is to please and to be entertaining to each other in conversation4 ,this is in every respect allowable and right3 it unites men closer in alliance and friendship1 and is in several respects serviceable to virtue4 ,such conversation1 though it has no particular good tendency1 yet it hath a general good one2 it is social and friendly1 and tends to promote humanity1 good nature1 and civility4 4 4 4 ,the government of the tongue1 considered as a subject of itself1 relates chiefly to conversation1 and the danger is1 lest persons entertain themselves or others at the expense of their wisdom or their virtue4 ,the cautions for avoiding these dangers fall under the following particulars3 #a4 ,silence4 ,the wise man observes that there is a time to speak1 and a time to keep silence4 ,one meets with people in the world who seem never to have made the last of these observations4 ,but the occasions of silence are obvious1 namely1 when a man has nothing to say1 or nothing but what is better unsaid3 better either in regard to particular persons he is present with1 or from its being an interruption to conversation itself1 or to conversation of a more agreeable kind1 or better1 lastly1 with regard to himself4 #b4 ,talking upon indifferent subjects4 ,be sure that the subject is indifferent1 that it be in no way offensive to virtue1 religion1 or good manners2 that it be in no way vexatious to others1 and that too much time be not spent in this way4 #c4 ,in discourse upon the affairs and characters of others4 ,consider1 first1 that though it is equally of bad consequences to society that men should have either good or ill characters which they do not deserve1 yet when you say some good of a man which he does not deserve1 there is no wrong done him in particular2 whereas1 when you say evil of a man which he does not deserve1 here is a direct formal injury done to him4 ,secondly1 a good man will1 upon every occasion1 and often without any1 say all the good he can of everybody1 but1 so far as he is a good man1 will never be disposed to speak evil of any1 unless there be some other reason for it besides barely that it is the truth4--,bishop ,butler4 ,verse #bj4 ,if1 as regards this world's wealth1 the ,lord's poor must say1 ,silver and gold have ,i none1 at least they may scatter choice silver with a widely extended blessing4 ,as poor1 yet making many rich 7,acts iii4 #f2 #b ,cor4 vi4 #aj74--;,bridges4 ,a wicked man hath his worst side inward4 ,though sinful persons make never so great a show on the outside1 yet there is nothing within them worth anything4 ,to that purpose tend the words of the ,apostle collected out of the ,psalms3 ,the ,lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise to be but vain4 ,if the point had stood upon man's opinion there might easily have been an error in it2 but he bringeth the testimony of ,god1 upon sure and infallible knowledge1 to confirm it4 4 4 4 ,therefore1 do not too much magnify and admire them1 nor too far depend on them4 ,for better things are not certainly to be expected from them than are in them4--,dod4 ,the antithesis runs through every word of both clauses4 ,the tongue1 the instrument of the mind1 is contrasted with the mind itself2 the just with the wicked2 the choice silver with the worthless little4 ,in each case there is implied an a fortiori argument4 ,if the tongue is precious1 how much more the mind6 ,if the heart is worthless1 how much more the speech6--,plumptre4 ,as pure and choice silver giveth a clear and sweet sound1 so the tongue of the wise soundeth sweetly and pleasantly in the ears of men4 ,it is also as choice silver1 because therewith he is ready to buy the hearts of men to virtue and goodness4 ,but the heart of a fool being of little worth1 hence it is that he buys it not4 4 4 4 ,now if the tongue of the just be as choice silver1 his heart must needs be of fine gold4 ,and if the heart of the wicked be little worth1 his tongue must needs be worth nothing at all4 ,well therefore it were1 if that the wicked would get the just man's tongue to be his heart2 or else get the tongue of the just to infuse some of his metal into his heart2 for that is able to put worth into it1 and from thence to derive worth into his tongue also4 ,the proverbial sense is1 that the excellent words of wisdom work not upon a foolish heart1 that having not worth to value the worth of it4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,by a just man is meant--#a4 ,a renewed man1 for naturally our lips are polluted4 ,i am a man of unclean lips1 etc4 7,isa4 vi4 #e74 ,sin of the tongue is most frequent1 and that not without difficulty avoided4 ,the corruption of men by nature is described 7,rom4 iii4 #ac74 ,this is man's true character1 as he is in his natural estate4 ,the pure lip is the fruit of ,god's converting grace 7,zeph4 iii4 #i74 #b4 ,a man furnished with knowledge of the things which concern his duty2 for every renewed man is an enlightened man 7,prov4 xv4 #b74 ,unless a man understand his duty1 how shall he speak of it8 #c4 ,the renewed man is a mortified man2 for otherwise he will only stickle for opinions1 and be one of the disputers of this world1 but will not warm men's hearts and excite them to practise4 ,that must be first upon the heart which will afterwards be upon the tongue2 and unless the heart be cleaned the tongue will not be cleansed4 ,if the heart be upon the world1 the tongue will be upon the world 7#a ,john iv4 #e74 #d4 ,this renewed man must be biassed with a love of ,god and ,christ and heaven before he can edify others4 ,to restrain the tongue from evil is not enough1 we must do good4 ,to heartwarming discourse1 faith is necessary4 ,,ii4 ,his discourse is as choice silver4 #a4 ,for purity4 ,choice silver is that which is refined from all dross1 and there is much evil bewrayed by the tongue1 such as lying1 railing1 ribaldry 7,eph4 iv4 #bi71 cursing1 idle discourse1 etc4 #b4 ,for external profit4 ,money is very profitable for worldly uses1 the discourse of a good man is very profitable to others4 ,,iii4 ,by a wicked man is meant one that is not regenerate or renewed by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,they are of several sorts4 #a4 ,some have great natural abilities1 as ,ahithophel 7#b ,samuel xvi4 #bc71 yet his heart was nothing worth4 #b4 ,some have plausible shows of piety1 but that will not help the matter 7,matt4 xxiii4 #bg1 #bh74 #c4 ,partial obedience availeth not 7#b ,chron4 xxv4 #b74 ,amaziah was right in the matter1 and he did many things right1 but his heart was nothing worth4 #a4 ,what is in the heart of such a man8 ,see ,gen4 vi4 #e4 ,this is the mint that is always at work2 sin worketh in the heart all day1 and playeth in the fancy all night2 there is no truce in this warfare4 #b4 ,what cometh out of such a heart8 ,see ,mark vii4 #ba1 #bb4 #c4 ,in what sense is it little worth8 7#a47 ,as to acceptation with ,god4 7#b47 ,as to the benefit and profiting of others4 ,observe--#a4 ,that the heart of the wicked is spoken of in the softest terms4 ,elsewhere it is said to be deceitful above all things and desperately wicked 7,jer4 xvii4 #i74 ,and this teaches us that it is not enough to do no harm by our speech1 but it must benefit others4 #b4 ,till we make conscience of our thoughts1 we cannot well order our words4 #c4 ,familiar converse with those whose hearts are nothing worth1 will tend to our hurt4 #d4 ,be sure that you get another heart4 ,for though it be not in our power to make ourselves a new heart1 it is our duty to get it4--,manton4 ,verse #ba4 ,a great housekeeper he is1 hath his doors ever open1 and1 though himself be poor1 yet he maketh many rich 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #aj74 ,he well knows that to this end ,god put honey and milk under his tongue 7,cant4 iv4 #aa71 that he might look to this spiritual lip-feeding4 ,to this end hath he communicated to him those rivers of water 7,john vii4 #ch7 that they may flow from him to quench that world of wickedness1 that1 being set on fire of hell would set on fire the whole course of nature 7,jas4 iii4 #f74 ,they are empty vines that bear fruit to themselves 7,hosea x4 #a74--,trapp4 ,this bread of life which the disciples distribute is not like common bread4 ,the more you give of it to the needy1 the more remains for your own use4 ,it is the bread which ,jesus blesses in the wilderness--the bread from heaven1 which ,jesus is2 and when from ,his hand1 and at ,his bidding1 you have fed three thousand on five loaves1 you will have more bread remaining in your baskets than the stock you begin with4 4 4 4 ,fools1 so far from being helpful to other1 have nothing for themselves4 ,they have taken no oil in their vessels1 and the flames of their lamp dies out4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,the ,source of ,true ,riches4 ,this proverb cannot be understood to assert that a man needs nothing but ,god's blessing to make him a wealthy man in the ordinary sense of the word1 because we know that there are many cases in which men would never have been rich if they had not toiled hard to obtain riches4 ,industry has been joined to the blessing of the ,lord1 and so they have become rich4 ,god's favour does not generally make a man rich except he works2 it is presumptuous sin to expect ,god to make us rich without honest toil4 ,but the lesson to be learnt is evidently this--that diligence cannot command riches1 that ,god must be taken into account in all our efforts to make money1 that the race is not always to the swift1 nor the battle to the strong1 neither yet bread to the wise1 nor yet riches to men of understanding 7,eccles4 ix4 #aa71 even when the runners and the warriors are men after ,god's own heart4 ,placing the words beside our experience1 we learn-- ,i4 ,that when a good man gains riches through hard toil1 it is by reason of the ,divine blessing on his labour4 ,there are among us many possessors of vast wealth who have risen early and sat up late1 and eaten the bread of carefulness1 but have acknowledged that1 after all1 it was the blessing of the ,lord that had made them rich4 ,they can point to others equally diligent1 and1 in some respects1 superior to themselves1 who have fallen in the race and have died comparatively poor4 ,such examples are admonitions not to trust to one's own wisdom or effort to the exclusion of the will of ,god4 ,jacob worked hard for his riches for twenty years2 in the day the drought consumed him1 and the frost by night--and the sleep departed from his eyes4 ,but he declares that his wealth was a gift from the ,god of his fathers--,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant1 for with my staff ,i have passed over this ,jordan1 and now ,i am become two bands 7,gen4 xxxi4 #dj2 xxxii4 #aj74 ,a good man cannot use unlawful means of getting rich1 therefore he may enjoy the amount of success which follows his efforts as a token of ,divine favour4 ,,ii4 ,that when men inherit1 or become possessed of wealth for which they have not laboured1 it is by the blessing of the ,lord4 ,the riches of ,solomon were bestowed upon him without so much as the expression of a desire on his part1 and were a token of the ,divine approval4 ,because 4 4 4 thou hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment 4 4 4 ,i have also given thee that which thou hast not asked1 both riches and honour 7#a ,kings iii4 #aa-ac74 ,looked upon as ,god's gift1 wealth will be rightly used1 and will be the blessing that it was intended to be4 ,,iii4 ,that there is a moral truth contained here which has nothing to do with material riches or poverty4 ,solomon has1 over and over again1 directed his hearers to riches which are far more precious than silver or gold 7see chap4 iii4 #ad-ae2 viii4 #aa-ai2 also ,homiletics and ,comments of those verses74 ,the blessing of the ,lord is itself wealth4 #a4 ,because it enriches us with ,divine knowledge 7#a ,cor4 i4 #e74 ,solomon's knowledge was a higher kind of wealth than all his gold and precious stones1 how much more a knowledge of ,him whom to know is life eternal 7,john xvii4 #c74 #b4 ,because by means of it men obtain a ,divine character 7#b ,pet4 i4 #b-d74 ,this wealth men can claim as theirs in other worlds beside the one upon which they now live2 this is their perpetual untransferable property4 ,,iv4 ,that when sorrow comes to men who have been enriched by ,god1 it springs from some other source than the riches4 ,the text does not apply in any sense to ill-gotten gain2 that is dealt with elsewhere 7chap4 i4 #ai2 xv4 #bg74 ,it refers only to that which a man may lawfully call his own4 #a4 ,but this may be the occasion of sorrow4 ,solomon's great wealth was the occasion of sorrow1 insomuch as he used it for sinful purposes1 but this sorrow was added by himself and not by ,god4 ,the misuse of riches1 or of any other gift of ,god1 will be followed by a penalty which will bring sorrow2 but this is man's work1 and not ,god's4 #b4 ,or sorrow may spring from another1 and an independent source4 ,sorrow in one form or another is the lot of fallen man4 ,the incarnate ,son of ,god was a ,man of sorrows4 ,god-given and sanctified sorrow is often a token of greater ,divine favour than temporal prosperity 7chap4 iii4 #ab74 ,but there is no necessary connection between wealth and sorrow4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bb4 ,the sluggard looks for prosperity without diligence2 the practical atheist from diligence alone2 the sound-hearted ,christian from the blessing of ,god in the exercise of diligence4 ,this wise combination keeps him in an active habit2 humble1 and dependent upon ,god 7,john vi4 #bg74 ,for1 except the ,lord build the house1 they labour in vain that build it 7,psa4 cxxvii4 #a74 4 4 4 ,he addeth at least no sorrow but what turns to a blessing4 ,accumulation of riches may be the accumulation of sorrows4 ,lot's covetous choice was fraught with bitterness4 4 4 4 ,gehazi was laden with his bags1 but the plague of leprosy was upon him4--,bridges4 ,there is no sorrow added to them which is not a blessing1 and1 being a blessing1 it cannot well be said to be sorrow4 ,now thus the verse may be understood as well as temporal as of spiritual riches2 for it is the blessing of ,god1 with which sorrow cannot stand4 4 4 4 ,it is ,god's blessing alone which1 being true riches1 doth truly make rich4 ,other things esteemed in the world may be added together in great heaps of plenty2 but1 having sorrow added with them1 they cannot be that weal of man which truly makes wealth4 ,it is the blessing of ,god which1 taking away sorrow1 giveth true riches unto man4 ,and1 therefore1 when ,job wisheth that he were as in the months past--the months of his plenty and prosperity--it is with this addition1 as in the days when ,god preserved me4 ,he desireth ,god's blessing with the things of this world1 or else he careth not for them4 ,for that it is1 as ,st4 ,gregory speaketh1 which so bestoweth the help of earthly glory1 as that thereby it exalteth much more in heavenly happiness4--,jermin4 ,those three vultures shall be driven away that constantly feed on the wealthy worldling's heart--care in getting1 fear in keeping1 grief in losing the things of this life4 ,god giveth to ,his1 wealth without woe1 store without sore1 gold without guilt1 one little drop whereof troubleth the whole sea of outward comforts4--,trapp4 ,the truth here is twofold4 ,the cord1 as it lies1 seems single1 but when you begin to handle it1 you find it divides easily into two4 ,it means that ,god's blessing gives material wealth1 and also that they are rich who have that blessing1 although they get nothing more4 4 4 4 ,it is a common practice to constitute firms for trade1 and exhibit their titles to the public with a single name and company44 4 4 ,reverently take the ,all-seeing into your commercial company and counsels4 ,if you cast ,him out1 there is no saying1 there is no imagining1 whom you may take in4 4 4 4 ,one peculiar excellence of the riches made in a company from whom councils ,god is not excluded1 is1 that the wealth will not hurt its possessors1 whether it abide with them or fly away4 ,a human soul is so made that it cannot safely have riches next it4 ,if they come into direct contact with it1 they will clasp it too closely2 if they remain1 they wither the soul's life away2 if they are violently wrenched off1 they tear the soul's life asunder4 ,whether1 therefore1 you keep or lose them1 if you clasp them to your soul with nothing spiritual between1 they will become its destroyer4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,a ,,touchstone ,,of ,,character4 ,the painter uses the dark background of his picture to set off the bright foreground4 ,sunlight never looks so beautiful as when shining upon a black thunder-cloud2 it is the power of contrast4 ,solomon in his character-painting is constantly making use of this power4 ,he is ever setting the dark and the light side by side--making the foolish or wicked man a dark background upon which to portray the moral features of the truly wise4 ,the fool looks more foolish1 and the good man more wise1 by the contrast4 ,i4 ,that which is an object of mirth is a touchstone of character4 ,the fool makes sport out of mischief1 out of that which does harm to his fellow-creatures1 and consequently involves them in misery4 ,if we saw a man making merriment over the burning of his neighbour's house1 we should conclude that he was either a maniac or utterly without a heart4 ,a man who realised the meaning of such a calamity1 and had any sympathy within him1 could but be grieved at the sight4 ,but men find occasions of mirth in matters that are far more serious moment4 ,the wise man tells us in chap4 xiv4 #i1 that fools make a mock at sin--that great mischief of the universe4 ,the saint is made sad by that in which the sinner finds an occasion of mirth4 ,oh that my head were waters1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears1 that ,i might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people 7,jer4 ix4 #a74 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that ye shall weep and lament2 but the world shall rejoice 7,john xvi4 #bj74 ,but the fool not only makes sport at mischief1 it is his sport to do mischief2 the one leads to the other4 ,the fool who thinks sin is a laughing matter will not hesitate to commit sin himself1 or to do his brother the irreparable mischief of leading him in the path of sin and death4 ,,ii4 ,men cease to make light of sin in proportion as they have understanding4 ,the text implies that a man who has any right comprehension of the end of life1 the value of the soul1 the reality of ,divine and eternal things1 will not1 cannot1 make a sport of mischief in any shape or degree1 especially of the mischief of moral wrong4 ,a baby might laugh at a blazing house1 although its own mother might be enwrapped in the flames1 but this would only be an evidence of his want of understanding4 ,nothing proclaims a man to be a fool so plainly as his mockery of sin4 ,a man of wisdom has too just a sense of its terrible and ruinous consequence to feel anything but sad when he thinks of it4 ,he knows what mischief it has worked1 and is working in the universe1 and his understanding of those things makes that which is the sport of the fool the subject of his most solemn thought4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the difference between the lost and the saved is1 that to one it is but trifling to life2 to the other it is the gravest wisdom4--,miller4 ,that man has arrived at an advanced stage of folly who takes as much pleasure in it as if it were an agreeable amusement4 ,this1 however1 is to be expected in its natural course4 ,sinners at first feel much uneasiness from the operation of fear and shame1 but they are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin1 till at length they not only cast off all restraints1 but become impudent in sin1 and think it a manly action to cast away the cords of ,god1 and to pour insult and abuse on their fellow-men4 ,but it were safer far to sport with fire than with sin1 which kindles a fire that will burn to the lowest hell4 ,it may now be a sport to do mischief1 but in the lake of fire and brimstone1 it will be no sport to have done it4--,lawson4 ,when a man diveth under water he feeleth no weight of the water1 though there be many tons of it over his head2 whereas half a tubful of the same water1 taken out of the river and set upon the same man's head1 would be very burdensome unto him1 and make him soon grow weary of it4 ,in like manner1 so long as a man is over head and ears in sin1 he is not sensible of the weight of sin3 it is not troublesome unto him2 but when he beginneth once to come out of that state of sin wherein he lay and lived before1 then beginneth sin to hang heavy upon him1 and he to feel the heavy weight of it4 ,so1 so long as sin is in the will1 the proper seat of sin1 a man feeleth no weight of it1 but1 like a fool1 it is a sport and pastime unto him to do evil4 ,and it is therefore a good sign that sin is removed out of his seat--out of his chair of state--when it becomes ponderous and burdensome to us1 as the elements do when they are out of their natural place4--,spencer's ,things ,new and ,old4 ,the fool is then merriest when he hath the devil for his playfellow4 ,he danceth well in his bolts1 and is passing well afraid for his woful bondage4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,the ,,inheritance ,,of ,,fear ,,and ,,desire4 ,these words treat of things desired and of things not desired coming to be possessed4 ,i4 ,ungodly men have fears concerning the future4 ,these fears proceed from a consciousness of past sin and present guilt1 and prove the existence within man of a moral standard of action4 ,in the natural world1 we know that certain effects invariably follow certain causes4 ,sunlight and genial rain produce fertility and beauty1 the hurricane and the flood leave behind them desolation4 ,there are certain particles whose action1 if diffused abroad in the air1 breed disease and death2 there are others whose effects are most refreshing and healthful to the body frame4 ,coming into the region of human action and moral responsibility1 there are certain actions of men which clothe the spirit with gladness1 making the soul as a field which the ,lord ,god hath blest1 and there are acts which leave behind them a sting which brings utter desolation4 ,there are deeds done by moral agents which are followed by the disapprobation of conscience in proportion as conscience is educated by moral light1 and there are those which are well-springs of joy in the human heart4 ,it is to conscience that we must refer the fears of the wicked in relation to the future4 ,,ii4 ,the certainty that the fears of the wicked will be realised4 #a4 ,from the inequality of rewards and punishments in the present4 ,there are men whose characters seem to be almost perfect who have not the reward at present which their integrity and uprightness deserve4 ,there are many men who sit1 as it were1 like ,lazarus1 at a rich man's gate in poverty1 who are much better men than the rich man himself4 ,the difference in the character of the man who passed the sentence of death upon ,paul1 and ,paul himself calls for a more manifest impartiality on the part of the ,divine ,ruler in the eternity to come4 ,we feel certain that elsewhere a just sentence has been passed upon ,paul and ,nero4 ,the inequality in the present dealings of ,god with the righteous and the wicked demands that in the future the fear of the wicked shall come upon him4 #b4 ,from the admonition of conscience4 ,although the mariner's compass is sometimes unsteady1 its direction is always towards the north4 ,and the human conscience1 however it may occasionally waver1 points to a future judgment4 ,it is not an occasional occurrence but so universal as to be a prophecy of a fact4 #c4 ,from the necessity that ,god should fulfil ,his own appointment4 ,revelation declares that1 ,he hath appointed a day1 in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom ,he hath ordained 7,acts xvii4 #ca74 ,the ,righteous ,judge of all the earth must keep ,his own appointment1 therefore every wicked man must have what he does not desire1 viz41 a fair and impartial trial4 ,,iii4 ,good men have had desires which have not been granted4 ,the gratification of such desires would have been an injury to themselves and others4 ,moses desired to see ,god in the sense in which the ,incarnate ,son tells us ,he had seen ,him4 ,but if this desire had been granted ,moses must have died1 the ,hebrew nation would have lost the only man who could lead them1 and he would have missed the completion of the glory of his life 7,exod4 xxxiii4 #bj74 ,peter desired that ,his ,master should not suffer at the hands of the chief priests and scribes 7,matt4 xvi4 #ba74 ,but what a calamity this would have been for ,peter himself and the human race4 ,,iv4 ,but that which a righteous man desires above all other things shall be granted4 #a4 ,for himself in the present life1 he desires a holy character4 ,this he regards as the one thing needful above all other personal possessions4 ,and ,god desires this for him1 therefore this desire shall be granted on the fulfilment of the pre-ordained conditions 7#a ,thess4 iv4 #c74 #b4 ,for the world he desires that ,god's kingdom may come1 that right may in the end triumph over wrong4 ,now this desire also must be granted1 because ,christ has taught ,his disciples to pray for its accomplishment1 and because ,he ,himself at the right hand of ,god is henceforth expecting1 till ,his enemies be made ,his footstool 7,heb4 x4 #ac74 #c4 ,he desires for himself in the future a complete redemption of both soul and body from the curse of sin 7#b ,cor4 v4 #a-d74 ,but this desire is implanted within him by that ,god who can fulfil his desire1 and who has already given an earnest of its fulfilment4 ,this alone is a guarantee that it shall be granted4 ,now ,he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is ,god1 who also hath given unto us the earnest of the ,spirit 7#b ,cor4 v4 #e74 ,he has also the direct promise of ,him who is the ,resurrection and the ,life1 the assurance of ,his inspired apostle that this desire of the righteous shall be granted 7,john v4 #bh-bi2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #di-ed74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,but if our desires be granted1 and even exceeded 7,gen4 xlviii4 #b2 #a ,kings iii4 #ac2 ,ephes4 iii4 #bj71 faith and patience will be tried in the very grant4 ,growth in grace is given by deep and humbling views of our corruption4 ,longings for holiness are fulfilled by painful affliction2 prayers are answered by crosses4 ,our ,father's dispensations are not what they seem to be1 but what ,he is pleased to make them4--,bridges4 ,the best way to have our will satisfied is to be godly4 ,for to such there is a promise made4 ,wherein yet these rules are to be observed3 ,first1 that our will be agreeable to ,god's will1 the desire must be holy1 and seasoned with the ,spirit2 and not carnal and corrupted by the flesh4 ,secondly1 that sometimes lawful desires are not performed in the same kind1 but exchanged for better1 and that which doth more good is bestowed instead of them4 ,moses desired to enter into the land of ,canaan2 he was denied that1 but he entered sooner into the heavenly and blessed rest of everlasting life4 ,thirdly1 that we tarry the ,lord's leisure1 and depend on ,his hand1 to minister1 in fittest time1 all those good things which our souls desire1 and so we shall not fail to receive them when ,he seeth that they will be most expedient for us4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,the ,,whirlwind ,,and ,,the ,,sure ,,foundation4 ,i4 ,the resemblance of a wicked man to a whirlwind4 #a4 ,they are both destructive forces4 ,a whirlwind passes over a district and everything that resists its advance is either overthrown1 broken1 or made to bend to its fury4 ,every wicked man in his sphere is a destroyer of human happiness and of moral life1 but the image is especially applicable to tyrants who have been destroyers of the lives of thousands of their fellow-creatures1 and have ruined the happiness of thousands more in their unscrupulous onward march for the attainment of their own selfish ends4 ,isaiah describes such a one when he says1 ,is this the man that made the earth to tremble1 that did shake kingdoms2 that made the world as a wilderness1 and destroyed the cities thereof8 7chap4 xiv4 #af1 #ag74 #b4 ,they often burst forth with sudden fury1 and seem beyond the control of ordinary laws and methods of operation4 ,a whirlwind often descends upon a peaceful valley without any warning1 and its fury is the more terrible by reason of its suddenness1 and because of the impossibility of foretelling its course and where it will fall in its most destructive power4 ,so a wicked man is a lawless man1 he is not guided by principle but by passion and impulse1 none of his fellow-creatures can foretell what will be his next act of violence1 or who will be the next victims of his selfish ambition4 ,it is this lawless1 uncontrollable destructiveness which makes both the moral and the physical whirlwind the terror of the human race1 and leads men instinctively to avoid them if possible4 #c4 ,the triumph of both is short4 ,how soon nature rights herself after the passage of a whirlwind4 ,she covers the broken rocks with verdure1 the trees put forth branches clothed with fresh leaves1 others grow up in the places of those which were uprooted1 grass and corn spring again1 and all looks lovely as before the visitation4 ,the whirlwind passeth1 and so does the wicked man4 ,it is soon written of him that he is no more1 and men who have trembled at his name take heart1 and nations and peoples whom he seemed to have annihilated spring into existence again1 and the world rights itself4 ,how many such instances stand recorded in history from the days of ,nebuchadnezzar to those of ,napoleon4 ,how many times has the experience of the ,psalmist been repeated3 ,i have seen the wicked in great power1 and spreading himself like a green bay tree1 yet he passed away1 and lo1 he was not3 yea1 ,i sought him1 but he could not be found 7,psalm xxxvii4 #ce1 #cf74 ,how often has the world had occasion to repeat the song1 ,how hath the oppressor ceased6 4 4 4 ,the ,lord hath broken the staff of the wicked1 and the sceptre of the rulers4 ,he who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke1 he that ruled the nations in anger1 is persecuted1 and none hindereth4 ,the whole earth is at rest1 and is quiet3 they break forth into singing4 ,yea1 the fir trees rejoice at thee1 and the cedars of ,lebanon1 saying1 ,since thou art laid down1 no feller is come up against us 7,isa4 xiv4 #d-h74 ,,ii4 ,in what respects a righteous man is an everlasting foundation4 #a4 ,his character is something to build upon4 ,nothing can be built upon a whirlwind1 but a substantial structure can be raised upon a good foundation4 ,men may build hope upon the word and character of a righteous man4 ,a promise given by him is a solid ground of confidence upon which the heart of the brother-man may rest securely4 ,thus righteousness is a constructive force in the world--a foundation without which society cannot exist4 ,especially is this true of the ideal man1 ,christ ,jesus4 ,because ,he is the ,righteous ,one 7,isa4 xi4 #d7 ,his promises are as anchors of the soul to the children of men4 ,in resting upon ,his word ,his disciples build upon a sure foundation 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #aa74 ,upon ,his character rests all their hopes for their own blessedness in the future1 and for the restoration of a fallen world4 ,every man is a foundation if righteousness is the chief element of his character4 #b4 ,because for his sake the world stands4 ,the owner of a house may let it stand if there is a good foundation of solid rock1 although the superstructure may be comparatively worthless4 ,our ,lord tells us concerning the tribulations which he foretold1 that except those days should be shortened1 there would no flesh be saved2 but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened 7,matt4 xxiv4 #bb74 ,this teaches us that the righteousness of the godly is the power which averts the destruction of the wicked1 and keeps the world in existence4 ,in this sense1 therefore1 the righteous are a foundation4 #c4 ,the righteous are an everlasting foundation1 because righteousness is the basis of confidence in eternity as it is in time4 ,the blessedness of the life to come is founded upon righteousness4 ,the ,kingdom of ,god in both worlds is established in righteousness 7,isa4 liv4 #ad74 ,the immutable character of the heavenly world is founded upon the righteousness first of its righteous ,king1 and then upon that of ,his righteous servants4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the righteous may be poor1 and1 in his sinful state1 anything but a stately building to the ,lord1 but in his meanest infancy he is a foundation4 ,very little appears above the surface4 ,but he is a basis of all that is to be built1 and that basis is to be eternal4--,miller4 ,the proverb reminds us of the close of the ,sermon on the ,mount1 and finds the final confirmation of its truth in this1 that the death of the godless is a penal thrusting of them away1 but the death of the righteous a lifting them up to their home4 ,the righteous who often enough perish in times of war and of pestilence2 but the proverb1 as it is interpreted1 verifies itself1 even although not so as the poet1 viewing it from his narrow ,old ,testament standpoint1 understood it2 for the righteous1 let him die when and how he may1 is preserved1 while the godless perishes4--,delitzsch4 ,the continuance of the wicked is but while they dig the pit of their own destruction4--,jermin4 ,the ,lord will lay a more sure foundation1 and he that believeth shall not make haste 7,isa4 xxviii4#af74 ,these two promises lie together in the ,scripture4 ,when your heart's hope is fixed on that precious corner-stone1 you need not be thrown into a flutter by the fiercest onset of the world and its god4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,the ,,vexatiousness ,,of ,a ,,sluggish ,,servant4 ,i4 ,he is as smoke to the eyes4 ,smoke in the eyes prevents the accomplishment of a man's purposes1 or at least it hinders and annoys him in their execution4 ,the eye is the light of the body2 if vision is in any way obstructed or impaired1 delay and vexation must ensue4 ,so the employer of a sluggish servant must be the victim of perplexity and annoyance4 ,he sends him on an errand1 or entrusts him with a work which is important should be done within a certain time4 ,but he lingers over it until the time is long past1 and perhaps an opportunity is lost which can never be recalled4 ,much often depends upon the performance of duties up to time4 ,the want of punctuality sometimes is as disastrous as not doing the thing at all4 ,how many plans have been frustrated1 how many sufferings have in various ways been entailed upon men1 by delay in the performance of duty4 ,a master who has to depend upon a sluggard is like a man in the midst of the smoke of a burning house2 he is uncertain as to his present whereabouts1 and ignorant of what mishap may befal him next4 ,,ii4 ,he is as vinegar to the teeth4 ,he is most irritating to the temper4 ,as vinegar sours everything with which it comes in contact1 so a sluggard sours the temper of those with whom he has to do1 and makes them sometimes not only irritable with him who is the offender1 but with the innocent also4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,does1 then1 the sluggard disappoint and provoke his earthly master8 ,see that we be not such sluggards to our ,heavenly ,master4 ,laodicean professors are especially hateful in his sight 7,rev4 iii4 #af74 ,the slothful minister carries in a tremendous account to ,him that sent him4 ,no more pitiable object is found that the man who has time to spare1 who has no object of commanding interest1 and is going on to the end as if he had spent his whole life in a children's play1 and had lived to no useful purpose4 4 4 4 ,why standeth he idle in the market-place8 ,it cannot be--,no man hath hired him4 ,his master's call sounds in his ears--,go ye into the vineyard4 ,and at his peril he disobeys it 7,matt4 xx4 #g-cj74--;,bridges4 ,sluggishness is a cutting1 vexing thing4 ,if we are ,christ's1 we should crucify this self-pleasing affection of the flesh4 4 4 4 ,it is a sin to waste another man's time1 so much as to waste his property4 ,whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,god4 ,no doubt it is the natural disposition of some people to be slovenly and unexact4 ,but what is your religion worth if it does not correct such a propensity8 4 4 4 ,if any man be in ,christ he is a new creature4 ,if the new life is strong in the heart1 it will send its warm pulses down to the extremest member4 4 4 4 ,he who is a ,christian in little things is not a little ,christian2 he is the greatest ,christian1 and the most useful4 ,the baptism of these little outlying things shows that he is full of grace1 for these are grace's overflowings2 and they are ever the overflowings of the full well that refreshes the desert4 ,the great centre must be fully occupied before the stream can reach that outer edge4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,long ,,life4 ,this verse must be looked at-- ,i4 ,generally4 ,the fear of the ,lord prolongs life because1 other things being equal1 godliness tends to bodily health4 ,a good man governs his life by some kind of law1 his passions and inclinations do not play the lord over his conscience and will4 ,this has a beneficial influence upon his bodily health4 ,he has contentment with his present lot1 trust in his ,god amid all the anxieties of life1 and hope for the future4 ,such a state of mind tends to soundness of bodily health1 whereas the manner of life of a godless man is opposed to health and consequently to long life4 ,if a complicated machine is permitted to work with some of its parts improperly adjusted and fretting against each other at every turn of the wheel1 the friction will soon wear away the parts1 and ere long they will cease to act4 ,a soul without godliness is a complicated mechanism which has never been rightly adjusted4 ,there is no ruling principle1 no guiding hand1 one passion wars against another1 the man bears the burden of life alone1 he is at times a prey to the fears spoken of in verse #bd1 and the rule of all these devils in the soul has a tendency to wear out the body before its time4 ,this is a truth universally admitted4 ,but the words must also be regarded-- ,,ii4 ,relatively4 ,that is1 with a due regard to other circumstances4 ,the length of a good man's life does not always depend upon himself1 but upon the age in which he lives--upon the people by whom he is surrounded4 ,the godliness of ,abel shortened his life very materially4 ,if his works had not been righteous1 his brother would not have murdered him4 ,the first ,christian martyr met with an early and a violent death because he was a man full of faith and of the ,holy ,ghost 7,acts vi4 #e72 and the fear of the ,lord has shortened the days of millions since then4 ,the ranks of the noble army of martyrs have been filled up by volunteers of every age and many nations since ,stephen fell asleep1 testifying to the fact that1 so far as life in this world is concerned1 other things must be taken into consideration ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is no such wholesome air--there is no such kindly physic--there is no such sovereign cordial--as the fear of the ,lord4 ,that makes the days of the godly as long as the years of the wicked4--,jermin4 ,the righteous' days are great and noble1 and the wicked's days are mean and small4 ,and this is the meaning of the ,proverb4 ,made little1 literally1 shortened 7,e4,v474 ,we thought at first that this was decisive against our sense1 and against our rendering of all the verses expounded in chap4 iii4 7verses #b-af74 ,our thought of this was increased by ,job xvi4 #a1 and by all the expositions4 ,but when we turned to ,psalm cii4 #bc1 our own sense was wonderfully confirmed4 ,that verse reads1 ,he weakened my strength in the way2 ,he shortened my days3 where shortened must have a sense coincident with continued living4 ,and what that sense is1 such passages as these3 ,is my hand shortened8 7,isa4 l4 #b71 ,the soul of the people was 7lit47 shortened1 ,the days of his youth hast ,thou shortened 7,num4 xxi4 #d2 ,psa4 lxxxix4 #de71 and nearly all the other instances strikingly confirm4 ,the meaning is1 ,wisdom makes our days grander and grander1 and ,impenitence makes them weaker1 and always of less account4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,,hopes ,,realised ,,and ,,disappointed4 ,i4 ,the righteous man's present possession--,hope4 ,we saw in treating verse #bd that the righteous man possesses ,god-begotten desires1 and that he has good ground for believing that these desires will be granted1 therefore he expects their fulfilment1 and desire and expectation constitute his hope4 ,hope is a fortune in itself4 ,it gives a present gladness1 and therefore a present power4 ,it is in itself a tower of strength4 ,nothing upholds us so surely in present difficulties as the hope of a brighter future4 ,if in the hour of darkness a man can say to his soul1 ,why art thou cast down1 and why art thou disquieted within me8 hope thou in ,god 7,psalm xlii4 #e71 he holds in possession a sheet-anchor which will prevent him from making shipwreck upon the rocks of despair and infidelity4 ,the hope of the righteous is a present salvation4 ,we are saved by hope 7,rom4 viii4 #bd74 ,it is an anchor of the soul 7,heb4 vi4 #ai74 ,,ii4 ,the righteous man's future inheritance--gladness4 ,if the hope of an expected good gives gladness1 how much more its realisation6 ,a man is glad when the title deeds of an estate are handed over to him even if he cannot at once enter upon its possession1 how much more glad is he when he enters into the full enjoyment of his inheritance4 ,the righteous man's hope is a more certain guarantee of his future inheritance of gladness than the most indisputable deed ever written upon parchment4 ,it is as we saw before 7see on verse #bd7 an earnest of its own fulfilment4 ,the hope begotten in the heart of a child1 by the inspiration of his father's character and genius1 that he may one day be like his parent1 is a hope that the father himself will not disappoint4 ,love for his child and a regard for his own honour will impel him to do all that lies within his reach to satisfy the desire--to fulfil the expectation--of his child4 ,if1 in addition1 he was able to promise the child that his hope should be realised1 nothing could acquit him of his obligation to perform his promise except inability4 ,the ,eternal ,father has by ,his ,spirit and by ,his promise begotten such a hope with ,his children and begotten them unto the hope 7#a ,pet4 i4 #c74 ,this is the hope of the righteous1 and the character and the omnipotence of ,him who gave it birth is a sure pledge that it shall be gladness4 ,closely connected with it are the hopes of the coming of ,god's kingdom1 and of the adoption of the body 7,rom4 viii4 #bc71 noticed in considering the desires of the righteous4 ,,iii4 ,the doom of the expectation of the ungodly man4 ,if the wicked man has fears concerning the future 7see on verse #bd71 he has also vague hopes concerning it1 although his desires and expectations are chiefly in relation to the present world4 ,as to his desires of a state of happiness after death1 they are not strong enough to lead him to comply with the conditions of entering upon it4 ,any expectation of this nature can be based upon nothing outside himself1 and it must therefore perish4 ,his expectation of the results of his own earth-born and devilish schemes will also perish4 ,he may apparently bring them to a successful issue1 but the end will show that it is not so4 ,if he succeeds in gaining wealth or power1 he will not get what he expected out of them4 ,any expectation which he forms as to the overthrow of the good will meet with the same doom4 ,pharaoh expected to be able to retain the ,hebrews in bondage1 but his expectation was broken to shivers upon the shield of ,eternal ,omnipotence4 ,the chief priests and scribes expected to stamp out the name and influence of the ,nazarene by crucifying ,him1 but the result contradicted their expectations4 ,in these instance may be seen a reflection of the doom of every expectation which is out of harmony with righteousness4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,christian6 make sure the ground of your hope 7#b ,pet4 i4 #aj74 ,then set out its gladness as becomes an heir of glory4 ,let not a drooping spirit tell the world the scantiness of your hope4 ,but show that you can live upon its gladness until you enter into its perfect and everlasting fruition4 ,doubtfulness leaves believers and infidels nearly upon the same level4--,bridges4 ,the proverb means literally--,the hope of the righteous 7itself7 turns to joy4 ,faith is the beginning of felicity4 4 4 4 ,the expectation or assurance of the impenitent man1 even if he finds it well placed1 perishes as of its very nature4 ,the world passes away and the desire thereof4 ,the lost may have had all he wished1 but his very wishes perish at the last day 7#a ,john ii4 #ag74--,miller4 ,all the hopes of the wicked shall not bring him to heaven2 all the fears of the righteous shall not bring him to hell4--,bunyan4 ,it would be better for hope and expectation to change places4 ,even the expectant waiting of the righteous is joyful at the time1 and ends in joy2 the eager hope of the wicked comes to nought 7comp4 ,job viii4 #ac74--,plumptre4 ,the wicked cannot choose but fear1 and1 therefore1 ,eliphaz says of a wicked man1 the sound of fear is in his ears 7,job xv4 #ba74 ,and in ,isaiah 7xx4 #ag7 they are compared to the troubled sea1 which cannot rest4 ,and because where fear is1 it is some ease to think1 if not to hope1 that the evil feared may not fall upon them2 this ease is taken away1 for the fear shall come4 ,come it shall1 as it were of itself without sending for1 because it is most due unto them4 ,an instance of this is given in those who lived at the time of building of the ,tower of ,babel1 and who saying ,let us build it lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth1 it followeth soon after1 and the ,lord scattered them upon the face of all the earth4 ,on the other side1 the righteous having tasted of goodness cannot choose but desire it2 and because where desire is1 it is some trouble to think1 if not to doubt1 that the good desired may not be accomplished1 this trouble is taken away1 for ,he shall give who can give whatsoever ,himself will1 whatsoever they can desire4--,jermin4 ,attachment to futurity has a remarkable influence on the operation of the human mind4 ,the present1 whatever it be1 seldom engages our attention so much as what is to come4 ,the present is apt to be considered an evanescent scene1 just about to pass away2 and in the midst of wishes and desires1 of hopes and fears1 which all respect futurity1 we may be said to dwell4 ,as on these the life of man is so much suspended1 it becomes a material part of wisdom and duty to attend to any regulations by which they may be properly conducted4 ,the anticipations of the righteous1 conducted by prudence1 and regulated by piety1 mislead him not from his duty1 and afford him satisfaction in the end4 ,while the expectation of the wicked1 arising from fantastic imaginary prospects1 delude him for a while and terminate in misery4 ,let us consider1 what we may1 and what we may not1 reasonably expect from the world4 ,i4 ,we must not expect the uninterrupted continuance of any measure of health1 prosperity1 or comfort1 which we now enjoy4 ,,ii4 ,we are not to expect1 from our intercourse with others1 all that satisfaction which we fondly wish4 4 4 4 ,such is the power which the sophistry of self-love exercises over us1 that almost everyone may be assured that he measures himself by a deceitful scale2 that he places the point of his own merit at a higher degree than others will admit that it reaches4 4 4 4 ,were expectations more moderate1 they would be more favourably received4 ,if you look for a friend in whose temper there is not to be found the least inequality1 who upon no occasion is to be hurt or offended by any frailties you discover1 whose feelings are to harmonise in every trifle with yours1 whose countenance is always to reflect the image of your own1 you look for a pleasing phantom1 which is never1 or at most1 very rarely1 to be found2 and if disappointment sour your mind1 you have your own folly to blame4 ,you ought to have considered that you live in a region of human infirmity1 where everyone has imperfections and failings4 ,,iii4 ,we are not to expect constant gratitude from those whom we have obliged and served4 ,i am far from saying that gratitude is a rare virtue1 but our expectations of proper returns must be kept within moderate bounds4 ,we must not imagine that gratitude is to produce unlimited compliance with every desire we indulge1 or that those whom we have obliged will altogether desert their own interest for the sake of their benefactors4 ,i shall next show what a good man may reasonably expect from human life4 ,i4 ,whatever course the affairs of the world may take1 he may justly hope to enjoy peace of mind4 ,this to the sceptic and the profligate will be held as a very inconsiderable object of hope4 ,but1 assuredly1 the peace of an approving conscience is one of the chief ingredients of human happiness2 provided always that this self-approbation be tempered with due faith4 ,,ii4 ,he has ground to expect that any external condition into which he may pass shall1 by means of virtue and wisdom1 be rendered if not perfectly agreeable1 yet tolerably easy to him4 ,the inequality of real happiness is not to be measured by the inequality of outward estate4 ,a wise and good man is never left without resources by which to make his state tolerable4 ,seldom or never do all good things forsake a man at once4 ,what is very severe of any kind1 seldom lasts long4 ,time and continuance reconcile us to many things that were at first insupportable4 ,,iii4 ,we have ground to expect that1 if we persevere in studying to do our duty towards ,god and man1 we shall meet with the esteem and love of those around us4 ,the world1 as ,i have before observed1 is seldom disposed to give a favourable reception to claims based on superior talents and merits4 ,but1 with respect to moral qualifications1 the world is more ready to do justice to character4 ,unaffected piety commands respect4 ,candour never fails to attract esteem and trust4 ,kindness conciliates love and creates warm friendships4 ,i have considered only what the righteous man has to hope for in the ordinary course of the world4 ,but--,,iv4 ,he has before him a much higher object of hope1 even the hope which is laid up for him in heaven2 the assured expectation of a better life in a higher and better world4 ,put the case of a servant of ,god being overwhelmed with all the disappointments which the world can bring upon him1 here is an expectation which will always be gladness4--,blair4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,god',s ,,way ,,destruction ,,and ,,salvation4 ,i4 ,in common with all ,his intellectual and moral creatures1 ,god has a way1 or plan of action4 ,a skilful artificer has a way by which he brings forth a certain result in a work of skill4 ,his way is the out-come of his previous thought and purpose2 he does not go about his work in uncertainty as to what he is going to do1 or how he is going to do it4 ,the architect proceeds to erect his building in accordance with a certain plan1 in a certain way before determined on4 ,the public instructor has ways of teaching which are the out-come of previous thought2 he would otherwise work at random4 ,those who are leaders of others must think and teach within the limits of certain rules1 in pursuance of some definite end1 otherwise there could be no result from their teaching4 ,god1 the skilful ,artificer and wise ,architect of the material universe1 the ,great ,instructor of men1 is no exception to this rule4 #a4 ,he works in nature according to a definite and pre-ordained rule or law4 ,all that we see around us reveals ,divine forethought and intention1 proclaims that the ,creator works for a definite end1 that ,he walks in a pre-arranged way4 ,he has a way1 or method1 of producing day and night1 summer and winter1 of developing the seed-corn into the full ear1 of watering the earth by clouds1 and so fitting it for the habitation of men4 #b4 ,he has a way in ,providence1 and though here it is far more difficult than even in nature to trace ,his working or unravel ,his purposes1 we know that ,he works in accordance with a definite plan for the accomplishment of a certain purpose1 and that there is nothing of chance in the mysteries of life4 ,a child may look on while his father is putting together the works of a watch1 he cannot judge of the adaptation of certain processes and actions1 but he knows that his father has made many watches before1 and he judges from what has been1 of what is1 and what shall be4 ,and so with ,god's way of providence1 we cannot trace the way of ,his operation1 we cannot see the issue of ,his actions while ,he is at work4 ,the workings are too complicated for us to trace the adaptation of the means to the end4 ,but from past results we conclude what will be the issue of ,his present dealings1 from what has been we know what shall be1 viz41 that all will be seen to be part of a great plan or way of action1 and that the verdict of the universe at last will be1 just and true are ,thy ways1 ,thou king of saints 7,rev4 xv4 #c74 ,clouds and darkness have been around ,god's working in the past1 but righteousness and justice have come out of the darkness1 and so we know it ever shall be4 #c4 ,god has a way of grace4 ,here ,his way is a way of forgiveness through a ,divine ,atoner1 and of sanctification through a ,divine ,spirit1 meeting human need if that human need is felt and confessed4 ,the need of a man who has broken ,god's law must be felt and acknowledged before the way of forgiveness and restoration is brought into operation4 ,this is the law by which men are loosed from the bonds of sin1 ,god was in ,christ1 reconciling the world unto ,himself1 not imputing their trespasses unto them 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ai74 ,this is ,jehovah's way of salvation4 ,,ii4 ,the opposite effects of the ,divine way upon opposite characters4 ,the way of the ,lord is strength to the upright1 but destruction to the workers of iniquity 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,all men who are not numbered with the upright1 whose moral nature has not been lifted up by contact with the ,divine1 are workers of iniquity4 ,dr4 ,david ,thomas says of iniquity1 ,the word is negative--the want of equity4 ,men will be damned not merely for doing wrong1 but for not doing the right 7see ,the ,practical ,philosopher1 p4 #acb74 ,we take the words therefore to signify the two great classes into which ,christ divides the world1 ,he that believeth and he that believeth not 7,john iii4 #ah71 and consider the different effect upon these two opposite characters of--#a4 ,jehovah's way of nature4 ,to the upright there comes strength from the contemplation of ,god as revealed in ,his material works4 ,he feels that ,god is a necessity to account for what he sees around him4 ,all created things speak to him of the wisdom1 the power1 and the goodness of their ,maker and ,upholder1 and his faith is strengthened by this manifestation of the way of the ,lord4 ,he obeys the injunction of the prophet1 ,lift up your eyes on high and behold1 who hath created these things1 that bringeth out their host by number2 ,he callest them all by names1 by the greatness of ,his might1 for ,he is strong in power1 not one faileth4 ,and thence he draws the prophet's argument1 ,that the everlasting ,god1 the ,lord1 the ,creator of the ends of the earth1 fainteth not1 neither is weary1 that ,he giveth power to the faint2 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength1 and in thus waiting upon the ,lord he renews his strength1 he runs and is not weary1 he walks and does not faint 7,isa4 xl4 #bf-ca74 ,but how different is the effect of the works of nature1 when the ,god of nature is not acknowledged4 ,they harden men in materialism1 ,god's own laws are used to bow ,him out of ,his own universe1 and their working becomes so many forces of destruction because they drive men further from their only hope and help4 ,as ,paul tells us1 such men hold 7back7 the truth in 7or1 by7 unrighteousness1 because that which may be known of ,god is manifest in 7or1 to7 them2 for ,god hath showed it to them4 ,for the invisible things of ,him from the creation of the world are clearly seen1 being understood by the things that are made1 even ,his ,eternal ,power and ,godhead4 ,but1 professing themselves wise1 they became fools1 and worshipped and served the creature more than the ,creator 7see ,rom4 i4 #ah-cb74 ,this is destruction to any man4 #b4 ,of ,jehovah's way of providence4 ,faith in a personal ,god1 in a ,divine ,saviour1 makes this way also strength to the upright4 ,if a seaman has faith in his captain1 this gives him strength for his duty even in the roughest weather4 ,he feels that he is not altogether left to the mercy of the blind elements1 but that there is a strong and wise will guiding the ship4 ,so confidence in an ,all-wise ,father1 in a ,king who can do no wrong1 is the stronghold of the upright amidst all the apparent contradictions and mysteries of life4 ,he knows who is at the wheel of all human affairs1 that ,when ,he folds the cloud about ,him1 ,firm within it stands ,his throne2 and the knowledge that ,god is ,light1 and in ,him is no darkness at all1 makes what would otherwise overwhelm him in ,doubt1 and consequently in weakness1 a source of strength1 a power of life4 ,but where ,god is not known1 this confidence is absent1 and nothing but chance1 or an arbitrary ,judge1 sits upon the throne of the ,universe4 ,the terrible perplexities of life are like the rings of the wheels in ,ezekiel's vision1 so high that they are dreadful1 and1 as such a man does not discern above them the man upon the throne 7,ezek4 i4 #ah-bj71 they are to him only mighty and resistless engines of destruction4 #c4 ,of ,jehovah's way of grace4 ,the upright man has gained his strength to be upright from the way of ,divine forgiveness4 ,even a child feels stronger when assured of his father's restored favour1 and the forgiveness of ,god sets a man upon his feet and gives him that joy of the ,lord which is strength 7,neh4 viii4 #aj74 ,unforgiven sin breaks the bones of the soul4 ,when ,i kept silence1 my bones waxed old1 but ,i said ,i will confess my transgressions unto the ,lord2 and ,thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin4 ,make me to hear joy and gladness3 that the bones which ,thou hast broken may rejoice4 ,hide ,thy face from my sins1 and blot out all mine iniquities 7,psa4 xxxii4 #c-e1 li4 #h1 #i74 ,and he gains strength to continue in the way of uprightness by communion with an unseen ,saviour1 by the indwelling power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,christ is the power of an endless life to all who believe in ,him 7,heb4 vii4 #af74 ,this is the way or law of the kingdom of grace4 ,to as many as received ,him1 to them gave ,he power to become the sons of ,god1 even to them that believe on ,his name 7,john i4 #ab74 ,but to those who reject the way of grace1 this righteousness of ,god 7,rom4 iii4 #bb71 this way of salvation1 becomes a power of destruction2 that which was ordained to be a savour of life becomes a savour of death4 ,christ crucified is a stumbling-block and foolishness to such 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bc74 ,whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken2 but on whomsoever it shall fall1 it will grind him to powder 7,matt4 xxi4 #dd74 ,the way of ,jehovah is in no instance the cause of the destruction of the wicked but it must be the occasion4 ,the words and works of ,christ were the occasion but not the cause of the great national sin of the ,jewish nation4 ,if ,i had not come and spoken unto them1 they had not had sin3 but now they have no cloak for their sin4 ,if ,i had not done among them the works which none other man did1 they had not had sin3 but now have they both seen and hated both me and my ,father 7,john xv4 #bb-bd74 ,the knife in the hand of the surgeon is an instrument to save life1 but the patient may use it to kill himself if he be so minded4 ,a candle may be used to give light and comfort to all in the house--this is its use with regard to honest men--but the same light may be the means of the discovery and punishment of a thief4 ,the light and heat of the sun1 falling upon a bed of flowers fills the air with fragrance and the spirit of man with delight1 but if it fall upon a noisome stagnant pool1 or a dead body1 it will hasten decomposition and spread the seeds of disease and death4 ,it is not the nature of sunlight to destroy1 but the objects upon which it falls turns the blessing into a curse4 ,so with the grace of ,god which bringeth salvation 7,titus ii4 #aa74 ,it is not true1 says ,maclaren1 that every man that rejects ,christ does in verity reject ,him1 and not merely neglect ,him2 that there is always an effort1 that there is a struggle1 feeble1 perhaps1 but real1 which ends in the turning away4 ,it is not that you stand there1 and simply let ,him go past4 ,that were bad enough2 but it is more than that4 ,it is that you turn your back upon ,him6 ,it is not that ,his hand is laid on yours1 and yours remains dead and cold1 and does not open to clasp it2 but it is that ,his hand being laid on yours1 you clench yours the tighter1 and will not have it4 ,and so every man 7,i believe7 that ever rejects ,christ does these things thereby--wounds his own conscience1 hardens his own heart1 makes himself a worse man1 just because he has had a glimpse1 and his willingly1 almost consciously1 'loved darkness rather than light4' ,the message of love can never come into a human soul1 and pass away from it unreceived1 without leaving that spirit worse1 with all its lowest characteristics strengthened1 and all its best ones depressed1 by the fact of rejection4 4 4 4 ,if there were no judgment at all1 the natural result of the simple rejection of the ,gospel is that1 bit by bit1 all the lingering remains of nobleness that hover about the man1 like scent about a broken vase1 shall pass away2 and that1 step by step1 through the simple process of saying1 ',i will not have ,christ to rule over me1' the whole being shall degenerate1 until manhood becomes devilhood1 and the soul is lost by its own want of faith 7,see ,sermons1 ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #g74 ,and so it is all with man1 and in no degree with ,god1 that ,his way1 which ,he intends to be the fortress1 the strength of every human soul1 becomes a destruction to the workers of iniquity4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this promise implies help for our work1 and not rest from our labour4 ,we shall have strength for the conflict4 ,but there is no discharge from the war4 ,there is supply for real1 not for imaginary1 wants2 for present1 not for future1 need4 ,the healthful energy of the man of ,god is also supposed4 ,he is alive in the way2 his heart is set in it4 ,this makes it practicable4 ,what before was drudgery is now meat and drink4 ,indeed1 the more godly we are1 the more godly we shall be4 ,the habit of grace increases by exercise4 ,one step helps on the next4 ,thus was the way of the ,lord strength to the upright ,nicodemus4 ,his first step was feebleness and fear4 ,walking onwards1 he waxed stronger2 standing up in the ungodly council1 and ultimately the bold confessor of his ,saviour when his self-confident disciples slunk back 7,john iii4 #b1 vii4 #ej1 xix4 #ci74 4 4 4 ,thus the righteous shall hold on their way1 going from strength to strength1 strengthened in the ,lord1 and walking up and down in ,his name 7,job xvii4 #i2 ,psa4 lxxxiv4 #e-g2 ,zech4 x4 #ab74 4 4 4 ,no such resources support the workers of iniquity4 ,captives instead of soldiers1 they know no conflicts2 they realize no need of strength4--,bridges4 ,the way of the earth doth weary them that walk in it1 and doth take away their strength3 but the way of the ,lord is strength to the upright1 so that the more they go in it1 the more able are they to go on in it4 ,or else because he walketh in the ways of ,god's most gracious providence over him1 and that must needs be a strength unto him4 ,a strong staff1 that is1 to support him1 a strong bulwark to defend him1 a strong arm to fight for him4 ,the angel1 therefore1 might well say to ,gideon1 ,thou mighty man of valour when he had first said1 ,the ,lord is with thee4 ,but as the way of the ,lord is upright the way of ,his gracious providence over them1 so ,he hath another way for the workers of iniquity1 and that is the way of judgment4--,jermin4 ,sin is man's destruction4 #a4 ,sin brings many evils upon man1 from which1 if he were virtuous1 he would be totally free1 such as a decayed body1 a wounded conscience1 a disconnected heart1 vexation in the present1 fear for the future4 #b4 ,fear puts man out of condition to render tolerable those evils which he cannot avoid4 ,he feels the burden of them in all their pressure because he is destitute of the supports of reliance and hope4 ,he cannot perceive in his afflictions the hand of a father1 but is forced to confess them the punishment of an offended sovereign4 #c4 ,sin prevents man from the full enjoyment of the good which outweighs the evil in the world4 ,the ,christian finds pleasure in the works of creation1 the methods of providence1 in beneficence1 in friendship1 in domestic happiness4 ,sin deprives us of a taste for these pleasures by enervating the mind1 by selfishness1 by pride4 #d4 ,sin incapacitates us for the state of pure and perfect happiness in the world to come4--,zollikofer4 ,sometimes1 by the way of the ,lord1 the observing of ,god's law1 sometimes the course of ,god's providence is meant in ,scripture1 as here in this place4 ,it is said to strengthen the upright1 not only for that it fortifieth their hearts1 but because it preserveth them by sundry means from destruction4 ,the manner of the ,lord's desiring with the wicked is quite contrary2 for the ,lord plagueth them and crosseth them for their iniquities1 and in their evil doing1 even throughout the whole course of their life1 which is unfortunate and full of many miseries4--,muffet4 ,the way ,jehovah personally walks in 7as1 for example1 ,his way of justice7 is a fortress4 ,to ,gabriel1 for instance1 it is the arch that shelters him for ever2 to the poor saint it is a sworn certainty of defence2 but to the wicked it is an eternal vengeance4 ,the way of mercy--that is1 in the cross of ,christ--is life unto life to the saint1 and death unto death to the rebellious sinner4 ,elihu pictures this in the outward creation 7,job xxxvi4 #ca72 ,for by them 7that is1 by the same elements of ,nature7 judgeth ,he the people2 ,he giveth meat in abundance4 ,the same showers fertilise the earth1 or tear to pieces with a deluge4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,,the ,,earth ,,the ,,possession ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 ,i4 ,from their relation to ,god it is theirs now4 ,the estate of an ,english nobleman is the portion of all his family to a certain extent4 ,they all live upon it1 and partake of its productions4 ,but the eldest son has a special inheritance in it--it is the perpetual possession of the heir of the house1 and it is therefore his in a sense in which it is not the property of his brothers and sisters4 ,the earth is the ,lord's1 and the fulness thereof 7,psa4 xxiv4 #a71 and it is therefore the property of ,his children--of those who are ,his sons and heirs 7,rom4 viii4 #ag74 ,all men enjoy to some extent the blessings of the earth1 but it belongs only to them whom ,paul addresses when he says1 ,all things are yours1 whether 4 4 4 the world1 or life1 or death1 or things present1 or things to come 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #ba1 #bb74 ,,ii4 ,from their relation to ,god it shall be theirs in the future4 ,the regenerated earth is to be the eternal abode of the righteous4 ,the glorified body of the redeemed man will have enough of his present body to enable us to identify each other4 ,although we have not now the body that shall be 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #cg71 there will be such a relationship between the present and the future as shall make them the same individual man4 ,so1 although the earth is to be a new earth 7#b ,pet4 iii4 #ac71 there will be that about it which will enable the regenerated man to recognise his old home4 ,and if in the new earth there is to dwell righteousness1 it is because it is to be the abode of righteous beings4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 ii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #cj4 ,love of home is an impulse and emotion natural to man2 but to no people was fatherland so greatly delighted in1 to none was exile and banishment from fatherland so dreadful a thought1 as it was to the people of ,israel4 ,expatriation is the worst of all evils with which the prophets threatened individuals and the people2 and the history of ,israel in their exile1 which was a punishment of their national apostasy1 confirms this proverb1 and explains its form4 4 4 4 ,in general1 the proverb means that the righteous fearlessly maintains the position he takes2 while1 on the contrary1 all they who have no hold on ,god lose also their outward position4 ,but often enough this saying is fulfilled in this1 that they1 in order that they may escape disgrace1 become wanderers and fugitives1 and are compelled to conceal themselves among strangers4--,delitzsch4 ,the desire of the righteous is not to stay upon earth1 neither is that the reward which ,god hath appointed for them4 ,they know a better place to go unto1 and where better things that the earth can afford are provided for them4 ,hugo de ,sancto ,victore saith1 therefore1 making three sorts of men1 ,he is very delicate whose own country is delicious unto him2 he is valiant to whom every country is his own2 he is perfect to whom the world is a banishment4 ,the first hath fastened his love upon the world1 the second hath scattered his love in the world1 the last hath extinguished his love from the world4 ,and this is the righteous man of whom it is here said that he shall never be removed1 because he shall never be taken hence with an unwilling and reluctant mind4 ,he having never set his affection upon the world1 can never be removed from it4 ,when he goeth hence1 he goeth cheerfully and gladly2 it is not a remove of him1 but a pleasant passage to him4--,jermin4 ,moved1 not removed1 but shaken shall not be seriously disturbed4--,miller4 ,see also comments on chap4 ii4 #ba1 #bb4 ,for ,homiletics on ,verse #ca1 see on ,verses #ac1 #ad1 and #bj1 #ba4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the figure here is of a sprout or seedling which has the capacity to grow for ever4 ,wisdom is such a tree4 ,it grows from the mouth of the good man1 and will grow for ever2 that is1 the good man will incessantly spread abroad wisdom4 ,god1 who is invisible1 spreads abroad wisdom only through the creature4 ,but the ungodly tongue1 literally the tongue of upturnings1 overturning everything1 and being in this world the great instrument for leading others astray1 will be put in a condition to be foiled of such an influence3 as the inspired sentence expresses it1 will be cut out4--,miller4 ,as a tree full of life and sap brings forth its fruit1 so in ,isaiah1 lvii4 #ai1 the cognate word is translated the fruit of the lips4 ,the froward tongue is like a tree that brings forth evil and not good fruit4 ,it shall be cut down4 ,what is meant is1 that the abuse of ,god's gift of speech will lead ultimately to its forfeiture4 ,there shall1 at last1 be the silence of shame and confusion4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cb4 ,,acceptable ,,words4 ,i4 ,the righteous man knows what words are acceptable to ,god from a study of ,divine laws4 ,the courtier knows how to approach his king--in what words to address him--because he has made himself acquainted with the laws of the court4 ,the righteous man is well acquainted with the laws of the kingdom of ,god1 and1 being so1 he knows how to draw near to the ,divine ,king--he sets his words in order before ,him as the wood is laid in order upon the altar for the sacrifice4 ,god has not left man in ignorance of what kind of words are acceptable to ,him 7,hosea xiv4 #b2 ,mal4 iii4 #af2 ,matt4 vi4 #i2 ,ephes4 v4 #ai1 #bj1 etc74 ,,ii4 ,he knows what words are acceptable to men from a study of their character4 ,man's character is a prophecy of the kind of words that will be acceptable4 ,the righteous man makes it his business1 and regards it as his duty to frame his speech--so far as it is consistent with righteousness--in such a manner that those to whom he speaks will be won to listen to his words4 ,,iii4 ,he speaks what are acceptable words from the habit of his heart4 ,it is natural for a good tree to bear good fruit1 and it is the nature of a righteous man to speak words of humility and faith to his ,god and of kindness to his fellow-men4 ,as the tree is1 so is the fruit4 ,as the man's heart is1 so1 with rare exceptions1 are his words4 7,see on verse #bj47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #cb4 ,the plain sense is1 that the righteous speak those things whereby they have the favour both of ,god and man1 and whereby they are in friendship and peace both with heaven and earth4 ,but the mouth of the wicked careth not to offend either ,god or man1 and seeketh not for love anywhere1 being wholly pleased in perverseness4 ,but many know what is acceptable to ,god and man1 but their lips do not know it4 ,so the liar knoweth truth to be acceptable to ,god and man1 but their lips do not know it3 the profane person knoweth prayer to be acceptable1 but his lips do not know it3 the ill governor knoweth the reproof of vice to be acceptable1 but his lips do not know it3 the brawler knoweth mildness of speech to be acceptable1 but his lips do not know it4 ,yea1 the lips also of many speak that which is acceptable1 but their lips do not know it2 their speaking of it being in such a manner as maketh that which pleaseth ,god and pleaseth man1 and he speaks it in a pleasing manner4 ,or else as ,clemens ,alexandrinus readeth1 the lips of the righteous know high things in speaking the high praises of the highest ,god1 and in opening the truth of high things unto men4--,jermin4 ,how1 what1 when1 to whom to speak1 is a matter of great wisdom4 ,yet this consideration of acceptableness must involve no sacrifice of principle4 ,let it be a considerate accommodation of mode to the diversities of tastes2 a forbearance with lesser prejudices and constitutional infirmities2 avoiding not all offences 7which faithfulness to our ,divine ,master forbids71 but all needless offences1 all uncalled-for occasions of design and irritation4 ,the meekness of wisdom should be clearly manifested in ,christian faithfulness 7,jas4 iii4 #ac74 ,thus ,gideon melted the frowardness of the men of ,ephraim 7,judg4 viii4 #b1 #c74 ,abigail restrained ,david's hands from blood 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #bc1 #cc74 ,daniel stood fearless before the mighty monarch of ,babylon 7,dan4 iv4 #bg74 ,their lips knew what was acceptable1 and their ,god honoured them4--,bridges4 ,,homily ,,on ,,the ,,entire ,,chapter4 ,the pious and ungodly compared in respect--#a4 ,to their earthly good2 #b4 ,to their worth in the eyes of men2 #c4 ,to their outward demeanour in intercourse with others2 #d4 ,to their disposition of heart as this appears in their mien1 their words1 their acts2 #e4 ,to their diverse fruits1 that which they produce in their moral influence upon others2 #f4 ,to their different fates as awarded to them at last in the retribution of eternity4--,lange's ,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,just weight1 literally1 a stone of completeness1 a full stone4 ,stone was a very ancient material for weight2 not rusting1 it was not changeable4 #b4 ,literally1 there hath come pride1 there will come shame4 ,stuart reads1 ,does pride come1 then shame will come4 #c4 ,guide1 lead as a shepherd his sheep1 and therefore in the path of safety and peace 7,stuart74 ,perverseness1 slipperiness1 falseness4 ,destroy4 ,an intensive word in the ,hebrew1 to lay hold of them with violent force 7,stuart74 #e4 ,direct1 make smooth or even4 #f4 ,naughtiness1 cravings1 desires1 covetousness4 #g4 ,his and men are not in the original1 and the verse is variously rendered4 ,stuart reads1 ,when the wicked die1 all the hopes perish2 and when they are afflicted1 their expectation of recovery or alleviation will be frustrated4 ,zckler--,with the death of the wicked hope cometh to nought1 and the unjust expectation has perished4 ,miller--,by the death of a wicked man hope is lost1 and the expectation of sorrowing ones is lost already4 #i4 ,zckler here reads1 ,the hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour1 but by the knowledge of the righteous shall they 7the neighbours7 be delivered4 #ab4 ,void of wisdom1 literally1 of heart4 ,zckler inverts the phrase1 ,he that speaks contemptuously of his neighbour lacketh wisdom4 #ac4 ,he who goeth about as a slanderer4 #ad4 ,counsel1 literally1 pilotage1 steersmanship4 #ae4 ,suretyship1 literally striking hands4 ,see notes and ,illustrations on chap4 vi4 #a4 ,stuart translates this verse1 ,an evil man showeth himself as evil when he giveth pledge to a stranger1 i4e41 by hastily pledging himself and then not redeeming his pledge4 #af4 ,last clause as strong men retain1 or grasp at riches4 #ag4 ,or1 ,he who doeth good to himself is a merciful man1 but he who troubleth his own flesh is cruel4 ,so ,stuart and ,miller1 ,zckler and ,delitzsch read as the ,authorised ,version4 #ah4 ,the wicked gaineth a deceptive result1 but he that soweth righteousness a sure reward 7,zckler74 #ba4 ,the ,hebrew here is simply hand to hand1 the wicked1 etc4 ,zckler and ,delitzsch understand it as a formula of strong asservation derived from the custom of becoming surety by clasping hands1 and hence equivalent to assuredly1 verily1 ,i pledge it4 ,stuart says1 ,different meanings have been assigned4 #a4 ,hand against hand1 i4e41 the injurious man4 #b4 ,from one hand to another1 i4e41 from one generation to another4 #c4 ,joining hands in way of assurance--verily4 ,all these are little better than guesses4 ,the phrase is evidently proverbial and doubtless abridged4 ,the most simple interpretation is that of ,michael1 ,hand joined to hand will not protect the guilty4 ,let the evil man struggle with all his might he will not escape4 #bc4 ,wrath1 i4e41 ,god's wrath 7,zckler74 #be4 ,liberal soul1 the soul of blessing1 i4e41 the soul that blesses others4 #bg4 ,procureth1 rather seeketh4 ,favour1 i4e41 ,god's favour4 ,so it is generally understood4 ,but ,delitzsch reads ,he who striveth after good1 seeketh that which is pleasing1 i4e41 that which pleaseth or doeth good to others4 #bh4 ,branch1 rather1 a green leaf4 #cj4 ,or1 the wise man winneth or taketh souls4 #ca4 ,miller transposes this verse and reads1 ,behold the righteous on earth shall be recompensed1 etc4 ,on earth may be placed either with the righteous1 or with recompensed4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,just ,,weight4 ,the judgment on a false weight is a two-fold revelation4 ,i4 ,it reveals the existence of a true standard4 ,we only know what is false by knowing what is true4 ,if a mason looks at a stone and declares that it is uneven1 he declares at the same time that there is such a thing as an even stone1 or that there is a possibility of making a stone perfectly level and square4 ,he reveals his knowledge of what is even by passing judgment upon what is uneven4 ,when a judge declares that a man has not fulfilled the requirements of the law1 he thereby proclaims the existence of a law which ought to have been1 and might have been obeyed4 ,as ,paul tells us1 ,sin is not imputed where there is no law 7,rom4 v4 #ac74 ,and if a weight is condemned as false1 the condemnation implies that there is a certain standard of weight which ought to have been reached4 ,god1 who here tells men that ,he abominates a false balance1 declared by ,his condemnation of it that there is such a thing as a true weight3 that there is that which ,he recognises as justice between man and man4 ,and much that men call a full stone1 a fair day's wages1 is not so regarded by ,god4 ,it is not dealing truly with a man to give him the smallest possible amount for the work he does--to take advantage of his poverty or ignorance to beat him down to the lowest sum for which his need will induce him to give his labour1 and thereby condemn him to all the evils of insufficient means4 ,behold6 says ,carlyle1 supply and demand is not the one law of ,nature2 cash payment is not the sole nexus of man with man1--how far from it6 ,deep1 far deeper than supply and demand are laws1 obligations sacred as man's life itself6 ,this is the law of the ,divine kingdom3 ,all things whatsoever ye would that man should do to you1 do ye even so to them 7,matt4 vii4 #ab74 ,less than this is a false balance1 this is the full stone1 which is ,god's delight4 ,,ii4 ,it reveals the character of ,god4 ,if a man declares that certain actions are displeasing to him1 the declaration reveals his character3 if the actions that he hates are wicked in themselves and hurtful to men1 his hatred of them proclaims his own righteousness and benevolence4 ,that ,god is a hater of false weights and measures in every sense and of every kind proclaims ,him to be a ,god of mercy and truth1 a ,ruler who will ,himself not pervert judgment1 who will not lay upon man more than right1 but who will give everyone according to his ways1 and according to the fruit of his doings 7,job xxxiv4 #ab1 #ac2 ,jer4 xxxii4 #ai74 ,and the text likewise proclaims ,god's notice of what men sometimes call little things4 ,the farthing kept back from the child1 and the ounce taken from the pound1 are as much marked by ,him as the short wages given to the man1 the unjust sentence passed upon the prisoner4 ,dr4 ,guthrie says ,god sees the water in the milk1 and the sand in the sugar4 ,there are no great and small transactions in a moral sense1 one action contains the sin as much as another4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in this emphatic reproduction of the old rule of ,deut4 xxv4 #ac1 #ad1 we may find1 perhaps1 a trace1 as in chap4 vi4 #a1 of the growing commerce of the ,israelites1 and the danger of dishonesty incidental to it4 ,while the words have a wider range and include all unequal and unrighteous judgments1 there can be no doubt that the literal meaning is the prominent one4 ,the stress laid on the same sin in chaps4 xvi4 #aa1 xx4 #aj1 bears witness to the desire of the teacher to educate the youth of ,israel to a high standard of integrity1 just as the protest of ,hosea against it 7ch4 xii4 #g7 shows the zeal of the prophet in rebuking what was becoming more and more a besetting sin4--,plumptre4 ,hither may be referred corruptions in courts1 and partialities in ,church businesses4 ,see that tremendous charge to do nothing by partiality or by tilting the balance 7#a ,tim4 v4 #ba74 ,those that have the balances of deceit in their hand 7,hosea xii4 #g7 are called ,canaanites1 so the ,hebrew hath it1 that is1 mere natural men 7,ezek4 xvi4 #c71 that have not goodness in them1 no1 not common honesty2 they do not as they would be done by1 which very heathens condemned4--,trapp4 ,surely he that weighs in a false balance is himself weighed by ,god in a balance of justice1 and for the gain he gets he getteth to himself from the ,lord ,his just abomination2 not only ,his dislike or condemnation of it1 but the abomination because it is a theft cloaked with the colour of justice1 even the exact justice of weighing4 ,but a just balance is such a delight unto ,god as that ,he delighteth1 as it were1 to be a seller in that shop1 and that ,he maketh others to delight to come and buy at it4 ,surely such a perfect stone 7see ,hebrew7 is a perfect jewel1 and a precious stone in the sight of ,god4 ,but in a spiritual sense there is no such false balance as when man weigheth heavier than ,god1 earth heavier than heaven1 the pleasures of sin heavier than the crown of glory1 a momentary contentment heavier than eternal blessedness4 ,and justly are such false balances an abomination to the ,lord4 ,but that is a just weight whereby the light vanity of worldly things is rightly perceived1 the levity of earthly greatness is truly discerned1 the weightiness of ,god's promises is duly considered1 the heaviness of ,god's threatenings is carefully apprehended4 ,such a weight is ,god's delight1 doth overbalance all whatsoever the world delighteth in4--,jermin4 ,that which is hurtful to our brother is hateful to ,god1 and therefore can never be helpful to us4 ,if ,he judge it unrighteous we shall find it unprofitable3 if it be damnable in ,his sight1 and therefore ,his soul doth hate it1 it will at last be in our sense1 and our souls shall rue it4 ,here is consolation to them that do constantly and conscionably addict themselves to the practice of equity4 ,none hath truly learned this but such as have been apprentices to heaven1 whom the ,lord hath informed in the mysteries of that trade4--,dod4 ,weight and balance are judicial institutions of the ,lord1 and every weight is ,his work4 ,but marriage compacts1 also political confederacies1 civil compacts1 judgments1 penalties1 etc41 are ordinances of ,divine wisdom and justice1 and are effectively superintended by ,god4--,melanchthon4 ,this is repeated with varied language three times 7xvi4 #aa2 xx4 #aj1 #bc74 ,the tendency of all commentators is to treat it as descriptive of men4 ,it seems conspicuously to be asserted of the ,almighty4 ,sentences like chap4 x4 #bi make the doctrine a very timely one1 that ,god is in ,his very essence just2 that ,he takes no liberties of an arbitrary nature2 that ,he is the administrator1 not at all of fate1 for this is blind and unreasoning1 but of eternal rectitude2 that we need give ourselves no care of our government1 for that ,he has no temptation to do us wrong1 because false balances are an abomination to ,jehovah4 ,delight is rather a strong version4 ,it only means that the ,almighty has the eternal desire to be absolutely just4 ,omniscience1 omnipotence1 and this desire must make an immaculate administration4 ,god will not1 by a false balance1 become an abomination to ,himself4--,miller4 ,commerce is a providential appointment for our social intercourse and mutual helpfulness4 ,it is grounded with men upon human faith1 as with ,god upon ,divine faith4 ,balance1 weights1 money are its necessary materials4 ,impositions1 double dealings1 the hard bargain struck with self-complacent shrewdness 7chap4 xx4 #ad7--this is the false balance forbidden alike of the law and of the ,gospel 7,matt4 vii4 #ab2 ,phil4 iv4 #h74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,pride ,,and ,,humility4 ,i4 ,pride comes to the human spirit4 ,when pride cometh4 ,there are certain weeds that come at certain seasons of the year without being sent for or desired4 ,they tarry not for the will of man1 but appear in the most well-kept gardens and in the most carefully tilled field4 ,the only will that the proprietor has in the matter is whether they shall be allowed to stay4 ,if they stay1 they will assuredly spread and increase in strength4 ,self-sown plants are the first to spring up in the ground1 and will be the last to disappear4 ,nothing will kill them but uprooting and consuming the entire plant by fire4 ,so pride will spring up in the human heart4 ,the seeds are there1 and the soul is congenial to their germination and growth4 ,according to the highest authority on the subject1 pride is its natural outgrowth4 ,for from within1 out of the heart of man proceed evil thoughts 4 4 4 pride etc4 7,mark vii4 #ba1 #bb74 ,the question for every man to settle when pride comes up in the blade1 is whether it shall be allowed to go on to the full ear--whether the feeling shall be allowed to remain until it is manifested in action1 or whether the fire of the ,holy ,ghost shall be called in to consume the very root4 ,pride1 says ,adams1 is like the heart1 the first thing that lives and the last thing that dies in us4 ,,ii4 ,when pride is permitted to remain1 shame will follow4 #a4 ,because it tends to ingratitude4 ,if a man permits a wrong estimate of himself to grow up and strengthen within him1 growing daily in a sense of his own importance and his own deserts1 he will soon be ungrateful to men for their acts of goodwill1 and to ,god for the position in which ,he has placed him in the world4 ,ingratitude is a high road to shame before ,god and before men1 because it prevents men from taking advantage of present opportunities4 #b4 ,because it keeps men ignorant4 ,there is a shame arising from ignorance1 when men have had no opportunities of acquiring knowledge4 ,but pride leads men to refuse instruction when it is offered to them1 and thus it leads to wilful ignorance1 which1 being wilful1 is doubly shameful4 #c4 ,because it makes men useless4 ,if a man has received many gifts from the ,divine hand and yet lacks that spiritual-mindedness and humility which is the salt to season them and make them acceptable to the hearts and consciences of mankind1 he will be to them like a fountain of beautiful and polished marble without any water1 and will only vex the thirsty traveller by reflecting the rays of light from the basin which he hoped to find filled with water4 ,he is a cloud without water1 lovely to the eye1 but not refreshing to the thirsty land4 ,and men will turn from and despise gifts without graces1 especially the grace of humility4 ,,iii4 ,lowly men are wise men1 and are in the way of becoming wiser4 #a4 ,this we know from the ,divine promise4 ,i dwell in the high and holy place1 with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit 7,isa4 lvii4 #ae74 ,from the nature of things1 those who are alike in character will seek to dwell together4 ,the good and the bad each go to their own company in this world1 and must do so in every world4 ,there is no pride in the ,divine character3 ,he humbleth ,himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth 7,psa4 cxiii4 #f74 ,because ,he can rightly estimate everything and every person1 pride cannot dwell with ,him4 ,therefore ,he dwells with those who are like ,himself1 and the man with whom ,god dwells1 and who is taught of the ,lord 7,isa4 liv4 #ac71 must be ever increasing in wisdom4 #b4 ,this we know from experience4 ,the wisest men in the world1 the men who are most able to teach others1 are those who have been willing first to stoop to learn3 those who have been willing to their own ignorance and need1 and so have been willing to sit at the feet of those who knew more than they did4 ,wise men are always lowly in estimating their present acquirements1 whether of intellect or character1 and this keeps them in the way of ever becoming wiser4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,trite as the words now are1 the appearance in many languages of the same maxim points to the delight with which men have in all ages welcomed this statement of a fact of general experience1 in which they saw also a proof of a ,divine government4 ,a ,rabbinic paraphrase of the latter clause is worth quoting3 ,lowly souls become full of wisdom as the low place becomes full of water4--,plumptre4 ,where pride is in the saddle1 shame is on the crupper4 ,he is a proud fool saith our ,english proverb4 ,but ,god gives grace to the humble 7,jas4 iv4 #f72 that is1 as some sense it1 good repute and report among men4 ,who am ,i8 saith ,moses2 and yet who fitter than he to go to ,pharaoh8 ,he refused to be called ,pharaoh's daughter's son2 he was afterwards called to be ,pharaoh's god4 7,exod4 vii4 #a47--,trapp4 ,when ,nebuchadnezzar was bragging of his ,babel which he had built for his glory1 he was banished from all habitation1 not having so much as a cottage1 and like a beast made to lie among the beasts of the field1 with ignominy4 ,when ,haman thought to ride on horseback and to be baited on like a king1 he was driven to lackey on foot1 and to wait attendance like a page1 and purposing to hang ,mordecai on high to honour himself1 he prepared a high gallows to be hanged on himself4 ,when ,herod thought himself good enough to take on him the state and honour of a god1 the ,lord declared him to be bad enough to be devoured of contemptible vermin4 4 4 4 ,whereas the humble are always in the way of preferment1 either to come to honour in a great place1 or for honour to come to them in a mean place4--,dod4 ,it is the prayer of ,david1 ,let not the foot of pride come against me1 or unto me3 for pride and shame ride in one chariot1 they come both together2 he that entertaineth the one1 must entertain the other4 ,and howbeit pride set open her bravery1 and shame awhile be masked1 yet shame at length shall open itself1 and pride shall not be seen4 ,for how can shame choose but be joined with pride1 which1 says ,st4 ,ambrose1 knows not how to stand1 and when it is fallen1 is ignorant how to rise4 ,on the other side1 although lowliness goes on foot1 yet wisdom is her companion1 which not only preserveth the lowly from shame1 but highly advanceth them in the esteem of ,god and man4 ,and indeed what greater wisdom is there than humility1 which1 says ,st4 ,ambrose again1 by desiring nothing1 obtaineth all that is despised by it4--,jermin4 ,the folly and wickedness of pride--#a4 ,of station4 ,man will not long abide in honour1 seeing he may be compared to the beast that perisheth 7,psa4 xlix4 #ab74 ,in the sight of ,god1 the greatest and proudest of men are but dust and ashes4 #b4 ,of birth4 ,even an ancient heathen could see its absurdity and say1 ,as to family and ancestors1 and what we have not done ourselves1 can scarcely be called ours4 ,we certainly had no hand in producing these distinctions4 #c4 ,of riches4 ,they cannot give dignity of character1 superiority of intellect1 vigour of body1 peace of conscience1 or any one of those advantages which form the chief blessings of life4 #d4 ,of talent or learning4 ,a disease1 an accident1 may overset the mind1 and turn all our light into utter darkness1 and even should our abilities and learning continue with us till the end of our days here below1 they must then vanish and be extinguished4 ,it was the consciousness of their uncertain and transient endurance1 as well as their imperfection1 that made the wise ,agur say1 ,surely ,i am more brutish than any man1 and have not the understanding of a man2 and which drew from ,solomon the confession1 ,in much wisdom there is much grief2 and he that increaseth knowledge1 increaseth sorrow 7,eccles4 i4 #ah74 #d4 ,of beauty4 ,all flesh is grass1 and the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field4 #e4 ,of spiritual pride4 ,of all description of guilt this appears to be the most odious to ,god and unbecoming to man1 and as such is denounced throughout the ,scriptures4 ,everlasting shame is made the portion of every one that exalteth himself4--,warner4 ,gabriel is the prince4 ,he is solely from the ,spirit4 ,it is because ,god gave him the ,spirit that he remained in grace2 and it was because ,god took the ,spirit that ,satan fell into apostasy4 ,pride1 therefore1 is a mad vanity4 ,if false balances are an abomination to ,god1 ,he would not be apt to let pride flourish4 ,and yet pride does flourish in worldly things4 ,the shame here must mean that spiritual contempt which looks to the whole eternity4 ,it is only 7#a7 out of contempt for him that ,god lets a man be proud2 and it is only 7#b7 contempt and shame that can follow upon the proud thought4 ,pride itself is an evidence of ,god's contempt4 ,and being humble not only 7#a7 invites ,wisdom1 and makes her feel at home2 not only 7#b7 flows from ,wisdom because she is at home1 but 7#c7 actually is ,wisdom4 ,it would not do to say1 ,has humility entered8 ,there also enters ,wisdom2 for humility is wisdom1 and could not exist unless ,wisdom had entered already4--,miller4 ,perhaps the reference in the words before us may especially be to the influence of pride in our intercourse with men4 ,in this view of them they are verified in different ways4 ,for example--the manifestation of pride1--of supercilious loftiness and self-sufficiency--strongly tempts others to spy out defects1 and to bring down the haughty man from his imaginary elevation4 ,everyone takes a pleasure in plucking at him1 and leaving the laurel-wreath which he has twined for his own brow as bare of leaves as possible2 and thus to cover him with shame4 ,another way in which it tends to shame is1 that it leads him who is the subject of it to undertake1 in the plenitude of his confident self-sufficiency1 to fill stations for which he is incompetent2 by which means he1 ere long1 exposes himself to the derision or the pity of his fellows4 ,he shortly finds himself in the position of those described in our ,lord's parable1 who choose for themselves the highest seats1 but in the end1 abashed and crest-fallen1 begin with shame to take the lowest rooms4 ,that parable 7,luke xiv4 #g-aa7 is a graphic commentary on the words before us4--,wardlaw4 ,pride was the principle of the fall 7,gen4 iii4 #e71 and1 therefore1 the native principle of fallen man 7,mark vii4 #bb74 ,when pride had stripped us of our honour1 then--not till then--cometh shame 7,gen4 iii4 #g1 with ii4 #be74 ,this is the wise discipline of our ,god to scourge the one by the other4 4 4 4 ,what a splendour of wisdom shone in the lowly child sitting at the doctors' feet1 astonishing them at ,his understanding and ,his answers 7,luke ii4 #dg74 ,and will not this ,spirit be to us the path of ,wisdom8 ,for the ,divine ,teacher reveals to the babes what ,he hides from the wise and prudent4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,the ,,infallible ,,guide4 ,i4 ,the upright man is in danger4 ,to say that a man needs a guide is to say that he is exposed to some kind of danger--that the path which he has to tread is one in which it is possible to sustain loss of some kind4 ,a man does not need a guide when he is walking in a road where he knows every step of the way1 where his path lies straight before him1 beset with no danger4 ,an upright man hath much to lose4 ,he can lose much in losing one thing1 he can1 indeed1 lose all in one thing1 his all for time and eternity1 viz41 his moral character4 ,if his uprightness of character sustains any loss1 if any stain is permitted to fall upon that1 it will only regain its erectness and purity at the cost of much pain and time4 ,what was gained with difficulty at first will be harder to regain4 ,it is up-hill work to redeem a lost character1 and if it is not redeemed1 existence is cast away and the man is said to be lost4 ,and the very fact that a man is godly places him in danger4 ,the thief is never found measuring the height of the wall or testing the security of the locks of the house where poverty reigns4 ,he does not haunt such a dwelling1 and reckon up the opposition he would be likely to meet with there4 ,such a house has no attraction for him1 and is safe from all danger so far as he is concerned1 because there is no silver or gold there4 ,but the house filled with plate and jewels is the one around which he paces with stealthy steps1 and whose means of defence and unguarded doors or windows he takes note of4 ,such a house draws him towards it as the magnet draws the needle4 ,so the godless man has little or no attraction for the enemy of souls4 ,the very poverty of his moral nature renders him an unattractive object to the great thief of character4 ,but an upright man he considers a foeman worthy of his steel1 and the rich graces that dwell within the heart of such a one have a magnetic power for him who was a murderer from the beginning 7,john viii4 #dd71 and for all his emissaries and agents1 whether they be devils or men4 ,,ii4 ,the infallible guide for the godly or upright man3 ,integrity4 ,what is integrity8 ,dr4 ,bushnell says3 ,as an integer is a whole1 in distinction from a fraction1 which is only a part1 so a man of integrity is a man whose aim in the right is a whole aim1 in distinction from one whose aim is divided1 partial1 or unstable4 ,it does not mean that he has never been a sinner1 or that he is not one now1 but simply that the intent of his soul is to do and to be wholly right with ,god and man4 ,old ,simeon was such a man4 ,it is said of him that he was just1 that is1 he was single in his purpose in relation to man1 and that he was devout1 which expresses his wholeness of his aim in relation to ,god4 ,paul was such a man4 ,what shall ,i do1 ,lord8--,this one thing ,i do was the key note of his life4 7,acts xxii4 #aj2 ,phil4 iii4 #ac47 #a4 ,this guide is one whose voice is not easily mistaken4 ,if a man sets his own interest before him as the guide of his life1 he is very likely to be mistaken as to what his own interest really is even so far as regards the present life4 ,we are so short-sighted as to be unable to foretell what may be the issue of any act of life in relation to our own personal and present well-being looked at from a material point of view4 ,if we are more unselfish and adopt the famous principle of the good of the greatest number1 we involve ourselves in a still greater perplexity4 ,this problem is one which can be solved by ,god alone4 ,but every man whose conscience is not wholly depraved can determine as to the right and wrong of his actions1 and thus possesses a clue to guide him step by step through every intricate path of life4 ,darkness of soul and circumstances may at times surround him1 but here is a pole-star which will shine through the gloom4 ,in the darkest hour through which a human soul can pass1 says ,robertson1 of ,brighton1 speaking of the doubts and perplexities to which the most sincere men are often the most liable1 whatever else is doubtful this is certain1 that it is better to be generous than selfish1 better to be chaste than licentious1 better to be true than false1 better to be brave than a coward4 ,blessed beyond all earthly blessedness is the man who1 in the tempestuous darkness of the soul1 had dared to hold fast to these venerable landmarks4 ,thrice blessed is he1 who1 when all is drear and cheerless within and without1 has obstinately clung to moral good4 ,thrice blessed because his night shall pass into bright1 clear day4 ,thus the integrity of the upright shall guide them4 ,this virtue is a guide as recognisable as sunlight4 ,the eye of every man1 in every nation1 recognises the sun as the light which is the guide of his life2 and integrity1 honesty1 and complete dealing between man and man is recognisable by every man whose conscience is not wholly blinded by long-continued persistence in wickedness 7see ,luke xii4 #eg74 #b4 ,it shall guide a man to happiness4 ,we have seen that happiness or self-interest cannot be the guide of life1 either in relation to the one man or to the many4 ,the happiness of one man1 in this narrow and low sense of the word1 may mean misery to another2 but right-doing is the high road to the happiness of the individual1 and the promoter of the happiness of all to whom he is related4 ,though happiness is not the aim of the upright man1 yea1 because it is not the aim of his life1 he will be guided into it4 ,the man who does right simply because it is right1 and without hope of reward1 will have a reward4 ,integrity must lead to the happiness of the upright man4 ,the approbation of conscience is a large element of blessed happiness1 and the certainty that right-doing can wrong none of his fellow-creatures1 but may add much to their well-being1 is another element in the reward4 ,there is also happiness in the possession of a single aim1 an undivided purpose in life4 ,the concentration of all a man's powers to one point increases his power to accomplish the task to which he has set himself4 ,he is like a man steering for the harbour1 with his eye upon the compass and his hand upon the wheel2 he is conscious of a power to carry out his purpose1 and the certainty of success is in itself a reward4 #c4 ,it must guide a man to heaven4 ,all the rendering unto ,god the things that are ,god's--loyal obedience to ,his conditions of salvation1 and then1 as a necessary result1 rendering unto their fellow-men that which is their due4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,the ,,second ,,clause ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them4 ,a ,grecian legend4--,an old diver was wont to boast of his skill to bring up treasures from the sea4 ,to test his power the people threw many a golden coin and silver cup into deep water1 all of which he brought to the surface with triumph4 ,but one day a disguised fiend threw a tinsel crown into a whirlpool1 and challenged the confident diver to bring it up1 promising him1 if he succeeded1 the power to wear it1 and to transmit it to his children4 ,down he sprung after the bauble1 but the ,nereids of the sea1 hearing the clangour of the crown when it fell upon their grottos1 closed around him as he was grasping his prize and held him fast till he perished4 ,the most daring may dare once too often2 folly1 though long successful1 will plunge its victim into ruin at last4--,biblical ,treasury4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,all obliquity and trick in the intercourse of men is a libel on ,providence4 ,every recourse to falsehood is a direct distrust of ,god4 ,truth is both the shortest and the surest road in every difficulty4 ,how much labour is lost by adopting tortuous paths8 ,a great part of life's labour consists in following a crooked course1 and then trying to make it appear a straight one4 ,the crooked line is far more difficult at the first1 and the defence of it afterwards doubles the labour4--,arnot4 ,i will walk in mine integrity1 was ,david's staff1 and in doing anything there is no such guide to do it well as the integrity of the heart4 ,knowledge is requisite1 and is a good director3 counsel may be needful1 and is a good conductor2 but the master pilot is the sincerity of the heart4 ,if that be wanting the others will not be following1 if that be present the others will not be wanting4--,jermin4 ,everyone that is truly godly hath a faithful guide and an upright counsellor in his own breast4 ,a sound heart is the stern of the soul1 and a good conscience is the pilot to govern it4--,dod4 ,a man1 to be led1 must have a way2 and1 to have a way1 he must have an end at which he is aiming4 ,the end of the upright man is righteousness itself4 ,if the great joy of heaven is uprightness1 and the price of wisdom is above rubies1 of course integrity is the best guide in the world1 because of course righteousness is the best guide to righteousness2 and1 poor or rich1 the righteous man is always advancing in his treasure4 ,righteousness is also the best guide to happiness1 for no good thing shall be withholden from them that walk uprightly4 ,sin1 on the other hand1 by increasing itself1 is itself its own seducer4--,miller4 ,sincerity is one eminent branch of the good man's character4 ,nathaniel was a man without guile4 ,we accordingly find that1 though prejudiced against ,jesus of ,nazareth1 his sincerity appeared in the means which he employed to arrive at a knowledge of the truth1 and he was led by it in the right way4 ,christ's enemies were men of perverse spirits4 ,they crucified ,him with a view to maintain their honour and preserve their nation2 but by their perverse conduct both were destroyed4--,lawson4 ,every man who comes into a state of right intent1 will forthwith also be a ,christian4 ,whoever is willing to be carried just where it will carry him1 cost him what it may1 in that man the spirit of all sin is broken1 and his mind is in a state to lay hold of ,christ and to be laid hold of by ,him4 4 4 4 ,for the eyes of the ,lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth1 to show ,himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward ,him 7#b ,chron4 xvi4 #i74 ,god is on the lookout always for an honest man--him to help1 and with him1 and for him1 to be strong4 ,and if there be one1 ,god will not miss him2 for ,his desiring1 all-searching eyes are running the world through always to find him4--,bushnell4 ,i4 ,the guidance of integrity is the safest under which we can be placed4 ,perfect immunity from danger is not to be expected in this life4 ,but let us inquire who the persons are that1 in all the different lines of life1 have gone through the world with most success1 and we shall find that the men of probity and honour form by far the most considerable part of the list2 that men of plain understanding1 acting upon fair and direct views1 have much oftener prospered than men of the deepest policy1 who were devoid of principle4 ,,ii4 ,it is unquestionably the most honourable4 ,other qualities may add splendour to character2 but if this essential requisite be wanting1 all its lustre fades4 ,he who rests upon an internal principle of virtue and honour1 will act with a dignity and boldness of which they are incapable who are wholly guided by interest4 ,he is above those timid1 suspicious1 and cautious restraints which fetter and embarrass their conduct4 ,,iii4 ,this plan of conduct is the most comfortable4 ,amidst the various and perplexing events of life1 it is of singular advantage to be kept free from doubt as to the part most proper to be chosen4 ,the man of principle is a stranger to those inward troubles which beset men who consult nothing but worldly interest4 ,his time is not lost1 nor his temper fretted1 by long and anxious consultations4 ,one light always shines upon him from above4 ,one path always opens clear and distinct upon his view4 ,he is also delivered from all inward upbraidings1 from all alarms founded on the dread of discovery and disgrace4 ,the man of virtue has committed his way to the ,lord4 ,he co-operates with the ,divine purpose4 ,the power which sways the universe is engaged on his side4 ,by natural consequence1 he has ground to expect that any seeming disappointments which he may now incur shall be over-ruled in the end to some salutary result4 ,,iv4 ,he has always in view the prospect of immortal rewards4 ,that surely is the wisest direction of conduct1 which is most amply recompensed at last4--,blair4 ,for ,homiletics of verse #d see chapter x4 #b4 ,the thought of the first clause of verses #e and #f is the same as that treated in verse #c4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,latter ,,clauses ,,of ,,verses #e and #f4 ,,made ,,or ,,marred ,,by ,,desires4 ,the word translated naughtiness should be rendered lust or desires4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,i4 ,sin is compliance with desires that do not harmonise with moral righteousness4 ,a traveller on a lonely and dangerous road may have two guides offered to him by the opposite promptings of his own mind4 ,he may have a strong desire to explore a path which looks most pleasant and attractive but which he knows does not lead to his destination1 and is beset with many perils although its aspect is inviting4 ,on the other hand1 his good sense tells him it is unwise to run the risk of injury by thus turning aside from the road that he knows leads to the goal which he desires to reach1 although the path may be rough and toilsome4 ,if he yields to his first desire and pursues the dangerous path until it is too late to retrace his steps1 he may lose his life by a false step over a precipice and so be destroyed by his own desires4 ,all men are under the dominion of desires1 and if their desires after ,god and righteousness have the rule they will be guided by them into the ways of deliverance and safety1 as we saw in considering verse #c4 ,but if they yield themselves up to the guidance of desires which run counter to the law of ,god and right1 as they are made known both by conscience and revelation1 they sink lower and lower in the scale of moral being and become slaves when they might have been free men4 ,whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin4 ,know ye not1 that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey1 his servants ye are to whom ye obey2 whether of sin unto death1 or of obedience unto righteousness 7,john vii4 #cd2 ,rom4 vi4 #af74 ,,ii4 ,the sinner is the forger of his own fetters4 ,if a man labours in his field1 his garden1 or his vineyard1 in harmony with the known laws which ,god has ordained to be observed1 he may reasonably expect a good crop--an abundant harvest4 ,but if he sets at naught these laws--if he yields to desires of self-indulgence--or in any other way acts contrary to the conditions which are indispensable to success--he has no one to blame but himself if he find himself a beggar when he might have had plenty4 ,the law of ,god's moral universe is written in revelation1 upon conscience1 in the history of men1 that ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap1 that ,the wages of sin is death 7,gal4 vi4 #g2 ,rom4 vi4 #bc74 ,if men are taken1 are first enslaved by sin and then suffer the penalty of sinning1 they have themselves digged the pit of their own destruction--have forged the chains by which they are bound4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #d4 ,how badly led those are who are not righteous1 appears in this3 that while righteousness does everything for a man in journeying to his end1 wealth does nothing for him4 ,wealth1 which seems to be the great guide of the human family1 not only cannot deliver1 but cannot profit in the crisis of fate4 ,while righteousness1 all covered with stains1 lets no day go to waste2 lets no mile be utterly lost2 lets no fear ever be realised2 still grapples a man's hand2 and still guides a man's tread1 till he steps at last into the regions of safety4--,miller4 ,it were no bad comparison to liken mere rich men to camels and mules2 for they often pursue their devious way1 over hills and mountains1 laden with ,india purple1 with gems1 aromas1 and generous wines upon their backs1 attended1 too1 by a long line of servants as a safeguard on their way4 ,soon1 however1 they come to their evening halting-place1 and forthwith their precious burdens are taken from their backs2 and they1 now wearied1 and stripped of their lading and their retinue of slaves1 show nothing but livid marks of stripes4 ,so1 also1 those who glitter in gold and purple raiment1 when the evening of life comes rushing on them1 have nought to show but marks and wounds of sin impressed upon them by the evil use of riches4--,st4 ,augustine4 ,riches will not even obtain a drop of water to cool the tormented tongue 7,luke xvi4 #ai-bd74 ,in vain will the rich men of the earth seek a shelter from the wrath of the ,lamb 7,rev4 vi4 #ae-ag74--;,bridges4 ,while the words are true in their highest sense of the great dies ir of the future1 they speak1 in the first instance1 as do the like words in ,zeph4 i4 #ae-ah1 of any day of the ,lord1 any time of judgment1 when men or nations receive the chastisement of their sins4--,plumptre4 ,wherefore should ,i die1 being so rich8 said that wretched ,cardinal1 ,henry ,beaufort1 ,bishop of ,winchester1 in ,henry ,,vi4's time4 ,fie1 quoth he1 will not death be lured8 ,will money do nothing8--,trapp4 ,if righteousness delivereth not from the day1 yet it delivereth from the wrath of the day3 if it deliver not from death1 yet it delivereth from the death of the wicked4--,jermin4 ,verse #e4 ,the righteousness of the man of integrity1 is perfect only in heaven1 and how it directs or levels his way appears best by the perfect facility of walking in that bright abode4 ,it will be no trouble there to travel forward4 ,while more work will be done in heaven than here1 yet there it is done so easily that it is called a ,rest4 ,the paths of this world are not only difficult1 but deadly4 ,the wicked will not only struggle1 but fall in them2 and the roughnesses at which he stumbles are not ever in the paths themselves1 but really his own wickedness4--,miller4 ,greedy desire 7see ,critical ,notes7 will strongly tempt men to sin1 and so they will be ensnared4--,stuart4 ,the first part of this text may be taken--,i4 ,as declaring a fact4 ,a real ,christian takes1 for direction in his way1 the rule of righteousness4 ,the question that he continually puts to himself is--,what ought ,i to do8 ,this is the character of a believer in the abstract2 and though none may lay claim to perfection1 yet none can be justly called believers1 unless their lives in the main answer to this description4 ,,ii4 ,as propounding a promise4 ,it is nowhere promised that the righteous shall not come into trouble1 but the strait road goes through them4 ,the other statement of the text may also be regarded--,i4 ,as an assertion proved by experience4 ,the drunkard ruins his health and shortens his life by excesses4 ,the spendthrift brings himself to beggary4 ,the contentious man brings himself to mischief4 ,they often dig a pit for others and fall into it themselves4 ,,ii4 ,as a threat4 ,it does not always happen that men are visited for their sins in this life4 ,still it may be said to every ungodly man1 ,be sure your sin will find you out4--,b4 ,w4 ,dibdin4 ,verse #f4 ,godliness hath many troubles1 and as many helps against trouble4 ,as ,moses' hand1 it turns the serpent into a rod2 and as the tree that ,moses cast into the waters of ,marah1 it sweeteneth the bitter waters of affliction4 ,well may it be called the ,divine nature1 for as ,god doth bring light out of darkness1 so doth grace4--,trapp4 ,there need no blocks to be laid in the way of the wicked1 no enemies need to thrust him down1 for his own wickedness being his way1 by that he shall fall4 4 4 4 ,wickedness is fastened1 by the devil1 like a cord about the wicked2 by that he pulls them after him3 by that he makes them fall1 first into shame and misery here1 and into hell when they are gone hence4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,i4 ,an inevitable event in relation to a wicked man4 ,when a wicked man dieth4 ,he must die4 ,it is appointed unto men1--to the good and to the bad--once to die 7,heb4 ix4 #bg74 #a4 ,this inevitable event is most undesired by the wicked man4 ,the certainty of any coming event will make it to be dreaded in proportion as it is felt that its advent must be followed by unpleasant consequences4 ,the man who knows that on a certain day of reckoning he will be unable to meet his liabilities1 and that the day will as surely arrive as the planets will hold on their way in the heavens1 can only look forward to the future with the most gloomy apprehensions4 ,that coming day is ever hanging over his present1 and imparting a sting to every hour in which he allows his thoughts to dwell upon it4 ,the certainty of death is a most painful subject of contemplation for a wicked man4 ,conscience tells him that he has no resources wherewith to meet the demands of that day--he knows that he is unfit to face that most ruthless of all creditors1 and the knowledge that nothing can turn aside his footsteps is often a bitter drop in the cup of his present apparent prosperity and security4 #b4 ,the wicked man takes refuge from the thought of the certainty of the event in the uncertainty of the time when it will take place4 ,he indulges in hopes1 and expectations1 concerning the present life1 because of the indefiniteness of its length4 ,although he knows that death must come one day1 he hopes that it may be many years hence4 ,the rich fool in our ,lord's parable knew that he must die some day--he admitted that certainty4 ,but he made the uncertainty of the time an excuse for taking present ease4 ,he refused to take into account the possibility that the summons had gone forth3 ,this night thy soul shall be required of thee4 #c4 ,the certainty of the death of the wicked is a most painful subject of thought to good men4 ,they look at the present condition of the ungodly1 and1 knowing the indispensable and intimate connection between present character and future happiness or misery1 the certainty of the death of the wicked man is often a more saddening thought to them than to the man himself4 ,the contemplation of such an event must give pain to the soul in harmony with ,god and goodness4 #d4 ,yet1 looked at with regard to his relation with others1 the certainty of the death of the wicked is most desirable4 ,if one portion of the body has become so diseased that the whole body is likely to suffer from it1 a severance between the diseased part and the sound body must take place1 however painful the operation may be4 ,the loss of the part is indispensable to the salvation of the rest4 ,there have been1 and there are1 men who are so morally diseased that their removal from the world is to be desired for the sake of others4 ,it must be regarded as a blessing for the world that the death of the wicked is certain4 ,the death of one wicked man is sometimes the means of bringing peace to many to whom his existence was a curse4 ,there are men who do the best thing for the world when they leave it--their exit from it is the greatest benefit they have ever conferred upon it4 ,,ii4 ,the wicked man is in his worst condition when he has the most need of being in his best4 ,it is at death that his expectation and hope perish4 ,the time when we approach a crisis in our history is a time when we need to be most furnished with all the resources that will be demanded to meet it4 ,it was more necessary that ,david should be filled with faith and courage when he went forth to meet ,goliath than when he was keeping his sheep in his father's fields4 ,when a youthful candidate for academical honour comes to the day of his examination1 he needs to concentrate all his past days of study into one focus4 ,if on that day all his mental powers are not at their very best1 he is likely to be overwhelmed with disappointment instead of to be crowned with honour4 ,it is sad indeed to be dragged down by fear and despair at the moment when we need all the inspiration of confidence and hope to bear us up4 ,the day of death is the great crisis to which all human life is tending--it is the day when a man needs every possible support to enable him to meet the solemn fact with which he stands face to face4 ,hope of a blessed immortality should then bear us up4 ,we ought to be able to say1 ,i know in whom ,i have believed2 ,i am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #f74 ,but this is the hour when a wicked man's hope takes wing and flies away4 ,he is at his worst when he needs to be at his best4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,men derive almost the whole of their happiness from hope4 ,the wicked man laughs at the righteous because he lives by hope2 but the wicked man himself does the same with this difference1 that whilst the hopes of the one are coeval with eternity1 those of the other are bounded by time4 ,the present situation of the wicked man never yields him the pleasure which he wishes and expects 4 4 4 if his hope is deferred1 his heart is sick2 if it is accomplished1 he is still unsatisfied2 but he comforts himself with some other hope1 like a child who sees a rainbow on the top of a neighbouring hill1 and runs to take hold of it1 but sees it as far removed from him as before4 ,thus the life of a wicked man is spent in vain wishes1 and toils1 and hopes till death kills at once his body1 his hope1 and his happiness4--,lawson4 ,it is sad to be drawn into ruin by desire 7see last verse72 because it breeds only hope1 and that is sure to perish4 ,the world passes away1 and the desire of it 7#a ,john ii4 #ag74--,miller4 ,there have been some who have questioned whether the doctrine of a future state was understood under the former dispensation4 ,they have regarded that economy as to such an extent carnal1 worldly1 and temporary1 as to have excluded from it all reference to that subject4 ,i might show1 from many passages1 the falsity of such a sentiment4 ,in this verse we have one of them4 ,nothing can be clearer than that1 were there not such a future state1 the expectation and hope of righteous and wicked alike must perish together1 and that the very distinction so evidently made here between the one and the other proceeds upon the assumption of a state beyond the present4--,wardlaw4 ,he died1 perhaps1 in strong hopes of heaven1 as those seem to have done that came rapping and bouncing at heaven's gates1 with ,lord1 ,lord1 open to us1 but were sent away with a ,depart1 ,i know you not 7,matt4 vii4 #bb74 ,his most strong hope shall come to nothing4 ,he made a bridge of his own shadow and thought to go over it1 but is fallen into the brook4 ,he thought he had taken hold of ,god2 but it is but with him as with a child that catcheth at the shadow on the wall1 which he things he holds fast4 ,but he only thinks so4--,trapp4 ,he never had any good by any hope1 which hath not the fruition of his hope at death4 ,though a man should never obtain his desire in any earthly thing during his life1 yet1 if he enjoy salvation after this life1 he hath failed of nothing4 ,though a man should miss of nothing that his heart could wish for1 while breath is in his body1 yet if he be damned1 when the soul goeth out of his body1 he hath never gained anything4--,dod4 ,hope and expectation are long-lived things2 though weak1 and sick1 and blind1 yet they hold out4 ,they live with the longest liver1 and seldom die in any1 until they die themselves in whom they are4 ,but the hope of the wicked doth not only die1 but perish1 that is1 is lost in some unlooked-for1 unthought-of manner4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,,the ,,wicked ,,coming ,,in ,,the ,,stead ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 ,i4 ,this proverb must be fulfilled from the nature of the case4 ,if a vessel is being steered straight for the rocks nothing can prevent her from being dashed upon them except a change of course4 ,nothing else can avert the catastrophe1 unless a supernatural power removes the rock out of the way4 ,this last cannot be2 the first alternative rests with the will of the commander4 ,if another vessel is going in an opposite direction she must as necessarily escape the doom to which the other is hastening4 ,there is nothing of fate about their different destinies1 they are the outcome of a choice of opposite courses4 ,so with the opposite ends of the righteous and the wicked4 ,deliverance for the first1 an inheritance of trouble for the latter1 are the result of no arbitrary fate but the outcome of their pursuing opposite courses4 ,unless ,god will remove ,his everlasting laws out of the universe it must be so1 and to expect ,him to do that is to expect ,him to change ,his nature1 which would be a much more dire calamity than the trouble which comes upon the wicked from his course of wilful opposition to righteousness4 ,for in this life it is always open to a man to turn round1 to change his course1 and so to escape the shipwreck of his existence upon the rocks of perdition4 ,let the wicked forsake his way1 and the unrighteous man his thoughts3 and let him return unto the ,lord1 and ,he will have mercy upon him2 and to our ,god1 for ,he will abundantly pardon 7,isa4 lv4 #g74 ,god will not remove ,his righteous laws out of the sinner's way1 but ,he holds out every inducement and encouragement to the transgressor to come into harmony with them4 ,,ii4 ,the proverb has received abundant illustrations in the history of our race4 ,pharaoh designed to drive the ,israelitish nation into the ,red ,sea and so to destroy them4 ,god delivered them1 and their oppressors came in their stead4 ,daniel's persecutors planned to take his life1 the righteous man was delivered out of trouble1 and his wicked slanderers met with the death to which they had hoped to bring him4 ,instances might be multiplied in which this truth has been illustrated both in ,scripture history and in more modern times4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is a righteous thing with ,god 7#b ,thess4 i4 #f1 #g71 though to men it seems an incredible paradox1 and a news far more wonderful than acceptable1 that there should be such a transmutation of conditions on both sides1 to contraries4--,trapp4 ,though the afflictions of good men seem sharp and grievous1 yet they are not perpetual4 ,before ever ,god bring ,his into troubles1 ,he appointeth how they shall be preserved in them1 and pass through them1 and get out of them4 ,he doth as well see their arrival1 as their launching forth1 and the end of the boisterous storms which they must endure as well as the beginning and entrance thereof4--,dod4 ,in this world trouble is a common place1 as the world is1 both to the righteous and the wicked1 and it beseems them both4 ,the one has his proper and due place1 the other has his place of honour4 ,for1 as ,st4 ,basil saith1 ,he that saith that tribulation doth not beseem a righteous man1 saith nothing else but that an adversary doth not beseem a valiant champion4 ,sometimes ,god ,himself doth put the righteous into trouble1 and then as the place belongeth to them1 so ,st4 ,chrysostom tells us1 ,god doth it rather by the trouble to bring us to ,himself4 ,sometimes the injustice or malice of men doth thrust them into it1 and then1 ,god delivering them1 puts the wicked in their place4 ,for this world is full of misplacings1 the wicked being seated where the godly should be1 the godly seated where the wicked should be4 ,god ,almighty is pleased sometimes to put things in order1 and1 showing mercy to the righteous1 doth give the wicked their due place4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,the ,,just ,,man ,,delivered ,,from ,,the ,,mouth ,,of ,,the ,,hypocrite4 ,i4 ,we have here--#a4 ,a character most difficult to maintain4 ,the actor cannot always be playing his part1 he must have times when his own individuality asserts itself--when he appears the man he really is4 ,the man most in love with the dramatic art finds a few hours' practice at a time enough for him1 and feels it a relief to throw off his stage character and be himself again4 ,he cannot1 if he would1 be ever trying to live in an experience that does not belong to him--be ever assuming an individuality which is not his own property4 ,it would be an intolerable burden to be always endeavouring to sustain a part4 ,a hypocrite has set himself a hard task4 ,he has undertaken to pretend to be living a life which he knows does not belong to him1 and which he never can possess unless his whole nature is regenerated4 ,now to keep up the deportment and to use the language that belongs to a true nature must be as difficult as for a professional actor always to be playing the part of a king4 ,the hypocrite must sometimes feel that his life is a sort of treadmill1 and must sometimes be overcome by his real self in spite of all efforts to prevent nature from asserting her rights4 ,no hypocrite can be always in his stage dress4 ,the character is difficult to sustain4 #b4 ,a character most injurious to mankind and most miserable for the man who owns it4 ,the actor plays his part by assuming the character of another man1 but he does this without necessarily injuring himself or any of his fellow-creatures4 ,but it is not so with the hypocrite4 ,if a bad man assumes the garb of a good man he tends to lessen the estimation of real goodness in the minds of men4 ,the existence of false coin makes us suspicious of genuine gold4 ,the hypocrite must be conscious that he is a living lie1 and so a living curse to his fellow-creatures1 and this consciousness can but make him miserable4 #c4 ,a character in danger of becoming irreclaimable4 ,a man who tries to pass for a scholar when he is utterly ignorant is the most difficult person to change into a scholar4 ,the man who desires to be always first among his fellows is the least likely to become a qualified leader of men4 ,we have it on the best authority that whatever such a man may desire1 that whosoever will be chief shall be a servant 7,matt4 xx4 #bg74 ,he is only fit for a low position who is ever straining every nerve after a high one4 ,the hypocrite is ever desiring to pass for what he is not--he is ever desiring to fill a place for which he is utterly unfit4 ,he is less likely than the most openly vicious man ever to become in reality that which he is ever seeming to be4 ,this was the judgment of the ,son of ,god concerning the hypocrites of ,his day3 ,verily ,i say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of ,god before you 7,matt4 xxi4 #ca74 #d4 ,a character most hateful to ,god and to man4 ,a hypocrite must be disliked by those whose character he endeavours to personify4 ,the good must hate hypocrisy because1 as we said before1 it lessens the power of goodness in the world by making men suspect the really good4 ,a hypocrite is hated by other hypocrites4 ,if a man wants to utter false coin himself1 he prefers to enjoy a monopoly of the business4 ,the more of it there is in circulation the less likely people are to be deceived by it4 ,a hypocrite is hateful to ,god4 ,no sin is so denounced under both the old and new dispensations as the sin of hypocrisy4 ,incense is an abomination unto ,me2 the new moons and the calling of assemblies1 ,i cannot away with it4 4 4 4 ,your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth 7,isaiah i4 #ac1 #ad74 ,the ,god of ,israel reserves these burning words for ,his own people1 who were drawing near to ,him with their lips1 while their hearts were far from ,him4 ,the most terrible denunciations of the ,son of ,god were uttered against those who were guilty of this sin4 ,woe unto you1 ,scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites1 is repeated again and again in one discourse 7,matt4 xxiii74 ,,ii4 ,the chief instrument used by the hypocrite4 ,the mouth4 ,the power of speech is a most precious gift of ,god1 and is intended by ,him to be an instrument of blessing to the human race4 ,it is the most precious instrument of good that the hypocrite is here represented as turning into an all-devouring weapon of destruction4 ,he is like a man who gives potent poison for healing medicine4 ,he may have disguised its deadly nature under an unknown and high-sounding name1 but this will not lessen its deadly effects4 ,the hypocrite is the man who above all others is skilful in making words the means of concealing thoughts--who speaks so plausibly that men believe they are drinking a healthful draught when they are imbibing a deadly poison4 ,the tongue of the hypocrite destroys his neighbour because he makes him believe that he has his welfare at heart when he is really plotting his destruction4 ,he makes him believe that some utterly worthless commercial speculation is sound and profitable1 and so involves him in material destruction4 ,or he persuades him that a certain course of dishonest conduct is without moral danger1 and so brings him into spiritual destruction4 ,his neighbour's destruction is certain in proportion to the strength of his confidence in the words of the hypocrite4 ,,iii4 ,the means of deliverance from the hypocrite's mouth4 ,through knowledge shall the just be delivered4 ,the just man possesses a knowledge of ,god1 and thus has a correct standard of character by which to judge men4 ,if a man walks in the light of the sun he will be able to avoid pitfalls and open graves4 ,a just man has an acquaintance with the character and the laws of ,god4 ,he walks in the light 7#a ,john i4 #g74 ,and this gives him an insight into character--this furnishes him with a test to try the spirits whether they are of ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #a74 ,the more men come into contact with reality the more quick will they be to detect unreality4 ,the more men know ,god the more correct will be the estimate they form of their fellow-men4 ,the ,spirit of wisdom is a ,spirit of enlightenment on this point as on all others 7,eph4 i4 #ah74 ,the scripture which is the inspiration of ,god furnishes the man of ,god with a means of escape from the snare of the hypocrite's mouth 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #af74 ,the knowledge which is derived from its study is a foil for the attacks of the most subtle seducer4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,haman1 under the pretence of loyalty1 would have destroyed a whole nation 7,esther iii4 #h1 #ac74 ,ziba1 under the same false cover1 would have destroyed his neighbour 7#b ,sam4 xvi4 #a1 #d74 ,the lying prophet1 from mere wilfulness1 ruined his brother 7#a ,kings xiii74 ,then look at the hypocrite in the church--a ravening wolf in sheep's clothing1 devouring the flock 7,matt4 vii4 #ae72 making merchandise with feigned words 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #a1 #c72 an apostle of ,satan1 so diligent is he in his master's work of destruction 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #c1 #ac74 ,these false ,christs1 we are warned1 deceive many1 if it were possible the very elect 7,matt4 xxiv4 #bd74 4 4 4 ,learn the value of solid knowledge4 ,feeling1 excitement1 imagination1 expose us to an unsteady profession4 7,such as ,eph4 iv4 #ad47 ,knowledge supplies principle and steadfast4 ,add to your faith knowledge 7#b ,pet4 i4 #e74--;,bridges4 ,hypocrites are awful stumbling blocks4 ,full many has the detection of their true character hardened in sin and worldliness1 and established in infidelity4 ,full many have they thus destroyed4--,wardlaw4 ,when ,god converts a soul1 ,he gives it light4 ,that light makes it invulnerable4 ,all things afterward help it4 ,virtue may be assailed1 but never hurt4 ,satan is one of the blessings of a ,christian4--,miller4 ,it was an ordinary prayer of ,king ,antigonus1 ,deliver me from the hands of my friends4 ,when asked why he did not rather pray for preservation from his enemies1 he answered1 ,that he guarded against his enemies1 but could not guard against false friends4--,lawson4 ,how to detect a hypocrite4 ,to make a man a good man all parts of goodness must concur1 but any one way of wickedness is sufficient to denominate a bad man4--,tillotson4 ,a hypocrite is hated of the world for seeming to be a ,christian1 and hated of ,god for not being one4--,mason4 ,the meaning of the verse as a whole is1 ,by the protective power of that knowledge that serves righteousness1 they are delivered who were endangered by the artifices of that shrewdness which is the instrument of wickedness4--,elster4 ,the just man is too wise to be flattered1 and too knowing to be plucked away with the error of the wicked 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ag1 #ah74--,trapp4 ,beware of carrying deadly weapons4 ,an untrue man is a moral murderer1 his mouth the lethal weapon1 and his neighbour the victim4--,arnot4 ,neither man nor angels can discern ,hypocrisy1 the only evil that walks ,invisible1 except to ,god alone1 ,by ,his permissive will1 thro' heaven and earth2 ,and oft though ,wisdom wake1 suspicion sleeps ,at ,wisdom's gate1 and to simplicity ,resigns her charge1 while goodness ,thinks no ill ,where no ill seems4--,paradise ,lost4 ,book iii4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #aj and #aa4 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,the ,,righteous ,,citizen ,,or ,,ruler4 ,,the ,,fate ,,of ,,the ,,unrighteous ,,one4 ,i4 ,the words imply that it does not always go with the righteous4 ,when it goeth well1 etc4 ,a good man's plans and efforts for the good of his fellow-citizens or fellow-countrymen are not always successful4 ,they may need more resources to make them effectual than he has at his command4 ,the men whom he desired to benefit may not themselves be willing to exercise the self-denial for their own welfare that he is willing to undergo for them4 ,they would be willing to reap the harvest of joy1 but they do not like to sow the seed of suffering4 ,it often happens that a righteous man is in the midst of a generation who cannot appreciate his moral worth and his intellectual wisdom4 ,it has been said that the intellectual struggles of one age are the intuitions of the next1 and men that are now regarded as grand and noble were perhaps looked upon as of little worth in the generation in which they lived4 ,or a man may not live long enough to complete his plans for the public benefit--the best things are often slow in coming to maturity1 and many a righteous man has been called away before he has perfected his designs of blessing for his race4 ,although the good and faithful servant will always have the ,well-done of his master1 his plans and purposes are often seemingly frustrated by the shortness of this life1 the scantiness of his resources1 or the misconception of his fellows4 ,history abounds with illustrations of this truth4 ,,ii4 ,that there must come a time when it will go well with the righteous4 ,it is an ordination of ,god's providence that the righteous man should pass through both experiences4 ,the soldier needs defeat as well as victory to develop all his latent talent1 to make manifest all the heroism that is within him4 ,the mariner must pass through storms as well as fair weather if he is to learn the true art of navigation4 ,and so the righteous man must have the experience of apparent failure and defeat to develop faith1 and patience1 and courage1 which would otherwise remain hidden or dwarfed4 ,but when this has been accomplished1 a set time to favour him will come4 ,he that goeth forth and weepeth1 bearing precious seed1 shall doubtless come again with rejoicing1 bringing his sheaves with him 7,psalm cxxvi4 #f74 ,the worth of his character and his work will be recognised freely and generously by many1 and must be acknowledged1 although it may be with reluctance1 even by his opponents4 ,joseph passed many years in servitude and imprisonment1 but by and by his worth was freely acknowledged4 ,can we find such a one as this is1 a man in whom the ,spirit of ,god is8 7,gen4 xli4 #ch47 ,both king and people decided that it ought to go well with him1 and it did go well with him now that his ability and character were known4 ,,iii4 ,the blessing and consequent joy that comes to others when the time has come for it to go well with the righteous4 ,by the blessing of the righteous the city is exalted--the city as a consequence rejoiceth4 ,even the bad in a kingdom have cause for joy when the righteous have the pre-eminence in a community1 whatever be their condition they would be much worse off under the rule of unrighteousness4 ,the lost in hell and those who are being lost on earth are in a better condition from having the ,righteous ,god upon the throne of the universe4 ,the greatest criminals in our prisons find it better to have a just and righteous gaoler than an unrighteous one4 ,so the whole city has reason to rejoice in the pre-eminence--in the success of the righteous4 ,such men exalt a city--#a4 ,by forming a basis for commercial enterprise4 ,the role of the unrighteous in a city will1 in time1 prevent commercial prosperity by destroying public confidence4 #b4 ,by promoting the just rights of all4 ,that community is blessed where each citizen enjoys freedom to live his life and do the best for himself and others without trampling on the rights of his fellows4 ,tyranny on the one hand provokes rebellion on the other1 and misery to both parties is the issue4 ,the head is intended to think and plan for the rest of the body1 the limbs are intended to carry out the designs of the head2 if either the one or the other fails to perform its work1 suffering comes to the whole frame4 ,so in the body politic4 ,righteous men strive for the union of all classes for the good of all1 and this unity exalts a city--gives peace at home1 and is the surest defence against foes without4 ,righteousness is a stronger wall than any material defence4 ,this is the safeguard of the ideal city of ,isaiah's prophecy4 ,i will make thine officers peace1 and thine exactors righteousness4 ,violence shall no more be heard in thy land1 wasting nor destruction within thy borders2 but thou shalt call thy walls ,salvation1 and thy gates ,praise 7,isa4 lx4 #ag-ah74 #c4 ,by averting ,divine judgments4 ,sodom would have been spared if there had been ten righteous within the city4 ,unrighteousness in a nation must bring national calamity1 but a minority of good men delays the visitation4 ,except the ,lord of ,hosts had left unto us a very small remnant1 we would have been as ,sodom1 and we would have been like unto ,gomorrah 7,isa4 i4 #i74 ,for the elect's sake1 those days shall be shortened 7,matt4 xxiv4 #bb74 ,,iv4 ,that as the character and services of the righteous man shall meet with public and grateful recognition1 so the man who by his wicked influence has brought misery upon his fellow-creatures shall meet with public execration4 ,just as the righteous man often seems defeated by untoward circumstances1 and all his unselfish and patriotic plans seem nipped in the bud for a time1 yet success comes to him in the end1 or1 if not so1 yet at his death his real worth is seen and acknowledged2 so a wicked and selfish man may seem to carry all before him for a time1 and may even succeed in blinding men to his real character1 yet the time comes when his worthlessness and self-seeking meet with their terrible yet just reward4 ,there is a tendency generally in human nature to condone a man's sins after he is dead1 but instances are not few in the history of the world when this humane tendency has been stifled by the exceeding curse that some men have been to the world4 ,,illustrations ,,of ,,verses #aj and #aa4 ,a more vivid illustration of what has been said here concerning a righteous man cannot be found than in the life and labours of ,william the ,silent1 ,prince of ,holland4 ,this noble man gave his all to the liberation of the ,netherlands from ,spanish tyranny4 ,for many years he bore the whole weight of a struggle which ,motley designates as unequal as men have ever undertaken4 ,to exclude the ,inquisition1 he continues1 to maintain the ancient liberties of his country1 was the task which he appointed to himself when a youth of three and twenty4 ,he accomplished the task1 through danger1 amid toils1 and with sacrifices such as few men have ever been able to lay upon their country's altar2 for the disinterestedness of the man was as prominent as his fortitude4 ,a prince of high rank and with royal revenues1 he stripped himself of station1 wealth1 almost at times of the common necessaries of life1 and became1 in his country's cause1 nearly a beggar as well as an outlaw4 ,at times it seemed as if the cause to which he had thus devoted himself was lost1 even this disinterested man did not escape the envy and suspicion of those whom he was trying to serve4 ,but he lived to see his work accomplished1 and when he fell at last by the hand of an assassin1 he was entombed1 to quote again from his biographer1 amid the tears of a whole nation4 ,the people were grateful and affectionate1 for they trusted the character of their ',father ,william1' and not all the clouds which calumny could collect ever dimmed to their eyes the radiance of that lofty mind to which they were accustomed1 in their darkest calamities1 to look for light4 ,as long as he lived1 he was the guiding star of a whole brave nation1 and when he died1 the little children cried in the streets4--,motley's ,rise of the ,dutch ,republic4 ,illustrations of the latter clause of verse #aj abound in history4 ,memorable in the prison experiences of ,herod ,agrippa was the arrival of news that the tyrant of ,capre was dead4 ,immediately on the death of ,tiberius1 ,marsyas1 ,agrippa's faithful bondslave1 hastened to his master's dungeon1 and communicated the joyful intelligence1 saying1 in the ,hebrew language1 ,the lion is dead4 ,the centurion on guard heard the rejoicing1 inquired as to the cause1 ordered the royal prisoner's chains to be struck off1 and invited him to supper4 ,but more memorable was the exultation1 widely felt and cruelly expressed1 at ,agrippa's own death--that loathsome death1 so strange in its surroundings1 of which a tale is told in the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,the inhabitants of ,sebaste and ,csarea1 as we learn from ,josephus1 and particularly ,herod's own soldiers1 indulged in the most brutal rejoicings at his death1--heaping his memory with reproaches4 4 4 4 ,in his account of the death of the ,emperor ,maximin1 ,gibbon says1 ,it is easier to conceive than to describe the universal joy of the ,roman world on the fall of the tyrant4 ,the death of ,richelieu is said to have been felt by ,france like the relief from a nightmare2 from the king to the lowest rhymster1 all joined in the burden of the couplets that proclaimed it--,il est parti1 il a pli bagage1 ce cardinal4--,jacox4 ,judge ,jeffreys4 ,a disposition to triumph over the fallen has never been one of the besetting sins of ,englishmen2 but the hatred of which ,jeffreys was the object was without a parallel in our history1 and partook but too largely of the savageness of his own nature4 ,the people1 where he was concerned1 were as cruel as himself1 and exulted in his misery as he had been accustomed to exult in the misery of convicts listening to the sentence of death1 and of families clad in mourning4 ,the rabble congregated before his deserted mansion in ,duke ,street1 and read on the door1 with shouts of laughter1 the bills which announced the sale of his property4 ,even delicate women1 who had tears for highwaymen and housebreakers1 breathed nothing but vengeance against him4 ,the lampoons which were hawked about the town were distinguished by an atrocity rare even in those days4 ,hanging would be too mild a death for him3 a grave under the gibbet would be too respectable a resting place3 he ought to be whipt to death at the cart's tail3 he ought to be tortured like an ,indian3 he ought to be devoured alive4 4 4 4 ,disease1 assisted by strong drink and by misery1 did its work fast4 ,he dwindled in a few weeks from a portly and even corpulent man to a skeleton1 and died in the forty-first year of his age4 ,he had been ,chief ,justice of the ,king's ,bench at thirty-five1 and ,lord ,chancellor at thirty-seven4 ,in the whole history of the ,english bar there is no other instance of so rapid an elevation or so terrible a fall4--,macaulay4 ,foulon1 a ,french ,official in the time of the great ,revolution4 ,this is that same ,foulon named me damne 7,familiar demon7 du ,parlement2 a man grown gray in treachery1 in griping1 projecting1 intriguing and iniquity3 who once1 when it was objected1 to some finance-scheme of his1 ,what will the people do8 made answer1 in the fire of discussion1 ,the people may eat grass3 hasty words1 which fly abroad irrevocable1 and will send back tidings4 4 4 4 ,we are but at the #bbnd of the month1 hardly above a week since the ,bastile fell1 when it suddenly appears that old ,foulon is alive2 nay1 that he is here1 in early morning1 in the streets of ,paris3 the extortioner1 the plotter1 who would make the people eat grass1 and was a liar from the beginning6 ,it is even so4 ,the deceptive sumptuous funeral 7of some domestic that died72 the hiding-place at ,vitry towards ,fountainebleau1 have not availed that wretched old man4 ,some living domestic or dependent1 for none loves old ,foulon1 has betrayed him to the village4 ,merciless boors of ,vitry unearth him1 pounce upon him1 like hell-hounds4 ,westward1 old ,infamy6 to ,paris1 to be judged at the ,htel-de-,ville6 ,his old head1 which seventy-four years had bleached1 is bare2 they have tied an emblematic bundle of grass upon his back2 a garland of nettles and thistles is round his neck3 in this manner1 led with ropes1 goaded on with curses and menaces1 must he1 with his old limbs1 sprawl forward2 the pitiablest1 most unpitied of all old men4 ,sooty ,saint-,antoine1 and every street1 musters its crowds as he passes2 the ,hell of the ,htel-de-,ville1 the ,place de ,grve itself1 will scarcely hold his escort and him4 ,foulon must not only be judged righteously1 but judged there where he stands without delay4 ,appoint seven judges1 ye ,municipals1 or seventy and seven2 name them yourselves1 or we will name them1 but judge him4 ,electoral rhetoric1 eloquence of ,mayor ,bailly1 is wasted for hours1 explaining the beauty of the law's delay4 ,delay1 and still delay6 4 4 4 the morning has worn itself into noon1 and he is still unjudged4 4 4 4 ,friends1 said a person1 stepping forward1 what is the use of judging this man8 ,has he not been judged these thirty years8 ,with wild yells ,sans-culottism clutches him in its hundred hands3 he is whirled across the ,place de ,grve to the ,lanterne 7lamp-iron71 which there is at the corner of the ,rue de la ,vannerie1 pleading bitterly for life--to the deaf winds4 ,only with the third rope--for two ropes broke1 and the quavering voice still pleaded--can he be so much as got hanged4 ,his body is dragged through the streets2 his head goes aloft upon a pike1 the mouth filled with grass3 amid sounds as of ,tophet1 from a grass-eating people4--,carlyle's ,french ,revolution4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,two things1 as herein is showed1 do move the righteous unto joy4 ,the one is1 the honouring and good success of the just4 ,when it is well with them that do well1 the well-disposed multitude cannot but be inwardly glad1 and outwardly justify this inward joy by signs and tokens of mirth4 ,the other thing that moveth the well-disposed to rejoice1 and even to sing 7or shout7 is the destruction of the wicked4 ,there is great cause why the people of ,god should rejoice at the vengeance that is executed on the ungodly2 for they persecute the ,church1 or infect many with their evil counsel and example1 or draw ,god's punishments on the places wherein they live4 ,thus did the ancient ,israelites rejoice in old time1 when the enemies of ,god were overthrown2 and thus did we of late sing and triumph when the proud ,popish ,spaniards were drowned and confounded4 4 4 4 ,a kingdom is overthrown by the flattery1 heresy1 foolish counsel1 and conspiracy of mischievous and ungodly persons4 ,thus a tongue can even build and overthrow a city4--,muffet4 ,the world1 in despite of the native enmity of the heart1 bears its testimony to consistent godliness 7ch4 xvi4 #g2 ,mark vi4 #bj74 4 4 4 ,the people of ,god unite in the shouting occasioned by the overthrow of the wicked2 not from any selfish feeling of revenge2 much less from unfeeling hardness towards their fellow-sinners4 ,but when a hindrance to the good cause is removed 7ch4 xxviii4 #bh2 ,eccles4 ix4 #ah72 when the justice of ,god is against sin 7#b ,sam4 xviii4 #ad-bh71 and his faithful preservation of ,his ,church 7,exod4 xv4 #ba2 ,judges v4 #ca7 are displayed1 ought not every feeling to be absorbed in a supreme interest in ,his glory8 ,ought they not to shout8 7,psa4 lii4 #f1 #g1 lviii4 #aj2 ,rev4 xviii4 #bj74 ,the ,alleluia of heaven is an exalting testimony to the righteous judgments of the ,lord our ,god1 hastening forward ,his glorious kingdom 7,rev4 xix4 #a1 #b74--;,bridges4 ,by the good of the righteous2 not in the good or when it goeth well4 ,by the perishing of the wicked1 not when the wicked perish4 ,a city is very far from exulting in the good of the righteous1 or in the destruction of the wicked4 ,but by1 or by means of1 as the unacknowledged cause there comes the exulting and shouting4 ,that is1 a city is blest by the prosperity of righteous men4 ,good4 ,this word cannot be properly translated4 ,it means both good and goodness4 ,if we say good1 the good of the righteous will mean their welfare4 ,if we say goodness it will mean their piety4 ,the word in the ,hebrew means both4 ,the text to be complete must confine itself to neither4 ,the city is not only blessed by the good that characterises the righteous1 but by the good that happens to them4 ,how glorious this becomes when the righteous means the ,church6 ,the wilderness and the solitary place have been glad for her4 ,it is true of all the universe4 ,as the history of heaven and hell1 the good of the righteous1 and the perishing of the wicked will breed universal benefit4 ,it was such texts as these that moved the ,papists to realise the good by actually slaughtering the wicked out of the land4 4 4 4 ,piety is in proportion to usefulness4 ,if a ,christian does not bless his city1 it is a mark against him4 ,bless means to invoke good4 ,the mouth of the wicked pulls down a neighbourhood by every form of teaching4 ,the righteous builds it1 and especially by prayer4--,miller4 ,the mouth of the wicked4 ,whether he be a seedsman of sedition or a seducer of the people1 a ,sheba or a ,shebna1 a carnal gospeller or a godless politician1 whose drift is to formalise and enervate the power of the truth1 till at length they leave us a heartless and sapless religion4 ,one of these sinners may destroy much good 7,eccles4 ix4 #ah74--,trapp4 ,good men have not only ,god's hand to give them good things1 but godly men's hearts to be joyful for them4 ,when ,mordecai was advanced1 the city of ,shushan rejoiced and was glad4 ,when the ,lord showed ,his great mercy on ,zacharias and ,elizabeth in giving them a son1 their kinsfolk and neighbours came and rejoiced with them4 4 4 4 ,it is well known that righteous men will make their brothers commoners with them in their prosperity2 when they are advanced1 others shall not be disgraced thereby3 when they are enriched1 others shall not be impoverished thereby3 when they are made mighty1 others shall not be weakened thereby2 ,and so it is said concerning ,mordecai1 that when the royal apparel was on his back1 and the crown of gold on his head1 that unto the ,jews was come light1 and joy1 and gladness and honour 7,esth4 viii4 #af74 4 4 4 ,here is instruction to them that be desirous to gain the hearts of honest men4 4 4 4 ,many men desire to be popular1 but few to be righteous4 4 4 4 ,good liking is not gotten by pomp and power1 and favour is not gained by wealth and riches1 and love is not commanded by authority and dignity4 ,these may be allured with goodness1 but never compelled by violence4--,dod4 ,such is the nature of righteousness1 that though it cannot make all to love it1 yet it maketh all to love the welfare of the righteous4 ,origen therefore saith1 that the few righteous which were in ,jerusalem were not carried into captivity for their own offences1 but that the captive people might rejoice in their welfare4 ,for1 saith he1 had the wicked only been carried away1 and the righteous remained1 the wicked had never had the comfort of returning4 ,on the other side1 such is the nature of wickedness1 that though many embrace it themselves1 yet they are pleased to see it destroyed in others4--,jermin4 ,the exultant shout of relief at a man's death might almost wake the dead man4 ,it is hideous to think of a choral symphony of voices1 jubilant at a dead march1 making the welkin ring with huzzas at death's last fest1 and welcoming it to the echo4 ,for those tumultuous pans have a vengeful curse in every note4 ,they mean malediction2 and they say what they mean4 ,the bad man dead and gone is such a good riddance4 ,the multitude account it for themselves1 not for him1 such a happy release4 ,the greatest of the greater prophets of the ,old ,testament indites the triumphant insultation1 of his country and his countrymen against the dead and gone king of ,babylon1 when that oppressor ceased4 4 4 4 7,isa4 xiv4 #d74 ,when ,alexander ,jannus1 desirous of a reconcilement with his people1 asked them what he should do to make them quite content2--,die6 was the response4 ,it was the only way4 ,the death of ,ethwald1 in ,joanna ,baillie's tragedy1 points the moral to the same bitter tale4 ,here are the closing lines of the drama3-- ,through all the vexed land ,let every heart bound at the joyful tidings1 ,thus from his frowning height the tyrant falls ,like a dark mountain1 whose interior fires1 ,raging in ceaseless tumult1 have devoured ,its own foundations4 ,sunk in sudden ruin ,to the tremendous gulf1 in the vast void ,no friendly rock rears its opposing head ,to stay the dreadful crash4 4 4 4 ,the joyful hinds ,point to the traveller the hollow vale ,where once it stood4 --,jacox4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ab1 #ac4 ,,contempt ,,and ,,tale-,,bearing4 ,i4 ,he who lacks moral worth will be indifferent to the worth of others4 ,he will despise the character that he does not possess4 ,in the minds of some men who have no learning there is a disposition to undervalue the attainments of others4 ,they do not value it because they do not possess it4 ,in order to esteem it rightly they must come to the possession of it4 ,some men pretend to despise wealth and call gold sordid dust1 but most1 if not all people of this kind have very little of what they despise in their own possession4 ,some translate here a heartless man despiseth his neighbour4 ,a man without moral wisdom is a man without a kind heart1 and he despises his neighbour because he lacks the heart which is probably possessed by the man whom he despises4 ,a man must have something good in himself to enable him to see what is worthy of honour in his brother4 ,there must be light in the eye if we are to appreciate the light of the sun4 ,a man must have something of a musical nature to be able to appreciate the musical gifts of another4 ,a man shows that he is void of wisdom if he despises the meanest of his fellow creatures4 ,,ii4 ,a special form in which contempt for others is often manifested4 ,a tale-bearer revealeth secrets4 ,if a man holds his neighbour in contempt1 he is not careful of that neighbour's reputation4 ,being himself without moral worth he has nothing to lose1 and therefore esteems lightly what is most valued by his brother man4 ,men who by their own folly are always poor are ever anxious to bring others down to their own level1 and so men without reputation are very often disposed to rob others of their good name4 ,this they attempt to do by revealing what they ought to conceal4 ,there are times when we ought faithfully to keep within our own bosoms what we know about another1 even although what we know is in the highest degree honourable to him4 ,in the plan which ,christ had marked out for ,himself there were times when ,he desired that even ,his deeds of benevolence should not be made known4 ,to some whom ,he healed ,he charged that they should not make it known 7,matt4 xii4 #af74 ,if it is good sometimes to conceal what is only honourable and praiseworthy1 how much more should a man be careful not to reveal any real or seeming inconsistency in a good man--anything which may in any way lower him in the estimation of others--any painful secret which might be mis-construed to his dishonour or lessen his influence for good in the world4 ,,iii4 ,the contrast exhibited in the conduct of a man of moral worth4 ,he1 being a man of understanding1 knows the value of every human soul4 ,he may pity his degraded fellow-man1 but never despises them4 ,he sets too high an estimate upon his neighbour to hold in contempt even those who are far beneath him in moral excellence1 how much less will it be possible for him to despise those who are his equals or superiors4 ,around the imperfections of all he throws the robe of that charity which even thinketh no evil 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #e71 much less speaks a word that could be interpreted to his neighbour's disadvantage4 ,he holds the good name of others as a sacred trust4 ,he guards it as a man of a faithful spirit would guard any precious possession belonging to another4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,a heartless man4 ,all such are titles of the unsaved man4 ,the same negative state1 i4e41 a want of the ,spirit1 and hence a want of benevolence1 not only keeps men from blessing their city 7ver4 #aa71 but makes them contemptuous4 ,others' interests do not weigh a feather4 ,see a fine description of this in #a ,cor4 xiii41 where men are supposed even to behave unseemly from this high theologic fact4 ,they do not care for their neighbours1 and1 therefore1 do not care to behave well4 ,if a neighbour is disgraced1 they are too contemptuous to care for its effect4 ,they are reckless in their talk of his disgrace1 while a man of understanding is silent4--,miller4 ,no human creature is to be despised1 for he is our neighbour4 ,he is our own flesh1 our brother1 sprung from our common father ,adam4 ,honour all men4 ,men were made in the image of ,god2 and though that image is now lost1 it is still a sufficient evidence of the sinfulness of despising1 as well as of murdering1 our neighbour1 that in the image of ,god man was made1 and that we cannot say whether the persons who we are tempted to despise are not in that happy number of the chosen of ,god for whose sakes the ,son of ,god hath dignified our nature by assuming it1 and whom ,he will again beautify with that glorious image which was effaced by the fall4 ,do you allege that your neighbour is worthy of contempt1 on account of his poverty or meanness1 or some remarkable weakness1 by which he is rendered ridiculous8 ,i ask you whether he is a fool4 ,you say1 ,no4 ,then confess that your contempt ought to rest upon yourself2 for ,solomon says you are one1 and want of wisdom is far worse than the want of riches1 of beauty1 or polite accomplishments4--,trapp4 ,not remembering that he is his neighbour1 cut out of the same cloth1 the shears only going between1 and as capable of heaven as himself1 though never so poor1 mean1 deformed1 or otherwise despicable4 ,the man of understanding refraineth his tongue even if he be slighted or reviled4 ,he knows it is to no purpose to wash off dirt with dirt4--,trapp4 ,verse #ac4 ,the difference is a sharply drawn one1 the distinction a distinctly defined one1 between fidelity and unfaithfulness1 between the treacherous and the loyal4 ,there is a ,danish proverb1 quoted in the ,archbishop of ,dublin's book1 which warns us well against relying too much on other men's silence1 since there is no rarer gift than the capacity of keeping a secret3 ,tell nothing to thy friend which thy enemy may not know4 ,one should be careful not to entrust another unnecessarily with a secret which it may be a hard matter to keep2 nor should one's desire for aid or sympathy be indulged by dragging other people into one's misfortunes4 ,there is as much responsibility in imparting your own secrets1 as in keeping those of your neighbour1 says ,helps4--,jacox4 ,this expression comes from trading4 ,he who gads about to indulge in gossiping1 will gratify his taste by scandals that he did not intend to divulge4 ,secrets or secret counsels1 that formal divan1 where purest privacy is the thing that has been expected4 ,it is these slight lusts1 as we call them1 that divulge character4 ,the man that is born again will be of a faithful spirit1 and will scorn to gratify scandal at a neighbour's expense4--,miller4 ,a note to know a talker by1 is that he is a walker from place to place 7see ,critical ,notes71 hearing and spying what he can1 that he may have whereof to prattle to this body and that body4 ,thus carrying of tales the ,lord forbiddeth in his law1 where he saith1 ,thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people 7,lev4 xix4 #af74--,muffet4 ,here we see that a well-governed spirit will govern the tongue4 ,an unrestrained tongue is an evidence of levity1 or of some worse quality in the heart4 ,and if the spirit be faithful1 the tongue will be cautious and friendly4 ,the communication between the spirit and the tongue is so easy1 that the one will certainly discover the quality of the other1 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4--,lawson4 ,there are various ways of acting the tale-bearer4 ,there is that of open blabbing4 ,and this1 as it is the simplest1 is1 in truth1 the least dangerous4 ,the character becomes immediately known2 and all who have secrets which they really wish kept will take care to withhold them from him4 ,there is the next that of confidential communication4 ,the secret-holder affects to look this way and that1 to ascertain that no one is within hearing2 and then with many whispered doubts whether he is doing right1 and whispered no doubts that he is perfectly safe with the dear friend to whom he speaks1 imparts it in a breath that enters only his solitary ear1 as a thing received in the profoundest secrecy1 and not1 on any account whatever1 to go further--thus setting the example of broken confidence as the encouragement and inducement to keep it4 ,there is that also of sly insinuation4 ,the person who has the secret neither openly blabs it nor confidentially whispers it1 but throws out hints of his having it--allusions more or less remote as to its nature--by which curiosity is awakened1 inquiry stimulated1 and the thing ultimately brought to light2 while he who threw out the leading notices plumes himself on having escaped the imputation of a tale-bearer4 ,now these and whatever others there may be1 are all bad2 and the greater the amount of pretension and hypocrisy1 so much the worse4--,wardlaw4 ,reticence is commended from another point of view4 ,the man who comes to us with tales about others will reveal our secrets also4 ,faithfulness is shown1 not only in doing what a man has been commissioned to do1 but in doing it quietly and without garrulity4--,plumptre4 ,he is a rare friend that can both give counsel and keep counsel4--,trapp4 ,the ,holy ,ghost1 here and elsewhere1 compareth busybodies and such as delight to deal in other men's matters1 to petty chapmen and pedlars1 which carry wares about1 selling in one place and buying in another4 ,a slanderous tongue trafficketh altogether by exchange1 it will deliver nothing to you1 but upon condition to receive somewhat from you4 ,it will never bear an empty pack1 but desireth1 where aught is uttered and taken out1 there to take somewhat to put in1 that it may have choice for other places4--,dod4 ,we must regard every matter as an entrusted secret1 which we believe the person concerned would wish to be considered such4 ,nay1 further still1 we must consider all circumstances as secrets entrusted1 which would bring scandal upon another if told1 and which it is not our certain duty to discuss1 and that in our own persons and to his face4--,leigh ,hunt4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,helmsmanship4 ,i4 ,the many 7the people7 are dependent upon the few for guidance4 ,the word counsel is literally pilotage1 helmsmanship4 ,the many passengers in the vessel are dependent upon the few who guide it4 ,the dependence of the many upon the few for guidance runs through every phase of human life4 ,the dependence of the children upon their natural head is but prophetic of all the periods of after life1 which very much consists in the dependence of the many upon the few4 ,the child's life at home and at school is a preparation for the rough handling of circumstance in this matter in the time of manhood4 ,although the man's ability to guide his own life is far greater than that of the child1 yet his need of counsel and guidance has increased with his years and responsibilities4 ,this need of guidance springs from men's unequal gifts4 ,the physical1 mental1 and moral inequalities of men create and supply the demand for leaders--for counsellors for the many4 ,this inequality is an ordination of the ,divine ,ruler of the universe--,god is the ,author of the inequalities4 ,in nature we see that the strong give shelter to the weak4 ,the mighty oak protects the tiny plant at its roots4 ,counsellors are the giant trees which give shelter by giving guidance to those who are in some respects inferior to them4 ,men may be born free1 but they are nowhere born equal in mental and physical qualities4 ,hence some must counsel1 others must be counselled4 ,guidance is felt to be a necessity1 and men make a virtue of the necessity4 ,the passengers on board a vessel submit to the direction of the pilot because they feel that their safety depends upon submission1 and so do the members of a nation--the citizens of a city4 ,they know from experience that the way out of a difficulty is not found by those who follow1 but by those who lead--that if they would enjoy the advantages of civil peace and safety1 they must submit to the guidance and direction4 ,,ii4 ,that no counsel in a nation will end in their being no nation to counsel4 ,where there is no counsel the people fall4 ,the passengers in a ship who have no one to steer the vessel will soon cease to have need of a helmsman4 ,so the nation which has no head--no government--will cease to be a nation4 ,its national existence will be ruined by the anarchy that must follow4 ,,iii4 ,many men to give counsel are as a rule better than one4 ,when the sea is heavy and breakers are ahead1 one man at the wheel of a vessel would not be able to hold her on her course1 many hands at once must be at work--the united strength of the many is indispensable4 ,in the multitude there is safety4 ,so it is generally in the case of the ship of the ,state4 ,as a rule1 there is more wisdom and ability in the union of many men than in one--there is likewise less danger of despotic rule4 ,but there have been many exceptions to this rule4 ,joseph knew how to provide for the safety of ,egypt when all the rest of ,pharaoh's counsellors were at their wits' end4 ,before the battle of ,plassey--which laid the foundation of ,british rule in ,india--,clive called a council of war to decide whether or not the battle should be fought4 ,the majority pronounced against fighting4 ,but it is now generally allowed that if the advice of that council had been followed the ,british would have never been in possession of ,india4 ,clive decided to act in opposition to the opinion of the majority1 and the day was won for ,england4 7,see ,macaulay's ,essay on ,lord ,clive47 ,sometimes in the multitude of counsellors there has been national ruin4 ,all the council of the ,jews sought to put ,jesus to death 7,matt4 xxvi4 #ei71 and so brought about the destruction of their nation4 ,but these are exceptions to a rule4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the case supposed1 appears to be that of a self-willed1 self-sufficient1 headstrong ruler who glories in his power2 who determines to wield the rod of that power in his own way1 and who plays the hasty1 jealous1 resolute1 sensitive and vindictive tyrant2 who disdains to call in counsel1 or who does it only for the pleasure or showing his superiority to it by setting it at nought4 ,i conceive the phrase1 ,where no counsel is1 to be intended to convey not a little of the character of him by whom it is declined or disregarded4 ,we have an example of such a character in ,solomon's own successor ,rehoboam4 ,and yet1 at the same time1 in his case we are taught the necessity of understanding all such maxims as admitting of exceptions4 ,rehoboam did take counsel2 and his counsellors were not few4 ,had they been fewer1 there would in that instance been more safety4 ,had he stopped with the old men who had stood before ,solomon his father1 all would have been well4 4 4 4 ,how much better would it have been for ,ahab1 had he taken for his sole counsellor ,micaiah the son of ,imlah than it was when he preferred the four hundred prophets of ,baal6 ,the maxim1 therefore1 is general4 ,it affirms the danger of solitary self-sufficiency1 and the safety of deliberate and1 in proportion to the complexity and difficulty of each case1 and the nature and amount of its consequences1 of extensive and diversified consultation4--,wardlaw4 ,it is a penalty inflicted by ,god on a sinful state to give it princes void of counsel 7,isa4 iii4 #d2 chap4 xv4 #bb74--;,fausset4 ,care seems to be taken after a proverb lauding silence1 always to put in a eulogy of speech4 7,see chap4 x #bj1 #ba47 ,secrets are not to be hid until the whole community is one covered over wickedness4 ,the same faithfulness that conceals a secret1 intrudes counsel1 and grasps control1 and saves the people by that leadership that the pious alone are intended to achieve4 ,the word counsel or helmsmanship is from a root meaning a cord2 hence the tacking of the helm2 and1 now1 that princely guidance1 which piety in the world 7though the world does not think so7 does actually bestow4 ,safety--or salvation4 ,the inspired sentence-maker is always managing what the music men would call a crescendo1 for the second clause4 ,the first clause speaks of the people as falling1 the second as not only not falling1 but though fallen1 as actually raised4--,miller4 ,tyranny is better than anarchy4 ,and yet ,woe also to thee1 ,o land1 whose king is a child2 that is1 wilful and uncounsellable4 4 4 4 ,one special thing the primitive ,christians prayed for the emperor was1 that ,god would send him a faithful council4--,trapp4 ,it is not said that in the multitude of counsellors there is safety1 but in the largeness or muchness of a counsellor1 that is1 such a counsellor as is furnished with a variety of counsels1 and can look many ways for direction4 ,for such a one is indeed of many1 nay1 often far better2 because he can sooner resolve what is best1 than many will or can4 ,and therefore1 though it be good to have many1 and when they agree perhaps to follow them1 yet it may be better to have one of many counsels1 on whom to rely4--,jermin4 ,probably one is more struck1 on reflection and in reading1 with the exceptions to the rule1 than with confirmatory examples of it1 that in the multitude of counsellors there is safety4 4 4 4 ,a modern historian finds in the unlicensed discretion reposed by the ,roman ,senate in the general1 the most efficient aid to the extent of ,rome's early conquests1 and he points by way of contrast1 to the modern republics of ,italy1 as denying themselves scope for larger conquests by their extreme jealousy of their commanders4 ,anarchy in ,antwerp is the heading of one of ,mr4 ,morley's graphic pages1 and a lively picture it offers us of the confusion that ensued when the hydra heads of the multitudinous government were laid together4 ,in ,drake's expedition of #aehe1 there were too many in command2 and after losing time in debate which ,sir ,francis1 if alone1 would have spent in action1 they were obliged to give up the attempt on the ,canaries1 with some loss4 ,the otherwise unaccountable action of ,de ,witt in #afga is explained at once when the anarchical constitution of the ,dutch republic is remembered--its want of a central authority1 and the fact that1 to raise money or troops1 the consent of a number of petty councils was necessary1 in the multitude of whose counsellors was anything but safety4 ,in the multitude of counsellors there may be safety1 says ,alison1 it is in general safety to the counsellors1 not to the counselled4 ,the quality of the counsel1 and the ability of the counsellors1 are elements of main import in the maxim of the king4--,jacox4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #ae1 see on chap4 vi4 #a-e4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,the melancholy instances of ruin1 in consequence of becoming surety for others1 are exceedingly numerous in the ,east4 ,against this they have many proverbs and fearful examples2 but nothing seems to impart wisdom4 ,nearly all the ,government monopolies1 both among native and ,european rulers1 are let to the highest bidders1 and as the whole of the money cannot be advanced till a part of the produce be sold1 sureties have to be accountable for the amount4 ,but as men generally enter into these speculations in order to better a reduced fortune1 an extravagant price is often paid1 and ruin is the consequence both to the principal and his surety4 ,this practice of suretyship1 however1 is also common in the most trifling affairs of life4 ,sign your name1 is a request preferred by every one who is desirous of obtaining additional security to a petty agreement4 ,in every legal court or magistrate's office may be seen1 now and then1 a trio entering1 thus to become responsible for the engagements of the other4 ,the cause of all this is probably the bad faith which prevails amongst the heathen4--,roberts4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the traffic of ancient times was small1 in comparison with the vast system of exchange which now compasses the whole world like network2 but the same vices that we lament marred it1 and the same righteousnesses that we desiderate would have healed its ailments4 ,neither the law of gravitation nor the law of righteousness has changed since the times of ,solomon2 both are as powerful as they then were1 and as pervasive4 4 4 4 ,in those primitive times1 it seems1 as in our own1 some men desired to get faster forward in the world than their circumstances legitimately permitted4 ,they will throw for a fortune at another's risk4 4 4 4 ,the warning does not of course discourage considerate kindnesses in bearing a deserving man over temporary pressure4 4 4 4 ,the ,bible permits and requires more of kindness to our brother than we have ever done him yet2 but it does not allow us to do a certain substantial evil1 for the sake of distant1 shadowy good4--,arnot4 ,the heart and mind of every one is a stranger to every one except to ,god alone4 ,he therefore that is a surety for another1 is surety for a stranger4--,jermin4 4 4 4 be not surety1 if thou be a father1 ,love is a personal debt4 ,i cannot give ,my children's right1 nor ought he to take it3 rather ,both friends should die1 than hinder them to live4 ,fathers first enter bonds to nature's ends2 ,and are her sureties1 ere they are a friend's4--,herbert4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,a ,,gracious ,,woman4 ,i4 ,what is a gracious woman8 #a4 ,she is one who stands in right relations to ,god4 ,every thing depends upon right relationship4 ,upon the right relationship of the earth to the great centre of the solar system depends all that makes the earth of worth to us--all its glorious fruitfulness and beauty4 ,if there was not this adjustment of relationship between the earth and the sun1 our planet would not only be an unfit abode for man1 but would be a positive blot upon ,god's universe4 ,this is true also of man's relations to each other1 and is specially so in respect to our relationship to ,god4 ,nothing but a right relationship to ,him can develop these moral beauties which alone make a true woman4 ,she is accepted or justified by ,god's most gracious favour on ,god's own conditions4 ,she lives in the eternal sunlight of ,his gracious influence1 and is held to the most ,blessed ,being in the universe1 by the sweet persuasiveness which flows from ,his blessed character4 ,the thoughts of the ,eternal ,god are the food of her spirit1 and from this relationship to ,him comes all the grace of her character4 ,is there any other relationship which can make such a woman8 ,there is none1 not only so1 the absence of it may end in making even a woman a blot1 a positive evil1 in the moral universe4 ,there can be no true graciousness where there is no union with ,him whose most attractive attribute is ,his graciousness1 who makes ,himself known1 as the ,lord ,god1 merciful and gracious4 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #f74 ,a gracious woman must be in right relationship with a gracious ,god4 #b4 ,in consequence of this1 a gracious woman is right in her human relationships4 ,being right in the greater matter1 she must be in that which is less4 ,the earth1 because she preserves her right relation to the sun1 is right in her relationship to the other planets1 that is1 her path in the heavens is just that which is best for the whole planetary system--that which enables them also to keep their orbits1 and prevents one of them from exercising a baleful influence over another4 ,a woman whose spirit is under the influence of a gracious ,god will be a gracious daughter1 a gracious wife1 a gracious mother1 a gracious friend and neighbour--that is1 all her doings and sayings will be irradiated and warmed by that holiness and love which is the essence of the character of ,god ,himself4 ,in the summing up of the ,divine law1 ,christ makes the right human relation depend upon a right ,divine relation4 ,thou shalt love the ,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy strength1 and with all thy mind2 and thy neighbour as thyself4 7,luke x4 #bg71 and ,he repeats this foundation in principle in ,his last discourse with ,his disciples before ,his death1 ,by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples1 if ye have love one to another4 7,john xiii4 #ce74 ,,ii4 ,a woman with such a character wins honour4 ,the strong men to whom she is compared 7see ,critical ,notes7 are warriors who take the spoil by strength of hand1 such men as ,othniel1 the son of ,kenaz1 who took ,kirjath-sepher by reason of his strength and military skill4 ,for the strong men must gain their spoil before they can retain it4 ,so with a gracious woman4 ,she must win honour before she can retain it1 and this she most certainly will do4 ,she will be honoured by ,god because she is fulfilling ,his purpose in sending her into the world--because she is bringing glory to ,him by showing to the world what ,he meant a woman to be4 ,and as a necessity she will be honoured4 ,those in nearest relation to her will honour her4 ,her children rise up and call her blessed2 her husband also and he praiseth her4 ,but she is honoured in a wider sphere by a larger circle--,her own works praise her in the gates4 7chap4 xxxi4 #bh1 #ca74 ,,iii4 ,what she has won she will retain4 ,strong men1 when they have won their prize1 hold it fast4 ,it is more difficult to obtain wealth than to retain it4 ,having done the first by reason of their strength1 it is comparatively easy to do the second by the same means4 ,so with a gracious woman4 ,honour is the guerdon of her gracious character1 this she has won without any striving4 ,her character is that for which she has striven1 and this it is which is the strength by which she retains her riches1 viz41 her honour4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,albeit the woman is the weaker vessel1 yet when she is gracious1 that is to say1 graced1 not so much with beauty1 as with wisdom and virtue1 she keepeth honour1 that is1 maintaineth her credit and preserveth her chastity4 ,it were a hard thing to rob or spoil a strong man of his goods2 but to take away the chastity of an honest matron1 be she never so weak1 it is impossible1 who will rather die a thousand deaths than to be stained with the least speck of dishonesty4--,muffet4 ,a woman is powerful by her grace as the mighty are by their strength4 ,in grace there lies as great force as in the imposing nature of the mighty2 nay1 the power of the strength of the latter gains only more property1 while the woman gains honour and esteem1 which are of more worth4--,rueetschi1 from ,lange's ,commentary4 ,thus ,deborah retained honour as a mother in ,israel1 the counsellor and stay of a sinking people4 7,judges iv4 #d2 v4 #g74 ,esther retained her influence over her heathen husband for the good of her nation 7,esth4 ix4 #ab1 #ac1 #be74 ,and still the gracious woman retaineth honour long after she has mingled with the dust4 ,sarah1 the obedient wife 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #e1 #f72 ,hannah1 the consecrating mother 7#a ,sam4 i4 #bh72 ,lois1 ,eunice1 and the elect lady 7#b ,tim4 i4 #e2 iii4 #ae2 #b ,john #a-d71 in the family sphere2 ,phbe and her companions on the annals of the ,church 7,rom4 xvi4 #b-f2 ,phil iv4 #c72 the rich contributor to the temple 7,mark xii4 #db-dd72 the self-denying lover of her ,lord 7,mark xiv4 #c-i72 ,mary in contemplative retirement 7,luke x4 #ci72 ,dorcas in active usefulness 7,acts ix4 #cf73--;,are not these good names still had in honourable remembrance8 7,psalm cxii4 #f74--;,bridges4 ,it is true of both sexes1 which ,solomon here affirms of women only1 that gracious persons1 they who are in the grace and favour of ,god1 and are strengthened by ,his gracious assistance1 shall from the generality of men gain an inward esteem1 and for the most part1 an outward respect4 ,there are many instances in which virtue has been rather contemned and ridiculed1--and ,i will mention none other than the most signal of all1 ,god ,incarnate--but goodness has an inseparable splendour which can never suffer a total eclipse1 and when it is most reviled and persecuted1 it then shines brightest out of the cloud4 ,so that all who are not wilfully blind1 who will but make use of their eyes to see1 must acknowledge the force of its rays4 ,but why does ,solomon here instance the woman rather than the man8 ,either this1 that as vice is more odious and more detested1 so on the other hand1 virtue is more attractive1 and looks more lovely in women than it usually does in men4 ,or it is1 because men have more advantages of aspiring to honour in all public stations than women have1 and the only way for a woman to gain honour1 is an exemplary holiness4 ,or it is1 because women are made of a temper more soft and frail1 are more endangered by snares and temptations1 and more inclinable to extremes of good and bad than men1 and generally speaking1 goodness is a tender thing1 more hazardous and brittle in the former than in the latter1 and consequently a firm and steady virtue is more to be valued in the weaker sex than in the stronger2 so that a gracious woman is most worthy to receive and to retain honour4 ,or it is1 because women in all ages1 have given so many heroic examples of sanctity1 that there is that peculiar to the sex which naturally renders them more pliable to the ,divine grace than men4--,bp4 ,ken4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,mercy ,,and ,,cruelty4 ,i4 ,a blessed human character--,a merciful man4 ,the blessedness of any human existence depends upon the amount of mercifulness found in it4 ,it will be blessed in itself1 and a blessing to others in proportion as this ,divine characteristic is found in the spirit4 ,god1 as a ,god of power1 would be a wonderful and awe-inspiring ,being1 but ,he would not be the blessed ,god 7#a ,tim4 i4 #aa7 if this were ,his only attribute4 ,so far as ,men are concerned1 ,he would only be a ,person who added to the mysteries and miseries of human life4 ,there is plenty of power in the world1 but power is not the one thing needful for fallen and sorrowful humanity4 ,a complex and mighty machine may1 and does1 excite our wonder and even our admiration1 but it has not sympathy4 ,god would be no more to us if ,he were not ,the ,lord ,god1 merciful and gracious4 ,he could otherwise add nothing of blessedness to our existence--yes1 ,his very existence would be a calamity for sinful man4 ,so1 no man is a real blessing to his fellow-creatures if he is not merciful4 ,he may be a great genius1 he may be a great intellectual power1 he may be possessed of great influence from one source or another2 but none of these things alone1 or all of them put together1 will add anything to the sum of human happiness if he is not merciful4 ,he is simply a hard machine1 and will never make any wilderness heart rejoice or any moral waste blossom as the rose4 ,but mercy is a moral force1 which works as subtilely and as certainly upon human hearts to bless them as do the mysterious influences of the spring-time upon the barren earth4 ,the absence of mercifulness makes hell the barren world that it is1 and fills heaven with moral light and joy4 ,on earth1 mercifulness is felt to be most needful4 ,the scum of humanity are not insensible to its blessed influence1 and there is no man1 however exalted above his fellow-men1 who does not sometimes stand in need of its exercise4 ,,ii4 ,the region which is first blest by the exercise of mercy4 ,the merciful man's own soul4 ,there are things which by the constitution of the material universe cannot be separated4 ,where there is flame1 there is certain to be heat2 where the sun's rays come1 there must be light4 ,so mercifulness of disposition must bless a man's own soul4 ,the exercise of kindliness is in harmony with the law of self-love4 ,a man is but obeying this law when he exercises mercy4 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself1 implies that a man is to love himself4 ,loving his neighbour is the surest way--the only way--of truly doing good to himself4 ,god has ordained that all exercise of loving kindness shall have a reward in the doing and for the doing4 ,he that watereth others shall be watered himself 7ver4 #be74 #a4 ,his own spirit will be filled with a sense of blessedness4 #b4 ,his character will be daily growing more and more like ,god4 #c4 ,he will have mercy extended to him when he stands in need of it4 ,blessed are the merciful1 for they shall obtain mercy4 ,for with what measure you mete1 it shall be measured unto you again 7,matt4 v4 #g1 vii4 #b74 ,and so is that mercy-- ,is twice bless'd2 ,it blesseth him that gives1 and him that takes4 ,we have not to consider the opposite character3-- ,,iii4 ,a curse to human kind4 ,a cruel man4 ,he is an inflicter of pain upon others from a malicious disposition4 ,pain is the common lot of men4 ,in the present constitution of things in this world it is a necessity1 and will remain so while sin remains in human nature4 ,sometimes pain has to be inflicted upon human beings from the purest motives1 and by the most benevolent of beings4 ,the kindest physician in the world is obliged constantly to inflict severe physical pain4 ,the moral teacher--the loving parent or master--must often be the means of inflicting mental pain4 ,but in these cases the motive is not ill-will1 but good-will4 ,the pain is contrary to the disposition of the person who inflicts it4 ,he would not give the pain if the end could be obtained without it4 ,he intends by present pain to give future pleasure4 ,but a cruel man inflicts pain from choice1 for the purpose of making men miserable4 ,his cruelty is the outcome of his malicious nature4 ,hence he is a curse to his race4 ,to the unavoidable and necessary pain of the world he adds that which is worse than needless4 ,he would often inflict more than he does1 if he had the power4 ,did not experience teach the contrary1 we should not believe it possible that there could be such monsters in the garb of men4 ,they are1 indeed1 of their father the devil 7,john viii4 #dd71 who finds his only delight in the misery of others4 ,,iv4 ,that1 in the end1 the cruel man will inflict the most pain upon himself4 #a4 ,he will trouble his own flesh1 or his whole being in the present4 ,he will be tormented by his conscience which now and again will rise from its deathlike slumber and avenge the miseries of those upon whose rights he has trampled--whose lives he has taken1 or worse1 whose souls he has ruined4 ,while he is still pursuing his course of cruelty he will have the sting of the serpent remorse poisoning the life-blood of his spirit--a prophecy of future retribution possibly in this world1 certainly in the next4 #b4 ,he is laying up trouble for himself in the future4 ,men may return his cruelty with compound interest1--7see comments and illustrations on verse #aj71 whether they do or not ,god certainly will4 ,the ,divine decree has gone forth1 ,he shall have judgment without mercy1 that hath showed no mercy4 7,james ii4 #ac74 ,his experience will be that of the cruel tyrant of ,bezek4 ,as ,i have done so ,god hath requited me1 7,judges i4 #f1 #g71 or that of ,shakespeare's ,richard ,,iii4 ,o coward conscience1 how thou dost afflict me6 ,the lights burn blue4--,it is now dread midnight4 ,cold fearful drops stand on my trembling flesh4 ,what2 do ,i fear myself8 there's none else by3 ,richard loves ,richard2 that is1 ,i am ,i4 ,is there a murderer here8 ,no2--yes1 ,i am3 ,then fly1--,what1 from myself8 ,great reason1 why8 ,lest ,i revenge4 ,what8 myself on myself8 ,i love myself4 ,wherefore8 for any good ,that ,i myself have done unto myself8 ,o no2 alas1 ,i rather hate myself1 ,for hateful deeds committed by myself4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,my conscience hath a thousand several tongues1 ,and every tongue brings in a several tale1 ,and every tale convicts me for a villain 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,all several sins1 all used in each degree1 ,throng to the bar1 crying all1--,guilty6 guilty6 ,i shall despair4--,there is no creature loves me3-- ,and1 if ,i die1 no soul will pity me3-- ,nay1 wherefore should they1 since that ,i myself ,find in myself no pity to myself4 ,,illustrations ,,of ,,the ,,latter ,,clause ,,of ,,the ,,verse4 ,buchanan1 the ,scotch historian1 relates that ,john ,cameron1 ,bishop of ,glasgow1 was so given to extortion and oppression1 especially upon his tenants and vassals1 that he would scarcely afford them bread to eat1 or clothes to wear4 ,but one ,christmas eve1 as he lay in his bed in his house at ,lockwood1 he heard a voice summoning him to appear before the tribunal of ,christ1 and give an account of his actions4 ,being terrified with this notice1 and the pangs of a guilty conscience1 he called up his servants1 and commanded them to stay in the room with him4 ,he himself took a book in his hand1 and began to read2 but the voice1 being heard a second time1 struck all the servants with horror4 ,the same voice repeating the summons a third time1 and with a louder and more dreadful accent1 the bishop1 after a most lamentable and frightful groan1 was found dead in his bed4 ,the ,last ,days of ,nero4 ,nero had landed in ,italy about the end of ,february1 and now1 at the beginning of ,june1 his cause had already become hopeless4 ,galba1 though stedfast in his resolution1 had not yet set his troops in motion2 nevertheless1 ,nero was no longer safe in the city4 4 4 4 ,terrified by dreams1 stung by ridicule or desertion1 when his last hope of succor was announced to have deceived him1 the wretched tyrant started from his couch at supper1 upset the tables1 and dashed his choicest vessels to the ground2 then1 taking poison from ,locusta1 and placing it in a golden casket1 he crossed from the palace to the ,servilian gardens1 and sent his trustiest freedman to secure a galley at ,ostia4 ,he conjured some tribunes and centurions1 with a handful of guards1 to join his flight1 but all refused2 and one1 blunter than the rest1 exclaimed1 tauntingly1 ,is it1 then1 so hard to die8 ,at last1 at midnight1 finding that even the sentinels had left their posts1 he sent1 or rushed himself1 to assemble his attendants4 ,every door was closed2 he knocked1 but no answer came4 ,returning to his chamber1 he found the slaves fled1 the furniture pillaged1 the case of poison removed4 ,not a guard1 not a gladiator1 was at hand1 to pierce his throat4 ,i have neither friend nor foe1 he exclaimed4 ,he would have thrown himself into the ,tiber but his courage failed him4 ,he must have time1 he said1 and repose to collect his spirits for suicide1 and his freedman ,phaon at last offered him his villa in the suburbs1 four miles from the city4 ,in undress and barefooted1 throwing a rough cloak over his shoulders and a kerchief across his face1 he glided through the doors1 mounted a horse1 and1 attended by ,sporus and three others1 passed the city gates with the dawn of a summer morning4 ,the ,nomentane road led him beneath the wall of the prtorians1 whom he might hear uttering curses upon him and pledging vows to ,galbo2 and the early travellers from the country asked him as they met1 ,what news of ,nero8 or remarked to one another1 ,these men are pursuing the tyrant4 ,thunder and lightning1 and a shock of earthquake1 added terror to the moment4 ,nero's horse started at a dead body on the roadside1 the kerchief fell from his face1 and a prtorian passing by recognised and saluted him4 ,at the fourth milestone the party quitted the highway1 alighted from their horses1 and scrambled on foot through a canebrake1 laying their own cloaks to tread on1 to the rear of the promised villa4 ,phaon now desired ,nero to crouch in a sand-pit hard by1 while he contrived to open the drain of the bath-room1 and so admit him unperceived2 but he vowed that he would not go alive1 as he said1 underground1 and remained trembling beneath the wall4 ,at last a hole was made through which he crept on all fours into a narrow chamber of the house1 and there threw himself on a pallet4 ,the coarse bread that was offered him he could not eat1 but swallowed a little tepid water4 4 4 4 ,suddenly was heard the tramp of horsemen1 sent to seize the culprit alive4 ,then at last he placed a weapon to his breast1 and the slave ,epaphroditus drove it home4 4 4 4 ,nero perished at the age of thirty years and six months4--,merivale4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there are two descriptions of mercy4 ,there is mercy to sufferers1 and mercy to offenders4 ,mercy to sufferers is the disposition to relieve2 mercy to offenders is the disposition to forgive4 ,the two are infinitely united in ,god4 ,under his government all sufferers are offenders4 ,it is only as offenders that they are sufferers2 and when ,he pardons the offence1 ,he cancels the sentence to suffering4 ,and in every good man the two are united4 ,they should1 indeed1 be regarded as one principle1 operating in different departments4 ,now the merciful man whether considered in the one light or the other1--in exercising forgiveness or in relieving distress--effectually consults his own interests4 ,he does so1 even for present enjoyment4 ,the ,divine sentiment of the ,saviour--,it is more blessed to give than to receive1 has its full application here4 ,jesus ,himself1 above all that ever lived on earth1 experienced its truth4 ,he delighted in mercy4 ,he came from above on an errand of mercy4 ,the merciful man participates in the blessedness of the ,son of ,god4 4 4 4 ,he1 moreover1 procures favour with his fellow-men2--he makes himself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness2 he causes society to feel an interest in him--to regard and treat him as its friend and benefactor4 ,this is eminently gratifying and pleasing2--to know that in the hearts of our fellow-men our names are associated with affection and blessing1 and that when we fail1 there will be some ready to receive us into everlasting habitations1 who have been made friends by our kindness during their sojourn in the wilderness4 ,but above all1 the mercy of the merciful is associated with the favour and blessing of ,god4 4 4 4 ,but the cruel stirs up resentment1 instead of conciliating favour2 so that on every hand1 in every face1 he sees an enemy1 from whom he dreads the fulfilment of the ,saviour's maxim1--,with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again4 ,how can he be happy8 ,there is unhappiness in his very passions4 ,the opposite of the character of ,god1 they cannot but be associated with misery4--,wardlaw4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,this next paragraph includes the word niggardliness1 which is a fine word meaning stinginess or parsimony4 ,however1 it can sound like a racial slur especially to people who are not familiar with the word or are not paying close attention4 ,when teaching this material please consider substituting a synonym4 ,we are to preserve1 as much as in us lies1 these two parts of our nature1 our souls and our bodies4 4 4 4 ,he that may truly be called a kind man1 is kind to his own soul1 in comforting his own heart1 and in granting thereunto the delight which may be received by sleep1 by food1 and the use of all things necessary and pleasant4 ,wherefore the counsel which the son of ,sirach giveth is good and worthy to be followed3 ,love thy soul1 and comfort thine heart1 and put heaviness far away from thee4 7,ecclus4 xxx4 #ba1 etc47 ,on the contrary side the cruel person1 either for niggardliness1 or travail1 or sorrow1 pincheth1 consumeth1 or pineth his body4 ,he ceaseth not to labour1 nor saith1 ,for whom do ,i travail and deprive my soul of good things4--,muffet4 ,the merciful man will ever find a merciful ,god4 7,psa4 xli4 #a4 ,matt4 v4 #g74 ,the widow of ,sarepta and the woman of ,shunem1 each for their kindness to the ,lord's prophets received a prophet's reward4 7#b ,kings iv4 #af4 vii4 #a1 #f74 ,the alms of ,cornelius brought good to his own soul4 7,acts x4 #b1 #d74 ,even now ,god is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love4 7,heb4 vi4 #aj4 ,matt4 x4 #db74 ,at the great day ,he will honour it before the assembled universe4 7,matt4 xxv4 #cd74 4 4 4 ,cain found his brother's murder an intolerable trouble to his flesh4 7,gen4 iv4 #ac1 #ad74 ,the doom of ,ahab and ,jezebel was the curse of their own cruelty4 7#a ,kings xxii4 #ch4 #b ,kings ix4 #cf1 #cg74 ,the treasures of selfishness will eat as a canker in our own flesh4 7,jas4 v4 #a1 #c74--;,bridges4 ,why did not the wise man say1 ,he that is cruel troubleth his own soul8 ,he knew that a cruel man cares nothing for his soul4 ,if you would obtain a hearing from the merciless man1 say nothing about his soul4 ,he values it less than his dog4 ,but if you could convince him that his want of mercy will be hurtful to his flesh1 he would think a little about his ways4 ,and it is evident from ,scripture1 that his flesh1 no less than his soul1 is under a fearful curse4--,lawson4 ,his chief business is with and for himself3 how to set all to rights within1 how to keep a continual ,sabbath of soul1 a constant composedness4 ,he will not purchase earth with his loss of heaven4 ,and inasmuch as the body is the soul's servant1 and should therefore be fit for the soul's business--it ought not to be pinched or pined with penury or overmuch abstinence1 as those impostors 7,col4 ii4 #bc71 and our ,popish merit-mongers1 that starve their genius1 and are cruel to their own flesh4 ,they shall one day hear1 ,who required these things at your hand8--,trapp4 ,in every act that mercy prompts there are two parties who obtain a benefit1--the person in need1 who is the object of compassion1 and the person not in need1 who pities his suffering brother4 ,both get good1 but the giver gets the larger share4 4 4 4 ,the ,good ,samaritan who bathed the wounds and provided for the wants of a plundered ,jew1 obtained a greater profit on the transaction than the sufferer who was saved by his benevolence4 ,it is like ,god to constitute ,his world so4 ,even ,christ himself1 in the act of showing mercy1 has ,his reward4 4 4 4 ,and a man cannot hurt his neighbour without hurting himself4 ,the rebound is heavier than the blow4 4 4 4 ,such is the fence which the ,creator has set up to keep men off his fellows4 ,this dividing line is useful now to keep off the ravages of sin2 but when perfect love has come1 that divider1 no longer needed1 will be no longer seen4 ,it is like one of those black jagged ridges of rock that at low water stretch across the sand from the edge of the cultivated ground to the margin of the sea1 an impassable1 an unapproachable barrier3 when the tide rises1 all is level1 and it is nowhere seen4 ,this law of ,god1 rising as a rampart between man and man1 is confined to this narrow six thousand year strip of time4 ,in the perfect state it will act no more1 for want of material to act upon4--,arnot4 ,it is to his own soul that a merciful man doeth good4 ,for it hath been well said1 there is nothing so much a man's own as that which is given to the poor4 ,that which men do1 they do as to a poor soul1 of as noble birth1 and by nature of as great excellency as their own soul is1 and so they do it1 as it were1 to their own4 ,that which ,god doth1 ,he doth to a sinful soul1 degenerate from the birth which ,he gave it1 and turned to be a rebel against ,him4 ,so that ,god is more ready to be good to ,his enemies1 then we are to be good to ourselves4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah-bj4 ,,sowing ,,and ,,reaping4 ,i4 ,the life-work of the wicked contains within itself the germs of a three-fold bane3 ,a deception1 a death1 and an abomination4 #a4 ,a deception4 ,the wicked man expects from his life-work that which it cannot possibly yield4 ,it is against the moral constitution of the universe that a life of wickedness1 or an evil understanding in that life should yield satisfaction or any degree of real comfort to the worker4 ,if a man sowed darnel in his field and expected to get a crop of wheat1 he would be working a deceitful work1 that is1 he would be a victim of self-deception4 ,nature cannot go out of her way to gratify his desires1 to prevent his disappointment4 ,the ungodly man lives a life of ungodliness--he pursues evil1 7ver4 #ai71 he perversely chooses his own course1 in other words1 he is of a froward heart1 7ver4 #bj71 and he promises himself some kind of advantage4 ,but it cannot be1 he is doomed to disappointment4 ,however much he lies to work his work1 the issue of his work will not lie4 ,the earth will not lie concerning what kind of seed is placed in her furrows4 ,if wheat is hidden there she will not disappoint the husbandman by returning him tares--if tares are sown she will render back of what has been entrusted to her care4 ,she will speak the truth about the sowing by giving according to that which she has received4 ,the sinner wants to make ,god a liar4 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die1 is the ,divine sentence4 ,ye shall not surely die1 is the assurance of the great deceiver4 ,but the end will ever be what it was when man first suffered himself to entertain a doubt upon the matter4 ,the man who builds himself a house upon the side of a volcano may promise himself1 or may be promised by others1 safety and peace1 but unless he can quench the internal fires1 that promise cannot be kept4 ,the elements of destruction are ever at work under his very feet1 the day will come when the devouring flame will burst forth and consume the work and the worker together4 #b4 ,death4 ,there are three kinds of death which are all the fruit of sin and which are developed out of one another as the blade1 the corn in the ear1 and the full corn are successive developments of one seed4 ,there is that present paralysis of all the spiritual capabilities of the man which the ,bible calls carnal mindedness4 7,rom4 viii4 #f74 ,into this condition ,adam came at once as soon as he worked his wicked work1 and every son of his who lives a life of oppression to the ,divine will is even now dead in this sense4 ,the death of the body is but the outcome of this spiritual death1 and although it is the portion of those who have been made spiritually alive1 its character is changed from a curse into a blessing4 ,but the consummation of both these deaths1 is that irrecoverable paralysis of spirit1 and that correspondent condition of body known as the second death4 ,this is what the man pursues who pursues evil4 #c4 ,an abomination4 ,a musical soul hates discord1 an honest man hates dishonesty1 the pure-minded turn with loathing from all impurity4 ,although ,god loves ,his creatures1 ,he holds in abomination all that is unholy2 a persistent frowardness--a constant refusal to fall in with the ,divine plan of separating sin from the human soul will--it is here and elsewhere declared--result in the very creature whom ,he has made becoming an offence to his ,divine ,creator4 ,,ii4 ,the life-work of the righteous will meet the certain reward of a ,divine character and ,divine delight4 #a4 ,a ,divine character4 ,he is now a partaker of spiritual life4 ,a man's present healthy life is in itself a reward for any self-denial he may practise in observing the laws of health4 ,there is a joy in living which a diseased man knows nothing of4 ,so there is a present joy in being in a state of spiritual health1 in the exercise of all the graces which are the fruit of the spirit1 7,gal4 v4 #bb71 to which a man who is morally diseased and dead is an entire stranger4 ,the spiritual life which is the harvest of sowing righteousness or uprightness1 is a present reward4 ,but the present spiritual live and health is a prophecy and an earnest of a completed and perfected life in the city of ,god4 ,righteousness is the very life of ,god1 and in proportion as ,his children attain perfection of character they attain a more perfect life4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 vii4 #a-d74 #b4 ,divine delight4 ,god is the ,author and ,fountain of all the righteousness in the universe1 and ,he can but take pleasure in the work of ,his own hands4 ,he delights in men of uprightness because ,he sees in them a reproduction of ,his own character4 ,his soul delighted1 7,isa4 xlii4 #a71 in the work and character of ,his elected servant1 ,his only-begotten ,son1 because ,he was1 pre-eminently the ,righteous4 7#a ,john ii4 #a74 ,he delights also in ,his created sons in proportion as their character comes up to that perfect standard4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ah4 #a4 ,opposite characters4 ,the radical idea of the word righteousness seems to be that of equality1 as the equilibrium of a pair of scales1 etc4 ,hence1 applied to moral or religious matters1 it makes a correspondence between our obligations on the one hand1 and our performance on the other4 ,but as the rightful claims of ,god and man are embodied in the ,divine law1 righteousness is considered as obedience and conformity to that law 7,deut4 vi4 #be74 ,and as this rule rather declares what it enjoins to be fit and proper1 than makes it so1 righteousness1 in relation to the arrangement and constitution of things1 is order1 fitness1 reality1 truth4 ,the radical meaning of the word here employed to denote the wicked man appears to be that of inequality1 unfairness4 ,hence wicked1 that is1 unequal1 balances 7,mic4 vi4 #aa74 ,agreeably to this idea1 the word1 when used in a moral sense1 means a want of correspondence between duty and performance--nonconformity to the laws of ,god4 ,as righteousness is order1 etc41 so that which is the essence of wickedness1 is disorder1 incongruity1 deception1 a lie1 an unsound principle4 #b4 ,opposite practices4 ,as is the tree1 so is the fruit4 ,righteousness renders to ,god and to man their due4 ,the unrighteous man robs ,god 7,mal4 iii4 #h1 #i7 of time and talents which should have been devoted to ,his service4 ,his work is--,deceitful 7often7 in its intention4 ,deception is the very object proposed4 ,deceitful 7always7 in its nature4 ,weighed in the balances1 it is found wanting4 #c4 ,opposite results4 ,the deceiver himself often becomes the dupe of his own delusions4 ,by abuse the moral sense becomes blunted1 etc41 then follows what is described ,isa4 xliv4 #ah1 #bj2 #b ,tim4 iii4 #ac4 ,deceitful in its results--generally in this world4 ,a tradesman who makes a point of telling profitable lies1 is detected and disbelieved even when he speaks the truth1 and1 being deserted1 comes to ruin4--,certainly in the world to come4 ,every man loves happiness2 but sin will leave the sinner to weeping and wailing1 etc4 ,on the contrary1 the righteous has a sure reward4 ,his reward is--#a4 ,certain4 ,the perfections and word of ,god assure this4 #b4 ,suitable2 a reward of truth1 a reward in kind1 an increase of correct and pious feeling 7,matt4 v4 #f1 #h74 ,hence1 #c4 ,satisfying 7,psalm xvii4 #ae74 #d4 ,abiding 7,psa4 xix4 #i74--;,adapted from ,sketches of ,sermons4 ,although the ungodly person labour much1 yet he doth a work which neither shall continue1 nor bring any fruit unto him4 ,the hypocrite giveth alms oftentimes to be seen by men1 but he shall never be rewarded for his liberality by the ,lord4 ,the transgressor of ,god's law buildeth himself upon the show of an outward profession3 such a house will fall4 ,the vain teacher delivereth the straw and the stubble of error and vanity for true doctrine and sound divinity4 ,this work cannot abide2 the day will reveal it1 and the fire will consume it4--,muffet4 ,none would be so rich and happy as he servants of ,satan1 were his promises all performed2 but the misery is1 that he will promise kingdoms1 though he cannot1 like ,chaldean robbers1 have a single sheep without the ,divine permission2 and what is worst of all1 those that trust his promises are paid with fire and brimstone4 ,the devil was a liar from the beginning1 yet so infatuated are men1 that they will trust him more than a ,god that cannot lie4 ,the devil places pleasure and profit before them2 ,god1 by the threatenings of ,his word1 sets an everlasting hell before them4 ,but they will venture through it1 in order to enjoy the vanities with which the great tempter allures them4--,lawson4 ,by necessity of his condition1 every man's life1 and every moment of it1 is a sowing4 ,the machine is continually moving over the field and shaking2 it cannot1 even for a moment1 be made to stand still1 so as not to sow4 ,it is not an open question at all whether ,i shall sow or not to-day2 the only question to be decided is1 ,shall ,i sow good seed or bad8--,arnot4 ,if righteousness be our main end1 ,god will make it our best friend2 nor will ,he1 as the world has done1 reward us with ciphers instead of gold4--,bridges4 ,nothing is durable that a wicked man does except his crimes4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,our wage is better than ordinary1 the whole crop that we sow is given us for our labour1 and therefore let us not be too hasty to reap it before it be ready4 ,good farmers indeed pay the ploughman sooner than the corn is ripe1 but cheaper than the corn is worth3 ,whereas ,god bestoweth freely upon his labourers all that they have sown1 it is their own1 and therefore let them tarry till harvest1 and they shall find their hire will far surmount their travail4--,dod4 ,let us inquire why this gracious course of consecrating a man's self to ,god in the practice of godliness is called a sowing of righteousness4 ,it is because of the likeness which is betwixt the practice of godliness1 and the sowing of the seed--7#a7 in some things which do go before the sowing4 ,two things1 then1 have to be looked after1 viz41 the preparation of the ground and the choice of seed4 ,in the sowing of righteousness the like to these two are of great behoof4 ,the preparation of the heart and the choice of particulars belonging to a ,christian course4 7#b7 ,in some things which do accompany the sowing1 viz41 the time of sowing and the plenty of sowing4 ,when the season comes1 the husbandman falls to his work1 though1 perhaps1 it be not so seasonable as he could desire4 ,so in spiritual business--the seed time for righteousness is this life3 the opportunity must be taken when it comes4 ,if ,i meet with many encumbrances1 shall ,i cease sowing and tarry for a calmer season8 ,god forbid4 ,through with it ,i must1 in season1 and out of season4 ,if ,i look for a better time1 upon a sudden1 there will be no time at all4 ,then the seedsman casts not in one seed alone1 but a handful at once1 one handful after another4 ,to sow righteousness is to be rich in good works1 to do good once and again1 to join with faith virtue2 with virtue knowledge1 etc4 ,some do now and then drop out a good work1 some little devotion to ,god1 some petty office of mercy to men1 but it is to no purpose in the world2 no plenty in sowing1 no fulness in reaping4 7#c7 ,in things which follow after sowing4 ,great is the care that the seed put into the ground may thrive and prosper2 the fields be hedged1 the cattle be shut out1 etc4 ,it is ever and anon looked to1 to see how it be going on4 ,so it is in vain to have entered upon a good course if it be not continued 7,phil4 iv4 #a2 #a ,thess4 iv4 #a2 #b ,pet4 iii4 #ah2 ,heb4 vi4 #a74 ,thus we see that to sow righteousness is--#a4 ,the submitting a man's self to have his heart broken up by the power of ,god's word4 #b4 ,a diligent inquiry into the best way of pleasing ,god4 #c4 ,a pressing forward amid many encumbrances4 #d4 ,a striving to be fruitful in good works4 #e4 ,a watching with continued diligence4--,hieron4 ,verse #ai4 ,the courses of rivers is to return to the sea1 from whence they issue1 and so righteousness1 coming from the ocean of life1 thither tendeth again1 and evil1 coming from the black sea of darkness1 bendeth thither also4 ,the difference which the passengers find is this3 that in the waters of righteousness all the tempests and rough waves are in the river1 but going on with it to the sea1 there is nothing but calmness1 security1 and pleasantness1 in which they bathe themselves for evermore4 ,in the waters of wickedness the passengers find the river to be easy often1 and smoothly to carry them along1 but following the course of it1 when they come to the sea1 there are nothing but horrid storms1 raging winds1 and gaping gulfs of death1 wherein they are for ever swallowed up4--,jermin4 ,our principal pay will be in life1 whereof we have part in hand by grace in our souls in this world1 and the rest is behind until the pay day in the world to come4 ,so that a sinner cannot discern the happiness of a ,christian1 nor conceive how ,god dealeth with him4 ,for the comfort of a heart is a thing unknown to him1 and the glorious life is hid with ,christ in ,god1 and shall not fully be seen before we appear with ,him in glory4--,dod4 ,if righteousness is a seed1 and is sown1 and has a certain crop1 then1 in this way1 righteousness is unto life1 but he that pursues evil does so to his death2 that is1 he sows in spiritual corruption1 and that eternally4 ,he grows in spiritual corruption1 not because creatures are self-subsistent1 and advance by laws implanted in themselves2 but because sin is the punishment of sin1 and advance by laws implanted in the ,almighty4 ,eternal justice declares that sin must be given up to an advance in sin4--,miller4 ,it is frequently possible for man to screen themselves from the penalty of human laws1 but no man can be ungrateful or unjust without suffering for his crime2 hence ,i conclude that these laws must have proceeded from a more excellent legislator than man4--,socrates4 ,verse #bj4 ,uprightness is a noble quality1 for the ,lord greatly delights in it4 ,he boasted1 if we may speak so1 to the devil of ,job's invincible integrity4 ,christ speaks of an upright ,nathaniel as a wonder in the world4 ,how wonderful is the grace of ,god1 that takes such kind notice of grace so imperfect as that which may be found on earth4--,lawson4 ,an abomination to ,jehovah1 as taught in this book1 is a thing so radically full of mischief that it must be forced out of the way some day1 by the very necessities of the universe4--,miller4 ,not only those that pursue and practise wickedness1 but they also that harbour it in their hearts1 are hated of ,god4 7,luke xvi4 #ae74 ,a man may die of inward bleeding2 a man may be damned for contemplative wickedness4 ,the antithesis requires that he should say1 such as are upright in heart4 ,but ,he chooseth rather to say1 in their way1 not only because a good heart ever makes a good life1 but to meet with such as brag of the goodness of their hearts when their lives are altogether loose and licentious4 ,whereas holiness in the heart1 as the candle in the lantern1 well appears in the body4--,trapp4 ,a pearl upon a dunghill is worth stooping for1 and a gracious man or woman is worth looking after4 ,sure it is that ,god looks on them as ,his jewels1 as a chosen generation1 a royal priesthood1 ,his delight4 ,his dear children1 and what not4 ,it much concerns us then1 to set a true value upon them1 make a true estimate of them1 and 7as much as lieth in us7 to be mindful of them1 comfortable to them1 and willing on all occasions to do them good4--,spencer's ,things ,new and ,old4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,,deliverance ,,from ,a ,,confederated ,,opposition4 ,i4 ,the wicked will certainly confederate against the good4 ,they will join hand in hand4 #a4 ,on account of their nearness to each other4 ,if two nations who are near neighbours feel that the advance of one in possessions1 in power1 in wealth1 will be the correspondent retrogression of the other1 there will be a confederation of each nation4 ,their nearness to each other will necessitate a defensive confederation--most likely an offensive one1 for each will feel that its existence depends upon a union of its members4 ,the wicked and the good in the entire universe make but two hostile camps1 although they are not separated into distinct nationalities or divided by geographical boundaries in this world4 ,some of each side are found in every nation1 in every city1 in every hamlet1 often in the same house1 and while this is the case there will be confederation on both sides we have here to do only with that of the wicked4 ,hatred of the good is often the only bond of union between wicked men1 they feel that1 if the good are to be held back from possessing the earth1 they must unite to oppose their work4 ,hatred of ,christ united ,herod and ,pilate 7,luke xxiii4 #ab74 #b4 ,this confederation of the wicked is against both persons and principles4 ,the good fight only against the principles of the godless--they love their persons1 the wicked hate both the persons and principles of the good4 #c4 ,the wicked will confederate because of the tremendous issues depending upon the conflict4 ,if the principles that govern the good should triumph in the world1 they instinctively feel that there will be no place left for their persons and principles4 #d4 ,confederation implies choice1 confidence in numbers1 thought1 and a covenant to stand by each other4 ,those who join hand to hand show that they choose each other's society--choice is a revelation of character--those who join hands with the wicked reveal that they are wicked also4 ,it implies confidence in numbers4 ,numbers have a wonderful influence in begetting confidence4 ,they inspire men with hope of success4 ,it seems impossible that so many can be defeated4 ,the fact that the wicked are in the majority in this world is often a strong point with them4 ,this was the hope of ,pharaoh 7,exod4 xiv4 #f1 #g7 and of ,sennacherib 7,isa4 xxxvi74 ,the first ,napoleon made it his boast that ,providence fought always on the side of great battalions4 ,it likewise implies thought4 ,they do not go to their work without taking counsel together as to the best means of accomplishing their ends4 ,this multitude of counsellors 7ver4 #ad7 is one of the advantages of confederation4 ,it likewise implies covenant4 ,there is something even in a wicked man that makes him slow to break an agreement--to violate a solemn promise4 ,even the wicked ,herod would keep his oath to the daughter of ,herodias1 although the thought of the crime which he must commit to do so startled him for a moment 7,matt4 xiv4 #i74 ,all these things together make up the strength of the confederation of the wicked2 but1 notwithstanding1-- ,,ii4 ,they will be defeated4 ,the seed of the righteous will be delivered4 ,the end of all their planning and plotting was the destruction of the good1 but it will not be4 ,another confederation has been formed which has in it a stronger ,person than any in the confederation of the wicked4 ,god is in it4 ,god has chosen the good for ,his confederates because they have chosen ,him 7,isa4 xli4 #h1 #i74 ,although the wicked have many on their side there are more in numbers on the other side 7#b ,kings vi4 #af74 ,those unseen defenders of the good cause must be taken into account4 ,god has thoughts and plans which embrace and overrule all the plans and schemes of the wicked4 ,he has likewise made a covenant1 and ,he cannot alter the thing that has gone out of ,his lips 7,psalm xxxix4 #cd74 ,therefore the righteous may meet their foes with this challenge3 ,associate yourselves1 ,o ye people1 and ye shall be broken in pieces2 gird yourselves1 and ye shall be broken in pieces4 ,take counsel together1 and it shall come to nought2 speak the word1 and it shall not stand2 for the ,lord is with us 7,isa4 viii4 #i1 #aj74 ,,iii4 ,the members of the wicked confederation will be punished4 ,men think that individuals will be lost in the crowd4 ,they think there is safety in being one of many4 ,but it is not so4 ,god will deal with men as individuals4 ,he will render to every man according to his work 7,psalm lxii4 #ab74 ,this is the word of the ,lord to those who dare to take counsel together against the ,lord and against ,his anointed 7,psalm ii4 #b7--;,judgment also will ,i lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet2 and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies1 and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place4 ,and your covenant with death shall be disannulled1 and your agreement with hell shall not stand2 when the overflowing scourge shall pass through1 then ye shall be trodden down by it 7,isaiah xxviii4 #ag-ah74 ,and this is ,his word to the seed of the righteous1--,behold they shall surely gather together1 but not by me3 whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake4 ,behold1 ,i have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire1 and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work2 and ,i have created the waster to destroy4 ,no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper1 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn 7,isaiah liv4 #ae-ag74 ,,illustration4 ,a very solemn method of taking an oath in the ,east is by joining hands1 uttering at the same time a curse upon the false swearer4 ,to this the wise man probably alludes4 ,this form of swearing is still observed in ,egypt and the vicinity2 for when ,mr4 ,bruce was at ,shekh ,hunner1 he entreated the protection of the governor in prosecuting his journey1 when the great people who were assembled came1 and after joining hands1 repeated a kind of prayer about two minutes long1 by which they declared themselves and their children accursed1 if ever they lifted up their hands against him in the tent1 or in the field1 or the desert1 or in case that he or his should fly to them for refuge1 if they did not protect them at the risk of their lives4 ,or1 sometimes1 when two persons make a contract they bring the palms of their right hands into contact1 and raise them to their lips and forehead4 ,at other times they rub the forefingers of their rights hands together1 repeating the words right1 right1 or together1 together4--,paxton's ,illustration4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,what many wicked cannot do1 in saving one wicked man from wrath1 that shall one godly man do for many4 ,for not only himself1 but his seed shall be delivered4--,jermin4 ,the best way for any man to do his children good1 is to be godly himself4--,dod4 ,the seed of the righteous is not simply the children of righteous people1 because it includes the parents themselves2 not simply the parents1 because it includes the children2 not both parents and children1 because many children perish2 but the seed of the righteous in this sense 7#a7 that righteousness runs in lines2--there is a generation of them that seek ,him 7,psa4 xxiv4 #f7--;and 7#b7 that the righteous1 as far as they are righteous in the parental relation1 will have godly children 7,gen4 xviii4 #ai2 ,titus i4 #f74 ,righteousness itself 7by its fidelities7 has its offspring in ,christian families4 ,this is the favourite method of the ,church's growth4--,miller4 ,let sinners beware of the danger and the inevitable result of fighting against ,god6 ,he is wise in heart1 and mighty in strength2 who hath hardened himself against ,him and prospered8 ,what fearful odds--the creature against the ,creator6 the sinner against his rightful ,judge6 the arm of flesh against the hand of ,omnipotence4 ,though the wicked could league all creation with them in conspiracy and rebellion1 how powerless the combination6 ,he that sitteth in the heavens should laugh2 the ,lord should have them in derision4 ,he should speak unto them in ,his wrath1 and vex them in ,his sore displeasure4 ,companions in sin shall be companions in banishment and suffering4 ,forsake the foolish1 then1 and live4 ,choose another fellowship4 ,give your hand to ,god's people1 giving your heart to ,god ,himself4--,wardlaw4 ,when we hear of the wicked1 we are apt to think that man of abandoned lives can alone be meant4 ,hence1 when we read the text we have a picture brought before us of some overbearing tyranny1 or some perfidious conspiracy4 ,such specimens of evil are doubtless intended2 still1 after all1 much more is included in its meaning1 much which we see before our eyes4 ,is not the world itself evil8 ,is it an accident1 is it an occasion1 is it but an excess1 or a crisis1 or a complication of circumstances1 which constitutes its sinfulness8 or1 rather1 is it not one of our three great spiritual enemies at all times1 and under all circumstances8 7,see ,jas4 iv4 #d2 ,ephes4 ii4 #b2 ,rom4 xii4 #b2 #a ,john ii4 #ae74 ,let us be sure1 then1 that the confederacy of evil which ,scripture calls the world--that conspiracy against ,god of which ,satan is the secret instigator--is something wider1 and more subtle1 and more ordinary than mere cruelty1 or craft1 or profligacy3 ,it is that very world in which we are4 ,it is not a certain body or party of men--it is human society itself4--,j4 ,h4 ,newman4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,precious ,,things ,,possessed ,,by ,,unworthy ,,owners4 ,i4 ,there is an analogy between gold and beauty4 #a4 ,they are both gifts from ,god4 ,whether a man possesses gold by inheritance or as the result of labour it is a gift from ,god4 ,in the first instance no praise or blame is due to him for being a rich man1 he can no more help it than he can help being in existence4 ,and it is no less a gift from ,god when it has been earned by toil 7see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #bb74 ,beauty is also a gift from ,god1 those who possess it deserve no honour for being beautiful1 those who lack it are not to be despised on that account4 #b4 ,both have a certain value4 ,gold may add much to a man himself1 it increases his opportunities of spiritual and intellectual growth4 ,it enables him to add much to the joy and comfort of others1 to give them opportunities of growth also2 a rich man can1 if he pleases1 serve his generation most effectually by a right use of wealth1 and thereby increase a thousandfold his own happiness as well as that of others4 ,beauty is precious also4 ,a woman who possesses physical beauty possesses an influence which she can use1 if she pleases1 as a lever to raise the moral tone of those who come under her influence4 ,a beautiful woman may use her beauty so as to earn for herself a good reward1 and gladden the hearts of her fellow-creatures4 #c4 ,both may make their possessors worthy of praise or blame4 ,although neither praise nor blame can be attached to the possession of them1 much may be to their use4 ,he who uses gold as we have just indicated will receive the well done1 which is the highest praise that man can receive 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba74 ,but if1 like a sponge1 he sucks up all the blessings that his gold can give into his own life1 and leaves others unsuccoured and unblest1 he will deserve1 and he will receive1 the sentence passed upon the rich by the ,apostle ,james 7chap4 v4 #a74 ,so with the use or the abuse of beauty4 ,for the right use of this gift of ,god1 praise will be accorded to its possessor1 for its abuse she will be called to render an account4 ,,ii4 ,gold and beauty1 each in a wrong relation4 ,an ornament of gold is a fitting and becoming adornment of the human person4 ,but the same thing in a swine's snout is utterly out of place2 the conjunction of the two strikes us as entirely incongruous4 ,but it is not more so than to find a fair face united to an unlovely soul--to a soul which lacks the purity and modesty without which a woman is the most repulsive of ,god's creatures4 ,for the word translated discretion evidently means womanliness--virtue1 and when we see a beautiful face and find that it belongs to one with a foul spirit1 we seem to see heaven and hell united in one person4 ,the analogy goes further2 the swine uses his snout to grovel in the mire in search of that which will satisfy his animal and swinish nature1 he could put a jewel of gold to no other use4 ,and the woman of the proverb does the same thing with her beauty4 ,she debases this jewel of ,god's own workmanship to the vile use of satisfying her own grovelling and lawless desires1 and thus renders the resemblance most striking4 ,,illustration4 ,nearly all the females of the ,east wear a jewel of gold in their nostrils1 or in the septum of their nose2 and some of them are exceedingly beautiful1 and of great value4 ,the ,oriental lady looks with as much pleasure upon the jewel which adorns her nose as any of her sex in ,england do upon that which deck their ears4--,roberts4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we cannot1 if we are ourselves right-minded1--if we have even good sense1 apart from piety--admire such beauty4 ,it hardly deserves the name4 ,true loveliness consists not in mere exquisite symmetry of features4 ,it cannot exist without expression4 ,to constitute true beauty1 the countenance must be the index of the mind and heart--of what is intellectual and what is amiable4--,wardlaw4 ,the most direct proverb1 in the sense of mashal1 or similitude1 which has yet reached us4--,plumptre4 ,beauty is an earthly jewel1 and is a comely ornament1 where ,god and nature have bestowed it4 ,but if there be no discretion to consider whence it cometh1 and by whom it is preserved2 if there be no understanding to perceive what the nature of it is1 to what at last it cometh1 and how soon it fadeth1 it is then but a jewel of gold in a swine's snout4--,jermin4 ,god makes no more reckoning of sinful people without understanding1 than of brute beasts without reason4 ,though they have human nature1 and carry the shape and form of men and women1 with best show1 yet if there be nothing but flesh and blood and sinfulness1 no beauty no bravery1 make the best of them1 is more acceptable to ,him than is the basest of all the other creatures4 ,it is a very homely comparison wherewith the ,holy ,ghost disgraceth the wicked in this book1 and yet so true1 that ,he toucheth it again in the ,new ,testament 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #bb74--;,dod4 ,it is small praise1 saith one1 to have a good face and an evil nature4 ,no one means1 saith another1 hath so enriched hell as beautiful faces4 ,art thou fair8 saith an author2 be not like an ,egyptian temple1 or a painted sepulchre4 ,art thou foul8 let thy soul be like a rich pearl in a rude shell4--,trapp4 ,beauty in the possession of an unthinking woman is more dangerous than a drawn sword in the hands of an idiot4 ,beauty1 unaccompanied by virtue1 is as a flower without perfume4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,the ,,desire ,,of ,,the ,,righteous1 ,,and ,,the ,,expectation ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,we cannot understand the first clause of this verse to mean that all a righteous man's desires are good4 #a4 ,history contradicts it4 ,solomon must have known it was not true of his own father4 ,david was a righteous man1 but some of his desires were not only not good1 but inhuman and devilish4 ,of all the good men of whom we read1 whether in inspired or uninspired history1 there is hardly one of whom some act is not recorded which reveals that their desires were sometimes sinful4 #b4 ,present experience contradicts it4 ,if those who are now looked upon as the salt of the earth were appealed to upon this matter they would emphatically deny that their desires were at all times and altogether good4 ,but this we may affirm4 ,i4 ,that the main desire of a righteous man is that he may be good1 and that to all his fellow-creatures good may be the final goal of ill4 ,,ii4 ,that there will be a period in his history when his desires will be only good4 ,in nature all things tend towards a perfection--a completion4 ,if no untoward circumstances prevent1 a tree or a flower will go on growing until it has attained to the perfectness to which it has been ordained4 ,the ,christian is destined to attain to perfection of moral beauty4 ,and when this completion is arrived at his desires will be only good4 ,see #a ,john iii4 #a1 #b1 etc4 7,for full treatment of the verse see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 verses #bd and #bh47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,here we are to contrast a wish and an assurance 7expectation7 like that class of passages already alluded to where the last clause is intensive4 ,the mere wish of the righteous is an intrinsic good2 either first1 because all writings of his heart1 whether wise or unwise will exercise him 7,psalm lxxxiv4 #g71 and will speed him to his celestial state2 or secondly1 because the wish of a righteous man1 quoad a righteous man1 will be a righteous wish1 and1 therefore1 will be good in itself1 and will be sure to be gratified4 ,the wish of a righteous man1 like the spongelets of a tree1 is that which goes searching for ,god's gifts1 and is sure in the end to attain them4 ,therefore1 emphasising only the wish of a righteous man will be made altogether to work for his good1 however disappointed1 and however kept low and troubled in the difficulties of the present life4 ,but an assurance of the wicked2 that is1 a thing so grasped and reached as to be no longer a wish1 but a certainty2 wealth1 when it is made his1 or honour1 when it is actually grasped1 will not only be lost2 will not only be followed by wrath in the sense of actually bringing it2 but is wrath in the sense of being sent as punishment1 and in the further sense that the sinner knew it all the time2 and that his assurance1 though it seemed to be a certainty of joy1 was1 lower down1 a certainty of punishment2 we mean by that an assurance 7which he would confess if he were asked7 that all his properties could end only in increasing retribution4--,miller4 ,desire is the wing of the soul1 whereby it moveth1 and is carried to the thing which it loveth as the eagle to the carcase1 to feed itself upon it1 and be satisfied with it 7,bishop ,reynolds74 ,the desire of the righteous must be good because it is ,god's own work 7,psalm x4 #ag2 ,rom4 viii4 #bf1 #bg74 ,it must be only good1 because it centres in ,himself 7,psalm lxxiii4 #be2 ,isa4 xxvi4 #h1 #i74 4 4 4 ,the corrupt mixture of worldliness1 selfishness1 and pride is against our better will 7,rom4 vii4 #ae74 ,in despite of this mighty assault--,lord1 all my desire is before thee2 thou knowest all things2 thou knowest that ,i love thee 7,psalm xxxvii4 #i2 ,john xxi4 #ag74--;,bridges4 ,evil motions haunt his mind otherwhiles1 but there they inhabit not4 4 4 4 ,as the ferryman plies the oar1 and eyes the shore homeward1 where he would be1 yet there comes a gust of wind that carries him back again1 so it is oft with a ,christian4 ,but every man is with ,god so good as he desires to be4 ,they are written in the book of life that do what they can1 though they cannot do what they would4--,trapp4 ,verse #bc and chap4 x4 #bd4 ,i4 ,what1 or who is the righteous man8 #a4 ,he is one whom ,god makes righteous by bestowing righteousness upon him--by counting the righteousness of ,his ,son for his 7,rom4 v4 #ai74 ,a man must be righteous by imputation before he can be made good1 for the ,spirit which makes our persons good--which sanctifies our nature--is the fruit of the righteousness which is by ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,god makes a man righteous by bestowing upon him a principle of righteousness4 ,man must have eyes before they can see1 tongues before they can speak1 and legs before they go3 even so a man must be made habitually good and righteous before he can work righteousness #c4 ,the man is practically righteous4 ,fruits show outwardly what the heart is principled with4 ,mark how the apostle words it3 ,being made free from sin1 and become servants to ,god1 ye have your fruit unto holiness 7,rom4 vi4 #bb74 ,the works flow from the heart of a righteous man--of a man that before he had any good work had a twofold righteousness imparted to him--one to make him righteous before ,god1 the other to principle him to be righteous before the world4 ,,ii4 ,what a righteous man desires4 ,a righteous man is sometimes taken for his best part1 or as he is a second creation as in #b ,cor4 v4 #ag2 ,col4 iii4 #aj1 etc4 ,in which places the sinful flesh1 the old man1 the outward man--all of which are corrupt according to his deceitful lusts--are excluded1 and so pared off from the man1 that he is righteous4 ,as ,paul in ,rom4 vii4 #ae-ag severs himself in twain1--himself as he is spiritual from himself as he is carnal--so the righteous man here must be taken for the ,i that would do the good1 the ,i that hates the evil4 ,there is a spring that yieldeth water good and clear1 but the channels through which this water comes to us are muddy and foul3 now1 of the channels the water receives a disadvantage1 and so come to us savouring of what came not with them from the fountain of grace--the ,holy ,ghost--but from the channels through which they must pass4 ,the desires of a righteous man1 then1 are comprised under1 #a4 those they would have accomplished here1 and #b4 those which they know cannot be enjoyed until after death4 ,and the first are comprised under communion with ,god in spirit and the liberty of enjoyment of ,his ordinances4 ,and the second are comprehended under the desire of that presence of the ,lord which is personal1 and their desire to be in that country where their ,lord personally is4 ,these last have a long neck3 for they look over the brazen wall of this1 quite into another world4 ,they breed a divorce betwixt the soul and all inordinate love of the world2 their strength is such1 that they are ready to dissolve that sweet knot of union betwixt body and soul and to grapple with the ,king of ,terrors4 ,these desires do deal with death1 as ,jacob's love to ,rachel did with the seven long years which he was to serve for her4 ,,iii4 ,what is meant by granting the righteous man's desires4 ,it is to accomplish them4 ,there is nothing that ,god likes of ours better than ,he likes our true desires4 ,for1 indeed1 true desires are the smoke of our incense1 the flower of our graces1 the vital part of the new man4 ,right desires jump with ,god's mind2 they are the life of prayer2 they are a man's kindness to ,god2 7chap4 xix4 #bb7 and they which will take him up from the ground1 and carry him after ,god to do ,his will1 be the work never so hard4 ,is it any marvel then1 that ,god has promised they shall be granted8--,bunyan4 ,the desire of all1 as it is desire1 is only of good2 but as desire is accomplished1 so it is the desire of the righteous only that is good1 and their desire accomplished is good only4 ,it is simply good1 there is no mixture of evil added to it1 yea1 it is not only all good1 but all the good that desire can wish4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bd-bf4 ,,the ,,liberal ,,and ,,the ,,niggardly ,,man4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,be very careful with the word niggardly because it can sound like a racial slur1 especially to those who do not know the word or who are not paying attention4 ,consider substituting miserly1 sparing1 or parsimonious4 ,we have here a twofold contrast under two similitudes-- ,i4 ,a man who withholds what he ought to give out4 ,he withholdeth more than is meet--he withholdeth corn when he ought to sell it4 #a4 ,he is a sinner against the law of necessity which runs through all human things4 ,the earth will only yield of her good things by first having good things cast into her bosom4 ,the farmer who is sparing of labour and of money in the tillage of his fields will never be a rich man4 ,the same principle is at work in the mart and on the exchange4 ,there must of necessity be a wise scattering of wealth before there is any increase4 #b4 ,he is a sinner against the ,divine ordination and commandment4 ,when ,god organized the ,hebrew commonwealth ,he ordained that the poor should not cease out of the land 7,deut4 xv4 #aa71 and that they should be helped by the rich4 ,the same principle was proclaimed by ,christ1 when ,he said ,freely ye have received1 freely give 7,matt4 x4 #h71 ,god has given to you that you may give to others4 ,this is the fast that ,jehovah has chosen1 ,is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry1 and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house8 ,when thou seest the naked that thou cover him1 and that thou hide not thyself from thy own flesh 7,isa4 lviii4 #g74 #c4 ,he is1 as a necessity1 a sinner against his fellow creatures4 ,he sins against their need4 ,in times of scarcity those who have abundance and will not give of their abundance are guilty1 how much more those who have the material to feed the people and will not even sell it1 but withhold it to raise the price4 ,such men are robbers and murderers4 ,they murder by refusing the means of life4 #d4 ,he is a sinner against himself4 ,he will not be so rich as he would have been if he had used what he had in accordance with the laws of nature and morality4 ,a man who does not put his money out to a lawful use cannot make more by it4 ,more than this1 he is a stranger to that blessedness of which ,christ spake when ,he said ,it is more blessed to give than to receive 7,acts xx4 #ce74 ,but this is not all1 he is under a ,divine and human curse4 ,god's ban is upon him4 ,if a tree is constantly receiving from the fatness of the earth and the heavens and yet brings forth no fruit for the service of man1 it is marked for the woodman's axe4 ,the message of ,god to such cumberers of the ground is1 ,go to1 now1 ye rich man1 weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you4 ,your riches are corrupted1 and your garments are moth-eaten4 ,your gold and your silver is cankered1 and the rust of them shall be a witness against you1 and shall eat your flesh as it were fire 7,jas4 v4 #a-c74 ,the people shall curse him4 ,how can they do otherwise8 ,they feel that he has robbed them of their rights when he will not even sell what they are willing to buy4 ,,ii4 ,the man who gives out liberally of that which he possesses4 ,he yields first of all to the necessity of things4 ,he scatters his wealth wisely in order to increase it4 ,but this is his lowest motive and his smallest blessing4 ,so far as more trading goes this scattering to increase is a mere matter of necessity4 ,he knows he must cast a bushel of corn into the ground if he would have it increase--that he must spend a thousand pounds before he can gain ten thousand4 ,in this way he shows that he has faith in the ordinary law of multiplication4 ,but he goes further than this4 ,he selleth corn at a fair price1 when1 by withholding it1 he might exact more4 ,this is a sample of all his dealings with his fellow-men4 ,he does not take advantage of their necessities to enrich himself 7see ,homiletics on verse #a74 ,he goes beyond this--he not only sells at a fair price1 but he is a giver4 ,he scatters in the way of giving out of his abundance1 looking for nothing again 7,luke vi4 #ce74 ,but he is a great gainer4 #a4 ,he will very likely get richer in material wealth by giving4 ,this is not positively affirmed in the text there is that scattereth and yet increaseth4 ,but he will certainly never be the poorer1 for he makes ,god his creditor4 ,he that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the ,lord 7chap4 xix4 #ag74 #b4 ,he will certainly be richer in more precious wealth4 ,he will be watered himself4 ,he will have a double blessing4 ,men will call down blessings on his head4 ,those who partake of his wealth will give him in return love1 honour1 and respect4 ,god will add to his personal character that which will increase tenfold the blessedness of his existence4 ,he will1 according to the apostolic promise1 make all grace to abound toward him1 that he1 having all sufficiency in all things1 may abound to every good work4 ,he will increase the fruits of righteousness 7#b ,cor4 ix4 #f-aa71 and water his soul with ,his own ,divine influence4 ,if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry1 and satisfy the afflicted soul2 then shall thy light rise in obscurity1 and thy darkness be as the noon-day3 and the ,lord shall guide thee continually1 and satisfy thy soul in drought1 and make fat thy bones2 and thou shalt be like a watered garden1 whose waters fail not 7,isa4 lviii4 #aa74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #bd1 #be4 ,is not this just one of the appropriate ways of putting faith to the test on ,god's part1 and showing its reality on ours8 ,is it not precisely the defectiveness of this faith that makes us timid1 cautious1 parsimonious in giving8 ever fearing that we may stint ourselves and feel the want of what we expend on suffering humanity and on the cause of ,god8 ,is it not thus by unbelief that we are tempted to sow sparingly8 ,and ought it to be1 that the husbandman trust more to the laws of nature than the ,christian does to the covenant of his ,god8--,wardlaw4 ,the ,jews in ,haggai's time had no prosperity till they made the house of the ,lord their chief object 7,hag4 i4 #f1 #i-aa2 ii4 #ae-ai74 ,so far is the true wealth of the withholder from being increased by withholding what is meet to be given for the glory of ,god and the good of man1 that he is at last deprived even of that which he had 7,matt4 xiii4 #ab74--;,fausset4 ,men may scatter in improvidence and sin1 and it tendeth to poverty 7chap4 xxi4 #ag74 ,but the man of ,god1 dispersing abroad the seed of godliness 7,ps4 cxii4 #i71 consecrating his substance and influence to the ,lord1 as he has opportunity1 doing good unto all men 7,gal4 vi4 #aj71 shall receive a plentiful increase4--,bridges4 ,the liberal man will ever be rich2 for ,god's providence is his estate1 ,god's wisdom and power are his defence1 ,god's love and favour are his reward1 and ,god's word is his security4--,barrow4 ,the liberal soul is made fat in the healthful vigour of practical godliness4 ,the minister is refreshed by his own message of salvation to his people4 ,the ,sunday-school teacher learns many valuable lessons in the work of instruction4 ,the ,christian visitor's own soul glows in carrying the precious name of ,jesus to a fellow-sinner4 ,every holy temper1 every spiritual gift1 every active grace is increased by exercise4--,bridges4 ,give1 and thou shalt receive4 ,john ,howard1 when he grew sad about his piety1 put on his hat and went about among the poor4 ,he came back a gainer4 ,he diverted his mind from his own interests1 and yet promoted them in a higher assurance4 ,religion being benevolence1 as well as a love of holiness1 doing good to others is a philosophic way of ripening it in ourselves4 ,verse #bd has its ,poor ,richard phrase as well as a higher one4 ,being penny wise and pound foolish is understood even in our shops4 ,but the grand sense is evangelical4 ,inserviendo allius consumor may be true of poor impenitents1 but a candle is no emblem for a ,christian4 ,he is a glorious sun who1 by some strange alchemy1 brightens by shining4 ,watereth refers to the ground1 or to animals4 ,giving plenty to drink is the meaning of the word as applied to man4--,miller4 ,wherefore doth the ,lord make your cup run over1 but the other men's lips might taste the liquor8 ,the showers that fall upon the highest mountains should glide into the lowest valleys4--,secker4 ,man is ,god's image1 but a poor man is ,christ's stamp to boot2 both images regard4 ,god reckons for him1 counts the favour ,his3 ,write1 so much given to ,god2 thou shalt be heard4 ,let thy alms go before1 and keep heaven's gate ,open for thee1 or both may come too late4 ,the last clause of ver4 #be is literally he that raineth shall himself become a river4 ,the water that falls in refreshing and fertilising irrigation is not lost1 but becomes a fair stream4 ,so the bounty of the liberal man1 which rains down blessings1 will flow on for ever in a beautiful river4--,wordsworth4 ,the well-being of all is concerned in the right working of each4 ,one necessarily affects for good or evil all the rest in proportion to the closeness of its relations and the weight of its influence4 ,you draw another to keep him from error3 that other's weight which you have taken on keeps you steadier in your path4 ,you water one who is ready to wither away2 and although the precious stream seems to sink into the earth1 it rises to heaven and hovers over you1 and falls again upon yourself in refreshing dew4 ,it comes to this1 if we be not watering we are withering4--,arnot4 ,poor men are not excluded from the grace and blessing of being merciful1 though they attain not to the state and ability of being wealthy4 ,mercy is not placed with money in the purse1 but dwelleth with loving-kindness in the heart4 ,he that can mourn with such as do mourn1 he that can pray for them that be in distress1 has a soul of blessing4--,dod4 ,st4 ,gregory applieth the words particularly unto ministers and saith1 ,he that by preaching doth outwardly bless1 receiveth the fatness of inward increase4 ,and to this sense the ,chaldee reads it1 saying1 ,he that teacheth shall himself also learn4 ,and then the former part of the verse may be taken thus1 the soul that bestoweth abroad the blessings of a wise instruction shall profit much in his wisdom1 according to a common saying among the ,jews1 ,i have profited more by my scholars than by all things else4--,jermin4 ,bounty is the most compendious way to plenty2 neither is getting1 but giving1 the best thrift4 ,the five loaves in the ,gospel1 by a strange kind of arithmetic1 were multiplied by a division and augmented by subtraction4 ,so will it be in this case4 ,st4 ,augustine1 descanting upon ,psa4 lxxvi4 #e1 says1 ,why is this8 ,they found nothing in their own hands1 because they feared to lay up anything in ,christ's hands4 ,the poor man's hand is ,christ's treasury1 saith another ,father4--,trapp4 ,verse #bf4 ,he that withholdeth corn holdeth1 as it were1 the gracious hand of ,god1 yea1 pulleth it back by his covetousness1 when ,god in bounty hath stretched it forth unto a land4 4 4 4 ,now1 what is said of a countryman concerning his corn1 let the citizen also mark concerning his wares1 ,let not profit overcome honesty1 but let honesty overcome profit4 ,and what is said to the citizen let the minister also observe1 and bind not up by a damnable silence that good word which may profit many4--,jermin4 ,the point of antithesis apparently fails only to give stronger security to the blessing4 ,the curse comes directly from the people2 the blessing from above4--,bridges4 ,the prevailing maxim of the world1 ever since the first murderer gave utterance to the tendencies of human nature1 after its fall1 in the question1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 has been1 ,every man for himself4 ,the identity of human nature in all ages is stamped upon the book of ,proverbs4 ,what presented itself to view in ,solomon's days is no rarity still4 4 4 4 ,there can hardly be a more affecting exemplification than this of the power of an avaricious disposition in hardening the heart4--,wardlaw4 ,such a man1 like a corrupt1 imposthumated member1 would draw all the nourishment to himself1 and cares not1 though the other parts of the body perish4 ,this oak1 which will suffer no small trees to thrive near it1 will in time fall with the breath of so many curses4--,swinnock4 ,modern political economy may have taught us that even here the selfishness of the individual does1 in the long run1 by limiting consumption1 and maintaining a reserve1 promote the general good1 but it is no less true that men hate the selfishness and pour blessings upon him who sells at a moderate profit4 ,our own laws against forestalling and regrating schemes for a maximum price of bread1 as in the famine of the ,french ,revolution1 histories like that of ,m4 ,manlins1 legends like that of ,bishop ,hatto and the rats1 are tokens of the universality of the feeling4--,plumptre4 ,literally1 breaketh it1 like ,joseph to his brethren and the people in ,egypt4 ,in a spiritual sense this verse may be applied specially to pastors and to churches4 ,he that withholdeth corn--he that keepeth back from others the bread of life1 which is the ,word of ,god1 the ,holy ,scriptures--the food of the soul1 he shall be accursed2 but blessings are upon him that fully and freely dispenses it4--,wordsworth4 ,to be an object of aversion among his neighbours is a heavy infliction upon a human being4 ,no man can despise it4 4 4 4 ,this1 in the last resort1 is the protection of the poor and the punishment of the oppressor4 ,the mightiest man desires the blessing of the people1 and dreads their curse4 ,wealth would be a weapon too powerful for the liberty of men1 if he who wields it were not confined within narrow limits by the weakness of humanity1 common to him with the meanest of the people4--,arnot4 ,here is consolation to them that bring an upright heart to selling1 though they cannot be large in giving3 therein they do a service to ,god and perform a work of love to their neighbour4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,diligent ,,seekers4 ,i4 ,an object worthy of search4--,good4 ,there is4 #a4 ,material1 temporal good4 ,the human race need no exhortation to stimulate them to go in quest of this good4 ,the child begins his search after this good as soon as he is conscious of need and finds himself in possession of power to seek it4 ,and until old age these good things are sought without any admonition from ,god to lead a man to seek them4 #b4 ,but there is a higher good--the good which ministers to the spiritual nature and forms a holy character--the good of which ,christ speaks when ,he says1 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness4 7,matt vi4 #bc74 ,men need to be exhorted to seek this good1 and the ,bible puts before them every kind of motive to stimulate men to the search--motives drawn from the happiness of a future heaven and a future hell1 and from the present heaven or hell which will result from the search or from the neglect of this true good4 ,men are1 as a rule1 too much occupied with seeking the lower and the transitory good to seek that which is spiritual and eternal--that ,supreme ,personal ,good--,god ,himself4 ,god is the ,good that the soul needs because ,he unites in ,himself all that can minister to our better nature4 ,the soul needs truth--and ,god is truth4 ,the soul needs something above itself to worship1 to love1 to obey4 ,there is nothing can supply this need but the living ,god4 ,,ii4 ,how this good is to be sought4 ,diligently4 ,the diligence will be in proportion to the desire4 ,the word here translated diligently is the same as that translated early in chap4 viii4 #ag4 7,see ,homiletics on that passage47 ,,iii4 ,the reward of diligent seekers after real good4 ,favour4 #a4 ,of ,god4 ,he loves to see men value that upon which ,he sets value1 viz41 their own spiritual and eternal gain #b4 ,of good men always4 ,of bad men often4 ,for the diligent seeking of this highest good does not make a man selfish--on the contrary1 the more earnest he is in the search1 the more he will lay himself out to serve his fellow-men4 ,in this the contrast is marked between the diligent search after material and spiritual good4 ,the sentiment of the verse is the same as that in chap4 iii4 #d 7see ,homiletics on that verse74 ,,iv4 ,a most unworthy object of search4 ,mischief4 ,understanding this of evil in general which is most mischievous in its working and its results1 we remark--#a4 ,that it requires no great diligence to work moral mischief towards a man's self4 ,to abstain from seeking good is to seek and to find mischief4 ,to neglect salvation 7,heb4 ii4 #c7 is enough to ruin4 #b4 ,that the man who plots to work mischief to another often sets the seekers after good an example of diligence4 ,how much of planning--what an expenditure of thought and activity is often put forth to ruin another6 #c4 ,that the man who seeks mischief is certain to find it4 ,it will not wait even to be found--it will come to meet him4 ,but there may and will be some amount of disappointment4 ,if he seeks his own ruin he will certainly succeed1 but if he seeks to do another a mischief1 he may miscarry1 but the intention will be fulfilled in himself4 ,whether he succeeds in harming another man or not1 it is a law of moral gravitation that ,his mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate 7,psalm vii4 #af74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is no negative existence4 ,man is born for action4 ,all of us are living with a stupendous measure of vital activity for good or for mischief4 ,man was never intended--least of all the ,christian--to be idle4 ,our ,divine ,master went about doing good4 ,he is a counterfeit who does not live after this pattern4 ,usefulness is everything4 ,we must not rest in life received1 nor must we wait to have it brought to us4 ,we must seek it4--,bridges4 ,from the last proverbs it has appeared that going after our own selfish gain1 is really going after evil4 ,joy is innocent in itself2 and yet1 gone after absorbingly1 it is an evil end4 ,whosoever shall seek to save his life1 shall lose it 7,luke xvii4 #cc74 ,solomon1 therefore utters a most philosophic truth when he says ,he that diligently seeketh good1 etc41 that is1 who forgets himself1 and is early 7for that is the original sense7 after what is intrinsically right and holy1 that man is really the person who is seeking or hunting up favour2 that is1 if he could really gain it by hunting it up directly1 and for his selfish good1 he could not gain it more directly than by forgetting it1 and striving for what is pure4 7,see ,matt4 vi4 #cc74 ,then follows the antithesis4 ,he that seeks mischief1 etc41 as one is conscious that he does when he turns his heart selfishly even after innocent joys4 ,he goes after that which may in itself be innocent1 like money1 or like the support of life2 in a way that to his own conscience makes it confessedly evil1 shall have it come to him at the end of his course1 infallibly as evil4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,,trust ,,in ,,riches ,,and ,,trust ,,in ,,god4 ,i4 ,the trust in riches springs1 #a4 ,from the fact that gold1 and what it can do for us1 is within the reach of our senses4 ,unless the bodily senses are counterbalanced by the moral--the spiritual--sense1 they have a tendency to shut us in upon the seen--to shut out the unseen4 ,this is why men make to themselves gods that they can see and carry about with them4 ,the rich man can look upon his gold and upon all that it has purchased for him1 his mansion1 his lands1 his sumptuous table1 his obsequious servants4 ,all these things are daily before his eyes1 and if his spiritual sight is not keen1 they are very likely to become his confidence4 #b4 ,from the fact that gold can do very much for men4 ,it can afford him opportunities of the best education4 ,gold can place the son of a tradesman side by side with that of a nobleman in this respect4 ,it can surround him with all the refining influences of life4 ,it will open to him positions of power and influence1 its magic power will surround him with friends4 ,when a man feels that he owes all these good things to gold1 he is very prone to trust in it4 #c4 ,from the fact that gold is so universal in its influence in the present world4 ,there is no place upon the globe1 where there are human beings1 where gold1 or what gold can purchase1 will not do something for a man4 ,no monarch has such a wide dominion or so many subjects as this ,king ,gold4 ,,ii4 ,but he that trusts in riches will find them fail him4 #a4 ,because he is more than the object of his trust4 ,man is more than gold because it was made for him and not man for gold4 ,god made it to be his servant1 but when a man makes it the object of his supreme hope and confidence1 he inverts the ,divine order and becomes its slave4 ,and man needs something more than himself to be the object of his trust4 #b4 ,because there are comforts for existence that gold cannot buy4 ,faith in a living ,god1 a good conscience1 hope for the future1 present peace and rest of soul cannot be purchased for all the gold of the ,indies4 ,nebuchadnezzar could make an image of gold1 but all his riches could not purchase the faith and godly courage of the three ,hebrew youths4 ,the rich man in hell needed comfort that all his earthly wealth could not have purchased4 #c4 ,because the only ,being who can supply man's deepest needs cannot be bribed4 ,pardon of sin cannot be gotten for gold neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof4 ,a holy character cannot be valued with the gold of ,ophir1 with the precious onyx or the sapphire4 ,the gold and the crystal cannot equal it3 and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold4 7,job xxviii4 #af1 #ag74 ,the ,holy ,ghost--that gift of ,god1 cannot be purchased with money4 7,acts viii4 #bj74 ,a golden key will not open the gate of heaven4 ,therefore ,charge them that are rich in this world1 that they be not high-minded1 nor trust in uncertain riches1 but in the living ,god 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,the righteous man shall not fall1 but flourish as a branch1 because as a branch in a tree he is in connection with life4 ,gold is a dead thing1 but the ,god of the good man is a ,living ,person1 a ,being who can understand and supply all his soul's need--a ,being who is not only ,king of the present and the seen1 but of the future and the unseen4 ,i am the vine1 ye are the branches4 ,because ,i live1 ye shall live also 7,john xiv4 #i1 xv4 #e74 ,he shall not only live1 but flourish--his leaf shall not wither--he shall bring forth fruit in his season 7,psa4 i4 #c74 ,the cause of the branch being laden with fruitfulness and beauty is because of its connection with the root4 ,trust is the link between the creature and the ,creator1 which makes the one a partaker of the fulness of the other4 ,blessed is the man that trusteth in the ,lord1 and whose hope the ,lord is4 ,for he shall be like a tree planted by the waters1 and that spreadeth out her roots by the river1 and shall not see when heat cometh1 but her leaf shall be green2 and shall not be careful in the year of drought1 neither shall cease from yielding fruit 7,jer4 xvii4 #g1 #h74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,i have read of one that1 upon his dying bed1 called for his bags1 and laid a bag of gold to his heart1 and then cried out1 ,take it away1 it will not do1 it will not do6 ,there are things that earthly riches cannot do4 ,they can never satisfy ,divine justice1 nor pacify ,divine wrath1 nor quiet a guilty conscience4 ,and till these things are done1 the man is undone4--,brooks4 ,as sheep that go in fat pastures come sooner to the slaughter-house than those which are kept upon the bare common3 so1 likewise1 rich men1 who are pampered with the wealth of this world1 sooner forsake ,god1 and therefore are sooner forsaken of ,god than others4--,cawdray4 ,he that trusts in riches may trust in that which may not disappoint him4 ,that is1 it may remain great1 and may follow him to the grave4 ,but while his riches are piling up1 he himself is withering away4 ,it is not the rich1 but they that trust in riches 7,mark4 x4 #bd74 ,the truly important thing is the man himself2 and while the unregenerate falls1 or decays1 the righteous1 even without money1 prospers4 ,he grows from within4 ,that is he grows1 and not his money4--,miller4 ,be not proud of riches1 but afraid of them1 lest they be as silver bars to cross the way to heaven4 ,we must answer for our riches1 but our riches cannot answer for us4--,mason4 ,riches were never true to any that trusted in them4 ,the rich churl that trusted and boasted that he had much goods laid up in store for many years1 when1 like a jay1 he was preening himself in his boughs1 came tumbling down with an arrow in his side4--,trapp4 ,riches are of a falling nature1 now they fall to a man1 now they fall from him1 not they fall to this man1 now to that1 now to another4 ,there is no holdfast of them1 and less holdfast by them4 ,he1 therefore1 that trusteth in them shall fall1 fall into their hands and power1 who seek his hurt and mischief1 because not trusting in ,god1 he receiveth no succour from ,him4--,jermin4 ,good men have the ,lord ,jesus ,christ for their root1 and ,god1 the ,father to dress and keep them1 therefore the drought of adversity shall not hurt them1 nor the dews of wholesome prosperity fail them4 ,they shall have safety for their bodies1 graces for their souls1 competency for their state1 and all good furtherances for their everlasting glory4--,dod4 ,money1 thou bane of bliss1 and source of woe1 ,whence com'st thou1 that thou art so fresh and fine8 ,i know thy parentage is base and low3 ,man found thee poor and dirty in a mine4 ,surely thou didst so little little contribute ,to this great kingdom1 which thou now hast got1 ,that he was fain1 when thou wert destitute1 ,to dig thee out of thy dark cave and grot4 ,then forcing thee1 by fire he made thee bright2 ,nay1 thou hast got the face of man3 for we ,have with our stamp and seal transferred our right3 ,thou art the man1 and man but dross to thee4 ,man calleth thee his wealth1 who made thee rich1 ,and while he digs out thee1 falls in the ditch4--,herbert4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,foolish ,,home ,,rulers4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,be very careful with the word niggardly because it can sound like a racial slur1 especially to those who do not know the word or who are not paying attention4 ,consider substituting miserly1 sparing1 or parsimonious4 ,i4 ,there are many ways of troubling thine own house4 ,many sparks fly from one anvil1 but one is sufficient to set a house on fire4 ,some home-destroyers emit many sparks1 but one evil habit or temper is enough to consume all the peace of home-life4 ,a man may trouble his house by--#a4 ,selfishness4 ,when a dry sponge is placed in a vessel of water1 it will soak up every drop of water that it can hold1 and very probably will leave the vessel empty4 ,so the selfish head of a household will absorb all the comforts of the household--take to himself all the luxuries and enjoyments which ought to be distributed among all its members4 #b4 ,hasty temper4 ,a human father and husband that will complain at every trifle and blaze into a passion when nothing has been done or said worthy of notice1 will be a great troubler of his house4 ,he will not be heeded when there is real occasion for his displeasure4 ,the perpetual rattle of a daily siege so dulls the ear of the soldier that he does not notice the roar of the cannon on the day of special battle4 ,so the members of a household who are always being subjected to the rattle of an ungovernable tongue make no account of reproof when there is really an occasion for it4 #c4 ,a perpetual assertion of authority4 ,there can be no joyful obedience in a family where its head is always insisting upon the fact that he is their master4 ,such a constant proclamation of the right to rule makes this a bondage which would otherwise be a glad service4 #d4 ,prodigality or niggardliness4 ,he who wastes that which belongs to his children is a robber1 and so is he who from avaricious motives deprives them of those home comforts with which he is able to furnish them4 ,these are but samples of the many ways in which a man may trouble his house--ways which are not altogether unknown in some homes whose head is a professor of godliness4 ,such a man is a far-reaching curse4 ,the members of such a home scatter themselves abroad in the world carrying with them none of the blessed influences that they ought to have received from their home-life1 and are very likely in their turn to become the troublers of their houses4 ,the gold receives its form and polish1 its image and superscription at the mint4 ,home is the mint where the value of the character for its entire future is often impressed upon it4 ,the child generally bears the image and superscription of his parent4 ,,ii4 ,such a troubler is a fool4 #a4 ,he can reap no possible advantage by it4 ,to inherit the wind is to inherit cold cheer4 ,a wintry wind is poor comfort for a man with little raiment on a cold night4 ,wind is an unsatisfying substitute for food to a hungry man4 ,but a man in such a condition is an apt illustration of a man in the winter of life who has forfeited that love and honour which would have been the reward of a different course of conduct4 #b4 ,he shall go down in social position4 ,the man who has ruled his household well must win the respect and confidence of those outside of it4 ,it is an inevitable consequence that he will go upon the estimation of his associates while one of the opposite character will go down and so be servant to the wise of heart4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that troubles his own house in any form of impenitence2 he that takes the trouble to live without the gospel2 he that chases wealth when he admits that it will breed him vengeance2 he that goes through the self-denials of the world to accumulate worldly benefits which he knows are mischiefs to his soul1 is absolutely fool enough to be the servant in all these trials1 and that through eternal ages1 of wiser and better creatures4--,miller4 ,he shall leave at last but the wind of his breath to deplore his folly and to beg help for his misery4 ,st4 ,gregory taketh the latter part of the verse that a fool serveth the wise in heart even by ruling over him and oppressing him1 for he advanceth him to a better state and condition of goodness4--,jermin4 ,he that would not undo himself1 let him not undo his family and domestic affairs4 ,it nearly concerneth a householder to know that his house is laden with his whole estate1 that his people sail together with him in the same vessel1 for his use4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,,the ,,winner ,,of ,,souls4 ,i4 ,souls can be won to ,god and goodness4 #a4 ,there is in every man a natural light to which to appeal4 ,if a sick man has something in his constitution upon which the physician can fix as a basis of operation1 there is hope of recovery4 ,but where the constitution is utterly and entirely bad1 the very effort of the physician is a proof of his lack of wisdom4 ,man is morally diseased1 but he is not so depraved as to make his being won to ,god a hopeless attempt4 ,there is in him a moral base of operation1 he has a conscience which is more or less enlightened4 ,men are1 according to the highest authority1 a law unto themselves1 that which may be known of ,god is manifest in 7or to7 them4 7,see ,rom4 i4 #ai1 #bj1 ii4 #ad47 ,they would not be without excuse1 as the ,apostle there declares that they are1 if they had no moral consciousness4 #b4 ,the very existence of the ,bible proves that man is not hopelessly lost4 ,wise men do not waste words and efforts where they know that they would be thrown away4 ,they do not set on foot plans to help those for whom they know there is no hope4 ,a wise physician will not harass his patient and waste his own energies when he knows there is no possibility of cure4 ,it is kinder to let him die in peace4 ,god is too wise and too kind to send man a revelation which he knows would be useless to him4 ,he would not tantalise him with hopes which could not be realised4 #c4 ,the history of ,christ confirms this view4 ,he claimed to come to this earth for the special purpose of seeking and saving men4 ,he was pre-eminently a winner of souls4 ,there can be but one explanation of the ,incarnation4 #d4 ,the moral difference in men is another proof4 ,for every effect there is a cause4 ,that there is an immense difference in the character of men is admitted by all2 and the difference is that some have been won from sin to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,souls can only be won4 ,there are but two kinds of power in the universe--force and persuasion4 ,the mother who desires her child to take a certain place may attain her end in two ways--she may take the child in her arms and carry it where she desires1 or she may use moral suasion and induce the child to fall in with her wishes by the exercise of its own free will4 ,the thing may be done either by strength of muscle or by the strength of love4 ,souls cannot be dealt with in the first way4 ,the soul can only be won to ,god by the same kind of power as it was won from ,god1 viz41 by that of persuasion4 ,if the tempter had tried force he would have failed with our first parents4 ,he knew human nature too well to attempt the use of such means4 ,force is of no avail to bring about a friendship1 and the winning of a soul is bringing about a friendship between man and ,god4 ,therefore the ,apostle beseeches and prays men to be reconciled to ,god 7#b ,cor4 v4 #bj74 ,to be won to ,god is to be won to service4 ,two kinds of service may be rendered to a human parent or ruler4 ,there is a service of the body only which is prompted by fear1 and there is the service of the whole man which is the fruit of love4 ,god must have the latter or none 7,isa4 i4 #aa1 etc417 hence the soul must be drawn1 constrained1 by the power of moral force4 7,see ,hosea xxi4 #d2 ,john xii4 #cb2 #b ,cor4 v4 #aa1 #ad74 ,,iii4 ,souls are won by fruit4 ,human nature will not be influenced by words without actions4 ,the actions which make up a holy life are here called fruit4 ,when two men are at variance and hatred is deeply rooted1 he who would be a peace-maker must be something as well as say something4 ,words alone will not kill enmity--there must be correspondent deeds4 ,this constituted our ,lord ,jesus ,christ the great ,reconciler--that ,he brought forth the fruits of holiness and self-sacrifice1 and so gave weight to ,his words of persuasion4 ,so many souls have been won by ,him because so much fruit was brought forth by ,him4 ,and all who would win souls must in their measure do likewise4 ,in this sense they must obey ,his injunction and be made partakers of ,his promise3 ,follow me1 and ,i will make you fishers of men 7,matt4 iv4 #ai74 ,,iv4 ,the fruit that wins souls must be a tree of life both to the winner and to those who are won4 ,the vine-dresser has joy in rearing his fruit1 and the eater has joy in partaking of its sweetness4 ,when he who seeks to win souls brings one to taste the sweets of godliness for himself1 there is joy for both4 ,the righteous man is a tree of righteousness1 hence he is himself a tree of life4 ,others partake of his fruit and live unto holiness1 and become fruit-bearing trees in their turn4 ,and in this sense he that reapeth and he who soweth rejoice together1 and the precious harvest is a tree of life--an undying source of soul-satisfaction to both4 ,v4 ,he who thus wins souls is a wise man4 ,he saves men from a present and real misery4 ,the end of all practical wisdom is to elevate the human race--to lift men out of misery and degradation--to solve the problems of every day social life4 ,the man who wins a soul to ,god is a truly scientific man--he has reduced his moral science to practice in his own life1 and then has brought it to bear upon the lives of others4 ,he is a wise general who can turn the guns of the enemy against the foe4 ,he who wins a soul can teach a man how to turn the forces that have been against him into powers and influences that shall work for him4 ,he is a wise financier who can devise means by which a man can free himself from debt4 ,the winner of souls can show his fellow-man how to be freed from moral debt4 ,he is a wise physician who1 by healing one man of a deadly pestilence1 prevents the spread of disease4 ,the man who turns another from the error of his ways1 not only saves a soul from death1 but hides a multitude of sins 7,jas4 v4 #bj7 by1 in some measure1 lessening the increase of sin in the universe4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,i4 ,christians are a blessing to the world4 #a4 ,there is the influence of personal character1 showing what religion is1 viz41 a living principle in the hearts of the faithful1 which must spread its radiance4 ,it may be said of a good man1 as it was said of ,christ1 ,he could not be hid 7,mark vii4 #bd74 #b4 ,there is a force of the great principles they advocate--,freedom1 ,education1 etc4 ,they raise1 in this way1 the standard of public opinion4 #c4 ,there are their habits of active beneficence4 ,,ii4 ,to win souls the highest wisdom is requisite4 #a4 ,consider the preciousness of the object--souls4 ,made in the image of ,god1 and designed to reflect ,his glory4 ,of infinite value in the esteem of ,him who came to redeem them4 #b4 ,how greatly they are endangered by sin1 held captive by ,satan1 in bondage by the world1 entrenched in long habits of evil4 ,the soul1 in its present depraved state1 is not inclined to seek ,god1 nor anxious to obtain deliverance4 #c4 ,the difficulty is increased by the shortness of the time and the limitation of the means at our command4 ,the preacher has only the ,sabbath2 ,satan and the world have all the week wherein to exert their influence4 ,it is more or less so with all who endeavour to win souls4--,s4 ,thodey4 ,he may begin as a leaf or branch 7verse #bh71 but he ends as a tree4 ,the tree of life made the partaker of it immortal4 ,the fruit of the righteous is immortal life to many a poor sinner4 ,the latter clause may read either3 ,the wise is a winner of souls1 or ,the winner of souls is wise4 ,it doubtless should be read in both4 ,the grand tree of life on earth is the man converted already4 ,the man converted already will be a tree of life4 ,both doctrines are true1 and1 therefore1 in so terse a passage1 ,i see no resource but to understand the ,hebrew as pregnant of both4 ,it is of the very essence of wisdom to be benevolent1 and it is the very height of benevolence to catch the souls of the impenitent4 ,moreover1 no soul is caught but by the wise4--,miller4 ,what is dealt on is the power of wisdom1 as we say1 to win the hearts of men4 ,he that is wise draws men to himself1 just as the fruit of the righteous is to all around him a tree of life1 bearing new fruits of healing evermore4 ,it is to be noted1 also1 that the phrase here rendered winneth souls1 is the same as that which is elsewhere translated by taketh the life 7#a ,kings xix4 #d2 ,psa4 xxxi4 #ac74 ,the wise man is the true conqueror4--,plumptre4 ,to win souls is one special fruit of the tree of life4 ,this is a noble fruit indeed1 since our soul is more worth than a world1 as ,he hath told us who only went to the price of it 7,matt4 xvi4 #bf74--,trapp4 ,in this verse we have set forth to us the excellency of a righteous man4 ,i4 ,he is more useful than others4 ,he is not a barren tree1 but a fruitful bough1 as ,joseph was4 ,and he doth not bring forth fruit unto himself4 ,as the tree of life would give life to them that would eat thereof1 so those that will hearken to the counsel of the righteous shall partake with him of eternal life4 ,,ii4 ,he is more skilful than others4 ,he wins souls--#a4 ,by ,scripture demonstration4 ,thou canst never throw down the devil's strongholds except by ,god's own weapons4 #b4 ,by earnest supplications4 ,as the prophet did pray life into the dead child1 so thou shouldst strive in prayer for dead souls4 #c4 ,by kind obligation4 ,labour by kindness and courtesy to gain upon all thou dost converse with1 that thou mayst get within him1 that thou mayst be in a capacity to do good to his soul4 #d4 ,by faithful reprehension4 ',tis quite contrary to ,christian love to let sin lie upon thy brother 7,lev4 xix4 #ag74 ,show your love to souls by the faithful rebuking of sin1 not as a token of your displeasure1 but as an ordinance of ,god4 #e4 ,by convincing conversation4 ,live before all thou dost converse with in the convincing power of a holy life4 #f4 ,by careful observation of all those advantages that ,god puts into your hand4 ,take advantage of his affliction4 ,make use of thy near relation or of his dependence upon thee1 or of thy interest in him4 ,it may be he is concerned in thy goodwill to him1 or hath some affection for thee4 ,make use of it for ,god4--,alleine4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ca4 ,,the ,,recompense ,,of ,,the ,,righteous ,,and ,,the ,,wicked4 ,i4 ,the righteous man will receive a present chastisement for his sins--#a4 ,because of his near relation to ,god4 ,you only have ,i known of all the families of the earth3 therefore ,i will punish you for all your iniquities 7,amos iii4 #b74 ,is this a strange principle of action8 ,is it not one which is1 or ought to be1 acted upon among men8 ,if the son of a king commits a crime1 is it not felt that his high position and his special privileges make him more deserving of punishment8 ,our ,lord recognised this truth when ,he said ,to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more 7,luke xii4 #dh74 ,those who stand in special relation to ,god are expected to show it by a holy life1 and when they fall into sin greater dishonour is brought upon the name of ,god than by many sins of the ungodly4 ,hence the necessity for their chastisement4 #b4 ,because he will not be punished in the next world4 ,the whole tenor of ,bible teaching recognises this truth1 and ,paul asserts it3 ,we are chastened of the ,lord1 that we should not be condemned with the world 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #cb74 #c4 ,to overthrow that doctrine of devils--,let us sin that grace may abound 7,rom4 vi4 #a1 #ae74 ,many false doctrines have gone abroad in the so-called church1 but surely none is so manifestly from the devil as this which proclaims that the more a child of ,god sins the more ,god is glorified6 ,will the man whose wound has been closed and whose bleeding has been stanched by the surgeon1 tear off the bandage and reopen the wound in order to afford the physician another opportunity of displaying his skill8 ,may he not1 by such an act1 be guilty of suicide8 ,may he not so incur the anger of his doctor as to make him refuse to re-dress the wound8 ,if any man thinks that the abounding mercy of ,god is a licence for sin1 let him read the history of ,david1 and ask himself if it does not prove that he is wofully mistaken4 ,david himself most certainly was1 if he presumed upon his high standing with the ,god whose gentleness had made him great 7,psa4 xviii4 #ce7 when he sinned the great sin which was the curse of all his after life4 ,the ,god whom men fancy will be thus indulgent is not the ,god of the ,bible--the ,god of ,sinai--the ,god who visited the sin even of ,his servant ,moses4 ,let us sin that grace may abound came from the forger of the oldest lie in human history4 ,mount ,hor1 ,mount ,nebo1 and ,mount ,zion1 each of which was the scene of a penalty inflicted on a distinguished saint of ,god for a particular and specified sin1 bear witness to the truth that the righteous will be recompensed on the earth4 ,and of these instances that of ,moses is1 perhaps the most striking4 ,here is the chastisement of the greatest man in the ,old ,testament dispensation--the specially elected leader and lawgiver of the chosen people4 ,and though he had been and still was--yea1 because he was the most honoured of ,old ,testament saints1 he was shut out of the land to which he had been journeying for forty years for assuming a ,divine prerogative--die in the mount whither thou goest up1 and be gathered to thy people1 as ,aaron thy brother died at ,mount ,hor1 and was gathered to his people3 because ye trespassed against me among the children of ,israel at the waters of ,maribah-,kadesh1 in the wilderness of ,zin2 because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of ,israel 7,deut4 xxxii4 #ej1 #ea74 ,such a sentence testifies that ,god is a consuming fire to sin1 in the righteous as well as in the wicked4 ,,ii4 ,if ,god's friends are chastised1 ,his enemies must be4--,for they not only sin but make light of sin1 either by denying the fact or blaming their circumstances1 their temperament1 or their tempters1 laying the blame anywhere except upon themselves1 and this increases their guilt4 ,if those who acknowledge and confess their sin must yet be chastised for it1 how much more those who refuse to do either6 ,the sin of the righteous is the exception of his life1 but the entire life of the ungodly man is a course of opposition to the law of ,god4 ,if1 therefore1 the isolated instances are visited1 how much more such an accumulation of moral debt6 ,the very justice of ,god demands that if ,he punish the saint ,he shall also punish the sinner4 ,this is ,new ,testament teaching as well as ,old4 ,for the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of ,god2 and if it first begin at us1 what shall be the end of them that obey not the ,gospel of ,god8 7#a ,pet4 iv4 #ag74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,but where is the righteous person thus scourged1 judged1 and recompensed8 ,on the earth1 even in this life1 and in the world4 ,the earth is not that seat which the ,lord hath properly appointed for judgment or vengeance1 neither is this life the day of the great assize2 yet rather than sin shall be unpunished1 yea1 even in the elect1 the ,lord will keep a petty sessions in this life1 and make the earth a house of correction4--,muffet4 ,the righteous are under the discipline though not under the curse1 of the rod4--,bridges4 ,the best must look for stripes1 if they will take liberty to sin against ,god4 ,true it is that the ,lord taketh not advantage of infirmities1 ,he passeth by them1 ,he smiteth not ,his children for them3 but when they grow too bold1 ,he will nurture and awe them with correction4 ,in this sense ,he may be said to be no respecter of persons1 that as ,he will not endure the sinfulness of the wicked1 though they be never so great1 so ,he will not allow of the sins of the godly1 though they be never so good4 ,first1 ,god herein respecteth ,his own glory1 who will have ,his people to know that ,he doth look for service at their hands4 ,and the wicked see by this that ,his is neither remiss towards all nor partial towards any4 ,second1 ,he respecteth the good4 ,how wanton1 how froward1 how stubborn would children be1 into what perils would they cast themselves should they be altogether exempted from the rod4 ,they should never feel comfort of their parents' favour unless they sometimes found the smart of their displeasure4 4 4 4 ,and the tribulation and afflictions of good men do not bring them behind the wicked1 but show that the plagues and punishments of the wicked are yet behind4--,dod4 ,the righteous ,lord shall pay ,his debts even to the righteous4 ,sin makes ,god a debtor4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,instructions1 discipline or disciplinary instruction4 #b4 ,obtaineth1 literally draws out4 #d4 ,virtuous1 literally strenuous1 capable 7used in ,ruth iii4 #aa74 #e4 ,thoughts1 or purposes4 ,right1 judgment1 justice4 #g4 ,wordsworth here reads1 ,when the wicked turn themselves1 etc41 i4e41 on any reverse of their fortunes1 however slight1 they perish4 #i4 ,this verse is read in two ways4 ,zckler reads1 ,better is the lowly that serveth himself than he that boasteth and lacketh bread4 ,wordsworth agrees with this view4 ,delitzsch and ,stuart render as the ,authorised ,version 7see comments on the verse74 #aj4 ,regardeth1 literally knoweth4 ,delitzsch reads1 knoweth how his cattle feed4 ,cruel is singular1 denoting that each one of his mercies are cruel 7,fausset74 #aa4 ,vain persons1 or vanity1 emptiness4 #ab4 ,net4 ,delitzsch1 ,zckler1 and ,miller translate this word spoil or prey4 ,the ,hebrew word means also a fortress4 ,maurer1 therefore1 translates it defence1 and understands it to mean that the evil combine for mutual protection4 ,this agrees with ,zckler's rendering of the second clause1 the root of the righteous is made sure4 #af4 ,presently1 literally in that very day1 i4e41 at once4 ,covereth shame1 or hides his offence4 #ag4 ,speaketh1 literally breathes4 #ah4 ,speaketh1 literally babbles4 ,health1 healing4 #ai4 ,a moment1 literally while ,i wink4 #bj4 ,delitzsch reads1 cause joy4 #bf4 ,is more excellent than his neighbour1 rather guides his neighbour4 ,delitszch reads1 looketh after his pastures4 ,the ,hebrew word signifies abundance 7see ,miller's remarks in the comments on the verse74 #bg4 ,the word translated roast does not occur in this sense elsewhere4 ,in the ,chaldee of ,dan4 iii4 #bg1 it is used in this sense4 ,it may be read catcheth not his prey4 ,the second clause should be1 a precious treasure is diligence1 or a diligent man4 #bh4 ,no death1 literally no-death1 i4e41 immortality4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,love ,,of ,,knowledge ,,and ,,the ,,proof ,,of ,,it4 ,true knowledge is to be loved-- ,i4 ,for what it can do for him who loves it4 #a4 ,it refines a man4 ,gold when it is in its natural condition is valuable because it is gold1 but when it has been purged from its impurities by the refining process it is more to be valued and is more beautiful4 ,so a man may be sterling gold without much knowledge1 but when the dross of ignorance is removed1 he is worth more and is more attractive4 ,if this be true of knowledge in the general1 it is pre-eminently true of the knowledge which comes from above4 ,if any knowledge exercises a refining influence upon the human mind1 much more does the highest knowledge--the knowledge of ,god4 #b4 ,it will open up sources of enjoyment that would otherwise be hidden4 ,the blind are deprived of many enjoyments by lack of sight4 ,there is an abundance of beauty all around them1 but their want of vision makes it useless to them4 ,intellectual ignorance is intellectual blindness2 the ignorant man is a stranger to a thousand pleasures which are enjoyed by a well-informed man4 ,especially ignorance of ,divine things shuts a man out from the highest1 the only lasting unalloyed source of joy4 #c4 ,it makes a man less dependent on the outward and visible4 ,a man who has stored up knowledge will be good company for himself4 ,he can find refreshment by meditating on what he has within him1 and need not be ever seeking it in external things4 ,the contemplation of ,divine and eternal truths especially1 will ever be within him a well of water 7,john iv4 #ad74 ,,ii4 ,for what it will do for others4 ,if a man makes money only to dig a grave and bury it1 he sins against himself and all whom he might bless by its use4 ,so there are men who seem to have no other end in getting knowledge than to bury it4 ,such a man is an intellectual miser1 and a sinner against human kind4 ,there ought to be a love of giving1 as well as a love of getting4 ,for a man who possesses any kind of knowledge can bless others by its use4 ,and this being true of all useful knowledge1 how much more true is it of the knowledge which makes wise unto salvation8 ,christ insists that no ,christian make himself a grave in which to bury this knowledge1 but a medium to communicate it 7,matt4 v4 #af74 ,and the influence of knowledge which has been acquired is not limited to the short life of a man upon the earth4 ,how much are we indebted to the knowledge gained by earnest seekers in every department of knowledge long before we were born8 ,one earnest seeker may gain a knowledge that will be a light to men as long as the world lasts4 ,especially those who have been earnest seekers after ,divine truth leave a legacy of blessing behind them1 the influence of which will outlive the world4 ,for all these reasons men ought to love knowledge4 ,,iii4 ,the proof of loving knowledge4 ,he will seek instruction4 ,this is the only way to knowledge4 ,if a man loves the object of his pursuit1 he will show his love by the use of means4 #a4 ,seeking instruction is a confession of ignorance1 and to be convinced that we are ignorant is the first step to becoming wise4 ,self-conceit is the fatal barrier to a man's gaining knowledge4 #b4 ,it involves self-denying labour4 ,little that is worth having can be obtained without labour4 ,the gold-digger has to labour long and painfully before he finds the precious nuggets4 ,if men would drink of a springing well of pure water they must dig deep down for it4 ,the student must plod over dry details if he wishes to taste the sweets of learning4 #c4 ,it generally involves correction by the instructor4 ,if a man sets out to dig for gold or to dig for water1 he will most likely make mistakes while he is a novice4 ,if he is really in earnest about his work he will receive reproof1 although it will not be altogether palatable4 ,so with the scholar1 he must suffer the reproof of the master4 ,doubtless the main reference here is to that knowledge which regenerates the character2 and certainly the man who loves this highest knowledge will confess his ignorance1 will not shrink from labouring to attain it1 will accept that reproof which is an indispensable element in ,divine instruction4 ,if the man of ,god is to be thoroughly furnished or perfected he must accept reproof and correction1 as well as instruction 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #af1 #ag74 ,,iv4 ,the character of the man who does not love reproof4 ,he is brutish4 ,the great difference between a man and a brute is that the one can grow intellectually and morally and the other cannot4 ,many animals possess great sagacity1 and to a certain extent that can be developed4 ,they sometimes1 too1 possess admirable qualities1 but they are not capable of soul-enlargement4 ,but man is1 and in order to attain it he must submit to the instruction and reproof of those who are wiser than himself4 ,he must stoop before he can rise4 ,if he will not do this1 he will never attain to the high destiny for which he was created--ever to be rising higher and higher in the scale of being4 ,his lower nature will rule his spirit1 and he will be little better than the beast4 ,he must submit to the correction and instruction of ,his ,god if he would not be classed with the horse and the mule1 which have no understanding 7,psa4 xxxii4 #h1 #i74 ,the man who will not take reproof will certainly have to submit to it1 and this not only from those who are wiser than himself1 but from his companions in ignorance4 ,a terrible reproof will be administered by ,divine ,wisdom to those who refuse reproof 7chap4 i4 #bd-ca74 ,and he will not escape upbraidings from those who are involved in the same sentence4 ,ungodly men are the first to upbraid their companions in ungodliness when they are all involved in the same penalty4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,here is shewed that adversity is the best university1 saith an interpreter4 ,corrections of instructions are the way of life4 ,men commonly beat and bruise their links before they light them1 to make them burn the brighter4 ,god first humbles whom ,he means to illuminate2 as ,gideon took thorns of the wilderness and briars and with them he taught the men of ,succoth 7,judges viii4 #af74 ,m4 ,ascham was a good schoolmaster to ,queen ,elizabeth1 but affliction was a better1 as one well observeth4 ,he that hateth reproof1 whether it be by the rebukes of men1 or the rod of ,god1 is fallen below the stirrup of reason1 he is a brute in man's shape2 nothing is more irrational than irreligion4--,trapp4 ,the most we can attain to in this life is1 not to know1 but only to have a love of knowledge2 we know in part1 and a partial knowledge is not to know indeed4 ,if we can love knowledge entirely1 that is the entireness of knowledge in this life4 ,now as knowledge cometh from instruction1 so the love of knowledge from the love of instruction4 ,he that is servant to the one1 will soon be a master to the other4 ,a loving obedience in receiving doth even command love to keep what is received4 4 4 4 ,there is the reproof of an enemy and there is the reproof of a friend1 the one seeketh reproach1 the other amendment1 but neither is to be hated1 for howsoever reproof be used it is a profitable thing4--,jermin4 ,reproof is not pleasant to nature4 ,we may learn its value from its results1 but it will never be sweet to our taste4 ,at the best it is a bitter morsel4 ,the difference between a wise man and a fool is not that one likes it and the other loathes it2 both dislike it1 but the fool casts away the precious because it is unpalatable1 and the wise man accepts the unpalatable because it is precious4--,arnot4 ,the grand secret of life is to hear lessons1 and not to teach them4--,haliburton4 ,it is the property of all true knowledge1 especially spiritual1 to enlarge the soul by filling it2 to enlarge it without swelling it2 to make it more capable1 and more earnest to know1 the more it knows4--,bishop ,sprat4 ,ignorance is the curse of ,god1 ,knowledge the wing with which we fly to heaven4--,shakespeare4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,the name ,hottentot originally referred to particular ,african1 tribal people4 ,it may be considered offensive4 ,dr4 ,miller does not use it as a compliment in his remarks4 ,this is a great text4 ,we may expect great texts where there is a look of commonplace4 ,the thought raises itself two stories at least in the respect of doctrine4 ,he that1 instead of fretting at that mysterious ,providence of ,god that we call evil1 enters into the deep experiences1 and learns to value it as precious to his soul--that man loves light1 or ,gospel knowledge4 ,that is the first story4 ,but1 now1 he who takes a much wider view1 and looks at all the gains from evil to the universe--how impossible would be high forms of knowledge1 how utterly unconceived by anyone not ,infinite1 without the foil of either observed or experienced misery--that man acquiesces in all the evils that are seen in the creation1 loving discipline because he loves knowledge1 and acquiescing even in hell itself1 because he suspects its absolute necessity in the providential system4 ,mourning over our griefs1 which seems to be the work often of a refined and delicate nature1 is here asserted to be brutish4 ,he is but a ,hottentot in the ways of the ,almighty who does not see that the crushing of his hopes has been one of the tenderest methods of his redemption4--,miller4 ,he1 and he only1 that loves the means1 loves the end4 ,the means of knowledge are instruction in what is right1 and reproof for what is wrong4 ,he who is an enemy to either of these is an enemy to the end4--,a4 ,fuller4 ,is there any man so like a beast as not to love knowledge8 ,solomon tells us1 that those who hate reproof are brutish4 ,let us1 therefore1 examine ourselves by this mark4 4 4 4 ,he is surely not a rational creature who has swallowed poison1 and will rather suffer it to take its course than admit the necessary relief of medicine1 lest he should be obliged to confess his folly in exposing himself to the need of it4--,lawson4 ,it was when ,asaph recovered from that strange temptation1 under the power of which he seemed to forget the eternity of man's being1 and to confine his estimate to the present life1 that he exclaimed1 ,so foolish was ,i1 and ignorant2 ,i was as a beast before ,thee 7,psa4 lxxiii4 #bb74 ,and the same comparison is repeatedly used respecting the ungodly4 ,they sink themselves even below the level of the brutes1 for they fulfil the ends of their being1 under the impulse of their respective instincts and appetites2 but the man who forgets his immortality and his ,god1 does not fulfil the end of his4 ,there may also be comprehended in the expression1 the absence of what every rational creature ought to have--spiritual discernment and taste2 the destitution of all right sentiment and feeling in reference to ,god and ,divine things4 ,this is the character of him whom ,paul denominates the natural or animal man1 who receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god1 for they are foolishness unto him4--,wardlaw4 ,the subject of ,verse #b has been treated in previous chapters4 ,see ,homiletics on chap4 iii4 #a-d2 xi4 #ba1 etc4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,or hath what he will of ,god4 ,thus it is written of ,luther1 that by his prayers he could prevail with ,god at his pleasure4 ,when gifts were offered him1 he refused them with this brave speech1 ,i solemnly protested to ,god that ,i would not be put off with these low things4 ,and on a time praying for the recovery of a godly useful man1 among other passages1 he let fall this transcendent rapture of a daring faith1 ,let my will be done1 and then falls off sweetly2 ,my will1 ,lord1 because ,thy will4 ,blessed is he that hath what he will and wills nothing but what he should4 ,if an evil thought haunt his heart1 it is the devise of the man1 he is not the man of such devices4--,trapp4 ,a man can no way be so happy as by being in ,god's favour4 ,if any other thing were better than this1 it would here be named2 for ,his purpose is to promise and perform the best4 ,good men do set their wits to work to find the way whereby they may best please ,him1 and ,he doth set ,his wisdom to work to frame a recompense that may best pleasure them4 ,it is precious--#a4 ,in regard of the rareness of it1 it is a flower which groweth only in ,god's own garden4 ,it is a privilege and freedom peculiar to the children of ,god4 #b4 ,in regard to the continuance of it1 it is not worn out by time1 it vanisheth not away1 it is never taken from them upon whom it is bestowed4 #c4 ,in regard to those good effects wherewith it is always accompanied--defence from enemies1 safety from danger1 gladness of heart1 the love and favour of ,god it doth minister to everyone that partakes of it4--,dod4 ,were the goodness of the godly such as it should be1 it would from ,god's goodness even deserve praise1 not stand in need of remitting favour1 it would carry favour with it1 it would not be put by seeking to obtain it4 ,but in the best1 so little it is1 that he must even fetch it out from the ,lord with many prayers1 earnest suit1 and at last it is the great mercy of ,god that he doth obtain it4 ,but yet1 such is the mercy of ,god toward the good1 that however ,he dealeth with the good man he still obtaineth favour from ,him4 ,st4 ,augustine saith1 ,thou receivedst benefit both from ,his coming and ,his going2 ,he cometh to the increase of thy comfort1 ,he goeth to the increase of thy care4 ,he goeth away sometimes lest continual presence should make ,him despised1 and that absence should make ,him more desired4--,jermin4 ,a man of wicked devices may be artful enough to disguise his selfish plans under the mask of religion and benevolence1 like the old ,pharisees2 but the eyes of the ,judge of the world are like a flame of fire1 they pierce into the secrets of every soul1 and there is no dark design harboured which shall not be completely disclosed in the day of ,christ4--,lawson4 ,let blind reason condemn ,god4 7see on ver4 #a47 ,he who has ,gospel light will see ,him as one out of whom he can draw favour4 ,a man not only pure himself1 but doing good to others1 looks upon ,god as a fountain of blessing4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,a ,,right ,,desire ,,and ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,its ,,attainment4 ,i4 ,there has always been a desire in men for establishment--for fixedness4 #a4 ,it is a good and ,god-given aspiration1 and manifests itself in many ways4 ,men rightly desire to have a settled home--a spot on earth to which they may attach themselves and from which they cannot be driven4 ,this is a desire especially strong in the western and northern nations1 and has been a powerful element in their development4 ,men desire a permanent and certain income1 and the desire to obtain it is a great motive power to induce them to acquire knowledge of mechanical arts and professions4 ,men desire to earn a fixed reputation1 and the desire acts as a moral power in the world4 #b4 ,it is a desire very old in its manifestation4 ,very early in the history of our race we have an instance of man's desire for fixedness of position on the earth1 and for a permanent reputation4 ,it was this that prompted the men of ,shinar to say one to another1 ,go to1 let us build us a city and a tower1 whose top may reach unto heaven2 and let us make us a name1 lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth 7,gen4 xi4 #d74 ,they desired to have a centre of unity in the world--a spot where they could settle down together and establish a name that would outlive them4 ,the building of ,babel is a parable of what has been going on ever since1 and will go on until the end of time4 ,the building is not of bricks and mortar1 but the desire is the same4 ,,ii4 ,men can only have this desire satisfied in one way4 ,the man who purposed to build the tower of ,babel used wrong means to fulfil a lawful desire4 ,it was right to aspire towards reaching the fixedness of heaven1 but that cannot be done with bricks were they never so many or so well burnt4 ,they did make a name1 but not the name they desired4 ,and so it is with men now4 ,they want to gain for themselves a permanent resting place and a lasting name1 and they think to attain their desire by linking themselves with something belonging only to earth1 they desire to reach the heavenly with the earthly4 ,and if they could use all the clay upon the globe to make their bricks they would find their tower fall far short of reaching heaven4 ,all life without ,god is a life of wickedness1 and such a life cannot be an establishment because it is contrary to ,divine law4 ,but this desire towards the immutable is intended by ,god to lead man to turn his face towards those things which cannot be shaken 7,heb4 xii4 #bg71 that righteous character which fits a man for the house not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens 7#b ,cor4 v4 #a71 which can be obtained by union with ,him who is immutable--,the same yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever 7,heb4 xiii4 #h74 ,men may build upon a foundation which shall not be removed1 they may send their roots deep down into an eternal abiding place by falling in with the conditions laid down by ,christ ,himself in ,matt4 v4 #bd1 #be4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,established may have reference not to the stability of his fortunes1 but to that of his mind--to tranquil self-possession and firmness4 ,even if1 in the providence of ,god1 his substance should fail1 he himself remains unshaken and entire in all his best blessings1 and in all his hopes4--,wardlaw4 ,a man1 being wicked1 how shall he expect anything1 except that he shall be disturbed8 ,while the saint1 though shaken in leaf and bough1 and storm-tossed1 and1 perhaps1 broken in his branches1 yet shall not be shaken in his root4--,miller4 ,ahab strove to establish himself in despite of the threatened curse of ,god4 ,he increased his family1 trained them with care under the tutelage of his choicest nobility4 ,and surely one1 at least1 out of seventy1 might remain to inherit his throne4 ,but this was the vain striving of the worm with his ,maker4 ,one hour swept them all away 7#a ,kings xxi4 #ba1 with #b ,kings x4 #a-g74 ,the device of ,caiaphas1 also to establish his nation by wickedness1 was the means of its overthrow 7,john xi4 #di1 #ej1 with ,matt4 xxi4 #dc1 #dd74--;,bridges4 ,a man shall not be established by wickedness1 for he lays his foundation upon firework1 and brimstone is scattered upon his housetop3 if the fire of ,god from heaven but flash upon it1 it will all be aflame immediately4 ,he walks all day upon a mine of gunpowder2 and hath ,god with ,his armies ready to run upon the thickest bosses of his buckler1 and to hurl him to hell4 ,how can this man be sure of anything8 ,cain built cities1 but could not rest in them2 ,ahab begat seventy sons1 but not one successor to the kingdom4 ,sin hath no settledness4 ,but the righteous1 though shaken with winds1 are rooted as trees2 like a ship at anchor1 they wag up and down1 yet remove not4--,trapp4 ,we shall lose our labour in seeking any sinful helps4 ,we shall but make quicksand our foundation1 and mud our stonework1 and stubble and reeds our strongest timber4 ,it is time for us to pull down our own ruinous building1 lest it should fall upon our heads4 ,for though it be so slight1 and as weak as a cobweb1 to be a cover over us1 yet it is very heavy1 and as weighty as a mountain to press us under it4--,dod4 ,many are established in wickedness1 and cannot be removed from it1 but none shall ever be established by it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,a ,,husband',s ,,crown4 ,i4 ,a woman possessed of a quality which time will not destroy or impair4 ,virtue is not a mere negative good--it is not simply an absence of evil4 ,a virtuous person is one who has overcome evil--one who is prevented from being a worker of evil by being a worker of good4 ,virtue is a thing of growth--human nature has to struggle to acquire moral excellence--to attain that strength of goodness which we call virtue4 ,it has its seat in the regenerated heart4 ,the river that is always flowing with pure1 living water1 is not fed from a cistern1 but from a living spring which is in communication with the parent of waters4 ,so virtue is not a native of this fallen world--it is of celestial birth--it is derived from the source of all goodness and consequently partakes of the indestructibility of all eternal things4 ,there is no annihilation of virtue4 ,stabbing cannot kill it4 ,burning cannot destroy it4 ,it will break the bonds of calumny and rise from the dead4 ,virtue adorns either sex1 but it is especially attractive in a woman4 ,it is her crown1 and because she is so crowned1 she crowns her husband4 ,,ii4 ,man needs such a woman to complete1 or crown his life4 ,even the first man in his sinless condition1 with all the peculiar joys springing from his sinless nature1 felt his existence incomplete until ,god gave him the woman as the filling up--the crown and finish of his life4 ,but this woman was crowned herself with innocence and purity or she could not have crowned her husband4 ,if man in his sinless condition needed a wife to complete his life1 how much more does he need now a virtuous woman to be a helpmeet for him4 #a4 ,he needs her because he needs help from virtue outside himself4 ,the most perfect of imperfect men must lean upon some human support1 and they will consciously or unconsciously do so4 ,a man who has a virtuous wife has ever about him an atmosphere which is strengthening to his own virtue4 ,she will help him to preserve his integrity more effectually than any other person because she is so constantly about his path4 ,she will give him that moral sympathy which is so helpful to men struggling to keep a good conscience in an evil world1 which is like oil to the wheels of life1 and makes what would otherwise be very difficult easy and pleasant4 #b4 ,he needs an intellectual companion4 ,he must have a rational and intelligent spirit in his home if his life is to be what ,god intended it to be--one with whom he can converse and to whom he can impart his thoughts on things human and divine4 ,he cannot be crowned1 in the full sense of the word1 unless he has such a wife1 and the word virtue may embrace intellectual vigour as well as moral excellence4 7,see ,comments on the verse47 ,when a man has such a wife as we have described his life is completed or crowned4 ,the word among the ,hebrews was also symbolic of joy and gladness 7,cant4 vi4 #aa71 and such a woman is of necessity a joy to her husband4 ,,iii4 ,the man who would be thus crowned must be wise in his choice of a wife4 ,the most precious things are not generally to be obtained without some amount of seeking4 ,pebbles can be gathered upon any shore1 but diamonds are only to be had for patient seeking4 ,pinchbeck ornaments are to be had for a trifle1 but a golden diadem costs much money4 ,there are plenty of women who may be won without much seeking1 but a wife who is virtuous in the sense of the text is not to be met with every day or in every place4 ,to find such an one he must ask counsel of ,him who provided the first man with the woman who supplied his need in this respect4 ,though we have no record that ,adam asked ,god for a helpmeet for him1 yet we do not know that he did not4 ,this we do know1 that ,god's best gifts1 as a rule1 are only had for asking4 ,and when we reflect upon the terrible blight that an ungodly1 unsympathetic1 incapable wife is to a man1 causing him such shame as is rottenness to his bones1 we can fully see the need of seeking ,divine guidance in forming a relationship which has so much to do with making or marring a man4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,here we have a king and a crown1 a holy woman the crown2 a happy man1 the king4 ,i4 ,inasmuch as a woman of grace is here called her husband's crown we learn that a good wife is the husband's best outward blessing1 the worthiest mercy that a man may have in this world4 ,it follows3 #a4 ,that as he who would be introduced into the crown of any kingdom or monarchy must match himself into the king's race1 so1 he that would be sure to have a crown for his wife must take the same course1 he must marry into the house of heaven1 with some one to whom the ,king of ,kings is a father1 and who is by grace of the lineage and offspring of the ,lord of ,hosts4 #b4 ,the wife being the husband's crown must be much respected by her husband4 ,crowns are no contemptible things4 ,the ,apostle ,peter is exact in commanding this 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #g74 ,she is called the glory of the man 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #g7 and his companion 7,mal4 ii4 #ad7 his second-self 7,ephes4 v4 #bh1 #bi74 ,if in these regards ,god hath made a woman an honour to a man1 the ,lord looks that man should give honour to a woman4 #c4 ,a wife being a crown1 requireth maintenance as much as her husband's estate will afford4 ,the crown must be maintained1 it is for the honour and safety of the king1 and for the content of the subjects that it have meet support4 ,,ii4 ,if the wife be the crown1 the husband is the king4 ,therefore3 #a4 ,she must acknowledge him and obey him in all matrimonial loyalty and love4 ,the proverb is1 there is no service to compare with that of a king1 but1 certainly there is no king's service to this4 ,kings can give the greatest about them1 but rewards when they have done their best2 but the husband gives the wife himself for her obedience4 #b4 ,it is her duty to grace him4 ,to be a woman1 and to be a wife1 is not enough to be a crown1 a man may have both these and yet she that he hath may be a shame unto him4 ,there go more than two words to this bargain2 to be a woman1 a wife1 and gracious1 and she that is so cannot fail of her glory4--,john ,wing 7#afbj74 ,man1 though made for the throne of the world1 was found unfit for the final investiture until he got woman as a help4 4 4 4 ,when the relations of the sexes move in fittings of truth and love1 the working of the complicated machinery of life is a wonder to an observing man and a glory to the ,creator ,god4 4 4 4 ,we need not be surprised by the announcement of the horrid contrast4 ,it is according to law2 the best things abused become the worst4 ,woman is the very element of home4 ,when that element is tainted1 corruption spreads over all its breadth and sinks into its core4--,arnot4 ,the word implies the virtue of earnestness1 or strength of character1 rather than of simple chastity4--,plumptre4 ,the weakness of women is never a reproach unto them1 but when it appeareth in not resisting sin4 ,and therefore the original is a woman of strength1 such a woman as is by ,god's grace strong enough to withstand sin3 a manlike woman1 the ,syriac hath it1 in spiritual courage4 ,but contrariwise she1 who is not ashamed of her sinful weakness in yielding unto sin maketh him ashamed for whom she was created1 and as rottenness in his bones destroyeth his strength1 making him weak through grief1 as she is through folly1 for such grief enters deeply1 and it is the bones that it wasteth1 when she is naught who was made of man's bone4--,jermin4 ,let man learn to be grateful to woman for this undoubted achievement for her sex1 that it is she--she far more than he1 and she1 too often1 in despite of him--who has kept ,christendom from lapsing back into barbarism1 kept mercy and truth from being utterly overborne by those two greedy monsters1 money and war4 ,let him be grateful for this1 that almost every great soul that has led forward1 or lifted up the race1 has been furnished for each noble deed1 and inspired with each patriotic and holy inspiration1 by the retiring fortitude of some ,spartan--some ,christian mother4 ,moses1 the deliverer of his people1 drawn out of the ,nile by the king's daughter1 some one has hinted1 is only a symbol of the way that woman's better instincts outwit the tyrannical diplomacy of the man4 ,let him cheerfully remember1 that though the sinewy sex achieves enterprises on public theatres1 it is the nerve and sensibility of the other that arm the mind and inflame the soul in secret4 ,everywhere a man executes the performance1 but woman trains the man4--,anon4 ,the figure in the second clause is strong4 ,we may consider it as conveying two ideas6 #a4 ,the bones are the strength of the frame4 ,upon them the whole is built4 ,there is1 therefore1 in the idea of caries1 or rottenness in them1 that of the wasting of the vigour of body and mind1 and the bringing of the man prematurely to his grave2 and that1 too1 by means which cost him1 ere this result is effected1 exquisite suffering4 #b4 ,the bones are unseen4 ,the poor man is pierced with inward and secret agony1 which he cannot disclose2 pines in unseen distress--distress of which the cause is hidden1 while the effects are sadly and rapidly visible4--,wardlaw4 ,capable2 sometimes virtuous1 literally strong4 ,it is well observed by ,michaelis 7,supp4 ,no4 #ag71 that in the early stages of society1 when the government and laws had little influence1 fortitude was the first and most necessary virtue2 and might therefore naturally give its name to the other virtues4 ,hence virtus in ,latin1 and in ,greek1 which1 according to their etymology1 denote mainly strength and fortitude1 came1 at length1 to signify virtue in general 7,holder74 ,crown1 that is 7#a7 ornament1 and 7#b7 source of power4 ,a virtuous woman is both to her husband4 ,a spendthrift1 drunken1 or adulterous wife is so entrenched in our being1 that our very bone1 that is1 our dearest interests 7,psalm xxxv4 #aj2 ,john xix4 #cf71 are rotten1 when these qualities begin their influence4 ,a man1 linked with such disorders1 cannot complain of his inevitable reproof 7ver4 #a74 ,does he link himself with evil1 he must partake of the storms that buffet it4 ,women1 however1 in all this book1 seem to be types of qualities2--of ,grace 7xi4 #af72 of ,wisdom 7xiv4 #a72 of ,folly 7ix4 #ac74 ,the virtuous woman has not stood before us in all her true light1 till she stands as ,wisdom2 nor ,one that causes shame1 till we make her ,impenitency4 ,the virtuous or capable woman is our crown1 for1 with faith1 all things are ours2 and her great rival is our shame1 for1 with unbelief1 there is rottenness in our very bones4 ,this disposition always to see a figure must not be set down as fanciful1 till the ,woman of ,grace1 of ,folly1 and of ,wisdom1 and other still more artificial cases 7,rev4 xii4 #a71 have been thoroughly considered4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e-h4 ,,thoughts ,,and ,,words ,,and ,,their ,,result4 ,i4 ,the thoughts of the righteous or godly man are right4 #a4 ,because he has the best material out of which to build his thoughts4 ,the kind of building which is reared will depend mainly upon the quarry from which the stones are hewn4 ,the man of ,god gets the material of his thoughts from the revealed ,word of ,god4 ,he obeys the ,divine command4--,this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth2 but thou shalt meditate therein day and night 7,josh4 i4 #h74 #b4 ,because his thinking is under the rule of law4 ,he does not allow his mind to dwell upon every suggestion that comes into it1 he forbids certain things to enter there1 or if they enter in an unguarded moment1 he will not give them a dwelling place4 ,he does not give unqualified assent to the boast that thought is free4 ,the righteous man does not aspire to be a free-thinker1 if he did he could not be a good thinker4 ,he rules his thoughts according to the legislation of ,christ 7,matt4 v4 #bh2 xv4 #ah71 and endeavours to bring every thought into obedience to ,him 7#b ,cor4 x4 #e74 ,,ii4 ,the speech of the righteous4 ,a man's words are never worse than his thoughts4 ,in a good man they are the outcome of his thoughts4 ,as the child is the undeveloped man1 and the seed the undeveloped tree1 so thought is the seed of speech4 ,if the child's constitution is good and the seed is good1 the man and the tree will be healthy and vigorous4 ,if the thought is healthy and wise the speech will be so likewise1 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 7,matt4 xii4 #cd74 ,,iii4 ,the thoughts of the wicked4 ,they are such as spring spontaneously from the human heart1 which is1 according to the estimate of ,one who knows1 deceitful above all things 7,jer4 xvii4 #i74 ,in such a heart counsels or thoughts of deceit must be generated4 ,his own life-work will be a deceit 7chap4 xi4 #ah71 and he will deceive others4 ,the verse evidently refers to thoughts which purpose harm to other people4 ,when a man's thoughts are not in subjection to the law of ,god1 they have a tendency to go from bad to worse4 ,the ungodly man1 either directly or indirectly1 injures others as well as himself4 ,,iv4 ,the words of the wicked4 ,the ungodly are here represented1 as in chap4 xi4 #ba1 as combining to injure the godly 7see ,homiletics on that verse74 ,their words are the outcome of their evil and malicious thoughts4 ,most ungodly men try to lessen the influence of the good by depreciating their character when they do not dare to attack their property and their lives4 ,this lying in wait for blood may cover all schemes to bring about the downfall of the good4 ,the two characters now stand before us4 ,let us look at what is in store for each4 ,i4 ,for the righteous4 #a4 ,deliverance from the machinations of the wicked4 ,this is effected by means of the godly man's own words4 ,he is able to refute what his enemies bring against him4 ,this proverb cannot of course be taken to assert that the righteous are always delivered from death at the hands of their persecutors4 ,they are delivered as ,christ was delivered from the counsels of deceit1 and from the bloody plans of the ,scribes and ,pharisees4 ,the words here used exactly describe their character1 and the deliverance of the righteous is such a deliverance as our ,lord wrought for ,himself by the words of truth and wisdom with which ,he silenced them ,take the instance of the tribute-money as recorded by ,matthew 7chap4 xxii4 #ae74 ,then went the ,pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle ,him in ,his talk4 ,and they sent out unto ,him their disciples with the ,herodians1 saying1 ,master1 we know that ,thou art true1 and teachest the way of ,god in truth1 neither carest ,thou for any man2 for thou regardest not the person of men4 ,tell us1 therefore1 ,what thinkest ,thou8 ,is it lawful to give tribute unto ,csar1 or not8 ,but ,jesus perceived their wickedness1 and said1 ,why tempt ye me1 ye hypocrites8 ,show me the tribute money4 ,and they brought ,him a penny4 ,and ,he saith unto them1 ,whose is this image and superscription8 ,they say unto ,him1 ,csar's4 ,then saith ,he unto them1 ,render therefore unto ,csar the things which are ,csar's1 and unto ,god the things which are ,god's4 ,when they had heard these words1 they marvelled1 and left him1 and went their way4 ,two other instances of ,christ's delivering ,himself by ,his mouth are given in the same chapter4 ,and many of ,his followers have in like manner defeated the plans of their enemies4 #b4 ,the establishment of his family4 ,his thoughts and words bless his own house--they are the means of reproducing other characters whose thoughts and words are like his own4 ,this of itself is a good reason why his house should stand4 ,each member of it thus becomes a centre of influence for good1 and in this way the world is preserved from moral corruption and ruin4 ,and it is a law of ,god's kingdom that the godliness of the head of a family or race should bring a blessing upon his posterity4 ,god defended the people of ,jerusalem in the days of ,hezekiah for ,his servant ,david's sake 7,isa4 xxxvii4 #ce74 ,he blessed ,isaac for my servant ,abraham's sake 7,gen4 xxvi4 #bd74 ,and the same law is at work in ,new ,testament times1 ,the promise is unto you and to your children 7,acts ii4 #ci74 #c4 ,general commendation4 ,the wise and the righteous are synonymous in the book of ,proverbs1 the wisdom of the #hth verse is1 doubtless1 moral wisdom4 ,paul calls his ,corinthian converts1 whom he had begotten by his holy thoughts and wise words1 his letters of commendation 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #a-c74 ,every godly man has some such commendatory epistles in the living souls who his life and words have blessed4 ,men can but acknowledge that he is a blessing to his fellow-creatures while he lives1 and after he has left the world he is praised by1 and because of1 those whom he turned to righteousness 7,dan4 xii4 #c74 ,,ii4 ,but for the wicked there must be--#a4 ,overthrow4 ,they entered the lists against a power must stronger than their own1 and must therefore come to ruin4 ,the stubble of the field can contend for a time against the fire1 but the latter grows stronger the longer it burns1 and the stubble is less and less able to resist its power1 until presently there is nothing left but a few ashes which are soon scattered by the winds1 and the place that once knew them knows them no more1 ,for behold the day cometh1 that shall burn as an oven1 and all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble3 and the day that cometh shall burn them up1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 7,mal4 iv4 #a74 #b4 ,general contempt4 ,the wicked or perverse of heart will not be able to respect himself1 how then can he expect others to hold him in honour8 ,and in the day of his overthrow the contempt or indifference with which both he and his fate will be regarded will not come from those who he has striven to injure1 but from those who are like himself4 ,those who have already met with their overthrow will be those who will meet him with the taunt1 ,art thou also become weak as we8 ,art thou become like unto us8 7,isa4 xiv4 #aj74 ,and those whose time of judgment is yet in the future will not stoop to pity or succour him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #e4 ,that thoughts are free1 is his lesson1 by which we are made slaves unto sin4 ,for if the thoughts be corrupted1 the affections will soon be polluted1 and then the actions are easily perverted4 ,if the flies of ,egypt get into our eyes1 the frogs of ,egypt will soon get into our chambers1 the caterpillars of ,egypt will soon destroy our fruits1 the actions of our lives4 ,the counsels of the wicked are deceit--they deceive ,god of ,his honour1 their neighbour of his right1 themselves of their salvation4--,jermin4 ,the stress lies upon the words1 thoughts or purposes1 and counsels4 ,habits of good and evil reach beyond the region of outward act to that of impulse and volition4--,plumptre4 ,to the righteous are ascribed simple and clear thoughts1 to the godless1 prudently thought through schemes and measures1 but on that very account not simple1 because of their tendency4--,delitzsch4 ,if good thoughts look into a wicked heart1 they stay not there1 as those that like not their lodging2 the flashes of lightnings may be discerned into the darkest prisons4 ,the light that shines into a holy heart is constant1 like that of the sun1 which keeps due times1 and varies not the course for any of these sublunary occasions4--,trapp4 ,at the first creation man was made to excel brute beasts more by the reason and gifts of the soul than by the fashion and shape of the body1 so at the second1 a ,christian is made to excel sinful men more by the holiness and working of the soul than by those of the body4--,dod4 ,the mere thoughts--the unpremeditated resolves of a righteous man--are right2 the deliberate counsels1 the very deliberations of the wicked1 are deceit4--,burgon4 ,many indeed are the deviations of the righteous4 ,but there is an overcoming law within that1 in despite of all opposition1 fixes his thoughts with delight on ,god and ,his law 7,pas4 cxxxix4 #ag1 #ah2 ,rom4 vii4 #ae1 #bc71 and gives to them a single bias for ,his service4 ,widely different are the thoughts of the wicked1 ripening into counsels fraught with deceit4 ,such were those of ,joseph's brethren to deceive their father2 of ,jeroboam1 under a feigned consideration of the people2 of ,daniel's enemies1 under pretence of honouring the king2 of ,herod1 under the profession of worshiping the infant ,saviour4--,bridges4 ,this verse has been rendered1 ,the policy of the just is honesty2 the wisdom of the wicked is cunning4 ,the righteous man deals in rectitude1 and from his actions you know his thoughts4 ,it is not so with the wicked4 ,he thinks one way and acts another4 ,his words and deeds are not the fair index of his thoughts4--,wardlaw4 ,the plans of the righteous are a judgment4 ,this word1 which is very common in the ,bible1 means a judicial decision4 ,the judgment of the wicked is a verdict of the ,almighty consigning them to hell4 ,the judgment of the righteous1 by what ,christ has wrought out1 is a verdict of eternal reward4 4 4 4 ,the plans of the righteous1 however disastrous they may seem1 are a judgment4 ,and1 as the judgment of the righteous is in his favour1 his plans1 however bad1 are shaped in him for his good4 ,whatsoever storms they may lead to1 they are from a most prosperous verdict1 and have been allowed to supervene1 for his highest1 and well-graduated good4 ,mark now the climax 7as in ch4 xiv4 #aa74 ,it says1 the plans of the righteous1 leading us to suppose they might be very wretched ,but it says the helmsmanship 7counsels1 see on chap4 xi4 #ad7 of the wicked1 leaving us to suppose they are very shrewd4 ,the keenest calculations of the wicked1 where a cool eye is at the helm1 and where instead of marrying a foolish wife 7ver4 #d71 he has built grandly for the world2 still1 as a judgment1 ,i mean by that1 as the whole verdict in his case1 his very helmsmanships are a deceit4 7#a7 ,his own wisdom cheats him in ordering his life2 and 7#b7 ,god ,himself1 as a part of ,his award1 takes care that he be deceived as to his total well-being4--,miller4 ,verse #f4 ,the law of parallelism leaves it open to us to refer the pronoun at the end of this verse to the righteous themselves1 or to those1 the unwary and innocent1 for whom the words of the wicked lie in wait4--,plumptre4 ,the fiercer ebullitions of humanity may1 indeed1 be softened down and restrained4 ,but the principle remains the same4 ,the fiery elements only lie in slumbering cover1 and often break out1 wasting the very face of society4--,bridges4 ,the words4 ,speech is the great instrument of man4 ,talking is his trade4 ,wall ,street and ,lombard ,street make their fortunes by the tongue4 ,the words of the wicked are1 therefore1 their highest activities1 and our proverb declares that these high acts are a lying in wait for blood4 ,we would not deny that this may include the blood of others2 but in the light of the last verse the grand victim is themselves 7chap4 i4 #ah74 ,each order on change is for a man's last discomfiture4--,miller4 ,though nature hath denied man the weapons of his teeth1 yet wickedness giveth to some such words as are more bloody beasts4 ,the false witness will frame his tale so cunningly as if he intended nothing but a clearing of the truth1 whereas he seeketh nothing but the shedding of blood4 ,the corrupt judge will couch his words so closely1 as if he meant nothing but to have justice executed1 whereas they are nothing but ambushments to surprise innocent blood4 ,but there are words which issue from the mouth of the upright1 as making a sally out of some adjoining fort1 whereby the prey is rescued1 the pillagers are defeated1 the innocent are delivered1 the upright as victorious is crowned with the diadem of his judgment as in ,job it is called 7ch4 xxix4 #ad72 and which ,st4 ,gregory saith is rightly called a diadem1 because by the glory of an excellent work it leadeth to the crown of a glorious reward4 ,now such were the words of ,job's mouth1 who brake the jaws of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth1 being eyes to the blind1 feet to the lame1 and a father to the poor4--,jermin4 ,the prayers of ,god's people ascend up to ,god's presence for ,his help1 and those mouths prevail mightily that seek for redress of wrong at ,his hands4 ,herod thought it would be too late for all the friends which ,peter had to minister help to him when he had clapped him in prison4 ,but he remembered not how swift the godly be to prayer and how soon a prayer can come to ,god4--,dod4 ,verse #g4 ,the persons of the wicked are overthrown and are not1 the house of the righteous 7the very roof that sheltered him7 shall stand4--,burgon4 ,he that is strong may be overthrown and may rise again1 he that riseth not to what he was may rise in part to something1 he that riseth not at all1 may lie where he has fallen2 but in the overthrow of the wicked all hope is gone of anything1 for they themselves are nothing4 ,they were not in goodness1 they are not by their wickedness4 ,they are not to be recovered from their overthrow1 because they are not changed to repentance by their overthrow4 ,on the other side1 not only the righteous shall stand1 their family1 their posterity shall stand1 for ,god shall stand by them1 and then no fear of falling can be unto them4--,jermin4 ,when a change of the estate of the ungodly is made from prosperity unto adversity1 their utter destruction is commonly wrought1 for their house being built upon the sand1 the tempests and the winds arise and quite overthrow it4 ,the whole manner of the overthrow is described in ,job xviii4 #ae4--,muffet4 ,the righteous shall have a place in the ,lord's house1 immovable here 7,isa4 lvi4 #d1 #e71 and in eternity 7,rev4 iii4 #ab74--;,bridges4 ,solomon had a signal exemplification of this in the case of ,saul and his father ,david4 ,possibly this instance might be in his eye at the time4--,wardlaw4 ,eventually there must be overthrow1 even if it be no overthrow but death4 ,when the wicked do fall1 there is positively nothing of them left4 ,while in the deepest disasters of the righteous1 nothing is not left4 ,his house1 and by that is meant every possible real interest 7#a ,sam4 ii4 #ce7 shall stand for ever4--,miller4 ,verse #h4 ,sometimes1 and very often1 the wicked shall commend him1 commonly the righteous1 and always the ,lord ,himself1 but most of all at the last day1 before all men and angels4 ,they that are not void of uprightness shall not be destitute of praise and honour4 ,though some be blind that they cannot discern their understanding and graces1 yet others have their eyesight and behold them4 ,though some be dumb and will not speak of their virtues1 yet others have their lips open to commend them4--,dod4 ,and all wisdom consists in this1 that a man rightly know and worship ,god4 ,apollonius1 ,archimedes1 and ,aristotle were wise in their generations1 and so accounted1 but by whom8 ,not by ,st4 ,paul1 he hath another opinion of them 7,rom4 i4 #bb74 ,not by our ,saviour 7,matt4 xi4 #be74--,trapp4 ,according--in exact proportion2 such as the meaning of the ,hebrew4 ,a man is more applauded for good sense than perhaps anything else4 ,wisdom--shrewdness2 that attribute that leads to success4 ,therefore it sometimes means success 7#b ,kings xviii4 #g74 ,successful shrewdness is a very positive sort4 ,such is the shrewdness of the righteous man 7ver4 #g74 ,perverse heart--crooked sense1 literally heart2 though heart contains more of sense 77 than we ascribe to it4 ,if a man whose mind works crookedly every time becomes an object of contempt1 why ought not the wicked to become so1 whose very helmsmanships are a deceit8 7ver4 #e74--,miller4 ,how thrilling will be the commendation of wisdom before the assembled universe6 7,luke xii4 #db-dd74 ,who will not then acknowledge the wise choice of an earthly cross with a heavenly crown8--,bridges4 ,this is capable of two interpretations4 ,it may refer to commendation by men1 or to commendation by ,god4 ,in the one case it may mean mere secular discretions1 in the other it must mean religious principle1 according to the invariable testimony that the fear of the ,lord1 that is wisdom4 ,this is not the wisdom that secures the eulogy of men2 but it will ever secure that of the infinitely ,wise1 the ,infinitely ,good4 ,and1 indeed1 the two things may be united4 ,a man who fears ,god will always be a faithful counsellor1 and if at the same time he have sound discretion in regard to the affairs of life1 this will form the perfection of character1 and there will be commendation both from men and ,god4 4 4 4 ,in the pride of your hearts1 you may affect to hold very cheap the contempt of men2 though even that is often mere pretension than reality1 disappointment rankling at the heart1 while scorn is curling the lip4 ,but what must it be to be lightly esteemed at last1 to be despised by that ,god who has in his hands the destinies of the universe6--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,show ,,and ,,reality4 ,whichever rendering we adopt of this verse the subject is the same--that of one man's allowing his vanity1 his love for appearances1 to rob him of all real comfort1 and that of his wiser brother's preference of comfort to outside show4 ,i4 ,the wise man who is despised4 ,men who have the moral courage to live in a simple style1 and to labour with their own hands1 will certainly be regarded with contempt by some1 but by whom8 ,by those whose good opinion and honour is not worth having4 ,children are taken with what is showy on the surface--they have little regard for what lies underneath4 ,they will be more delighted with a soap-bubble than with a diamond4 ,but men look on things with different eyes4 ,so it is only men and women of childish minds who estimate a man by his clothes1 his house1 or his establishment1 and it is only such who will despise the first man mentioned in the text4 ,if we take the common rendering of the verse1 then this man is more useful to society than the other2 for1 instead of spending all his money on himself1 he keeps a servant1 and so gives another a means of living4 ,for as it is implied that he does not lack bread himself1 so he will not let those in his employ want the necessaries of life4 ,other things being equal1 the man who1 by a judicious use of his means1 gives employment to others1 is a greater benefactor to his race than he who spends his money in selfish luxury4 ,at any rate1 this man is a wiser man than the other1 for he has the good sense to prefer the greater to the less4 ,it is only obeying a natural instinct to satisfy the bodily wants1 and to supply ourselves with all the substantial comforts of life before we spend money on things which do not1 after all1 add in the least to our real enjoyment1 and yet the majority of men do sacrifice some of the former to the latter4 ,he who has the moral courage not to do so shows his real wisdom4 ,and by such a course of conduct he blesses others as well as himself--he does something to stem the tide of passion for keeping up appearances which in our age and country is the fruitful source of so much crime and misery--he1 and he only1 is the truly honest man1 for he is content to pass for just what he is as to wealth4 ,,ii4 ,the foolish and wicked man who honours himself4 #a4 ,he is a fool4 ,vanity is one of the most despicable passions that can possess a man--it often leads a man to the most childish actions4 ,no man of modern times was more entirely under its dominion than ,voltaire1 whose only aim in life seemed to be to gain that unsubstantial homage which afforded his spirit at the last such an unsatisfying portion4 ,he did not literally lack bread1 but he did find himself in his old age without anything which could give him any real comfort4 ,the man mentioned in our text is so bent upon obtaining this false honour that he will lack bread--suffer positive bodily discomfort--rather than not obtain it4 #b4 ,he is a sinner4 ,he lies in action1 if not in word4 ,while he is resorting to the meanest shifts in secret he is trying to make people believe that he is much better off than he really is4 ,by stinting himself in the common comforts of life he sins against his own body and against his creator1 for the ,lord is for the body 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ac71 and it is man's duty to feed that house of the soul which is so fearfully and wonderfully made 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #ad74 ,he therefore sins against himself and against society4 ,it is worth while to inquire whether anybody will honour him after all his foolish efforts4 ,god cannot1 for ,he hates all hypocrisy4 ,men may1 for their own interest1 flatter him1 and feign to respect him1 but he will obtain no real honour1 either from men like him in character1 or from those who are better and wiser4 ,i have read1 says ,thomas ,adams1 of ,menecrates1 a physician that would needs be counted a god1 and took no other fee of his patients than their vow to worship him4 ,dionysius ,syracusanus1 hearing of this1 invited him to a banquet1 and1 to honour him according to his desire1 set before him nothing but a censer of frankincense1 with all the smoke whereof he was feasted till he starved1 while others fed on good meat4 ,such smoke as this is all the return such a man as the one pictured in this proverb will get for starving himself1 and for sinning against his own body1 against society1 and against ,god4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we give a few of the many renderings of this verse3-- ,better is he that laboureth and aboundeth in all things than he that boasteth himself and lacketh bread4--,wordsworth4 ,this proverb1 like xv4 #ag1 commends the middle rank of life with its quiet excellencies4 ,a man of lowly rank1 who is1 however1 not so poor that he cannot support a slave1 is better than one that boasts himself and is yet a beggar4 ,the first necessity of an ,oriental in only moderate circumstances is a slave1 just as was the case with the ,greeks and ,romans4--,delitzch4 ,better is the condition of the poor man1 who has the means under his control of aiding his exertions for sustenance1 than the nobleman1 real or fancied1 who is in a state of starvation4--,stuart4 ,each interpretation is tenable grammatically4 7#a7 ,he whom men despise1 or who is lowly in his own eyes 7the word is used by ,david himself1 #a ,sam xviii4 #bc71 the trader1 the peasant1 if he has a slave1 i4e41 if he is one step above absolute poverty1 and has someone to supply his wants1 is better off than the man who boasts of rank or descent1 and has nothing to eat4 ,respectable mediocrity is better than boastful poverty4 7#b7 ,he who1 though despised1 is a servant to himself1 i4e4 supplies his own wants1 is better than the arrogant and helpless4--,plumptre4 ,some do think it more miserable to be known to be miserable than to be so1 and are more grieved to be disesteemed for it than to be pinched by it1 wherefore they will feed the eyes of others with a show of plenty1 although they have not bread to feed themselves4 ,but he is better who1 disesteeming the esteem of others and being servant to himself1 does get his own bread1 and is contented with it4 ,for as he is servant1 so is he master also2 and howbeit he serveth1 yet it is at his own pleasure4 ,and this is his comfort1 that while he serveth himself he hath to serve his need and occasions1 when he that honoureth himself is fain at last to live by others4 ,or else take the meaning thus3 the ambitious itch of many is so great1 and so disquieteth their hearts1 that they can lack anything1 even bread itself1 rather than honour and preferment2 so that when they are swollen big in greatness and dignity they are even starved in their estate1 and have not of their own the next meal to feed themselves4 ,but better is he1 especially if he be a good man1 who--having to keep himself and a servant--doth keep within his means2 and though he be despised by them that overlook him1 yet he looks upon himself with thanks to ,god that it is so well with him4 ,and1 indeed1 how can this man but be better than the other1 when his servant is better than the other is4 ,for as ,chyrsostom speaketh1 it cannot be but that he who is the slave of glory should be servant of all1 yea1 more vile than all other servants4 ,for there is no servant commanded to do such base things as the love of glory commandeth him4--,jermin4 ,the son of ,sirach1 who may well be called an interpreter of this book of the ,proverbs1 hath a very like saying to this where he speaketh thus1 ,better is he that worketh and aboundeth with all things1 than he that boasteth himself1 and wanteth bread 7,ecclus4 x4 #bg74--,muffet4 ,when men are such slaves to the opinion of the world1 they rebel against ,him who makes no mistake in ,his allotments and often appoints a descent from worldly elevation as a profitable discipline 7,jas4 i4 #aj1 #aa2 ,dan4 iv4 #cb-cg74 ,yet it is hard1 even for the ,christian1 as ,bunyan reminds us1 to go down the valley of humiliation and catch no slip by the way4 ,we need our ,master's unworldly elevated spirit 7,john vi4 #ae7 to make as safe descent4 4 4 4 ,let our moderation be known unto all men1 under the constraining recollection1 ,the ,lord is at hand 7,phil4 iv4 #e74 ,how will the dazzling glory of man's esteem fade away before the glory of ,his appearing6--,bridges4 ,paul travelling on foot1 and living on the wages of a tent-maker1 was more respectable than the pretended successor of his brother apostle1 with a triple crown upon his head4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,care ,,for ,,animals ,,and ,,cruelty ,,to ,,men4 ,even the animal is benefited by being related to a righteous man4 ,i4 ,the righteous man regardeth the life of his beast4 #a4 ,because of the entire dependence of the creature upon him4 ,animals which are the property of man are entirely at his mercy4 ,they have no power to change a bad master for a good one--no voice to utter their complaints--no means of getting redress for their wrongs4 ,all these considerations tend to make a good man care for them1 for the righteous man's sympathies are always drawn out in proportion to the need of the object4 ,and with regard to the animal creation1 it may be that the present life is the only opportunity a man may have of showing kindness to them4 ,if1 on the other hand1 animals live in another world1 it may be all the better for men to treat them well here4 #b4 ,because of his dependence upon his beast4 ,men are very largely indebted to animals for the sustaining of their life--it would be very difficult for the work of the world to be carried on without their help2 man would certainly have to labour much harder if they had it not4 ,therefore1 the righteous man feels that he is paying a debt when he regards the life of his beast4 #c4 ,because the animal is an object of ,divine care4 ,the ,bible has many references to the brute creation1 and many passages which show that ,god regardeth the life of the beast4 ,christ tells us that not a sparrow falls to the ground without ,his ,father's notice1 and ,god has given special commands with reference to the care of dumb creatures4 ,thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn 7,duet4 xxv4 #d74 ,seeing1 then1 that ,god doth care for oxen1 a righteous man will do likewise4 #d4 ,because of the lessons that may be learned from the animal creation4 ,god often sends man to learn of them 7see ,isa4 i4 #c2 ,jer4 viii4 #g71 and much suggestive teaching may be got from observation of their dispositions and habits4 ,it would be ingratitude not to repay them with considerate care4 ,,ii4 ,the wicked man is cruel4 ,wickedness is1 in its nature1 destitute of kindliness4 ,the sea is by nature salt1 and its saltiness makes it unfit to sustain human life4 ,the father of wickedness is a cruel being--his only aim is to increase the misery of the universe4 ,all his children have partaken more or less of his character since the first human murderer killed his brother4 ,it is said here that even his acts of mercy are cruel4 ,history gives many instances of men whose so-called acts of mercy were only refined cruelties4 ,it follows that if wicked men are cruel to their fellow-creatures--to men and women of their own flesh and blood1 they will be even more indifferent to the welfare of creatures below man4 ,,illustrations4 ,sir ,robert ,clayton1 as commander of a troop of ,british cavalry1 which after service on the ,continent was disbanded in the city of ,york1 and the horses sold1 could not bear to think that his old fellow-campaigners1 who had born brave men to battle1 should be ridden to death as butcher's hacks1 or worked in dung-carts till they became dogs' meat1 he therefore purchased a piece of ground upon ,knavesmire heath1 and turned out the old horses to have their run for life4 ,what made this act to be the longer had in remembrance1 was the curious fact1 that one day1 when these horses were grazing1 a thunder-storm gathered1 at the fires and sounds of which1 as if mistaken for the signs of approaching battle1 they were seen to get together and form in line1 almost in as perfect order as if they had their old masters on their backs4 ,sir ,james ,prior tells us1 in the last year of the life of ,burke1 that a feeble old horse which had been a favourite with young ,richard--now dead--and his constant companion in all his rural journeyings and sports1 when both were alike healthful and vigorous1 was turned out to take the run of the park at ,beaconsfield during the remainder of his life1 the servants being strictly charged not to ride or in any way molest him4 ,this pour worn-out steed it was that one day drew near to ,burke1 as the now childless and decrepit statesman was musing in the park1 and after some moments of inspection1 followed by seeming recollection and confidence1 deliberately rested his head upon the old man's bosom4 ,the singularity of the action1 the remembrance of his dead son1 its late master1 and the apparent attachment and intelligence of the poor brute1 as if it could sympathise with his inward sorrows1 rushing at once into his mind1 totally overpowered his firmness1 and throwing his arms over its neck1 he wept long and loudly4 ,john ,howard writing home from the ,lazaretto1 himself sick and a prisoner3 ,is my chaise-horse gone blind or spoiled8 ,duke is well1 he must have his range when past his labour2 not doing such a cruel thing as ,i did with the old mare4 ,i have a thousand times repented of it4--,jacox4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,what a cruelty of the wicked is1 at its words1 words might seem wanting to show1 after it has been said that the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel4 ,but a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast4 ,jacob1 as flock-master1 is studiously careful for his flocks and herds as well as for his tender children2 if men should over-drive them one day1 all the flock would die2 so ,i will lead on softly1 said he to ,esau1 according as the cattle that goeth before me is able to endure4 ,the angel of the ,lord standing in the way1 rebukes ,balaam for smiting his ass three times3 that unrighteous man1 wishing there were a sword in his hand1 too literally regardeth not the life of his beast4 4 4 4 ,we certainly ought not1 pleads ,plutarch1 to treat living creatures like shoes or household goods1 which1 when worn out with use1 we throw away2 and1 were it only to learn benevolence to human kind1 we should be merciful to other creatures4 ,to be kind to these our fellow-lodgers is common humanity4 ,to be cruel to them is to be below it4 ,it is almost1 if not quite1 to be a little lower than themselves4 ,it is1 maintains1 ,sir ,arthur ,helps1 an immense responsibility that ,providence has thrown upon us in subjecting these sensitive creatures to our complete sway1 and he avowedly trembles at the thought of how poor an answer we shall have to give1 when asked the question how we have made use of the power entrusted to us over the brute creation4 4 4 4 ,the question of interposing law has been a vexed one1 upon which the humanest have differed4 4 4 4 ,so hard-headed and cool-headed a thinker as ,stuart ,mill is decisive and incisive in his arguments in favour of legal intervention4 ,mr4 ,lecky's suggestion of a doubt whether cruelty to animals can be condemned on utilitarian grounds1 is met by the obvious answer that a utilitarian may rationally include in his definition of the greatest number whose happiness is to be the aim of human beings1 not only human beings themselves1 but all animals capable of being happy or the reverse2 besides which it is urged that1 even if we limit our view to the good of our own species1 the argument is as strong as can be desired4 ,if the criminality of an action were to be measured simply by its direct effects on human happiness1 we might probably urge that the murderer of a grown-up man was worse than the murderer of a child1 and far worse than the torturer of a dumb animal4 ,yet1 as a matter of fact1 we should probably feel a greater loathing for a man who could torment a beast for his pleasure than for one who should ill-use one of his equals4 ,for such cruelty is held to indicate1 as a rule1 a baser nature4 ,a murderer1 though generally speaking a man of bad character1 is not of necessity cowardly or mean2 he may not improbably show some courage1 and possibly even some sensibility to the nobler emotions4 ,the tormenter of animals1 on the other hand shows callousness of nature1 a pleasure in giving pain for the sake of giving pain1 which has about it something to be described as devilish4 4 4 4 ,john ,foster declared it to be a great sin against moral taste to mention ludicrously1 or for ludicrous comparison1 circumstances in the animal world which are painful and distressing to the animals that are in them2 the simile1 for instance1 ,like a toad under a harrow4--,jacox4 ,lit4 knoweth4 ,the ,authorised ,version gives the right application1 but the words remind us that all true sympathy and care must grow out of knowledge4 ,the righteous man tries to know the feelings and life even of the brute beast1 and so comes to care for it4 ,tender mercies4 ,better the feelings1 the emotions all that should have led to mercy and pity towards man4 ,the circle expands in the one case1 narrows in the other4--,plumptre4 ,when the pulse of kindness beats strong in the heart the warm stream is sent clean through the body of the human family1 and retains force enough to expatiate among the living creatures that lie beyond4 4 4 4 ,cruelty is a characteristic of the wicked in general1 and in particular of antichrist--that one1 wicked by pre-eminence1 whom ,christ shall yet destroy by the brightness of ,his coming4 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,the page of history is spotted with the cruelties of papal ,rome4 ,the red blood upon his garments is generally the means of discovering a murderer4 ,the trailing womanish robes of the papal high priest are deeply stained with the blood of the saints4 ,the same providence which employs the bloody tinge to detect the common murderer has left more lasting marks of ,rome's cruelty4 ,the ,bartholomew massacre1 for example1 is recorded in more enduring characters than the stains of that blood which soaked the soil of ,france4 ,the pope and his cardinals rejoiced greatly when they heard the news4 ,so lively was their gratitude that they cast a medal to record it on4 ,there stands the legend1 raised in brass and silver--,strages ,huguenotorum 7the slaughter of the ,huguenots7--in perpetual memory of the delight wherewith that wicked antichrist regarded the foulest butchery of men by their fellows that this sin-cursed earth has ever seen4 ,that spot will not out with all their washings4--,arnot4 ,it is better to be the beast of a righteous man than the son of a wicked man2 nay1 it is better to be the beast of a righteous man than to be a wicked man4 ,for the righteous will do right unto his beast2 the merciful man hath sense of mercy wheresoever is sense of misery1 and while in mercy he regardeth the life of the beast that is beneath him1 he is made like unto ,god1 who is so far above him4 ,but the wicked man's tender mercies are mercies of the cruel1 or else his tender mercies are cruel1 hurting as much as severe cruelty2 and therefore many times a wicked father's fond affection is the utter undoing of a petted child1 and sparing pity1 where evil should be chastised1 is the breeding nurse of mischief which cannot be helped4 ,the fond mercies whereby the wicked favoureth himself in sloth and idleness1 whereby he pleaseth himself with pleasures and delights1 whereby he pampereth himself with delicate and luscious meats1 whereby he restraineth not his lusts and desires--what are they but cruelties whereby he tormenteth his body with sickness and quickly killeth it1 and whereby he wilfully destroyeth his soul4--,jermin4 ,the worldly care of a high prosperous man may seem very tender to those dependent on him and towards others2 but the very tenderness of an impenitent example is the higher snare1 the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel4 4 4 4 ,religion has no austerities that make a true saint careless of the life or feelings even of his beast4 ,on the contrary1 it breeds the most pervading tenderness2 whereas the wise worldling1 however careful of his home and tender towards all who have any claim upon his care1 yet in admitting that there is a hell1 and neglecting all prayer for his household1 and all example1 except one that braves the worst1 breeds children simply to destroy them4--,miller4 ,the tender mercies of the wicked are when base and guilty men are spared that should be smitten with the sword of justice4 ,pity of this sort is more cruel than cruelty itself4 ,for cruelty is exercised upon individuals1 but the pity1 by granting impunity1 arms and sends forth against innocent men the whole army of evil doers4--,lord ,bacon4 ,we have been used to hear much of the benevolence of infidels and the philanthropy of deists4 ,it is all a pretence4 ,self is the idol and self-indulgence the object1 in the accomplishment of which they are little scrupulous about the means4 ,where self is the idol1 the heart is cruel4 ,while they talk of universal charity1 they regard not the cruelty of robbing thousands of the consolations of religion4 4 4 4 ,while they speak of harmless gaiety and pleasure they would treacherously corrupt piety and pollute unsuspecting innocence4--,holden4 ,the word regard is of twofold application1 and may either apply to the moral or the intellectual part of our nature4 ,in the one it is the regard of attention2 in the other it is the regard of sympathy or kindness4 ,but we do not marvel at the term having been applied to two different things1 for they are most intimately associated4 ,they act and re-act upon each other4 ,if the heart be very alive to any particular set of emotions the mind will be alert in singling out the peculiar objects which excite them2 so1 on the other hand1 that the emotions be specifically felt the objects must be specifically noticed4 4 4 4 ,so much is this the case that ,nature seems to have limited and circumscribed our power of noticing just for the purpose of shielding us from too incessant a sympathy4 4 4 4 ,if man1 for instance1 looked upon ,nature with a microscopic eye his sensibilities would be exposed to the torture of a perpetual offence from all possible quarters of contemplation1 or1 if through habit these sensibilities were blunted1 what would become of character in the extinction of delicacy of feeling8 4 4 4 ,there is1 furthermore1 a physical inertness of our reflective faculties1 an opiate infused1 as it were1 into the recesses of our mental economy1 by which objects1 when out of sight1 are out of mind1 and it is to some such provision1 we think that much of the heart's purity1 as well as its tenderness1 is owing2 and it is well that the thoughts of the spirit should be kept1 though even by the weight of its own lethargy1 from too busy a converse with objects which are alike offensive and hazardous to both4 4 4 4 ,but there is a still more wondrous limitation than this4 4 4 4 ,the sufferings of the lower animals may be in sight1 and yet out of mind4 ,this is strikingly exemplified in the sports of the field1 in the midst of whose varied and animating bustle that cruelty1 which is all along present to the senses1 may not1 for one moment1 be present to the thoughts4 4 4 4 ,it touches not the sensibilities of the heart1 but just because it is never present to the notice of the mind4 ,the followers of this occupation are reckless of pain1 but this is not rejoicing in pain4 ,theirs is not the delight of savage1 but the apathy of unreflecting creatures4 4 4 4 ,we are inclined to carry this principle must further4 ,we are not sure if1 within the whole compass of humanity1 fallen as it is1 there be such a thing as delight in suffering for its own sake4 ,but1 without hazarding a controversy on this1 we hold it enough for every practical object that much1 and perhaps the whole of the world's cruelty1 arises not from the enjoyment that is felt in consequence of others' pain1 but from the enjoyment that is felt in spite of it4 4 4 4 ,but a charge of the foulest delinquency may be made up altogether of wants or of negatives2 and just as the human face1 by the mere want of some of its features1 although there should not be any inversion of them1 might be an object of utter loathsomeness to beholders1 so the human character1 by the mere absence of certain habits or sensibilities which belong ordinarily and constitutionally to our species1 may be an object of utter abomination in society4 ,the want of natural affection forms one article of the ,apostle's indictment against our world2 and certain it is enough for the designation of a monster4 ,the mere want of religion is enough to make a man an outcast from his ,god4 ,even to the most barbarous of our kind you apply1 not the term of anti-humanity1 but of inhumanity--not the term of anti-sensibility2 and you hold it enough for the purpose of branding him for general execration that you convicted him of complete and total insensibility4 4 4 4 ,we count it a deep atrocity that1 unlike to the righteous man of our text1 he simply does not regard the life of a beast4 4 4 4 ,the true principle of his condemnation is that he ought to have regarded4 4 4 4 ,our text rests the whole cause of the inferior animals on one moral element1 which is in respect of principle1 and on one practical method1 which is1 in respect of efficacy1 unquestionable3 ,a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast4 ,let a man be but righteous in the general and obvious sense of the word1 and let the regard of his attention be but directed to the case of the inferior animals1 and then the regard of his sympathy will be awakened to the full extent at which it is either duteous or desirable4 4 4 4 ,the lesson is not the circulation of benevolence within the limits of one species4 ,it is the transmission of it from one species to another4 ,the first is but the charity of a world2 the second is the charity of a universe4 ,had there been no such charity1 no descending current of love and liberality from species to species1 what would have become of ourselves8 ,whence have we learned this attitude of lofty unconcern about the creatures who are beneath us8 ,not from those ministering spirits who wait upon the heirs of salvation4 4 4 4 ,not from that mighty and mysterious visitant who unrobed ,him of all ,his glories1 and bowed down ,his head unto the sacrifice1 and still1 from the seat of ,his now exalted mediatorship1 pours forth ,his intercessions and ,his calls in behalf of the race ,he died for4 ,finally1 not from the eternal ,father of all1 in the pavilion of whose residence there is the golden treasury of all those bounties and beatitudes that roll over the face of nature1 and from the footstool of whose empyreal throne there reaches a golden chain of providence to the very humblest of ,his family4--,chalmers4 ,he prayeth best who loveth best ,all things both great and small2 ,for the dear ,god that loveth us1 ,he made and loveth all4--,coleridge4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,,satisfaction ,,from ,,tillage4 ,i4 ,satisfaction as the result of tillage depends--#a4 ,upon the performance of a ,divine promise4 ,it is long ago since ,god gave ,noah the promise that ,while the earth remaineth1 seedtime and harvest1 and cold and heat1 and summer and winter1 and day and night shall not cease 7,gen4 ix4 #bb71 and it has been so invariably fulfilled that men have come to forget upon whom they are depending--in whom they are exercising faith--when they plough the ground and sow the seed4 ,god's regularity in ,his performance has bred in men a contempt for the promise and the promise maker4 ,men speak of the laws of nature and ignore the fact that it is by the ,word of the ,lord that the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven1 and returneth not thither1 but watereth the earth1 and maketh it bring forth and bud1 that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater 7,isa4 lv4 #aj74 ,but so it is4 ,the promise is the power that set the laws in motion at first and that have kept them in motion ever since4 ,there can be no tillage without dependence upon ,god either acknowledged or unacknowledged4 ,the promise is an absolute one1 and implies power in ,god to fulfil it to the end of time4 ,it can never fail unless ,god's power fail1 or unless ,he break ,his ,word2 these are blessed impossibilities with ,him4 ,therefore1 so far as ,god is concerned the shall of the text is absolute4 ,but it depends likewise--#b4 ,upon man's fulfilment of their duties4 ,first1 it is not all tillage that will satisfy a man with bread1 the tillage must be painstaking and intelligent4 ,the promise of ,god does not set aside the necessity for the man to be very laborious and to study carefully the nature and needs of the soil which he tills4 ,agriculture is a science which must be acquired--a man must learn how to till the ground4 ,god claims to be man's instructor in this matter 7,isa4 xxviii4 #bf74 ,then1 again1 it must be his land that he tills1 not land taken by fraud or violence from another4 ,neither if a man tills the land of another as his servant is he always paid sufficient wages to be satisfied with bread4 ,but this is the greed of man interfering with ,god's ordination4 ,,ii4 ,the promise suggests symbolic teaching4 ,we may look at it in relation to the human spirit4 ,as land must be ploughed and sown with painstaking intelligence if a man is to have the satisfaction of reaping a harvest1 so the human soul must be the object of spiritual tillage if it is ever to yield any satisfaction to ,god or man4 ,there is very much to be got out of the land1 but no man can obtain the full blessing unless he cultivate it4 ,so it is with the man himself4 ,a human soul left to lie barren can never become as a field which the ,lord hath blessed4 #a4 ,it must be prepared to receive the words of ,god4 ,the fallow ground must be broken up1 lest the sowing be among thorns 7,jer4 iv4 #c71 or the seed fall where it can find no entrance 7,hosea x4 #ab2 ,matt4 xiii4 #d74 #b4 ,good seed must be sown4 ,the word of ,god 7,mark iv4 #ad71 that incorruptible seed by which men are born again 7#a ,pet4 i4 #bc74 #c4 ,and the spiritual sower must be persevering and prayerful4 ,it is true of natural tillage that ,he that observeth the wind shall not sow2 and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap 7,eccles4 xi4 #d72 it is equally so of soul-husbandry4 ,the world1 the flesh1 and the devil will be always putting difficulties in the way of a man's caring for his own soul4 ,but these obstacles must be surmounted1 and if the seed is watered by prayer ,god will assuredly send down the rain of the ,holy ,ghost4 #d4 ,and in spiritual tillage there is also a certainty of satisfaction4 ,this also depends upon not one ,divine promise but upon many--upon the revelation of ,god as a whole4 7,upon the opposite character--him that followeth vain persons1 or vanity1 instead of tilling his land or his spiritual nature--see ,homiletics on chapters vi4 #aa and x4 #e1 pages #gi and #adg47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we might have expected that the antithesis of the second clause would have ended with shall lack bread1 but the real contrast goes deeper4 ,idleness leads to a worse evil than that of hunger4--,plumptre4 ,vain persons or empty people--most signally the impenitent--for they are empty of all good4 ,that follows after empty people is a fine characteristic of the impenitent man's decline4 ,following others is the commonest influence to destroy the soul4--,miller4 ,special honour is given to the work of tilling the land4 ,god assigned it to ,adam in ,paradise4 ,it is the employment of his eldest son4 ,in ancient times it was the business or relaxation of kings4 ,a blessing is ensured to diligence1 sometimes abundant1 always such as we should be satisfied with4--,bridges4 ,of all the arts of civilised man agriculture is transcendently the most essential and valuable4 ,other arts may contribute to the comfort1 the convenience1 and the embellishment of life1 but the cultivation of the soil stands in immediate connection with our very existence4 ,the life itself1 to whose comfort1 convenience1 and embellishment other arts contribute1 is by this sustained1 so that others without it can avail nothing4--,wardlaw4 ,the only two universal monarchs practised husbandry4 4 4 4 ,some people think that they cannot have enough unless they have more than the necessaries and decent comforts of life3 but we are here instructed that bread should satisfy our desires4 ,having food and raiment1 let us be therewith content4 ,there are few that want these1 and yet few are content4 4 4 4 ,to be satisfied with bread is a happy temper of mind1 and is commonly the portion of the man of industry1 which not only procures bread1 but gives it a relish unknown to men that are above labour4--,lawson4 ,sin brought in sweat 7,gen4 iii4 #ai71 and now not to sweat increaseth sin4 4 4 4 ,but he that followeth vain persons1 etc4 it is hard to be a good fellow and a good husband too4--,trapp4 ,here is encouragement to those who travail in husbandry4 ,they are of as good note with ,god for their service1 if they be faithful1 as others whose trades are more gainful1 and better esteemed among men4 ,the merchants1 and goldsmiths1 and others of such places1 are not so often mentioned in ,scripture as they be1 nor animated with so many consolations as they are4 ,the grand promises for blessing on their labour are made to them in special1 and the rest must deduct their comforts from thence by proportion4--,dod4 ,in a moral point of view the life of the agriculturist is the most pure and holy of any class of men2 pure1 because it is the most healthful1 and holy1 because it brings the ,deity perpetually before his view1 giving him thereby the most exalted notions of supreme power1 and the most fascinating and endearing view of moral benignity4--,sir ,b4 ,maltravers4 ,ill fares the land1 to hastening ills a prey1 ,where wealth accumulates and men decay2 ,princes and lords may flourish1 or may fade2 ,a breath can make them1 as a breath has made3 ,but a bold peasantry1 their country's pride1 ,when once destroyed1 can never be supplied4--,goldsmith4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-ad4 ,,the ,,desire ,,of ,,wicked ,,men ,,and ,,the ,,fruit ,,of ,,righteousness4 ,i4 ,concerning wicked men we have--#a4 ,a blessed instance of their inability to do all they desire4 ,verse #ab speaks of their desiring the net of evil men--of their reaching out after larger opportunities of ensnaring their fellow-creatures than they have at their command at present4 ,the desires and abilities of good men are not always equally balanced4 ,they have more desire to be good and to do good than they have ability to be or to do4 ,the first teachers of ,christianity desired a net that should enclose all to whom they preached the gospel1 and this has been the desire of godly men ever since4 ,they desire a net in which to catch their fellow-creatures for their good1 but their ability always comes short of their desires4 ,this is a saddening truth1 but there is no denying the fact4 ,but the net of evil men desired by the wicked is one in which to entrap men to their hurt4 ,in this case it is a matter of rejoicing that their desires and their ability are not balanced4 ,if ungodly men had their desires fulfilled they would soon transform the world into a mirror in which they would see them reflected in every human creature4 ,we ought ever to give thanks to ,god that wicked men lack power to do all they desire to do to good men1 and that they cannot even go to the length of their aspirations even with other ungodly men4 ,they hate each other often with deep hatred1 and human and ,divine law alone prevents the world from being turned into a hell by the fulfilment of their desires against each other4 ,there are outstanding debts always waiting to be settled whenever a net can be found large enough to entrap the victim1 but ,god's providence is a larger net1 and so arranges the events of human life that wicked men are often prevented from committing greater crimes then they do against each other4 #b4 ,retribution falling upon them4 ,a net is laid1 and prey is ensnared1 but it is he who desired to entrap his brother who is snared by the transgression of his own lips 7ver4 #ac74 ,it is as certain as that water will find its level that men who lay traps for others will be entrapped themselves 7see chap4 xi4 #h74 ,and this will come about not by another man's laying a net for them but by their own plans being turned against them4 ,thus ,haman made a snare for his own feet by the transgression of his own lips when he sought to persuade ,ahasuerus that it was not for his profit to suffer the ,jews 7,esther iii4 #h74 ,he thought this net would enclose ,mordecai1 but it enwrapped himself in its meshes4 ,so when ,daniel's enemies laid their plans against him4 ,many a time has a godly man had occasion to sing ,david's song1 ,the heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made2 in the net which they hid is their own foot taken 7,psa4 ix4 #ae74 ,it is a law of ,god's government4 ,he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity 7,rev4 xiii4 #aj74 ,this is the recompense which shall be rendered unto the man who lays plans to injure others 7ver4 #ad74 ,,ii4 ,concerning righteous men we have--#a4 ,a godly character springing from a root of piety4 ,the principal thing to be aimed at in building a house is to get a good foundation2 if the foundation be insecure1 the house will be worthless4 ,that which makes a healthy fruit-bearing tree is a healthy1 strong root2 however fair the branches may at present look1 they will soon betray any disease at the seat of its life4 ,the root of a man's character is his desire2 if the desire is righteous1 he is a righteous--though not a perfect--man4 ,as the wicked man was made by his evil desire1 so the good man is made by his desires after that which is true and benevolent4 #b4 ,that which is yielded by such a root4 7#a7 ,deliverance4 ,he is delivered from the net laid for him by the evil counsels of the wicked4 ,his character is often the means of bringing him into trouble1 but the same character is a guarantee that he shall come out of it4 ,the time of trouble is by permission or by appointment of ,god1 and it is only for a limited time4 ,job and ,joseph were both brought into trouble because their characters awakened the envy--the one of angelic1 the other of human sinners2 but their histories are left on record to show to all just men1 who find themselves in similar circumstances from the same cause1 what the end of the ,lord is1 and will be to them 7,jas4 v4 #aa74 ,there must come a final and blessed deliverance from all trouble for those who yield the fruit of a holy life from the root of a holy character 7,rev4 xxi4 #d74 7#b7 ,satisfaction 7verse #ad74 ,one of the fruits of a righteous man will be his holy and wise speech--speech which blesses men in opposition to that transgression of the lips which is meant to injure them 7verse #ac74 ,from this fruit of the mouth he shall be satisfied with good--he will have the reward of knowing that his words bless others1 and this will be to him a source of satisfaction4 ,or his wise speech may be the means of bringing him material good and temporal honour4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,man is always restless to press onwards to something not yet enjoyed4 ,the wicked emulate each other in wickedness1 and if they see evil men more successful than themselves1 desire their net 7,psa4 x4 #h-aj2 ,jer4 v4 #bf-bh74--;,bridges4 ,the words are somewhat obscure1 both in the original and in the translation4 ,the meaning1 however1 seems as follows3 ,the net of evil men1 as in chap4 i4 #ag1 is that in which they are taken--the judgment of ,god in which they are ensnared4 ,this they run into with such a blind infatuation that it seems as if they were in love with their own destruction4 ,the marginal fortress 7a meaning given to the feminine form in ,isa4 xxix4 #g2 ,ezek4 xix4 #i7 gives the thought that the wicked seek the protection of others like themselves1 but seek in vain the root of the just 7i4e41 that in them which is fixed and stable71 alone yields that protection4 ,the latter rendering is1 on the whole1 preferable4--,plumptre4 ,some render the latter clause1 ,he 7i4e41 the ,lord7 will give a root of the righteous2 that is1 will enable them to stand firm4--,wordsworth4 ,the impenitent does not prefer to work the soil of his soul1 as in the last verse1 but is in hopes to gain by something easier2 he likes to seize as in the chase1 or as robbers do4 ,he likes to seize without having produced or earned4 ,but the righteous not only goes through solid processes of piety1 but 7another intensive clause1 chap4 xi4 #ad7 earns for others1 as well as for himself4 ,while impenitence would take heaven as in a net1 religion works for it1 and1 in so doing1 gives or yields4--,miller4 ,the word net may be understood of any means by which the wealth and honours of the world may be acquired4 ,thus it is used in ,habakkuk i4 #ac-ag4 ,the net described here is that of the oppressor1 who regards his fellow-men as of any value only as he can render them conducive to his own benefit and aggrandisement1 and who uses them accordingly1 and when his oppressive powers prove successful vaunts himself in the power and the skill by which the means has been secured4 ,there seems to be a special reference1 in the verse before us1 to illegitimate or fraudulent means4 ,when the wicked see the devices of evil men succeed1 they desire to try the same arts4 4 4 4 ,if1 in any case1 conscience should remonstrate and restrain1 and will not allow them to go quite so far1 that yet envy1 and regret their restraints4 ,they still desire the net1 even when they can't bring themselves to use it4 ,they wish they could get over their scruples1 and1 in this state of mind1 the probability is that by and by they will4 ,the root of the righteous might be understood as meaning the fixed1 settled1 stable principle of the righteous1 and the sentiment may be1 and it is an important one1 that1 acting on rooted principle1 the righteous may and will ultimately prosper4 ,i incline1 however1 to think that the net signifies the varied artifice1 cunning1 and fraud employed to gain riches quickly1 the root of the righteous may rather represent the source of his revenue or income2 and1 in opposition to the art of making rich quickly1 to excite the surprise and the envy of others1 a steady1 firmly-established1 regularly2 and prudently and justly-conducted business1 bringing in its profits fairly and moderately1 as a tree1 deeply-rooted in the soil1 draws thence its natural nourishment1 and1 receiving blessing from ,god1 brings forth its fruit in due season4 ,the two views are closely1 if not inseparably1 connected4--,wardlaw4 ,the wicked seek their good from without2 the righteous have it within1 their own root1 deep and firmly sunk1 supplying it4--,fausset4 ,he so furiously pursueth his lusts1 as if he desired destruction2 as if he would outdare ,god ,himself2 as if the guerdon of his gracelessness would not come time enough1 but he must needs run to meet it4 ,thus thrasonical ,lamech 7,gen4 iv4 #bc7 thinks to have the odds of ,god seventy to seven4 ,thus the princes of the ,philistines1 whilst plagued1 came up to ,mizpeh against ,israel1 as it were1 to fetch their bane 7#a ,sam4 vii474--,trapp4 ,verse #ac4 ,the words saphah 7lip7 and lashon 7tongue7 occur1 the first in verses #ac1 #ai1 #bb1 the second in verses #ah1 #ai in the chapter4 ,the former occurs about forty-five times in this book2 and the words connected with them1 such as strife1 wrath1 slander1 scorn1 and their contraries1 love1 peace1 truth1 etc41 are very frequent1 showing the importance to be attached to the right government of the tongue4--,wordsworth4 ,matters are so arranged1 in the constitution of the world1 that the straight course of truth is safe and easy2 the crooked path of falsehood difficult and tormenting4 ,here is perennial evidence that the ,god of providence is wise and true4 ,by making lies a share to catch liars in1 the ,author of being proclaims1 even in the voices of nature1 that ,he requireth truth in the inward parts4 ,the just shall come out of trouble2 that is the word2 it is not said he shall never fall into it4 ,the inventory which ,jesus gives of what ,his disciples shall have now in this time1 although it contains many things that nature loves1 closes with the article persecutions 7,mark x4 #cj74 4 4 4 ,those who wave their palms of victory and sing their jubilant hymns of praise1 were all in the horrible pit once4--,arnot4 ,all human conduct is represented by the lips 7verse #f and chap4 xiv4 #c74 ,the tongue is a foremost business agent4 ,the impenitent1 though he may stand out very clear1 and see no tokens of a net1 yet1 as his life is false his not seeing the snare shows only how the more insidiously he may be entangled in4 ,while the righteous1 though he may be born to the snare2 originally contemned2 and though he may be caught in the toils of great worldly evil1 yea1 of sin itself2 yet out of the very jaw of the trap where he may have foolishly entered1 he will in the end by helped to get out4--,miller4 ,they 7the just7 suffer sometimes for their bold and free invectives against the evils of the times1 but they shall surely be delivered4 4 4 4 ,john ,baptist1 indeed1 was1 without any law1 right1 and reason1 beheaded in prison as though ,god had known nothing at all of him1 said ,george ,marsh1 the martyr4 ,and the same may be said of sundry other witnesses to the truth1 but then by death they entered into life eternal4 4 4 4 ,besides that heaven upon earth they had during their troubles4 4 4 4 ,the best comforts are usually reserved for the worst times4--,trapp4 ,verse #ad4 ,albeit the opening of the mouth is a small matter2 yet1 when it is done in wisdom1 it shall be recompensed by the ,lord with great blessing4 ,for such as use their tongues to ,god's glory1 and the edification of their brethren1 instructing them and exhorting them from day to day1 shall be loved by ,god and man1 and taste many good things4 ,now1 as good words1 so good works shall be rewarded4 ,for the recompense of a man's hands shall reward him2 not only shall the wicked be plagued for their evil doing1 but the godly shall be blessed for their well-doing4--,muffet4 ,this is the whole question of capital and labour put in a nutshell4 ,all is not to be claimed by the hands1 for there is the mouth that directs and orders4 ,as much is not to be claimed by the hands1 for the ,bible is a good1 truthful book1 and it claims for the mind more than for the muscle4 7,see this distinction in ,eccles4 x4 #aj47 ,a man of the better sort1 with his education1 and expensive capital1 earns more1 according to the inspired ,solomon1 than the labouring man4 ,what he demands of the ,christian gentleman is1 that he shall make an estimate of all this1 and1 while he keeps himself the earnings of the mouth1 he render carefully to the labourer the wages of his hands4 ,we have no authority for this interpretation4 ,we present it as unquestionably just4 ,the translation it would be hard to give literally4 ,but the words are about thus3 ,from the fruit of the mouth of a man of the better class1 a good man will be satisfied2 and the wage 7lit4 the work7 of the hands of a common man he will render to him4 ,this fair1 calculating spirit1 in all questions between man and man1 not tending to communism on the one hand and not yielding to tyranny on the other1 is the true spirit of the inspired ,gospel4--,miller4 ,there are empty vines that bear fruit unto themselves 7,hosea x4 #a74 ,and as empty casks sound loudest1 and base metal rings shrillest1 so many empty tattlers are full of discourse4 ,much fruit will redound by holy speeches to ourselves--much to others4 ,paul showeth that the very report of his bonds did a great deal of good in ,csar's house 7,phil4 i4 #ad74 4 4 4 ,one seasonable truth1 falling upon a prepared heart1 hath oft a strong and sweet influence4 ,sometimes1 also1 although we know that which we ask of others as well as they do1 yet good speeches will draw us to know it better by giving occasion to speak more of it1 wherewith the ,spirit works most effectually1 and imprints it deeper1 so that it shall be a more rooted knowledge than before4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ae and #af4 ,,two ,,examples ,,of ,,foolishness ,,and ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,the man who guides his life by his own self-conceit--rejecting the advice of others4 ,no finite creature possesses sufficient wisdom within himself to direct his path through life4 ,the largest and deepest rivers are dependent upon small streams to sustain their volume of water1 and each little stream again must be fed from a source outside itself1 and the springs which feed the streams have their origin in the ocean's fulness4 ,so the very greatest minds are in some things dependent upon minds which in many things are their inferior1 and it is a mark of wisdom to acknowledge this1 and to be willing to take advice of anyone who is able to give it upon matters in which they are better informed4 ,thus men are led to exercise a mutual dependence on each other1 and all to depend upon ,him whose wisdom is the parent of all finite counsel that is of any value4 7#a7 ,a man who will not acknowledge and act upon this principle is a fool1 because he practically shuts his eyes to a self-evident fact1 and denies that he is a member of a race1 the members of which are evidently intended to supply each other's lack in such a manner as to form a mutually dependent body4 ,it is in human society as it is in the individual human body--the eye cannot say unto the hand1 ,i have no need of thee3 nor again the head to the feet1 ,i have no need of you 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #ba71 or if they do say so they only proclaim their great want of wisdom4 7#b7 ,he is a fool because he declines to profit by the experience of men in the past4 ,to recur to the simile of the human body1 it is intended to live upon material outside itself1 and a man is counted insane who refused to take food4 ,so we are intended to profit by the experience of men who have lived before us1 and it is quite as foolish to set it aside as useless to us as it is to refuse to eat in order to live4 ,it is indeed like expecting to keep in health and strength by consuming one's own flesh4 ,no man does actually and in all cases refuse to profit by the wisdom and experience of others1 but he is foolish in proportion as he does so4 7#c7 ,he is a fool because he is so declared by the highest authority4 ,god by ,his offers of guidance1 by the very existence of the ,bible1 declares that men need counsel4 7,see upon this subject ,homiletics on chap4 iii4 #g1 #h1 page #cd47 ,the human soul is like a blind ,samson1 because of the blinding nature of sin relative and sin personal1 and all its endeavours to find a right way without harkening to ,divine counsel only result in stumbles and wounds1 and finally1 if persisted in1 in moral ruin4 ,all a man's endeavours only increase his misery1 until he take the counsel offered him by ,god4 ,he is like a shipwrecked mariner suffering from raging thirst having drunk of the briny water1 every draught only increases the disease1 and nothing can save him but drinking of pure water4 7#d7 ,this man is his own destroyer4 ,it is bad to be ruined by the temptations of others1 but there is this advantage1 we can fall back upon the excuse of our first parents3 ,the woman gave me of the tree and ,i did eat1 or the serpent beguiled me 7,gen4 iii4 #ab1 #ac74 ,but when a man's rejection of counsel ruins him1 he finds himself in a blind alley1 from which there is not even the outlet of an excuse4 ,,ii4 ,the passionate man4 ,this is often the companion of self-conceit and is indeed a proof of it4 ,if a man is unable to hold a restive horse well in hand1 it proves that he has not taken lessons in horsemanship4 ,if a man cannot steer a vessel in ordinary circumstances without running her upon the rocks1 it shows that he has not learned the art of navigation4 ,a man who cannot keep his anger from over-mastering him--who cannot keep a firm hold of the rudder of his own spirit--proclaims that he has not subjected himself to moral discipline1 that he has disdained to learn the art of moral rulership4 ,such a man is a fool1 because a man in passion is always despised by others1 he often utters words which he would afterwards give much to recall1 and generally ends by losing his own self-respect4 ,,iii4 ,in contrast to this character stands the man who is in all respects the opposite--him whose character is sketched in the first clause of these verses1 who loveth instruction 7ver4 #a7 who acknowledges that he is a stranger in the earth and needs ,divine guidance 7,psa4 cxix4 #ai71 that the way of man is not himself2 it is not in man that walketh to direct his step 7,jer4 x4 #bc4--,see homiletics on chap4 x4 #h1 page #aea74 ,such a man is willing to listen to the advice of any who are capable of giving it1 and his prudence in this matter is generally accompanied by an ability to cover shame--to take a reproof or an insult in silence4 ,he has learned to take ,george ,herbert's advice-- ,command thyself in chief4 ,he life's war knows ,whom all his passions follow as he goes4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,all through our lost nature the truth of this proverb is visible4 ,a man may be on the road to hell1 but think that he is fair for heaven4 ,a man may build by rapine1 but think that he is the pink of fair dealing4 ,a man is not a judge about himself4 ,a ,christian1 therefore1 will feel this1 and while the impenitent is hard as to his own right1 the ,christian will be humble1 and will be glad1 in reasonable ways1 to leave his duties to be advised upon by others4--,miller4 ,we have one great ,counsellor ,messiah1 who is made unto us wisdom 7,isa4 ix4 #f2 #a ,cor4 i4 #cj74 ,let us hearken unto ,him 7chap4 i4 #cc74--;,fausset4 ,and such a fool is every natural man 7,job xi4 #ab72 wise enough1 haply in his generation--so is the fox too--wise with such wisdom as1 like the ostrich's wings1 makes him outrun others upon earth1 but helps him never a whit towards heaven4--,trapp4 ,the worse any man is1 or doth1 the less he seeth his evil4 ,they that commit the most sins have hope that they stand guilty of fewest2 they that fall into greatest transgressions1 imagine that their faults be the smallest2 they that sink into the deepest dangers do dream of greatest safety2 they that have longest continued in rebellion against ,god1 of all others1 for the most part are slowest to repentance4 4 4 4 ,st4 ,paul testifieth that when he was in the worst case1 he knew nothing but that he had been in the best4--,dod4 ,every man's way is1 and must be1 in some degree1 acceptable to himself1 otherwise he would never have chosen it4 ,but1 nevertheless1 whoever is wise1 will be apt to suspect and be diffident of himself4 ,let men's abilities be ever so great1 and their knowledge ever so extensive1 still they ought not1 and without great danger and inconvenience cannot1 trust wholly and entirely to themselves4 ,for those abilities and that knowledge easily may be1 and often are1 rendered useless by the prejudices and prepossessions of men's own minds4 ,nothing is more common than for men's appetites and affections to bribe their judgments1 and seduce them into erroneous ways of thinking and acting4 ,they are often entangled and set fast1 not through the want of light and knowledge1 not through any defect of their heads1 but through the deceitfulness of their hearts4 ,in many cases where they could easily direct other men1 they suffer themselves to be misled1 and are driven into the snare by the strength of inclination1 or by the force of habit4 4 4 4 ,this acquired darkness1 this voluntary incapacity1 as well as the wont of counsel thereby occasioned1 nowhere appears more frequently1 or more remarkably1 than in the transaction of our spiritual concerns1 and what relates to the discharge of our duty4 ,the way of ,man1 says our royal author1 is right in his own eyes1 though the end thereof be the ways of death4 ,when we have wandered out of the road1 and almost lost ourselves in bye-paths1 we can make ourselves believe that we have continued all the while in the highway to truth and happiness4 4 4 4 ,but1 however lightly we may esteem the helps and directions of men1 shall we not attend to the counsels of ,our ,heavenly ,father1 and the admonitions of the ,most ,high8 ,can we have more regard to what is right in our own eyes than to what is right in ,his8--,balguy4 ,verse #af4 ,covereth1 with the mantle of patience and charity1 instead of exasperating himself1 and losing self-control by dwelling on the indignity of the word or deed1 and the worthlessness of the injurer4 ,he does not publish the act to the discredit of the other1 but consults for the reputation of the other1 lest he should add sin to the injury suffered4--,fausset4 ,truly is wrath called shame4 ,for is it not a shame that unruly passions should1 as it were1 trample reason under foot1 disfigure even the countenance1 and subjugate the whole man to a temporary madness8 7,dan4 iii4 #ai47--;,bridges4 ,a fool hath no power over his passions4 ,like tow1 he is soon kindled2 like a pot1 he soon boils2 and like a candle whose tallow is mixed with brine1 as soon as lighted he spits up and down the room4 ,a fool uttereth all his mind 7chap4 xxix4 #aa74 ,the ,septuagint renders it all his anger4 ,for1 as the ,hebrews well note in a proverb they have1 ,a man's mind is soonest known in his purse1 in his drink1 and in his anger4 ,but ,a wise man covereth shame by concealing his wrath1 or rather by suppressing it when it would break forth to his disgrace1 or the just grief of another4 ,this was ,saul's wisdom 7#a ,sam4 x4 #bg72 and ,jonathan's 7#a ,sam4 xx4 #cd72 and ,ahasuerus's1 when1 in a rage against ,haman1 he walked into the garden4 ,the philosopher wished ,augustine1 when angry1 to say over the ,greek alphabet4--,trapp4 ,the meaning of the ,holy ,ghost is not here to condemn all kinds of anger1 for it is one of the powers of the soul which ,god created as an ornament in men1 and godly anger is a part of ,god's image in him1 and a grace commended in ,moses1 ,elijah1 etc41 and our ,saviour ,himself1 and he that is always altogether destitute of this doth provoke ,god to be angry with him1 for want of zeal and hatred of sin2 but it is a passionate anger that is here reproved1 which is not a power of the soul1 but an impotency4 ,he that conceiveth the other is an agent1 and doth a service to ,god2 but he that is moved with this is a patient1 and sin hath in that case prevailed against him4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag to #ai1 and verse #bb4 ,,wounding ,,and ,,healing4 ,i4 ,the mischief that may be done by a lying tongue4 #a4 ,in a legal matter4 ,it is the duty of a witness to testify exactly what he knows1 and no more nor less4 ,if a man speaks deceitfully he may bring much misery upon the innocent1 whom his straightforward testimony would have acquitted4 ,and he may do this by withholding truth as well as by uttering direct falsehood4 ,the first is showing forth deceit as well as the last4 #b4 ,in common conversation4 ,the word speaketh1 in verse #ah1 is babbleth1 and seems to point to those who are great talkers1 and who are not careful what they say4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #ai-ba1 page #afh47 ,in both these cases words may inflict a more deadly wound than a sword4 ,if spoken to a man they may break his heart1 if spoken of him they may kill his reputation1 which no sword of steel can touch1 and which to the best men is more precious than bodily life4 ,a lying or even a babbling tongue can pierce a much more vital organisation than flesh and blood--it can enter the human spirit1 and hurt it in its most sensitive part2 or by slander it can destroy all the joy of a man's earthly life4 ,and as a sword can in a moment sever the spirit and the body of a man1 and work such ruin and misery as can never be done away with1 so a lying tongue may by one word1 or one conversation1 do mischief that can never be undone4 ,the sword of steel can divide human friends locally2 but it cannot sever their love2 it tends rather to increase and brighten the flame2 but a word of slander may do all this1 and estrange those who were bound in the tenderest ties1 until the ,god of ,truth shall bring the truth to light4 ,though the lying tongue is comparatively but for a moment1 yet in a moment it can deal a thrust that will last as long as life4 ,it can open a wound whence will flow out all the joy of life1 as the heart's blood flows from a mortally wounded man4 ,,ii4 ,its judgment and its destiny4 ,it is an abomination in the sight of a ,god of ,truth1 and1 therefore1 its life is comparatively short--it is but for a moment compared with the eternal duration of truth4 ,a lying man or devil is the very antipodes of the ,divine character4 ,all truthful men instinctively shrink from a liar as the sensitive plant withdraws from the human touch4 ,how much more must he be held in abhorrence by ,him who is a ,god of ,truth1 and without iniquity 7,deut4 xxxii4 #d74 ,christ characterises lying as the cardinal sin of the greatest sinner in the universe 7,john viii4 #dd74 ,it was his lying tongue that brought death into the world1 and all our woe1 and so spoiled the ,paradise which ,god had prepared for man4 ,how then can lying be any other than an abomination to ,him8 ,but1 because it is so1 its doom is fixed4 ,it is destined to destruction by the victory of truth1 as the night is destroyed by the overcoming light of day4 7,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #ah1 page #aff47 ,,iii4 ,the blessed results of a truthful and wisely-governed tongue4 #a4 it will show forth righteousness4 ,a man who speaks the truth shows forth righteousness in two ways--7#a7 in his own character4 ,he reveals himself to be a righteous man4 ,he gives a living example of uprightness and integrity4 7#b7 ,he helps on righteousness in the world4 ,by being a faithful witness he furthers the ends of justice and righteousness--he helps on the just administration of the law4 #b4 ,it will heal wounds inflicted by the untruthful tongue4 ,in nature we have a two-fold exhibition of power4 ,the hurricane comes and breaks the branches of the tree1 and strips off its leaves2 but a more beneficent power clothes it again with beauty4 ,so the tongue of a fool strips a man of what made life beautiful to him--takes away his good name1 or breaks bonds of close friendship--but wise and kind words have a healing power in them--they help to cheer the wounded spirit1 and enable the bowed head to lift itself again4 ,such a tongue of healing had the ,divine ,son of ,god1 who came to heal the broken in heart 7,isa4 lxi4 #a71 and to restore the friendship between ,god and man1 which was first broken by the slandering tongue of the devil--that great slanderer of ,god to man1 and of man to ,god 7,gen4 iii4 #e2 ,job i4 #aj74 ,to ,him the ,lord ,god gave the tongue of the learned1 that ,he might know how to speak a word in season to him that was weary 7,isa4 l4 #d74 ,the tongue of all true servants of ,god is an instrument of healing1 for they are enabled to tell to their fellow-men words whereby they may be saved 7,acts iv4 #ab74 ,,iv4 ,god's estimation of it and its destiny4 ,it is ,god's delight1 verse #bb4 ,whatever gives delight to a noble and benevolent man must be a blessing to humanity1 and everything will delight him that tends to minister blessing to the world4 ,this is pre-eminently true of the good ,god4 ,truth is the great need of the race--truth in word and deed and thought4 ,to this end ,christ came into the world to bear witness of the truth 7,john xviii4 #cg71 because that alone is the cure for the world's woes4 ,then every man who is true must bless humanity and consequently delight ,god4 ,a good father rejoices to see his own excellencies of character appear in his son1 and the ,father of the good likewise delights to see ,his children copy ,him in dealing truly4 7,see also on chap4 xi4 #a1 page #aij47 ,and because it is ,god's delight it will last for ever4 ,truth of any kind will be established in the course of time4 ,if a man proclaim a scientific truth1 however much he may be laughed at and disbelieved at first1 his lip1 or his words1 will be established in the end4 ,in the words of ,galileo1 when he uttered the truth1 that the earth moved round the sun1 have long since been established4 ,time only is needed for any truth to take root-hold--it can never be overturned1 whether it be physical or moral truth4 ,many truths which were scoffed at by most men1 when they were first promulgated1 are now regarded as truisms by almost everybody4 ,and the lips that uttered them are now established and held in honour4 ,such men1 for instance1 as ,cromwell and ,milton1 when they declared that the right of private judgment in religious matters1 the freedom of the press1 etc41 were the right of every man1 are now established in the estimation of this nation1 and the truths which they uttered are regarded by all ,englishmen as undoubted facts4 ,this1 says ,f4 ,w4 ,robertson1 is man's relation to the truth4 ,he is but a learner--a devout recipient of a revelation--here to listen with open ear devoutly for that which he shall hear2 to gaze and watch for that which he shall see4 ,man can do no more4 ,he cannot create truth2 he can only bear witness to it2 he can only listen and report that which is in the universe4 ,if he does not repeat and witness to that1 he speaks of his own1 and forthwith ceases to be true4 4 4 4 ,veracity is another thing4 ,veracity is the correspondence between a proposition and man's belief4 ,truth is the correspondence of the proposition with fact4 ,it is to such witness-bearers--especially to those who witness concerning moral truth--that the promise of the text applies4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ag4 ,he who is brought to a spiritual discernment of the truth breathes it like his breath1 instinctively and unconsciously4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,and he who does this not simply covers shame 7verse #af71 but causes others to1 for he advertises righteousness--i4e41 publishes it4 ,this1 therefore1 is the meaning of the sentence3 ,he that breathes forth truth publishes righteousness--i4e41 saving righteousness3 and does it like uttering forth his breath4 ,while the deceived 7false7 witness2 literally1 the witness of falsehood2 a phrase which is ambiguous1 because it might mean a witness to falsehood 7see chap4 vi4 #i7--the deceived witness--i4e41 the man who sees or witnesses falsehood instead of truth1 publishes 7understood7 delusion--i4e41 is a constant fountain of deceit to other men4 ,this sense of the witness of falsehood is necessary to many proverbs 7chap4 xiv4 #e71 and saves a number from tautological or truistic interpretations4--,miller4 ,there is more here than lies upon the surface4 ,it might seem enough for a faithful witness to speak truth4 ,but no--he must show forth righteousness2 what is just1 as well as what is true4 ,the best intentioned purpose must not lead us to conceal what is necessary to bring the cause to a righteous issue4--,bridges4 ,the words read at first almost like a truism2 but the thought which lies below the surface is that of the inseparable union between truth and justice4 ,the end does not justify the means1 and only he who breathes and utters truth makes the righteous cause clear4--,plumptre4 ,he that speaketh1 ordinarily1 in his common speech1 that which is true1 will show righteousness--that is1 will carry himself justly1 and further righteousness with his testimony1 when he shall be publicly called thereunto4 ,there must be a training of the tongue to make it fit for equity and justice1 as of the hands1 and other parts of the body1 to make them skilful in handling a weapon and bearing of arms4 4 4 4 ,no man is competent for any work that is public unless his former upright and honest conversation commend him unto it4 ,the rule which our ,saviour gives in another case will hold as firmly in this4 ,he that is faithful in that which is least1 is faithful also in much 7,luke xvi4 #aj74 ,for1 first1 the mouth of the man is the mouth of the man's treasure4 ,that which he speaketh he best loveth4 ,that which is most in the lips hath greatest place in the heart4 ,if1 therefore1 the truth be dear unto him1 he will certainly show it forth when he shall stand forth before ,god and ,his substitute for that purpose1 and so do a good service of love and piety2 but if he have any fellowship with falsehood he will now take part with it1 being void of the fear of ,god1 and afraid to displease man4 ,secondly1 no man exerciseth the truth at any time conscionably1 but by the spirit of truth1 and that directing men's hearts at other times1 in matters of less weight1 will not fail them at their greatest need1 when they are to perform a duty of so great importance2 and so1 on the other hand1 ,satan hath the disposing of their tongues that give themselves to lying4 ,he is their father1 he teachest them their trade1 and tasketh them in their work1 and they be wholly at his commandment1 and who doubteth but he will command them to be on his side1 and to take against the truth1 so far as a knowledge of the truth shall make against his practices4--,dod4 ,verse #ah4 ,wit1 when not chastened and controlled by an amiable disposition1 often wounds deeply4 ,jibes1 jests1 irony1 raillery1 and sarcasm1 fly about4 ,no matter what the wounds1 or where they be inflicted1 if the wit be but shown4 ,a happy hit1 a clever1 biting repartee1 will not be suppressed for the sake of feelings1 or even the character of a neighbour1 or1 as it may happen1 a friend4 ,the man of wit must have his joke1 cost what it may4 ,the point may be piercing in the extreme2 but if it glitters it is enough2 to the heart it will go4--,wardlaw4 ,abimelech and his fellow priests were killed with the tongue1 as with a rapier2 so was ,naboth and his sons2 so was our ,saviour ,christ ,himself4 ,an honest mind is ever more afflicted with words than blows4 ,you shall find some1 saith ,erasmus1 that if they be threatened with death can despise it2 but to be belied they cannot brook1 nor from revenge contain themselves4 ,how was ,david enraged by ,nabal's railings6 ,moses1 by the people's murmurings6 ,jeremiah by the derisions of the rude rabble6 7chap4 xx4 #g1 #h47--,trapp4 ,among all the complaints which the godly1 and ,god's own ,spirit make against the wicked in the ,scriptures1 they seldom complain of anything more than of their virulent and pestiferous mouths 7,psa4 lv4 #ba1 lii4 #b2 ,prov4 xxv4 #ah2 ,rom4 iii4 #ac74 ,first1 they cause swords to be drawn1 and blood to be shed1 and men to be slain1 and much mischief to be wrought4 ,secondly1 ,the sword1 or any other weapon1 can only hurt them that are present1 and in places near to it2 but the stroke of the tongue will light most dangerously upon them that are absent2 no place or distance can help against it1 and one man may do mischief to a great multitude4--,dod4 ,verse #ai4 ,liars need to have good memories4 ,a lying tongue soon betrays itself4 ,no lie reaches old age1 says ,sophocles4--,fausset4 ,the verse has been differently rendered4 ,the tongue of truth is ever steady3 but the tongue of falsehood is so but for a moment 7,hodgson74 ,there is unvarying consistency in the one case2 for truth is always in harmony with itself2 while there is shifting evasion1 vacillation1 contradiction1 in the other4--,wardlaw4 ,who will gainsay the martyr's testimony--,be of good comfort1 ,master ,ridley1 play the man6 ,we shall this day light such a candle in ,england as ,i trust shall never be put out4--,bridges4 ,the ,christian shall utter for ever just the things that he utters on earth4--,miller4 ,verse #bb4 ,not merely they that speak truly1 but they that deal truly4 ,deeds of true dealing must confirm words of fair speaking4--,fausset4 ,a lie is a thing absolutely and intrinsically evil2 it is an act of injustice and a violation of our neighbour's rights4 ,the vileness of its nature is equalled by the malignity of its effects2 it first brought sin into the world1 and is since the cause of all those miseries and calamities that disturb it2 it tends utterly to overthrow and dissolve society1 which is the greatest temporal blessing and support of mankind2 it has a strange and peculiar efficacy above all other sins to indispose the heart to religion4 ,it is as dreadful in its punishments as it has been pernicious in its effects4--,south4 ,honesty is just truth in conduct2 and truth is honesty in words4--,wardlaw4 ,such as speak the truth in uprightness will not vary in their talk1 but tell the same tale again1 and be like to themselves in that which they shall say2 whereas liars be in and out1 affirming and denying1 and speaking contradictions in the same manner4 ,only true men are constant in their words4 ,first1 their matter will help their memory1 for that which is truth once will be truth ever4 ,secondly1 the same ,spirit that worketh a love and conscience of the truth1 whereby men are made to be true1 doth never cease to be the same1 therefore1 as it seasoneth the heart and guideth it at the first1 so it will establish it1 and direct the lips to the end4 ,for sincerity and uprightness is of all things most durable1 and least subject to alteration or change4 ,and that ,st4 ,paul assigneth for a cause of his invariable constancy1 that he minded not those things that he did mind according to the flesh1 whereby there should be with him1 yea1 yea1 and nay1 nay 7#b ,cor4 i4 #ag74--;,dod4 ,truth is always consistent with itself1 and needs nothing to help it out2 it is always near at hand1 and sits upon our lips1 and is ready to drop out before we are aware2 whereas a lie is troublesome1 and sets a man's invention upon the rack1 and one trick needs a good many more to make it good4 ,it is like building upon a false foundation1 which constantly needs props to shore it up1 and proves at last more chargeable than to have raised a substantial building at first upon a true and solid foundation4--,tillotson4 ,dare to be true1 nothing can need a lie3 ,a fault which needs it most grows two thereby4--,herbert4 ,god desireth truth in the inward parts 7,psa4 li4 #f71 and all ,his are children that will not lie 7,isa4 lxiii4 #h72 they will rather die than lie4 ,as they love in the truth 7#b ,john #a7 so they speak the truth in love 7,ephes4 iv4 #ae71 and are therefore dear to the ,father in truth and love 7#b ,john #c71 especially since they do truth as well as speak it 7#a ,john i4 #f71 and do not more desire to be truly good than they hate to seem to be so only4--,trapp4 ,god doth never hate anything that is not hateful1 and that most needs be odious which ,he abhorreth1 and especially when it is abomination4 ,ye may know by their companions among whom they are marshalled what account ,he maketh of them 7see ,rev4 xxi4 #h74 4 4 4 ,that truth which is acceptable to ,god consisteth both in speaking and doing4 #a4 ,his ,spirit doth make every man that hath attained to the one to be able to do the other4 ,that which ,st4 ,john setteth down in a more general manner doth strongly confirm this particular point4 ,if any man sin not in word1 he is a perfect man1 and able to bridle all the body4 ,his meaning is that some be absolute without sin in word1 and perfect1 without infirmity in goodness2 but that many be gracious without sinfulness1 though they have their slips in speeches2 and sincere1 without wickedness1 though they have their frailties in behaviour4 #b4 ,both are infallible and essential fruits of regeneration1 and the ,apostle doth thereby persuade us thereby to declare ourselves to be of the number of the saints1 and faithful1 saying1 ,cast off lying1 and let him that stole steal no more 7,ephes4 iv4 #bd1 #bh74 #c4 ,both are required of them that would know and manifest themselves to be natural members of the ,church in this world1 and inheritors of salvation in the life to come4 7,see4 ,psa4 xv4 #a1 #b47--;,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bj4 ,,joy ,,from ,,peace4 ,i4 ,there must be counsel if there is to be peace4 ,there can be no peace either in a soul1 a family1 or a nation1 where there is no counsel given and taken4 ,there must be some centre of authority and rule whence counsel issues1 if there is to be any order1 and where there is no order there can be no peace4 ,the peace of the text must be peace based upon righteousness1 indeed all that bears the name that is not built upon this foundation1 is false and transitory4 ,it is like that house built upon the sand1 which1 when the winds come1 is swept away1 although it may look like a solid structure on a summer day4 ,it is the work of righteousness1 that shall be peace1 and the effect of righteousness1 quietness and assurance for ever4 ,the mountains shall bring peace 4 4 4 by righteousness 7,psalm lxxii4 #c2 ,isa4 xxxii4 #ag74 ,,ii4 ,where there is true peace by righteousness there will be joy4 ,joy is the overflow of peace4 ,peace is like a river flowing tranquilly between its banks1 and joy is like the same river when there is such a volume of water that it overflows the banks4 ,when there is an abundance of peace in a soul1 or a family1 or a nation1 it must overflow into joy--it must take a more active form4 7,the subject of the first clause of this verse has been treated before4 ,see on verse #c47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,that deceit is in the heart of him who deviseth evil appears to be a platitude1 for the devising is directed against a neighbour4 ,but1 in the first place1 it says that the evil which a man hatches against another always issues in a fraudulent malicious deception of the same2 and1 secondly1 it says1 when taken into connection with the second clause1 that with the deception he always at the same time prepares for him sorrow4 ,the contrast denotes not those who give counsel to contending parties to conclude peace1 but such as devise peace--viz41 in reference to the neighbour1 for the word means not merely to impart counsel1 but also mentally to devise1 to resolve upon1 to decree4 ,hitzig and ,zckler give to peace the general idea of welfare1 and interpret joy as the inner joy of a good conscience4 ,but as the deception in the first clause is not self-deception1 but the deception of another1 so the joy is not that which men procure for others4 ,thoughts of peace for one's neighbour are always of procuring joy for him1 as thoughts of evil are thoughts of deceit2 and thus of procuring sorrow for him4--,delitzsch4 ,evil counsel most hurteth those that give it4 ,by deceit is here meant a deceitful reward2 or an issue of a matter deceiving a man's expectation--,muffet4 ,they shall have peace for peace2 peace of conscience for peace of country2 pax pectoris for pax temporis4 ,they shall be called and counted the children of peace2 yea1 the children of ,god4--,trapp4 ,first1 no man can soundly seek to reconcile man to ,god1 or one man to another1 or give direction for his neighbour's welfare1 unless he himself be reconciled to ,god1 and peaceable towards men1 and have ,christian love in his heart1 and these graces are never separated from holy comfort and gladness4 ,for the same sap that sendeth forth the one1 doth in the like manner also yield the other1 as the apostle testifieth 7,gal4 v4 #bb2 ,rom4 xiv4 #ag74 ,secondly1 if their counsel be embraced and followed1 the good effect thereof1 with ,god's blessing1 besides thanks and kindness which the parties holpen by their counsel1 will yield to them2 as ,david to ,abigail1 and ,naaman to ,elisha1 etc4 ,thirdly1 though their advice be rejected1 yet1 as ,isaiah saith1 their reward is with the ,lord1 and they shall be glorious in ,his eyes 7,isa4 xlix4 #d1 #e74--;,dod4 ,deceit is in the heart 7or cometh back to the heart7 of them that imagine evil 7or practise mischief74 ,i4 ,the persons are described4 ,they are evil-doers1 but not every evil-doer1 but the practiser1 the trader1 the artificer in evil1 one wholly bent upon sin1 not every bungler or beginner1 but an expert workman1 that can despatch more business of sin in one day than some other in a month or a year4 ,nor is every evil here aimed at1 but evil against others--mischief4 ,many evil men are only greatest enemies to themselves1 intent to serve and satisfy their own lusts2 but these with whom we have now to do1 always have evil in their hearts or hands1 in their consultations and executions1 whereby to hurt others4 ,again1 this man in our text is subtle in evil2 as he is a cunning workman and active in high designs of evil1 so he carrieth his business as subtilely1 for which the whole work carries in the original the name of deceit1 pretending all fair weather1 as still water is deepest and most dangerous1 or like a waterman that looks one way and rows another4 ,,ii4 ,the condition of these persons4 ,their deceit returns to them that first hatched it2 that is1 brings unavoidable mischief on themselves4 #a4 ,there is no small unquietness in the heart1 while it is plotting evil4 #b4 ,whomsoever they deceive1 they cannot deceive ,god1 ,who will make them deceivers of themselves 7,see ,job v4 #ab1 #ac74 #c4 ,whereas sin is a sure paymaster1 and the wages death1 the sin of these men must needs slay them and play the part both of an officer to apprehend them1 of a gaoler to hold them1 and of an executioner to bring them to shameful death4--,thos4 ,taylor1 #afej4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,,all ,,working ,,for ,,the ,,good ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 ,the first clause cannot1 of course1 mean that nothing that appears evil--that no sorrow or loss happens to the just4 ,such an assertion would be contrary to other teachings of ,scripture1 as well as to experience and history4 ,the righteousness of the first man who is called righteous 7,luke xi4 #ea7 led to his murder4 ,if ,joseph had been a less virtuous man1 the iron of imprisonment would not have entered into his soul 7,psa4 cv4 #ah74 ,if ,john the ,baptist had been a time-serving godless man1 he would not have had the bitter experience of the dungeon of ,machaerus4 ,to these men1 and to all the noble army of martyrs1 many of the things which happened were very evil in themselves4 ,the ,word of ,god likewise forewarns men that all who will live godly in ,christ ,jesus shall suffer persecution1 that through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdom of ,god 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ab2 ,acts xiv4 #bb74 ,and every just man now living has had experience of evil befalling him in his health1 his circumstances1 or in some other form4 ,but-- ,i4 ,no evil shall really injure the godly man4 ,it shall not hurt his better part1 that which is the man himself--his spiritual nature1 his moral character4 ,the storms that cannot uproot a tree only make it take deeper root-hold1 and so add to its strength4 ,if it break some of the branches it makes it more fit to weather another tempest4 ,so all the trials of the just man tend to strengthen his character by causing him to lay a firmer hold upon the things that are unseen and eternal4 ,affliction then is ours2 ,we are the trees whom shaking fastens more1 ,while blustering winds destroy the wanton bowers1 ,and ruffle all their curious knots and store4--,herbert4 ,the true interpretation of the text is found in the inspired declaration of ,paul1 ,we know that all things work together for good to them that love ,god1 to them who are the called according to ,his purpose 7,rom4 viii4 #bh74 ,many elements work together to produce a good harvest at the appointed time4 ,winter winds and snow1 summer breezes1 gentle rain and noontide heat1 all have a part in the work4 ,one of these agencies alone would not bring forth one golden ear1 but the working together will cover the land with fields of grain ready for the sickle4 ,many and various materials and agencies must be brought together to build a seaworthy ship4 ,iron and wood1 fire and water1 men skilled in many different arts must work together to bring about the required result4 ,and so with the just man4 ,manifold experiences1 failure and success1 joy and sorrow1 make up his earthly life4 ,not sorrow alone1 nor joy alone1 would fit him for his eternal inheritance--would fit him to be presented faultless before the presence of his ,lord 7,jude #bd74 ,but it is the combination of both1 that many things working together1 that effect the desired good4 ,and so no evil befals him1 because all the evil shall work together with the good for his eternal well-being4 ,,ii4 ,the wicked man shall likewise attain to a completion of character4 ,the wicked shall be filled with mischief teaches 7#a7 that wicked men are not so bad as they can be4 ,thorns and briars grow stronger year by year4 ,time is needed to transform the blade into the full ear4 ,as the present season of probation is but the beginning of man's life1 we conclude that men can go on eternally progressing in the character which now belongs to them--that all their present habits of thought and feeling can become must stronger than they are at present4 ,therefore1 a wicked man can grow worse than he is at present4 7#b7 ,that wicked men are not as bad as they shall be4 ,if a stone is set in motion down a hill it will keep on its course unless it is arrested by some opposing force4 ,so1 unless a godless man yields to a ,divine influence1 and so is brought to repentance1 he shall wax worse and worse 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ac74 ,no man can stand still in character2 if he do not grow better1 he must grow worse4 ,and this filling up of the measure of wickedness is but the necessary reaction of his own actions4 ,he is filled with his own mischief4 ,and the just man's present actions go to strengthen and develop his spiritual nature1 and to complete and perfect his character in goodness1 so every act of the godless man is one more link of the chain of evil habit which binds him daily more tightly1 and sinks him every day a little lower in the moral universe of ,god4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,no evil1 or calamity2 literally nothing worthless or empty4 ,the root means nothingness1 entire vacuity4 ,the expression1 too1 is peculiar4 ,there shall not happen to the righteous any nothingness at all4 ,but as several of the nouns that mean evil1 through a deep philosophy1 trace to the same kind of root1 calamity1 or actual evil1 is the proper translated sense4 ,no event that turns out an actual calamity can ever happen to the saint4 ,and if anyone points to their tremendous agonies it is well enough to go back to the root1 nothingness4 ,nothing worthless2 that is1 nothing that proves not so useful as to be better than present joy4 ,nothing not actually precious4 ,in the whole course of their lives each is filled with their own proper lot4 ,the wicked1 if he have joys1 will find them sorrows2 and the righteous1 if he have sorrows1 will find them1 not nothings1 but for his eternal joy4--,miller4 ,the word signifies evil as ethical wickedness1 and although it may be used of any misfortune in general1 it denotes especially such sorrow as the harvest and produce of sin 7chap4 xxii4 #h2 ,job4 iv4 #h2 ,isa4 lix4 #d71 or such as brings after it punishment 7,hab4 iii4 #g2 ,jer4 iv4 #ae74 ,that it is also here thus meant the contrast makes evident4--,delitzsch4 ,first1 for evil of sin4 ,god will not lead him into temptation2 but will cut off occasions1 remove stumbling-blocks out of his way2 devoratory evils1 as ,tertullian calls them1 he shall be sure not to fall into ,that evil one shall not touch him 7#a ,john v4 #ah7 with a deadly touch2 nibble he may at their heels1 he cannot reach their heads1 shake he may his chain at them1 but shall not set his fangs in them1 or so far thrust his sting into them as to infuse into them the venom of that sin unto death 7#a ,john v4 #ag74 ,next1 for evil of pain1 though many be the troubles of the righteous 7,ps4 xxxiv4 #ai71 and they fall into manifold temptations 7,jas4 i4 #b71 they go not in step by step into these waters of ,marah1 but fall into them1 being1 as it were1 precipitated1 plunged over head and ears1 yet are bidden to be exceeding glad1 as a merchant is to see his ship come laden in4 ,their afflictions are not penal1 but probational2 not mortal1 but medicinal4 ,by this shall the iniquity of ,jacob be purged1 and this is all the fruit1 the taking away of his sin 7,isa4 xxvii4 #i74 ,look how the scourging and beating of a garment with a stick drives out the moths and the dust2 so doth affliction corruptions from the heart2 and there is no hurt in that2 no evil thereby happens to the just4 4 4 4 ,to treasure up sin is to treasure up wrath 7,rom ii4 #e74 ,every bottle shall be filled with wine 7,jer4 xiii4 #ab72 the bottle of wickedness1 when once filled with those bitter waters1 will sink to the bottom2 the ephah of wickedness1 when top full shall be borne into the land of ,shinar1 and set there upon her own base 7,zech4 v4 #h1 #aa74 ,he that makes a match with mischief shall have his bellyfull of it 7,hosea iv4 #ag2 ,prov4 xiv4 #ad72 he shall have an evil1 an evil1 an only evil 7,ezek4 vii4 #e71 that is1 judgment without mercy1 as ,st4 ,james expounds it 7chap4 ii4 #ac74 ,non surgit hic afficitior1 as the prophet ,nahum hath it 7chap4 i4 #i72 affliction shall not rise up the second time4 ,god will have but one blow at him2 he shall totally and finally be cut down at once4 ,the righteous are smitten in the branches2 but the wicked at the root 7,isa4 xxvii4 #h72 those he corrects with a rod2 but these with a grounded staff 7,isa4 xxx4 #cb72 and yet the worst is behind too4 ,for whatever a wicked man suffers in this world is but hell typical2 it is but as the falling of leaves--the whole tree will one day fall on them4 ,it is but as a drop of wrath forerunning the great storm2 a crack forerunning the ruin of the whole building2 it is but as paying the use-money for the whole debt1 that must be paid at last4--,trapp4 ,the great principle of self-preservation implanted in our nature which puts us on our guard against the slightest inconvenience1 and maketh us arm for the repelling of a single evil1 fails to engage men in the pursuit of that which would powerfully protect us in the most difficult circumstances1 and universally secure us against all manner of hazards4 ,piety alone is that armour of proof which renders those that wear it safe and invulnerable1 and yet1 as if the ,christian were the only infidel1 how few of us are so thoroughly convinced of this great truth as to pursue it with an eagerness proportionate to its value4 ,the text assures us--,that a religious life and conversation is the best security against all manner of evils4 ,all evil to which we can be liable1 may be reduced under three heads4 ,i4 ,such as are inflicted immediately by ,god4 ,here it is necessary to distinguish between such afflictions as ,he vouchsafeth in mercy and those with which ,he visiteth in judgment4 ,the best of men are not exempted from the former1 they are not always so intent upon their duty1 but that they stand in need of a remembrancer1 or it pleaseth ,god to afflict them for the trial of their faith1 for the exercise of their patience1 and to wean them from the world4 ,but these are but like the more difficult talks of a discreet and loving tutor2 which recommend the pupils to a higher applause and a more excellent advantage1 and are1 therefore1 so far from doing them any harm that they ought to be looked upon as most valuable blessings4 ,those inflictions therefore of ,god1 which may be justly entitled to the name of evils1 are such only as ,he visiteth in judgment1 and from such nothing can more effectually secure us than a godly life and conversation4 ,,ii4 ,such as are occasioned by ourselves4 ,many evils are the effect of sin and carelessness1 and as it is the work and office of true piety to make us at the same time holy and considerate1 it will evidently appear that none of these evils shall happen to the just4 ,,iii4 ,such as are brought upon us by the malice of men or devils4 ,these are only tolerated by ,god's connivance and permission4 ,the devil1 furious and malicious as he is1 always drags his chain after him1 by which he may be drawn back to his infernal dungeon1 and therefore1 unless ,he hath some such favourable ends1 as ,i formerly instanced in ,his own inflictions1 ,he will certainly keep ,his own out of their ravenous jaws4 ,shall we then neglect the only means by which we may be defended against such numerous calamities8 ,to be just is no more than to follow after the thing that is good1 and good is desirable in its own nature2 we have such an inward tendency towards it that nothing which is ill can debauch our affections1 but by taking upon itself the appearance of being good4 ,if1 then1 a seeming good doth so allure us1 how ought we to be enamoured of the real substances4--,nicholas ,brady4 ,the wicked are hurt1 wounded1 or grieved1 by every occurrence1 and nothing turns to their profit4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,the ,,concealment ,,of ,,knowledge ,,and ,,the ,,proclamation ,,of ,,foolishness4 ,i4 ,the concealment of knowledge is always a mark of self-control4 ,it proves that a man has himself well in hand4 ,he is like a skilful workman whose tools are all arranged in order1 so that he can select or reject them according to his need1 or the need of others4 ,or he resembles a skilful rider who is thoroughly master of his steed1 and can either arrest his course or urge him to put forth all his speed at any moment4 ,if a man does not possess this power over himself he can never be a king among men1 and even the possession of knowledge will not prove very serviceable either to himself or others4 ,all the treasures of his mind ought to be under the lock and key of his will1 and his will under that of his conscience1 for1 ,,ii4 ,under some circumstances the concealment of knowledge is a mark of prudence4 #a4 ,it is so when to proclaim it would feed personal vanity4 ,to reveal our knowledge from no other motive than to let others know that we know is to sin against ourselves by ministering to our pride4 ,in such a case to conceal our knowledge is a means of grace to a man's own soul1 and will carry with it the approbation of conscience4 #b4 ,it is also prudent to conceal knowledge when we know that it would not benefit others4 ,it is not always seasonable to reveal even the most precious knowledge that we possess4 ,men are sometimes manifestly unprepared for its reception--unable to appreciate it4 ,god concealed the gospel of salvation from the men of the early ages of the world because the fulness of time 7,gal4 iv4 #d7 had not come1 by which we understand that the world then was not in a condition to profit by a revelation of it4 ,our ,lord charged ,his disciples not to disclose what they had witnessed on the mount of transfiguration until the ,son of ,man should be risen again from the dead 7,matt4 xvii4 #i74 ,he exhorts them also not to cast pearls before swine 7,matt4 vii4 #f74 ,hence we learn that concealment of knowledge is sometimes to be preferred to a revelation of it1 and that a due regard must be had to the mental and moral condition of those to whom we would impart it4 ,the revelation of scientific truth would only bewilder people of little education and small capacity1 and the revelation of even moral truth would sometimes increase men's guilt4 ,it would only lead them to blaspheme the ,god of ,truth and scoff at ,his messengers1 and thus harden them instead of enlightening them4 ,and even when this is not the case men cannot always receive all kinds of moral truth4 ,a parent conceals from his son when he is a boy the knowledge of things which he will reveal to him when he is a man4 ,a wise teacher does not at once disclose to his pupil all that he desires him to learn4 ,both bring prudence into exercise1 and give line upon line1 here a little and there a little 7,isa4 xxviii4 #aj71 following the example of the ,great ,father and ,teacher in ,his dealings with ,his ancient people1 and that of the ,incarnate ,son when ,he said to ,his disciples1 ,i have many things to say unto you1 but ye cannot bear them now 7,john xvi4 #ab74 ,all who are possessors of knowledge should always remember to bring prudence into exercise in proclaiming it1 whether it be ,divine or human truth that they have to reveal4 ,,iii4 ,the man who tells out all he knows without any regard to the fitness of time and circumstances proclaims only his foolishness4 ,he is as much a proclaimer of his own folly as he who should sow seed on the high road instead of in ploughed ground4 ,he may be very injurious to others4 ,if a teacher of the young were to tell out all he knows about men and things to those under his care he might inflict on their spiritual nature a life-long injury4 ,indiscreet parents who utter all their mind and tell out all their experience in the hearing of their children not only proclaim their foolishness1 but are a curse to their family4 ,they are like an unskilful surgeon who takes the first instrument that comes to hand1 regardless of its fitness for the needs of the patient4 ,they are like men upon a fiery steed without power to guide him--they not only put themselves in jeopardy but endanger the well-being of others4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,not that he grudges to impart his knowledge to others1 but he does not obtrude it or make a display of it1 nor babble out all that he knows1 in order that he may be counted wise4 4 4 4 ,the fool1 trying to make a display of knowledge1 only betrays foolishness4 ,fools1 wise in their own esteem1 babble out everything at random2 not wisdom1 which they have not1 but foolishness1 which they have4 ,proclaiming foolishness is attributed to a fool's heart1 not to his mouth1 for a fool's heart is in his mouth4 ,he has no sense within4 ,on the contrary1 ,the mouth of the wise is in their heart 7,ecclus4 xxi4 #bf74--;,fausset4 ,the ,apostle concealed his knowledge for fourteen years1 and even then mentioned it reluctantly1 to vindicate his own rightful claims of apostleship 7#b ,cor4 xii4 #a-f74 ,elihu1 though full of matter1 and longing to give vent1 yet prudently concealed his knowledge1 till his elders had opened his way 7,job xxxii4 #f1 #ah1 #ai74 ,circumstances may sometimes prudently dictate concealment4 ,abraham spared the feelings of his family1 and cleared his own path1 by hiding the dreadful message of his ,god 7,gen4 xxii4 #a-g74 ,joseph concealed his kindred for the discipline of his brethren 7,gen4 xlii4 #g74 ,esther1 from a prudent regard of consequences to herself 7,esth4 ii4 #aj74 ,nothing can justify speaking contrary to the truth4 ,but we are not always obliged to tell the whole truth4 ,jeremiah answered all that he was bound to speak2 not all that he might have spoken 7,jer4 xxxviii4 #bd74 ,in all these cases the wise man's heart will discern both time and judgment 7,eccles4 viii4 #e2 xv4 #b74 4 4 4 ,the fool is dogmatical in dispute1 when wiser men are cautious4 ,he is teaching1 when he ought to take the learner's place2 his self-confidence proclaiming his emptiness 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #c1 #d74--;,bridges4 ,true are the words of ,paul1 knowledge puffeth up1 and the augmentation of it may only puff up the more4 ,this produces a very anomalous and incongruous combination1 a mind filled with solid information and a heart distended with the emptiness of vanity4 ,and this generates the pedant1 one of the most contemptible and disgusting of all creatures--the man who is ever showing off1 ever aiming at effect1 ever speaking as nobody else would speak1 ever dwelling on his own theme in his own terms1 and in every word and look and movement1 courting notice of self1 as the only object of his own admiration1 or worthy of admiration of others4 ,what a fool even the man of knowledge does at times make of himself6 exemplifying the truth of the old quaint adage1 ,an ounce of mother wit is worth a pound of clergy4 ,still it is true that1 the more extensive the knowledge which a man acquires1 he is1 generally speaking1 the more conscious of remaining ignorance1 and consequently the less vain2 that it is in the early stages of acquirement that self-sufficiency and conceit are most apparent4 ,it is the empty that are usually the most prone to vain glory4--,wardlaw4 ,prudent1 subtle1 from a root meaning crafty1 cunning2 opposed to stupid1 literally1 fat1 crass4 ,the saint has the highest craft1 and the lost are more fat in mind than even the beasts around them4--,miller4 ,another aspect of the truth of chap4 x4 #ad4 ,the wise are not quick to utter even the wisdom that deserves utterance4 ,he broods over it1 tests it1 lives by it4--,plumptre4 ,we deem them not the most thrifty husbands and wealthiest men that will lock up nothing in their coffers1 nor keep anything close in their purses1 but carry all their money in their hands and show it to every comer-by1 and so do they that have no more matter within their hearts1 than all the standers-by shall hear their lips deliver4 ,it is a point of humility to be silent in modesty1 and their words are so much more desirable1 and better accepted as they are rare1 and few1 and seasonable4 ,the ointment that is close kept in a box will yield a sweeter savour when it is poured out1 than that which is continually open4 ,a wine fresh from the vessel hath a better relish than that which was drawn long before there was any need of it4--,dod4 ,think not silence the wisdom of fools1 but1 if rightly timed1 the honour of wise men who have not the infirmity but the virtue of taciturnity2 and speak not of the abundance1 but the well-weighed thoughts of their hearts4 ,such silence may be eloquence1 and speak thy worth above the power of words4 ,make such an one thy friend1 in whom princes may be happy1 and great counsels successful4 ,let him have the key of thy heart who hath the lock of his own1 which no temptation can open2 where thy secrets may lastingly lie1 like the lamp in the urn of ,olybius1 alive and alight1 but close and invisible4--,sir ,t4 ,browne4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,the ,reward of ,diligence4 ,i4 ,what is here meant by diligence8 ,it is not being always active1 but active in the right direction--active in the right use of talents and opportunities4 ,there is an activity that is worse than idleness1 an activity that brings men into contempt and bondage instead of enabling them to rule themselves or others4 ,men may have great talent and keep it in constant exercise1 and yet their diligent use of it may be destroying both themselves and others4 ,a machine that is constructed to work in one direction may be very active in going in the opposite direction--this is worse than if it stood still1 for it will certainly work injury to itself1 and may do so to other things and to those that have to work it4 ,a thief may be very diligent1 but his diligent hand will not bring him to bear rule4 ,it will probably1 in the end1 bring him into a most irksome servitude4 ,there was once a ,roman ,emperor who was very active in catching flies2 this was certainly not the diligence which would enable him to bear rule4 ,if a man who is capable of a high and noble work spends his time in a childish and ignoble manner1 he is not diligent although he may be very active4 ,diligence consists not in being very busy1 but in being busy in what will build up our own moral nature and1 as a necessity1 bless our fellow-creatures4 ,moreover1 diligence is not the right exercise of our talent or the wise use of our time at intervals1 by fits and starts1 but a constant and steady continuance of that exercise and activity4 ,,ii4 ,the consequence of such diligence4 ,he who is thus diligent will bear rule over the slothful man--over the man who wastes his time or his talent4 #a4 ,this is right4 ,even the slothful man must1 in his conscience1 feel that he deserves to be ruled by the diligent4 ,the human conscience will not sanction such waste--such a destruction of character1 and1 while it is allowed to speak at all1 will utter its testimony against it4 ,and all impartial judges must concede that it is the just reward of diligence--that1 when a man has rightly used that which the ,great ,ruler of the universe has committed to his trust1 it is right that he should receive the reward4 ,well done1 thou good and faithful servant2 thou hast been faithful over a few things1 ,i will make thee ruler over many things 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba74 #b4 ,it is necessary4 ,first1 for the slothful man himself4 ,when he is under the rule of a diligent man he is doing better with his life than if he were left to himself2 he is compelled to act1 whether he will or not1 and he has the guidance of the wisdom of another when his slothfulness has prevented him from gaining any of his own4 ,his slothfulness grows greater1 and therefore his guilt is increased every day that he is his own master4 ,his powers will become more and more incapable of being exercised the longer they are unused1 and the only thing that can save him from being entirely buried in the grave of his own sloth is that he become a servant to a diligent man4 ,secondly1 for humanity in general4 ,a slothful man in power is a curse to society4 ,if he is a husband and father1 and will endanger their characters and industrious habits4 ,those who rule ought to be wise1 and no slothful man can be a wise men4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,diligent2 from a root meaning to cut4 ,hence the idea of something incisive or decided4 ,the primary idea is promptness or determination4 ,sloth2 primarily remissness or what is indecisive4 ,in this world1 diligence puts a man at the head4 ,in the eternal world1 it will have made the man a king1 and made all hell1 and of course1 all sloth1 under tribute to him4--,miller4 ,this was ,joseph's road to bearing rule 7chap4 xxii4 #bi74 ,but if it does not raise in the world1 it will command in its own sphere4 ,the faithful steward is made ruler over his lord's household 7,matt4 xxiv4 #de-dg74 ,the active trader bears rule over many cities 7,ib4 xxv4 #ba74 ,diligence1 therefore1 is not a moral virtue separate from religion1 but rather a component part of it4--,bridges4 ,the slothful are like ,issachar1 who saw that the rest was good1 and bowed down his shoulder to bear1 and became a servant to tribute2 by their laziness they expose themselves to want1 and reduce themselves to a slaving dependence on those who1 through the blessing of ,god on their own diligence1 or on that of their fathers1 are in better circumstances4 ,spiritual sloth weakens men1 and exposes them to the spiritual sloth of their spiritual enemies4 ,we must be strong1 resolute1 and active1 if we would escape the tyranny of the rulers of the darkness of this world 7,ephes4 vi4 #aj-ah74--,lawson4 ,the comparison is suggested by the contrast common in most ancient monarchies in the east1 between the condition of a conquered race1 compelled to pay heavy taxes in money or in kind 7like the ,canaanites in ,israel1 ,josh4 xvi4 #aj2 ,judges i4 #cj-cc71 and that of the freedom of their conquerors from such burdens4 ,the proverb indicates that beyond all political divisions of this nature there lies an ethical law4 ,the slothful descend inevitably to pauperism and servitude4 ,the prominence of this compulsory labour under ,solomon 7#a ,kings ix4 #ba71 gives a special significance to the illustration4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,heaviness ,,of ,,heart ,,and ,,its ,,cure4 ,i4 ,the causes of heaviness of heart are many and various4 ,it may arise1 #a4 ,from great bodily pain4 ,the human mind and the human body act and re-act upon each other4 ,the mind or spirit may be made heavy by physical pain1 as the body may be brought under the dominion of disease by mental suffering4 ,it is only when a more powerful influence comes into operation that pain of body is prevented from exercising a depressing influence upon the spirit4 ,in the case of ,job we have an instance of severe bodily suffering1 weighing down a spirit that had borne other most terrible calamities without being overcome 7,job vii74 ,in the case of ,stephen1 and many others1 we see intense bodily suffering exercising no depressing influence upon the man1 because he is lifted above it by supernatural interposition4 ,when this special grace is not given pain of body will make the heart to stoop--that is1 it will disqualify the man for duty by depriving him of hope and courage1 and will leave him more or less passive in the hands of circumstances4 #b4 ,heaviness of heart is often caused by bringing the future into the present4 ,the man that has every day to carry a heavy burden upon his shoulders will find that an attempt to carry the load of two days at once will weigh down his body beyond all his power to rise and stand upright4 ,the weight of the present is as much as he can carry1 his heart must stoop1 if he dwells upon the possible or certain trials of the future4 ,the right way to bear burdens is to take the advice of ,one who ,himself was a burden-bearer4 ,take therefore no thought 7no anxious care7 for the morrow2 for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself4 ,sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof4 ,there are many other burdens which make the heart to stoop1 we will mention but one more4 #c4 ,a consciousness of unpardoned guilt4 ,there is no burden so heavy to bear as this4 ,guilt makes the spirit feel as if the hand of ,god's displeasure was sinking the soul lower and lower4 ,the language of ,scripture is very vivid in describing the feelings of man in such a case4 ,when ,i kept silence my bones waxed old1 through my roaring all day long4 ,mine iniquities are gone over mine head2 as a heavy burden1 they are too heavy for me4 ,mine iniquities have taken hold upon me1 so that ,i am not able to look up1 etc4 7,psa4 xxxii4 #c2 xxxviii4 #d2 xl4 #ab74 ,,ii4 ,the human heart can be uplifted by seasonable words4 ,a good word maketh it glad4 ,such words sometimes take the form of a promise of help4 ,a man bowed down by disease is made glad by the word of the physician1 which assures him that his malady can be cured4 ,the debtor who feels himself hopelessly involved is made glad by the promise of one who engages to meet his debts4 ,the man who is bowed down under a sense of guilt is lifted out of his heaviness by the promises of a forgiving ,god4 ,in all these cases the worth of the word depends upon the character of him who utters them4 ,it is a good word if it is not only a cheering word1 but a reliable word--if the promise is uttered by one whom we know would not promise what he was unable to perform4 ,it is this certainty which makes every promise of ,god so good a word to the soul4 ,and when a man's heaviness of heart arises from a source which is beyond the power of human help1 there is no greater service that a friend can do him than to remind him of some good word of the ,heavenly ,father which is suitable to his case4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,not heaviness1 but anxiety4 ,this last is the fashion of most griefs4 ,we are bound to conquer it4 ,the determined man 7see comments on verse #bd7 is just the character to do it4 ,anxiety discredits faith4 ,a good word1 and such words are plenty in this very book1 should gladden it1 as the expression is2 or1 as a freer translation1 cheer it away4 ,it is a sin for men to be dejected4 ,it is a great folly1 too2 for it broods over half their lives4 ,our passage tells all this1 and tells the mode to dissipate it4 ,it was the mode of ,christ when he quelled the foul fiend4 ,the sword of the ,spirit is the word of ,god 7,ephes4 vi4 #ag74--,miller4 ,there is nothing that claims our grief so much as sin1 and yet there may be an excess of sorrow for sin1 which exposes men to the devil and drives them into his arms4--,lawson4 ,a single good or favourable word will remove despondency2 and that word1 ,son1 be of good cheer1 thy sins are forgiven thee1 will instantly remove despair4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,the ,,guide ,,and ,,the ,,seducer4 ,translating this verse1 ,the righteous guides his neighbour aright1 we remark3-- ,i4 ,that the righteous man guides his neighbour both by his word and by his life4 ,he guides him by wise counsel--by giving him a word in season 7see verse #be7--;and he more especially guides him by his holy life4 ,his character is a revealer of the way of life4 ,the light which shines through a lantern reveals the path1 not only to the man who carries it1 but to him who beholds it if he should be disposed to follow in the same road4 ,the righteous man is a light-bearer--he has moral light within him1 which breaks forth in the acts of his daily life1 and sets a good example to other men1 and so1 to some extent1 his life1 like that of his ,master's1 is a light of men4 ,,ii4 ,that he guides him aright because he shows him how to make the most of his life4 ,men are generally anxious to live long1 and the righteous man shows his neighbour how to live long by living well4 ,a husbandman values his trees1 not by the length of time they have stood in the ground1 but by the amount of fruit they yield4 ,there are trees which bring forth more fruit in one season than others do during the whole time they stand in the orchard4 ,and the length of a man's life is to be estimated not by the number of years he has been in the world1 but in the use which he has made of them4 ,many men who leave the world comparatively young have lived longer1 because to more purpose1 than others who have not died until they were a hundred years old 7,on this subject see homiletics on chap4 x4 #ag1 page #afd74 ,,iii4 ,that the wicked man also exercises an influence upon his neighbour2 but his influence leads to evil4 ,he is a seducer--one who leads astray by false professions and promises4 ,like the good man1 he emits a light1 but it is the false light of the ignis fatuus1 which is the offspring of the stagnant swamp1 and which will only lure him who follows it to destruction4 ,one of the chief employments of the bad1 and that which seems to afford them the greatest pleasure1 is to carry other men to ruin4 ,and even when the wicked man is not an active seducer1 his way1 or his life1 seduces his neighbour4 ,the force of an evil example is very great1 and men are insensibly influenced by it4 ,men of ungodliness diffuse around them an atmosphere of moral unhealthiness1 which insensibly affects those around them1 who are not godly1 and strengthens them in all their downward tendencies4 ,such men are as graves which appear not 7,luke xi4 #dd71 and are centres of spiritual disease and death4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if then1 the righteous be more excellent than his neighbour1 how is it that men do not follow their way8 ,because the way of the wicked1 which is apparently more excellent1 or abundant in temporal advantages1 seduces them 7,kimchi in ,mercer71 ,it seduceth with false hopes1 doomed in the end to destruction4--,fausset4 ,the way of the godless leads them into error2 the course of life to which they have given themselves up has such a power over them that they cannot set themselves free from it1 and it leads the enslaved into destruction4 ,the righteous1 on the contrary1 is free with respect to the way which he takes1 and the place where he stays4 ,his view 7regard7 is directed to his true advancement1 and he looks after his pasture 7see ,critical ,notes71 i4e41 examines and discovers where1 for him1 right pastures1 i4e41 the advancement of his outer and inner life1 is to be found4--,delitzsch4 ,let him dwell by whomsoever1 he is ever a better man than his neighbours2 he is a prince of ,god among them1 as ,abraham was amongst the ,hittites4 ,said ,agesilaus1 when he heard the ,king of ,persia style himself the ,great ,king--,i acknowledge none more excellent than myself1 unless more righteous2 none greater1 unless better4 ,upon all the glory shall be a defence 7,isa4 iv4 #e7--that is1 upon all the righteous1 those only glorious1 those excellent of the earth 7,psa4 xvi4 #b71 that are sealed to the day of redemption 7,ephes4 iv4 #cj74 ,now1 whatsoever is sealed with a seal1 that is excellent in its own kind1 as ,isa4 xxviii4 #be4 ,the poorest village is an ivory palace1 saith ,luther1 if it have in it but a minister and a few good people4 ,but the wicked will not be persuaded of the good man's excellency1 he cannot discern1 nor will not be drawn to believe that there is any such gain in godliness1 any such difference between the righteous and the wicked4 ,he1 therefore1 goes another way to work4--,trapp4 ,i4 ,in regard to their condition in this present life4 ,they have all prerogatives and preferments4 ,by parentage every one of them is ,god's child4 ,by dignity they are all kings4 ,by inheritance they have title to heaven and earth2 their food is heavenly manna1 their clothing is ,christ's righteousness1 their attendants are the holy angels4--,,ii4 ,in respect of their state that shall be in the life to come4 ,they shall have perfect happiness1 and be made like unto ,jesus ,christ1 more excellent and puissant than the most glorious angels4--,dod4 ,the wicked man not only does not guide his neighbour1 but does not guide himself1 actually leads himself astray4 ,here is the same climax we have so often noticed 7chap4 xi4 #ad74--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,the ,,loss ,,of ,,the ,,slothful1 ,,and ,,the ,,gain ,,of ,,the ,,diligent4 ,i4 ,even the slothful man may be sometimes roused to activity4 ,he is here represented as having made an effort1 he has taken spoil in hunting4 ,there are probably few men who are not sometimes roused to exertion1 who do not every now and then make a start towards an industrious life1 but they lack perseverance1 they do not let one act of industry follow upon another so as to form industrious habits4 ,therefore-- ,,ii4 ,the slothful man loses by negligence what he has gained4 ,he roasteth not that which he took in hunting4 ,he is too lazy to finish his work4 ,he naturalises the one action by neglecting to perform the other4 ,the food that he has taken is wasted because he is too lazy to roast it1 and therefore he might as well have remained idle altogether4 ,,iii4 ,he may thus rob an industrious man4 ,the game which he has taken and wasted might have fallen into better hands4 ,another man might have taken it and put it to good use4 ,a man has no right thus to deprive another of what he is too lazy to put to a good use himself4 ,,iv4 ,a diligent habit of life is a fortune in itself4 #a4 ,it is a possession of which a man cannot be robbed by any of the mischances of life4 ,a habit is a second nature1 and if a man has once acquired the habit of a diligent improvement of his time and opportunities1 he can no more lose it than he can his identity4 ,it can be touched by no rise or fall of the market1 nor affected by any commercial panic4 ,if he is rich1 he will be diligent1 and if he becomes poor he will make the most of what still remains to him4 #b4 ,it is a source of continual satisfaction4 ,god has made men for work1 and a rightly constituted mind is never so happy as when all its powers are actively employed4 ,it is a great source of consolation in times of sorrow to have acquired industrious1 active habits1 for they often help a man to forget1 or to rise above his trials4 #c4 ,it makes a man1 in one respect1 an imitator of ,god4 ,the ,eternal ,ruler of the universe is ever active2 diligence is one of ,his attributes4 ,it is the boast of the ,hebrew prophet1 concerning the everlasting ,god1 that ,he fainteth not1 neither is weary 7,isaiah xl4 #bh74 ,christ declares that ,he and ,his ,father are unceasing in their activities3 ,my father worketh hitherto1 and ,i work 7,john v4 #ag74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,what a diligent man gains becomes1 in his hands1 precious by the use he makes of it4 ,it is the means of further increase4 ,and his substance becomes precious to others as well as to himself4 ,it is industriously1 profitably1 benevolently used4 ,in this lies the true value of a man's substance2--not in the acquisition1 but in the use4--,wardlaw4 ,by translating remiyah the deceitful1 instead of the slothful man1 which appears to be the genuine meaning of the word1 we may obtain a good sense1 as the ,vulgate has done4 ,the deceitful man shall not find gain1 but the substance of a 7just7 man shall be the price of gold4 ,but our version1 allowing remiyah to be translated fraudulent1 gives the best sense4 ,the fraudulent man roasteth not that which he took in hunting1 the justice of ,god snatching from him what he had acquired unrighteously4 ,coverdale translates ,a dis-creatfull man schal fynde no vauntage3 but he that is content with what he hath1 is more worth than golde4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,the substance of a diligent man is great in value1 whatsoever it be in quantity1 as a small boxful of pearls is more worth than mountains of pebbles4 ,the house of the righteous hath much treasure4 ,he is without that care in getting1 fear in keeping1 grief in losing--those three fell vultures that feed continually on the heart of the rich worldling1 and dis-sweeten all his comforts4 ,jabal1 that dwelt in tents1 and tended the herds1 had ,jubal to his brother1 the father of music4 ,jabal and ,jubal1 diligence and complacence1 good husbandry and well-contenting sufficiency1 dwell usually together4--,trapp4 ,is not this a graphical picture of the slothful professor8 ,he will take up religion under strong excitement4 ,he begins a new course1 and perhaps makes some advance in it4 ,but1 having no root in himself1 his good frames and resolutions wither away 7,matt4 xiii4 #bj1 #ba74 ,the continued exertion required1 the violence that must be done to his deep-rooted habits1 the difficulties in his new path1 the invitations to present ease1 all hang as a weight upon his efforts4 4 4 4 ,no present blessing can be enjoyed without grasping something beyond 7,phil4 iii4 #ab-ad74 ,godliness without energy loses its full reward 7#b ,john #h74--;,bridges4 ,the impenitent1 who wait for something to turn up1 are the same type of lazy people as love hunting and fishing better than more regular labour4 ,the wise man goes to the root and says1 ,there are no such hunting gains in the spiritual world4 ,he goes further4 ,he seems to remind his reader that character is all that will be left for a man at the last4 ,he seems to imply that man will bring home from his hunt nothing but his laziness1 and would ask whether one can roast that like a quail or a duck4 ,and though we start at such horrible absurdity1 yet it brings out in keen light a very different possibility for diligence4 ,diligence can be roasted4 ,it earns for us an eternal heaven1 and yet1 for all it gets1 it is itself our richest dainty4 ,one cannot roast laziness as something he has taken in the chase2 but a precious treasure of a man is a diligent one4 ,it is tantalizing to come so near other and important renderings4 ,many see very plausibly a meaning like this3 ,the slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting 7so far the ,english version71 meaning that he is wasteful1 and suffers what he has actually now to run to loss2 but the substance of a common man 7making the distinction as in verse #ad7 is precious 7that is1 made account of1 and kept7 by a man of diligence4 ,a sinner throws away treasures2 a saint values the very smallest4 ,this would be a fine sense if the verse before meant that the saint gains from his neighbour4 ,per contra1 though1 there are difficulties4 ,the slothful man 7,e4,v47 in the ,hebrew is the sloth or laziness itself4 ,and the word is feminine1 and must be the object rather than the subject of the verb4 ,the meaning is1 that sloth cannot be roasted and eaten1 but diligence can4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,life4 ,i4 ,there is a way of righteousness in the world4 #a4 ,this fact is universally recognised4 ,men regard each other as moral and responsible beings4 ,the doctrine of necessity will not do for every-day life4 ,in all positions and conditions1 man is met with the assumption that there is a way of righteousness1 and his fellow-men deal with him accordingly4 ,man could not be held accountable for his actions if a right way of life did not exist1 in which it was possible for him to walk4 #b4 ,this fact is confirmed by conscience4 ,bad actions are followed by remorse1 and good deeds bring gladness to the soul4 ,if there were no way of righteousness1 how could this be the case8 #c4 ,it is revealed to us by ,god4 ,the ,bible sets forth two paths1 in one of which man must walk1 it foretells a day in which ,god will judge men1 and will hold them guilty who have refused to walk in the way of righteousness after it has been made known to them4 ,where there is no way of righteousness there can be no transgression1 and1 consequently1 no penalty4 ,,ii4 ,the way of life implies--#a4 ,a beginning4 ,all ways or paths have a starting-point1 all methods or plans of life date from point of time4 #b4 ,an object in view4 ,if men walk in a certain road it is presumed that they have some purpose in view4 #c4 ,an end or goal4 ,so the way of righteousness4 ,its beginning is repentance towards ,god and faith in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 the object at which it aims by patient continuance in well-doing is glory1 and honour1 and immortality2 its end is eternal life 7,acts xx4 #ba2 ,rom4 ii4 #g71 for in the pathway thereof is no death1 or immortality 7,on this subject see also homiletics on chap4 iv4 #ah47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,from life being said to be in the way of righteousness1 ,i should urge the lesson from the deeds of the hand have a reflex influence upon the state of the heart4 ,there is life in spiritual-mindedness1 and it serves to aliment this life to walk in the way of obedience4--,chalmers4 ,and life1 in any sense1 is a sweet mercy1 a precious indulgence4 ,life natural is but a little spot of time between the two eternities1 before and after1 but it is of great consequence1 and given us for this purpose1 that glory may be begun in grace1 and we have a further and further entrance into the kingdom of heaven here1 as ,peter saith 7#b ,peter i4 #b74 ,christ hath unstinged the first death1 and made of a postern to let out eternal life1 a street-door to let in eternal life4 ,surely the bitterness of this death is past to the righteous2 there is no gall in it2 nay1 there is honey in it1 as once there was in the corpse of ,samson's dead lion4 ,and for the second death there is no danger1 for they shall pass from the jaws of death to the joys of heaven4 ,yet1 though hell had closed her mouth upon a child of ,god1 it would as little hold him as the whale could ,jonah2 it must1 perforce1 regurgitate such a morsel4--,trapp4 ,righteousness1 which is the very path of the righteous man1 is itself eternal life4 ,all men have a way1 and this implies that all men have an end4 ,the ,psalmist had before announced 7,psa4 i4 #f7 that the way of the ungodly shall perish2 that is1 not only shall they not reach their end1 but their very way shall die down and perish4 ,they shall cease to take an interest in it4 ,but this passage goes deeper4 ,it says the path of righteousness is life itself1 and then1 contrasting them with the wicked1 it says1 their way is a path1 i4e41 it leads somewhere2 and then implies that all other ways are a death4 ,these are striking truths4 ,immortality is a path4 ,it travels the ages4 ,it begins among believers4 ,it is itself its destiny4 ,impenitence is a death4 ,it travels no where4 ,the very mind of the impenitent can announce no terminus for his way-worn tread4--,miller4 ,,note4--,it will be seen from the foregoing remarks that ,miller translates the latter clause of this verse1 ,the way is a path1 not a death4 ,,homily ,,on ,,the ,,entire ,,chapter4 ,on the true wisdom of the children of ,god as it ought to appear 7#a7 ,in the home1 under the forms of good discipline1 diligence1 and contentment 7vers4 #a-aa72 7#b7 ,in the ,state1 or in the intercourse of citizens1 under the forms of truthfulness1 justice1 and unfeigned benevolence 7vers4 #ab-bb72 7#c7 ,in the ,church1 or in the religious life1 as a progressive knowledge of ,god1 a diligent devotion to prayer1 and striving after eternal life 7vers4 #bc-bh74--,lange's ,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,instruction1 or correction4 ,the ,hebrew is literally1 a wise son is his father's correction1 i4e41 is the product of his father's correction2 or heareth may be supplied to correspond to the verb in the second clause4 #b4 ,shall eat1 in the second clause is1 supplied by the ,english translation4 ,many commentaries render this clause the delight of the ungodly is violence4 ,so ,zckler and ,delitzsch4 ,mill translates the verse1 ,out of the fair earnings of the mouth of a man a good man will get his foot2 but the appetite of the faithless out of robbery4 #d4 ,fat1 i4e41 abundantly satisfied4 #e4 ,lying1 rather deceit4 ,stuart renders it a false report4 ,zckler translates the latter clause of this verse1 the ungodly acts basely and shamefully4 ,the translations of ,stuart and ,delitzsch are nearly the same4 ,miller reads the whole verse1 ,a deceiving business hates the righteous man1 but also shames and disgraces the wicked4 #f4 ,sinner1 literally sin1 hence ,miller reads wickedness subverts the sin-offering1 and ,zckler wickedness plungeth into sin4 #g4 ,maketh1 or showeth4 #h4 ,the latter clause of this is very obscure1 but rebuke is generally translated threatening1 and is understood to mean that no threatening can gain anything from the poor as they have nothing to lose4 ,stuart understands it that notwithstanding the obvious advantage of wealth1 yet the poor man will not listen to those who rebuke him for sloth and wastefulness which have made him poor4 ,the supposition on this ground is that the man is poor by his own fault4 #i4 ,rejoiceth1 burns brightly4 ,the words light and lamp are regarded by most modern commentators as synonymous4 #aj4 ,this may read ,only by pride cometh contention1 or by pride cometh only 7nothing but7 contention4 #aa4 ,vanity1 rather fraud4 ,by labour1 literally1 by the hand1 or handful after handful4 #ab4 ,latter clause1 a desire accomplished is a tree of life4 #ac4 ,shall be destroyed1 rather is bound1 or is in bonds to it4 ,rewarded1 be at peace4 #ad4 ,law1 rather doctrine1 instruction4 #ae4 ,good understanding1 rather discretion4 ,hard1 stony1 uncultivated4 ,this is the generally received rendering1 but the word often signifies perpetual4 ,miller says ,we find it in thirteen places1 and in every one of them it means perpetual4 ,strong or perpetual is thy dwelling-place 7,num4 xxiv4 #ba74 ,mighty rivers are perpetual1 or perennial rivers 7,psa4 lxxiv4 #ag74 ,mighty nation 7,jer4 v4 #ae7 corresponds with the next expression1 ancient nation1 and is to be rendered perpetual 7or permanent74 ,umbreit translates it a standing bog or marsh4 #af4 ,dealing with knowledge1 i4e41 acteth with foresight4 ,layeth open1 rather spreadeth abroad4 ,delitzsch says1 ,there lies in the word something derisive2 as the merchant unrolls and spreads out his wares in order to commend them1 so the fool deals with his folly4 #ai4 ,literally quickened desire1 a desire that has come to be4 ,zckler and ,miller say this cannot be designed to express appeased desire1 but ,delitzsch renders it satisfied desire1 and ,stuart agrees with him4 ,the latter connects the second clause of the verse with the former1 thus1 ,yet it is an abomination for fools to depart from evil1 therefore1 they cannot be satisfied2 while ,delitzsch understands it to mean1 ,because satisfied desire is sweet to the fool and his desires are evil1 therefore he will not depart from evil4 #bc4 ,tillage1 rather fallow ground or a new field1 land which requires hard labour4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,wise ,,son ,,and ,,the ,,scorner4 ,i4 ,a condition implied4 ,that the father who gives the instruction1 or administers correction1 is a wise father4 ,there are many fathers who are incapable of instructing their children in the right way1 because they do not walk in it themselves4 ,the father of these proverbs is always pre-supposed to be one who is himself morally wise--one whose life is a practical exposition of the good instruction which he gives4 ,the father who can only instruct with his lip1 but not with his life1 cannot expect to command respect and obedience4 ,he is like a man who tries to save a vessel from sinking by bailing out the water in bucketfuls1 while he leaves the great leak-hole unplugged4 ,all that which is done is more than neutralised by what is left undone4 ,if a physician prescribes a certain medicine for a disease from which he is suffering himself1 but for which he refuses to take the remedy1 he will find that his patients will think1 if they do not say1 ,physician1 heal thyself4 ,and children will not be slow to see if a father's practice fails to endorse a father's precept4 ,,ii4 ,he who takes the advice of a morally wise father shows himself to be wise also4 ,the greatest proof of wisdom is a willingness to learn from those who know more than we do4 ,other things being equal1 a father must know more than a son1 and the son who hears his instruction1 and submits to his discipline1 not only uses the means by which to become wise1 but shows that he is already wise enough to use the right means to attain a desirable end4 ,christians are the sons of ,god1 if they are wise sons they will hear the instructions of their ,father4 ,they show their wisdom in proportion as they submit cheerfully to ,his discipline as to that of the ,only wise ,god 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,he who will not listen to parental rebuke is in the last degree a sinner4 ,we understand the last clause of this verse to refer likewise to a father and son4 ,parental instruction and correction are ,god's ordained and special methods of training a human soul4 ,there are many reasons why a parent's rebuke should be regarded1 if that of strangers is not listened to 7see ,homiletics on chap4 iv4 #a-d1 p4 #ec74 ,he who disregards that must be considered in as hopeless a case as he who scuttles the lifeboat sent to save him4 ,when the word of a good father or mother is not obeyed it is practically scorned1 and a scorner is the most hopeless of sinners4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the language of this verse is capable of two meanings3 either that hearing instruction and not hearing reproof are the effect and the manifestation1 respectively1 of a wise or a scornful mind2 this wise son showing himself to be so by hearing his father's instructions1 and the scorner showing himself to be so by not hearing rebuke1 or 7reversing cause and effect71 that wisdom and scorning are the results1 respectively1 of hearing or not hearing instruction and rebuke4 ,in other words--,the son that is instructed by his father turns out to be wise2 he who receives no correction turns out a fool4 ,in the first of the two senses the abomination is chiefly to children--in the second1 to parents4--,wardlaw4 ,piety is the fruit of training4 ,if a man is a believer1 it is a sign that he has had believing nurture2 and if a scorner1 it is a sign he has had no rebuke4 ,this text reiterates the promise made to the training of a child4 ,to treat it as in our ,english version is simply to evoke a truism1 and might do very well1 grammatically1 if the verb were future1 and not perfect4 ,the idea embraces the solemn lesson1 that ,christians are not to be made without training4--,miller4 ,or heareth and jeereth2 as ,lot's sons-in-law1 so ,eli's sons1 and afterwards ,samuel's4 ,samuel succeeds ,eli in his cross1 as well as in his place1 though not in his sin of indulgence4 ,god will show that grace is by gift1 and not by inheritance or education4--,trapp4 ,there is in the conscience of the scorner a hidden discouragement1 and privy despair1 both of pardon of his sinfulness1 and possibility to leave it3 and that doth exasperate him against such as shall be dealing with it4 ,who is willing to have his wound laid open to his disgrace and torment1 when he taketh it to be altogether incurable8--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #b and #c4 ,,keeping ,,the ,,mouth4 ,the human tongue needs keeping1 or guarding4 #a4 ,because there is a tendency in men to speak as soon as they think4 ,first thoughts are not always the fittest thoughts to be made public4 ,it is always advisable to view them and review them in the light of our judgment before we give them utterance4 ,hence our tongue ought to be always well in hand4 #b4 ,because when loosed it is a great power for evil as well as for good4 ,it may bring much good to a man's life4 ,a man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth1 when his mouth brings forth good fruit--when out of the good treasure of his heart he bringeth forth that which is good4 ,a tongue wisely used gives a man the respect and confidence of his fellow-men1 yields him the satisfaction of having been a blessing to them 7,see ,comments on chap4 xii4 #f and #ad74 ,but a tongue which is uncontrolled is mischievous to others and to the man himself4 ,he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction4 ,as we saw in chapter x4 #ai1 there is often a sin in much speaking4 ,such a tongue as that described in chapter ii4 #ab1 or that in chapter xii4 #ah 7see ,homiletics and ,comments on those verses71 destroy not only their victims but those to whom they belong4 ,such a tongue1 the ,apostle tells us1 is a fire1 a world of iniquity3 and is set on fire of hell 7,jas4 iii4 #f74 #c4 ,because it is the last stronghold which is brought under complete control to spiritual rule--the weak point in the spiritual man's armour where the adversary's arrow may enter4 ,this we know from inspired authority4 ,if any man offend not in word1 the same is a perfect man1 and able also to bridle the whole body 7,jas4 iii4 #b74 ,we have an example of its truth in the case of ,moses4 ,that man who was meek above all men which were upon the face of the earth 7,num4 xii4 #c71 forfeited his right of entrance into the earthly ,canaan by an unguarded use of the tongue4 ,the prayers of the ,psalmist show us the importance which he attached to the keeping of this stronghold and the difficulty attending it1 as well as that only sure means of safety1 that of calling in ,divine help4 ,set a watch1 ,o ,lord1 before my mouth2 keep the door of my lips 7,psalm cxli4 #c74 ,every morally wise man will make the resolve of ,david1 ,i will keep my mouth with a bridle1 not only while the wicked is before me1 but at all times and in all places4 ,life is lost and won both in its higher and lower senses by not keeping the mouth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,the mouth of a man in that viva voce country1 as formerly in our southern states1 was the great instrument of a business man4 ,he lived by giving orders4 ,the mail conducts our business in our days4 ,a false lip stood for all sorts of bad activity 7,eccles4 x4 #ab74 ,a good man will be satisfied to earn his living4 ,the bad man1 in some way or other1 wants to steal it4 ,but apace with this secular meaning is one that concerns the saints4 ,the good man expects to fight for heaven2 the lost man to get heaven by deceit 7see rendering in ,critical ,notes74 ,it is true the tendencies might seem reversed4 ,the good man hails a work done for him1 and expects a ransom without money and without price4 ,the bad man would intersperse some struggles of his own4 ,but1 in fact1 the ,christian1 though saved by grace1 works the more for it2 and1 in fact1 the sinner1 rejecting grace and interposing his own works1 is just the man expecting blessings without costs1 and without any earnest toil4 ,not eat good 7,english version7 but a good man will eat 7get his food74 ,the earnings of the mouth4 ,no one can go into a great city now without noticing how much of men's money they make by their mouth4 ,the gainful merchants are talking all day long4 ,no man can buy salvation2 but he reaches it by hard labour1 and partly by earnest speech4--,miller4 ,although the spirit and practice of retaliation are nowhere vindicated in ,scripture1 but everywhere explicitly and strongly condemned3 yet a treatment corresponding to their own treatment towards others is what everyone may expect1 even independently of what deserves the name of retaliation4 ,in the nature of things it cannot be otherwise4 ,it is not in human nature1 nor in any nature1 not even in the ,divine itself1 to love 7with the love of complacence7 that which is unamiable4 ,an amiable disposition alone can secure love2 and it is greatly indicated by the tongue4 ,the man who is charitable in his judgments1 and disposed to speak well of others1 will be himself the subject of charitable judgment1 and of cordial commendation4 ,thus he shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth4--,wardlaw4 ,the mouth of a man doth blossom when he speaketh fairly and promiseth well1 but then it beareth fruit when that is performed which is promised4 ,and by this fruit it is1 which though others eat1 yet a man himself eateth good1 as having his soul cheered and nourished by the comfort of it4 ,but as for the soul of the perfidious and false dealers1 who make a show to do a thing1 and do quite the contrary1 although they carry it slightly and without violence1 yet violence shall seize upon them1 either to compel them to a performance1 or else to a just suffering for not performing1 which will be bitter food4--,jermin4 ,verse #c4 ,speech1 though our great activity1 gives us more toil in holding it back than in actually employing it4 ,so activity1 which it typically represents1 is harder to hold than to promote4 ,religion is an every-day battle4 ,he that is not conscious of it1 has no true religion4--,miller4 ,keep thine heart 7chap4 iv4 #bc74 ,this guards the citadel4 ,keep thy mouth4 ,this sets a watch at the gates4 ,if they be well guarded the city is safe4 ,leave them unprotected--thus was ,babylon taken4--,bridges4 ,no wonder that the ,holy ,ghost here labours so much for the reformation of the tongue2 for the ,apostle also 7,rom4 iii4 #ac1 etc471 when giving an anatomy of human depravity in the embers of the body1 dwells more on the tongue than all the rest4--,cartwright1 from ,fausset4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,,the ,,disappointment ,,of ,,the ,,sluggard',s ,,desires4 ,i4 ,the desires of the sluggard cannot be satisfied--#a4 ,because they are contrary to the ordination of ,god4 ,the ,divine ordination is1 ,in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread 7,gen4 iii4 #ai71 in other words1 that reward shall be the result of labour4 ,if a man is to have that which he desires1 he must frame his desire in harmony with the law of the universe1 or he must be disappointed4 ,if men desire to bring about any material result they take care to work in harmony with physical law4 ,he would be looked upon as a madman who expected to achieve anything by setting at nought the law of gravitation1 for instance4 ,it is quite as useless for men to desire to set aside ,god's moral laws4 #b4 ,because they are contrary to the practice of ,god4 ,god1 as we saw in homiletics on chap4 xii4 #bd1 #bg1 is a great worker4 ,he desired to save man1 but ,he used means to accomplish ,his desires1 even means which involved the highest self-sacrifice4 ,shall men expect to realise his wishes without effort1 when ,god spared not ,his own ,son 7,rom4 viii4 #cb7 to bring about the salvation of the world1 when ,christ endured the cross to attain the joy set before ,him8 7,heb4 xii4 #b74 #c4 ,because they are unfair to his fellow-creatures4 ,he desires to consume1 but not to contribute to the general good2 he wants to have the reward of the diligent without his toil4 ,it would be unjust to the industrious to give to him for desiring what others gain by working4 ,therefore1 ,,ii4 ,he wearies himself far more by his laziness than he would do by honest labour4 ,if a man is constantly desiring and never having his desires fulfilled1 his life must become a weariness to him4 ,fulfilled desires become an incentive to renewed activity--he who has reaped one harvest as a result of his labour is quickened to new energy to sow for another crop4 ,the sluggard knows not the enjoyment which comes to the man who has worked hard for the reward which he now enjoys2 he knows not what it is to enjoy rest and recreation1 because true diligence only can give them any true relish4 7,see also ,homiletics on chap4 vi4 #f-aa and xii4 #bd47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the sluggard in religion desires to overcome his bad habits1 to enjoy the happiness of ,god's people4 ,so far1 well4 ,desires are a part of religion4 ,there can be no attainment without them4 ,many have not even the desire1 yet the sluggard hath nothing1 because it is desire without effort4 ,hell1 says an old writer1 is paved with such desires4--,bridges4 ,wishes and woulders are never good householders4--,muffet4 ,doddridge says most people perish by laziness4 ,laziness is the attribute of a man who desires an object1 but will not work for it4 ,the impenitent desires heaven--nay longs for it--yea1 confidently expects it 7just as many a sluggard expects wealth71 but religion never turns up1 it never comes like game taken in the chase 7chap4 xii4 #bg71 it is a solid product2 we must stir up ourselves to take hold on ,god 7,isa4 lxiv4 #g74 ,with no exceptions1 such as are on change1 it is the diligent soul that shall be made fat and the yearning sluggard1 at the very last1 has nothing4--,miller4 ,the slothful man has one mighty objection against heaven1 that he cannot make sure of it in a morning dream4--,lawson4 ,labour is the original law of man's nature4 ,the fatigue and distress of labour1 are1 no doubt1 the result of sin4 ,even in the garden of primeval innocence1 it was by his dressing and keeping that everything was to thrive4--,wardlaw4 ,the sluggard would and he would not1 he would have the end1 but would not use the means2 he would sit at ,christ's right hand1 but he would not drink of ,his cup1 or be baptized with ,his baptism4 ,affection without endeavour is like ,rachel1 beautiful1 but barren4 4 4 4 ,david1 ravished with the meditation of the good man's blessedness1 presently conceives this desire and pursues it2 not ,oh that ,i had this happiness1 but ,oh that ,i could use the means6 ,oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes 7,psa4 cxix4 #d1 #e74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,a ,,lawful ,,hatred4 ,i4 ,a righteous man hates lying4 #a4 ,because it is contrary to his ruling disposition4 ,his own righteous character has been created by believing the truth4 ,his spiritual life is constantly renewed and sustained by believing the truth1 and reducing his belief to practice4 ,he is a child of the truth1 and1 therefore1 apart from all the consequences of lying he instinctively abhors it4 #b4 ,he hates it also because of its evil influence upon men4 ,confidence in a lie ruined our first parents1 and confidence in a law has ruined whole nations and mighty empires in the past4 ,in proportion as men believe a lie 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #aa7 in the same proportion will be their ruin4 ,the righteous man knows that the kingdom of ,god is a kingdom of truth 7,john xviii4 #cg71 and as his great desire is to see that kingdom spread he must hate all that opposes it1 and thus mars the happiness of the human race4 ,,ii4 ,wicked men are untruthful men4 ,as the righteous man's character is built by truth and upon truth1 so that of an ungodly man is built upon falsehood4 ,all such men are the children of him who was a liar from the beginning1 and although they may not be liars in the common acceptation of the word1 there is a lack of truthfulness in the character of the most outwardly moral4 ,in some shape or other he is a liar--he is a subject of him whose kingdom is built upon lying1 and who could not retain under his influence a man who hated lying in every form and under every disguise4 ,such a man must come to shame4 ,what would be the fate of a cripple if he were to challenge a man with sound limbs to run a race8 ,must he not be worsted in the end8 ,not more surely than will every subject of the kingdom whose foundation was laid in a lie4 ,there is an ,italian proverb which says1 ,a liar is sooner caught than a cripple4 ,if lying lips are an abomination to the ,lord1 he who owns the lips must be an abomination also 7see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #bb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,clear and round dealing is the honour of man's nature2 and that mixture of falsehood is like alloy in coin of gold or silver1 which may make the metal work the better but embaseth it4 ,for these winding and crooked courses are the goings of the serpent1 which goeth basely upon the belly1 and not upon the feet4 ,there is no vice that doth so cover a man with shame as to be found false and perfidious2 and1 therefore1 ,montaigne sayeth prettily1 when he inquired the reason why the word of the lie should be such a disgrace and such an odious charge1 ,if it be well weighed1 to say that a man lieth1 is as much as to say that he is brave towards ,god1 and a coward towards men4 ,for a lie faces ,god and shrinks from man4--,lord ,bacon4 ,the natural man shuns lying and deceit on account of the outward shame and reproach2 the pious abhors them with all his heart for ,god's sake4--,starke1 in ,lange's ,commentary4 ,the allegiance of the soul to truth is tested by small things1 rather than by those which are more important4 ,there is many a man who would lose his life rather than perjure himself in a court of justice1 whose life is yet a tissue of small insincerities4 ,we think that we are hating falsehood when we are only hating the consequences of falsehood4 ,we resent hypocrisy and treachery1 and calumny1 not because they are untrue1 but because they harm us4 ,we hate the false calumny1 but are half-pleased by the false praise4 ,it is evidently not the element of untruth here that is displeasing1 but the element of harmfulness4 ,now he is a man of integrity who hates untruth as untruth2 who resents the smooth and polished falsehood of society1 which does no harm2 who turns in indignation from the glittering whitened lie of sepulchral ,pharisaism which injures no one4 ,integrity recoils from deception1 which men would almost smile to hear called deception4 ,to a moral pure mind the artifices in every department of life are painful4 ,the stained wood which passes for a more firm and costly material in a building1 and deceives the eye by passing for what it is not--marble4 ,the painting which is intended to be taken for reality2 the gilding which is meant to pass for gold2 and the glass which is worn to look like jewels2 for there is a moral feeling and a truthfulness in architecture1 in painting1 and in dress1 as well as in the market-place and in the senate1 and in the judgment hall4 ,these are trifles4 ,yes1 these are trifles2 but it is just these trifles which go to the formation of character4 ,he that is habituated to deceptions and artificialities in trifles will try in vain to be true in matters of importance2 for truth is a thing of habit rather than of will4 4 4 4 ,and it is a fearful question1 and a difficult one1 how all these things1 the atmosphere of which we breathe in our daily life1 may sap the very foundation of the power of becoming a servant of the truth4--,f4 ,w4 ,robertson4 ,it is not said that a righteous man never lies4 ,david lied more than once1 and yet he could say with truth that he abhorred lying4 ,though he lied to ,abimelech the priest1 and to the king of the ,philistines1 yet his fixed hatred of sin was an evidence of piety1 to which those can lay no claim who never spoke a lie in their lives1 if their abstinence from this sin was caused by some other motive than hatred4 4 4 4 ,god and man agree in almost nothing but this1 that a liar is detestable to both1 and therefore he must1 sooner or later1 come to disgrace4--,lawson4 ,the affections are of as great force in the service of ,god as the words and actions1 and the heart hath no less place than the members of the body4 ,it must be one and the principal agent in love1 where they have calling2 and it must deal alone with detestation of those abominations which they are discharged to intermeddle with4 4 4 4 ,here we have instruction to inform our hearts against all manner of wickedness1 that they may be the more incensed against it4 ,the less we like sin the more righteous we are1 and the better the ,lord will love us4 ,and the more agreement there is between sin and our souls1 the less peace there is between our souls and ,god4 ,all the hurts and miseries that have ever come upon us1 or on ,christ for our sakes1 do give just occasion to fall out with sinfulness1 that hath been the cause thereof4--,dod4 ,where grace reigns1 sin is loathsome1 where sin reigns the man is loathsome4--,henry4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,,overthrow ,,by ,,sin4 ,for ,homiletics on the first clause of this verse see on chap4 xi4 #c1 #e1 #f4 ,i4 ,the person overthrown--the sinner4 #a4 ,to be a sinner implies the existence of a law4 ,where there is no law there is no transgression4 ,the sinner here spoken of is a transgressor against moral1 ,divine law4 #b4 ,there may be sin against a law which is in existence but which is not known4 ,a man may not know of the existence of a law1 and thus may sin ignorantly4 #c4 ,but the sinner of the ,bible is one who1 if he does not possess a written revelation1 does possess a law written in his heart--his conscience4 7,see ,rom4 ii4 #ad1 #ae47 ,though the guilt is incomparably greater when a man sins against both conscience and revelation1 yet he who transgresses the law of the first only is a sinner1 and there must be overthrow in both cases1 because moral transgression contains within itself the elements of destruction4 ,,ii4 ,his overthrow4 #a4 ,for a man to be overthrown by breaking a law1 that law must be good4 ,there have been laws that common integrity has compelled men to transgress1 and men have been rewarded by the ,great ,lawgiver for the transgression4 ,there are still laws in force in the world1 the violation of which is a proof of moral courage4 ,but the sinner here doomed to overthrow is a sinner against a law to which his own conscience bears witness that it is holy and just1 and good 7,rom4 vii4 #ab74 #b4 ,the breaking of this law must overthrow a man1 even if no power were ever put forth against him4 ,sin debases a man by the law of cause and effect4 ,nothing can prevent a man who throws himself over a precipice from finding the bottom of the chasm--nothing can keep a sinner from sinking lower and lower in the moral scale4 ,the first man finds a bottom--comes to the end of his fall--he who sins keeps sinking lower and lower while he continues in sin4 #c4 ,the law against which the sinner transgresses is backed by the highest authority1 and by the greatest power of the universe4 ,it represents the greatest ,being4 ,sin is not directed against an abstraction1 but against a person4 ,he who has promulgated it is a living personality1 and has all power to enforce its penalties4 ,the ,almighty ,god is against the sinner4 ,must he not then be overthrown8 #d4 ,the sinner can be placed in such a position as will justify him from the guilt of his past transgressions1 and will enable him to keep the law in the future4 ,the ,lawgiver has ,himself provided the way of escape4 ,he ,himself gives the power to obey4 ,hence he who sins against this law sins against mercy too1 and doubles his condemnation1 is overthrown1 not by ,god's law1 but by his rejection of ,god's method of deliverance from the guilt and power of sin4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,wickedness is ruin4 #a4 ,it exhausts a man's property1 whether much or little4 ,sin is a very expensive thing2 a person cannot commit it to any extent1 but at a considerable loss1 not of time only1 but of substance4 ,the passions are clamorous1 exorbitant1 and restless1 till gratified1 and this must be repeated4 ,the case of the prodigal is in point1 he wasted all his patrimony in riotous living4 #b4 ,it blasts his reputation4 ,sin can never be deemed honourable on correct principles2 yet while sinners possess means of supporting themselves in their vices1 they still keep up their name and rank in the world2 not in the ,church of ,god1 or in the estimation of heaven4 ,but when the means of supplying fuel to feed the fires of foul desire and towering ambition fail1 then their outward splendours go out into darkness4 7,see ,prov4 x4 #g2 xxiv4 #cj47 #c4 ,it destroys health4 ,intemperance undermines the best constitution2 it is a violence done to the physical order of things2 it renders a man old in constitution1 while he is young in years4 #d4 ,it hastens the approach of death4 ,wicked men frequently do not live out half their days 7,psa4 lv4 #bc71 for when they shall say1 ,peace and safety1 then sudden destruction cometh as a thief in the night 7#a ,thess4 v4 #c74 ,sometimes their passions hurry them forward to the commission of crimes which terminate in the most disgraceful exit4 #e4 ,it effects the damnation of the soul4 ,a sinner wrongeth his own soul 7,prov4 viii4 #cf74 ,he quenches the ,spirit of grace1 neglects the salvation of the gospel1 till he goes to his own place4 ,the wicked shall be turned into hell 7,psa4 ix4 #ag74--,theta1 from ,sketches of ,sermons4 ,righteousness keepeth the upright1 so that1 though belied or abused1 he will not let go his integrity 7,job xxvii4 #e74 ,david's feet stood in an even place 7,psa4 xxvi4 #ab74 ,the spouse1 though despoiled of her veil and wounded by the watch1 yet keeps close to ,christ 7,cant4 v74 ,not but that the best are sometimes disquieted in such cases2 for not the evenest weights1 but at their first putting into the balance1 somewhat swap both parts thereof1 not without some show of inequality1 which yet1 after some little motion1 settle themselves in a meet poise and posture4--,trapp4 ,as he walketh safely in the way who hath a faithful convoy with him1 so he is most sure of a faithful convoy who is a strong convoy unto himself4 ,righteousness alone is a puissant army1 and he cannot perish whom righteousness preserveth4 ,but how can he escape who is beset in the way by his own villainy4 ,the ,hebrew is1 that wickedness overthroweth sin4 ,when a sinner is grown settled in sinning1 he justly getteth the name of sin1 and such an one it is that is here spoken of4--,jermin4 ,righteousness1 that good claim in law which merit gives some of the creatures4 ,our righteousness comes to us as the merit of ,christ4 ,the condition of our being held righteous is faith and new obedience4 ,therefore1 if one is obedient1 or1 as this verse expresses it1 is upright or of integrity in the way1 righteousness keeps guard over him4 ,once righteous1 always righteous4 ,having the proof of our righteousness now1 that righteousness1 or good standing in the law1 shall guard us for ever2 while sin1 becoming equally perpetual1 does not only not guard us1 but 7another intensive second clause7 rejects what guard we have2 that is1 as it is most evangelically expressed1 subverts or overturns the sin-offering4 ,this word1 sin-offering1 instead of allowing such an interpretation 7see ,critical ,notes7 has it in all preceding books4 ,sin is the rare rendering4 ,some of the most beautiful ,scriptures1 that are ,messianic in their cast 7,gen4 iv4 #g71 are ruined by the translation sin4 ,leviticus never has the translation sin even in the ,english version4--,miller4 ,there is more bitterness following upon sin's ending than ever there was sweetness flowing from sin's acting4 ,you that see nothing but well in its commission will suffer nothing but woe in its conclusion4 ,you that sin for your profits will never profit by your sins4--,dyer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #g and #h4 ,,the ,,law ,,of ,,compensation4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,be very careful with the word niggardly because it can sound like a racial slur1 especially to those who do not know the word or who are not paying attention4 ,consider substituting miserly1 sparing1 or parsimonious4 ,i4 ,there may be pretensions to wealth where there is comparative poverty4 ,many men endeavour to make other people believe that they are richer than they are--indeed1 it seems to be the common vice of modern society4 ,it is to be deprecated for several reasons4 #a4 ,it is an injury to the man himself4 ,it very often happens that his foolish artifices fail to blind others2 he is like the ostrich who1 when he places his head into the sand1 thinks he has hidden himself entirely from observation2 he only makes himself an object of ridicule to those who he thinks he has deceived4 ,if1 for a time1 he that hath nothing succeeds in making people believe he is rich1 the truth comes out in time1 the bubble bursts1 and the pretender comes to such shame as would never have been his portion if he had been content to pass for what he really was--a poor man4 #b4 ,such pretenders are a curse to others4 ,one such man makes many others4 ,his costly furniture and brilliant entertainments1 and all the adjuncts which are necessary to keep up the reputation of being a millionaire1 lead his neighbours and associates to keep up appearances of the same kind1 and so the mischief grows4 ,then such men rob honest men by leading them to trust them with their goods or money1 and when the end comes many are brought to ruin4 ,examples of this truth are not far to seek1 they are1 alas1 far too common in the present day4 #c4 ,such pretension is base hypocrisy4 ,a sin against which a righteous ,god levels ,his sternest threatenings 7see on chap4 xi4 #i74 ,,ii4 ,he who is really wealthy and yet does not use his wealth to the glory of ,god hath nothing4 #a4 ,he is poor in relation to his fellow-creatures4 ,the greatest beggar cannot do less for the world than he does1 and he is poor in the love and gratitude of those from whom he might win a rich reward by the exercise of benevolence4 #b4 ,he is poor in spiritual riches4 ,a miserly1 niggardly man must be poor towards ,god 7,luke xii4 #ba7--must be destitute of all that ,god counts worth possessing4 ,the rich ,church of ,laodicea was so increased with goods that she said1 ,i have need of nothing1 but in the sight of the ,son of ,god she was poor 7,rev4 iii4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,in a spiritual sense this text is true4 ,possibly the rebuke to the ,laodicean ,church may refer to that satisfaction in spiritual things which maketh itself rich yet hath nothing1 because its possessor is destitute of any real knowledge of his own spiritual needs and1 consequently1 of his spiritual poverty4 ,,iv4 ,there are men who are in every respect the opposite of those with whom we have been dealing4 #a4 ,there is the miser who maketh himself poor1 yet hath great riches4 ,it is difficult to know what motive can prompt a man to do this except covetousness--a fear that he will be expected to part with some of his wealth for the good of others4 ,what1 therefore1 was said under the second head will apply to him4 #b4 ,there are those who make no show of wealth1 yet having enough to sustain their position in life are really rich4 ,the man who is content to be known for what he really is1 and has enough to live honestly1 is rich1 for riches and poverty are merely comparative terms1 and the riches of one man would be poverty to another4 ,for he that needs five thousand pounds to live1 ,is full as poor as he that needs but five4 ,therefore1 a man that maketh 7or sheweth7 himself poor in this sense1 has great riches4 ,he has a sufficiency for all his wants1 he retains his self-respect and the respect of his fellow-men4 #c4 ,the really poor man is rich when he spends his little with regard to the glory of ,god4 ,who of all those who cast their gifts into the treasury was so rich as the poor widow who cast in all her living8 ,she was rich in the commendation of her ,lord 7,mark xii4 #dc71 and all such as she will have the same recognition and will be rich in the gratitude and love of their fellow-creatures4 ,such an one shows that he is in possession of the true riches 7,luke xvi4 #aa7 which alone can preserve from moral bankruptcy4 ,to them belongs the commendation ,i know thy poverty1 but thou art rich 7,rev4 ii4 #i74 ,such poor of this world are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom 7,jas4 ii4 #e74 #d4 ,those who are thus really1 because spiritually1 rich have always a sense of spiritual poverty4 ,they esteem themselves less than the least of all saints 7,ephes4 iii4 #h71 their watchword is not as though ,i had already attained 7,phil4 iii4 #ab71 therefore1 to them belongs the rich possession of the friendship of the ,high and ,lofty ,one1 that inhabiteth eternity 7,isa4 lvii4 #ae74 ,thus making themselves poor1 they yet have great riches4 ,v4 ,there are advantages and disadvantages connected both with material wealth and with poverty4 ,the ransom of a man's life are his riches4 ,this was more literally true in ,solomon's days than in ours1 and is more so now in ,oriental countries than among the western nations4 ,there1 even now1 a man's riches often excite the greed of some despotic ruler1 or one of his irresponsible officials1 and he is accused of some crime in order that his accuser may pocket a large ransom4 ,in times of war1 too1 the rich are exposed to losses and vexations from their conquerors1 which the poor escape4 ,wealth is the magnet which draws the plunderers upon them2 although1 at the same time1 it enables them to ransom their lives4 ,this is one of the penalties of riches4 ,the spirit1 although not the letter of the proverb1 may be applied to modern ,european life4 ,it is the hall of the nobleman what is exposed to the visits of the burglar4 ,it is the great capitalist that loses when banks fail1 and when there is a commercial panic4 ,but none of these things touch a poor man4 ,the despots pass him over1 because he has no riches wherewith to ransom his life2 in the time of war he is unmolested1 as when ,judea was invaded1 the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land to be vine-dressers and husbandmen 7#b ,kings xxv4 #ab74 ,no thief plans a midnight surprise upon his humble abode2 he cannot lose his money1 he has none to lose4 ,vultures are not attracted to a skeleton1 they gather round a carcase covered with flesh4 ,so it is with those who make it their business to live upon the wealth of others4 ,they leave the poor man free4 ,he hears not rebuke or threatening1 he is left undisturbed4 ,he that is down need fear no fall1 says ,bunyan4 ,he that hath empty pockets may whistle in the face of a highwayman1 says ,juvenal4 ,therefore it is man's wisdom1 whether poor or rich1 to be content with such things as he has 7,heb4 xiii4 #e72 to appear only what he really is1 and to dedicate his earnings1 or his savings1 or his inheritance1 to the glory of ,god2 to follow ,george ,herbert's advice-- ,be thrifty2 but not covetous3 therefore give ,thy need1 thine honour1 and thy friend his due4 ,never was scraper brave man4 ,get to live2 ,then live1 and use it2 else1 it is not true ,that thou hast gotten4 ,surely use alone ,makes money not a contemptible stone4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the teaching of chap4 xi4 #bd finds its echo here4 ,there is a seeming wealth behind which there lies a deep spiritual poverty and wretchedness4 ,there is a poverty which makes a man rich for the kingdom of ,god4--,plumptre4 ,this is a world of making show1 the substance of truth is gone out of it1 and ever since man ceaseth to be what he should be1 he striveth to seem to be what he is not4 ,every sin masking in its own vizard2 the vainglorious and the covetous both seeking by their seeming to gain some real advantage to themselves4--,jermin4 ,these opposite faults originate in the same cause1 an excessive esteem of worldly riches4 ,it is this that makes poor men pretend to have them1 and rich men conceal them for the purpose of preserving them more safely4 ,but although money is sometimes a defence1 the want of it is sometimes a shadow under which poor men live unmolested by the plunderers4--,lawson4 ,surely it is just that riches should be the ransom of a man's life1 for it is by them that a man's life is brought into danger4--,jermin4 ,the seventh verse is terse beyond all expression4 ,such are all these proverbs4 ,making oneself rich may be itself the poverty1 and making oneself poor may be itself the wealth2 inasmuch as these acts may have been sins or graces of the soul1 which enter by the providence of ,heaven into the very condition of the spirit4 ,the meaning is that outward circumstances are nothing in the question4 ,a saint is poor or rich as is most useful for him4 ,the treasure is himself4 ,there is that maketh himself rich and is all nothing2 because himself1 not the wealth1 is the important matter4 ,on the other hand1 ,there is that maketh himself poor1 and not only hath great riches1 which is the imperfect translation of our ,bibles1 but is a great treasure4 ,he himself bereft of wealth1 is all the greater for what ,god may have assigned4 ,solomon expounds more specially in the eighth verse3 ,ransom1 covering--i4e41 the covering of his guilt4 ,poverty is a mere incident4 ,a man's true opulence is his eternal redemption4 ,he is not poor who is pinched by want2 but he who has not listened to rebuke4--,miller4 ,it is not poverty so much as pretence that harasses a ruined man--the struggle between a proud mind and an empty purse--the keeping up a hollow show1 that must soon come to an end4 ,have the courage to appear poor1 and you disarm poverty of its sharpest sting4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,the ,,abiding ,,light4 ,i4 ,the analogy between the righteous and the wicked4 ,both have a light or lamp4 ,the words here translated lamp and light are elsewhere used interchangeably1 and are often used to signify prosperity 7#a ,kings xv4 #d2 #b ,kings viii4 #ai7 of any and every kind4 ,prosperity resembles a lamp in that it is an attractive force4 ,a benighted traveller in the darkness is drawn towards a light wherever he sees it1 although he does not know whether it is the light of a thief or of an honest man4 ,tempest-tossed mariners look anxiously for a light in their extremity1 and hope for help from it whether it swings from the masthead of a pirate or from a vessel which carries the police of the seas4 ,so prosperity in any man is an attractive force4 ,a prosperous wicked man attracts to himself the needy and unfortunate4 ,the unprincipled gather round him1 hoping to share in some degree in the light and heat of his worldly success1 and the good man who is poor is often compelled by need to do the same4 ,the lamp of prosperity1 like the net of the kingdom1 gathers of every kind 7,matt4 xiii4 #dg71 not because of what the prosperous man is1 but because of what he has4 ,many saints are dependent on sinners for their daily bread4 ,lazarus lay at the rich man's gate hoping to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table4 ,the prosperity of the righteous is equally attractive both to good men and bad for the same reason4 ,the great mass of men in the world are toiling upon the sea of life for daily bread like tempest-tossed mariners1 and wherever they see the light of prosperity they make for it1 hoping for help in their need4 ,and prosperity in the general acceptance of the world is as often given to the good as to the bad--to the wicked as to the righteous4 ,some commentators regard the light or the lamp as emblematic also of posterity4 ,the words in #b ,kings viii4 #ai may be translated to give him always a light in his children 7see ,lange on #b ,chron4 xxi4 #g71 and in this sense also the analogy holds good1 seeing that both good and bad men become the heads of households1 and have joy and honour in their children4 ,,ii4 ,the contrast between the righteous and the wicked4 #a4 ,the righteous man will grow more and more prosperous4 ,present and material prosperity is but an earnest and a shadow of that higher light which shall rejoice throughout eternity4 ,for the contrast implies that his light shall not be put out4 ,and this continuance has its root in his character4 ,although in this world character does not govern circumstances1 there is a world in which it does4 ,and1 after all1 a good man's light--or occasion of satisfaction--consists more in what he is than in what he has1 and this shines more and more unto the perfect day 7chap4 iv4 #ah7--,see ,homiletics1 page #eh4 #b4 ,the wicked man's prosperity will come to an end4 ,his candle will be put out by the hand of death4 ,it may burn well for a time and he may rejoice in its light1 but even if it continue to shed its rays around him till the last hour of earthly life1 death will put it out4 ,all that has made him a prosperous man has belonged to the earth1 and this can shed no light beyond the grave4 ,it may be put out by the hand of retribution before death4 ,lamps kindled by unjust means may burn well for a time1 and human retribution may never put out their light1 because men may not know how they were lighted2 but ,god's providence may put them out4 7,on this subject see next verse47 ,or if ,divine retribution reserves its extinguisher for another world1 another avenger may put out the light4 ,conscience may assert its right1 and without actually taking from a man that in which he has promised himself satisfaction1 may take the satisfaction from it1 and thus as surely put out his lamp4 outlines and suggestive comments4 ,how glowing1 then1 is the light of the ,church in the combined shining of all her members6 ,many of them have no remarkable individual splendour2 yet1 like the lesser stars forming the ,milky ,way1 they present a bright path of holiness in the spiritual firmament4 4 4 4 ,but it is the light of the righteous that rejoiceth4 ,sin1 therefore1 will bring the cloud4 ,do we hope to shine in the heavenly firmament8 ,then we must shine with present glory in the firmament of the ,church4 ,so delicate is the ,divine principle1 that every breath of this world dims its lustre4--,bridges4 ,the comfort of the righteous is a heavenly light1 whose shining is rejoicing1 and which even in this life maketh the darkness of ,egypt to be light in ,goshen1 maketh the night of troubles to be day2 but at length it shall be such a sunshine of glory1 as that it dazzleth the human understanding to conceive it now4 ,on the other side1 the best comfort which the wicked have is but a lamp or a candle which shineth in the night2 for as the light of a candle is shut up within a narrow circle of space1 so their comfort is shut up within a narrow compass of time1 until at length the candle be put out1 never again to be lighted4 ,but what ,i say at length1 when ,job saith the candle of the wicked is often put out4 ,upon which words ,st4 ,gregory saith1 ,ofttimes the wicked thinks his child to be his candle1 but when his child1 too much beloved1 is taken away1 'his candle is put out1' and so with present honour or wealth4 ,he1 therefore1 that desireth not to rejoice in eternal things1 cannot here always rejoice where he would be eternal4--,jermin4 ,they may not always rejoice1 but their light will4 ,the lamp of the wicked shines upon their own transitoriness4 ,they never say that it will last4 ,they know that it shall be put out4 ,this is rather a dismal provision for being very cheerful4 ,but the light of the righteous1 however much they look at it1 rejoices4 ,the more they try it1 the more it burns4 ,it does not shine upon its own lack of oil4 ,and1 though they are not self-luminous1 yet their light is1 for it is the light of the ,spirit1 and it shines more and more through eternal ages4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,the ,,parent ,,of ,,strife4 ,i4 ,unlawful contention is the offspring of pride4 ,if she is not her only child1 she is her eldest-born4 ,scripture language more than hints that pride was the beginning of contention among the angels4 ,paul1 speaking of the qualifications of a bishop or teacher1 tells ,timothy that such an one is in danger of being lifted up with pride1 and thus falling into the condemnation of the devil 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #f71 thus seeming to indicate that pride was at the bottom of all the contention that is at present going on in the universe between light and darkness1 between good and evil4 ,from the pride of this fallen star has come contention in heaven1 and earth1 and hell4 ,he it was whose guile1 ,stirred up with envy and revenge1 deceived ,the mother of mankind2 what time his pride ,had cast him out from heaven1 with all his host ,of rebel angels1 by whose aid aspiring ,to set himself in glory 'bove his peers1 ,he trusted to have equalled the ,most ,high1 ,if he opposed1 and with ambitious aim1 ,against the throne and monarchy of ,god1 ,raised impious war in heaven1 and battle proud1 ,with vain attempt4 ,and in the history of man's dealings with man pride is the root of contention4 ,whence come wars and fightings among you8 come they not hence1 even of your lusts that war in your members8 7,jas4 iv4 #a74 ,and is not the lust of pride1 or envy1 which is her foster-sister1 the great cause of all domestic1 and social1 and national contentions8 ,has it not been the cause of every unrighteous war from the days of ,chedorlaomer to the present century8 ,and pride breeds contention on a narrower battle-ground still4 ,it often creates war in the human spirit4 ,pride brings contention between duty and inclination1 and1 although there is no bloodshed1 the contest is often very sharp and painful4 ,the fact that by pride cometh contention is so plain that it may be said to be written upon the scroll of time1 like ,ezekiel's roll1 within and without4 ,it is impossible that it should be otherwise4 ,pride is a thinking more of ourselves than we are--an over-estimation of our own worth4 ,this must lead us to strive for supremacy over others who are our equals1 or even our superiors4 ,this must bring contention1 for they will not willingly accord to us that to which we have no lawful claim4 ,therefore1 while there is pride in the universe contention will never end4 ,the fountain must be dried up before the streams cease to flow4 ,when a human soul is emptied of pride there will be peace within4 ,in proportion as it ceases to be a ruling force in the world contention will cease4 ,pride keeps the fallen principalities in contention with heaven1 keeps the sinner in contention with his ,saviour1 and keeps man in contention with man4 ,,ii4 ,those who are not ruled by pride are well advised4 #a4 ,because of the consequences that obedience to the dictates of pride must bring to men themselves4 ,there is in all men a wholesome fear of the consequences which flow from certain actions4 ,if a child sees another burnt from playing with the fire1 he will avoid doing that which he has seen to bring such pain and deformation to his brother4 ,self-love deters him from the act4 ,those who are well advised1 because advised by the highest wisdom1 know that the consequences of pride have been1 and take cognisance of the deformation of character which it works in men around them4 ,therefore1 the natural and spiritual instinct of wholesome self-love leads them to dread that which would bring such an additional scar to their already too much deformed character4 ,the children of wisdom are well advised to be afraid of pride on account of its consequences to themselves4 #b4 ,because of the misery it would bring to those nearly related to them4 ,isolation is not possible in this world4 ,every man1 woman1 and child is more or less nearly related to some others4 ,the relation may be physical1 intellectual1 political1 or moral--in some instances all are combined4 ,a proud man1 or woman1 or child1 makes those who belong to them miserable4 ,a proud father makes his children miserable1 a proud king involves his country in war1 and brings misery upon his subjects4 ,how many friends has pride severed8 ,how many homes and countries has family or national pride blighted8 ,surely1 then1 those are well advised who shun it for the sake of those related to them4 #c4 ,because of its consequences to humanity4 ,the miseries of the human race are increased by pride1 and the progress of the gospel is hindered by it4 ,the man who does not scruple to pour oil upon a burning house1 not only shows that he has no intention to help to extinguish the flames1 but that he intends to widen their influence4 ,each drop that he pours upon the fire increases its intensity1 and spreads the destruction4 ,there are men who do not hesitate1 by the indulgence of pride1 to increase that war of passions which burns so fiercely and destructively in the world and desolates ten thousand hearts and homes4 ,but the well advised1 by the exercise of the grace of humility1 endeavour to quench the conflagration which1 first kindled by hell1 has devastated the earth for so many generations4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,pride1 if there be no cause of contention given1 will make it4 ,transcendo non obedio perturbo is the motto written upon pride's triple crown4 4 4 4 ,pride is a dividing distemper4 ,bladders blown up with wind spurt one from another1 and will not close2 but prick them1 and you may pack a thousand of them in a little room4 4 4 4 ,it was a great trouble to ,haman to lead ,mordecai's horse1 which another man would not have thought so4 ,the moving of a straw troubleth proud flesh2 whereas1 humility1 if compelled to go one mile1 will go two for a need2 yea1 as far as the shoes of the gospel of peace can carry it4 ,the wisdom from above is peaceable4--,trapp4 ,as to the great quarrel with ,god1 which needs the ransom 7ver4 #h71 and which is mended by the righteousness 7ver4 #f71 how long would that last1 if we abandoned pride8--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,,two ,,ways ,,of ,,growing ,,rich4 ,i4 ,wealth can be gotten4 ,wealth may be acquired by those who have it not4 ,the wealth of the sea is within the reach of the fisherman4 ,if he put down his net1 sooner or later he will probably be rewarded with some gain4 ,there is wealth in the sea of human life4 ,although the experience of some may be to toil all night and to take nothing1 yet the rule is that men who make an effort will succeed in bringing into their nets more or less of worldly gain4 ,some degree of skill and toil are needed to do this1 but probably there was never a time when talent of any kind1 or patient endeavour1 was more certain to meet with a reward than in the present day4 ,aptitude for business will probably make a man a thriving tradesman if it does not make him a merchant prince4 ,intellectual power and artistic skill have a wide field in which to work1 and are generally sure of liberal reward4 ,probably there never was an age when those who have nothing but the net of genius to spread upon the sea of life were so certain to land gold upon the shore4 ,,ii4 ,but there are two ways of getting rich4 ,there is the way of vanity4 ,some men come into a fortune by a single throw of the dice--by a fortunate speculation--a lucky hit4 ,they may not be dishonest as men generally understand the word1 although as a rule such transactions will not bear too much exposure to the sunlight1 but it is not the best way to get money4 ,then there are others who for a lifetime have nibbled at the lawful gains of other men1 and have thus become rich4 ,and others have gotten their wealth by some one act of dishonesty1 of which society is ignorant or is unable to punish4 ,all these ways of making money are vain in comparison with that of patient1 honest1 daily toil4 ,the reaper gathers in the golden grain in the sweat of his face1 an armful at each stroke of the sickle2 step by step1 hand by hand1 he makes himself master of the field and gathers the wheat into the garner4 ,so patient daily toil is the ,divinely-ordained way to grow rich4 ,the daily practice of industrious habits and the exercise of patience1 which are thus rendered necessary1 are beneficial to a man's moral nature4 ,,iii4 ,the possession of wealth will be permanent or short-lived according to the way in which it has been acquired4 #a4 ,wealth gotten at a leap is generally diminished by the man who gained it4 ,such men are generally reckless in their expenditure1 and squander a fortune in almost as short a time as they gained it4 ,such a sudden acquisition of wealth has been unfavourable to the formation of thrifty habits1 and the man is not equal to his position4 ,many a gold-digger who has found in a day a nugget worth many thousands1 has been a poor man again in a few months1 and the experience of most men furnishes them with some similar illustration of the truth although not perhaps so striking4 #b4 ,wealth gotten by dishonesty will be diminished by ,god4 ,time only is needed to make manifest the righteous judgment of ,god upon wealth gotten by such vanity4 ,like the prophet's gourd1 although it affords pleasant shelter to those who sit under it now1 there is a worm at the root which will certainly bring it to nothing4 ,did we but know how some fortunes have been acquired1 we should be less surprised at their possessors being suddenly reduced to beggary4 ,it may be that those who are thus brought low are not the makers1 but the possessors only1 of wealth gotten by vanity1 yet they have to pay the penalty4 ,on the contrary1 the man who has patiently and honestly gathered1 little by little1 a sufficiency1 or even more1 has gathered at the same time wisdom to use it1 and has not forfeited the blessing of the ,lord 7chap4 x4 #bb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is easier to make a fortune than to keep it4 ,so say the worldly4 ,specifically forbidden is the keeping of the bread of heaven 7,exod4 xvi4 #ai74 ,it was to be gathered every morning4 ,a man who keeps gathering on the hand is the man to stay rich4 ,but the saint who hoards up the past1 and lives upon the fortune that he had1 is the ,israelite who kept the manna1 and who found that it bred worms and stank4 ,even happiness is not promoted by over-guard4 ,things won are done2 joy's soul lies in the doing4 4 4 4 ,continuing to work not only keeps wealth1 but increases it1 most particularly spiritual wealth4--,miller4 ,the words admit of three renderings 7#a7 ,that of the ,a4,v4 ,wealth gotten by vanity1 i4e41 by a windfall1 or sudden stroke of fortune1 not by honest labour1 is soon diminished2 or 7#b7 wealth is diminished by vanity1 by empty or hollow ostentation2 or 7#c7 wealth is diminished quicker than a breath4 ,of these 7#a7 is believed to be the best4 ,in any case the general meaning seems to be that the mere possession of riches is as nothing2 they come and go2 but the power to gain by skill of hand is everything4 ,by labour1 or by the hand1 has three possible meanings 7#a7 as in the ,a4,v42 7#b7 in proportion to his strength2 7#c7 in due measure4--,plumptre4 ,ill-gotten goods fly away without taking leave of the owner2 leaving nothing but the print of talons to torment him 7chap4 xxiii4 #e74 ,but he that gathereth by labour shall increase4 ,howbeit1 sometimes1 it is otherwise4 ,master1 we have toiled all night1 and taken nothing 7,luke v4 #e74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,deferred ,,and ,,accomplished ,,hope4 ,i4 ,two things are necessary to constitute hope4 #a4 ,there is the desire for the real or supposed good4 ,the man conceives there is in the distance that which he esteems a good1 and he desires to possess it4 ,no man desires what he deems is an evil4 ,the fact that he desires it shows that he regards it as a good4 #b4 ,there is an expectation4 ,a man may desire a good thing without hoping for it because he may feel that it is impossible to have his desire fulfilled4 ,he has no expectation of its accomplishment1 consequently he has no hope4 ,hope includes some amount of expectation1 some foundation for the hope4 ,a man who knows that his disease is incurable may desire to recover his health1 but as he has no reason to expect recovery he does not hope for it4 ,sometimes1 also1 hope is founded on the promise of some person who is presumed to be both able and willing to perform it4 ,,ii4 ,the constant postponement of the attainment of the desired and expected good produces mental sickness4 ,sickness of body enfeebles its powers1 so does sickness of soul4 ,a man derives strength to work when he possesses hope of enjoying some good thing in the future4 ,hope is a kind of spiritual food1 by feeding upon which a man renews his energy4 ,but the constant postponement of its realisation renders the hope less and less strong1 and has the same effect upon the mind as insufficient food has upon the body1 it enfeebles its resolution and lessens its courage4 ,if a hungry man finds each day that his portion of food grows less1 he will soon be conscious of the loss of flesh and strength1 and if the process goes on for many months he will lose all power of action and probably his very life4 ,the same thing takes place in a man's spirit when hope is indefinitely deferred4 ,,iii4 ,the accomplishment of the desire and expectation renews mental health and strength4 ,it is a tree of life4 ,the fruit of the tree of life in ,paradise was designed to lengthen man's life1 to perpetuate his youth by constantly renewing his bodily vigour4 ,it is said of the tree of life in the ,paradise yet to come that its leaves are for the healing of the nations 7,rev4 xxii4 #b74 ,so the realisation of hope renews the life of the spirit1 quickens all its powers1 perpetuates its youth4 ,and if the hope has been so long deferred as to induce heart sickness1 its coming brings healing with it4 ,bodily health is restored by the operation of something from without4 ,it is not usually brought about by that which is within us1 but by the coming to us of that which is without4 ,a man desires something which he has not--something outside of himself--either a material or a spiritual good2 and if he comes to possess it1 it is to the soul what healing medicine is to the body4 ,and as those who eat of the tree of life in the heavenly world are children of the resurrection1 and sons of undying youth1 so realised hope makes the spirit conscious of new life1 because it brings joy1 and when a man is filled with joy he feels young1 however many years he has lived4 ,a renewed youth brings renewed activity4 ,it lifts up the hands which hang down1 and restores the feeble knees1 and gives a man a new start in the race of life4 ,applying the words to the revelation of the ,new ,testament1 to the hope of the ,gospel 7,col4 i4 #bc71 we remark--#a4 ,that the ,christian must be the subject of deferred hope4 ,he must wait for the realisation of his desires and expectations4 ,that adoption of the body 7,rom4 viii4 #bc7 must be waited for4 ,a glorified body would be out of place in an unglorified world4 ,this hope must be deferred until his ,lord's expectations with regard to this world are fulfilled4 ,the ,son of ,god is waiting until the ,father shall give the word that time shall be no longer--until the times of restitution of all things 7,acts iii4 #ba74 ,he is at the right hand of ,god2 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made ,his footstool 7,heb4 x4 #ac74 ,when that expectation is fulfilled1 the desire of the ,christian with regard to the resurrection body will be fulfilled also4 ,he must also wait until after death for perfect victory over sin and its consequence1 for the full revelation of what it is to be one of the sons of ,god4 ,beloved1 now are we the sons of ,god1 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be4 ,when this mortal shall have put on immortality1 then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written1 ',death is swallowed up in victory4' 7#a ,john iii4 #b2 #a ,cor4 xv4 #ed74 #b4 ,that even the deferred hope of the ,christian is a tree of life4 ,it is an eater that yields meat4 ,it bears fruit 7#a7 ,it gives birth to patience1 and there is no grace that the human spirit needs more4 ,according to apostolic teaching it is needful to let patience have her perfect work1 if the ,christian is to be perfect and entire1 wanting nothing 7,jas4 i4 #d74 ,it is the evidence of a great mind to be able to wait4 ,the ,eternal is a ,god of patience 7,rom4 xv4 #e74 ,he can wait1 because ,he is infinitely great4 7#b7 ,it brings forth joy4 ,paul says1 ,we rejoice in hope of the glory of ,god 7,rom4 v4 #b74 7#c7 ,it satisfies the soul4 ,every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself 7#a ,john iii4 #c74 7#d7 ,it gives sympathy with ,god in relation to unregenerate humanity4 ,god defers the realisation of the ,christian's hope1 because ,he is not willing that any should perish 7#b ,pet4 iii4 #i74 ,while we wait the ,divine desire grows in us also1 that all should come to repentance4 ,,illustration4 ,perhaps in all history there is not a more salient instance of hoping against hope deferred than that of ,columbus4 ,years and years were wasted in irksome solicitation2 years spent1 not indeed in the drowsy and monotonous attendance of ante-chambers1 but1 as his foremost biographer narrates1 amid scenes of peril and adventure1 from the pursuit of which he was several times summoned to attend royal conferences and anon dismissed abruptly4 ,whenever the court had an interval of leisure and repose 7from the exigencies of the ,moorish war71 there would again be manifested a disposition to consider his proposal1 but the hurry and tempest would again return1 and the question be again swept away4 4 4 4 ,he came to look upon these indefinite postponements as a mere courtly mode of evading his importunity1 and after the rebuff in the summer of #adij1 he is said to have renounced all further confidence in vague promises1 which had so often led to chagrin2 and1 giving up all hopes of countenance from the throne1 he turned his back upon ,seville1 indignant at the thought of having been beguiled out of so many years of waning existence4 ,but it is impossible not to admire the great constancy of purpose and loftiness of spirit displayed by ,columbus ever since he had conceived the sublime idea of the discovery4 ,when he applied again to the court after the surrender of ,granada1 in #adib1 more than eighteen years had elapsed since the announcement of the design1 the greatest part of which had been consumed in applications to various sovereigns1 poverty1 neglect1 ridicule1 contumely1 and the heart-sickness of hope deferred1 all that hitherto had come of it4 ,five years later1 when preparations were afoot for his third voyage1 we read that1 so wearied and disheartened did he become by the impediments thrown in his way1 that he thought of abandoning his discoveries altogether4--,jacox4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in his analysis of the immediate emotions1 ,dr4 ,thomas ,brown adverts to that weariness of mind which one would so gladly exchange for weariness of body1 and which he takes to be more difficult to bear with good humour than many profound griefs1 because it involves the uneasiness of hope that is renewed every moment1 to be every moment disappointed4 ,he supposes a day's journey along one continuous avenue1 where the uniformity of similar trees at similar distances is of itself most wearisome2 but what we should feel with far more fretfulness would be the constant disappointment of our expectation1 that the last tree that we beheld in the distance would be the last that should rise upon us2 when tree after tree1 as if in mockery of our very patience itself1 would still continue to present the same dismal continuity of line4 ,lord ,bolingbroke1 a professed expert in its power to weary and wear out1 called suspense the only insupportable misfortune of life4--,jacox4 ,the rule1 as expressed in the first clause1 is universal1 but in the second clause it is applied to a particular case4 4 4 4 ,the second member is a dividing word4 ,the accomplishment of the desire is a tree of life4 ,this belongs only to the hope of the holy4 ,many1 after waiting long and expecting eagerly1 discover1 when at last they reach their object1 that it is a withered branch and not a living tree4 ,when a human heart has been set on perishable things1 after the sickness of deferred expectation comes the sorer sickness of satiated possession4 ,if the world be made the portion of the immortal ,spirit1 to want it is one sickness1 to have it is another4 ,the one is a hungry mouth empty1 the other is a hungry mouth filled with chaff4 ,the clog of disappointed possession is a more nauseous sickness than the aching of disappointed desire4 ,there is no peace to the wicked4 ,they are always either desiring or possessing2 but to desire and to possess a perishable portion are only two different kinds of misery to men4 ,they are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest4 ,you stand on the shore1 and gaze on the restless waters4 ,a wave is hastening on1 struggling and panting1 and making with all its might for the shore4 ,it seems as if all it wanted was to reach the land4 ,it reaches the land1 and disappears in a hiss of discontent4 ,gathering its strength at a distance1 it tries again1 and again1 with the same result4 ,it is never satisfied1 it never rests4 ,in the constitution of the world1 under the government of the ,most ,holy1 when a soul's desire is set on unworthy objects1 the accomplishment of the desire does not satisfy the soul4--,arnot4 ,aquinas noteth that hope in itself causeth joy1 it is by accident that it causeth sorrow4 ,inasmuch as it is a present apprehension of good to come1 it breedeth delight1 but as it wanteth the presence of that good1 it bringeth trouble4 ,it is therefore the delay of hope that afflicteth4 ,and indeed a lingering hope breedeth in the heart as it were a lingering consumption4 ,it is a long child-bearing travail of a weak mind1 for hope having conceived comfort is still in labour1 until it be brought forth4 ,so it is with the servants of ,god with respect to heaven4 ,they having begun in hope their journey thitherward1 it makes them even sick at heart to think how long it is until they can get there4 ,wherefore1 ,st4 ,gregory saith1 the punishments of the innocent are the desires of the righteous4 ,for all having lost heaven by sin1 even the just are punished with the deferred hope of recovering it4--,jermin4 ,here is instruction--,i4 ,to hope for nothing but that which is haveable1 and may well be had1 and whereof we are capable1 and that doth belong unto us4 ,for if protraction cause the heart to languish1 what will frustration and disappointment8 ,it is one of the threatenings against the wicked in ,deuteronomy1 that their sons and their daughters shall be given unto another people1 and their eyes should look for them until they fail1 and there shall be no might in their hand 7chap xxviii4 #cb74 ,now what is meant by this is that their expectation deceived should turn them to as much woe as if their eyes had lost their sight4 ,and that was because that they1 incurring the curse by their sinful behaviour1 did yet presume of a restitution to happiness as though nothing had appertained to them but blessings4 ,,ii4 ,not to limit ,god or prescribe to ,him in what space ,he shall fulfil ,his promise4 ,it was a heathenish speech of the ,king of ,israel's messenger1 when he said1 in blasphemous manner1 that he neither would nor ought to attend on the ,lord any longer 7#b ,kings vi4 #cc74 ,but we need not draw admonitions against this from the infidelity of the wicked1 but from the infirmities of the godly1 as ,abraham and ,sarah had much ado to believe that a child should be gotten and conceived of their body after their natural vigour was consumed1 and1 therefore1 ,hagar was brought in to help the matter4 ,,iii4 ,not to depend on man1 nor to repose our hope in flesh and blood4 ,for thereby we shall not only be delayed of our help too long1 but defeated of it altogether4 ,for it is a righteous thing with ,god1 that they who will deify creatures with confidence1 should be deceived by creatures with confusion4 ,the poor ,israelites found and felt this 7,lam4 iv4 #ag74 ,,iv4 ,where we undertake to minister succour1 not to grieve the hearts of them that are in affliction by lingering too long before we relieve them4 ,god doth teach us to show beneficence timely and in due season 7chap4 iii4 #bh74 ,this was one testimony of a good conscience that comforted ,job in his extremities1 that he had not held the poor from their desire nor caused the eyes of the widow to fail 7,job xxxi4 #af74--;,dod4 ,hope's hours are full of eternity2 and how many see we languishing at hope's hospital1 as he at the pool of ,bethesda6 ,hope unfailable 7,rom4 v4 #e7 is founded upon faith unfeigned4 ,the desire will come to those who patiently wait on ,god2 for waiting is but hope and trust lengthened4 ,we are apt to antedate the promises and set ,god at a time as they 7,jer4 viii4 #bj7 who looked for salvation in summer at furthest4 ,we are short-breathed1 short-spirited4 ,but as ,god seldom comes at our time1 so he never fails at ,his own1 and then ,he is most sweet1 because most seasonable4--,trapp4 ,the fourth verse has said that the sluggard desireth1 and hath nothing4 ,this verse declares that longing1 accompanied by procrastination1 enfeebles the heart2 but that a bold plunging after the good1 and attaining it1 is a tree of life4 ,this1 dimly1 is true in worldly affairs4 ,a man who desires some worldly good and wavers1 enfeebles his heart1 but he who will dash boldly in strengthens it4 4 4 4 ,the least taste of arrived-at desire in the spiritual world1 like the apples of ,eden1 breeds life4 ,the soul will go on after that eternally4--,miller4 ,if ,jacob serve the churl ,laban seven years longer1 if he think he shall have ,rachel at the end of it1 it will be but as seven days4 ,thus it is that the hope of better days sweeteneth the present sadness of any outward condition4 ,there is no grief so heavy1 but if a man tie heaven at the end of it1 it will become light1 but put them together1 and the one will be swallowed up in the other4--,spencer4 ,the world dares say no more of its devices than ,dum spiro spero 7while ,i breathe1 ,i hope72 but the children of ,god can add by virtue of their living hope1 ,dum expiro spero 7while ,i expire1 ,i hope74--,leighton4 ,hope is the hunger that makes our food acceptable2 but hope deferred1 like hunger prolonged1 brings a kind of torture4 4 4 4 ,with the child of ,god the patience of hope issues in the full assurance of hope4 ,what was it to ,abraham1 when1 after long deferred hope1 the answer came8 ,laughter4 ,what was it when the ,lord turned again the captivity of ,zion1 and they were like unto them that dream8 ,what was it to old ,simeon and the waiting remnant when the desire of all nations came8 ,what to the disciples1 when1 at the manifestation of their risen ,lord1 their sickening hearts believed not for joy1 and wondered8 4 4 4 ,but what will be the joy at the great consummation of hope8 7,rom4 viii4 #bc-be74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,bound ,,by ,,law4 ,the literal translation of the first clause of this verse is ,whoso despiseth the law is bound by it1 or is in bonds to it 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,i4 ,divine law is a necessity of human nature4 ,there must be a standard of right and wrong for moral and responsible creatures1 and the law which is that standard ought to be appreciated in proportion to its perfection4 ,law in a family is a necessity for its right regulation1 and in proportion as it approaches perfection it will meet the needs of its members4 #a4 ,the law of ,god is a necessity1 in order to educate man's moral sense4 ,the human conscience sometimes lies buried under ignorance1 or is passive in the hands of lawless desire1 and it needs the law to arouse it to perform its proper functions1 and thus prepare men for a ,saviour4 ,christ1 says ,paul1 is the end of the law4 ,it arouses men to feel their need of ,his atonement4 #b4 ,it is needed as a basis of punishment and reward4 ,there are some actions upon which men1 by almost universal consent1 pass judgment1 and their judgment is embodied in their law1 and thus forms a basis of conviction for the transgressor4 ,and there are other actions which1 by the same consent1 are allowed to deserve reward1 and that universal consent forms a kind of law4 ,so the holy1 just1 and true law of ,god is needed as a standard by which men's actions may be judged4 ,,ii4 ,whether men honour or despise the law they are bound by it4 ,there is no place and there are no circumstances in this world in which men are not bound by physical law4 ,every man finds that if he would have health he must inhale pure air4 ,no man can afford to despise this law1 but whether he do so or not1 it will hold him in bonds4 ,he must obey it if he would have health1 to disobey may be death4 ,if a moving object is coming to meet us1 if it has more force in it than we have1 we shall be overthrown by it if we do not get out of its path4 ,we may do as we please about meeting it1 but we cannot be loosed from the law which governs it4 ,these laws of our earthly life may not be universal laws1 they are doubtless many of them confined to our present state of being1 but the moral law of ,god is in force throughout the universe and there is no escape from it4 ,what is good here is good everywhere1 what is morally right now can never be wrong through all eternity4 ,whether men obey it or defy it1 they will be for ever bound by it4 ,,iii4 ,it is seen to be a good law by the results of keeping it4 ,he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded1 or shall be at peace4 ,even when men violate physical law they do not pronounce it bad4 ,but it is seen to be good by its effects on those who keep it4 ,men who obey the laws of health recommend those laws in their own persons4 ,those who acknowledge the binding nature of ,divine law and fear it1 recommend it to others as good4 ,great peace have they that love ,thy law and nothing shall offend them 7,psa4 cxix4 #afe74 ,self-love binds men to obey it4 ,whoso breaketh this hedge1 a serpent shall bite him 7,eccles4 x4 #h74 ,the whole ,bible is an exposition of this text4 7,see ,homiletics on verse #f47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the slave fears the penalty2 the child the commandment4--,bridges4 ,in many things we offend all1 but we are not all despisers of the ,word of ,god4 ,good men have reason to lament their manifold breaches of the commandment1 and yet they have a sincere love and esteem for it4--,lawson4 ,whatever comes with ,divine authority is a ,divine commandment4 ,the ,gospel is on this as well as other accounts called the law of faith1 being the ,divine prescription for the salvation of sinners4--,wardlaw4 ,this word has a private and personal1 as well as a public application2 but it is in the providential government of the nations that its truth has been most conspicuously displayed4 ,the kingdoms of this world in these days prosper or pine in proportion as they honour or despise ,god's ,word4 4 4 4 ,number the nations over one by one1 and see where property is valuable and life secure2 mark the places where you would like to invest your means and educate your family2 you will shun some of the sunniest climes on earth1 as if they lie under a polar night1 because the light of truth has been taken from their sky4 ,traverse the world in search of merely human good1 seeking but an earthly home1 and your tent1 like ,abraham's1 will certainly be pitched at the place of the altar4--,arnot4 ,the more we despise the law1 the more we are bound by it4 ,but he that fears4 ,this is a splendid picture of the ,christian4 ,he is not one that keeps the law1 but fears it1 i4e41 tries to keep it1 fears it with a godly fear1 and as a climax1 frequent in a second clause 7see chap4 xiv4 #aa and passim71 he is not one who comes simply less under bonds1 but is forgiven altogether4--,miller4 ,the word of ,divine revelation is here1 as it were1 personified as a real superhuman power1 whose service one cannot escape1 and in default of this he comes into bondage to it1 i4e41 loses his liberty4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,living ,,by ,,rule4 ,i4 ,the wise man lives by rule or according to law4 ,the law of the wise4 ,wherever there is any force or power there must be rule1 or there will be destruction from the power and possibly destruction to the power4 ,the power that sets in motion the locomotive must be governed by law1 or it will destroy the driver and that to which it was intended to give motion4 ,under the guidance of law it will minister to man's convenience1 left to itself it will injure him and put an end to itself4 ,power is lodged within the hand of every human being which may be used to bless himself and others1 but in order that it may do so it must act in accordance with some law1 it must have some rule for its guidance4 ,nothing on earth is so powerful for good or for evil as a human soul1 because its power is exercised in the domain of spirit1 but without rule it cannot exercise its power for the good of others1 and will even destroy all its capabilities of working good to itself4 ,where men live without a rule of life there is power without law1 and this must work evil and not good4 ,it is the characteristic of a morally wise man that all his powers of mind and soul are under control1 he has them well in hand4 ,,ii4 ,living by rule gives distinctness and definiteness to life1 and thus augments its power4 ,the chaff that is lifted from the sieve by the wind has no definite destination1 it is entirely at the mercy of the breeze to carry it anywhere that it pleases4 ,how different is the course of the eagle out in the storm wind6 ,he moves by rule1 either facing or cleaving the blast1 or utilising its force to bring him to his destination4 ,the vessel that has no hand to hold the rudder is bound for no special port4 ,the sea will take her somewhere1 either before or after she has gone to pieces2 but it is very uncertain to which point of the compass she will be carried4 ,how different is the steady ploughing of the waves by the ship whose head is under the rule of the helmsman4 ,there is a definiteness in her path1 which shows that she has one point to make1 one port in view4 ,those who live without rule are like the chaff which the wind driveth away4 ,the blasts of passion1 the current of outside circumstances1 carry them whithersoever they list4 ,but the wise man lives under a law by which those winds are rendered powerless to drive him1 and are made to carry him forward in the path which he is treading4 ,the man without a rule is a vessel without a rudder1 and is destined1 finally1 to be washed upon the shore of eternity a wreck4 ,the very gait of the child of wisdom indicates that he is bound for a certain destination4 ,by the way in which he guides his bark he shows that he has a port to make upon the sea of life4 ,and this definiteness is always about him1 whether he is in solitude or among the multitude4 ,he lives by rule1 in the private recesses of his soul 7see on chap4 xii4 #e71 and this enables him to rule his outward life4 ,he finds that the rule which governs his private life is strong enough to keep him in public4 ,the power of the multitude is not strong enough to overmaster the power that is resident in his single will1 because that will is under a rule which gives it definiteness2 and1 therefore1 increases its force of resistance4 ,elijah is a fine example of such a man4 ,he was a man emphatically whose whole forceful nature was under ,divine rule4 ,whether he was in the wilderness or upon ,mount ,carmel he was in subjection to the law of his ,god1 and this made him a man whose life was possessed with one definite aim and purpose4 ,hence the mighty wave of opposition with which he was met had no more power to move him than the ocean has to move the solid rock4 ,so with his great antitype1 ,john the ,baptist4 ,he lived by rule as much when alone in the desert as he did when he was in the midst of the multitude2 and1 therefore1 neither their applause or blame1 nor ,herod's outburst of rage1 had any power to change his pre-determined course4 ,hence the question of ,him who declared the ,baptiser to be the greatest born of woman4 ,what went ye out in the wilderness to see8 ,a reed shaken with the wind1 implying that he was no reed bending to every blast1 but a storm-resisting cedar1 which amid the uproar of the storm holds its own1 and comes out of it more firmly rooted and grounded by the power of the elements which it has resisted4 ,this is the inevitable consequence of living by rule4 ,the unruled though mighty locomotive wastes and loses its power in destroying1 that which is under the guidance of law preserves and increases it4 ,a lawless man possesses a terrible capacity for destruction2 but his power diminishes1 even while he exercises it1 while he who is under ,divine rule grows stronger and stronger4 ,sin weakens a man1 goodness increases his power4 ,,iii4 ,snares are laid to turn men's power into a wrong channel--to bring their lives under the dominion of lawlessness4 ,there are snares of death set to entrap men's feet4 ,the aim of every tempter1 whether human or ,satanic1 is to lead men to abuse that power which ,god has put into our hands in giving us a will4 ,this being the supreme force in a human soul1 it is the great aim of the devil that it should not be subject to the law of ,god4 ,his aim in ,eden was to loose the bonds which had hitherto held it firm to the ,divine command4 ,the end of the temptation was1 and has always been concealed under a specious pretence of freedom1 hence it is a snare4 ,it is a snare of death1 because1 as we have seen1 power without rule destroys itself and others4 ,as soon as ,eve had fallen into the snare of the devil1 she began to know what it was to be under the dominion of sin--she was conscious of having lost her hold upon herself1 and of having set in motion within her spirit a mighty power of evil4 ,the great aim of ,satan in his temptation of ,christ was to get ,his will to exercise its power1 if only for a moment1 in antagonism to the will of ,his ,father4 ,if the devil could have prevailed upon the ,saviour to have but created a loaf of bread to satisfy ,his hunger1 he would have succeeded in getting ,him to use ,his ,divine power in a manner which would not have been in accordance with the purpose or plan of ,god4 ,the same aim is seen in each temptation under different forms1 to endeavour to lead the ,son of ,god to free ,himself by ,his ,divine power from the law of ,his ,father4 ,but the snare was avoided in each instance by close adherence to the words of the law4 ,it is written is a sure preservative from the snares of death4 ,,iv4 ,the rule by which the morally wise are governed is--,first1 ,abundant4 ,it is a fountain4 ,a fountain is supplied from a living spring--a never-failing source--and it therefore yields an unfailing supply of water for men of all classes and conditions whenever they need it4 ,the ,divine rule which governs the gild of wisdom originated in ,god4 ,the fountain of ,divine truth came from this ,holy and ,infinite spring4 ,therefore it is an all-sufficient guide or rule of life for men in all ages1 and under all circumstances4 ,secondly--,lifegiving4 ,it is a fountain of life4 ,by being the conserver and strengthener of his spiritual power1 as we saw under the first head1 and by being the means of his escape from the great soul-ensnarer4 ,allowed to flow through the garden of the soul1 and exert there its due influence1 it produces fruit unto holiness1 and the end everlasting life 7,rom4 vi4 #bb74 ,the law of the ,lord is perfect1 converting the soul2 the testimony of the ,lord is sure1 making wise the simple2 the statutes of the ,lord are right1 rejoicing the heart2 the commandment of the ,lord is pure1 enlightening the eyes4 4 4 4 ,moreover1 by them is thy servant warned1 and in keeping of them there is great reward 7,psalm xix4 #g-aa74 ,this was the testimony of one who had drunk long and deeply of the waters of this life-giving fountain4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,of law there can be no less acknowledged than that her seat is in the bosom of ,god1 her voice the harmony of the world4 ,all things in heaven and earth do her homage2 the very least1 as feeling her care1 and the greatest1 as not exempt from her power1 both angels and men1 and creatures of what condition soever1 though each in different sort and manner1 yet all with uniform consent admiring her as the mother of peace and joy4--,hooker4 ,the holy instructions of a wise man are to be valued in this world4 ,there is a living virtue in the world of truth1 even when earthen pipes are the channel of its conveyance4--,lawson4 ,the figure leads to the idea of death as a fowler 7,psa4 xci4 #c74 ,if it is not here a mean formula for the dangers of death1 then the proverb is designed to state that the life which springs from the doctrine of a wise man as from a fountain of health1 for the disciple who will receive it1 communicates to him knowledge and strength1 to know where the snares of destruction lie1 and to hasten with vigorous steps away when they threaten to entangle him4--,delitzsch4 ,if we take the law of the wise for the law of wise men as given by them1 we may thus consider the words4 ,he that goeth on according to the stream and course thereof1 shall be sure at last to come to the fountain4 ,the law of the wise is but a stream for the fountain of life1 and he that keepeth to the stream shall be sure at last to meet with the fountain4--,jermin4 ,sin is ,satan's snare to catch men to perdition4 ,he that is in the power of it1 and entangled therewith1 is in great peril of perishing1 being caught in a trap and held fast there1 till either grace deliver him or death devour him4 ,there is no safe treading but in the ways of ,god4 ,every step without it1 though the length and breadth of the whole world1 hath somewhat set in it to entangle us4--,dod4 ,even in defect of liberal prescript1 the spirit of the law will supply practical rules for keeping the heart and life4 ,dr4 ,payson says1 ,by the help of three rules ,i soon settle all my doubts--viz41 to do nothing of which the lawfulness is questionable2 to do nothing which indisposes for prayer1 or interrupts communion with ,god2 to go into no company1 business1 or situation in which the presence and blessing of ,god cannot conscientiously be asked and expected4--,bridges4 ,the law of the wise can be nothing but the ,book of ,god4 4 4 4 ,it is essentially life-giving4 ,its design is not to publish and confirm the sentence of death1 but to show how death may be escaped4 ,the declaration of the sentence of death is only intended to show the necessity1 and to impress the importance and value of the tidings of life4 ,life is the end of ,divine revelation4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,a ,,bad ,,way ,,and ,a ,,good ,,understanding4 ,i4 ,favour is here spoken of as a thing to be desired4 ,it is desirable to have the favour of any man if thereby we can do him any good4 ,it was desirable that ,joseph should have ,pharaoh's favour1 as he was thereby enabled to gain his ear and help him in his perplexity4 ,the favour which ,daniel obtained from ,nebuchadnezzar enabled him to be a great blessing to that monarch4 ,a man who is regarded by his fellow creatures with favour possesses a powerful instrument which he may use to do them good4 ,on this account the favour of men is to be desired4 ,it is also desirable to have the favour of good men as thereby we may get good4 ,good men are the only living representatives of ,god in the world1 and next to the blessedness of having the favour of the parent is the blessedness of having that of ,his children4 ,therefore the favour of men is to be desired both for their sakes and for our own4 ,,ii4 ,the instrument of obtaining favour4 ,good understanding or good intelligence4 ,man's highest and truest intelligence springs from moral relation and sympathy with ,god4 ,all intellectual intelligence is derived from ,him1 and this intelligence alone will often gain for men a large share of human favour4 ,there are many men of great mental intelligence1 who do not acknowledge the existence of ,god1 who have won high places in the esteem of men4 ,but these words refer to those who have been enlightened by the teaching of the ,divine spirit1 and are in sympathy with ,god and with ,his moral laws4 ,such men are not less intelligent concerning other matters1 but more so4 ,other things being equal1 a godly man's purely intellectual powers are quickened by his godliness4 ,if an ungodly man becomes a true servant of ,god1 all the powers of his mind are thereby strengthened4 ,observation confirms this1 and it is impossible that it should be otherwise4 ,if a man cannot come into communion with a wiser man1 without gaining in intelligence1 how can he come into communion with the ,fountain of all wisdom without becoming a more intelligent man in every sense of the word8 ,what a capable man of business ,joseph was4 ,when quite a youth1 and without any previous training1 he became controller of the household of an ,egyptian nobleman2 and when only thirty was not only the first lord of ,egypt1 but showed himself fully equal to all the exigencies of his position4 ,whence did his good understanding proceed8 ,was it not from his moral relationship with the ,god of his fathers8 ,can we find such an one as this is8 said the heathen king1--a man in whom the ,spirit of ,god is 7,gen4 xli4 #ch74 ,the possession of this good understanding in temporal and secular matters gives a man favour in the eyes of other men4 ,the possession of spiritual intelligence gives him favour in the eyes of all the good4 ,there is a relationship among all true members of the family of ,god1 which is stronger and deeper than any merely human relationship4 ,and this spiritual intelligence gives a man a moral power among all his fellow-men4 ,they cannot withhold the testimony of their consciences1 unless they are altogether hardened they must secretly1 if not openly1 give him their esteem and confidence4 ,natural conscience1 says ,trapp1 cannot but do homage to the image of ,god stamped upon the nature and works of the godly4 ,,iii4 ,the way of those who are destitute of this spiritual intelligence4 ,all such men are transgressors4 ,their spiritual nature is dormant--they are without spiritual discernment4 ,in scriptural phrase they are blind 7,rev4 iii4 #ag7 and dead 7,ephes4 ii4 #a74 ,their way is hard1 however we use the word4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 #a4 ,it is hard in the sense of being a well-trodden way4 ,it has become hard by being much frequented--by being perpetually used4 ,it has several elements of attraction4 #b4 ,antiquity is on its side4 ,it is an old way--it has been in use for ages4 ,no man1 says our ,lord1 having drunk old wine1 straight way desireth new 7,luke v4 #ci74 ,men are naturally conservative--naturally inclined to go as their fathers went4 ,true it is that there is an older way--the way of the good 7see ,homiletics on chap4 iv4 #ad-ai1 page #eh71 but still the way of the transgressor is very ancient4 #c4 ,men's natural inclination leads into that way4 ,men are led by their inclination1 unless there is a stronger principle within them4 ,we are born with a tendency to evil rather than to good--to walk after the devices of our own heart rather than according to the will of ,god4 ,in most men inclination is as strong as will1 and leads them to tread the way of the transgressor4 #d4 ,it is attractive because of the numbers who tread it4 ,many there be which go in thereat 7,matt4 vii4 #ac74 ,many men make that fact a city of refuge wherein to shelter themselves from the admonitions of conscience4 ,i only do as others do is regarded by many men as an impregnable citadel wherein they can securely await the righteous judgments of ,god 7,see ,homiletics on ch4 i4 #aj-ai1 page #h1 #bnd head74 #e4 ,it is hard and therefore desolate1 unfruitful4 ,the common highway that is trodden down by many feet is not the place in which to look for a golden harvest4 ,the stony rock is not a soil whence flowers spring4 ,men do not expect to gather choice fruit on the desolate moorland4 ,neither can the way of the transgressor yield the flowers or the pleasant fruits of life4 ,thorns and nettles are there1 but no golden harvest4 ,the favour neither of ,god nor man is his portion4 ,he can only reap as he has sown 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #ah-bj1 page #bbc74 #f4 ,it is a hard way in the sense that it is a miserable way4 ,every act carries with it present judgment4 ,every action has its reaction of pleasure or of pain4 ,every step1 therefore1 in the way of transgression has its accompanying reproach of conscience4 ,then the way of sin is a way of self-deception4 ,what is more painful than to be the subject of constant deception8 ,we have just dwelt upon the heart-sickness of hope deferred 7verse #ab72 the sinner is a constant victim of this malady4 ,nothing can be a more bitter experience than to stake our all upon a promise1 and when the time comes for its fulfilment1 to find that it was made only to be broken4 ,yet this is the experience of a transgressor of ,god's law1 not once or twice1 but all through his life4 ,it is his lot not only to deceive but to be deceived 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ac74 ,he is ever promising himself1 and is ever being promised by the master whom he serves1 satisfaction as the result of his deeds1 but he is always finding that the performance falls as far short of the promise as it did when the devil led our first parents into sin1 by the promise ye shall be as gods1 and performed it by making them slaves to himself4 ,this is another ingredient in the hardness of the way4 ,he is a slave to him who has deceived him4 ,many a man is fully alive to the deceptive nature of sin--to its utter powerlessness to give him real pleasure--and yet he goes on it4 ,why is this8 ,he is bound by a chain which he finds it well nigh impossible to break4 ,evil habits1 as well as good ones1 grow stronger by exercise4 ,slavery is hard under any master1 excepting under ,him whose service is perfect freedom4 ,how bitter1 then1 is slavery to one who has deceived us4 ,yet this is not the hardest part of the hard way4 ,none who are thus victims of the great deceiver--none whom he has made his bond slaves but feel that they are so by their own consent4 ,each evil thought unchecked1 each evil thought indulged1 has forged a link in the chain4 ,their condition has been likened1 by an old writer1 to that of a man who has been busily at work in carrying stick after stick to make a pile of wood1 and then finds that he has only been heaping up materials for a fire upon which he is to be burned4 ,,iv4 ,but though the way of transgressors is hard1 it is not too hard4 ,its very hardness is intended to lead them to leave it4 ,because the end will be worse than the way1 it is the tenderest mercy to make the way hard4 ,it only tells him that he has taken the wrong road4 ,the pain that he suffers is only the voice of ,god1 saying1 ,do thyself no harm4 ,when a mountain pass becomes so blocked with fallen rocks that every step is a misery1 does it not admonish the traveller to turn back before he makes a fatal slip8 ,when in the regions of eternal snow a man feels intense pain from the biting cold1 and encounters at every step the corpse of one who has been frozen to death by persistently disregarding the voice of nature1 is it not suicide to continue8 ,can he say he received no admonition8 ,is it not a sentinel with a drawn sword to turn back the unwary from the precipice8 ,even so is the hardness of the way of the transgressor4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,for the most part the word translated good understanding corresponds with that which1 in a deep ethical sense1 we call fine culture1 which shows men how to take the right side1 and in all circumstances to take the right key1 exercise a kindly1 heart-winning influence1 not merely to the benefit of its possessor1 but such as removes a partition wall1 and brings men closer to each other4 ,the word translated hard denotes that which stretches itself far1 and with reference to time1 that which remains the same during the course of time4 ,that which does not change in time1 continuing the same1 according to its nature1 strong1 firm1 thus becomes the designation of the enduring and the solid1 whose quality remains always the same4 ,the fundamental idea of remaining like itself1 continuing1 passes over into the idea of the firm1 the hard1 and1 at the same time1 of the uncultivated and the uncultivatable4 ,the way of transgressors1 or of the treacherous1 i4e41 the manner in which they transact with men1 is stiff1 as hard as stone1 repulsive2 they follow selfish views1 never placing themselves in sympathy with the condition of their neighbour2 they are without the tenderness which is connected with fine culture2 they remain destitute of feeling in things which1 as we say1 would soften a stone4--,delitzsch4 ,many seek favour as the gift of others which it is in their own power to give themselves4 ,for1 get a good understanding1 whereby to understand well what thou goest about1 and how to go about it4 ,it is true1 as ,tertullian speaketh1 now and then it falls out1 that in a great tempest wherein sea and heaven are confounded1 the haven is attained by a happy error2 and now and then1 in darkness1 the way of entrance and going out is found by a blind happiness4 ,but this is a favour which has no holdfast--it is a good understanding that giveth favour4--,jermin4 ,is not the way of transgressors pleasant in prospect1 although it ends in death8 ,no2 sin barters away future safety but does not secure present peace in return4 ,things are not always what they seem4 ,the pleasures of sin are not only limited in their duration1 they are lies even while they last4 4 4 4 ,the race is torture and the goal perdition4 4 4 4 ,but the right way is not a soft and silky path for the foot of man to tread upon2 and1 if one thing happens to all in the journey of life1 what advantage have the good8 ,much every way1 and specifically thus3 ,the hardness which disciples experience in following their ,lord is righteousness rubbing on their remaining lusts1 and so wasting their deformities away2 whereas the hardness of a transgressor's way is a carnal mind in its impotent enmity dashing itself against the bosses of the ,almighty's buckler4 4 4 4 ,as the pains of cure differ from the pains of killing1 so differs the salutary straitness which presses the entrance at the gates of life1 from the hardness which hurts transgressors as they flee from ,god4--,arnot4 ,sin1 as of its nature1 sinks always lower under bond 7ver4 #ac71 and must1 therefore1 de jure1 be perpetual 7see ,miller's rendering1 in ,critical ,notes74 ,for1 strange enough1 the man without good intelligence1 i4e41 the best kind of knowledge1 neglects to act on what knowledge he has4 ,the worst man has knowledge enough to save him--that is 7to expound an averment which is only in one sense true71 ,god's goodness is such that if a man would use the light he had1 he would start from that point1 and be helped into the kingdom4--,miller4 ,different senses have been affixed to these words--#a4 ,good understanding showeth favour to others--i4e41 is mild and conciliatory1 while the way of transgressors is hard1 unyielding1 stern4 #b4 ,ingenuous manners procure favour2 but rugged is the path of the artful--i4e41 exposing him to incessant difficulties1 while open dealing makes a man's way plain before him4 #c4 ,more probably the meaning in both parts of the verse terminates on the person's self4 ,intelligent and sound judgment1 by fitting a man to be a wise and useful counsellor1 procures him favour4 ,on the contrary1 the way of transgressors1 like ,bypath ,meadow in the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 presents at its entrance all that is tempting to allure into it1 but supplies no real enjoyment to the traveller in it at last4--,wardlaw4 ,wicked men live under a hard taskmaster4 ,i was held before conversion1 said ,augustine1 not with an iron chain1 but with the obstinacy of my own will4 ,the philosophical infidel bears the same testimony4 ,i began to fancy myself in a most deplorable condition1 environed with the deepest darkness on every side 7,essays1 ,i4 #deh74 ,voltaire1 judging of course from his own heart1 pronounces1 ,in man is more wretchedness than in all other animals put together4 ,man loves life1 yet knows he must die4 ,i wish1 continues the wretched witness for his master1 ,i had never been born4 ,the worldly infidel adds his seal to the record4 ,colonel ,gardiner declared1 that in his course of wickedness he had often envied the existence of a dog4--,bridges4 ,the hardness of the transgressor's way4 ,i4 ,a truth to be confirmed4 ,it is hard to themselves--to others1 to their families1 their friends1 to society4 ,,ii4 ,a dispensation to be approved4 ,it illustrates the mingled justice and mercy of ,god1 who has made the way to hell difficult4 ,the hardness of the way of sin is often the means of stopping sinners in their course4 ,the sufferings of the wicked operate as a check and preservative to the righteous4 ,,iii4 ,a warning to be enforced4 ,take care how you take the first step4 ,be anxious1 if you have entered the road1 to retrace your step4 ,remember that the hardness of the way is nothing like the bitterness of the end4--,s4 ,thodey4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,dealing ,,with ,,knowledge4 ,for a definition of prudence see ,homiletics on chap4 viii4 #ab1 #ac1 page #aji4 ,carrying out the thought that prudence is wisdom applied to practice1 we remark1 ,i4 ,that a prudent man deals1 or acts with knowledge from a sense of responsibility4 #a4 ,in commercial life4 ,no prudent man will engage in any business transaction without first making himself thoroughly acquainted with it in all its bearings4 ,he will1 if possible1 look far into the future and weigh probabilities and calculate results1 so as to secure himself from ultimate loss4 ,he will not deal with the matter at all unless he understands it4 ,this we conceive is dealing with knowledge4 ,and it is the course pursued by every prudent man of business from a sense of responsibility4 ,he feels that he has obligations to fulfil to others and a character to maintain1 and therefore he thinks before he acts4 ,a man who values his life at all will not deliberately walk over a precipice1 and a prudent man will not go very near the edge1 he will know what is the safe distance at which he may walk without even risking the possibility of a false step4 #b4 ,as a teacher or leader of others4 ,a man who undertakes the guidance of his fellow-creatures in any way1 is especially bound to deal with knowledge4 ,if he is a teacher of youth1 and is a prudent man1 he will make it his business to know his pupils1 to become acquainted with the best methods of imparting instruction and developing their mental and moral powers4 ,he feels that they are in his hands very much as clay in the hands of the potter1 and that it depends very much upon him whether they become vessels of honour or dishonour1 and this invests all his dealings with them with a deep sense of responsibility4 ,so with the statesman1 the ,christian teacher1 or any other man who finds himself entrusted with influence over his fellows4 ,prudence is almost as necessary as goodness and right intentions4 ,a man may have abundance of wealth at his disposal whereby to accomplish some desired end4 ,but if he does not know how to use it1 he may as surely miss his aim as if he were poor4 ,so a man may have much spiritual wealth and an earnest desire to use it for the good of others1 but if he is not a prudent man--if he neglects to acquire a knowledge of the how1 and the when1 and the where to do it1 he may not only fail to realise his desire1 but may cause his good to be evil spoken of4 ,and the principle applies to every good man1 however limited his sphere or humble his position4 ,it is the special trade of a good man to do good1 but he may greatly injure his trade by neglecting to deal with knowledge4 ,what king1 says our ,lord1 going to make war against another king1 sitteth not down first1 and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand8 7,luke xiv4 #ca74 ,it is implied that this man has a sense of the importance of the undertaking upon which he is about to embark1 that he duly estimates the possible loss or gain which may result from it4 ,he may serve as an illustration of what is meant by a prudent man dealing with knowledge in any and every step of life1 whether it be apparently great or small1 weighty or trivial4 ,for there are no little things in human life--the greatest issues often hang upon what men ignorantly call trifles4 ,,ii4 ,a fool by rash and inconsiderate conduct layeth open or publishes his folly4 ,it is implied by contrasting him with the prudent man who deals with knowledge that he deals without it1 that he leaps before he looks and walks in the dark when he might avail himself of a light to guide him4 ,such conduct arises from a lack of the sense of responsibility4 ,he does not consider what is involved in his failure1 how much misery may thus be entailed on himself and others4 ,every man who does not weigh results proves himself thereby to be a fool4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that is wise will not be doing or dealing in anything unless he know what it is wherein he dealeth1 and unless he deal so as he knoweth that he should4 ,he knoweth that a man is known by his dealing4 ,he knoweth that others look on his dealing1 and therefore he looketh so to it as that they may know him to be wise by it4 ,but a fool will be dealing1 although by dealing he uncover his nakedness4 ,the shame of his folly shall be spread abroad as wide as his dealings are heard of4--,jermin4 ,observes circumstances1 and deports himself with discretion2 thrusts not himself into unnecessary dangers2 carves not a piece of his heart but to those he is well assured of4 ,see an instance of this prudence in ,ezra1 chap4 viii4 #bb2 in ,nehemiah1 chap4 ii4 #e4 ,he calls it not the place of ,god's worship--such an expression might have disgusted the heathen king--but the place of his father's sepulchres4 ,in ,christ1 when ,he was tried for ,his life2 in ,paul1 who lived two years at ,ephesus1 and spake not much against the worship of their great goddess ,diana 7,acts xxiii4 #f1 and xix4 #aj74--,trapp4 ,fools might be esteemed half-wise if they had sense enough to keep their folly to themselves4--,lawson4 ,wide is the sphere for trading with this responsible talent4 ,in the family economy 7,judges xiii4 #h-ab2 chap4 xiv4 #a2 xxxi4 #bg74 ,in the church2 in a wise accommodation to circumstances 7,gal4 ii4 #b72 in the conviction of gainsayers 7,tit4 i4 #i72 in forbearing with the prejudices of the weak 7,acts xv4 #bb-bi72 in the exercise of ,christian admonition 7,rom4 xv4 #ad74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,a ,,social ,,link4 ,i4 ,an important link in human society--a messenger4 ,this link may or may not be important in himself4 ,he may belong to the highest or to the lowest stratum of human life4 ,he may be a princely ambassador1 or he may be a telegraph boy4 ,the link which holds two bodies together may be of great intrinsic value4 ,it may be of wrought gold1 and much skill may have been expended on its workmanship2 but what it is in itself is not of so much importance as what it is as a link4 ,its beauty and costliness will not avail much if it gives way when it is subject to strain1 and thereby causes loss and vexation to its owner4 ,the link that holds the cable to the anchor is not in itself worth much2 but when it holds an ironclad off a rocky coast1 there hangs upon it half a million of money1 and the sorrow or joy of many human hearts for years to come4 ,untold loss or gain depend upon whether that ring of iron can bear the strain or not4 ,so it is with a messenger4 ,he may be a person of great intellectual powers1 and of great social importance1 or he may not have either4 ,but he is always of value in his relative position4 ,like the link in a cable1 he always holds in his keeping more than he is4 ,he may be the bearer of the secrets of one who has hanging upon his will an army of many thousands1 and a nation of as many millions may be interested in the message which he bears4 ,whether he be a prince or peasant is of no importance in comparison with the fact that he bears a message4 ,,ii4 ,the one all-important qualification in a messenger--faithfulness4 ,no greater praise can be given to a man than to say that he is faithful1 yet nothing less will make him worth anything in human life4 ,all men's hopes for time and eternity rest upon the faithfulness of ,god4 ,this is the sheet-anchor of humanity that ,he is a faithful ,creator 7#a ,pet4 iv4 #ai74 ,that ,he is faithful that promised 7,heb4 x4 #bc74 ,it is for faithfulness1 not for success1 that ,he gives the well done 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba71 to ,his servants4 ,in a messenger it is the one thing needful1 and its importance is increased in proportion to what hangs upon his message4 ,life or death may depend upon it1 and often not the fate of an individual merely1 but the destiny of a nation4 ,an unfaithful messenger falleth into mischief himself4 ,he who betrays his trust injures himself4 ,he goes down in the moral scale4 ,he loses his reputation1 and is not trusted again4 ,if the link in the cable gives way1 it is itself broken4 ,but this is not all1 not the worst4 ,he is the cause of mischief falling upon others4 ,how true is this in social life4 ,a message1 coloured in its delivery1 to gratify some selfish purpose1 may divide men who would have been friends1 if it had not been for the third person4 ,and its omission1 through carelessness1 may bring about a like mischief4 ,and it is also true in national relationships4 ,the ambassador1 who is entrusted to express a nation's will1 may be a fruitful source of mischief if he is negligent or unwary when war and peace hang in the balance4 ,millions of hearts may be made sad by an under or over statement of facts4 ,but a faithful messenger is health1 or healing4 ,he is health in himself4 ,a faithful messenger1 apart from his official or representative character1 is an embodiment of moral health1 and when he is entrusted to make peace where there has been war1 he is healing4 ,he may be only a counsellor of peace between individual men who have been at strife1 or he may be the bearer of terms of peace between hostile nations4 ,but1 whether in the one case or the other1 the faithful discharge of his duties will bring healing3 for all real peace must be founded on a truthful statement of facts4 ,this verse is especially true of an ambassador of ,christ4 ,he who is truly sent of ,god will be faithful in the delivery of his message1 and will thus bring healing to many4 ,he will not walk in craftiness1 nor handle the ,word of ,god deceitfully1 but by manifestation of the truth commend himself to every man's conscience in the sight of ,god4 ,and so he will be the means of bringing moral health 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #b2 #a ,cor4 vi4 #aa74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,every man is a messenger1 and has an errand1 and that is as a witness for ,god 7chap4 xiv4 #be74 ,the word for messenger is the word for angel4 ,how soon did the wicked angel fall1 when he became of no use8 and men1 how long do they tolerate a false messenger8 ,the soul sent out by the ,almighty1 if wicked1 shall fall2 but a soul that is faithful is needed1 and will hold its place4--,miller4 ,a wicked messenger hath no sooner a business committed unto him than he falleth into mischief1 by betraying the trust reposed in him1 and therefore justly doth mischief fall on him4 ,he that is a faithful ambassador is1 indeed1 the ambassador of truth itself4 ,he1 being sent1 hath healing under his wings1 whereby he giveth soundness and health unto his business1 whereby he giveth soundness and health to those that employed him4 ,the proverbial sense is1 ,that the good or bad success of a business proceedeth much from the goodness or badness of him that is employed in it4--,jermin4 ,how much more then1 wicked ministers1 those messengers of the churches 7#b ,cor4 viii4 #bc7 that do the ,lord's work negligently 7,jer4 xlviii4 #aj71 that corrupt ,his message 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ag74 ,who is blind but my servant1 or deaf as my messenger8 7,isa4 xlii4 #ai74--,trapp4 ,while the wicked messenger prepares misfortune for himself1 as well as for his master1 the faithful makes good even his lord's mistakes4--,von ,gerlach4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,honour4 ,i4 ,man needs instruction because his natural intuitions are not enough to meet the needs of human life4 ,the instinct of the animal is enough to enable it to fulfil its destiny4 ,its limited powers find sufficient guidance in the use of the faculties which are born with it4 ,but it is not so with man4 ,if1 as some philosophers suppose1 a man comes into the world without any ideas1 if he receives everything from the outside world1 instruction is so much the more needed1 but even if he does bring with him a small stock of knowledge1 experience shows us that the amount is very small1 and he needs instruction for body1 soul1 and spirit from the first day of his dawning intellect to the last of his probationary life4 ,,ii4 ,instruction is to be obtained4 ,somebody will teach him either directly or indirectly4 ,he will learn much from observation and much from direct teaching4 ,the word here1 as in chap4 xii4 #a1 includes the idea of correction4 ,this forms an inevitable part of man's instruction in matters relating both to his bodily and spiritual life4 ,god has provided for man's instruction in relation to his spiritual needs4 ,it is within the reach of all men in a ,christian nation 7,see ,isa4 lv4 #a-c47 ,,iii4 ,if he refuses what he needs1 he will have what he does not desire4 ,he will have poverty4 ,this is a calamity when self-inflicted4 ,whatever is the outcome of sin must be a calamity4 ,if a man refuses to submit to the correction and instruction of others in connection with matters relative to every-day life1 he shuts himself up to his own ignorance and shuts out all possibility of advancing in any profession or calling4 ,therefore he must be poor in worldly wealth4 ,and it is pre-eminently true of him who refuses the disciplinary instruction of ,god4 ,such a man must be poor in a spiritual sense throughout eternity4 ,and this will bring shame4 ,shame is always the result of sin4 ,there is no shame in being poor in material things when poverty is the outcome of righteousness1 but there is shame in poverty which is the result of neglected opportunities4 ,what is the root of this rejection of instruction8 ,is it not pride8 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #b1 page #aic2 also on chap4 xii4 #a1 page #bdf47 ,,iv4 ,reproof is instruction4 ,this is implied here1 and in many other passages in this book where the words are used interchangeably4 ,a man who reproves us gives us information about ourselves4 ,he lets us know how we appear in the eyes of others4 ,this ought to be valued by us4 ,we are too partial to see our own defects1 therefore we ought to be glad when they are pointed out to us by another4 ,v4 ,taking reproof in a spirit of humility is the only road to honour4 ,in the long run1 men will give honour where honour is due4 ,they will give their esteem1 and respect1 and confidence to men who1 from moral or intellectual eminence1 deserve it4 ,and1 as we have seen1 this height can be reached only by those who are willing to be taught both by ,god and by man4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,poverty is in itself a want2 but no misery unless shame be joined with it4 ,shame is in itself a misery2 but much greater if joined with poverty1 which hath no means to shelter or cover it4 ,now both are to him that refuseth instruction4 ,for1 indeed1 instruction is a glorious treasure1 offered and opened to him who hath need of it2 and1 therefore1 to refuse it1 what can be but poverty and shame8 ,and1 though it be the too common fault of those that are great1 either in riches or honour1 to despise reproof1 yet the most honor1 the truest riches1 are to those that embrace it4 ,st4 ,bernard1 therefore1 writing unto a great person1 but deserving reproof1 saith ,charity hath forced me to reproof thee1 which grieveth with thee1 although thou be not grieved1 and which pitieth thee1 although thou pitieth not thyself1 and therefore it doth lament the more1 because thou dost not lament1 who art to be lamented2 therefore doth it pity thee the more1 because thou dost not pity thyself1 who art in so pitiful a condition4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,in common with most commentators we regard the first clause of this verse as embodying the same thought as that expressed in the last clause of verse #ab4 ,we will therefore consider the last clause only4 ,,the ,,abomination ,,of ,,the ,,fool4 ,this verse pourtrays a man whose character is most unnatural4 #a4 ,he is unnatural because he belies his origin4 ,what should we say if we saw the son of a king taking delight in the society and in the pastimes of the most degraded men8 ,or if we saw a man finding his enjoyment in herding with the beasts of the field8 ,we should judge that they had lost all sense of their high origin4 ,the sinner who is in love with evil gives the lie to the historic fact that ,god made man in ,his own image4 #b4 ,he is unnatural1 because he burdens himself unnecessarily4 ,in other matters men are not wont to carry heavier burdens than they are obliged4 ,they do not generally desire an increase of their load4 ,they are content with what is allotted to them4 ,the burdens of life that must be borne are numerous and heavy enough for men to bear1 yet this moral fool must weigh himself down with the evil that he need not bear--the evil consequences of evil deeds4 ,he prefers to carry about with him the burden of his guilt1 and all its accompanying evils4 ,as we saw in verse #ae1 his way is hard1 yet he pursues it4 ,in the face of ,god's expressed desire 7,isa4 lv4 #g71 that he should be rid of his burden1 and although it weighs him to the earth it is an abomination to the fool to depart from evil4 #c4 ,he is unnatural1 because he is an unnecessary burden on the heart of humanity4 ,he burdens the hearts of ,god's children4 ,they sigh over him1 because he is bad1 and refuses to be better4 ,they are weighed down with a sense of his present sad condition1 and the retribution that awaits him4 ,he is a burden to those who are less wicked than he1 because he prevents their being better1 and he adds to the burden of those who are as bad as himself1 because he increases their guilt by yielding to their temptations4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the sentence that fulfilled desire does good to the soul appears commonplace2 but it is comprehensive enough on the ground of ,heb4 xi4 to cheer even a dying person1 and conceals the ethically significant truth that the blessedness of vision is measured by the degree and the longing of faith4 ,but its application in its pairing with the last clause of the verse give it quite another aspect4 ,on this account1 because the desire of the soul is pleasant in its fulfilment1 fools abhor the renouncing of evil1 for their desire is directed to that which is morally blameworthy1 and the endeavour1 which they closely and constantly adhere to1 is to reach the attainment of this design4--,delitzsch4 ,a canon of interpretation in ,proverbs is1 ,in antithetical clauses an opposite member is often suppressed in one clause and has to be supplied from the opposition of the other member in the corresponding clause 7,gataker74 ,thus1 here1 the desire of the wise or good being accomplished by their departing from evil is sweet to their soul1 but as it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil1 their desire being not accomplished is not sweet1 nay1 it maketh the heart sick 7ver4 #ab74 ,cf4 ,psa4 cxlv4 #ai3 ,the ,lord will fulfil the desire of them that fear ,him4 ,as the wise desire the possession of the true good1 and by departing from evil attain to it1 so that it is sweet to the soul1 so fools desire the possession of what is good and sweet to the soul1 but shall have bitter and everlasting grief4 ,just as if there were two patients1 both desiring health2 the one avoiding forbidden foods1 and using the prescribed drugs1 would recover health1 to his joy2 the other1 disliking the remedies1 and indulging his appetite1 would fail to recover and would die 7,gejer74 ,the reason why fools abominate to depart from evil is because evil is sweet to them4--,fausset4 ,i have three interpretations of this verse4 #a4 ,solomon has been thought to express the sentiment that the final attainment and enjoyment of a desired good abundantly compensates for all the self-denial and difficulty endured in waiting for it4 ,this is a truth of practical importance1 holding out as it does encouragement to perseverance4 ,and it is a truth which holds with unfailing certainty1 in regard to spiritual blessings4 ,but the fool cannot be persuaded to deny himself the gratification of the passing moment1 even for the sake of the best and highest blessings and hopes4 #b4 ,some render1 ,it is sweet to the soul to enjoy what we love2 therefore it is an abomination etc4 ,here the reason or principle is assigned1 from which it arises that fools will not depart from evil4 ,their enjoyment is in it4 ,they feel that there are pleasures in sin4 ,these pleasures they love4 ,and1 as these pleasures arise from sin1 sin is what they like2 sin is sweet1 and they will indulge their present propensities1 for the sake of the present pleasure they yield4 #c4 ,desire1 subdued1 restrained1 or overcome is sweet to the soul2 but it is an abomination1 etc4 ,according to this translation the former clause expresses the inward satisfaction arising from the successful curbing and subjugation of any sinful desire--any evil propensity4 ,this forms a fine and striking antithesis to the second clause4 ,while the good man can hardly enjoy a greater satisfaction than is imparted by the exercise of self-control1 and the overcoming of any powerful and imperative desire that has tempted and endangered his virtue2 on the contrary1 to the ungodly1 the exercise of self-restraint is irksome1 the denial of any sinful propensity is misery4 ,they draw iniquity with cords of vanity1 and sin as it were with a cart-rope4 ,the character is portrayed with great spirit in the tenth ,psalm4--,wardlaw4 ,a desire that has sprung up is sweet to the ,soul4 7,see rendering in ,critical ,notes47 ,a sinner can get on comparatively well when a pious desire has been once enkindled4 ,what is said of the lips of the strange woman dropping honey 7chap4 v4 #c7 is true also in this case4 ,the soul is so near to the sinner that if there is anything sweet to it it is easy to follow it on4 ,the soul once converted and conceiving its first desire will follow it afterward4 ,and1 therefore1 the ,psalmist begs us to taste and see 7,ps4 xxxiv4 #h71 that we may have this first desire4 ,but the unconverted man finds it loathsome to take the first step4 ,his desires that have come to be1 are of another nature4 ,how can a man will when unwilling8 ,it is the first step which costs4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bj4 ,,companionship1 ,,constructive ,,or ,,destructive4 ,we have here3-- ,i4 ,habit1 assimilation1 and transformation4 #a4 ,habit4 ,a habit is formed by the constant repetition of an act4 ,walking is the constant repetition of an act4 ,the child first gets courage to take a single step1 that step leads to another1 and by degrees he acquires the habit of walking4 ,to walk with wise men is to have habitual intercourse with them1 either through reading their written thoughts or by immediate contact with their living selves4 ,as bodily walking is only acquired by practice1 so it is in soul-walking--in mental and spiritual communion4 ,it is at first difficult for the uninitiated to master the arguments of the wise and grasp the truths which they utter4 ,but the power to do so comes by making the effort4 ,if the wise men are morally wise1 it may not be so easy to apprehend ,divine truth as they do with their keener spiritual perceptions4 ,but constant intercourse and communion enable one to do so4 ,the religious faculty--the conscience--is thus developed4 #b4 ,assimilation4 ,the law of assimilation is in operation within us and around us in the world of matter4 ,the plant drinks in the moisture and chemical elements of the earth1 and they are assimilated to itself and come forth in bud1 and flower1 and fruit4 ,man eats vegetable and animal food and it becomes flesh and bone4 ,the man who walks with wiser men than himself imbibes their thought1 and those thoughts become part of himself4 ,as the health of the body depends upon the kind of food which it assimilates and its power of assimilation1 so the health of the mind depends upon the character of the thoughts which it receives and its power of making them its own4 #c4 ,transformation4 ,it is implied that those here represented as walking are1 when they begin their walk1 comparatively ignorant4 ,but a constant reception and assimilation of the wisdom of others1 whether it be intellectual or moral wisdom1 will in time transform the pupil into a teacher--the student into a master4 ,the ignorant becomes in time a wise man4 ,the strong animal life nourishes the weaker--the new born--life until the weak child becomes as strong as the parent4 ,so in mind and soul life4 ,hence the constant repetition in this book of exhortations to receive instruction4 ,the assimilating and transforming power of intercourse with the ,fountain of all ,wisdom by the reception of the ,divine thought is thus set forth by ,paul3--,but we all1 with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the ,lord1 are changed into the same image from glory to glory1 even as by the ,spirit of the ,lord 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #ah74 ,,ii4 ,that if our companionship is not a constructive influence1 it will be destructive4 ,it is implied that human beings will have companionship of some kind--that if a man does not walk with wise men1 he will be the companion of fools4 #a4 ,companionship in early life the outcome of necessity4 ,a child of foolish parents cannot help being the companion of fools4 ,this is the sad portion of millions1 and it is the destruction of millions in the sense that it is the cause of their missing the great end of life--to glorify and enjoy ,god4 #b4 ,but there is a companionship of choice4 ,when a human being comes to years of maturity he chooses his companions4 ,he cannot always choose his associates1 for then he must needs go out of the world4 ,and there is no necessity that those with whom duty compels him to associate should exert any evil influence upon his character4 ,but companion evidently means him with whom he communes--a man whose society he chooses4 ,and if this society is not morally good1 a man begins to deteriorate from the first moment that he enters it4 ,his choice of it is an indication of some moral flaw in his character1 and is a strong presumption that he does not intend or desire to resist its destructive influence4 ,if a sound apple is placed beside one that has begun to decay1 nothing is needed to complete the work of destruction in both1 but that they should remain in contact4 ,an utter missing of all that makes life worth having--that which our ,lord calls the loss of the soul--is the portion of every man who does not continually grow in moral wisdom4 ,for there is no standing still4 ,neglect is ruin in most material things4 ,the house that is not constantly repaired will be ruined by the constant action of the elements4 ,a man is surrounded on all sides by adverse moral influences1 and if he only neglects to grow he will die4 ,and to grow he must walk with the wise4 ,,illustration4 ,the following statement was made to a ,wesleyan minister by a young man under sentence of death3 ,i am the child of pious parents1 who were connected with the ,wesleyan body4 ,at the age of #af1 through their instrumentality1 and under the preaching of the ,gospel1 ,i became the subject of religious impressions4 ,these1 in the course of time1 were effaced2 but ,i still continued to read the ,bible and respect the ,sabbath4 ,one ,lord's ,day ,i went to hear a celebrated minister deliver a discourse on ',prophecy4' ,as ,i was returning ,i expressed to an acquaintance who ,i met my admiration of the sermon4 ,he replied that no doubt ,mr4 ---- was a superior orator1 and it would afford him great pleasure to hear him discuss on any subject having a true claim upon the attention of a rational being2 but that such was not the case with religion4 ,a conversation followed1 which led him to invite me to his house1 to hear his reasons for disbelieving the ,bible4 ,there ,i met others1 of a kindred spirit1 and from that moment they were my principal1 because my favourite1 associates4 ,i soon adopted all their opinions as my own1 and used every effort in my power to diffuse our common views4 ,i could at this moment almost say the bitterness of death is passed1 if ,i were sure that no one had become an infidel through me4 ,but ,i have too much reason to fear that many have4 ,before this time ,i had married a very respectable young woman1 and had entered into business4 ,i was1 however1 brought to ruin by my own folly and extravagance1 and went to ,america4 ,there1 my principles not fully satisfying me1 ,i read ,watson's ,apology for the ,bible1 and similar works1 and again avowed myself a believer in the ,word of ,god4 ,it was my bitter lot1 however1 soon to see that it is much more easy to renounce the principles of error than to cease from those evil practices of which they are the productive sources4 ,it will not be wondered that1 even after ,i had disavowed the creed of an infidel1 ,i was confirmed in the habits of infidelity1 and was still1 on returning to my native land1 ready to perpetrate any deed of darkness which the fury of passion might prompt1 or the straits of poverty suggest4 ,the act for which ,i may soon be suspended on the gallows is the final consummation of a wilful disbelief in the inspired record4 ,the minister continues1 ,i was often with him1 and found him to possess an extensive acquaintance with the ,scriptures1 and a considerable knowledge of our religious poets4 ,as the person at whom he fired1 though severely wounded1 was not killed1 he seemed to the last to expect a reprieve4 ,the governor of the gaol entered his cell half-an-hour before the time which had been fixed for his execution1 saying1 ',i have a communication from the ,secretary of ,state4' ,a smile of hope played for a moment round his pallid face1 but it seemed only as if to give the gloom of despair the opportunity of coming in deeper and more terrible shadows over his features1 for the governor instantly added1 'but there is nothing said respecting you--you must therefore die4' ,we were again alone1 and pacing his cell he said1 with deep emotion1 ',it is then a fact that ,i must suffer the extreme penalty of the law4 ,in a few minutes ,i shall be in eternity1 my wife will be a widow1 and my children will be fatherless1 bearing part of my reproach1 notwithstanding they had no part in my guilt4' ,on his way to the place of execution we passed through the turnkey's room4 ,seeing a lad seated in a distant corner1 he went to him1 and said1 ',look at me1 and learn never to stand in the way of the ungodly1 nor sit in the seat of the scorner of truth4'--,evangelist4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the influence of society upon man is great1 and was intended to be great4 ,as the natural world is held together by the influence of matter upon matter by the law of gravitation1 so the moral world is held together by the influence of mind upon mind4 ,we are made to attract and to be attracted1 to influence and to be influenced1 to instruct and to be instructed4 ,but this power of mind over mind is not a neutral power1 it is necessarily great for evil and for good4 ,paul says that ,evil communications corrupt good manners4 ,there is nothing to be expected from evil companions but an increase of sin1 and an increase of punishment4 ,the best is a briar1 the most upright sharper than a thorn-hedge1 which will rob us of our fleece1 if they do not pierce our skin4 ,most likely they will do both4--,s4 ,thodey4 ,the literal meaning of the word rahah1 from which companion comes1 is to feed2 boon-companions1 who feed together 7chap4 xxix4 #c74 ,there is a play upon like ,hebrew sounds1 in companion and destroyed1 roheh and roang4 ,the ,greek ,theognis says1 ,thou shalt learn good from the good2 but if thou wilt associate with the bad1 thou shalt lose even the mind thou hast4 ,seneca says1 ,the road is long by precept2 it is short and effectual by example4 ,what one sees makes more impression than what one hears4 ,as bad air injures the strongest health1 so association with the bad injures the strongest mind4--,fausset4 ,what you learn from bad habits and from bad society you will never forget1 and it will be a lasting pang to you4 ,i tell you in all sincerity1 not as in the excitement of speech1 but as ,i would confess and have confessed before ,god1 that ,i would give my right hand to-night if ,i could forget that which ,i have learned in evil society2 if ,i could tear from my remembrance the scenes which ,i have witnessed1 the transactions which have taken place before me4--,j4 ,b4 ,gough4 ,in the neighbourhood of ,swansea1 for miles round1 no vegetation exists1 owing to the smoke from the large copper-works there3 even so1 exposure to the influence of bad companions prevents man from growing and flourishing in the ,divine life4--,t4 ,jones4 ,it is not left to us to determine whether there shall be any influence2 only1 what that influence shall be4 ,joash1 while he walked with his wise guardian1 was wise4 ,but when1 after his guardian's death1 he became a companion of fools1 he was destroyed 7#b ,chron4 xxiv474 4 4 4 ,the first warning to sinners just plucked out of the fire1 was--,save yourselves from this untoward generation 7,acts ii4 #dj74--;,bridges4 ,we shall never get the good desire 7ver4 #ai7 if we keep out among the wicked4 ,in heathen lands all are fools1 and therefore all do badly4 ,in ,christian lands piety is in circles and in families1 and moves in lines4 ,the mutual influences are immense4 ,a noble way to be wise1 is to go boldly among the good1 confess ,christ1 and ask their prayers and influence4--,miller4 ,it is better--safer1 ,i am sure it is--to ride alone than to have a thief's company2 and such is a wicked man1 who will rob thee of precious time1 if he do thee no more mischief4 ,the ,nazarites1 who might drink no wine1 were also forbidden to eat grapes1 of which wine is made4 ,so we must not only avoid sin itself1 but also the causes and occasions thereof1 amongst which bad company 7the lime-twigs of the devil7 is the chiefest1 especially to catch those natures which are most swayed by others4--,fuller4 ,many scriptural illustrations press for notice4 ,the family of ,lot1 suffering from the fearful contamination of ,sodom2 ,rehoboam1 following the counsel of his young companions in preference to that of the experienced counsellors of his father1 and losing thereby five-sixths of his kingdom2 ,jehoshaphat1 associating with ,ahab helping the ungodly1 and loving them that hated the ,lord 7#b ,chron4 xvii41 xix4 #a1 #b71 wrath1 therefore1 coming upon him from ,jehovah4--,wardlaw4 ,it is not talking with the wise1 but walking with the wise that will make you wise4 ,it is not your commending and praising of the wise1 but your walking with the wise that will make you wise4 ,it is not your taking a few turns with the wise that will make you wise1 but your walking with the wise that will make you wise4 ,there is no getting much good by them that are good but by making them your ordinary and constant companions4 ,ah1 friends6 you should do as ,joseph in ,egypt1 of whom the ,scripture saith--,psa4 cv4 #bb--7;according to the ,hebrew phrase7 that he tied the princes of ,pharaoh's court about his heart4 ,if ever you would gain by the saints1 you must bind them upon your souls4 ,the ,jews have a proverb that two dry sticks put to a green one will kindle it4 ,the best way to be in a flame ,godward1 ,christward1 heavenward1 and holinessward1 is to be among the dry sticks1 the kindle-coals1 the saints2 for as live coals kindle those that are dead1 so lively ,christians will heat and enliven those that are dead4--,brooks4 ,character affected by intercourse4 ,he that walks with religious men will become religious4 ,walking signifies a continued course of conduct4 ,to walk with religious men is not to mingle with them occasionally1 or to unite with them in performing some of the more public duties of religion4 ,ahithophel1 who died as a fool dieth1 walked with ,david to the house of ,god in company4 ,it is not to live in a pious family1 for a person may do this without making its members his associates4 ,nor does uniting with religious men in promoting some of the great objects which the ,christian world is now pursuing1 necessarily prove that we walk with them1 for this may be done from a wrong motive4 ,to walk with them is to choose them for our associates1 our fellow travellers in the journey of life2 and this implies an agreement with them in our views and objects of pursuit4 ,can two walk together1 says the prophet1 except they be agreed8 ,in order that two persons may walk together they must be agreed1 first1 as to the place to which they will go1 and secondly1 they must agree in opinion as to the way that leads to that place4 ,if they disagree on either point they will soon separate4 ,every religious man is travelling towards heaven1 and all who would walk with them must make heaven the object of their pursuit4 ,the only way to heaven is ,jesus ,christ1 and all who walk with religious persons must at least assent to this truth although they may not immediately and cordially embrace it4 ,he who perseveres in this course will become religious4 #a4 ,the simple fact that he chooses such associates proves that he is already the subject of religious impressions--that the ,spirit of ,god is striving with him4 #b4 ,he will see and hear many things which powerfully tend to increase and perpetuate his serious impressions4 ,he moves in a circle where ,god1 the soul1 and salvation are regarded as of supreme importance--where religion is presented to him--not as a cold abstraction1 but living in the persons of its disciples4 #c4 ,no one will continue to walk with religious persons after his serious impressions are effaced1 and it is presumed that no one who continued to be the subject of religious impressions for any length of time ever failed to become religious4 ,it is true persons may be seriously affected1 occasionally1 and perhaps for years together1 and at different seasons may associate much with religious characters without becoming religious2 but such persons cannot be said to walk with good men in the sense of the text2 for their religious impressions are often effected for a considerable time1 and long intervals of carelessness succeed1 during which they1 in a measure1 forsake religious society4--,payson4 ,it is not for us to let our hearts have their own way in the selection of companions4 ,on that choice depend interests too great to be safely left to chance4 ,the issue to be decided is not what herd you shall graze with a few years before your spirit returns to the dust2 but what moral element you shall move in during the few and evil days of your life1 till your spirit returns to ,god who gave it4 ,i like this companion2 he fascinates me2 ,i cannot want him2 an enforced separation would be like tearing myself asunder4 ,well1 if that companion's heart be godless1 and his steps already slipping backward and downward1 why not tear yourself asunder8 ,the act will be painful1 no doubt1 but skin for skin1 yea1 all that a man hath will he give for his life4--,arnot4 ,he that comes where sweet spices and ointments are stirring1 doth carry away some of the sweet savour1 though he think not of it2 so holiness is such an elixir as by contraction 7if there be any disposition of goodness in the same metal71 it will render it of the property4--,trapp4 ,all sorts of companions are market men1 and they usually traffic together1 when they meet together1 whether they be good or bad1 the wares being commonly precious or vile1 according to the dispositions of the persons who utter them4--,dod4 ,it is not said1 he that sitteth still with the wise1 for both sitting still1 neither doth the one teach nor the other learn4 ,but he that when a wise man walketh in the ways of wisdom1 walketh also with him by following his example and steps1 he it is that shall be wise4 ,to be with the wise1 and not in their ways of wisdom1 is to be out of the way for getting any good by them4 ,be therefore with them so as that their wisdom may be with thee4--,jermin4 ,no person that is an enemy to ,god can be a friend to man4 ,he that has already proved himself ungrateful to the ,author of every blessing will not scruple1 when it will serve his turn1 to shake off a fellow-worm like himself4 ,he may render you instrumental to his own purposes1 but he will never benefit you4--,bishop ,coleridge4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,,pursuit ,,and ,,repayment4 ,i4 ,evil pursues sinners because sinners pursue evil4 ,the huntsman who pursues the hare in the direction of a precipice is pursuing a course which1 if continued1 must be followed by evil4 ,it is an evil thing for him to follow such a trifle at such a risk4 ,there is evil before him in the form of the precipice1 and evil will follow if he continues to pursue his present course4 ,should he try his strength against the law of gravitation by leaping over the precipice1 he will find that law will exact its penalty4 ,there are but two things that will prevent evil from pursuing him1 either he must desist from his present course or a great law of nature must be suspended4 ,the first alternative rests with himself1 the second does not4 ,he will find that this battle is to the strong1 and that the race is to the swift1 even to the mighty law which holds together the material universe4 ,so with sinners against the moral law4 ,evil be to him who evil thinks is a wish that is always fulfilled4 ,it is a law in constant operation4 ,the consequence of pursuing evil in the form of evil thinking is evil thinking1 the consequence of evil feeling is evil feeling1 the consequence of evil doing is evil doing1 for it is the tendency of evil to repeat itself1 and this in itself is a punishment4 ,peter speaks of sinners who cannot cease from sin 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #ad74 ,they have sinned until they have bound themselves in fetters of sinful habit4 ,evil1 in this sense1 pursues them1 and will pursue them so long as they pursue it4 ,then there is1 of course1 the positive retribution1 which both in time and beyond time visits pursuers of evil4 ,of this we have several times treated4 ,,ii4 ,good men are repaid with good because their characters are righteous4 ,the law of repayment runs through nature4 ,he who sows seed is repaid by a harvest4 ,all her forces--rain1 sunlight1 heat and cold--combine to give back to the husbandman that which he has entrusted to her care4 ,and she repays of the same kind1 wheat for the sowing of wheat1 thistles for the planting of thistles4 ,she also repays with liberal interest4 ,one head of thistledown scattered over a field will reproduce a hundred heads in a few months4 ,one grain of corn will produce an ear of thirty or forty grains4 ,the law in the kingdom of nature is also the law of the kingdom of grace4 ,evil sown1 as we have just seen under another metaphor1 necessitates a reaping of evil4 ,good sown endures a reaping of good4 ,and grace is not behind nature in liberal repayment4 ,he who sows handfuls shall reap armfuls4 ,he that goes forth with the seed basket returns with sheaves 7,ps4 cxxvi4 #f74 ,the one corn of wheat bears much fruit 7,john xii4 #bd74 ,this repayment begins in time1 and extends beyond it4 ,righteousness as well as sin is its own present reward1 and is the present first fruits4 ,but the righteous man must wait for the resurrection of the just for the abundant harvest4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,evil is rapacious in its gains4 ,each inch evil holds4 ,it never lets back any advance4 ,it is versatile to tempt1 and ruins with many instruments while the good1 however1 have just the opposite lot4 ,they gain by every advance4 ,each act that is holy in their lives is rewarded by better acts and higher holiness on through their whole probation1--nay1 eternally6 ,the pit is bottomless4 ,but evil never ceases to hound sinners and make them worse4--,miller4 ,the reprobation here is very striking4 ,evil pursueth sinners4 ,it follows them every step4 ,it keeps pace with the progress of time4 ,each moment it comes nearer4 ,silent and unperceived it tracks them through their whole course4 ,insensibly it gains upon them2 and at last--it may be suddenly and when least expected--it seizes and destroys them4--,wardlaw4 ,not the smallest good1 even a cup of cold water to a disciple 7,matt4 x4 #db71 or honour shown to his servants 7,matt4 x4 #da2 #a ,kings xvii4 #af-bc7 shall lose its reward 7,heb4 vi4 #aj74 ,and if a single act is thus remembered much more a course1 a flight held out to the end 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #g1 #h74 ,how manifestly is this the constitution of grace2 that when perfect obedience can claim no recompense 7,luke xvii4 #aj71 such unworthy1 such defiled work should be so honoured with an infinite overwhelming acceptance4--,bridges4 ,to be out of the hands of evil is not to be free from it2 for it still pursueth sinners1 and it ceaseth not until it be gotten to the place where they are4 4 4 4 ,for1 as ,st4 ,augustine saith1 that ,god doth not forthwith avenge sinners is ,his patience1 not ,his negligence4 ,wherefore it is to be feared lest by how much ,he stays the longer that we may repent1 by so much ,he will punish us the more1 if that we will not amend4--,jermin4 ,caius--,agrippa having suffered imprisonment for wishing him emperor--when he came afterwards to the empire1 the first thing he did was to prefer ,agrippa1 and give him a chain of gold as heavy as the chain of iron that was on him in prison4 ,those that lose anything for ,god ,he seals them a bill of exchange of a double return4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,an ,,inheritance ,,incorruptible4 ,i4 ,a good man has always spiritual inheritance to leave his children4 ,he has always his own holy character and example4 ,and this is often of great service to them in a material point of view4 ,men who have obtained fame in the world leave their children the inheritance of a famous name1 which is often a fortune in itself4 ,the son or daughter of a famous man can command positions of worldly advantage which are closed against the children of obscure parents4 ,but while a famous father can leave his fame as an inheritance to his children he cannot ensure to them the possession of the genius by which he gained it4 ,talent is not hereditary1 and it often happens that a very gifted father has very common-place children4 ,but moral worth--a godly character--is an inheritance that not only makes a son respected in the world for his father's sake1 but is very likely to make him also a partaker of the same godliness4 ,a good man's character is not hereditary1 but it is very apt to propagate other characters of the same kind4 ,this inheritance of a good man is an incorruptible inheritance4 ,no inheritance of lands or money are entirely out of reach of the changes and chances of human life1 but the example1 and the memory1 and the blessings which have come from a godly parentage1 make an inheritance which1 like the heavenly one1 fadeth not away4 ,it is the best possible safeguard that a father can leave his children against the temptations of the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,the remembrance of what belief in the ,gospel did for a holy father has saved many a son for drifting on the quicksands of infidelity4 ,there have been times in the history of many a child of godly parents1 when such an anchor has been the only one which has held them from making shipwreck of faith 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ai74 ,the character of a good man is such an indisputable fact1 and is so entirely unexplainable on any other ground than that of the existence of a supernatural and ,divine power1 that it constitutes an unanswerable argument for the truth of revelation4 ,and so with every other form of evil that assails men4 ,the inheritance which ,christ has left to his disciples--to ,his spiritual children--is ,his character4 ,this has produced and reproduced its own kind through all the ages since ,his sojourn upon earth4 ,this has held them to the faith in the dark days of persecution4 ,and when the infidel himself has come face to face with it1 even he has been compelled to acknowledge the intrinsic worth of the children's portion4 ,this holy life1 lived among sinful men1 has been the unsearchable riches 7,ephes4 iii4 #h7 of one ,christian generation after another1 for more than eighteen centuries1 and it is by virtue of this inheritance that good men have been enabled to transmit to their posterity their own godly lives and examples4 ,,ii4 ,a good man may have a material as well as a moral inheritance to bequeath4 ,he may possess both character and substance4 ,but the fact that a man is good is no guarantee that he will have any worldly wealth to leave behind him4 ,if ,lord ,bacon's assertion be correct1 that ,prosperity is the blessing of the ,old ,testament1 and adversity the blessing of the ,new1 he is quite as likely to die poor as rich4 ,still there is often a blessing of some amount of material riches given to honest labour1 and probably there are far more godly men in proportion to their number1 who acquire some inheritance to leave behind them1 than there are godless men4 7,see on verse #aa1 etc47 ,,iii4 ,good men sometimes inherit wealth which has been gathered by bad men4 ,it is not a universal rule1 but it may be oftener fulfilled than we are aware of4 ,it may be inherited by generations of wicked men and at last come into the hands of a just one4 ,that it should be so is seen to be a wise and good law of providence4 #a4 ,because a good man will make a far better use of the mammon of unrighteousness4 ,he will use it to minister to both the bodily and spiritual needs of his fellow-creatures as well as his own4 #b4 ,because the laid-up wealth of the wicked has often been obtained by defrauding the good4 ,god does not always cause it to be repaid to the identical persons who were thus defrauded1 but ,he may often cause it to be restored to identical characters4 ,this proverb must be taken to assert the straightforward motion of the wheels of providence1 although by reason of their great height 7,ezek4 i4 #ah71--their vast circumference--they take a long time to go round4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the usurer lightly begets blind children that cannot see to keep what their father left them4 ,but when the father is gone to hell for gathering1 the son often follows for scattering4 ,but ,god is just4--,t4 ,adams4 ,that the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just appears to have been a prominent feature of the ,old ,dispensation 7chap4 xxviii4 #h2 ,job xxvii4 #af1 #ag71 and it will be openly renewed in the latter-day glory of the ,church 7,isa4 lxi4 #f74--;,bridges4 ,this is the direct promise of heaven 7,psa4 ciii4 #ag2 ,prov4 xxii4 #f74 ,that it ever fails1 must be by palpable neglect4 ,a man may be saved himself1 and lose his children2 but the ,bible speaks of this as the parent's fault 7#a ,sam4 iii4 #ac2 ,prov4 xiii4 #bd71 and brands it as the great curse upon the earth 7,mal4 iv4 #f74 ,while the sinner not only cannot send down his wealth1 but cannot himself possess it4 ,it is a curse to him4 ,it will be used for the saints 7,matt4 xxv4 #bh74--,miller4 ,it is quite clear that in this and other passages an inheritance is regarded as a good1 and that no blame is attached to the good man who leaves it to his children4 ,the principle expressed in the latter clause is the same as that laid down by the apostle1 ,all things are yours1 and1 among other things1 the world4 ,that may most truly be called mine1 from which ,i derive the greatest possible benefit it can be made to yield4 ,it would be strange1 indeed1 were ,i to wish anything else1 or anything more4 4 4 4 ,the wicked man calls his wealth his own4 ,but it is ,god's4 ,god is the friend of ,his children1 and holds that property1 like everything else1 for their good2 so that it is theirs by being ,his4--,wardlaw4 ,personal goodness profiteth for posterity4 ,god gives not to ,his servants some small annuity for life only1 as great men used to do1 but keepeth mercy for thousands of generations of them that fear ,him4 ,the opposite is not perpetually and universally true of every wicked person1 4 4 4 but1 together with their lands1 they bequeath their children their sins and punishments1 which is far worse than that legacy of leprosy that ,joab left his issue 7#b ,sam4 iii4 #bi74--,trapp4 ,an expression of trust like that in ,eccles4 ii4 #bf1 that in the long run the anomalies of the world are rendered even4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,land ,,and ,,its ,,tillers4 ,i4 ,that untilled land 7see ,critical ,notes7 possesses a latent power to produce food4 ,there are many things in nature in which there exists a latent power to minister to man's needs2 but his hand must be put forth to arouse the sleeping power4 ,there is heat in coal to warm him1 but he must kindle the coal before it will put it forth4 ,so in the earth1 there are stores of life-giving power wrapped up in its bosom1 but the hand of man must till it before it will yield him food4 ,and it will yield food to the poor man as well as to the rich2 his hard toil will be rewarded by receiving bread for his labour4 ,,ii4 ,that though much food is to be got out of the land by the poor man1 yet more is to be got out of it by the rich4 ,this is implied in the contrast1 though it is not directly expressed4--7,see ,fausset's ,note in the ,comments47 ,the poor man cannot spend so much upon his land as the rich man can4 ,he can give little beside hard labour1 while the man who possesses wealth can call in every appliance to increase the fruitfulness of the land4 ,it is well known that the more liberally a land is farmed the more abundant will be the crop4 ,,iii4 ,yet want of judgment--i4e41 a sense of justice1 often leads a rich man to neglect to cultivate his land so as to increase its power of yielding food4 ,all landowners are responsible to ,god for a right use of ,his earth4 ,holding in their hands1 as they do1 the power of making food abundant or scarce1 they have much for which to give an account to ,him whose stewards they are4 ,when they turn into hunting-grounds and parks for their own exclusive use acres of land which1 if cultivated1 would yield much food1 and thus lighten the burdens of their poorer fellow-creatures1 they destroy it for want of judgment1 or justice4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,by the rule of interpretation by the contrast of opposites1 and by supplying the wanting member in one clause from its opposite expressed in the other clause1 the sense is1 ,but there is food 7wealth7 possessed by rich men that is destroyed for want of honesty in its acquisition and its employment4 ,the poor man's 7honest7 labour forms the contrast to the rich man's want of justice in his acquisitions4 ,the newly tilled land of the poor forms the contrast to the rich man's possessions held for some time4--,fausset4 ,what is the practical or extended application8 ,if talents lie inactive1 or if their activity is not wisely directed1 a rich harvest is destroyed for want of judgment4 ,the same ruin flows from a neglect of religious advantages4 ,the harvest of grace withers into a famine4 ,slothful professor6 rouse thyself to till the ground2 else thou wilt starve for want of food4 ,then let thy roused energy be directed by a sound judgment2 for want of which1 the fruits of industry1 temporal1 intellectual1 and spiritual1 will run to waste4--,bridges4 ,there seems an interesting connection between the former verse and this4 ,talk of inheritances6 says the poor man1 with his scanty means and daily hard toil2 we have no inheritance1 either from our fathers1 or for our children3 all is homely with us1 and likely to remain so4 ,well1 says ,solomon1 the poor man is not without his consolations1 even of a temporal nature1 much food is in the tillage of the poor4 ,the maxim is not to be confined to the one kind of labour specified1 but extends equally to all the different modes in which the poor make their daily bread4 ,the poor peasant1 who cultivates his plot industriously and by the sweat of his brow1 will1 through the ,divine blessing1 procure thereby an ample supply of food for himself and his family1 and industry and tidy economy will make the cottage fireside and table snug and comfortable1 and its lowly tenants will enjoy plenty1 though in a plain and homely form4 ,on the other hand1 how often in the case of those who obtain inheritances may the poor see the saying verified1 ,there is that is destroyed for want of judgment4 ,by prodigality1 by bad management1 they waste their fortunes4 ,their lands are extensive1 but unproductive2 or if productive1 the product is mis-spent and squandered2 it goes1 no one can tell how4 ,to such persons the homely comfort of the poor is a just object of envy2 far more1 in many cases1 than the wealth of the rich is to the poor4--,wardlaw4 ,the proverbial sense is1 that a little is made much by ,god's blessing and pains1 and that much is made little by wickedness and carelessness4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,the ,,child ,,and ,,the ,,rod4 ,i4 ,pain is a necessary instrument in human training4 ,the rod is to be included in the means of education4 ,some natures need an experience of pain to quicken their mental capabilities4 ,sometimes children are like untilled land 7see ver4 #bc71 they have large capabilities lying dormant1 which will not awaken unless they are subjected to severe discipline and punished for their shortcomings4 ,and what is necessary in intellectual training is also necessary in moral training4 ,children must be made to feel that pain is the outcome of transgression1 and evil habits must if possible be crushed while in the bud4 ,they can be overcome then at the expense of far less suffering than when they have taken firmer hold1 and the pain is as nothing compared with that which the habits themselves will inflict if they are allowed to go on through life and enthrall the soul entirely4 ,a thorn which has but just entered the skin can be extracted with a very small amount of suffering1 even by an unskilful hand2 if left for a few days it may produce a festering wound2 if not extracted at all1 it may end in mortification4 ,the fear of suffering is also a great preventive of sin4 ,the ,great ,father of men uses it as an instrument to dissuade men from breaking ,his laws4 ,he warns them1 over and over again1 of the suffering which they will bring upon themselves if they disobey ,his commands and their experience of the suffering that has followed sin in the past often leads them to avoid it in the future4 ,and what is effectual in the training of men is effectual also with children4 ,they will often avoid the repetition of an act which they know has brought them punishment before and will do so again4 ,this fear of pain is not the highest motive for abstinence from wrong-doing1 but in both the child and the man it may be the foundation of an upbuilding of character which shall by-and-by go on growing in goodness without this instrumentality4 ,,ii4 ,that infliction of pain is compatible with the highest love1 and is often a token of it4 ,the author of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews tells us that ,god scourges ,his children whenever ,he sees that they need it4 ,and yet they have become ,his children only by the exercise of ,his own ,infinite love4 ,but we know that ,he chastens not for ,his pleasure1 but for our profit 7,heb4 xii4 #aj72 that ,he has love and wisdom enough to see the far-off interest of tears4 ,so it is the father or mother1 who truly loves his or her child1 who is willing to undergo the present suffering of inflicting pain in order to ensure a future blessing to their children4 ,you only have ,i known of all the families of the earth2 therefore ,i will punish you for your iniquities 7,amos iii4 #b74 ,what is true of the ,divine parent is true also of the human4 ,it follows-- ,,iii4 ,that the neglect of chastisement is a proof of the want of real love4 ,he that spareth his rod hateth his son4 ,what should we think of a father who would see his child bleed to death rather than bind up the wound1 because in so doing he would inflict some present bodily pain upon the child1 and some mental suffering upon himself8 ,or of the physician who would not use the knife to stop the progress of mortal disease because the patient shrinks from the incision1 and he himself is averse to the sight of blood8 ,we should say they were destroyers of life which had been entrusted to them to preserve4 ,but what shall we say of a parent who is so fond of his child that he cannot inflict pain upon him now for deeds that1 if repeated until they become habits1 will ruin him for time and for eternity8 ,such sickly sentimentalism in a parent makes him unworthy of his name1 and turns him who should have been his child's highest earthly blessing into his direst curse4 ,many inmates of our gaols are there because they have been the victims of this so-called love2 and when ,god sums up their misdeeds a large portion of the guilt will fall elsewhere than on the child cursed by such a parent4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,fond parents think it love 7that spares the rod71 but ,divine wisdom calls it hatred4--,john ,howe4 ,the discipline of our children must commence with self-discipline4 ,nature teaches us to love them much4 ,but we want a controlling principle to teach us to love them wisely4 ,the indulgence of our children has its root in self-indulgence4--,bridges4 ,the phrase betimes1 or early in the morning1 admonisheth parents to procure the means of their children's welfare before all other matters2 and1 as it were1 as soon as they rise out of their beds4 ,the ,lord be merciful to us for the neglect of this duty2 for if we have any worldly business to do we go first about that1 and then teach and instruct our children at our leisure4 ,o reckless carelessness about the chiefest matters6 ,oh that as we use to feed our children in the morning so we could once be brought to instruct them also betimes4--,muffet4 ,justice must be observed in the correction of children4 #a4 ,that there is a fault committed4 #b4 ,that the fault so committed deserveth punishment4 #c4 ,that the punishment do not exceed the quality of the fault1 which will otherwise seem to rage and revenge rather than to chastise for amendment4--,spencer4 ,to spare the rod in the first clause being opposed to chastening in the second1 by the rod must be meant not only that particular instrument of punishment1 but everything besides that may prove the means of our correction and amendment4 ,and by chastisement is here intended every means of correction1 every means of effecting what we intend by chastening1 whether it be reproof1 restraint of liberty1 disappointment of our children's wills1 or corporal punishment4 ,by loving and hating is not here meant the exerting actually those passions in the heart1 for then the text would be untrue1 but the acting agreeably to the reason1 and not the blindness of those passions2 the producing such effects as are in ,god's account1 and in wise men's too1 and in our own when freed from partial prejudices2 the consequences and fruits of love and hatred acting regularly1 such as are commonly esteemed the effects of those two causes1 whether they indeed proceed from them or no4 ,for if we are to reckon of love or hatred by the effects1 then it is easy to discern when parents hate their children1 namely1 when1 through neglect or fondness1 they permit them to enter on a course of ruin1 and so let them fall into such miseries as the utmost hatred of their inveterate enemies could neither wish nor make them greater1 whatever love there may be at the bottom4 ,a mother is as much a murderess who stifles her child in a bed of roses as she that does it with a pillow-bear 7pillow-case74 ,the end and mischief is as great1 though the means and instrument be not the same4--,bishop ,fleetwood4 ,he that spareth the rod from his son maketh him to be his rod1 wherewith he whips himself1 and wherewith ,god whips both of them4 ,it is better thy son should feel thy rod than thou feel the sorrow of his wicked life4 ,and do not hate him in not correcting of him1 lest he hate thee by thy not correcting of him1 and ,god shew ,his hatred against both by ,his wrath upon you4--,jermin4 ,the ,koh-i-noor diamond1 when it came into the ,queen's possession1 was a mis-shapen lump4 ,it was very desirable to get its corners cut off and all its sides reduced to symmetry2 but no unskilful hand was permitted to touch it4 ,men of science were summoned to consider its nature and capabilities4 ,they examined the form of its crystals and the consistency of its parts4 ,they considered the direction of the grain1 and the side on which it would bear a pressure4 ,with their instructions1 the jewel was placed in the hands of an experienced lapidary1 and by long1 patient1 careful labour1 its sides were ground down to the desired proportions4 ,the gem was hard1 and needed a heavy pressure2 the gem was precious1 and every precaution was taken which science and skill could suggest to get it polished into shape without cracking it in the process4 ,the effort was successful4 ,the hard diamond was rubbed down into forms of beauty1 and yet sustained no damage by the greatness of the pressure to which it was subjected4 ,jewels1 bright jewels1 in the form of little children1 are the heritage which ,god gives to every parent4 ,they are unshapely and need to be polished2 they are brittle and so liable to be permanently injured by the pressure2 but they are stones of peculiar preciousness1 and if they were successfully polished they would shine as stars for ever and ever1 giving off1 from their undimming edge1 more brilliantly than other creatures can1 the glory which they get from the ,sun of ,righteousness4 ,those who possess these diamonds in the rough should neither strike them unskilfully nor let them be uncut4 4 4 4 ,prayer and pains must go together in this difficult work4 ,lay the whole case before our ,father in heaven2 this will take the hardness out of the correction1 without diminishing its strength4--,arnot4 ,correction is a kind of cure1 saith the philosopher 7,arist4 ,ethic4 lib4 ii471 the likeliest way to save the child's soul2 where1 yet1 saith ,bernard1 it is the care of the child that is charged upon the parent1 not the cure1 that is ,god's work alone4--,trapp4 ,in order to form the minds of children1 the first thing to be done is to conquer the will4 ,to inform the understanding is a work of time1 and must1 with children1 proceed by slow degrees1 as they are able to bear it2 but the subjecting of the will must be done at once1 and the sooner the better2 for1 by neglecting timely correction1 they will contract a stubbornness and obstinacy which are hardly ever conquered1 and not without using such severity as would be as painful to me as to the child4 ,i insist upon the conquering of the will betimes1 because this is the only strong and rational foundation of a religious education1 without which both precept and example will be ineffectual4 ,but when this is thoroughly done1 a child is capable of being governed by the wisdom and piety of its parents till its own understanding comes to maturity1 and the principles of religion have taken root in the mind4--,mrs4 ,s4 ,wesley4 ,it is his rod that must be used1 the rod of a parent1 not the rod of a servant4--,henry4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,want ,,and ,,satisfaction4 ,i4 ,the limited truth of the assertion in relation both to the righteous and the wicked4 ,read in the light of personal experience1 and in the light of history1 it is found true1 and is found not true in the case of the righteous4 ,elijah ate to satisfaction beside the brook ,cherith1 while many of his idolatrous countrymen suffered want4 ,but ,paul was often in hunger 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #bg71 while ,nero lived in luxury4 ,christians have died from hunger1 and others have had all their bodily wants supplied all their lives1 and sometimes by most remarkable providential interpositions4 ,godliness is often profitable in this sense for the life that now is 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #h71 but not always1 and wickedness often brings a man literally to the condition of the prodigal when he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat2 but many a wicked man1 like him of the parable 7,luke xvi4 #ai71 have fared sumptuously every day from their cradle to their grave4 ,to take our text as absolutely true of material food would be to contradict the testimony of ,scripture itself4 ,,ii4 ,its absolute truth in relation to both characters4 #a4 ,that wickedness gives a man no real satisfaction is a fact of experience4 ,men have testified over and over again that while they lived in sin they knew nothing of real heart-satisfaction and rest1 and have borne witness to the words of ,st4 ,augustine1 who spoke from experience when he said1 ,thou hast made us for thyself1 and the heart is restless till it finds rest in ,thee4 ,a man who feeds upon unwholesome food is always in want1 because that upon which he feeds is not suited to meet the demands of his physical frame1 so it is with the soul of a godless man4 #b4 ,the history of the world testifies that it is so4 ,the unrest of the ungodly is the explanation of much of the ambition1 of many of the selfish schemes of some men1 as well as the voluntary asceticism1 the self-imposed sufferings of others4 ,the key to both is that they have spent money for that which is not bread1 and their labour for that which satisfieth not 7,isa4 lv4 #b74 ,the teaching of ,christ confirms it4 ,want was the condition of the prodigal2 he wanted the bread which his father's home and table alone could supply4 ,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of ,man and drink ,his blood1 ye have no life in you 7,john vi4 #ec74 ,on this subject see ,dr4 ,arnot's remarks on verse #ab in the comments on that verse4 #c4 ,that there is satisfaction in sainthood is declared by ,christ1 and testified to be true by all ,his followers4 ,the bread upon which a renewed man feeds is the ,divine ,word--the thoughts of ,god in the abstract1 and the personal thought or word ,jesus ,christ4 ,as the living ,father hath sent ,me and ,i live by the ,father1 so he that eateth ,me shall live by ,me 7,john vi4 #eg74 ,and life is but another word for satisfaction4 ,he that believeth on ,me1 as the ,scripture hath said1 out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water 7,john vii4 #ch74 ,millions of men and women in all circumstances1 both poor and rich in worldly wealth1 have set their seal that ,god is true 7,john iii4 #cc7 when ,he invites men to hearken diligently unto ,him1 and eat that which is good1 and let their souls delight themselves in fatness 7,isa4 lv4 #b74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,one of the confidences of the wicked is that he1 at least1 has his pleasure in this world4 ,the inspired ,solomon denies it4 ,he himself has left us an experience 7,eccles4 i74 ,the righteous man seeks righteousness and peace1 and these things do satisfy him4 ,he seeks them1 not as the world does1 under a mistake1 but for what they really are4 ,he seeks them more and more as he knows them better1 and shall be seeking them and enjoying them though eternal ages4 ,but the wicked1 even in his belly1 wants4 ,his delights1 even of the more carnal sort1 are not to be directly gazed at4 ,if they are1 they vanish4 ,he cannot trust himself to theorise over any solid pleasures4 ,so hollow are they that he would not live over again the history of the past1 and so poor that he grows tired of enjoying them4--,miller4 ,have he more or less1 he hath that which satisfies him4 ,nature is content with little1 grace with less4 ,if ,jacob may have but bread to eat and raiment to put on it sufficeth him2 and this he dare be bold to promise himself4 ,beg his bread he hopes he shall not1 but if he should1 he can say with ,luther 7who made many a meal of a broiled herring7 ,let us be content to fare hard here3 have we not the bread that came down from heaven8--,trapp4 ,to have to eat is the common mercy of ,god1 who openeth ,his hand and feedeth all things living4 ,to have enough to eat is a great mercy in itself1 and greater than man's nature1 which hath never enough of sinning anyway deserveth2 but to be satisfied with that which is enough is a peculiar property bestowed on the righteous4 ,the belly of the wicked wanting enough to eat in some degree is punished for feeding too greedily on the husks of sin4 ,wanting all food is more hardly punished1 and it may be for the hardness of their hearts in resisting all instruction2 but that it shall want though it have enough1 this is a severe punishment of wickedness1 though thought to be the least4 ,the wise man doth not speak of the want of the mouth of the wicked as showing that the mouth should have sufficient1 and yet the belly be punished with want in not being satisfied4--,jermin4 ,,homiletic ,,treatment ,,of ,,the ,,chapter ,,as ,a ,,whole4 ,the true ,christian education of children4 7#a7 ,its basis3 ,god's ,word 7vers4 #a1 #ac1 #ad72 7#b7 ,its means3 ,love and strictness in inculcating ,god's ,word 7vers4 #a1 #ah1 #bd72 7#c7 ,its aim3 ,guidance of the youth to the promotion of his temporal and eternal welfare 7vers4 #b sq4 #af sq47--,lange's ,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,wise woman1 or woman's wisdom4 #b4 ,he that walketh1 etc41 or1 ,he walketh in his uprightness who feareth ,jehovah1 and perverse in his ways is he that despiseth ,him 7,delitzsch47 #c4 ,rod1 or sceptre4 ,zckler reads1 ,in the mouth of a fool is a rod for his pride4 ,stuart1 ,haughtiness is a rod1 etc4 #e4 ,miller here translates1 ,he who witnesses things correctly1 does not lie2 but of a deceived witness the very breath is lies 7,see his comments on the verse74 #f4 ,rather1 ,the scorner has sought wisdom1 etc4 #g4 ,stuart translates the latter clause1 for thou hast not discerned1 etc42 ,miller1 and thou shalt not know1 etc4 #h4 ,deceit1 or deception4 #i4 ,many translators read this verse1 ,the sacrifice1 or the sin-offering1 makes a sport of1 or mocks fools4 ,so ,zckler1 ,elster1 ,ewald1 ,stuart1 ,wordsworth1 etc4 ,miller translates1 ,sin makes a mock at fools4 ,among1 or to4 #aj4 ,zckler reads the latter clause1 ,let no stranger1 etc4 ,miller renders the whole verse1 ,a knowing heart is a bitterness to itself2 but with its joy it does not hold intercourse as an enemy4 #aa4 ,tabernacle1 tent4 #ac4 ,the heart is sorrowful1 or will be 7perchance74 #ad4 ,filled with1 i4e41 satisfied with4 ,stuart translates the latter clause1 ,away from him is the good man1 i4e41 he will keep aloof from the backslider4 #af4 ,rageth1 is presumptuous1 or haughty4 #ba4 ,poor1 or suffering 7,delitzsch74 #bd4 ,or1 ,it is a crown to the wise when they are rich1 but the folly of fools remains folly 7,delitzsch74 #bh4 ,miller translates1 ,in a great people4 #cj4 ,a sound heart1 a quiet heart4 ,envy1 passion1 perturbation4 #cb4 ,driven forth1 or thrust lower 7,miller74 ,delitzsch translates1 ,when misfortune befals him1 the wicked is overthrown1 but the righteous hath hope even in his death4 #cd4 ,the ,hebrew word for reproach means also mercy4 ,hence ,gejer and ,miller translate ,mercy for nations is the sin-offering1 the word sin being often used to express the sin-offering4 #ce4 ,miller reads1 ,the kindness of a king is a wise servant1 but his wrath becomes one that bringeth shame 7,see his comments74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,house ,,builder ,,and ,,the ,,house ,,destroyer4 ,i4 ,a woman's special sphere of work--her house4 ,in this word is included all that in any way relates to the home life4 ,woman's relation to it is three-fold4 #a4 ,the house--properly so-called--the interior of the building1 is under her especial care4 ,it is her temple of service1 she is its priestess4 ,as the female priestess in the ,roman temple and the ,hebrew priest in the temple of ,god were responsible for the internal order of their temples1 so is every woman responsible for the order1 the cleanliness1 and comfort of the house of which she is the social priestess4 ,it is her house1 and in it she is expected to perform duties to which she is not called in any other house4 ,her oversight and presence1 if not her actual labour1 are indispensable to the proper arrangement of everything in it4 #b4 ,the affairs or business of the house is her special care4 ,it is for her to preside over the domestic economy of the house--over that which we call housekeeping4 ,all transactions of this nature seem naturally to fall within her jurisdiction1 and it looks odd and out of place to see them in other hands4 #c4 ,she is specially related to the life of the house4 ,if she is a mother1 she1 above all others1 has the charge of the children1 her opportunities for influencing them are greater than those possessed by the father4 ,her life is always before them4 ,her words are treasured up and repeated by them4 ,if she is a mistress1 the servants are under her special jurisdiction and guidance4 ,,ii4 ,the wise woman is a social architect4 ,she builds her house4 #a4 ,building implies a plan4 ,no man sets about building a house without first having a plan1 which is well considered in proportion to the wisdom of the builder4 ,no argument-builder1 with any wisdom1 enters into an argument without first considering what he is going to do1 and how he is going to do it1 in order1 if possible1 to arrive at an unanswerable conclusion4 ,so1 to build a house in the sense of the text1 there must be a plan of action4 ,every wise woman has an end in view in the government of her household4 ,she has plans in relation to each department4 ,she knows what she purposes to do before she begins to do anything4 #b4 ,building implies personal exertion on the part of the architect4 ,all his work is not done when he has drawn the plan and issued his orders4 ,he must see that they are executed4 ,he must1 if needful1 show how they are to be carried out4 ,in times of emergency the general of an army must--like ,napoleon at the ,bridge of ,lodi--engage himself in a hand-to-hand fight with the enemy4 ,so will a wise woman4 ,she does not always say1 ,go1 but sometimes1 ,come4 ,she does not say1 ,that is the way1 when ,this is the way is necessary4 ,she never contents herself with saying1 ,do this1 without assuring herself that it is done4 #c4 ,building implies a union of diverse materials to form a complete whole4 ,many and diverse materials are brought together to build a house4 ,it would be impossible to erect a building of usefulness and beauty of one material alone4 ,so a wise woman brings together many different elements1 and blends them in due proportion1 in order to make the home-life true1 and beautiful1 and good4 ,her wisdom is shown in developing the abilities and capacities of each member of the household1 so that each may contribute to the strength and comfort of the whole4 ,upon the female head of the house1 more than upon anyone else1 depends the unity1 peace1 and concord of this temple of living stones4 ,,iii4 ,an unwise woman1 who is at the head of a house1 caricatures her position by her conduct4 ,her position implies that she is a builder-up4 ,her conduct has the effect of pulling down4 ,a clown upon a kingly throne is not more out of place than a foolish woman who bears the name of mistress1 wife1 and mother4 ,the reins are in her hands1 but she does not know how to guide the chariot2 the materials are in her possession but she has no skill to use them4 ,she is not only no centre of unity1 she is a source of discord2 she not only cannot build the house herself but she makes it impossible for anybody else to do anything towards it4 ,she is not only no crown to her husband1 but she is rottenness to his bones 7chap4 xii4 #d74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a good wife is heaven's last best gift to a man2 his angel of mercy2 minister of graces innumerable2 his gem of many virtues2 his casket of jewels2 her voice1 his sweetest music2 her smiles1 his brightest day2 her kiss1 the guardian of his innocence2 her arms1 the pale of his safety2 the balm of his health1 the balsam of his life2 her industry1 his surest wealth2 her economy1 his safest steward2 her lips1 his faithful counsellors2 her bosom1 the softest pillow of his cares2 and her prayers1 the ablest advocates of heaven's blessings on his head4--,jeremy ,taylor4 ,the following is a translation of a ,welsh ,triad3--,a good wife is modest1 void of deceit1 and obedient2 pure of conscience1 gracious of tongue1 and true to her husband2 her heart not proud1 her manners affable1 and her bosom full of compassion for the poor1 labouring to be tidy1 skilful of hand1 and fond of praying to ,god2 her conversation amiable1 her dress decent1 and her house orderly2 quick of hand1 quick of eye1 and quick of understanding2 her face benignant1 her head intelligent1 and provident1 neighbourly1 gentle1 and of a liberal way of thinking2 able in directing1 providing what is wanting1 and a good mother to her children2 loving her husband1 loving peace1 and ,god4--,new ,handbook of ,illustration4 ,house means all interests4 ,has built is preterite4 ,if all interests are prosperous at present1 it has been the work of the past4 ,the second clause wisely returns to the future1 which we commonly translate as the present1 because the act is steadily running on1 and includes both the present and the future4 ,wisdom in woman has built her house1 beginning a long time ago2 but folly in woman is an affair of the present4 ,if it had been at work long1 it would have had no house to pull down4 ,as entering upon the work of the wise1 ungodly mothers tear down the house which generations of the righteous have been slowly building4 ,the grand comment1 however1 is that this womanly wisdom or wise woman1 like the woman of grace 7chap4 ix4 #af71 or woman of folly 7chap4 ix4 #ac7 has an allegoric meaning4 ,women do much toward building up4 ,but the text means more1 that wisdom1 as personified1 is the only builder of a house1 and folly1 as impenitence1 all that can pull it down4--,miller4 ,only the characteristic wisdom of woman 7not that of the man7 is able to build itself a house1 i4e41 to make possible a household in the true sense of the word2 for the woman alone has the capacity circumspectly to look through the multitude of individual household wants1 and carefully to satisfy them2 and also because the various activities of the members of a family can be combined in a harmonious unity only by the influence1 partly regulative1 and partly fostering1 of a feminine character1 gently but steadily efficient4 ,but where there is wanting to the mistress of a house this wisdom attainable only by her1 and appropriate only to her1 then that is irrecoverably lost which first binds in a moral fellowship those connected by relationship of blood--that which makes the house1 from a mere place of abode1 to be the spiritual nursery of individuals organically associated4--,elster4 ,the fullest recognition that has as yet met us of the importance of woman1 for good or evil1 in all human society4--,plumptre4 ,with calm1 clear eyes1 deep insight1 ready sympathy2 active1 without bustle2 alert1 without over-anxious vigilance2 ignorant perchance of sthetic rules1 yet with subtle touches transforming into a fine picture the home-spun canvas1 and with soft fairy music blending into harmony the noises of the day2 apathetic about stocks and shares1 and far-off millions2 but with a keen appreciation of new sovereigns and no disdain for sixpences2 a mere formalist1 if professing interest in city improvements and parochial reforms1 but as touching torn curtains and threadbare carpets much exercised in spirit2 sure that the commotions of ,europe will all come right1 but shedding bitter tears at any outburst of juvenile waywardness1 and praying earnestly1 ,oh1 that ,ishmael may live before thee6 with small belief in the transcendental philosophy1 and allowing that much may be said on both sides1 but in the interpretation of the ,ten ,commandments positive1 unreasoning1 absolute2 in theology hopelessly confounding the theology of the schools1 and in an innocent way adopting half the heresies1 but drinking direct from the fountain that living water which others prefer1 chalybeate1 through the iron pipe1 or rated from the filtering pond1 and in a style which ,calvin or ,grotius might equally envy teaching the little ones the love of the ,saviour2 the angel of the house moulds a family for heaven1 and by dint of holy example1 and gentle control1 her early and most efficacious ministry goes farther than any other to lay the foundations of future excellence1 and train up sons and daughters for the ,lord ,almighty4--,dr4 ,jas4 ,hamilton4 ,st4 ,ambrose noteth that when ,god asked ,abraham1 ,where is thy wife1 ,sarah8--,he was not ignorant where ,sarah was2 but that ,he asked the question that by ,abraham's answer1 ,behold1 in the tent1 ,he might teach women where they ought to be--namely1 in the house1 and not so much in the house as in the affairs of the house1 making ready provision to entertain ,god as ,sarah was4--,jermin4 ,the modest virgin1 the prudent wife1 or the careful matron1 are much more serviceable in life than petticoated philosophers1 blustering heroines1 or virago queens4 ,she who makes her husband and her children happy1 who reclaims the one from vice and trains the other to virtue1 is a much greater character than ladies described in romance1 whose whole occupation is to murder mankind with shafts from their quiver or their eyes4--,goldsmith4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,fearing ,,and ,,despising ,,the ,,lord4 ,i4 ,a wholesome fear4 ,the fear of the ,lord4 ,when we fear to grieve or offend a person because of his or her goodness the fear does not spring from dread of their power1 but from our high estimate of their character4 ,it may exist where there is no power to injure4 ,strong men have sometimes had this fear for little children4 ,there is also a fear which may spring from a conception of both goodness and power4 ,it is the feeling which a child has for a good parent4 ,there is a consciousness of the parent's goodness1 and also a consciousness of his power to enforce his authority4 ,in proportion as these elements are combined in relation to human creatures the fear which men have for them is wholesome--is salutary4 ,benevolence alone tends to weaken the fear--to lessen the reverence4 ,power alone is likely to produce hatred as well as fear4 ,but when benevolence is linked with power it looks doubly attractive4 ,the fear which a good man has for ,god arises from a conception of both the ,infinite power and ,infinite love of the ,divine ,father4 ,if the first were wanting it would lack reverence2 if the latter it would be a fear that hath torment4 ,,ii4 ,the proof that a man possesses this wholesome fear4 ,he walks uprightly4 ,fear is a feeling of the mind4 ,it can only be proved to exist when it brings forth action4 ,uprightness of life is an unanswerable proof that a man speaks truly when he says that he fears the ,lord4 ,god asks for no greater 7,gen4 xvii4 #a1 #b74 ,this demonstration does not consist in a single act of integrity1 but in a constant succession of acts1 in a habit of life4 ,it is a walk4 7,on walking uprightly1 see on chap4 x4 #i1 #aj1 page #aec47 ,,iii4 ,the character of a perverse man--of a man whose walk is not upright4 ,he is a despiser of ,god4 ,his life proves it1 even if his words deny it4 ,we despise that to which we do not attach a due value4 ,all men who perversely refuse to accept ,god's plan of salvation despise both the riches of ,his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering1 which are intended to lead them to repentance 7,rom4 ii4 #d71 and also that power of ,his anger1 of which no man can form an estimate 7,psalm xc4 #aa74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,i4 ,grace and sin in their true colours4 ,grace reigning is a reverence of ,god4 ,sin reigning is no less a contempt of ,god2 in this1 more than in anything1 sin appears exceeding sinful1 that it despises ,god1 whom angels adore4 ,,ii4 ,grace and sin in their true light4 ,by this we know a man that has grace1 and the fear of ,god1 reigning in him1 he makes conscience of his actions1 is faithful to ,god and man4 ,but on the contrary1 he that wilfully follows his own way1 is a wicked man1 however he pretend to devotion4--,henry4 ,a man walking over a field has a certain level course 7if there be such7 that he naturally follows4 ,if he walk not level1 or if he turn constantly out of his way1 men think him either drunk or mad4 ,it is this reasonable instinct of our nature that our text embodies4 ,we do not say uprightness1 but levelness1 for it agrees with the idea of walking4 ,such meaning is1 that folly is self-condemned2 that if a man would put one foot before another1 or mentally move as he himself thinks level and right1 he would practically fear ,god2 but that he drops out of his own way1 and walks brokenly1 and with change of gait4 ,it is careless to define fear as anything beside fear itself4 ,a holy fear1 however1 is not terror2 and yet a being afraid more really and more tremblingly often than the sinner4 ,it is remarkable that when men have escaped wrath they begin most healthily to fear it1 and when men are faithless even to their own ways1 they despise the most the law of the ,almighty4 ,this text1 like many another1 is pregnant4 ,pregnant texts are ambidextrous1 and the alternative meanings1 though distinct1 are mutually embracing4 ,another sense is grammatical and equivalent in thought4 ,it would read ,his levelness1 and ,his ways1 referring to ,jehovah4 ,it is only substituting capitals4 ,it would mean1 ,he that walks in ,god's level track fears ,him2 but he that is turned out of ,god's way1 that is1 he that has got out of the line for which he was made1 instead of fearing1 as he might1 chooses that horrid moment for despising ,god4 ,he would rank this higher than an ambiguity2 for ,god's ways and man's ways1 when they are levelness and suited to our step1 are the same blessed track1 for we are created in the image of ,god4--,miller4 ,he that walketh so that the sincerity of his heart maketh the uprightness to be his1 for a feigned uprightness is of the devil1 not a man's own4 ,god is feared where goodness is embraced4 ,and1 as ,st4 ,basil speaketh1 the despising of the laws is the reproach of the lawmaker4--,jermin4 ,here is consolation to faithful men1 though not void of infirmities1 against the temptations of ,satan1 the calumniations of wicked men1 and the fears of their own hearts4 ,none are so much accused of contempt against ,god as those which are most religious4 ,the devil seeketh to persuade them there is nothing in them but fraud4 ,sinful men1 when they can charge against them no misdemeanours or lewdness of life1 exclaim that they are hypocrites1 and many doubts arise in their own souls by reason of the manifold imperfections of their lives4 ,but are they desirous impartially to keep every commandment1 if their power were answerable to their will8 ,do they endeavour to please ,god1 though they cannot do it perfectly8 ,then they are upright in their ways1 and walk in the law of the ,lord2 then ,god testifieth of them here1 that they are of the number of them that fear ,him1 and elsewhere ,he testifieth that all those that fear ,him they are blessed4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,speech ,a ,,rod4 ,i4 ,speech is a rod because it is emblematic of power4 ,a rod is an emblem of position and authority4 ,it represents more than it is4 ,speech is a sign of man's superiority to animal creation4 ,words in themselves are not much1 but they are mighty because of what they represent1 viz41 the soul of man4 ,the sceptre of a king may not in itself be of much value1 but it is of worth because of what it signifies4 ,,ii4 ,speech will be man's destruction or salvation according to his character4 ,the mouth of the fool represents the soul of the fool4 ,we have before noted the unwisdom and danger of him who is too proud to receive instruction 7see chap4 xi4 #a1 page #aib2 xiii4 #ah1 etc474 ,his proud boasting speech will by-and-by become the cause of his chastisement--a rod for his own back4 ,and the godly wise speech of the wise will be the means of his preservation and honour 7,see on chap4 xii4 #e-h1 page #bee1 vers4 #ag-ai1 page #bgd74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the fool's rod of pride is his tongue1 wherewith he assails and strikes others4 ,but it recoils on himself4 ,the instrument of punishment is called a rod1 not a sword1 to denote the contumely with which the proud shall be visited4--,fausset4 ,the rod in the mouth is often sharper than the rod in the hand 7,jer4 xviii4 #ah74 ,sometimes it strikes against ,god 7,exod4 v4 #b2 ,psa4 xii4 #c1 #d2 #b ,kings xix4 #aj72 sometimes it is the rod of ,his anger against ,his people 7,isa4 x4 #e7 permitted 7,rev4 xiii4 #e7 yet restrained 7,psalm cxxv4 #c74 ,always in the end it is the rod for the fool himself 7,psa4 lxiv4 #h74--;,bridges4 ,the mouth is the great word in the ,proverbs for our whole earthly agency4 ,the word translated rod is the favourite emblem of sovereignty4 ,a fool's life-work or energy is his sovereignty1 by which he would carve his way4 ,but it is a sceptre of pride4 ,his kingship is a notion of pride4 ,but the lips of the wise do really win1 and do really govern4 ,they have a true sceptre which shall really guard them4--,miller4 ,the lips of the wise preserve them4 #a4 ,from doing wrong to others1 in their loving mildness4 #b4 ,from suffering wrong from others1 by a wary heedfulness4 #c4 ,from the rod of ,god's anger1 in a humble craving pardon for their errors4 ,the former part of this verse ,st4 ,gregory applieth unto arrogant preachers1 who desire more sharply to reprove their afflicted hearers1 than sweetly to comfort them1 for they study more how they may condemn evil things by blaming of them1 than how they may commend good things by praising them4 ,they always desire those things which1 by fierce chiding1 they may beat upon4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,,the ,,clean ,,crib4 ,i4 ,an empty and clean crib does not fulfil the end for which it was made4 ,it was made for use2 it was made to hold food for the ox1 who earns1 by his labour1 the means of keeping it full4 ,when ,god first created this world1 and saw it lie before him in all its unsullied beauty1 ,he said that it was very good4 ,but1 beautiful as it was1 it was not to remain simply beautiful--it was to fulfil a higher purpose3 it was to be a dwelling-place for man4 ,and ,god gave it into the hands of men to build cities in it1 to dig quarries in it1 to mar in many respects its first beauty and order1 but to make it of more real worth as man's dwelling1 as his market1 as his workshop4 ,if man had never been compelled by hunger to put forth his hand and blacken its surface1 and spoil some of its lovely landscapes1 it would not have become what it now is1 his training-school for a higher life4 ,it would have been in perfect order and beauty1 but it would not have fulfilled the purpose for which it was created4 ,so with a large manufactory4 ,no doubt it looks cleaner and fresher on the day that it comes from the hands of the builder than it does when its chimneys are pouring forth smoke and its floors are covered with grimy machinery1 but if its owner were to build it simply to keep it clean by keeping it empty1 he would be looked upon as a madman4 ,so with the crib4 ,so long as there are no oxen to use it1 it can be kept empty and clean1 but there is no use in having a crib unless it is put to its use4 ,,ii4 ,if men want wealth they must not mind the labour and trouble of getting it4 ,this seems to be the idea of the proverb4 ,a clean crib can be kept1 if there are no oxen to use it2 but without oxen1 in ,solomon's days 7when wealth was chiefly gained by agriculture7 there would be no increase4 ,many men would like to be rich1 but they do not like the means by which alone they can obtain it4 ,they would like to handle the golden coins1 but they do not like to soil their fingers with honest toil to get it4 ,they would like to gather in a harvest in the sunny autumn1 but they do not like to plough and sow in the days of winter4 ,they would like the increase which the ox would bring1 but they do not like the trouble of cleaning his crib and caring for his wants4 ,but this is not possible4 ,the toil and the increase go together2 the labour must come before the wealth1 whether in relation to the body1 the soul1 or the spirit4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in its liberal meaning a household proverb1 ,labour has its rough unpleasant side1 yet it ends in profit4 ,but here1 as elsewhere1 there may be a meaning below the surface4 ,the life of contemplation may seem purer1 cleaner1 than the life of action4 ,the outer business of the world brings its cares and disturbances1 but also much increase4 ,there will be a sure reward of that activity in good works for him who goes1 as with the strength of the ox1 to the task to which ,god calls him4--,plumptre4 ,the literal sense of this verse seems to commend the care and pains of tillage4 ,or else we may take the words as shewing how the want of any needful instrument denieth the success of that which is desired1 though other things be ready4 ,but the words are more useful when taken by way of application4 ,wherefore1 in ,god's tillage1 for we are ,god's husbandry 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #i71 the oxen are ,his ministers--they are1 as ,jerome speaketh1 oxen that bear the yoke of the ,lord after whose steps he that soweth seed is blessed2 yea1 ,god ,himself is pleased to be joined in yoke with them1 for they are labourers with ,god in ,his husbandry4 ,they plough up the fallow ground by preaching and pressing repentance1 they bring the corn into the barn by bringing home wandering sinners into the bosom of the ,church2 they tread out the grains from the chaff and straw by subduing the corruptions of nature1 and separating it from the graces of ,god's ,spirit4 ,now1 where these oxen are wanting1 there the room will be empty1 swept and clean for him to enter in1 who quickly will fill it with the filth of the corruption of death4 ,but1 by the pains of the minister1 much increase there is of corn in the field of the ,lord--much increase is there of the seed of grace in the hearts of the people1 and of the fruits of godliness in their lives4--,jermin4 ,the ox is the most profitable of all the beasts used in husbandry4 ,except merely for speed1 he is almost in every respect superior to the horse4 ,he is longer-lived1 scarcely liable to disease1 steady1 lives1 fattens1 and maintains his strength on what a horse will not eat1 and when he is worn out in labour his flesh is good for food1 his horns useful1 and his hide almost invaluable4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #e see on chapter xii4 #ag1 #ai1 page #bgd2 also on verse #be of this chapter4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the man not walking in ,his levelness 7see verse #b7 shows by his staggering that he does not witness things correctly4 7,see ,critical ,notes for ,miller's translation of this verse47 ,the grand truth is here broached that the man who lies does not see correctly4 ,this is a universal doctrine4 ,moreover1 lies stand for all sin4 ,all sin1 therefore1 flows from being deceived4 ,a deep moral blindness is the source and measure of all possible transgression4 ,several proverbs depend for their significance upon this meaning1 a deceived rather than a deceiving witness4--,miller4 ,he that for conscience sake doth speak the truth in common and small matters1 he will also speak the truth in things of greater importance2 and he that is not ashamed of a lie in his private dealing1 he will also without shame bear false witness before a judge4 ,here1 then1 we be taught in the least things to ensure our tongues to speak the truth1 so shall we be preserved from false-witness bearing1 for the ,lord would not have us daily with sin4 4 4 4 ,if we would not have ,him punish our lesser frailties with greater sins--if we would not have ,him punish our secret sins with open and notorious offences1 then let us be afraid to tell a lie in the very lightest and most secret causes4--,greenham4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,,seeking1 ,,but ,,not ,,finding4 ,i4 ,a contradictory character--a scorner in quest of wisdom4 ,it would be strange to hear a man ask advice of a physician whose opinion he held in contempt1 or to ask guidance of a traveller whose judgment and ability he despised4 ,it would be obvious that the advice given or the rules laid down would not be followed4 ,so a scorner1 while he seeks wisdom1 scorns the only method of becoming wise4 ,he asks advice of those whom he despises1 he inquires the way to wisdom1 while he holds the road to it in utter contempt4 ,the antithesis of the verse implies that he does not find wisdom because he lacks understanding--because he finds it above his comprehension4 ,two children may be equally ignorant of knowledge1 but if one has the desire and the will to acquire it1 and the other has not1 what was hard to both at first will only continue hard to him who despises knowledge4 ,so the scorner fails to find wisdom because he does not value it enough to make an effort to acquire it4 ,the spirit in which he seeks is an effectual barrier against his finding4 ,,ii4 ,a man of teachable spirit is the only one who will ever find wisdom4 ,the man of understanding knows its value1 and therefore scorns neither it nor the means of attaining it4 ,therefore1 to him knowledge becomes easy4 ,a clever man and a dull one may be pupils of the same master1 but if the clever one thinks that he needs no instruction and the dull one feels his need1 what was above the comprehension of both at first will become easy to the teachable scholar1 while it will remain out of the reach of the self-sufficient one4 ,even a dull but willing pupil will learn faster than one who has intellectual ability1 but lacks the docile spirit4 ,a seeker of wisdom in any department of knowledge must become in relation to it as a child before his teacher2 he must acknowledge his ignorance1 and be willing to submit to the conditions of acquiring knowledge4 ,the same spirit is indispensable for the attainment of moral wisdom4 ,those who would learn of ,christ must take his yoke2 those who would know of the doctrine1 whether it be of ,god1 must be willing to do ,his will 7,matt4 xi4 #bi2 ,john vii4 #ag74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the ,greeks sought after wisdom1 but ,christ crucified was foolishness to them4 ,they were already too wise to admit of the preaching of the cross1 and scorned a tent-maker who would inform them of new doctrines which had never entered into their own minds1 and who would prove them by other methods than their favourite ones--eloquence and reasoning4--,lawson4 ,there are two descriptions of scorners4 ,there are scorners of truth1 from pride of intellect2 and there are scorners of authority1 from the pride of self-will4 ,they are nearly allied1 and they are frequently united4 ,it is the former that is chiefly meant here1 seeing the subject is knowledge rather than duty4--,wardlaw4 ,a page of ,hebrew1 what is it to a child8 ,it is absolutely nothing4 ,but the whole was easy to the ,hebrew eye4 ,a scorner has sought wisdom4 ,notice the past sense4 ,every scorner has done it4 ,take any impenitent man4 ,we may be sure some day or other he has sought spiritual intelligence4 ,but he has done it selfishly4 ,moreover1 he has done it fitfully and feebly4 ,he has groped4 ,he has made a sort of blind man's pass for knowledge1 and has come back with the averment that there is no such thing4 ,light is simple1 easy2 literally1 light as opposed to heavy2 light is obvious2 nothing can be more so2 but then1 as the inspired man advises us1 it is only easy to the discerning1 or understanding1 man4--,miller4 ,it is not by a one-sided action of the thinking power1 but only by undivided consecration of the whole nature to ,god1 which therefore involves1 above all other things1 a right relation of the spiritual nature to ,him1 that true knowledge in ,divine things can be attained4 ,the wise man1 however1 who has found the true beginning of wisdom1 in bowing his inmost will before the ,divine1 not as something to be mastered by the understanding1 but as something to be simply sought as a grace by the renunciation of the very self2 he can easily on this ground1 which ,god's own power makes productive1 attain a rich development of the understanding4--,elster4 ,wisdom estrangeth herself from the scorner1 as a gentlewoman hideth herself from a suitor whom she fancieth not4 4 4 4 ,as a loving spouse1 when he cometh to the door1 whom she affecteth1 will show herself to him1 and run to meet him1 so the grace of ,god's spirit offereth itself1 and draweth near unto the humble and modest4--,muffet4 ,by knowledge we may understand1 not the knowledge of the letter floating in the brain1 and flowing even at the tongue's end 7which1 indeed1 is not worth the name of knowledge72 but the true understanding of the word taught by the ,spirit1 which entereth into the heart1 and worketh on the affections1 frameth to obedience1 and assureth of everlasting life4 ,this1 indeed1 is healthful knowledge1 which the scorners1 though they seek1 shall never obtain4 ,and hereunto doth our ,saviour give witness1 when ,he saith3 ,many shall seek to enter in1 and cannot4--,greenham4 ,the finding of wisdom is that which needeth help from others4 ,more eyes than the eyes of one are requisite unto it4 ,and1 therefore1 a scorner1 who seeketh it with scorning of another's help2 yea1 who scorneth not only the help of man1 but of ,god also1 how can he ever find it8 ,if it be offered to him by another1 he will not accept it1 and if he seek it never so much in his own ways he shall not obtain it4 ,it is1 says ,clemens ,alexandrinus1 to draw out threads and to spin nothing2 and1 therefore1 whensoever he shall stand in need of it1 he shall not find it1 for wisdom and a scorner shall never meet4 ,but to him that understandeth his own defects and infirmities1 to him that understandeth how to make use of other men's abilities1 and that in the seeking of wisdom1 the assistance of ,god is chiefly to be sought1 to him it is a short course to come to it2 to him it is an easy matter to obtain it4--,jermin4 ,it is the constant profession of those who read the ,bible that they are seeking truth4 ,their likeness is taken here from life4 ,they seek wisdom1 but do not find it4 ,they want the first qualification of a philosopher1 a humble and teachable spirit4 ,there is a race of men among us at the present day who scorn bitterly against faith's meek submission to ,god's revealed will4 ,the divinity1 they say1 is in every man2 which means that every man is a god unto himself4 ,it is1 in its essence1 a reproduction of the oldest rebellion4 ,a creature discontented with the place which his ,maker has given him strives to make himself a god4 ,if men really were independent beings1 it would be right to assert and proclaim their independence2 but as matters really stand1 this desperate kicking against authority becomes the exposure of weakness1 and the punishment of pride4 ,we are not our own cause and our own end2 we are not our own lords4 ,we are in the hands of our ,maker1 and under the law of our ,judge4 ,our only safety lies in the submission to the rightful authority and obedience to the true law4 ,the problem for man is1 not to reject all masters1 but accept the rightful one4 4 4 4 ,in these days1 when the pendulum is often seen swinging from scepticism over to superstition1 and from superstition back to scepticism again1 we would do well to remember that there is truth between these extremes1 and that in truth alone lies safety for all the interests of men4 4 4 4 ,i see two men near each other prostrate on the ground and bleeding1 while one man stands between them1 with serenest aspect looking to the skies4 ,who and what are these8 ,the two prostrate forms are superstition and unbelief4 ,superstition bowed down to worship his idol1 and cut his flesh with stones to atone for his soul's sin4 ,unbelief scorned to be confined1 like an inferior creature1 to the earth1 and was ever leaping up in the hope of standing on the stars4 ,exhausted by his efforts he fell1 and the fall bruised him1 so that he lay as low as the neighbour whom he despised4 ,he who stands between them neither bowed himself to the ground1 nor attempted to scale the heavens4 ,he neither degraded himself beneath a man's place1 nor attempted to raise himself above it4 ,he abode on earth1 but he stood erect there4 ,he did not proudly profess to be1 but meekly sought to find ,god4 ,this man understands his place1 and feels his need2 to him1 therefore1 knowledge is easy4 ,to him that hath shall be given4 ,he has the beginning of wisdom1 and he will reach in good time its glad consummation4 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom4--,arnot4 ,there are four things that particularly unfit a man for such a task 7the finding of wisdom71 viz41 a very proud1 or a very suspicious temper1 false wit or sensuality4 ,the two last generally belong to the man whom we call a scorner1 the first are essential to him and inseparable from him4 4 4 4 ,pride makes a man see sufficient in his own eyes for all manner of speculations and inquiries1 and hence it comes that he1 not being duly qualified for every search1 is fain to take up with light and superficial accounts of things1 and then1 what he wants in true knowledge1 to make up in downright assurance4 ,by consequence it gives him just enough understanding to raise an objection1 but not enough to lay it2 which1 as it is the most despicable1 so it is also the most dangerous state of mind a man can be in4 ,he that is but half a philosopher is in danger of being an atheist2 a half physician is apt to turn empiric4 ,in all matters of speculation or practice1 he that knows but little of them1 and is very confident of his own strength1 is more out of the way of true knowledge than if he knows nothing at all4 ,and in this character there is always a strange and unreasonable suspicion1 by which he doubts everything he hears1 and distrusts every man he converses with4 ,he is so afraid of having his understanding imposed upon in matters of faith that he stands aloof from all propositions of that kind1 whether true or false4 ,which is1 as if a man should refuse to receive any money because there is a great deal of counterfeit2 or resolve not to make friendship with any man1 because many are not to be trusted4 ,a third part of a scorner's character is a false wit1 a way of ridiculing arguments instead of confuting them1 and a fourth is sensuality4 ,that this1 too1 does for the most part accompany a contempt of religion1 ,i appeal to the observation and experience of every man4--,bp4 ,atterbury4 ,he seeks it as a coward seeks his adversary1 with a hope that he shall not find him2 or as a man seeks his false coin1 which he hath no joy to look upon4 ,what is truth8 said ,pilate in a jeer to ,christ1 but stayed not the answer4 ,how can this man give us his flesh to eat8 said the carnal ,capernaites 7,john vi4 #eb71 and away then went--who1 if they had stayed out the sermon1 might have been satisfied on the point4 4 4 4 ,he that comes to the fountain to fill his pitcher must first wash it1 and then put the mouth of it downwards to take up water4 ,so he that would have heavenly knowledge must first quit his heart of corrupt affections and high conceits1 and then humble himself at ,god's feet1 everyone to receive ,his words 7,deut4 xxxiii4 #c74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #g-i4 ,,the ,,fool ,,and ,,the ,,prudent ,,man4 ,i4 ,how to know a fool4 ,the dead carcase that is above ground is its own evidence4 ,no one needs to inquire what it is1 or where it is4 ,the pestilential atmosphere which surrounds it tells its own tale4 ,so a fool is a self-evidencing person4 ,his words proclaim his character4 ,he says nothing that is worth saying4 ,nothing that can enlighten a man's mind or better his nature is to be found in his conversation4 ,the lips of knowledge are not with him4 ,but there is not simply the absence of wisdom4 ,he is not a negative character4 ,no man's soul can remain like an empty house2 if wisdom is absent sin comes in and takes up the abode4 ,the fool is also a knave4 ,the folly of fools is deceit1 and in this also he will sooner or later be his own evidence4 ,like particles of poisonous matter1 his deceit1 as well as his ignorance1 will make its presence known4 ,his words will sooner or later betray his untruthful character4 ,he will also be known by his profanity4 ,fools make a mock at sin4 ,the most perfect beings in ,god's universe regard sin as a serious matter1 knowing1 as they do1 the bitter fruits which spring from one sinful action4 ,god ,himself treats sin as a terrible and awful reality4 ,yet men are to be found who make light of it1 and others so depraved as to laugh at that which ,god regards with abhorrence1 and visits with retribution4 ,,ii4 ,how to treat a fool4 ,go from the presence of a foolish man4 ,there are three reasons why we go from the neighbourhood of a polluted and polluting carcase4 ,first1 its odour is offensive to us4 ,secondly1 to linger near may generate disease in our bodies4 ,thirdly1 being diseased ourselves1 we may become an occasion of injury to others4 ,so a man void of moral wisdom ought to be an offensive presence to every man4 ,our moral instincts ought to be strong enough without any outside voice to say1 ,go from him4 ,the folly of a fool1 being deceit1 he is an incarnation of the devil2 our own self-love should prompt us to quit his society4 ,the man that mocks at sin is a generator of moral disease1 we cannot be in his company without moral injury1 and if we catch the pestilence ourselves we shall in turn infect others with the disease4 ,,iii4 ,what constitutes a prudent or morally wise man4 ,he understands his way4 ,a fool cannot be said to have a way or method of life any more than the leaf which is driven before the wind1 or the timber that is floating down the rapid4 ,like them1 he is the victim of circumstances2 he is driven hither and thither by the currents of inclination or passion4 ,he has no way to understand4 ,he is as a cloud driven before the hurricane4 ,he floats like a rudderless vessel upon the sea of life4 ,but a prudent man has a way1 or method of life 7see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #ad71 and the great business of his life is to understand it--to find the best means of bringing his life into conformity with that rule of righteousness which is his standard of life2 to gather from the voice of ,god in revelation1 in conscience1 and in ,providence what course he is to pursue1 what at all times is the right thing to do1 and what is the right way of doing it4 ,this is the life-study of the man who is morally prudent1 and the highest aim that a man can propose to himself is to attain to a right understanding of his way4 7,on the latter clause of verse #i see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #ad47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #g4 ,the path of sin is much more easily avoided than relinquished4 ,we can far more easily keep out of the course of the stream than stem the torrent4--,bridges4 ,thou mayest tarry with a foolish man while he holdeth his peace1 and while he is willing and patient to hear thee4 ,for he may get knowledge by hearing1 and thou mayest have comfort by speaking4 ,but it is time to be gone when by his lips thou perceivest knowledge to be gone from them4--,jermin4 ,in nature1 some creatures are strong and bold1 having both instincts and instruments for combat3 other creatures are feeble but fleet4 ,it is the intention of their ,maker that they should seek safety1 not in fighting1 but in fleeing4 ,it would be a fatal mistake if the hare1 in a fit of bravery1 should turn and face her pursuers4 ,in the moral conflict of human life it is of great importance to judge rightly when we should fight and when we should flee4 ,the weak might escape if they knew their own weakness1 and kept out of harm's way4 ,that courage is not a virtue which carries the feeble into the lion's jaws4 ,i have known of some who ventured too far with the benevolent purpose of bringing a victim out1 and were themselves sucked in and swallowed up4 ,to go in among the foolish for the rescue of the sinking may be necessary1 but it is dangerous work1 and demands robust workmen4 4 4 4 ,the specific instruction recorded in ,scripture for such a case is1 save with fear1 pulling them out of the fire2 hating even the garment spotted with the flesh 7,jude #bc74 ,he who would volunteer for this work must fear lest the victim perish ere he get him dragged out1 and fear lest himself be scorched by the flame4--,arnot4 ,verse #h4 ,we are not to infer1 because wisdom eludes the scorner1 that it is1 therefore1 something mystic4 ,it fits earth so closely1 that it actually carves our way4 ,nay1 more closely still1 it is actually path-finding itself4 ,she takes a man from her very gate1 and tells him all that he must do4 ,she not only discerns paths1 but that is all of her2 she does nothing else4 ,the wisdom of the subtle is the making discernible of his way1 while1 on the other hand1 the folly of the stupid is 7its own7 delusion4 ,all of us having a way1 and all of us following it with the great energy of our lives1 ,the excellency and knowledge is1 that wisdom giveth life to them that have it4 ,wisdom grasps its end2 folly never4 ,wisdom is the great pathfinder2 folly a delusion4--,miller4 ,every man has a final destination before him4 ,the way of all is the way to the grave1 and to eternity4 ,but in that eternity are two widely different states4 ,to the opposite states there are two ways--the narrow1 and the broad4 ,oh the infinite value of true wisdom here1--the wisdom that understands both ways1 and rightly chooses between6 ,the folly of fools is deceit may mean that the folly of fools proves to them deceit4 ,their confidence in it1 and their expectations from it1 are sheer delusion4 ,or the sense may be1 deceit is the folly of fools4 ,new stratagems1 says ,lord ,bacon1 must be devised1 the old failing and growing useless2 and as soon as ever a man hath got the name of a cunning crafty companion1 he hath deprived himself utterly of the principal instrument for the management of his affairs1--which is trust4 ,policy1 therefore1 on this as on other accounts1 is the folly of fools4--,wardlaw4 ,when men are acquainted with everything but what they ought to know1 they are only notable fools4 ,if we had hearts large as the sands upon the sea-shore1 and filled with a world of things1 whilst we remained ignorant of the way of attaining true happiness1 we should resemble that philosopher who was busied gazing at the moon till he fell into the ditch4 4 4 4 ,they are fools who know other people's business better than their own4 ,some people1 if you will take their own word for it1 could reign better than the king and preach better than the minister4 ,they know1 in short1 how to manage in every condition but their own4--,lawson4 ,religion is an orderly thing1 as wise as it is warm4 ,whatever be the excitement of an irregular course1 more good is done by steady consistency4 ,to break the ranks in disorder1 to be eager to understand our neighbour's way 7,john xxi4 #ba1 #bb71 obscures the light upon our own4 ,the true wisdom is to understand what belongs to us personally and relatively 7#a ,kings iii4 #f-i2 ,eccles4 viii4 #e74 ,as ,god hath distributed to every man1 so let him walk1 and abide with ,god 7#a ,cor4 viii4 #ag74 ,let the eye do the work of the eye1 and the hand of the hand4 ,if ,moses prayed in the mount1 and ,joshua fought in the valley 7,exod4 xvii4 #aj1 #aa71 it was not because one was deficient in courage1 and the other in prayer2 but because each had his appointed work1 and understood his own way4--,bridges4 ,every one that goeth on in the right way doth not understand his way4 ,hence it is that many so often wander out of it1 hence that so easily they are drawn from it4 ,but he that is prudent looketh into his way1 considereth the dangers of it1 provideth himself against the enemies that he shall or may meet with1 and being well assured of the righteousness of the way1 he goeth on with confidence and safety4 ,and this is the wisdom of the prudent1 this proves him to be wise4 4 4 4 ,again1 the folly of fools1 though it be folly in themselves1 it is deceit to the devil1 who maketh them to think that to be the right way1 wherein they are clean out of the way4--,jermin4 ,verse #i4 ,the word here used signifieth both the fault and the guilt of it1 whereby the offender is liable unto wrath and punishment4 ,for they being firmly joined together1 the ,hebrew joineth them in the same word4 ,notwithstanding fools not finding the scourge of sin tied immediately unto the act committed1 as if they were mocked when they are told of punishment to come1 they make a mock at it4 ,the favour1 therefore1 which the righteous show them is quickly to make them feel the rod of justice4 ,for while they punish the offence they show great love to the offender1 not only in stopping the course of his sinning1 which is the stopping the increase of his misery1 but it may be also working his amendment1 which is the salvation of his soul4--,jermin4 ,the idea of sacrificial offering is that of expiation 7see ,critical ,notes for the renderings of the word translated sin73 it is a penitential work1 it falls under the prevailing point of view of an ecclesiastical punishment1 a satisfaction in a church-disciplinary sense4 ,the forgiveness of sin is conditioned by this1 7#a7 that the sinner either abundantly makes good by restitution the injury inflicted on another1 or in some other way bears temporal punishment for it1 and 7#b7 that he willingly presents the sacrifice of rams or of sheep1 the value of which the priest has to determine in its relation to the offence4 ,fools fall from one offence to another1 which they have to atone for by the presentation of sacrificial offerings2 the sacrificial offering mocketh them1 for it equally derides them on account of the self-inflicted loss1 and on account of the errors with which they must make good the effects of their frivolity and madness2 while on the contrary1 among men of upright character1 a relation of mutual favour prevails1 which does not permit that the one give to the other an indemnity1 and apply the trespass-offering4--,delitzsch4 ,sin makes a mock at fools2 but between upright beings there is favour4 ,not makes sport1 as a fool might1 of engaging in his sins4 ,a fool may make sport of sin1 but hardly could be said to make a mock at it4 ,sin makes a mock at fools1 but between upright beings1 or among the righteous1 we cannot conceive of any mockery4 ,the upright ,god1 and the upright saint2 the upright saint and the upright ,saviour2 grace and judgment2 faith1 and the scenes of the last day2 between these there must be goodwill1 i4e41 mutual delight and favour4 ,so #a ,john iv4 #ag1 #ah1 ,herein does the love gain its end between us 7that is1 between ,god and us2 see ver4 #af71 that we may have boldness in the day of judgment2 because as ,he is1 so are we in this world1 etc4--,miller4 ,among the righteous is favour2 that is to say1 the practice of virtue and uttering of gracious speeches1 joined with such goodwill and sweet joy as their meeting is like the precious ointment that was poured on the head of ,aaron4--,muffet4 ,the conduct of the man who makes a mock at sin involves--#a4 ,impiety4 ,to mock at sin is to despise ,god's holiness1 set at nought ,god's authority1 to abuse ,god's goodness1 to disregard and slight ,god's glory4 #b4 ,cruelty4 ,the scoffer may pretend to humanity1 but there breathes not on earth a more iron-hearted monster4 ,he may profess to feel for the miseries of mankind2 for the ravages of disease and death over their bodies2 of fire1 and flood1 and storm over their means of life and comfort2 of melancholy1 and idiocy1 and madness over their minds4 ,but he makes a mock at the prolific cause of all4 ,there is not an ill that man is called upon to suffer that does not owe its origin to sin4 ,like the star called wormwood in the ,apocalyptic vision1 it has fallen on very fountain and river of human joy1 turning all their waters into bitterness4 ,it is the sting of conscience4 ,it is the venom and barb of the darts of the ,king of ,terrors4 ,it is the very life of the worm that dieth not4 ,oh6 the miserably-mistaken flattery that can speak of the kind-heartedness of the man who laughs at that which is the embryo-germ of all the sufferings of time1 and all the woes of eternity4 #c4 ,infatuation4 ,sin is the evil that is ruining the sinner himself--the disease that is preying upon his own vitals--the secret consuming fire that is wasting his eternal all4 ,yet the deluded victim of its power makes a jest of it6--,wardlaw4 ,some men are so like their father1 the devil1 that they will tempt men to sin that they may laugh at them4--,lawson4 ,to complete the antithesis1 the sense must be supplied1 fools make a mock at sin 7and so incur the wrath of ,god72 but 7the righteous regard sin as a serious offence71 and therefore among the righteous there is the favour of ,god4--,fausset4 ,the fools' sport--sin4 #a4 ,sin1 which is so contrary to goodness that it is abhorred of those sparks and cinders which the rust of sin hath not quite eaten out of our nature as the creation left it4 #b4 ,sin1 which sensibly brings on present judgments1 or if not1 is the more fearful4 ,the less it receives here1 the more is behind4 #c4 ,sin1 that shall at last be laid heavy on the conscience3 the lighter the burden was at first1 it shall be at last the more ponderous4 ,the wicked conscience may for awhile lie asleep1 but this calm is the greatest storm4 #d4 ,sin1 which provokes ,god to anger4 #e4 ,sin1 which was punished even in heaven4 #f4 ,sin1 which ,god so loathed that he could not save men because of it1 except by the death of ,his own ,son4 ,oh1 think if ever man felt sorrow like ,him1 or if ,he felt any sorrow except for sin4 ,did the pressure of it lie so heavy upon the ,son of ,god1 and doth a son of man make light of it8 ,thou mocked at thy oppressions1 oaths1 frauds2 for these ,he groaned4 ,thou scornest ,his gospel preached2 ,he wept for thy scorn4 ,thou knowest not1 ,o fool1 the price of sin2 thou must do1 if thy ,saviour did not for thee4 ,if ,he suffered not this for thee1 thou must suffer it for thyself4--,t4 ,adams4 ,they dance with the devil all day1 and yet think to sup with ,christ4 ,their sweet meat must have sour sauce1 but among the righteous1 though they sin of infirmity1 yet forasmuch as they are sensible of and sorrowful for their failings1 and see them to confession1 ,god will never see them to their confusion4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,secrets ,,of ,,the ,,heart4 ,i4 ,opposite dwellers in the same spirit4 ,bitterness and joy4 ,the world without us is a type of the world within us4 ,in the world of matter the bitter cold1 the desolations of winter1 alternates with the brightness and joyous fruitfulness of summer4 ,on the same globe we have at the same time the vine-clad regions of southern latitudes1 and the dreary shores of arctic regions4 ,bitterness in the human spirit is a fact of human consciousness1 and so is joy4 ,there are few hearts that have not been at different times possessed by both4 ,there are few in which there does not dwell at the same time a root of gladness and a root of sadness4 ,,ii4 ,a possession which its possessor may keep a profound secret4 ,it is within the power of a human soul to keep his sorrow or his joy to himself if he so pleases1 and under certain conditions this is a desirable thing to do4 ,a man or woman often finds himself or herself surrounded by those who are entire strangers to the circumstances1 or the persons1 or the experiences which have given birth to the sorrow or the joy4 ,to speak of it to such would be worse than useless4 ,it is a comfort in such circumstances to be able to lock the secret within one's own breast4 ,there is a consolation in sorrow1 and a sense of increase of joy in not being compelled to lay open our feelings to the inspection of the unsympathetic4 ,there are also sorrows of such a nature as to be entirely beyond the power of the tenderest human love to alleviate4 ,to conceal such from all human ken is a kindness to those who love us4 ,we should inflict sorrow upon them without lightening our own burden2 and if we are unselfish1 we are glad that it is possible in such a case to keep our bitterness within our own breast4 ,,iii4 ,there is ,one who possesses the secret even more truly than the human possessor1 and who should always be invited to intermeddle with our sorrow or our joy4 #a4 ,we should invite ,god to intermeddle1 because we can do so in the strictest secrecy of the soul4 ,it may be impossible sometimes to put into words our joy or our sorrow1 and therefore no human being1 even the nearest and dearest1 can always intermeddle with our deep emotions4 ,but the thought is speech to ,god4 ,he knoweth what is in the mind of the spirit4 #b4 ,because ,god's intermeddling will bring softening to our bitterness and refinement to our joy4 ,he knew the sorrows of ,israel in their bitter bondage 7,exod4 iii4 #g74 ,he sent ,his ,son to bind up the broken-hearted 7,isa4 lxi4 #a74 ,that ,son ,himself has known a bitterness that is unknowable by any creature4 ,and as ,he can lighten sorrow so ,he can refine and increase joy4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,within the range of human experience there is1 perhaps1 no expression of the ultimate solitude of each man's soul at all times1 and not merely 7as in ,pascal's ,je mourrai seul7 at the hour of death1 so striking in its truth and depth as this4 ,something there is in every sorrow1 and in every joy1 which no one else can share4 ,beyond that range it is well to remember that there is a ,divine sympathy1 uniting perfect knowledge and perfect love4--,plumptre4 ,the first half of this proverb treats of life experiences which are too complex a nature to be capable of being fully represented to others1 and1 as we are wont to say1 of so delicate a nature that we shrink from uncovering them and making them known to others1 and which1 on this account1 must be kept shut up in our own hearts1 because no man is so near to us1 or has so fully gained our confidence1 that we have the desire and the courage to pour out our hearts to him from the very depths4 ,if we were to interpret the second clause as prohibitive 7see ,critical ,notes71 then this would stand in opposition1 certainly not intended1 to the exhortation 7,rom4 xii4 #ae71 ,rejoice with them that do rejoice1 and to the saying1 ,distributed joy is doubled joy1 distributed sorrow is half sorrow2 and an admonition to leave man alone with his joy1 instead of urging him to distribute it1 does not run parallel with the first clause4 ,therefore we interpret the future as potentialis4--,delitzsch4 ,not to let a man be private in his house is a great injury1 but not to let a man be private in his heart is a wrong inexcusable4 ,and yet this is the strange presumption of some4 ,they know the heart of another2 they know what troubles it and what pains it4 ,perhaps by some discoveries thou mayest have some conjectures2 but let not a small conjecture make thee a great offender4 ,wrong not another with unjust surmising4 ,every key a man meets with is not the right key to this lock2 every likelihood thou apprehendest is not a sure sign to make thee know the heart of another4--,jermin4 ,a knowing heart is a bitterness to itself2 but with its joy it does not hold intercourse as an enemy4 ,we venture upon this translation4 ,we find no spiritual sense in the one heretofore given4 4 4 4 ,a heart spiritually enlightened is a bitterness to itself on the principle which ,christ meant when ,he said1 ,he came not to send peace1 but a sword 7,matt4 x4 #cd72 but with its joy1 weak as it may be1 and small and easily clouded1 it does not1 as the impenitent do1 hold intercourse as with an enemy4 ,his joy is like his bitterness1 a friend2 and all will work in opposite direction to the joy of the wicked4--,miller4 ,eli could not enter into the bitterness of soul of ,hannah 7#a ,sam4 i4 #aj1 #ac1 #af73 nor ,gehazi into that of the ,shunamite woman 7#b ,kings iv4 #bg74 ,michal1 though the wife of ,david1 was a stranger to his joy at the bringing up of the ark to ,zion 7#a ,sam4 xviii4 #ac1 #bj1 with #b ,sam4 vi4 #ab-af74--;,fausset4 ,the two extreme experiences of a human heart1 which comprehend all others between them1 are bitterness and joy4 ,the solitude of a human being in either extremity is a solemnising thought4 ,whether you are glad or grieved1 you must be alone4 ,the bitterness and the joyfulness are both your own4 ,it is only in a modified sense1 and in a limited measure1 that you can share them with another1 so as to have less of them yourself4 4 4 4 ,sympathy between two human beings is1 after all1 little more than a figure of speech4 ,a physical burden can be divided equally between two4 ,if you1 unburdened1 overtake a weary pilgrim on the way1 toiling beneath a load of a hundred pounds weight1 you may volunteer to bear fifty of them for the remaining part of the journey1 and so lighten his load by half4 ,but a light heart1 however willing it may be1 cannot so relieve a heavy one4 ,the cares that press upon the spirit are as real as the load that lies on the back1 and as burdensome2 but they are not so tangible and divisible4 4 4 4 ,there are1 indeed1 some very intimate unions in human society1 as organized by ,god4 4 4 4 ,the closest of them all1 the two no longer twain1 but one flesh1 is a union of unspeakable value for such sympathy as is compatible with distinct personality at all4 4 4 4 ,the wife of your bosom can1 indeed1 intermeddle with your joys and sorrows1 as no stranger can do1 and yet there are depths of both in your breast which even she has no line to fathom4 ,when you step into the waters of life's last sorrow1 even she must stand back and remain behind4 ,each must go forward alone4 ,the ,indian suttee seems nature's struggle against that fixed necessity of man's condition4 ,but is a vain oblation4 ,although the wife burn on the husband's funeral pile1 the frantic deed does not lighten the solitude of the dark valley4 ,one human being cannot be merged in another4 ,man must accept the separate personality that belongs to his nature4--,arnot4 ,it is true1 observes a philosophic essayist1 that we have all much in common2 but what we have most in common is this1 that we are all isolated4 ,man is more than a combination of passions common to his kind4 ,beyond them and behind them1 an inner life1 whose current we think we know within us1 flows on in solitary stillness4 ,friendship itself is declared to have nothing in common with this dark sensibility1 so repellent and so forbidding1 much less may a stranger penetrate to those untrodden shores4 ,we may apply ,wordsworth's lines1-- ,to friendship let him turn ,for succour2 but perhaps he sits alone ,on stormy waters1 tossed in a little boat ,that holds but him1 and can contain no more4 --,jacox4 ,by this thought the worth and the significance of each separate human personality is made conspicuous1 not one of which is the example of a species1 but each has its own peculiarity1 which no one of countless individuals possesses4--,elster4 ,who but a parent can fully know the bitterness of his grief who mourneth for an only son--of him who is in bitterness for his first-born4 ,who but a parent can sympathise with the royal mourner's anguish over a son that has died in rebellion against his father and his ,god6 ,who but a widow can realise the exquisite bitterness of a widow's agony when bereft of the loved partner of her joys and sorrows6 ,who but a pastor can know1 in all its intensity1 the bitterness of soul experienced in seeing those on whom he counted as genuine fruits of his ministry1 and on whom he looked with delighted interest1 as his anticipated joy and crown in the day of the ,lord1 falling away--going back and walking no more with ,jesus4--,wardlaw4 ,the principal thought of verse #aa has been treated before4 ,see on chapter ii4 #ba1 #bb1 etc4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the wicked build houses on the earth2 the earth is their home1 where they desire to be1 and they imagine to settle themselves in it4 ,the upright do set up tabernacles only1 seeking another country1 and as knowing the uncertainty upon which the world standeth4 ,for though the habitation of the wicked be a house1 and rooted in the earth1 yet it shall not only be shaken1 but overthrown1 and though the abiding of the upright be but a tabernacle pinned to the earth1 yet shall it stand so safely that it shall flourish like a rooted tree4 ,wherefore1 when in the ,revelation we read ,woe to the inhabitants of the earth 7chap4 viii4 #ac71 ,st4 ,jerome understands it of the wicked only4 ,for a godly man is not an inhabiter of the earth1 but a stranger and a sojourner4 ,and his tabernacle doth so flourish1 that it reacheth to heaven1 for he hath his dwelling in heaven to whom the whole world is an inn4--,jermin4 ,the house of the wicked may be a most prosperous one1 and may seem to be full of peace2 but it is doomed4 ,it must become desolate1 literally astonished2 which is the eastern way of describing great downfalls4 ,but the tent of the upright 7another intensive clause7 his slenderest possessions2 like a sprout2 like some poor tender plant1 shall bloom forth4 ,such is the meaning of flourish4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,what ,,seems ,,to ,,be1 ,,and ,,what ,,is4 ,i4 ,human nature needs more light than is found in the human conscience4 ,the way which seems right unto a man may be the way of death4 ,a mariner who has insufficient light to observe correctly the needle in the compass1 may think he is steering for the haven when he is taking the vessel straight upon the rocks4 ,he may be very sincere in his conviction that he is going right1 but his thinking so will not make it so4 ,he needs more light than he has4 ,so the light of conscience is not enough to guide a man with certainty in the true and right way4 ,if conscientious sincerity was an infallible guide ,paul would not have delivered to prison men and women for being followers of ,jesus of ,nazareth 7,acts4 xxii4 #d74 ,the way that in his ignorance seemed right to him1 was felt by him to be a way of death when his conscience was enlightened4 ,conscience may be deadened by sin1 or warped by prejudice or self-interest2 it is not a reliable and certain guide4 ,if it were1 it was needless for the ,son of ,god to visit the earth and make known the will of ,his ,father--the revelation of ,god's will in the books of the ,old and ,new ,testaments is a superfluity4 ,the existence of the ,bible is explained by the fact which is found to be true by all ,god-taught men1 that the way of man is not in himself3 it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps 7,jer4 x4 #bc74 ,god1 by speaking unto men in sundry times and in divers manners1 and especially in these last days by ,his ,son 7,heb4 i4 #a7 declares plainly that man needs something outside of himself to guide him into that path of righteousness which alone is a way of life4 ,the history of the world confirms this truth4 ,observation of every-day life tells the same tale4 ,,ii4 ,the need of human nature has been fully met4 ,all that the mariner needs in order to keep the vessel's head right is light to see the compass4 ,god in ,christ is a sufficient light to man4 ,paul says3 ,god1 who commanded the light to shine out of darkness1 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #f74 ,christ ,himself tells us that it is those only who follow ,him who have the light of life 7,john viii4 #ab74 ,that the way thus revealed is fully adapted to meet man's need is proved by the results which follow from walking in it4 ,the progress which a sick man makes towards health is the most convincing proof of the efficacy of his physician's treatment4 ,the light which is shed upon men by the revelation of ,god1 and especially by the ,gospel1 has been proven by its result upon individuals and upon nations1 to be all-powerful to turn men from darkness to light1 and from the power of ,satan unto ,god 7,acts xxvi4 #ah74 ,the way of sin is the way of death--death morally1 socially1 and physically4 ,the way of holiness is the only way of spiritual life to the soul and to the community1 and ensures victory over the penalty of bodily death4 ,,illustration4 ,,the ,,last ,,words ,,of ,,hildebrand4--,one of the greatest of the sons of earth 7if we measure greatness either by posthumous fame or posthumous influence7 lay on his death bed4 ,prelates1 princes1 priests1 devoted adherents and attendants stood around4 ,anxious to catch the last accents of that once oracular voice1 the mourners were bending over him1 when1 struggling in the very grasp of death1 he collected1 for one last effort1 his failing powers1 and breathed out his spirit with the indignant exclamation1 ,i have loved righteousness and hated iniquity1 and therefore ,i die in exile4 4 4 4 ,that he went into the unseen world consciously and deliberately with a lie in his right hand1 is a supposition utterly inadmissible4 ,passionate earnestness and intense conviction were stamped upon all his words and works4 4 4 4 ,he had climbed the slippery steps of intrigue to the ,papal throne1 and to set that throne above all thrones of the earth1 and to cause everyone1 both small and great1 rich and poor1 free and bond1 to bow down in the dust before it1 was thenceforward his sole aim and object4 4 4 4 ,it was for this that he enforced that celibacy of the clergy which has ever since been the law of the ,church4 ,he found thousands of married priests ministering at her altars in innocence of heart1 thinking no sin1 and fearing no dishonour4 4 4 4 ,he commanded them to put away their wives on pain of excommunication1 which meant deprivation of all rights1 spiritual1 social1 and human4 4 4 4 ,one cry of indignation1 one prolonged and bitter wail of agony1 arose throughout ,europe1 from the ,apennines to the ,baltic ,sea4 4 4 4 ,wives were torn from their husbands1 children from their fathers4 ,popular fanaticism allied itself with ,papal tyranny4 4 4 4 ,there was no pity for worse than widowed wives1 and worse than orphaned children flung out upon the cold world to starve4 ,the ,pontiff trod his stern1 remorseless way over broken hearts4 4 4 4 ,but he had a dangerous antagonist to encounter4 4 4 4 ,the ,holy ,roman ,empire and the ,holy ,roman ,church were together to dominate the world4 ,but which of them was to dominate the other8 ,hildebrand's long contest with ,henry ,,iv4 may be said to have decided the question4 ,but with what weapons was it fought8 ,we see the gallant ,saxons tempted by bribes and promises to revolt1 and then1 in their hour of distress1 treacherously abandoned by him who was at once their ally and spiritual father1 and to whom they addressed in vain those noble and pathetic remonstrances which1 even to this day1 cannot be read without emotion4 ,thus ,hildebrand loved righteousness44 4 4 ,but the ,pontiff1 so stern to his antagonists1 could be mild to his allies4 ,keen swords in strong hands were necessary to support his power1 the heaviest swords in ,europe were borne by ,norman knights4 ,robert1 the conqueror of ,sicily1 ,william1 the conqueror of ,england1 were the representative men of this fierce and fiery race4 4 4 4 ,they were bloody1 avaricious and unscrupulous4 ,no more cruel conquerors ever turned a fruitful land into a waste1 howling wilderness4 ,no more remorseless oppressors ever trod down the poor with a heel of iron4 4 4 4 ,but their crimes were unrebuked by ,hildebrand4 4 4 4 ,william was addressed in the blandest accents of esteem and tenderness1 while ,robert1 the tyrant of ,sicily1 was embraced and honoured as the faithful ally of ,rome4 ,thus ,hildebrand hated iniquity4 ,that way in which he walked all his life long with a consistency of purpose and intensity of energy that moves our admiration1 seemed right unto himself1 nay1 it seemed to be pre-eminently the way of righteousness1 but what shall we say of the end thereof4--,etchings from ,history1 by ,miss ,alcock4 ,see ,sunday at ,home1 ,february #aeth1 #ahgi4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,souls perish always with surprise4 4 4 4 ,but yet the seeing here noted must be taken cum grano4 ,deep in the lost heart of the knowledge of its end1 rather its afterpart4 ,the way lasts for ever1 and its afterward is the ways of death6 ,deep in the lost man's heart he knows all this1 and this makes a dark ground for his gaieties4 7,see next verse47--,miller4 ,there are some ways which can hardly seem right to any man--the ways1 namely1 of open and flagrant wickedness4 ,but there are many ways1 which1 under the biassing influence of pride and corruption1 seem right1 and yet their end is death4 ,i4 ,the way of the sober1 well-behaved worldling4 ,he thinks of the law as if it had been only one table1 the first being entirely overlooked4 ,he passes among his circle for a man of good character1 and flatters himself1 in proportion as he is flattered by others1 that all is right4 4 4 4 ,but his way is not the way of life1 for ,god is not in it4 ,,ii4 ,the way of the formalist4 ,he follows1 strictly and punctually1 the round of religious observance4 4 4 4 ,but his heart has not been given to ,god4 ,the world still has it4 ,he compromises the retention of its affections for the things of sense by giving ,god the pitiful and worthless offering of outward homage4 ,but it will not do4 ,those services cannot terminate in life1 which have no life in them4 ,,iii4 ,the way of the speculative religionist4 ,from education1 or as a matter of curiosity1 he has made himself an adept in religious controversy4 ,he holds by the creed of orthodoxy1 and imagines that this kind of knowledge is religion4 ,but speculative opinion is not saving knowledge--is not the faith which worketh by love and overcomes the world4--,wardlaw4 ,good intentions are not a justification for wrong doing 7#b ,sam4 vi4 #f74 ,judges xvii4 #f gives an awful illustration of the end of every man doing that which is right in his own eyes4 7,cf4 the prohibition of this1 ,deut4 xii4 #h47--;,fausset4 ,this may be his easily besetting sin1 the sin of his constitution1 the sin of his trade4 ,or it may be his own false views of religion3 he may have an imperfect repentance1 a false faith1 a very false creed4 ,many of the ,papists1 when they were burning the saints of ,god in the flames of ,smithfield1 thought they were doing ,god service4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,the self-delusion of one ends in death by the sentence of the judge1 that of another in self-murder2 of one in loathsome disease1 of another in slow decay under the agony of conscience1 or in sorrow over a henceforth dishonoured and distracted life4--,delitzsch4 ,sin comes clothed with a show of reason 7,exodus i4 #aj72 and lust will so blear the understanding1 that he shall think there is great sense in sinning4 ,adam was not deceived 7#a ,tim4 ii4 #ad71 that is1 he was not so much deceived by his judgment--though also by that too--as by his affection to his wife1 which at length blinded his judgment4 ,the heart first deceives us with colours2 and when we are once a-doting after sin1 then we join and deceive our hearts 7,james i4 #bf71 using fallacious and specious sophism1 to make ourselves think that lawful to-day which we held unlawful yesterday4 4 4 4 ,but it falls out with us as with him that1 lying upon a steep rock1 and dreaming of good matters befallen him1 starts suddenly for joy1 and breaks his neck at the bottom4 ,as he that makes a bridge of his own shadow cannot but fall into the water1 so neither can he escape the pit of hell who lays his own presumption in the place of ,god's promise4--,trapp4 ,some say1 surely ,god will not punish a man hereafter who conscientiously walks up to his convictions1 although these convictions be in point of fact mistaken4 ,they err1 knowing neither the inspired ,word of ,god nor natural laws4 ,do men imagine that ,god1 who has established this world in such exquisite order1 and rules it by regular laws1 will abdicate1 and leave the better world in anarchy8 ,this world is blessed by an undeviating connection between cause and effect2 will the next be abandoned to random impulses1 or left to chaos8 4 4 4 ,it is not even conceivable that the direction of a man's course could not determine his landing-place4 4 4 4 ,perhaps the secret reason why an expectation so contrary to all analogy is yet so fondly entertained1 is a tacit disbelief in the reality of things spiritual and eternal4 ,we see clearly the laws by which effects follow causes in time2 but the matters upon which these laws operate are substantial realities4 ,if there were a firm conviction that the world to come is a substance1 and not merely a name1 the expectation would naturally be generated1 that the same principles which regulate the ,divine administration of the world now1 will stretch into the unseen1 and rule it all4 4 4 4 ,truth shines like light from heaven2 but the mind and conscience within the man constitute the reflector that receives it4 ,thence we must read off the impression1 as the astronomer reads the image from the reflector at the bottom of his tube4 ,when that tablet is dimmed by the breath of evil spirits dwelling within1 the truth is distorted and turned into a lie4--,arnot4 ,there is no way which doth not seem right in his eyes who liketh to go in it4 ,for man is led in all things by a seeming good2 and such is the foulness of doing amiss1 that it must put on the painted colours of doing right1 or else it cannot draw the eyes of man's mind unto it4 ,but it is the not seeing the end which causeth the seeming rightness of the way1 and it is to man that it seems so1 who is so apt to be deceived4 ,he that hath a long fight1 and in the beginning can see the end1 he maketh the shortest journey and speedeth the best in it4 ,if the beginning be a due consideration of the end1 the end will be a beginning of true joy and comfort4 ,it is not so in the way which seemeth to be right4 ,for being but a way1 it is passed and ended1 and then begin the ways of death1 which are said to be many1 because there is an endless going on in them4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,true ,,and ,,false ,,mirth4 ,this proverb1 as it stands in our ,english version1 cannot be taken as universally true4 ,the first clause is rendered by some translators--,even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful 7see ,critical ,notes71 and experience and ,bible teaching both necessitate our giving a limitation to the second clause also4 ,i4 ,whether mirth will end in heaviness depends upon its character--therefore upon the character of the man who is mirthful4 ,there is an innocent and right mirth1 there is an ill-timed1 guilty mirth4 ,the end of lawful mirth is not heaviness4 ,it is good for the body4 ,a physician is glad to see his patient mirthful4 ,he knows that it will act most beneficially1 and assist his recovery to health4 ,a mirthful man will not suffer so much physical injury from the wear and tear of life as one who is always sombre and melancholy4 ,lawful mirth is good for the mind4 ,it is the unbending of the bow which breaks if it is kept always at its extreme tension4 ,a man who is naturally mirthful--who is ever disposed to see men and things in their brightest colours1 must be a creature of hope1 and hope has power to surround those who possess her with a paradise of their own creation1 which is very independent of outward circumstances4 ,natural1 wholesome mirth will make a man much stronger to do and to bear all the duties and trials of life4 ,but natural1 lawful mirth is only proper to godly men4 ,christians are the only people in the world who have reason to be glad4 ,all those who are worthy of the name ought to be able1 amidst all the saddening influences of life1 to hold fast such a confidence in ,god as shall leave room for the play even of mirth4 ,but the man who is in a state of alienation from ,god has no reason to be mirthful1 his mirth must be either feigned or the result of a thoughtless disregard of his own relations to ,god and eternity4 ,the end of such mirth must be heaviness4 ,,ii4 ,laughter is not always an index of feeling4 ,there is doubtless much that passes for mirth among the ungodly that is merely a blind to conceal intentions or feelings deeply hidden in the soul4 ,the seducer laughs at the fears and misgivings of his victim1 but his laugh is not the laugh of the light-hearted1 ,god-fearing man4 ,its very ring tells any unprejudiced hearer that there is a flaw somewhere1 and it is only assumed to enable him to effect his purpose4 ,in such laughter there may not be present actual sorrow1 but there is an entire absence of gladness of heart4 ,but laughter often veils the deepest and most heartfelt misery4 ,the poor drunkard will laugh at the debauchery of the past night while he feels a bitter consciousness of his degradation4 ,many a man laughs with his gay companions1 and all the while sees a dread future rising up before him which he trembles to meet4 ,the character of him who laughs will afford the best clue by which to determine whether or not the laughter is the outcome of genuine mirth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,already the wise king was beginning to experience what he more fully states in ,eccles4 ii4 #b2 vii4 #f4 ,men's very pleasures turn into their opposites4--,fausset4 ,not of its own nature1 of course2 for a proverb has already said that there is a joy which is not our foe4 ,not this is always the case2 but there is such a case4 ,because the wicked get nothing really but their ways 7verse #ad74--,miller4 ,the sun doth not ever shine3 there is a time of setting4 ,no day of jollity is without its evening of conclusion1 if no cloud of disturbance prevent it with an overcasting4 ,first ,god complains1 men sing1 dance1 and are jovial and neglectful2 at last man shall complain1 and ,god shall laugh at their calamity4 ,who should ,god be conjured to receive that spirit dying which would not receive ,god's ,spirit living8--,t4 ,adams4 ,as soon might true joy be found in hell as in the carnal heart4 ,as soon might the tempest-tossed ocean be at rest as the sinner's conscience 7,isa4 lvii4 #bj1 #ba74 ,he may feast in his prison1 or dance in his chains4 4 4 4 ,but if he has found a diversion from present trouble1 has he found a cover from everlasting misery8 ,it is far easier to drown conviction than to escape damnation4 4 4 4 ,but the end of that mirth implies another with a different end4 ,contrast the prodigal's mirth in the far country with his return to his father's house when they began to be merry4--,bridges4 ,every human heart carries the feeling of disquiet and of separation from its true home1 and of the nothingness1 transitoriness of all that is earthly2 and in addition to this1 there is many a secret sorrow in everyone which grows out of his own corporeal and spiritual life1 and from his relation to other men2 and this sorrow1 which from infancy onward is the lot of the human heart1 and which more and more deepens and diversifies itself in the course of life1 makes itself perceptible even in the midst of laughter1 in spite of the mirth and merriment1 without being able to be suppressed or expelled for the soul1 returning always the more intensely1 the more violently we may for a time have kept it under1 and sunk it in unconsciousness4 ,from the fact that sorrow is the fundamental condition of humanity1 and forms the back-ground of laughter1 it follows that it is not good for man to give himself up to joy1 viz41 sensual 7worldly71 for to it the issue is sorrow4--,delitzsch4 ,there are two sorts of joys--the joy natural and the joy spiritual2 the joy of vanity and the joy of verity2 a joy in the creature and a joy in the ,creator2 a joy in a mutable thing and a joy in a matter immutable4 ,the spiritual joys are the joys of the palace4 ,the natural joys are the joys of prisoners4 ,these are to worldlings that are without ,god seeming joys1 because they know no better4 ,they cannot get ,penelope1 they will be suitors to her maidens4 4 4 4 ,the godly are like the ant1 they are first weary1 then merry2 but the ungodly are like the grasshopper1 first they sing and then they sorrow4--,bishop ,abernethy1 #afcj4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,satisfaction ,,and ,,dissatisfaction4 ,i4 ,the position and character of the backslider4 ,the word suggests that there has been a time in the past when his moral standing was high4 ,there must have once been a going forward1 if there is now a sliding backward4 ,up to a certain time progress was made4 ,of many followers of our ,lord it is written that from a certain period they went back and walked no more with ,him 7,john vi4 #ff74 ,they had walked with ,him in outward discipleship at least1 and it is probable that their hearts had been more or less influenced for good4 ,their walking no more was a going back probably in outward life1 certainly in right disposition towards the ,christ of ,god4 ,the man of our text is a backslider in heart4 ,then there must once have been a going forward of his soul towards ,god and goodness1 and outward movement towards righteousness and peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but the forward movement has ceased--the retrograde movement has set in within the man1 although it may not immediately be seen in his outward conduct4 ,solomon was himself a sad example of a backslider4 ,in his early days his heart was turned towards his ,god1 his desires after righteousness were strong1 his moral progress a reality4 ,no one can read his dedication prayer without feeling that the man who offered it stood in right relations with his ,god--that his aspirations were after righteousness of heart and life4 ,he is himself a proof of the certain fact that a man can terribly deteriorate in character even after he has given evidence of a progression in the good and the right way4 ,,ii4 ,his portion4 ,he shall be filled with his own ways4 ,retribution will flow from both his past and present character4 ,the remembrance of what he once was will embitter the present4 ,to think of what might have been is in itself a hell when a man feels that by his own act he is now far lower in the moral scale than he once was4 ,how it must embitter the misery of the fallen angels to remember that they once stood sinless before ,god's throne1 and1 but for their own act1 would stand there still4 ,in one of the writings of ,lucian1 he represents the ghost of a man who has left the world coming up for judgment before the bar of ,rhadamanthus4 ,he had lived so depraved a live that his judge exclaims that a new punishment is needed that will be in some degree adequate to his unparalleled villany4 ,a poor cobbler1 standing by1 suggests that it will be enough if the cup of ,lethe1 which was supposed to obliterate all remembrance of the past1 and which each shade was permitted to drink as he passed from the dread tribunal1 should1 in this instance1 be withheld4 ,and the criminal was therefore condemned to remember for ever what he had done in life1 and this was held to be retribution sufficient for the worst of crimes4 ,and if this is true of every wicked man1 surely to be filled with the remembrance of what he once was will be the bitterest cup that can be the portion of every backslider4 ,,iii4 ,the portion of the godly man4 ,he1 too1 shall be filled with his own ways1 but it will be the fulness of satisfaction4 ,the foundation of real happiness is in character alone4 ,the blessedness of the ,eternal ,god comes from nothing outside of ,himself4 ,it has its foundation in ,his own perfect character4 ,so nothing outside a man can yield him satisfaction4 ,it must come from what he is--from his partaking of some degree of the character of the ever-blessed ,god4 ,in proportion as he approaches that--in proportion as he brings forth the fruits of righteousness--will he be conscious of a well-spring of satisfaction which is quite independent of outward circumstances4 ,this well-spring has the advantage of being always at hand4 ,a man may often find himself shut out from external sources of joy1 death may part him from those who have largely ministered to his happiness1 but wherever he is--whether in this world or another--a well of water which is within him 7,john iv4 #ad7 is always at hand4 ,it is needless to remark that this well-spring does not originate with man1 but is the outcome of relationship and communion with ,god4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,temporary backsliding may take place in the true children of ,god2 but the backslider here is evidently he who1 in the language of the apostle1 goes back into perdition4 ,solomon alludes to such perpetual backsliding on the part of those who thus prove themselves to have been no more than professors--having the form of godliness1 but denying the power thereof4 ,such characters1 whatever appearances they present to the eye of men1--even of the people of ,god1 with whom they associate1 never were vitally and savingly one with ,christ1 and one with true believers in ,him4 ,this is as plainly affirmed as it is in the power of language to affirm it4 ,they went out from us but they were not of us2 for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us2 but they went out1 that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us 7#a ,john ii4 #ai74--,wardlaw4 ,every spot is not the leprosy4 ,every mark of sin does not prove a backslider4 ,a man may be overtaken in a fault 7,gal4 vi4 #a72 or it may be the sin of ignorance 7,lev4 iv4 #b2 ,heb4 v4 #b7 or sin abhorred1 resisted1 yet still cleaving 7,rom4 vii4 #ae-bd74 ,backsliding implies a wilful step2 not always open1 but the more dangerous1 because hidden4 ,here was no open apostasy1 perhaps no tangible inconsistency4 ,nay1 the man may be looked up to as an eminent saint1 but he is a backslider in heart4--,bridges4 ,the upright is satisfied from his own conscience1 which though it be not the original spring1 yet is the conduit at which he drinks peace1 joy and encouragement4--,flavel4 ,the wicked are travelling2 and they seek an end2 and they confidently expect it1 but they never get it4 ,what they do get1 therefore is their journey4 ,the old man has got about enough of travelling1 but enough1 if he be an impenitent man1 of nothing else1 in either world1 whatever4 ,the saint may have very little on the earth1 but he has made more than his own journey4 ,the backslider in heart4 ,not a ,christian4 ,a ,christian never really backslides4 ,not1 therefore1 what our usage means1 but a heart sliding back1 as every lost heart does4 ,the writer has but written a fresh name for the impenitent4 ,such a sliding heart will just have its journey at last1 and nothing for it4--,miller4 ,what a world of sound theology lies in the deliverance of this verse--telling us much how the rewards and punishments of the ,divine administration lie in the subjective state1 apart from the objective circumstances4--,chalmers4 ,good men know within themselves that they have in heaven a better and more enduring substance 7,heb4 x4 #cd72 within themselves1 they know it not in others1 not in books1 but in their own experience and apprehension4 ,they can feelingly say that in doing ,god's will--not only for doing it1 or after it was now done1 but even while they were doing it--there was great reward 7,psa4 xix4 #aa74 ,righteousness is never without a double joy to be its strength3 ,joy in hand and in hope1 in present possession and in certain reversion 7,bernard74--,trapp4 ,all engineering proceeds upon the principle of reaching great heights or depths by almost imperceptible inclines4 ,the adversary of men works by this will4 ,when you see a man who was once counted a ,christian standing shameless on a mountain-top of impiety1 or lying in the miry pit of vice1 you may safely assume that he has long been worming his way in secret on the spiral slimy track by which the old serpent marks and smooths the way to death4 4 4 4 ,whatever the enormity it may end in1 backsliding begins in the heart4 4 4 4 ,there is a weighing beam exposed to public view1 with one scale loaded and resting on the ground1 while the other dangles high and empty in the air4 ,everybody is familiar with the object1 and its aspect4 ,one day curiosity is arrested by observing the low and loaded beam is swinging aloft1 while the side which hung empty and light has sunk to the ground4 ,speculation is set on edge by the phenomenon1 and at rest again by the discovery of its cause4 ,for many days certain diminutive but busy insects had1 for some object of their own1 been transferring the material from the full to the empty scale4 ,day by day the sides approached an equilibrium1 but no change took place in their position4 ,at last a grain more removed from one side and laid in the other reversed the preponderance1 and produced the change4 ,there is a similar balancing of good and evil in the human heart4 ,the sudden outward change proceeds from a gradual inward preparation4--,arnot4 ,every man1 both good and bad1 shall feel himself sufficiently recompensed for his service4--,dod4 ,a good man shall be satisfied from himself4 ,i4 ,he can bear his own company1 his own thoughts4 ,what is it that makes solitude so irksome to mankind8 ,they cannot bear reflection4 4 4 4 ,generally1 we know1 all is not right4 ,men do not like to look steadily at themselves1 because1 like the bankrupt tradesman who dreads striking a balance1 they have a secret suspicion that their lives will not bear a rigid scrutiny4 4 4 4 ,the good man does not fear to probe his wound to the bottom4 ,,ii4 ,he is independent1 as other men are not1 of earthly vicissitudes4 ,men who have their portion here are never safe4 ,the world is a disappointing world1 but the good man's eyes are opened to the glories of a better4 4 4 4 ,it is a doomed world1 but his treasure is safe4 4 4 4 ,let other men be suddenly driven from the pleasures1 occupations1 and companions with which habit has made them familiar1 and they are like shipwrecked voyagers whose wealth has all gone down in the vessel in which they sailed4 ,he is like a man who has escaped to shore with a casket of jewels in which his whole fortune is invested4 ,,iii4 ,he stands for judgment1 not at the world's bar1 but at the tribunal of his own conscience4 ,it is a small thing1 said ,st4 ,paul1 that ,i should be judged of you1 or of man's judgment4 ,was he1 then1 a morose man who cared nothing about his neighbours8 ,no1 but his conscience was ruled by ,god's law1 and in the very act of submitting himself to ,christ as the ,lord of his life and soul1 he became comparatively independent of all besides4--,j4 ,h4 ,gurney4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ah4 ,,revelations ,,of ,,character4 ,i4 ,four marks of a foolish man4 ,when a piece of ground is left to itself--left in the hand of nature alone1 without the intervention of the hand of man--there will be a variety in its productions1 but there will be no wheat--no grain to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater4 ,when human nature is left to itself there will of necessity be a variety in its productions1 but1 however unlike they may be in many respects1 they are all alike in this1 that they are equally unprofitable to ,god and injurious to man4 ,we have here--#a4 ,the man who believes too much in others4 ,the simple believeth every word4 ,it is possible to have too much faith4 ,the blessedness of having it in abundance depends entirely upon the foundation upon which it rests--upon the object in which a man trusts--in the person in whom he believes4 ,those who have faith in the words of men and women of worthless character--like the young man of chap4 vii4 #g--will find their ruin will be in proportion to the confidence4 ,we stigmatise as a fool the man who shows his purse to any wayfarer whom he meets upon the high road2 we know that his fellow-traveller may be only seeking a fitting time and place to rob him4 ,in this world of fallen men and women we must withhold our faith until we have some knowledge4 ,there are many now in the world whose foolish credulity has led to the other extreme of universal scepticism4 ,from believing everybody and everything they have come to believe nothing1 and to brand all men as liars4 ,he who begins by being a simple one1 and believeth every word1 will most likely end in being a disbeliever and a scoffer4 ,we are not required to believe in ,god without ground for our belief4 ,he does not demand from us an unreasoning credulity1 but an intelligent faith4 #b4 ,the man who believes too much in himself4 ,he rages1 or is presumptuous1 and is confident4 ,as the foolishness of the first man took the form of over-confidence in others1 so this man shows his want of wisdom by undue confidence in himself4 7,on this character see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #ae1 page #bga47 #c4 ,the man who is easily offended4 ,such a man reveals his folly by the insignificance of the matters which generally arouse his passion4 ,the man who is soon angry is generally more angry about trifles than about things of importance4 ,a parent who is easily vexed by his children's transgressions is generally more severe in punishing those that really least deserve punishment4 ,such a person does not take into account the amount of moral wrong done1 but the amount of immediate and personal inconvenience which he suffers4 ,for if a man is soon angry he has no time to put things in their right light--to weigh the offence in the balance of right and of reason4 ,the man who is soon angry shows that his mind is not filled with high and noble aspirations2 if it were1 there would be no room for vexation at small offences4 ,god is slow to anger1 because only things worthy of ,his notice can arouse it--because ,he is filled with high and holy purposes of good towards the human race4 7,see also on chap4 xii4 #af1 page #bgb47 #d4 ,the man who1 by wicked plots against his fellow-men1 incurs their hatred4 ,this man possesses more mental activity than the others4 ,but he uses it against himself1 because he uses it against his fellow-men4 ,he is of wicked devices1 and is hated4 ,a man cannot devise plans of evil any more than of good without mental labour4 ,probably ,satan is the most active creature in the universe4 ,he is ever going to and fro in the earth1 and walking up and down in it4 ,and many of his human children imitate him in this respect4 ,this man has not the simplicity of him who believeth every word1 nor of him who haughtily rejects the counsel of others1 nor of him who allows his feelings to carry him away4 ,he sets about his plans with cool deliberateness1 but he is a fool for all that4 ,he is a fool1 because1 as we have seen over and over again1 his plans of wickedness will not only fail1 but will overthrow himself 7see chap4 xii4 #c1 #e and #g74 ,but the special element of foolishness in the man of wicked devices which is here noted is that his way of life is sure to bring him the hatred of his fellow-creatures4 ,no man can afford to set at nought the good-will of his fellow-men4 ,to be an object of universal execration is only the lot of a man who lives to injure others1 and it is a very poor investment of life to put it to a use which will only bring such interest4 ,,ii4 ,the marks of a wise man4 #a4 ,he walks through life with caution4 ,to say that a man looketh well to his going is only saying that he acts like a rational and responsible creature4 ,even the animals1 in obedience to the instinct of self-preservation1 look to their goings1 and avoid many dangers which beset them4 ,the smaller birds1 though apparently flying about without any care1 have a quick eye for the hawk soaring above them1 or for the cat crouching beneath4 ,all creatures1 whether brutes or men1 instinctively look to their goings so far as regards their bodily life4 ,the traveller on a dangerous road instinctively picks his way--does not set down his foot without looking to see where there is firm ground to tread upon4 ,the man whose lot is cast in a city where a pestilence is raging naturally takes all possible precautions to avoid the infection4 ,a mariner does his best to guide his vessel clear of rocks and quicksands4 ,the prudent man extends this caution to every act of his life4 ,as a merchant1 he weighs probabilities before he embarks in any enterprise4 ,he does not enter into speculations as men engage in a game of billiards4 ,he considers the results of his actions in relation to others as well as to himself4 ,above all1 he looks to his goings in relation to their morality2 he frames his life1 as we have before seen 7chap4 xiii4 #ad71 according to the law of ,god within him in his conscience1 and without him1 in the revealed word4 #b4 ,he walks thus cautiously because he recognises moral danger4 ,he fears4 ,this makes all the difference in the lives of men4 ,some recognise the fact that they are in a world full of moral pit-falls and rocks which will be their ruin unless they take heed to their ways1 and others do not4 ,some know the moral atmosphere is laden with moral pestilence1 but others do not discern its impurity4 ,the wise man departs from evil as he would involuntarily turn aside if he saw a deadly serpent lying in his path1 or would parry a sword-thrust made at him by an adversary4 ,his main business is1 not to take care of his life1 but of his character4 ,,iii4 ,the respective reward of the wise and foolish4 ,the first are crowned by an increase of knowledge1 the second have an inheritance2 but it is only to be given over to their foolishness4 ,the wise man's moral sense becomes more developed by reason of use it is more and more able to discern good and evil 7,heb4 v4 #ad74 ,he is more and more removed from that simplicity which believeth every word--he can try the spirits1 whether they are of ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #a71 while the foolish man is more and more the dupe of his own credulity1 or of his own self-conceit1 and becomes more and more the slave of uncontrolled passion4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,socrates1 meeting a gentleman of rank in the street1 saluted him1 but the gentleman took no notice of it4 ,his friends1 observing what passed1 told the philosopher that they were so exasperated at the man's incivility that they had a good mind to resent it4 ,but he calmly made answer1 ,if you meet any person in the road in a worse habit of body than yourself would you think you had reason to be enraged with him on that account4 ,pray1 then1 what greater reason can you have for being incensed at a man for a worse habit of mind than any of yourselves8 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,he who applies himself to wisdom takes heed of his own ways1 foreseeing dangers1 preparing remedies1 employing the assistance of the good1 guarding himself against the wicked1 cautious in entering on a work1 not unprepared for a retreat1 watchful to seize opportunities1 strenuous to remove impediments1 and attending to many other things which concern the government of his own actions and proceedings4 ,but the other kind of wisdom is entirely made up of deceits and cunning tricks1 laying up all its hope in the circumventing of others1 and moulding them to its pleasure1 which kind verse #h denounces as being not only dishonest1 but also foolish4--,lord ,bacon4 ,the simple believeth every word1 whether true or false1 useful or injurious4 ,charity1 indeed1 believeth all things 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #g71 but not things that are palpably untrue4 ,it is the truth which it readily believes4 ,it believes all that it can with a good conscience to the credit of another1 but not anything more4 ,epicharmus says1 ,the sinews and limbs of faith are not rashly to believe 7,acts xvii4 #aa74 ,the prudent man looketh well to his going--whether it tends to grace and salvation1 or to sin and perdition2 he believeth not every word--as1 for instance1 the flattering words of seducers1 who commend to him false doctrine or licentious practice 7,eph4 v4 #ae74--;,fausset4 ,we may apply the verse in all its emphasis of meaning to eternal concerns4 ,the simple hear different persons on the subject of religion1 and take for granted that all they hear is right4 ,they are easily bewildered by sophistical arguments2 led away by appeals to feeling2 swayed and mastered by false eloquence2 seduced by flattery4 ,they are the sport of all that is novel--tossed to and fro1 and carried about with every wind of doctrine4 ,on the contrary1 when interests so vast are at stake the prudent man will feel his way1 taking nothing upon trust4 ,he first bends his earnest thought to the question of the ,divine authority of the ,bible--a question next in importance to that of the being of ,god2 and having ascertained its authority1 to learn its lessons4 ,having the map he will examine for himself the way to heaven4 ,having a ,divine directory1 he will trust no human guide4--,wardlaw4 ,history is full of examples of men who have lost their lives by means of their credulity1 amongst whom were those great men1 ,abner and ,amasa4 4 4 4 ,some have been betrayed into the worst of sins1 by believing groundless reports of others1 as ,saul in the case of ,david1 and we might also add1 ,david himself in the case of ,mephibosheth4 ,the nation of the ,jews was threatened with desolation by the easy temper of ,ahasuerus1 who believed without examination the malicious suggestions of the wicked ,haman4 4 4 4 ,the whole world was ruined by the simplicity of ,eve1 and the easy credit she gave the serpent4--,lawson4 ,to believe every word of ,god is faith4 ,to believe every word of man is credulity4 ,admit only the one standard2 like the noble ,bereans1 who would not believe even an apostle's word1 except it was confirmed by the written testimony 7,acts xvii4 #aa74--;,bridges4 ,we are not willing to be blindfolded at our meat1 nor to eat our supper without a light1 especially in strange places1 where we neither know well the fidelity of our host1 nor what dishes are set before us1 and shall we be more provident for the outward man1 than for the inward8 ,shall we keep out of our bodies such food as is not wholesome and savoury1 and receive into our souls such food as will poison us8 4 4 4 ,no wrong is thus done to any man4 ,we used to tell silver and weigh gold1 and yet we prejudge not them at whose hands we receive them4--,dod4 ,trust is a lovely thing1 but it cannot stand unless it get truth to lean on4 4 4 4 ,it is a well-known characteristic of the little child to believe implicitly whatever you tell him4 4 4 4 ,it remains a feature of the child until it is worn off by hard experience of the world4 4 4 4 ,in this world a man is obliged to be suspicious4 ,man suffers more from man than from the elements of nature or the beasts of the field4 ,a time is coming when this species of prudence will be no longer needed4 ,when the people shall be all righteous1 there will be no deception on one side1 and no distrust on the other4--,arnot4 ,a prudent man looks forward to the consequences of things1 and particularly to the consequences of his own conduct4 ,o1 how much misery and mischief might be avoided or prevented by attending only to this single principle1 for what are most of the calamities we see in the world owing to but this--that men will not look before them8 ,to the want of this wise foresight ,moses attributed all the rebellions and enormities of the ,jewish people1 and therefore breathed forth this ardent prayer on their behalf1 ,oh1 that they were wise1 that they understood this1 that they would consider their latter end 7,deut4 xxxii4 #bi74--,mason4 ,verse #af4 ,the evil from which the wise man departeth may mean either suffering or sin4 ,both may with propriety be included1 the one being the cause of the other4--,wardlaw4 ,fear is sometimes thought to be an unmanly principle4 ,but look at the terrible extent of the evil dreaded4 ,without it is vanity and disappointment 7,rom4 vi4 #ba74 ,within it is the sting of guilt 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #ef74 ,upward we see the frown of ,god 7,john iii4 #cf74 ,downward everlasting burnings 7,mark ix4 #dd74 4 4 4 ,the fool1 however1 never fears till he falls4 4 4 4 ,such a fool was the raging ,assyrian1 blindly confident in his own might1 till the ,god whom he despised turned him back to his destruction 7#b ,kings xix4 #bh-cg74--;,bridges4 ,he 7the good man7 can never trust in himself1 though he is satisfied from himself 7verse #ad74 ,he knows that his sufficiency is of ,god2 and the fear that causes him to depart from evil is a guardian to the love he feels4 ,love renders him cautious2 the other makes him feel confident4 ,his caution leads him from sin1 his confidence leads him to ,god4--,a4 ,clarke4 ,they which are in greatest safety are farthest from carnal security4 ,the godly have not so many sins as the wicked1 and yet they feel them more1 and fear them more1 and flee from them faster4 ,and the wicked have not more valour than the godly nor so much freedom from punishment1 and yet go beyond them in audacity and fleshly confidence4 ,when ,david was dealt with by ,nathan1 he confessed his fault1 he craved pardon1 he set his heart to seek help from heaven against his sin2 but when ,ahab was spoken to by ,macaiah1 he persecuted the prophet1 he proceeded in his purpose1 he promised himself a safe return4 ,josiah1 hearing the law of the ,lord read by ,shaphan1 rent his clothes in grief and fear1 but ,jehoiakim hearing the words of ,god read by ,baruch1 in regard of the curses therein denounced1 did tear the book and burn it in wrath and fury4--,dod4 ,a wise man knows that the enemy is strong1 and that his own defences are feeble4 ,his policy therefore is1 not to brave danger1 but to keep out of harm's way4 ,he seeks safety in flight4 ,the fool's character is mainly made up of two features2 he thinks little of danger and much of himself4 ,he stumbles on both sides alike4 ,that which is strong he despises1 and that which is weak he trusts4 ,the dangers that beset him are great1 but he counts them as nothing2 the strength that is in him is as nothing1 but he counts it great4 ,thus he is on all hands out of his reckoning1 and stumbles at every step4--,arnot4 ,as a foolish fear is a betrayer of the strength of man1 so a wise fear is the safety of him4 ,wherefore ,cyprian saith1 the ,divine wisdom hath found out an excellent policy that by the help of fear we should be delivered4 ,great is the benefit of ,god's providence1 that sometimes fear is made both a virtue and a victory4 ,a wise man departeth from evil before he cometh to it1 for then the parting1 as most easily1 so is most happily made4--,jermin4 ,fear a religious principle4 ,the beginning of religion in the heart is a subject of curious inquiry and of great practical importance4 ,there is no sufficient reason for supposing that it is in all men alike1 we have no rule for saying that religion must either necessarily1 or that it does usually proceed from the same cause4 ,different men are affected by different motives2 and what sinks deep into the heart of one1 makes little impression upon another4 4 4 4 ,thus it is1 that religion sometimes1 not seldom indeed1 has a violent origin in the soul1 and begins in terror3 ,a wise man feareth and departeth from evil4--,paley4 ,verse #ag4 ,some pettish spirits are like fine glasses1 broken as soon as touched1 and all on fire upon every slight and trifling occasion2 when meek and grave spirits are like flints that do not send out a spark but after violent and great collision2 feeble minds have a habit of wrath1 and1 like broken bones1 are apt to roar with the least touch3 it argues a very unsanctified spirit to be so soon moved4 ,let it be like the fire of thorns1 quickly extinct4--,salter4 ,as small letters hurt the sight1 so do small matters him that is too much intent upon them2 they vex and stir up anger1 which begets an evil habit in him in reference to greater affairs4--,plutarch4 ,a man who falls into a passion does indeed commit a folly1 but yet is far preferable to the coldly and selfishly calculating villain4--,von ,gerlach4 ,a man of wicked devices1 one1 who when offended1 represses the indications of his anger1 all the while meditating revenge1 and waiting for the opportunity when he can wreak it4 ,as he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly as regards himself1 so he that wickedly deviseth revenge1 while deferring the expression of his anger1 bringeth on him the hatred of others4 ,thus there is danger on both sides1 in hastiness1 and in deferring anger through malice4 ,the latter is the worst offence4--,fausset4 ,the more hot-pulsed sinner may be lost2 but the deep-set fool excels him both in guilt and danger4 ,alas6 for the well-complexioned1 coolly-settled1 morally-esteemed1 and long-established hypocritical professor4 ,it is not all thinking that this book applauds1 but that which is discriminate1 the watching of our feet4--,miller4 ,though religion alloweth to be angry1 yet it forbiddeth to be soon angry1 because he that is soon angry is as soon dealing foolishly4 ,the haste of his choler maketh him to outrun his understanding1 and the smoke of his anger putteth out the light of his judgment4--,jermin4 ,to be angry is to revenge the faults of others upon ourselves4--,pope4 ,as fine gold doth suffer itself to be tried in the fire six or seven times1 and yet the heat of the fire doth never change its nature or colour2 or as good corn is first threshed with the flail1 and then winnowed with the wind1 and yet is neither broken with the one nor carried away with the other2 even so we should suffer ourselves to be tried by injuries1 and yet not by impatience1 through anger1 change our nature1 nor yet our colour1 nor be carried away with any inconvenience4--,cawdray4 ,verse #ah4 ,this proverb is especially instructive with respect to the deep inner connection that exists on the one hand between foolish notions1 and a poor1 unattractive1 powerless earthly position1 destitute of all influence1--and on the other hand between true wisdom and large ability in the department both of the material and the spiritual4 ,von ,gerlach pointedly says1 ,there is a certain power of attraction1 according as a man is wise or foolish2 the possessions also which the one or the other attains are in accordance with his disposition4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,the child of ,adam is born to folly 7,job xi4 #ab74 ,that is his inheritance4 ,he received it from his first father 7,gen4 v4 #c2 ,psa4 li4 #e74 ,so long as he remains simple1 he confirms the title4 ,unlike an earthly inheritance1 he cannot relinquish it4 ,he holds it in life1 he still holds it firm in death1 and reaps its bitter fruits throughout eternity4--,bridges4 ,the prudent has not inherited much at this present date4 ,he has not much of the world4 ,he has not much of another4 ,how shall we express his excellence8 ,he has this poor thing that he calls piety4 ,where is its worth to him8 ,why1 its worth to him is that it is a splendid crown4 ,he makes a crown of knowledge4 ,that is1 he takes his piety1 which is a mean1 weak beginning1 and makes it the badge of a glorious sovereignty4 ,the ,christian is a king4 ,and by this is meant1 that1 when he becomes pious1 everything becomes subject to him 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bb74--,miller4 ,the world says that none dies without an heir3 ,religion says that none dies without an inheritance4 ,everyone dying in this world is heir to himself in the next world4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,a ,,levelling ,,law4 ,i4 ,this law is now manifest to the inner life of the wicked4 ,if a wicked man has any sense of right and wrong1 he is conscious of the superiority of the good man4 ,there is an inward bowing down of the evil to the good which is as real1 although invisible1 as any outward bending of the person of one man before another4 ,indeed it is far more real than much outward homage4 ,there are many outward and visible bendings and bowings which are mere matters of form1 which are only made to keep up appearances4 ,but the involuntary bowing of the evil man's soul in the presence of the good man is a real act of homage1 although there is in it an element of unwillingness4 ,there is a compulsory consent1 so to speak1 of the man himself against himself4 ,but this genuflexion of soul is no mere pretence4 ,,ii4 ,the good man is also conscious of it4 ,he knows that it is so because in the constitution of the universe good is made to rule evil1 because the head of the one kingdom--the kingdom of evil--is compelled to acknowledge the authority of the head of the kingdom of good4 ,his own moral consciousness tells him that it must be so1 and he has the declaration of ,god to confirm it4 ,no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper1 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn4 ,this is the heritage of the servants of the ,lord1 and their righteousness is of ,me1 saith the ,lord 7,isa4 liv4 #ag74 ,,iii4 ,what has been occasionally manifested in the outward life1 and what is always the inner experience1 will one day be universally visible to all the universe4 ,the revelation of ,god tells us that there will be a universally visible manifestation of the submission of the evil to the good4 ,and our sense of justice demands that it should be so4 ,a day will come when1 at the name of ,incarnate ,goodness1 every knee shall bow 7,phil4 ii4 #aj71 and the servants will have a portion of like reverence4 ,the sons also of them that afflicted ,thee shall come bending unto ,thee2 and all they that despised ,thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of ,thy feet 7,isa4 lx4 #ad74--,see also ,rev4 xx4 #d4 ,it is also revealed to us when this visible manifestation shall take place4 ,in the end of this world1 at the close of the present dispensation1 the ,son of ,man shall send forth ,his angels1 and they shall gather out of ,his kingdom all things that offend1 and them which do iniquity4 4 4 4 ,then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their ,father 7,matt4 xiii4 #dj-dc74 ,for this manifestation of the sons of ,god they wait with earnest expectation2 creation groans for it2 ,christ ,himself awaits it at the right hand of ,god 7,heb4 x4 #ab1 #ac2 ,rom4 viii4 #ai-bb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,at one time or another1 in one respect or other1 the ungodly serve and crouch to the godly4 ,sometimes they that fear the ,lord are lifted up to honour1 and then the evil men bow themselves before them4 ,sometimes1 again1 the righteous wax rich through ,god's blessing on their labours1 and then come the wicked to their gates for alms and relief4 ,not only the poor ones1 but the great ones1 who yet are wicked ones1 seek and sue now and then with all submission to the godly for their counsel and help4 ,and ,i cannot tell how1 but such a majesty there is in the godly oftentimes1 that most desperately wicked men reverence their faces1 and are silent or courteous in their presence4--,muffet4 ,there is not the general rule in the present dispensation4 ,righteous ,lazarus bowed at the rich man's gate 7,luke xvi4 #bj74 4 4 4 ,but the upright shall have dominion over the wicked in the morning 7,psa4 xlix4 #ad2 ,mal4 iv4 #a-c74 ,the saints shall judge the world 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #b74--;,bridges4 ,there have been instances in which this proverb was verified in a very remarkable manner4 ,the ,egyptians bowed down before ,joseph1 and ,moses1 and the ,israelites4 ,the proud king of ,babylon almost worshipped the captive ,daniel1 and ,elisha's favour was solicited by three kings1 one or two of whom were bad men4--,lawson4 ,the wicked serve the righteous2 and whether they do it knowingly1 they do it wholly1 and through eternal ages4--,miller4 ,in times of worldly prosperity1 and while the wicked flourish1 there is none more lifted up in pride and bravery of outward shows than they are2 there is none1 then1 less esteemed1 and more despised1 than the good and righteous are4 ,they shall give long attendance before the gates give way to them1 and when they are entered a proud eye shall mightily overlook them1 a scornful language shall throw them down at their feet4 ,wherefore ,augustine calleth riches wings1 by which men in pride fly not only above others1 but themselves also4 ,but if the time alter1 and either some storm of common calamity beat upon them1 or else the hand of ,god privately seize on them1 then none are more dejected than the wicked1 none then more esteemed than the righteous are by them4 ,then their ways are to the gates of the righteous1 and much bowing there is to entreat their prayers unto ,god1 and to obtain help and comfort from them4 ,then ,dives1 but fearing hell only1 already sees ,lazarus in heaven1 and fain would come unto him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bj and #ba4 ,,an ,,aggravated ,,crime1 ,a ,,questionable ,,virtue1 ,,and ,a ,,present ,,blessing4 ,i4 ,a fourfold sin4 ,a man who despises or hates his neighbour sins--#a4 ,in the simple exercise of the feeling4 ,hatred1 or even the act of despising another1 is in itself a sin4 ,here we must distinguish between hatred of the person and hatred of his practices--between despising a man himself and despising his actions4 ,god ,himself hates and abhors evil character1 but ,he makes a distinction between a man's character and the man4 ,to hate or to despise any human creature is devilish4 #b4 ,by hating or despising him for his poverty4 ,poverty is a calamity often--always a burden and a cross4 ,it is that for which a man should be pitied1 and on account of which he should receive the sympathy of his fellow-men4 ,poverty is a burden heavy enough in itself1 to add to it in any way is diabolical4 #c4 ,because he hates and despises his fellow-sufferer4 ,it is not a man beneath him1 of whose trials he is ignorant1 but his neighbour1 one with whom he is on a level4 ,the proverb speaks of one poor man hating another4 ,cases are not uncommon in which men who have risen from poverty to wealth hate and despise the class from which they have risen even more than those do who were born to rank and wealth4 ,and sometimes men who have risen are hated by those whom they have left behind in the race4 ,but for a poor man to dislike and to despise another poor man for his poverty1 is a most unnatural and aggravated crime4 ,a common calamity generally makes men feel a kinship for each other4 ,those who partake of a common lot generally feel a common sympathy4 ,the poor do not generally hate and despise the poor4 ,the poor man who does commit this sin against his neighbour commits a double sin against himself1 for he knows himself the trials of his poor brother1 and1 therefore1 does not sin through ignorance or inconsiderateness4 #d4 ,against ,god4 ,god putteth down one1 and setteth up another 7,psalm lxxv4 #g74 ,it is ,his ordination that the poor shall never cease out of the land 7,deut4 xv4 #aa74 ,they are ,his especial care 7,psalm xii4 #e1 etc471 and ,he will count any addition to their burden as a wrong to ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,a questionable virtue4 ,the rich hath many friends4 ,friendship with a rich man may spring from social equality4 ,there is a natural tendency in men who are equals in anything to form friendships with each other4 ,men of the same moral standing do so1 men of the same intellectual attainments are attracted to each other1 and men who are equals in social rank and in wealth are1 by the force of circumstances1 often thrown into each other's society1 and so a friendship which is real may be formed4 ,but it is a more questionable bond than that which unites men in the two first-mentioned cases4 ,it may be only a counterfeit of the genuine article1 and it is nothing more if wealth is the only bond4 ,friendships formed upon similarity of intellectual and moral wealth have a far firmer foundation1 because they rest upon what is inseparable from the man himself1 while friendship founded upon riches has for its foundation what may at any time take to itself wings and fly away4 ,or the friendship may be one of social inequality4 ,a poor man may attach himself to a wealthy man4 ,this1 too1 may be genuine4 ,the friendship may be built upon something which both value more than wealth2 but if the friendship of the rich with the rich is regarded with doubt1 and requires adversity to test it1 much more does the friendship of the poor for the rich4 ,the proof of the genuineness of the metal is the fire1 the proof of the seaworthiness of the vessel is the storm1 and it is an universally recognised truth that the proof of friendship is power to come uninjured through the fire and storm of adverse circumstances4 ,,iii4 ,a present blessedness4 ,he that hath mercy on the poor1 happy is he4 #a4 ,happy because it is more blessed to give than to receive 7,acts xx4 #ce71 because gladness always comes to the heart when an effort has been made to lighten another's burden4 #b4 ,happy in possessing the gratitude and confidence of his poor brother4 #c4 ,happy because he wins the favour of ,god4 7,see on verse #ca47 ,,illustration ,,of ,,verse #bj4 ,the bees were haunting the flowering trees in crowds1 humming among the branches1 and gathering honey in the flowers4 ,said ,gotthold1 ,here is an image of temporal prosperity4 ,so long as there is blossom on the trees1 and honey in the blossom1 the bees will frequent them in crowds1 and fill the place with their music2 but when the blossom is over1 and the honey gone1 they too will disappear4 ,temporal gain is the world's honey1 and the allurement with which you may entice it whithersoever you will2 but where the gain terminates1 there likewise do the love and friendship of the world stop4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bj4 ,alas6 it is a mystery of knowledge to discern friends3 ,wealth maketh many friends 7chap4 xix4 #d72 they are friends to the wealth1 not to the wealthy4 ,they regard not qualis sis1 but quantas1 not how good thou art1 but how great4 ,they admire thee to thy face1 but inwardly consider thee only a necessary evil1 yea1 a necessary devil4 4 4 4 ,worldly friends are like hot water1 that when cold weather comes1 are soonest frozen4 ,like cuckoos all summer they will sing to thee1 but they are gone in ,july at furthest2 sure enough before the fall4 ,they flatter a rich man1 as we feed beasts1 and then feed on him4--,t4 ,adams4 ,how former friendship between two persons may be transformed into its opposite on account of the impoverishment of one of them1 is impressively illustrated by our ,lord's parable of the neighbour who a friend asks for three loaves 7,luke xi4 #e-h74--,lange's ,commentary4 ,the same word in the original which signifieth a friend signifieth a neighbour also1 because a neighbour should be a friend4 ,but though a rich man has friends far and near1 a poor man is hated even of his neighbour4 ,he that best knoweth his wants and should most of all pity them1 doth least regard him and use him worst4 ,he that is nearest at hand to help him is farthest off from helping him4 ,wherefore the neighbourhood of men being so bad1 ,god becometh his neighbour1 and as it is in the ,psalms 7cix4 #ca74 ,he standeth at the right hand of the poor man to save him4--,jermin4 ,verse #ba4 ,the impenitent is the poorest among men2 and he who neglects him1 and lets him go on in his iniquity1 of course1 is a cruel sinner4 ,they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament1 and they that lead many to righteousness1 as the stars for ever and ever4 ,he who despises his neighbour sins1 literally misses1 blunders4 ,he wastes a splendid opportunity1 not only for his neighbour1 but for himself4 ,the appeal is to self1 and is made more intense where1 instead of despising our neighbour1 we actually devise evil against him 7,see next verse74--,miller4 #a4 ,there is a sin against the arrangements of ,god's providence4 #b4 ,against the frequent and express commands of ,his ,word 7,deut4 xv4 #g-aa2 ,luke xii4 #cc2 xiv4 #ab-ad74 #c4 ,against the manifestations of ,his distinguishing love4 ,god has not only avowed ,himself jealous for the poor1 but to the poor the gospel is preached1 and of those who become the subjects of ,god's grace1 and heirs of glory1 a large proportion belong to this class4 #d4 ,in the contempt of ,god's threatened vengeance against all who neglect them1 and of ,his promised special favour to all who treat them with kindness4--,wardlaw4 ,we show our contempt of the poor1 not only by trampling upon them1 but by overlooking them1 or by withholding that help for which their distress loudly calls4 ,the ,levite and the priest that declined giving assistance to the wounded traveller on the way to ,jericho1 were notorious breakers of the law of love in the judgment of our ,lord4 ,the ,samaritan was the only one that performed the duty of a neighbour4--,lawson4 ,through the gate of beneficence doth the charitable man enter into the city of peace4 4 4 4 ,god makes some rich1 to help the poor2 and suffers some poor to try the rich4 ,the loaden would be glad of ease3 now charity lighteneth the rich man of his superfluous and wieldy carriage4 ,when the poor find mercy they will be tractable2 when the rich find quiet1 they should be charitable4 ,would you have your goods kept in peace8 ,first1 lock them up by your prayers1 then open them again with your thankful use1 and trust them in the hands of ,christ by your charity4--,t4 ,adams4 ,he that hath mercy on the poor maketh the other's misery to be his own happiness1 and as the other is comforted by it1 so is he blessed by it4 ,blessed he is by the poor and his prayers for him1 blessed he is by ,god and ,his favours upon him4 ,tabitha had reached out her hand to give unto the poor1 and ,peter reached out his hand in delivering her from death4 ,she had bestowed clothing on the poor1 and life is bestowed upon her4 ,wherefore the exhortation of ,chrysostom is1 those things which ,god hath given us1 let us give ,him again1 that so with advantage they may be again made ours4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,a ,,fatal ,,error ,,and ,a ,,certain ,,good4 ,i4 ,the mistake of devisers of evil4 #a4 ,they err in relation to the success of their plans4 ,they think that their wicked devices will succeed1 so they would not go to the labour and trouble of devising them4 ,but they make a fatal mistake1 because they ignore another plan1 which embraces theirs4 ,they forget that there may be a circle of action outside their circle1 which may circumvent all their schemes4 ,a man may look at the sea from the lower deck of a vessel and think he can see all that is to be seen4 ,but his thinking so would only prove him to be a fool4 ,the man at the masthead can see much further4 ,a traveller on a plain may have an extensive view1 but he who is on the mountaintop takes in all that he can see1 and much besides4 ,so it is with the man who devises evil4 ,he can see a little way before him and around him1 he thinks1 therefore1 that he can take in the whole situation at a glance1 and can see what is needful for him to do and what can be accomplished to bring his plans to pass4 ,but there is more beyond2 ,god takes a higher position and has a wider outlook4 ,he takes in not only all that the wicked man has seen1 but much that he does not see4 ,he taketh the wise in their own craftiness2 and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong 7,job v4 #ac74 ,the device of ,haman was so well planned that it seemed to him certain of success4 ,but ,mordecai's ,god had a plan which embraced and out-flanked that of the murderer4 ,the device of ,joseph's brethren seemed to embrace all that was necessary to accomplish his ruin1 but it was utilised by the righteous ,ruler of the ,universe to bring to pass his exaltation4 ,the device of evil against the ,divine ,son of ,god is the most palpable instance that the universe has ever seen of the short-sighted error of wicked men4 #b4 ,he errs because he will meet with retribution in his own person4 ,human rulers are sometimes involved in much perplexity because1 although they know that plots are being woven against their government1 they are not only at a loss to find a plan by which to bring home the crime to the conspirators1 but feel they have no force strong enough to punish them if they are convicted4 ,but ,god is never at a loss either for means to defeat the purposes of those that devise evil1 or to punish them for their devices4 ,he is never driven1 by want of power1 to yield to those who oppose the good--who work iniquity4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #ab-ad1 page #bfh47 ,,ii4 ,the reward of devisers of good4 ,mercy and truth4 #a4 ,even a deviser of good needs mercy4 ,the very act of devising good sometimes brings a man to need mercy of his fellow-man4 ,daniel devised nothing but good to the king of ,babylon1 but his very uprightness made him an object of envy and brought him into a condition to need mercy4 ,or a deviser of good may err in judgment4 ,the best intentioned man is liable to make mistakes4 ,no human being1 however benevolent his life1 can claim to be exempt from moral infirmities which will sometimes mislead him4 ,every man therefore needs that his fellow creatures should mingle charity with their judgment of him and with their conduct towards him4 ,and he always needs mercy from ,god4 ,no saint of ancient or modern times has ever been beyond the need of ,god's mercy1 although their very name implies that they are devisers of good4 #b4 ,he equally needs truth4 ,he needs to be able to depend upon the word of another1 he needs a certainty of being justly dealt with4 ,a man's success in business largely depends upon his being able to rest upon the fair dealing of others4 ,he wants truth in others to meet his own truthfulness--as he strives to deal justly1 and to love mercy1 so he desires to be dealt with justly as well as mercifully4 #c4 ,both these needs shall be met4 ,sometimes by men1 always by ,god4 ,experience and history furnish us with many exceptions to the first4 ,those men of ,god who have been most eminent devisers of good have often met with anything but mercy and truth from those whom they have desired to benefit4 ,ignorance or envy has risen up against them1 and so the missionary has been slain by the club of the savage abroad1 and the reformer has been made the mark of slanderous tongues at home4 ,but everyone has found the testimony of the inspired ,word to be true in his own experience3 ,with the merciful ,thou wilt show ,thyself merciful4 ,with an upright man ,thou wilt show ,thyself upright 7,psa4 xviii4 #be74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if wicked men employ their thoughts to contrive mischief1 and show so much diligence in the service of sin1 although they have such a miserable reward1 let ,god's people exercise the same diligence in the service of righteousness1 by seeking out and seizing opportunities of doing good1 and their labour shall not be in vain in the ,lord4--,lawson4 ,scripture traces actions to principles4 ,wicked as it is to do evil1 it is far more hateful to devise it 7see verse #ag74 ,devising evil1 therefore1 if it comes not to the act1 shows the purpose 7chap4 xxiv4 #h74--;,bridges4 ,to him who lays himself out in planning and executing designs of benefit to others1 there shall be mercy and truth4 ,from his fellow-men he shall experience universal love and esteem4 ,he shall find sympathy in his distresses and reverses1 faithfulness in dealing 7for if anything will secure a man from being cheated and defrauded1 it will be a character for disinterested kindness71 and the general exercise of practical gratitude4 ,and the ,lord will make him to experience ,his love1 and will fulfil to him faithfully all ,his precious promises4--,wardlaw4 ,solomon here is no lawgiver1 but an evangelist1 leading us unto ,jesus ,christ4 ,for we can obtain no mercy but in ,him only4 ,for the promises of ,god are yea and amen in ,him4--,cope4 ,can any one see any flaw in ,mercy and ,truth8 ,mercy is pure benevolence2 and truth is that other quality of the good1 which is commanded in the first table of the law1 and answers to a love of holiness4 ,is there anything right1 outside of ,mercy and ,truth8 ,is there anything wrong that the vilest rebel can detect in either one of them8 ,must they not err that devise evil1 if for no other cause than that ,mercy and ,truth stand on the opposite side1 and1 through eternal ages1 are busy in devising good8--,miller4 ,aristotle relateth of ,socrates that he affirmed all virtues to be sciences1 all sins to be ignorances4 ,and ,aquinas saith of it1 that therein he judged in some sort rightly because the will never would incline to evil1 unless it were with some ignorance and error of reason4 ,the question1 therefore1 is not here asked of him that deviseth evil1 for he thinketh himself to be right1 he doth not think that to be evil which he doth1 nor himself to err in doing of it4 ,he attaineth to the end at which he aimeth1 and that persuadeth him that he aimeth aright4 ,but so to be in the right way1 is quite to wander from the right way2 and howsoever such an one may not err in his plans and plots1 yet doubtless he erreth from the ways of life4--,jermin4 ,mercy and truth were the best that ,david could wish for his fast friend ,ittai 7#b ,sam4 xv4 #bj74 ,these two attributes of ,god shall cause that good devices shall not miscarry4 ,his mercy moves ,him to promise1 ,his truth binds ,him to perform4 ,for ,thy word's sake1 and according to ,thine own heart ,thou hast done all these things 7#b ,sam4 vii4 #ah-ba74 ,according to ,thine own heart1 that is out of pure and unexcited love1 ,thou didst give ,thy ,word and promise1 and for ,thy ,word's sake1 ,thou hast performed it4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,the ,,profit ,,of ,,labour4 #a4 ,the profit of social honour4 ,it is both natural and right that a man should desire the respect and good-will of those around him4 ,nothing is more certain than that he who lives without working in some form or another1 either for himself or for others1 will not receive this reward4 ,those who are poor1 and do nothing1 sink into beggary and consequent dishonour2 those who are rich1 and have nothing to do--or rather1 who do nothing--are not held in honour1 either in life or after death4 ,pray1 sir1 of what disease did your brother die8 said the ,marquis ,spinola one day to ,sir ,horace ,vere4 ,he died1 sir1 was the answer1 of having nothing to do4 ,alas6 said ,spinola1 that is enough to kill any general of us all4 ,honour cannot come from idleness1 but labour brings not only honour while living1 but gives us a title to be regarded with respect after we have left the world4 ,of no man who has lived to any purpose can it ever be said that he died of having nothing to do4 #b4 ,the profit of bodily health4 ,a body which does not labour1 either with brain or hand1 is an easy prey to disease4 ,the brain if used becomes strengthened for further use4 ,the whole bodily frame is kept in health by wholesome work4 #c4 ,profit to the moral nature4 ,labour calls for some form of self-sacrifice4 ,it develops habits of painstaking and diligence which are helpful to a man's moral nature4 ,it helps the spiritual part of the man by helping the bodily1 inasmuch as a strong and healthy body is the best instrument for a morally healthy soul4 #d4 ,the profit of material gain4 ,in all free countries a man gets some wages for work4 ,it may not be a fair remuneration1 but there is some profit of this kind attached to it4 ,there are1 of course1 exceptions to this proverb1 as for instance1 the labour of the man who devises evil in the former verse1 or that of those whose poverty compels them to work1 even to the injury of soul and body1 for a miserable pittance which is not worthy the name of wages4 ,such1 alas1 is the lot of many even in our own country4 ,the antithesis of this proverb1 simply states that talk will not do instead of work4 ,when men do nothing but talk1 their talk is certain to be of that worthless kind condemned in chapter x4 #ai4 7,see ,homiletics on page #afh47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,get leave to work ,in this world--'tis the best you get at all2 ,for ,god1 in cursing1 gives us better gifts ,than man in benediction4 ,god says ,sweat ,for foreheads1 men say ,crowns and so we are crowned1 ,ay1 gashed by some tormenting circle of steel ,which snaps with a secret spring4 ,get work1 get work2 ,be sure 'tis better than what you work to get4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,be sure1 no earnest work ,of any honest creature1 howbeit weak1 ,imperfect1 ill-adapted1 fails so much1 ,it is not gathered as a grain of sand1 ,to enlarge the sum of human action used ,for carrying out ,god's end4--,mrs4 ,browning4 ,there is a perennial nobleness1 and even sacredness in work4 ,were he never so benighted1 forgetful of his high calling1 there is always hope in a man that actually and earnestly works3 in idleness alone is there perpetual despair4 ,work1 never so mammonish1 mean1 is in communication with nature3 the real desire to get work done will itself lead one more and more to truth1 to nature's appointments and regulations1 which are truth4 ,the latest gospel in this world is1 ,know thy work and do it4 ,know thyself3 long enough has that poor self of thine tormented thee2 thou wilt never get to know it1 ,i believe6 ,think it not thy business1 this of knowing thyself2 thou art an unknowable individual2 know what thou can'st work at1 and work at it1 like a ,hercules6 ,that will be thy better plan4 ,it has been written1 an endless significance lies in work1 a man perfects himself by working4 ,foul jungles are cleared away1 fair seed-fields rise instead1 and stately cities2 and withal the man himself first ceases to be a jungle and foul unwholesome desert thereby4 ,consider how1 even in the meanest sorts of labour1 the whole soul of a man is composed into a kind of real harmony1 the instant he sets himself to work6 ,doubt1 ,desire1 ,sorrow1 ,remorse1 ,indignation1 ,despair itself1 all these like hell-dogs lie beleaguering the soul of the poor day-worker1 as of every man3 but he bends himself with free valour against his task1 and all these are stilled1 all these shrink murmuring far off into their caves4 ,the man is now a man4 ,the blessed glow of labour in him1 is it not as purifying fire1 wherein all poison is burnt up1 and sour smoke itself thereby is made bright blessed flame8--,carlyle4 ,industry need not wish2 and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting4 ,there are no gains without pains1 then help hands1 for ,i have no lands1 or1 if ,i have1 they are smartly taxed4 ,he that hath a trade hath an estate1 and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honour2 but then the trade must be worked at1 and the calling followed1 or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes4--,franklin4 ,he that labours is tempted by one devil2 he that is idle by a thousand4--,italian ,proverb4 ,as in religion1 it is not the man who speaks but the man who does that gives proof of his sincerity2 so in earthly business1 it is not the man who talks fluently1 and lays down plausible schemes of business1 but the man who labours and does all his work that has reason to expect the blessing of ,providence4 ,those that wear their working instruments in their tongues are always the most useless1 and sometimes the most hurtful members of society4--,lawson4 ,a busy tongue makes idle hands4 ,if the mouth will be heard1 the noisy loom must stop2 and he who prefers the sound of his tongue to that of his shuttle1 had need at the same time be a man who prefers talk to meat1 hunger to fulness1 starvation to plenty4--,wardlaw4 ,rich beyond conception is the profit of spiritual labour 7chap4 x4 #af74 ,the ,son of ,man gives to the labourer enduring meat4 ,the violent take the kingdom of heaven by force4 ,the labour of love ,god is not unrighteous to forget 7,john vi4 #bg2 ,heb4 vi4 #aj74 ,but the talk of the lips gives husks1 not bread4 ,while there are only shallow conceptions of the ,gospel1 and no experimental enjoyment of ,christian establishment1 it is all running out in noise4 ,says ,henry3 ,there is no instruction because there is no 'good treasure within' 7,matt4 xii4 #ce74 ,what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another8 is a searching question 7,luke xxiv4 #ag74 ,ministers1 doctrines1 the externals1 circumstantials1 disputations on religion--all may be the mere skirts and borders of the great subject1 utterly remote from the heart and vitals4 4 4 4 ,a religious tongue without a godly heart tendeth only to penury4--,bridges4 ,this is a difficult sentence4 ,we have found it hard to vindicate its sense4 ,the grammar is all obvious1 and on the very account the reading is singularly fixed4 ,but all labour is anything else than profitable2 and the talk of the lips 7chap4 xxxi4 #bf7 is one of the grandest ways of doing good among men4 ,we understand it in a religious sense4 ,all these proverbs might be worldly maxims1 some of them actually in use2 all of them with a show of wisdom2 some of them utterly unsound2 but all of them1 when adopted by the ,holy ,ghost1 and turned in the direction of the ,gospel1 true1 in their religious aspect4 ,so1 now1 in this particular instance1 all labour might seem to promise well among the thrifty1 but sometimes ruins men1 even in this world1 and is sure to ruin them1 if worldly1 in the world to come4 ,but now1 as a religious maxim1 it is without exception4 ,all labour1 of a pious kind is marked1 and will be gloriously rewarded out of the books of the ,almighty4 ,all labour of the impenitent1 for their soul's salvation1 has profit2 literally1 something over4 ,it brings them nearer4 ,if continued long enough1 it will bring them in2 that is1 if it be honest 7,heb4 xi4 #f72 while the talk of the lips1 or1 possibly1 an affair of the lips1 that is1 mere intention1 does only mischief4 ,mark the balance between all and only4 ,seeking is all of it an advance4 ,intending is only a retreat4 ,one gains a step1 the other loses one4 ,starting up actually to work1 if honest1 is an advance towards wealth2 while intention1 which is but an affair of the lips1 tends only to make us poor indeed4--,miller4 ,when ,god gave man this curse1 in labour thou shalt eat1 he gave labour this blessing1 to increase and multiply4 ,it is a plant that prospereth in any soil1 it is a seed that taketh well in any ground4 ,for the labourer's hire is never kept back by ,god4 4 4 4 ,talking is not truly labour1 and labour is rather to hold one's peace4 ,according as ,st4 ,ambrose speaketh ,it is a harder thing to know how to be silent than how to speak4 ,for ,i know many to speak1 when they know not to hold their peace4 ,but it is a rare thing for any man to hold his peace1 when to speak no way doth profit him4 ,but no labour is so well spared as this1 and sitting still is nowhere so commendable as in the lips4--,jermin4 ,they that painfully and conscientiously employ themselves in any vocation1 how base and contemptible soever it seems to be1 are in the ,lord's work1 and ,him they serve1 as the apostle speaketh even of bondmen1 and is it possible that ,his workmen shall work without wages or sufficient allowance8 ,he reproveth those men which neglect to give to the hireling his recompense for his travail1 or fail in due time to discharge it1 and shall we think then that ,he will be careless of ,his own servants ,himself8 ,they have ,god's ,word for their security that they shall not be unprovided of so much as is expedient for them4 ,if ,he say once that in all labour there is profit1 they shall never have cause to contradict ,him4--,dod4 ,it is only by labour that thought can be made healthy1 and only by thought that labour can be made happy2 and the two cannot be separated with impunity4--,ruskin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,wealth ,,with ,,and ,,without ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,both a wise man and a fool may attain to wealth4 ,the intellectually wise1 and the man who lacks mental ability1 may both possess great riches4 ,there are many who have vast estates and no more wisdom to manage them than an infant1 and there are those whose ability is equal to their wealth and position4 ,so with moral wisdom4 ,abraham1 the friend of ,god1 was very rich in cattle1 in silver1 and in gold 7,gen4 xiii4 #b74 ,job1 who had the ,divine testimony to his perfectness and uprightness1 was the greatest of all the men of the east 7,job4 i4 #c74 ,but many godless men like these mentioned in our ,lord's parables 7,luke xii4 #af1 #bj2 xvi4 #ai-bd7 have much goods laid up for many years1 and are clothed in purple and fine linen1 and fare sumptuously every day4 ,god is no respecter of persons in the distribution of temporal good in the shape of riches1 but if there is any leaning to one class of character more than to another1 ,he would seem rather to favour the ungodly4 ,because such have their portion in this life 7,psa4 xvii4 #ad7 and in this life only2 because they have only this heaven upon earth2 because they have no desire and conception of anything higher2 it seems as if the ,ruler of the universe often gives them the only good they are capable of appreciating4 ,some of the most miserable specimens of humanity that the world has ever seen have sat upon thrones1 and a few of the greatest of ,god's human children have likewise wielded sceptres4 ,so with the crown of wealth2 it has been and is worn by men quite irrespective of moral character1 but the preponderance seems to be in favour of the moral fool4 ,looked at in the light of eternity there is no injustice or even mystery in this4 ,,ii4 ,but wealth is an adornment to the wise man only4 ,if you dress an ,ethiopian in pure white linen you will not change the colour of his skin4 ,the man is what he was though his raiment is changed1 and the whiteness of his garments makes his skin look all the blacker4 ,if a tree is barren1 the most costly and perfect artificial fruit placed among its leaves will not add to its beauty4 ,it will only produce an incongruity which will be altogether distasteful to the spectator4 ,its barrenness is only made the more conspicuous4 ,so no wealth can give any dignity to a mental and moral fool4 ,wealth will not hide the intellectual barrenness1 nor cover the black stains upon the man's moral character4 ,nay1 the wealth only brings them more prominently into view4 ,however rich a fool is the foolishness of fools is folly1 and nothing else4 ,but a man who is wise enough to know how to use wealth--especially if he is good enough to put it to the highest and best uses--even though he be neither intellectually great or highly polished1 will make his riches a crown--will so use them as to merit and receive the respect and goodwill of his fellow-creatures4 ,wealth looks best upon the head of one who possesses both intelligence and goodness1 but whenever it is studded with the gems of a wise and sympathetic liberality it is a royal diadem--it makes its wearer a king4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the ,christian is rich in this world4 ,we read in the #ahth verse of the prudent making a crown of knowledge4 ,aladdin was rich when he had nothing but his lamp4 ,if a ray of faith put creation in bondage to a saint1 then not only is his knowledge a crown1 but his crown is his wealth4 ,what needs ,aladdin further than his lamp8 ,the sovereignty of saints1 even in a forlorn world1 makes a perfect opulence2 while the folly of fools1 seeing that it could give place to this2 seeing that he also could have the lamp2 seeing that the crowned princes1 the very best of them1 were fools like him2 and therefore1 that it can only be because he is a fool that he does not throw off his folly2--all this explains the closing clause1 which is terse in its very quaintness2 for1 for the very reason that the crown of the wise is their wealth1 the foolishness of fools is folly4--,miller4 ,though1 as a fearful temptation 7,matt4 xiii4 #bb2 xix4 #bc71 no wise man would desire riches2 yet as a gift of ,god 7#a ,kings iii4 #ac2 ,psa4 cxii4 #c7--the gift1 indeed1 of ,his left hand 7chap4 iii4 #af7--they may become ,his crown4 ,what a crown they were to ,david and his wise son1 as the materials for building the temple 7#a ,chron4 xxix4 #a-e2 #b ,chron4 v4 #a72 and to ,job1 as employed for the good of his fellow-creatures 7,job xxix4 #f-ag74 ,so that1 though wisdom under all circumstances is a blessing1 it is specially pronounced to be good with an inheritance 7,eccles4 vii4 #aa1 #ab74 ,it is necessary to distinguish between the thing itself and the abuse of it4 ,wealth is in fact a blessing1 when honestly acquired and conscientiously employed4 ,and when otherwise1 the man is to be blamed1 and not his treasure4--,bridges4 ,what is the most gorgeous and dazzling earthly crown compared with a diadem of which the component parts are the blessings of the destitute relieved1 the ignorant instructed1 the vicious reclaimed1 the afflicted comforted1 the dying cheered with the hope of life1 the perishing rescued from perdition and brought to ,god6--,wardlaw4 ,if good men are spoiled of their wealth1 they need not lament1 as if they had lost their crown4 ,for riches are an ornament of grace to the head of wise men1 even when they are lost4 ,job's patience in the loss of everything1 did as much honour to him as his extraordinary beneficence whilst he was the richest man in the ,east4 ,we honour his memory still more1 when he sewed sackcloth upon his skin1 and defiled his horn in the dust1 than at the time when judgment was his robe and his diadem4--,lawson4 ,as a horse is of no use without the bridle1 so are riches without reason4--,cawdray4 ,not riches but wisdom gives a crown of glory 7chap4 iv4 #i74 ,the prudent are crowned with knowledge1 not with riches2 therefore1 the sense is1 ,wisdom 7the opposite of folly71 being the crown of the wise constitutes their true riches1 and results in the heavenly riches2 but the foolishness of fools is not riches to them1 as the wise man's crown of wisdom is to him1 but is1 and continues folly1 i4e41 emptiness--neither an ornamental crown nor enriching wisdom4--,fausset4 ,the seeming tautology of the second clause is really its point4 ,the foolishness of fools is 4 4 4 4 ,we expect something else1 but the subject is also the predicate4 ,the foolishness of fools is foolishness4 ,that is the long and the short of it4 ,turn it as you will1 it comes to that4--,plumptre4 ,wisdom in a poor man is but a petty lord4 ,he may rule himself well1 but he shall have little command or power over others4 ,riches make a wise man a king1 and as they crown him with honour by being well used by him1 so do they extend his dominion far and wide4 ,many are subject to the law of his discretion1 and the force of his wise authority prevaileth many ways4 ,well1 therefore1 doth the crown of riches sit upon his head1 whose wise head it is that makes them to be riches4 ,but riches in a fool are his bauble1 whereby he maketh himself and others sport4 4 4 4 ,the wise being crowned by them are kings over their riches4 ,they command them to their pleasure and use them to their honour4 ,whereas it is the folly of fools that they are galley-slaves to their own wealth4--,jermin4 ,give riches to a fool and you put a sword into a madman's hand2 the folly of such fools will soon be foolishness4 ,why1 was it not foolishness before8 ,yes1 but now1 it is become egregious foolishness4 ,to what end is a treasure1 if a man have lost the key that leads to it4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,deliverance ,,by ,,truth4 ,i4 ,what is implied in a witness bearer4 ,a witness is supposed to give light4 ,those who have to decide upon a matter seek for the evidence of those who are personally acquainted with the facts4 ,they are expected to testify as to what they have seen and heard1 and by thus throwing light upon the subject to further the cause of truth and justice4 ,a witness can only give light by speaking the truth4 ,the words of a truth-teller are like rays of sunlight falling upon an object that was before indistinct1 they make plain things which without their aid would be incomprehensible4 ,on the other hand the testimony of a lying witness surrounds everything about which he bears witness with a mist and a darkness1 and so foils the efforts of those who are desiring to get a right view of the subject4 ,,ii4 ,life and death are often in the power of those who bear witness4 ,the evidence of a truthful man delivers from death--or from worse than death--those who are innocent1 whereas a false witness may deliver them up to punishment4 ,the one is like a lighthouse which enables the sailor to bring his vessel safely into port1 the other is like the false light of the wrecker1 by means of which the ship is dashed to pieces on the rocks4 ,the first witness for ,god in ,eden who did not belong to the heavenly family was a false witness who spoke lies4 ,he testified to ,eve that ,god was a hard master1 that ,he had imposed upon her restrictions from a selfish motive1 that the punishment which had been threatened would not follow disobedience to the ,divine commands4 ,since this first false witness led our first parents on to death1 many a human witness has1 in like manner1 given to the world false views of the ,divine ,father which have ended in like results4 ,both ,satan and his servants murder character by bearing false witness4 ,the ,incarnate ,son of ,god was pre-eminently ,the ,true ,witness 7,isa4 lv4 #d2 ,rev4 i4 #e74 ,he came to deliver men by bearing witness of the true character of ,god from ,his own personal knowledge 7,john xvii4 #be1 #bf74 ,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear witness unto the truth1 ,and ye shall know the truth1 and the truth shall make you free 7,john xvii4 #cg2 viii4 #cb74 ,the truth which ,christ taught was chiefly on these three points--,god1 man1 immortality4 4 4 4 ,he exhibited ,god as love1 and so the fearful bondage of the mind to the necessity of fate was broken4 4 4 4 ,he taught the truth about the human soul1 that it is not in its right place1 that it never is in its right place in the dark prison-house of sin1 but that its home is freedom1 and the breath of ,god's life4 4 4 4 ,he taught truth concerning immortality1 that this life is not all2 that it is not only a miserable state of human infancy4--7,robertson47 ,by such testimony this true witness delivered souls--proclaimed liberty to the captives1 and the opening of the prison to them that are bound 7,isa4 lxi4 #a74 ,on this subject see also on chap4 xii4 #ag1 pages #bgd-bgf4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we noticed that what crowned the wise was truth or knowledge 7verse #ah74 ,truth to become knowledge must get into the heart4 ,to do so it must be witnessed4 ,we noticed under the second verse that a man staggered1 that is1 he did not walk in levelness1 because he did not see clearly4 ,but1 per contra1 if a man sees clearly he walks in level ways2 and then1 according to our present proverb1 he saves unconsciously the souls of others4 ,this is most clear when the view is negative4 ,let there be no witness of truth1 and where are the saved8 ,no sinners are rescued in a dead nation4 ,every ,christian is a centre of light4 ,the ,church is but a body of ,christians4 ,where there is no ,church1 where are the penitents8 ,the truth intended to be conveyed is1 that he who sees the truth spreads it4 ,while he who sees only lies1 which is an exact portrait of the unredeemed1 serves in spite of himself as a delusion to his friends1 and deceives them into unbelief just in proportion to his influence upon them4 ,woe be to the wife or child where the husband is a deceived witness 7verse #e74 ,witness--not in this case one who bears witness1 but one who witnesses1 in the sense of seeing4--,miller4 ,while true testimony may condemn1 false testimony may acquit2 while the former may destroy life1 the latter may save it4 ,it is probable1 therefore1 that the intended antithesis relates not so much to the actual fact of truth saving and falsehood condemning1 as to the dispositions and intentions of the faithful witness on the one hand and the lying witness on the other4 ,the faithful witness delights in giving testimony that may save life1 that will be salutary and beneficial to his fellow-creatures4 ,the lying witness will1 in general1 be found actuated by a malevolent and wicked purpose2 having pleasure in giving testimony that will go to condemn the object of his malice4 ,the sentiment will thus be--that truth is most generally found in union with kindness of heart1 and falsehood with malevolence4 ,and this is natural2 the former being both good1 the latter being both evil1 falsehood being naturally more akin to malice1 and truth to love4--,wardlaw4 ,here again there is something like tautology in the second clause4 ,we expect destroyeth life as the antithesis to delivereth souls4 ,but in this case also there is an emphasis in the seeming absence of it4 ,a deceitful witness speaketh lies4 ,what worse could be said of him8 ,all destruction is implied in falsehood4--,plumptre4 ,it is the honour of ,god to be a deliverer of souls1 and that is the honour of a true witness4 ,he delivers his own soul and another's3 his own from the wrath of ,god1 another's from the injustice of men3 his own from wickedness1 another's from injury4 ,the deceitful man speaketh not one lie1 but many4 ,the lie of perjury to ,god1 the lie of injustice to the judge1 the lie of falsehood to the master4 ,not one but many lies1 because one lie usually bringeth many others with it4--,jermin4 ,the special work for which ,christians are left in the world is to be witnesses 7,acts i4 #h74 4 4 4 ,christ does not send his angels to proclaim ,his word or to wield ,his power4 4 4 4 ,the evidence by which the ,spirit will convert the world is ,his truth1 uttered from the ,word1 and echoed1 still and small1 from the meek and quiet life-course of converted men4 4 4 4 ,two qualifications are required in a witness1 truth and love 7,ephes4 iv4 #ae73 these are needed1 but these will do4 4 4 4 ,a witness1 in contested cases1 after giving evidence in chief1 is subjected to cross-examination4 ,a ,christian's profession is1 and is understood to be1 his direct and positive testimony that he is bought with a price1 and that he is bound to serve the ,lord who bought him3 but as soon as this testimony is emitted1 the examination begins4 ,if he be not a true witness1 he will stumble there4 ,either or both of two persons1 with very different views1 may subject a witness to cross-examination--the judge or the adversary4 ,it is chiefly done by the adversary1 and in his interests4 ,the ,supreme himself puts professing disciples to the test before the court of the world2 but when ,he so tries ,his children1 the truth comes forth purer and brighter by the trial4 ,he who goes about as a roaring lion1 seeking whom he may devour1 tempts to destroy4 ,he puts the witness to the question in order to break him down4 4 4 4 ,we speak of the evidences of religion1 but1 after all1 ,christians are the best evidence of ,christianity4 4 4 4 ,let no man who bears ,christ's name lay the unction to his soul1 that if he does no good he does no evil4 ,one of the heaviest complaints made in the prophets against ,jerusalem for her backsliding1 is that she was a comfort to ,samaria and ,sodom 7,ezek4 xvi4 #ed72 that those who had the name and place of ,god's people1 so lived as to make the wicked feel at ease4 4 4 4 ,if ,christians live as like the world as they can1 the world will think itself safe in its sin2 and those who should have been the deliverers1 will become the destroyers of their neighbours4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,a ,,sure ,,refuge4 ,i4 ,what is found in the fear of the ,lord8 ,strong confidence4 ,the confidence is in the ,divine character1 and is based upon a knowledge of it1 in contrast to a false security which has its foundation in ignorance4 ,there is a reverence of one being for another which is the outcome of ignorance1 but this cannot generate that strong confidence which can be a sheet anchor to the human soul4 ,the old ,romans1 in the early days of their history1 had a reverence for their divinities1 but it was a reverence of ignorance1 it was a reverence for unrealities1 and could never yield them that confidence which all men in all ages need to comfort them in trial and inspire them with hope in the mysteries of human life4 ,there are men now who are quite ignorant of the ,divine character and yet seem to possess great confidence that all will be well with them--that ,god1 in fact1 will not do what ,he has said ,he will do in relation to them4 ,but this confidence is also false2 it is based1 not upon fear of the ,lord1 arising out of acquaintance with ,him1 but upon want of knowledge1 and consequently upon disregard of ,his claims4 ,but the strong confidence of our text is the fruit of a reverence which has its foundation in acquaintance with the holiness of the ,divine ,father1 which is the outcome of a knowledge of ,his laws1 of ,his threatenings1 and of ,his promises4 ,it is the confidence which a child reposes in a good parent1 because it knows from experience--from an every-day contemplation of that parent's life--what good grounds it has to reverence and to trust him4 ,this confidence is strong enough to inspire the soul with courage to face the difficulties of human life and to vanquish them4 ,confidence in a fellow-creature is often inspiration4 ,a soldier's confidence in his general1 a seaman's confidence in his captain1 inspires to the performance of deeds of heroism4 ,and confidence in the living ,god1 in that ,king who can do no wrong1 in that leader who can make no mistake1 has been the inspiration of millions of men and women in all ages and under all circumstances4 ,it has been found strong enough to enable them to be heroes through a long life of poverty1 of ignominy1 of sickness1 and it has sustained all in the hour of death1 and many in the death of martyrdom4 ,by the strength born of this strong confidence1 they have subdued kingdoms1 wrought righteousness1 obtained promises1 stopped the mouths of lions1 quenched the violence of fire1 etc4 7,hebrews xi4 #cc-ch74 ,,ii4 ,this confidence gives men ,god for a refuge4 #a4 ,he is a present refuge from conscious guilt4 ,this is a need which every man feels as soon as his conscience is awakened as surely as the man-slayer felt his want of a stronghold of defence from the avenger of blood4 ,the ,god against whom man has sinned becomes1 when ,his character is understood1 the object of hope for pardon4 ,the sinner can only flee from ,god1 by fleeing to ,god4 #b4 ,he is a present refuge from all foes1 whether spiritual or human4 ,who is he that will harm you1 if ye be followers of that which is good8 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #ac7 is a question which can never be answered4 ,it is impossible that the children of ,god can ever be without a resource in whatever peril of soul1 body1 or estate they find themselves1 for--,if ,god be for us1 who can be against us8 7,rom4 viii4 #ca74 ,,illustration4 ,the ,rev4 ,j4 ,w4 ,fletcher had a profligate nephew1 who was dismissed from his post as an officer in the ,sardinian army4 ,one day1 by presenting a pistol to his uncle1 ,general de ,gons1 he extorted from him a draft for #ejj crowns4 ,with this he called on ,mr4 ,fletcher1 and1 as he exhibited it with exultation1 ,mr4 ,f4 took it1 folded it up and put it into his pocket1 saying3 ,it strikes me1 young man1 that you have possessed yourself of this note by some indirect method2 and in honesty ,i cannot return it but with my brother's knowledge and approbation4 ,instantly the pistol was at his breast1 and he was told1 as he valued his life1 to return the draft4 ,my life1 replied ,mr4 ,fletcher1 is secure in the protection of the ,almighty power who guards it4 ,this led the nephew to remark that his uncle ,de ,gons was more afraid of death4 ,afraid of death6 rejoined ,mr4 ,fletcher1 do you think ,i have been twenty-five years the minister of the ,lord of life to be afraid of death now8 ,no1 sir1 thanks be to ,god who giveth me the victory6 ,it is for you to fear death who have every reason to fear it4 ,you are a gamester and a cheat1 yet call yourself a gentleman4 4 4 4 ,look1 there1 sir1 look there6 ,see the broad eye of ,heaven is fixed upon us4 ,tremble in the presence of your ,maker1 who can in a moment kill your body1 and for ever punish your soul in hell4 ,the youth was disarmed1 and the interview ended in his uncle praying with him1 and promising to give him a hundred crowns to relieve his immediate necessities4--,from ,the ,proverbs ,illustrated4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,fear is anything but a refuge in itself4 ,but as faith was imputed to the patriarch for righteousness 7,rom4 iv4 #bb71 so this need not cloud ,christ's merit4 ,christ has so saved us that fear becomes our hope4 ,he who has experienced fear has gone into a retreat2 nothing can dislodge him from it4 ,if the lost tremble1 let them learn to fear2 for by fear they become children of ,god1 and as children of ,god they have an eternal refuge4--,miller4 ,fear hath torment 7#a ,john iv4 #ah2 ,acts xxiv4 #be74 ,it is the trembling of the slave 7,rom4 viii4 #ae72 the dread of wrath1 not of sin4 ,there is no confidence here4 ,it is pure selfishness4 ,it ends in self4 ,there is no homage to ,god4 ,but the true fear of ,god is a holy1 happy1 reverential principle 7see ,psa4 cxii4 #a2 xxxiii4 #ah2 cxlvii4 #aa72 not that which love casts out 7#a ,john iv4 #ah71 but which love brings in4 ,we fear1 because we love4 ,we fear1 yet we are not afraid 7,psa4 cxii4 #a-g74 ,the holiest and humblest is the most fixed and trusting heart4 ,the fear of man produces faintness 7,jonah i4 #c2 ,gal4 ii4 #ab74 ,the fear of the ,lord--such is the ,christian paradox--emboldens4 ,its childlike spirit shuts out all terrors of conscience1 all forebodings of eternity4 ,abraham sacrificed his son in the fear of the ,lord2 yet fully confident that ,god was able to raise him up from the dead 7,gen4 xxii4 #ab1 with ,heb4 xi4 #ag-ai74--;,bridges4 ,what confidence shall be strong1 if this is not strong8 ,he confides in that which is all infinite3--the truth1 the love1 the wisdom1 the power of his covenant ,god6 ,whatever the love of ,god has induced ,him graciously to promise1 no power or combination of powers in existence can stay from being done4--,wardlaw4 ,it does not mean that the fear of ,god is something on which one can rely1 but that it has 7xxii4 #ai2 ,jer4 xvii4 #g7 an inheritance which is enduring1 unwavering1 and not disappointing in ,god1 who is the object of fear2 for it is not faith1 nor anything else subjective1 which is the rock that bears us1 but this rock is the object that faith lays hold of 7,cf4 ,isa4 xxviii4 #af74--;,delitzsch4 ,gregory1 writing upon those words in ,job iv4 #f1 ,is not this thy fear1 thy confidence8 etc41 saith that although ,eliphaz did wrongfully reprove ,job1 yet he doth rightly set down the order of the virtues1 when he joineth fortitude to fear4 ,for in the way of ,god we must begin with fear that we may come to fortitude4 ,for as in the course of the world boldness breedeth courage1 so in the way of ,god it breedeth weakness1 and as in the course of the world fear begetteth weakness1 so in the way of ,god it bringeth forth confidence4--,jermin4 ,the fear which brings a sinner submissive and trustful to the sacrifice and righteousness of the ,substitute is itself a confidence4 4 4 4 ,those who went early to the sepulchre and looked into the empty grave where the ,lord lay1 departed from the place with fear and great joy4 ,a human soul made at first in ,god's image has great capacities still4 ,in that large place fear and great joy can dwell together4 4 4 4 ,the filial fear of the children may be known by this1 that it takes in beside itself a great joy1 and the two brethren dwell together in unity4 4 4 4 ,his children shall have a place of refuge4 ,they are kept by the power of ,god44 4 4 ,there are two keepings very diverse from each other1 and yet alike in this1 that both employ as their instruments strong walls and barred gates4 ,great harm accrues for confounding them1 and therefore the distinction should be kept clear4 ,gates and bars may be closed around you for the purpose of keeping you in1 or of keeping your enemy out4 ,the one is a prison1 the other a fortress4 ,in construction and appearance the two edifices are in many respects similar4 ,the walls are in both cases high and the bars strong4 ,in both it is essential that the guards should be watchful and trusty4 ,but they differ in this3 the prison is constructed with a view to prevent escape from within1 the fortress to defy assault from without4 ,in their design and use they are exact contraries4 ,the one makes sure the bondage1 the other the liberty of its inmates4 ,in both cases it is a keep1 and in both cases the keep is strong--the one to keep the prisoner in1 the other to keep the enemy out4 ,the fear of the ,lord to those who are within1 and have tasted of ,his grace1 is the strong confidence of a fortress to defend them from every foe2 to those who look at it from without1 it often seems a frowning prison that will close away the sunlight from all who go within its portals1 and waste young life away in mouldy dungeons4 ,mistakes are common on this point1 and mistakes are disastrous4 4 4 4 ,though the refuge is provided1 and the gate standing open1 and the invitation free1 poor wanderers stand shivering without because a suspicion clings to the guilty conscience1 that the strong tower offered as a safe dwelling place will turn out to be a place of confinement from genial society and human joys4--,arnot4 ,,for ,,homiletics ,,on ,,verse #bg ,,see ,,on ,,the ,,preceding ,,verse ,,and ,,on ,,chapter ,,xiii4 #ad ,,page #cac4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #bf and #bg4 ,the whole system of religion is expressed in the fear of ,god4 ,a religion which makes this fear the principle of action implicitly condemns all self-confidence and presumptuous security1 enjoins a constant state of vigilance and caution1 a perpetual distrust of our own hearts1 a full conviction of our natural weakness1 and an earnest solicitude for ,divine assistance4 ,it keeps men always attentive to the motives and consequences of actions2 always unsatisfied with present attainments2 always wishing to advance and always afraid of falling away4 ,the blessings it brings in its train are--#a4 ,security4 ,strong confidence4 ,place of refuge4 ,great is the confidence of a good conscience4 ,our ,god whom we serve is able to deliver us1 and ,he will deliver us 7,dan4 iii4 #ag74 ,none of these things move me 7,acts xx4 #bd74 ,when they told ,numa that the enemy was at the gates1 he simply answered1 ,but ,i am sacrificing4 ,when ,antonius was threatened1 he replied1 ,we have not so worshipped1 neither have we so lived1 that we should fear their conquering us 7,trapp74 ,if such was the confidence of heathens1 what should be that of ,christians8 ,god's children know in whom they have believed 7#b ,tim4 i4 #ab74 #b4 ,consolation4 ,a fountain of life4 ,so called from the constancy of its supply4 ,a confluence of the blessings1 grace here and glory hereafter--present and future--upper and nether springs4 ,david combines both when he says1 ,thou shalt guide me with ,thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory 7,psa4 lxxiii4 #bd74 ,he refers to the future when he says1 ,oh1 how great is ,thy goodness1 which ,thou hast laid up for them that fear ,thee1 which ,thou hast wrought for them that trust in ,thee before the sons of men6 7,psa4 xxxi4 #ai74 ,here he speaks not only of what ,god has laid up1 but of what ,he has laid out--not only of what he has in prospect1 but of what he has in experience4 #c4 ,deliverance from dangerous temptations4 ,to depart from the snares of death4 ,the way of this world is like the ,vale of ,siddim 7,gen4 xiv4 #ai71 treacherous and slippery and full of snares 7,trapp74 ,but he that fears the ,lord has many safeguards4 ,the integrity of the upright shall guide them 7chap4 xi4 #c74--,s4 ,thodey4 ,verse #bg4 ,the law of the wise is the fear of the ,lord1 for of both the same things are predicted 7chap xiii4 #ad74--;,fausset4 ,not only does ,christian confidence open a cover from the guilt1 but it roots out the power of sin4 ,for among the countless throngs of the redeemed1 not one finds a cover from condemnation1 who is not renovated into spiritual life4--,bridges4 ,the fear of the ,lord teacheth wisdom1 and wisdom teacheth that an evil feared is much the sooner avoided1 and that it is a great safety of life to fear death4 ,wherefore ,st4 ,cyprian saith1 ,be ye fearful1 that ye may be without fear2 fear the ,lord1 that ye may not fear death4 ,for the same fountain doth not send forth bitter waters and sweet2 life and death do not issue from the same spring4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,a ,,king',s ,,true ,,glory4 ,i4 ,human rulers are dependent upon their people for honour4 #a4 ,the safety of the king's crown depends largely upon the number of his subjects4 ,this was certainly the case in the days of ,solomon1 and is so now to a large extent4 ,small kingdoms are very likely even in these days to be engulfed by more powerful states--by those who can bring into the field an overpowering number of warriors4 ,numbers hold the diadems on the heads of the rulers of the great nations of ,europe4 ,that ,palestine was to some extent an exception to this rule was due to the especial providence of ,jehovah--that it was ever overpowered by numbers was because its inhabitants forsook their covenant ,god4 ,but the general rule holds good4 #b4 ,the prosperity of their land depends upon its being well populated4 ,other things being equal1 a populous kingdom will do more business with other nations--will plant colonies and mix more with the inhabitants of other lands2 and all these things extend a nation's influence and so make its ruler's position a more honourable one4 ,,ii4 ,it is therefore a matter of self-interest that a ruler should govern his people righteously4 ,there is a lesson which the potentates of the earth have been slow to learn although the page of history abounds with so many examples of the peril of disregarding it4 ,it would be the destruction of the head if it were to say to the other members of the body1 by which it is maintained in life and health1 ,i have no need of thee4 ,the existence of the one depends upon that of the other4 ,and it is not less so with the body politic4 ,the safety and honour of the king is bound up in the well-being of his subjects4 ,where the one is dependent upon the many1 self-interest1 as well as duty1 point to his so ruling that his people may enjoy peace and prosperity and so multiply4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is a natural tendency in the population of a country to increase4 ,when1 therefore1 population diminishes1 there must be some cause counterworking nature4 ,the subjects of a country may be wasted in destructive and depopulating wars2 they may be driven by oppression to quit their native land1 and to seek a refuge in more distant regions2 they may be starved and reduced by measures that are injurious and ruinous to trade--measures that keep up the price of bread and depress the wages of labour4 4 4 4 ,the existence of a thriving vigorous population is a mark of freedom1 of wise and impartial legislation1 of paternal care--and it is the palladium of all that is desirable in the results of human rule4--,wardlaw4 ,a sentiment arrayed against feeble princes who nevertheless array themselves with disproportionate splendour2 and this1 as also verse #cd1 is designed to call attention to the principle1 that it is not external and seeming advantages1 but simply and solely the inward competence and moral excellence1 whether of the head or of the members of a commonwealth1 that are the conditions of its temporal welfare4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,how great1 then1 is the honour of our heavenly ,king in the countless multitudes of ,his people6 ,how overwhelmingly glorious will it appear when the completed number shall stand before ,his throne 7,rev4 vii4 #i1 #aj72 each the medium of reflecting ,his glory 7#b ,thess4 i4 #aj72 each with a crown to cast at ,his feet 7,rev4 iv4 #aj1 #aa71 and a song of everlasting joy to time to ,his praise 7,rev4 v4 #i74--;,bridges4 ,all grades depend upon their inferiors4 ,the poor have us in their power4 ,to be kind to them is a dictate of common selfishness4 ,carried into a spiritual light1 the truth becomes much wider4 ,half of heaven will be what we did for the poor4 ,solomon was familiar with this as a king2 but he marks the sentence as one for all humanity4 ,if a man wishes to be comfortable on earth1 let him make his inferiors great4 ,and1 if he wishes to be rich in heaven1 let him cultivate with assiduous zest the graces of the perishing4--,miller4 ,the occurrence of this political precept in the midst of the maxims of personal morality is striking4 ,still more so is its protest against the false ideal of national greatness to which ,eastern kings1 for the most part1 have bowed down4--,plumptre4 ,the people are the king's best treasury2 in their scarcity he cannot be rich4 ,worthy was the speech of that ,goth1 the king of ,italy1 who1 speaking of his subjects1 saith1 ,our harvest is the rest of all4--,jermin4 ,,note4--,the population of ,england and ,wales in #agjj was about #e1dge1jjj4 ,at the beginning of the present century it was between eight and nine millions2 it now exceeds twenty millions4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,great ,,understanding4 ,i4 ,there are times and occasions when wrath is not only allowable1 but right4 ,a man who is incapable of being angry lacks an element of perfection4 ,anger against wrong-doing is possible without any feeling of vindictiveness or malice towards the wrong-doer4 ,there is much in the ,bible about the wrath of ,god 7,rom4 i4 #ah71 although ,he is love 7#a ,john iv4 #h74 ,a child does not honour a parent the less1 but the more1 because he knows that parent can be angry when there is just occasion4 ,neither could we reverence ,god if ,he was a ,being who could not be displeased4 ,,ii4 ,but a man who is slow to wrath shows--#a4 ,that he understands himself4 ,even the holy and all-perfect ,god is slow to anger 7,neh4 ix4 #ag74 ,although ,he could not misjudge any creature1 and although ,he could never by any possibility allow ,his wrath to exceed the bounds of perfect justice and righteousness1 ,he is not soon angry4 ,the man who understands his own frailty and short-sightedness will not allow anger to take possession of his spirit in a hurry1 if he is to be angry and sin not 7,ephes4 iv4 #bf71 he must only be angry after due reflection upon the cause of his anger4 #b4 ,that he understands others4 ,hasty and passionate anger never convinces the offender of his guilt1 but awakens wrath in his breast also4 ,but the displeasure which is the result of calm consideration may carry some weight with it4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on verse #ag4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly4 ,he gives folly for the time being the throne and sceptre of his mind1 and fulfils her preposterous and mischievous dictates4 ,and when reason1 for the time deposed1 resumes her vacated seat1 she finds no easy task before her to repair the evils which have been done in the brief but stormy reign of passion4--,wardlaw4 ,i4 ,the passion of anger is like wind to the ship3 so it is to the soul called to steer its course to ,immanuel's land4 #a4 ,if there be a dead calm1 and the winds blow not at all1 or very weakly1 the ship does not make way4 ,and if men be so stupid1 indolent1 and unconcerned1 that their spirits will not stir in them1 whatever dishonour they see done to ,god1 these are standing still in the way to heaven4 ,and many there be1 who are all fire in their own matters1 but in those of ,god their hearts are dead as a stone4 ,such was the case of ,eli3 ,his sons made themselves vile1 and he restrained them not 7#a ,sam4 iii4 #ac74 ,it was not so with ,paul3 for his spirit was stirred in him1 when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry 7,acts xvii4 #af74 #b4 ,if the wind is brisk enough1 but yet is contrary1 the ship will at best have much ado with it1 and may be driven into a shore which the crew desired not to see4 ,so if men's anger be in itself sinful1 if their anger burn against what is good and just3 such anger cannot fail of an unhappy event4 #c4 ,though the wind be not contrary1 yet if it be too impetuous and violent1 it may dash the ship on rocks and split it4 ,so though men's anger may have a just ground1 yet if it prove excessive and boisterous1 it may run men headlong into great mischiefs4 ,oft-times reason lets anger into the breast2 but then anger turns out reason to the door1 and carries on all precipitantly without reason or discretion3 like one that brings in coal to his hearth1 because of the cold1 but unwarily lets it fall on tow1 which sets the house on fire4 ,,ii4 ,he that is slow to wrath4 #a4 ,is slow to take up anger in his own cause4 ,it is wisdom indeed to be very tender of ,god's honour1 but more indifferent about our own personal interests1 as ,moses was4 #b4 ,manages it warily when it is taken up4 ,he finds himself on slippery ground1 and is therefore slow in his motions4 #c4 ,is easy to lay it down 7,ephes4 iv4 #bf-bg74 ,he shuts it out when there is no more use for it4 ,,iii4 ,the passionate man proclaims his folly--he proclaims himself--#a4 ,a proud man1 and the proud man is a fool in ,god's account and in the account of all who understand themselves4 #b4 ,a weak man4 ,he is a slave to his passions4 #c4 ,an unwatchful man1 who has his enemies within him1 without him1 round about him1 and yet cannot be brought to stand on his guard 7,prov4 iv4 #bc1 #bd74--;,boston4 ,wise anger is like fire from the flint1 there is a great ado to bring it out2 and when it does come1 it is out again immediately4--,henry4 ,the intoxication of anger1 like that of the grape1 shows us to others1 but hides us from ourselves4--,southgate's ,many ,thoughts on ,many ,things4 ,the heaviest body is slowest in going1 but his treading is the surest2 in like manner1 he that is slow to anger recompenses the dulness of his steps with the soundness of his proceeding2 for he taketh leisure 7as it were7 to look of his ways4 ,tertullian says1 ,where the injury is little1 there is no need of patience2 but where the injury is great1 there is the help of patience more needful against it4 ,if they be small wrongs1 contemn them for their smallness2 if great wrongs1 by patience give way unto them in respect of their greatness4 ,the original of hasty1 is short-winded4 ,for as haste in going maketh the breath to be short1 so the haste of the soul to anger maketh that to puff and blow on every small occasion2 so that the soul is as it were climbing up a great hill1 there to exalt her folly1 for all to behold it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,a ,,sound ,,heart4 ,the blessed effects of a contented spirit4 ,the sound heart being here placed in contrast to envy1 shows that it means a spirit that is content with its lot in life--that is not ever reaching after the unattainable--that is not jealous of others who are in more favourable circumstances4 ,such a quietness of spirit is-- ,i4 ,favourable to bodily health4 ,the mind of a passionate man wears out the bodily frame1 and no passion that can possess the soul is more imperious and agitating1 and consequently more injurious to health than envy4 ,jealousy is said to be as cruel as the grave 7,cant4 viii4 #f71 and it is cruel not only to the objects of it1 but also to him who allows it a dwelling-place in his spirit4 ,its withering effects are felt even in the body1 it is rottenness of the bones in this sense4 ,but a contented spirit goes a long way to promote and to preserve bodily health4 ,a quiet spirit is a stranger to all those restless feelings which give sleepless nights and anxious days to the envious man4 ,,ii4 ,it is indispensable to the attainment of a noble character4 ,calmness of spirit gives room for the development of all the graces and virtues which go to make up the perfect man 7,ephes4 iv4 #ac74 ,growth in nature demands some degree of quietness and calmness to develop itself4 ,the mighty forest oak of a hundred years has attained its present noble dimensions by processes which have gone on for the most part in days and nights of stillness4 ,so a character of moral strength and beauty can be formed only in the atmosphere of a calm and well-governed spirit4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,envy1 excitement of any kind2 perturbation2 a wise saw1 perhaps1 of the old hygiene1 but true spiritually4 ,religion rejoices in peace4 ,mad passion may be overruled2 but so can our lusts be4 ,as much as lieth in us1 we should have peace4 ,the soul is a temple 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #ag71 and holiness becometh ,thy house1 ,o ,lord1 for ever 7,psa4 xciii4 #e74--,miller4 ,the word sound signifies healthful1 free from moral distempers--the distempers of the inner man1 such as discontent1 malice1 and envy4 ,strictly speaking a sound heart--a heart entirely free from the evil passions that belong to fallen nature--is not to be found4 ,but in ,scripture a sound heart1 and even a perfect heart1 are phrases used to signify the real sincerity and predominant rule of right principles and actions4 ,envy1 perhaps the most odious in itself1 and the most corroding and torturing to the spirit1 is here called rottenness of the bones--not a mere surface sore1 but a deep-seated disease2 like caries1 or inflammation in the substance of the bone itself4--,wardlaw4 ,i4 ,the nature of envy4 ,it is a pain1 or uneasiness1 arising from an apprehension of the prosperity and good fortune of others2 not because we suffer from their welfare1 nor that our condition may be bettered by our uneasiness1 but merely because their condition is bettered4 ,there is a strong jealousy of pre-eminence and superiority implanted in our nature by ,almighty ,god1 for wise and noble purposes1 to excite to the pursuit of laudable attainments1 and the imitation of good and great actions4 ,this principle is emulation4 ,it is also an uneasiness occasioned by the good fortunes of others2 but not because we repine at their prosperity2 but because we ourselves have not attained the same good success4 ,its effect is to excite us to great designs1 but when it meets with a corrupt disposition it degenerates into envy1 the most malignant passion in human nature1 the worst weed of the worst soil4 ,so far from stirring up to imitation1 envy labours to taint and depreciate what it does not so much as attempt to equal4 ,,ii4 ,the cure for envy4 #a4 ,that we endeavour to take a right estimate of things4 ,the laws of ,god are the eternal standards of good and evil2 what they declare valuable1 or enjoin as wise1 are truly so1 and what they disclaim as hurtful or worthless are1 in fact1 to be so regarded4 #b4 ,that we try to make a right judgment of our own worth and abilities4 ,if we do this1 we shall find that there are others in the world at least as wise and as good as we are1 and perhaps we shall also find1 that if merit were the standard of honour and affluence1 we should not abound altogether as much as we do4 #c4 ,reflect seriously upon the vanity of all worldly advantage4 ,shall we envy him whose breath is in his nostrils8 whose glory fadeth as the flower of grass8--,delany4 ,envy is called a passion1 and passion means suffering4 ,the patient who is ill of envy is a sinner and a sufferer too4 ,he is an object of pity4 ,it is a mysterious and terrible disease4 ,the nerves of sensation within the man are attached by some unseen hand to his neighbours all around him1 so that every step of advancement which they make tears the fibres which lie next his heart4 ,the wretch enjoys a moment's relief when the mystic cord is temporarily slackened by his neighbour's fall2 but his agony immediately begins again1 for he anticipates another twitch as soon as the fallen is restored to prosperity4 4 4 4 ,the cure of envy1 as wrought by the love of ,christ1 is not only a deliverance from pain1 it is1 even in the present world1 an unspeakable gain4 ,that man will speedily grow rich who gets and puts into his bag not only all his own winnings1 but also all the winnings of his neighbours4 4 4 4 ,the ,nile1 contrary to the analogy of other great streams1 flows more than a thousand miles without receiving the waters of a single tributary2 the consequence is1 that it grows no greater as it courses over that vast line4 ,other rivers are every now and then receiving converging streams from the right and left1 and thereby their volume continually increases until it reaches the sea4 ,the happiness of man is like the flow of water in a river4 ,if you enjoy nothing but what is your own1 your tiny rivulet of contentment1 so far from increasing1 grows smaller by degrees1 until it sinks unseen into the sand1 and leaves you in a desert of despair2 but when all the acquisitions of your neighbours go to swell its bulk1 your enjoyment will flow like a river enriched by many affluents1 growing ever greater as life approaches its close4 ,it is some such river that makes glad the city of ,god4--,arnot4 ,socrates called envy the soul's saw2 and wished that envious men had more eyes and ears than others1 that they might have the more torment by beholding and hearing other men's happiness4--,trapp4 ,envy at last crawls forth from hell's dire throng1 ,of all the direfull'st6 ,her black locks hung long1 ,attired with curling serpents2 her pale skin ,was almost dropped from her sharp bones within2 ,and at her breasts stuck vipers1 which did prey ,upon her panting heart both night and day1 ,sucking black blood from thence1 which to repair1 ,both day and night they left fresh poisons there4 ,her garments were deep-stained in human gore1 ,and torn by her own hands1 in which she bore ,a knotted whip and bowl1 which to the brim ,did with green gall and juice of wormwood swim2 ,with which1 when she was drunk1 she furious grew1 ,and lashed herself2 thus from the accursed crew ,envy1 the worst of fiends1 herself presents1 ,envy1 good only when she herself torments4--,cowley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ca4 ,,the ,,oppressed ,,and ,,their ,,oppressors4 ,i4 ,those who are the objects of oppression--,the poor4 ,they are made up of three classes4 #a4 ,those who have never known their supplies to be equal to their positive needs--who have not only always lived from hand to mouth1 but whose hands have never been able to obtain a sufficient supply for the mouth4 ,such poor ones have this advantage1 they have never known better days--their life is like a river whose shallow waters have never overflowed its banks--whose channel has always been much deeper than the stream4 ,there is no force of contrast to add to the present bitterness4 #b4 ,those who have been reduced from sufficiency to want4 ,to such poverty is a greater hardship than to those just mentioned4 ,the light and comfort of the past makes the darkness and misery of the present harder to bear4 ,if their own wrong-doing or mistakes have been the cause of their fall1 the trial is all the heavier4 #c4 ,there are those whom we call poor who1 though not actually in want1 have to toil hard and unceasingly for the necessaries of life1 and who know nothing of the luxuries of wealth and ease4 ,,ii4 ,the oppression of any or all of these is an insult to ,god4 ,to oppress the first is to oppress men for what they cannot help--for that for which they are as irresponsible as for the colour of their skin1 and therefore it is to reproach ,him who appointed them to their lot in life4 ,to oppress the second is to insult ,god1 by afflicting them beyond the affliction which ,he has permitted to fall upon them4 ,whether their present condition is retribution or chastisement1 its measure has been appointed by the hand of the ,all-wise ,ruler of men1 and it is reproaching ,him to add to it by oppression4 ,if a child is being corrected by its parent1 or a criminal is paying the penalty which the judge has awarded to him for his crimes1 it is an impeachment of their judgment to add in any way to the punishment that has been decreed4 ,those who oppress the third class are guilty of a sin against those who have always been special objects of ,his favour1 and who make up a large proportion of the members of ,his kingdom4 7,see ,homiletics and ,comments on verse #ba47 ,,iii4 ,mercifulness to the poor reveals reverence for ,god4 #a4 ,it shows that the man regulates his conduct by ,divine laws4 ,god1 as we have seen in considering the #bast verse1 has been most explicit in the revelation of ,his will in this matter4 #b4 ,he sees in every man some trace of his ,divine ,creator4 ,man is ,god's image2 but a poor man is ,christ's stamp to boot4--,herbert4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,oppression means something more than the contempt and neglect dealt with in verse #ba4 ,he who acts such a part reproacheth ,his ,maker4 ,for1 first1 he acts as if the poor were of another species--an inferior order of beings2 whereas they have all the attributes of the same manhood with him by whom they are condemned4 ,second1 he acts as if the circumstances in which the poor are placed were a warrant for him to imitate the ,divine conduct and depress them still further1 which is a reproach of ,god1 as if ,he dealt with the poor in spirit of unkindness or partiality4 4 4 4 ,a man may have mercy on the poor who does not honour ,god4 ,humanity may1 and often does1 exist without godliness2 but godliness cannot exist without humanity4--,wardlaw4 ,we treat ,god with no respect 7#a7 when the poor1 who are ,his children are not treated as such2 7#b7 when the poor1 who are his dependents1 are left unhelped1 so as to seem to bring ,him into discredit1 but 7as is most intended1 judging from the whole drift of this part of the chapter7 7#c7 when the poor1 who are ,his instruments1 and are sent to exercise our virtues1 are not treated as such1 but our ,maker thwarted in the work of making us better by these needy visitants4 ,life moves by such sort of influences4--,miller4 ,god takes it for an honour1 how should this prevail with us4 ,how exceedingly shall such be honoured in that great panegyris at the last day1 when the ,judge shall say1 ,come1 ye blessed of ,my ,father1 ,i was an hungered1 and ye gave me meat4--,trapp4 ,he that reproacheth the poor reproacheth his own ,maker1 and showeth himself unworthy to have been made by ,him2 reproacheth the ,maker of the poor1 as if either ,he could not help him1 or else as if ,he had made him to be oppressed by making him poor4 ,but ,god1 who suffereth thee to oppress the poor1 will not suffer thee to be unpunished for it1 and seeing thou sparest not to reproach ,himself1 will not spare to scourge thee4 ,tully saith1 ,men in nothing come nearer ,god than in giving1 and ,gregory ,nazianzen goes further1 and tells us1 ,thou mayest even by no labour be made ,god1 do not1 therefore neglect the opportunity of obtaining a ,deity4 ,make thyself ,god to the miserable1 by imitating the mercy of ,god4--,jermin4 ,the ancient ,church possessed in full the glorious truth1 that of all the real compassion which flows through human channels1 the fountain-head is on high4 ,he who gets mercy shows it4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cb4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,righteous ,,and ,,the ,,wicked4 ,i4 ,the wicked man dies unwillingly4 ,he is driven away4 ,our first parents1--conscious of the severance of a moral bond between them and ,god--knowing that they had fallen from their original position1 in which they would have gone fearlessly and joyfully to any part of ,god's universe--ignorant of the unknown and dark future that lay before them--left their first home unwillingly4 ,they had to be driven out of ,eden 7,gen4 iii4 #bd74 ,a man who is conscious of a moral distance between himself and ,god1 seldom quits this world willingly4 ,an undefined dread1 perhaps1 but still a dread1 of the unknown state beyond death possesses him1 and he is made subject to the laws of death unwillingly4 ,as ,adam had to be driven out of ,eden1 so he quits his present abode1 not from choice1 but from necessity4 ,his unwillingness to go arises from his condition of heart--from his moral standing4 ,he is driven away in his wickedness4 ,adam's consciousness of guilt made him unwilling to quit his abode in ,eden4 ,the same consciousness makes men fear to die4 ,the sting of death is sin 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #ef74 ,the man whose sins are unpardoned is conscious that he has much to fear in the unknown future4 ,his spirit witnesses to the truth of the ,divine ,word1 ,after death1 the judgment 7,heb4 ix4 #bg74 ,,ii4 ,but to the righteous man the hour of death is a time of hope4 ,he does not die in his sin4 ,a separation has taken place between him and sin4 ,he is conscious of having been delivered both from its guilt and its dominion4 ,the severance that has already been accomplished has wrought a greater change than that which death can work4 ,the change of relationship to ,god and of character which he has already experienced1 has made a mere change of place a matter of small moment in itself1 and the change from this world to the heavenly city an occasion of hope and rejoicing4 ,the angel of death is no officer of justice to bring him before his judge1 but a messenger to guide him to his ,father's house4 ,the objects of this hope have been considered in ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #bd1 #bh2 pages #agf and #aha4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the righteous dies by his own consent4 ,it is a glad surrender1 not a forcible separation 7,psa4 xxxi4 #e74 ,the tabernacle is not rent1 or torn away1 but put off 7#b ,pet4 i4 #ad74--;,bridges4 ,the wicked is thrust lower by his evil 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,death1 that is1 the worst form of evil4 ,observe the crescendo4 ,evil1 which is supposed to be a discipline1 thrusts down the wicked2 death1 the very grimmest of the list1 becomes to the righteous a gracious refuge4 ,thrust lower1 this is an intensive expression4 ,if trouble thrusts a man lower1 how much more must joy and intoxicating wealth4 ,the idea is--all hurts him4 ,even discipline hurts the lost4--,miller4 ,oh1 the different departures of the reprobate and the ,christian6 ,the one knows he changeth for the better2 the other mistrusts1 for the worse2 to the one death is a gulf of sorrow1 to the other a port of liberty2 he1 because he is stripped for a scourging2 this1 because he lays aside his clothes1 after his toil1 to go to bed4 4 4 4 ,all our loathness to depart1 and fears in departing1 arise from our own unsettledness2 we have not made sure to ourselves a dwelling in these glorious heavens2 many mansions there be 7,john xiv4 #b71 we have not provided ourselves one4--,t4 ,adams4 ,a ,christian should be a volunteer in death4 ,many of the martyrs were as willing to die as to dine2 went to the fire as cheerful as to a feast1 and courted its pale and ghastly countenance as if it had been a beautiful bride4 4 4 4 ,cyprian said ,amen to his own sentence of death4 ,bradford1 being told by his keeper's wife that his chain was a-buying1 and he was to die the next day1 pulled off his hat and thanked ,god for it4 4 4 4 ,ann ,askew subscribed her confession in ,newgate thus1 ,written by me1 ,ann ,askew1 that neither wisheth for death nor feareth his might1 and as merry as one that is bound towards heaven4 ,indeed it is said of a wicked man that his soul is required of him1 and that ,god takes away his soul 7,luke xii4 #bj2 ,job xxvii4 #h72 but of a godly man that he giveth up the ghost1 and he cometh to his grave 7,gen4 xxv4 #h2 ,job xiv4 #aj74 4 4 4 ,socrates1 and some of the wiser heathen1 comforted themselves against the fear of death with this weak cordial1 that it is common to men1 the way of all the earth4 ,hence it was1 when the ,athenians condemned ,socrates to die1 he received the sentence with an undaunted spirit1 and told them that they did nothing but what nature had before ordained for him4 ,but the ,christian hath a greater ground for a holy resolution1 and a stronger cordial against the fears of death1 even the hope of eternal life2 and surely1 if he that exceeds others in his cordials be excelled by them in courage1 he disgraceth his physician4 4 4 4 ,it is no marvel that they who lived wickedly should die unwillingly1 being driven away in their wickedness1 as a beast that is driven out of his den to the slaughter1 or as a debtor driven by the officers out of his house1 where he lay warm and surrounded by all sorts of comfort1 to a nasty1 loathsome prison4--,swinnock4 ,it is storied of ,godfrey1 ,duke of ,bouillon1 that when1 in his expedition to the ,holy ,land1 he came within view of ,jerusalem1 his army1 seeing the high turrets1 goodly buildings1 and fair fronts1 being even transported with the joyfulness of such a sight1 gave a mighty shout that the earth was verily thought to ring with the noise thereof4 ,such is the rejoicing of a godly man in death1 when he doth not see the turrets and towers of an earthly1 but the spiritual building of a heavenly ,jerusalem1 and his soul ready to take possession of them4 ,how doth he delight in his dissolution1 when he sees grace changing into glory1 hope into fruition1 faith into vision1 and love into perfect comprehension4--,spencer's ,things ,new and ,old4 ,if this be true1 it is a demonstration on the side of religion1 and that upon three accounts4 7#a7 ,because the principles of religion1 and the practice of them in a virtuous life1 when they come to the last and utmost trial1 do hold out4 ,the belief of a ,god1 the persuasion of our own immortality1 and of the eternal recompense of another world--that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners--is commonly more strong and vigorous in the minds of good men when they come to die2 they have then a more clear apprehension and firm persuasion of the truth and reality of these things1 than ever they had at any time of their lives1 and find more peace and joy in the belief of them4 4 4 4 ,and the principles of infidelity and vice are more apt to shrink and give back at such a time4 7#b7 ,the principles of religion minister comfort to us in the most needful and desirable time4 ,if it be true of every day of our lives1 sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof1 much more of the day of death4 ,it is surely enough to have that one enemy to encounter1 at which nature startles even when the sting is taken away4 4 4 4 ,if there were nothing beyond this life1 it were worth while to provide for a quiet death4 ,there is no man that calculates things wisely that would1 for all the pleasures of sin1 forfeit the peace and comfort of a righteous soul1 going out of the world full of the hopes of a blessed immortality4 7#c7 ,when men are commonly most serious and impartial1 and their declarations are thought to be of the greatest weight1 they give this testimony to religion and virtue1 and against impiety and vice4 ,even ,lucretius says1 ,men's words then come from the bottom of their heart1 the mask is taken off1 and things then appear to them as indeed they are4 ,in these circumstances men generally declaim most vehemently against their sins and vices1 and declare on the side of piety and virtue4 ,surely this is a great testimony on the side of religion1 because it is the testimony not only of its friends1 but of those who have been its greatest enemies4--,tillotson4 ,a clear testimony to a future state of rewards and punishments4--,wordsworth4 ,though there was no revelation of immortality and resurrection then1 still the pious in death put their confidence in ,jahve1 the ,god of life and of salvation--for in ,jahve there was for ancient ,israel the beginning1 middle1 and end of the work of salvation--and believing that they were going home to ,him1 committing their spirit into ,his hands 7,psa4 xxxi4 #f71 they fell asleep1 though without any explicit knowledge1 yet not without the hope of eternal life4 ,job also knew that 7xxvii4 #h7 between the death of those estranged from ,god and of those who feared ,god there was not only an external1 but a deep essential distinction2 and now the wise man opens up a glimpse into the eternity heavenwards 7chap4 xv4 #bd71 and has formed 7chap4 xii4 #bh7 7see ,critical ,notes7 the expressive and distinctive word for immortality1 which breaks like a ray from the morning sun through the night of the ,sheol4--,delitzsch4 ,we are not able to form a right conception of what it is to be and to abide in wickedness4 ,because it is so near us1 we do not know it4 ,if it were a body standing before us1 we could examine its proportions and describe its appearance2 but because it is a spirit transfused through us1 we remain ignorant of its character and power4 4 4 4 ,a ship is lying in a placid river when winter comes1 and is gradually frozen in4 ,the process was gentle1 and almost imperceptible4 ,there was no commotion and no crash4 ,the ice crept round1 and closed in upon the ship without any noisy note of warning4 4 4 4 ,her own element closed and held her4 4 4 ,the ship is not shaken4 ,no creaking is heard--no strain is felt4 ,she feels firm and easy4 ,even when the pines of the neighbouring forest are bending to the blast1 she sits unmoved in her solid bed4 ,that bed she has made for herself1 and it therefore fits her4 ,this is very like the wicked in his iniquity1 and before he is driven away4 4 4 4 ,he stands steady in his element1 and no ripple disturbs its surface4 ,when the ice of the river goes away1 the embedded ship goes with it4 ,it is a dreadful departure4 ,the water swells beneath2 the ice holds by the crooked banks awhile2 but1 after a period of suspense1 the flood prevails and the trembling1 rending mass gives way4 ,reeling icebergs and foaming yellow waves tumble downwards in tumultuous heaps1 and the ship is swept away like a feather on a flood4 ,if we had a sense for perceiving spiritual things1 the most heart-rending sight in the world would be a sinner set fast in his element1 and the flood of wrath secretly swelling from beneath4 4 4 4 ,but he who has been begotten again to a living hope has it at the time when humanity needs it most4 ,a friend in need is a friend indeed4 ,stars are a grateful mitigation of the darkness2 but we do not want them by day4 ,hope1 always lovely1 is then sweetest when it beams from heaven through the gloom that gathers round the grave4 4 4 4 ,the ship has set sail1 and kept on her course many days and nights1 with no other incidents than those that are common to all4 ,suddenly land appears2 but what the character of the coast may be the voyagers cannot discern through the tumult4 ,the first effect of a new approach of land is a very great commotion on the water4 ,it is one of the coral islands of the ,south ,pacific1 encircled by a ring of fearful breakers at some little distance from the shore4 ,forward the ship must go4 ,the waves are higher and angrier than any they have seen in the open sea4 ,partly through them1 partly over them1 they are borne at a bound2 strained1 and giddy1 and almost senseless1 they find themselves within that sentinel ridge of crested waves that guard the shore1 and the portion of sea that still lies before them is calm and clear like glass4 ,it seems a lake of ,paradise1 and not an earthly thing at all4 4 4 4 ,across the belt of sea the ship glides gently1--and gently soon touches that lovely shore4 ,it is thus that ,i have seen a true pilgrim thrown into a great tumult when the shore of eternity suddenly appeared before him4 ,a great fear tossed him for some days2 but when that barrier was passed1 he experienced a peace1 deeper1 stiller1 sweeter than ever he knew before4 ,a little space of life's voyage remained after the fear of death had sunk into a calm1 and before the immortal felt the solid of eternal rest4 ,on life's sea as yet was the spirit lying1 but the shaking had passed2 and when at last the spirit passed from a peaceful sea to a peaceful land1 the change seemed slight4--,arnot4 ,the text looks like the cloud between the ,israelites and ,egyptians2 having a dark side toward the latter1 and a bright side toward the former4 ,it represents death1 like ,pharaoh's jailor1 bringing the chief butler and the chief baker out of prison2 the one to be restored to his office1 the other to be led to execution4 ,the wicked are driven from this world to the other--from the society of saints on earth into that of the lost in hell2 out of time into eternity2 out of their specious pretences to piety2 away from all means of grace4 4 4 4 ,the following circumstances make the godly in their death happy and hopeful4 #a4 ,they have a trusty good ,friend before them in the other world4 ,jesus ,christ1 their best friend1 is ,lord of the land to which death carries them4 ,when ,joseph sent for his father to come down to ,egypt1 and ,jacob saw the wagons ,joseph had sent to carry him1 the spirit of ,jacob revived 7,gen4 xlv4 #bg74 ,he resolved to undertake the journey4 ,i think when the ,lord calls a godly man out of the world1 ,he sends him such good tidings1 and such a kind invitation to the other world1 that his spirit must revive when he sees the wagon of death sent to carry him thither4 #b4 ,they shall have a safe passage to another world4 ,they have the ,lord of the land's safe conduct1 ,his pass sealed with ,his own blood4 4 4 4 ,it is safe riding in ,christ's chariot4 #c4 ,they shall have a joyful entrance into the other world4 4 4 4 ,is the bird in worse case1 when at liberty1 than when confined in a cage8 ,death comes to the godly man1 as ,haman came to ,mordecai1 with the royal apparel and the horse4--,boston4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cc4 ,,the ,,hidden ,,made ,,manifest4 ,i4 ,the ,god-ordained place for moral wisdom--the heart4 ,the ,divinely ordained place for the sap of the vine is its root4 #a4 ,it has its centre and spring there1 that thence it may diffuse itself into every branch and leaf1 and give life and health to the whole tree4 ,so the ,divinely-ordained place for moral wisdom is the heart--the affections of a man4 ,if it has its seat there it will certainly influence all his thoughts1 and words1 and deeds4 #b4 ,it is not only the most influential part of a man1 but it is the most secure4 ,there1 if anywhere1 it is out of the reach of harm4 ,if it is only in the head--the intellectual part of a man--temptation may rob him of it--false reasoning or adversity may shake it from its seat1 but if it has hold of the heart1 it will hold its own against every foe4 #c4 ,it is the only place from which it can reach and bless other human hearts4 ,the sap of the tree must issue direct from its root if there is to be fruit that will sustain and give satisfaction to the eater4 ,so a life will bring forth no fruit to feed others unless its religion is a religion of the heart4 ,there is no way to the heart except from the heart1 those who have only an intellectual hold upon moral wisdom cannot feed hungry souls4 #d4 ,it is the only place whence one can issue glory to ,god4 ,the whole man1 spirit and soul and body1 must be under the guidance of moral wisdom if he is to render acceptable service to ,god4 ,nothing less will satisfy ,him who searches the heart of the children of men 7,jer4 xvii4 #aj74 ,if the heart is right1 the external service will not be wanting4 7,see ,homiletics and ,comments on chap4 iv4 #bc47 ,,ii4 ,where this wisdom of the heart is lacking1 the life will betray it4 ,in all natural life there is a law by which its hidden secrets are manifested in outward signs4 ,the health of the root is seen in the health of the tree1 the disease of the internal bodily organs manifests itself in the outward appearance4 ,so it is with moral health and disease4 ,however men may try to appear what they are not1 the natural tendency of human nature often proves too strong for the artificial restraint that is put upon it1 and sooner or later men reveal what they really are4 ,that which is in the midst of moral fools is made known1 although time is needed for the folly fully to develop itself4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,resteth implies the tranquil and modest spirit of the wise1 and the permanence of their keeping of wisdom2 and especially that it is the fruit of the spirit from above descending and abiding on them 7,numb4 xi4 #be1 #bf2 ,isa4 xi4 #b2 #b ,kings ii4 #ae74 ,contrast ,eccles4 vii4 #i4 ,the wise does not draw forth his wisdom from its resting place within the heart at random1 but in proper place and time1 as the occasion may require4 ,but fools cannot long disguise their folly 7see chap4 x4 #ad1 xii4 #bc1 xiii4 #af74 ,the ,hebrew adage says1 ,a vessel full of coins will make no noise2 but if there be only one coin in it1 it will make a rattle4 ,the more learned one is1 the more modest he will be2 the more unlearned1 the more presumptuous and ostentatious4--,fausset4 ,in the heart of the understanding wisdom remains silent and still1 for the understanding feels himself personally happy in the possession1 endeavours all the more to deepen it1 and lets it operate within4--,delitzsch4 ,there she keepeth residence and there she ruleth1 and thither she bringeth her treasures and her comforts1 and every good thing that is to be wished for4 ,and therefore she calleth for it1 as most meet for her to possess2 and safest for every wise man to yield unto her4 ,my son1 give me thine heart4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cd4 ,,national ,,salvation4 ,i4 ,some standard of right and wrong is necessary to national existence4 ,there are men who have affirmed that there is no such thing as virtue and vice--that they are only inventions of those who desire to rule their fellow-creatures1 and that the world could do without them4 ,but experience teaches the contrary4 ,every nation1 if it is to have an existence1 even if it rejects a ,divine revelation1 or is ignorant of it1 must have some standard by which to judge human actions4 ,without the recognition of such a standard1 even if it is only based upon the light of reason1 not only would national prosperity be impossible1 but national existence4 ,rome and ,greece had such standards as well as ,israel1 although the first-mentioned nations had no revelation from heaven except that of the natural conscience1 and if all the existing codes were abolished to-morrow men would find it necessary to form others in order to preserve their national1 if not their individual existence4 ,,ii4 ,the prosperity and influence of a nation is in proportion to its national righteousness4 ,this is not the case of the individual man4 ,his present condition and circumstance1 the measure of power that he possesses1 or the amount of the influence he exerts1 is no index of the amount of righteousness which he possesses4 ,he may be a noble of the land1 or he may have no social standing2 he may fare sumptuously every day1 or he may subsist on the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table1 and neither from the one lot or the other can any conclusion be drawn as to what his moral standing is4 ,there is another world in which the righteous man will be exalted1 and the unrighteous man will reap the reward of unrighteousness2 but national righteousness and unrighteousness receive their reward in this world4 #a4 ,righteous dealing in a nation promotes its commercial prosperity4 ,if the merchants of a nation are known to be honest in their transactions and truthful in their words1 they will gain and hold a high place in the markets of the world4 #b4 ,it secures it an influence among the governing powers of the world4 ,in proportion as its intercourse with other nations is marked1 not by a lust for conquest or a desire to rule1 no matter by what means--but by a recognition of the rights of all--in that proportion will it acquire a power far more real and far more lasting than that gained by its ability to outdo other nations in the number of its soldiers or the size of its navy4 ,,iii4 ,national reproach for sin will be in proportion to its possession of a high or low moral standard4 ,sin is a reproach to any people2 but it is the greatest reproach to those who possess the greatest light4 ,the sin of ,israel was a greater reproach to them than the sin of the ,philistines was to them1 because the one possessed the light of a ,divine revelation1 and the other did not4 ,so in the present day1 the nations who sin against the light of the revealed ,word of ,god are far greater sinners than those upon whom the light has never shone4 ,the principle to which the ,divine ,son gave utterance concerning the ,jewish nation is the one by which ,he judges nations in the present day4 ,if ,i had not come and spoken unto them1 they had not had sin2 but now they have no cloak for their sin 7,john xv4 #bd74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as there is nothing in religion to counteract the design of a wise system of civil polity1 so there is nothing in a wise system of civil government to counteract the design of the ,christian religion4 ,the exaltation of the nation is the end of civil polity4 ,righteousness is the end of religion1 or rather is religion itself4--,saurin4 ,it is the nature of sin 7#a7 to lessen and diminish a people2 7#b7 to sink and depress the spirit of a people2 7#c7 to destroy the wealth of a people2 7#d7 to deprive them of the blessings of freedom2 7#e7 to provoke the displeasure of ,god and to draw down ,his judgments4--,emmons1 in ,lange's ,commentary4 ,righteousness is both the prop to make it subsist firm in itself and a crown to make it glorious in the eyes of others 7,bp4 ,sanderson74 ,greece in her proud science1 ,rome in the zenith of her glory1 both were sunk in the lowest depths of moral degradation 7,rom4 i4 #bc-cb was a picture of the heathen world in the best ages of refinement74 ,their greatness consisted only in the visions of poesy or the dream of philosophy4 ,contrast the influence of righteousness1 bringing out of the most debased barbarism a community impregnated with all the high principles that form a nation's well-being4 ,thus to ,christianise is to regenerate1 to elevate the community1 the exalt the nation1 and that not with a sudden flash of shadowy splendour1 but with a solid glory1 fraught with every practical blessing4 ,those princes and commonwealths who would keep their governments entire and uncorrupt1 are1 above all things1 to have a care of religion and its ceremonies1 and preserve them in due veneration4 ,for in the whole world there is not a greater sign of imminent ruin than where ,god and ,his worship are despised4 ,such was the testimony of the profligate politician ,machiavelli4 4 4 4 ,what an enemy an ungodly man is to his country6 ,loudly though he may talk of his patriotism1 and even though ,god should make him an instrument to advance her temporal interest2 yet he contributes1 so far as in him lies1 to her deepest reproach4--,bridges4 ,religion and virtue do naturally tend to the good order and more easy government of human society1 because they have a good influence both upon magistrates and subjects4 #a4 ,upon magistrates4 ,religion teaches them to rule over men in the fear of ,god1 because though they be gods on earth1 yet they are subjects of heaven1 and accountable to ,him who is higher than the highest in this world4 ,religion in a magistrate strengthens his authority because it procures veneration and gains a reputation to it4 ,and in all affairs of the world so much reputation is so much power4 #b4 ,upon subjects4 ,first1 it makes them obedient to government1 and conformable to laws2 and that not only out of fear of power1 which is but a weak and loose principle of obedience1 but out of conscience1 which is a firm1 and constant and lasting principle1 and will hold a man fast when all other obligations will break4 ,secondly1 it tends to make men peaceable with one another4 ,for it endeavours to plant all those qualities and dispositions in men which tend to peace and unity1 and to fill men with a spirit of universal love and goodwill4 ,it endeavours likewise to secure every man's interest1 by commanding the observation of that great rule of equity1 ,whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you1 do ye even so to them4--,tillotson4 ,we find the great general principle of ,divine ,providence1 in regard to nations1 thus laid down by ,jehovah ,himself to the prophet ,jeremiah--,at what instant ,i shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom1 to pluck up and to pull down1 and to destroy it2 if that nation against whom ,i have pronounced turn from their evil1 ,i will repent of the evil which ,i thought to do unto them4 ,and at what instant ,i shall speak concerning a nation1 and concerning a kingdom1 to build and plant it2 if it do evil in ,my sight1 that it obey not ,my voice1 then ,i will repent of the good wherewith ,i said ,i would benefit them 7,jer4 xviii4 #g-aj74 ,this was a principle1 not applicable to ,israel exclusively--for we find it expressly applied to the ,amorites1 the ,canaanites1 and the inhabitants of ,sodom and of ,nineveh4 ,and the ,old ,testament bringing before us specimens of the ,divine administration1 the ,spirit of ,god letting us so far into the secrets of its principles and laws1 we have every reason to believe that in the government of ,god over the world1 the same principle is still in operation1 that we may not be able to trace it--that1 had we only an inspired record of what takes place now1 we should see it clearly in all cases2 and even without such a record there are cases in which it would be equal impiety and blindness not to discern and own it4--,wardlaw4 ,righteousness means saving righteousness1 and ,sin-offering is literally sin4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,righteousness lifts to the very skies4 ,the mercy of nations1 as the words literally are1 is not wealth1 or peace1 or a good king1 or broad lands of plenty1 but an interest in ,christ1 the sin-offering1 and a home amongst the happy4--,miller4 ,peoples is plural1 whereas a nation is singular1 implying the paucity of the nations observing righteousness4 ,the ,hebrew word for reproach meaning also mercy1 ,gejer translates1 ,mercy is an expiratory sacrifice for sin4 ,not that mercy puts away sin before ,god1 but before men1 who are by mercy reconciled to those who had before been unmerciful to them4--,fausset4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ce4 ,a ,,wise ,,servant4 ,in this verse we adopt ,miller's translation as being the more probable meaning4 ,see ,critical ,notes and also his ,comment4 ,i4 ,the law of kindness is a law of power4 ,whether a man be the ruler of a nation or the ruler of a family1 if he would acquire real power over those whom he rules1 he must obey this law himself4 ,human nature is in a fallen condition1 and it cannot be lifted into a state of obedience even to wise and good laws except they are enforced in a spirit of kindness4 ,kindness will bind men to loyal devotion with a far firmer chain than any force4 ,there is1 indeed1 no principle in obedience to the latter2 it rules only the bodily actions1 and is powerless over the heart4 ,those who desire more than the service of half the man must issue their commands--must exercise their authority--in the spirit of mercy4 ,the king1 the master or the father1 who is a despot1 is only obeyed because he has power to punish4 ,consequently the obedience will only last as long as the power4 ,this is a thought which parents especially should lay to heart4 ,,ii4 ,the law of kindness is a law of policy4 ,he who rules to-day may one day be at the mercy of him whom he rules4 ,kings have often needed favour of their subject--the master has often been at the mercy of his servant2 and what has happened before will happen again in the changes and chances of life1 and those who have shown mercy will be the most likely at such times to receive it4 ,with what measure ye mete1 it shall be measured to you again 7,matt4 vii4 #b7 holds good in this case4 ,therefore1 the kindness of a king is a wise servant2 but his wrath becomes one that bringeth shame4 ,for remarks on the text as rendered in the ,authorised ,version1 see below4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,solomon gets back to his king-craft4 ,these maxims were familiar to him4 ,it is rarely wise for a king to get in a passion with his people 7see verses #bi1 #cj74 ,if thou wilt be a servant unto this people was said to the successor of this very man 7#a ,kings xii4 #g72 if thou wilt answer them1 and speak good words to them1 then they will be thy servants for ever4 ,but1 more than king-craft1 it is a rule for saints4 ,the law of kindness should be on our lips4 ,the power of gentleness is irresistible4 ,if the mercy for nations is the sin-offering 7see last verse71 then we are all sinners together1 and modesty forbids that we should go among the lost with anything but tenderness4 ,the ,english version is due to the presence of a preposition4 ,the king's favour is towards a wise servant4 ,but that proposition becomes idiomatic in certain cases4 ,i say1 ,i want such a thing for a shelter4 ,the kingdom of a king is for a wise servant1 i4e41 serves as one4 ,there is no preposition before the words brings shame2 but1 on the contrary1 the word is is written out1 and1 as usual in that case1 means becomes2 all of which state of facts is in favour of our new version4--,miller4 ,these words state what ought to be4 ,no one ought to be the king or the queen's servant who is not wise2 and toward every such wise servant the royal favour should be specially extended4 ,and who is a wise servant8 ,not a servant who flatters royal vanity2 accommodates itself to royal foibles2 indulges royal prejudices2 chimes in with royal caprices2 tolerates and connives at royal vices1 whether personal or official4 ,no2 a wise servant must be a servant of conscientious principle1 and of bland but unflinching fidelity4 ,he is one who gives prudent and faithful counsel2 who speaks truth as he thinks it in his heart2 whose counsels are dictated by a right understanding of the times1 and knowledge of what such times require1 not by a wish to ingratiate the minister with the prince1 and so to promote his own personal advantage1 but by the principles of genuine patriotism as well as loyalty4 4 4 4 ,that servant causeth shame by whom that is encouraged from which reproach arises--who gives counsel to his prince which must prove either prejudicial or abortive2 such as can hardly fail to render him unpopular with his subjects1 and expose him1 by their failure1 to the derision of foreign states--a derision in which the kingdom as well as the throne1 the people as well as the monarch1 are involved4--,wardlaw4 ,thus it is with the great ,king4 ,all of us are ,his servants1 bound to ,him by the highest obligations2 animated by the most glowing encouragements 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #ai1 #bj2 ,matt4 xxiv4 #dd-df1 xxv4 #ba-bc74 ,all of us have our responsibilities1 our talents1 our work1 our account4 ,towards the faithful and wise servant1 who has traded with his talents1 who has been diligent in his work1 and who is ready for his account--,his favour will be infinitely condescending and honourable 7,john xii4 #bf74 ,but against him that causeth shame--reflecting upon his ,master1 neglectful in his work1 unprepared for his account--,his wrath will be tremendous and eternal4--,bridges4 ,surely well is favour bestowed1 where it reflecteth unto the giver's honour3 worthily is favour received1 where wisdom's hands are the receivers of it4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,grievous1 bitter1 trying1 stir up2 lit41 make to ascend1 like a flame fanned by bellows 7,fausset74 #b4 ,useth knowledge aright1 rather1 makes knowledge attractive1 i4e41 speaks so as to win the attention of the listeners2 poureth out1 or bubbleth up4 #c4 ,beholding1 rather1 watching1 observing 7so ,stuart1 ,miller1 and ,delitzsch74 #d4 ,wholesome1 gentle1 soft1 perverseness or transgression1 a breach1 a crushing1 a wounding4 #f4 ,miller translates the first clause1 ,the house of the righteous is great treasure 7see his ,comment72 revenue1 rather gain4 #g4 ,disperse2 some translators read winnow1 or sift4 ,stuart translates the last clause of this verse ,the heart of the fool is not stable2 ,delitzsch reads1 ,direction is wanting to the heart of fools1 i4e41 it has not the right direction4 #aj4 ,correction is grievous1 or there is grievous correction4 ,miller reads1 ,discipline is an evil to him4 #aa4 ,hell and destruction1 ,shel1 and ,abaddn1 two different names for the world of the departed4 ,shel is the unseen world in general1 ,abaddn the place of destruction1 i4e41 the place where their bodies are destroyed 7so ,stuart1 ,zckler1 etc474 ,how much more4 ,miller translates these particles by because also 7see his ,comment74 #ad4 ,mouth1 or1 the countenance4 #ae4 ,afflicted1 or toiling4 #ag4 ,dinner of herbs1 literally1 a traveller's meal4 #ah4 ,stirreth up1 lit4 mixes1 implying the reciprocal idea of giving and taking offence 7,fausset74 #ai4 ,made plain1 is paved1 or is a highway4 #ba4 ,walketh uprightly1 rather goes straightforward4 #bd4 ,the way of life is above1 etc41 rather ,an upward path of life1 etc4 ,hell1 ,shel1 as in verse #aa4 #be4 ,establish the border1 or ,keep fixed the landmark4 #bf4 ,the words of the pure are pleasant1 or pure in ,his sight are pleasant words4 #bg4 ,gifts1 i4e41 bribes4 #bh4 ,studieth1 i4e41 considers4 #cc4 ,instruction of wisdom1 rather a discipline of wisdom1 or a training to wisdom4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #a and #b4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,knowledge4 ,i4 ,knowledge is for use4 ,the various gifts and acquirements of men in every grade of social life1 of whatever kind they are1 are intended by ,god to be used for the benefit of all4 ,one man has what another lacks1 that he may use what he possesses for their mutual good4 ,those who have wealth are bound to use it--they are not expected to keep it locked up in their coffers1 but to lay it out for their own and their poorer neighbours' good4 ,so with knowledge4 ,he who has a knowledge which can profit the body1 the mind1 or the heart of another sins if he holds it back4 ,he will find that such a possession unused will be a witness against him in the day of reckoning4 ,he will be accused of wasting his ,master's goods by not using them 7,matt4 xxv4 #bg74 ,,ii4 ,wisdom is needed to put knowledge to a right use4 ,there are many people who know a great deal1 but they do not know how to use it1 either for themselves or others4 ,they cannot make it of any practical use--they cannot enlighten and help others with it4 ,or they may put it to a wrong use4 ,this is often the case with those who possess intellectual knowledge1 but who lack moral wisdom4 ,they put a good thing to a bad use4 ,,iii4 ,one mark of knowledge combined with wisdom is the right use of the tongue in the presence of anger4 ,a soft answer in the presence of anger indicates a knowledge of human nature1 and also wisdom and self-possession to apply the knowledge4 ,a man who can hold the helm of the vessel in the presence of a storm1 and keep her well in hand1 shows that he not only possesses knowledge but wisdom1 and he to a great extent disarms the fury of the tempest by his calm discretion4 ,,iv4 ,a soft answer may turn away merited wrath4 ,there are occasions when the most holy beings--the ,most ,holy ,one ,himself--display a wrath which is only a proof of their perfect holiness4 ,the soft answer1 the pleading words of an intercessor1 may turn away this wrath4 ,the wrath of ,jehovah was often kindled against ,israel during their wilderness journey1 but the answer of ,moses turned it away4 7,see ,exod4 xxxii4 #aa-ad2 ,numb4 xiv4 #aa-bj1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a-- ,calmness is great advantage3 he that lets ,another chafe may warm him at his fire1 ,mark all his wanderings and enjoy his frets1 ,as cunning fencers suffer heat to tire4--,herbert4 ,a trying word2 literally a word of labour or pain4 ,in dealing with sinners we ought to make the ,gospel plain at first and not start unnecessary difficulties4 ,paul did this 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #b74 ,words that are not wrathful are often trying1 as presenting to an angry inferior our reply in an easily misunderstood shape4 ,we are to feed men with milk1 and not with strong meat1 all the more for being in a condition of fault4--,miller4 ,look at the effect of the quiet and dignified reply of ,gideon to the exasperated men of ,ephraim1 and at the case of ,abigail and ,david4 ,and as an exemplification of the opposite style of answer1 you may be reminded of the contention between the men of ,israel and ,judah at the time of ,david's restoration after the death of ,absalom1 where the fierce words of the latter drove off the former under the rebellious standard of ,shebna1 and of the case of ,rehoboam1 who by refusing to give a soft answer to the people deprived the house of ,david of the subjection of the ten tribes4--,wardlaw4 ,nothing doth better stop the fury of a bullet than a mud wall3 nothing doth sooner turn away the fury of wrath than a soft answer4 ,but where the pot is boiling1 grievous words make it to boil over4 ,wherefore ,chrysostom tells thee that thine enemy reconciled is more in thine own power than in his4--,jermin4 ,if gentle words prevail so mightily with most men to appease their anger1 of what force shall the submissive supplications of penitent persons be with the ,lord8--,dod4 ,we greatly need an instrument capable of turning away wrath1 for there is much wrath in the world to turn away4 4 4 4 ,that patent shield is a soft answer4 ,christianity makes it of the solid metal1 and education supplies at a cheaper rate a plated article1 useful as long as it lasts1 and as far as it goes4 4 4 4 ,the ,roman battering-ram1 when it had nearly effected a breach in the walls of solid stone1 was often baffled by bags of chaff and beds of down skilfully spread out to receive its stubborn blow4 ,by that stratagem the besieged obtained a double benefit1 and the besiegers suffered a double disappointment4 ,the strokes that were given proved harmless1 and the engine was soon withdrawn4 ,in our department a similar law exists1 and a similar experience will come out of it4 4 4 4 ,after praying to ,our ,father for your offending brother and yourself1 you may speak to him with safety4 4 4 4 ,pass your resentment through a period of communion with ,him who bought you with ,his blood1 and it will come out like ,christ's1 a simple grief for a brother's sin1 and a holy jealousy for truth4--,arnot4 ,verse #b4 ,eloquence1 widely ordered1 is very commendable1 and availeth much4 ,the tongues of the wise useth knowledge aright--deals kindly with her1 offers her no abuse by venting her unseasonably1 and making her over cheap and little set by4 ,but eloquence abused may well be termed the attorney general1 that makes a good cause seem bad1 and a bad far better than in truth it is4--,spencer's ,things ,new and ,old4 ,paul1 instead of exasperating his heathen congregation by an open protest1 supplied their acknowledged defect1 by bringing before them the true ,god whom they were ignorantly worshipping 7,acts xvii4 #bc74 ,he pointed an arrow to ,agrippa's conscience1 by the kindly admission of his candour and intelligence 7,acts xxvi4 #bg1 #bi74 ,this right use of knowledge distinguishes the workman approved of ,god1 and that needeth not to be ashamed 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ae74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,divine ,,intelligence4 ,i4 ,the ,eternal has a perfect knowledge of all places4 ,the sun1 in its meridian height1 can only penetrate half the globe at the same time1 and even then there are deep valleys and caves of the earth1 and ocean beds where its rays never come2 but ,god's eye rests at once not only on all places of ,his dominion in this planet1 which is but as a grain of sand amongst the worlds1 but upon every spot in ,his boundless universe4 ,,ii4 ,he has a perfect knowledge of the spirits of ,his creatures4 ,the human soul has power to hide its secrets from the gaze of every fellow creature4 ,for what man knoweth the things of a man1 save the spirit of a man which is in him8 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #aa74 ,but ,god's omniscient eye pierces into the hidden mazes of the soul and reads the silent thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,in this most secret region ,he walks at large4 ,o ,lord1 ,thou hast searched me1 and known me1 ,thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising1 ,thou understandest my thought afar off 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #a1 #b74 ,god is the one potentate and judge who can claim a perfect knowledge of all ,his subjects from a personal acquaintance with each individual4 ,not one is lost in the crowd2 each one stands before ,him as distinctly as if he were the only creature in the universe4 ,,iii4 ,god's perfect knowledge of ,his creatures leads ,him to contemplate both what is congenial and what is repugnant4 ,he beholds the evil and the good4 ,men1 when by ,divine grace they become partakers of the ,divine ,nature1 are much moved to gladness by the sight of that which is morally good1 and turn with loathing from the evil which they must also contemplate4 ,yet their happiness springs from that which is within them and not from that which is around1 or the preponderance of evil would make life unbearable4 ,so the ever-blessed ,god1 conscious of ,his perfect rectitude1 has within ,him a source of eternal satisfaction notwithstanding the evil that ,he beholds with ,divine indignation and sorrow4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he mentions the evil first because they avowedly1 or else practically1 deny ,god's providence 7,jer4 xvi4 #ag74--;,fausset4 ,when we perceive that a vast number of objects enter in at our eye by a very small passage1 and yet are so little jumbled in the crowd that they open themselves regularly1 though there is no great space for that either1 and that they give us a distinct apprehension of many objects that lie before us1 both of their nature1 colour1 and size1 and by a secret geometry1 from the angles that they make in our eye1 we judge of the distance of all objects1 both from us and from one another--if to this we add the vast number of figures that we receive and retain long1 and with great order1 in our brains1 which we easily fetch up either in our thoughts or in our discourse1 we shall find it less difficult to apprehend how an ,infinite ,mind should have the universal view of all things ever present before it4--,burnet4 ,the darkness of the air may hide thee from men1 and the darkness of thine understanding may hide thee from thyself1 but there is no darkness can hide from ,god4 4 4 4 ,it was a pretty fancy of one that would have his chamber painted full of eyes1 that which way soever he looked he might still have some eye upon him4 ,and it was a wise answer of ,livius ,drusus1 when an artist offered so to contrive his house that he might do what he would and none would see him4 ,no1 saith ,drusus1 contrive it so1 rather1 that all may see me1 for ,i am not ashamed to be seen4 ,if the eyes of men make even the vilest forbear their beloved lusts for awhile1 and they that are drunk are drunken in the night1 how powerful will the eye and presence of ,god be with those that fear ,his anger and know the sweetness of ,his favour4 ,the thoughts of this omnipresence of ,god will quicken thee to holiness4 ,the soldiers of ,israel and ,judah were prodigal of their blood in the presence of their two generals 7#b ,sam4 ii4 #ad74 ,servants will generally work hard while their master looks on4 ,the eye of ,god1 as of the sun1 will call the ,christian to his work4 ,those countries that are governed by viceroys seldom flourish or thrive so well as those kingdoms where the prince is present in person4 ,conscience1 ,god's viceroy1 may much quicken a ,christian to holiness1 but ,god1 the ,prince1 much more4 ,i have kept ,thy precepts1 saith ,david1 for all my ways are before ,thee4--,swinnock4 ,he is all-eye1 and ,his providence like a well-drawn picture1 that vieweth all that come into the room4 ,i know ,thy works and ,thy labour 7,rev4 ii72 not ,thy works only1 but ,thy labour in doing them4 ,and as for the offender1 though he think to hide himself from ,god by hiding ,god from himself1 yet ,god is nearer to him than the bark is to the tree1 for in ,him all things subsist 7,col4 i4 #ag7 and move 7,acts xvii4 #bh72 understand it of the mind's motions also4 ,and this the very heathen saw by nature's rush candle4 ,for ,thales ,milesius being asked whether the gods know not when a man doth aught amiss1 ,yea1 saith he1 if he do but think amiss4 ,god is nearer to us than we are to ourselves1 saith another4 ,repletively ,he is everywhere1 though inclusively nowhere4 ,as for the world1 it is to ,him as a sea of glass1 a clear1 transparent body2 ,he sees through it4 ,no man needs a window in his breast 7as the heathen ,monus wished7 for ,god to look in at3 every man before ,god is all window 7,job xxxiv4 #bb74--,trapp4 ,such is the extent of wickedness that in every place ,he beholdeth the evil and the good4 ,yea1 if there be but one in a place1 that one is both evil and good1 and ,god beholdeth both his evil and his good4 ,the evil ,god beholdeth first1 but they are the good on whom ,he resteth1 as approving of them1 and as delighting in them4 ,for their eyes are upon ,god in every place1 as ,god's eyes are upon them4 ,the other looketh not after ,god1 and so ,god looketh after them1 as that ,he looketh from them in anger at their wickedness4 ,he contemplates and considers1 which is more than simply to behold1 for contemplation addeth to a simple apprehension a deeper degree of knowledge4--,jermin4 ,the doctrine of ,divine omniscience1 although owned and argued for by men's lips1 is neglected or resisted in their lives4 ,the unholy do not like to have a holy eye ever open upon them1 whatever their profession may be4 ,if fallen man1 apart from the one ,mediator1 say or think that the presence of ,god is pleasant to them1 it is because they have radically mistaken either their own character or ,his4 ,they have either falsely lifted up their own attainments or falsely dragged down the character of the judge4 4 4 4 ,in every place our hearts and lives are open in the sight of ,him with whom we have to do4 ,the proposition is absolutely universal4 ,we must beware1 however1 lest that feature of the ,word which should make it powerful only renders it indefinite and meaningless4 ,man's fickle mind treats universal truths that come from heaven as the eye treats the visible heaven itself4 ,at a distance from the observer all around the blue canopy seems to descend and lean upon the earth1 but where he stands it as far above1 out of his sight4 ,it touches not him at all2 and when he goes forward to the line where now it seems to touch other men1 he finds it still far above1 and the point which applies to this lower world is distant as ever4 ,heavenly truth1 like heaven1 seems to touch all the world around1 but not his own immediate sphere1 or himself its centre4 ,the grandest truths are practically lost in this way when they are left whole4 ,we must rightly divide the ,word1 and let the bits come into every crook of our own character4 ,besides the assent to general truth1 there must be specific personal application4 ,a man may own omniscience and yet live without ,god in the world4--,arnot4 ,the subjects of verses #d and #e have been considered before4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #ag1 #ah1 page #bgd1 and on chap4 xiii4 #a1 page #bic47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #d4 ,rueetschi carries the idea of gentleness 7see ,critical ,notes7 through the two clauses as the central idea3 ,it is precisely with this gentle speech1 which otherwise does so much good1 that the wicked is wont to deceive1 and then one is by this more sorely and deeply stricken and distressed than before4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,that tongue which is a witness of truth1 and therefore saves souls 7chap4 xiv4 #be71 is a tree of life4 ,go into any garden of the lost1 and where no such tree is1 all are pagans4 ,one sees1 therefore1 how the figure is kept up4 ,i am here born into a land where there are gospel tongues2 that is1 if1 when ,i grow up1 ,i am not in ,china1 and not in ,india1 but in a ,christian village1 where people have and spread the gospel1 that tongue1 as a healing thing1 is 7my7 tree of life4 ,where ,i get life is from its branches4--,miller4 ,this verse may be compared with the second4 ,the tongue which useth knowledge aright has a morally and spiritually healing influence4 ,it imparts instruction to the ignorant4 ,it speaks peace to the troubled conscience4 ,it soothes the anguish of the afflicted4 ,it subdues the swelling of passion4 ,it allays the self-inflicted tortures of envy4 ,it heals divisions and animosities4 ,these and other blessed fruits entitle it to the designation1 a tree of life2 productive1 as it is1 of genuine1 varied1 and valuable joys to all within the reach of its influence4 ,and when the tongue makes known ,god's saving health1--the salvation revealed by ,him in the ,gospel1--it then gives life in the highest and most important sense4--,wardlaw4 ,a high image of what the tongue ought to be2 not negative1 not harmless1 but wholesome1 or healing1 as the salt cast into the spring cleansed the bitter waters 7#b ,kings ii4 #ba74 4 4 4 ,but the meekest of men felt perverseness a breach in the spirit 7,numb4 xvi4 #h-ae74 ,the tongue of ,job's friends broke the bruised reed 7,job xiii4 #a-e74 ,even our beloved ,lord1 who never shrunk from external evil1 keenly felt the piercing edge of this sword 7,psa4 lxix4 #ai1 #bj74--;,bridges4 ,one stripe of the tongue woundeth three--the backbiter1 him that giveth ear to the backbiting1 and the backbitten4--,cawdray4 ,saith the old philosopher1 ,than a good tongue there is nothing better1 than an evil nothing worse4 ,it hath no mean2 it is either exceedingly good or exceedingly evil4 ,it knows nothing but extremes1 and is either best of all1 or worst of all 7,jas4 iii4 #h74 ,the tongue is every man's best or worst moveable4 4 4 4 ,a good tongue is the best part of a man1 and most worthy of the honour of sacrifice4 ,this only when it is well seasoned4 ,seasoned1 ,i say1 with salt1 as the apostle admonisheth2 not with fire 7,col4 iv4 #f74--,t4 ,adams4 ,everlasting benediction be upon that tongue1 which spake1 as no other ever did1 or could speak1 pardon1 peace1 and comfort to lost mankind4 ,this was the tree of life1 whose leaves were for the healing of the nations4--,bishop ,horne4 ,the root of this tree goeth down to the heart1 whence it sucketh the juice of wisdom2 its body lieth in the head1 where things are ruminated and concocted by it2 the branches of it are the several speeches of the mouth2 the fruit of it is spread abroad as wide as good occasion is offered4--,jermin4 ,not a silent tongue2 mere abstinence from evil is not good4 4 4 4 ,idleness is evil under the administration of ,god4 4 4 4 ,not a smooth tongue2 it may be soft on the surface1 while the poison of asps lies cherished underneath4 ,the serpent licks his victim all over before he swallows it4 ,smoothness is not an equivalent for truth4 4 4 4 ,not a voluble tongue2 that active member may labour much to little purpose4 4 4 4 ,not a sharp tongue3 some instruments are made keen-edges for the purpose of wounding4 4 4 4 ,not even a true tongue4 ,truth is necessary1 but it is not enough4 ,the true tongue must also be wholesome4 ,before anything can be wholesome in its effects on others it must be whole in itself4 4 4 4 ,winged words have fluttered about in poetry and prose through all the languages of the civilised world from old ,homer's day till now4 ,the permanence and prevalency of the expression proves that it embodies a recognised truth4 ,words have wings indeed1 but they are the wings of seeds rather than of birds or butterflies4 ,we are all accustomed in autumn to observe multitudes of diminutive seeds1 each balanced on its own tiny wing1 floating past on the breeze4 4 4 4 ,words are like these seeds1 in their winged character1 their measureless multitude1 and their winged speed4 ,they drop off in inconceivable numbers3 they fly far3 they are widely spread4 ,it is of deep importance that they should be for good1 and not for evil4 ,the tongue is a prolific tree1 it concerns the whole community that it should be a tree of life1 and not of death4--,arnot4 ,verse #e4 ,he that regardeth reproof is prudent4 ,wise he is1 and wiser he will be4 ,this made ,david prize and pray for a reprover 7,psa4 cxli4 #e74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,,like ,,in ,,circumstances1 ,,but ,,unlike ,,in ,,character4 ,i4 ,the wicked and the righteous are often on a level as regards material wealth4 ,one may have much treasure and the other great revenues1 or gain4 ,the laws of nature have no respect to character4 ,god makes ,his sun to shine upon the evil and the good1 and sendeth rain upon the just and upon the unjust 7,matt4 v4 #dc71 so that the wicked man reaps a harvest as abundant as that of the righteous man4 ,and all the laws of ,providence move with the same even step1 certainly showing no favour to the good man over the bad4 ,,ii4 ,but though their possessions may be equal1 there is great inequality in the enjoyment of them4 ,character makes all the difference here4 ,even a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked 7,ps4 xxxvii4 #af74 ,the wicked man is troubled by a sense of being out of harmony with all that is holy1 and just1 and true in the universe of ,god1 and with a foreboding of future retribution4 ,the wealth of the spirit is so much more than material wealth as the spirit is so much more than the body4 ,it is wealth to have a conscience purged from dead works to serve the living ,god 7,heb4 ix4 #ad71 and to lay up treasure without being thus rich toward ,god 7,luke xii4 #ba7 is only to spend money for that which is not bread1 and labour for that which satisfieth not4 7,see on chap4 iii4 #ad1 #ae1 viii4 #aa-ai1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the treasure in the house of the righteous may be understood not of mere wealth1 but of whatever is possessed with contentment and cheerfulness1 with gratitude to ,god1 with an assurance of ,his fatherly regard1 with the peace that passeth all understanding1 with resignation of spirit to the ,divine ,will1 with the present enjoyment of spiritual blessing1 and the well-founded hope of glory1 honour1 and immortality4 4 4 4 ,we may suppose the revenues of the wicked to be acquired and enjoyed wickedly4 ,but if not--yet if possessed and expended without the fear of ,god1 and if the means themselves of banishing that fear1 and preventing the choice of a better portion1--it may truly be affirmed that in them there is trouble4--,wardlaw4 ,the house1 as we have repeatedly seen 7see on chap4 ix4 #a1 xiv4 #a71 means a man's whole interest4 ,the mere interest of the righteous1 whether it seem high or low2 his lot1 whether it be on high or on a dunghill1 his hap1 just as it is1 whether it be easy or under pain1 is1 under the covenant of the ,almighty1 an enormous riches2 while not the house of the wicked 7for the wise man intends another of his climaxes72 but stating his condition in the most favourable way1 the revenue of the wicked1 imagining that to be of the most favourable kind2 and not the revenue of the wicked1 but in the revenue1 as though the trouble were in the revenue itself1 is1 literally1 the being troubled 7,niphal74 ,the splendours of the lost will involve but trouble in the whole eternity4--,miller4 ,the treasures of the wicked are too much for their good and too little for their lusts4 4 4 4 ,but is it not the crown of the ,christian's crown1 and the glory of his glory that he cannot desire more8--,bridges4 ,the riches of the wicked1 in which they pride themselves1 often consist of paper1 and if bonds and charters make a man rich1 the righteous cannot be poor1 when they have bonds upon ,god ,himself for everything they need1 and the charter which shows their sure title to an everlasting inheritance4 ,the devil robbed ,job1 but he could not make him poor1 for his chief treasure lay quite out of reach of the enemy4--,lawson4 ,every righteous man is a rich man1 whether he hath more or less of the things of this life4 ,for1 first1 he hath plenty of that which is precious4 ,secondly1 ,propriety2 what he hath is his own2 he holds all in capite-tenure in ,christ2 he shall not be called to account as a usurper4 ,all is yours 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bb71 because you are ,christ's1 and ,christ is ,god's4 ,and although he had little1 many times1 in present possession1 he is rich in reversion4--,trapp4 ,his house is ,god's treasury1 himself is ,god's treasure2 wherefore ,god watcheth over his house to defend and preserve it2 and himself ,god keepeth1 as the apple of ,his eye4--,jermin4 ,even the trifling sum which the righteous keeps in his house is a great treasure1 because it has ,god's blessing2 but all the revenues1 the large annual rents of the wicked from all his vast estate1 are mere troubles4--,burgon4 ,the thought of verse #g has been treated before4 7,see verse #b1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,utterance is a gift1 and dumb ,christians are blameworthy as well as dumb ministers4 ,speak1 that ,i may see thee1 said ,socrates4 ,when the heart is full1 it overfloweth in speech4 ,we know metals by their tinkling1 and men by their talking4--,brooks4 ,in their houses1 they catechise their children2 in the company of their neighbours1 they entreat of ,god's ,word and works2 in the church1 if they be teachers1 they publish wholesome doctrine4--,muffet4 ,most commentators say scatter or disperse4 ,winnow1 which has usage 7,ruth iii4 #b71 bears better upon the second clause4 7,see renderings in ,critical ,notes47 ,winnowing knowledge1 i4e41 letting the lips1 under the guidance of wisdom1 be an instrument for holding folly back and giving utterance to knowledge1 must be the finest practice for getting strength to piety2 while the second clause shows the incompetence of folly to winnow anything1 by saying that the heart of the foolish is not fixed 7and therefore lacks the first principles of choice1 in separating one thing from the other74--,miller4 ,the foolish sow cockle as fast as wiser men do corn1 and are as busy in digging descents to hell as others are in building staircases for heaven4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #h and #i4 ,,praying ,,and ,,living4 ,i4 ,god loves righteous men with a special love4 ,god has a love for all ,his human creatures--a love which springs out of ,his relationship to them as their ,creator4 ,he loves the world 7,john iii4 #af71 but this love cannot be said to spring from likeness of character between ,him and the objects of ,his love4 ,there is a spontaneous love welling up in the mother's heart towards her child long before that child has developed any qualities to win love4 ,the love springs from the relationship that exists between the child and the parent1 and it exists before there has been time and opportunity to develop a loveable character4 ,and there is still love in the mother's heart from the relationship1 if1 after there has been time to form a loveable character1 no such character is manifested--if there is no response to the parent's love4 ,there is this spontaneous love in ,god for all ,his human children--a love that1 even when it meets with no response1 does not cease to pity those who reject it4 ,god commendeth ,his love toward us1 in that1 while we were yet sinners1 ,christ died for us 7,rom4 v4 #h74 ,but after the kindness and love of ,god our ,saviour toward man appeared1 not by works of righteousness which we have done1 but according to ,his mercy ,he saved us 7,titus iii4 #d1 #e74 ,but the spiritual love which ,god has to righteous men--to men of integrity--to men who are sincere in their love of righteousness1 and who make conformity to it the end and aim of their life 7see on chap4 xi4 #c1 page #aif71 is a love which springs from likeness of character4 ,it is the personal love of a perfectly ,righteous ,being for persons whose characters1 in some degree1 resemble ,his own4 ,the good human father loves to see his own character in miniature in that of his child4 ,he delights to see his son following after him in his holy habits and feelings--he loves him with a deeper and more joyful love as he sees in him the germs of holy desires and aims which he knows will be more fully developed as he grows into manhood4 ,and so the ,heavenly ,father loves with the love of delight 7chap4 xii4 #bb7 those of ,his human sons and daughters who have begun to reflect ,his image in their hearts and lives1 and waits with patience until the blade changes to the ear1 and the ear into the full corn--until they are not only just men1 but just men made perfect 7,heb4 xii4 #bc74 ,,ii4 ,one act of a righteous man which ,god regards with special pleasure4 ,the prayer of the upright4 #a4 ,because it is an expression of conscious need4 ,a sense of spiritual need and weakness is indispensable1 even to the continuance of a righteous character1 much more to its growth4 ,while a man feels his need1 he will not only keep what he already has1 but will be in the way of getting more4 ,while he feels that he has not already attained neither is already perfect he will follow after perfection1 he will reach forth unto those things which are before1 and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of ,god--7,phil4 iii4 #ab-ad71 even to entire and absolute holiness of character4 ,when he prays1 he expresses his sense of need1 and thus gives proof of that lowliness and contrition of heart without which no man can receive supplies of ,divine grace4 ,therefore ,god delights in his prayer4 #b4 ,it is an expression of filial confidence4 ,he not only knows what he wants1 but he knows who is able and willing to supply his need4 ,prayer is in itself an act of faith--it is an expression of belief that ,god is and that ,he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek ,him 7,heb4 xi4 #f74 ,a human benefactor1 especially a human parent1 feels that application to him for help is a tribute to his goodness and to his power--it is a manifestation that those who seek his aid are assured of his willingness and ability to meet their need4 ,so with the ,divine ,friend and ,father4 ,he loves to have ,his compassion and ,his power confided in by ,his creatures4 #c4 ,it is an act of obedience4 ,god has commanded men always to pray 7,luke xviii4 #a74 ,it was a condition to be observed under the ,old ,testament dispensation1 as well as under that of the new4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,i will yet for this be inquired of by the house of ,israel to do it for them 7,ezek4 xxxvi4 #cg74 ,ask and it shall be given you 7,luke xi4 #i74 ,the conditions are easy1 but they are indispensable4 ,no wise parent gives his children what they desire1 except certain conditions are fulfilled4 ,they may be very easy1 but in no well-governed family are they dispensed with4 ,so in ,god's family4 ,true ,he knows what ,his children need before they ask ,him1 even better than the wisest and most tender human parent1 but the command is absolute1 the condition without exception4 ,prayer is therefore acceptable to ,him because it is an act of obedience to ,his command4 ,,iii4 ,god abhors the way of the wicked4 #a4 ,because they are at war with their better nature4 ,there are instincts in every man which are opposed to wrong-doing4 ,there is a light which lightens every man that cometh into the world4 ,when men sin they war against their own better nature4 ,cain possessed instincts which he must have stifled and trampled down before he could shed his brother's blood1 and so it is with every son of ,adam4 ,god must hate that which debases the creature whom ,he created in ,his own image4 #b4 ,because their ways are at war with ,his purpose to bless them4 ,a wise statesman may conceive a plan which he sees by his superior intelligence is calculated to bring great blessings to his nation4 ,he labours to make the nation see it also--he uses all his reasoning power and all the force of his eloquence to bring it into operation1 to make it the law of the land4 ,but the very people whom it is intended to benefit may1 from ignorance and prejudice1 oppose his wise and beneficent efforts4 ,he looks upon their opposition with the deepest displeasure1 because it is opposed to their own welfare4 ,if a son rebel against the plans which a wise and good father has formed for his benefit1 the father must be deeply displeased at the obstinacy which thus frustrates his purpose of love and wisdom4 ,god's complaint against ,israel was1 ,i have nourished and brought up children1 and they have rebelled against ,me 7,isa4 i4 #b7--rebelled against all ,his gracious plans and purposes concerning them1 and that is ,his quarrel with the ways of wicked men in general that crosses all ,his purposes of mercy towards them4 ,,iv4 ,their acts of worship are especially displeasing to ,him4 ,they are offered with no sense of spiritual need--with no desire to forsake sin4 ,when such men engage in outward acts of worship it is as if a thief were to offer to his judge some of his unlawful gain as a bribe to be allowed to go free of punishment4 ,god so regarded the sacrifices of ,israel when they came into ,his courts with hands full of blood4 ,your new moons and your appointed feasts ,my soul hateth 7,isa4 i4 #ad1 #ae74 ,they were an abomination to ,jehovah because the hearts of the men who offered them were in love with sin and desired only1 if possible1 to escape the penalty due to it4 ,men in all ages would have been well pleased to be pardoned and to retain the offence1 but the very suggestion of such a thing is a gross insult to the righteousness of ,god1 and as this is the only construction that can be put upon a drawing near to ,him in outward service while the heart is far from ,him 7,isa4 xxix4 #ac71 the sacrifice of the wicked must be the act most abhorrent to ,god of a way which is altogether an abomination unto ,him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #h4 ,when an ungodly man prays1 it is not the act of prayer that constitutes the sin1 it is the want of a praying heart4 ,the sin is in him1 not in his prayer4--,wardlaw4 ,the formal devotion of a faithless man is not worth the crust of bread which he asks4--,t4 ,adams4 ,man judges by acts1 ,god by principles4 ,the sacrifice of the wicked1 though it be part of ,god's own service1 yet will be found in ,his register in the catalogue of sins to be accounted for 7,bp4 ,hopkins74 ,is he then finally rejected8 ,far from it4 ,his desire to seek the ,lord would be the beginning of the prayer that ensures acceptance4 ,that which brings acceptance is--not the perfection1 but the simplicity of uprightness4--,bridges4 ,sacrifice and prayer are not here contrasted as the higher and the lower1 but sacrifice is a gift to ,god1 prayer is desiring from ,him 7,comp4 ,isa4 i4 #aa1 #ae1 etc474 ,yet this is by no means an essential difference2 for both sacrifice and prayer1 which indeed fall likewise under the category of offering in the broadest sense 7,ps4 cxix4 #ajh2 ,heb4 xiii4 #ae7 come under consideration here only as general tokens of reverence for ,god2 and the value of both is clearly defined by this test1 whether the state of heart is or is not well pleasing to ,god4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,it is not works that make the man good1 but when a man is justified his works are also good4 ,god in ,his grace makes well pleasing to ,himself the works that come of faith1 even though great imperfections still mingle with them4--,starke4 ,the sacrifice of the wicked1 though it may be very costly--the column of ,stylites1 the hook-swinging of the east1 the millions of anxious charity--without grace must be purely sin4 ,the prayer of the upright1 though it asks instead of gives1 yet it is a delight1 where the other is an abomination4 ,a man may serve ,god out of sheer selfish wickedness4 ,moreover1 all are abominable4 ,there is no just man upon earth4 ,but the righteous has the righteousness of ,christ2 while these others are left1 without a cover1 to their own abominable guiltiness4--,miller4 ,works materially good many never prove so formally and eventually1 viz43 7#a7 ,when they proceed not from a right principle2 7#b7 ,when they tend not to a right end4 ,the glory of ,god must consume all other ends1 as the sun puts out the light of the fire4 ,but the prayer that proceeds from an upright heart1 though but faint and feeble1 doth come before ,god1 even into ,his ears 7,psa4 xviii4 #f71 and so strangely charms ,him 7,isa4 xxvi4 #af7 that ,he breaks forth into these words3 ,ask me of things concerning my sons1 and concerning the works of my hands command ye me 7,isa4 xlv4 #aa74 ,oh that we understood the latitude of this royal charter6--,trapp4 ,verse #i4 ,the way of the wicked is abomination4 ,not his sacrifices only1 but his civilities3 all his actions--natural1 moral1 recreative1 religious--are offensive to ,god4 ,the very ploughing of the wicked is sin 7,prov4 xxi4 #d74 4 4 4 ,but ,he loveth him that followeth after righteousness1 although he fulfil not all righteousness1 yet if he make after it with might and main1 if he pursue it and have it in chase1 if by any means he may attain to the resurrection of the dead 7,phil4 iii4 #aa72 that is1 the height of holiness that accompanies the resurrection3 this is the man whom ,god loves4 ,now ,god's love is not an empty love2 it is not like the winter sun1 that casteth a goodly countenance when it shines1 but gives little warmth and comfort4 ,thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness2 those that remember ,thee in ,thy ways 7,isa4 lxiv4 #e71 that think upon ,thy commandments to do them 7,psa4 ciii4 #bj71 that are weak but willing 7,heb4 xiii4 #h71 that are lifting at the latch1 though they cannot do up the door3 ,surely1 shall every such one say1 in the ,lord have ,i righteousness and strength 7,isa4 xlv4 #bd74 ,righteousness1 that is1 mercy to those that come over to ,him1 and strength to enable them to come1 as the sea sends out waters to fetch us to it4--,trapp4 ,the way of the wicked and the abomination of the ,lord go on with equal paces4 ,it is his way1 because he leadeth himself in it1 refusing to follow the guide of instruction3 and ,god's way it is1 wherein ,his abomination pursueth after him4 4 4 4 ,st4 ,bernard saith1 ,god loveth1 neither doth this arise from anything in others1 but ,himself it is from whence ,he loveth2 and therefore the more vehemently1 because ,he doth not so much love1 as rather ,himself is love4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,way4 ,i4 ,there is a pre-ordained way for man to walk in4 #a4 ,nature suggests this4 ,everything there speaks of law and order4 #b4 ,conscience suggests it4 #c4 ,revelation declares it4 7,on this subject see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #bh2 xiii4 #ac1 #ad2 pages #bia and #cac47 ,,ii4 ,a man may break loose from this ,god-ordained path4 ,that he can do this is his glory2 that he does do it is his shame4 ,a convict is compelled to keep to a certain path1 he is obliged to conform to a routine laid down for him by another4 ,his outward life is governed by no will of his own1 all his acts are prescribed by an authority which he cannot resist4 ,but ,god will not keep men in the way in which ,he desires them to walk by such means4 ,he did not so fence about the angels in heaven4 ,they were free to fall1 and so are we4 ,god treats ,his creatures as free men1 not as prisoners4 ,they have power to choose when they will serve2 they are free to choose the way in which they will walk4 ,all the force that is exerted over them is the force of moral suasion4 ,,iii4 ,the correction that follows this forsaking of the way is intended to punish and to reclaim4 ,in all well-ordered human governments1 and in all well-governed families1 the main intention of punishment 7except in the case of capital punishment7 is improvement of character4 ,this ought to be the chief aim of all human correction4 ,it is the main intention in all the chastisements of ,god in this world4 ,there is no retribution which comes to man in this world which will not1 if accepted in a right spirit1 become a means of restoring him to the forsaken path2 therefore ,,iv4 ,to hate reproof is to shut out all possibility of moral restoration4 ,a man who will not be reproved denies the imperfection of his nature4 ,every imperfect being must need correction1 and for man to rebel against the chastisement of ,god is to pass sentence of death upon himself4 7,on this subject see ,homiletics on chapters iii4 #aa1 #ab2 xii4 #a2 xiii4 #ah2 pages #bdg1 #cbc1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we should always look hopefully at a sinner under correction4 ,for1 surely1 so long as the physician administers the medicine1 there is no ground for despondency4 4 4 4 ,this costly teaching brings us on wonderfully4 ,lord6 let me know the smart of ,thy rod rather than the eclipse of ,thy love4--,bridges4 ,there are three sorts of passengers that go out of the way4 ,he that mistaketh the way1 he that forsaketh his way1 and he that loveth to be out of the way4 ,many miss the way who never were in it1 or1 being in the way1 were missed from it1 and these1 oftentimes1 are glad to be corrected and brought into the way4 ,he forsaketh the way who at first is set in it1 and seeing how to go on aright1 yet willingly departeth from it3 to such an one correction is grievous1 and he suffereth it with trouble1 but yet many times he is reduced by it4 ,he loveth to be out of the way who hateth reproof1 and of his amendment there is little hope4 4 4 4 ,the force of the verse is1 that the suffering of correction is grievous1 but that the hating of reproof is most pernicious4--,jermin4 ,of all sinners1 reproofs are worse resented by apostates4--,henry4 ,discipline is an evil to him who forsakes the path4 7,see rendering in ,critical ,notes47 ,in our common version this idea is not brought out4 ,it is a very grave one4 ,men not converted1 but steadily forsaking the path of holiness1 are injured by discipline4 ,in hating reproof they go through the very soul-action which we mean when we say1 they die4 ,each hating emotion kills them4 ,and this is the very philosophy of the letter-killing 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #f72 not that it is poison in itself1 but that the ,gospel awakens opposition1 which1 on its part1 corrupts the mind4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,,two ,,worlds4 ,i4 ,two worlds out of reach of the human senses--the world of departed men and the human soul4 ,both these mysterious worlds are shut out or shut in from the eye of man by the bolts and bars of his bodily senses4 ,how exceedingly small a portion of the vast universe of ,god is revealed to the eye of sense6 ,the small globe upon which man finds himself is nearly all that he can possibly know with his bodily vision4 ,reason may tell him that there is much more1 faith may afford him clearer evidence of things not seen 7,heb4 xi4 #a71 but over all there is a veil drawn4 ,the vast world1 where dwells the great majority of the human race--that unseen home1 peopled with the spirits of just men made perfect1 and the dwelling-place of the spirits of the unjust--are regions entirely beyond the reach of human sight4 ,and there is another world equally out of the reach of his vision4 ,he has never seen the soul of any one of the thousands of fellow-men with whom he has come in contact4 ,he has never read the heart of his most intimate friend4 ,his own living soul1 even that which is himself1 has never been apprehended by his bodily senses4 ,he has never touched or looked upon that4 ,,ii4 ,but both these invisible worlds are entirely open to the eye of ,god4 ,the world of spirits and the individual soul of each man are seen by ,him as plainly as we see the material world around us1 or as we see the bodies of our fellow-creatures4 ,and they are far more fully comprehended by ,him than the visible things upon which our eyes rest every day are comprehended by us4 ,for what do we really know of the essential properties of that by which we are surrounded8 ,is not our very bodily organism a mystery to us8 ,but each soul of each individual man in the body1 and each unclothed 7#b ,cor4 v4 #d7 spirit in the worlds of the departed is naked and open in the eyes of ,him with whom each one has to do 7,heb4 iv4 #ac7 as really and as intimately as if in all the universe there was only one creature of whom the omniscient ,creator had to take cognizance4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is the gross persuasion of some1 as if hell and destruction were only things that ,god did set before us1 and that they were not before ,him2 as if they were things wherewith ,god did only terrify us1 and which should never be4 ,but the wise man telleth us1 that they are before the ,lord1 and that though we know not where hell is and what is done there1 yet it is before ,god's eyes4 ,and1 therefore1 though the heart of the children of men be made as deep as hell by hellish devices1 yet much more is that manifest to ,god4 ,the heart of man is more manifest to ,him than it is to himself4 ,wherefore ,st4 ,augustine1 speaking unto ,god1 saith1 ,thou wert within1 and ,i was without4 ,for1 indeed1 ,god is often within and knoweth what our hearts are1 when we ourselves are without and do not know them4--,jermin4 ,this terrible truth these hearts secretly know1 and their desperate writhings to shake it off show how much they dislike it4 ,the ,romish confessional is one of the most pregnant facts in the history of man4 ,it is a monument and measure of the guilty creature's enmity against ,god4 4 4 4 ,we have wondered at the blindness and stupidity of our common nature in permitting a man1 not more holy than his neighbours1 to stand in the place of ,god to a brother's soul4 ,there is cause for grief1 but not ground for surprise4 ,the phenomenon proceeds in the way of natural law4 ,it is the common1 well understood process of compounding for the security of the whole1 by the voluntary surrender of a part4 ,the confessional is a kind of insurance office where periodical exposure of the heart to a man is the premium paid for fancied impunity in hiding that heart altogether from the deeper scrutiny of the all-seeing ,god4 4 4 4 ,it is ,god's love from the face of ,jesus ,christ shining into my dark heart that makes my heart open and delight to be ,his dwelling-place4 ,the eye of the just ,avenger ,i cannot endure to be in the place of sin2 but the eye of the compassionate ,physician ,i shall gladly admit into this place of disease4--,arnot4 ,because also the hearts of the children of men4 7,see ,miller's rendering in ,critical ,notes47 ,the intimation is ,god knows hell because ,he knows man4 ,he knows that hating reproof1 we die 7verse #aj71 and just how fast we die or sink by each act of hating4 ,in other words1 he knows how fast sin grows under an administration of justice2 and1 therefore1 how far a given sinner will have gone down1 at any date1 through his eternal age4--,miller4 ,this verse may denote that the deepest machinations of the prince of hell1 and of all his legions of fallen angels1 are open to the ,lord's inspection1 and must end in their disappointment and deeper torment2 how1 then can man1 who is so inferior in sagacity and subtlety1 expect to hide his counsels from ,god1 or to prosper in rebellion against ,him8 ,there is nothing so deep or secret that can be hid from the eyes of ,god1 much less man's thoughts4--,scott4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,self-,,destroyed4 ,i4 ,that a scorner is in hopeless ignorance4 ,neither will he go unto the wise4 ,if a thirsty man will not go to the river to which he has free and easy access1 there is no hope of his thirst being quenched4 ,if he will not apply to the only source whence his need can be supplied1 he must remain in his needy condition4 ,if a man who is sick will not apply to him who is able to cure his malady1 the probability is that he will remain under the influence of disease1 and die of his malady4 ,if a man who is ignorant of the revelation of ,god1 and of the healing power of ,divine truth1 refuses to go where wisdom is to be found--viz41 among those who have been enlightened by ,divine wisdom1 there is no hope of his ever emerging from his state of ignorance4 ,god uses one divinely enlightened man to turn another from darkness to light4 ,this is the method of ,his procedure in ,his kingdom1 and if the scorner rejects this means1 he must remain in darkness4 ,he may go unto the wise by listening to the voice of the living man1 by observing the life of the morally wise1 or by reading their thoughts1 especially those of the divinely-inspired writers of the ,scriptures4 ,men have begun to learn wisdom by each one of these methods2 generally there is the combined influence of the three4 ,,ii4 ,the true source of the scorner's dislike to the company of the wise4 ,he hates reproof4 ,as reproof is knowledge 7see ch4 xiii4 #ah1 page #cbc7 so an increase of knowledge1 if it is not used1 is reproof4 ,the words of the wise and the lives of the wise reprove the scorner by increasing his light1 and thus adding to his guilt4 ,he therefore cometh not to the light lest his deeds should be reproved 7,john iii4 #bj74 ,he is like a man who is conscious that he is suffering from a dangerous disease1 but who will not submit to the examination of the physician because he knows he would prescribe treatment which1 though it would cure1 would be painful4 ,no men love reproof any more than they love the surgeon's knife2 but wise men submit to the one and the other for the sake of the health to soul and to body which will follow4 ,but the scorner hates the keen-edged weapon of reproof because he does not value the good that would result from patiently bearing the incision4 ,,iii4 ,every scorner1 therefore1 is a self-destroyer4 ,a man commits suicide if1 when he is sick1 he refuses to use the means by which he might be healed4 ,if he die1 he takes away his life as truly as if he thrust a sword through his body4 ,he is not accountable for his disease1 but he is responsible and blameworthy for neglecting means of cure within his reach4 ,so with men in relation to spiritual knowledge4 ,ignorance is a crime only when the means of enlightenment are within reach4 ,he who scorns to avail himself of those means1 he who will not submit to reproof1 he who rejects the invitation and despises the threatenings of ,divine ,wisdom 7see chap4 i4 #bj-cc7 is a moral suicide4 7,see also on chap4 xiv4 #f1 page #cdf47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,men should run to and fro to increase knowledge 7,dan4 xii4 #d74 ,the ,shunamite rode ordinarily to the prophet on the ,sabbaths and other holy days 7#b ,kings iv4 #bc74 ,those good souls in ,psalm lxxxiv4 #g passed on from strength to strength1 setting the best foot forwards for like purpose2 yea1 those that were weak and unfit for travel would be brought to the ordinances upon horses1 in chariots1 and in litters 7,isa4 lxvi4 #bj74 ,but now the scorner holds it not worth while to put himself to these pains1 and is ready to say with ,jeroboam1 ,it is too much for men to go up to ,jerusalem1 to go up to the mountain of the ,lord1 to learn ,his ways 7,isa4 ii4 #c74 ,yea1 he set watches to observe who would go from him to ,judah to worship1 that he might shame them at least1 if not slay them 7,hos4 v4 #a74 ,he would never have gone to the prophet to be reproved1 and when the prophet came to him1 he stretched out his hand to apprehend him4 ,so ,herod had a desire to see ,christ1 but could never find a heart to go to hear him2 and yet our ,saviour looked that men should have come as far to ,him as the ,queen of ,sheba came to ,solomon4--,trapp4 ,here is instruction for all men1 to observe the state of their own souls1 and the better1 when occasion is offered1 to inform themselves of others by the company which they most delight to frequent4 ,he that delighteth to associate himself with good men1 is never to be deemed a friend to evil ways1 and he that embraceth the fellowship of sinful persons1 must needs be judged an enemy to godly behaviour4 ,when ,david would clear himself to be none of the wicked1 he made it fully manifest by this1 that he went not with vain persons1 neither kept company with dissemblers3 that he hated the assembly of the evil and companioned not with the wicked4 ,when he would prove himself to be one of the righteous1 he evidently confirmed it by this1 that he was a companion of all them that feared the ,lord and kept ,his precepts4--,dod4 ,there is none that loveth more truly1 that loveth more profitably1 than he that lovingly reproveth what he seeth amiss4 ,and yet there is none that a scorner loveth less4 ,but what marvel if he loveth not another1 that loveth not himself6 ,where scorning is1 there can be no love1 that was never love's disposition4 ,let no one that reproveth a scorner look for love from him4 4 4 4 ,but let the wise reprove him notwithstanding1 and as ,st4 ,cyprian speaketh1 if they cannot persuade him1 to make him to please ,christ1 let themselves perform to ,christ that which is their part1 and let them please ,christ by keeping his commandments4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,a ,,cheerful ,,face ,,and ,a ,,broken ,,spirit4 ,i4 ,the outer man is to a large extent an index of the inner life4 ,the joy of the heart is made visible upon the countenance4 ,this is one of the infinitely kind and wise arrangements of ,god which minister so much to human happiness4 ,we have but to consider the influence of a cheerful face to know how great a blessing it is that a merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance4 ,how blank would be the aspect of the world1 says ,dr4 ,arnot1 if no image of a man's thought could ever be seen glancing through his countenance6 ,our walk through life would be like a solitary walk through a gallery of statues--as cold as marble1 and not nearly so beautiful4 ,,ii4 ,the effect of sorrow upon the human spirit4 ,it breaks it4 ,when a vessel's timbers are shivered by the fury of the storm she may not go to pieces altogether4 ,but she is no longer able to hold her own against the elements1 which she could once use as forces to convey her from land to land4 ,if she were now to put to sea1 instead of riding over the waves and making them her servants1 she would be a passive thing in their hands1 a mere helpless bundle of timbers to be tossed whithersoever they pleased1 instead of walking the waters like a thing of life4 ,so it is with the human spirit when the cross seas and angry winds of adverse circumstances have quenched the hope and paralysed the energy that once governed and inspired the man4 ,he is no longer able to face the storms of life1 and outride them1 or even make them advance his interests4 ,he is passive amid the changes and chances of mortal life1 and they drift him on wheresoever they will4 ,but this can never be the case unless a man has lost faith in the character of ,god and his own high and immortal destiny4 ,then1 indeed1 the elements which he was built to rule will rule him1 and he will fail to fulfil the end for which ,god launched him on the sea of life4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,i have always preferred cheerfulness to mirth4 ,the latter ,i consider as an act1 the former as a habit1 of the mind4--,addison4 ,the sorrow of heart here spoken of1 we may consider as that which arises from an evil conscience1 from envy1 discontent1 and other similar sources4--,wardlaw4 ,a merry or glad heart is one of the attributes of piety4 ,it 7literally7 does good to the countenance1 improves it1 as we say in our idiom1 ,come with us1 and we will do thee good 7,numb4 x4 #bi74--,miller4 ,this word merriment is of frequent use among our old writers4 ,it is ,foxe's favourite description of the holy joy of the martyrs4--,bridges4 ,it sits smiling in the face1 and looks merrily out of the windows of the eyes4 ,but this is not till faith has healed the conscience1 and till grace has hushed the affections1 and composed all within4 ,stephen looked like an angel when he stood before the council 7,acts vi4 #ae72 and the apostles went away rejoicing 7,acts v4 #da74 ,there are that rejoice in the face only1 and not in the heart 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ab72 this is but hypocrisy of mirth1 and we may be sure that many a man's heart bleeds within him when his face counterfeits a smile4 ,it is for an ,abraham only to laugh for joy of the promise1 and for a ,david to rejoice at the word as one that findeth great spoil 7,psalms cxix4 #afb71 wherein the pleasure is usually as much as the profit4 ,christ's chariot1 wherein he carries people up and down in the world1 and brings them at length to ,himself1 is paved with love 7,cant4 iii4 #i1 #aj72 ,he brings them also into ,his wine cellar 7,cant4 ii4 #d71 where ,he cheers up their hearts1 and clears up their countenances1 and this is ,heaven beforehand4 ,these are some few clusters of the grapes of the celestial ,canaan4 ,but as the looks are marred1 so the spirits are dulled and disabled by sorrow1 as a limb out of joint can do nothing without deformity or pain4 ,dejection takes off the wheels of the soul1 hinders comfortable intercourse with ,god1 and that habitual cheerfulness1 that ,sabbath of the spirit1 that every man should strive to enjoy4 ,afflictions1 saith one1 are the wind of the soul1 passions the storm4 ,the soul is well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should1 nor yet tosses with tempests of wrath1 grief1 fear1 etc41 to move disorderly4 ,of these we must be careful to crush the very first insurrections2 storms rise out of little gusts1 but the top of those mountains above the middle region are so quiet that ashes1 lightest things1 are not moved out of place4--,trapp4 ,mirth and cheerfulness make a man not only fitter for the occasions of this world1 but even for spiritual affairs also4 ,wherefore ,elisha calleth for a minstrel that1 being angry with the king of ,israel1 by the melody of the music a more soft and sweet disposition might possess him4 4 4 4 ,joy1 saith ,aquinas1 is1 as it were1 a juice spreading itself over the whole man1 dispersing the comfort of itself to all the faculties of the soul1 and all parts of the body4 ,but1 now1 what is it that maketh a merry heart8 ,surely not the things of this world4 ,they only do beset the heart with a dream of mirth1 they do only make the heart drunken with some flushings of joy4 ,a merry heart indeed is that which the assurance of ,god's favour rejoiceth1 and that will make the countenance cheerful in any trouble1 even in death itself4 ,it is true also that by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken1 the heart and the spirit being but one string of life4 ,but what is it by which the heart should be made sorrowful8 ,surely not the things of this life1 seeing the life of the heart is so far above them4 ,for it is a shameful folly to hurt a better thing for that which is far worse4 ,no2 nothing should make the heart sorrowful but repentance for sin1 and as that casteth down the spirit1 so will it raise it up again4 ,wherefore ,augustine saith1 ,let the penitent always be grieved1 and let him rejoice for his grief4 ,nothing should make the heart sad but the fear of ,god's displeasure1 and if that break the spirit1 it will heal it again with endless consolation4--,jermin4 ,the principal thought of verse #ad is a repetition in a slightly varied form of a truth that has been considered before4 7,see on chap4 xii4 #a1 xiii4 #ah1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,they are the wisest men that are most sensible of the imperfection of their wisdom4--,lawson4 ,the mouth of fools feed1 etc41 literally1 pastures1 like a brute4 ,a thing fed takes the texture of its nourishment4 ,the mouth or face 7see ,critical ,notes7 of the fool grows more and more inane and brutal4--,miller4 ,as a hungry man seeks meat1 or a covetous man gold1 the more he hath the more he desires4 ,moses was no sooner off the mount where he had seen ,god face to face1 but he cries1 ,lord1 show me ,thy glory6 ,david1 that knew more than his teachers1 cries ever and anon1 ,teach me ,thy statutes4 ,job prefers knowledge before his necessary food 7chap4 xxiii4 #ab74 ,the wise man finds no such sweetness in the most delicate and dainty dishes1 as in the search after ,divine knowledge 7,psa4 cxix4 #ajc74 ,even ,aristotle saith that a little knowledge1 though conjectural1 about heavenly things is to be preferred above knowledge1 though certain1 about earthly things4 ,and ,agur saith it is to ascend into heaven 7,prov4 xxx4 #d74--,trapp4 ,first1 because the one sort is after the spirit1 and therefore they favour the things of the spirit2 and the other sort is after the flesh1 and therefore they favour the things of the flesh4 ,secondly1 because the one sort is guided by judgment1 and choose that which will comfort their consciences2 and the other is altogether led by lust1 and seek only that which will satisfy their senses4 ,thirdly1 faith makes the one sort to cast an eye to that which will follow hereafter2 and sensuality causeth the other 7like brute beasts1 made to be destroyed7 only to look to that which is present4--,dod4 ,knowledge is necessary for us1 not only to manage the affairs of this life1 but also to perform the service of our ,maker4 ,conscience may dictate to us that things are right or wrong1 but conscience may be mistaken in her decisions1 unless she call in reason to her assistance1 for a clear knowledge of the revealed will of ,god cannot be understood without application of mind4 4 4 4 ,the desire of knowledge is in some sense natural to us all and is manifested very soon4 ,we see how early curiosity exerts itself in lively children4 ,but this natural desire may be misused4 #a4 ,it may be too little4 ,some persons do not desire knowledge so much as they ought1 especially they are negligent in acquiring religious knowledge4 ,this negligence may proceed from too warm a pursuit of other things4 ,but what will this world avail us1 if we are excluded from an inheritance in the next8 ,it may proceed from mere sloth4 ,but the unprofitable servant1 who suffers his talents to lie useless1 is to be cast into outer darkness4 #b4 ,it may be too much4 ,some things there are which we ought not to know1 and a vain curiosity after them is an abuse of our natural desire of knowledge4 ,this curiosity brought on the fall of our first parents1 and still reigns among their posterity4 ,sin should only be known1 as the rocks at sea1 that they may be avoided4 ,it becomes us also to be contented with such a knowledge of the ,divine nature1 and the ,divine administration1 as we are capable of acquiring1 and of future events so far as ,god hath seen fit to reveal them4--,jortin4 ,the mouth of fools--the mouth of their souls and understandings--feedeth upon anything2 even foolishness itself is good food unto them4 ,their distempered palate judgeth not the worth of things4 ,they have a mouth to receive knowledge1 but they have not a heart to consider and discern what they do receive4 ,none is so ill a feeder as fools4 ,such fools are they in the prophet ,isaiah who say1 ,prophesy not unto us1 right things speak unto us1 as the original word is1 bland things1 pleasing things2 but the word signifieth in the first place scattered things1 such as coming from a scattered brain have no order and aim at no material point4 ,or else scattered things which may strike at none1 which may hurt none1 do no good to any4 ,and1 indeed1 too many such there are4 ,the world is full of speakers and talkers1 that speak things they know not1 and teach things they have not learned4--,jermin4 ,the ,queen of ,sheba1 coming from the utmost parts of the earth2 ,nicodemus and ,mary1 sitting at the feet of ,jesus2 the ,eunuch1 journeying to ,jerusalem2 ,cornelius and his company drinking in the precious message of salvation2 the ,bereans1 carefully searching the ,scriptures1 all these show the understanding heart seeking a larger interest in the blessing4--,bridges4 ,that in seeking knowledge the idea of feasting on it is included1 is evident from the terms of the antithesis4 ,it is a feast of knowledge above all1 of divine knowledge4 ,he who has understanding1--who is enlightened of ,god1 and discerns the excellency and glory of divine truth--seeketh such knowledge4 ,from experience of the joy already imparted by it1 he seeks more and still more--the appetite growing by gratification1 delighted with every new discovery1 yet never tiring of the old 7#a ,pet4 ii4 #a-c74 ,but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness4 ,that is what they like2 that is therefore what they seek1 and from which they have their own poor and pitiful enjoyment4 ,in regard to religion itself they are taken with everything that serves the present purpose of keeping all quiet within2 that lets conscience alone2 that dispenses with serious thought1 and preventing inward disturbance1 allows them to go on easily and comfortably4 ,they have a relish for all doctrines of this unannoying description--that prick not their hearts2 that embitter not present sweets by any forebodings of the future2 that prophesy smooth things1 and cause the ,holy ,one of ,israel to cease from before them--the scarer of their thoughtless mirth and sinful gratification4 ,they have an appetite for everything of that kind4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,,the ,,continual ,,feast4 ,i4 ,all men have days of affliction4 ,they may be traced to one of four sources--#a4 ,men are afflicted by reason of their relation to the first head of the human race4 ,every man inherits bodily weaknesses of some kind--is1 in apostolic phrase1 made subject to vanity 7,rom4 viii4 #bj7 of some kind or another for which he is not personally responsible--which is not the fruit of his own character or conduct1 nor of that of his immediate ancestors4 ,mental sorrows are also born of this remote relationship4 ,the human mind is not now what it was when it came first from the hand of its ,creator4 ,god at the beginning made man perfect--his spirit was a reflection of the perfect law of ,god1 and all within was consequently harmony and peace4 ,but it is not so now1 even with the best of the human race4 ,there has been a subjection to vanity through sin1 and this is the fruitful source of much mental pain and sorrow to all men1 although they are often unconscious of the origin of the darkness that envelops their spirit4 #b4 ,men are afflicted by reason of their immediate relationships4 ,a child who has a bad father suffers much and grievously1 the father who owns a wicked child often has many days of deep affliction4 ,a nation may be deeply afflicted by reason of the viciousness or unwisdom of its rulers4 ,many and various are the afflictions which come to men through those to whom they are related1 whether by family or national ties4 #c4 ,afflictions arise from personal transgression of ,god's laws4 ,these transgressions may be either of a negative or positive character--they may consist in doing what we ought not to do1 or in leaving undone that which it is our duty to do4 ,much affliction comes to men because they have neglected to do for mind1 body1 or estate that which they are commanded by ,god to do4 ,men who neglect to work1 or who neglect to conform to the laws by which their mind or their body is governed1 must pay the penalty1 and often suffer much affliction from the mere neglect of duty4 ,and much more will those know days of affliction who are positive transgressors of any ,divine law1 whether physical or moral4 #d4 ,affliction comes to men sometimes by ,divine permission1 either to chasten men for sin or to increase the goodness of their characters4 ,affliction came to ,job1 and he had many evil days1 not because he was a sinner1 but because he was a saint4 ,good man as he was1 he had many days of affliction--days which were to him very evil--but they arose neither from his remote or immediate relationships1 nor from personal or relative transgression1 but were the outcome of ,satanic agency1 acting by ,divine permission4 ,,ii4 ,days of affliction are evil days4 ,while the patient is under the knife of the surgeon he is undergoing an experience which is in itself an evil1 which is an experience to be dreaded and avoided if possible1 however good may be the days of health which are the result of it4 ,no one can feel that affliction in itself is anything but an evil--much good may come out of it1 but that does not make the actual suffering of body or mind good in itself4 ,if the sufferings of the present life were unconnected with the blessings which will spring out of them1 if they were not regarded in the light of ,divine revelation they would be unmitigated evils4 ,,iii4 ,evil days work good to him who can rise above them4 ,if a seaman can be cheerful and hopeful in the midst of a storm1 he is all the better for having passed through it4 ,his courage is strengthened and his experience is enlarged1 he is more of a man than before he entered into conflict with the winds and waves4 ,while others have been overwhelmed with terror1 he has been full of a calm self-possession1 and that which has shown how weak many men are1 has shown how strong he is4 ,but in order thus to rise above outward circumstances1 there must be internal resources4 ,only those can come through the storms of life stronger and the better for having passed through them who have an unfailing well of hope and comfort within4 ,the martyrs of old revealed that they had a continual feast within1 although they had many days of affliction without4 ,their merry hearts1 filled with true and unfailing gladness1 lifted them above the bitterness and evil of their circumstances4 ,thus to glory in tribulation is to take meat out of the eater and sweetness out of the strong4 ,but only those can practise this art who1 like their ,master1 have meat to eat of which men in general know not of 7,john iv4 #cb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the feast of him who is of a merry heart1 who has within himself the sources of true joy1 is not terminated--is not even suspended--in the season of affliction4 ,his feast is independent of changing condition4 ,he often relishes it most when other sweets are embittered4 ,often is his inward spiritual festivity the richest1 when the supply of his outward and earthly comforts is scantiest4--,wardlaw4 ,affliction1 as the fruit and chastening of sin1 is an evil4 4 4 4 ,though the abounding consolation of ,christian affliction does not blot out its penal character1 yet the child of ,god is not so miserable as he seems to be 7#b ,cor4 vi4 #aj74 ,the darkest of these evil days can never make the consolations of ,god small with him 7,job xv4 #aa74 ,he can sing in the prison 7,acts xvi4 #be71 can take joyfully the spoiling of his goods 7,heb4 x4 #cd71 can praise his ,god when ,he has stripped him naked 7,job i4 #ba74 ,what real evil then can affliction bring8 ,or rather what does it bring but many feast days8 ,a few days' feasting would soon weary the epicure4 ,but here the merry heart hath a continual feast4--,bridges4 ,all the days of the toiling are evil1 but a good heart is a continual feast4 ,a glorious comparison6 ,a sour heart is fed by a hard life2 and yet1 though the hard life is common to all1 a brightened spirit masters it1 and not only masters it but sweetens it4 ,toiling4 the word is very peculiar4 ,afflicted our version has it4 ,humble is the translation in many cases4 ,toiling strikes us best1 7#a7 because such is the root--the verb1 first of all1 means to toil--and 7#b7 because such is the sense2 the toiling character of life makes all groan together4 ,we are not paid4 ,such is the toil of our spirits that life is a battle4 ,as a worldly maxim1 a good heart carries the day2 but1 as an adopted text1 the wise saw strengthens itself4 ,under the toils of life1 a good heart1 regenerate by grace1 greets the same toil the lost man does1 and finds the heart itself a continual feast4--,miller4 ,this is diligently to be observed1 that none can have a cheerful mind indeed but only such as1 through faith in ,christ having peace with ,god1 pollute not their consciences with detestable iniquities4 ,for indeed evils enter into such to trouble their minds1 to profane their joys1 and to pull them from the continual feast of security here spoken of1 who either walk in the committing of gross offences1 or are close hypocrites and dissemblers4--,muffet4 ,he that hath a heart merry in a good contentment can always invite himself to a full feast4 ,when he hath not wherewith to feast others--yea1 even when he wanteth perhaps what to eat1 he wanteth not wherewith to feast himself4 ,it is not a feast that must have time to provide it1 and to make it ready1 and which1 being ready1 is soon passed over2 but it is a continual feast1 ever ready1 and never ended4--,jermin4 ,the sincere heart1 the quiet conscience1 will not only stand under greatest pressure1 as did ,st4 ,paul 7#b ,cor4 i4 #i-ab71 but goes as merrily to die in a good cause as ever he did to dine1 as did divers martyrs4 ,be the air clear or cloudy1 he enjoys a continual serenity1 and sits continually at that blessed feast1 whereat the blessed angels are cooks and butlers1 as ,luther hath it1 and the three ,persons in the ,trinity gladsome guests4 ,mr4 ,latimer saith the assurance of heaven is the sweetmeats of this feast4 ,there are other dainty dishes1 but this is the banquet4 ,saith ,st4 ,bernard1 ,wilt thou1 ,o man1 never be sad8 wilt thou turn thy whole life into a merry festival8 get and keep a good conscience4 ,a good man keeps a holiday all the year about4--,trapp4 ,so far as we would live a comfortable life1 we should seek to build up our inward man more than our outward estates2 that our hearts be better furnished than our houses1 and our consciences than our coffers1 that our stock of faith and everlasting goodness may exceed our store of coin and temporal goods3 and so shall we be fenced against all perils1 and provided for against all wants1 and secured against all accidents whatsoever4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,a ,,treasure ,,without ,,trouble4 ,the fear of the ,lord is better than worldly treasures--,i4 ,because the fear of the ,lord tends to peace of mind4 ,in any piece of complicated machinery the condition of the internal works is a much more important matter than the ornamenting of the exterior4 ,it is of much more consequence that all within a timepiece should move in harmony than that it should have a golden face or be set with jewels4 ,it is of more importance to a man that all his internal bodily organs should be in perfect health than that he should be possessed of much external beauty4 ,a strong frame1 and pure blood1 and health of body will minister much more effectually to his comfort than the most comely countenance4 ,and the state of a man's inner life has infinitely more to do with his real happiness than his external circumstances4 ,he who has the fear of the ,lord has the foundation-stone of peace within1 and he who has that does not need an abundance of that which can only minister to the outer man4 ,a little material wealth will content him who has the rich inheritance of a peaceful and contented spirit4 ,peace with ,god and love to man are included in the fear of the ,lord1 and neither the one nor the other of these good and perfect gifts can be bought with the treasure of this world4 ,the first is the very salt of life without which all else is insipid and insufficient to satisfy the cravings of the human soul1 and where the first is there will the second1 which is also a great sweetener of poverty--7see ver4 #ag71 be found also4 ,,ii4 ,because of the trouble that is inseparable from worldly wealth4 ,the treasure of this world has a certain value--it can do much for a man1 both intellectually and materially4 ,it can be so used by him as to bring blessings upon himself and others2 but it is never unaccompanied by drawbacks4 #a4 ,there is trouble in getting it4 ,the bare sufficiency to sustain life may be got without much strain or anxiety2 but if a man sets out to make a fortune1 he must be content to have many cares and anxieties--many weary days and sleepless nights--before he obtains his object4 ,those that will be rich cannot avoid much real trouble in carrying out their determination4 #b4 ,there is trouble after it is gotten4 ,when men have accumulated great treasure they are not freed from trouble in connection with it4 ,there is the care of retaining it1 the desire1 and almost the necessity1 of increasing it4 ,the more a man has the more he generally desires1 and the more he seems to need4 ,new demands are the outcome of a new position1 and he who has amassed great treasure rarely contents himself with what he has1 but strains every nerve to make the much1 more4 #c4 ,there is great trouble attendant on its loss4 ,even if a rich man possesses the higher wealth--the fear of the ,lord--he is more to be pitied if he loses his worldly wealth than a poor man is4 ,the fall is so much greater1 as the height from which he has fallen so far exceeds that from which a poor man can fall the hope of climbing it again is so much fainter1 and he is in a more helpless and hopeless condition than his brother1 who had but little to lose4 ,but if he is destitute of the real treasure of human existence1 then he has trouble without any compensation4 ,he can say with ,micah1 ,ye have taken away my gods and what have ,i left8 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the preposition gives choice of meanings4 ,it may be1 by the fear of ,jehovah1 in which case it would mean the little earned by piety2 or it may be in the fear of ,jehovah2 in which case it would mean the little held and got possession of in a devout state2 or it may be along with1 as the word often means4 ,all the ideas are correct4 ,we choose as our ,english version1 and1 of course1 for both parts of the sentence2 for the expression therewith1 has the same familiar preposition1 and the same chance of either of the alternative meanings4 ,better is a ,christian's shieling1 than an impenitent man's palace 7chap4 xiv4 #aa74 ,and that1 not on account of heaven alone1 but for the intrinsic joys of piety 7see next verse74--,miller4 ,judas is bursar1 and he shuts himself into his pouch2 the more he hath1 the more he covets4 ,the apostles1 that wanted money1 are not so having3 ,judas hath the bag1 and yet he must have more1 or he will filch it4 ,so impossible is it that these outward things should satisfy the heart of man4 ,soli habitent omnia qui habent habentem omnia--,they alone possess all things that possess the possessor of all things4 ,the nature of true content is to fill all the chinks of our desires1 as the wax doth the seal4 ,none can do this but ,god1 for 7as it is well observed7 the world is round1 man's heart three-cornered3 a globe can never fill a triangle1 but one part will still be empty2 only the blessed ,trinity can fill these three corners of a man's heart4 4 4 4 ,the bag never comes alone1 but brings with it cares1 saith ,christ 7,matt4 xiii4 #bb72 snares1 saith ,paul 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #i74 4 4 4 ,it is none of ,god's least favours1 that wealth comes not trolling in upon us2 for many of us1 if our estate were better to the world1 would be worse to ,god4 ,the poor labourer hath not time to luxuriate3 he trusts in ,god to bless his endeavours1 and so rests content2 but the bag commonly makes a man a prodigal man1 or a prodigious man2 for a covetous man is a monster4 4 4 4 ,it is no argument of ,god's favour to be ,his purse-bearer2 no more than it was a sign that ,christ loved ,judas above the other apostles because he made him ,his steward3 ,he gave the rest grace1 and him the bag2 which sped best8 ,the outward things are the scatterings of ,his mercies1 like the gleaning after the vintage3 the full crop goes to ,his children4--,t4 ,adams4 ,here also we trace the harmony of wisdom1 i4e41 of the ,divine ,word1 speaking through many different channels1 and in different tones4 ,the proverb has its completion in the teaching which bids us seek first the ,kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness 7,matt4 vi4 #cc71 and finds echoes in the maxims of the wise among other nations who have uttered like thoughts4--,plumptre4 ,it is not the great cage that makes the bird sing4 ,it is not the great estate that brings always the inward joy--the cordial contentment4 ,the little lark with a wing sees farther than the ox with a bigger eye1 but without a wing4 ,birds use not to sing when they are on the ground1 but when got into the air1 or on tops of trees4 ,if saints be sad1 it is because they are too busy here below4 4 4 4 ,if the bramble bear rule1 fire will arise out of it that will consume the cedars2 the lean kine will soon eat up the fat1 and it shall not be seen by them4 ,it is hard to handle these thorns hard and not to prick one's fingers4 ,riches1 though well got1 are but as manna2 those that gathered less had no want1 and those that gathered more1 it was but a trouble and annoyance to them4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,two ,,feasts4 ,i4 ,the equality here existing between the poor man and the rich man--they both have a dinner4 ,this is as it ought to be4 ,god gave the earth to the children of men1 and when ,he enriched them with this large donation ,he intended that every living creature upon the earth should have enough to eat every day4 ,when men lack sufficient food it is not because there is any lack in ,god's gifts1 either of herbs or oxen4 ,when both the rich man and the poor man are fed out of the abundance of ,god's gifts ,his ,divine purpose in giving them is accomplished4 ,,ii4 ,the inequality between the dinner of the poor man and that of the rich4 ,the poor man is sustained upon the same kind of food as the rich man's ox is fattened upon4 ,in common with the beast he lives upon the produce of the earth4 ,the rich man eats the ox which has been fed upon that which is the only food of the poor man4 ,this is not as it should be4 ,god never intended that one part of ,his human family would enjoy a monopoly of any of the food which ,he has provided4 ,when ,he gave the earth into the hands of the first man ,he intended that all ,his children should be partakers of all the kinds of food which the earth afforded1 and which were suited to the part of the world in which they lived4 ,when it is otherwise it arises from sin1 either personal or relative4 ,poverty does not always spring from indolence1 or from inability to subdue the earth1 and to obtain from it a full share of all that it affords1 and when it does not1 the man who is compelled to eat a dish of herbs while his neighbour feasts from the stalled ox1 is either sinned against in the present1 or has been sinned against in the past4 ,,iii4 ,opposite states of mind which more than compensate the poor man for his humbler meal4 ,hatred takes away all enjoyment from any of ,god's gifts4 ,if a rich man bears malice against the guest whom he is entertaining at his table--if while he feeds him upon the best1 he desires for him the worst--he knows nothing of the pleasures of hospitality4 ,hatred is murder in the germ1 and he who harbours such a devil within his breast cannot possess that peace of soul without which the choicest viands cannot be enjoyed4 ,but love is a large compensation for a dinner of herbs4 ,love to husband or wife1 to parent or to child1 makes sweet every family meal1 however homely the fare--that charity which seeketh not her own1 thinketh no evil1 beareth all things1 hopeth all things1 endureth all things1 is a sauce to the humblest dish which one man can set before another1 and more than lifts it above the rich man's feast given for the sake of custom or expediency to guests to whom he has not a particle of goodwill4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a feast of salads1 or ,daniel's pulse1 is more cherishing with mercy1 than ,belshazzar's banquet without it4--,t4 ,adams4 ,ruth and ,naomi were happy when they lived on the gleanings of the field of ,boaz1 and in the fulness of their satisfaction poured their blessings on the head of him that allowed them the scanty pittance4 4 4 4 ,the conversation of friends is far pleasanter than any dish at the table4 ,where hatred is1 there is silence or sullenness1 or at least hollow mirth and tasteless ceremony2 but where love and the fear of ,god are1 the table conversation is delightful and useful4 ,we find even a heathen poet reflecting on the pleasures of such an entertainment4 7,o noctes cnque dem6--,hor47 ,how blessed were the disciples of our ,lord1 when they sat at meat with ,him6 ,barley loaves and fishes were probably ordinary fare with them1 but they were entertained with ,divine discourse4 ,such pleasure as they enjoyed we cannot now expect2 but ,his religion is admirably fitted to promote our present happiness1 for love is ,his great commandment4--,lawson4 ,the sentiment is applicable1 with a special force of emphasis1 to domestic life4 ,in proportion to the delightful sweetness of the concord in which the fond affections of nature and grace bind the members of a family in one happy social circle--all being of one heart and of one soul--dividing the cares and more than doubling the enjoyments of life by mutual participation and sympathy1 all bosoms throbbing with a common pulsation1 all lips wearing a common smile1 and all eyes filled from a common fountain of tears1 in proportion to the delightful sweetness of such a scene is the wretchedness of its reverse2 and there is no one who has experienced either the sweetness or the wretchedness--especially the former--that will not subscribe to the sentiment so simply yet so strongly expressed4--,wardlaw4 ,an allowance of vegetables4 ,not only vegetables1 but the lighter sorts of them2 more nearly herbs2 not only light fare1 like that1 but a limited amount2 not only flesh on the other scale1 but stalled beef2 not only stalled beef1 but no limit2 a stalled ox4 ,not only might this well be a worldly proverb to represent the married state1 and all the arena of human affection1 but signal when brought into religion4 ,a dinner of herbs2 with the blessed love of the ,redeemer1 is better than a pampered feast and the gloom of the impenitent4--,miller4 ,if love be the entertainer1 it matters not much what the provision be3 if true friendship be set upon the table of his heart that inviteth thee1 let that make thee to esteem well of whatsoever is set on the table before thee4 ,thou comest with a gluttonous appetite--not the affection of a friend--if thy cheer be that which thou lookest after4 ,wherefore1 then1 though it be a dinner of herbs1 yet if they come from love's garden it is worthy of thine acceptance3 thou mayest be sure that no serpent lies hid in those herbs4 ,if it be but so smaller a dinner as a traveller taketh with him 7see ,critical ,notes71 yet if it bring affection with it1 thou mayest be sure that no hurt is coming to thee4 ,but if thy dinner be a fatted ox1 and hatred be the hand that carveth it unto thee1 perhaps it is but to fat thee for the like slaughter4--,jermin4 ,mark well1 it is neither said in the ,bible1 nor found in experience1 that they are all happy families who dine on herbs1 and all unhappy who can afford to feast on a stalled ox4 ,some rich families live in love1 and doubly enjoy their abundance2 some poor families quarrel over their herbs4 ,riches cannot secure happiness1 and poverty cannot destroy it4 ,but such is the power of love1 that with it you will be happy in the meanest estate2 without it1 miserable in the highest4 ,would you know the beginning1 and the middle1 and the end of this matter1 the spring on high1 the stream flowing through the channel of the covenant1 and the fruitful outspread in a disciple's life below--they are all here1 and all one--,charity3--,god is ,love1 ,love is of ,god1 ,walk in love4--,arnot4 ,there were many great feasts in the times of the apostles1 and yet none of them are so much commended in the ,scriptures as the meetings of believers1 who did eat together with gladness and singleness of heart1 notwithstanding they had neither so much meat1 nor so costly dishes1 as divers others had4 ,it is noted of ,abraham that he entertained ,god and ,his angels to dinner4 ,the ,lord ,himself would be his guest1 since he would be so good a housekeeper2 and yet the victuals which are mentioned are only butter and milk1 the veal that had not time to cool between the killing and the dressing2 notwithstanding his hospitality is preferred before the ,persian king's royal banquet1 for the one purposed to show his greatness in pomp1 and the other his goodness in love4 ,the one dealt exceeding unkindly with his own wife and the other very courteously with them that seemed to him to be mere strangers4 ,they that dress most meat are not always the kindest men1 for our ,saviour was full of liberality when ,he gave but barley-bread and fish to ,his disciples1 and ,nabal was but a churl1 though he killed both sheep and oxen for his sheep-shearers4--,dod4 ,the subject of verse #ah has been treated in verse #a4 7,see ,homiletics on page #djj1 also on chap4 xiv4 #bi1 page #chf47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in the pit1 the blasphemy will rise and swell1 as it is stirred up one man by his neighbour4 ,upbraidings are contagious1 even in this world4 ,ordinary quarrels are wonderfully quieted1 if a man waits4 ,but ,divine quarrels1 if we stay to look at ,god1 and observe ,his reasonings1 are wonderfully held back1 and by ,his grace signally prevented4--,miller4 ,observe the principles of hatred and love1 contrasted in active exercise4 ,some persons make it their occupation to sit by the fire1 to feed and fan the flame1 lest it be extinguished4 ,a useful and friendly employment1 were it a fire to warm4 ,but when it is an injurious1 consuming1 and destructive element1 it would seem difficult to discover the motive of these incendiaries1 did we not read1 that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts1 murders1 wickedness1 an evil eye1 pride1 foolishness 7,mark vii4 #ba1 #bb74--;,bridges4 ,surely it is a wrathful man that is the lawyer's best client4 ,he is altogether for scire faciam1 ,i will make thee to know what thou hast done1 what thou has said2 which the lawyer does but turn into a scire facias1 although at last himself pay dearest for the knowledge which is gotten4 ,but he that is slow to anger1 hath a ,quietus est for any suit before it is begun4 ,his care is rather to buy his peace with loss1 than to sell his rest for gain4 ,he considereth it to be true which ,st4 ,ambrose teacheth him1 that to be freed from the loss of strife is not a little gain4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,the ,,slothful ,,and ,,the ,,righteous4 ,i4 ,the one thing common to these opposite characters--a way4 ,the eagle and the snail both have a way of motion1 although the one swiftly cleaves the air1 and the other drags itself slowly along the ground4 ,unlike as they are in form and in habit1 they are both impelled to some kind of motion4 ,so with the sluggard and the man who complies willingly with ,god's ordinance of labour--they are both compelled to some exercise of their bodily and mental organs1 but there is a great contrast in the way in which they exercise them as there is between the way of the snail and the eagle4 ,,ii4 ,the contrast between the ways of these opposite characters4 #a4 ,that of the sluggard is a way of self-prevention4 ,he lessens his power by neglecting to use it4 ,the man who has power to pull against a rapid at a certain point of the stream and will not use it1 but allows his boat to drift on until he comes into a current against which he can make no headway1 has thrown away his power1 and is his own destroyer4 ,the effort which he neglected to put forth at a time when it would have been effectual1 is of no avail now that the time has passed4 ,every man in health of body and mind has physical1 and mental1 and moral powers which at a certain period in his life are equal to the overcoming of all ordinary obstacles to his moral and physical well-being4 ,but if he neglects to use them the tide against him will grow stronger1 because his power will decrease1 and his neglect and inertness1 whether in material or in spiritual things1 will raise around him a hedge of thorns1 which will require much extraordinary and painful effort to break through4 ,a thorn-hedge in its beginnings may be easily stepped over1 or it may be almost as easily uprooted2 but if it is allowed to grow and strengthen itself for several years it makes an almost impassable barrier--at least1 a barrier which cannot be overcome without a great and painful effort4 ,so with the sluggard1 temptations to indolence--to neglect of powers which ,god has given him to be used--might once have been easily overcome1 and have been so completely conquered as to cease to be temptations4 ,but yielded to until they have become habits1 they form around him as impassable a barrier1 or one which can be broken through only by as great and as painful exertion as a hedge of thorns4 ,often we hear him complaining of the difficulties in the way1 and truly they are there1 but they are mainly of his own creation1 the hedge is about him1 but it is of his own planting--the lion is there 7chap4 xxvi4 #ac71 but the lion was placed there by the man who is afraid to face him4 #b4 ,the way of righteousness--of him who is willing to strive after his moral and physical well-being--is a way in which it is easier to walk the longer it is pursued4 ,it is made plain1 or it is a paved way4 7a7 ,god helps to smooth his way1 because it is a ,divinely ordained way4 ,he who rules the world has ordained that many material gifts and all the most precious mental and moral gifts shall be the reward of those only who earnestly strive after them4 ,the way of diligent continuance in well-doing is as old as ,god ,himself1 and it is the way in which ,he requires ,his creatures to walk4 ,this being so1 those who tread it may rely upon ,his help to exalt the valleys1 to level the mountains1 and to make the rough places plain which lie in their road4 7b7 ,the way is made plain by the man himself4 ,the continued repetition of acts makes habit1 and he who pushes boldly and fearlessly forward in the way of righteous exertion finds the hard becomes easier and the stony places smoother by the very constitution of his nature4 ,he makes his way plain by his resolution to walk in it1 he leaps the hedge while his slothful neighbour is counting the number of feet it is from the ground4 ,it is well to look before we leap1 but some look so long that they never take the leap1 and the slothful man looks so long at the difficulties in his way that he never finds courage enough to grapple with them4 ,but the very resolve to try brings strength for action1 and the power grows by use until what is a hedge of thorns to an indolent man is a level road to his righteous neighbour4 ,the word righteous here being placed in antithesis to slothful shows how great a sin it is to neglect to use the opportunities which ,god has given for men to ensure their real and highest interests 7,see also on chap4 xiii4 #d1 page #bif47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,god's ,word recognises the universal law of work4 ,by frequent precept and cheering promises1 it consecrates our daily labour4 ,mindful of the old ,latin maxim1 ,laborare est orare1 toil is prayer1 the ,christian learns from the record of ,god's ,will that honest1 faithful1 diligent1 ,god-fearing1 and ,god-honouring work is itself a worship acceptable to the great ,all-worker4 ,toil1 hard toil1 is duty4 ,even the heathen world confessed that the gods gave nothing to men without it had been earned by severe exertion4 4 4 4 ,god enjoins diligence upon us by precept and by example4 ,about us1 all things perform their allotment of work1 and do it promptly and without a thought of delay4 ,the winds sweep over the face of the earth1 attent alone on the fulfilment of their appointed mission4 ,here they come on silent pinions1 to bear away the rising exhalation of death from the lowlands or the pest-house2 there they carpet the earth with the sere and yellow leaves of autumn1 covering the earth with russet and gold4 ,now their task is the flushing of some sick one's pale cheek1 as they rustle through the spring blossoms1 laden with sweet health4 ,there they hinder and destroy the else invincible ,armada1 creeping forth on its purpose of spreading far and wide destruction and death4 ,thus1 too1 the never-resting sea4 ,lashing its worn and rugged shore1 the incoming tides bear on their bosom the wealth of trade2 or else1 lifting the waves in its fury1 it engulfs those who go down into the sea to do business in the deep waters4 ,thus1 too1 the hidden fires of earth1 ever smouldering within1 ever restless in their workings--now tossing the foam and spray of the geysers in their play1 or now opening in wide fissures of molten death1 to scorch the surface of the earth with the poisonous sulphur smoke1 or bury for centuries in dust and ashes1 and under the lava tide1 the homes and haunts of the men of the past4 ,thus ,god teaches men by ,his own ceaseless workings through ten thousand ever busy forces4 ,and revelation utters the same bidding to unremitting toil4 4 4 4 ,diligent hands are speedily rendered expert4 ,long use gives practice and perfection1 until that which was at first the toilsome labour of home becomes the easily attained result of a few moments' application4 ,and the diligent hand teaches and trains the wary and observant eye4--,life ,lessons from the ,book of ,proverbs1 by ,dr4 ,perry1 ,bishop of ,iowa4 ,the wise man mentions righteousness in this place rather than diligence1 because the latter is included in the former1 and is not sufficient without it to make a man's way plain4--,lawson4 ,observe ,god's estimate of the slothful man4 ,he contrasts with him not the diligent1 but the righteous1 marking him as a wicked1 because a slothful1 servant 7,matt4 xxv4 #bf74 ,the difficulties are far more in the mind than in the path4 ,for while the slothful man sits down by the hedge-side in despair1 the way of the righteous 7in itself not more easy7 is made plain4 ,he does not expect ,god to work for him in an indolent habit4 ,but he finds that ,god helps those that help themselves4 4 4 4 ,following ,his commands1 feeding upon ,his promises1 continuing in prayer1 in waiting and watching for an answer to prayer1 his way is raised up before him4 ,he believes what is written1 and acts upon it without delay4 ,as soon as ever the light comes into his mind1 at the very first dawn1 this determines the direction of his steps1 and the order of his proceedings4 ,thus his stumbling-blocks are removed 7,numb4 xiii4 #cj1 xiv4 #f-i2 ,isa4 lvii4 #ad74--;,bridges4 ,grace has not only a brighter 7ver4 #ae7 but an easier time4 ,we see the like in worldly matters4 ,nothing is more striking than the ease with which a prompt man works4 ,his tackle is all right1 so is his ground1 it has been made smooth by his last year's toil4 ,his hands are not blistered4 ,his lazy neighbour admires1 and longs after his chance4 ,laziness begets labour4 ,in the round year1 the sluggard fevers himself more than the diligent2 while1 in the spiritual world1 the proverb is more signal still4 ,just where the upright stands there is a smooth path--and let it be observed the upright means the smooth1 the level4 ,just where the sinner stands is a thorn hedge4 ,he cannot enter into life2 so he imagines4 ,and yet he is a sluggard1 for he will not do the plainest duties4 ,the proverb is right1 therefore1 that it is the principle of sluggardism to create a hedge of thorns2 and that it is far smoother to take hold of the faith by the right handle1 and at once1 than to be eternally kicking against the pricks of the ,gospel4--,miller4 ,because the latter part of the verse speaketh of the righteous1 we may by the slothful understand the wicked2 for it is slothfulness in not using the graces of ,god offered that maketh to be wicked4 4 4 4 ,god giveth the righteous pleasure1 even in the troubles of serving ,him4 4 4 4 ,in their conversation1 by the lightsomeness and leap1 as it were1 of eternal hope and internal contemplation1 they do pass over the impediments of temporal adversity4--,jermin4 ,the way of a slothful man is perplexed and letsome1 so that he gets no ground1 makes no riddance2 he goes as if he were shackled when he is to go upon any good course1 so many perils he casts and so many excuses he makes--this he wants1 and that he wants1 when in truth it is a heart only that he wants1 being wofully hampered and enthralled in the invisible chains of the kingdom of darkness1 and driven about by the devil at his pleasure4 4 4 4 ,never any came to hell1 saith one1 but had some pretence for their coming hither4--,trapp4 ,every good service is hard or easy1 according as men's wills are inclined unto it4 ,he that hath his mind pressed and ready to the practice of any duty1 either of piety1 justice1 or mercy1 will observe all the inducements that may lead him to the same2 and he that is averse and backward1 will look to all the impediments that may discourage him from it4 ,that ,israel should root out the ,canaanites1 the unfaithful spies thought it no less impossible1 than for grasshoppers to overcome giants2 but ,caleb and ,joshua knew it to be no more unlikely than for armed soldiers to vanquish naked people1 or for hungry persons to eat up meat4 ,first1 the one is fortified by the force of love1 which is irresistible and strong as death1 that nothing can withstand it3 and the other being destitute of all love to any goodness1 is likewise void of all power to proceed in1 and go through with any work that is good4 ,secondly1 faith showeth to the one what help ,god will minister1 and what reward ,he will render to all them that apply themselves to ,his service4 ,and infidelity persuadeth the other that well-doing is needless and fruitless1 or chargeable and troublesome4--,dod4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bj1 see on ,chapter x4 #a1 page #acg4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,one particular in which children show themselves wise or else foolish and so can gladden or else sadden their parents is by giving or withholding due honour4 ,a foolish man4 ,no age or state exempts children from honouring their parents4 ,grown young men are sometimes apt to look with some contempt on their mothers1 because of the weakness of the feminine mind4--,fausset4 ,as for him that despiseth his mother--and who doth not so that despiseth her careful admonition8--he is not a son1 the spirit of ,god doth not here style him to be so3 he is a foolish man4 ,for how can he be otherwise1 who knoweth his own mother so little as that he doth despise her8--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,,opposite ,,tastes4 ,i4 ,joy is a revealer of human character4 ,a stone cast into a lake will reveal the nature of its bed4 ,if there is mud at the bottom this simple test will reveal its existence by bringing it to the surface4 ,so objects presented to the mind show what is hidden in the heart4 ,the emotions produced by certain scenes or events are tests of character4 ,what a man rejoices in reveals what he is4 ,some objects brought before the human mind excite the most opposite feelings in different men4 ,that which gives pleasure to the one gives pain to the other1 and when a man rejoices in that which is the outcome of human depravity it is a certain sign that he is himself deeply depraved4 ,like a stone cast into the water1 it brings the hidden mud to the surface4 ,the same evil thought lodged in the minds of two men1 one of whom is a moral fool1 and the other a man of understanding1 will bring joy to the countenance of the first1 and indignation to that of the latter1 and thus it becomes a revealer of the state of each man's heart1 and he to whom folly is joy is thus declared to be destitute of wisdom in the real and highest signification of the word4 ,,ii4 ,the joy of the moral fool turns him out of the way1 and keeps him out of the way4 ,this is implied in the antithesis1 which should be a man of understanding goes straight forward4 ,he has found a source of joy in whatsoever things are true1 honest1 just1 pure1 lovely1 and of good report 7,phil4 iv4 #h71 and this joy holds him in the path which leads to them4 ,we are largely governed by that which holds our affections1 and love to that which is morally right1 draws us into the path of righteousness--leads us to pursue a steady and undeviating line of conduct in obedience to the law of holiness1 as revealed by ,god4 ,but the joy which the ungodly man feels in sinful pursuits and habits draws him out of this good and true way1 and allures him into a path where he meets with objects that call forth this unholy pleasure4 ,being governed by passion instead of by principle1 his walk in life is unsteady and uncertain--destitute of fixed purpose4 7,on this subject see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #ad1 page #cac47 ,a vessel is held on her course by reason at the wheel1 and wind in the sails4 ,the wind impels her to go forward1 but if the understanding at the compass did not hold the wind in subjection1 there would be no safety for the vessel2 nobody could say where she might be carried4 ,yet without the wind she could not be carried forward at all--the compass and the helm would be useless4 ,so1 although the man of understanding is a man of emotion--a man whose life is under the influence of that which gives him joy1 he brings his emotions into subjection to the dictates of moral wisdom1 and before he follows their leadings he makes sure that they are in harmony with that which is pure and holy4 ,then he may safely yield himself to their guidance1 and be sure that they will impel him straightforward4 ,such a man is constrained by the delights which godliness yields to him to press on to higher attainments 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ad2 ,phil4 iii4 #ab1 #ac71 while the man to whom folly is joy allows the pleasures of the world and the flesh to hold him from the right path1 even against his conscience and his better judgment4 ,such a man can give no more convincing proof that he is destitute of wisdom4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this book of instruction proves our profession4 ,what think we of folly8 ,not only does the ungodly practise it1 but it is joy to him4 4 4 4 ,that which has turned this fair world into a sepulchre2 nay1 that which hath kindled everlasting burnings1 is his joy4--,bridges4 ,tastes differ wildly1 and so1 therefore1 do enjoyments4 ,water is the element of one creature1 and air the element of another4 ,the same material is to this poison and to that food4 ,each species differs in nature from all others1 and nature will have her own way4 ,among men1 viewed in their spiritual relations1 there is a similar variety of tastes and pleasures4 ,there is first the grand generic difference between the old man and the new4 4 4 4 ,besides the first and chief distinction between the dead and the living1 many subordinate varieties appear1 shading imperceptibly away into each other1 according as good or evil preponderates in the character4 ,two persons of opposite spiritual tastes may be detected for once in the same act of evil2 but they do not walk abreast in the same life-course4 4 4 4 ,two young men1 of nearly equal age1 are both the sons of ,god-fearing parents1 were seen to enter a theatre at a late hour in a large city4 ,they sat together1 and looked and listened with equal attention4 ,the one was enjoying the spectacle and the mirth2 the other was silently enduring an unspeakable wretchedness4 ,the name of ,god and the hopes of the godly were employed there to season the otherwise vapid mirth of the hollow-hearted crowd4 ,one youth1 through the ,saviour's sovereign grace1 had1 in a distant solitude1 acquired other tastes4 ,the profanity of the play rasped rudely against them4 ,he felt as if the words of the actor and the answering laugh of the spectators were tearing his flesh4 ,he breathed freely when1 with the retiring crowd1 he reached the street again4 ,it was his first experience of a theatre1 and his last4 ,it is a precious thing to get from the ,lord1 as ,paul got a new relish and a new estimate of things4 ,this appetite for other joy1 if exercised and kept keen1 goes far to save you from defilement1 even when suddenly and occasionally brought into contact with evil2 as certain kinds of leaves refuse to be wet1 and though plunged into water come out of it dry4--,arnot4 ,a man of understanding walketh uprightly1 and he doth it with delight1 as the opposition implies4 ,christ's burden is no more grievous to him than the wing is to the bird4 ,his sincerity supplies him with serenity2 the joy of the ,lord1 as an oil of gladness1 makes him lithe and nimble in ways of holiness4--,trapp4 ,the folly here meant is the folly of wickedness1 and he that joys in that1 may well be proclaimed a notorious fool4 ,st4 ,ambrose saith1 all vile dispositions are delighted with the follies of others3 but how vile1 then1 is his disposition who is delighted with his own folly4 ,and yet1 how many are there so drunken with this folly that they reel and stagger1 and hardly go a right step in all their lives4 ,now1 what is this joy1 but a sign of the habit of wickedness generated within them8 ,but a man of understanding considereth his joy1 and what it is that causeth it3 in joying he considereth1 what it is he doth1 and how far he goeth1 that so he may both walk uprightly to joy1 and walk uprightly in joy4 ,this being his chiefest joy to walk uprightly in all his ways4--,jermin4 ,not so much1 folly is joyful2 for that is only partially the case4 ,we have already seen 7ver4 #ac7 how sin crimps the countenance4 ,but folly is joy2 that is1 the life of a sinner is like a grazed ox1 who strikes for the sweetest pasture4 ,the text marks a vital difference3--,a man of discernment1 or understanding1 makes a direct track4 ,that is1 as a thrifty housekeeper tumbles up her rooms1 and makes things right1 whether it be pleasant or not1 so the ,christian1 for love of the ,almighty1 makes things straight1 whether a joy or not4 ,note1 then1 the vital difference4 ,folly is joy4 ,it does not arrive at it2 but its quintessence is1 that it thought it would4 ,while the good1 not stupidly either1 but as a man of discernment1 puts duty first1 and takes joy as it comes2 so answering the words of ,christ3--,for whosoever will save his life1 shall lose it2 but whosoever shall lose his life1 for my sake and the gospel's1 the same shall save it 7,mark viii4 #ce74--,miller4 ,,for ,,homiletics ,,on ,,verse #bb1 ,,see ,,on ,,chap4 ,,xi4 #ad ,,and ,,chap4 ,,xx4 #ah4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is a note of ,beda3 ,there are three which in the law are read to be unhappy4 ,he that knoweth and doth not teach1 he that teacheth and doth not live accordingly1 he that is ignorant and doth not ask counsel4 ,wherefore in matters of moment it is good not to purpose without counsel3 for a purpose ill-settled is never likely to take good effect1 and if counsel direct the purpose itself1 it will much the better be able to accomplish it4 ,for purposes without counsel are like an earthen vessel broken in the hands of the potter4 ,turned they are about with the wheel of imagination1 but quickly broken in the hand of execution4 ,be not therefore without counsel1 that thou go not without thy purpose2 and if thou canst1 get many counsellors1 whereby thou art likely the sooner to get thine end4 ,for many counsellors are like many hands joined together1 and can reach far in attaining thy desire4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,no mortal man can attain unto such depth of judgment and understanding1 to be able sufficiently1 of his own knowledge1 to manage all his affairs3 ,god will have every man stand in need of his brother's direction3 that is revealed to some which is hid from others2 and many eyes may clearly apprehend that which no one could possibly have pierced into4 ,,ii4 ,every man by nature is somewhat partial to his affection1 and may easily be induced to add weight by colour of reason1 to that end of the scale whereunto his desire more inclineth2 whereas he that leaneth on neither side1 may discern the stronger motives to be on the other side4--,dod4 ,many eyes see more than one1 and many souls think more than one3 therefore never esteem thyself so wise that thou shouldest not seek others' counsel4--,hasius4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,joy ,,from ,a ,,seasonable ,,word4 ,i4 ,a good word yields the speaker a present joy4 ,there is a present reaction of joy following every right deed which is its present and immediate reward4 ,if a man gives his money to a right object from the highest motive he is silently repaid1 even while he is in the act of giving1 by the joy which he feels4 ,so the man who having neither silver or gold gives help by words of advice or sympathy4 ,good words are sometimes more precious than gold to the sinning or the suffering1 and for such gifts there is the reward which follows every effort to help and bless others4 ,how much of the joy of ,christ's life on earth must have arisen from the enlightening and life-giving answers of ,his mouth1 to those who sought to learn of ,him4 ,,ii4 ,it yields the speaker joy on reflection4 ,there is nothing equal to the joy of performing a good deed1 except the joy of reflecting upon it4 ,this is a more lasting joy1 and can be repeated again and again4 ,happy is he who1 in looking back upon the answers of his mouth1 can derive joy from the consciousness that he spoke the right word at the right time4 ,,iii4 ,such a word is an unending source of joy1 because it is an unending influence for good4 ,none can tell how good it is--none can say that its influence will ever cease4 ,a stone thrown into the ocean is but the act of a moment2 but wise men tell us that the influence of that act is felt long after the stone has found the bed of the ocean4 ,the word spoken by the ,highest ,wisdom to ,saul on his way to ,damascus1 how good was it for the man to whom it was addressed1 and how good it has been1 and will be for millions throughout the ages of eternity4 ,none but ,god can estimate the power of the evil that was then averted from the ,church of ,god1 the depth of personal guilt from which the man addressed was delivered1 or the amount of blessed influence that was then set in motion4 ,and many a word of the disciple has been good in the same manner1 although not in the same degree1 as that word of the ,master4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it must be a word spoken in season 7chap4 xxv4 #aa71 though it be from feeble lips4 ,for though there are some happy seasons1 when the most rugged natures are accessible 7,bishop ,hopkins71 yet many a good word is lost by being spoken out of season4 ,obviously a moment of irritation is out of season4 ,we must wait for the return of calmness and reason4 ,sometimes1 indeed1 the matter forces itself out after lengthened and apparently ineffectual waiting4 ,it has been long brooded over within and must have its vent4 ,but this explosion sweeps away every prospect of good1 and leaves a revolting impression4 ,instead of a fertilising shower1 it has gathered into a violent and destructive tempest4 ,it is most important1 that our whole deportment should bring conviction1 that we yearn over the souls of those whom we are constrained to reprove4 4 4 4 ,never commence with an attack2 which1 as an enemy's position1 naturally provokes resistance4 ,study a pointed application4 ,a word spoken for every one1 like a coat made for everyone1 has no individual fitness4--,bridges4 ,the verb usually translated to answer means primarily to sing1 or rather1 to break out with the voice2 rather1 to speak after a silence2 which1 of course1 would usually be in making answer4 ,hence the idiom1 answered and said1 literally1 broke silence1 and said4 ,such an utterance would become very oracular in the more solemn decisions of life4 ,a decree1 as we have translated it1 is a noun out of the above described verb4 ,it means an uttered decision2 such as an answer may be to a business speech2 such as is alluded to on ,god's part 7chap4 xvi4 #d72 and such as may be overmasteringly momentous in the business and results of life4 ,solomon sees in it a rare truth in respect to decision for immortality4 ,a word6 ,why1 it may win eternity6 ,an offer presses6 ,a word refuses6 ,a word snatches possession for ever6 ,lo6 the amazing difference6 ,body and soul hang upon a word4 ,great counsel 7ver4 #bb7 indeed1 that is1 that prompts a man to say1 ,yes6 and a word 7spoken7 in season truly6 if it be a confession of ,christ6 and if it take the offer of an eternal blessedness6 ,because there is no drawing back after that beginning 7ver4 #bd74--,miller4 ,the words have probably a special reference to the debates in council implied in ver4 #bb4 ,true as they are at all times1 they also bring before us the special characteristic of the ,east1 the delight in ready1 improvised answers1 solving difficulties1 turning aside anger4 ,such an answer1 to a people imaginative rather than logical1 has much more weight than any elaborate argument4 ,compare the effect produced on the mind of the scribe who heard our ,lord's dispute with the ,sadducees1 when he saw that ,he had answered well 7,mark xii4 #bh74--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,the ,,upward ,,and ,,the ,,downward ,,path4 ,i4 ,the existence of a place of retribution stated as a fact4 ,the word ,shel1 here and elsewhere translated hell1 signifies first the place of all departed spirits1 whether they be saints or sinners4 ,those who dwell in ,shel are those who have quitted the relations and conditions of time and sense1 and who dwell in a world invisible to human eye4 ,but the connection of the word here makes it necessary to understand it as having reference to a place of retribution4 ,that there is such a place beyond death is suggested by analogy1 and affirmed by the ,word of ,god4 ,in every city and centre of human life we find a place of retribution inhabited by those whose characters are supposed to merit such a dwelling4 ,all nations upon the earth find it necessary to have their prisons--to have places in which to confine those whose crimes call for their separation from their more virtuous fellow-creatures4 ,the existence of such places is as much a fact as the existence of men upon the earth4 ,hence we might have inferred that there was such a place for like characters in the world which is beyond our vision1 but which men1 both good and bad1 are continually quitting this world to inhabit4 ,the existence of such an abode seems to be imperatively demanded1 when we consider that some of the worst of the human race never find their way to a prison in this world1 and it seems a merciful proceeding towards the offenders themselves that their course should be arrested in another life4 ,the ,book of ,god tells us that there is such a place--that the dwelling of the devil and his angels is the destination of those who quit this world in a state of unforsaken and unforgiven sin 7,matt4 xxv4 #da74 ,,ii4 ,there is a hell of character as well as a hell of place4 ,that which renders a serpent an object of abhorrence is the poison in its sting4 ,that which makes hell1 either in devils or men1 is enmity against ,god4 ,this is the fuel that feeds the undying flame that cannot be quenched--this it is that constitutes the misery of the place of retribution4 ,this mental hell has an existence in time as well as beyond it4 ,christ taught us that ,he considered such a disposition a mental ,gehenna when ,he said1 ,ye serpents1 ye generation of vipers1 how can ye escape the damnation 7condemnation7 of hell8 7,matt4 xxiii4 #cc74 ,,iii4 ,there is the hell of confederation against ,god and goodness which is made up of individuals belonging both to the visible and the invisible worlds4 ,every kingdom has its place of central government1 but its dominion may extend over many countries4 ,the divisions made by mountains and seas do not make it any the less one kingdom4 ,the centre of the kingdom which exists in the universe in opposition to the kingdom of ,god1 has its seat of government in the unseen world1 but it numbers among its subjects all who are at enmity with ,god1 and ,his children1 whether in time or beyond it4 ,although the place of central government the gates of hell 7,matt4 xvi4 #ah7 is in ,shel1 its influence is mighty upon the earth4 ,,iv4 ,that to escape from all these is the aim of the truly wise man4 ,he desires to escape from retribution hereafter1 and to be freed from the misery of being in opposition to ,god in the present life4 ,he does this by obtaining a right relation to ,god and to ,his law4 ,our physical relationships have much to do with our physical well-being--to be in relation to those who are vicious or diseased is to be in a wrong relation so far as bodily health is concerned4 ,our social and political relations are most important to our comfort and well-being1 and are more subject to our own will than are our physical relationships4 ,we may be unwillingly related to an evil social or national law1 but we may also stand in an antagonistic relation to a good law1 and then the change of relationship is in our own hands4 ,every sinful man stands in a wrong relation to ,god's holy and good law1 and the aim of the wise man is to fall in with the conditions offered to him1 by which he may come into right relationship to this law4 ,these conditions are revealed to him in the ,divine revelation--by accepting the atonement of ,christ1 he is delivered from the guilt of his transgressions and so escapes the hell of retribution2 by the same act1 followed by a life of communion with the ascended ,saviour1 he is freed from all that makes hell within him1 and escapes all the snares laid by the tempter for his spiritual ruin4 ,this relationship with ,him1 who is the fountain of all moral and material life1 places him in a new position in the universe--lifts him from the dominion of sin1 which is death1 into the kingdom of holiness which is a way of life1 because it leads to and prepares for a state beyond death1 which is everlasting life of body1 soul1 and spirit4 ,v4 ,such a change of relationship is the beginning of moral climbing4 ,the way of life is above1 rather1 leads upward4 ,the change of relationship is but the first step in a new life4 ,the place of halting to-day becomes the place of departure on the morrow1 and each day's journey places him upon a higher level and in a purer atmosphere4 ,the wise man's first step is to depart from hell beneath1 but his mere escape from retribution is not the whole of his aim--he is always in quest of an increase of love and joy and peace1 of a deepening of all holy emotions and a strengthening of all holy habits4 ,he goes from strength to strength 7,psa4 lxxxiv4 #g72 his watchword is not as though ,i had already attained1 either were already perfect 7,phil4 iii4 #g74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,all men are travellers1 either to heaven above1 or hell beneath4 ,the writers of ,scripture know nothing of a middle place4 4 4 4 ,our everlasting abode must be either in heaven or hell4 ,salvation from hell is the half of heaven4 ,the threatenings of hell are a fence about the way to heaven1 and whilst we are travelling in it they are of great use to make us serious and earnest in pursuing our course2 for how is it possible that we can flee with too much speed from everlasting burnings1 when our flight is directed1 not like that of the manslayer1 to a place of banishment1 but to a world of happiness4--,lawson4 ,the way of life is above--of heavenly origin--the fruit of eternal counsels--the display of the manifold wisdom of ,god4 ,fools rise not high enough to discern it1 much less to devise and walk in it4 ,their highest elevation is grovelling4 ,god does not allow them even the name of life 7#a ,tim4 v4 #f74 ,cleaving to the dust of the earth they sink into the hell beneath4 ,but the wise are born from above2 taught from above2 therefore walking above1 while they are living upon earth4 ,a soaring life indeed6 ,the soul mounts up1 looks aloft1 enters into the holiest1 rises above herself1 and finds her resting-place in the bosom of her ,god4 ,a most transcendent life6 to be partaker of the ,divine nature6 7#b ,pet4 i4 #d74 ,the life of ,god ,himself 7,ephes4 iv4 #ah7 in humble sublimity1 ascending above things under the sun1 above the sun himself4--,bridges4 ,let the words spoken in season 7see comments on verse #bc7 be ,lord1 ,i believe1 help ,thou mine unbelief2 and let the word be genuine1 i4e41 a turning from ,shel 7the figure of the pit--,psa4 ix4 #ag71 and the man's joy is won4 ,his path after that shall be upward perpetually4--,miller4 ,a reference to heaven as the final limit of this upward movement of the life of the righteous is so far indirectly included as the antithesis to the upward1 the hell beneath 7hell downwards1 hell to which one tends downward71 suggests a hopeless abode in the dark kingdom of the dead as the final destination of the sinner's course of life4 ,therefore1 we have here again the idea of future existence and retribution 7comp4 xi4 #g2 xiv4 #cb74--,lange's ,commentary4 ,on the summit of one of those distant mountains--upon whose snowy tops1 as they throw back the sunlight1 we can look from our ,eastern coast--there trickles forth a silvery spring4 ,near the source there is a slight obstruction in the way of the flow of the streamlet1 and the waters are divided right and left4 ,part trickles down the mountain side towards a river1 and thence are borne on to the limitless sea4 ,part goes the other side1 and is lost1 ere long1 midst the thirsty sands1 that are never satiated4 ,thus divergent are man's two paths--the shining and the dark one2 thus dissimilar their course in life--their close at death4 ,and these two paths are the only ones leading out into eternity4 4 4 4 ,and when we seek in spiritual union and communion with our ,maker the noblest exercise of the soul's faculties and powers1 and there comes to the heart peace1 sure and certain1 because depending upon the inviolable ,word of ,god1 and love springing from the outwellings of the ,divine love1 and hope reaching into the eternal world1 and grasping there at blissful immortality and joy ineffable1 and prepared of ,god--oh6 then even the foregleamings of these things1 reserved for us1 or else already the heritage of the soul--light up a path so shining that earth's glare and glitter fade1 in comparison1 wholly out of sight4 ,for into eternity itself do these divergent paths lead4 ,the soul1 in choosing the one or the other here1 is choosing for the life to come1 as well as for the life that now is4--,bishop ,perry4 ,the wise man goes a higher way than his neighbour1 even in his common businesses1 because they are done in faith and obedience4 ,he hath his feet where other men's heads are2 and1 like a heavenly eagle1 delights himself in high-flying4 ,busied he may be in mean1 low things1 but not satisfied in them as adequate objects4 ,a wise man may sport with children1 but that is not his business4 ,wretched worldlings make it their work to gather wealth1 as children do tumble a snow-ball2 they are scattered abroad throughout all the land--as those poor ,israelites were 7,exod4 v4 #ab7--to gather stubble1 not without an utter neglect of their poor souls4 ,but what1 ,i wonder1 will these men do when death shall come with a writ of habeas corpus1 and the devil with a writ of habeas animam8 4 4 4 ,oh1 that they that have their hands elbow-deep in the earth1 that are rooting and digging in it1 as if they would that way dig themselves a new and nearer way to hell6--oh1 that these greedy moles would be warned to flee from the wrath to come1 to take heed of the hell beneath1 and not sell their souls to the devil for a little pelf4--,trapp4 ,the difference between an earthly man and a heavenly man is this--that the way of an earthly man is under his feet1 and the way of a heavenly man is over his head4 ,a fool doth not conceive what this upper way can be1 but to the wise man it is the plain way of life4 ,he knoweth that it is by the fall of man that he walketh so low1 and he considereth that unless he change his way1 and1 though against his nature1 do make his way above1 by having his conversation in heaven1 even while his habitation is on the earth1 his sin will be sure to thrust him lower still even to the pit of death4 ,take heed1 therefore1 of the ways of the earth1 they are the way to hell4 ,from whence to keep thee1 be sure to keep aloft by fixing thine heart on ,christ1 who is the way of life1 and now is set down in the highest places4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,destruction ,,and ,,establishment4 ,i4 ,the character of those doomed to destruction4 ,in looking at the trees of a vast forest1 the eye of the beholder is drawn to some which1 towering far above their fellows1 form the most prominent features in the landscape4 ,yet these trees1 although they look as if they would stand for ages1 may be doomed to a much shorter standing than others which look more frail and are less attractive to the eye4 ,the tree which is admired so much for its girth and breadth of foliage may contain within itself elements of destruction1 and it may only need to be left to itself for a little while to come to the ground by its own weight4 ,every increase in its spreading foliage only renders its overthrow more certain1 because the rottenness of the trunk is less able to bear the mass of branch and leaf4 ,or the woodman may not wait for the inevitable result--he may deem it necessary for the health of the surrounding trees that the axe should interpose and so prevent the fall4 ,he may see that such a tree is absorbing nourishment to minister to its own decay1 that trees around would utilise to sustain their healthy life4 ,and so to prevent the soil from being impoverished by a mere cumberer of the ground1 the sound of the axe and the crash of falling timber may resound through the forest4 ,such a tree is an emblem of the man described in our text4 ,to him may be addressed the words spoken to the proud ,king of ,babylon3 ,the tree that thou sawest1 which grew and was strong1 whose height reached unto the heaven1 and the sight thereof to all the earth1 whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much1 and in it was meat for all1 under which the beasts of the field dwelt and the fowls of the heaven had their habitation3 it is thou that art grown and become strong1 for thy greatness is grown and become strong1 and reacheth unto heaven1 etc4 7,dan4 iv4 #bj-bb74 ,he has attained to a position of power and influence in the world1 but1 like ,nebuchadnezzar1 his greatness has only revealed a radical moral defect in his character4 ,like him he refuses to acknowledge that the ,most ,high ruleth in the kingdom of men1 and that it is by ,his favour alone that he has attained to such a height of prosperity4 ,he holds within him the elements of his own destruction1 and time will bring about his fall without any special interposition of the ,divine hand4 ,pride grows upon what it feeds1 and such a man will presume more and more upon his fancied security1 until he falls by the working out of the ordinary laws which govern the moral universe4 ,but ,god does not always wait for this issue4 ,to prevent his continuing to rob humanity of their rights1 the ,almighty ,governor of men may anticipate the natural result by applying the axe of special judgment1 and a watcher and a holy one from heaven may be heard saying1 ,hew the tree down and destroy it 7,dan4 iv4 #bc71 ,cut it down1 why cumbereth it the ground8 7,luke xiii4 #g74 ,all despots and tyrants must sooner or later succumb to the operation of natural social law2 those whom they have wronged1 goaded to desperation by their injustice1 will rise up against them and overturn them4 ,the ,king of all the earth often takes the work into ,his own hands1 as he did in the case of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,,ii4 ,those who are special objects of ,divine care4 ,he will establish the border 7or landmark7 of the widow4 ,the widow is a type of all the needy and the sorrowful of the human race4 ,deprived of her natural provider and protector1 and her dearest earthly relative1 she1 more than any other1 is at the mercy of the proud and selfish1 and stands in need of a helper and consoler4 ,god by the very goodness of ,his nature is drawn to take sides with such a one4 ,he makes ,himself known1 again and again1 as the judge of widows 7,psalm lxviii4 #e74 ,the ,bible contains many laws for their protection and reproaches against those who wrong them 7,deut4 xxiv4 #ag1 #ai1 #bj1 #ba2 ,isa4 i4 #bc2 ,matt4 xxiii4 #ad74 ,one of the main features of the moral beauty in the ,divine character is that ,he delivereth the needy when he crieth1 the poor also1 and him that hath no helper 7,psa4 lxxii4 #ab71 and the widow is here a type of all such4 ,the sorrow of her who is a widow indeed is very deep and overwhelming1 and sorrow takes away physical and mental strength4 ,the strong and mighty ,god charges ,himself with the care of all such spirits weakened by sorrow1 and warns all the world who would take advantage of their weakness that in so doing they enter the lists against ,him4 ,,iii4 ,because of such dealing ,god's kingdom will increase and strengthen4 ,the champions of the weak1 and the opposers of the tyrants1 always gain the most influence in the end4 ,love is the strongest influence in the world1 and those who can gain men's hearts are the real and mighty kings4 ,while they live they wield a mighty power1 and their influence is felt sometimes even more powerfully after they have left the world4 ,those who never saw them in the flesh1 but who are enjoying the liberties which they gained for them1 yield them a silent homage4 ,and in the song which foretells the universal dominion of the ,all-,righteous ,king this is given as a reason why ,his kingdom shall grow and be established ,he shall have dominion from sea to sea1 and from the river unto the ends of the earth4 4 4 4 ,the kings of ,tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents3 the kings of ,sheba and ,seba shall offer gifts4 ,yea1 all kings shall fall down before ,him3 all nations shall serve ,him4 ,,for ,he shall deliver the needy when he crieth2 the poor also1 and him that hath no helper4 ,he shall spare the poor and needy1 and shall save the souls of the needy4 ,he shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence3 and precious shall their blood be in ,his sight 7,psa4 lxxii4 #h-ad74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,from this style of the antithesis we are naturally led to conceive a special allusion to the haughty oppressor of the desolate and unprotected--to the overbearing worldling1 who insolently abuses his power in lording it over his poor dependents4 4 4 4 ,we may well tremble to think of promoting our own advantage in any way1 or in any degree1 at the expense of the widow or the fatherless4 ,woe to the man who does so6 ,god will see it4 ,what is so acquired cannot be enjoyed with either a quiet conscience or the smile of heaven4 ,it is an accursed thing4 ,it is the wedge of gold and the ,babylonish garment1 by which the blessing of righteousness and mercy is turned away4--,wardlaw4 ,the house1 i4e41 every interest 7chap4 xiv4 #a74 ,destroy1 or pull down2 because even worldly men have noticed the precariousness of pride4 ,the widow3 even worldly eyes have noticed that these are wards of the ,almighty4 ,but ,solomon adopts each proverb spiritually4 ,the proud is the man too well satisfied in his own mind 7chap4 xxi4 #bd7 to utter the good word1 and have joy 7ver4 #bc72 and the widow is the poor in heart1 who is ready with the availing answer1 ,lord1 ,i believe4--,miller4 ,god abhors pride even in them whom ,he dearly loves1 and shows ,his resentment of it by humbling providences1 that remove man from his purpose1 and hide pride from man4 ,david was proud of the vast numbers of his subjects1 but ,god soon showed him that great hosts save not a king1 and that three days may greatly lessen the numbers of a people4 ,hezekiah's heart was lifted up1 but he was soon obliged to humble himself1 being assured that the treasures which he had so ostentatiously showed to the ,babylonish ambassadors should be carried with his posterity to their own land4--,lawson4 ,did ,he not provide for sorrowing ,naomi a staff in her faithful daughter1 and ultimately establish her boarders in ,israel8 ,did ,he not supply the pressing need of the minister's widow 7#b ,kings iv4 #a-g71 and take up the ,shunamite's oppression1 and again establish her border8 7#b ,kings viii4 #a-f74 ,and shall we forget how ,he teaches the returning penitent to plead the gracious manifestation1 ,in ,thee the fatherless findest mercy8 7,psa4 xiv4 #b1 #c74--;,bridges4 ,the ,lord will destroy the house of the proud4 ,he will surely uproot him1 unnest him1 yea1 though he hath set his nest among the stars1 as he did proud ,lucifer1 who kept not his first estate but left his habitation 7,jude #f71 which1 indeed1 he could hold no longer4 4 4 4 ,but ,he will establish the border of the widow4 ,not the rest of her goods only1 but the very utmost border of her small possession4 ,she hath commonly no great matters to be proud of1 nor any patrons to stick to her4 ,she hath her name in ,hebrew of dumbness1 because either she cannot speak for herself1 or1 if she do speak1 her tale cannot be heard 7,luke xviii4 #d74--,trapp4 ,a young body is too often the house of the proud1 where strength being the pillars of it1 beauty the trimming1 vanity the roof1 fond conceit imagineth itself to be married to a long life1 never minding the mud walls whereof it consisteth4 ,but ,god1 who was the builder of it1 seeing so ill an inmate as pride received into it1 pulleth down ,his own work to destroy the devil's work1 and cutting the thread of life dissolveth the marriage knot1 when expectation thought it to be strongest tied4 ,on the other hand1 where affliction hath humbled the heart of the widow1 and may seem to have brought her to the border of her days1 then doth ,god establish length of days1 lifting up the light of ,his countenance upon her when lowliness of spirit hath virtuously cast her down4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,wicked ,,thoughts ,,and ,,holy ,,words4 ,i4 ,a present power of the wicked man--he thinks4 ,the ideas and purposes which fill his mind concerning himself1 his fellow-men1 and ,god1 are the result of a mental process just as the potter's vessel is the result of a certain manipulating process4 ,his thoughts are the result of the exercise of a ,god-given power1 just as the potter's vessel is the result of a power which has been given to him by ,god4 ,from the same source comes the power to think and the power to turn the wheel4 ,but although the power to think comes from ,god1 it rests with the man as to what kind of thoughts shall be the outcome of that power4 ,god holds him responsible for the use which he makes of the power given him4 ,it would be useless for the potter to say that the vessel which leaves his hand took its form by chance--we hold him responsible for the shape which the clay assumes under his hands4 ,and it is equally vain for a man to say that he has no power over his thoughts4 ,god holds him guilty if he thinks thoughts of sin4 ,,ii4 ,the thoughts of the wicked are abhorred by ,god4 #a4 ,because of the harm they do to his own soul4 ,if the body is held bound under the sway of a deadly malady it becomes weak and unable to fulfil the end of its creation1 and if it continues long under its influence it dies4 ,so soul-disease and moral death are the result of the rule of evil thoughts to the man who thinks them4 ,he becomes incapable of fulfilling the high spiritual destiny for which ,god called him into being4 #b4 ,because of the misery they inflict upon others4 ,all the evil words and deeds that have ever been done in the world were once thoughts4 ,while they were only thoughts the harm they inflicted was confined to the thinker of them1 but as soon as they became words or deeds the moral poison spread1 and others become sufferers from them4 ,god hates whatever will increase the misery of his creatures1 and therefore the thoughts of the wicked--those fruitful germs of sin and suffering must be an abomination to ,him4 #c4 ,because they are utterly at variance with ,god's thoughts and purposes4 ,the thoughts of ,god toward the wicked themselves are opposed to the thoughts and purposes which they have concerning themselves4 ,god's thoughts towards them are thoughts of peace and not of evil 7,jer4 xxix4 #aa74 ,he desires that the wicked forsake his way and return unto ,him4 ,he declares that ,his thoughts even concerning sinners are as much higher than their thoughts concerning themselves as the heavens are higher than the earth 7,isa4 lv4 #g1 #h74 ,this is one ground of ,god's quarrel with the thoughts of the wicked1 that they cross ,his gracious plans for redeeming them4 ,but-- ,,iii4 ,the words of the pure are pleasing to ,god4 ,likeness of character draws men together--the pure delight in those who are pure1 and the words of a pure man are pleasant to the ear of another man of purity4 ,pure men are like ,god in character1 and ,he must find pleasure in those who reflect ,his own image1 and who are one with ,him in sympathy4 ,delighting in them1 their words are pleasant unto ,him4 ,he delights in them when they take the form of prayer 7,see ,homiletics on verse #h1 page #djg74 ,the prayers of saints are as sweet incense to ,him 7,rev4 v4 #h2 viii4 #c74 ,they are well-pleasing when they take the form of praise4 ,he has commanded men to render honour where honour is due 7,rom4 xiii4 #g71 and when it is rendered to ,himself the most worthy to receive honour and glory and blessing1 it is a most acceptable sacrifice 7,lev4 vii4 #ab1 ,heb4 xiii4 #ae74 ,the words of the pure are pleasant to ,god when they are spoken to console and bless their fellow-creatures4 7,on this subject see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #ah1 page #bge47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,pleasant words are pure4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,this is the ,scripture ethics4 ,if we desire to know whether words are pure 7and1 words here1 for ,eastern reasons1 mean actions as well as words2 nay1 really mean the whole round of conduct2 see ,job xx4 #ab2 ,isa4 x4 #g71 if we wish to know whether a man's whole life is pure1 all we have to ask is--,is it kind8 ,it is the plans of mischief that are the abomination of ,jehovah4--,miller4 ,how lightly do most men think of the responsibility of their thoughts6 as if they were their own1 and they might indulge them without restraint or evil4 ,one substantial sin appals men1 who quietly sleep under the mighty mass of thinking without ,god for months and years1 without any apprehension of guilt4 ,but thoughts are the seminal principles of sin4--,bridges4 ,words of pleasantness are pure--the gracious words that seek to please1 not wound1 are to ,him as a pure acceptable offering1 the similitude being taken from the ,jewish ritual1 and the word pure used in a half ceremonial sense1 as in ,mal4 i4 #aa4--,plumptre4 ,the words of the pure are pleasant words4 ,such as ,god books up1 and makes hard shift to hear1 as ,i may so say2 for ,he hearkens and hears 7,mal4 iii4 #af74--,trapp4 ,god seeth that ,himself is not in all the thoughts of the wicked1 and what can it be but abomination to ,god where ,god is not8 ,it is ,god in all things that is pleasing to ,himself1 and it is the absence of ,god in anything that makes it to be abominable4 ,but as for the thoughts of the pure1 they are words of pleasantness1 wherein they sing and make melody in their hearts to the ,lord4 ,in them they sweetly converse to themselves1 by them they heavenly converse with ,god4 ,pleasant they are to themselves by the joy they have in them1 pleasant they are to ,god by the delight ,he taketh in them4 ,the wicked1 though alone1 and though doing nothing1 yet are doing wickedly2 for even then their thoughts are working1 and working so naughtily as to be an abomination to the ,lord4 ,there is no need of company to draw them into villainy1 they have always a rout of mischievous thoughts on hand to give them entertainment4 ,and as great is the pleasure which themselves take in them1 so great is the abomination which ,god hath of them4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,the ,,curse ,,of ,,covetousness4 ,i4 ,the definition of a covetous man4 ,he that is greedy of gain4 ,he desires more than enough1 and he desires it to the exclusion of the rights of others4 ,it is lawful and right to desire to possess some amount of substance in the world2 he who was without such a desire would be hardly a man4 ,it is good to ask for neither poverty nor riches1 but for such an amount of the world's wealth as will prevent us from being harassed with care1 and at the same time keep us free from the temptations and anxieties which accompany great riches4 ,but when a man is consumed with a desire for more than sufficient for his necessities1 he is greedy of gain1 and is in moral danger4 ,if a vessel finds enough water in the river to carry her on her voyage1 all bids fair to be safe and prosperous2 but if the water is so high that it pours over her deck and gets into the hold1 she is in great danger of sinking4 ,so a moderate desire after worldly gain is an impetus to a man's activity1 and is a blessing both to himself and to the community2 but an inordinate desire after riches is a dead weight upon his spiritual progress1 and is often the cause of his going down in the moral scale4 ,desiring more than enough often leads to using unlawful means of satisfying the desire4 ,the second clause of the verse seems to refer to the temptation of a judge to accept bribes4 ,men holding such an office1 and possessed by this greed of gain1 have been known1 under its influence1 to commit the enormous crime of knowingly acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent2 and in all positions and stations of life the sin of covetousness is a fruitful source of other crimes4 ,but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare1 and into many foolish and hurtful lusts1 which drown men in destruction and perdition4 ,for the love of money is the root of all evil 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #i1 #aj74 ,,ii4 ,the evil effect of covetousness is not confined to the covetous man himself4 ,he that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house4 ,many men try to excuse their covetousness by the plea that they only desire to make ample provision for their family1 but it is upon the family that the curse of greediness falls most heavily4 ,if the head is diseased the members must suffer4 ,a covetous man is a selfish man1 and those who are most nearly related to a man who is eaten up with a desire to grow rich feel most keenly the blighting influence of the passion upon all the joys of family life4 ,and a man who is thus greedy of gain brings trouble upon his house by involving them in the curse of his sin4 ,those whom he has wronged by this injustice hate his children for the father's sin1 and as we have before seen--the wealth of the sinner--of him who has grown rich by unfair dealing--is laid up for the just and his own children inherit only the misery of having had such a father4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #aa-bb1 pages #cjg-ccb47 ,,iii4 ,the man of opposite character1 the hater of gifts1 shall live4 #a4 ,he does live now4 ,life and death are in a man's character4 ,a leaf that has lost all its beauty and greenness is dead although it still exists4 ,the leaf is there--the shape and outline exist--but all that made it lovely is gone1 because all vitality is gone4 ,a flower may still have all its petals upon the stalk1 but if all fragrance and colour are gone we know that life is gone4 ,the life or the death of the leaf or flower are states or conditions of its existence1 and not the simple adherence or separation of its particles4 ,so it is with a man4 ,his life or his death is not existence or non-existence1 but the condition of his spiritual nature4 ,if he is destitute of righteousness he is dead--if he is a man of true integrity--such a man as is described in chap4 xi4 #c 7see on that verse7 he is alive4 ,god is the living ,god not simply because ,he has an eternal existence1 but because ,he possesses moral life--in other words1 because ,he is perfectly holy1 just1 and true4 ,now the man who hates gifts--who abhors every kind of unfair dealing--gives proof by his hatred that he is morally alive4 #b4 ,he shall live in the esteem of posterity4 ,nothing lasts like a good character4 ,the memory of the just man is embalmed in the hearts of men long after his body is gone to dust4 7,see chap4 x4 #g47 #c4 ,he shall live in the esteem of ,god4 ,we are naturally disposed to regard with favour those who show us honour and endeavour to further our purposes and desires4 ,the just ,god is a lover of those who strive to do justly1 to love mercy and walk humbly with ,him 7,micah vi4 #h71 and such men shall live in the sunshine of ,his eternal favour 7,psalm xxx4 #e74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a man may be said to be covetous when he takes more pains for the getting of earth than for the getting of heaven4 ,he will turn every stone1 break his sleep1 take any a weary step for the world2 but will take no pains for ,christ or heaven4 ,the ,gauls1 after they had tasted the sweet wine of the ,italian grape1 inquired after the country1 and never rested till they had arrived at it2 so a covetous man1 having had a relish of the world1 pursues after it1 and never leaves it till he hath got it2 but he neglects the things of eternity4 ,he could be content if salvation would drop into his mouth1 as a ripe fig drops into the mouth of the eater 7,nahum iii4 #ab74 ,but he is loth to put himself to too much sweat or trouble to obtain ,christ or salvation4 ,he hunts for the world1 he wisheth only for heaven4 4 4 4 ,covetousness is 7#a7 a subtle sin1 a sin that men do not so well discern in themselves4 ,this sin can dress itself in the attire of virtue4 ,it is called the cloke of covetousness 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #e74 ,it is a sin that wears a cloke2 it clokes itself under the name of frugality and good husbandry4 ,it hath more pleas and excuses for itself than any other sin4 7#b7 ,it is a dangerous sin4 ,it damps good affections1 as the earth puts out the fire4 ,the hedgehog in the fable came to the coney-burrows in stormy weather1 and desired harbour1 but when once he had gotten entertainment he set up his prickles1 and did never cease till he had thrust the poor coneys out of their burrows2 so covetousness1 by fair pretences1 wins itself into the heart2 but as soon as you have let it in it will never leave till it hath thrust all religion out of your hearts4 4 4 4 ,covetousness chains men to the earth1 and makes them like the woman which ,satan had bound together that she could not lift herself 7,luke xiii4 #aa74 ,you may as well bid an elephant fly in the air as a covetous man live by faith4 ,we preach to men to give freely to ,christ's poor2 but covetousness makes them to be like him in the ,gospel who had a withered hand 7,mark iii4 #a74 4 4 4 ,covetousness shuts men out of heaven 7,ephes4 v4 #e74 ,what should a covetous man do in heaven8 4 4 4 ,like a bee that gets into a barrel of honey1 and there drowns himself1 like a ferryman that takes in so many passengers to increase his fare that he sinks his boat1 so a covetous man takes in more gold to the increasing of his estate that he damns himself in perdition4--,watson4 ,it is not enough to abstain from evil1 we must also hate it4--,fausset4 ,who is ignorant of the woeful success which ,achan found in coveting unlawfully the gold and silver in ,jericho8 ,he hoped to get more than any man in ,israel2 but no man in ,israel lost so much as he4--,dod4 ,he that maketh gain to be the gain that he looked for in all things1 he may hope to fill his home with wealth1 but he shall be sure to fill it with trouble4 ,he that is given to gain1 and hath made himself the prey as it were and gain of gain1 he may have his hand open to take gifts1 but with the same hand taketh in disquietness into his heart4 4 4 4 ,now1 because such are often crying--,how shall ,i live8 therefore the wise man telleth them he that hateth such things shall live4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,,studying ,,to ,,answer4 ,i4 ,every righteous man is a student4 ,the aim of study in any department of knowledge is1 first to gain possession of certain facts1 and then to make the knowledge of practical service in life4 ,if a man intends to be a builder he must first be a student4 ,he must first gain certain theoretical knowledge1 and then make use of it4 ,and so with every profession or calling--each requires thought before any work is entered upon4 ,every righteous man is a man with a profession--he is a professor of righteousness--he gains a knowledge of righteous precepts with the view of reducing them to righteous practice4 ,a knowledge of what is right and true in the abstract will be of little use to himself or to any other man unless the knowledge influences his words and deeds4 ,the proverb before us sets forth the righteous man as a student of his speech4 ,his aim is to speak the word in due season1 spoken of in verse #bc1 and to do this he must be a student of the human heart--#a4 ,he must study the workings of his own heart4 ,this is a study peculiar to the righteous man4 ,many men study themselves and others as frameworks of bone and muscle1 who never bestow a thought upon the soul1 of which the body is but the raiment4 ,other men watch the operations of the mental powers and tabulate all the movements of the mind as they are brought to light by internal consciousness4 ,but the godly man goes deeper4 ,he ponders his thoughts and feelings in the light of moral truth and righteousness--he weighs his words in the balance in which he knows that ,god will weigh them4 #b4 ,he must study other men's hearts4 ,he desires that his words should not only be harmless but beneficial to others2 he desires to answer wisely questions relating to ,god1 and man1 and immortality2 he sets his speech in order before he opens his mouth upon any of these weighty matters1 and he considers the circumstances and dispositions of those to whom he speaks that like one of old1 his doctrine may drop as the rain1 his speech distil as the dew1 when he publishes the name of the ,lord 7,deut4 xxxii4 #b1 #c74 ,before his thoughts become words he submits them to the revision of his conscience and his judgment1 and asks himself if they are such as he can hope ,god will bless to the edification of others4 ,,ii4 ,all men who do not thus study their thoughts and words are the authors of much mischief4 ,they are those who have never made what they think a matter of conscience and consequently their words are the outcome of an unsanctified heart4 ,as is the fountain1 so must be the stream4 ,for the words of such a man to be other than evil is an impossibility4 ,how can ye1 being evil1 speak good things8 ,for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh4 ,a good man1 out of the good treasure of the heart1 bringeth forth good things2 and an evil man1 out of the evil treasure1 bringeth forth evil things 7,matt4 xii4 #cd1 #ce74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the tongue is the heart's messenger4 ,so often as it speaks before the heart dictates1 the messenger runs without his errand4 ,he that will not speak idly1 must think what he speaks2 he that will not speak falsely1 must speak what he thinks4--,arnot4 ,what is before said 7verse #b1 and chap4 xii4 #bc7 of the wise and the foolish1 is said here of the righteous and the wicked3 and what is before said of the utterance of wisdom and folly1 is here said of the utterance of good and evil4 ,we have repeatedly seen how ,solomon identifies these in his statements4 ,wickedness is folly2 goodness is wisdom4--,wardlaw4 ,mouth1 all agency4 ,religion is so much like politeness1 that a polite man winnows 7ver4 #g7 his acts till they look sometimes like religion2 but watch men where the guise of kindness fails them1 viz41 their aim to be polite1 and their mouth pours out evils4 ,there is a recklessness of act that only a religious purity can essentially restrain4--,miller4 ,the wicked1 speaking so much1 cannot but speak evil things 7chap4 x4 #ai74 ,not his heart1 as in the case of the righteous1 but his mouth takes the lead4--,fausset4 ,i4 ,it is not easy at the first to apprehend the right1 because error at the first ken standeth usually in men's light1 and hindereth them from seeing the truth1 whereof they may better inform themselves by serious deliberation4 ,,ii4 ,when the mind hath time and liberty to ponder upon1 and will to weight the point to be spoken unto1 it findeth out good arguments for good causes1 and digesteth the same in so apt a manner as may best persuade the hearts of the hearers4 ,,iii4 ,a meditating heart affecteth itself for that which it provideth for others to hear1 and such men speak not only truly and pertinently1 but faithfully also1 and conscientiously3 their souls having first feeling of that within1 which after their mouths are to deliver out4--,dod4 ,the answer1 which ,i conceive the heart of the righteous to study1 is the answer of obedience unto ,god's commandments--the answer of thankfulness for ,his favours and mercies received4 ,for1 as ,st4 ,gregory speaketh1 to answer to ,god is to render to ,his precedent gifts the duties of our service4 ,now1 this study is the study of the whole life of a righteous man4 ,whatsoever he goes about1 he knows that he must answer to ,god for it1 and therefore he considereth before he doth it1 that it be answerable unto ,god's law4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,god ,,near ,,and ,,far ,,off4 ,i4 ,god is not far from the wicked in a local sense4 ,the most wicked man upon the face of the earth lives and moves and has his being by reason of his relation to that ,god who he practically ignores4 ,the power of life that he possesses is not self-originated1 and although we do not know exactly how he lives in ,god1 we know that in this sense he is near to ,him1 for ,he is not far from every one of us 7,acts xvii4 #bg74 ,but-- ,,ii4 ,god is far from the wicked in a moral sense4 ,there is often a wide moral distance between those who are locally near each other4 ,the father who lives and toils for his children1 and eats with them at the same table may be as far from them morally as he is near to them locally4 ,judas lived for three years with the ,son of ,god--often shared the same hospitality and partook of the same meal4 ,there was a local nearness to ,christ but a wide moral gulf between the ,master and the professed disciple4 ,the moral distance between ,god and the wicked is the subject of the first clause of this verse4 ,notice--#a4 ,the cause of this distance4 ,the ungodly man cherishes purposes and desires which are directly opposed to the will and purpose of ,god4 ,god has one view of life and the ungodly man has another4 ,that which ,god esteems of the highest moment is lightly esteemed by a wicked man4 ,this being so1 there can be no sympathy between the creature and his ,creator--a great gulf is fixed between them4 #b4 ,the wicked man is to blame for remaining at this distance from ,god4 ,god invites him to bridge the chasm4 ,let the wicked forsake his way1 and the unrighteous man his thoughts2 and let him return unto the ,lord1 and ,he will have mercy upon him3 and to our ,god1 for ,he will abundantly pardon 7,isa4 lv4 #g74 ,he rolls upon him the responsibility of the separation4 ,say unto them1 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked2 but that the wicked turn from his way and live 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa74 #c4 ,this distance1 if not annihilated1 will increase with time and continue through eternity4 ,sinful habits and desires1 if yielded to1 grow harder to overcome--a man never stands still in the way of transgression4 ,and no local change from one world to another can have any effect upon the moral distance4 ,it is not to be bridged by change of place but by change of character4 ,either the man must turn to ,god or be ever getting farther from ,him4 ,but-- ,,iii4 ,there is a sympathy between ,god and the righteous man which keeps the ,divine ear open to his prayer4 ,as we have before noticed1 the foundation of sympathy is likeness of character1 and those who have sympathy with each other have open ears for the reception of each other's thoughts and desires4 ,the godly man has an open ear for the commands and promises of ,god1 and ,god1 in return1 heareth the prayer of the righteous4 ,there is a like-mindedness between the righteous ,god and a righteous man--a oneness of desire and purpose--that makes the words of each acceptable to the other4 #a4 ,god's ear is the first that is open to the prayer of the righteous4 ,the sentinel watching on the height for the first streaks of dawning day has a view of the objects around him before those in the valley are able to perceive them4 ,they are unable to see what he sees1 because they are still shut in by the darkness4 ,but if this sentinel had power to pierce the darkness of night1 he would not even have to wait for day in order to discern all that lies around him4 ,god is such a sentinel over the children of men4 ,others are dependent upon the light that comes from words before they discern the desires of others1 but ,god can see into the darkest corner of the human soul--can discern the unuttered desire of the heart long before it shapes itself into words4 ,god's ear is open to hear before the man's mouth is open to pray4 ,he understandeth his thought afar off1 knows it before it has even shaped itself into a petition1 or even into a desire in the man's own heart1 and consequently long before it is known to any other creature4 #b4 ,no power outside the righteous man can come between his prayer and ,god's ear4 ,when we present a prayer or express a desire to any human benefactor1 it is possible that some opposing influence may prevent our suit from being favourably received4 ,a third person may come between1 and by misrepresentation or by other means1 may hinder our request from receiving impartial consideration4 ,but ,god's first-hand knowledge of all ,his children makes it a blessed certainty that all their requests will enter ,his ear and receive impartial treatment at ,his hands4 7,for other thoughts on this subject see ,homiletics on verse #h1 page #djg47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we may perhaps trace a reference to this maxim1 a proof how deeply it has taken root in men's hearts1 in the reasoning of the blind man in ,john ix4 #ca4--,plumptre4 ,the ,lord is far from the wicked4 ,he was so far from the proud ,pharisee who yet got as near ,god as he could1 pressing up to the highest part of the temple4 ,the poor ,publican1 not daring to do so1 stood aloof1 yet was ,god far from the ,pharisee1 near to the ,publican4 ,behold a great miracle1 saith ,augustine4 ,god is on high1 thou liftest up thyself and ,he flees from thee2 thou bowest thyself downward and ,he descends to thee4 ,low things ,he respects1 that ,he may raise them2 proud things ,he knoweth afar off1 that ,he may depress them4 ,but ,he heareth the prayer of the righteous4 ,yea1 ,he can feel breath when no voice can be heard for faintness 7,lam4 iii4 #ef74 ,when the flesh makes such a din that it is hard to hear the ,spirit's sighs1 ,he knows the meaning of the ,spirit 7,rom4 viii4 #bf1 #bg71 and can pick ,english out of our broken requests2 yea1 ,he hears our afflictions 7,gen4 xvi4 #aa71 our tears 7,psa4 xxxix4 #ab71 our chatterings 7,isa4 xxxviii4 #ad71 though we cry to ,him by implication only1 as the young ravens do 7,psa4 cxlvii4 #i74--,trapp4 ,the second clause of this verse becomes exegetical of the first4 ,god is not far from anybody 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #h74 ,but ,he is far from many people's prayer4--,miller4 ,faith is the soul1 and repentance is the life of prayer2 and a prayer without them hath neither life nor soul4 ,if we believe not1 we are yet in our sins2 if we repent not1 our sins are yet in us4 4 4 4 ,but first will ,i wash my hands in innocency1 and then will ,i compass thine altar 7,psa4 xxvi4 #f74 ,then shall my prayer be set before thee as incense1 and the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice 7,psa4 cxli4 #b74 ,when1 with the sword of severe and impartial repentance1 we have cut the throat of our sins and done execution upon our lusts1 then let us solicit heaven with our prayers2 then pray1 and speed2 then come1 and welcome4 ,then the couriers about the ,king in heaven shall make room for prayers4 ,then the ,prince ,himself shall take our prayer into ,his own hand1 and with a gracious mediation present it to the ,father4 ,then is that court of audience ready to receive our ambassadors1 which be our prayers and our tears4 ,then ,st4 ,john sees twelve gates in heaven1 all open1 and all day open1 to entertain such suitors4--,adams4 ,learn to distinguish betwixt ,god's hearing and ,his answering the saint's prayer4 ,every faithful prayer is heart and makes an acceptable report in ,god's ear as soon as it is shot2 but ,god doth not always thus speedily answer it4 ,the father1 at the reading of his son's letter 7which comes haply upon some begging errand7 likes the motion1 his heart closes with it1 and a grant is there passed2 but he takes his own time to send his dispatch and let his son know this4 ,princes have their books of remembrance1 wherein they write the names of their favourites whom they intend to prefer1 haply some years before their gracious purpose opens itself to them4 ,mordecai's name stood some while in ,ahasuerus' book before his honour was conferred4 ,thus ,god records the names of ,his saints and their prayers4 ,the ,lord hearkened and heard it1 and a book of remembrance was written before ,him1 of them that feared the ,lord and thought upon ,his name4 ,but they hear not of ,god in ,his providential answer1 haply a long time after4 4 4 4 ,there comes oft a long and sharp winter between the sowing time of prayer1 and the reaping4 ,he hears us indeed as soon as we pray1 but we oft do not hear of ,him so soon4 ,prayers are not long on their journey to heaven1 but long a-coming thence in a full answer4 ,christ hath not at this day a full answer to some of the prayers ,he put up on earth2 therefore ,he is said to expect till ,his enemies be made ,his footstool4--,gurnall4 ,when the season has been cold and backward1 when rains fell and prices rose1 and farmers desponded and the poor despaired1 ,i have heard old people1 whose hopes1 resting upon ,god's promise1 did not rise and fall with the barometer1 nor shifting winds1 say1 ,we shall have harvest after all2 and this you may safely say of the labours and fruits of prayer4 ,the answer may be long in coming--years may elapse before the bread we have cast upon the waters comes back2 but if the vision tarry1 wait for it6 ,why not8 ,we know that some seeds spring as soon almost as they are committed to the ground2 but others lie buried for months1 nor1 in some cases1 is it till years elapse that they germinate and rise1 to teach us that what is dormant is not dead4 ,such it may be with our prayers4 ,ere that immortal seed has sprung the hand that planted it may be mouldering in the dust--the seal of death on the lips that prayed4 ,but though you are not spared to reap the harvest1 our prayers are not lost4 ,they bide their time1 ,god's set time4 ,for in one form or another1 in this world or in the next1 who sows in tears shall reap in joy4 ,the ,god who puts his people's tears into ,his bottle will certainly never forget their prayers4--,guthrie4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,,cheerfulness ,,and ,,good ,,tidings4 ,two views are taken of the meaning of the first clause of this verse4 ,some understand it to mean that the objective light that plays upon the eyes of the body rejoices the heart of the man who is under its influence2 and others understand by the light of the eyes that cheerfulness of countenance spoken of in verse #ac1 which has such an inspiring effect upon those who behold it4 ,we suggest a line of thought upon both views4 ,the light of the material sun rejoices the heart4 #a4 ,because of its healthful influence upon the bodily frame4 ,it is well known that sunlight is favourable to bodily health--that a dwelling into which it does not freely enter has a most depressing influence upon its inhabitants1 because it deprives them of natural bodily health and vigour4 ,other things being equal1 health of body adds much to cheerfulness of spirit1 to gladness of heart4 ,everyone can testify from personal experience how a low state of bodily health depresses the spirit1 and how returning health after sickness revives and gladdens it4 ,therefore1 in this sense the light of the eyes rejoices the heart4 #b4 ,because of its beautifying influence upon all that the eyes behold4 ,if we go from the light and brightness of noonday into a dark cave or dungeon where the sun's rays never penetrate1 we find none of that beauty of colour or contrasts of light and shade1 which afford us such exquisite enjoyment in the landscape outside4 ,when we come again into the light of day we realise that light is sweet1 and that it is a pleasant thing to behold the sun 7,eccles4 xi4 #g71 for to its blessed influence we owe all the joy that fills our hearts when we look abroad upon the beauties of the natural world4 #c4 ,it ought to rejoice the heart of man on account of its symbolic suggestions4 ,god intends the light of nature to be a symbol to the children of men of blessed realities which can be appreciated only by the eye of the soul4 ,light is symbolic of the glory of the ,divine nature 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #af71 and of the perfect purity of the ,divine character 7#a ,john i4 #e74 ,the beneficent influence of sunlight is a symbol of the soul-warming and soul-gladdening influence of the ,divine presence 7,psalm lxxxiv4 #aa74 ,and as the light of the sun rejoices the heart of the beholder1 so does light and cheerfulness upon one man's face gladden the heart of him who looks upon it4 ,cheerfulness upon one man's countenance brings cheer to the heart of those with whom he comes in contact4 ,upon this subject we remark--#a4 ,that there is a great difference between levity and cheerfulness4 ,two men may be swimming in a river1 and one may keep himself afloat by artificial appliances1 and the other by his natural strength skilfully used4 ,the beholders may not for a time observe any difference in the two2 but should the first man1 by any mishap1 lose his floats1 then the difference will be at once manifest4 ,he will be in danger of going to the bottom while his companion will keep steadily on his way4 ,the natural strength and long practice of the latter has made it second nature to keep on the surface of the water4 ,there is just such a difference between gaiety which depends for its continuance upon good fortune and external excitement1 and the cheerfulness that springs from a never-failing and internal source4 ,in the first case1 if the floating-tackle is cut away the poor man sinks into despondency and gloom1 but in the second there is a buoyancy of heart which1 if overwhelmed for a moment by some sudden wave of adversity1 brings him again to the surface and re-awakens hope within him4 ,the first is of earth1 but1 although natural temperament may do much towards the second1 real and heartfelt cheerfulness can only be born of a consciousness of reconciliation with ,god and goodwill to men4 ,it is not1 however1 a universal characteristic of good men and women4 ,but--#b4 ,it is a man's duty to cultivate this cheerfulness of heart4 ,it is good for the man himself4 ,if sunlight gives strength to the body this sunlight of the soul is strengthening to the whole man4 ,cheerfulness gives courage to face the difficulties of life--that gladness of heart which springs from doing justly1 loving mercy1 and walking with ,god is a power which no man for his own sake can afford to throw away4 ,but it is also a duty which we owe to others4 ,in this sense the light of the eyes rejoices the heart1 the incoming of a cheerful man into a house where the inhabitants are depressed and sad is like the entrance of sunlight into a darkened room--it changes the entire aspect of things4 ,the influence of such a man is like a shower upon the parched earth--everything seems to spring into new life after it4 ,if it has so reviving and cheering an effect in a world where there is so much to sadden and to weaken men's energies1 every man is bound to cultivate a habit of cheerfulness as a matter of duty4 ,it is part of the duty which men owe to ,god4 ,it is a manifestation of confidence in ,his righteous character and merciful purpose towards ,his creatures4 ,it reveals contentment with the lot in life which ,he has assigned to us--a spirit of submission to ,his will4 ,therefore it is an apostolic command1 ,rejoice in the ,lord alway3 and again ,i say1 rejoice 7,phil4 iv4 #d74 ,the second clause of the verse relates to another very fruitful source of gladness1 viz41 the reception of a good report1 or good news4 #a4 ,a good report gives joy1 or maketh the bones fat in proportion as such news was desired4 ,if the sick man1 who has been awaiting the verdict of his physician1 receives from him the assurance that he will recover his health1 his heart is filled with joy at the tidings4 ,he can testify that his bones waxed old while he was filled with fear and doubt as to his case1 but the good report makes him renew his youth1 and is the first step to renewal of health4 ,the good news that the guilt of the soul can be removed fills the soul with joy in proportion as the misery of unforgiven sin has weighed upon the spirit4 ,this was ,david's experience3 ,when ,i kept silence 7while my sin was unconfessed7 my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long4 4 4 4 ,i acknowledged my sin unto thee1 and mine iniquity have ,i not hid4 ,i said1 ,i will confess my transgressions unto the ,lord2 and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin4 ,and the consciousness of forgiveness enabled him to sing of the blessedness of him whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered 7,psa4 xxxii4 #a-e74 #b4 ,the joy imparted by a good report of this nature is shadowed forth by the gladness which is imparted to men who have long sat in darkness1 when they greet again the light of day4 ,what must be the joy of an arctic traveller1 when1 after months of night1 he sees the first streak of returning sunlight8 ,who can describe the feelings of a prisoner who has been for years immured in a gloomy dungeon1 when he again finds himself in the sunshine8 ,or who but those who have passed through the experience can conceive what the blind man feels who has never seen the light of day1 when first his eyes are opened8 ,so none but he who has been in darkness of soul on account of unpardoned sin1 and has felt the joy of a sense of reconciliation with his ,god1 can know how the good report that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners maketh the bones fat1 in other words1 gives him a sense of new life4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we may conceive this verse to show the comfort of life as it cometh from ,god1 and from man4 ,from ,god in the light of the eyes1 and in seeing those good things which ,he bestowed upon us4 ,from man in hearing the good report and testimony which he giveth of us4 ,or else we may take the first part of the verse more literally1 to speak only of the joy of the heart1 which by the light of the eye from the pleasant objects thereof1 is conveyed to it1 and so the good contentment of a man from a good report to be compared to it4 ,now well may these be compared together1 for report is the eye whereby the world judgeth of a man1 and it is also a useful eye whereby a man judgeth of himself4 4 4 4 ,certainly it must be the care of the godly1 not only to keep a good conscience1 but to have a good report4--,jermin4 ,it is riches enough to be well reputed and well spoken of4 ,it pleased ,david well that whatsoever he did pleased the people4 ,it pleased ,john well that his friend ,demetrius had a good report of the truth 7#c ,john #ab71 and he had no greater joy than to hear that his children walked in the truth4--,trapp4 ,the bones may be called the foundation of the corporeal structure1 on which its strength and stability depend4 ,the cavities and cellular parts of the bones are filled with the marrow1 of which the fine oil1 by one of the beautiful processes of the animal physiology1 pervades their substance1 and1 incorporating with the earthy and silicious material1 gives them their cohesive tenacity1 a provision without which they would be brittle and easily fractured4 ,making the bones fat1 means supplying them with plenty of marrow1 and thus strengthening the entire system4 ,hence marrow to the bones is a ,bible figure for anything eminently gratifying and beneficial4 ,the import1 then1 of the expression of the text is1 that a good reputation contributes eminently to enjoyment1 to comfort1 health1 active vigour1 spirit1 life1 and happiness4 ,by some1 however1 a good report is understood of good tidings1 and they conceive the light of the eyes to refer to the happy glancing looks of the messenger of such good tidings4--,wardlaw4 ,the light of the eyes means the look of a pleased friend4 ,when ,he is the ,almighty1 how it rejoices the heart4 ,and when the rapture of another sense is secured by a good report 7a good hearing1 as it is in the original71 the good news being also from on high1 it reaches the very penetration of our comfort4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ca-cc4 ,,how ,,to ,,give ,,and ,,take ,,reproof4 ,i4 ,reproof is good when it is given with a good intention and when it is given wisely4 ,those who undertake to handle the amputating knife should be men who are intent upon the healing of the patient1 and must also know where to cut and how much to cut1 otherwise the operation may tend to death rather than to life4 ,the reprover1 if he would administer a reproof of life1 must be wise and kind4 ,he must desire to do good to the man whom he reproves1 he must know how to administer the reproof1 and must leave off reproving as soon as the necessary wound has been inflicted2 if he does not1 he may injure the soul instead of destroying the sin4 ,,ii4 ,he who takes such reproof displays the highest wisdom and the truest humility4 ,we admire the fortitude of a man who will bear without a murmur a painful operation for the sake of the good that will come to him afterwards4 ,we praise him for the pluck and courage which he shows in enduring bravely1 that which we know gives him intense pain of body4 ,and we ought to give as much praise to him who will submit to reproof in a spirit of humility1 for there is nothing which is more unpalatable or painful to a man's spirit4 ,nothing is a surer sign of true wisdom than such submission4 ,,iii4 ,he who will not submit to such reproof can never attain to true honour4 ,there can be no honour where there is ignorance1 and there can be no knowledge where there is an unwillingness to receive reproof4 ,the greatest kings and statesmen1 who are now enthroned by the honour and submission of millions of their fellow-creatures1 had once to submit to the instruction of their nurses and tutors4 ,there is no honour in holding a high position unless he who holds it knows how to fill it worthily2 and such knowledge can only be acquired by stooping not only to instruction but to reproof1 which is always a necessary element of instruction4 7,for fuller treatment on the subject of these verses1 see ,homiletics on chapters iii4 #aa1 #ab2 xii4 #a2 xiii4 #ah2 xv4 #aj4 ,pages #bdg1 #cbc1 #daj1 etc47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ca4 ,there is a reproof not of life1 but of death1 when hatred seeketh disgrace or ruin by it1 and when it is used1 as ,st4 ,bernard speaketh1 not to instruction in the spirit of meekness1 but to destruction in the spirit of fury4 ,when it is reproach1 and not reproof1 it amendeth not1 but hardeneth the offender in his wickedness4 ,but with the wise there is the reproof1 not of death1 but of life2 that is1 direction unto a virtuous life1 and teaching true wisdom1 which is the life of the soul4 ,the words of the wise1 saith the ,preacher1 are as nails fastened3 for as nails are driven in1 but it is not so much to make a hole as to fasten and strengthen2 so the words of the wise in reproof do pierce1 but it is not so much to wound1 as to fasten their reproof1 and to give strength unto it4--,jermin4 ,oh1 it is a blessed thing to have others tell us of our faults1 and as it were to pull us out of the fire with violence1 as ,jude speaks2 rather to pull us out with violence1 with sharp rebukes1 than we should perish in our sins4 ,if a man be to weed his ground1 he sees need of the benefit of others2 if a man be to demolish his house1 he will be thankful to others for their help2 so he that is to pull down his corruption1 that old house1 he should be thankful to others that will tell him1 ,this is rotten1 and this is to blame2 who1 if he be not thankful for seasonable reproof1 he knows not what self-judging means4 ,if any man be so uncivil when a man shows him a spot on his garment to grow choleric1 will we not judge him to be an unreasonable man8 ,and so when a man shall be told1 ,this will hinder your comfort another day2 if men were not spiritually besotted1 would they swell and be angry against such a man8--,sibbes4 ,verse #cb4 ,wilt thou destroy that for which ,christ died8 7#a ,cor4 viii4 #aa74 ,what shall a man give in exchange for his soul8 ,there is no great matter in the earth but man2 nothing great in man but his soul1 saith ,faverinus4 ,whose image and superscription is it but ,god's8 ,give1 therefore1 to ,god the things that are ,god's1 by delivering it up to discipline4 4 4 4 ,suffer1 saith the great apostle1 the word of exhortation2 suffer them in ,god's name1 sharp though they be1 and set on with some more than ordinary earnestness4 ,better it is that the vine should bleed1 than die4 ,certes1 ,when the ,lord shall have done to you all the good that ,he hath spoken concerning you1 and hath brought you to ,his kingdom1 this shall be no grief unto you1 nor offence of heart1 as ,he said in a like case 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #cj1 #ca71 that you have hearkened to instruction1 and been bettered by reproof4--,trapp4 ,there are two things that cause men to rage against reproof4 #a4 ,guilt of the sin objected4 ,guilt makes men angry when they are searched1 and1 like horses that are galled1 to kick if they are but touched4 ,the mildest waters are troublesome to sore eyes4 ,there is scarce a more probable sign that the crime objected is true than wrath and bitterness against the person that charges us with it4 #b4 ,love to sin makes men impatient under reproof4 ,when a person's sin is to him as the apple of his eye1 no wonder that he is offended at any that touch it4--,swinnock4 ,verse #cc4 ,abigail was not made ,david's wife till she thought it honour enough to wash the feet of the meanest of ,david's servants 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #dj74 ,moses must be forty years a stranger in ,midian before he becomes king in ,jeshurun4 4 4 4 ,luther observed that ever1 for most part1 before ,god set him upon any special service for the good of the ,church he had some sore fit of sickness4 ,surely as the lower the ebb the hither the tide2 so the lower any descend in humiliation the higher they shall ascend in exaltation2 the lower this foundation of humility is laid the higher shall be the roof of honour be overlaid4--,trapp4 ,not only doth humility go before honour in the course of things1 but is also before honour in the dignity and excellency of it4 ,so that when humility hath brought a man to honour even then his greatest honour is humility4--,jermin4 ,reproof1 which has been twice used1 and instruction1 or rather discipline1 which is now made to balance it in these last important texts1 have a respect of painfulness3 and ,solomon1 in this verse1 tempers that pain1 by showing what discipline really is3--,the fear of ,jehovah4 ,fear hath torment1 says the apostle ,john 7#a ,john iv4 #ah74 ,that fear is not altogether the fear of our text1 but is a part of it4 ,i do not remember the fear of the ,almighty as a title applied in heaven4 ,the fear of ,jehovah has some particle of painfulness2 and that painfulness makes it of the nature of discipline4 ,the best discipline of the saints is the abiding fear of the ,almighty4 ,the proverb seems to imply that it will not last always2 that it is painful2 and that we shall not continue pained2 that it is necessary for us to be under just that gentle sort of discipline that fear can give while we are in this world4 ,and that necessity he states1 in that before glory is affliction4 ,not honour 7as in the ,english version71 so much as weight1 or glory4 ,not humility1 but primarily1 toil2 ergo1 more generally affliction4 ,we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of ,god 7,acts xiv4 #bb74--,miller4 ,i am not worthy1 is the voice of the saints4 ,they know ,god1 and ,god knows them4 ,moses was the meekest man upon earth1 and therefore ,god is said to know him by name 7,exod4 xxxiii4 #ag74 ,i am less than the least of all thy mercies1 saith ,jacob 7,gen4 xxxii4 #aj74 ,lo1 he was honoured to be father of the twelve tribes1 and heir of the blessing4 ,who am ,i1 ,o ,lord8 says ,david4 ,he was advanced from that lowly conceit to be king of ,israel4 ,i am not worthy to loose the latchet of ,christ's shoe1 saith ,john ,baptist 7,matt4 iii4 #aa74 ,lo1 he was esteemed worthy to lay his hand on ,christ's head4 ,i am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof1 says the centurion1 therefore ,christ commended him4 ,i have not found so great faith2 no1 not in ,israel 7,matt4 viii4 #h74 ,i am the least of the apostles1 saith ,paul2 not worthy to be called an apostle 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #i74 ,therefore he is honoured with the title of the apostle4 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord1 saith the holy virgin2 therefore she was honoured to be the mother of the ,lord1 and to have all generations call her blessed4 ,this non sum dignus1 the humble annihilation of themselves1 hath gotten them the honour of saints4 ,in spiritual graces let us study to be great1 and not to know it1 as the fixed stars are every one bigger than the earth1 yet appear to us less than torches4 ,not to be high-minded in high deserts is the way to blessed preferment4 ,humility is not only a virtue itself1 but a vessel to contain other virtues2 like embers1 which keep the fire alive that is hidden under it4 ,it emptieth itself by a modest estimation of its own worth1 that ,christ may fill it4 ,it wrestleth with ,god1 like ,jacob1 and wins by yielding2 the lower it stoops to the ground the more advantage it gets to obtain the blessing4 ,all my pride1 ,o ,lord1 is from the want of knowing ,thee4 ,the leper casts himself down1 and ,christ bids him arise4 ,humility is the gentleman-usher to glory4 ,god that sends away the rich empty from ,his gates loves to fill the hungry with good things 7,luke i4 #ec74 ,the air passeth by the full vessel1 and only filleth that is empty4 ,this is the difference between the proud and beggars2 both agree in not having1 differ in craving4 ,the proud are paupares spiritus1 the humble are paupares spiritu4 ,blessed are1 not the poor spirits1 but the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 7,matt4 v4 #c74 ,such as felt their wants sought and besought ,god for supply4 ,every valley shall be filled1 and every mountain be brought low 7,luke iii4 #e74 ,the lowly mind shall be exalted1 the high-towering ambitions shall be thrown down4 ,how should ,god say to the merchant that glories in his wealth1 to the usurer that admireth his moneys1 to the gallant that wonders that his good clothes do not prefer him1 ,arise6 ,alas6 they are up already2 they were never down4 ,a dwarf in a great throng1 seeming low on his knees1 was bidden by the prince to stand up2 alas6 he was before at his highest4 ,god cannot be so mistaken as to encourage their standing up who never yet had the manners to cast themselves down4 ,says ,augustine1 ,descend1 that ye may rise up to ,god2 for you have fallen by rising up against ,god4 ,he that is a mountebank must level himself even with the ground2 if humbleness hath once thrown him down and brought him to his knees1 he shall hear the patron and pattern of humbleness comforting him with a surge--,arise4 4 4 4 ,the guest that sets himself down at the lower end of the table shall hear the feast-maker kindly remove him1 ,friend1 sit up higher 7,luke xiv4 #aj74 ,if ,esther fall at ,ahasuerus' feet1 he will take her by the hand1 and bid her arise4 ,when ,peter fell down at ,jesus' knees1 saying1 ,depart from me2 ,i am a sinful man1 ,o1 ,lord 7,luke v4 #h-aj71 he presently was raised up with1 ,fear not1 thou shalt catch men44 4 4 ,who is heard to say with ,paul1 ,i am the chief of sinners8 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ae7 such a humble confession scarce heard of4 ,but ,christ had given him a surge on his former humbling3 ,arise and bear ,my name before ,gentiles and kings1 etc4 ,let us all thus cast ourselves down in humility1 that the ,lord may say to us in mercy1 ,arise4--,adams4 ,the more humble1 the fitter to come to ,god1 and ,he the more willing to come unto the soul and dwell in it4 ,the highest heavens are the habitation of ,god's glory2 and the humble heart hath the next honour1 to be the habitation of ,his grace4--,leighton4 ,the truly humble spirit is1 in society1 to the proud and haughty1 what the valley is to the mountain3 if less observed1 more sheltered and more blessed1 valleys see the stars more brightly than the mountains that often veil their proud heads with clouds4 ,the mountains filter the waters upon which the valleys live1 and send down in soft music to their ears the stormy thunders that beat with violence on their lofty brow4 ,the great sun stoops to the valleys and touches them with a warmth which it denies to the high hills2 and kind nature1 which leaves the towering heights amidst the cold desolations of death1 endows the humble vales with richest life1 and robes them in the enchanting costume of sweetest flowers4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,you must go to honour before humility4 ,this is the law--the law of ,god4 ,it cannot be changed4 ,it has its analogies in the material creation4 ,every height has its corresponding depth4 ,as far as the ,andes pierce into the sky1 so far do the valleys of the ,pacific1 at their base1 go down into the heart of the earth4 ,if the branches of a tree rise high in the air1 its roots must penetrate to a corresponding depth in the ground2 and the necessity is reciprocal4 ,the higher the branches are1 the deeper go the roots2 and the deeper the roots are1 the higher go the branches4 ,this law pervades the moral administration as well as the higher works of ,god4 ,the child ,jesus is set for the fall and the rising again of many in ,israel2 but it is first the fall and then the rising2 for before honour is humility4 ,fall they must at the feet of the ,crucified before they can rise and reign as the children of the ,great ,king4 4 4 4 ,there are two mountains in the land of ,israel1 equal in height1 and standing near each other1 with a deep1 narrow valley between4 ,at an interesting point in the people's history1 one of these mountains bore the curse1 and the other received the blessing 7,deut4 xi4 #bf-bi74 ,if you had stood then on ,ebal1 where the curse was lying1 you could not have escaped to ,gerizim to enjoy the blessing without going down to the bottom of the intervening gorge4 ,there was a way for the pilgrim from the curse to the blessing1 if he were willing to pass through the valley of humiliation2 but there was no flight through the air1 so as to escape the going down4 ,these things are an allegory4 ,all men are at first in their own judgments on a lofty place1 but the curse hangs over the mountains of their pride4 4 4 4 ,all the saved are also on a lofty height1 but ,god dwells among them1 and great is the peace of ,his children4 ,all who have reached this mountain have been in the deep4 ,they sowed in tears before they went forth rejoicing to bear home the sheaves4--,arnot4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,nearly all commentators agree in reading this verse1 ,to man belong the preparations of the heart1 but the answer of the tongue is from the ,lord4 ,preparations1 lit4 arrangements1 orderly disposings1 as those of an army in array1 or as the loaves of the shewbread set in order4 #b4 ,miller translates this verse very differently4 ,see comments on the verse4 #c4 ,commit1 rather roll4 ,thoughts1 or plans4 #d4 ,for ,himself4 ,many read for its own purpose1 or end4 ,there is much in favour1 however1 of the reading of the ,authorised text4 #e4 ,though hand join in hand1 literally hand to hand1 as in chap4 xi4 #ba4 ,this phrase is variously understood4 ,stuart renders it ,should hand be added to hand1 i4e41 although a haughty man should enjoy all his powers of resistance1 he shall not go unpunished4 ,delitzsch and ,zckler render it assuredly1 as in chap4 xi4 #ba4 ,see also the comments on the verse4 #f4 ,purged4 ,heb41 kaphar1 expiated1 or covered4 #i4 ,deviseth4 ,the form of the verb denotes anxious consideration4 #aj4 ,a ,divine sentence1 literally divination1 i4e41 an oracle1 or a decision4 ,his mouth transgresseth not4 ,stuart and ,delitzsch read1 ,in judgment his mouth should not prevaricate1 or err4 #aa4 ,a just weight1 literally1 the scale1 the upright iron in scales which the weigher holds in his hand 7,fausset74 ,weights1 literally stones1 which were anciently used as weights4 #ac4 ,they love him1 etc41 rather he who speaketh right1 or uprightly1 is loved4 #ah4 ,the ,hebrews observe that this verse stands exactly in the centre of the whole book 7,fausset74 #ai4 ,lowly1 or the afflicted4 #bj4 ,delitzsch and ,zckler translate the first clause ,he that giveth heed to the ,word findeth good4 ,stuart and others1 ,he that is prudent respecting any matter4 ,miller says1 ,literally1 wise about a word4 #ba4 ,sweetness1 or grace4 ,learning1 or instruction4 #bb4 ,instruction1 rather discipline1 correction4 #bf4 ,he that laboureth1 laboureth for himself1 etc4 ,zckler translates ,the spirit of the labourer laboureth for him1 for his mouth urgeth him on4 ,stuart--,the appetite of him who toils is toilsome to him 7i4e41 makes him exert himself7 for his mouth urgeth him on4 ,delitzsch--,the hunger of the labourer laboreth for him1 etc4 ,miller--,the labouring soul labours for it1 for its mouth imposeth it upon him4 7,see his comment47 #bh4 ,a whisperer1 i4e41 a backbiter4 #cj4 ,moving1 or compressing1 indicating resolution1 or biting1 indicative of scorn and malice4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,heart ,,and ,,the ,,tongue4 ,i4 ,the human heart needs preparation4 #a4 ,it needs to be prepared for the reception of moral truth4 ,when the earth was without form and void1 and darkness was upon the face of the deep1 it was not in a condition to receive seed into its bosom4 ,there was a need of preparation before it was fit to receive seed which would produce herb after its kind4 ,light must play upon its surface1 heat and moisture must penetrate the soil4 ,and man's heart1 in his present fallen condition1 is like the earth before the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters1 and ,god said1 ,let there be light3 and there was light4 ,it needs some preparation before it can receive the truth of ,god so as to be benefited by it--before it is that good ground into which1 when the good seed falls1 it brings forth fruit1 some an hundred-fold1 some sixty-fold1 some thirty-fold 7,matt4 xiii4 #c-h74 ,as the plough must break the clods before the seed can be sown with any hope of harvest1 so the fallow-ground of the heart must be broken up--must undergo some preparation before it can be a profitable receiver of moral truth 7,hosea i4 #ab74 ,our ,lord1 in the parable of the sower1 teaches most distinctly the truth that the good which is derived from hearing ,divine truth depends upon the state of heart of him who hears4 #b4 ,it needs to be prepared to yield moral truth4 ,all the preparation of the earth is to the end--not that it should be a receiver1 but a giver4 ,the seed is sown not that it should remain in the soil but that the earth should bring forth and bud1 that it may give seed to the sower1 and bread to the eater 7,isa4 lv4 #aj74 ,so it is with the human soul4 ,it takes in the thoughts of ,god1 that it may translate them into holy words and deeds4 ,the preparation of the heart is but a means to the answer of the tongue4 ,out of the good treasure of the heart good things are expected to issue 7,matt4 xii4 #ce74 ,but unless there is preparation to receive there can be no giving out of anything that is worth the giving4 ,the quality of the water that comes to the lip of the drinker depends upon the quality of the water that fills the well4 ,as we have often before remarked1 the tree must be first good1 and then the fruit will be good 7,matt4 xii4 #cc74 ,he whose heart is prepared by ,divine influence to receive the ,divine ,word will not be at a loss for such an answer of the tongue as will bring glory to ,god1 honour to himself1 and blessings to others4 ,,ii4 ,the preparation of the heart1 and1 therefore1 the answer of the tongue1 depends upon ,god4 ,in nature laws are constantly at work to bring to pass certain facts and results1 and man works with these laws1 and in obedience to them4 ,but behind the laws there must be a law-giver--behind the working there must be a worker--and this worker and law-giver is ,god4 ,the preparation of the earth is the work of man2 yet both the preparation of the earth and the answer of the earth to that preparation is from ,god4 ,there would be no harvest if the husbandman did not toil2 but there would be no harvest if behind him and his toil there was not the ,life-,giver4 ,god is the spring of all activities1 not only in the sower of the seed1 but in the seed which is sown and in the earth in which it germinates4 ,so in the preparation of the heart1 and the right use of the tongue4 ,man's freedom and responsibility in these matters are insisted upon in the oracles of ,god4 ,he and he alone is to be blamed if his heart is not prepared to receive the words of ,god4 ,he is commanded as we saw just now to break up his fallow ground 7,jer4 iv4 #c7--to prepare his spirit for the reception of ,divine truth4 ,yet if a man's heart is thus prepared1 and if by preparation of heart his tongue is able to speak good words1 he is not the sole producer of the result4 ,behind the springs of thinking--behind the means used by the man himself--,god is working both to will and to do of ,his good pleasure4 ,god claims to be the ,author of all good1 whether in the bud of thought or in the fruit of action4 ,from ,him all good counsels and all just works do proceed4 ,this is the teaching of the verse as it stands in our ,english ,bible1 but many commentators translate the verse differently4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,the thought as thus translated is similar to that in verse #i1 upon which see ,homiletics4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the great doctrine of all ,scripture is1 that heart religion is true religion4 ,in nothing is ,christianity more distinguished from all other systems of religion than in the moral purity which it inculcates and which it provides the means of producing4 ,other religions multiply articles of faith and ritual observances1 and pompous ceremonials3 this alone fixes upon the internal character of the worshipper and the actual state of the heart before ,god4 ,god first gives grace1 and then owns and honours the grace which ,he gives4 ,the preparations of the heart are of the ,lord2 ,the prayer of the upright is ,his delight 7chap4 xv4 #h74 ,this was discovered long before ,solomon's time4 ,it was from the very first the primary design of the religion of the ,bible4 ,by faith ,abel offered unto ,god a more excellent sacrifice than ,cain 7,heb4 xi4 #d74 4 4 4 ,it is ,god's prerogative to prepare the heart for ,himself1 and he does this especially1 by establishing the principles of grace and holiness in the mind1 and then actuating the habits of grace which ,his own ,spirit has implanted4 ,we need preparation--#a4 ,for spiritual worship4 ,the worship of ,god1 as it necessarily includes all the devout affections1 is the most spiritual act in which we are engaged4 ,in prayer1 in reading and hearing ,god's word1 and in approaching the sacramental table1 we have especially to do with ,god1 in the gracious relations in which ,he stands to us4 ,and as these exercises raise us above the ordinary level of the world1 and are foreign to our ordinary habits of thought and emotion as the creatures of dust and time1 we need especial assistance to fix our attention1 to purify our motives1 and to realise the presence of the ,master of assemblies4 ,we need grace whereby to serve ,god acceptably with reverence and godly fear 7,heb4 xii4 #bh74 ,this preparation of the heart is ,god's gift1 it is ,god's promise1 it is the ,church's hope1 and it has been realised in the experience of ,god's faithful people in the ordinances of ,his appointment4 #b4 ,for active service4 ,christians have much to do for ,god in the world1 in the family1 in the ,church1 in the disposal of their ordinary business1 etc4 ,in all these things wisdom is needed to direct1 and wisdom should be sought from ,him4 #c4 ,for patient suffering4 ,it is a great thing to have a heart prepared for suffering4 ,one important requisite is1 to anticipate its approach1 that that day may not come upon us unawares1 that trial may not entangle us in temptation1 but may1 like the overflowings of the ,nile1 leave the means of fertility behind4 ,another requisite is that we should expect to meet with ,god in affliction4 ,when ,god announces a long succession of national judgments1 ,he says1 ,and because ,i will do this1 prepare to meet thy ,god1 ,o ,israel 7,amos iv4 #ab74 ,this text is usually applied to death and judgment1 but it really relates to worldly disasters1 and teaches that ,god would have us prepare to meet ,him in the distressing changes of human life4 #d4 ,for enjoyment4 ,if there is much to be suffered there is also much to be enjoyed4 ,but a time of prosperity needs heart preparation1 lest a time of ease be a time of danger4 ,it is the bright day brings out the adder1 and that craves wary walking4 ,it was when ,noah had escaped the deluge1 and had gathered in his first vintage from the grapes he had planted1 that he drank of the wine and was drunken4 ,david1 safe in the wilderness1 was entangled in fatal snares when walking on the roof of his palace4 7,note4 ,though heart preparation is from ,god1 it is not given as a premium to sloth1 but in proportion to the earnestness with which we seek the grace4 ,the following passage from a letter of ,colonel ,gardiner tells how that man of ,god sought preparation from ,god for the ,lord's ,supper4 ,i took a walk on the hills and mountains over against ,ireland4 ,and could ,i give you a description of what passed there1 you would agree that ,i had much better reason to remember my ,god from the hills of ,port ,p------ than ,david from the ,hermonites1 the land of ,jordan1 and the hill ,mizar4 ,in short1 ,i wrestled with the ,angel of the ,covenant some hours1 and made supplication to ,him with strong crying and tears until ,i had almost expired1 but ,he strengthened me till ,i had power with ,god4 ,you will be able to judge by what you have felt upon like occasions1 after such a preparatory work1 how blessed the ,lord's ,supper was to me47--,s4 ,thodey4 ,man may lay out his plans1 but ,god alone can give them effect in answer to the tongue of prayer 7ver4 #i2 chap4 xix4 #ba2 #b ,cor4 iii4 #e74--,maurer4 ,often what you dispose in the aptest order in your heart you cannot also express suitably with your tongue4 ,what one aptly speaks is from ,god4--,mercer4 ,men often determine in heart to say something1 but ,god overrules their tongue so as to say something utterly different1 as in ,balaam's case 7,num4 xxiii74--,menochius4 ,god takes the stone out of the heart that it may feel 7,ezek4 xxxvi4 #bf72 draws it that it may follow2 quickens it that it may live4 ,he opens the heart that ,he may imprint ,his own law1 and mould it into ,his own image 7,acts xvi4 #ad2 ,jer4 xxxi4 #cc74 ,he works1 not merely by moral suasion or by the bare proposal of means of uncertain power1 but by the invisible ,almighty agency4 ,the work then begins with ,god4 ,it is not that we first come1 and then are taught2 but first we learn1 then we come 7,john vi4 #de74 4 4 4 ,shall we then wait indolently till ,he works8 ,far from it4 ,we must work1 but in dependence upon ,him4 ,he works not without us1 but with us1 through us1 in us1 by us1 and we work in ,him 7,phil4 ii4 #ac2 ,job xi4 #ac74 ,ours is the duty1 ,his is the strength2 ours the agency1 ,his the quickening grace4 ,the work1 as it is a duty1 is ours2 but as a performance it is ,god's 7,bishop ,reynolds74--,bridges4 ,undoubtedly we arrange and plan4 ,that is a matter of consciousness4 ,but these are but the tools of the ,designer4 ,he uses our plannings to shape the last word to ,his mind4 4 4 4 ,the arrangings of the heart are1 indeed1 as much ,god's as the final decree1 because1 in brief1 everything is4 ,he destines everything2 but not in the same sense in which they are consciously man's4 ,they precede the end1 and are present4 ,they cannot determine the end1 that is future4 ,i cannot determine now what ,i will say the next moment4 ,god can4 ,i can and do arrange4 ,but at any convenient point1 at any interval1 even the very least1 ,god can swing me round4 ,what ,i shall say is a part of ,his providence4 ,i cannot ordain to say it in such a way as that it shall be said4 ,in the smallest interval that follows ,god may tempt ,pharaoh1 and he may have new views as to letting the children of ,israel go4 ,god cannot tempt me to evil2 but ,he can govern by the privation of good4 ,and1 therefore1 the king's heart is in the hand of the ,lord1 as the rivers of water4 ,he turneth it whithersoever ,he will4 ,this1 of course1 implicates ,god1 to our weak seeming1 in the sins of the wicked4 ,the next verse discharges ,him from any such accountability4 7,see ,miller's rendering of verse #b1 in his comments47--,miller4 ,though a man have never so exactly marshalled his matter in hand1 as it were1 in battle array1 as the ,hebrew imports1 though he have set down with himself both what and how to speak1 yet he shall never be able to bring forth his conception without the help of ,god4 4 4 4 ,digressions are not always unuseful4 ,god's ,spirit sometimes draws aside the doctrine to satisfy some soul which the preacher knows not4 ,but though ,god may force it1 yet man may not frame it4--,trapp4 ,this is a matter of experience to which the preacher1 the public speaker1 the author1 and every man to whom his calling or circumstances present a weighty difficult theme1 can attest4 ,as the thoughts pursue one another in the mind1 attempts are made and again abandoned2 the state of the heart is somewhat like that of chaos before the creation4 ,but when1 finally1 the right thought and the right utterance for it are found1 that which is found appears to us1 not as if self-discovered1 but as a gift2 we regard it with the feeling that a higher power has influenced our thoughts and imaginings2 the confession by us our sufficiency is of ,god 7#b ,cor4 iii4 #e7 in so far as we believe in a living ,god1 is inevitable4--,delitzsch4 ,man doth not carry himself one-half of the way1 and then as one wearied is carried the rest by ,god4 ,but it is ,god who supporteth him in the heart as well as in the tongue3 it is ,he that supporteth man in the preparations of the heart1 as well as in the subsequent proceedings of the man4 ,he is a ,god of the valleys as well as of the hills2 and it is ,he that worketh as well in the lowest degree of goodness as in the highest4 ,his praise reacheth from the roof of the heart to the tip of the tongue1 and all man's goodness is from ,his grace--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,the ,,weigher ,,of ,,spirits4 ,i4 ,one man has many ways4 ,the text speaks of all the ways of a man1 implying they are numerous and varied4 ,man is a compound creature--the animal and the spiritual--mind and matter--both go to make up a man1 and from this union of different elements come many different wants and wishes1 hopes and desires1 and from these many wants come many ways--many and diversified efforts to satisfy his cravings4 ,he finds himself having many bodily wants1 and he seeks many different ways of supplying them4 ,he is generally conscious of intellectual desires1 and he seeks ways of satisfaction for them4 ,if he listens to the voice within him1 he feels that he has moral needs1 and he tries to satisfy them also4 ,,ii4 ,as a rule men generally look with approbation upon their own ways or methods of life4 ,a man does this because they are his ways4 ,what is our own generally looks well to use because it is ours4 ,this is especially the case if it is ours by choice--if we have been the main instrument in its becoming ours4 ,the builder looks with partial eyes upon the house that he has planned1 the poet upon the poem that he has composed1 the painter upon the picture that he has painted1 the statesman upon the law that he has introduced4 ,most men are disposed to judge partially of their own deeds2 ungodly men always regard their own ways as clean4 ,the sinner has a way of life which he has chosen for himself1 and because it is his way he thinks it is a good way to walk in4 ,,iii4 ,there is therefore need of an impartial ,judge to pass sentence upon men's ways4 ,those who look upon us and our ways are generally better judges of us and of them than we are ourselves4 ,they are good judges in proportion as they are wise and disinterested1 and have a sincere desire to do us good4 ,from them1 if we are not given over to our own conceit and self-will1 we may gain much very important truth about our ways4 ,god is a judge who must be perfectly unbiased1 and ,he can have no object in view except our good1 therefore when ,he passes judgment upon our ways1 we must accept it as truth4 ,he declares that a man's ways1 though clean in his own eyes1 are not clean in ,his2 we must not question the decision of absolute goodness and wisdom1 and by refusing to have our ways condemned and to accept ,his ways 7,isa4 lv4 #f-h71 shut out from ourselves all hope of bettering our lives4 ,,iv4 ,however one man's ways may deceive another1 there is no danger of mistake on the part of ,god4 ,the ,lord weigheth the spirits4 ,a man may deceive himself as to the goodness of his ways4 ,saul of ,tarsus certainly did4 ,when he persecuted unto death1 binding and delivering into prisons both men and women 7,acts xxii4 #d71 his ways were clean in his own eyes4 ,but ,god weighed his spirit and found him wanting4 ,and a man may deceive others4 ,his outer garment may be so spotless that his fellows may not suspect what is hidden beneath4 ,but there is an eye that can go beneath the surface--discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart2 there is ,one whose glory it is that ,he shall not judge after the sight of ,his eyes1 neither reprove after the hearing of ,his ears1 and whose judgment1 therefore is righteousness and equity 7,isa4 xi4 #c1 #d74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as to all the ways of a man1 pure in ,his own eyes1 while yet he weighs out spirits1 is ,jehovah4 ,this change is very bold1 and yet1 really1 not so bold as the old readings4 ,it explains why pure is found to be in the singular4 ,the common version1 besides that disagreement of number1 is strained1 in sense1 materially4 ,there are instances of like thought 7,psa4 xxxvi4 #b71 and1 in one case1 great similarity of language 7chap4 xii4 #ae72 but the emphasis1 in the present instance1 seems stronger than in any of the rest1 and would make us pause4 ,it is not altogether true1 the all the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes4 ,moreover1 the case most like it 7chap4 xxi4 #b71 and which might seem irrefragably to establish it in its sense1 we shall find habited in the same way4 4 4 4 ,and while our common version would jump needlessly into another subject1 the one ,i give fits most perfectly4 ,god moves man as ,he lists 7ver4 #a71 and yet1 as to the ways of a man1 ,he is right in ,his own eyes while ,he weighs out spirits4 ,he weighs out to all that which determines them1 and that is1 gifts according to the measure that ,he ordained in the ,redeemer4 ,he weighs out in the sense of taking strict account4--,miller4 ,weighing them1 as goldsmiths do their plate and coins1 finding them light and counterfeit oftentimes4--,muffet4 ,his weighing the spirits implies that here the moral good or the moral evil really lies4 ,the mere action is in itself incapable of either1 independently of what it indicates in the agent4 ,when we speak of a moral action1 we mean the action of a moral agent4 ,a dog and a man may do the same action--may carry off1 for instance1 for their own use respectively1 what is the property of another4 ,we never think of calling it a moral action in a dog1 but we condemn the man for the commission of a crime against his neighbour1 and a sin against his ,god4 ,an action may even in its effects be beneficial1 which in regard to the doer of it is inexcusably bad3 it may be good in its results1 but bad in its principles4--,wardlaw4 ,they that were born in hell know no other heaven2 neither goes any man to hell but he has some excuse for it4 ,as covetousness1 so most other sins go cloaked and coloured4 ,all is not gold that glitters4 ,a thing that ,i see in the night may shine1 and that shining proceed from nothing but rottenness4 4 4 4 ,but ,god turns up the bottom of the bag as ,joseph's stewards did1 and then come out all our thefts and misdoings that had so long lain latent4--,trapp4 ,the important doctrine deducible from this text is that conscience 7simply as conscience7 is no safe guide1 but requires to be informed and regulated by ,god's ,will and ,word1 and that a right intention is not sufficient to make a good action4--,wordsworth4 ,how unclean are man's eyes1 in whose eyes all his ways are clean4 ,certainly whatever a man's sentence may be of himself1 there is something in him that gives another judgment4 ,there is a spirit in man whose eyes1 though dazzled much1 cannot be put out4 ,that seeth and condemneth much uncleanness1 which man's wilful blindness and seeing darkness will needs have to be purity4 ,there is a conscience in man which1 though enslaved much1 yet in many ways goeth contrary to man's perverseness1 and condemneth those ways which man approveth4 ,but ,god is greater than man's heart1 and by the exact weights of ,his conscience discerning the errors of the conscience ,he pronounceth all a man's ways to be unclean4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,the ,,establishment ,,of ,,thoughts4 ,i4 ,there is an intimate connection between a man's works and a man's thoughts4 ,where there is no thinking there can certainly be no profitable work4 ,the skilful workman has the plan of his work in his mind before he begins to use his fingers to execute it1 and throughout its progress his thought is as busy as his hand4 ,a work undertaken and carried through without thought is generally a useless work2 indeed1 it is impossible for working to be entirely independent of thinking4 ,,ii4 ,for the establishment of work there must first be the establishment of the thoughts4 ,when a ship is under the guidance of one master-mind1 and this mind is self-possessed and thoughtful1 all the crew under his rule move with the regularity of clock-work4 ,order reigns in the leader1 and therefore order rules the subordinates4 ,he is the head and they are the hands1 and because the one moves in obedience to a fixed purpose1 the others do also4 ,his thoughts are established1 and therefore the work is done4 ,every man's thoughts ought to be the guide of his work1 and if his thoughts and his intentions are fixed1 or established1 by being in harmony with the righteous law of ,god1 his works will partake of the same character4 ,the orderliness of his outward life will be the effect of an order that reigns within4 ,,iii4 ,if the thoughts are to be established1 our undertakings must be committed to ,god4 ,the learner tells the master what work he intends to undertake--he unfolds to him the plan of the machine he is going to construct1 or shows him the design of the house he hopes to build1 or the picture which he intends to paint1 that he may be strengthened and encouraged in his undertaking1 and that he may find out whether he has the approval of one who is much wiser than himself4 ,if the master approves of his plan his mind is more fully made up1 he is strengthened in his determination1 his thoughts are established4 ,before he might have wavered1 but now that he has submitted all his plans to one in whom he has full confidence and obtained his approval1 he sets to work with a goodwill which is an earnest of success4 ,if in all our undertakings in life we lay our plans before the ,lord1 and if we find1 upon consulting ,his ,word1 that they are not in any way contrary to ,his ,will1 but appear to be in conformity with it1 our minds have rest1 our hopes of success grow stronger1 and our energy is quickened to go forward4 ,the establishment of our thought tends to the establishment of our work4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,i consider that work as good as done1 that trial as good as borne1 which ,i have solemnly committed to ,god in prayer4--,fausset4 ,this counsel implies--#a4 ,that all our purposes and doings should be in accordance with ,god's ,will4 ,how is it possible to commit them to ,god otherwise8 4 4 4 ,we ought not to form or pursue any purpose unless we can1 with confidence1 acknowledge ,god in it4 ,the maxim by which1 as ,christians1 we should be regulated1 is to be found in the words--,whatsoever is not of faith--whatsoever does not proceed from a full conviction of right--is sin 7,rom4 xiv4 #bc74 #b4 ,that none of our works can prosper without ,god4 ,this is a lesson of which the ,divine ,word is full 7,psa4 cxxvii4 #a2 ,dan4 v4 #bc2 ,james iv4 #ac-af71 etc4 #c4 ,that it is1 therefore1 the obvious and imperative duty of intelligent creatures to own their dependence4 4 4 4 ,this is a counsel to which1 despite all the theories and speculations of infidelity1 natural conscience gives its sanction4 #d4 ,that what is our duty is at the same time our interest4 ,the act of committing all things into the hands of ,god to be regulated as ,he may see fit1 preserves the spirit from corroding anxiety4 #e4 ,god will graciously smile on the efforts1 and accomplish the purpose and wishes of him who seeks ,his blessing4 ,god will second and prosper1 and fulfil the purposes he forms1 and the desires he cherishes1 crowning his endeavours with success4--,wardlaw4 ,roll thy doings in the direction of ,jehovah2 and they shall have success according to thy plans4 ,roll1 not exactly commit4 ,in the direction of the preposition towards4 ,trust1 therefore1 is less implied than an attitude of service4 ,roll forward thy work in the direction of ,jehovah2 that is1 with an eye to ,him2 in a harmony with ,him1 recognising ,his plans 7ver4 #d73 and what will be the result8 ,why1 ,god means to have ,his way at any rate4 ,our works will have success1 one or the other fashion1 in ,his scheme of ,providence4 ,he works in the work even of ,beelzebub4 ,but if we act in the direction of ,his ,will1 they will have success as we planned them4 ,that seems to be the meaning4 ,we might read1 thy plans shall have success4 4 4 4 ,the whole would then mean1 thy doings shall have success 7literally1 be made to stand7 as thy plans1 or in the shape thy plans gave them4 ,or1 in other words1 ,god1 having an express purpose for all you do 7ver4 #d71 will give success to your work at any rate4 ,he has the exact niche for all you work at4 ,but1 if you turn it in ,his direction1 and aim with it at ,his ,will1 ,he will aim at yours2 that is1 ,he will give a success after your plan2 if not in the actual letter1 still1 in what is far the best1 in the way best suited to your peculiar interest4--,miller4 ,never is the heart at rest till it repose in ,god2 till then it flickers up and down1 as ,noah's dove did upon the face of the flood1 and found no footing till she returned to the ark4 ,perfect trust is blessed with a perfect peace4 ,a famous instance of this we have in our ,saviour1 ,now is my soul troubled1 and what shall ,i say8 ,father1 save me from this hour1 but for this cause came ,i to this hour4 ,father1 glorify ,thy name 7,john xii4 #bg74 ,all the while the eye of ,his humanity was fixed upon deliverance from the hour of ,his temptation2 there was no peace nor rest in ,his soul1 because there ,he found not only uncertainty1 but impossibility4 ,but when he could wait on1 acquiesce in1 and resign to the will of ,his ,father1 we never hear of any more objection1 fear1 or trouble4--,trapp4 ,the word commit most properly signifieth cast1 or tumble thy works unto the ,lord4 ,now1 in casting or tumbling1 there are three things4 ,first1 a regardlessness of any merit in them1 for such things are usually tumbled as are little cared for4 ,secondly1 a speediness1 for commonly things are tumbled to make the greater haste4 ,thirdly1 there is a weakness and lightness in the things tumbled1 for things of weight and strength are not so easily removed4 ,now1 plainly1 such are the works of man3 there is little solidity or stability in them2 tumble them1 therefore1 upon the ,lord--commit them into ,his hands4 ,and do it speedily2 do not defer it until thou seest no farther help in man1 but at first betake thyself unto ,him1 for that will best show the confidence thou hast in ,him4 ,and do not fret and vex thyself with care1 but tumble and cast thy care upon ,god4 ,the less thou carest in that manner the more ,he will care for thee4 ,so that by ,him thy works shall be established which of themselves are frail and uncertain2 by ,him no time shall be lost for the well ordering of them1 if thou lose no time in the committing of them to ,him4 ,or else we may take the meaning of the words thus1 ,put over thy works unto the ,lord1 and whatsoever thou doest well let ,him have the praise of it--let ,him have thanks for it4 4 4 4 ,to this purpose ,chrysostom borroweth a similitude from the play at ball1 saying1 ,we must cast back and return our works unto ,god1 even as in the play of tennis1 the one tosseth1 the other tosseth back the ball1 and so long the sport handsomely continueth1 as the ball tossed and tossed back again between the hands of both doth not fall down4 ,the comfort of that which we have received from ,god is so long happily continued to us as we return ,god thanks for it4--,jermin4 ,verses #b1 #c4 ,the first of these verses tells us how a man goes wrong1 and the second how he may be set right again4 ,he is led into error by doing what pleases himself2 the rule for recovery is to commit the works to the ,lord1 and see that they are such as will please ,him4 ,when we weigh our thoughts and actions in the balances of our own desires we shall inevitably go astray4 ,when we lay them before ,god1 and submit to ,his pleasure1 we shall be guided into truth and righteousness4 4 4 4 ,it is a common and sound advice to ask counsel of the ,lord before undertaking any work4 ,here we have the counterpart equally precious--commit the work to the ,lord after it is done4 ,the ,hebrew idiom gives peculiar emphasis to the precept--roll it over on ,jehovah4 ,mark the beautiful reciprocity of the two1 and how they constitute a circle between them4 ,while the act is yet in embryo as a purpose in your mind1 ask counsel of the ,lord1 that it may be crushed in the birth1 or embodied in righteousness4 ,when it is embodied bring the work back to the ,lord1 and give it over into ,his hand as the fruit of the thought you besought ,him to inspire4 4 4 4 ,these two rules following each other in a circle1 would make the outspread field of a ,christian's life sunny1 and green1 and fruitful1 as the circling of the solar system brightens and fertilises the earth4 4 4 4 ,perhaps most professing ,christians find it easier to go to ,god beforehand1 asking what they should do1 than to return to ,him afterwards1 to place their work in ,his hands4 ,this may1 in part1 account for the want of answer to prayer--at least the want of a knowledge that prayer has been answered4 ,if you do not complete the circle your message by telegraph will never reach its destination1 and no answer will return4 ,we send in earnest prayer for direction4 ,thereafter we go into the world of action4 ,but if we do not bring the action back to ,god the circle of supplication is not completed4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,,all ,,things ,,for ,,god4 ,i4 ,there is one ,person in the universe who knows the history of all things4 ,jehovah knows all things because ,he made all things4 ,some men know the history of their nation and the history of many nations4 ,others know the history of the philosophies of the world1 can tell when and by whom certain ideas were first promulgated and certain methods adopted4 ,there are other men who are acquainted with the history of natural objects1 and whose knowledge is so extensive that it embraces the heavens above and the waters under the earth4 ,but there is only ,one ,being who can claim a knowledge of all things and all persons1 and that is the ,maker of all things4 ,the smith who has beaten a ploughshare out of rough iron can give us the history of the share because he made it4 ,the sculptor who calls into shape and form a beautiful statue knows the day and hour when the statue ceased to be a thing of the imagination only by the first application of his chisel4 ,and he can give the history of its progress from that day until now because he is the author of its existence4 ,so ,god1 having called all things into being at first1 and having upheld them ever since by the word of ,his power1 has a perfect knowledge of their history4 ,but ,he goes farther4 ,no human worker knows anything of the essential nature of the material out of which he fashions his work--he finds that ready to his hand and can tell us but little about it4 ,but ,god is the ,creator of matter2 ,he called it into being at first1 and therefore knows not only the history of the formation of things as we see them but the essential qualities of the material out of which they are formed4 ,,ii4 ,creation is the work of ,one ,being4 ,most things made by man need co-operation4 ,although they are but inanimate objects they cannot be made by the unaided efforts of one creature4 ,he must have the skill and strength of others to help him1 either in the actual work itself1 or in the preparation of the material1 or the tools which he uses4 ,a palace can be built only by the united effort of many hundreds of intelligent creatures1 and when they have finished it they have only made a lifeless thing4 ,a ship when in full sail is as much like a thing of life as any work of man1 yet the movement that makes it look so life-like is not in itself but comes from an external power4 ,yet inanimate though it is1 how many a man gave his toil and his strength to bring into existence this new thing4 ,one thing made by man requires the strength and skill of many1 and when made is without life2 but the ,one ,god is the maker of all things that we see around us1 many of which are full of life4 ,,iii4 ,the world is not co-equal with ,god4 ,matter is one of the all things which ,he has made4 ,this being the case it is not as old as ,god4 ,he was before the material was out of which in the beginning ,he created the heavens and the earth4 ,,iv4 ,the ,one ,god is the absolute ,lord of all ,his creatures4 ,this is the thought which must be expressed in the second clause of this verse4 ,in considering it we must remember--#a4 ,that the infinitely good ,god can do no wrong4 ,in proportion as men are good1 certain acts are impossible to them4 ,there are human beings who we feel are incapable of certain immoral acts4 ,in proportion as men approach in their characters to the character of ,god it becomes a moral impossibility for them to do wrong to any creature4 ,it is1 therefore1 conceivable that if we could find a man who was perfectly true and good we should find a being who could do no wrong4 ,we cannot find such an absolute being among fallen men1 but we do have such a ,being in ,god4 ,he is absolute goodness and righteousness and truth--as to ,his character1 ,he is light1 and in ,him is no darkness at all4 ,it is1 therefore1 impossible for ,him in any way to be author of sin4 ,being absolute goodness1 ,he cannot make a wicked man4 ,he hates sin1 and cannot increase it by creating wickedness4 ,it is an impossibility for ,him to be the author of wrong in any way4 #b4 ,that all ,his plans and purposes are manifestly directed to making men good4 ,if any person were to declare that ,god delighted or purposed that ,his creatures should live in darkness1 we should point to the sun in the heavens as a direct refutation of such a statement4 ,to any who declare that ,god is indifferent as to whether men live in sin or not1 we point to the ,bible and to the incarnation and death of ,his ,son as the most emphatic denial of such an assertion4 ,and if1 in the face of such facts1 it is impossible to believe that ,god is indifferent as to human character1 it is a thousand times more impossible to conceive the possibility of ,his creating a wicked man4 #c4 ,therefore no man can be brought to a day of evil except by his own consent4 ,no man can be brought to perform an evil deed except by his own consent1 and consequently he cannot be brought to the consequences of evil without the exercise of his own free will4 ,the human tempter cannot destroy the virtue of his victim unless he first gain his consent1 and whatever evil day comes as the consequences1 the sinner feels that it is the fruit of his own act4 ,the sting would be removed if he felt that it had come upon him without any deed of his own4 ,satan certainly believes that he can bring no man to a day of evil without that man's consent4 ,consequently his great work is that of a tempter--a persuader--his great aim is to win the will of every man as he won that of our first parents4 ,nor can ,god bring a man to a day of evil unless that man consent4 ,he has made man free1 and ,his nature forbids ,him to tempt ,his creatures to evil 7,jas4 i4 #ac71 much more it makes it impossible that ,he should coerce their will to the committal of sin1 which is the sole cause of all the evil that is found in the universe4 ,the declaration of the text therefore is3 #a4 ,that all men exist by the will of ,god1 who desires them to use their present life1 so as to be fitted for a higher one4 #b4 ,that if a man crosses ,god's desires and purposes in this matter1 he will come to a day of evil4 #c4 ,god will use the actions of those who opposed ,his will against themselves1 and for the furtherance of ,his own purpose4 ,god was the ,author of ,pharaoh's existence1 and if he had yielded to the ,divine ,will he would by obedience have been raised to a higher condition of life4 ,but when he opposed the ,will of ,god1 and put away from him the opportunities of ,divine enlightenment1 then it might be said that ,god created him for the day of evil--then ,god over-ruled his opposition to ,his glory and to ,pharaoh's destruction4 ,and so ,he deals with all who exalt themselves against ,his will1 refusing to fall in with ,his purpose of mercy towards them4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,even the wicked for the day of evil1 i4e41 to experience the day of evil1 and then to receive ,his well-merited punishment4 ,it is not specifically the day of final judgment that is directly intended 7as though the doctrine here were that of a predestination of the ungodly to eternal damnation71 but any day of calamity whatsoever which ,god has fixed for the ungodly1 whether it may overtake him in this or in a future life4 ,comp4 the day of destruction 7,job xxi4 #cj71 the day of visitation 7,isa4 x4 #c74--,lange's ,commentary4 ,the day of evil is generally understood1 and ,i have myself been accustomed so to explain it1 of the day of final visitation and suffering to the wicked themselves4 ,but ,i am now inclined to doubt whether the day of evil has here this meaning at all4 ,there is another1 of which it is alike susceptible1 and which1 in ,scripture1 it frequently bears--namely1 the day of primitive visitation1 in the inflection of judicial vengeance1 in the course of ,god's providential administration4 ,i question if the suffering of the wicked be intended1 and am disposed to refer the phrase to the instrumental agency of the wicked4 ,the ,lord hath made all things for ,himself will thus mean that ,he employs all as instruments in effecting ,his purposes1 and that thus ,he makes the wicked as a part of ,his agency3 employing them1 without at all interfering with their freedom and their responsibility1 as the executioners of wrath1 when ,he cometh out of ,his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity1 thus rendering their very passions the means of accomplishing ,his designs1 making the wrath of man to praise ,him1 and restraining the remainder of wrath4--,wardlaw4 ,if by ,god's making all things for ,himself he meant that ,he aimed at and intended the manifestation of ,his wisdom1 and power1 and goodness in the creation of the world1 'tis most true that in this sense ,he made all things for ,himself2 but if we understand it so1 as if the goodness of ,his nature did not constrain ,him thereto1 but ,he had some design to serve ends and necessities of ,his own upon ,his creatures1 this is far from ,him4 ,but it is very probable that neither of these is the meaning of this text1 which may be rendered with much better sense1 and nearer to the ,hebrew1 thus1 ,god hath ordained everything to that which is fit for it1 and the wicked hath ,he ordained for the day of evil2 that is1 the wisdom of ,god hath fitted one thing for another1 punishment for sin1 the evil day to the evil-doer4--,tillotson4 ,god made things without life and reason to serve ,him passively and subjectively1 by administering occasion to man to admire and adore his ,maker2 but man was made to worship ,him actively and affectionately1 as sensible of1 and affected with1 that ,divine wisdom1 power1 and goodness which appear in them4 ,as all things are of ,him as the efficient cause1 so all things must necessarily be for ,him as the final cause4 ,but man is in an especial manner predestinated and elected for this purpose4 ,thou art mine2 ,i have created him for my glory2 ,i have formed him2 yea1 ,i have made him 7,isa4 xliii4 #a-g74--,swinnock4 ,god1 in ,his revelations1 hath told us nothing of the second causes which ,he hath established under ,himself for the production of ordinary effects1 that we not perplex ourselves about them1 but always look up to ,him as the first cause1 as working without them1 or by them1 as ,he sees good4 ,but he hath told us plainly of the final cause1 or end of all things1 that we may keep our eyes always fixed on that1 and accordingly strive all we can to promote it4--,beveridge4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,,heart-,,pride4 ,i4 ,that which may be hidden from all others is manifest to ,one ,being4 ,there is coin in the world that is not money nor money's worth1 although it often passes through the hands of many before its worthlessness is detected4 ,but there are eyes which could tell at once that it was not genuine1 and hands which if it came into their possession would soon reduce it to its true level among the baser metals4 ,so there is in the world a feigned humility1 which has so much the appearance of the genuine article that no earthly creature suspects that it is the covering of a heart big with pride4 ,but when ,god judges whether a man is proud or humble ,he looks through the words and actions at the heart4 ,everyone that is proud in heart1 etc4 ,,ii4 ,god abhors pride4 #a4 ,it is entirely contrary to ,his own nature4 ,god is entirely without pride4 ,his condescension is one of ,his most remarkable attributes4 ,god manifest in flesh abased ,himself beyond the possibility of any finite creature4 ,being in the form of ,god 4 4 4 ,he made ,himself of no reputation1 and took upon ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of men3 and being found in fashion as a man ,he humbled ,himself1 and became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross 7,phil4 ii4 #f-h74 ,we always find that in proportion as men are holy and ,god-like they are destitute of pride4 ,the proudest men are always those who have least to be proud of4 ,therefore pride can have no place in the character of the holy and ever-blessed ,god4 #b4 ,it is opposed to the possessor's well-being4 ,god not only abhors pride because ,he is ,himself supremely good1 but ,he holds it in abomination because ,he desires men's good4 ,whatever is opposed to ,god's nature must be opposed to man's interest4 ,he who desires the salvation of all ,his creatures hates pride because it holds men tied and bound in fetters which hinder their approach to ,him2 because it makes men akin to the fallen angels4 7,on this subject see also on chapters xi4 #a2 xiii4 #aj1 page #cje1 etc47 ,,iii4 ,union is no guarantee against punishment4 ,though hand join in hand1 he shall not be unpunished4 ,when that which is an abomination to ,god is the foundation of a confederation1 it must be overthrown by the power of the stronger arm4 ,and it contains within itself an element of overthrow4 ,a house may have an appearance of compactness which may lead a casual onlooker to think it is destined to stand for many a century4 ,but its foundation is in the sand1 and its fall is only the work of time1 even if storms and tempests never beat upon its walls4 ,so there may be an appearance of strength where pride is the basis of union1 but it can be only an appearance4 ,pride is a dividing force and not a binding one1 and all confederations against ,god being based upon it1 they rest only upon a foundation of sand4 7,see also on chap4 xi4 #ba47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 7#a47 ,if ,god has made everything for ,his purpose 7ver4 #d71 how foolish the man who arrogantly forgets ,him6 7#b47 ,if ,god has besought us to work under ,his plans 7ver4 #c71 how wicked the man who proudly mutinies4 ,if ,god works even in kings 7chap4 xxi4 #a71 how absurd the man who would work away from ,him4 ,how can it work well8 ,hand to hand1 i4e41 in close quarters 7chap4 xi4 #ba71 as we shall come all of us at the last1 how can the workers outside of the ,almighty possibly go unpunished8--,miller4 ,how many sins are in this sinful world1 and yet1 as ,lemuel saith of the good wife 7,prov4 xxxi4 #bi71 ,many daughters have done virtuously1 but thou surmountest them all4 ,so ,i may say of pride1 many sins have done wickedly1 but thou surmountest them all2 for the wrathful man1 the prodigal man1 the lascivious man1 the surfeiting man1 the slothful man1 is rather an enemy to himself than to ,god2 the envious man1 the covetous man1 the deceitful man1 the ungrateful man1 is rather an enemy to men than to ,god2 but the proud man sets himself against ,god1 because he doth against ,his laws1 he maketh himself equal with ,god1 because he doth all without ,god1 and craves no help of ,him2 he exalteth himself above ,god1 because he will have his own will1 though it be contrary to ,god's ,will4 ,as the humble man saith1 ,not unto us1 ,lord1 not unto us1 but to ,thy name give the glory 7,psa4 cxv4 #a72 so the proud man saith1 ,not unto ,him1 not unto ,him1 but unto us give glory44 4 4 ,therefore ,god is specially said to resist the proud1 because the proud resist ,him4 ,here is heaven against earth1 the ,creator against the creature1 the father against the son1 the ,prince against the subject--who is like to win the field8 4 4 4 ,it had been too heavy for them1 if he had said the ,lord doth not care for them2 for ,god's care preserveth us1 and our own care doth but trouble us2 but to say that the ,lord doth resist them1 is as if ,michael should denounce war with the dragon till he hath cast him into the pit4--,henry ,smith1 #aeij4 ,some make hand in hand to be no more than out of hand1 immediately1 or with ease1 for nothing is sooner or with more ease done than to fold one hand in another4 ,god shall spread forth ,his hands in the midst of them1 as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim1 and ,he shall bring down their pride together with the spoil of their hands 7,isa4 xxv4 #aa74 ,the motion in swimming is easy1 not strong2 for strong strokes in the water would rather sink than support4 ,god1 with greatest facility1 can subdue ,his stoutest adversary when once it comes to handy-gripes--when once his hands join to the proud man's hand--so some sense this text--so that they do manus conserere1 then shall it appear that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the ,living ,god 7,heb4 x4 #ca74--,trapp4 ,from hand to hand expresses the consecutive connection of causes through which the ,lord works2 though the proud escape one occasion of ,his punishment1 yet he is reserved for another4--,mercer4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,,the ,,purging ,,of ,,iniquity4 ,i4 ,there is in the human heart and in human life that which is not conducive to human happiness1 viz41 iniquity4 ,iniquity is inequality1 or injustice1 and a sinner is an unjust man4 #a4 ,he is unjust to himself4 ,he is bound to render to himself what is due to his own nature--to care for his own real and highest interests--but this no ungodly man does4 #b4 ,he practises iniquity towards his neighbour4 ,this follows from the first as a necessary consequence4 ,shakespeare thus admonishes us-- ,to thine own self be true1 ,and it must follow1 as the night the day1 ,thou canst not then be false to any man4 ,but if a man is not true to himself1 it follows as certainly that he will not be true to any other man--will not in its real and broad sense be a just man in his relations to others4 #c4 ,he practises iniquity towards ,god4 ,he does not render to ,god that which is ,his just due1 and this is indeed the foundation of his iniquity towards himself and his fellow-men4 ,,ii4 ,human nature cannot find within itself a remedy for its own iniquity4 ,the man who is smitten with fever cannot find a remedy for his disease in his own diseased body--he must look somewhere else for a cure4 ,there are remedies powerful in curing his disease1 but they must be administered from without1 they are not resident within him4 ,so there is a cure for human iniquity1 and that cure is to be found in contact with mercy and truth1 but neither of these is to be found in fallen human nature1 or1 if some traces exist among men1 the mercy is not abundant enough1 and the truth is not unalloyed enough to effect the cure4 ,,iii4 ,there is enough mercy and truth in ,god to do away with human iniquity4 ,he has devised a plan by which ,his abundant mercy and ,his unsullied truth shall be brought into contact with sinful men in such a manner as to cure them of their sin4 ,mercy without truth could not meet the need1 neither could truth without mercy4 ,mercy is needed to do away with the guilt of sin--to give remission for past transgressions1 but it is equally needful that some standard of truth and righteousness should also be given1 lest men sin that grace may abound4 ,mercy frees the sinner from the penalty of sin1 but truth is brought into contact with his soul to free him from the power of sin4 ,being made free from sin men must become servants of ,god1 and have fruit unto holiness 7,rom4 vi4 #bb74 ,and to obtain this end there must be a reception into the human soul of ,divine truth to transform it--to regenerate it4 ,hence when the ,word was made flesh1 and dwelt among us1 and men beheld ,his glory1 it was a glory full of grace and truth 7,john i4 #ad74 ,for ,homiletics on the second clause of this verse1 see on chap4 xiv4 #ae 7page #cfd74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,loving and faithful conduct towards one's neighbour is not in and of itself named as the ground of the expiation of sin1 but only so far forth as it is a sign and necessary expression of a really penitent and believing disposition of heart1 and so is a correlative to the fear of ,god1 which is made prominent in the second clause2 just as in the expression of ,jesus with reference to the sinning woman 7,luke vii4 #dg71 or as in ,isa4 lviii4 #g2 ,dan4 iv4 #cd1 etc4--,zckler4 ,the purging of iniquity seems here to direct us to expiation1 and considering that ,divine mercy and truth are frequently exhibited in connection with this invaluable blessing1 the analogy of faith appears to link it here with these combined perfections which kiss in ,christ the ,mediator 7,psa4 lxxxv4 #aj71 and with that covenant of grace in which they shine so brightly4 ,should this view be thought not to cohere with the general tenor of this book1 which deals more with practical points and matters of common life than with the deeper articles of faith1 it may be observed that1 when some of its pages are so fully illuminated by evangelical sunshine 7chap4 viii4 #i71 we might naturally expect--besides this connected splendour--occasional rays of doctrinal light to rest upon this system of ,christian morals4 4 4 4 ,god purges iniquity by sacrifice1 not nullifying the sanctions of the law by a simple deed of mercy1 but combining the manifestations of ,his truth by fulfilling these sanctions upon the ,surety which mercy provided 7,isa4 liii4 #f1 #b ,cor4 v4 #ba74 4 4 4 ,so gloriously do these two attributes harmonise4 ,we inquire not to which we owe the deepest obligation4 ,mercy engages1 truth fulfils the engagements4 ,mercy provides--truth accepts--the ransom4 ,both sat together in the ,eternal council4 ,both made their public entrance together into the world4 ,both1 like the two pillars of the temple 7#a ,kings vii4 #ba71 combine to support the ,christian's confidence4 4 4 4 ,the exercise of forgiveness is to implant a conservative principle4 ,by the fear of the ,lord men depart from evil4 ,the supposition of pardon for a sinner continuing impenitent would be to unite the two contraries of reconciliation and enmity4--,bridges4 ,the ,gospel in 7#a7 ,justification and 7#b7 ,sanctification is here as beautifully announced as by any of the apostles4 ,justification makes its appearance as a covering of iniquity by mercy and truth4 ,mercy and truth is the sum of holiness4 ,how does holiness1 therefore1 which is mercy and truth1 cover sin8 ,undoubtedly by the ,gospel method4 4 4 4 ,but then there is to be a turning from evil4 ,this is ,sanctification4 ,how is it to be accomplished8 ,by ourselves1 as the indispensable instrument4 ,mercy and truth win for us the ,spirit2 and then1 under this outfit1 we are to set out upon the journey4 ,the man in the temple must lift forth his hand 7,matt4 xii4 #aj74 ,but how are we to begin8 ,this book tells us again and again4 ,the fear of ,jehovah is the beginning of wisdom 7chap4 ix4 #aj74 ,the turning is by an access of fear4 ,but how are we to continue8 ,the turning is to be kept up4 ,it is more like a departing4 ,sin1 being slow to wear out1 the turning has to go on2 and it becomes a journey2 and we travel each day1 just as we set out4 4 4 4 ,and the very last of the journey1 like the very beginning1 is by the fear of ,jehovah4 ,the actual fear of ,jehovah1 tempered by love1 is a thing of discipline 7see on chap4 xv4 #cc71 which drives the ,christian away from his iniquity4--,miller4 ,to fear the ,lord and to depart from evil1 are phrases which the ,scriptures use in very great latitude to express to us the sum of religion and the whole of our duty4 #a4 ,it is very usual in ,scripture to express the whole of religion by some eminent principle or part of it4 ,the great principles of religion are knowledge1 faith1 remembrance1 love1 and fear4 ,and religion is called the knowledge of the holy 7,prov4 xxx4 #c71 and the remembrance of ,god 7,eccles4 xii4 #a71 and the love of ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #bh1 etc471 and here and elsewhere the fear of the ,lord 7,mal4 iii4 #af1 etc474 ,so likewise the sum of all religion is often expressed by some eminent part of it1 as it is here expressed by departing from evil4 ,it is described by seeking ,god 7,heb4 xi4 #f7 and by calling on ,his name 7,acts ii4 #ba71 etc41 etc4 #b4 ,the fitness of these two phrases to describe religion4 ,the fitness of the first will appear if we consider how great an influence the fear of ,god hath upon men to make them religious4 ,fear is a passion that is most deeply rooted in our natures1 and flows immediately from that principle of self-preservation which ,god hath planted in every man4 ,everyone desires his own preservation and happiness1 therefore everyone has a natural dread of anything that can destroy them4 ,and the greatest danger is from the greatest power1 and that is omnipotency4 ,so that the fear of ,god is an inward acknowledgement of a holy and just being1 who is armed with an almighty and irresistible power2 ,god having hid in every man's conscience a secret awe and dread of ,his infinite power and eternal justice4 ,now fear1 being so intimate to our nature1 is the strongest bond of laws1 and the great security of our duty4 4 4 4 ,for though we have lost in a great measure the gust and relish of true happiness1 yet we still retain a quick sense of pain and misery4 ,so that fear relies upon a natural love of ourselves1 and is complicated with a necessary desire of our own preservation4 ,and therefore religion usually makes its entrance into us by this passion2 hence1 perhaps1 it is that ,solomon more than once calls it the beginning of wisdom4 ,as for the second phrase1 the fitness of it will appear if we consider the necessary connection that there is between the negative and positive part of our duty4 ,he that is careful to avoid all sin will sincerely endeavour to perform his duty4 ,for the soul of man is an active principle1 and will be employed one way or the other1 it will be doing something2 if a man abstain from evil he will do good4 ,virtue begins in the forsaking of vice2 and the first part of wisdom is not to be a fool4 4 4 4 ,the law of ,god1 contained in the ,ten ,commandments1 consists mostly of prohibitions which yet include obedience likewise to the positive precepts contained in those prohibitions4--,tillotson4 ,no object can well be more dull and meaningless than the stained window of an ancient church1 as long as you stand without and look upon a dark interior2 but when you stand within the temple1 and look through that window upon the light from heaven1 the still1 sweet1 solemn forms that lie in it start into life and loveliness4 ,the beauty was all conceived by the mind1 and wrought by the hand of the ancient artist whose bones now lie mouldering in the surrounding churchyard2 but the beauty lies hid until two requisites come together--a seeing eye within1 and a shining light without4 ,we often meet with a verse upon the page of the ,old ,testament ,scriptures very like those ancient works of art4 ,the beauty of holiness is in it--put into it by the ,spirit from the first1 and yet its meaning was not fully known until the ,sun of ,righteousness arose1 and the ,israel of ,god1 no longer kept in the outer court1 entered through the rent veil1 and from the ,holy of ,holies1 looked through the ancient record on an illuminated heaven4 ,many hidden beauties burst into view upon the pages of the ,bible1 when ,faith's open eye looks through it on the face of ,jesus4 ,one of these texts is now before us4 4 4 4 ,the first clause tells how the guilt of sin is forgiven2 the second1 how the power of sin is subdued4 ,solomon unites the two constituent elements of the sinner's deliverance in the same order in which his father experienced them3 ,i have hoped for thy salvation1 and done thy commandments 7,ps4 cxix4 #aff74 ,it is when iniquity is purged by free grace that men practically depart from evil4 4 4 4 ,mercy and truth meet in the ,mediator4 ,in ,christ the fire meets the water without drying it up3 the water meets the fire without quenching it4--,arnot4 ,by iniquity ,god and men are severed1 and never can iniquity be pardoned until ,god and man meet again4 ,to procure this meeting there must be a meeting of mercy and truth1 of mercy in ,god and truth in man4 ,and these do call the one for the other4 ,the mercy of ,god being ready to forgive iniquity1 calleth for truth in man to confess iniquity2 the truth of man being ready to confess his iniquity calleth for the mercy of ,god to pardon his iniquity4 ,now these two readily concurring1 ,god and man are rejoined1 and by their reunion iniquity is purged4 ,but then there must follow a departing from iniquity4 4 4 4 ,for iniquity1 forgiven and not forsaken1 doubleth the iniquity both in man's guilt and ,god's wrath4 ,wherefore1 let the mercy of the ,lord breed a fear in thee1 and let the truth of thy repentance appear1 as well in shunning iniquity as in forsaking of it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,,pleasing ,,god4 ,i4 ,there are times when men's ways do not please the ,lord4 ,the ways of the ungodly do not at any time please the ,lord4 ,because they have no sympathy with ,his laws1 and are at variance with ,his character4 ,god is not in all their thoughts 7,psalm x4 #d71 and it is impossible for ,god to be pleased with the ways of them who do not think ,him worth thinking about4 ,a man must forsake his own ways and come into ,god's ways before his ways can please the ,lord4 ,the ways of a good man do not at all times please the ,lord4 ,they sometimes stray from the royal road--the highway of righteousness--and get into bye-paths1 and thus bring down upon themselves the displeasure of their ,god4 ,david1 though in the main a man after ,god's own heart1 more than once walked in paths that were displeasing to the ,lord1 and several incidents in his life teach us plainly that some ways of a godly man may be very contrary to the ,divine mind4 ,,ii4 ,but ,god can be pleased by a man's ways4 ,those who strive to conform to our desires--who are in sympathy with our minds--naturally yield us pleasure4 ,and a good man's desire is to conform his ways to the ,will of ,god--he is in sympathy with the mind of ,god1 and his life is the outcome of that sympathy4 ,therefore he can yield pleasure to the ,eternal4 ,if the ,creator1 in looking upon the inanimate works of ,his hands1 pronounces them good 7,gen4 i4 #ca7 when ,he sees them fulfilling the design of their creation1 how much more good in ,his sight is it when a moral and responsible creature who has power to turn out of the path ordained for him seeks patiently to continue in well-doing notwithstanding all the temptations he has to encounter4 ,,iii4 ,the consequence upon men's minds of thus giving pleasure to the ,divine mind4 ,the way of pleasing the ,lord promotes favour and a good understanding in the sight of ,god and man 7chap4 iii4 #d74 ,he whose aim is to please ,god will desire and strive to live at peace with men4 ,and in cases where his godliness provokes the enmity of the ungodly1 ,god1 by ,his overruling ,providence1 often directly interferes on his behalf4 ,he did so in the case of ,jacob and ,laban1 in that of ,joseph and his brethren1 etc4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the doctrine of this verse1 stands in apparent contradiction to #b ,tim4 iii4 #ab4 ,the truth seems to be that neither of the passages is to be taken universally4 ,the peace possessed by those who please ,god does not extend so far as to exempt them from having enemies1 and though all godly men must be persecuted1 yet none are persecuted at all times4 ,the passage from ,timothy may1 therefore1 refer to the native enmity which true godliness is certain to excite1 and the proverb to the ,divine control over it4--,a4 ,fuller4 ,there would be more sunlight in the believer's life if he could leave the dull negative fear of judgment far behind as a motive of action1 and bound forward into the glad positive1 a hopeful effort to please ,god4 4 4 4 ,this is one of the two principles that stand together in the ,word1 and act together in the ,divine administration4 ,its counterpart and complement is1 ,if any man would live godly in ,christ ,jesus1 he must suffer persecution44 4 4 ,both are best2 neither could be wanted4 ,if the principle that goodness exposes to persecution prevailed everywhere and always1 the spirit would fail before ,him and the souls that ,he has made4 ,again1 if the principle that goodness conciliates the favour of the world prevailed everywhere and always1 no discipline would be done1 and the service of ,god would degenerate into mercenary self-interest4 4 4 4 ,a beautiful balance of opposites is employed to produce one grand result4 4 4 4 ,a ,christian in the world is like a human body in the sea--there is a tendency to sink and a tendency to swim4 ,a very small force in either direction will turn the scale4 ,our ,father in heaven holds the elements of nature and the passions of men at ,his own disposal4 ,his children need not fear1 for ,he keeps the balance in ,his own hands4--,arnot4 ,if it is manifest that ,god makes ,himself known1 bestowing blessings on a man1 there lies in this a power of conviction which disarms his most bitter opponents1 excepting only those who have in selfishness hardened themselves4--,delitzsch4 ,whatsoever a man's ways are1 it is part of every man's intention to please howsoever2 it is the object that maketh the difference4 ,all men strive to please1 but some to please themselves1 some to please other men1 and some few to please the ,lord4 4 4 4 ,the last is--#a4 ,a duty whereunto we stand bound by many obligations4 ,he is our ,master1 our ,captain1 our ,father1 our ,king4 ,he is no honest servant that will not strive to please his master4 ,and he is no generous soldier who will not strive to please his general4 ,and that son hath neither grace nor good nature in him that will not strive to please his father1 and he is no loyal subject that will not strive to please his lawful sovereign4 ,and yet there may be a time when all those obligations may cease1 for if it be their pleasure that we should do something that lawfully we may not1 we must disobey1 though we displease4 ,but we can have no colour of plea for refusing to do the pleasure of our heavenly ,lord and ,master1 in anything whatsoever2 inasmuch as we are sure nothing will please ,him but what is just and right4 ,with what a forehead1 then1 can any of us challenge from ,him either wages as servants1 or stipends as soldiers1 or provision as sons1 or protection as subjects1 if we be not careful in every respect to frame ourselves so as to please ,him8 #b4 ,it is our wisdom1 too3 in respect of the great benefits we shall reap thereby4 ,there is one great benefit expressed in the text1 and the scope of those words is to instruct us1 that the fairest and likeliest way to procure peace with men is to order our ways so as to please the ,lord4 4 4 4 ,the favour of ,god and the favour of men are often joined together in the ,scriptures as if the one were consequent of the other4 ,see ,luke ii4 #eb2 ,prov4 iii4 #c1 #d2 ,rom4 xiv4 #ah1 etc4 4 4 4 ,but it may be objected that sundry times when a man's ways are right1 and therefore pleasing to ,god1 his enemies are nothing less1 if not perhaps much more1 enraged against him than formerly4 4 4 4 ,sundry considerations may be of use to us in the difficulty1 as1 first1 if ,god have not yet made our enemies to be at peace with us1 yet it may be ,he will do it hereafter4 ,neither is it unlikely that we do not walk with an even foot1 and by a straight line1 but tread away in something or other which displeaseth ,god1 and for which ,he suffereth their enmity to continue4 4 4 4 ,or if ,he do not presently make our enemies to be at peace with us1 yet if ,he teach us to profit by their enmity1 in exercising our faith and patience1 in quickening us unto prayer1 etc41 is it not in every way1 and incomparably better8 ,will any wise man tax ,him with a breach of promise1 who1 having promised a pound of silver1 giveth a talent of gold8 ,or who can truly say that that man is not as good as his word who is apparently much better than his word8--,bp4 ,sanderson4 ,it is our peace with ,god that maketh ,him to make our enemies to be at peace with us1 and it is our enmity against ,god's enemies that maketh ,god to be at peace with us4 ,now1 the enemies of ,god are the sins of men1 and if we be in a continual war with those1 then do our ways please ,god4 ,then it is that ,he is ready to please us1 when our ways please ,him4 ,neither is ,he hard to please--a willingness1 a desire to please1 is accepted by ,him4 ,he looks not--,he requireth not--that we should do exactly all that is contained in ,his commandments1 but if we go about to please ,him--if we put ourselves carefully in the way--then do our ways please ,him4 ,and then will ,he give us that glorious victory over our enemies which is above all others4 ,for to subdue our enemies is but to make ourselves happy in their misery2 but to make our enemies at peace with us is a victory for ,god's hand1 and giveth man a double triumph1 as well over the hatred as the power of our enemies4--,jermin4 ,the subject of verse #h is substantially the same as that of chap4 xv4 #f and #ag4 ,see ,homiletics on page #dje1 etc4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,better1 for the tranquility of conscience1 for the present enjoyment of this life1 and for the life to come4 ,in chap4 xv4 #af1 we are warned against gain without religion1 in chap4 xv4 #ag1 against gain without love to our neighbour3 here1 against gain without right4--,fausset4 ,abraham would not take to himself of the spoils of ,sodom so much as the value of a shoe-latchet1 that it might never be said in after times that the king of ,sodom had made ,abraham rich2 so neither will any godly man that hath learned the art of contentation1 suffer a penny of the gain of ungodliness to mingle with the rest of his estate1 that the devil may not be able to upbraid him with it afterwards to his shame1 as if he had contributed something towards the increasing thereof4--,bishop ,sanderson4 ,a little that is in man's own is better than a great deal that is another body's4 ,now that which a man hath with righteousness is his own1 for there can be no better title than that which righteousness maketh4 ,but that which thou hast without right cannot be thine1 howsoever thou mayest account it1 or others may call it4 ,possession may be a great point in human laws1 but it is nothing in ,god's law2 the want of right overthroweth whatsoever else may be said4 ,tis true1 thou mayest have quiet possession on earth1 but there be adversaries that do implead the unrighteousness at ,god's judgment bar1 where they are sure last to be cast1 and where themselves will give the verdict which the wise man here doth4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,man ,,proposes1 ,,god ,,disposes4 ,i4 ,this is a fact of national and individual history4 ,in both inspired and uninspired records we meet with abundant confirmations of this truth4 ,there is no more striking illustration of it than in the life of ,joseph4 ,he leaves his father's house1 as he supposes1 for a few days1 little dreaming that he is traversing a path by which he will never return4 ,he only purposes to find his brethren1 and see if it is well with them1 and bring his father word again4 ,but ,god is then directing his steps into a far-off land--into slavery1 to a prison1 and through both to a throne4 ,so the shepherd boy of ,bethlehem sets out with the unambitious intention of carrying supplies to his brethren1 and of seeing how the battle is likely to go1 and becomes himself the central figure in the camp1 and the hero of his nation4 ,and ,david's predecessor goes in search of his father's asses1 and finds a crown and a kingdom at the end of his journey4 ,cromwell1 despairing of enjoying liberty in ,england1 planned to make a home in ,america1 and1 it is said1 actually went on board a vessel which was about to sail4 ,but ,god1 using as an instrument the man to whose throne he was to succeed1 directed his steps in another direction1 and being forbidden to quit the country1 he becomes not only ,england's deliverer1 but a great and powerful ruler1 whose influence was felt throughout ,europe4 ,clive went out to ,india as a clerk1 because he had no prospects of getting a living at home1 and lays the foundation of our ,indian empire4 ,and there is hardly a man living who1 if he reflects upon his past life1 cannot remember passages in his own history which confirm the truth of the text4 ,he makes certain plans1 and purposes to accomplish certain designs1 and the result of his doings is quite different from his intentions1 or leads him to a place1 or a position1 or into relationships which were entirely out of his calculation when he devised his way4 ,,ii4 ,this is a law which must be in operation till the end of time4 ,unexpected events must be the outcome of man's plans and purpose1 because he is finite and very short-sighted1 and there is an ,infinite and ,omniscient ,ruler of the universe1 who comprehends in ,his plan of the universe all the plans of ,his creatures1 and in ,his plan concerning every man all that man's devices and deeds4 ,god professes in ,his ,word1 says ,dr4 ,bushnell1 to have purposes pre-arranged for all events2 to govern by a plan which is from eternity even1 and which1 in some proper sense1 comprehends everything4 ,and what is this but another way of conceiving that ,god has a definite place and plan adjusted for every human being8 ,and without such a plan1 ,he could not even govern the world intelligently1 or make a proper universe of the created system2 for it becomes a universe only in the grant unity of reason which includes it1 otherwise it were only a jumble of fortuities without counsel1 end1 or law4 ,this being so1 a man can rejoice in the truth that ,the ,lord directs his steps--that the events of his life are not the outcome of chance1 but are all under the control of a supremely wise and benevolent ,king and ,father4 ,not that ,god's foreknowledge is the cause of man's actions1 but that seeing ,he must know what shall come to pass1 nothing takes ,him by surprise1 and therefore nothing finds ,him unprepared to arrange all a man's affairs after the counsel of ,his ,own ,will4 ,nothing happens without ,his permission2 no good thing comes to a man's life without ,his instigation and co-operation1 and1 if a man is willing to yield himself to ,his guidance1 ,he will not only direct his steps1 but direct them so as to further that man's true well-being--will make all things work together for good to him 7,rom4 viii4 #bh74 ,the fact here declared will redound to a man's eternal gain or loss according to the attitude which he takes towards ,god4 ,there is then1 ,i conclude1 a definite and proper end1 or issue1 for ever man's existence2 an end which to the heart of ,god is the good intended for him1 or for which he was intended2 that which he is privileged to become2 called to become1 ought to become2 that which ,god will assist him to become1 save by his own fault4 ,every human soul has a complete and perfect plan cherished for it in the heart of ,god--a ,divine biography marked out which it enters into life to live4 ,this life1 rightly unfolded1 will be a complete and beautiful whole1 an experience led on by ,god and unfolded by ,his secret nurture1 as the tree and the flowers1 by the secret nurture of the world2 a drama cast in the mould of a perfect art1 with no part wanting2 a ,divine study for the man himself1 and for others2 a study that shall for ever unfold1 in wondrous beauty1 the love and faithfulness of ,god2 great in its conception1 great in the ,divine skill by which it is shaped2 above all1 great in the momentous and glorious issues it prepares4 ,what a thought is this for every human being to cherish6 ,what dignity does it add to life6 ,what support does it bring to the trials of life6 ,what instigations does it add to send us onward in everything that constitutes our excellence6 ,we live in the ,divine thought4 ,we fill a place in the great everlasting plan of ,god's intelligence4 ,we never sink below ,his care--never drop out of ,his counsel4 ,but there is1 ,i must add1 a single and very important qualification4 ,things all serve their uses1 and never break out of their place4 ,they have no power to do it4 ,not so with us4 ,we are able1 as free beings1 to refuse the place and duties ,god appoints2 which1 if we do1 then we sink into something lower and less worthy of us4 ,that highest and best condition for which ,god designed us is no more possible4 4 4 4 ,and yet1 as that was the best thing possible for us in the reach of ,god's original counsel1 so there is a place designed for us now1 which is the next best possible4 ,god calls us now to the best thing left1 and will do so till all good possibility is narrowed down and spent4 ,and then1 when ,he cannot use us any more for our own good1 ,he will use us for the good of others--an example of the misery and horrible desperation to which any soul must come when all the good ends1 and all the holy callings of ,god's friendly and fatherly purpose are exhausted4 ,or it may be now1 that1 remitting all other plans and purposes in our behalf1 ,he will henceforth use us--wholly against our will--to be the demonstration of ,his justice and avenging power before the eyes of mankind1 saying over us1 as ,he did over ,pharaoh in the day of ,his judgments1 ',even for this same purpose have ,i raised thee up1 that ,i might show ,my power in thee1 and that ,my name might be declared throughout all the earth4' ,doubtless ,he had other and more general plans to serve in this bad man1 if only he could have accepted such2 but1 knowing his certain rejection of these1 ,god turned ,his mighty counsel in him wholly on the use to be made of him as a reprobate4 ,how many ,pharaohs in common life refuse every other use ,god will make of them1 choosing only to figure1 in their small way1 as reprobates1 and descending1 in that manner1 to a fate that painfully mimics his4--7,bushnell47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the thought of the first verse1 coming to be repeated1 this versatile sentence-maker calls it back with different scenery4 ,the answer or decree of a tongue 7ver4 #a7 is one pregnant act1 the step of a foot is another4 ,both may make a man or ruin him1 for this world1 or that which is to come4 ,the critical thing1 in either case1 is controlled by the ,almighty4 4 4 4 ,heart1 more intellectual than the ,english heart4 ,devises too intellectual for our emotional nature4 ,it means studies1 or deeply meditates4 ,the sinner really reflects upon his future wisdoms4 ,alas6 they are too future6 ,and when the future come1 he plants1 sets firm his step1 quite differently from what he had decreed4--,miller4 ,the doctrine of ,providence is not like the doctrine of the ,trinity--to be received by faith4 ,experience gives a demonstrable stamp of evidence--even in all the minuti of circumstances1 which form the parts and pieces of the ,divine plan4--,bridges4 ,it must be so4 ,if there is a ,god at all it cannot be otherwise4 ,it were the height of irrationality as well as impiety for a moment to question it--to imagine the contrary possible4 ,how otherwise could ,god govern the world8 ,were not all human schemes under supreme and irresistible control1 what could become of the certainty of the ,divine8--,wardlaw4 ,when it is said that a man's heart deviseth his way but the ,lord directeth his steps1 we must not think that the purpose of the creature is condemned as an impertinence4 ,it is an essential element of the plan4 ,neither human purposes1 the material on which ,god exercises ,his sovereign control1 nor the control which ,he exercises on that material could be wanted4 ,if there were no room for the devices of men's hearts1 providence would disappear1 and grim hate1 the leaden creed that crushes ,eastern nations in the dust1 would come in its stead4 ,if1 on the other hand1 these devices are left to fight against each other for their objects without being subjected all to the will of a ,living ,one1 faith flees from the earth and the reign of ,atheism begins4 ,the desires of human hearts1 and the efforts of human hands1 do go into the processes of providence1 and constitute the material upon which the ,almighty works4 ,when ,god made men in ,his own image1 a new era was inaugurated and a new work begun4 ,hitherto1 in the government of this world1 the ,creator had no other elements to deal with than matter and the instincts of brutes2 but the moment that man took his place on creation1 a new and higher element was introduced into its government4 ,the sphere was enlarged and the principle elevated4 ,there was more room for the display of wisdom and power4 ,the will of intelligent moral beings being left free1 and yet as completely controlled as matter and laws1 makes the ,divine government much more glorious than the mere management of a material universe4 ,for ,god's glory man was created1 and that purpose will stand2 a glory to ,god man will be1 willing or unwilling1 fallen or restored1 throughout the course of time1 and at its close4 ,the doctrine of ,scripture regarding ,providence neither degrades man1 nor inflates him4 ,it does not make him a mere thing on the one hand1 nor a god on the other4 ,it neither takes from him the attributes of humanity1 nor ascribes to him the attributes of ,deity4 ,it permits him freely to propose1 but leaves the ultimate disposal in a mightier hand4--,arnot4 ,the doctrine of the text--,i4 ,should correct immoderate care about the future events of our life4 ,what means this mighty bustle and stir--this restless perturbation of thought and care--as if all the issues of futurity rested wholly on thy conduct8 ,something depends upon thyself1 and there is reason1 therefore1 for acting thy part with prudence and attention4 ,but upon a hand unseen it depends1 either to overturn thy projects1 or to crown them with success1 therefore thine attention should never run into immoderate care4 ,,ii4 ,should enforce moderation of mind in every state4 ,how little ground the real situation of the most prosperous man affords for the vain elation of mind1 for he is dependent every moment on the pleasure of a superior4 ,,iii4 ,places the vanity and folly of sinful plans in a very strong light4 ,the sinner has against him1 first1 the general uncertainty which belongs to all the designs of men4 ,and he hath also engaged against himself one certain and formidable enemy4 ,,iv4 ,that an interest in ,god's favour is far more important than all the wisdom and ability of man4 ,in a world so full of uncertainty1 let us take pains to secure to ourselves one resting place1 one habitation that cannot be moved4--,blair4 ,god having made man lord of the earth1 ,he hath made him lord also of the ways of the earth4 ,he is not tied to this way or that way1 but as his heart deviseth1 so he may go4 ,and herein is the dignity of a man above a beast4 ,for that way must a beast go which he is driven3 but man1 not driven by fate1 or constellation1 or any other necessity1 as master of himself1 chooseth his own courses wherein to walk4 ,notwithstanding1 man is not without an overseer1 a ruler1 by whom his steps are directed4 ,the wicked chooseth an evil way1 but ,god directeth it to a good end4 ,the good chooseth a good way1 but it is by ,god brought to a good issue4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ae4 ,,kings4 ,it is obvious that some of these proverbs as they stand in our ,authorised ,version1 do not admit of universal application in relation to human monarchs4 ,history and experience both contradict the assertion that a ,divine sentence is always1 or has been generally1 in the lips of a human king1 but if we understand the verse1 as ,miller does 7see his comment7 as an application of the truth set forth in the preceding verse and in verse #a1 that ,god is behind and above all the decrees of earthly potentates1 we can at once admit the fact and rejoice in it4 ,again1 it cannot1 alas6 be said that as a rule1 righteous lips are the delight of kings1 or that in the light of the king's countenance is life4 ,many kings have been themselves incarnations of iniquity1 and have bestowed all their favour upon men like themselves1 and persecuted often to the death those who have dared to tell them the truth4 ,if this proverb admitted of universal application1 ,ahab would not have sought to slay ,elijah1 ,jeremiah would not have been imprisoned by ,zedekiah1 and ,herod would not have put to death ,john the ,baptist4 ,and the favour of most of the men who have sat upon the thrones of the world would have had no life in it for some of their subjects4 ,there has been a faithful few in all the ages of the world to whom the favour of their wicked rulers would have been very unlike a cloud of the latter rain4 ,but the truths taught here are3-- ,i4 ,that a king ought to be ,god's prophet and viceregent upon the earth4 ,all painters have an ideal in their minds to which they desire to attain in their handiwork4 ,they must place before them the highest model1 if they would rise to anything like excellence4 ,and ,solomon1 as a great theoretic moralist1 is here setting before himself1 and before all rulers1 an ideal king4 ,kingship among men ought to be a type and symbol of ,divine kingship4 ,the loyal obedience which the majority of men have always been ready to yield to those who they have regarded as their appointed rulers1 has its root deep down in the constitution of human nature--it is a prophecy of a need which is only fully met in the rule of the true and perfect ,king of men--that ,king whose right it is to reign1 and who can do no wrong to any of ,his subjects4 ,that was not an inconsiderable moment1 says ,carlyle1 when wild armed men first raised their strongest aloft on the buckler-throne1 and1 with clanging armour and hearts said solemnly1 ,be thou our acknowledged strongest 7well named ,king1 ,kn-ning1 ,canning1 or ,man that was ,able71 what a symbol shone now for them--significant with the destinies of the world6 ,a symbol of true guidance in return for loving obedience2 properly1 if he knew it1 the prime want of man4 ,a symbol which might be called sacred1 for is there not1 in reverence for what is better than we1 an indestructible sacredness8 ,and when a king realises what idea he embodies1 and strives to fulfil worthily the duties of his high calling1 and in proportion as he does so1 he is a representative of ,god to men4 ,then he will have a ,divine sentence in his mouth because he will be a truth-speaker4 ,his lips will be a reflection of his character4 ,being a man of truth1 he cannot do other than speak the truth4 ,he will be able in a limited sense to use the words of ,his ,divine ,ideal1 and say1 ,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear witness of the truth 7,john xviii4 #cg74 ,and as all truth and justice is from ,god 7ver4 #aa71 he who is a truth-speaker--he from whose lips come only just decisions1 utters a ,divine sentence--is a representative of ,him whose is a just weight and balance1 whose work are all the weights of the bag4 ,to such an one it will be an abomination to commit wickedness--any kind of iniquity will be detested by him4 ,he will not--he cannot--be a sinless man2 the desires and intentions of every good man are always beyond his deeds--he can always say1 ,to will is present with me1 but how to perform that which is good ,i find not 7,rom4 vii4 #ah71 but he will not commit sin because he loves it4 ,such a king will be a real benefactor to his nation by exalting the true and the good1 and so blessing all4 ,it is a blessing for all men--whether they be good or bad--when the best men in the nation are in the fore-front--when the righteous fill the highest positions in the ,state4 ,and a true king will gladly avail himself of the services of men of righteous lips1 and so will be a source of blessing to all his people4 ,the latter rain which refreshes the thirsty earth after a long season of drought lets its life-giving drops fall upon the parched leaves of the humblest weed as well as upon the stately oak4 ,and the influence of a wise and godly monarch is beneficial to all classes of his subjects from the highest to the lowest4 ,all such are types--dim foreshadowings--of that king who reigns in righteousness and who is as an hiding place from the wind1 and a covert from the tempest2 as rivers of water in a dry place1 as a shadow of a great rock in a weary land 7,isa4 xxxii4 #a1 #b74 ,,ii4 ,that the stability of a throne is in proportion to the moral excellence of him who sits upon it4 ,the power that men have over other men is lasting in proportion as it has its origin in character4 ,the father's kingship over his children is immutable in proportion to his goodness4 ,if his rule has its foundation only in his position1 his children will not be slow to shake it off as they reach manhood2 but if it is founded upon his godliness1 they will be compelled to acknowledge it to the day of his death and even beyond it4 ,his throne in his family is established by righteousness1 the consciences of his children consent to his right to reign among them and over them4 ,the throne of the universe is established by righteousness4 ,thy throne1 ,o ,god1 is for ever and ever3 the sceptre of ,thy kingdom is a right sceptre4 ,thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness2 therefore ,god1 thy ,god1 hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows 7,psalm xlv4 #f1 #g74 ,this ,king of ,righteousness is now enthroned in the affections and consciences of myriads of ,his subjects1 and ,he who rules men's hearts has set his throne upon a firm foundation4 ,and there will come a day when every creature will be compelled by his conscience to yield to ,him that sitteth upon the throne1 the right to reign over them for ever 7,rev4 v4 #ac71 because they will feel that all his ways are and ever have been just and true 7,rev4 xv4 #c74 ,if we read the history of the past or look around us now1 we find this truth abundantly illustrated4 ,thrones which have been backed up by mighty armies1 and whose occupants have for a few short years been the arbiters of the destinies of millions1 have been overturned in a few weeks4 ,and we have but to look at the steps by which such men came to power to find a reason for their fall4 ,none can doubt from the experience of past ages1 and from the very constitution of men1 that the thrones of the present are founded upon a rock or upon sand1 in proportion as those who sit upon them take as their model the king who judges ,his people with righteousness and the poor with judgment 7,psalm lxxii4 #b74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #aj4 ,a ,divine sentence may be understood either as to its character1 or as to its authoritative effect4 ,if taken in the former sense1 it means a sentence according to perfect equity2 if in the latter1 the idea is1 that as every judgment or sentence of ,god is decisive and effectual1 so that the execution of it cannot be evaded or resisted1 such1 in measure1 is the case with the sentence of kings among men1 and in the general idea of a ,divine sentence may fairly be included both character and efficiency--both equity and power4 ,when understood of equity1 the latter part of the verse1 according to the principle of ,hebrew parallelisms will be a kind of counterpart or echo to the former1 and when understood of power1 the verse might be rendered--,a ,divine sentence is in the lips of the king2 let not his mouth transgress in judgment4 ,in proportion to the authoritative and efficacious nature of his sentence1 ought he to see to it that the sentence be right4 ,he should weigh well his decision ere he pronounces it1 seeing it involves consequences so certain1 immediate1 and important4 ,and the principle of this lesson applies to all in situations of authority and influence1 whether more private or more public4--,wardlaw4 ,the glaring fact of what ,solomon avows in verse #i can be seen in the instance of a king4 ,the word of a king can ruin ,france1 and change the whole system of the world4 ,how1 possibly1 could ,god govern1 unless ,he could a king8 ,eternal ages will not get over the edict of a prince1 and the banded universe will feel its differences4 ,must not ,god control that word8 ,our passage answers that ,he does4 ,he may be ,george ,,iii4 of the low forehead2 his speech is shaped omnisciently4 ,he may be as treacherous as ,charles2 he does not betray by a hair the counsel of the ,almighty4 ,this is a grand thought4 ,a poor princeling may be governed by a girl1 and yet1 though his utterance might move the globe1 we need have no fear4 ,there is a divination1 i4e41 an oracle1 behind his lips4 ,he says what ,god pleases4 ,and though his mouth may have the very treachery of the cup1 it has no treachery--even to a grain--to the plans of the ,all ,wise4--,miller4 ,it cannot be denied but that there is a nearer reference between ,god and ,his immediate deputies1 the kings of the earth1 than any other persons4 ,he that maketh them kings maketh ,himself to be their counsel4 ,but then they must make ,him the president of their council4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #aa1 considered by itself1 see on chap4 xi4 #a1 page #aij4 ,verse #aa4 ,the proposition expresses an ownership in ,jehovah as the first cause1 for1 like agriculture 7,ecclus4 vii4 #ae71 ,god instituted weights and measures1 as an indispensable ordinance and instrument in just business intercourse4--,zckler4 ,weights and measures1 as the invisible and spiritual means by which material possessions are estimated and determined for man1 according to their value1 are holy unto the ,lord1 a copy of ,his law in the outer world1 taken up by ,himself into ,his sanctuary2 and1 therefore1 as ,his work1 to be regarded as holy also by men4--,von ,gerlach4 ,the heathen poet ,hesiod says1 ,god gave justice to men4--,fausset4 ,he is not only just1 but justice belongs to ,him4 ,he is not only partly just1 but ,his work 7and we see at a glance that ,god's work is the total universe7 is in its very self considered1 all the stones of the bag4 ,stones1 better weights than iron1 because not altering by rust4 ,bag1 in which the stone weights were carried1 in the peripatetic barter of the old tradespeople4 ,no difficulty should be had in understand all of which the sentence is capable4 ,god's work is justice and justice is ,his work4 ,the very ideas of equity spring out of the ,eternal ,mind4 ,if all this were not so how could ,god govern the creation1 for ,it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness1 etc4 7ver4 #ab74--,miller4 ,the ,jews are said to have kept their standard weights and measures in the sanctuary4 ,the fact might arise from the particularity of the law1 and might operate as a remembrancer of the righteousness of ,him by whom the law was given1 and the weights and measures fixed4 4 4 4 ,all adulteration of them was therefore a sacrilege4 ,it was not cheating men merely1 but defrauding ,jehovah1 changing what ,he had fixed4 4 4 4 ,and from the connection in which the words are here introduced they lead us to observe that while kings are called up to do justly themselves in their whole administration and in every department of it1 it is1 at the same time1 a most important part of their official duty to promote among their subjects1 to the utmost of their power1 the principles and the practice of equity between man and man4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #ab4 ,this is true of earthly monarchies4 ,a throne1 without some equity in it1 could not last an instant4 ,if it were unmitigatedly bad1 it would be swept out of existence4 ,a king must be just to his people1 or else to his soldiers1 who support him against his people4 ,his strength is justice1 somewhere4 ,the strength of a bad throne is precisely that part of it that is just4 ,but if this be true of a world's throne1 where it has been seen that ,god governs as well as the king1 how not of a ,divine throne1 that rests solely on its ,maker8 ,it is impossible to conceive of a universe without justice1 or of anything so complicated being externally possible without every sort of harmony1 and especially that sort which is highest and best4 ,hence many of the expressions in the eighth chapter 7verses #bb1 #cj1 etc471 the personage being personified ,wisdom1 which is holiness or moral light1 and which includes all the attributes of justice4--,miller4 ,the greater men be1 the more grievous their faults are when they fall into sin4 ,for--#a4 ,the more bountiful ,god hath been to them1 the more grateful they ought to be to ,him1 and as ,he hath increased their wages1 so they ought to mend their work2 large pay doth duly challenge large pains1 and therefore1 contrariwise1 their great offences must needs deserve the greater punishment4 #b4 ,their sins are very pernicious and pestilent1 they bring evil into request1 and men by their example will practise it for credit's sake4 ,when ,jeroboam is mentioned1 he is usually described by this1 that he made ,israel to sin4 #c4 ,they draw down the plagues and judgments upon the places and people that are under them1 as ,david did4 ,and the strokes which the fearful sins of ,manasseh1 ,jehoiakim1 and others brought upon the city and inhabitants of ,jerusalem were very lamentable in those days1 and very memorable still in these times4 4 4 4 ,the goodness and justice of men in authority doth better uphold their estate than greatness and riches4 ,the throne is established by righteousness1 for--7#a7 ,there1 and nowhere else1 is stability and assurance1 where ,god is a refuge and defence2 they stand all firm whom ,he protecteth1 and down they must whom ,he neglecteth4 ,and whom doth ,he prefer but the righteous8 ,and what righteous man was ever forsaken8 7#b7 ,equal and upright administration of justice doth knit the hearts of a people to their governors1 and the love of the subjects is a strong foot and a mighty munition for the safety of the ruler4 7#c7 ,when the magistrate doth right to all and wrong to none1 every good and indifferent man will reverence him1 and stand in the greater awe of his laws1 so that none but such are as desperately rebellious will dare to attempt anything against him4--,dod4 ,verse #ac4 ,there never was a kingdom so corrupt that its courts of justice were not used1 in the main1 against wickedness4 ,there never was a ,nero1 or a ,borgia1 who1 on the very account of his crimes1 did not find crime sore1 and a trouble to him1 in those about him4 ,it is one of the strangest miracles of ,omnipotence that a universe can take in transgression and yet last4 ,and1 while ,god has made even the wicked for his decree 7ver4 #d71 yet a pleasure to kings are lips of righteousness1 and he who speaks right is loved4--,miller4 ,we have here in this passage ,solomon's king1 and in these words the delight of his king4 ,for1 whereas1 many are1 and well may be1 the delights of kings1 this one it is1 the delight of righteousness1 which sweetens all the rest unto them4 ,this is a royal delight indeed1 which makes the king of righteousness to delight in them4 ,and surely needful it is that a king's lips should delight in righteousness4 ,for fear may compel others1 but delight must carry him unto it4 ,needful is it that righteous lips should be a king's delight1 because it is in kings' courts that there is too much lying4 ,we read of one who said that he would be a lying prophet in the mouths of all ,ahab's prophets 7#a ,kings xxii4 #bb71 to which the answer of ,god is1 ,thou shalt go and prevail4 ,upon which the note of ,cajetan is1 ,god manifested the efficacy of this means--namely1 of lying in the ,court4 ,it is needful1 therefore1 that the king should delight in lips of righteousness1 for he that doth himself delight in them will also love others that speak right2 yea1 will therefore love them that they also may delight in it4 ,for then is righteousness best spoken when delight openeth the door of the lips4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,the report of one may be a mistake1 but the relation of many carrieth more force with it4 ,the wrath1 therefore1 of a king is as messengers of death1 enough to pull down the stoutest heart2 and if his moved spirit send down this message to any1 it is sufficient to tell them and to assure them1 that they had need to look unto themselves4 ,but well it is that the wrath of a king is as the messengers of death1 and not the executioners of it4 ,for so it ought to be1 that himself may have time either to alter or recall his message1 and they may have time to whom it is sent to answer for themselves4 ,st4 ,peter was hasty in wrath when he cut off the ear of ,malchus1 whereupon ,tertullian saith1 ,the patience of ,god was wounded in ,malchus4 ,and surely the mercy of ,god is often wounded in the hasty wrath of a king4 ,plutarch saith well1 that as bodies through a cloud1 so through anger things seem greater than they are4 ,to put therefore wrath to a journey1 is a good way to moderate1 if by nothing else1 by wearying the hasty fierceness of it4 ,and let a wise man have respite to meet with it1 he will with gentle blasts of cool air easily mitigate the violent force of it4 ,let him be told of a king's wrath against him1 he need not be told that he take care to prevent it4 ,but1 though great be the wrath of heaven against careless sinners1 and though many be the messengers that ,he sendeth to them1 yet they all cry1 ,who hath believed our report8 ,did they hear one word of an earthly king's anger against them1 it would more move them than the whole ,word of ,god doth1 wherein the message of ,his anger is so often repeated4 ,the answer which they send back to the message of ,god's wrath1 is obstinate rebellion in their sinful courses4--,jermin4 ,,illustration4 ,executions in the ,east are often very prompt and arbitrary4 ,in many cases the suspicion is no sooner entertained1 or the cause of offence given1 than the fatal order is issued4 ,the messenger of death hurries to the unsuspecting victim1 shows his warrant1 and executes his orders that instant1 in silence and solitude4 ,instances of this kind are continually occurring in the ,turkish and ,persian histories4 ,such executions were not uncommon among the ,jews under the government of their kings4 ,solomon sent ,benaiah as his capidgi1 or executioner1 to put to death ,joab1 the commander-in-chief of the forces during the reign of his father4 ,a capidgi likewise beheaded ,john the ,baptist1 and carried his head to the court of ,herod4 ,to such silent and hasty executioners the royal ,preacher seems to refer in the proverb4 ,from the dreadful promptitude with which ,benaiah executed the commands of ,solomon on ,adonijah and ,joab1 it may be concluded that the executioner of the court was as little ceremonious1 and the ancient ,jews nearly as passive1 as the ,turks or ,persians4 ,the prophet ,elisha is the only person on the inspired record who ventured to resist the bloody mandate of the sovereign 7#b ,kings vi4 #cb74 ,but if such mandates had not been too common among the ,jews1 and in general submitted to without resistance1 ,jehoram had scarcely ventured to despatch a single messenger to take away the life of so eminent a person as ,elisha4--,paxton's ,illustrations4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,as the wise man before teacheth subjects to fear the king's wrath1 and to seek his favour1 so here he teacheth kings to join the light of mercy1 the softness of clemency1 unto the hardness and severity of wrath4 ,or else we may thus meditate upon the words--the true favour of a king is not only to shine with a cheerful countenance upon them whom he affecteth1 but sometimes to look through a thick cloud upon them4 ,for as the light of the sun giveth life to the fruits of the earth1 but the cloud of latter rain giveth bigness and fulness unto them1 so the light of the king's countenance giveth life to the fruits of earthly honour1 but it is the dewy cloud of his wise displeasure1 when things are amiss1 that giveth fulness of worth unto them whom his favour honoureth4 ,the latter rain many times does them more good and sheweth in the king greater favour to them than his former sunshining countenance4 ,but to apply the verse unto a fuller profit4 ,the light of the countenance of the ,king of heaven is ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1 who is the brightness of ,his glory2 and in this light there is life indeed4 ,for as ,he is light and in ,him is no darkness1 so ,he is life1 and in ,him is no death4 ,it was in the latter time that ,he was clouded with the veil of our flesh1 and that ,he became a heavenly cloud of the latter rain unto us1 pouring out the glorious dew of ,his precious blood for us1 that so1 we being watered therewith might even swell in grace1 and grow to a fulness of glory in heaven4 4 4 4 ,in ,judea usually about harvest time there are evening clouds which1 yielding a sweet rain1 do much increase the largeness of the fruits2 and in the evening of the world1 when the harvest was great1 this heavenly cloud was sent upon us1 whereby the fruit of ,god's ,church1 confined before to ,judea1 was enlarged throughout the world4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #af1 see chap4 viii4 #aj1 #aa1 page #ajg4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,not wisdom1 but to get wisdom4 ,wisdom itself is glorious4 ,wisdom in ,god is above all praise4 ,it will be the gem of ,paradise4 ,it will be the grand opulence of the family of the skies4 ,but what the great ,preacher would confine us to in the language of the text is1 our getting wisdom as the evangelical condition2 our getting it1 moreover1 in time1 like the latter rain1 so as to be in season for the crop2 for1 as a former sentence urges 7chap4 iv4 #g71 ,as the chiefest thing in wisdom1 get wisdom4 ,because1 what shall it profit a man1 if he gain the whole world1 if ,god is his ,king1 and the wrath of the ,king makes all ,his providences but as messengers of gloom 7ver4 #ad74--,miller4 ,let us call to mind in word-outline the scene on a spring morning in the city of ,david1 when ,david's son was king in ,jerusalem4 ,before the portico of the fragrant cedar-house of ,solomon1 the royal guards1 ,cherithites and ,pelethites1 executioners and messengers of the kings' behests1 waited their master's coming4 ,impatient steeds from ,arabia1 or the far-off banks of the ,nile1 pawed the highway1 and shook with pride their plumes and costly accoutrements4 ,soldiers1 with silken standards blazoned with the sacred ,name1 and throwing back the sunlight from their targets and shields of beaten gold1 kept their ranks firm and close1 as if the foe were at hand1 and the silver trumpets waited but to sound the battle charge4 ,veterans1 grown grey in ,david's service1 and wearing the laurels of many a hard-fought field1 were driven all along the line in their chariots of ,state1 and the grim faces of these old warriors gleamed with satisfaction as they looked about them on the evidences of their nation's military strength4 4 4 4 ,but now the trumpets sound1 and the echoing shout of welcome rises on the morning air4 ,solomon1 arrayed in all his glory1 appears1 and the cry1 ,god save the king6 is heard on every side4 ,children chanting their sweet hosannahs to ,david's son and ,david's heir strew the path with the lilies of the field1 or the roses of ,sharon1 and the boughs of palms4 ,others throw their garments upon the dusty highway as the long procession moves to the soft music of ,eastern minstrelsy along the narrow streets1 and out upon the broader pathway leading to the royal gardens1 or the cool retreats of ,olivet1 each beaming face by the wayside1 or peering from latticed balcony1 each welcome shout and song from the daughters of ,jerusalem1 or the trained singers of the temple choirs1 attest the affection of a grateful people1 and make of the monarch's morning progress a triumphal ovation4 ,such was ,solomon in all his glory2 such the popular acclaim1 and we might go on to tell until the tale were tiresome to tell how ,solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth1 in riches1 splendour1 fame4 ,but was this the principal thing8 ,had ,solomon in getting all this glory1 and in winning all this praise1 gained that with which his soul was satisfied1 and the cravings of his nobler self appeased4 ,years before4 4 4 4 ,give me wisdom and knowledge1 was his prayer4 4 4 4 ,even in the wishes of one so lately invested with royal power1 wisdom in its relation to his ,maker1 knowledge so far as it concerned his fellow-men1 seemed the principal thing4 ,and that prayer was heard in heaven4 4 4 4 ,he to whom ,god gave such gifts may well direct us to the possession of this principal thing4 ,we need not ask for an earthly teacher with higher qualifications4--,bishop ,perry4 ,gold is the crown of metals1 wisdom is the crown of knowledge4 ,silver beareth the image of an earthly king1 understanding beareth the image of the ,king of heaven4 ,gold is the treasure of the purse1 wisdom the treasure of the soul4 ,silver is the price of outward commodities1 understanding is the price of inward virtues2 by that sought1 by that bought4 ,wherefore by how much knowledge is better than metal1 virtue than worldly commodities1 the image of ,god than the image of man2 by so much wisdom and knowledge are better than silver and gold4 ,but they are not wisdom and understanding that are here compared with them1 there being no comparison between them4 ,but the very getting of wisdom and understanding1 the very pains taken in procuring of them1 the very honour of being a possessor of them1 is better than all the gold and silver in the world4--,jermin4 ,the question only is written in the book2 the learner is expected to work out the answer4 ,we1 of this mercantile community1 are expert in the arithmetic of time4 ,here is an example to test our skill in casting up the accounts of eternity4 ,deeper interests are at stake2 greater care should be taken to avoid an error1 more labour willingly expended in making the balance true4 4 4 4 ,the question is strictly one of degree4 ,it is not1 whether wisdom or gold is the more precious portion for a soul4 ,that question was settled long ago by common consent4 ,all who in any sense make a profession of faith in ,god1 confess that wisdom is better than gold2 and this teacher plies them with another problem1 ,how much better8 ,two classes of persons have experience in this matter--those who have chosen the meaner portion1 and those who have chosen the nobler2 but only the latter class is capable of calculating the difference suggested by the text4 ,those who give their heart to money understand only the value of their own portion2 those who possess treasures in heaven have tasted both kings1 and can appreciate the difference between them4 4 4 4 ,as the man born blind cannot tell how much better light is than his native darkness--as the slave born under the yoke of his master cannot tell how much better liberty is than his life-long bondage--so he who has despised treasures at ,god's right hand cannot conceive how much more precious they are to a man in his extremity than the riches that perish in the use4 4 4 4 ,but even these cannot compute the difference4 ,eye hath not seen it1 ear hath not heard it4 ,wisdom from above1 like the love of ,god1 passeth knowledge4 4 4 4 ,how much better is wisdom than gold8 ,better by all the worth of a soul--by all the blessedness of heaven--by all the length of eternity4 ,but all these expressions are only tiny lines that children fling into the ocean to measure its depth withal4 4 4 ,in a time of war between two great maritime nations1 a ship belonging to one of them is captured upon the high seas by a ship belonging to the other4 ,the captain1 with a few attendants1 goes on board his prize1 and directs the native crew to steer for the nearest point of his country's shore4 ,the prize is very rich4 ,the victors occupy themselves wholly in collecting and counting the treasure1 and arranging their several shares1 abandoning the care of the ship to her original owners4 ,these1 content with being permitted to handle the helm1 allow their rivals to handle the treasure unmolested4 ,after a long night1 with a steady breeze1 the captured mariners quietly1 at dawn1 run the ship into a harbour on their own shores4 ,the conquerors are in turn made captives4 ,they lose all the gold which they grasped too eagerly1 and their liberty besides4 ,in that case it was much better to have hold of the helm which directed the ship1 than of the money which the ship contained4 ,those who seized the money1 and neglected the helm1 lost even the money which was in their hands4 ,those who neglected the money and held the helm1 obtained the money which they neglected and liberty too4 ,they arrived at home1 and all their wealth with them4 ,thus they who make money their aim suffer a double loss1 and they who seek the wisdom from above secure a double gain4 ,the gold with which men are occupied will profit little1 if the voyage of life be not pointed home4 ,if themselves are lost1 the possessions are worthless4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,soul-,,preservation4 ,i4 ,the main object of an upright man's care--his soul4 ,every human creature is possessed of an instinct to preserve his bodily life and well-being4 ,an upright man has also a spiritual instinct which leads him to guard carefully his spiritual life--his soul4 ,he is desirous of keeping a conscience purged from dead works--free from bruise or moral taint4 #a4 ,he seeks to preserve his soul because of the value he places upon its powers4 ,we are wont to value material things according to the power they possess to fulfil certain ends4 ,a skilful workman values a piece of mechanism in proportion to the complicated and various movements which it can execute4 ,and in proportion to the value set upon it will be the care taken to preserve it4 ,human life is valued according to its abilities to do things which cannot be done by many4 ,the life of a great statesman1 of a skilful physician1 is of more value to the race than the lives of a hundred ordinary men1 because their power to minister to the welfare and health of their fellow-creatures so far surpasses the power of ordinary men4 ,and the upright man values his soul because of its mighty and almost infinite capabilities and powers4 ,in its present undeveloped condition it can suffer much and can enjoy much1 it can become a partaker of the ,divine nature 7#b ,pet4 i4 #d71 and he knows that its powers will be mightily increased and multiplied after the death of the body4 #b4 ,he seeks to preserve it because of the value ,god sets upon it4 ,if we come into possession of a precious gem and desire to know its value1 we take it to one who we are certain is qualified to judge in such matters1 and our estimate of it is increased or lessened in proportion to his opinion4 ,he who wants to know the value of his soul must go to the only ,being in the universe who is certain not to err in the price he sets upon it4 ,jesus ,christ ,himself has given to men ,his estimate of the worth of the human soul1 both in ,his word and in ,his deeds4 ,he who is fully acquainted with all its powers and possibilities for good and evil--of suffering and of joy--has said1 ,what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul1 or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul8 7,matt4 xvi4 #bf74 ,and ,he has gone beyond words4 ,to save men's souls ,he1 being in the form of ,god 4 4 4 took upon ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of men1 and being found in fashion as a man1 humbled ,himself and became obedient unto death1 even the death of the cross 7,phil4 ii4 #f-h74 ,the wise man values his soul according to the estimate of ,gethsemane and ,calvary1 and therefore he counts it the chief business of his life to guard it4 ,,ii4 ,there can be no preservation of the soul except by departure from evil4 ,the human nature of even the best men in this world is duplex4 ,the ruling power in a godly man is good1 but there are also evil tendencies within him still4 ,he subscribes to the apostolic confession1 ,evil is present with me1 7,rom4 viii4 #ba74 ,but there must be a constant departure from evil by a constant effort to do good4 ,the strengthening of holy affections will most effectually check the power of sinful desires4 ,the dominion of sin will be weakened by the formation of holy habits4 ,in other words1 keeping the highway of the upright is in itself a departure from evil--following after righteousness is fleeing from sin 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #aa74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the highway1 a way cast up4 ,such ways were convenient in the ,east2--first1 for being found2 second1 for being travelled4 ,departing from evil is a way that opens itself as we press on4 ,one evil cured1 like the big coal lump in the digging1 clears the way to another4 ,so much 7#a7 for its being found2 then 7#b7 as to its being travelled4 ,conceive of how a man could get to heaven except on such a highway4 ,we cannot move nearer except on some sort of way4 ,there is no sort of way except the discipline of wisdom4 ,there is no discipline of wisdom except the departing from evil4 ,the only thing a soul can do for itself under the grace of the ,spirit is to exercise itself unto godliness 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #g74 ,and therefore the last clause is important1 which intimates the fact that we cannot guard our souls directly1--that we watch our souls by watching our way--and that the plan to fit a lost spirit for ,paradise is1 under the grace of the ,redeemer1 to observe its steps--to see that one by one they are taken so as to depart from evil4--,miller4 ,the highway of the upright is to depart from evil4 ,that is his road1 his desire and endeavour1 his general purpose1 though sometimes 7by mistake1 or by the violence of temptation71 he step out of the way1 and turn aside to sin1 yet there is no way of wickedness in him 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #bd74 ,he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul4 ,as if a man be out of ,god's precincts he is out of ,his protection4 ,he shall keep thee in all thy ways 7,psa4 xci4 #aa71 not in all thine outstrays4 ,he that leaves the highway1 and takes to byeways1 travelling at unseasonable hours1 etc41 if he fall into foul hands1 may go look his remedy1 the law allows him none4--,trapp4 ,i should say that this last clause is a notable2 and the lesson that ,i should read and give forth from it is3 the reflex influence of the outward walk upon the inner man4--,chalmers4 ,our ,english word highway doth well express the force of the original4 ,and as we call it the highway1 either because it is the king's way1 who is the highest1 or else because it is made higher than the rest1 for the more clearness of it1 so the way of the upright is a highway1 because it is the way of the ,king of ,heaven2 and because it is higher1 and so cleaner from the dust of the world4 4 4 4 ,there is hardly any so perpetual follower of wickedness as that he doth not sometimes depart from evil4 ,and this it is which many other times doth embolden him in the embracing of it4 ,for if a wicked man once do well he conceiveth it so great a matter as that he imagineth that ,god ought to pardon his doing ill many times for it4 ,but to depart from evil is the way of the upright4 ,it is their common and ordinary course1 wherein they go as frequently as passengers do go along the highway of the earth4 ,all may see what they do1 they care not who looks on1 for their way being to depart from evil they walk in the highway1 where everyone may view them4 ,and there they walk the rather that others also may follow them1 and departing from evil may be joined to them in the highway to heaven4--,jermin4 ,every man has a highway of his own4 ,it is formed1 as our forefathers formed their roads1 simply by walking often on it and without a pre-determined plan4 ,foresight and wisdom may improve the moral path1 as much as they have in our day improved the material4 ,the highway of the covetous is to depart from poverty and make for riches with all his might4 ,in his eagerness to take the shortest cut he often falls over a precipice1 or loses his way in a wood4 ,the highway of the vain is to depart from seriousness1 and follow mirth on the trail of fools4 ,the highway of the ambitious is a toilsome scramble up a mountain's side towards its summit1 which seems in the distance to be a paradise basking in sunlight above the clouds2 but when attained is found to be colder and barer than the plain below4 ,the upright has a highway too1 and it is to depart from evil4 ,the upright is not an unfallen angel1 but a restored man4 ,he has been in the miry pit1 and the marks of the fall are upon him still4 4 4 4 ,the power of evil within him is not entirely subdued1 the stain of evil is not entirely wiped away4 ,he hates sin now in his heart1 but he feels the yoke of it in his flesh still4 ,his back is turned to the bondage that he loathes1 his face to the liberty which he loves4 4 4 4 ,the preserving of your soul depends upon the keeping of your way4 4 4 4 ,it is in the way1 the conduct1 the life1 that the breach occurs whereby a soul is lost that seemed to bid fair for a better land4 ,it is probable that with nine people out of ten in this favoured land the enemy finds it easier to inject actual impurity into the life than speculative error into the creed4 ,a shaken faith leads a life astray2 but also a life going astray makes shipwreck of faith4 ,i do not teach that any righteousness done by the fallen can either please ,god or justify a man2 but ,i do teach on the authority of the ,bible that a slipping from the way of righteousness and purity in actual life is the mainstay of ,satan's kingdom--the chief destroyer of souls4 4 4 4 ,the miners in the gold-fields of ,australia1 when they have gathered a large quantity of dust1 make for the city with the treasure4 ,the mine is far in the interior4 ,the country is wild3 the bush is infested with robbers4 ,the miners keep the road and the daylight4 ,they march in company1 and close to the guard sent to protect them4 ,they do not stray from the path among the woods1 for they bear with them a treasure which they value1 and they are determined to run no risks4 ,do likewise1 brother1 for your treasure is of greater value--your enemies of greater power4 ,keep the way1 lest you lose your soul4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ah1 #ai4 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,pride4 ,i4 ,pride has a present place and power in the world4 ,all human history bears witness to the existence of pride in the human heart1 and to the mighty influence it has always exerted upon the destinies of men4 ,and it is in the full exercise of its power to-day2 in various forms1 and under various modifications1 it still holds its place in the nation1 in the social circle1 and in the individual heart4 ,would that we could speak of it as an existence of the past1 and had only to mourn over the mischief that it has wrought in bygone ages4 ,but we cannot speak of it as a mighty tyrant who once held sway over men to their destruction1 but whose dominion has long ceased to exist4 ,to-day1 as in the days of old1 we must use the present tense and say1 ,pride goeth4 ,pride is not like some monster who lived in pre-historic times1 of whose life and death we know nothing but what we can infer from the skeleton dug up by the geologist1 and which we now gaze upon as a curiosity1 but which is a thing only1 and not a living power in the world4 ,pride is living and active4 ,like the mighty being to whom it owes its origin1 it is ever going to and fro in the world1 and walking up and down in it4 ,without doubt1 while it rules some men1 it only exists under protest in others1 but the most godly man upon earth is not altogether free from its blighting influence4 ,it lived in ages past in the souls of prophets and apostles1 and to-day it has a place and power in the ,church1 as well as in the world4 ,,ii4 ,pride is always a forerunner of evil to its possessor4 ,wherever and whenever found1 the mischief that it brings in its train is always proportionate to the rule which it has been allowed to exercise4 ,it is like the officer who comes to the condemned criminal to announce the hour of execution--after him comes destruction2 or like the advanced guard of a destroying army1 the pledge and promise of the ruin that is on its way4 ,when pride enters there destruction of some kind--humiliation and sorrow in some form or other--is sure to follow sooner or later4 ,pride was the forerunner of the deepest humiliation--of the most entire destruction--of ,belshazzar when he drank wine out of the vessels which his father ,nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple at ,jerusalem 7,dan4 v471 and a haughty spirit was the forerunner of a terrible fall to ,peter when it led him to utter the boast ,though all shall be offended1 yet will not ,i 7,mark xiv4 #bi74 ,it therefore follows-- ,,iii4 ,that fellowship with poverty and humility is better than fellowship with wealth and pride4 #a4 ,when a man is in the society of the proud he is in danger of becoming proud himself4 ,we are all moulded unconsciously by those by whom we are surrounded2 our own moral health depends very much upon the moral atmosphere we breathe1 and therefore fellowship with the proud is injurious to a man's spiritual well-being4 ,but fellowship with those who are poor in spirit 7,matt v4 #c7 may make us like-minded4 ,intercourse with the lowly in heart is likely to have a blessed influence upon our own hearts1 and to help us also not to estimate ourselves too highly4 ,this holds good whether the proud man be rich or poor1 and whether the lowly man be high or low in station1 for pride and wealth have no necessary connection with each other any more than poverty and humility have4 ,but when pride and riches are found united in one person1 fellowship with them is more to be avoided1 inasmuch as we may not only be influenced to become as proud as they are1 but may be tempted to over-value their external possessions1 and1 perhaps1 to envy the possessor4 ,but in the society of the poor we are free from both dangers1 and intercourse with those who are poor in the world's goods as well as poor in spirit1 will be a good lesson in the science of true happiness4 #b4 ,but such fellowship is not only better for a man's spirit1 it may also be better for his material warfare4 ,seeing that every proud man must experience the destruction of that upon which his pride has fed1 and that every haughty spirit will have a fall1 association with such may involve a participation in their misfortune4 ,to divide spoil with the proud may make us partakers of the penalty which follows the proud4 7,see also on chap4 xi4 #b47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ah4 ,shame and contempt the end of pride4 #a4 ,by natural tendency4 #b4 ,because of ,god's detestation and resolution to punish it4--,waterland4 ,the danger of pride is plain from every history of the great transactions that have come to pass in heaven and earth4 ,the prophets describe the destructive consequences of this sin with all the strength of their ,divine eloquence1 and all the sublimity of the prophetic style 7,isa4 xiv42 ,ezek4 xxix4 #ca74 ,the history of the evangelists shows us what amazing humiliation was necessary to expiate the guilt contracted by the pride of man4 ,and the tendency of the preaching and writings of the apostles was to cast down every high imagination of men1 that no flesh might glory but in the ,lord 7#a ,cor4 i4 #bi74 ,might not this loathsome disease become a cure for itself8 ,can anything afford us greater cause of humiliation1 than to find ourselves guilty of a sin so exceedingly unreasonable and presumptuous as pride8 ,shall a worm swell itself into an equality with the huge leviathan8 ,what is man that he should be great in his own eyes8 or1 what is the son of man1 that he should magnify himself as if he were some being greater than an angel8 ,was the ,son of ,god humbled for us that we might not perish for ever1 and shall pride be suffered to reign in our souls8--,lawson4 ,before1 in the presence of1 in a confronting local sense4 ,before ruin is pride2 that is1 when its terror-fit has come1 pride is to appear as the wretched cause of it4--,miller4 ,god resisteth the proud2 and good reason1 for the proud resisteth ,god4 ,other sins divert a man from ,god1 only pride brings him against ,god1 and brings ,god against him4 ,there is nothing in this world worth our pride1 but that moss will grow to a stone4--,t4 ,adams4 ,the haughty spirit carries the head high4 ,the man looks upward1 instead of to his steps4 ,what wonder1 therefore1 if1 not seeing what is before him1 he falls8 ,he loves to climb4 ,the enemy is always at hand to assist him 7,matt4 iv4 #e1 #f72 and the greater the height1 the more dreadful the fall4--,bridges4 ,it is the nature of pride that it seeketh to go before1 and to take place1 and so ,god hath placed it4 ,he hath appointed it to go before1 but it is before destruction1 and before a fall4 ,it is the quality of a haughty spirit to love to be waited on1 and ,god hath appointed attendants for it1 but they are the attendants of ruin and confusion4 ,no doubt as the pride of a haughty spirit disdaineth them that follow him1 so it disdaineth to hear of either falling or destruction1 notwithstanding they shall pursue and overtake him also4 ,he that sees pride go before may quickly tell what will follow after3 he that heareth the major proposition of an angry spirit may easily infer the conclusion of a certain destruction4 ,indeed it is but one falling that goeth before another2 and1 as ,st4 ,augustine speaketh1 the falling which is within1 and whereby the heart falleth from ,him than whom there is nothing higher1 this hidden falling1 whilst it is not thought to be a falling1 goeth before the outward and manifest falling of destruction4--,jermin4 ,verse #ai4 ,it is a pleasant thing to be enriched with other men's goods2 it is a gainful thing to have part of the prey2 it is a glorious thing to divide the spoil4 ,but what are all outward possessions to the inward virtues of the mind8 ,what will goods ill-gotten profit the possessors thereof8 ,finally1 what is the end of a proud person but to have a fall8 ,surely it is better to be injured than to do injury2 it is better to be patient than to be insolent2 it is better with the afflicted people of ,god to be bruised in heart and low of port than to enjoy the pleasures or treasures of sin or of this world for a season4--,muffet4 ,such an one is happier in having the favour of ,god and man1 immunity from perils1 and tranquillity of conscience4 ,whereas the proud1 who seek their own aggrandisement by oppressing their fellow-men1 lose the favour of these as well as of ,god1 are in danger of destruction at any moment1 and have a guilty conscience whenever they dare to reflect4--,fausset4 ,although pride were not followed by destruction1 and humility were attended with the most afflicting circumstances1 yet humility is to be infinitely preferred to pride4 ,the word here rendered humble might1 by inconsiderable variation1 be rendered afflicted4 ,humility and affliction are often in ,scripture expressed by the same word1 and described as parts of the same character4 ,low and afflicted circumstances are often useful1 by promoting humiliation of spirit4 ,the reverse sometimes takes place1 but it is an evidence of a very intractable spirit if we cry not when ,god bindeth us1 and continue unhumbled under humbling providences4 ,the cottager that has his little ,babylon of straw is less excusable than the mighty ,nebuchadnezzar walking in his pride through the splendid chambers of his stupendous palace4--,lawson4 ,there are main gates to the city of peace2 there is a little postern besides1 that is1 humility3 for of all vices1 pride is a stranger to peace4 ,the proud man is too guilty to come in by innocence1 too surly to come in by patience2 he hath no mind to come in by benefaction1 and he scorns to come in by satisfaction4 ,all these portcullises be shut against him2 there is no way left but the postern for him2 he must stoop or never be admitted to peace4 ,heaven is a high city1 yet hath but a low gate4 4 4 4 ,men may behold glory in humility1 they never shall find peace in ambition4 ,the safest way to keep fire is to rake it up in embers2 the best means to preserve peace is in humbleness4 ,the tall cedars feel the fury of tempests which blow over the humble shrubs in the low valleys4--,t4 ,adams4 ,better is it to be conquered by ,god than to be conqueror of the whole world4 ,for if ,god conquer thee1 the devil is conquered by thee2 if pride be driven from thee1 meekness is triumphant in thee1 and where thou art so spoiled thou hast gotten the spoil of thy spiritual enemies1 the love of ,god1 the comfort of ,his ,spirit1 the expectation of glory which they hadst gotten from thee1 and which the earth cannot value1 much less be an equal value unto them4 ,but then thou must be not only of a humble look1 or of a humble speech1 but of a humble spirit4--,jermin4 ,i4 ,the one is rich in his soul by the endowments and force of the spirit1 and the other hath a beggarly mind and impotent heart4 ,,ii4 ,the one is acceptable to ,god and amiable to good men1 whereas the ,lord doth abhor the other1 and good men shun his society4 ,,iii4 ,the one is rising and growing to a better state1 and the other is coming down and falling into misery4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bj and #ba4 ,,the ,,fruits ,,of ,,trust ,,in ,,the ,,lord4 ,i4 ,there can be no real blessedness in life unless there is trust in the ,lord4 ,men are so constituted that1 if they are to have soul-rest1 they must confide in the power and wisdom and love of a ,being who is stronger and wiser and better than they are4 ,let a man be ever so great intellectually or morally1 there will be times in his life when he will feel the absolute need he has of the guidance of ,one who is far wiser than he is1 of the help of ,one who far exceeds him in ability and in goodness4 ,if he has not such a helper and guide to whom he can turn1 he will be a stranger to that calmness of soul which alone makes a man truly blessed4 #a4 ,a trust of this kind must rest upon a knowledge of the ,divine character4 ,if a man is following a guide in some difficult and dangerous path1 it is necessary to his peace of mind that he should know enough about his guide to be assured that he will lead him aright4 ,if he does not know enough about him to know this1 he may be haunted by underlying doubts and fears which will banish all comfort from his mind4 ,when a ship's crew have so little knowledge of their captain's character and ability as to be uncertain whether he is able or whether he intends to bring the ship safely to her destined port1 they will be possessed by a spirit of uneasiness4 ,but if they know that all his powers will be directed to that end1 and that his ability is equal to the task1 they will sail through the deep in comparative rest and peace4 ,so no human soul can possess a confidence in ,god which will keep it calm and restful amid the waves of life's sea1 unless he has made himself acquainted with the character of ,god--unless he knows so much about ,him as to feel assured that ,his ways and works are perfectly wise and good4 #b4 ,god has given men means of acquiring this knowledge4 ,he has no motive for holding back from ,his creatures a knowledge of what ,he is and what ,his purposes are concerning them4 ,those who endeavour to conceal what they are and what their intentions are in relation to their fellow-men1 do so from a consciousness that if they revealed them they would not be trusted4 ,but ,god has no such motive for concealing ,his character and intentions1 and ,he has therefore revealed to men what ,he is and what ,he desires to do for them as fully as they are able to receive it1 and with clearness and certainty enough to be the basis of an unwavering trust4 ,this is indeed the end of all revelation of ,himself--to lead men to know the only true ,god and ,jesus ,christ 7,john xvii4 #b71 so that they may have faith in both the ,divine ,father and ,divine ,son1--that a trust may be begotten of the knowledge that will make them truly blessed4 ,,ii4 ,an intelligent trust in the ,lord is true wisdom4 ,wisdom has been often defined as the application of knowledge to practice1 and a man whose knowledge of ,god has begotten within him a trust in the ,lord1 is the only man who is capable of handling wisely either matters connected with his own life or with the lives of others4 ,when ,adam lost his trust in ,god he gave evidence of his folly--when his confidence in the ,divine character became unsettled1 he lost his ability to do the best with his own existence as a whole1 or with any particular matter connected with it4 ,it is a mark of the truest wisdom to handle all matters whether they are more immediately connected with our spiritual or material welfare1 in a spirit of trust in the perfect wisdom and love of ,god1 and it is a mark of the highest folly to endeavour to do it without dependence upon ,him4 ,he who1 in all his ways1 rests upon a ,divine guide1 is the only man who deserves the name of a prudent man 7ver4 #ba74 ,if a child comes into possession of vast estates--of large revenues--he is quite unable by reason of his undeveloped capacities and his limited experience to use what he possesses to the best advantage4 ,unless his inheritance is to suffer from misuse1 there must be the help of a higher intelligence and a more extended experience than he possesses3 and many men possess a great inheritance of intellectual endowments1 or of wealth and position1 but because they fail to apply to the ,highest ,wisdom for help to use it rightly1 they are neither blessed themselves in the possession1 nor do they bless others by the possession4 ,,iii4 ,such a wise and prudent man finds good and does good4 #a4 ,he will get good to himself4 ,he will get a godly character1 for trust in the ,lord is not only the foundation of all true soul-rest1 but of godliness of heart and life4 ,he shall be as a tree planted by the waters1 and that spreadeth out her roots by the river1 and shall not see when heat cometh1 but her leaf shall be green2 and shall not be careful in the year of drought1 neither shall cease from yielding fruit 7,jer4 xvii4 #h74 ,here the prophet teaches that he who possesses within him a constant well of spiritual happiness from confidence in ,god will manifest it in godly deeds1 and thus will become the possessor of the greatest good in ,god's universe--a holy character4 #b4 ,he will do good to others by his wise and holy conversation4 ,the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning1 and the speech of a man who trusts in the ,lord will be so attractive and winning a nature as to lead others to know ,god and to trust in ,him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bj4 ,combined view of the two chief requisites to a really devout life2 7#a7 ,obedience to the ,word of ,god4 7#b7 ,inspiring confidence in ,god4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,in doubtful cases to hold fast to ,god's ,word1 and believingly hope in ,his help1 ensures always a good issue4--,geier4 ,wise about a word4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,by usage1 wise about a thing1 hence1 shrewd1 though it be but in one transaction4 ,how often in ,london might mansions be pointed out of men opulent at a stroke6 ,such a stroke is faith6 ,see the same marvel in chap4 xviii4 #ba4 ,what a wonder is it that a man can win palaces of light by one act of casting himself upon the sacrifice4 ,act1 literally1 word4 ,but men acted so by the word in that country1 that it grew to mean affair 7,gen4 xx4 #h74 ,the very name of ,christ 7,john i4 #a7 seems to be coloured by this ,eastern usage4 ,by the word of the ,lord were the heavens made 7,psalm xxxiii4 #f74 ,blessed in every sense whatever4 ,what other affair ever produced as much as the affair of faith8 7,mark ix4 #bc74--,miller4 ,the obvious sense is that thorough understanding of business and prudent management of it tend to insure a prosperous issue4 ,and if the business is another's1 the intelligent1 cautious1 successful conducting of it1 will procure benefit by the favour it conciliates1 and the character it establishes4 ,one business well conducted brings a man another4 ,this is the way to get forward in the world4 ,and in proportion as the entrusted transaction is difficult and delicate1 will the handling of it wisely prove advantageous4 ,still there is no amount of human understanding and discretion that can render success in any transaction certain4 ,the result rests with ,god4 ,hence a very natural connection of the latter clause of the verse with the former4 ,here is the true secret of happiness--the union in all things of prudence and diligence1 with trust in ,god4 4 4 4 ,let it be further observed that handling a matter wisely does not mean handling it cunningly with artifice and what the apostle calls fleshly wisdom--the policy of this world2 but with a wisdom and prudence in harmony with the most rigid and straightforward integrity4 ,double dealing may be misnamed wisdom1 the arts of a tortuous cunning may be dignified with the designation of prudence2 but when such wisdom1 such prudence has been employed1 even the greatest amount of success can impart little that deserves the name of happiness4 ,and no man who is using the arts of a crooked policy can exercise trust in ,god4 ,the two things are incompatible4 ,who can unite obedience and confidence8 ,how could ,david trust in ,god for the success of his plan against ,uriah the ,hittite8 ,there was art in it1 but there was not wisdom4--,wardlaw4 ,this is in all cases true wisdom--to make man the excitement to diligence1 ,god the object of trust4 4 4 4 ,i have had many things1 said ,luther1 in my hands1 and have lost them all4 ,but whatever ,i have been able to trust in ,god's ,i still possess44 4 4 ,i will therefore1 says ,bishop ,hall1 trust ,him on ,his bare word1 with hope1 beside hope1 above hope1 against hope1 for small matters of this life4 ,for how shall ,i hope to trust ,him in impossibilities if ,i may not in likelihoods4 ,this simple habit of faith enables us fearlessly to look an extremity in the face4 ,thus holding on1 it is ,his honour to put ,his own seal to ,his ,word4 7,psalm ii4 #ab2 ,jer4 xvii4 #g1 #h74--;,bridges4 ,many meddle with more matters than they do well quit themselves of2 and many a time a good matter is made ill by the ill handling of it4 ,and he that handleth a matter wisely shall find good1 although the matter be ill2 and well doth he acquit himself1 although the matter may not succeed well4 4 4 4 ,to put our trust in ,god1 and not to use a wise care1 is to deceive ourselves2 to use a wise care1 and not to trust in ,god1 is to dishonour ,god4--,jermin4 ,verse #ba4 ,piety is sure to be discovered2 but many a pious man has less influence for want of courtesy4 ,the suaviter may be really stronger than the fortiter4 ,the last word is literally a taking1 from the verb to take4 ,this noun is often learning4 ,a taking may very legitimately be a lesson4 ,the idea is1 that sweet lips increase the taking1 i4e41 make more wisdom to be taken by the men around4 ,the duty1 therefore1 is evolved1 of being kind in speech that our good may not be evil spoken of 7,rom4 xiv4 #af74--,miller4 ,if the wise in heart be understood of the truly1 spiritually1 divinely wise1 then the phrase shall be called prudent must be interpreted1 according to a common ,hebrew idiom1 as meaning is prudent--deserves to be so called4 ,the sentiment will thus be the oft-repeated one1 that true religion is the only genuine prudence4 ,and is it not so8 we ask anew4 ,take as a standard the ordinary maxims of prudence among men4 ,is it the part of prudence to be considerate8 to look forward8 to anticipate1 as far as possible1 the contingencies of the future8 to provide against evil8 to make sure of lasting good8 ,this is true religion the very perfection of prudence4--,wardlaw4 ,that our wisdom may be useful1 we should endeavour to produce it to advantage by a graceful and engaging manner of expression4 ,it is not uncommon with bad men to set off their corrupt sentiments by dressing them in all the beauties of language1 and by this means multitudes are seduced into error and folly4 ,is not wisdom far better entitled to this recommendation than folly8--,lawson4 ,there is no sweetness that entereth into the lips to be compared to the sweetness that cometh from the lips4 ,the fig-tree must leave her sweetness1 and tall the trees of delight their pleasantness1 when the fruit of the lips is mentioned among them4 ,and most fitly is eloquence styled the sweetness of the lips4 ,how daintily doth it sweeten all matters of knowledge6 ,what a delicate relish doth it give unto them6 ,with what pleasure doth it make them to slip into the ears of men6 ,how doth it mollify the hardness and sharpness of reproof6 ,how doth it qualify the bitterness of sorrows6 ,how doth it warm the dull coldness of apprehension and attention6 ,and therefore1 though wisdom in the heart is of the chiefest worth1 yet eloquence of the lips is an addition to it4 ,st4 ,augustine1 speaking of himself1 saith1 that when he heard ,st4 ,ambrose preaching1 ,i stood by as one careless of the matter he spake1 and a contemner of it1 and ,i was delighted with the sweetness of his words2 but together with the words which ,i respected1 the matter came into my heart which ,i neglected1 and while ,i opened my heart to receive how eloquently he spake1 it entered also into my heart how truly he spake4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bb-bd4 ,,an ,,unfailing ,,spring4 ,i4 ,moral intelligence is its own reward4 ,a healthy state of body is its own reward4 ,it is a well-spring whence men may draw much bodily comfort--it adds much to the joy of existence4 ,moral intelligence--a good understanding--is a condition of moral health1 it is a state of soul in which the moral capabilities of a man are well-developed1 and it is a constant source of satisfaction to the possessor4 ,whosoever drinketh of the water that ,i shall give him shall never thirst2 but the water that ,i shall give him shall be in him1 a well of water springing up into everlasting life 7,john iv4 #ad74 ,,ii4 ,it is also a means of giving spiritual life and comfort to others4 ,a well is a place where weary men find refreshment and consolation4 ,and no morally wise man lives for himself alone2 his heart maketh his mouth wise1 and his pleasant words strengthen and comfort weary wayfarers on the journey of life4 ,no man who is himself acquainted with ,god can fail to speak words which will help and comfort others4 ,he who drinks of the water which ,christ gives will be a fountain-head whence shall flow rivers of living water 7,john vii4 #ch74 ,,iii4 ,a moral fool may be in the seat of instruction4 ,the correction1 rather the instruction of fools is folly 7ver4 #bb74 ,a man is not necessarily a wise man1 either intellectually or morally1 because he assumes the position which ought only to be held by a wise man4 ,many fools are found sitting as instructors of others4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees in the days of our ,lord were destitute of moral wisdom1 and yet they were found in ,moses' seat 7,matt4 xxii4 #b74 ,and in all ages of the ,church men have been found speaking in the name of ,god who have been entirely ignorant of ,divine truth--watchmen who have been blind1 4 4 4 shepherds that could not understand 7,isa4 lvi4 #aj1 #aa74 ,men of such a character are like wells of poisoned water1 their teachings are not simply unsatisfying and powerless to bless1 but they are positively injurious to those who imbibe their doctrines4 ,all who come under their influence will by their own lack of moral strength show that the instruction of fools is folly4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bb4 ,this spiritual understanding is not a work on the surface2 not a mere forced impulse2 not the summer stream1 but a deep-flowing fountain4 ,if it be not always bubbling1 there is always a supply at the bottom-spring4--,bridges4 ,two things are necessary to the opening and flow of well-springs--deep rendings beneath the earth's surface1 and lofty risings above it4 ,there must be deep veins and high mountains4 ,the mountains draw the drops from heaven2 the rents receive1 retain1 and give forth the supply4 ,there must be corresponding heights and depths in the life of a man ere he be charged as a well-spring of life from above4 ,upward to ,god and downward into himself the exercises of his soul must alternately penetrate4 ,you must lift up yourself in the prayer of faith1 and rend your heart in the work of repentance2 you must ascend into heaven to bring the blessing down1 and descend into the depths to draw it up4 ,extremes meet in a lively ,christian4 ,he is at once very high and very lowly4 ,god puts all ,his treasures in the power of a soul that rises to reach the upper springs1 as the ,andes intercept water from the sky sufficient to fertilise a continent4 ,and when the ,spirit has so descended like floods of water1 the secret places of a broken heart afford room for his indwelling1 so that the grace which came at first from ,god rises within the man like a springing well1 satisfying himself and refreshing his neighbours4--,arnot4 ,verse #bc4 #a4 ,that which a wise man utters is in itself good--instructive1 edifying1 profitable to direct4 ,the streams bear analogy to the fountain4 #b4 ,the wise man uses the understanding imparted to him for the benefit of others4 ,the wisdom that is in his heart passes to his lips4 #c4 ,his self-knowledge1 his experience of his own heart1 his incessant self-inspection1 4 4 4 his knowledge both of the old man and of the new man in their respective principles and influences as they exist and contend within himself1 all qualify him for wisely and judiciously counselling others1 according to their characters and situations4 #d4 ,the truly wise man will1 in his wisdom1 accommodate the manner of his instructions and counsels to the varying characters and tempers of his fellow-men4 ,a vast deal depends on this4 ,the end is often lost1 not for want of wisdom in the lesson itself1 but for lack of discretion in the mode of imparting it4 ,a thorough knowledge of anatomy is necessary to a judicious and successful practice in the operations of surgery4 ,ere he venture to make his incision1 the surgeon ought to understand all about the region where it is to be made--what arteries1 veins1 glands1 nerves1 lie in the way of his instrument2 and should be fully aware of the peculiarities of the case under his treatment4 ,in like manner an intimate acquaintance with the anatomy of the heart is necessary to discriminative and successful dealing with moral cases--to the suitable communication of instruction and advice4 ,without the surgical knowledge mentioned1 a practitioner may inflict a worse evil than the one he means to cure4 ,and so1 through the ignorance of moral anatomy1 may the injudicious adviser1 who treats all cases alike1 and makes no account of the peculiarities of character and situation with which he has to do4--,wardlaw4 ,who does not know the difference between one who speaks of what he has read or heard1 and one who speaks of what he has felt and tasted8 ,the one has the knowledge of the ,gospel--dry and spiritless4 ,the other has the savour of this knowledge 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ad7--;fragrant and invigorating4 ,the theorist may exceed in the quantum 7for ,satan--as an angel of light--is a fearful proof how much knowledge may be consistent with ungodliness72 but the real difference applies1 not to the extent1 but to the character of knowledge2 not to the matter known1 but to the mode of knowing it4 4 4 4 ,it is not1 therefore1 the intellectual knowledge of ,divine truth that makes the divine4 ,the only true divine is he who knows holy things in a holy manner2 because he only is gifted with a spiritual taste and relish for them4 4 4 4 ,and this experimental knowledge gives a rich unction to his communications4 ,divinity is not said by rote4 ,the heart teacheth the mouth4--,bridges4 ,every wise man is both a master and scholar1 and that unto himself2 as a master he sitteth in the chair of his heart1 and giveth thence lessons to his several scholars1 that are within the school of his own person1 of his own life4 ,his hands he teacheth what to do1 and how to work2 his feet he teacheth whither to go1 and how to walk2 his ears what to hear1 and how to listen2 his eyes what to see1 and how to look2 his mouth what to say1 and how to speak4 ,and that being an unruly scholar1 and like a wild youth1 much care he hath1 and much pains he taketh to instruct it well and to keep it in good order4--,jermin4 ,verse #bd4 ,the words express the twofold idea of pleasantness and of benefit4 ,many things have the one quality which have not the other4 ,many a poison is like honey1 sweet to the taste2 but instead of being health to the bones1 it is laden with death4 ,so it may be in regard to their present effect1 and their ultimate influence with words4 ,harshness and severity never afford pleasure1 and seldom yield profit4 ,if they were1 in any case1 requisite to the latter1 we should be under the necessity of giving it the preference1 for profit must ever take precedence of mere pleasure4 ,but it will be usually found that both are united4 ,pleasant words1 however1 must be distinguished from flattering words4 ,the latter may be at times palatable1 but they can never be otherwise than injurious2 for they are not words of truth4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #be is a repetition of chap4 xiv4 #ab1 for which see ,homiletics4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,these words concern not so much the course of the open sinner as of the mistaken and self-deceived man4 4 4 4 ,the practice of sin seems expedient1 seems pleasant1 seems unavoidable1 but it does not seem right4 ,those who live in the open practice of it are in the ways of death1 and they know it4 ,they are blinded1 infatuated1 intoxicated1 if you will1 but they are not mistaken4 ,there is1 however1 a very different class of persons1 to whom the text directly applies1 and to whom the warning is very solemn2 persons whose course lies just short of that degree of divergence from right where the conscience begins to protest1 and yet is sure1 as every divergence must if followed1 to lead very far from it at last4 4 4 4 ,it is this sort of travellers wherewith1 in our day1 the downward road is lavishly crowded2 men who walk not with the sinful multitude1 but on convenient embankments so contrived as to make the great broad road appear immensely distant and precipitous beneath1 and the narrow path comfortably near and accessible above4 4 4 4 ,it does not say of these apparently right ways that they are themselves ways of death1 but that they end in ways of death4 ,and this is important2 for nothing is so common as for the man1 when warned1 to vindicate himself by endeavouring to show1 and often by successfully showing1 that there is nothing destructive in his present course4 4 4 4 ,the ways are mainly of two kinds--errors in practice and errors in doctrine4 4 4 4 ,there is 7#a7 ,a life not led under the influence of practical religion4 4 4 4 ,improbable as it may seem that this correct man1 this blameless and upright liver1 should perish at last1 it is but a necessary consequence from his having rejected the only remedy which ,god has provided for the universal taint of our nature4 7#b7 ,those believing from the heart yet notoriously and confessedly wanting in some of the main elements of the ,gospel4 ,or1 7#c7 ,those who1 while professing zeal for religion in general1 nourish some one known sin or prohibited indulgence4 4 4 4 ,and regarding errors of doctrine1 there is nothing in life for which we are so deeply and solemnly accountable as the formation of our belief4 ,it is the compass which guides our way1 which1 if it vary ever so little from the truth1 is sure to cause a fatal divergence in the end4--,alford4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,the ,,mainspring ,,of ,,human ,,industry4 ,i4 ,god intends every man to be a labourer4 ,adam in ,paradise was required to dress and keep the ,garden of ,eden1 so that the labourer's patent of nobility dates from before the fall4 ,the ,son of ,god1 in human flesh1 laboured with ,his own hands for the supply of ,his daily wants1 and thus for ever sanctified the ordinary toil of life4 7,on the profitableness of labour1 see on chap4 xiv4 #bc47 ,,ii4 ,god has taken means to ensure the continuance of labour4 ,he has so created man that if the majority do not labour neither can they eat1 nor can those eat who do not labour4 ,there must be always a large proportion of workers in the great hive of human creatures1 or both they and the drones would starve4 ,it is hunger that keeps the world in motion1 and it is the craving of man's mouth that builds our cities and our ships1 that stimulates invention1 and sends men abroad in quest of fresh fields of industry4 ,it is this necessity to eat that keeps all the members of the human family in a state of ceaseless activity1 and prevents them from sinking into a state of mental stagnation and bodily disease4 ,it is a noteworthy fact that those nations who have to work hard to supply their physical wants are more intellectually and spiritually healthy than those who live in lands where the needs of life are satisfied with little labour4 ,god has promised that while the earth remaineth1 seedtime and harvest shall not cease 7,gen4 viii4 #bb72 but ,he has also1 by the constitution of man1 ordained that he must be unceasingly active upon the face of the earth2 and ,he has so ordained because of the many blessings which flow from this necessity4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,since that which causes us to labour and trouble becomes a means of our subsistence1 it in turn helps us to overcome labour and trouble1 for this very thing1 by virtue of ,god's wise regulating providence1 becomes for us a spur to industry4--,von4 ,gerlach4 ,a man's industry in his calling is no sure sign of virtue1 for although it is a duty commanded by ,god1 and necessary to be practised1 yet profit and necessity may constrain a man to labour1 who has no regard either to ,god or man4 ,but this proves that idleness is a most inexcusable sin4 ,it is not only condemned in the ,scripture1 but it is a sign that a man wants common reason as well as piety1 when he can neither be drawn by interest1 nor driven by necessity1 to work4 ,self-love is a damning sin where it reigns as the chief principle of action2 but the want of self-love where it is required is no less criminal4--,lawson4 ,to labour is man's punishment1 and that man laboureth for himself is ,god's mercy4 ,for as it is painful to labour1 so it is made more painful when another reapeth the fruit thereof2 but when ourselves are comforted with the fruit thereof1 the labour is much eased in the gathering of it4 ,god himself does not look for any benefit from our labour1 it is all for ourselves1 whatever we do4 ,and therefore as ,god doth command labour1 so the mouth of our benefit doth call for it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bg-cj4 ,,different ,,species ,,of ,,the ,,same ,,genus4 ,i4 ,human depravity manifests itself in a variety for forms4--,there may be many lawless children in a family1 but they may not all sin against the same law--they may all rebel against what is true and good1 but some may be pre-eminent transgressors in one way and some in another4 ,one son may be a notorious liar and another may be a slave to ungovernable passion1 while a third may be addicted to another and different vice4 ,it is so in the great human family--all unregenerate men are transgressors against ,god's good and righteous law1 but their transgressions may take different forms4 ,,ii4 ,but all ungodliness is subversive of human happiness4--,if a man sets at nought the law of ,god1 he will be a curse to those around him4 ,there are many such men who seem to delight in increasing the misery of mankind1 they make it their business to dig up evil1 they work diligently to bring to light that which it is most desirable should be hidden and forgotten1 and so they are like a scorching1 consuming fire to the peace of many of their fellow creatures4 ,and if they are not so openly and manifestly bad1 if they are untruthful men1 they must sow around them seeds of suspicion and discord which hinder men from being bound together in bonds of friendship or break such bonds when they have been formed4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bg4 ,a worthless man4 ,this is the farthest an impenitent moralist will go in condemning himself4 ,he may be a worthless man 7a man of ,belial1 i4e41 of no profit71 but he is not a harmful man4 4 4 4 ,solomon calls this mild gracelessness a digging up of evil4 ,recurring to the potency of the tongue1 he says1 ,the lips of such men1 sweet as they may seem1 fairly scorch and burn4--,miller4 ,in the expression diggeth up evil two ideas may be included3--#a4 ,taking pains to devise it4 ,we dig or search for treasure in a mine1 or where we fancy it lies concealed3 thus the wicked man does in regard to evil4 ,it is his treasure--that on which he sets his heart2 and for it1 as for treasure1 he digs and searches--ay1 often deep and long4 ,his very happiness seems to depend on his reaching and finding it4 ,he is specially laborious and persevering when anyone chances to have become the object of his pique or malice4 ,marvellous is the assiduity with which he then strains every nerve to produce mischief1--plodding and plotting for it1--mining and undermining1--exploring in every direction1 often where no one could think of but himself1--and with savage delight exulting in the discovery of aught that can be made available for his diabolic purpose4 #b4 ,taking pains to revive it after it has been buried and forgotten4 ,he goes down into the very graves of old quarrels2 brings them up afresh2 puts new life into them2 wakes up grudges that had long slept2 and sets people by the ears again who had abandoned their enmities1 and had been for years in reconciliation and peace4 ,as to evil1 whether old and new1 the son of ,belial is like one in quest of some mine of coal1 or of precious metal4 ,he examines his ground1 and wherever he discovers any hopeful symptoms on the surface he proceeds to drill1 and bore1 and excavate4 ,the slightest probability of success will be enough for his encouragement to toil and harass himself night and day until he can make something of it4 ,the persevering pains of such men would be incredible were they not sadly attested by facts--,they search out iniquities2 they accomplish a diligent search3 both the inward thought of every one of them1 and the heart1 is deep 7,psalm lxiv4 #f74--,wardlaw4 ,whisperers are like the wind that creeps in by the chinks and crevices of a wall1 or the cracks in a window1 that commonly proves more dangerous than a storm that meets a man in the face upon the plain4--,trapp4 ,verse #bh4 ,the idea is1 sin cannot keep silence4 ,in its quiet hour it speaks1 rolling out 7literally7 articulate influences4 ,the very idea is terrible4 ,it separates friends4 ,that is1 the world being knit together by the law of love1 the impenitent separate it asunder4 ,they separate man from his race1 and destroy that highest friendship that he might have with the ,almighty4--,miller4 ,verse #bi4 ,yet though a wicked man be never so violent1 he cannot compel thee to his ways1 he can but entice thee1 he can but lead thee2 it is still in thine own power whether thou wilt follow him or no4 ,wherefore though it agree to his violence to lead1 let it be thy care to keep back from his ways4--,jermin4 ,unbelief can hardly be libelled1 and ,solomon's very thought is to show how violent it is6 ,it is the match even of hell1 for it derides it6 ,it is the robber even of ,god1 for it thieves from ,him4 ,it takes life without paying for it4 ,it assaults the ,maker upon ,his throne4 ,it stares broadly at the truth each ,sunday when it listens1 and flouts it as though never heard4 ,unbelief is violence2 and yet1 as though it were the most seductive charm it seduces 7entices7 one's neighbour4--,miller4 ,these sons of ,belial are also tempters of others4 ,a fearful employment--a fearful delight6 ,yet the employment would not be followed were there not pleasure in it4 ,the pleasure is fiendish--laying plans and putting every vile art into practice1 to seduce the virtuous and unsuspecting youth from the way of rectitude6 4 4 4 ,as there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth1 so there is a malicious joy in hell when such tempters succeed in turning any from the right to the wrong1 from the narrow to the broad way4 ,this is the joy of fiends1 the other of angels4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #cj4 ,wicked men are great students2 they beat their brains and close their eyes that they may revolve and excogitate mischief with more freedom of mind4 ,they search the devil's skull for new devices1 and are very intentive to invent that which may do hurt2 their wits will better serve them to find out a hundred shifts or carnal arguments1 than to yield to one saving truth4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ca4 ,a ,,crown ,,of ,,glory4 ,i4 ,hoary heads may be found which are not in the way of righteousness4 ,a hoary head in the way of ungodliness is one of the saddest sights that a thoughtful mind can look upon4 #a4 ,because in such a man the tendency towards evil has been strengthened by the habits of a long life4 ,in childhood there is a condition of comparative innocency to start with1 and there is hope that this freedom from actual transgression may develop into a tried virtue in the passage from youth to old age4 ,but when childhood has passed away1 the condition of comparative innocence has passed away too1 and if the evil tendencies of human nature are not resisted they grow stronger as the man grows in years1 and old age finds him more under the dominion of sinful habit than any former period of his life4 ,an ungodly man is more ungodly when he is old than he has ever been before1 and is therefore a sadder object of contemplation then than he was in his youth or in his prime4 ,such a hoary-headed sinner often wishes that it was now as easy to do right as it was in his youth1 but he finds that it is not so4 ,to will may be present with him 7,rom4 vii4 #ah71 but he finds that by reason of his long indulgence in sinful habits it is less easy now to perform that which he will than it was when his locks were black and his form unbent4 ,the man whose limbs are palsied by age finds that they do not move in obedience to his will so readily as they did in the days of his health1 and the aged man finds also that his moral actions are not so easily controlled as they were when he was young--the vessel does not answer to her helm so quickly as it did then4 ,it is always sad to look upon a slave1 even upon one who is only a slave in body4 ,but it is far sadder to see a man who is in spiritual bondage--one who is taken captive by the devil at his will 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #bf71 and we look upon such an one whenever we look upon a hoary head in the way of ungodliness4 #b4 ,because such a man is growing old in soul as well as in body4 ,when he was a child the seeds of perpetual youth were implanted within him2 if he had then given himself up to holy influences old age would have found him as young in heart as when he was a boy1 because although the outer man of all men perishes daily1 the inner man of the godly is renewed day by day 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #af74 ,but ungodliness deprives a man of the blessedness of being for ever young--of retaining to the latest hour of life the freshness of feeling which characterises the young1 and of leaving the world with a certainty that all his mental and spiritual powers will be renewed throughout eternity4 ,his soul sympathises with his body1 and the weakness and decay of the shell is a symbol of what is going on within4 #c4 ,because he is nearing the mysterious exodus from this world which must be accomplished by all without being prepared for it4 ,all men are near to death--men of all ages are uncertain whether they will be here on the morrow1 but the old man knows certainly that his race is almost run--that he must shortly put off this tabernacle4 ,and there is nothing more depressing to a man than to feel that he is utterly unprepared to meet the demands of a great crisis in his life which is near--that he has soon to meet a person who holds his destines in his hand and that he has nothing to hope1 but everything to fear from him--that he has to embark on a voyage to a distant land without any knowledge of what shall befall him when he arrives there4 ,and if a long course of ungodliness has blunted his capability of seeing his own true position1 it is clear to thoughtful onlookers1 and the sight fills them with sadness4 ,,ii4 ,but a hoary head in the way of righteousness is a kingly head4 ,there is nothing kingly in old age considered in itself4 ,an old man's body is not such a kingly object to look upon as a young man's--it does not give us the idea of so much power and capability4 ,and an ungodly old man--as we have seen--is not a king but a slave--a slave to sinful habits1 to the infirmities of age1 and to the fear of death4 ,but the hoary head of a righteous man--#a4 ,tells a tale of conquest4 ,it speaks of many temptations met1 and wrestled with1 and overcome4 ,his passions are not his masters1 but his servants--he has learned to bring into subjection even his thoughts2 he reigns as king over himself1 and so his hoary hairs are a symbol of his kingship4 #b4 ,it is a sign of spiritual maturity4 ,in all the works of ,god we expect the best and the most perfect results at the last4 ,there is a glory and a beauty in the field covered with the green blades of early spring1 but the period of its perfection is not in the spring1 but in the autumn1 when the full corn in the ear stands ready for the sickle4 ,the mind of the youthful philosopher may be mighty in its power1 but its capabilities are greater when he has spent a long life in developing them4 ,it is in harmony with all the methods of ,god's working that all that is of real worth in a man should be nearer perfection the longer he lives1 and it is so with all those who are willing to bring their lives into harmony with the ,divine ,will4 ,if an old man is a godly man1 he is more like ,god in his character and disposition in his old age than he ever was before1 and this spiritual maturity invests him with a kingly dignity4 #c4 ,it is an earnest of a brighter crown which is awaiting him4 ,to him death is not an welcome visitor1 and ,god is a ,being in whose presence he expects to realise fulness of joy 7,psa4 xvi4 #aa71 and the country beyond the grave a place to which he often longs to depart4 ,all such hoary-headed servants of ,god can adopt the language of the aged ,paul1 and say1 ,i am now ready to be offered1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have finished my course1 ,i have kept the faith4 ,henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give me at that day 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #g1 #h74 ,to all such it is especially fit that kingly honours should be paid4 ,thou shalt rise up before the hoary head1 and honour the face of the old man 7,lev4 xix4 #cb74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we honour them whose heads have been encircled with crowns by the hands of men1 and will we refuse honour to those whom ,god himself hath crowned with silver hairs8--,lawson4 ,the word if is a supplement4 ,the verse may be read1 ,the hoary head is a crown of glory3 it shall be found in the way of righteousness4 ,two things are implied3--,the conduciveness of righteousness to the attainment of old age1 and its conduciveness to the respectability and honour of old age4--,wardlaw4 ,the hoary head is the old man's glory and claim for reverence4 ,god solemnly links the honour of it with ,his own fear 7,lev4 xix4 #cb74 ,the ancient are numbered with the honourable 7,isa4 ix4 #ae74 ,the sin of despising them is marked 7,isa4 iii4 #e71 and1 when shown towards ,his own prophet1 was awfully punished 7#b ,kings ii4 #bc1 #bd74 ,wisdom and experience may be supposed to belong to them 7,job xii4 #ab71 and the contempt of this wisdom was the destruction of a kingdom 7#a ,kings xii4 #ac-bj74 ,but the diamond in the crown is1 when it is found in the way of righteousness4 ,even a heathen monarch did homage to it 7,gen4 xlvii4 #g-aj72 an ungodly nation and king paid to it the deepest respect 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #a2 #b ,kings xiii4 #ad74 ,the fathers of the ,old and ,new ,testament reflected its glory4 ,the one died in faith1 waiting the ,lord's salvation2 the other was ready to depart in peace at the joyous sight of it 7,luke ii4 #bh1 #bi74 ,zacharias and ,elizabeth walked in all the ordinances of the ,lord blameless2 ,anna a widow indeed1 in the faith and hope of the ,gospel2 ,polycarp1 with his fourscore and six years1 in his ,master's service4 ,crowns of glory were their hoary heads1 shining with all the splendour of royalty4 ,earnestly does the holy ,psalmist plead this crown for usefulness to the ,church 7,psa4 lxxi4 #ah72 the ,apostle1 for the cause of his converted slave 7,philemon #i74--;,bridges4 ,the old age is to be reverenced most which is white1 not with gray hairs only1 but with heavenly grace4 ,commendable old age leaneth upon two staves--the one a remembrance of a life well led1 the other a hope of eternal life4 ,take away these two staves1 and old age cannot stand with comfort2 pluck out the gray hairs of virtues1 and the gray head cannot shine with any bright glory4 4 4 4 ,the gray head is a glorious ornament1 for1 first hoary hairs do wonderfully become the ancient person1 whom they make to look the more grave1 and to carry the greater authority in his countenance2 secondly1 they are a garland or diadem1 which not the art of men1 but the finger of ,god1 hath fashioned and set on the head4--,muffet4 ,hoariness is only honourable when found in a way of righteousness4 ,a white head1 accompanied with a holy heart1 makes a man truly honourable4 ,there are two glorious sights in the world3 the one is a young man walking in his uprightness1 and the other is an old man walking in the ways of righteousness4 ,it was ,abraham's honour that he went to his grave in a good old age1 or rather1 as the ,hebrew hath it1 with a good grey head 7,gen4 xxv4 #h74 ,many there be that go to their graves with a grey head1 but this was ,abraham's crown1 that he went to his grave with a good grey head4 ,had ,abraham's head been never so grey1 if it had not been good it would have been no honour to him4 4 4 4 ,when the head is as white as snow1 and the soul is a black as hell1 ,god usually gives up such to scorn and contempt4 4 4 4 ,but ,god usually reveals ,himself most to old disciples1 to old saints3 ,with the ancient is wisdom2 and in length of days understanding 7,job xii4 #ab74 ,god usually manifests most of ,himself to aged saints4 ,they usually pray most and pay most1 they labour most and long most after the choicest manifestations of ,himself and of ,his grace1 and therefore ,he opens ,his bosom most to them1 and makes them of ,his cabinet council4 ,and the ,lord said1 shall ,i hide from ,abraham that thing which ,i do1 etc4 7,gen4 xviii4 #ag-ai74 ,abraham was an old friend1 and therefore ,god makes him both of ,his court and council4 ,we usually open our hearts most freely1 fully1 and familiarly1 to old friends4 ,so doth ,god to ,his ancient friends4--,brooks4 ,age is not all decay2 it is the ripening1 the swelling of the fresh life within that withers and bursts the husk4--,george ,macdonald4 ,aged piety is peculiarly honourable4 #a4 ,it hath long continued4 ,when it is said ,if it be found1 etc41 intimates that such a one has been long walking in that way4 #b4 ,it is founded on knowledge and experience4 ,they are well acquainted with the suitableness and sufficiency of the ,redeemer4 ,they have made many useful observations on the methods of providence towards themselves1 their families1 and the ,church of ,god4 ,they know much of the evil of sin1 of the nature of temptations1 and of the many devices of ,satan4 #c4 ,it is proved and steadfast4 ,the aged ,christian is rooted in the faith1 grounded and settled1 his habits of piety are become quite natural4 #d4 ,it is attended with much usefulness4 ,the piety of an aged ,christian is much to the glory of ,god1 as it shows especially the ,gospel's power to bear the ,christian on through difficulties and temptations4 ,and aged saints are very useful to mankind4 ,their steadfast piety puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men who complain of the restraints of religion as unreasonable and intolerable1 and of the ,redeemer's laws as impracticable4 ,they are living witnesses to mankind to the kindness of ,god's providence and the riches of ,his grace4--,job ,orton4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cb4 ,,taking ,a ,,city ,,and ,,ruling ,,the ,,spirit4 ,i4 ,a man who takes a city may do a good work4 ,when ,solomon says that the man who rules his spirit does a better work than he who takes a city1 he by no means implies that the taking of a city is a wrong action4 ,in the records of ,god's dealings with the nations of old1 we find that ,he sometimes laid it as a duty upon ,his chosen servants to take a city4 ,the overthrow of a city is sometimes necessary for the preservation of the morality of the human race1 and it is as indispensable for its well-being as the amputation of a diseased limb is for the health of the individual man4 ,large cities are favourable to the development and increase of crime1 and sometimes become such moral pest-houses that ,god1 out of regard for ,his human family1 causes them to be wiped from off the earth1 and sometimes uses ,his own servants to do the work4 ,it was ,he who commanded ,joshua to take the city of ,jericho and the other cities of ,canaan1 and they were destroyed because of the sin of those who dwelt in them4 ,or the overthrow of a city may be the downfall of a tyrant1 and the deliverance of the oppressed1 and then we also know that it is well-pleasing to ,god4 ,the ,bible has it in many songs of praise to ,god for ,his overthrow of those who held their fellow-men in bondage--songs which were not only acceptable to ,him1 but which were the fruit of the inspiration of ,his ,spirit1 and therefore we know that the taking of a city which was followed by such a result might in itself be a righteous and praiseworthy act4 ,,ii4 ,a man may do a good work in taking a city1 and yet be under the dominion of sinful habits4 ,many a man has acquired vast power over others without ever learning how to master his own evil passions--many a city has been taken by him1 and good may have been the outcome of some of his conquests1 and yet he has been ever an abject bondslave to his own evil impulses4 ,many a conqueror of cities has been himself brought more and more into captivity to the vices of the mind as his conquests advanced1 and though ,god may have used him to further ,his wise and beneficent purposes to the race1 he may1 by his inability to rule himself1 have lived and died a miserable victim of sin--in greater bondage to himself than any of those whom he conquered could ever be to him4 ,,iii4 ,self-rule is nobler than the possession of rule over others4 #a4 ,this conquest is over spirit and the other may only be over flesh4 ,we cannot rule over the whole of our fellow-man by physical force2 if circumstances make us masters over his body1 there is a spiritual part of him which we cannot enslave without his consent4 ,a city and a man's spirit belong to entirely different regions1 and the latter cannot be ruled by the same weapons as the other4 ,but spirit is far higher than matter1 and when a man has learned to rule his own inner man he has made a conquest which is far more difficult1 and therefore nobler1 than he who takes a city4 ,the man who can check a lawless thought or desire1 must be as much greater than he who can only subdue men's bodies1 as mind is greater than matter1 and he must do a more glorious work because he lessens the power of sin in the universe4 ,it may sometimes be a necessary and good thing to drive the sinner out of the world1 but it is infinitely better to kill sin1 and this is what he who rules himself is always doing4 #b4 ,it requires the exercise of greater skill and is a more complete victory4 ,if there is a spiritual part of a man which cannot be subdued to our will without his consent1 this consent can only be obtained by the exercise of weapons which require more skilful handling than the sword of steel4 ,god never attempts to conquer the human spirit by physical force2 ,he has created it to bow only to spiritual forces1 and it is by these that ,he brings men into obedience to ,his will4 ,a city may be surprised into submission1 but dominion over the soul must be gained step by step4 ,and the man who rules his own spirit uses these spiritual weapons1 and achieves his conquest little by little4 ,but if the weapons are more difficult to wield1 and if the victory is more slowly won1 the conquest is much more complete4 ,for when the spirit is ruled the entire man is ruled4 #c4 ,the battle is fought and the victory won in silence and in secret4 ,when men take a city they are as conscious that the eyes of many are upon them1 and that the news of their victory will be spread throughout half the world1 and that thus they will acquire great renown among their fellow-creatures4 ,and this nerves them to the conflict4 ,but the man who fights upon the battle-ground of his own heart fights in secret1 and his victories bring him none of that renown which falls to him who takes a city4 ,no eye looks on but the omniscient eye of ,god1 and although ,divine approval is infinitely beyond the praise of a world of finite creatures1 yet it has not always such a conscious influence as that of our fellow-men4 #d4 ,the conflict and victory works nothing but good4 ,even when the taking of a city ends in the good of the majority1 there must be suffering for some who are innocent4 ,but the bringing of the spirit under dominion to that which is good and true bring blessings on the man who wins the victory1 and works no ill to anyone1 but is a source of good to many4 #e4 ,the glory of self-rule will last much longer than the glory of any material conquest4 ,alexander of ,macedon took many cities1 but the glory that once shed a halo around his name has died away as the world has grown older4 ,and even if the fame of an earthly warrior could last to the end of time1 it would last no longer if it rested only on his military achievements4 ,but the glory of self-rule is the glory of goodness which will never grow dim1 but shine with increasing brightness as the ages roll4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,now the ,lord has made so glorious a conquest over these proud enemies that rose up against you1 ,i beseech you consider1 of all conquests the conquest of enemies within is the most honourable and the most noble conquest2 for in conquering those enemies that be within1 you make a conquest over the devil and hell itself4 ,the word that is rendered ruleth1 signifies to conquer1 to overcome4 ,it is this conquest that lifts a man up above all other men in the world4 ,and as this is the most noble conquest1 so it is the most necessary conquest4 ,you must be the death of your sins1 or they will be the death of your souls4 ,sin is a viper that does always kill where it is not killed4 ,there is nothing gained by making peace with sin but repentance here and hell hereafter4 ,every yielding to sin is a welcoming of ,satan into our very bosoms4 ,valentine the emperor said upon his deathbed1 that among all his victories1 one only comforted him2 and being asked what that was1 he answered1 ,i have overcome my worst enemy1 mine own naughty heart4 ,ah1 when you shall lie upon a dying bed1 then no conquest will thoroughly comfort1 but the conquest of your own sinful hearts4 ,none were to triumph in ,rome that had not got five victories2 and he shall never triumph in heaven that subdueth not his five senses1 saith ,isidorus4 ,ah1 souls6 what mercy is it to be delivered from an enemy without1 and to be eternally destroyed by an enemy within8--,brooks4 ,to follow the bent and tendency of our nature requires no struggle1 and being common to all1 involves no distinction4 ,but to keep the passions in check--to bridle and deny them2 instead of letting loose our rage against an enemy1 to subdue him by kindness--this is one of the severest efforts of a virtuous or of a gracious principle4 ,the most contemptible fool on earth may send a challenge1 and draw a trigger1 but not to be overcome of evil1 but to overcome evil with good1 demands a vigour of mind and decision of character1 far more difficult of acquiring than the thoughtless courage that can stand the fire of an adversary4--,wardlaw4 ,the taking of a city is only the battle of a day4 ,the other is the weary1 unceasing conflict of a life4 4 4 4 ,but the magnifying of the conflict exalts the glory of the triumph4 ,gideon's rule over his spirit was better than his victory over the ,midianites 7,judges viii4 #a-c74 ,david's similar conquest was better than could have been the spoils of ,nabal's house 7#a ,sam4 xxv4 #cc74 ,not less glorious was that decisive and conscious mastery over his spirit when he refused to drink the water of ,bethlehem1 obtained at the hazard of his bravest men2 thus condemning the inordinate appetite that had desired the refreshment at so unreasonable a cost 7#b ,sam4 xxiii4 #ag74 4 4 4 ,to rule one's spirit is to subdue an enemy that has vanquished conquerors4 4 4 4 ,meanwhile victory is declared1 before the conquest begins4 ,let every day then be a day of triumph4 ,the promises are to present victory 7,rev4 ii4 #g1 etc474 ,with such stirring1 stimulating hopes1 thou shall surely have rule if thou darest to have it4--,bridges4 ,it may be harder to keep from toppling over a precipice1 than to lift1 by sheer strength1 our body over a wall4 ,the reason is obvious4 ,a feather might keep our balance1 so we could lean and be safe2 but the difficulty is where to get it4 ,we have strength enough if we only had wherewithal it could be applied4 ,the difficulty of ruling our spirits is1 that they are ourselves4 ,the difficulty of an inebriate in resisting a desire1 is--that it is his desire4 ,what can he resist it with8 ,it might be far slighter1 and yet1 if there be nothing to oppose1 like the slight weight that topples one upon the ,alps1 it is as sure to ruin him as a thousand tons4--,miller4 ,such an one is more excellent than he that is strong of body2 for he can bear reproaches1 which are more intolerable burdens than any that are wont to be laid upon the backs of the strongest4--,muffet4 ,therein stands the office of a king1 ,his honour1 virtue1 merit1 and chief praise1 ,that for the public all this weight he bears2 ,yet he who reigns within himself1 and rules ,passions1 desires1 and fears1 is more a king2 ,which every wise and virtuous man attain2 ,and who attains not1 ill aspires to rule ,cities of men1 or headstrong multitudes1 ,subject himself to anarchy within1 ,or lawless passions in him which he serves4--,milton4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cc4 ,,the ,,lot ,,and ,,its ,,disposer4 ,i4 ,there is a special ,providence of ,god in the midst of ,his universal government4 ,in nature there is a manifestation of a universal ,providence ruling over all ,god's creatures4 ,but the individual is not lost in the multitude--each bird of the air and every blade of grass in the field is under the special supervision of its ,creator4 ,and ,god is ,ruler in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth1 but ,he does not deal with either angels or men in the mass as human rulers must do1 but knows1 and cares for1 and guides the destines of the individual man--the disposal of the lot of each one is from the ,lord4 ,,ii4 ,the special ,providence of ,god works through human instrumentality4 ,reference is here doubtless made to the ancient custom of casting lots to ascertain the ,divine ,will4 ,this was done at the division of the land of ,canaan among the children of ,israel1 on the occasion of the election of their first king1 and in choosing the apostle who took the place of ,judas among the twelve4 ,in all these cases it was recognised that there was no chance in the disposal of the lot--that the decision in each case was from the ,lord ,himself--but in each case human instrumentality was used by ,him to make known ,his ,will4 ,this linking of human instrumentality with ,divine sovereignty is found in all ,god's dealings with men4 ,he has promised that seedtime and harvest shall not cease while the earth continues1 but he requires men to sow the grain to bring about the harvest4 ,the casting of the lot is symbolic of the part that human effort takes in the government of the world--although ,god is above and behind it1 ,he does not work without it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,one general principle regarding the employment of the lot is sufficiently manifest1 that it should never be introduced except in cases where reason and evidence are incompetent to decide4 ,and we may1 ,i think1 safely go so far as to affirm that in cases of importance and of extremity--that is1 where other means of arriving at a satisfactory conclusion or a harmonious agreement have failed--there does not appear to be anything in ,scripture by which such an appeal can be considered as interdicted4 4 4 4 ,still1 if there is nothing interdictory of the use of it1 there is nothing that makes it obligatory in any specified circumstances2 and it is clear that1 if used at all1 it should be used seriously and sparingly4 ,it is very wrong1 and the reverse of truth1 to speak of any matter whatever as being in this way referred to chance4 ,there is no such thing4 ,chance is nothing--an absolute nonentity4 ,it is a mere term for expressing our ignorance4 ,every turn of the dice in the box is regulated by certain physical laws1 so that1 if we knew all the turns1 we could infallibly tell what number would cast up4 ,besides1 in no case is there a more thorough disavowal of chance than in the use of the lot4 ,it is the strongest and most direct recognition that can be made of a particular providence--of the constant and minute superintendence of an omniscient1 overruling mind4--,wardlaw4 ,everything is a wheel of ,providence4 ,who directed the ,ishmaelites on their journey to ,egypt at the very moment that ,joseph was cast into the pit8 ,who guided ,pharaoh's daughter to the stream just when the ark1 with its precious deposit1 was committed to the waters8 ,what gave ,ahasuerus a sleepless night1 that he might be amused with the records of his kingdom8--,bridges4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,sacrifices1 literally killings1 i4e41 slain beasts1 not necessarily animals killed for sacrifice4 #b4 ,a son that causeth shame1 rather1 a degenerate son4 7,delitzsch and ,zckler74 #d4 ,a liar1 literally1 a lie1 falsehood4 #g4 ,excellent speech1 literally a lip of excess or prominence1 an assuming1 imperious style of speech 7,zckler74 ,a prince1 rather1 a noble1 a man of lofty disposition4 #h4 ,a gift4 ,some expositors understand this in the sense of a bribe4 ,delitzsch translates the whole verse--,the gift of bribery appears a jewel to its receiver1 whithersoever he turneth himself he acted prudently1 i4e41 it determines and impels him to apply all his understanding1 in order that he may reach the goal for which it shall be his reward4 ,zckler understands it to refer to the gift of seasonable liberality which secures for its giver supporters and friends4 #i4 ,repeateth a matter4 ,most expositors understand this repetition to refer to a revival of a past wrong1 but ,miller translates ,he who falls back into an act1 i4e41 transgresses again after forgiveness4 #aa4 ,many commentators translate the first clause ,rebellion1 or a rebel seeketh only after evil1 i4e41 brings retribution upon himself4 #ab4 ,miller translates the latter clause but not a fool his folly4 7,see his comment47 #ad4 ,meddled with1 rather pours forth4 #ag4 ,friend and brother are related the one as the climax of the other4 ,the friend is developed into a brother by adversity4 7,lange's ,commentary47 #bj4 ,a froward heart1 rather1 a false heart4 #bb4 ,a broken spirit4 ,miller renders an upbraiding spirit1 i4e41 spirit which cavils at ,god's providential dealings4 #bc4 ,a gift1 i4e41 a bribe1 judgment1 i4e41 justice4 #bd4 ,many explain this verse to mean that the wise find wisdom everywhere while the fool seeks it everywhere but in the right place4 ,delitzsch and others understand the proverb to mean that wisdom is the aim of the man of understanding while the fool has no definite aim in life4 #bf4 ,also1 rather1 even4 ,it emphasizes the verb immediately following1 viz41 to punish1 i4e41 to inflict a pecuniary fine4 ,zckler renders the verse1 ,also to punish the righteous is not good1 to smile the noble contrary to justice1 and explains the meaning thus1 ,the fine as a comparatively light penalty which may easily at one time or another fall with a certain justice even on a just man1 stands contrasted with the much severer punishment with stripes2 and as these two verbal ideas are related1 so are also the predicates 'not good' and 'contrary to right' 7above desert1 beyond all proportion to the justice and reasonable7 in the relation of a climax4 ,delitzsch reads1 ,also to inflict punishment on the righteous is not good2 this1 the one overthrows his noble on account of his righteousness1 i4e41 it is not good when a ruler makes his power to punish to be felt by the innocent as well as by the guilty4 ,miller translates1 ',even deserved punishment to the righteous does not seem good1 when designed to chasten the willing with a view to holiness1 and explains his translation of the word generally translated princes1 or the noble1 by a reference to the ,hebrew root from which it is derived and which may be rendered willing or generous4 #bg4 ,excellent1 rather a cool spirit4 ,the homiletic teaching of verse #a is the same as that of chap4 xv4 #ag4 7,see pages #dba1 #dbb74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,the ,,foolish ,,son ,,and ,,the ,,wise ,,servant4 ,i4 ,high social position is not necessarily the outcome of mental ability or moral worth4 ,many a man is born heir to a great estate1 or even to a throne1 who brings shame upon the name he bears and the place he occupies4 ,he may be inferior in intellectual power to many of the dependents upon the house1 or he may be worse in character than they are4 ,or if he is not so degraded in character1 or in such limited ability as to be surpassed by the majority1 there may be one who serves him whose aim in life is far more lofty than his own1 and who has far greater capabilities than he has4 ,,ii4 ,a wise man will acquire influence1 whatever position he fills4 ,a servant who understands his duties1 and conscientiously fulfils them1 will win respect and confidence2 and these will give him influence in his master's house1 and over all with who his business brings him into contact4 ,there are many instances1 both in the history of private families and in the history of courts1 in which the judicious conduct of a subordinate person has averted evils which would otherwise have followed the crimes of a son of the house1 and the father of such a son can but acknowledge such services1 and reward them1 if he is possessed of any gratitude4 ,but whether he does so or not1 it is an ordination of ,god's providence1 which we see in constant operation around us1 that a wise man is a fool's master4 ,it is a law of nature that a stronger physical body shall govern the weaker1 if no other power interferes1 and it is a law in the universe of mind that the stronger mind shall rule the weak1 and make it server his purpose in some way4 ,this is the secret of many of the social changes which are always going on1 in which some who were born to affluence come down to penury1 and those who were born in obscurity take their places4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,eliezer will show the custom that suggests the type4 ,he was a wise servant4 ,abraham thought he would have to be his heir 7,gen4 xv4 #b1 #c74 ,all commentators put son in apposition with him who causes shame2 i4e41 makes them the same person4 ,but to be the same person they should be in the same form grammatically1 and son is in the construct4 ,the causer of shame1 therefore1 is the father4 ,and this is more consistent1 for a wise father could uphold a son1 or could give the inheritance to other brethren4 ,in the worldly sense there could be no difficulty4 ,in the spiritual what noted instances6--in the ,israelites1 who1 unlike ,abraham1 failed to command their households 7,gen4 xviii4 #ai71 and who gave place to their bought servants1 the hated ,gentiles6--in ,satan1 who has given place to man 7,psalm viii4 #b76--;in modern men who have professed the faith1 but have debauched their children till they see them hardening under their very eyes1 and some far-off waif gets before them into the everlasting kingdom4 ,better1 says the last proverb1 the utmost poverty1 with peace and love2 better1 says the proverb1 the poorest hold upon the ,church1 if there be the humbler hold upon the service of the ,most ,high4--,miller4 ,if wisdom make us free1 then are we free indeed3 as on the other side1 he is altogether a servant that dealeth unwisely4 ,but he that is wisdom's freeman is not only a freeman but a master1 not only a master but a son1 not only a son but an heir1 an heir among his brethren4 ,so highly doth wisdom exalt4 ,but thus it is with the ,father of the world1 it is not so with worldly fathers4 ,their foolish love doth honour their son1 though his foolish life doth fill them with shame3 their proud carriage despiteth their servant1 though his wise carriage exalteth their estate4 ,the son shall have all though he deserve nothing1 the servant shall not have his wages though they be due unto him4 ,but the wisdom of ,god bestoweth ,his love1 the justice of ,god divideth ,his inheritance in another manner4 ,oftentimes1 even in this life1 he putteth the servant in the son's place4 4 4 4 ,be wise1 then1 though thou be a servant1 and thou shalt be ,his son who is the ,father of wisdom4 ,be not wicked1 though the son of rich parents1 and1 if may be1 heir to a great estate1 for ,he1 the ,lord of all1 can quickly make thee a poor servant for thy sins1 who has made thyself a servant to thy sins4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,the ,,trier ,,of ,,hearts4 ,we have here an analogy implied between men's hearts and gold and silver4 ,i4 ,both have an intrinsic worth4 ,gold and silver have not only an artificial value1 but they have qualities in themselves which render them of especial worth4 ,so the heart of man--that spiritual and immortal part of him which constitutes him a man--is of priceless worth because of its infinite capacities of good and evil1 its infinite capabilities of enjoyment and of suffering4 ,,ii4 ,both must be separated from worthless alloy if they are to attain their real value4 ,gold and silver are comparatively worthless until they are separated from every other mineral2 they must be unalloyed with baser metal1 or nearly so1 before their intrinsic excellence and capabilities become apparent and they can be put to the uses for which they are so peculiarly fitted4 ,so the human soul cannot rise to the high destiny to which it is appointed until there is a separation made between it and sinful habits1 motives1 and desires4 ,,iii4 ,both human souls and precious metals are subjected to a testing process4 ,the gold and the silver ores are thrown into the crucible and placed over the fire1 in order that it may be made manifest how much there is of real worth in them1 and the human soul is subjected to trials of various kinds by the ,great ,searcher of hearts1 in order that both the good and the evil that is therein may be seen1 and the one separated from the other4 ,the proverb seems rather to refer to the testing1 than to the purifying process4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,trying is more than simply discerning4 ,the ,lord does not need to try in order to make any discovery for ,himself4 ,he knoweth what is in man4 ,but ,he tries1 in order to bring to light what may lie concealed from men1 and especially from the individual himself4 ,and this ,he does in order to the person's conviction and benefit3 and that ,he may be vindicated in ,his final judgments ,he tries1 in different respects1 both the wicked and the righteous4 ,by the dispensations of ,his providence ,he often elicits the latent evils that are in the hearts of the ungodly and the worldly4 ,he brings out their hidden abominations4 ,he manifests the deceitfulness1 the hypocrisy1 the desperate wickedness of their inward parts1 their rebellions and unsubdued dispositions4 ,he exposed the simulation of dissemblers1 and of those whose religion only seems to thrive when their profession of it brings no suffering1 and demands no sacrifice4 4 4 4 ,in the same manner1 too1 does ,god try and bring out to view the inward graces and virtues of ,his children4 ,and while disclosing ,he refines and purifies them1 ,he detects and removes the alloy--the dross and tin of self and the world1 separating the vile from the precious1 and so rendering the precious the more excellent4--,wardlaw4 ,silver is refined by getting the silver out from among the dross4 ,christians are refined by putting the silver in among the dross1 and refining the dross away4 ,men in a natural state are not an ore of silver1 but are dross1 and they are nothing else4 ,he who sits to purify them 7,mal4 iii4 #c7 does not disengage the gold1 but supplies it as ,he goes along4 ,in other respects the emblem is complete4 7#a7 ,the furnace takes out the dross4 ,so does ,jehovah4 7#b7 ,the furnace burns out the dross4 ,so does ,jehovah1 with biting flames4 7#c7 ,the furnace is a gradual worker4 ,so is ,god4--,miller4 ,man trieth many things1 and many things in man are tried by man4 ,the silver of a man's word is tried by a wise care3 the gold of a man's deeds is tried by the fruit of them3 the silver of a man's wit is tried by dangers and distresses1 the gold of a man's understanding is tried by weighty and important business2 the gold of a man's strength is tried by hard and burdensome labour2 the gold of his knowledge by hard and difficult questions2 the silver of a man's diligence is tried by the haste of affairs3 the gold of a man's faithfulness by trust reposed in him3 the silver of a man's estate is tried by a careful account1 the gold of his virtues by troubles and temptations4 ,thus there is a fining-pot for the silver1 and a furnace for the gold3 and the heart of man trieth other things1 but the trier of the heart is the ,lord alone4 ,the fine silver1 the pure gold that lie in that1 can be proved by nothing but by ,his touch4 ,whoever else taketh upon him to search the secrets of the heart1 layeth open his own sin and folly4 ,the heart itself cannot try itself2 ,god is the goldsmith for it4 ,or else the original will bear well this sense1 that ,god1 by troubles1 trieth the heart of man4 ,wherefore ,tertullian saith1 ,when we are burned in the heat of persecution then are we tried in the hold-fast of our faith4 4 4 4 ,and surely if ,seneca could say1 ,i give thanks unto fortune because she would try how much ,i esteemed honesty1 so great a thing ought not to stand me in a little1 then certainly the servants of ,god ought to thank ,god when ,he1 by troubles1 trieth how well they love ,him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,,the ,,evil ,,speaker ,,and ,,the ,,listener4 ,i4 ,that which men give heed to reveals their character4 ,if a man will listen to another who he knows to be false--if he permits him to be continually pouring into his ear that which he knows to be untrue--he is a liar himself4 ,he could not make himself a receiver of lies if he were not of a kindred spirit with the liar4 ,we classify animals according to the food which they eat1 and we can classify men when we know upon what mental and moral food they love to feed4 ,he who gives heed to falsehood and lying lips is a false man himself4 ,,ii4 ,delight in wicked speech leads to wicked actions4 ,those who use ungodly language never stop there4 ,there is but a step between wicked words and wicked deeds4 ,neither do those who begin by giving heed to men whose speech is prompted by him who is the father of lies 7,john viii4 #dd7 stop with the mere listening4 ,the listening1 as we have seen1 implies a certain degree of sympathy with the listener2 this sympathy leads to imitation1 and he who gives heed to false lips not only becomes himself a man of wicked speech but a wicked doer4 ,,iii4 ,the liar and he who listens to him divide the responsibility of the sin between them4 ,these two characters help to increase each other's guilt by strengthening each other in their ungodliness4 ,the liar is encouraged to go on in his lying by those who give heed to his lies2 if there were none willing to listen to him he would soon cease to sin in this direction4 ,so that the receiver of falsehood will have to share the punishment of him who propagates it4 ,then the liar increases the wickedness of the wicked doer by his false words1 which help to make his heart yet more ungodly and his doings yet more wicked4 ,thus ungodly men exert a reciprocal influence upon each other for evil4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,wicked men have a great treasure of evil in their hearts1 and yet have not enough to satisfy their own corrupt dispositions4 ,they are like covetous men1 in whom their large possessions only increase their lust of having1 and therefore they carry on a trade with other wicked men1 who are able to add to their store of iniquity1 by flattering and counselling them in sin4--,lawson4 ,a liar is of essential use to the evil-doer4 ,he can suborn him4 ,he can get him to bear witness in his favour--to perjure himself to get him off1 when in danger of being convicted4 ,such characters1 too1 it may be noticed1 are fond of the lies of false teachers4 ,they keep their ear greedily open to these4 ,they are smoothed1 and flattered1 and encouraged by them in their evil courses4 ,they cannot but like the doctrine that allays their fears2 that palliates sin2 that makes light of future punishment2 that tells them of a ,god all mercy2 that assures them of ultimate universal salvation4 ,thus it was of old2 and thus it is still 7,isa4 xxx4 #i-aa74--,wardlaw4 ,a man most mischievous himself yields most mischievously to the mischief of other sinners4 ,a lie is the most weakly credulous4 ,this is often noticed among the earthly4 ,the biter is often most bitten1 the tyrant most tortured4 ,the cunning is often most caught1 and what is singularly the fact1 the sceptic is often the most believing4 ,it is not a complete proverb1 thought1 for earth1 because it is not universal4 ,it is spiritually1 as with all these other texts1 that the truth has no exception4 ,the greatest harm-doer is ,satan1 and so the greatest harm is done to ,satan4 ,he is the father of lies1 and has been the most lied to4 ,he was more deceived in ,eden than his victim1 and on ,calvary than the men who crucified our ,lord4 ,and all his followers take from the world equal mischief with that which they inflict upon it4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,a ,,double ,,revelation4 ,i4 ,revealing crime4 ,he who mocketh the poor reveals his own character4 ,if we find one brother of a family mocking another brother1 we feel that his conduct is a revelation of the state of his heart4 ,we feel that such a man must be destitute of all right feeling--that he has no regard for their common parent--none of that tender feeling which ought to bind members of the same family4 ,god has made of one blood all nations of the earth1 and he who mocks the poor mocks one of the same great human family as himself1 and thus shows that he lacks all true humanity and all right feeling towards the common ,father of both4 ,the displeasure with which ,god regards such a man reveals the ,divine character4 ,if the ruler of a country identifies himself with the most defenceless and friendless of his subjects--if he exacts the severest penalties for any wrong done to them--if1 in short1 he reckons an offence against them as committed against himself--he reveals that he is a man of true benevolence4 ,the displeasure with which ,god regards not only them who oppress the poor1 but also those who mock them--and a man does this when he gives empty words but no sympathy and help--reveals the tender compassion of ,his nature4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #ca1 page #chi4 ,,ii4 ,an aggravated crime4 ,he who is glad at calamities1 etc4 ,it is a sin both against ,god and human nature to mock the poor--to treat men with indifference and contempt because they are in a lowly station--because they are compelled to labour much and labour hard for the supply of their daily wants3 he who is guilty of such conduct reveals a nature that is entirely opposed to the nature of ,god1 and lays himself open to retribution4 ,but when a man is not only indifferent to the miseries of others1 but can actually find in them an occasion of gladness1 he is as near to ,satan in character and disposition as a man out of hell can be4 ,he is not only ungodlike1 but is devilish4 ,it is a prominent characteristic of the evil one that he finds a fiendish delight in the calamities of men1 and a man cannot give a more convincing proof that he is of his father the devil 7,john xiii4 #dd7 than by imitating him in this particular crime4 ,,iii4 ,a heavy retribution4 ,we can form some estimate of the weight of punishment which must fall upon this last offender1 by remembering how ,god regards the first4 ,if ,he convicts him who mocks the poor of casting reproach upon his ,maker1 how much more will ,he visit him who is glad at calamities4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,so ,tyrus is threatened1 because she was glad at ,jerusalem's calamities1 saying1 ,i shall be replenished now she is laid waste 7,ezek4 xxvi4 #b74 ,and ,edom similarly 7,obad4 #ab74--;,fausset4 ,it is a sad thing when one potsherd of the earth1 because it happens to have got from the hand of the potter a little gilding and superficial decoration1 mocks at another potsherd of the earth which chances to be somewhat more homely in its outward appearance1 or1 perhaps1 formed of a little coarser material than the other2 both the work of the same hands1 and both alike frail1 brittle1 and perishable4--,wardlaw4 ,why should ,i1 for a little difference in this one particular of worldly wealth1 despise my poor brother8 ,when so many and great things unites us1 shall wealth disunite us8 ,one sun shines on us both2 one blood bought us both2 one heaven will receive us both1 only he hath not so much of earth as ,i1 and possibly much more of heaven4--,bishop ,reynolds4 ,to pour contempt upon the current coin with the king's image on it1 is treason against the sovereign4 ,no less contempt is it of the ,sacred ,majesty1 to despise the poor1 who have1 no less than the rich1 the king's image upon them 7,gen4 ix4 #f74 ,this view marks the contempt of the poor as a sin of the deepest dye4--,bridges4 ,if ,god should appear in human shape1 would we dare to insult him8 ,would not the fear of a just and dreadful vengeance deter us8 ,and to mock the poor1 amounts to the very same thing4 ,god did actually appear in our nature1 and ,he was then poor for our sakes2 and those that despise the poor1 despise them for a reason that reflects upon our ,saviour ,himself when ,he dwelt among us4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,,fathers ,,and ,,children4 ,two things are implied in this proverb3--,first1 that the fathers are good men4 ,an aged man who is not a godly man cannot in any sense reflect any glory upon his descendants4 ,secondly1 that the children are also godly and true1 otherwise they are anything but a crown to their parents4 ,the ,wise ,man is here speaking of those who are in both relations what ,god intended them to be4 ,when such is the case-- ,i4 ,the children bring honour to their parents4 ,they testify that the parents have trained them in the way that they should go--that they have given them a good example as well as good advice1 and every child is then like a separate mirror1 reflecting the character of the godly parent by whose influence he has become what he now is4 ,and the greater number of these mirrors there are1 the more brilliant is the crown of honour which is worn by the godly ancestor whose virtues are thus reproduced in his children and in his children's children1 even long after he has left the world4 ,every tribute of respect that is paid to the children is another jewel placed in the crown of the godly ancestor4 ,,ii4 ,the parents are the glory of their children4 ,men glory in being descended from ancestors who have been great warriors or who have left them a vast inheritance of material wealth1 but an inheritance of goodness reflects as much more glory upon those who are its heirs as the glory of heaven exceeds that of earth4 ,goodness holds a very old patent of nobility1 and when children can boast of a long line of ,god-fearing ancestors1 they can boast of a dignity which is as old as ,god4 ,to be the descendants of those who are now before the throne of ,god is a glory before which all earthly glory fades away4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,a ,,twofold ,,incongruity4 ,i4 ,truth from the mouth of a godless man4 ,this is not an unknown case4 ,a man of immoral practices may inculcate precepts of purity--a dishonest man may1 for the purpose of cloaking his own character1 be loud in his praises of integrity and uprightness4 ,but the speech of such a man will fall powerless on his hearers1 even if they do not know thoroughly the character of the speaker4 ,there will be a lack of the true ring of sincerity about his words--being words only1 and not convictions1 they will be as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal4 ,suppose that a barrister1 who was very ignorant of law and possessed of very limited mental capacities1 having undertaken the defence of an important case1 were to apply to one of his most learned and eloquent legal brethren to write his speech for him4 ,when he got up to deliver that which was not the production of his own mind--that which he was not able thoroughly to appreciate himself--would not the listeners be struck with a sense of incongruity1 would they not feel that1 however good the arguments1 however vivid the illustrations1 however powerful the appeals1 there was something lacking--that the speaker was a stripling wearing the armour of a giant8 ,something of this same feeling is experienced when an immoral man gives utterance to moral sentiments--he does not know the meaning of his own words1 he lacks the experience necessary to give weight to what he says4 ,he speaks what is in itself true1 but he is not a true man himself1 and consequently the utterance is like a jewel of gold in a swine's snout4 ,,ii4 ,untruth from the mouth of a man of exalted station4 ,a prince 7i4e41 one who holds a high place among his fellow-men7 is especially bound to be a man of truth and honour4 ,it is here implied that he is to be an embodiment of truthfulness--that whether he owes his position to wealth1 to birth1 or to intellectual gifts--whatever else he lacks1 he ought to be a truthful man2 his words ought to be excellent1 and they ought to be the reflection of excellence of character4 ,,iii4 ,the second incongruity is more mischievous than the first4 ,excellent speech becometh not a fool1 much less do lying lips a prince4 ,if a moral fool is a man who holds no position in the world1 what he says will not be of so much consequence1 because his influence upon others is little4 ,he will injure himself1 and those immediately connected with him1 but the harm done will not be so widely spread as if he were one of the great of the land4 ,the first man1 if he puts on a garb of morality1 and adopts language which does not represent his true self1 is a liar1 but his lying does not injure others so much as it does himself4 ,but a lying prince is an instrument of wide-spread evil4 ,to lie in a cottage is a sin against ,god and man1 but to lie in a palace is a greater sin1 because the inmate of the palace holds in his hand an immense power for good and for evil4 ,what he says and does is felt more or less indirectly throughout his dominion1 and as his responsibility is so great1 the guilt of using it wrongly is great also4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,god likes not fair words from a foul mouth4 ,christ silenced the devil when he confessed ,him to be the ,son of the ,most ,high ,god4 ,the leper's lips should be covered1 according to the law4--,trapp4 ,lying lips are no less unbecoming in the mouth of a prince1 who ought to honour the dignity of his station by the dignity of his manner4 ,a prince of our own is said to have frequently used this proverbial saying1 ,he that knows not how to dissemble knows not how to reign4 ,you may judge from the text before us whether he deserved to be called the ,solomon of his age4 ,it was certainly a nobler saying of one of the kings of ,france1--that if truth were banished from all the rest of the world it ought to be found in the breasts of princes4 ,a man's dignity obliges him to a behaviour worthy of it1 and of him whose favour has conferred it4 ,all ,christians are advanced to spiritual honours of the most exalted kind4 ,they are the children of ,god1 and heirs of the eternal kingdom1 and ought to resemble their heavenly ,father1 who is the ,god of truth4 ,when a young prince desired a certain philosopher to give him a directory for his conduct1 all his instructions were comprised in one sentence1 ,remember that thou art a king's son4 ,let ,christians remember who they are1 and how they came to be what they are1 and act in character4--,lawson4 ,force not thyself above1 degrade not thyself below thy condition4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,gifts4 ,i4 ,all men value gifts4 ,whether they be gifts which are of intrinsic value from their beauty or their rarity or whether they are of little worth in themselves1 but are the expression of the love and gratitude of those who offer them1 there is a certain pleasure in receiving them4 ,a free-will offering is more acceptable to a right-minded man than that which is bestowed upon him as a matter of necessity4 ,the fact that it is a gift invests it with a value beyond that which would otherwise be attached to it--makes it as a precious stone to the receiver4 ,the good-will that prompts the gift turns a pebble into a diamond4 ,,ii4 ,all the blessing of a gift does not rest with the receiver4--,as a precious stone reflects rays of light in whichever way it is held1 so generous-hearted liberality blesses him who gives as well as him who takes4 ,the giver has the gratitude and love of the recipient and experiences the truth of the words of the ,lord ,jesus3 ,it is more blessed to give than to receive 7,acts4 xx4 #ce74 7,for the opposite meanings which different commentators attach to the word gift1 see ,critical ,notes47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 #a4 ,those that have money in their hand think they can do anything with it4 ,rich men1 whithersoever they turn this sparkling diamond1 expect it should dazzle the eyes of all1 and make them do just what they would have them do in hopes of it4 #b4 ,those who have money in their eye will do anything for it4 ,it has great influence upon them1 and they will be sure to go the way it leads them4--,henry4 ,viewed as referring to the person who confers the gift1 or has it to bestow1--we may notice first1 that the reference may be to the man who is known to have something to bestow which all covet4 ,in this case1 every one desires his favour1 strives to oblige him1 tries every means of insinuation into his good graces4 ,a man who has any skill in manvering may1 in this way1 render what he has to confer a capital instrument for pushing forward his own prosperity2 keeping all in expectation1--cherishing hope1--making his desired and coveted gift look first one way1 then another1 then a third2 perhaps partially bestowing1 and still reserving enough to hold expectants hanging on1 so as to have them available for his own ends4 ,secondly3--,on the part of those who have gifts to bestow1 uses may be made of them that are honourable and prudent1--quite consistent1 not with mere self-interest1 but with right principle4 ,they may be employed to avert threatened evil1 and for the more sure attainment of desired good4 ,such was ,jacob's gift to his brother ,esau2 when1 in setting it apart1 he said1 ,i will appease him with the present that goeth before me1 and afterward will ,i see his face4 ,such was the gift of the same patriarch1 at a later period1 to the man the lord of the country1 when he sent his sons the second time to ,joseph in ,egypt4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,friends ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,separate ,,them4 ,we have before noticed ways in which love covers sin or transgression4 7,see ,homiletics of chapter x4 #ab1 page #aeg47 ,this proverb sets forth-- ,i4 ,that he who thus covers sin is a great benefactor of the human race4 ,the great need of a fallen world is such a state of heart as will promote love among men4 ,one of ,christ's last commands to his disciples was ,love one another as ,i have loved you 7,john xvi4 #ab74 ,and there is no more effectual way of promoting love than by freely forgiving an offence and at the same time endeavouring to turn the transgressor from the error of his way4 ,a stream in winter may1 by reason of the biting cold1 be congealed into a rock-like solid mass1 but when the summer sun shines upon it1 it cannot long resist the influence1 but melts and begins again to ripple and sparkle under its beams4 ,so a sense of guilt and shame hardens the human heart1 but a consciousness that the sin has been freely forgiven and forgotten melts it into contrition and love if it is not utterly dead to moral influences4 ,this is the great power which binds sin-forgiven men and women to ,god--having been forgiven much they love much 7,luke vii4 #dg-ej74 ,,ii4 ,a man of opposite character is a curse to his race4 ,friendship is the greatest boon of human existence1 and he whose words or deeds tend to break any such tie does his fellow-men a great wrong4 ,there is no more effectual way of doing it than by a constant repetition of the faults of others1 either by reminding the offender himself of his shortcomings or by speaking of them to a third person4 ,solomon may refer to either of these habits--both are bad1 and show a disposition entirely opposed to that of ,him who1 when he forgave ,his ancient people1 promised that ,he would remember their sin no more 7,jer4 xxxi4 #cd74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,seeketh love6 ,a beautiful expression1 much to be kept in mind6 ,it shows a delight in the atmosphere of love--man's highest elevation in communion with his ,god 7#a ,john iv4 #af74 ,it implies not the mere exercise of love1 where it is presented1 but the searching and making opportunity for it4 ,but how seldom do we rise to the high standard of this primary grace1 exalted as it is pre-eminently above the best gifts 7#a ,cor4 xii4 #ca2 xiii472 and illustrated and enforced by no less than the ,divine example6 7,eph4 v4 #a1 #b74 ,yet too often it sits at the door of our lips1 instead of finding a home in our hearts2 forgetting that the exhortation is not1 that we should talk of love1 but that we should walk in it2 not stepping over it1 crossing it1 walking by the side1 but in it1 as our highway and course4 ,one step of our feet is better than a hundred words of the tongue4--,bridges4 ,all unnecessary repetition even of real faults comes under the category of scandal1 and is sinful and mischievous4 ,you may fancy you are within the limit of blameworthiness1 when you are telling no more than what is true3 but1 if you are telling even truth needlessly1 for no good and laudable end1 you are chargeable with the offence4--,wardlaw4 ,alas6 how many things are there to be suffered1 how many things to be forgotten1 how many things1 though seen1 to be as it were unseen1 that love may be preferred4 ,he that covereth transgression warmeth affection1 and he that seeketh the love of man shall be sure to find the love of ,god4 ,the way to seek and find other things is by uncovering that which is hid2 but the way to seek and find love is by covering the offence4--,jermin4 ,if one has been our enemy it has been for some trespass4 ,the best way to abate the enmity is to cover up and smother over1 and thus erase from memory our act against him4 ,he that does this seeks love4 ,he who falls back into the wrong1 i4e41 iterates or doubles over his offence1 drives away everything4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 4 4 4 ,spiritually1 a man is not to complain of the alienation of his ,maker1 if he wilfully retain his sin4 ,if ,god has given us a special way for covering sin1 and we postpone it1 and go tumbling back into our acts1 the strife is ours4--,miller4 ,there are two ways of making peace and reconciling differences3 the one begins with amnesty1 the other with a recital of injuries1 combined with apologies and excuses4 ,now ,i remember that it was the opinion of a very wise man1 and a great politician1 that he who negotiates a peace without recapitulating the grounds of difference rather deludes the minds of the parties1 by representing the sweetness of concord1 than reconciles them by equitable adjustment4 ,but ,solomon1 a wiser man than he1 is of a contrary opinion1 approving of amnesty1 and forbidding a recapitulation of the past4 ,for in it are these disadvantages3 it is as the chafing of a sore2 it creates the risk of a new quarrel 7for the parties will never agree as to the proportions of injuries on either side72 and lastly1 it brings it to a matter of apologies3 whereas either party would rather be thought to have forgiven an injury than to have accepted an excuse4--,lord ,bacon4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,correction ,,must ,,be ,,adapted ,,to ,,the ,,character ,,of ,,the ,,offender4 ,i4 ,some men can be influenced by moral means4 ,a man whose moral nature is developed can be brought to a sense of error by an appeal to his own sense of right and wrong4 ,although he has fallen into sin he does not love it1 and the rebuke from without finds an echo in the monitor within his own breast4 ,his susceptibility to reproof arises--#a4 ,from a deep sense of his obligations to ,god4 ,he knows what ,god has done to put away sin and its effects from the universe1 and gratitude to ,him opens his ear and his heart to reproof4 #b4 ,from a sense of his own true interest4 ,a man would be counted a fool if he were to be angry with the physician who desired to free him from the dominion of a bodily disease1 and a morally wise man is too keenly alive to the worth of his own soul not to listen to a wise reproof4 ,,ii4 ,but there are men who can only be aroused to a sense of wrong-doing by physical suffering4 ,such men1 by a long course of crime or by a constant resistance of moral influences1 have sunk almost to the level of the brute4 ,they are like the horse and mule which have no understanding1 whose mouth must be held with bit and bridle 7,psalm xxxii4 #i74 ,nothing can awaken their sleeping consciences but severe and startling judgments or bodily chastisement1 and even these stripes may fail to bring them to a right state of mind4 ,let men1 then1 beware1 lest being often reproved and hardening themselves against it 7ch4 xxix4 #a71 they become so callous to the words of ,god and good men1 or to the visitations of ,providence1 as to be past feeling 7,eph4 iv4 #ai74 ,,illustration4 ,it was a maxim of ,bishop ,griswold--when censured or accused1 to correct--not to justify my error4 ,a certain minister1 with more zeal than discretion1 once became impressed with the thought that the bishop was a mere formalist in religion1 and that it was his duty to go and warn him of his danger4 ,accordingly he called upon the bishop1 very solemnly made known his errand1 and forthwith entered upon his reproof4 ,the bishop listened in silence till his visitor had closed a severely denunciatory exhortation1 and then in substance replied as follows3--,my dear friend1 ,i do not wonder that they who witness the inconsistency of my conduct1 and see how poorly ,i adorn the doctrine of ,god my ,saviour1 should think ,i have no religion4 ,i often fear for myself that such is the case1 and feel very grateful to you for giving me the warning4 ,the reply was made with such evidently unaffected humility1 and with such deep sincerity1 that if an audible voice from heaven had attested the genuineness of his ,christian character it could not more effectually have silenced his kindly intending but mis-judging censor1 or more completely disabused him of his false impressions4--,episcopal ,record4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,fools have sometimes received correction and made a good use of it1 but they were fools no longer1 for the rod and reproof gave them wisdom2 but it is a sign that folly is deeply ingrained when an hundred rods leave men as great fools as they found them4--,lawson4 ,a look from ,christ brake ,peter's heart and dissolved it into tears4 4 4 4 ,but ,jeroboam's withered hand works nothing upon his heart4--,trapp4 ,the folly of simplicity is a softness of nature2 the folly of sin is a hardness of heart2 the folly of conceit is a stiffness of will1 and little doth a rod enter into any of them4 ,for though the first be soft1 it is hard to work upon it1 although it be with hard and many strokes of the stick4 ,the woolliness of a sheep's skin keeps back the force of the beating rod4 4 4 4 ,the rock in the wilderness first denied water to the ,israelites1 as1 withstanding nature's force and the first stroke of ,moses1 it resisted as opposing the infidelity of sin1 to the second stroke it yielded as submitting to ,god's power4 ,but it is not the power of ,god's rod that enters into a fool4--,jermin4 ,a needle pierces deeper into flesh than a sword into stone4--,bridges4 ,david is softened with ,thou art the man2 but ,pharaoh remains hardened under all the plagues of ,egypt4--,henry4 ,even amongst the children of ,god themselves there are great diversities of temper2 some requiring harder dealing than others to bring them down1 and to reclaim them from their follies1 as is the case often with children in the same family4 ,a word1 or a look1 will go with melting and heart-breaking power to the very soul of one1 while the severest correction1 and oft-repeated1 will fail to bring down the stubborn and fractious spirit of another4 ,o for more of the spirit of ,job and less of the spirit of ,jonah6--for more of that truly child-like disposition which gives way before every ,divine admonition1 which melts into penitence under the eye of an offended ,god1 and looks up with a child's submission at the slightest touch of ,his corrective rod6--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa-ac4 ,,phases ,,of ,,evil4 ,i4 ,the main characteristic of a sinner is that he is a rebel against the moral order of the universe4 ,he seeketh only rebellion4 ,the planets in their courses describe their orbits in obedience to the law of gravitation1 and because they do so the order of the heavens is preserved4 ,god is the sun of the moral universe1 and before sin entered it all ,his creatures kept the path of obedience to ,his will1 held to their allegiance by the love and confidence which they bore to their ,lawgiver4 ,but sin snapped the bond1 and the word sinner stands for one who has broken away from the moral law of ,god2 every sinner seeketh rebellion4 ,,ii4 ,a sinner is a restless being4 ,he seeks rebellion4 ,these words seem to depict the restless character of the ungodly man4 ,when a soul has lost its centre of gravity--when the will of ,god is not the polestar of life--it drifts about in obedience first to one lawless passion and then another1 following in the footsteps of the great leader of rebellion1 the first sinner1 who1 by his own confession1 is continually going to and fro in the earth1 and walking up and down in it 7,job i4 #g74 ,,iii4 ,a sinner is an injurious man4 ,no man can set himself in antagonism to the law of ,god1 which leads to the happiness of his creatures1 without bringing misery upon others1 and the more determined his rebellion the more cruel are the effects of his sin upon them4 ,a bear is naturally a cruel beast1 but then a bear is robbed of what her instinct leads her to guard most jealously she is an object to be dreaded and avoided4 ,yet a wicked man is more to be feared1 for there are in him capabilities of mischief beyond those possessed by the furious brute4 ,the anger of the beast might be diverted or appeased--even a bear robbed of her whelps would forget her anger if a carcase were thrown in her path upon which she might wreak her vengeance4 ,but the wrath of an angry man is less easily appeased4 ,the mischief which the furious bear can do is more limited4 ,the superior skill of man can soon put a stop to the ravages of a wild beast1 but the angry folly of a single fool has often destroyed many lives and broken many hearts4 ,,iv4 ,a sinner is an ungrateful thing4 ,many an ungodly man would deny this charge1 but everyone who continues in a state of rebellion against ,god is continually rewarding evil for good4 ,but the sin of the text doubtless refers to the ingratitude towards a fellow-man4 ,this sin cannot be charged home upon every ungodly man--there are those who1 though careless of rendering to ,god that which is ,his due1 are content with rendering to their fellow-men evil for evil1 and would not knowingly render evil for good4 ,but while the heart is in a state of rebellion against its rightful sovereign1 every evil tendency is continually growing stronger1 and men by degrees descend to depths of evil from which they would once have recoiled with horror4 ,v4 ,god will1 sooner or later1 call ,his rebellious subjects to account4 ,although men sometimes go on in open rebellion against ,god for many years1 not one shall finally escape4 ,a writ has been issued for the apprehension of each one1 although the execution is in some cases deferred4 ,every one of us shall give an account of himself to ,god 7,rom4 xiv4 #ab71 and the messenger that summons the ungodly man to the ,divine tribunal will be cruel because looked at through the medium of a guilty conscience4 ,,vi4 ,the sinner brings evil upon his posterity4 ,it is a truth which is illustrated by the experience of our daily life that no man stands alone in the world--that the sins of the fathers are1 in some measure1 visited upon the children--that whoso regardeth evil for good1 not only brings evil upon himself but upon his house4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #aa4 ,god sometimes employs terrible messengers to chastise ,his own people4 ,when ,david numbered his subjects1 #gj1jjj of them were destroyed in three days by a visible messenger of severity1 under the direction of an invisible minister of providence4 ,if ,god takes such vengeance of the rebellions of some whom ,he pardons1 what will the end be of them that seek only rebellion6--,lawson4 ,god hath forces enough at hand to fetch in ,his rebels4 4 4 4 ,the stones in the walls of ,aphek shall sooner turn executioners than a rebellious ,aramite shall escape unrevenged4--,trapp4 ,many things there are which an evil man proposeth to his seeking3 sometimes pleasures1 sometimes profit1 sometimes honour1 sometimes favour1 but in truth it is only rebellion against ,god that is sought by him4 ,for these things are not to be found in the ways of wickedness1 and therefore it is only his deceived imagination that looketh for them there4 ,but rebellion against ,god is found in all his ways4--,jermin4 ,there are men that are summoning a cruel messenger to be sent against themselves4 4 4 4 ,they are only the rebellious4 ,a door of mercy6 and a ransom fixed for sin6 and only one class to fail6 and they spontaneously rebels6 ,these are the men that go in search of evil1 and this is the meaning of the wise man4--,miller4 ,verse #ab4 ,witness ,jacob's sons putting a whole city to fire and sword for the folly of one man2 ,saul slaying a large company of innocent priests2 ,nebuchadnezzar heating the furnace sevenfold2 ,herod murdering the children in ,ramah2 ,saul breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the ,lord--was not all this the rage of a beast1 not the reason of a man8 ,humbling1 indeed1 is this picture of man1 once created in the image of ,god 7,gen4 i4 #bg74--;,bridges4 ,for the fool1 what a meeting6 when he has been robbed of every earthly chance6 and is dead eternally6 and the folly1 that has robbed him1 is shut up with him in everlasting misery6--,miller4 ,see ,miller's reading of the verse in ,critical ,notes4 ,verse #ac4 ,to render good for evil is ,divine1 good for good is human1 evil for evil is brutish1 evil for good is devilish4--,trapp4 ,the most striking illustration of this sentence1 is the history of the ,jewish nation4 ,never was such ingratitude showed to any benefactor1 as they showed to the ,son of ,god1 and never was the punishment of any people so dreadful1 and of so long continuance4 ,that scattered people proclaim to every nation under heaven how dangerous the sin of ingratitude is1 especially when ,god our ,saviour is the object of it4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,strife4 ,i4 ,this moral pestilence is of great antiquity4 ,it began with the angels who kept not their first estate 7,jude #f71 and from that far-distant period until now the universe has never been free from discord--good and evil have striven against each other1 and strife has also reigned between those who are on the side of evil4 ,there was strife between the first two human brothers born into this world1 and since the day when ,cain slew ,abel because his own works were evil and his brother's righteous1 this terrible enemy of human happiness has been slaying his victims wherever men were to be found4 ,,ii4 ,strife is a thing of growth4 ,there is a moment when the fire which will presently destroy a town is only a tiny spark which the breath of a child could extinguish1--the leak which at last sinks the vessel and sends a hundred brave men to a watery grave was once no larger than a pin-hole--and the breach in the dam through which a torrent of water rushes1 leaving desolation behind it1 begins with an opening through which no more than a few drops of water can force their way4 ,so it is with strife4 ,it does not attain to its full dimensions in a moment4 ,the hatred in the heart which is the root of strife may be at first but a passing feeling1 but if it is not overcome at its first appearance it grows in strength from day to day4 ,and its outward manifestation in strife may begin with but a few angry words--an apparently trifling disagreement4 ,but those who have indulged in it will presently find themselves in the grip of a giant--overmastered1 and carried headlong by passion to crimes of which they once thought it impossible they could ever be guilty4 ,,iii4 ,if the miserable effects of strife are to be avoided1 it must be attacked in its beginnings4 ,seeing how disastrous are the effects of the leak in the ship1 and how much desolation is caused by the ravages of fire or the bursting forth of pent-up water through its banks1 it behoves all who are in any way responsible in these matters to be watchful for the first indications of mischief1 and to put a stop to it before it gets beyond their power4 ,and if a man would avoid being a party to a quarrel1 he must watch narrowly the first risings of anger in his heart and take care that he never utters the first angry word4 ,if the first remains unspoken1 a second can never pass his lips2 but if in an unguarded moment the angry feeling finds an outlet in angry speech1 the speaker himself cannot tell where and how the mischief will end4 ,it may go from words of strife to deeds of strife1 and both will entail more misery upon their author than upon him who is the subject of them4 ,the self-interest of every man ought to prompt him to check the beginnings of strife in himself and in others2 it is so great an enemy to our social well-being that we are all as much interested in putting a stop to its ravages as we are in arresting the progress of a pestilential disease4 ,but the children of ,god are specially called to this work4 ,they are bound to be imitators of their ,father in this matter1 and ,he is the ,god of peace 7,rom4 xv4 #cc74 ,all the plans and purposes of ,god have for their aim peace on earth 7,luke ii4 #ad71 and ,his children ought to emulate ,his example4 ,and they cannot do otherwise4 ,they have been made partakers of the ,divine nature 7#b ,peter i4 #d71 and the nature of ,god is eminently peace-loving4 ,if1 therefore1 a man has been born of ,god he must delight in social peace and harmony--he must recoil from strife and discord4 ,it is peacemakers that shall be called the children of ,god 7,matt4 v4 #i71 and ,he that saith he is in the light1 and hateth his brother1 is in darkness even until now 7#a ,john ii4 #i74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,man is a sociable-living creature1 and should converse with man in love and tranquility4 ,man should be a supporter of man2 is he become an overthrower8 ,o apostasy1 not only from religion1 but also from humanity6 ,the greatest danger that befalls man comes from where it should least come1 from man himself4 ,lions fight not with lions2 serpents spend not their venom on serpents2 but man is the main suborner of mischief to his own kind4 4 4 4 ,god hath hewn us all out of one rock1 tempered all our bodies of one clay1 and spirited our souls of one breath4 ,therefore1 saith ,augustine1 since we proceed all out of one stock1 let us all be of one mind4 ,beasts molest not their own kind1 and birds of a feather fly lovingly together4 ,not only the blessed angels of heaven agree in mutual harmony1 but even the very devils of hell are not divided1 lest they ruin their kingdom4 ,we have one greater reason of love and unity observed than all the rest4 ,for whereas ,god made not all angels of one angel1 nor all beasts of the great behemoth1 nor all fishes of the huge leviathan1 nor all birds of the majestical eagle1 yet ,he made all men of one man4--,t4 ,adams4 ,we are but several streams issuing from one primitive source2 one blood flows in all our veins2 one nourishment repairs our decayed bodies2 we are co-habitants of the same earth1 and fellow-citizens of the same great commonwealth2 and he that hates another detests his own most lively picture2 he that harms another injures his own nature4 4 4 4 ,the heavenly angels1 when they agree most highly to bless and to wish the greatest happiness to mankind1 could not better express their sense than by saying1 ,be on earth peace1 and goodwill among men4--,barrow4 ,it is easier to abstain from a contest than to withdraw from it4--,seneca4 ,both the destructive elements--fire and water--illustrate the danger of the beginning of strife 7chap4 xxvi4 #ba74 ,to neither element can we say1 ,hitherto shalt thou come1 but no further6 7,job xxxviii4 #aa74 4 4 4 ,seldom when we have heard the first word1 do we hear the last4 ,an inundation of evil is poured in4 4 4 4 ,the bank is much more easily preserved than repaired4 4 4 4 ,for1 as one strongly observed1 ,man knows the beginning of sin1 but who bounds the issues thereof8--,bridges4 ,quietness is like a pleasant pond full of sweet fish sporting themselves up and down in it1 and multiplying continually to a great increase2 so in a quiet life men's affairs do prosper1 and their estate is increased to plenty and abundance1 so that they bathe themselves in the comfort of it4 ,but let the sluice be taken up1 the fishes are quickly gone1 the waters stay not until they be gone also1 and nothing but mud and mire is left2 and even so let the gap of contention be opened1 all comforts flee away1 and usually the estates sink lower and lower until it be dried up to beggary and misery4 ,make up1 then1 all breaches as soon as they appear1 or rather keep all sound by watchfulness1 so that no breach may appear4 ,and let not the serpent get in his head1 for1 because the scales of his body stand the other way1 it is not easy to get it out again2 because the mind of thine adversary is made averse from thee1 it is not easy to end a strife begun4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,,inversion ,,and ,,restitution4 ,i4 ,a present inversion of moral order4 ,there is an established law1 by which things spiritual are governed as well as things material4 ,according to this law1 punishment ought to come to the unrighteous and the righteous should be justified2 that is1 they should be declared to be righteous and treated accordingly4 ,this law must and will prevail in the upshot and issue of things1 because the ,great ,lawgiver of the universe is perfectly just and holy2 but it does not always govern the dealings of men with men4 ,injustice may be meted out to a man by his fellow-man from ignorance4 ,a human judge may pass an unjust sentence upon a prisoner1 or society may condemn a man undeservedly simply because they are ignorant of all the facts of the case4 ,we are so little capable of weighing all the motives of our fellow-creatures1 that we may unwittingly sometimes justify the wicked and condemn the just4 ,but the proverb is evidently directed against those who do it because they are themselves unrighteous--against those who are prompted by motives of self-interest or malice or by a simple hatred of good wherever it is found4 ,,ii4 ,a future restitution of moral order4 ,if a man has an ear for music1 all discordant tones are displeasing to him2 but when the law of harmony is entirely subverted1 all his musical sensibilities are outraged4 ,so when a righteous man becomes cognizant of some gross injustice his whole soul rises up in protest against it4 ,what therefore must be the light in which the perfectly pure and just ,god regards such subversion of moral order8 ,he can but regard it with repugnance4 ,but the certainty of this fact makes another fact no less certain--viz41 that there will come a period in the history of the universe when this inversion shall cease1 when moral order shall be restored1 and it shall be no longer possible for the wicked to be justified1 or for the righteous to be condemned4 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,woe unto them that call evil good1 and good evil2 that put darkness for light1 and light for darkness4 4 4 4 ,which justify the wicked for reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him4 ,therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble1 and the flame consumeth the chaff1 so their root shall be as rottenness1 and their blossom shall go up as dust2 because they have cast away the law of the ,lord of hosts1 and despised the word of the ,holy ,one of ,israel 7,isa4 v4 #bj1 #bc1 #bd74 ,when this sentence is completely carried out moral order and harmony will be restored to the universe4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this verse shows that the term justify 7,hebrew1 matzeddik7 is forensic1 to pronounce just one1 even though not just in himself3 a keyword in the doctrinal ,epistle to the ,romans3 the opposite of condemn or pronounce impious 7mareshiang74--,fausset4 ,that both should be1 to the expression even seems to point to as wonderful4 ,they are both very plain propositions2 and yet neither of them1 in the mind of the sinner1 is free from half-conscious surprise4 ,that ,god will by no means clear the guilty 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #g7 and1 therefore1 that without the shedding of blood is no remission 7,heb4 ix4 #bb71 when learned1 is half the ,gospel4 ,to learn it easily1 would imply that then hath the offence of the ,cross ceased 7,gal4 v4 #aa74 ,god will not condemn ,himself in his righteous action1 and ,he cannot justify the wicked without a mediator2 and ,solomon1 without being able to clear all the difficulties1 sets in this sentence as one of the great timbers of thought1 which he looks to to defend the ,gospel4--,miller4 ,he spareth the wolf and so hurteth the lambs2 ,he toucheth the members of ,christ and the very apples of the ,lord's eye4--,muffet4 ,but let us place ourselves before the ,judge of all accused by ,satan1 our own conscience1 and the righteous law of ,god2 convicted of every charge2 yet justified4 ,does ,god then in thus justifying the ungodly 7,rom4 iv4 #e7 contravene this rule8 ,far from it4 ,if ,he justifies the wicked1 it is on account of righteousness 7,ib4 iii4 #be1 #bf74 ,if ,he condemns the just1 it is on the imputation of unrighteousness4 ,nowhere throughout the universe do the moral perfections of the ,governor of the world shine so gloriously as at the cross of ,calvary4 ,the satisfaction of the holy law1 and the manifestation of righteous mercy1 harmonise with the justification of the condemned sinner4 ,and this combined glory tunes the song of everlasting praise4--,bridges4 ,that condemning the just is a grievous crime1 there is no doubt4 ,but some will be startled at the wise man's assertion1 that justifying the wicked is a crime of the like nature and malignity4 ,but we rebel against ,god by turning to the right hand1 as well as by turning to the left1 from that way in which we are commanded to walk4 ,justifying the wicked has an appearance of mercy in it1 but there is cruelty to millions in unreasonable acts of mercy to individuals4 ,it was not altogether without ground observed by a senator to the ,emperor ,cocceius ,nerva1 when his detestation of his predecessor's cruelty seduced him into the extreme of clemency1--,that it was bad to live in a state where every thing was forbidden1 but worse to live in a state where every thing was allowed4 ,historians tell us1 that the provinces of the empire suffered more oppression under the administration of this mild prince1 than in the bloody reign of ,domitian4--,lawson4 ,as in the administration of justice1 in the world or in the ,church1 so in the official declaration of doctrine and of duty1 faithfulness is the first and most essential qualification4 ,no gift1 no bribe1 no love of gain1--or1 in the apostle's words1 greed of filthy lucre1--must ever be allowed to corrupt the man of ,god1 and tempt him either to pervert or to keep back the truth--to shun to declare any part of the counsel of ,god1 or to utter a single sentiment but what he believes to be a lesson of ,god's ,word1 a ,divinely authorised message4 ,for a minister of ,christ either to say what is false or to withhold what is true1 from a wish to please those on whom he may feel himself dependent1 is as unworthy of him as for a judge on the civil bench to pervert justice1 and may be to others unspeakably more mischievous4 ,the decisions of the latter can affect only what is temporary2 the effects of the former's unfaithful temporising may extend to eternity4 ,the guilt of the former1 therefore1 may be greater than that of the latter1 in the proportion of the value of the soul to the body1 of eternity to time4 ,there must be no bribery or corruption here4 ,o to be able to say with ,paul1 ,i am clear from the blood of all men4--,wardlaw4 ,when ,jacob1 blessing the sons of ,joseph1 put his hands across1 and laid his right hand on the head of ,ephraim the younger1 and his left hand on the head of ,manasseh the elder1 the thing displeased ,joseph4 ,but ,jacob refused to have his hands removed4 ,now that which ,jacob did in the blessing of his grandchildren1 the same is the cursed doing of many who in the world are seated in the place of justice4 ,for those whom ,god setteth on ,his right hand1 they set on the left1 those who ,god setteth on ,his left hand they set on the right4 4 4 4 ,and though ,god ,himself call to them1 ,not so1 yet they refuse to alter their sentence4 4 4 4 ,and though their hands in justifying go across1 yet being joined together in wickedness they are both an abomination to the ,lord4--,jermin4 ,he that saith to the wicked1 thou are righteous 7#a7 condemneth the law of ,god1 for that condemneth the wicked2 7#b7 doth as much as he may to bring sin into credit1 that others also should practise it without fear or reproach2 7#c7 hardeneth the heart and hurteth the soul of the offender1 debarring him from corrections1 which are ,god's medicines for the curing of evils4 ,he dealeth as a murderer under the name of a physician that encourageth his patient to eat the poison freely4--,dod4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,neglected ,,opportunities4 ,i4 ,one of the uses which ought to be made of wealth4 ,men ought to use it to get wisdom4 it is obvious that a wealthy man has more opportunities of gaining knowledge than a poor man has1 and an increase of knowledge ought to make a man wiser4 ,a rich man's wealth gives him access to the wisdom of the great minds of past ages1 and it often obtains for him the companionship of the most learned men of his own generation4 ,it enables him to gain a knowledge of the world on which he lives and of the men who people it2 by travel he can stand face to face with all the glorious works of ,god in nature1 and he can mingle with men of various races and see human nature in all its various phases4 ,and these experiences ought to make him a wise man4 ,wealth is given to men for this purpose1 among others1 to make them intellectually and morally better--for although spiritual blessings cannot be purchased for money1 yet where the grace of ,god is in the heart1 the price in the hand will increase a man's opportunities of growing in the knowledge of ,god and in the practice of godliness4 ,those who are rich in this world may and ought to lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come1 that they may lay hold on eternal life 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ag-ai74 ,their wealth ought not to be a hindrance but a help to high spiritual attainments4 ,when we use bread rightly we get strength out of it2 when we use water rightly we get refreshment out of it2 when we use light rightly we get guidance out of it2 and when the gift of wealth is rightly used1 men get wisdom out of it4 ,,ii4 ,wealth bestowed1 where we can give no reason for its bestowal4 ,wealth in the hand of a fool seems thrown away4 ,if we saw a bundle of bank-notes in the hands of an infant we should at once say they were in the wrong hand2 but many a princely fortune is at the disposal of men who are as incapable now of putting it to a good use1 as they were when they were children4 ,neither the head nor the heart are capable of guiding the hand--there is neither moral nor intellectual capability to make the riches the means of blessing even the possessor4 ,wherefore1 then1 is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom1 especially when there are so many men in poverty who would make the best possible use of riches8 ,we cannot answer the question4 ,even the wise man does not attempt to solve the problem4 ,men daily come face to face with facts connected with human existence which they cannot explain4 ,in some of these they can see adaptation2 although they cannot tell how it is that the thing is so1 they can discern a fitness in its being so4 ,but there are other facts in the government of ,god for which we can assign no reason1 and the price in the hand of a fool is one of them4 ,the ,divine ,ruler of men's destines fulfils ,his wise purposes in ways and by means which often perplex ,his finite creatures4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we understand the term a price1 as signifying whatever puts it in anyone's power to acquire the particular object4 ,the phraseology is borrowed from the market4 ,any article1 we are wont to say1 may be had there1 if a man has but the price to pay for it4 ,what the price is to the article wanted1 the means of acquiring are to wisdom4 ,when we wish to put any article of ordinary merchandise within a person's power1 we furnish that person with the price at which it is valued4 ,there are cases1 however1 in which this may not be enough4 ,the price may be in a man's hand1 and yet the article may not be within his reach1 not1 at the time1 to be had4 ,happily1 it is never so with the wisdom here spoken of4 ,if the means are possessed of acquiring it1 it may always be acquired4 ,it is in the hand of ,god himself2 and ,he is never either at a distance that we cannot repair to ,him1 or unwilling to bestow it upon us when we come to ,him for it--bestow it1 ,i say1 for we must remember1 with regard to divine wisdom1 that1 in a literal sense1 it cannot be purchased4 ,it must be had without money and without price4 ,it is not to be gotten for gold4 ,why is it1 then1 that in so many cases in which the price is in the hand to get wisdom1 the means of securing it possessed1 its lessons remained unlearned1 the mind ignorant1 the heart unimproved8 4 4 4 ,here is the answer--the only one that can with truth be given1--there has been no heart to it4 ,the principle is of wide application1 and might be largely illustrated4 4 4 4 ,there is no maxim more thoroughly established by experience1 than that a man cannot excel in anything to which his heart does not lie4 ,when do men succeed best in the pursuit of any object8 ,is it not when they have a heart to it8 ,what is it that keeps all men astir in the pursuit and acquisition of wealth8 ,is it not that they have a heart to it8 ,how do men acquire celebrity in any of the departments of science or of art8 ,is it not when they have a heart to it8--some measure of enthusiastic eagerness and persevering delight in the pursuit8 4 4 4 ,i put it to your consciences1--whether there be anything else whatever1 that keeps you from the knowledge and the fear of ,god1 wherein true religion consists1 than your having no heart to them8 ,talk not to me of inability3--your inability is entirely moral1 and consists in nothing else whatever than your having no heart to that which is good4 ,and is this not criminal8 ,if not1 then there is no sin nor crime on earth1 in hell1 in the universe2 nor is the existence or the conception of such a thing as moral evil possible4 ,the want of heart to that which is good1 is the very essence of all that is sinful4 ,you offer anything but a valid excuse for your want of religion1 when you say you have no heart to it4 ,you plead in excuse the very essence of your guilt4 ,if you desired to fear ,god1 and could not help the contrary1 your inability might be something in your behalf4 ,but the thing cannot be4 ,to desire to fear ,god1 and not to be able1 is a contradiction in terms4 ,the having of the desire is the having of the principle4 ,there can be no desiring to fear without fearing1 no desiring to love without loving4--,wardlaw4 ,no means can make a man wise who wanteth a good will to learn heavenly wisdom4 ,ishmael had good education1 and ,ahithophel had quick capacity1 and the fool spoken of in the ,gospel had great wealth1 and none of all these attained to any grace4 ,one of them was strong1 and another witty1 and another wealthy1 but never a one wise and godly4 ,judas had as good a teacher as ,peter1 or as any other apostle1 and had as good company1 and saw as many miracles2 and yet they having good hearts become worthy and excellent persons1 and he having a false heart became a traitor and a devil4--,dod4 ,wherefore serve good natural parts1 either of body or mind2 or authority1 opportunity1 or other advantages1 if they be not rightly improved and employed8 ,certainly they will prove no better than ,uriah's letters to those that have them2 or as the sword which ,hector gave to ,ajax1 which1 so long as he used it against his enemies1 served for help and defence1 but after he began to abuse it1 turned into his own bowels4 ,this will be a bodkin at thy heart one day3 ,i might have been saved1 but ,i woefully let slip those opportunities which ,god had thrust into my hand4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ag1 #ah1 and of ,,chap4 xviii4 #bd4 ,,true ,,friendship4 ,i4 ,a true friend loves under all conditions4 #a4 ,he loves in times of separation4 ,the distance between our earth and the sun does not prevent the one from influencing the other--there is a power in gravitation which can make itself felt even when the objects affected by it are thousands of miles apart4 ,so true love is quite independent of space--oceans may roll between the friends1 yea1 the very grave may separate them1 and yet the gravitating force which first drew the heart of one man to another will make itself felt4 ,it has been said that the dead and the absent have no friends1 but this is a libel upon human nature4 ,a friend loveth whether the object of his love is present or absent1 and will1 if needs be1 defend his friend's character when he is not present to speak for himself4 #b4 ,he loves even in times of temporary estrangement4 ,transitory differences are not incompatible with the most genuine friendship1 and while human nature is in its present imperfect condition it will sometimes happen that one real and true friend will disappoint and grieve another4 ,but if the real and true feeling is in the heart it will be as unshaken by these temporary disturbances as the root of the tree is by the storm-wind that moves its branches4 ,,ii4 ,friendship is especially precious in times of trial4 ,true friends are not like the locust1 which seeks only the green pastures and fruitful fields1 and leaves them as soon as it has taken from them all that it could feed upon1 but they are like the stars1 the value of whose light is only really understood when all other lights are absent4 ,when all is going well with a man he may underestimate the value of his friend's regard2 he may not really know how heartfelt it is2 but when misfortune1 or sickness1 or bereavement overtake him1 he realises that a brother is born for adversity4 ,,iii4 ,there is a bond stronger than any tie of blood-relationship4 ,we have abundant and melancholy proofs that the mere fact of being brothers according to the flesh does not make men one in heart4 ,the first man who tasted death was murdered by his brother1 and many sons of the same father since that day have been separated from each other by a hatred as deep and deadly as that which prompted ,cain to murder ,abel4 ,in the family in which ,solomon was a son there was one brother with the blood of another upon his head 7#b ,sam4 xiii4 #bh-cj74 ,something stronger and deeper than the mere tie of blood is needed to make men one in heart4 ,the most beautiful example of friendship upon record existed between the son of ,saul and the shepherd of ,bethlehem where there was no relationship according to the flesh1 and where the heir-apparent to the throne loved as his own soul the youth who was to supplant him4 ,there is no friendship so firm and enduring as that which is based upon doing the will of ,god 7,mark iii4 #ce7 no brotherhood so perfect and lasting as that which has its origin in a common discipleship to ,him who is not ashamed to call them brothers 7,heb4 ii4 #aa71 and who is ,himself the friend above all others1 whose love can span the distance between ,his throne in glory and the meanest hovel upon earth1 and the greater distance between ,divine perfection and human sinfulness1 and who was in all things made like unto his brethren1 that having ,himself suffered being tempted1 ,he might be able to succour them that are tempted 7,heb4 ii4 #ag71 and thus prove ,himself to be pre-eminently the ,brother born for adversity1 and the ,friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 ,,iv4 ,it is an evidence of great folly to treat men as bosom-friends before we know them4 ,there are men who will trust in a comparative stranger to such an extent as to lend their credit and their good name to him without any reasonable security4 ,such a man ,solomon here characterises as being void of understanding4 ,it is a mark of a fool to enter into any engagement without deliberation1 and in nothing does lack of wisdom more plainly manifest itself than in the formation of hasty friendships1 especially if the friendship involves a man in any kind of suretyship4 ,from lack of prudence in this matter many a man has been all his lifetime subject to bondage4 ,it behoves all men in the matter of friendship to follow the advice of ,polonius3-- ,the friends thou hast1 and their adoption tried1 ,grapple them to thy soul with hooks of steel2 ,but do not dull thy palm with entertainment ,of each new-hatched1 unfledged comrade4 ,,illustration ,,of ,,true ,,friendship4 ,damon was sentenced to die on a certain day1 and sought permission of ,dionysius of ,syracuse to visit his family in the interim4 ,it was granted on condition of securing a hostage for himself4 ,pythias heard of it1 and volunteered to stand in his friend's place4 ,the king visited him in prison1 and conversed with him about the motive of his conduct1 affirming his disbelief in the influence of friendship4 ,pythias expressed his wish to die1 that his friend's honour might be vindicated4 ,he prayed the gods to delay the return of ,damon till after his own execution in his stead4 ,the fatal day arrived4 ,dionysius sat on a moving throne drawn by six white horses4 ,pythias mounted the scaffold and thus addressed the spectators1 ,my prayer is heard2 the gods are propitious1 for the winds have been contrary till yesterday4 ,damon could not come1 he could not conquer impossibilities2 he will be here to-morrow1 and the blood that is shed to-day shall have ransomed the life of my friend4 ,could ,i erase from your bosoms every mean suspicion of the honour of ,damon1 ,i should go to my death as ,i should to my bridal44 4 4 ,as he closed a voice in the distance cried1 ,stop the execution6 and the cry was taken up and repeated by the whole assembly4 ,a man rode up at full speed1 mounted the scaffold1 and embraced ,pythias1 crying1 ,you are safe now1 my beloved friend6 ,i have nothing but death to suffer1 and am delivered from reproaches for having endangered a life so much dearer than my own4 ,pythias replied1 ,fatal haste1 cruel impatience6 ,what envious powers have wrought impossibilities in your favour8 ,but ,i will not be wholly disappointed4 ,since ,i cannot die to save you1 ,i will not survive you4 ,the king was moved to tears1 and1 ascending the scaffold1 cried1 ,live1 live1 ye incomparable pair6 ,ye have borne unquestionable testimony to the existence of virtue1 and that virtue equally evinces the existence of a god to reward it4 ,live happy1 live renowned1 and oh6 form me by your precepts1 as ye have invited me by your example1 to be worthy of the participation of so sacred a friendship4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ag4 ,the ,friend4 ,we are to notice the article4 ,it does not impair the proverb for its secular use4 ,we have such an idiom3 the friend1 i4e41 the true friend4 ,even a worldly friend1 to be worth anything1 must be for all times2 and what is a brother born for1 but for distress8 ,but spiritually1 the article is just in its place4 ,there is but ,one ,only ,friend1 and a ,brother who would not have been born at all1 but for the distress and straitness of ,his house4--,miller4 ,friendship contrasted with the wicked decreases from hour to hour1 like the early shadow of the morning2 but friendship formed with the virtuous will increase like the shadow of evening1 till the sun of life shall set4--,herder4 ,extremity distinguisheth friends4 ,worldly pleasures1 like physicians1 give us over1 when once we lie-a-dying2 and yet the death-bed hath most need of comforts4 ,christ ,jesus standeth by ,his in the pangs of death1 and after death at the bar of judgment2 not leaving them either in their bed or grave4 ,i will use them1 therefore1 to my best advantage2 not trust them4 ,but for ,thee1 ,o my ,lord1 which in mercy and truth canst not fail me1 who ,i have found ever faithful and present in all extremities1 kill me1 yet will ,i trust in ,thee4--,bp4 ,hall4 ,a friend shares my sorrow and makes it but a moiety2 but ,he swells my joy and makes it double4 ,for so two channels divide the river and lessen it into rivulets and make it fordable1 and apt to drink up at the first revels of the ,syrian star2 but two torches do not divide1 but increase the flame4 ,and though my tears are the sooner dried up when they run on my friend's cheek in furrows of compassion2 yet when my flame has kindled his lamp1 we unite the glories1 and make them radiant1 like the golden candlesticks that burn before the throne of ,god2 because they shine by numbers1 by unions1 and confederations of light and joy4--,jeremy ,taylor4 ,when a man blind from his birth was asked what he thought the sun was like1 he replied1 ,like friendship4 ,he could not conceive of anything as more fitting as a similitude for what he had been taught to regard as the most glorious of material objects1 and whose quickening and exhilarating influences he had rejoiced to feel4--,morris4 ,a brother for adversity is one who will act the brother in a season of adversity4 ,of such an one it is said1 he must or shall be born1 possibly1 he is born4 ,i do not understand this last clause unless the assertion is1 that none but such as are born brethren1 i4e41 kindred by blood1 will cleave to us in distress4 ,yet this is true only in a qualified sense4 ,but another shade of meaning may be assigned to the passage1 which is1 that such a man as a friend in adversity is yet to be born1 i4e41 none such are now to be found2 thus making it substantially equivalent in sense to the expression3 ,how few and rare are such faithful friends4--,stuart4 ,as in the natural1 so in the spiritual brotherhood1 misery breeds unity4 ,ridley and ,hooper1 that when they were bishops1 differed so much about ceremonies1 could agree well enough1 and be mutual comforts one to another when they were both prisoners4 ,esther concealed her kindred in hard times1 but ,god's people cannot2 ,moses must rescue his beaten brother out of the hand of the ,egyptian1 though he venture his life by it4--,trapp4 ,man in his weakness needs a steady friend1 and ,god in ,his wisdom has provided one in the constitution of nature4 ,not entrusting all to acquired friendship1 ,he has given us some as a birthright inheritance4 ,for the day of adversity a brother is born to many who would not have been able to win one4 ,it is at once a glory to ,god in the highest1 and a sweet solace to afflicted men1 when a brother or a sister1 under the secret and steady impulses of nature1 bears and does for the distressed what no other friend1 however loving1 could be expected to bear or do4 ,how foolish for themselves are those who lightly snap those bonds asunder1 or touch them oft with the corrosive drops of contention6 ,one who is born your brother is best fitted to be your friend in trouble1 if unnatural strife has not rent asunder those whom their ,maker intended to be one in spirit4 4 4 4 ,there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 ,he must be a fast friend indeed1 for a brother1 if nature's affections have been cherished1 lies close in1 and keeps a steady hold4 4 4 4 ,oh1 when hindering things are taken out of the way of ,god's work1 a brother lies very close to a brother4 ,he who comes closer must be no common friend4 4 4 4 ,it is the idea of a friendship more perfect1 fitting more kindly into our necessities1 and bearing more patiently with our weaknesses1 than the instinctive love of a brother by birth4 ,from ,god's hand-work in nature a very tender and a very strong friendship proceeds3 from ,his covenant of mercy comes a friendship tenderer and stronger still4 ,now1 although the conception is embodied in the communion of saints1 its full realisation is only found in the love wherewith ,christ loves ,his own4 4 4 4 ,the precious germ which ,solomon's words unfold1 bore its ripened fruit only when ,he who is bone of our bone gave ,himself the just for the unjust4 ,thus by a surer process than verbal criticism1 we are conducted to the man ,christ ,jesus1 as at once the ,brother born for adversity1 and the ,friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 4 4 4 ,in the day of your deepest adversity even a born brother must let go his hold4 ,that extremity is the opportunity of your best friend4--,arnot4 ,verse #ah4 ,it is good to try him whom we intend for a bosom friend before we trust him2 as men prove their vessels with water before they fill them with wine4 ,many complain of the treachery of their friends1 and say1 with ,queen ,elizabeth1 that in trust they have found treason2 but most of these have greatest cause1 if all things be duly weighed1 to complain of themselves for making no better choice4--,swinnock4 ,seeing he hath not understanding to keep himself from hurt1 it were good if he had not power in his hand to do himself hurt4 4 4 4 ,surely such a fool may quickly wring his hands together in sorrow1 who before did clap his hands in joy1 and may strike himself in anger with the same hand1 wherewith in the foolish kindness of surety he struck the hand of another4 4 4 4 ,for often this over-kind part of a friend is the breaking of friendship if it bring no further mischief4--,jermin4 ,the evil effects of strife and pride1 which form the subject of verse #ai1 have been treated before4 ,see on verse #ad1 and on chaps4 xi4 #b1 and xvi4 #ah4 ,some expositors attach a slight difference to the meaning of the latter clause4 ,see below4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,sets high 7exalteth7 his gate2 a figure that is probably misunderstood4 ,it probably means belligerence4 ,a moat over which issued armed bands1 with banners and mounted spearmen1 required high space to let them go forth4 ,lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates1 etc4 ,the soul that fixes itself that way against the ,almighty1 ready to march out upon ,him on any occasion of quarrel1 seeks ruin4--,miller4 ,the slothful man exposes himself to misery2 but he waits for it till it comes upon him like a traveller4 ,the aspiring man1 that cannot be happy without a stately dwelling1 and a splendid manner of living beyond what his estate will bear1 seeks for destruction1 and sends a coach and six to bring it to him4--,lawson4 ,and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction4 ,some take this for a comparison3--,as surely as he that exalteth his gate 7enlarging it out of due proportion7 seeketh destruction to his house1 by thus weakening its structure1--so surely does he that loveth strife generate transgression4 ,the phrase exalteth his gate1 however1 instead of being thus understood literally1 may1 with more propriety1 be interpreted of a man's ambitiously affecting a style of living beyond his income--disproportionate to the amount of his means of maintaining it4 ,the general character is described by one particular manifestation of it--the high style of the exterior of his mansion4 ,the exalting of the gate applies to the entire style of his household establishment--not to his dwelling merely1 but to his equipage1 his table1 his servants1 his dress1 and everything else4 ,he who does this seeks destruction3 he courts his own downfall1 as effectually as if it were his direct object to ruin himself4 ,matthew ,henry1 in his own quaint and pithy way1 says--,he makes his gate so large1 that his house and estate go out at it4--,wardlaw4 ,there is none that loveth strife more than he that exalteth his gate1 either the gate of his ears to hear the tales of others1 and the praises of himself1 or else the gates of his eyes overlooking others with scorn and disdain1 and his own worth by many degrees1 or else the gate of his mouth1 which is properly the gate of man1 with big and swelling words1 with high and lofty terms which usually are the sparks that kindle contention4 ,but what doth such an one do1 but ever seek for destruction1 which at his lifted-up gate1 findeth easy passage to run in upon him4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on the subjects of verses #bj and #ba1 see on chapter x4 #a1 #ac1 #ad1 etc41 and on verse #bd4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,the ,,merry ,,heart4 ,i4 ,the mind acts upon the body4 ,it is a fact which no observant man would deny1 that there is an intimate connection between sorrow of soul and sickness of body1 and that cheerfulness of spirit tends to physical health4 ,a physician always tries to keep his patient in good spirits1 and when he discerns that he is weighed down by some mental burden1 he wisely seeks to lighten that as well as to administer remedies to the body4 ,and when a man is in health cheerfulness of disposition tends to keep him so2 while a depressed condition of mind makes him a more easy prey to disease4 ,that a merry heart doeth good like a medicine1 but a broken spirit drieth the bones1 is a convincing proof of the mysterious sympathy that exists between the man and his earthly dwelling-place4 ,,ii4 ,what will conduce to cheerfulness of spirit--to what ,solomon here calls a merry heart8 #a4 ,a heart at peace with ,god4 ,some poisons taken into the system produce for a time a calming and quieting influence upon the body1 but it is a quiet and a calm which comes from deadening the capabilities of feeling4 ,opium may send a man to sleep1 but it is a sleep which gives neither refreshment nor strength4 ,a quiet conscience is the first and indispensable element of heart-cheerfulness1 and there are other methods of getting free for a time from pain of conscience beside that peace with ,god which comes from being justified by faith 7,rom4 v4 #a74 ,but all other quiet of soul comes from opiates whose power is but for a time1 while this peace comes from the consciousness of reconciliation with ,god--from a sense of standing in a right relation to all that is right and true in the universe4 #b4 ,a vivid realisation of unseen realities4 ,though a state of reconciliation with ,god will give freedom from the sense of guilt1 it does not always give that active state of cheerfulness which can be called a merry heart4 ,a river sometimes glides along between its banks in a state of undisturbed calmness2 but there are times when the volume of water is so great that it overflows its channels4 ,peace is like a calm river1 but joy is like one whose waters cannot contain themselves within its boundaries1 but must pour forth on the right hand and on the left4 ,peace has been defined as love resting1 and joy as love exulting4 ,the one is a passive state of mind1 while the other is active4 ,but it is the latter1 rather than the former1 which makes that cheerful spirit which doeth good like a medicine1 and it is the fruit only of a vivid sense of things not seen 7,heb4 xi4 #a74 ,those who live on high lands and breathe the pure mountain air1 are conscious of an exuberance of animal life1 of which even perfectly healthy people who live in the valleys know nothing4 ,so1 men who live in the higher regions of spiritual life know a joy in ,god--are sensible of an uplifting of spirit--to which ordinary and every-day ,christians are strangers4 ,they are not only believers1 but they are filled with all joy and peace in believing2 they not only have peace with ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 but they rejoice in hope of the glory of ,god 7,rom4 v4 #a1 #b74 #c4 ,a life of active love4 ,a selfish man can never be a cheerful man--he who lives for himself alone can never know the healing power of a merry heart4 ,there can be no abiding cheerfulness of heart without joy in ,god1 and there can be no abiding joy in ,god without love to man4 ,there is nothing1 says ,dr4 ,maclaren1 more evanescent in its nature than the emotion of religious joy1 faith1 or the like1 unless it be turned into a spring of action for ,god4 ,such emotions1 like photographs1 vanish from the heart unless they be fixed4 ,work for ,god is the way to fix them4 ,joy in ,god is the strength of work for ,god1 but ,work for ,god is the perpetuation of joy in ,god4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,mirth is short and transient1 cheerfulness fixed and permanent4 ,those are often raised into the greatest transports of mirth who are subject to the greatest depressions of melancholy4 ,on the contrary1 cheerfulness1 though it does not give the mind such an exquisite gladness1 prevents us from falling into any depths of sorrow4 ,mirth is like a flash of lightning1 that breaks through a gloom of clouds1 and glitters for a moment2 cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind4 4 4 4 ,cheerfulness is the best promoter of health4 ,repinings and secret murmurs of heart give imperceptible strokes to those delicate fibres of which the vital parts are composed1 and wear out the machine insensibly2 not to mention those violent ferments which they stir upon the blood1 and those irregular disturbed motions which they raise in the animal spirits4 ,i scarce remember1 in my own observation1 to have met with many old men1 or with such who 7to use our ,english phrase7 wear well1 that had not at least a certain indolence in their humour1 if not a more than ordinary gaiety and cheerfulness of heart4 ,the truth is1 health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other4--,addison4 ,the verb means1 to cure1 and1 as far as we can fix it1 the noun means1 not a medicine1 but a final cure4 ,in the world at large cheerfulness is an immense gift2 but in religion the wise man wishes to say that hopefulness is strength 7,neh4 viii4 #aj72 that it is better to look cheerfully upon ,god1 than with complaints2 that if we are to be cured at all1 a glad heart will help it4--,miller4 ,all true mirth is from rectitude of the mind1 from a right frame of soul4 ,when faith hath once healed the conscience1 and grace hath hushed the affections1 and composed all within1 so that there is a ,sabbath of the spirit1 and a blessed tranquility lodged in the soul1 then the body also is vigorous and vegetous1 for most part in very good plight and healthful constitution1 which makes man's life very comfortable4 4 4 4 ,they that in the use of lawful means wait on the ,lord1 shall renew their strength 7,isa4 ix4 #ca74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,bribery4 ,i4 ,its nature4 ,an act of bribery may be committed without any monetary transaction taking place4 ,it is not necessary that gold should pass from hand to hand to make a man guilty of bribery4 ,it is not even necessary that there should be a distinct promise of any good either in the present or the future4 ,a man bribes another if he merely implies by word or deed that he can make him suffer for speaking what he knows is the truth1 and for acting according to the dictates of his conscience4 ,and a man is guilty of accepting a bribe if he abstains from such speech or action from a fear of loss or from a hope of gain1 although no distinct promise or threatening has been made by those whom he wishes to propitiate4 ,,ii4 ,its cause4 ,want of integrity on the part of both the man who offers the bribe and him who accepts it4 ,there are some men in the world to whom even a man who held their lives in his hand would not think of offering a bribe of any kind4 ,he knows it would be as useless to attempt to make such men swerve from the path of right as to try to alter the course of the earth round the sun4 ,there are many1 we know1 in this country1 notwithstanding its many timeservers and place-hunters who1 like ,samuel of old can say1 ,whose ox have ,i taken1 or whose ass have ,i taken1 or who have ,i defrauded1 who have ,i oppressed1 or of whose hands have ,i received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith8 7#a ,sam4 xii4 #c74 ,only one thing is needed to destroy bribery--in its most impalpable and shadowy forms as well as in its more glaring and shameless manifestations--and that is universal honesty of character4 ,when every man loves truth and right more than he loves material gain then bribery will cease1 but not before4 ,men may be restrained by shame from being guilty of it openly1 and will call it by some less obnoxious name1 but the spirit of bribery will be at work so long as there are men upon the earth who love gain more than godliness4 ,,iii4 ,the universal testimony of the human conscience against it4 ,the wicked man taketh a gift out of his bosom--it is a transaction of secrecy--there is a shame connected with the act which proves that conscience condemns it4 ,the man who offers the bribe does not do it openly1 which shows that he is fully conscious that he is transgressing the law of right2 and the man who accepts it does not boast openly that he has done so for the same reason4 ,bribery is a sin which is repeatedly denounced by ,god 7,isa4 i4 #bc1 #bd2 ,ezra xxii4 #ac71 but men who have not possessed the light of revelation have denounced bribery as a crime4 ,,iv4 ,its effect4 ,it perverts the ways of justice4 ,its effect is to bring about that abomination mentioned in verse #ae--the justification of the wicked and the condemnation of the just4 7,see ,homiletics on that verse47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,an honest man would rather lose his cause1 however just1 than gain it by such a base thing as a bribe4 ,it must have been a great bondage for ,paul to have been confined in a prison1 when he loved the pulpit so well1 had not his will been sunk in the ,will of ,god2 yet he would not offer the least bribe to his covetous judge1 who detained him in prison1 expecting that money would be offered for his freedom 7,acts xxiv4 #f74--,lawson4 ,is not the child of ,god often pressed with this temptation8 ,does the influence of a gift1 the sense of obligation1 never repress the bold consistency of godliness8 ,does no bias of friendship1 no plausible advantage1 entice into a crooked path8--,bridges4 ,there is a gift of thankfulness1 there is a gift of reconciliation1 there is a gift of goodwill1 all these are lawful4 ,besides these there is a gift of corruption2 this is unlawful4--,muffet4 ,bribery is an officious fellow1 and a special bidder to the fatal banquet1 7,prov4 ix4 #ag1 #ah74 ,he invites both forward and froward3 the forward and yielding by promises of good cheer1 secunda dies1 that they shall have a fair day of it2 the backward1 honest man1 by terrors and menaces that his cause shall else go westward 7indeed1 it goes to ,westminster674 ,yea1 with pretence of commiseration and pity1 as if the conscience of their right did animate him to their cause4 ,thus with a show of sanctimony they get a saint's money2 but indeed1 argentum fcundum1 argumentum facundum1--there is no persuasion more pathethical than the purse's4 ,bribery stands at the stairfoot in the robes of an officer1 and helps up injury to the place of audience2 thus ,judas's bag is drawn with two strings1 made of silk and silver1 favour and reward4 ,all officers belong not to one court2 their conditions alter with their places4 ,there are some that seem so good that they lament the vices1 whereupon they yet inflict but pecuniary punishments4 ,some of them are like the ,israelites1 with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other1 with the motto of that old emblem1 ,in utrumque paratus2 as the one daubs up justice1 so the other cuts breaches of division4 ,they mourn for truth and equity1 as the sons of ,jacob for ,joseph1 when themselves sold it2 they exclaim against penal transgressions4 4 4 4 ,if the party be innocent1 let his cause be sentenced for his innocence's sake2 if guilty1 let not gold buy out his punishment4 ,if the cause be doubtful1 the judge shall see it worse when he hath blinded his eyes with bribes4 ,but the will of the giver doth transfer right of the gift to the receiver4 ,no2 for it is not a voluntary will4 ,but as a man is willing to give his purse to the thief rather than venture life or limb1 so the poor man gives his bribes rather than hazard his cause4 ,thou sayest the thief has no right to the purse so given2 ,god saith1 ,nor thou to the bribe4 4 4 4 ,far be from our souls this wickedness1 that the ear which should be open to complaints is thus stopped with the ear-wax of partiality4 ,alas6 poor ,truth1 that she must now be put to the charges of a golden ear-pick1 or she cannot be heard4--,t4 ,adams4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd ,,in ,,connection ,,with ,,the ,,first ,,clause ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,the ,,eyes ,,of ,a ,,fool ,,and ,,those ,,of ,a ,,wise ,,man4 ,i4 ,even a fool is conscious that there is good to be found4 ,if we meet a traveller in search of a certain city1 even although he is journeying in the very opposite direction to that in which the city lies1 yet the fact that he is journeying at all shows that he is conscious of its existence4 ,his eyes may be turned away from it instead of towards it1 his feet may be carrying him every moment farther from it1 yet he would not be seeking it in any direction if he had not a persuasion that it was in existence4 ,a man may be digging for gold in a soil in which gold has never been found1 nor ever will be1 but the fact that he is digging anywhere proves that he is alive to the fact that there is gold in the world4 ,so the fool is here represented as seeking--which shows that he is persuaded that there is a certain good and desirable thing which is attainable4 ,most men are seeking--,there be many which say1 ,who will show us any good8 7,psalms iv4 #f74 ,they are in one direction and another looking for that which will satisfy and ennoble them1 and this universal quest proves a universal sense of the existence of some desirable good4 ,,ii4 ,but the fool looks afar for what he needs while it is close at hand4 ,an idle1 unpractical man of business spends his time in fancies that he could make his fortune if he were in some far-off land1 and all the time misses the opportunities of doing so which are within his reach at home4 ,the idle youth dreams of the grand things he would do if he were a man1 and neglects to do that which would ennoble and bless his present life4 ,it is a very common characteristic of moral fools to imagine that they would be blest if they possessed something which is entirely beyond their reach1 whereas means of obtaining the only real and lasting good are scattered around them so abundantly that they trample them every day under their feet4 ,every sinful man feels that it would be good for him to stand in a different relation to ,god1 but he does not always seek that good in the direction in which it is to be found4 ,he feels his need of a different disposition and character1 but he does not go in quest of them where they may be found4 ,in verse #bb the wise man traces this habit of the moral fool to the source4 ,he finds no good because he is froward in heart4 ,the fruitlessness of his search is due to nothing else but to his own perversity4 ,he would rather demand external evidence for the truth of revelation than test it by compliance with its precepts4 ,he excuses his neglect of the plain commands of ,god1 by dwelling upon mysteries connected with ,his ,gospel1 which finite minds cannot solve4 ,israel of old was warned of this error4 ,for this commandment which ,i command thee this day1 it is not hidden from thee1 neither is it far off4 ,it is not in heaven1 that thou shouldest say1 ,who shall go up for us to heaven1 and bring it unto us1 that we may hear it and do it8 ,neither is it beyond the sea1 that thou shouldest say1 ,who shall go over the sea for us1 and bring it unto us1 that we may hear it and do it8 ,but the word is very nigh unto thee1 in thy mouth1 and in thy heart1 that thou mayest do it 7,deut4 xxx4 #aa-ad74 ,and ,paul convicts them of the same sin after the coming of the ,messiah4 ,the ,scribes and ,pharisees in the days of ,christ perversely looked everywhere for light1 except to the moral sun which was shining in their midst4 ,,iii4 ,the man whose understanding is enlightened not only knows what he needs1 but he knows where to find it4 ,it is a mark of practical sagacity in human affairs to know what is wanted1 and to know also where to look for a supply of the want4 ,a traveller ought not only to know the name of the city which he wants to find1 but he ought to know upon which road to travel to find it4 ,the physician ought not only to know what his patient needs1 but he ought to know where to find the remedy4 ,the statesman ought to be able to detect the nation's needs1 and he ought also to know where to look for a supply of the need4 ,and so in every department of social life4 ,a man's life will be a failure if he can only discern that something is wanting in himself1 in his family1 or in his business1 but does not know where to turn to supply the want4 ,so it is in spiritual things4 ,but he who is morally wise knows what is the real good to be aimed at1 and knows where to seek it4 ,he knows that happy is the man that findeth wisdom1 and the man that getteth understanding1 that the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver1 and the gain thereof than fine gold 7chap4 iii4 #ac1 #ad74 ,and he knows that it is before him--that the fear of the ,lord that is wisdom1 and to depart from evil is understanding 7,job4 xxviii4 #bh72 and that he need not go to the ends of the earth in quest of this1 but that it is within the reach of every sincere and earnest seeker4 7,many expositors give this verse a different rendering4 ,see ,critical ,notes4 ,it would then express a truth similar to that contained in ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #ad1 page #cac47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,heaven is able to know so much more plainly than hell4 ,the very thing which is the best enlightener1 the minds of hell will be entirely without4 ,the depth saith1 ,it is not in me2 and the sea saith1 ,it is not in me4 ,destruction and death say1 ,we have heard the fame thereof with our ears4 ,hell1 therefore1 will always cavil4 ,if saints judge better than sinners1 how much better ,god than saints4 ,wisdom is before 7,his7 very face1 while the eyes1 not of the stupid only1 but of ,gabriel himself1 must be in the respect of contrast1 at the end of the earth4 ,at the end1 not in the middle1 where the thing can be best judged1 but at the dark extremity4--,miller4 ,the countenance is the glass of the mind1 and the star of the countenance is the eye4 ,in the face of the prudent wisdom is present4 ,in the whole countenance of the discreet person1 and in every part thereof1 there is a wise moderation2 for in his brows he carrieth calmness1 in his eyes modesty1 in his cheeks cheerfulness1 in his lips comeliness1 in his whole face a certain grace and staidness4 ,but the eyes of the fool are in the ends of the earth4 ,on the contrary1 he who is simple or vain governeth not his very eyes aright1 but letteth loose unto them the bridle in such sort as that they roll or rove after every vanity1 or pry into every corner4--,muffet4 ,we must not only learn wisdom1 but keep it in our eyes1 that it may be a light to our feet2 for a man that has wisdom in his mind1 and forgets to use it1 is like one that has money in his chest1 but forgets to carry some of it with him when he is going a long journey1 to bear his necessary expenses4 ,he will be at a great loss1 on many occasions1 that has money in his house1 but none in his pocket4--,lawson4 ,but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth4 ,he has no fixed and steady principle or rule2 nothing on which he fixes his eye for his guidance4 ,his thoughts are incessantly wandering after matters he has nothing to do with1--anything and everything but that which he should at the time be minding2--roving after every vanity1 and keeping steadily no pursuit4 ,it is specially true of things pertaining to salvation4 ,wisdom1 in this matter above all others1 is before him that hath understanding4 ,he looks to one point4 ,he sees one thing to be needful4 ,he sees the wisdom of ,god providing for it4 ,there he fixes4 ,and this is wisdom4 ,it is ever before him4 ,one end--one means4 ,whereas the fool's eyes are in the ends of the earth4 ,he has examined nothing4 ,he roves at random1 with no determinate ideas about the most interesting1 by infinite degrees1 of all concerns4 ,ask him how he hopes to be saved1 and you immediately discover his thoughtless unsettledness4 ,he is in the ends of the earth4 ,his answer is to seek4 ,it is here1 it is there1 it is nowhere4 ,he hesitates1 he supposes1 he guesses1 he is at a stand--he cannot tell4 4 4 4 ,there is another character that may here be meant1 namely1 the schemer1 the visionary projector4 ,the truly intelligent man applies the plain and obvious dictates of common sense to the attainment of his end2 but the scheming visionary fool is ever after out-of-the-way plans1 new and far-fetched expedients4--,wardlaw4 ,wisdom is full in the sight of the man of understanding1 he beholdeth the beauty and perfection of it1 he looketh into the worth and happiness of it4 ,he sets it before him as a pattern1 by which he frameth and ordereth all his ways1 all his doings4 ,his eye is never from it4 ,it is the glass by which he espieth out the blemishes and defects of his life1 and if he see in it a true resemblance of himself1 it is not the glass that must be said to be true for that cannot be false1 but it is himself that is a man of true worth2 the glass approving his goodness1 not he the goodness of the glass4 ,but a fool beholds wisdom as a thing afar from him2 he discerneth not what it is1 nor what is the glory and excellency of it3 he perceiveth nothing whereby either to take direction from it1 or liking to it4 ,he thinketh that he must go to the ends of the earth to get it1 and if ever1 it is in the end of his life1 that he hath any sight of it4 4 4 4 ,or else we may understand the latter part of the verse thus3 ,that a fool's eyes are in the ends of the earth1 because in any trouble or distress he looketh all up and down the earth1 from one end of it to the other for help and succour1 and in the end as a fool remaineth helpless4 ,but wisdom is before him that hath understanding1 and stopping his eyes from looking too much that way1 turneth them and directeth them up to heaven1 where help ought to be sought and is sure to be found4--,jermin4 ,verse #be is a repetition of the thought in verse #ba4 ,for ,homiletics and ,comments see on chap4 x4 #a4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,smiting ,,the ,,just4 ,this verse has been variously rendered and explained4 7,see ,critical ,notes and the comments of different expositors47 ,it suggests1 however-- ,i4 ,that punishment in itself is sometimes necessary and desirable4 ,when the laws of the family are wise and good1 it is a great misfortune for the children1 and a great sin against them1 not to visit their transgressions with a suitable punishment4 ,and it is absolutely essential to the existence of a well-ordered state1 that there should be punishment for those who rebel against righteous laws4 ,civil rule is of ,divine ordination--the powers that be are ordained of ,god 7,rom4 xiii4 #a74 ,when1 therefore1 there is no just cause for civil rebellion1 it is a sin not only against the state but against the ,ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth1 to break the established laws4 ,punishment forms a necessary part of the government of the universe4 ,god has1 both by example and precept1 shown its necessity4 ,when there was rebellion in heaven against a perfect government1 punishment followed1 which was proportioned to the greatness of the transgression--the sentence passed upon the first rebel in the universe and upon those who were confederate with him was a terrible one1 but it was only commensurate to the exceeding magnitude of the offence4 ,if rebellion against a government had been allowed to go unpunished1 it would have made way for universal anarchy4 ,and a community of any kind without punishment for transgressors1 is lacking in a most essential element of its peace and stability4 ,,ii4 ,but those whose moral character fits them to be the awarders of punishment are often the victims of it4 ,the natural and right order of things in this respect is often exactly the reverse of what it ought to be1 and just and noble men are treated as transgressors and suffer the punishment which ought to fall upon their persecutors4 ,might is very far from being right in this world1 and even in this country ,richard ,baxter stood at the bar while ,judge ,jeffries sat upon the bench4 ,the apostles of the ,lord suffered scourging at the hands of the council at ,jerusalem 7,acts v4 #dj72 ,paul was condemned to death by ,nero1 and ,incarnate ,righteousness was crucified between two thieves at the instigation of some of the worst men that the world has ever seen4 ,in all these cases1 and in ten thousand others1 the just were smitten1 and as a rule they have suffered1 not merely although they were righteous1 but because they were so--it was their integrity that aroused the enmity of their persecutors--these moral princes were stricken for equity4 ,,iii4 ,such an abuse of power will in its turn be visited with punishment4 ,those who have thus unjustly condemned the righteous1 have found in their own personal experience that to punish the just is not good--not good for their own peace of mind--not good for their future reputation--not good for the nation who instigated them or permitted them to do the deed4 ,haman found that it was not good for him to aim a blow at the upright ,mordecai when he was himself hanged upon his own gallows2 the ,persian princes found it was not good to strike a prince for equity when they were themselves cast into the den of lions2 ,judge ,jeffries found it out when he lay face to face with death in the ,tower4 ,and among all the nations whose history has confirmed the truth of the text1 none stands out so prominently as that one whose king was the author of the proverb4 ,the punishment of the just--the striking of moral princes for equity--was one of the most prominent of their national crimes1 and ,he whose death at their hands filled up the measure of their iniquity1 declared that it was the great cause of their national ruin4 ,woe unto you1 ,scribes and ,pharisees1 hypocrites6 because ye build the tombs of the prophets1 and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous1 and say if we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets4 ,wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them that killed the prophets4 4 4 4 ,wherefore1 behold1 ,i send unto you prophets1 and wise men1 and ,scribes2 and some of them ye shall kill and crucify2 and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues1 and persecute them from city to city2 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth1 from the blood of righteous ,abel unto the blood of ,zacharias son of ,barachias1 whom ye slew between the temple and the altar 7,matt4 xxiii4 #bi-ce74 ,the ,jewish nation has been for nearly nineteen centuries a witness that to punish the just is not good1 nor to strike princes for equity4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,even deserved punishment to the righteous does not seem good when designed to chasten the willing with a view to holiness4 ,even4 ,this seems to have been treated as a word de trop4 ,king ,james' men made it also2 as though ,solomon grew tired of sameness1 and broke the monotone by a new opening vocable4 ,but with the above rendering it takes its usual sense4 ,righteous4 ,this word and punishment bear the weight of the word even4 ,even the righteous1 who ought to know better2 and even punishment1 which the righteous1 at last1 ought to be willing to bear4--,miller4 ,often is the wise man's meaning much beyond his words4 ,to punish the just not only is not good1 but it is the abomination 7verse #ae7--;an evident token of perdition 7,philip4 i4 #bh74 ,if rulers are a terror to good works1 they are ministers of ,god in authority1 but ministers of ,satan in administration4 ,and how will such injustice abide the day of ,his coming1 when ,he shall lay judgment to the line1 and righteousness to the plummet6--,bridges4 ,the word prince signifies noble1 and is differently understood4 ,it may be applied to the nobility of station1 or to that of mind4 ,some give preference to the latter2 and by interpreting it of the noble-minded1 and the just in the former clause1 of the righteous or the people of ,god1 make the two clauses thus to correspond1 and to have much the same import4 ,it seems1 however1 both more natural and more comprehensive to consider two ideas to be expressed2 the one relating to the duty of the ruler1 and the other to that of the ruled4 ,it is the incumbent duty of the ruler1 on the one part1 to administer justice with strict impartiality4 ,it is the duty1 on the other part1 of subjects to countenance1 encourage1 and support the ruler in the equitable administration of his trust4 ,to strike is evidently to be understood1 not literally alone of actual striking1 but of smiting with the tongue as well as with the fist or the rod1--of all kinds of vituperation and abuse1 and attempts to bring the throne into disrepute and odium1 and unsettle its stability1 by shaking the confidence and attachment of the community4 ,there are many occasions in which a man may be tempted to this4 ,he may1 in particular cases1 have his mind biassed by pride1 by self-interest1 by partiality towards a friend1 by political predilections2 so that even when all has been done with impartial investigation1 and the judgment pronounced according to legitimate rules of evidence and demands of equity1 there may be unfair1 unreasonable and angry dissatisfaction2 and the prince may be smitten for justice4 ,every man ought to be on his guard against this4 ,the higher the responsibility1--the more burdensome and difficult the trust1--and the more serious the results of bringing authorities and the laws into disesteem1 and unsettling public confidence in them1--ought to be the amount of our reluctant caution in pronouncing censure4 ,another remark may be ventured4 ,one of the great difficulties with which governments of great nations have to contend1 arises from the variety of crossing and contending interests with which they have to deal4 ,how anxious soever they may honestly be1 to allow no undue bias to draw them from the line of impartial justice1 yet there is hardly a measure they can adopt that does not affect differently different classes of the community2 so that1 from their various predisposing circumstances1 that shall appear to one class--to those in one particular department of trade or commerce--the very essence of injustice1 which by another is lauded as a most unexceptionable exemplification of impartial equity4 ,this ought surely to have the effect--,i do not by any means say of forbidding the most vigilant observance and the freest and most searching scrutiny and discussion of every measure1 and the exposure of its evil or questionable character and tendency--but assuredly of procuring some allowance for the difficulty of the task of pleasing all parties1 and some moderation in the tone of censure even where to us the grounds for it are clear and palpable4 ,no man who knows himself will affirm1 in almost any case1 that1 placed1 in other circumstances1 he might not see with other eyes4 ,i speak in general4 ,there are cases in which the interests of a suffering country are1 to a vast extent1 involved1 in which it becomes every man's paramount duty to speak out and to speak plainly1 and to make the ears of the rulers to tingle with the outcry of humanity and justice4 ,i would further apply the spirit of this verse to the case of arbitrators4 ,we have ourselves1 it may be1 consented to submit a litigated point to arbitration4 ,we do so with a full persuasion of our being in the right--of our claim being the just one4 ,but the arbiters unite in giving it against us4 ,it would be most unreasonable on our part to retain a grudge1 especially at the one appointed by ourselves1 on this account4 ,our reference implied confidence in his impartiality and honour1 and implied a pledge of cheerful acquiescence4 ,to grumble1 to censure1 and to withdraw our friendship1 would be indeed to strike him for equity4 ,he would have proved himself unworthy of his trust1 if his disposition to please and serve us had been too strong for principle1 conscience1 and oath4 ,there is one government1 in which the just are never punished--all whose laws and all whose sanctions are the perfection of equity4 ,but alas6 it is under that very government that the spirit expressed by the phrase striking princes for equity is most fearfully manifested4 ,all the murmurings of sinners against either the law of ,god or its revealed and threatened penalty1 are the very essence1 in its deepest malignity1 of this spirit4--,wardlaw4 ,righteous men are princes in all lands 7,psa4 xlv4 #af72 yea1 they are kings in righteousness as ,melchisedec4 ,indeed they are somewhat obscure kings as he was1 but kings they appear to be1 by comparing ,matt4 xiii4 #ag with ,luke x4 #bd2 many righteous1 saith ,matthew1 many kings1 saith ,luke4 ,now1 to strike a king is high treason2 and although princes have put up blows1 as when one struck our ,henry ,,vi41 he only said1 ,forsooth1 you do wrong yourself more than me1 to strike the ,lord's anointed4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bg1 #bh4 ,,two ,,badges ,,of ,a ,,wise ,,man4 ,i4 ,reticence of speech4 ,this subject has been dwelt on before4 ,see on chap4 x4 #ai-ba4 ,the verses before us suggest further that a man who is sparing of words is not necessarily a man of abundant wisdom1 for even a fool may hold his peace sometimes4 ,solomon elsewhere tells us that a fool uttereth all his mind 7,prov4 xxix4 #aa72 but the fool of this text is not so foolish as to do that4 ,it has been remarked that by silence a fool abates something of his senselessness1 and since he gets the opportunity to collect himself and to reflect1 a beginning of wisdom is developed in him 7,von ,gerlach74 ,it argues some amount of wisdom in a man if he is silent when he has nothing to say which is worth the saying4 ,but the false conclusion must not be drawn1 that every man who is not given to much speech is a man of great understanding and of vast mental resources4 ,it is much better that the stone should remain upon the mouth of a well of impure water1 but it must not be taken for granted1 because the well is kept closed1 that there is a supply of life-giving water within4 ,,ii4 ,calmness of temper4 ,it is a mark of wisdom to strive after a cool 7excellent7 spirit4 #a4 ,it makes life more pleasant4 ,a man who allows himself to be vexed and irritated by all the annoyances of every-day life has no enjoyment of his existence4 ,a fretful and hasty temper makes every bitter draught more bitter1 and takes the sweetness out of the cup that would otherwise be a pleasant one4 #b4 ,it makes a man more respected and more useful4 ,a man who cannot curb his temper is a despicable object1 and will certainly be despised4 ,a passionate man may be pitied and excused1 but he cannot be respected4 ,hence he cannot have much influence for good upon others4 ,this subject also has been treated before4 ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #ag and #bi1 pages #cfc and #chf4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that retains his words knows knowledge4 ,the words are precise4 ,it is the fact that he knows knowledge that impels a man to restrain his words4 ,if he did not know knowledge1 if he had not light1 and did not know it when he saw it2 if he did not see light in ,god1 and know it when he has seen it1 and really see enough of it to convince him that ,god is light1 he could not stand the darkness4 ,the unfortunates in hell have no light to enable them to endure the dark4 ,but the saint1 knowing knowledge1 and seeing that it exists in ,god1 is balanced enough against the mysteries to enable him to restrain his words4 4 4 4 ,the wise man asserts that this silence is a chief mark of piety4 4 4 4 ,if a man do shut his lips he is wise4 4 4 4 ,the fool is a wise man when he is silent1 and when1 in meek submission1 he bows to what he cannot understand4--,miller4 ,he cannot be known for a fool who says nothing4 ,he is a fool1 not who hath unwise thoughts1 but who utters them4 ,even concealed folly is wisdom4--,bp4 ,hall4 ,he that hath knowledge hath not many words3 the fulness of the one causeth in him a scarcity of the other4 ,and there is nothing that he spendeth idly more unwillingly than his words4 ,but yet1 having knowledge1 he knoweth both when to spare and when to spend4 4 4 4 ,the original words here are knowing knowledge1 for many know much1 but it is not knowledge that they know4 ,some labour hard and waste their time to know needless vanities1 which1 being better unknown1 have not true knowledge in them4 4 4 4 ,right knowledge is the knowledge of the ,lord1 and he that knoweth this spareth his words to spend them to ,god's glory4 ,and as it is in many the penury of their knowledge that causeth the superfluity of their words1 so chiefly is the lack of this knowledge4 ,for it is by this knowledge we learn that an account must be given for every idle word4 4 4 4 ,silence being so rare a virtue1 where wisdom doth command it1 it is accounted a virtue where folly doth impose it4 ,he that fails of this first help1 and is so far gone in folly as that his tongue outgoes his understanding1 yet hath a second help1 and that is to stop1 and shut his lips before they go too far1 which1 though not the first1 yet is a second praise2 and he hath the repute of some understanding who either seeth1 or is thought to see1 his want of understanding4--,jermin4 ,it has been safely enough alleged that of two men equally successful in the business of life1 the man who is silent will be generally deemed to have more in him than the man who talks2 the latter shows his hand2 everybody can tell the exact length of his tether2 he has trotted himself out so often that all his points and paces are a matter of notoriety4 ,but of the taciturn man1 little or nothing is known4 ,the shallow murmur but the deep are dumb4 ,friends and acquaintances shake their heads knowingly1 and exclaim with an air of authority1 that ,so and so has a great deal more in him than people imagine4 ,they are as often wrong as right1 but what need that signify to the silent man8 4 4 4 ,to follow out one of the ,caxtonian essayist's illustrations1--,when we see a dumb strong-box1 with its lid braced down by iron clasps and secured by a jealous padlock1 involuntarily we supposed that its contents must be infinitely more precious than the gauds and nicknacks which are unguardedly scattered about a lady's dressing-room4 ,who could believe that a box so rigidly locked had nothing in it but odds and ends1 which would be just as safe in a bandbox8--,jacox4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,through desire1 etc4 ,the readings and expositions of this verse are many4 ,zckler translates1 ,he that separateth himself seeketh his own pleasure1 against all counsel doth he rush on1 and the renderings of ,stuart1 ,miller1 and ,delitzsch are substantially the same1 except that ,delitzsch translates the latter clause--against all that is beneficial he shows his teeth4 ,other readings are ,a self-conceited fool seeks to gratify his fancy and intermingleth himself with all things 7,schultens72 ,he who has separated himself agitates questions as his desire prompts1 and breaks his teeth on every hard point 7,schulz72 ,he seeks occasion1 who desires to separate himself from his friends 7,hodgson74 ,others read as in the ,authorised ,version4 7,see ,comments47 #c4 ,ignominy1 rather1 shameful deeds4 #d4 ,the last clause of this verse may be divided into two smaller ones and placed in apposition1 thus3 a babbling brook1--a fountain of wisdom4 ,fausset remarks that the ,hebrew word used for man is ish1 a good man1 not adam1 the general term for man4 #f4 ,calleth for4 ,stuart understands this in the sense of to deserve4 #h4 ,wounds4 ,the word so translated occurs only here and in chap4 xxvi4 #bb1 and will bear very different renderings4 ,some translate it words of sport 7,stuart and ,zckler72 others1 with ,delitzsch1 dainty morsels2 others1 whispers1 soft breezes4 #i4 ,waster1 or destroyer4 #aj4 ,safe1 or lifted high4 #ad4 ,infirmity1 i4e41 sickness1 disease of body4 ,as in similar verses1 ,miller translates a wounded spirit2 a spirit of upbraiding4 ,here again1 as in verse #d1 the ,hebrew word ish is used for man4 #af4 ,a man's gifts4 ,hebrew1 adam1 the gift of a man1 however humble and low 7,fausset74 #ai4 ,is harder to be won2 these words are not in the original1 but have been inserted to supply the sense4 ,some translators read a brother offended resisteth more than a strong city4 ,miller reads1 ,when a brother is revolted away1 it is from a city of strength4 #bj4 ,satisfied4 ,if this word is taken in a good sense the fruit must be good2 but it may be ironical1 meaning false or malignant words will find ample retribution4 ,perhaps the next verse helps us determine the meaning 7,stuart74 #ba4 ,they that love it1 i4e41 make it a special object of gratification 7,stuart7 #bd4 ,the first clause of this verse should be ,a man of many friends will prove himself base1 or is so to his own destruction1 i4e41 he who professes to regard everybody as his friend will1 in so doing1 involve himself in trouble4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #a and #b4 ,reference to the ,critical ,notes and to the ,comments will show the widely different translations and expositions given to the first verse4 ,we follow the ,authorised ,version4 ,,solitude4 ,i4 ,solitude is indispensable to the attainment of wisdom4 ,if a tree is to become well-proportioned--if it is to spread out its branches on every side so that its girth is to be proportioned to its height1 it must have space--a degree of separation is indispensable to its perfect development4 ,it must be free to stretch out its roots and shoots on every side1 and to appropriate to itself those elements in the earth and in the atmosphere which will make it strong and vigorous4 ,so if a man is to be a wise man1 if his mental and spiritual capabilities are to be developed as his ,creator intended they should be1 he must at times separate himself--a certain amount of solitude is indispensable4 ,if he would grow wise in the mysteries of the natural world he must oftentimes shut himself away from the haunts of men1 and ponder the manifold phenomena which creation presents to him1 and endeavour to unravel her secrets4 ,if he desires to become wise by acquaintance with the thoughts and deeds of the great and mighty men of past ages he must withdraw himself at certain seasons from the society of his fellow-men1 and give himself up to study and reflection4 ,and if he desire to acquire what1 after all1 can alone make him a truly wise man--an acquaintance with himself and with ,god--he must have seasons of separation in which to listen to the voice of his own heart and to the voice of his ,maker4 ,a man1 when he is alone1 is more likely to see things as they really are2 he is less under the influence of the seen and temporal than when he is in the market1 or on the crowded highway1 and consequently things unseen and eternal have a more powerful influence over him at such a season4 ,no man can be wise unless he has some self-knowledge1 and no man can subject himself to much inspection while in company1 hence the advice of ,george ,herbert-- ,by all means use sometimes to be alone2 ,salute thyself2 see what thy soul doth wear2 ,dare to look in thy chest1 for 'tis thine own1 ,and tumble up and down what thou find'st there4 ,who cannot rest till he good fellows find1 ,he breaks up house1 turns out of doors his mind4 and it is equally true that no man is possessed of true wisdom who has not some knowledge of ,god as ,he has revealed ,himself in the written ,word1 and solitude is very favourable to a growth in ,divine knowledge4 ,men can gain much1 even of the highest wisdom1 from intercourse with their fellow-men1 but all human guides are fallible and all human teaching is imperfect--there must be seasons when a man separates himself from them all and stands face to face with the fountain of all truth1 if he would intermeddle with pure wisdom4 ,,ii4 ,those who are truly wise seek wisdom for its own sake4 ,many men seek secular knowledge for the sole purpose of acquiring fame by the acquisition4 ,some men spend days of solitude in patient investigation for no other purpose than to make a name for themselves4 ,some men even profess to be seekers after true and spiritual wisdom1 when they are only striving to gratify some unworthy ambition4 ,such a man seems to be pourtrayed in the second verse as the fool who hath no delight in understanding but that his heart may discover itself4 7,if he seeks knowledge at all1 it is neither for its own sake nor for the purposes of fitting him for usefulness1 but solely for the ends of self-display--,wardlaw47 7,he hath no delight in knowledge1 but in the displaying of his own thoughts4--,hodgson47 ,but the true lover of wisdom is impelled to seek from the love of truth--from the desire which possesses his soul to intermeddle with knowledge4 ,when ,sir ,isaac ,newton gave himself up to the pursuit of scientific truth1 he separated himself simply from a desire to know1 and without the remotest desire or expectation of his present world-wide fame4 ,and if it is so with every true lover of merely intellectual wisdom1 it is pre-eminently so with the man who seeks spiritual wisdom4 ,he is impelled to the search simply by a desire which is born of his appreciation of its worth--by a knowledge of its power to bless his life4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a certain degree of solitude seems necessary to the full growth and spread of the highest mind2 and therefore must a very extensive intercourse with men stifle many a holy germ1 and scare away the gods1 who shun the restless tumult of noisy companies1 and the discussion of petty interests4--,novalis4 ,desire is the chariot-wheel of the soul1 the spring of energy and delight4 ,the man of business or science if filled with his great object2 and through desire he separates himself from all lets and hindrances1 that he may intermeddle with its whole range4 ,this one thing--saith the man of ,god--,i do 7,philip4 iii4 #ac74 ,this one thing is everything with him4 ,he separates himself from all outward hindrances1 vain company1 trifling amusements or studies1 needless engagements1 that he may seek and intermeddle with all wisdom4 ,john separated himself in the wilderness1 ,paul in ,arabia1 our blessed ,lord in frequent retirement1 in order to greater concentration in their momentous work4 ,deeply does the ,christian minister feel the responsibility of this holy separation1 that he may give himself wholly to his office 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ae2 #b ,tim4 ii4 #d74 ,without it--,christian--thy soul can never prosper4 ,how canst thou intermeddle with the great wisdom of knowing thyself1 if thy whole mind be full of the world's chaff and vanity8 ,there must be a withdrawal1 to commune with thine own heart and to ask the questions--,where art thou8 ,what doest thou here8 ,much is there to be inquired into and pondered4 ,everything here calls for our deepest1 closest thoughts4 ,we must walk with ,god in secret1 or the enemy will walk with us1 and our souls will die4 ,arise1 go forth into the plain1 and ,i will there talk with thee 7,ezek4 iii4 #bb74 ,when thou wast under the fig-tree ,i saw thee 7,john i4 #dh74 ,deal much in secrecy1 if thou wouldst know the secret of the ,lord4 ,like thy ,divine ,master1 thou wilt never be less alone than when alone 7,ib4 xvi4 #cb74 ,there is much to be wrought1 gained1 and enjoyed4 ,thy most spiritual knowledge1 thy richest experience will be found here4 ,and then1 when we look around us into the infinitely extended field of the ,revelation of ,god1 what a world of heavenly wisdom is there to intermeddle with6 ,in the hurry of this world's atmosphere how little can we apprehend it6 ,and yet such is the field of wonder1 that the contemplation of a single point overwhelmed the ,apostle with adoring astonishment 7,rom4 xi4 #cc74 ,here are things1 which even the angels desire to look into 7#a ,pet4 i4 #ab74 ,the redeemed will be employed throughout eternity in this delighted searching2 exploring the breadth1 the length1 and depth1 and height1 until they be filled with all the fulness of ,god 7,eph4 iii4 #ah1 #ai74 ,surely then if we have any desire1 we shall separate ourselves from the cloudy atmosphere around us1 that we may have fellowship with these happy investigators of the ,divine mysteries4--,bridges4 ,the separated one here is the impenitent4 ,the aims of a man left to himself is really a translation of but two words1 meaning a separated one seeks4 ,at the dictate of desire is but one noun with a preceding particle1 meaning after1 or according to4 ,the noun means a longing4 ,the sentence means that when a man gets separated from his place in the universe he seeks1 or has a pursuit1 after his present bent or longing4 ,the word translated wisdom in the second clause is derived from a verb that means to be or stand with some stability 7see comment on chap4 ii4 #g71 yielding the sense the lost man sits careless to what is stable4 ,he does not regard it4 ,he strikes for what he desires4 ,a pretty thing for him to cavil6 since against everything stable he just lets himself roll44 4 4 ,the whole meaning is that the lost man is in high chase under the spur of appetite1 and ruthlessly bears down everything stable4--,miller4 ,through desire 7through self-willed and self-seeking desire of wisdom7--wisdom1 ,heb4 tushigyah1 lit4 all that is solid and stable3 subsistence1 essence1 existence4 ,the ,pharisees were such2 from the ,hebrew1 pharash1 to separate4 ,they trusted in themselves1 and in their own wisdom1 despising others 7,luke xviii4 #i1 xvi4 #ae2 ,jude #ai74 ,all heresy has more or less originated in the self-conceit which leads men to separate themselves from the congregation of the ,lord 7,ezek4 xiv4 #g2 ,hosea ix4 #aj2 ,heb x4 #be74 ,the two evils censured are 7#a7 that of those who think they are born for themselves1 and that others ought to be ministers of their self-seeking desires2 7#b7 that of those who intermeddle with what does not concern them4 ,the motive is through 7his own7 desire of being esteemed singularly learned1 as verse #b shows1 not from sincere delight in understanding4 ,his aim is singularity1 through self-seeking desire 7,psa4 x4 #c2 cxii4 #aj7 of raising himself to a separate elevation from the common crowd1 and of being thought versed in all that can be known3 so he intermeddleth with all wisdom4 ,his restless appetite for making himself peculiar and separate from others is marked by the indefinite verb seeketh1 it not being added what he seeketh1 for he hardly knows himself what4--,fausset4 ,if we have to decide between the two interpretations1 one blaming and the other commending the life of isolation1 the answer must be that the former is more in harmony with the broad1 genial temper of the ,book of ,proverbs4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,this verse also1 as will be seen from a reference to the ,critical ,notes1 and also from the ,comments1 is susceptible of several interpretations4 ,we think it treats of-- ,,the ,,short-,,lived ,,prosperity ,,of ,,evil ,,men4 ,i4 ,wicked men do come into places of power and influence4 ,this fact has often tried the faith of righteous men4 ,asaph's steps had well-nigh slipped when he saw the prosperity of the wicked--that violence covered them as a garment1 and that they set their mouth against the heavens2 and yet that their strength was firm1 and they had more than heart could wish 7,psa4 lxxiii4 #b-h74 ,the tiller of the soil knows from experience that the useless weeds and noxious plants often seem to absorb all the nutriment from the earth1 and so make it well-nigh impossible for the useful herb and sweet-scented flower to grow in the same field or garden4 ,and moral weeds seem to have a like capability of utilising everything that comes in their way to their own advancement--the unrighteous man makes a fortune1 or a position1 or a name for himself1 while his godly neighbour is struggling for a bare subsistence4 ,in the field of the world1 the tares grow as well as the wheat 7,matt4 xiii4 #bf71 and often they seem for a time to be more flourishing4 ,ahab and ,jezebel dwell in ,samaria1 and ,elijah is compelled to flee into the desert4 ,herod feasts in the palace1 while ,john the ,baptist is beheaded in the dungeon4 ,,ii4 ,contempt and reproach are their final portion4 ,their day of power is short-lived4 ,david has recorded as his experience that he had seen the wicked in great power1 and spreading himself like a green bay-tree--but he passed by1 and lo1 he was not 7,psa4 xxxvii4 #ce74 ,and however their success may dazzle men's eyes and warp their judgment for a season1 contempt is their portion at last4 ,they are often held in contempt even while living1 and the reproaches of those who have been made to suffer by them are heaped upon their heads4 ,many of those who fawned upon them and flattered them while they were prospering will be most ready to scorn and upbraid them1 if the day of their retribution arrives before they quit this world4 ,and if they keep their power and influence throughout the term of their human probation1 their names will be contemned by posterity1 and in the day when everyone receives the things done in his body 7#b ,cor4 v4 #aj71 they shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt 7,dan4 xii4 #b74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,when a wicked man enters upon the stage1 that creature1 the most degraded of the universe1 and who has the least right to show any contempt1 is the very person to be the most contemptuous2 and the mortal who is himself most disgraced1 shows the readiest mind to cry shame upon and to reproach and that even the ,most ,high4 ,doubtless there is secular truth in all this4 ,the disgraced citizen is often the most reproachful4--,miller4 ,i4 ,they bring contempt1 not to themselves only1 but to the places they fill1 and the societies to which they become united--to themselves1 for the unworthy manner in which they fulfil the duties of the trust they have assumed1 or have had committed to them2 and to their places and societies1 with which their names are associated4 ,they entail ignominy and reproach upon all they have to do with4 ,and in no case is this more true1 than with regard to offences in the ,church4 ,o what an amount of scorn and reproach has been brought upon the sacred office of the ministry by the intrusion1 under numberless pretexts1 and from numberless causes1 of wicked1 worldly1 ungodly men into its holy function6 ,how full is ,church history of this deplorable evil6--and how many infidels and scorners has ,church history by this means produced4 ,thus it was under the old dispensation4 ,the wickedness of the sons of ,eli made men abhor the offering of the ,lord4 ,and thus it is still4 ,of the false teachers who should arise in the latter days1 it is said--by reason of them the way of truth shall be evil-spoken of4 ,from few other sources1 if from any1 has there proceeded a greater profusion of unmerited reproach of the name and doctrine and kingdom of the ,lord2 or has the chair of the scorner drawn a greater number and variety of its sarcastic sneers and bitter revilings4 ,,ii4 ,the phrase may mean--,when the wicked cometh into intimacy1 companionship1 familiarity1 then cometh contempt4--,he who admits the wicked to his intimacy--makes him his associate--must share the infamy of his ill-chosen companion4 ,many a time too has this been exemplified4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,a ,,good ,,man',s ,,mouth4 ,we must understand ,solomon here to refer to a good man--to a man whose words are in harmony with the mind of ,god4 ,of such a man it may be said that his words are as deep waters and as a living spring4 ,i4 ,because his soul is in communication with an exhaustless source of spiritual life and wisdom4 ,rivers and wells that are fed from the mountain recesses which are filled with eternal snows never dry up--they are fed from a source that is never exhausted4 ,so long as the lasting hills remain1 and the present natural laws govern the world they must give forth every day abundant streams4 ,a communication has been established between the soul of a good man and the living ,god--he holds constant communion with a source of spiritual life which can never fail1 and consequently he can never be at a loss for subjects upon which to discourse--his mind is always filled with new thoughts of ,god1 and new hopes of heaven upon which to meditate himself and which he can communicate to others4 ,,ii4 ,because that which flows from his lips is beneficial and refreshing to others4 ,the waters in a shallow and stagnant pond give little or no refreshment to the thirsty traveller2 they may even be the means of imparting disease to those who drink of them1 or who live near them4 ,but the water from a well1 or from a deep and flowing stream1 is generally pure and wholesome to the taste1 and refreshing to the land through which it flows4 ,and so it is with the speech of a godly man4 ,very mighty are the influence of words for good or for ill4 ,our first parents lost ,eden by listening to the words of the tempter1 and the speech of the wicked always diffuses an unwholesome moral atmosphere around it1 if it does not eject a deadly poison into the soul4 ,but the conversation and teaching of the godly are always a means of moral health to others2 by their words they witness for the truth of ,god1 and are the means of opening men's eyes1 and turning them from darkness to light1 from the power of ,satan unto ,god 7,acts xxvi4 #ac74 ,and1 like their ,divine ,master1 they know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary 7,isa4 l4 #d71 and thus that which flows from their lips is as refreshing and healthful to weary and struggling men and women on the highway of life as the living1 cooling water-course is to the dusty and thirsty traveller4 ,,iii4 ,because the flow is natural and spontaneous4 ,water may be sent through a tract of country by artificial means2 fields may be watered and reservoirs filled by calling in science to supply natural deficiencies4 ,but there is1 after all1 no comparison between this kind of forced irrigation and that which is the result of natural causes4 ,if there is water beneath the surface of the earth it must force its way and find an outlet2 it needs no hand of man to come to its aid2 it penetrates the soil and forms a fertilising stream in obedience to natural law4 ,and so the speech of a good man has nothing forced or artificial about it4 ,it is the overflow of heartfelt experience4 ,like the apostles of old1 he cannot but speak the things which he has seen and heard 7,acts iv4 #bj74 ,the good things of his lips are the natural outcome of the good treasure of his heart1 for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 7,matt4 xii4 #cd1 #ce74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,talleyrand defined speech to be the art of concealing one's opinions4 ,speech1 even without any attempt at concealment1 must be endlessly deep and wide as uttering all our being4 ,who can translate all its outgoings8 ,if this be so with man1 who shall judge of ,god and censure ,his obscurer revelations8 ,solomon is satisfied with one great difference1--that while men's speech is deep1 ,god's speech is both deep and living4 ,one has a vital source1 the other is dead and stagnant4 ,grant that both are obscure4 ,one is the darkness of a pool1 the other the breadth and gush of an overflowing water4 ,we ought to submit to mystery in ,god1 for the tide of ,his utterance is to flow on for ever4--,miller4 ,one greater than ,solomon astonished the people by the clearness1 no less than by the depth of the waters 7,matt4 vii4 #bh1 #bi74 ,no blessing is more valuable than a rich indwelling of the ,word1 ready to be brought out on all suitable occasions of instruction4 ,if the wise man sometimes spares his words1 it is not for want of matter1 but for greater edification4 ,the stream is ready to flow1 and sometimes can scarcely be restrained4 ,the cold-hearted1 speculative professor has his flow--sometimes a torrent of words1 yet without a drop of profitable matter2 chilling1 even when doctrinally correct2 without life1 unction1 or love4 ,lord6 deliver us from this barren talk of the lips 7chap4 xiv4 #bc74 ,may our waters be deep1 flowing from thine own inner sanctuary1 refreshing and fertilising the ,church of ,god6--,bridges4 ,in the two clauses of the verse1 on the principle of parallelism1 there appears to be an inversion of the same sentiment2 for1 properly speaking1 the words uttered are not the deep waters1 but the stream that issues from them2 and1 on the other hand1 the wellspring of wisdom is not the flowing brook1 but the deep and copious fountain or reservoir from which it issues4 ,another passage may serve to confirm this view4 ,counsel in the heart of man is like deep water2 but a man of understanding will draw it out4 ,here1 the counsel is the deep water1 not the words4 ,but the words are the stream which the deep waters send forth4 ,the words bring out and contain the counsel4--,wardlaw4 ,it must be remembered that deep waters are associated in the ,old ,testament with the thought of darkness and mystery 7xx4 #e2 ,psalms lxix4 #b2 ,eccles4 vii4 #bd71 and we get a more profound thought if we see in the proverb a comparison between all teaching from without and that of the light within4 ,the words of a man's mouth are dark as the deep waters of a pool1 or tank2 but the well-spring of wisdom is as a flowing brook1 bright and clear4 ,so taken the verse presents a contrast like that of ,jeremiah ii4 #ac4--,plumptre4 ,when this word vir is used for man in sacred ,scriptures it signifieth one who is strong and mighty1 and for his strength great and excellent1 and then by a man here we may understand him who is mighty and great in knowledge2 the words of such a man are as deep waters1 to the bottom whereof the shallow capacity of every one is not able to reach4 ,but yet where the spring of those waters is a well-spring of wisdom1 though sometimes it send forth deep waters1 yet it doth not always2 for that were to overwhelm the hearers4 ,but at other times it is as a flowing brook1 more shallow for capacity1 but more forcible also in the stream of it1 and either by persuasive exhortation carrying on the hearers to a pursuit of virtue and godliness1 or else by a dissuasive reproof carrying them away from the practice of wickedness1 and in both washing away the stains of their sinful lives4 ,wherefore ,st4 ,gregory saith1 so must every preacher deal with his hearers as ,god dealeth with him2 he must not preach to the simple as much as he knoweth because himself doth not know of heavenly mysteries as much as they are4--,jermin4 ,the subject of verse #e has been treated in the ,homiletics on chap4 xvii41 verses #ae and #bf4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-h4 ,,folly ,,and ,,its ,,results4 ,i4 ,none but a foolish man seeks contention4 ,as we saw in the previous chapter 7verse #ad7 contention or strife is an evil of which none at its beginnings can see the end4 ,it may seem a very insignificant deed to strike a flint and steel together so as to produce a single spark1 but one spark may produce a terrible and destructive fire4 ,when a settler in a forest rubs two dry sticks together the act seems a trifling one1 but the friction in time develops the latent heat of the wood1 and there is enough fire brought into activity to lay low many a mighty forest tree4 ,none but foolish men and children ever play with fire1 and when they do it they generally suffer themselves first1 but they are often not the only sufferers4 ,so it is with contention1 or a dispute in words4 ,wise men are often obliged to contend for truth and right1 but they never seek an occasion of dispute4 ,but there are moral fools who think it only an amusement to pick a quarrel1 little heeding what the consequences of it may be1 not caring if blows succeed to angry words1 or perhaps even desiring that they should do so4 ,but although a man may play with fire and escape unharmed1 or may even apply a torch to his neighbour's house without singeing so much as a hair of his own head1 no fool's lips enter into contention or call for strokes without bringing retribution upon his own head4 ,his mouth is in his own destruction1 and his lips are the snare of his soul1 for it is a law as old as the universe that with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again 7,matt4 vi4 #a1 #b74 ,the man who seeks contention will always find others like-minded with himself who will be willing to do for them what he has done for others1 and he who calls for strokes upon his fellow-creatures will receive them upon his own head with compound interest4 ,,ii4 ,none but a cruel man will be a tale-bearer4 ,a quarrelsome1 passionate man is a fool1 and he is also a cruel man1 but he is not so cruel as the tale-bearer4 ,the first man wounds1 but he inflicts his injury in open daylight and in the front of his victim1 but the second is like the treacherous footpad whose face is never seen and whose step is never heard1 but who comes up behind his prey in the dark and leaves no trace behind but the mortal sword-thrust4 ,but it must not be forgotten that there must always be two persons implicated in the guilt and cruelty of thus killing the reputation of a fellow-creature4 ,the tale-bearer must have a repository for his slanders--the busy tongue must have a listening ear or no mischief would be done1 and tale-bearing would die out for want of an atmosphere in which it could live4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes will show that the word translated wounds may be rendered dainties1 and it is because evil reports of others are so keenly relished by an unsanctified man that the words of a tale-bearer are able to inflict such suffering and work so much ill in the world4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #f4 ,the emperor ,julian used to banter the ,christians with that precept of our ,lord1 ,when thine adversary smites thee on the one cheek1 turn to him the other also3 but ,christians consult their ease as well as their consciences when they obey this precept in the spirit of it2 whereas proud and passionate fools1 when they give vent to their rancorous spirits1 because they cannot bear the shadow of an indignity1 not only turn the other cheek to their adversary1 but smite1 and urge1 and almost force him to strike and destroy them4--,lawson4 ,verse #h4 ,the bite of a viper is not so deadly as the wound of these tale-bearers' stories and insinuations4 ,the truth is they contrive to infuse their poison without a bite4 ,if they would but appear in their true character2--would they but show their fangs1 and make us feel them1 we should be put upon our guard4 ,we know the viper4 ,we shun it4 ,and when it has unhappily succeeded in wounding us1 we instantly have recourse to means for preventing the poison from getting into the mass of the blood1 and pervading the system4 ,but these human vipers infuse their poison in the language of kindness and love4 ,their words are smoother than oil2 yet are they drawn swords2--envenomed fangs1 of which the virus gets into our system ere we are aware1 works its mischievous and morally deadly effects1 and becomes incapable of extraction4 ,every attempt at its removal still leaves some portion of it behind4 ,there is1 in the original word1 an implication of softness1 simplicity1 undesignedness1 which only gives the secret weapon with which the wound is inflicted the greater keenness4--,wardlaw4 ,the tongue of the tale-bearer is a two-edged sword1 at once it cutteth on both sides1 and his words are his wounds1 at once wounding both him of whom he speaketh and him to whom he speaketh4 ,to the one he gives the wounds of his slandering1 to the other the wounds of his flattering4 ,the one he woundeth so1 that his blow is neither heard1 seen1 nor felt4 ,the other he woundeth so1 that though his blow be heard1 seen1 and felt1 yet it is not perceived3 in both they go down into the heart1 as revealing the heart of the one1 and as removing the heart of the other from him4 4 4 4 ,or the words may be translated1 the words of a tale-bearer are as smoothing words3 for he frameth his own words to as much softness1 as those which he reporteth he maketh to be hard4 ,and indeed1 as they sound1 they are commonly so pleasing1 that they easily slip down into the heart1 where they are readily entertained4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,twin-,,brothers4 ,i4 ,slothfulness and prodigality have the same origin4 ,as brothers are the children of a common parent1 so sloth and waste have their root in the common sin of ungodliness2 men are spendthrifts or they are lazy1 because they have no right sense of their obligations to ,god and to man--because they do not look upon their life as a stewardship for which they must give an account 7,rom4 xiv4 #ab71 but as a gift which they are at liberty to spend as they please4 ,the acts of the prodigal and the slothful man differ in themselves1 but they all spring from that spirit of self-pleasing which is the essence of ungodliness4 ,,ii4 ,the slothful man is a waster of ,god's most precious gifts4 ,twin-brothers are often so much alike that it is difficult for onlookers to distinguish one from the other4 ,and there is an aspect in which we may view the slothful man in which we not only note the close resemblance he bears to his prodigal brother1 but in which he is transformed into the prodigal himself4 ,for the negative sinner--the man who does nothing--is a waster of his time and of his talents1 and is therefore guilty of a positive crime4 ,the man who hid the ,lord's talent was visited with a stern sentence as a positive transgressor 7,matt4 xxv4 #be74 ,if we convict a man of prodigality for wasting gold1 what shall we say of him who wastes what no gold can buy8 ,time1 says ,j4 ,a4 ,james1 is the most precious thing in the world4 ,when ,god gives us a moment1 ,he does not promise us another1 as if to teach us highly to value and improve it1 by the consideration1 for aught we know1 it may be the last4 ,time1 when gone1 never returns4 ,we talk about 'fetching up' a lost hour1 but the thing is impossible4 ,a moment once lost1 is lost for ever4 ,we could as rationally set out to find a sound that had expired in air1 as to find a lost moment4 ,and when we reflect what infinite results depend upon what a man does with his time1 we see the force of the proverb1 because the slothful man is a waster of the most precious commodity in this world4 ,,iii4 ,the results of both extravagance and sloth are the same4 ,it makes no difference in the end whether a man gets nothing1 or spends all that he gets1 he can come to poverty by either road4 ,the one has been compared to a man who dies by a rapid and violent disease1 and the other by a slow and subtle consumption4 ,but the grave1 sooner or later1 receives them both4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the practical lesson is1 that in personal and domestic interests1 diligence and economy should go together1 and that the one without the other never can avail for either obtaining or securing even the comforts of life4 ,of what use is industry if its proceeds are not prudently managed when they come in8--if husband1 or wife1 or both1 be destitute of discretion1 improvident and thriftless8 if there is the absence of all sober and considerate calculation1 and1 as a consequence1 no due proportioning of outlay to income1 but a reckless and wasteful expenditure1 leaving an unlooked-for deficiency--a woful amount minus--at the year's end8 ,the poor inconsiderate fools never think what they are about4 ,they keep no daily reckoning--no accounts2 and so their money is gone1 they can't tell how--they had no idea they were living at such a rate6--and even when they have made the discovery there is no improvement4 ,they say1 possibly1 they must take care2 but they only say it1 and immediately forget it4 ,things go on as before2 and still 7to use rather a colloquial1 but sufficiently expressive phrase71 what is taken in by the door is thrown out by the window2 and still the wonder continues how it goes6 ,they are ever marvelling how other folks do4 ,they can't understand it4 ,for their parts1 all that comes in finds its way off from them as fast as it comes1 and many a time faster6 ,thus1 as might be expected1 there are the same appearances of bareness1 and cheerlessness1 and want1 in the dwelling of the thriftless as in that of the slothful4 ,extremes thus meet4 4 4 4 ,diligence1 let me remind you1 is as necessary for the acquisition of spiritual as of temporal good--of the riches of ,divine knowledge of the mind1 as of the blessings of the ,divine life to the heart4 ,and not less is economy of means4 ,how often may it be seen1 that with means of a very limited and stinted amount1 there is more of spiritual prosperity in one instance1 than is discoverable in another1 with means the most varied and abundant4 ,many believers1 it is to be feared1 are spiritual spendthrifts4 ,they use their privileges on no principle of economy4 ,they read1 they hear1 they frequent ordinances--and yet their progress in spiritual attainments bears no proportion to the extent of their advantages4 ,rich in privileges1 they are poor in the graces and enjoyments of the life of ,god in the soul4 ,why8 ,the answer is plain4 ,they who thrive on slender means1 make the most of what they have2 whereas they who live in the midst of abundance get into habits of carelessness1 and of the prodigal use of what they have4--,wardlaw4 ,the word also here used may seem to refer this verse to that which goeth before it2 and then it is a further description of a talebearer4 ,for he is commonly a fellow slothful in his work1 being busy in his words1 and he is indeed brother to him that is a great waster1 spoiling his own estate by his slothfulness1 and by the mischief which his talebearing falleth upon him2 and spoiling him to whom he talketh by the ill mind which he putteth into him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #aj and #aa4 ,,two ,,citadels4 ,i4 ,the citadel of him who trusts in the ,lord4 ,the name of the ,lord4 ,god has revealed ,himself to men by many names1 each one of which is intended to set forth some attribute of ,his perfect nature4 ,the name ,i ,,am1 by which ,he revealed ,himself to ,israel 7,exod4 iii4 #ad7 set forth ,his eternal self-existence1 but ,he has also revealed ,himself by names which are used to express human relations1 such as king1 judge1 husband1 father4 ,these names are often borne by men who are destitute of the qualifications and feelings proper to the relationships which they express1 but when any one of them is applied to ,god it is applied to one who combines within ,himself all those attributes of character in perfection which ought to be possessed in some degree by men who are called by these names4 ,the righteous man's refuge1 then1 is a ,living ,personality--a ,self-existent and ,eternal ,king and ,father1 infinite in power1 in wisdom1 and in tenderness4 ,it is therefore #a4 ,an ever-present refuge4 ,god is not far from every one of us 7,acts xvii4 #bg71 and being ever near1 is always accessible4 #b4 ,an impregnable refuge4 ,before an enemy can attack those who have taken refuge in a fortress1 they must carry the citadel itself4 ,so before any enemy can harm a righteous man1 he must overcome the ,almighty ,god2 he must circumvent ,his plans1 and overthrow ,his purposes4 ,when ,his wisdom can mistake1 ,his might decay1 ,his love forsake1 then1 but not till then1 will those be exposed to danger who have put their trust in ,him4 #c4 ,an eternal refuge4 ,the arms of strength that defend the children of ,god are everlasting arms 7,deut4 xxxiii4 #g74 ,many of the ancient fortresses that are scattered over our land were once deemed impregnable refuges4 ,but although they bade defiance to many an assault of men in battle-array1 they have had to yield to a more subtle enemy4 ,time has crumbled their once mighty walls1 and made them unfit for purposes of defence4 ,but the righteous man can say to ,him who is his strong tower1 ,lord1 ,thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations4 4 4 4 ,even from everlasting to everlasting ,thou art ,god 7,psa4 xc4 #a1 #b74 ,,ii4 ,the stronghold of the man who trusts in riches4 #a4 ,riches are no defence against a man's most powerful enemies4 ,while a man has wealth he is defended from many bodily ills and from many vexations of spirit4 ,a man of narrow means has often to fight a hard battle to supply his bodily necessities1 and is a stranger to those luxuries which make his life1 in this respect1 so comfortable to a rich man4 ,and a poor man has also to bend his will to the will of his richer neighbour--to endure often th' oppressor's wrong1 the proud man's contumely4 ,wealth is a defence against all these enemies to a man's comfort4 ,but there are troubles far heavier than any of these1 from which riches afford no protection4 ,disease and death cannot be turned aside with money--a troubled soul cannot be comforted with gold4 ,a bed of down cannot do much for a man whose body is racked with pain--it can do nothing for him whose soul is bowed down by sorrow1 or smitten with a fear of death4 ,in any of these straits a soul can find no strong city of refuge in the possession of untold millions2 these enemies laugh at such a wall of defence4 ,the man who trusts in material wealth as his chief good1 has either made too low an estimate of his own needs1 or too high an estimate of the power of wealth4 #b4 ,wealth is a fortress with a most uncertain foundation4 ,granted that it is a defence against some very real ills1 who can insure to himself a continuance of his present possessions8 ,the uncertainty of riches has been a subject upon which the sages and moralists of all ages have dwelt--the millionaire of to-day may be a beggar to-morrow1 and he who was last year surrounded by this high wall1 which shut in so much that was agreeable to his senses and shut out so many discomforts from his temporal life1 may be standing to-day a forlorn1 unsheltered creature1 with only the ruins of his once imposing fortress around him4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #bh4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the strong refuge is not only safe1 but set aloft1 so the word signifies1 out of gunshot4 ,none can pull out of ,his hands4 ,run therefore to ,god by praying1 not fainting4 ,this is the best policy for security4 ,that which is said of wily persons that are full of fetches1 of windings1 and of turnings in the world1 that such will never break1 is much more true of a righteous1 praying ,christian4 ,he hath but one grand policy to secure him against all dangers1 and that is1 to run to ,god4--,trapp4 ,to this tower the wicked are sometimes driven in distress1 then seeking help here1 when it is nowhere else to be found4 ,but the righteous in any distress runneth presently unto it4 ,thither their eyes look1 thither their hearts carry them4 ,yea1 they are not only carried unto it but into it1 by placing their confidence in it1 and making it their safety4 ,they are well acquainted with the way1 and therefore can make speed2 they have cast off the clogs of worldly impediments and so are fit for running2 they think it much longer until they come to ,god1 than impatient hearts do until they come to help4--,jermin4 ,to the righteous ,god is good1 and he nestles and shelters himself in that2 runs into the nurture and shelter of ,god's love1 and1 in the comfort of this strong tower1 is lifted high4 ,but there is a profounder sense4 ,the very name that is cavilled at by the lost is the foundation of the ,christian's safety4 ,what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh1 ,god did by ,his name4 ,he gave it to ,christ's humanity4 ,more specifically speaking1 ,he used it in the name of ,his own righteousness1 to balance our guilt and to give weight and value to the price of ,his redemption4 ,we are repeatedly said to be saved by the name of ,god 7,psa4 liv4 #a2 ,john xvii4 #aa1 #ab74 ,and this is the meaning4 ,the perfect holiness of ,god1 which the lost man would upbraid1 is what is vital in the cross of ,christ4 ,it is not only a strong tower1 but our only defence4 ,and the act of faith is a renouncing of self and a snatching at the name1 that is1 the righteousness or substituted standing of our ,great ,deliverer4--,miller4 ,take the sinner in his first awakening conviction4 ,he trembles at the thought of eternal condemnation4 ,he looks forward--all is terror2 backward--nothing but remorse2 inward--all is darkness4 ,till now he had no idea of his need of salvation4 ,his enemy now suggests that it is beyond his reach2 that he has sinned too long and too much1 against too much light and knowledge2 how can he be saved8 ,but the name of the ,lord meets his eye4 ,he spells out every letter1 and putting it together1 cries--,who is a ,god like unto thee8 7,mic4 vii4 #ah74 ,he runs to it1 as to a strong tower4 ,his burden of conscience is relieved4 ,his soul is set free1 and he enjoys his safety4 ,take--again--the child of ,god--feeble1 distressed1 assaulted4 ,what1 if ,i should return to the world1 look back1 give up my profession1 yield to my own deceitful heart1 and perish at last with aggraved condemnation8 ,you are walking outside the gates of your tower2 no wonder that your imprudence exposes you to the fiery darts of the wicked4 ,read again the name of the ,lord6 ,go back within the walls--,see upon the tower the name--,i am the ,lord2 ,i change not 7,mal4 iii4 #f74 ,read the direction to trust in it--,who is there among you that feareth the ,lord1 that obeyeth the voice of his servant3 that walketh in darkness1 and hath no light8 ,let him trust in the name of the ,lord1 and stay upon his ,god 7,isa4 l4 #aj74 ,mark the warrant of experience in this trust--,they that know thy name shall put their trust in ,thee2 for thou1 ,lord1 hast not forsaken them that seek ,thee 7,psalm ix4 #aj74 ,thus sense of danger1 knowledge of the way1 confidence in the strength of the tower--all gives a spring of life and earnestness to run into it4 ,here the righteous--the man justified by the grace1 and sanctified by the ,spirit of ,god--runneth every day1 every hour2 realizing at once his fearful danger1 and his perfect security4--,bridges4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #ab1 see on chap4 xi4 #b and xvi4 #ah4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,answering ,,before ,,hearing4 ,i4 ,a man who gives judgement in a matter before he has heard all the facts of the case wrongs himself4 ,if he were to give his opinion upon a building as soon as the builders had dug out the foundation1 or were to criticise a picture when the artist had only sketched its outline upon his canvas1 he would be deemed a fool1 and what he said would have no weight whatever4 ,men would justly say that the house or the picture had as yet no existence1 and therefore could not be judged4 ,and a man who has only heard a part of a matter is in no better position to judge in it1 and commits as great a folly if he attempts to do so4 ,he does violence to his very understanding--to those mental faculties which enable him to place things side by side and to compare them1 and to sift and weigh evidence before he arrives at a conclusion4 ,unless he does this1 the opinion that he forms to-day will be altered to-morrow1 and his mind will never be firmly made up on any subject4 ,as a necessary consequence1 nobody will give much heed to his judgment--no thoughtful person will attach much weight to his words--and he will thus deprive himself of that consideration and respect which he might otherwise have enjoyed4 ,,ii4 ,such a man often deeply wrongs others4 ,a half-told story often makes the state of matters appear so different from the truth that it is a gross injustice to condemn or justify any person when that is all that is known4 ,a man who does it proclaims that he values very lightly the reputation of those concerned1 and is often a robber of what is more to a man than his purse1 viz4 his good name4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,secularly1 this is beyond a doubt2 judicially1 here is a great outrage2 socially1 a something very impolite2 but religiously1 a thing altogether a shame4 ,men born yesterday might certainly afford to listen4 ,life is a wide thing2 and might1 at least1 be acted through1 before in the darker points we insist upon a judgment4 4 4 4 ,folly1 and therefore1 mischief2 shame1 and therefore1 ill desert4 ,these elements often appear together4--,miller4 ,according to ,mr4 ,stuart ,mill1 it might be plausibly maintained that in almost every one of the leading controversies1 past or present1 in social philosophy1 both sides were right in what they affirmed1 though wrong in what they denied2 and that if either could have been made to take the other's views in addition to his own1 little more would have been needed to make its doctrine correct4 4 4 4 ,nicodemus did well to start the seasonable query1 ,doth our law judge any man before it hear him1 and know what he doth8 ,festus did well to protest that it was not the manner of the ,romans to deliver any man to die before that he which was accused had the accusers face to face1 and had licence to answer for himself concerning the charge laid against him4 ,and in the same spirit and by the same rule1 otherwise applied1 had ,felix done well to defer hearing ,paul's defence until ,paul's accusers were present4 4 4 4 ,aristides1 they tell us1 would lend but one ear to anyone who accused an absent party1 and used to hold his hand on the other1 intimating that he reserved one ear for the absentee accused4 4 4 4 ,cicero1 the greatest orator1 save one1 of antiquity1 has left it on record1 as we are pertinently reminded on the ,essays on ,liberty1 that he always studied his adversaries' case with as great intensity as his own1 if not still greater4 ,and what ,cicero practised as the means of forensic success1 requires1 as the essayist urges1 to be imitated by all who study any subject in order to arrive at the truth4 ,for he who knows only his own side of the case is convicted of knowing little of that2 his reasons may be good and no one may have been able to refute them1 but if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side1 if he does not so much as know what they are1 what rational ground has he for preferring either opinion8--,jacox4 ,we ought to be the more cautious in forming and pronouncing opinions1 because we are so little disposed to admit conviction if we fall into mistakes1 or to retract them upon conviction4 ,it is commonly supposed that ministers cannot repent1 although they do not claim1 like the ,pope1 the gift of infallibility2 and there is too much reason for the supposition1 provided it be not restricted to that order of men3 for the same pride that makes one set of men stubborn in their wrong opinions is to be found in other men1 although it is not perhaps so much strengthened by particular circumstances1 nor so visible in their conduct1 because they meet not with the same temptations to discover it4 ,how many do we find who will not change their sentiments about religion1 or about persons and things1 upon the clearest evidence1 and give way to anger upon the least contradiction to their favourite notions1 as if their dearest interests were attacked6 ,saints themselves are not entirely delivered from this selfish disposition1 as we see in the behaviour of ,david to ,mephibosheth1 after he had pronounced a rash sentence in his case4--,lawson4 ,the sources of the evil are various4 ,there is--#a4 ,natural or acquired eagerness of spirit1 and impatience of protracted inquiry4 ,such minds cannot bear anything that requires close and long-sustained attention4 ,they become uneasy1 fretted1 and fidgety2 and are ever anxious to catch at any occasion for cutting the matter short and being done with it4 #b4 ,the sympathy of passion with one or the other of the parties4 ,one of them happens to be their friend2 and whether it be he or his adversary that makes the statement1 partiality for him stirs their resentment at the injury done to him2 the blood warms1 and1 passion thus striking in1 they hastily interrupt the narration--will hear no more of it--and at once proceed to load the enemy of their friend with abuse and imprecation4 ,they know their friend1 and to them it is enough that he has been a sufferer2 they take it for granted that he must be in the right4 #c4 ,indolence--indisposition to be troubled4 ,this is a temper the very opposite of the first1 but producing a similar effect4 ,the former jumped to a conclusion from over-eagerness2 this comes soon to a close from sheer sluggishness of mind4 ,it is to a man of this stagnant and lazy temperament an exertion quite unbearable to keep his mind so long on the stretch as to listen even to a statement1 and still more to an argument or pleading1 that cannot be finished in a breath and done with4 ,his attention soon flags2 he gets sick of it2 he seems as if he were listening when he is not1 and with a yawn of exhaustion and misery he pronounces his verdict1 and at times with great decision1 for no other purpose than to get quit of the trouble4 ,he can stand it no longer4 #d4 ,self-conceit--the affectation of extraordinary acuteness4 ,this would be an amusing character1 were it not1 at the same time1 so provoking4 ,the self-conceited man assumes a very sagacious and penetrating look--sits down with apparent determination to hear out the cause on both sides1 and to judge righteous judgment4 ,but it is hardly well begun1 when the self-conceited man sees to the end of it4 4 4 4 ,it is surprising with what agility this spirit of self-conceit gets over difficulties4 ,it sees none--no1 never4 ,where others toil with philosophic force1 ,its nimble nonsense takes a shorter course2 ,flings at your head conviction in a lump1 ,and gains remote conclusions at a jump4 --,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,sickness ,,of ,,body ,,and ,,wounds ,,of ,,soul4 ,i4 ,a man can rise above pain of body4 ,men who do not seek supernatural help sometimes do it4 ,they are endowed with a natural courage which makes them scorn to be overcome by physical pain1 or they are naturally very hopeful1 and are enabled in some measure to look beyond the present suffering to a time of relief in the future4 ,or intense excitement of the mind renders them for a time at least oblivious to bodily sensations4 ,how many illustrations of this last case we have in men who have been desperately wounded in battle1 and yet have been so intensely absorbed in the terrible contest that they have seemed scarcely aware of it1 and have kept their position until their strength has utterly failed4 ,but it is pre-eminently the godly man who can sustain infirmity of body4 ,it is a fact of history that godly men and women have been even joyful in spirit when suffering great bodily pain4 ,instances are common in which those who have been in agony of body from some terrible disease have been full of comfort in their spirits1 and have borne witness that they were conscious of a sustaining power outside themselves--of supernatural help from above which enabled them to glory in tribulation4 ,but this ability of human creatures to rise above bodily suffering has been most remarkably exemplified in those who have suffered because they were the servants of ,god--who have been witnesses for the truth of the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,even women have borne the most severe bodily sufferings not only with fortitude but with exultation--lifted above their bodily pain by a vivid realisation of unseen and spiritual realities and an intense consciousness of the favour of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,but a wounded spirit crushes the entire man4 ,the spirit of the man is the man himself1 his power to love1 to hope1 and to enjoy4 ,when these have lost their energy1 there is nothing to lift him up1 and existence becomes an intolerable burden4 ,the spirit can sustain the body under its trials1 but sensual gratification and physical comforts can do nothing towards alleviating spiritual distress4 ,but observe3--#a4 ,that all sorrow of heart does not crush a man4 ,sanctified sorrow1 although it wounds the spirit1 yet it only wounds it to raise it to a higher level--to make it capable of a more refined enjoyment4 ,bereavement1 the faithlessness of friends1 disappointed hopes1 often deeply wound the spirit1 yet men bear these wounds and often are made better and stronger by them4 ,a sense of the favour of ,god and a peaceful conscience will prevent men from being overwhelmed by even very keen mental sorrow4 #b4 ,an unbearable wound of spirit can be the portion of those only who have no sense of the favour of ,god4 ,so long as a man has this no pain of body or sorrow of soul can cast him down entirely1 but without it he has little power to bear manfully the burdens of life1 and a sense of the absence of it would be enough to crush him utterly although he had no other burdens to bear4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,spiritual sickness varies 7as some diseases do in the body according to the constitution of the sick7 thereafter as the soul is that hath it1 whether regenerate or reprobate4 ,the malignancy is great in both1 but with far less danger in the former4 #a4 ,in the elect1 this spiritual sickness is an afflicted conscience1 when ,god will suffer us to take a deep sense of our sins1 and bring us to the life of grace by the valley of death1 as it were by hell gates unto heaven4 ,there is no anguish to that of the conscience3 ,a wounded spirit who can bear8 ,they that have been valiant in bearing wrongs1 in forbearing delights1 have yet had womanish and coward spirits in sustaining the terrors of a tumultuous conscience4 ,if our strength were as an army1 and our lands not limited save with east and west1 if our meat mere manna1 and our garments as the ephod of ,aaron2 yet the afflicted conscience would refuse to be cheered with all these comforts4 ,when ,god shall raise up our sins1 like dust and smoke in the eyes of our souls 4 4 4 when ,he either hides ,his countenance from us1 or beholds us with an angry look2 lo1 then1 if any sickness be like this sickness1 any calamity like the fainting soul6 ,many offences touch the body which extend not to the soul2 but if the soul be grieved1 the sympathising flesh suffers deeply with it4 ,the blood is dried up1 the marrow wasted1 the flesh pined1 as if the powers and pores of the body opened themselves like so many windows to discover the passions of the distressed prisoner within4 ,it was not the sense of outward sufferings 7for mere men have borne the agonies of death undaunted7 but the wrestling of ,god's wrath with ,his spirit1 that drew from ,christ that complaint1 able to make heaven and earth stand aghast3 ,my soul is heavy unto death 7,matt4 xxvi4 #ch74 4 4 4 ,neither is this sickness of conscience properly good in itself1 nor any grace of ,god1 but used by ,god as an instrument of good to ,his1 as when by the spirit of bondage ,he brings us to adoption4 ,so the needle that draws the thread through the cloth is some means to join it together4 4 4 4 #b4 ,spiritual sickness for sin befalling a reprobate soul1 is final and total desperation4 ,this is that fearful consequent which treads upon the heels of presumption4 ,cain's fratricide1 ,judas's treachery1 presumptuous1 aspiring1 heaven-daring sins1 find the final catastrophe1 to despair of the mercy of ,god4 4 4 4 ,as if the goodness of ,god1 and the value of ,christ's ransom1 were below his iniquity4 ,as if the pardon of his sins would empty ,god's storehouse of compassion1 and leave ,his stock of mercy poor4 4 4 4 ,this is that sin which not only offers injury and indignity to the ,lord of heaven and earth1 but even breaks that league of kindness which we owe to our own flesh4 ,to commit sin is the killing of the soul2 to refuse hope of mercy is to cast it down to hell4 ,therefore ,st4 ,jerome affirms that ,judas sinned more in despairing of his ,master's pardon than in betraying ,him2 since nothing can be more derogatory to the goodness of ,god1 which ,he hath granted by promise and oath--two immutable witnesses--to penitent sinners than to credit the father of lies before ,him4--,t4 ,adams4 ,the spirit of a man may control his sickness1 but a spirit of upbraiding1 who can carry that8 ,to give all up1 and simply lie back and murmur1 is bad even for worldly disorders2 but ,solomon derives out of it a much more profound spiritual sense4 ,the spirit of a man1 at least among those to whom ,solomon wrote1 had truth enough to save him if he would only listen4 ,control4 ,the original is contain1 as in wine in a bottle1 sickness--literally what is physical2 but in this same book employed for the spiritual malady4 ,if the soul1 therefore1 would lie quiet1 and yield to its own light1 it would be joined by what is higher1 and would contain1 or control its own malady2 ,god helping1 as ,he would1 would check1 and get the better of it2 but a spirit of upbraiding--and by this is meant precisely the quarrel 7chap4 xvii4 #ai7 with ,god which has been so long discussed--is what ruins all4 ,it is upon them that are contentious1 and will not obey the truth1 7,rom4 ii4 #h7--that truth being in all of them through the invisible things which are seen by the things that are made 7,rom4 i4 #bj7--that the apostle denounces tribulation and wrath1 indignation and anguish4 ,not that men can save themselves1 but that they would save themselves under ,god's influences if they did not contend with ,him2 that it is rebellion that turns the scale 7,psa4 lxvii4 #f72 that there is light enough in every man to draw him to saving light if he would only follow it2 and that on this very account it is the great sorrow of the sinner that he has this spirit of upbraiding1 which1 in the spiritual world1 no moral malady can carry4--,miller4 ,st4 ,gregory saith by patience we possess our souls1 because1 while we learn to bear rule over ourselves1 we begin to possess that which we are4 ,and surely1 if thou be courageously patient1 whatsoever thou mayest lose yet thou enjoyest that which thou hast2 or1 if thou hast nothing1 yet thou shalt enjoy thyself1 thou shalt enjoy the comfort of thy own spirit4 ,whereas impatiency for anything that is lost taketh away the comfort of all that remaineth1 yea1 the comfort of thine own self4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,,prudence ,,and ,,knowledge4 ,we have before given a definition of prudence as wisdom applied to practice2 a prudent man is likewise defined as one cautious to avoid harm4 ,taking in both definitions1 the text suggests-- ,i4 ,that ignorance exposes men to danger4 ,this is true in relation to any and every kind of evil to which men are exposed4 ,a man who is in the general sense of the term an ignorant man--who does not possess even the rudimentary knowledge of an ordinary schoolboy--is liable to be imposed upon and deceived by those who know more4 ,ignorance of physical and scientific truth often leads men to expose themselves to bodily danger without being aware of it1 and ignorance of spiritual truth often causes men to become victims of great moral evil without realising their danger4 ,if a man1 therefore1 desires to avoid harm to body1 mind1 and soul1 he must set himself to acquire knowledge both in relation to things material and spiritual4 ,,ii4 ,prudence1 i4e41 wisdom applied to practice1 is an indispensable qualification for obtaining knowledge4 ,if a man possesses an estate beneath whose surface he knows there lies buried much precious mineral treasure1 he must bring much wisdom and skill into play before he has the treasure in his hand4 ,wisdom must be reduced to practice in sinking the shaft and in working the mine before the hidden wealth is brought to light to enrich its owner4 ,he must work1 he must work in harmony with certain fixed laws if he is to become possessor of the treasure4 ,so with obtaining knowledge4 ,a man must exert himself--he must seek--and his exertions must be wisely directed if he is to possess the knowledge which is better than any material treasure because it enriches the better part of a man4 ,it is not enough to be active1 but he must see that his actions are wisely directed1 that the means are adapted to the end in view4 ,if there is effort without wisdom to guide it there may be seeking without getting4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a heart made discerning gains in knowledge1 etc4 ,this is a beautiful fact4 ,snow gathers snow as we roll it on the ground4 ,a wood gathers wood1 like all vegetable or vital growths4 ,a sinner stands dead like a blasted oak1 but a saint not only lives by growing1 but grows by living4--,miller4 ,the heart is here1 as in many other instances1 apparently used for the mind in general1 including both the intellect and the affections4 ,there is in the wise a love of knowledge1 and an application of the mental powers for its attainment4 ,and as the ear is one of the great inlets to instruction1 it may here1 with propriety1 be considered as comprehending all the ways in which knowledge may be acquired4--,wardlaw4 ,the common course is that seeking goes before getting1 but here getting is first1 and seeking follows after4 ,for surely they are the best seekers of knowledge1 and are most earnest after it1 who have already gotten it4 ,they who have not gotten it do not know the worth of it1 and so have no mind to look after it1 or if they have the mind1 they have no knowledge how to seek it4 ,but they who have already found it are so affected with the worth of it1 so directed by the light of it1 as that they still seek more1 still get more4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,the ,,influence ,,of ,,talent4 ,understanding the gift here spoken of as a special mental endowment 7see ,hitzig71 we remark-- ,i4 ,that great abilities are gifts from ,god4 ,there are certain mental capabilities which are the common inheritance of men in general1 but it cannot be denied that there are men who1 apart for all the differences made by circumstances and education1 have capacities and abilities which far exceed those of ordinary men4 ,the gift of one talent is more common than the gift of ten1 yet both the ten and the one are gifts from the same hand4 ,although the ,divine ,creator gives to all men liberally1 ,he does not give to all equally1 but seeing that man is not responsible for this inequality1 those who are most richly endowed should find in the fact of their superiority matter for gratitude and not for self-glorification4 ,,ii4 ,such a gift tends to the exaltation of the man who possesses it4 ,it maketh room for him in the world--it opens up to him many opportunities of social advancement1 and it bringeth him before great men1--men who are either great in wealth and position or intellectually and morally great1 or are great in both senses of the word4 ,as surely as water will find its level1 so a truly gifted man will find some outlet for his talents--some sphere large enough to use what has been bestowed upon him for the very purpose of being used4 ,even ,daniel1 although a captive in ,babylon1 found that the ,god-given powers within him made room for him at a heathen court and brought him before more than one mighty monarch4 ,,iii4 ,such a gift to a man is a gift for men4 ,although it tends to his own personal exaltation and benefit1 it is not bestowed for that purpose only or chiefly4 ,when ,god bestows upon one man capabilities and endowments far above the common order1 ,he does not intend to bless that man alone by the gift1 but he holds him responsible for the use of the power put into his hand--,he expects him so to enjoy his talents that his fellow-men also may be blessed by the gift4 ,thus the administrative ability which was bestowed upon ,joseph was not given for him simply or chiefly to bring him before ,pharaoh for his own advancement1 but to bring blessing to the ,egyptian nation1 and to further ,god's purposes concerning his own family4 ,when the ,lord reckons with ,his servants1 ,he will account that talent mis-used which is used for self-aggrandisement alone4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,cross-,,examination4 ,i4 ,the evidence of one person alone must not be too much depended on4 ,this is but another way of putting the old proverb that ,one tale is good till another is told4 ,and this does not necessarily imply that the first teller of the tale is an untruthful person1 but we are so apt to apprehend facts through the medium of our own prejudices--to see things in the light in which we wish to see them--that even two truthful men may sometimes vary much in their version of the same occurrence4 ,this will be more certainly the case if it is a man's own cause that is under discussion1 self-interest is then very likely to lead him to give a one-sided statement4 ,he may unintentionally leave out facts which in the eyes of another person may be very important1 or he may being others into a prominence to which an impartial judge may not consider them entitled4 ,hence-- ,,ii4 ,the need of cross-examination--of another to come and search him4 ,questioning may not convict the first person of any mis-statement1 but it may elicit other facts which give quite a different colouring to the whole4 ,the wife of ,potiphar seemed just in her cause when she declared that ,joseph left his garment in her hand and fled4 ,this was not an untruth1 and appearances were certainly very much against her innocent victim1 but if ,joseph had been allowed to tell his story too1 the truth might have come to light4 ,therefore we learn that we must not give a verdict for or against an accused person until both he and his accuser have been heard4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the first clause reads thus in the ,hebrew1 ,a righteous one1 the first in his quarrel1 and has a brevity which is practically too great4 ,the righteous is not a righteous man pro vero1 but only righteous1 he having the first chance to speak4 ,how true this is1 men for the first time in a court can easily imagine4 ,each last strong speech comes out victorious4 ,now the lost has done all the strong speaking as yet4 ,wait till ,god speaks1 and the case will look very differently4--,miller4 ,in every case1 the first information1 if it have dwelt for a little in the judge's mind1 takes deep root1 and colours and takes possession of it1 insomuch that it will hardly be washed out unless either some clear falsehood be detected or some deceit in the statement thereof4--,bacon4 ,saul made himself appear just in his own cause4 ,the necessity of the case seemed to warrant the deviation from the command4 ,but ,samuel searched him1 and laid open his rebellion 7#a ,sam4 xv4 #ag-bc74 ,ziba's cause seemed just in ,david's eyes1 until ,mephibosheth's explanation searched him to his confusion4 ,job's incautious self-defence was laid open by ,elihu's probing application 7,job xxxiii4 #h-ab74--;,bridges4 ,in religious disputes it is a great injustice to depend for the character of a sect1 or an impartial representation of their doctrines1 upon one whom partially has blinded and rendered unfit1 however honest he may be1 to do them justice4 ,party spirit has as much influence as gifts to blind the eyes of the wise1 and to pervert the words of the righteous4--,lawson4 ,this word1 falling from heaven on the busy life of man1 is echoed back from every quarter in a universal acknowledgement of its justness4 4 4 4 ,this scripture reveals a crook in the creature that ,god made upright4 ,there is a bias in the heart1 the fountain of impulse1 and the resulting life-course turns deceitfully aside4 ,self-love is the twist in the heart within1 and self-interest is the side to which the variation from righteousness steadily tends4 4 4 4 ,the heart makes the lie1 deceiving first the man himself1 and thereafter his neighbours4 ,the bent is in the mould where the thought is first cast in embryo1 and everything that comes forth is crooked4 ,in my early childhood a fact regarding the relations of matter came under my observation which ,i now see has its analogue in the moral laws4 ,an industrious old man1 by trade a mason1 was engaged to build a certain piece of wall at so much per yard4 ,he came at the appointed time1 laid the foundations according to the specifications1 and proceeded with his building1 course upon course1 according to the approved methods of his craft4 ,when the work had advanced several feet above the ground1 a younger man1 with a steadier hand and a brighter eye1 came to assist the elder operator4 ,casting his eye along the work1 as he laid down his tools and adjusted his apron1 he detected a defect1 and instantly called out to his senior partner that the wall was not plumb4 ,it must be plumb1 enjoined the builder1 somewhat piqued1 for ,i have laid every stone by the plumb-line4 ,suiting the action to the word he grasped the rule1 laid it along his work1 and triumphantly pointed to the lead vibrating and settling down precisely on the cut that marks the middle4 ,sure enough the wall was according to rule1 and yet the wall was not plumb4 ,the rule was examined1 and the discovery was made that the old man1 with his defective eyesight1 had drawn the cord through the wrong slit at the top of the instrument1 and then from some cause which ,i cannot explain1 using only one side of it1 had never detected the mistake4 4 4 4 ,it is on some such principle that people err in preparing a representation of their own case4 ,they suspend their plumb1 not from the middle1 but from one edge of the rule1 and that the edge which lies next their own interests4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,lot4 ,we have before had the lot as a symbol of human freedom and ,divine pre-ordination 7chap4 xvi4 #cc1 page #dii74 ,in this verse the thought is the advantage of its use as putting an end to contention4 ,that it is thus a means to a most desirable end appears when we consider-- ,i4 ,that it prevents waste of time4 ,time is to human creatures a very precious commodity1 because the longest life lived in this world is comparatively short4 ,if a man has a very small inheritance he cannot afford to have one and another of his neighbours encroaching upon his land and taking a portion here and there1 or others putting their hands into his pockets and helping themselves to what is only sufficient for his own needs4 ,if a young artist has a sketch given to him by his master which he is to fill up in a given time1 he cannot afford to spend the moments disputing with the fellow-pupils about their respective rights to certain brushes and colours2 while he is contending the hours are going1 and when the master calls for the picture he will have none to show4 ,a man's life is a limited inheritance1 given to him by ,god1 to use first of all for his own spiritual good1 and he cannot afford to be robbed of any part of it4 ,it is an outline which ,god has given to him to be filled up in a certain time--spiritual and mental capacities and abilities are bestowed upon him which he is expected so to use as to form a godly noble character1 and he cannot afford to waste any of the life given him for this purpose in contention with his brother man1 thereby arousing the devil within himself and in him with whom he disputes4 ,the use of the lot is therefore desirable under certain conditions and restrictions1 because in ending contention it saves time4 ,when the eleven ,apostles were awaiting the seal of their commission1 they felt that they had no time to waste in contending who should fill up the empty place in their band--they knew that1 although they were brethren in ,christ1 they might differ in their opinions in the matter--and they therefore wisely determined to decide it by referring to the lot4 ,there have been1 since1 ,christian men and women who resort to the same method of avoiding contention2 and with the example of the ,apostles before us1 we can have no doubt that they are justified in so doing4 ,but-- ,,ii4 ,it prevents waste of material wealth4 ,if the kings and great men of the earth had resorted to this method if causing contentions to cease and parting between the mighty1 how many homes and cities would have escaped overthrow1 how many a fruitful and prosperous country would have been preserved from desolation1 and how many a princely fortune would have remained in the hands of its rightful owners4 ,god divided the land of ,israel by lot1 and if men had generally been content to permit ,him to divide the earth among them in a similar manner1 how much more rich and prosperous would they have been4 ,,iii4 ,it prevents waste of human life4 ,it would be indeed a blessing if property was the most precious thing wasted in the contentions of men4 ,but1 alas1 disputes often lead to far more serious consequences1 and that life of man1 which is at the best so limited1 has been made much shorter by the sword of his fellow-man4 ,sometimes family feuds have led men to resort to this terrible method of settling disputes1 and men of the same parentage have fought till one shed the other's blood4 ,and sometimes it has been a nation that has contended with another1 and then not one has fallen a victim1 but hundreds on both sides4 ,and when we think not only of the wounds thus inflicted1 and the lives thus cut off1 but of the wounded hearts and darkened lives of those who mourn them1 we must allow that any means of ending contention is better than permitting it to work its deadly work4 ,and the fact that the lot was used by ,israel at the command of ,god1 and sanctioned by ,him in the early history of the ,christian ,church1 makes it certain that if used in a right spirit it might still be employed so as to be acceptable to ,him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as the lot was had recourse to when causes were such as admitted not of determination otherwise1 there seems to be a natural enough relation of suggestion between this verse and the preceding4 ,in cases where representations differed1 and the evidence between them was such as to leave it impossible to say certainly on which side was the preponderance1 or when the parties would not submit to arbitration1 or when they were too powerful to be safely meddled with1 then the lot caused contentions to cease1 and parted between the mighty4--,wardlaw4 ,there seems no ,scriptural prohibition to the use of this ordinance1 provided it be exercised in a reverential dependence upon ,god1 and not profaned for common purposes or worldly ends4 ,at the same time the ,word of ,god appears to be more fully recognised as the arbiter of the ,divine will4 4 4 4 ,perhaps it is more easy to abide by the decision of the lot than of the ,word4 ,the last requires more self-denial1 humility1 and patience1 and therefore is more practically useful4--,bridges4 ,he that hath commanded to cease from labour1 hath much more commanded to cease from strife4 ,he that was pleased to make the ,sabbath of rest1 is also pleased with those who make a ,sabbath of peace4 ,this is a ,sabbath altogether moral1 never to be abrogated4 ,wherefore let reason and indifferency hear the differences that are between any1 and if it can be done let them be reconciled4 ,but if otherwise it cannot be ordered then let a lot be the compromiser of them4 ,in that there can be no partiality1 and though itself cannot judge of right1 yet ,he that guides it is the most righteous ,judge of the world4 ,if a lot have erred1 it is when men's understanding should have put things right1 for ,god1 having given power to men1 ,he looks that man should use it4 ,but ,god so loveth peace1 that1 where men cannot1 ,he will do right1 if that the lot refer unto ,his arbitrament4 ,wherefore1 when the mighty strive1 and might of reason standeth on both sides equally1 being too strong for man to decide1 let the ,almighty by ,his lot decide it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,,castle ,,bars4 ,the state of things treated in this verse reveals most conclusively that man has fallen4 ,contention between any men is a plain proof that there is some flaw in human nature1 that the relations of human creatures are not what they ought to be4 ,if the disputants are men of the same nation1 their contention seems more unnatural than if they belonged to different races1 but when some of the same father--men brought up at the knees of the same mother1 are found in a state of enmity1 we have a very strong proof that the race is not what its head was when he came fresh from the hand of his ,creator4 ,such enmity ,solomon compares to the bars of a castle-- ,i4 ,because it is hard to break through4 ,the bars that guard the outlet of a fortress are strong1 and when the iron crowbar is applied to them with a view of making an entrance1 the weapon finds itself resisted by a substance as unyielding as its own4 ,the bars strike against each other1 but neither being more brittle than its antagonist1 no progress is made4 ,it is no ordinary difference that makes a ground of quarrel between brothers2 there are so many ties to be broken and so many motives of self-interest to bind them1 that the enmity must be deep to separate them at first1 and being deep and strong1 it is not easily broken down4 ,,ii4 ,because it is the only thing that separates them4 ,friends who deeply love each other and are one in spirit sometimes find nothing between them but a few bars--the iron grating of a dungeon may be all that keeps them apart4 ,but although it is only that1 it is a very real and terrible barrier4 ,and a dispute between brethren is like iron bars1 dividing those who ought to be one more truly and sadly than any prison door could separate them4 ,they may be dwelling under the same roof1 and so have every opportunity of enjoying each other's society and gladdening each other's life4 ,but contention builds around each one a more impregnable barrier than the highest walls of the strongest fortress4 ,,iii4 ,that to subdue such enmity requires more wisdom and skill than to take a city4 ,there are several methods by which a city may be won4 ,it may be taken by superior physical force1 it may be surprised and captured1 or its inhabitants may be starved into a surrender4 ,but it is not so easy to capture a human heart--an angry brother must be subdued by different means1 and by weapons which require more skilful handling4 ,no physical force can break down enmity of heart--even ,god cannot reconcile men unto ,himself by ,his physical omnipotence1 but wins them by love4 ,and this is the only power which can win a brother offended4 ,if he has been in the wrong we must approach him with a free forgiveness1 and if the wrong has been on our side we must approach with submission and acknowledgement of our fault4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,when a brother is revolted away1 it is from a city of strength2 and contentions are like the bars of a citadel4 ,the whole meaning is1 that one brother1 revolted away from another1 is revolted from a city of strength1 that being what one is to all the rest4 ,in other words1 brothers are a shelter to brothers1 and quarrels lock up that resort4 4 4 4 ,notice1 that a brother is not only a commoner defence1 but a citadel2 and a bar to that keep shuts a man out of his best earthly dependence4 ,it is a fine adage1 even for this world 4 4 4 but when applied to our ,great ,brother1 and to our ,god and ,king1 it is one of the noblest of inspired texts4 ,he who offends our ,brother ,prince shuts a high tower 7,psa4 xviii4 #b74 ,he who quarrels with our ,surety snaps to the lock of a citadel2 and then1 alas1 it shall be1 just as the wild rush of embittered enemies should have roused him to enter in4--,miller4 ,the sweeter the wine the sharper the vinegar2 accordingly1 the greater the love implanted by nature1 the more bitter the hate when this love is violated4--,zeltner4 ,the matter of fact is here stated--and there are natural enough reasons to account for it4 ,more is justly expected from a brother than from a stranger--more of affection1 gratitude1 kindly treatment1 fidelity1 and trustworthiness4 ,when such expectations are disappointed1 the wound in the spirit is proportionately deeper1 and more difficult of healing--the breach wider1 and harder of being made up4 ,besides1 the slower a person is to take offence--the longer he forbears--the more he forgives--the more difficult it is fairly to overcome the yearnings of affection1 and break the bonds of brotherhood--the more inveterate may the spirit of resentment be2 the more sullen and distant the alienation1 when it is actually produced4--,warren4 ,whether it be a brother by race1 place1 or grace2 those oft that loved most dearly1 if once the devil cast his club between them1 hate most deadly4 4 4 4 ,as for brethren by profession1 and that of the true religion too1 among ,protestants1 you shall meet with many divisions1 and those prosecuted with a great deal of bitterness4 ,no war breaks out sooner1 or lasts longer1 than that among divines1 or that about a sacrament2 a sacrament of love1 a communion1 and yet the occasion1 by accident1 of much dissension4--,trapp4 ,the original word here used is a brother revolting or departing by disloyalty2 or else a brother offended by disloyal departing4 ,for such ought to be the command of love between brethren1 that he that breaks it is a disloyal rebel unto it4 ,and surely they that need to be firmly tied1 because1 being divided1 they are so hardly joined4 ,for as that which being whole is most strongly united1 being broken is farthest from being made whole2 and as a stick of hard wax1 being broken1 may more easily be conjoined than a stick of hard wood1 so are the divisions of brethren more hardly composed than the contentions of others4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bj and #ba4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,the ,,little ,,member4 ,solomon again and again reverts to the mighty influences for good and evil which flow from the use of the tongue--that little member upon which such great issues often depend4 ,he here notices-- ,i4 ,the power of words over the man who utters them4 ,he declares that the state of the inward man--its rest or unrest1 its gladness or its gloom--depends very much upon the use that is made of the tongue4 ,a little thought and observation will convince us that this is true4 ,beginning with the familiar intercourse of every-day life1 how true it is that the utterance of kindly words of sympathy1 and advice and warning1 have a tendency to make sunshine in the heart of him who utters them1 while censorious1 hasty1 harsh words embitter and darken the spirit of their author4 ,going beyond these to utterances which have a wider influence1 the proverb is no less true4 ,the painter that has conceived a picture in his mind1 and then1 seeing it upon canvas1 thinks of the many eyes who will gaze upon it with interest1 and of those who perchance will be elevated and instructed by it1 feels a satisfaction in the thought that it owes its existence to him--that without the working of his brain and hand it would not have been4 ,he is filled with the increase of his skilful hand4 ,so the man whose words are listened to and waited for by other men--whether he be the skilful barrister1 or the powerful statesman1 or the preacher of the ,gospel1 has a satisfaction in being able to put forth his conceptions as to give to his fellow-men new ideas--to show them things in a light in which they might never have seen them but for this power which he possesses4 ,he has joy in being the originator of fresh and living thoughts1 and in being able by clothing them in words to impart them to others4 ,but upon the moral quality of the fruit of his mouth will depend the length and depth of his satisfaction4 ,the single power to influence men by speech will gratify for the moment--but if the increase of the lips is to be an abiding source of contentment there must be a consciousness that the power has been used to benefit mankind in some way or other--that the skilful pleading has been on the side of right1 that the powerful logic has been used to expose the false and to defend the true1 or the brilliant oratory has had for its aim the moral enlightenment and strengthening of the listeners4 ,if it be not so1 the fruit of man's mouth will be like the roll given to the apocalyptic seer1 in the mouth as sweet as honey1 but afterwards bitter 7,rev4 x4 #aj74 ,how sad must be the reflections of those who have possessed this ,god-given power for good or ill when they have had to look back upon its misuse4 ,,ii4 ,the power of words over those who hear them4 ,the tongue in its mighty influence is a king having the power of life and death4 ,no other member of the human body can lay claim to such wide-spread and regal authority4 ,the eye can influence men1 but not so powerfully as the tongue1 nor can its influence reach so many at once4 ,the hand can strike down the body of a single foe1 or two or three at once4 ,but the tongue can reach a thousand hearts at one time1 and make men its slaves1 not in twos and threes but in masses4 ,as it sways the affections and takes a man's will captive1 it wields the power of life and death not over the body of the man but over the man himself4 ,the tongue of the tempter can drag its victims down1 body and soul1 to hell1 while the tongue which is touched with a living coal from off the altar of ,god can be the means of persuading men to be reconciled to their ,heavenly ,father1 and so of making them partakers of eternal life4 ,seeing1 then1 what issues of life and death are dependent upon this king1 it is manifest that men should keep him in absolute control2 if so much depends upon his action he ought to be under the strictest supervision4 ,if one member of the body politic1 by the position which he holds and the ability which he possesses1 is able to exercise a very powerful influence in the kingdom for weal or for woe1 men watch him narrowly and jealously to see how he uses his power1 and if they are anxious for the well-being of the ,state they endeavour to restrain him when he is going wrong and stimulate him when he is using his influence for the right4 ,so ought every man to watch and guard his own tongue2 seeing that life1 and death are in its power1 he ought to bring all his words to the bar of conscience and try them there1 severely condemning them if they have not been such as would minister life to the hearers1 and remembering that his ,master has said1 ,by thy words thou shalt be justified1 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 7,matt4 xii4 #cg74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if a man were possessed of a field exceedingly productive1 either of good fruits or of noisome and poisonous herbs1 according to the cultivation bestowed on it1 what pains would he use to clear it of every weed1 and to have it sown with good grain6 and yet1 when the harvest is come1 he may take his choice whether he will eat of the product or not4 ,such a field is the tongue of man1 with this difference1 that a man is obliged to eat the fruit of it1 although it should be worse than hemlock4 ,what care1 then1 should we use to pluck from our hearts every root of bitterness1 and to have them furnished with knowledge and prudence1 that our discourse may be good1 to the use of edifying6--,lawson4 ,there is a sense in which we may understand the language1 even taking the former clause of the twentieth verse literally--,a man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth4 ,you may smile and say1 ,a man cannot live upon words6 ,very true4 ,but the way in which a man uses his lips and his tongue1 as the organs of speech1 may contribute not a little to his getting1 or his failing to get1 the meat that perisheth4 ,i mean not that any of you should1 in the slightest degree1 try to work your way in life by words of flattery2 but when a man's general conversation is such as to procure for him a character of discretion1 courtesy1 gratitude1 straightforward integrity1 and trustworthiness1 this may surely contribute1 eminently and directly1 to the temporal sustenance and comfort of the man himself and his family3 while an opposite style of intercourse may tend to penury and starvation4 ,a man may1 in various ways1 make his lips the instrument of either want on the one hand1 or plenty on the other4--,wardlaw4 ,our understanding of verse #bj is1 that as the outward wants of a man are satisfied by his daily acts1 so he himself is1 and that simply as his acts1 or because of the intimate sympathy between the man and what he does4 ,this thought is still clearer in the verse that follows3--,death and life are in the power 7literally the hand7 of the tongue4 ,there can be no doubt that men's conduct 7for tongue is but the leading instrument of it7 determines death or life1 yet1 in spite of the adventurous hazard1 their love to it 7or literally1 just as they love this or that sort of tongue71 they shall eat its fruit1 and incur1 of course1 fearful responsibilities4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,a ,,twofold ,,good4 ,i4 ,polygamy cannot be recommended by those who have practised it4 ,a thousand counterfeit coins1 even if they pass as genuine for a time1 are nothing worth in comparison with one real golden sovereign4 ,both may bear the image and superscription of the king1 but the one is an insult to the name it bears while the other has a right to be imprinted with the royal name4 ,the author of this proverb was a polygamist--his great experience qualified him to give an opinion upon the subject--but we do not here find him dwelling upon the satisfaction of the harem1 but upon the blessedness of a wife4 ,he was fully conscious of the fact that a real partner of his life--one woman to be a help-meet for him according to the ,divine intention--would have added much more to his real welfare than the thousand counterfeits to whom it was an insult to ,god to give the name of wives4 ,more than once he bears testimony to the blessedness of marriage in the true sense of the word1 but we never find him praising the practice which was so great a curse to his own life4 ,in this proverb he indirectly condemns himself and warns others by his own example4 ,a vessel that has gone to pieces upon the rocks may still be used to prevent others from sharing her fate4 ,the broken timbers may serve to light a beacon fire which may warn other vessels to take another course4 ,polygamy was the rock upon which ,solomon shipwrecked his social happiness and much more 7#a ,kings xi4 #c71 and he seems here and elsewhere to warn his descendants not to follow in his footsteps in this respect and conform to the custom of the heathen monarchs by whom they were surrounded4 ,,ii4 ,monogamy brings a double portion--a good thing and the ,divine favour4 ,the favour of a good parent is a thing prized highly by a dutiful child1 and enhances the value of every other blessing4 ,the favour of a good king is in itself a fortune which few men would despise4 ,the favour of ,god is a fortune for a period which extends beyond that named in the marriage vow1 it is a fortune which no creature can afford to despise1 and a blessing which those who know ,him prize before all things in earth or heaven4 ,when a man enters into the marriage relation according to the ,divine intention--making a woman his wife in the true sense of the word--he not only adds to his own comfort and consults his own interest1 but he does that which is pleasing to ,god--he takes a step upon which he can fearlessly ask for the ,divine blessing4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,findeth implies the rarity of the thing obtained 7,eccles4 vii4 #bg1 #bh71 and the need of circumspection in the search4 ,blind passion is not to make the selection at random4--,fausset4 ,the married who is truly ,christian knows that1 even though sometimes things are badly matched1 still his marriage relation is well pleasing to ,god as ,his creation and ordinance1 and what he therein does or endures1 passes as done or suffered for ,god4--,luther4 ,there is a secular and a spiritual in every proverb4 ,these two are not apart1 but flow easily into each other4 ,secularly1 a wife is the highest treasure4 ,it is a vapid distinction to say a good wife1 and the ,bible many a time hurries on without any such distinction 7comp4 ch4 iv4 #c74 ,a bad wife is no wife at all4 ,a wife is the holiest of all relations2 in the world the most powerful for good4 4 4 4 ,a good marriage is a means of grace1 4 4 4 of course any relation that is near and potent is covered by the passage4--,miller4 ,i shall always endeavour to make choice of such a woman for my spouse who hath first made choice of ,christ as a spouse for herself2 that none may be made one flesh with me who is not made one spirit with ,christ my ,saviour4 ,for ,i look upon the image of ,christ as the best mark of beauty ,i can behold in her1 and the grace of ,god as the best portion ,i can receive with her4--,bp4 ,reynolds4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,the ,,rich ,,and ,,poor4 ,this proverb treats of a twofold aspect of human life which furnishes a strong proof of the fallen condition of human nature4 ,there is1 probably1 no part of this earth--teeming although it is with riches enough to satisfy the needs of every living thing--in which those are not to be found who have to struggle hard for their daily bread1 and who even then come off with but a scanty share4 ,poverty seems as universal as disease and death1 and must be referred to the same source4 ,for those who know anything of the character of ,god1 know that it was not a part of his original intention that men should be placed in such circumstances2 and when they look abroad upon their fellow-creatures1 they see that all the poverty of the poor can be traced to wrong-doing on the part of men--to the selfishness of some1 and to the indolence and vice of others4 ,it is quite certain that1 when ,god's will is done on earth as it is in heaven1 the miserable poverty which now surrounds us on every side will cease to exist4 ,solomon here sets forth-- ,i4 ,one of the many evils of poverty4 ,he has before mentioned some of its advantages 7see chap4 xiii4 #h1 page #cjj71 but the evil of the text is a very real and common one4 ,a poor man has not only a very small share of the material comforts of life1 but even for these he is often compelled to sue as for a favour4 ,even if he is an honest and able man1 he may be so dependent upon the caprices of the wealthy as to have to entreat their help and patronage before he can use his powers to his own advantage4 ,such a state of things is often felt to be hard and is undoubtedly so1 and unless a poor man is noble and self-respecting1 it has a tendency to make him cringing and servile--to dispose him to barter his conscience and his rights in order to satisfy his bodily needs4 ,we know there have been many noble exceptions to this rule--that there have been hundreds of poor men who have preferred starvation to a forfeiture of any part of their ,god-given inheritance--but the temptation of the poor man in this direction is often very strong by reason of his great necessity4 ,,ii4 ,one of the many temptations of wealth4 ,it would be a difficult matter1 and perhaps an impossible one1 to enumerate all the respective moral advantages of poverty and riches1 and strike the true balance between them4 ,there can be no doubt that each has its peculiar temptations 7see chap4 xxx4 #g-i71 and that one of the sins to which the rich man is most liable is that of inconsiderateness of the claims of his poor brother1 and even of insolence towards him4 ,it is a universal tendency of fallen humanity to look exclusively on his own things and not on the things of others1 and the wealth of the rich man enables him to indulge this tendency to its utmost4 ,and men are prone to go even beyond this--the children of the same common ,father often take delight in making their poor brethren feel their dependence on them1 and instead of giving sympathy and help freely and after a brotherly fashion1 they withhold the first entirely1 and if they give the latter they do it coldly and even contemptuously4 ,that this is by no means the rule we have many proofs1 but that the tendency is strong we know not only from observation but from the frequent warnings against it in the ,word of ,god4 ,the ,apostle ,james charges even the professed followers of ,christ with having despised the poor 7,jas4 ii4 #f74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the angels smile at the way the sinner cavils4 ,he reverses what the proverb pronounces natural4 ,for ,he who is supremely rich is meek and tender1 and he who is profoundly poor is loud in his reproach6--,miller4 ,the languages of several countries are not so different as of the poor and rich man in one and the same country1 and a stranger of another land is not such a foreigner as in the same land a poor man standing at the door of the rich4 ,the one when he speaketh is not understood by the ear1 the other when he speaketh is not understood by the heart3 the words of the one are not apprehended1 the wants of the other are not apprehended2 the one is heard1 but not conceived2 the other is conceived1 but not heard4 ,when two talk in diverse languages they are known to be men of diverse countries2 but when the poor and rich talk together1 so different is their speech that one would hardly think them to be both men1 and of the same nature4 ,the one speaks as if he had hardly breath to bring forth his words1 the other speaketh with such a strong breath that the harshness of it giveth an ill scent a great way off4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,the ,,obligations ,,of ,,friendship4 ,it will be seen from the ,critical ,notes that most modern critics translate the first clause of this verse very differently from the rendering in our ,bibles4 ,some expositors1 however1 adhere to the old translation1 and we therefore look at it-- ,i4 ,as expressing a need of human nature4 ,it matters not in which condition man is found1 whether in riches or in poverty1 whether ignorant and rude or highly civilized and educated1 he needs the friendship of one or more of his fellow creatures4 ,the special good-will of some who can feel with him and for him in all the vicissitudes of life is indispensable to his happiness4 ,among all the gifts which an ,almighty ,father has given to ,his children1 there is perhaps none1 after ,his ,own gracious favour1 which is so necessary to their welfare or is so productive of joy as this gift of friendship4 ,men cannot live a life of isolation and know anything of the enjoyment of life4 ,we cannot conceive of even perfect creatures living such a life--we know the angels and redeemed saints derive much of their bliss from the friendship of each other1 and how much more does man in his present imperfect state need it4 ,and the need can be supplied even in this selfish world4 ,men have been1 and still are1 able to find among their fellows those who are worthy of the name of friend4 ,true it is that there is much that is called friendship that is unworthy of the name1 but as we do not reject the real coin because there are base imitations of it1 so we must not permit the counterfeit of friendship to shake our confidence in the real thing4 ,,ii4 ,as setting forth an indispensable condition of making and keeping friends4 ,if a man desires to know the sweets of real friendship he must be prepared to be himself a real friend4 ,the selfish and morose man who will not deny himself for another's good1 or who cannot rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep1 cannot expect others to deny themselves for him and to sympathise with his joy and sorrow4 ,if there is to be a genuine friendship there must be mutual confidence and a mutual recognition of excellencies1 for if the trust and admiration is on one side only the fire will soon burn out for want of fuel4 ,there are men whose love cannot be extinguished by coldness and distrust1 but they are few and far between1 and the wise man's words hold good as a general rule that a man that hath friends must show himself friendly4 7,the latter clause of this verse was treated in ,homiletics on chap4 xvii4 #ag-ah1 page #eah47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a man of friends is apt to be broken all to pieces4 7,this is ,miller's rendering only47 ,the significance of the whole is that a man of wide acquaintance is apt to break4 ,human friendships cost4 ,in the strife to appear well1 in the time it takes1 in the industries they scatter1 in the hospitalities they provoke1 and in the securityships they engender1 broadening our socialities will try every one of us well4 ,it is not so with heavenly friendships4 ,all spiritual communisms bless4--,miller4 ,solomon delivers a warning against the vainglorious passion of aspiring to an universal acquaintance and an empty popularity1 such as was courted by his brother ,absalom1 which will bring with it no support in adversity1 but will ruin a man by pride and rashness and prodigal expenditure4--,wordsworth4 ,,summary ,,of ,,the ,,chapter4--,that the chapter before us treats mainly of the virtues of social life1 of sociability1 affability1 love of friends1 compassion1 etc41 appears not merely from its initial and closing sentences1 the first of which is directed against misanthropic selfishness1 the latter against thoughtless and inconstant universal friendship1 or seeming friendship1 but also from the various rebukes which it contains of a contentious1 quarrelsome1 and partisan disposition1 e4g41 verses #e1 #f1 #h1 #ag-ba4 ,but in addition1 most of the propositions that seem to be more remote may be brought under this general category of love to neighbours as the sum and basis of all social virtues2 so especially the testimonies against wild1 foolish talking 7verses #b1 #g1 #ac1 comp4 #d and #ae72 that against bold impiety1 proud dispositions and hardness of heart against the poor 7vers4 #c1 #ab1 #bc72 that against slothfulness in the duties of one's calling1 foolish confidence in earthly riches1 and want of true moral courage and confidence in ,god 7vers4 #i-aa2 comp4 #ad74 ,nay1 even the commendation of a large liberality as a means of gaining for one's self favour and influence in human society 7ver4 #af71 and likewise the praise of an excellent mistress of a family1 are quite closely connected with this main subject of the chapter1 which admonishes to love towards one's fellow-men2 they only show the many-sided completeness with which the theme is here treated4--,lange's ,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,delitzsch translates the last clause1 ,than one with perverse lips1 and so a fool4 #b4 ,sinneth1 literally goeth astray4 ,delitzsch reads the last clause1 ,he who hasteneth with the legs after it goeth astray4 #c4 ,perverteth1 rather overtures1 ruins4 #e4 ,speaketh lies1 rather whose breath is lies4 #f4 ,the prince1 rather the noble or generous man4 ,it seems to refer to one of rank1 who is also of a benevolent disposition4 ,entreat the favour1 literally stroke the face4 #g4 ,he pursueth them1 c4 ,this clause is variously rendered4 ,zckler reads1 ,he seeketh words 7of friendship71 and there are none2 ,delitzsch1 ,seeking after words which are vain2 ,miller1 ,as one snatching at words1 they come to stand towards him2 ,maurer and others1 ,he pursueth after 7the fulfilment of the7 words 7of their past promises to him71 and these 7promises7 are not 7made good74 #h4 ,wisdom4 ,literally heart4 #i4 ,speaketh lies1 whose breath is lies4 #aj4 ,delight4 ,most commentators translate this word luxury4 ,miller1 however1 as will be seen from his comment1 retains the reading of the ,english version4 #aa4 ,discretion1 or intelligence4 #ac4 ,calamity4 ,the word so translated is in the plural form1 so as to express the continuance of the trouble4 #af4 ,miller reads the verse ,he that guards the commandment guards himself2 in scattering his ways he dies4 7,see his comment47 ,hitzig's rendering of the last clause agrees with ,miller's4 #ah4 ,let not thy soul spare for his crying4 ,the translations of most expositors here differ widely from the ,authorised ,version4 ,gortius1 ,maurer1 ,delitzsch1 ,zckler1 etc41 read1 ,let not thy soul rise to kill him1 ,go not too far to kill him1 etc41 all understanding the precept to be directed against excessive severity4 ,cartwright renders it ,let not thy soul spare him1 to his destruction4 #bj4 ,latter end1 rather afterwards4 #bb4 ,the desire of a man1 c4 ,rather ,a man's delight 7or glory7 is his beneficence1 or ,a man's kindness is what makes him desirable or1 is a desirable adornment4 #bd4 ,in his bosom1 rather1 in the dish4 ,this is of course a hyperbolic expression to set forth the inactivity of the slothful man4 ,athenus1 says ,fausset1 describes 7ch4 xii4 #bg7 the slothful man as waiting until the roasted and seasoned thrushes fly into his mouth begging to be devoured4 #bg4 ,cease my son1 c4 ,that causeth are not in the original and the instruction spoken of may therefore be evil or good4 ,two conceptions are possible3 #a4 ,the instruction is that of wisdom itself1 and therefore a good wholesome discipline that leads to life2 then the words can be only ironical1 presenting under the appearance of a discussion from discipline in wisdom a very urgent counsel to hear and receive it 7so ,ewald1 ,bertheau1 ,elster74 #b4 ,the instruction is evil and perverted1 described in clause #b as one that causes departure from the words of wisdom4 ,then the admonition is seriously intended 7,zckler1 in ,lange's ,commentary74 ,on ,zckler's first interpretation ,dr4 ,aiken remarks1 ,to call this 'irony' seems to us a misnomer4 ,cease to hear instruction only to despise it4 ,what can be more direct or literally pertinent8 ,delitzsch says1 ,the proverb is a dissuasive from hypocrisy1 a warning against the self-deception of which ,jas4 i4 #bb-bd speaks1 against heightening one's own condemnation1 which is the case of that servant who knows his lord's will and does it not 7,luke xii4 #dg74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,better ,,part4 ,i4 ,a reference to an unexplained mystery of human life4 ,it is here implied1 though it is not directly expressed1 that the fool who is perverse in his lips--who sets himself in speech and action against the moral law of the universe--is not so poor a man as he who walks in integrity4 7,we have before had this latter character before us4 ,see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #c1 page #aif47 ,it seems as strange that power and influence should be so often given to those who know least how to put them to a good use1 as it would be to see a parent put a knife into the hand of a child who is incapable of using it1 yet it is a sight which meets us on every hand1 and a mystery which has presented itself to the minds of thinking men in all ages4 ,solomon had met with such instances in his day--he had seen the godly and upright walking in the shade and treading the bye-paths of life1 while the perverse and foolish man was basking in the sunlight of worldly prosperity in the highways of society4 ,,ii4 ,an assertion1 that1 notwithstanding contrary appearances1 the better portion is with the better man4 ,it is not1 after all1 what a man's portion is1 but how he uses it1 that makes his life a blessing or a curse4 ,a man who walks in integrity makes the righteous law of his ,god the rule of his life1 and this keeping of the ,divine commandments brings with it a reward 7,psa4 xix4 #aa7 of which the rebellious fool knows nothing4 ,he knows how to use his more limited opportunities and influence to the best advantage--how to put out his small capital so as to obtain the best interest upon it--how to trade with his five talents so as to make them other five1 and so he is daily laying up a treasure which is better than all the fame and wealth that belongs to this world1 for it is the riches of a righteous character by which he is raised himself to a higher spiritual level1 and by which he is able to make the world better than he found it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,integrity is itself a life1 and a whole enjoyment1 and better1 therefore1 than worldly interests which are nothing of the kind4 ,walking is an eastern figure1 and we have failed to substitute it by a western one4 ,a way in the ,east means a man's total course4 ,walking1 therefore1 means his total life or being4 ,better is a poor man1 etc41 refers1 therefore1 to a man not living in his money1 nor indeed1 in his horses or in his hounds1 not living in his integrity1 but walking in it1 i4e41 spending his whole time in it1 staying in that way2 of course1 taking his pleasure in it 7see verse #bb74 ,we have before seen that speech means whole conduct4 ,the mouth1 in those days1 was the great implement of action4 ,it is so still4 ,the commonest labourer bargains out and orders out half his living by his mouth4 ,perverse or crooked in speech means speaking 7i4e4 acting7 athwart of what we ourselves know in many particulars2 first1 athwart all moral truth2 second1 athwart deep personal conviction2 third1 athwart all personal interest 7as our text implies74 ,a ,christian talks straight1 because he speaks 7acts7 coincidentally with all of these4 ,a sinner is crooked of lip1 because he says what he does not think1 and traverses for his lusts all the best principles of his moral nature4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #b and #c4 ,,ignorance ,,leading ,,to ,,sin4 ,i4 ,the soul of man cannot be absolutely without knowledge4 ,there is some knowledge which comes to the soul without any effort on the part of the man1 which he has but to live to acquire1 just as he has but to open his eyes to see4 ,he is conscious of his own existence--of his personal identity as apart from all the beings and things by which he is surrounded1 and of his capability of suffering and enjoyment1 of hope and despair4 ,and because of the light within him he cannot be altogether ignorant of the difference between right and wrong1 between truth and falsehood4 ,but his necessary knowledge extends to beings and things outside of himself4 ,he knows without any effort much about the men and things which surround him1 and the visible things of creation make it impossible that he should be altogether ignorant of the existence of the invisible ,god and ,creator4 ,so the apostle argues in ,rom4 i4 #bj4 ,,ii4 ,there is a knowledge which it is good to be without4 ,there is a knowledge which human nature in its original dignity and sinlessness did not possess1 the absence of this experimental knowledge was an essential element of its blessedness4 ,the ignorance of evil was a blessed ignorance in which man's ,creator would have kept him but for his own wilfulness1 and the knowledge of which brought him misery4 ,it is the blessedness of the unfallen spirits who have kept their first estate1 that although they are conscious of the existence of evil in the universe1 they have no experimental knowledge of it1 and this ignorance constitutes the blessedness of the ever-blessed ,god ,himself4 ,those sons of men who1 because they are1 and ever have been1 in perfect health1 know nothing experimentally of bodily pain or weakness1 find it very good to be without this knowledge1 and how much more good it is to be without a knowledge of soul disease and spiritual suffering4 ,,iii4 ,but there is an acquired knowledge which is indispensable to a man's well-being4 ,intellectual knowledge of some kind is necessary to prevent a man from being a shame to himself and a cumberer of the land4 ,the well-being of the community depends upon one man's knowing some one thing that another man does not know2 no man can know all things or even many things2 no man1 however great his knowledge1 has enough of it to make him independent of the knowledge of others1 but every man ought to have such a thorough knowledge of some facts and truths as to enable him to minister first to some of his own daily needs and to contribute something to the well-being of his fellow creatures4 ,some men must have theoretical knowledge1 and others must know how to reduce theories to practice--the knowledge of the one is useless without the knowledge of the other4 ,it behoves some men to investigate the history of the past1 and to use this knowledge they so acquire for the good of the present generation1 but while they are doing this it is indispensable that others should acquire a knowledge of things as they are at present1 and should utilise their knowledge for the attainment of other ends which are quite as good4 ,but intellectual knowledge of some kind is also necessary for the well-being of the mind itself4 ,man's mind can no more feed upon itself and be healthy than his body can feed upon itself and live4 ,as the body needs to receive matter into itself to nourish and sustain it1 so the mind needs to receive ideas upon which to feed and by which to grow4 ,without such a reception the intellectual part of a man remains undeveloped1 and he is very far from the creature1 intellectually considered1 that ,god intended him to be4 ,but there is a kind of knowledge even more needful for man to possess than that which will merely enlarge his mind or promote his temporal well-being4 ,if his existence is to be really blest he must know things which relate to his spiritual well-being--he must be acquainted with the will of ,god concerning him1 both in relation to the life that now is and to that which is to come4 ,it is a calamity to be ignorant of things which fit a man to make the best of the present life1 but it is a far greater calamity to be without that knowledge which fits a man for a blessed life beyond death4 ,no man who possesses the revealed ,word of ,god in the ,scriptures need be without this most blessed and indispensable knowledge--everyone who thirsts for it may drink of this living water1 and every hungry soul may eat of this bread and learn what are the thoughts of ,god concerning him1 and what are the ,divine purposes concerning his present and his future 7,isa4 lv4 #a-g74 ,and to be without this knowledge is indeed not good1 for it prevents the soul from recovering its lost and original dignity4 ,a knowledge of the glorious ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ is the means by which we are delivered from the penalty and power of sin1 and more than recover the position lost by man's fall4 ,ignorance here is indeed a fatal ignorance in those who have the knowledge within their reach2 it is not good for any human soul to be without this knowledge1 and it is most soul-destroying to those who have only to seek it in order to find it4 ,,iv4 ,some of the evil consequences which flow from ignorance in general and from ignorance of ,god in particular4 #a4 ,ignorance leads to hasty action1 and consequently often to wrong action4 ,for1 he that hasteth with his feet sinneth1 and the foolishness of man perverteth his way4 ,in common and every-day life we find that the most ignorant people are the least cautious1 and act with the least reflection4 ,knowledge teaches men to think before they act1 for it makes men more alive to the importance of their actions4 ,a child will play with gunpowder with as little hesitation as he would with common dust1 but a man would not do so1 because he knows what would be the consequences if it ignited4 ,a man who has never been in a coalmine1 and who was ignorant of the dangers of fire-damp1 would be very likely to descend the shaft and enter hastily into the gloomy passages without first testing the state of the air1 but a miner would not do so1 because he knows more about the matter4 ,he would advance cautiously1 and ascertain what was before him before he ventured far4 ,so people who are ignorant of the mind and will of ,god as revealed in ,his ,word act without much thought as to the consequences of their actions--they enter upon a road at the impulse of a passing fancy1 without asking themselves whither it leads--they decide upon a certain course of action without thought of the consequence4 ,and such a hasting with the feet is always a perversion of a man's way1 a wandering from the right path1 for a fallen man does not forsake the evil and choose the good by instinct but by effort founded upon reflection4 #b4 ,spiritual ignorance leads to rebellion against ,god4 ,it is only a man who does not know ,god1 who frets against the ,lord4 ,a child because he is ignorant of his father's motives will fret against the wise and kind restrictions which the father places around him4 ,so men wilfully ignorant that whenever ,god says ,thou shalt not ,he is only saying ,do thyself no harm1 chafe and fret against ,his moral laws4 ,they will not set themselves to obtain that knowledge of ,god which the ,gospel reveals and consequently they look at all ,his commands through a cloud of ignorance which makes them grievous and heavy instead of easy and light4 ,and there are many mysteries connected with ,god's government that will tend to make men's hearts fretful and discontented if they remain in ignorance of ,his character4 ,there are many problems in connection with man's present life which he cannot solve--many apparent contradictions1 and much which looks like injustice on the part of ,him who rules the world1 and every soul who does not know ,god as ,he is revealed in ,his ,son will1 when he thinks on these things1 is likely to be led to harbour rebellious thoughts against ,him4 ,when we consider the evil which flows from ignorance of ,god we can better understand how it is that the knowledge of the ,lord is so often used in ,scripture as synonymous with all that can bless and elevate mankind 7see ,isa4 xi4 #i1 etc474 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we should desire first the enlightening of the eyes and then the strengthening of the feet4 ,hence ,make me to understand the way of ,thy precepts1 and then1 ,i will run the way of ,thy commandments 7,psa4 cxix4 #bg1 #cb74 ,he that would sail safely must get a good pilot before good rowers4 ,swift horses1 without a skilful waggoner1 endangers more4 ,he that labours for feet before he has eyes1 takes a preposterous course2 for1 of the two the lame is more likely to come to his journey's end than the blind4 4 4 4 ,hence we see that there is more hope of a vicious person that hath a good understanding1 than of an utterly dark and blind soul1 though he walks upon zealous feet4 4 4 4 ,learn to know ,god4 ,how shall we believe on ,him we have not known8 7,rom4 x4 #ad74 ,knowledge is not so much slighted here1 as it will be wished hereafter4 ,the rich man in hell desires to have his brethren taught 7,luke xvi4 #bh74 ,sure if he were alive again1 he would hire them a preacher4 ,the people are destroyed for lack of knowledge 7,hosea iv4 #f74 ,if we see a proper man cast away at the sessions for a non legit1 with pity we conclude he might have been saved1 if he could have read4 ,at that general and last assizes1 when ,christ shall come in flaming fire1 woe be to them that know not ,god 7#b ,thess4 i4 #h74 ,for ,he will pour out ,his fury upon the heathen1 that know ,him not1 and upon the families that call not on ,his name 7,jer4 x4 #be74 4 4 4 ,in ,prov4 ix4 #ah1 the new guest at the fatal banquet is described by his ignorance4 ,he knoweth not what company is in the house1 that the dead are there4 ,it is the devil's policy1 when he would rob and ransack the house of our conscience1 like a thief to put out the candle of our knowledge2 that we might neither discern his purposes1 nor decline his mischiefs4 4 4 4 ,indeed ignorance may make a sin a less sin1 but not no sin4 ,i obtained mercy1 because ,i did it ignorantly1 in unbelief1 says the apostle 7#a ,tim4 i4 #ac74 ,the sins of them that know are more heinous than the sins of them that know not4 ,but if thou hadst no other sin1 thy ignorance is enough to condemn thee1 for thou art bound to know4 ,they that will not know the ,lord1 the ,lord will not know them4--,t4 ,adams4 ,the most innocent of all faults might seem ignorance4 ,the only sin 7when philosophically stated7 is ignorance4 ,the chains that confine the lost 7#b ,pet4 ii4 #d7 are darkness4 ,the charge that overtakes the saved is light 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #f74 ,the graces that adorn the ,christian all flow from a new intelligence4 ,our text is literally exact4 ,if the man has no knowledge1 and that of a deep spiritual sort1 his life is no good2 that is1 it possesses none1 and is itself a horrid evil4 ,and yet the concluding clause largely relieves the difficulty4 ,the man1 knowing there was something wrong1 ought to pause1 and grope about for the light1 just as all would in a dark cavern4 ,instead of that he rushes darkly on4 ,here1 the inspired finger is put upon the precise mistake4 ,we are warned that we are in blindness4 ,why not hesitate1 then1 and cast about us8 ,we push on1 knowing we are in the dark4 ,this is the photograph of the impenitent4 4 4 4 ,and yet1 the wise man says1 he ignores this point of wilfulness1 and in his heart is angry with the ,almighty4 ,he perverteth1 or subverteth his way1 that is1 totally upsets and ruins1 so that it is no way at all4 ,nothing could describe more truly the sinner's path1 because it does not reach even the ends that he himself relied on4 ,death arrives1 too1 to wreck it totally4 ,and though he has resisted the most winning arts to draw him unto ,christ1 yet1 at each sad defeat1 his heart is angry against ,jehovah4--,miller4 ,verse #b4 ,haste1 as opposed to sloth1 is the energy of ,divine grace 7,psa4 cxix4 #fj2 ,luke xix4 #f74 ,here1 as opposed to consideration1 acting hastily is sin4 ,this impatience is the genuine exercise of self-will1 not taking time to inquire2 not waiting for the counsel of the ,lord4 ,godly ,joshua offended here 7,josh4 ix4 #ad1 #ae74 ,saul's impatience cost him his kingdom 7#a ,sam4 xiii4 #ab74 ,david's haste was the occasion of gross injustice 7#b ,sam4 xvi4 #c1 #d74--;,bridges4 ,religion a sentiment and a science4 ,i know of no attack on ,christianity more artfully made than that which is attempted when a distinction is attempted to be drawn between religion and theology4 4 4 4 ,let us see what the value of religion is1 when it is separated from theology4 ,we are told that religion is a sentiment1 a temper1 a state of mind4 ,theology is a science1 a pursuit1 a study 4 4 4 and it is asserted and insinuated that it may be well with the soul1 although it be destitute of spiritual knowledge4 4 4 4 ,but we1 who are called ,christians1 by the very name we bear1 imply that more than devotional sentiment is necessary to make a religious man4 4 4 4 ,you must accept ,jesus as the only ,saviour if you would escape perdition1 and how can you accept ,him unless you know ,him8 ,nay1 further1 how can you accept ,him unless you know yourself8 4 4 4 ,there are many other things which we ought to know and believe1 to our soul's health and comfort2 but 4 4 4 the soul that is without knowledge of this1 the great ,christian scheme1 the ,divine plan of salvation1 is only nominally and by courtesy a ,christian soul4 4 4 4 ,except as hearing upon these truths1 the religious sentiment is a luxury and nothing more4 4 4 4 ,it is not the theoretical distinction between the sentiment and the science that we censure1 but their separation and divorce4--,dean ,hook4 ,verse #c4 ,such was the foolishness of ,adam6 ,first he perverted his way2 then he charged upon ,god its bitter fruit4 ,god1 making him upright1 made him happy4 ,had he been ruled by his will1 he would have continued so4 ,but1 seeking out his own inventions 7,eccles4 vii4 #bi71 he made himself miserable4 ,as the author of his own misery1 it was reasonable that he should fret against himself1 but such was his pride and baseness1 that his heart fretted against the ,lord1 as if ,he1 and not himself1 was responsible 7,gen4 iii4 #f-ab74 ,this his first-born1 when his own sin had brought punishment on him1 fretted1 as if it were greater than he could bear 7,ib4 iv4 #h-ac74 ,this has been the foolishness of ,adam's children ever since ,god has linked together moral and penal evil1 sin and sorrow4 ,the fool rushes into the sin and most unreasonably frets for the sorrow2 as if he could gather grapes from thorns1 or figs from thistles 7,matt4 vii4 #af74 ,he charges his crosses1 not on his own perverseness1 but on the injustice of ,god 7,ezek4 xviii4 #be74 ,but ,god is clear from all the blame 7,james i4 #ac1 #ad73 ,he had shown the better2 man chooses the worse4 ,he had warned by ,his ,word and by conscience4 ,man1 deaf to the warning1 plunges into the misery2 and1 while eating the fruit of his own ways1 his heart frets against the ,lord4 ,it is hard to have passions1 and to be punished for indulging them4 ,i could not help it4 ,why did ,he not give me grace to avoid it8 7,see ,jer4 vii4 #aj74 ,such is the pride and blasphemy of an unhumbled spirit4 ,the malefactor blames the judge for his righteous sentence 7,isa4 viii4 #ba1 #bb2 ,rev4 xvi4 #i-aa1 #ba74--;,bridges4 ,this was the case in ,greece as well as in ,judea2 for ,homer observed that men lay those evils upon the gods1 which they have incurred through their own folly and perverseness44 4 4 ,this is often the case with regard--#a4 ,to men's health4 ,by intemperance 4 4 4 indolence 4 4 4 or too close application to business 4 4 4 or unruly passions1 they injure their frame 4 4 4 and then censure the providence of ,god4 #b4 ,to their circumstances in life4 4 4 4 ,men complain that providence frowns on them 4 4 4 when they have chosen a wrong profession1 despising the advice of others 4 4 4 or when they have brought themselves into straits by their own negligence4 #c4 ,to their relations in life4 ,they complain of being unequally yoked 4 4 4 when they chose by the sight of the eye1 or the vanity and lusts of the heart4 4 4 4 ,they complain that their children are undutiful 4 4 4 when they have neglected their government4 #d4 ,to their religious concerns4 ,they complain that they want inward peace when 4 4 4 they neglect the appointed means of grace 4 4 4 and that ,god giveth ,satan power over them when by neglect they tempt the tempter4--,job ,orton4 ,for ,homiletics on the main thought of verse #d see on chapter xiv4 #bj1 page #cgj4 ,,suggestive ,,comment4 ,they are friends to the wealth1 not the wealthy4 ,they regard not qualis sis1 but quantus--not how thou art1 but how great4 4 4 4 ,these flatter a rich man1 as we feed beasts1 till he be fat1 and then fall on him4 4 4 4 ,these friends love not thy soul's good1 but thy body's goods4--,t4 ,adams4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #e and #i4 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,a ,,false ,,tongue4 ,we have before had proverbs dealing with the evil of lying 7see ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #ag-ai1 xiv4 #be1 pages #bgd and #cgi71 and the constant recurrence of the subject1 together with the repetition of the verses here1 shows us the vast importance which the inspired writer attached to truth1 and the many and great evils which flow from a disregard of it4 ,again and again he holds up the liar to view as a monster of iniquity1 and seeks1 both by the threatening of the retribution which awaits it and by the misery which it causes to others1 to deter men from yielding to this sin4 ,if we consider what mischief a false man can do1 we shall not be surprised at the prominence which the wise man gives to this subject 7see ch4 xii4 #ag-ai1 #bb1 page #bgd74 ,but the most dangerous element of the lying tongue is the fact that in nine cases out of ten no human tribunal can bring to justice1 and perhaps few human tribunals would care to do so4 ,the world1 says ,dr4 ,david ,thomas 7,practical ,philosopher1 page #dad7 abounds in falsehood4 ,lies swarm in every department of life4 ,they are in the market1 on the hustings1 in courts of justice1 in the senate house1 in the sanctuaries of religion2 and they crowd the very pages of modern literature4 ,they infest the social atmosphere4 ,men on all hands live in fiction and by fiction4 ,if we allow that this picture is a true one1 and alas6 we cannot deny that it is1 we can see that the evil is one with which no human hand can deal4 ,a tiger may come down from a neighbouring forest and enter the city1 and spread terror and dismay all round1 and even kill a dozen of its inhabitants4 ,but he is a tangible creature1 he can be faced and attacked with weapons which can pierce his skin and make him powerless to do any further mischief4 ,but into the same city may enter upon the summer wind impalpable particles of matter charged with a poison which may slay not ten men but ten thousand1 and no weapon that has ever been forged by human hand can slay these destroyers4 ,the plague will keep numbering its victims until the poison has spent itself or until a pure and healthful breeze scatters the deadly atmosphere4 ,so with lying in comparison with more palpable and gross crimes4 ,the thief can be caught and imprisoned1 the murderer is generally traced and hanged2 but the sin of lying so permeates the whole social atmosphere that nothing but the diffusion of heavenly truth can rid the world of the poison4 ,but the liar1 however he escapes some forms of retribution1 shall not go unpunished4 #a4 ,he shall be self-punished4 ,his own conscience will be his judge and executioner in one4 ,the fear of discovery here will generally haunt him as a shadow does the substance1 but if this ghost is laid there will be times1 however hardened he may be1 when that witness for truth that is within him will scourge him in the present and fill him with forebodings concerning the future4 #b4 ,men will punish him by not believing him when he speaks the truth4 ,in proportion as a man's veracity is doubted will be the suspicion with which his word is received4 ,he may tell the truth on two occasions out of three1 but if his falsehood on the third is found out1 his truth-telling on the first and second will not avail him much4 ,it is a terrible thing to live always in an atmosphere of distrust1 but it is one of the punishments of a liar4 #c4 ,god will punish him after he leaves this world4 ,concerning him and some other great transgressors it is written that--they shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone3 which is the second death 7,rev4 xxi4 #h74 ,whatever may be the precise meaning of these terrible words1 we know that they were spoken by one whose every word was true and faithful 7see verse #e of the same chapter71 and they are but an intensified form of the last clause of our texts--,he that speaketh lies shall perish4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,falsehood is like fire in stubble4 ,it likewise turns all around it into its own substance for a moment--one crackling1 blazing moment1 and then dies4 ,and all its contents are scattered in the wind without place or evidence of their existence1 as viewless as the wind which scatters them4--,coleridge4 ,he whose breath is lies shall be lost4 ,breath means the inborn and natural impulse4 ,the root of the verb translated shall perish1 means to lose oneself by wandering about4 ,the cognate ,arabic means to flee away wild in the desert4 ,the spirit1 therefore1 that habitually breathes out falsities1 and so acts constitutionally athwart of what is true1 is best described by keeping to the original2 that is1 instead of perishing in the broader and vaguer way1 he wanders off and is lost in the wilderness of his own deceptions4--,miller4 ,the thief doth only send one to the devil2 the adulterer1 two2 the slanderer hurteth three--himself1 the person of whom1 the person to whom he tells the lie4--,t4 ,adams4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #f and #g4 ,,the ,,proofs ,,of ,,human ,,selfishness4 ,i4 ,the servile regard which men pay to rank and wealth4 ,a prince is a man in whose hand there is power to advance the material interests of other men1 and this makes him a loadstone to the godless man whatever his character may be4 ,as the magnet will attract all the steel dust within its reach1 so the prince is a magnet which attracts all the self-seeking and the worldly who can by any possibility obtain any favour from him4 ,to gain that favour they will fawn upon him and flatter him1 and will stoop even to become supplicants at his feet4 ,let him be one of the most contemptible of human creatures1 there will not be wanting those who may be in many respects his superiors who will serve him from hope of advancing their own interests4 ,we know that this is not universally the case--that there have been noble men in all ages who would scorn to entreat the favour of any man1 simply because he was a man of power2 but ,solomon here speaks of the rule and not of the exception1 and the fact that it is so testifies to the self-seeking which is the characteristic of men in general4 ,,ii4 ,the treatment which the poor man often receives from his more wealthy kinsfolk4 ,the proverb implies that those who hate him and pass him by with disdain are richer than himself1 and therefore not only bound to pity his poverty but able to lighten his burden4 ,but the same selfishness which draws men to the rich causes them to shun the poor in general1 and especially their poor relations1 for they feel conscious that these latter have a stronger claim upon them than those who are not so related4 ,and even if the poor man does not need the help of his richer brethren he will often find himself unrecognised by them1 simply because he occupies a lower social station4 ,he has nothing to give them in the way of material good--his favour is worth nothing in the way of promoting their worldly interests--the very fact that he is poor and yet is more or less nearly connected by family ties is supposed to dim the lustre of their greatness1 and they therefore cherish towards him a positive dislike which they manifest by avoiding his society as much as possible1 and by receiving all his advances towards friendship with coolness and disdain4 ,if we had no other proof of the depth to which man has fallen since ,god created him in ,his own image1 the regard which men pay1 not to what a man is1 but to what he has1 would be one sad enough4 7,see also ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #bj1 page #cgj47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,princes need not pride themselves in the homage that is paid to them1 for their favour is sought by men1 not so much out of regard to their persons1 as from a regard to their power4 ,kindness and liberality have a greater influence for gaining the hearts of men1 than dignity of station4 ,there are many that seek the ruler's favour1 but every man loves him that is generous4 ,when power and generosity meet in the same person1 he becomes an object of universal esteem1 like ,marcus ,antoninus1 who was lamented by every man when he was dead1 as if the glory of the ,roman empire had died with him4 ,how inexcusable are we1 if we do not love ,god with all our hearts4 ,his gifts to us are past number1 and all the gifts of men to us are the fruits of ,his bounty1 conveyed by the ministry of those whose hearts are disposed by ,his providence to kindness4 ,i have seen thy face1 said ,jacob to ,esau1 as the face of ,god4 ,his brother's favour he knew to be a fruit of the mercy of ,him with whom he spake and prevailed at ,bethel4--,lawson4 ,for ,homiletics on verses #h and #i see verses #b and #e of this chapter1 also on chapters viii4 #cf and ix4 #ab1 pages #aba and #abd4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,incongruities4 ,i4 ,where there is wealth or exalted station their ought to be correspondent qualifications4 7,for the real signification of the word translated delight see ,critical ,notes47 ,if a man is rich he ought to be wise1 and if he is powerful he ought to have been instructed how to use his power well4 ,a fool is useless in any condition of life1 but a fool who is the possessor of a fortune is a power for evil4 ,we must understand the word servant here to mean an ignorant and incapable man--one who1 though able to serve1 has no ability to rule4 ,a man may be very well fitted to perform the duties of a common seaman1 but if he is ignorant of the laws of navigation it would be a great misfortune for both himself and the rest of the crew if he were to be appointed to the captain's post4 ,if he had remained before the mast he might have done good service1 but when he is promoted to a higher rank he is only an instrument of mischief4 ,of the two incongruities dealt with in the proverb this last is the most fruitful of evil4 ,it is a lamentable thing when great riches come into the possession of a fool who does not know how to use his wealth either for his own or his neighbour's good1 and it may be productive of positive harm both to himself and others4 ,instances are not at all uncommon1 and most men have met with them1 in which a man in a very humble station1 and destitute of true and spiritual wisdom1 inherits suddenly a large fortune4 ,in the majority of such cases the inheritance is a curse rather than a blessing1 for the inheritor has no idea how to use it so as to promote his own real welfare4 ,his higher nature has never been developed1 consequently he has no spiritual or intellectual desires to gratify1 and all he can do with his wealth is to minister to his appetites and gratify his passions1 which he often does in a most unseemly way1 and to an extent which makes him a worse man when he is rich than he was when he was poor4 ,but this misuse of wealth is not so great a misfortune as the misuse of power4 ,the evil effects of the first will be confined within comparatively narrow limits1 but those of the latter are widespread4 ,when a man is neither a prince by birth or by nature1 and yet is in a position which gives him power over men who are either or both1 there is a great disproportion in the moral fitness of things which generally brings much social and national trouble4 ,for if a man's only title to rule is that of birth1 it is better for those whom he rules than if he had none at all4 ,if he is an incapable man himself he may be the descendant of greater men1 although they cannot reverence him for what he is4 ,but when he has not even this small claim on their obedience1 the unseemliness is so great that national anarchy1 and consequently much individual suffering1 is the almost certain result4 ,,ii4 ,either of these incongruities present a deep mystery in the ,divine government4 ,when we consider what a great power for good as well as for evil is wrapped up in wealth1 the providence appears to us dark which often gives it to the moral fool and leaves the wise man destitute4 ,but when we find a weak man apparently holding in his hands the destinies of many stronger and nobler men--a servant ruling over princes--the providence seems darker still4 ,but there are two sources whence we can draw comfort4 ,we can look forward to that time of restitution of all things 7,acts iii4 #ba7 when all these manifest inconsistencies shall be done away with1 and we can assure ourselves that things are not what they seem--that the wisdom of the wise man is a greater power for good than the wealth of the rich1 and that1 after all1 the choice of the ruler is in the hand of those whom he rules1 and that if the latter are princes they will not long suffer themselves to be ruled by one who is a servant4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 #a4 ,in its secular form this truth is obvious4 #b4 ,in its higher but intermediate form1 it means that an ungodly sinner1 here called a stupid man1 on his way to death and judgment1 is so shockingly off in all interests of his being1 that delight is a mockery2 it is anything but suited to his state4 ,and to have him stand1 as he often does1 superior to ,christians1 overawing ,christian life1 and repressing ,christian eminence of character1 is indeed a servant ruling a prince2 and it is as good an instance as could be met1 of something that does not suit1 or as the original has it1 does not sit well4 #c4 ,but ,solomon would carry it a story higher4 ,he means to continue his pursuit of the impenitent4 ,he means to tell them that their delight1 in itself considered1 would not sit well2 that to reward a fool would bring dishonour upon government2 and to release the outlaw from his bonds would really be to elect the slave to a post higher than the princes4--,miller4 ,with all the preference here expressed for virtuous poverty1 the seemliness of rank1 and the violence done by the upstart rule of the lower over the higher1 are not overlooked4--,chalmers4 ,abundance of wealth1 dainty fare1 and pastime or recreation1 is not meet for a vain and wicked person4 ,for1 first of all1 he rather deserveth correction than recreation2 secondly1 he abuseth all his delights and possessions to his own hurt1 being drunken with his vanities2 last of all1 he is so puffed upon and corrupted by prosperity1 that he oppresseth his neighbours4 4 4 4 ,but if a light vanity beseem not a vain person1 then authority1 which carrieth with it a weight of glory1 less beseemeth a vile person1 who is of a servile disposition and condition1 especially that rule which is exercised over noble personages4--,muffet4 ,judge1 then1 how horrible it is that men should set the devil or his two angels1 the world and the flesh1 on the throne1 while they place ,god on the footstool2 or that in this commonwealth of man1 reason1 which is the queen or princess over the better powers and graces of the soul1 should stoop to so base a slave as sensual lust4--,t4 ,adams4 ,the reason is1 because a wise man is master of his delight1 a fool is servant unto it4 ,and delight never doth well but where it is commanded1 never doth so ill as where it is commander4 4 4 4 ,the command of delight is like the ruling of a servant over princes2 and as he is foolish in ruling1 so it is the quality of a fool to give the ruling of his heart unto delight4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #aa and #ab4 ,,two ,,kings4 ,i4 ,the man who exercises despotic power over the destinies of his fellow creatures4 ,the similitudes by which ,solomon describes the power that is sometimes lodged in a kingly hand are very strong1 and were more true in his day than they are in ours4 ,the wrath of a despot is like the roaring of a lion because it is an indication of the destructive power that lies behind it4 ,that roar is not an empty sound1 for everyone who hears it knows that the savage beast can do more than roar--that he can tear in pieces the unfortunate victim of his wrath4 ,if he could only roar men would listen unmoved1 but they tremble because they know that his anger can find an outlet in a more terrible manner4 ,there are men whose wrath1 although it is fierce1 does not fill its objects with any alarm--they know that the man's anger can only find an outlet in words and that he is impotent to do them harm4 ,but there are those whose anger can work terrible evil to its victims1 and who have such forces at their command that a man may well fear to incur their wrath4 ,there have been despots in the world to incur whose displeasure was like awaking the fury of a wild beast1 and whose manner of repaying those who had offended them was more brutal than human4 ,but men in such a position have as much power to bless as to curse4 ,if they choose to exercise their prerogative in a kindly manner they can exercise an influence as reviving and as cheering as that of the dew upon the grass4 ,such an one can elevate his subjects both socially and morally by the enactment of wise laws1 and in this sense can make a wilderness rejoice and blossom as the rose4 ,perhaps1 however1 the proverb more directly refers to the power of the king to exalt and promote his favourites--those who either by chance or by devotion to his interests become objects of his especial regard4 ,if such men are poor the king's favour can effect as great a transformation in their circumstances as the dew will upon a field scorched by the sun1 and so long as that favour continues they are as continually and as liberally nourished as the grass is watered by the daily dew4 ,,ii4 ,the man who can curb his anger and pardon an offence4 ,solomon was a king whose power was not inaptly described by the twelfth verse1 but he had too much spiritual enlightenment to conceive that there was any true glory in it alone4 ,he gives the palm to the man who can rule his spirit1 and who can pass over a transgression1 especially if that man has great power in his hand to visit the offender with punishment4 ,if it is the glory of a man with limited influence to pardon an offender1 it is much more glorious for a king to do so1 because his wrath is able to exercise itself without being called to an account4 ,this thought may be applied to the ,king of kings1 to the ,omnipotent ,ruler of the universe4 ,when ,moses besought ,him to show him ,his glory1 ,he said1 ,i will make all my goodness pass before thee1 and ,i will proclaim the name of the ,lord before thee1 and that name was1 ,the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god merciful and gracious1 long suffering1 and abundant in goodness and truth1 keeping mercy for thousands1 forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin1 7,exod4 xxxiii4 #ai1 xxxiv4 #f74 ,for ,homiletics on the same subject see on chap4 xiv4 #bi1 page #chf1 and on chap4 xvi4 #cb1 page #dig4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if men1 as they grow more sensible1 forgive easier1 and it is their honour or glory to pass over an offence1 the implication is that thus it must be with the ,all-,wise4 ,complaint is foolish1 for eternity will reveal that the ,almighty took no pleasure in punishing us4 ,the commonest man1 literally a man1 but a man under the title which1 all through this book1 as in ,isaiah ii4 #i1 distinguishes itself from another title1 which means a man of the better sort4 ,this gives two points of heightened emphasis3--,first1 even the commonest man thinks it well to forgive4 ,how much more the ,almighty6 ,and1 second1 even the commonest man1 when intelligent1 forgives the easier3 how much more the ,great ,intelligence8 ,he who best understands ,his honour would not be likely to inflict punishment1 unless where it was impossible that there should be a final escape 7ver4 #e74--,miller4 ,the monarch of the forest is a just comparison to the monarch of the land4 ,the lion hath roared2 who will not fear8 ,the rocks and hills echo the terrific cry4 ,the whole race of the animals of the forest are driven to flight1 or petrified to the spot4 ,such is the king's wrath in a land of despotism2 reigning without law1 above law1 his will his only law2 an awful picture of cruelty1 tyranny1 and caprice6 ,unlimited power is too much for proud human nature to bear1 except with special grace from above4--,bridges4 ,discretion is a buckler made of a cold1 hard1 smooth metal1 and that which giveth the true temper to the metal is delay4 ,for in all the ways of discretion delay holdeth it by the hand1 it judgeth not without delay1 it worketh not without delay1 it is not angry without delay4 ,the fiery darts that are thrown against it kindle not this metal hastily1 the strokes of wrong and injury bruise not this metal easily2 the apprehensions of a moved spirit fasten not easily upon it1 the fury that assaulteth it slips off by a mild smoothness from it4--,jermin4 ,the only legitimate anger is a holy emotion directed against an unholy thing4 ,sin1 and not our neighbour1 must be its object4 ,zeal for righteousness1 and not our own pride1 must be its distinguishing character4 ,the exercise of anger1 although not necessarily sinful1 is exceedingly difficult and dangerous4 4 4 4 ,thus it comes about1 that although anger be not in its own nature and in all cases sinful1 the best practical rule of life is to repress it1 as if it were4 ,the ,holy might use it against sin in the world1 if the ,holy were here1 but it seems too sharp a weapon for our handling4 4 4 4 ,the best practical rule for the treatment of anger against persons is to defer it4 ,its nature presses for instant vengeance1 and the appetite should be starved4 ,a wise man may indeed experience the heat1 but he will do nothing till he cools again4 ,when your clothes outside are on fire you wrap yourself in a blanket1 if you can1 and so smother the flame2 in like manner1 when your heart within has caught the fire of anger1 your first business is to get the flame extinguished4 4 4 4 ,to pass over a transgression is a man's glory4 4 4 4 ,this is a note in unison with the ,sermon on the ,mount1 and therefore at variance with most of our modern codes of honour4 ,it has often been remarked that the ,bible proves itself ,divine by the knowledge of man which it displays2 but perhaps its opposition to the main currents of a human heart are as clear a mark of its heavenly origin as its discovery of what these currents are4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ac1 #ad and #ah4 ,,domestic ,,sorrow ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,avoid ,,it4 ,i4 ,two fruitful sources of sorrow4 ,there are many fountains whence flow waters which sadly embitter the lives of men1 but there is none outside of personal character which can more entirely darken their days than either of those mentioned in the thirteenth verse4 ,to be either the father of a foolish son or the husband of a contentious wife is sorrow indeed4 ,the first clause of this proverb is nearly the same as that in chap4 x4 #a1 for ,homiletics on which see page #acg4 ,the contentious wife is here compared to a continual dropping1 because although the discomfort would not be great if it were only occasional1 its perpetual existence makes life wretched4 ,a drop of water falling upon a man's head is a very trifling matter1 but one of the most dreaded tortures of the ,spanish inquisition was that in which a man was placed in such a position that a single drop was constantly descending upon his head4 ,hour after hour1 day after day1 and night after night1 the drops followed one another in regular and unbroken succession until the poor wretch first lost reason and then life4 ,it is much harder to bear a burden which is never lifted from the shoulders than to carry one which is much heavier for a short time and for a very limited distance4 ,so it is easier for a man to rise above trials which1 although they may be almost overwhelming for a time1 last but through a comparatively very short portion of his life4 ,but the trial of a contentious wife is unceasing so long as the marriage bond continues1 and it is this that makes it so greatly to be dreaded4 ,,ii4 ,means suggested whereby these sources of sorrow may be avoided4 ,if so much depends upon our family relationships--if the character of the wife and child have so much to do with our weal and woe--it becomes a most momentous question how to act so as to secure a prudent wife in the first place1 and then to avoid the calamity of a foolish son4 ,it must be remembered that the first is purely a matter of choice4 ,a man's house and riches may be the inheritance of fathers1 his social position may depend upon his parents1 but his wife depends upon his own choice1 and as a prudent wife is from the ,lord1 if he seeks the guidance of ,him who is alone the infallible reader of character1 instead of following the leading of his fancy or consulting his worldly interests1 he may with confidence expect to avoid the curse and secure the blessing4 ,the other relationship is not one of choice4 ,our children are sent to us by the hand of ,god1 and we have no more voice in determining their dispositions and mental constitutions than we have the colour of their hair1 or any other bodily characteristic4 ,but of two things we are certain4 #a4 ,that they will need a training which will not always be pleasant to them4 ,where there is disease in the body a cure cannot often be effected without a resort to unpleasant--often to painful--measures4 ,it is not pleasant to a surgeon to use the knife1 but it is often indispensable to his patient's recovery to health4 ,and both experience and revelation testify to the fact that our children come into the world with a moral taint upon them--that they have a tendency to go the wrong way--that1 in the words of the ,psalmist 7,ps4 li4 #e7 they are shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin4 ,if a parent desires to avoid the calamity of a foolish son he must early recognise the truth that his child will not become morally wise unless he chasten him1 unless he subject him to a system of moral training1 unless he make him feel that punishment must follow sin4 ,this will be as painful sometimes to the parent as to the child2 the crying of the son will hurt the father more than the rod will hurt the child1 but the end to be attained by present suffering must be borne in mind1 and must nerve the heart and head of him whose duty it is to administer chastisement4 7,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #bd1 page #ccd47 #b4 ,that there is reason to hope that children1 if rightly trained1 will be a joy and not a sorrow4 ,there is hope4 ,when a river has but just left its source among the hills1 and the current is feeble1 its progress can be stopped with ease2 but when it has flowed on for a few miles and there is depth of water enough to float a fleet1 it is almost impossible to stop its onward course4 ,so1 when the power of evil in the human soul is in its infancy1 it is a much more easy task to restrain it than when it has acquired strength by years of uncontrolled dominion4 ,when the young oak is but a few inches above the ground1 the hand of the woodman can bend the slender stem as he pleases2 but when it has grown for half a century he is powerless to turn it from the direction which it has taken4 ,so a child's will is pliable to the wise training of the parent1 and if the education of the moral nature be begun early1 there is every reason to hope that it will acquire strength to overcome both sin within and without1 and that a righteous manhood will in the future more than repay both him whose duty it is to chasten1 and him upon whom the chastisement must fall4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #ac1 #ad4 ,a prudent wife is not to be got by an imprudent mode of choice4 ,the gift must be sought from the ,lord4 ,but this does not mean that the ,lord is supernaturally to point out the individual4 ,our own discretion must be put in exercise1 along with prayer for the ,divine superintendence and direction1 so as to bring about a happy result4 ,and then the precious gift should be owned1 and the all-bountiful ,giver praised for his goodness in bestowing it4--,wardlaw4 ,every good gift is from the ,lord 7,james i4 #ag7 only1 some in the ordinary course1 others more directly from ,him4 ,houses and riches1 through ,his gifts1 come by descent4 ,they are the inheritance of fathers4 ,the heir is known1 and in the course of events he takes possession of his estate4 ,but the prudent wife is wholly unconnected with the man4 ,there has been no previous bond of relation4 ,she is often brought from a distance4 ,the ,lord brought her to the man by ,his special ,providence1 and therefore as ,his special gift4--,bridges4 ,verse #ah4 ,the great force of the rule is its timely application--while there is hope4 ,for hopeless the case may be1 if the remedy be delayed4 ,the cure of the evil must be commenced in infancy4 ,not a moment is to be lost4 ,betimes 7chap4 xiii4 #bd2 xxii4 #ae7--;is the season when the good can be effected with the most ease1 and the fewest strokes4 ,the lesson of obedience should be learnt at the first dawn4 ,one decided struggle and victory in very early life1 may1 under ,god1 do much towards settling the point at once and to the end4 ,on the other hand1 sharp chastening may fail later to accomplish1 what a slight rebuke in the early course might have wrought4--,bridges4 ,you are here taught further1 that firmness must be in union with affection in applying the rod4 ,the words seem to express a harsh1 yet it is an important and most salutary lesson3--let not thy soul spare for his crying4 ,the words to not mean1 that you should not feel1 very far from that4 ,it was the knowledge that feeling was unavoidable1 and that the strength and tenderness of it was ever apt to tempt parents to relent and desist1 and leave their end unaccomplished1--that made it necessary to warn against too ready a yielding to this natural inclination4 ,the child may cry1 and cry bitterly1 previously to the correction2 but1 when you have reason to think the crying is for the rod rather than for the fault1 and that1 but for the threatened chastisement1 the heart would probably have been unmoved1 and the eyes dry2--then you must not allow yourselves to be so unmanned by his tears1 as to suspend your purpose1 and decline its infliction4 ,if a child perceives this 7and soon are children sharp enough to find it out7 he has discovered the way to move you next time2 and will have recourse to it accordingly4--,wardlaw4 ,on the subject of verse #ae see ,homiletics on chap4 vi4 #i1 #aj1 page #gi4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,a ,,double ,,keeping4 ,i4 ,a keeping of the ,divine commandments4 ,what is it to keep the commandments8 ,dr4 ,miller translates this verb to guard or watch4 ,taken in this sense therefore the proverb implies that there is need--#a4 ,to lay up ,god's law in our hearts4 ,it is to be our constant aim to know the will of ,god--the words which ,he has spoken1 the commands which ,he has given1 are to be constantly kept in remembrance and made the principal subject of our thoughts4 ,we are to tread in the footsteps of the man described in the first ,psalm1 whose delight is in the law of the ,lord and who meditates upon it day and night4 ,but the word as it is commonly understood implies--#b4 ,to translate ,god's law into life4 ,it is one thing to know the will of ,god1 it is another thing to do it4 ,knowledge must come before obedience1 but knowledge alone will not save the soul from death4 ,,ii4 ,a keeping of the human soul4 ,there is but one way to guard the human soul from the dangers to which it is exposed1 and that is by complying with the demands of the ,god who can alone give spiritual life4 ,he commands us to yield ourselves unreservedly to ,his guidance1 to accept ,his method of being made right in relation to ,his law1 to fight against the evil tendencies of our fallen nature1 and to seek ,his help to overcome them4 ,in doing this ,he has promised that we shall find that emancipation from the bondage of sin1 that awakening of spiritual faculties1 and that sense of ,his favour which alone is the life of the soul4 ,we have before dwelt upon proverbs which embody truths similar to those contained in this verse4 7,see on chap4 xi4 #c1 page #aie2 chap4 x4 #h1 page #aea2 chap4 xiii4 #f1 #ac1 #ad1 pages #bii1 #cab1 #cac2 chap4 xvi4 #ag1 page #dgi47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,keep means to retain4 ,guard means to watch4 ,the root of the present word means to bristle1 then to watch close1 either from the bristling of spears1 or from a sharp stave4 ,there is a philosophy in these words1 4 4 4 viz41 that conscience is vagrant4 ,we have to watch4 ,like the mind itself1 it is hard to hold it to the point4 ,attention is our whole voluntary work4 ,and1 to a most amazing degree1 the ,scriptures are framed upon this idea4 ,we are to remember now our ,creator 7,eccles4 xii4 #a74 ,we are to remember the ,sabbath day 7,exod4 xx4 #h74 ,we are to observe to do1 etc4 7this very word guard47 ,see ,deut4 v4 #a1 #cb1 et passim4 ,wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way8 ,by taking heed 7this same word guarding7 thereto according to ,thy ,word 7,psa4 cxix4 #i74 ,guards himself 7the same word74 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,this is an iron link of sequence which no ,anti-,calvinistic thought can shake4 ,he who stands sentry over the commandment stands sentry over himself2 literally his soul4 ,there is no helplessness in man other than that tardema1 or deep sleep 7ver4 #ae7 which sloth wilfully casts him into1 and which a voluntary slothfulness perpetually increases and maintains4 ,the fault is not in our stars1 but in ourselves1 that we are aliens4 ,the proverb advances upon this in the second clause4 ,what more voluntary than a man's way8 ,it has a voluntary goal1 it has a daily journeying1 and it includes all that is voluntary4 ,seize a man at any moment4 ,all that he is upon is part of his life's travel4 ,now1 a ,christian has but one way4 ,so far forth as he is a ,christian1 he has but one end1 and one path for reaching it4 ,there is a beautiful unitariness in his journeying4 ,it is a habit of ,scripture to turn attention to the scattered life of the lost4 ,they have no one end4 ,if thine eye be single1 thy whole body shall be full of light1 says the ,saviour 7,matt4 vi4 #bc74 ,thou hast scattered thy ways to the strangers1 says ,jeremiah 7iii4 #ac72 this same expression4 ,why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way 7,jer4 ii4 #cf74 ,despiseth 7,english version7 suits the lexicon and suits the sense1 for certainly the lost man has less respect for his way and life than the pardoned believer2 but scattering is equally legitimate and common2 more strengthened by analogy1 and more in keeping with the first clause1 where the verb to guard stands more opposed to vagrant and distraught ideas4 ,dies2 see ,job v4 #b4 ,corruption is seated in the soul1 but not out of reach by any means4 ,a man can increase it4 ,what we do outside kills inwardly4 ,a man's counting-house might seem to have little to do with the state of his soul1 but it is shaping it all the time4 ,if he scatters his ways he is killing his soul1 and what we are to remark is1 that there is an ipso actu condition of the effect 7as in chap4 xi4 #ai7 which is expressed in the ,hebrew4 ,the vagrancy of a morning's worldliness is that much more death1 as punctually administered as any of the chemistries of nature4 ,the form is participial4 ,it is in scattering1 or as scattering1 his ways that he dies4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,the ,,best ,,investment4 ,i4 ,a ,god-like disposition4 ,to pity the poor and to show that we do so by ministering to their necessities 7for this is implied in the proverb7 is to be like ,god4 ,we have before seen how ,he identifies ,himself with them1 and how severe is the condemnation which ,he passes upon those who wrong them4 7,see ,homiletics and ,comments upon chap4 xiv4 #ca1 page #cij1 and upon chap4 xvii4 #e1 page #ejd47 ,god is a ,being of compassion--the ,gospel of salvation is a testimony to the pitifulness of ,his nature4 ,he has remembered man in his low estate and in his condition of spiritual poverty1 and out of the riches of ,his grace 7,ephes4 i4 #g7 ,he has supplied his need4 ,but he has not only an eye for the spiritual necessities of ,his creatures1 but for those also which belong exclusively to their bodily nature4 ,god manifest in flesh had compassion upon the multitude because they had nothing to eat 7,matt4 xv4 #cb71 and the same pitiful heart is still moved with a like emotion when ,he looks into the haunts of poverty and sees men and women and little children without the necessaries of life1 or toiling hard and long for a pittance that is only just enough to keep them from starvation4 ,the man therefore who has pity on the poor manifests a disposition akin to that of his ,father in heaven4 ,,ii4 ,a most reliable debtor4 ,god incarnate fed the hungry by miracle1 but now that ,he has left the earth for a season ,he entrusts the duty to human hands4 ,he does not now rain down bread from heaven to feed even his spiritual ,israel1 but ,he expects those of ,his children to whom ,he has given more than enough of this world's good things to do it for ,him1 and looks upon the act as a loan to ,himself4 #a4 ,that the investment will be a profitable one is certain1 from the character of ,god4 ,when men entrust others with their money1 they have especial regard to the character of those whom they make their debtor4 ,this forms the chief and most reliable security that a man can have that he will receive it again4 ,god's character is pre-eminently good--so good that ,his ,word is more than the bond of the most trustworthy human creature1 and none in heaven or earth or hell will ever be able to say that ,he has not paid them what was their due4 #b4 ,the wealth of ,god is a guarantee that ,he will repay with interest4 ,a man who is generous by nature1 and possessed of abundant means1 will not only faithfully repay a loan but1 if his debtor is a needy man1 will feel a pleasure in adding to it a large interest1 or will press him to accept some extra token of his esteem4 ,god is a great and bountiful proprietor of all the resources of the universe1 whether spiritual or material1 and ,he loves to give abundantly4 ,he has been always giving out of ,his fulness since there has been a creature upon whom to lavish ,his gifts1 and ,he delights to see ,his children give1 like ,himself1 generously and ungrudgingly4 ,and1 seeing he takes upon ,himself to repay what is given to the poor1 ,his generosity and ,his wealth are sureties that the interest for the loan will be very ample4 ,his children may have to wait long for it1 but the longer they wait the greater the accumulation of interest4 ,they may receive a partial repayment in material good1 but the great recompense will be at the resurrection of the just 7,luke xiv4 #ad7 on that day when the ,king shall say unto them1 ,come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world2 for ,i was an hungered and ye gave me meat2 ,i was thirsty and ye gave me drink2 ,i was a stranger and ye took me in2 naked and ye clothed me 7,matt4 xxv4 #cd1 #cf74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,when ,alexander set forward upon his great exploits before he went from ,macedonia1 he divided among his captains and friends all that he had2 for which1 when one of his friends reproved him1 saying that he was prodigal1 for that he had reserved nothing for himself1 the answer which ,alexander gave was this3 that he had reserved much unto himself1 namely1 hope of the monarchy of the world1 which by the valour and help of those his captains and nobles he hoped to obtain4 ,and thus1 surely1 he that giveth to the poor may seem to be prodigal1 yet1 in respect of the hope that he hath of profit1 he is frugal-wise2 neither is his hope such as ,alexander's was1 which depended on the uncertainty of war1 but such as is grounded upon the certainty of ,god's ,word4--,spencer4 ,the ,lord will not only pay for the poor man1 but requite him that gave alms1 with usury1 returning great gifts for small4 ,give1 then1 thine house1 and receive heaven2 give transitory goods1 and receive a durable substance2 give a cup of cold water and receive ,god's kingdom4 4 4 4 ,if our rich friend should say unto us1 lay out so much money for me1 ,i will repay it1 we would willingly and readily do it4 ,seeing1 then1 our best friend1 yea1 our king1 the ,king of kings1 biddeth us to give to the poor1 promising that ,he will see us answered for that we give1 shall we not bestow alms at ,his motion and for ,his sake8--,muffet4 ,the off-hand sense is no doubt correct1 and1 as a worldly maxim1 often the munificent are rewarded in this world4 4 4 4 ,but we are not to suppose the generous to suffer1 and the saint might lose by being paid in money4 ,the saint might need the chastisement of pecuniary distress4 ,we are not to suppose1 therefore1 this sense to be the grand one4 ,but the meaning is that obedience1 if it be spiritual1 is a positive thing2 that it involves large and generous sacrifices2 that it is to visit the fatherless 7,jas4 i4 #bg72 and to feed the hungry 7,matt4 xxv4 #ce72 and that1 in the grandest sense1 he that does these things makes a borrower of ,jehovah2 and that the transaction1 under the grand head of guarding his own soul 7ver4 #af71 will pay him better than any less positive and more mystic species of obedience4 4 4 4 ,it may be fancy1 but causing to borrow seems to be more expressive than 7as an equivalent7 to lend 7,e4,v474 ,we can make ,god borrow of us at any time among the widows and the orphans 7,matt4 xxv4 #dj2 ,jer4 xlix4 #aa74--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah-bj4 ,,relative ,,duties4 ,we have before considered verse #ah in connection with verses #ac and #ad4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes will1 however1 show that there is an interpretation of the last clause which was not treated there4 ,verses #ai and #bj1 regarded separately1 embody thoughts and precepts which we have had before4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xiv4 #ag1 #bi1 pages #cfc1 #chf1 and on chap4 xii4 #ae1 page #bga47 ,but these verses1 taken in conjunction with the other interpretation of the last clause of verse #ah1 may be regarded as giving valuable advice both to those who have to enforce discipline and administer chastisement1 and to those who have to endure them4 ,i4 ,counsel for parents4 ,the reasonableness and necessity of chastisement has been considered before1 but the additional thought which the other rendering of verse #ah makes prominent is1 that it must be administered from a sense of duty1 and dictated by love4 ,parents are far too apt to punish their children1 not because they have sinned against ,god1 but because they have offended them1--and when this is the case1 the anger manifested deprives the correction of its salutary effect4 ,when the rod is used1 says ,wardlaw1--and the words may be applied to any form of parental chastisement1--the end in view should be1 purely and exclusively1 the benefit of the child2 not the gratification of any resentful passion on the part of the parent4 ,should the latter be apparent to the child1 the effect is lost1 and worse than lost2 for1 instead of the sentiment of grief and melting tenderness1 there will be engendered a feeling of sullen hostility1 4 4 4 if not1 even1 of angry scorn1 towards him who has manifested selfish passion rather than parental love4 ,the parent must regard himself as ,god's representative1 and must act1 not as for himself1 but for the ,divine ,master and ,father of both parent and child4 ,if this is done1 there will be none of that provocation to wrath or discouragement against which ,paul puts ,christians on their guard 7,col4 iii4 #ba2 ,ephes4 vi4 #d71 and there will be good ground to hope that the chastisement will bring profit4 ,,ii4 ,counsel to children4 ,the reasoning here is akin to that used by the ,apostle in the twelfth of ,hebrews4 ,it is admitted by him 7verses #aa1 #ab71 that no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous1 but grievous2 nevertheless1 those who have to endure it are exhorted to accept it with submission because of the precious after-yield--they are counselled to give themselves up to the ,divine pruner and suffer ,him to work ,his will upon them now1 in consideration of the peaceable fruits of righteousness which will be the result in the days of harvest4 ,so ,solomon argues here4 ,he does not deny that counsel and instruction1 or rather discipline1 may often be unpalatable and irksome1 but he holds up the wisdom that may be gained by them as an incentive to induce the young to hear and to receive them--he reaches a hand through time1 and fetches the far-off interest of what at present seems grievous in order to give effect to his exhortations4 ,the actions of men in the present are mainly determined by the amount of consideration they give to the future4 ,there are men who live wholly in the present hour--who gratify the fancy or follow the passion of to-day without giving a thought of the needs of to-morrow1 or the penalty that they may then have to pay for their folly4 ,others look ahead a little farther--they fashion the actions of to-day with a due regard to the interests of their whole future earthly life1 but they bestow no thought upon the infinite afterward that is to succeed it4 ,the proverb counsels both the young and the old to bring this long to-morrow into the plans of to-day1 and to let the remembrance of it open the ear to the words of ,divine wisdom by whomsoever they are spoken1 and bend the will to receive the chastening of the ,lord1 whether it come in the form of parental discipline or in a sterner garb4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #ah1 #ai4 ,being in great wrath1 remit the punishment2 but if thou let him escape1 yet apply 7or add7 chastisement again4 7,so ,muffet renders verse #ai47 ,when thou are in thy mood1 or burnest with fiery anger and displeasure1 let pass for that time the correcting of thy child1 lest thou passest measure therein1 or mayest chance to give him some deadly blow4 ,nevertheless1 if for that time or for that fault thou let him go free1 yet let him not always go uncorrected2 but when thou art more calm1 according as he offereth occasion1 correct him again4--,muffet4 ,do not venom discipline by naked animosity4 ,this is the human aspect4 ,but now for the fine model of ,jehovah4 ,he does not afflict willingly 7,lam4 iii4 #cc74 ,he follows this maxim3 ,discipline thy son1 because there is now hope4 ,but ,solomon wishes plainly to declare that to kill him ,he does not lift up ,his soul4 ,he taketh no pleasure in the death of him that dieth1 but that all should turn and live 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa74 ,it is evidently these great timbers of thought that ,solomon is eyeing at the bottom of his structure4 ,he is settling them along in place4 ,secularly1 they may have but little connection2 spiritually1 they are all morticed close4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,,many ,,plans ,,working ,,to ,,one ,,end4 ,this proverb suggests-- ,i4 ,the ignorance and sinfulness of man1 the infinite knowledge and goodness of ,god4 ,man is a creature of many devices2 he is changeable in his purpose and plans because he is so ignorant concerning their issue4 ,he cannot foretel with any certainty whether the event will be according to his desire1 or1 if it should be so1 whether it will bring him satisfaction4 ,hence the purpose of to-day is not the purpose of next year--the plans of his youth are different from those of his riper years4 ,but ,god is the same in ,his purposes yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever1 because ,he can declare the end from the beginning1 and from ancient times the things that are not yet done 7,isa4 xlvi4 #aj74 ,a man's devices change in proportion as his feelings and desires vary2 and these are changeable in proportion as he lacks perfection in his moral nature4 ,but a ,being of infinite goodness is not subject to these changing moods and desires3 and ,his plans are like ,his character1 always the same4 ,,ii4 ,the attitude which men ought to take in relation to this truth4 ,it is obvious that the counsel of ,god must stand1 and that it deserves to stand before all the devices of men4 ,if1 therefore1 men would have their devices stand they must learn to square them by the counsel of ,god4 ,a child will have its own way when it has learned to conform its will to the will of its parent4 ,and if a man would have his heart's desire1 he must so delight in ,god 7,psa4 xxxvii4 #d7 that what pleases ,god pleases him also4 ,for other ,homiletics on this subject see on chap4 xvi4 #a and #i1 pp4 #dea1 #dfh4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the great collective whole of the devices of all hearts constitutes the grand complex scheme of the human race for their happiness4 ,respecting the object of every device1 ,god has ,his design4 ,there is in the world a want of coalescence between the designs of man and ,god--an estranged spirit of design on the part of man4 ,god's design is fixed and paramount4--,j4 ,foster4 ,a man of the better sort4 ,this is simply one of the names for man4 ,we do not always translate it one of the better sort4 ,but it is rarely chosen listlessly4 ,here it creates an emphasis4 ,the most imposing schemes belong to the intelligent and great4 ,the world is full of them4 ,how foolish to build them up6 ,jehovah advises a whole new behaviour for ,his creatures4 ,how mad to scheme away from it4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,poverty ,,of ,,heart ,,and ,,poverty ,,of ,,circumstances4 ,if we read the first clause of this proverb as it stands in our translation it sets forth-- ,i4 ,the true measure of a man's benevolence4 ,it is not to be measured by the amount of money that he expends upon his fellow-creatures1 but upon his desire to benefit them4 ,his desire to help them may be very strong1 and yet his circumstances may be such that he has little more than sympathy to give4 ,the heart may be full1 says ,wardlaw1 when the hand is empty4 ,and many deeds of charity that earn for men the title of benevolent are not really performed for motives of goodwill to others but from selfish and vainglorious ends4 ,if we take the reading given in the ,critical ,notes it teaches rather the truth-- ,,ii4 ,that small deeds of kindness are far preferable to large professions of it4 ,the liar of the second clause is evidently one who has it in his power largely to help others1 and whose promises are in proportion to his power4 ,but they are promises only4 ,he does not hesitate by false words to raise hopes which he never intends to fulfil1 and thus becomes like the deceitful mirage of the desert1 which1 after cheating the traveller with delusive hopes of water1 disappears1 and leaves him more despairing than before4 ,on the other hand1 the poor man is evidently one whose words never go beyond his deeds1 and whose deeds1 if not great1 are up to his ability1 and are so constantly performed and so evidently the outcome of real sympathy that they are like the little rill which follows the wayfarer all through his journey1 and1 which1 although it can give but a little water at a time1 is always at hand with that little4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,but let it be observed and remembered--the desires of a man are not his kindness1 when he has the ability to be practically kind1 and confines himself to desires4 ,no4 ,in that case1 there is the clearest of all evidence that the desire is not sincere2 mere profession1 without reality--love in word--which is only another phrase for no love at all4 ,while1 therefore1 there are cases in which we cheerfully1 according to a common phrase1 take the will for the deed1 knowing that there is a want of ability to do what the heart wishes2 there are other cases in which we demand the deed as the only proof of the will--the gift as the only evidence of the charity4--,wardlaw4 ,the imperial standard of weights and measures has been sent by the ,king into the market place of human life1 where men are busy cheating themselves and each other4 ,many of these merchantmen1 guided by a false standard1 have been all their days accustomed to call evil good and good evil4 ,when the balance is set up by royal authority1 and the proclamation issued that all transactions must be tested thereby1 swindlers are dismayed1 and honest man are glad4 ,such is the word of truth when it touches the transactions of men4 4 4 4 ,there is a most refreshing simplicity in the language of ,scripture upon these points4 ,this word speaks with authority4 ,it is not tainted with the usual adulation of riches4 ,a dishonest man is called a liar1 however high his position may be in the city4 ,and the honest poor gets his patent of nobility from the ,sovereign's hand4 ,the honest rich are fully as much interested in reform in this matter as the honest poor4 ,make this short proverb the keynote of our commercial system1 and epidemic panics will disappear4 4 4 4 ,after each catastrophe people go about shaking their heads and wringing their hands1 asking1 ,what will become of us8 ,what shall we do8 ,we venture to propose an answer to the inquiry4 ,from the ,bible first engrave on your hearts1 then translate in your lives1 and last emblazon aloft on the pediment of your trade temple this short and simple legend3 ,a poor man is better than a liar4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #bc see on chapter x4 #bd1 xiv4 #bf1 and xviii4 #aj1 pages #agi and #edb4 ,verse #bd will be treated in chap4 xxvi4 #ab-af4 ,for the subject of verses #be and #bi see chap4 xvii4 #aj1 page #eji4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bf-bi4 ,,possibilities ,,of ,,human ,,depravity4 ,i4 ,the tenderest admonitions and the most solemn warnings sometimes fail to influence for good4 ,sometimes the most loving parental care seems utterly wasted upon an ungrateful child1 and the more constant and tender the words of admonition the farther does he depart from the way in which he ought to go4 ,there is many a man so in love with sin that he may be said to devour iniquity 7verse #bh72 and when this fatal appetite has taken possession of the soul all appeals to his better nature1 and even to his own self-love1 are vain4 ,,ii4 ,when men are so hardened there is no depth of iniquity to which they may not sink4 ,he who scoffs at all threats of retribution1 both in this life and in that which is to come1 has broken through all barriers of restraint1 and will be capable of outraging all the tender ties of human relationship1 even to the extent of bringing his parents to disgrace and shame4 ,the most hardened sinners in the universe of ,god are not found in heathen lands1 or among the ignorant at home1 but they are those who1 having heard instruction1 have erred from the words of knowledge4 ,each day that they resist the good influence brought to bear upon them they increase their moral insensibility1 and their final condemnation 7verse #bi74 ,hence the admonition of verse #bg4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bf4 ,this were an admirable text for young men entering upon life and still at the expense of their parents4 ,it is a great enormity either to waste the property of their father while he is alive1 or after they have succeeded to expel the widowed mother from the premises4--,chalmers4 ,verse #bg4 ,it is so proper and natural for a son to hear instruction1 that the hearing instruction maketh to be a son4 4 4 4 ,but if thou hear instruction1 hear it not--not to be the better for it4 ,instruction speaketh to keep thee from erring3 do not thou hear it to err3 instruction putteth into thee the words of knowledge2 do not thou put them out by erring from them1 by not following them4 4 4 4 ,cease thus to hear1 but hear still4 ,for by hearing at length thine error may be corrected2 whereas1 if thou hear not1 thou dost not only err1 but deprivest thyself of the means that reduce thee from erring4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,strong drink4 ,the ,hebrew word ,shekhar includes every strong drink besides wine4 ,delitzsch translates it mead4 #b4 ,the fear of a king1 i4e41 the dread which he inspires4 ,sinneth against his soul1 or forfeits his life1 so ,delitzsch and ,miller4 #c4 ,to cease from strife4 ,rather1 to remain far from it4 #d4 ,delitzsch translates this verse1 ,at the beginning of the harvest the sluggard ploweth not1 and so when he cometh to reaping time there is nothing4 #e4 ,counsel4 ,delitzsch translates this word purpose1 and understands it to refer to a secret plan4 #f4 ,miller reads the first clause of this verse1 ,much of the mere man one calls his goodness1 i4e41 ,much that is merely human4 ,he allows1 however1 that the usual rendering conveys a very striking meaning and agrees admirably with the second clause4 ,the ,hebrew word means literally abundance of men4 ,delitzsch translates1 ,almost everyone meeteth a man who is gracious unto him2 but a man who standeth the test1 who findeth such a one8 #g4 ,this verse should be1 ,he who in his innocence walks uprightly1 blessed are his children1 etc4 #h4 ,judgment4 ,rather justice4 ,scattereth or winnoweth4 #aj4 ,divers weights4 ,literally1 a stone and a stone1 an ephah and an ephah4 #aa4 ,touching the second clause of this verse1 ,miller says1 ,it is too terse for ,english1 and we cannot translate it4 ,nor can we brook the ,english version4 ,doings are in the same category with work4 ,how can one be the test of the other8 ,the only room for a proposition is1 obviously1 for this3 ',a child is known by his doings2 and the question1 ,is he pure8 is but the question1 ,is his work right8' #ae4 ,here ,miller reads1 ,there is gold1 etc41 in the lips of knowledge4 #af4 ,a ,strange woman4 ,rather1 a stranger4 #ag4 ,a man4 ,the ,hebrew word here uses is the one which denotes a superior man4 #ah4 ,the first clause may be read1 ,establish thy purpose by counsel4 #ai4 ,him that flattereth4 ,rather1 him that openeth wide his lips1 i4e41 the babbler4 #bd4 ,man4 ,the first word1 ,geber1 denoting a superior or mighty man3 the second1 ,adam1 man in general1 or an ordinary man4 #be4 ,the first clause of this verse should be1 ,it is a snare to a man to cry out hastily 'holy1' i4e41 to vow without thought and consideration4 #bf4 ,the wheel1 i4e41 the wheel of the threshing instrument which blows away the chaff4 #cj4 ,the blueness of a wound4 ,cutting wounds 7,delitzsch71 ,wounding stripes 7,zckler74 ,miller translates the welts1 7i4e41 the tumid and purple confines of a wound7 cleanse as though an evil1 that is1 although painful and deformed1 they have a clear office1 viz41 to purge away the sore4 ,wardlaw suggests that the word1 being etymologically derived from a verb denoting to join together1 may be translated compressions1 and says1 ,the compressions of a wound are necessary for cleansing out of it the prurient and peccant humour1 which would prevent its healing2 they are1 at the same time1 in many cases exceedingly painful1 and would only be endured or inflicted from necessity4 ,and as they thus clean the wound and promote its healing1 so in a moral sense does the severity of discipline affect with salutary and cleansing influence the condition of the inner man4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,strong ,,drink4 ,taking the two words here used to stand for all intoxicating drinks1 we remark-- ,i4 ,that they are most deceptive in their operation4 ,it is most certain that there is no person who is now an abject slave to strong drink1 who would not once have indignantly repelled the insinuation that he or she would ever be a drunkard4 ,it is taken probably for a long time without any evil effects being apparent1 and the temporary stimulus is mistaken for a permanent increase of strength1 until one day the unhappy victim finds himself a subject of the most tyrannical habit that enslaves fallen humanity4 ,and strong drink may truly be said to be a mocker1 when we see how men appear to struggle to escape from its deadly fascination1 and how fruitless their efforts often are4 ,,ii4 ,that they are powerful ministers to human passions4 ,wherever strong drink enters1 every evil tendency is increased tenfold2 the angry man becomes a monster of cruelty1 and he who was before a comparatively harmless member of society1 or even a useful one1 becomes hurtful and dangerous4 ,the restraints that are all powerful to govern a man when sober are all as utterly useless when he is under the power of string drink1 as silken cords would be to keep a wild beast within bounds4 ,,iii4 ,it is utter folly to tamper with such a foe to human dignity and happiness4 ,the deceptive influence of strong drink1 and the miserable results of allowing it to gain the mastery over us1 are all around men2 none can now plead ignorance of its nature1 or of its effects1 for the world is full of homes ruined by it1 and hearts which it has broken1 and men whom it has changed into brutes4 ,experience sets her seal to ,solomon's declaration1 and brands as without wisdom those who play with such a deadly and treacherous enemy4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,solomon seldom singles out a specific vice2 and when he does1 it is often exemplary1 or to be understood of any4 ,he does single out drunkenness1 however4 ,strikingly enough the ,apostle does so 7#a ,cor4 vi4 #aj74--,miller4 ,if the fruit of his own vine sometimes chastised the unwary ,israelite with whips1 the fiery product of our distilleries chastise the nation with scorpions4 ,the little finger of strong drink in modern times is thicker than the loins of its father and representative in ,solomon's day4 ,the deceits which our enemy practises are legion2 and legion too are the unwary who are deceived thereby4 ,i shall enumerate a few of its lying devices4 #a4 ,a great quantity of precious food is destroyed in this country that strong drink may be extracted from the rubbish4 4 4 4 ,on an average of ten years1 the quantity of barley converted into malt in the ,united ,kingdom has been nearly six millions of quarters annually4 ,when you add to this the unmalted grain consumed in the distillation of spirits in ,ireland1 you have an aggregate sufficient to feed between four and five millions of people throughout the year4 4 4 4 ,what do we obtain in return8 ,a large quantity of malt liquors and distilled spirits4 ,and is the grain equivalent1 or nearly equivalent to the loss8 #b4 ,the curative and strengthening powers of our strong drinks1 which are so much vaunted1 are in reality next to nothing4 ,we speak of the ordinary use of these articles as beverages4 4 4 4 ,if they contribute at any time to the quantity of force exerted by man1 it corresponds not to the corn that you give to your horse1 but to the whipping4 ,a master who has hired you for a day1 and desires to make the most of his bargain1 may possibly find it his interest to bring more out of your bones and sinews1 by such a stimulus1 but you certainly have no interest in lashing an additional effort out of yourself to-day1 and lying in lethargy to-morrow4 4 4 4 ,liebig has a pleasant notion about balancing on the point of a pen-knife1 like a pinch of snuff1 all the nourishment that the most capacious ,german swallows with his beer in a day4 ,and it is chemistry he is giving us1 not poetry or wit4 4 4 4 #c4 ,strong drink deceives the nation1 by the vast amount of revenue that it pours into the public treasury4 ,it is a true and wise economy to tax the articles heavily for behoof of the community1 so far and as long as they are sold and used2 but it is a false and foolish economy to encourage the consumption of the article1 for the sake of the revenue it produces4 ,drink generates pauperism1 and pauperism is costly4 ,drink generates crime1 and crime is costly4 4 4 4 ,there is a huge living creature with as many limbs as a ,hindoo idol1 and these limbs intertwined with each other in equally admirable confusion4 ,the creature having life must be fed1 and being large1 must have a good deal of food for its sustenance4 ,one day1 having got rather short allowance1 it was rolling its heavy head among its many limbs1 and found something warm and fleshy4 ,being hungry1 it made an incision with its teeth1 laid its lips to the spot1 and sucked4 ,warm blood came freely2 the creature sucked its fill1 and gorged1 lay down to sleep4 ,next day1 it supplemented its short rations in the same way4 ,every day the creature drank from that opening1 and as this rich draught made up about one third of its whole sustenance1 the wonder grew1 why it was becoming weaker under the process1 day by day4 ,some one at last bethought him of turning over the animal's intermingled limbs1 and found that all this time it had been sucking its own blood6 ,the discoverer proposed to bandage the spot1 and not permit the continuance of the unnatural operation4 ,the financiers cried out1 ,a third of the animal's sustenance comes from that opening2 if you stop it1 he will die6 ,behold the wise politicians who imagine that the body politic would die of inanition1 if it were deprived of the revenue which it sucks from its own veins1 in the shape of taxes on the consumption of intoxicating drinks6--,arnot4 ,the thoughts in verses #b and #c are the same as that in chap4 xix4 #ab1 see page #ega1 and chaps4 xiv4 #bi and xvi4 #cb1 pages #chf and #dig4 ,the thought in the fourth verse is identical with that in chap4 x4 #d1 although the similitude is different1 see page #adb4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #e4 ,,deep ,,sea ,,dredging4 ,i4 ,much that is good1 or much that is bad1 may lie hidden in a man's heart without its existence being suspected by the majority of his acquaintance4 ,the word here rendered counsel may be taken in a twofold sense4 ,it may be used of knowledge1 or of great mental ability1 which is hidden either because its possessor is exceedingly modest or exceedingly reserved--either because he lacks the will or the power to make it known4 ,or it may refer to deeply-laid schemes or well-planned purposes which a man intends shall one day become facts1 but which at present exist only in his own mind4 ,and according to the nature of the counsel it may be compared to the wealth of beauty and riches which lie hidden in the depth of the ocean1 unsuspected by the majority of those who sail above1 or to the deadly torpedo which makes no ripple upon the surface of the water1 and which its victims approach without dreaming of what is concealed beneath4 ,,ii4 ,the difficulty of one man's obtaining what another wishes to conceal will depend upon the comparative wisdom of both4 ,for many ages the deep sea seemed to defy all the efforts of man to explore its depths and to find out its secrets1 but now even the ocean has to own him master in this respect1 and to submit to have its treasures brought to light4 ,there has been1 as it were1 a struggle between the sea and the man of science as to which should possess the treasures of the deep1 and the issue has depended upon the ability of the man in comparison with the depth of the ocean4 ,so there is sometimes a struggle between men--the one desiring to conceal his knowledge or his plans within his own breast1 and the other desiring to discover them4 ,the issue will depend upon the comparative mental power of the two men4 ,if both be men of understanding1 the resistance on the one side and the effort on the other will be continuous and long1 and the deep waters may prove too deep for the bucket or the dredging net4 ,but if the balance of wisdom is in favour of the seeker--if there is one spot where his line can reach--he will draw out the counsel and proclaim himself the master4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the whole emblem finely illustrates what is true of the inward light as held by the ,friends4 ,all men have light which1 if they would follow1 would lead them 7granting that they persevere7 into the light of the gospel 7,rom4 i4 #bj74 ,what better name for this than counsel8 ,alas6 it lies deep4 ,no man will follow it but by the ,spirit of ,god4 4 4 4 ,nevertheless it is there6 ,how solemn that fact at the judgment day6 ,the word is nigh 7,rom x4 #h74 ,a man of discernment1 or understanding1 i4e41 the ,christian4 4 4 4 ,only the illuminated man1 getting his light from its great fountain1 will be moved to go down into his heart1 where the counsel lies waiting and1 draw the deep waters4--,miller4 ,every question is1 as it were1 a turn of the windlass4--,plumptre4 ,he is an expert fisher4 4 4 4 ,but man can but draw them out2 ,god seeth them in the heart1 man can see no more than he draws out1 but ,god seeth all2 man draws and labours for the knowledge he getteth1 but all things are naked and open unto ,god's sight4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-ab4 ,,an ,,universal ,,challenge1 ,a ,,general ,,rule1 ,,and ,a ,,rare ,,virtue4 ,i4 ,a double challenge to all men4 ,who can say1 ,i am pure from my sin8 ,a faithful man1 who can find8 ,to the first of these questions the answer must be in the negative4 #a4 ,god answers ,no to it4 ,the testimony of ,scriptures is that in ,his sight shall no man living be justified 7,psa4 cxlii4 #b73 that all have sinned 7,rom4 iii4 #bc73 that if we say that we have no sin1 we deceive ourselves1 and the truth is not in us 7#a ,john i4 #h74 ,his ability to form a correct judgment rests upon ,his omniscience--,he hath made the hearing ear and the seeing eye 7verse #ab71 and shall ,he not hear and see and know the thoughts of man8 7,psa4 xciv4 #i1 #aj74 ,he is the ideal ,king who winnows the actions of man4 ,see ,miller's note on ver4 #h 7,matt4 iii4 #ab74 #b4 ,man's experience answers ,no to it4 ,even a child is known by its doings 7verse #aa72 the actions are like the hands of a clock1 which tell to those who look upon them whether all the wheels within are in perfect working order4 ,when we mark at all observantly the actions of even the best of men1 we shall be most likely to detect here and there a flaw in their characters--some inconsistencies which tell of moral imperfection--but if not1 man need only to look within with some degree of impartiality to be convinced that his own heart condemns him 7#a ,john iii4 #bj74 ,but to the second challenge we need not give an universal negative4 ,faithful men are rare1 but they can be found4 ,even ,solomon could point to the just man who walked in his integrity1 leaving a blessing behind him4 ,his father ,david1 although he was far from being free from sin1 yea1 although he sinned deeply and terribly1 and yet was a man who could appeal to ,god to witness to his integrity 7,psa4 vii4 #h7--to the general intent and purpose of his life being toward ,god and goodness--to his being in the main faithful to his convictions of the right and true4 7,on this subject see on chap4 xi4 #c1 page #aif47 ,and although faithful men are still rare enough to need search1 they are more common than they were in ,solomon's days4 ,there are many men scattered throughout the world who put duty before worldly interests1 and ,god's glory before their own1 and are thus earning for themselves the well-done of the faithful though not the perfect servant 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba74 ,for it is certain that if a man is faithful to himself--if he subjects his own moral condition to that scrutiny which must convince him of his own impurity before a heart-searching and ,holy ,god1 and accepts ,his method of being cleansed from guilt--he will be faithful both to ,god and man4 ,to thine own self be true3 ,and it must follow as the night the day2 ,thou canst not then be false to any man4 ,,ii4 ,a general rule4 ,another proposition here laid down is1 that although absolutely pure men are not to be found1 and although faithful men are rare1 yet most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness 7verse #f74 ,there is a natural tendency in men to shrink from a very close inspection of their own motives1 and desires1 and feelings--they look anywhere rather than within1 and consequently1 very few have any conception of their own depravity4 ,they have never measured even their actions1 much less their thoughts1 by the requirements of ,god's law1 and consequently1 while ,he pronounces them wretched1 and miserable1 and poor they are saying1 ,i am rich1 and increased with goods1 and have need of nothing 7,rev4 iii4 #ag1 #ah74 ,most men are thanking ,god that they are not as other men are when they ought to be smiting their breasts and saying1 ,god be merciful to me1 a sinner 7,luke xviii4 #ac74 ,it is this wide-spread self-deception concerning their real condition that renders men so indifferent to ,god's method for restoring them1 and thus keeps the world in its present state of soul-sickness and death4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #aj1 see on chap4 xi4 #a4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this faithfulness1 where it exists1 develops itself in two branches2 the one suppressing our neighbour's vanity1 and the other our own4 ,the last mentioned is first in order of nature and in relative importance the chief4 ,true faithfulness1 like charity1 begins at home4 4 4 4 ,faithful reproof of another's foibles is a virtue which some can exercise without an effort4 ,they deal a hearty blow on the head of a luckless brother egotist who stands in the way of their own advancement1 and then expect to be praised for faithfulness4 ,but it is ,jehu's driving4 ,the zeal which impels it is not pure4--,arnot4 ,the meaning is 7see ,critical ,notes for ,miller's rendering7 that a man is apt to call mere animal traits1 like amiableness1 or good nature1 by the name of goodness2 and the caution is1 that seeking deep for piety 7ver4 #e71 we should be careful to take up with no such stupid counterfeit4 ,much of the mere flesh to borrow a ,new ,testament expression1 is kind and honest4 ,there is much of the mere man's native morality4 ,we must take care not to take that for goodness4 ,there is a certain true fidelity that embraces everything4 ,that is religion4 ,it embraces ,god4 ,it embraces spiritual faithfulness4 ,it may be easily counterfeited4 ,it has been the snare of our race to take what is of the mere man1 and confound it with it4--,miller4 ,a faithful man--as a parent--a reprover--an adviser--one without guile--who can find8 7,mic4 vii4 #a1 #b74 ,look close4 ,view thyself in the glass of the ,word 7,psa4 ci4 #f74 ,does thy neighbour1 or thy friend1 find thee faithful to him8 ,what does our daily intercourse witness8 ,is not the attempt to speak what is agreeable often made at the expense of truth8 ,are not professions of regard sometimes utterly inconsistent with our real feelings8 ,in common life1 where gross violations are restrained1 a thousand petty offences are allowed1 that break down the wall between sin and duty1 and1 judged by the ,divine standard1 are indeed guilty steps upon forbidden ground4--,bridges4 ,but the manner in which men make known what they account their goodness is very various4 ,some are open with it4 ,they almost literally proclaim it upon the housetops4 ,to every individual1 and in every company1 they speak of it--of what they are1 of what they have said1 of what they have done1 of what they think1 and of what they wish and intend to do4 ,and ,o6 if they had but the means what would they not accomplish6 ,some there are who are quite as vain1 and as ambitious of commendation and praise--who1 knowing that everything of the nature of ostentation is exceedingly unpopular1 and lets a man down1 and tempts others to pluck his feathers from him--set about their object with greater art4 ,they devise ways of getting their merits made known so as to avoid the flaw of ostentatious self-display4 ,in company1 they commend others for the qualities which they conceive themselves specially to possess1 or for the doing of deeds which they themselves are sufficiently well known to have done2 and they turn the conversation dexterously that way2 or they find fault with others for the want of the good they are desirous to get praise for2 or they lament over their own deficiencies and failures in the very points in which they conceive their excellence to lie--to give others the opportunity of contradicting them2 or1 if they have done anything they deem particularly generous and praise-worthy1 they introduce some similar case1 and bring in1 in as apparently accidental and unintentional a way as possible1 the situation of the person or the family that has been the object of their bounty4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #g4 ,many are the several walks of men in this world--one walketh in his pleasure1 as it were in the walks of a garden2 another walketh in his profit1 and he walketh as it were up and down the exchange2 another walketh in troubles1 and he walketh as it were in a wood2 another walketh in his poverty1 and he walketh as it were in a desert2 another walketh in his beastly lusts of drunkenness and uncleanness1 and he walks as it were in mire and dirt2 the just man walketh in his integrity1 and he walketh as it were in the holy temple4--,jermin4 ,verse #h4 ,we must be very careful1 then1 how we do our sifting4 ,god's is perfectly complete4 4 4 4 ,he winnows us at a glance4 ,it is important1 therefore1 that we have something more than evil1 because all that ,he shall winnow bodily away4--,miller4 ,verse #i4 ,behold here the king sitting upon the throne of ,his judgment1 whereof the former verse speaketh6 ,who can say it1 and so be untrue in saying it8 ,who shall say it1 and be so impudent as to say it8 ,for to make clean the heart is ,his work who hath made the heart1 thou who hast made it unclean canst not make it clean4--,jermin4 ,this proverb is especially noteworthy because1 in contrast with the style of conception which is elsewhere predominant in the ,proverbs1 according to which the imperfection of all human piety is but slightly emphasized1 and he who is relatively pious is allowed to pass as righteous1 it gives expression to the unsatisfying nature of all moral endeavours1 as never conducting to the full extirpation of all sense of guilt1 and a perfect feeling of peace with ,god2 it accordingly suggests the need of a higher revelation in which the sense of guilt and of an ever-imperfect fulfilment of duty shall finally be overcome4--,elster1 in ,lange's ,commentary4 ,verse #aj4 ,originally1 as in xi4 #a1 of dishonesty in actual trade1 but here perhaps as a companion to verse #i1 with a wider application to all inequality of judgment1 to all judging one man by rules which we do not apply to ourselves or to another4--,plumptre4 ,that whereby thou takest from others shall add unto the weight of thine own punishment2 that whereby thou addest in measuring for thyself shall make ,god to take away from the measure of ,his mercy towards thee4--,jermin4 ,verse #aa4 ,there is no tree that in growing doth not bend rather to the one side or the other2 there is no river which1 although it have many windings and turnings1 yet in the course of it doth not rather turn one way than another2 and so it is in the life of man1 even from the childhood of man's life4 ,do not judge1 therefore1 of any man by one work or two1 so thou mayest wrong him and deceive thyself4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #ac see on chap4 vi4 #aj1 #aa1 page #gi4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,bargaining4 ,this proverb refers-- ,i4 ,to a world-wide manifestation of human selfishness4 ,a custom that was prevalent in the days of ,solomon1 many centuries ago1 and amid circumstances which differed widely from those by which we are surrounded1 has held its place among men until the present day1 and will doubtless continue to do so until the teachings and the spirit of ,christianity rule the world4 ,it prevails in modern ,england quite as extensively as it did in ancient ,judea2 and whether the buyer be a millionaire bargaining for an estate1 or a costermonger for the worth of a shilling1 he is often found knowingly1 and therefore criminally1 depreciating the value of the commodity4 ,it is a trait of fallen humanity which makes the whole world kin4 ,,ii4 ,to a pitiful ground of boasting4 ,although it does need some skill and experience to tell the real value of an article1 it requires none to pronounce it good for nothing4 ,only a man with some knowledge and judgment can put a fair price upon it1 but any fool can say1 ,it is naught1 it is naught4 ,and if by knowingly depreciating the purchase the buyer robs the seller1 he has but a very poor transaction to boast of4 ,he has wronged another1 it is true1 but he has far more grievously wronged himself1 for if his neighbour is the poorer by a few pence or pounds he is the poorer by so much injury done to his own conscience1 and by so much loss of the confidence of his fellow men4 ,he who makes a boast of such a matter must1 indeed1 have few grounds for boasting4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this victorious boasting is not like other boasting4 ,for that delighteth to do it in the face of the conquered2 but this1 as justly ashamed of itself1 is made when they are gone one from the other4 ,but to make a moral application of the words1 as it is in buying commodities1 so it is in the getting of wisdom and godliness2 while a man labours for the obtaining of it1 the trouble of his pains maketh him not to think so well of it1 but having made it his own1 then he praiseth the worth and excellency of it4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on ,verse #ae see on chap4 iii4 #ad1 #ae2 viii4 #aa2 xii4 #ad2 xviii4 #bj1 #ba2 pages #ci1 #ajg1 #bge1 and #eee4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,necessary ,,security4 ,i4 ,an untrustworthy creditor4 ,a man who under ordinary circumstances makes himself a surety for one who is a stranger to him1 is chargeable with great folly1 and the act may be a criminal one4 ,he is very foolish if he pledges himself up to his ability of redeeming his pledge1 and he is dishonest if he goes beyond it4 ,the warning of the proverb is directed against entering into business relations with a man who has so slight a sense of his own responsibility as to become surety for a stranger4 ,it may be regarded as a certainty that a man who will enter into such an engagement without reflection and caution is not to be depended on--does not measure his actions in this particular by a very high standard of morality4 ,he may be a man of generous impulses and good intentions1 but he lacks that substratum of high principle which makes a safe creditor4 ,,ii4 ,an extreme security4 ,the necessity of exacting security before credit1 discloses the existence of immorality in the world4 ,in a family where every brother is known to the other1 and where the interests of each are the interests of all1 there is no need to take a pledge for the performance of any promise1 or the payment of any debt4 ,but in the imperfect state of society in which we find ourselves1 security before credit is necessary when we enter into business transactions with our fellow men1 for the world is not yet ruled by the ,divine precept1 ,love thy neighbour as thyself--7,matt4 xix4 #ai74 ,and the security may be regulated by the reliability of him whom we trust4 ,solomon here regards him who becomes surety for a stranger1 as so unlikely to be faithful to his own liabilities1 that those who trust him may exact from him even that pledge which was the last allowed in the ,mosaic law1 and which could not be retained beyond the day 7,exodus xxii4 #bf1 #bg74 ,the injunction is probably to be regarded rather as advice against trusting such a man at all4 7,on the subject of suretyship1 see ,comments on chap4 vi4 #a1 page #gf47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the moral is that securityships are so unsafe that we may treat the man as one already ruined4 ,but in the spiritual world it means 7chap4 vi47 that a man who holds fast sloth 7chap4 v4 #ac71 holds fast a bond of eternal vengeance2 that he renews it by his wilful act 7xvii4 #ah72 that it is a bond to a friend 7chap4 vi4 #a71 but that friend forced ex lege to collect it2 that if now at this late day he holds it on1 stand clear from him6 ,he will certainly be lost4 ,take his garment1 that is1 use the last resort1 as against the most hopeless bondsman4--,miller4 ,his garment is not so near unto him as thou art unto thyself2 this is not more needful to keep him warm than it is to keep thee safe4 ,and seeing that he1 by his folly1 hath made himself naked of understanding1 it is not thou but himself that maketh him naked of his garment4 ,seeing he is content to give himself a pledge for a stranger1 it is less than thou doest in taking his garment as a pledge of him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,bad ,,bread4 ,i4 ,some gratification is to be obtained from dishonest gain4 ,many a swindler gets not only bread by swindling1 but many other things1 which not only minister to his senses1 but gratify mental appetites not in themselves unlawful4 ,and he finds pleasure in the fruit of his dishonesty--in1 it may be1 his well-furnished table1 his luxurious mansion1 his social position4 ,it is not the highest and the purest pleasure1 but there is a sweetness in it1 or men would not grasp so eagerly the bread of deceit4 ,,ii4 ,a time will come when it will not only cease to give pleasure1 but will bring misery4 ,the dishonest man will find that1 after all1 his gains are not bread for his higher nature--that his soul is still unsatisfied1 and crying out for sustenance--and1 more than this1 that his conscience demands satisfaction for the wrong-doing of the past--and even if he is permitted to keep possession of his ill-gotten wealth1 it is not only what chaff without the grain1 or the husk without the kernel1 is to the starving man1 but as the very sand of the desert or the dust of the highway in the mouth1 tormenting as well as unsatisfying4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,everything gotten wrongfully is here implied4 ,bitter was ,achan's sweet1 deceitfully hid in the tent1 which brought ruin upon himself and his family 7,josh4 vii4 #ba-bd74 ,look at ,gehazi4 ,what profit had he from his talents of silver and changes of garments8 ,bitter indeed was the bread of deceit to him 7#b ,kings v4 #bj-bg74 ,look even at ,jacob1 a true servant of ,god2 and yet chastened heavily almost to the end of his days with the bitter fruits of deceit 7,gen4 xxvii42 xli4 #cf-ch74--;,bridges4 ,men must not think to dine with the devil1 and then to sup with ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob in the kingdom of heaven4--,trapp4 ,it is crusted without1 as if it were bread2 but within1 contrary to bread1 is not soft4 ,the deceived1 tasting it with the tongue of his hope and presuming confidence1 findeth nothing which is not grateful unto him3 the deceiver tasting it with the tongue of present profit findeth it most luscious unto him4 ,but when the deceiver1 having it in his mouth1 pierceth it with the teeth of his trial1 then so gravel breaketh the teeth so it breaketh his heart2 and when the deceiver comes to feed upon it he findeth there is no juice of true profit4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,thought ,,before ,,action4 ,i4 ,the permanent success of an undertaking is generally in proportion to the thought bestowed upon it beforehand4 ,it is an act of extreme folly to commit ourselves to any course1 or to undertake any task without first weighing all the probable consequences1 and providing against the most likely contingencies4 ,such a wise forethought by no means excludes entire dependence upon ,god1 for while it is most true that ,man's goings are of the ,lord1 and a man cannot understand his own way 7ver4 #bd71 both common sense and the ,word of ,god plainly teach that man must use the powers of forethought with which he has been endowed1 or he must be content to see his purposes frustrated and his plans miscarry4 ,if he desires his purposes to be established1 in other words--what he does to have a lasting result in the direction desired--he must sit down first and count the cost 7,luke xiv4 #bh1 #ca74 ,,ii4 ,it is advisable to call in the wisdom of others to help us in our deliberations4 ,since one man is rarely1 if ever1 able to look at a matter from every point of view1 his plans are most likely to be wisely laid1 and his purposes most likely to succeed1 if he looks at them with the eyes of other men as well as with his own4 ,they may discern a weak spot where he saw nothing to fear1 or a point of vantage which had escaped his notice entirely4 ,or they may see good reasons for dissuading him altogether from the undertaking1 or may make him so much the stronger for the task by encouragement and counsel4 ,it is not generally those who are most able to act alone who lightly esteem the advice of others--these men who are the most successful in that to which they put their hand are not as a rule given to undervalue the wisdom of other people4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the greatest trust between man and man is the trust of giving counsel4 4 4 4 ,things will have their first or second agitation2 if they be not tossed upon by the waves of counsel1 they will be tossed upon the waves of fortune1 and be full of inconstancy1 doing and undoing1 like the reeling of a drunken man4--,lord ,bacon4 ,ponder ,bishop ,hall's description of the spiritual war4 ,it admits of no intermission4 ,it knows no night1 no winter4 ,it abides no peace1 no truce4 ,it calls us not into garrison1 where we may have ease and respite1 but into pitched fields continually4 ,we see our enemies in the face always1 and are always seen and assaulted2 ever resisting1 ever defending1 receiving and returning blows4 ,if either we be negligent or weary1 we die4 ,what other hope is there1 while one fights and the other stands still8 ,we can never have safety and peace but in victory4 ,then must our resistance be courageous and constant1 when both yielding is death1 and all treaties of peace mortal4 ,does not this war bring the greatest need of deliberate counsel1 carefully counting the cost 7,luke xiv4 #ca1 #cb72 cleaving to our ,all-wise ,counsellor 7,isa4 ix4 #f7 and ,almighty ,helper8--,bridges4 ,among the ,romans1 though a man were never so strong1 never so valiant1 yet1 if he wanted wisdom and counsel1 he was said to be miles sine oculis1 a soldier without his eyes4--,jermin4 ,see ,critical ,notes for the correct rendering of the second clause of verse #ai1 and for ,homiletics see on chap4 x4 #ai and xi4 #ac1 pages #afh and #baa4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bj4 ,,an ,,unnatural ,,child ,,and ,a ,,natural ,,law4 ,i4 ,an unnatural child4 ,the ungrateful son or daughter of good parents is an unnatural being4 ,if experience did not contradict1 we should say that even fallen human creatures must return love for love1 and could not help feeling gratitude to those who have denied themselves for their good4 ,and if there is no love so strong and so unselfish as that which a parent feels toward a child1 it does seem almost impossible that any child can be unresponsive to it4 ,but if to remain untouched by it is unnatural1 how much more so is it to attain to the height of wickedness upon which the text passes judgment4 ,we must suppose that the proverb refers to fathers and mothers who are1 to some extent1 what they ought to be--who do in some measure reflect upon their offspring the tenderness of the ,great and ,divine ,father--and then we can conceive of no more unnatural being than he who curseth his father or his mother4 ,every natural instinct tends in the opposite direction4 ,,ii4 ,a natural law4 ,it does not need any special ,divine interposition to blight and ruin such a man4 ,the most powerful and blessed human influences are those which flow from the home-life1 and from the emotions which ought to be kindled by the relationship of a child to its parent4 ,but if these holiest influences are resisted and these emotions are stifled1 moral darkness must overshadow the life1 and it will continue to deepen while the hardness of heart continues4 ,it is well known that even the remembrance of parental love after long years of insensibility to it is often the first step back into the light of righteousness and hope1 and that many who have sunk very low in crime could trace their present condition to the unnatural sin of hardening their hearts against parental love4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this cursing1 according to our ,lord's standard1 includes setting light by father or mother2 wilful disobedience--a fearful1 palpable mark of the last days4 ,how ,god regards it1 let his own curse on ,mount ,ebal 7,deut4 xxvii4 #af71 and his judgment of temporal death1 testify4 ,the present degradation of ,africa is a witness1 on the confirming page of history1 of the frown upon an undutiful son 7,gen4 ix4 #bb-be7--;his lamp put out in darkness4--,bridges4 ,it must needs be an obscure darkness that is fallen upon that soul1 in whom the light of nature is so far extinguished as that he curseth them from whom he had the blessing of being4 ,it must needs be a smoky breath that shall reproach him who was the breath of his nostrils4 ,and what can he expect but that his lamp shall be put out in darkness4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics of verse #ba1 see on chap4 xiii4 #aa1 page #cjf2 also on chap4 xxi4 #e1 #g1 #ag1 page #fji4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,,the ,,recompenser ,,of ,,evil4 ,i4 ,the man who has been wronged is disqualified to punish the offender4 ,a sense of pain and suffering is not helpful to a man's judgment4 ,he sees neither things nor persons in the light in which he would see them under happier conditions1 and would not be likely to deal impartially with the offender4 ,hence1 both the ,bible and wise human governments--while freely allowing that he who injures another ought not to go unpunished--forbids men from undertaking the punishment themselves4 ,every human creature labours under another disqualification also4 ,he is himself a law-breaker in a greater or less degree1 and is not himself guiltless in thought and word1 and perhaps in deed1 of wrong towards his neighbour4 ,the best of men cannot claim to be guiltless in this matter1 and the majority are great offenders in one form or another4 ,therefore on this account also it is not meet for men to avenge their personal wrongs4 ,,ii4 ,the most effectual way to rid one's self of the desire for revenge4 ,we do not understand this proverb to forbid the bringing of men who have wronged us to the bar of human justice1 for this may be a duty which we owe to society4 ,it would be criminal in most cases not to apprehend one who had robbed us if it lay in our power to do so1 for by letting him go free we should be exposing other innocent men to danger4 ,but there are many cases in which men are greatly wronged in ways which do not come within the cognisance of human law1 and when no benefit to anyone would arise from their punishment by any human instrumentality4 ,in such cases1 the sure remedy for any vindictive feelings in our own breasts is to lay the matter before ,him whose judgment must be impartial1 and who will render to every man according to his works4 ,waiting upon the ,lord1 too1 will remind us so forcibly of our own shortcomings and wrongdoings that we shall be more ready to forget those of our brother4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is to be observed that it is not said1 ,wait on the ,lord and ,he will avenge thee1 but1 ,he will save thee4 ,by this kind of speech1 the ,holy ,ghost would warn every one that is injured1 not to think of the revenge or hurt of his adversary1 but of his own defence and salvation4--,muffet4 ,the question is clearly this3 ,is your safety and protection best lodged in ,god's hand or your own8 ,by indulging your revengeful spirit1 you do yourself a greater hurt than your greatest enemy can do you1 for you gratify his ill-nature1 when you suffer it to make a deep impression on your spirit1 without which it could do you little or no hurt2 but by committing your cause to ,god1 you turn his ill will to your great advantage1 making it an occasion for the exercise of the noblest graces1 which are attended with the sweetest fruits1 and with the rich blessing of ,god4--,lawson4 ,while ,moses is dumb1 ,god speaks2 deaf1 ,god sees and stirs4 ,make ,god your chancellor1 in case no law will relieve1 and you shall do yourself no disservice4 ,if compelled to go a mile1 rather than revenge1 go two1 yea1 as far as the gospel of peace will carry you1 and ,god will bring you back with everlasting joy 7,isa4 xxxv4 #aj74 ,this is the way to be even with him1 that wrongs you1 nay1 to be above him4--,trapp4 ,so far should the desire of revenge be from man's heart1 so far the execution of revenge be from man's hand1 that his tongue should not say it4 ,shall any say1 ,i will revenge1 when ,god says1 revenge is mine4 ,neither let any say1 ,i will revenge because ,i have been wronged4 ,for1 as ,tertullian says1 what difference is there between being the provoker and the provoked2 but that he is first found in wickedness1 and the other afterward8 ,do not therefore provoke ,god to anger1 by seeking revenge in thy anger4 ,let ,god have his right4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bc1 see on chap4 xi4 #a1 page #aij4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,god ,,over ,,all4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes will show that in this verse there is an argument from the greater to the less1 for the first clause contains an affirmation of a truth1 and the second an argument drawn therefrom4 ,i4 ,the truth affirmed1 viz4--,that the actions of the most mighty men1 and the purposes of the wisest1 are directly and absolutely under the control of ,god4 ,this is self-evident if we admit that ,god is an ,eternal1 ,omniscient1 and ,almighty ,being1 who concerns ,himself with the government of the world4 ,having existed throughout the ,eternal past and possessing absolute knowledge of the ,eternal future1 and being the ,author of every man's being--determining the date of his entrance into the world and the period of his continuance in it1 and during all that time encompassing his path and his lying down1 and even understanding his thought afar off 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #b1 #c7--;how can even the mightiest of men boast of his independence of ,god and foretell what shall be the issue of his most sagacious counsels1 or be confident that he shall be allowed to carry out even the most matured of his purposes4 ,while he is perfectly conscious of his power to will and to do within limits1 he must be also conscious that his ability to do both are dependent upon the will of ,him in whom we all live and move and have our being4 ,,ii4 ,the inference drawn4 ,if ,god is thus above and behind the goings of the mighty of the earth1 it is man's wisdom to trust the mysteries of the present and the contingencies of the future into ,his hands4 ,every night throughout the year travellers from one part of our island to the other commit their bodily life unreservedly into the hands of one or two of their fellow-creatures4 ,they are either impelled by inclination1 or compelled by necessity1 to undertake a certain journey1 and to do this they must take their places in a railway train1 and for a time surrender their power to take care of their own lives into the hands of others4 ,darkness is all around them as they travel on1 and darkness is before them--they cannot discern the road by which they are travelling1 or be absolutely certain that they will reach the place which they desire4 ,yet their confidence in the skill and fidelity of a few of their fellow-creatures is strong enough to make them generally at ease4 ,each human life resembles such a journey4 ,the path from the cradle to the grave must be traversed1 but insoluble mysteries lie all around1 and the future is entirely hidden from view4 ,there is but ,one who knoweth the way that we take1 to whom both past1 and present1 and future are alike visible and comprehensible4 ,his infinite wisdom and love ought to make us willing to leave ,him to direct our paths1 while a sense of our individual responsibility ought to keep us from presumptuous rashness on the one hand1 and from indolent inertness on the other4 ,the truth set forth in this proverb ought to be set beside that in verse #ah4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as the first clause attributes to the ,lord exclusively the ordering of great men's goings1 in order to attain success1 so the second attributes to ,him the prescient understanding of men's course4 ,god directs natural actions by ,his ordinary providence1 spiritual actions by ,his special providence1 which foreordains from eternity1 awakens the sinner1 removes obstacles1 suggests that state of life wherein ,he sees that the man will not fall away1 but attain to glory4 ,however a man may understand his life with respect to its beginning and aim1 yet he understands not the best means in doubtful cases1 nor can he ensure the issue4--,fausset4 ,little did ,israel understand the reason of their circuitous way to ,canaan4 ,yet did it prove in the end to be the right way4 ,as little did ,ahasuerus understand the profound reason why on that night could not the king sleep2 a minute incident1 seemingly scarcely worthy to be recorded1 yet a necessary link in the chain of the ,lord's everlasting purposes of grace to ,his ,church 7,esth4 vi4 #a74 ,little did ,philip understand his own way when he was moved from the wide sphere of preaching the ,gospel in ,samaria to go into the desert1 which ultimately proved a wider extension of the ,gospel4 ,as little did the great ,apostle understand that his prosperous journey to see his beloved flock at ,rome would be a narrow escape from shipwreck1 and to be conducted a prisoner in chains4 ,little do we know what we pray for4 ,by terrible things wilt ,thou answer us in righteousness1 ,o ,god of our salvation 7,ps4 lxv4 #e74 ,we go out in the morning not understanding our way2 not knowing what an hour may bring forth 7chap4 xxvii4 #a74 ,some turn connected with our happiness or misery for life meets us before night 7,john iv4 #g74 ,joseph1 in taking his walk to search for his brethren1 never anticipated a more than twenty years' separation from his father 7,gen4 xxxvii4 #ad74 ,and what ought those cross ways or dark ways to teach us8 ,not constant1 trembling anxiety1 but daily dependence4 ,i will bring the blind by a way that they know not3 ,i will lead them in paths that they have not known4 ,but shall they be left in the dark perplexity8 ,i will make darkness light before them1 and crooked things straight4 ,these things will ,i do unto them1 and not forsake them 7,isa4 xlii4 #af74--;,bridges4 ,the cross ways that thwart man's goings are of ,god's laying out1 the short ways which some make are of ,his finding out1 the long ways that some go about are of ,his leading4 4 4 4 ,he doth but tumble down the hill of his own audacious rashness that thinketh to climb up unto ,god's way4 ,what ,god hath revealed of ,himself in moderating man's ways is true wisdom to observe1 and happy is he who maketh use of it4 ,but as ignorance here is an idle carelessness1 so knowledge there is a prying boldness4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,for the correct rendering of this verse see ,critical ,notes4 ,,religious ,,vows4 ,i4 ,a man is under no obligation to vow4 ,while the ,scriptures contain many references to vows1 whereby certain persons consecrated themselves or their property to ,god and give laws concerning their fulfilment 7,num4 xxx471 there is no command which requires men to enter into such a solemn engagement4 ,the text refers solely to religious vows--to an act of special consecration to ,god1 such as that of ,jacob at ,bethel when he dedicated the tenth of all his gains to the service of ,jehovah 7,gen4 xxviii4 #bb71 or that of ,hannah when she promised that1 if ,god would give her a man-child1 she would give him unto the ,lord all the days of his life 7#a ,sam4 i4 #aa74 ,it is obvious that such special acknowledgements of particular and exceptional blessings must be pleasing to ,god1 but ,he lays upon men no obligation to render them1 seeing that their value consists in their being spontaneous--the overflow of a grateful heart1 or the result of a deep conviction of the claims of ,god1 or of the need of ,divine help in extraordinary circumstances4 ,,ii4 ,a man is bound by the most solemn considerations not to vow thoughtlessly4 ,as an intelligent and moral being he is bound to enter upon no course and to make no engagement without first inquiring whether the motive which prompts him at the outset is strong enough to carry him to the end4 ,it is a snare and a sin to promise to a fellow-man and afterwards1 in the words of the proverb1 to make inquiry1 i4e41 to ask ourselves whether we are prepared to abide by our promise4 ,the inquiry must even in such a case be made beforehand1 or we must be branded with unfaithfulness to our plighted word4 7,these remarks of course do not apply to vows and promises which are in themselves sinful or unlawful4 ,the proverb does not deal with such47 ,if1 then1 a man is bound to consider well before he promises to man1 how much more so before he vows to ,god6 ,what must be the harm done to conscience and to character1 and how great the insult offered to the ,divine ,majesty1 when vows are made and obligations entered into1 and afterwards he who thus bound himself finds that he is not morally prepared for the sacrifice4 ,to such an one we might say1 as ,peter said to ,ananias--,whiles it remained1 was it not thine own8 4 4 4 ,thou hast not lied unto men1 but unto ,god 7,acts v4 #d1 #e74 ,better it is that thou shouldst not vow1 says the ,preacher1 than that thou shouldest vow and not pay 7,eccles4 v4 #e74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is questionable whether vows1 properly so called1 are consistent with the genius of the ,new ,testament dispensation4 ,at any rate1 of such vows as were common under the ,old1 we have no recorded examples under the ,new4 ,resolutions to serve ,god we may1 nay we must make2 there is no getting on in the ,divine life and in the zealous promotion of the ,divine glory1 without them4 ,but the binding of the soul by particular bonds and oaths1 whether verbal or written--obligations superinduced upon those of the ,divine law--have been a snare to many4 ,weak minds have often felt the obligation of their vow more stringent than that of the ,divine authority4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bf and #bh4 ,,pillars ,,of ,,government4 ,i4 ,a human ruler will have rebellious subjects in his kingdom4 ,this will be the case however wise the laws1 and with whatever care and discrimination they are administered4 ,in the most cultivated and carefully kept ground some weeds are always found among the flowers--some tares among the wheat2 and since the ,king who can do no wrong numbers among his subjects those who are lawless and disobedient1 the best and wisest of human rulers must expect to do the same4 ,,ii4 ,it is the duty and wisdom of a human ruler to make a distinction between his good and bad subjects1 and to punish the latter4 ,even if the wheel mentioned in the proverb be regarded as simply an instrument of separation1 as the threshing instrument separates the chaff from the wheat1 the idea of punishment is retained4 ,in a well-governed kingdom the laws which govern it are such a separating power between the evil and the good1 so far as external conduct is concerned1 and it is indispensable for the stability of peace and order that they should be strictly enforced4 ,it would be most unjust1 as well as unwise--it would be tempting men to transgression--if the lawless citizens in a community were allowed to go unpunished2 and it is contrary to our innate sense of justice that in any kingdom the righteous should be as the wicked 7,gen4 xviii4 #be7--that the thief should have all the privileges of an honest man1 and the murderer the liberty of an innocent person4 ,the punishment of transgressors not only defends the good man1 but it may prevent the bad man from increasing his guilt by adding crime to crime4 ,the king of ,solomon's proverbs is a typical word for all who are called upon to rule1 whether in the family or the ,state1 and the very word ruler1 or governor1 implies a discrimination between the evil and the good and a difference in their treatment4 ,,iii4 ,the preservation of the throne depends more upon moral than upon physical power4 ,we take the word throne in the widest sense as signifying any place or position which raises one man to be in any sense the ruler of another1 from the throne of the father in his family and the master among his servants1 to that of the king amidst his subjects4 ,in each and every one of the kingdoms1 although external and physical coercion and punishment are sometimes indispensable1 yet there is no permanent stability unless there is mercy and truth in the ruler1 and unless it is manifest in his government4 ,many a throne has been erected on other foundations1--physical strength has established many kingdoms1 and material wealth has set many men upon thrones4 ,but if they have raised a superstructure its foundation has been in the sand1 and when the rain and wind of adversity have descended upon it it has fallen1 and great has been the fall of it4 ,there must be some truth and mercy--some righteousness and justice1 and withal some exercise of grace towards the wrongdoer--if the throne or the kingdom is to be upholden1 and the wisdom of the ruler will be shown in his so mingling sternness with severity as to make both contribute to one end4 ,truth must here be taken as synonymous with righteousness--as that observance of the just claims of every man which he has a right to expect and demand from those who rule him4 ,this will include that punishment of the lawless which is the subject of verse #bf1 but is here implied that even punishment is to be tempered with mercy4 ,pity for the offender ought always to be mingled with indignation at the offence1 and if any ruler desires to sit firmly upon his seat of justice he must consider not only the greatness of the crime but the strength of the temptation--not how severely he can punish the criminal but whether he can reform him4 ,and this is rarely if ever done by the exercise of justice merely4 ,the frost and cold are necessary to kill the weeds and vermin and to break up the soil1 but there will never be flowers or fruit without summer rain and sunshine4 ,and mercy is that gentle rain from heaven without which no sinful creature will ever bring forth fruits of righteousness4 ,,illustration4 ,the necessity of mingling mercy with justice is strikingly exemplified in the great success which attended the efforts of the late ,captain ,maconochie to benefit the convicts in our penal settlement in ,norfolk ,island4 ,having1 in his capacity as ,secretary to the ,governor of ,tasmania1 seen most terrible and hardening effects from unmixed severity1 he desired earnestly to try what could be done by combining mercy with discipline and punishment4 ,for this purpose he was placed in command of ,norfolk ,island1 and remained there four years1 having under his care from #aejj to #bjjj doubly-convicted prisoners1 i4e41 convicts who1 after being transported from ,england to ,new ,south ,wales1 had been for other crimes again transported to ,norfolk ,island4 ,previous to his arrival they worked in chains1 and it was considered dangerous for even armed officers to approach within three yards of them4 ,it was considered unsafe to trust them with knives1 and they therefore tore their food with their hands and teeth4 ,they were accustomed to inflict dreadful injuries upon themselves in order to evade labour1 and were described at the time as a demoniacal assemblage4 ,but under more humane treatment the entire colony became changed1 and one of his colleagues testifies that he and another superintendent resided at one of the settlements in a cottage without lock and key1 with simply a latch to the door1 and close to the convict barracks1 where over #bjjj were lodged every night1 also without locks4 ,not a single serious offence1 says he1 was ever committed in that time by any of those men1 and the only bodyguard was another free superintendent and myself1 together with a few trustworthy men selected from among themselves4 ,this gentleman 7,mr4 ,j4 ,simms1 since ,governor of ,plymouth ,prison7 goes on to say1 ,i shall ever remember this year as the most remarkable of all my prison experience1 because it 4 4 4 was a fair result of what might be realised from any body of men generally1 thus treated1 not by force1 iron force1 but by moral means4 ,one remarkable example is given4 ,at ,sydney there had been a most desperate and unmanageable convict1 named ,anderson4 ,he was flogged time after time for various offences1 but to no good effect4 ,he became more outrageous than ever4 ,at last1 the authorities1 in despair1 put him on a little island in ,sydney ,harbour1 where he was kept chained to a rock1 and in the hollow of which rock he slept4 ,after some weeks the ,governor went to see him1 and urged him to submit to authority1 but he refused4 ,he was then sent for life to ,port ,macquarie ,convict ,station1 where he was again and again flogged4 ,he made his escape1 and lived among the natives for some time1 but1 ultimately1 being recaptured1 he was sent to ,norfolk ,island for the crime of murder4 ,under ,maconochie's humane treatment he became a changed man1 and when the ,governor of ,new ,south ,wales visited the settlement he particularly noticed ,anderson1 and inquired1 ,what smart fellow may that be8 7,see ,leisure ,hour for ,october1 #ahgh47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,all dynasties have been kind4 ,if they are cruel now1 it must be like the weight of a clock1 running down4 ,there was kindness4 ,mercy and truth must at some time or other have builded the throne4--,miller4 ,godly ,asa removed wickedness from the high place nearest his own throne and heart4 ,amaziah justly punished it with death4 ,nehemiah--that true reformer--rebuked it even in the family of the high priest4 ,our own ,alfred appeared to maintain this standard as a witness for ,god in an age of darkness4 ,but it is the ,king of kings alone that can make this separation complete4 ,often does ,he sift ,his ,church by trial1 for her greater purity and complete preservation 7,amos ix4 #i74 ,but what will it be1 when ,he shall come with ,his fan in ,his hand1 and shall thoroughly purge ,his floor8 7,matt4 iii4 #ab74 ,what a scattering of chaff will there be6 ,not an atom will go into the garner4 ,not a grain of wheat will be cast away4 ,o my soul6 what wilt thou be found at this great sifting day6 ,who may abide the day of ,his coming8 ,and who shall stand when ,he appeareth8 7,mal4 iii4 #b74--;,bridges4 ,there goes more to preserve a king than to preserve a kingdom2 and though the preservation of a kingdom be a weighty matter1 yet the preservation of a king is much more weighty--though much care and pains be required for the one1 much more is required for the other4 ,half of that will serve for the one which is needful for the other4 ,mercy will support the throne1 but mercy and truth must preserve the king4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,the ,,candle ,,of ,,the ,,lord4 ,we understand by the spirit of a man the self-conscious ego--that which takes cognizance of the inner life1 and which reasons and passes judgment upon all a man's perceptions1 emotions1 and volitions4 ,i4 ,man's spirit is a candle1 because it is not self-originating4 ,when we speak of a candle1 the idea of a borrowed light comes before us2 with us there is but one source and fountain of material light1 and that is the sun1 which1 although it is but a candle of the ,lord placed in the midst of our solar system so far transcends all our artificial lights in its glory and permanence1 that in comparison with them it seems self-existent and eternal4 ,as a matter of fact1 we know that all the artificial light stored up for us in combustible materials around us had its origin in that great father of lights1 the sun1 and that these lesser lights require kindling before they give forth brightness4 ,so with the spirit of man--it is not self-existent and eternal1 nor did it kindle itself1 it owes its existence to that ,god who is the intellectual and moral light of the universe1 because ,he is the source of all knowledge and goodness4 ,that same ,divine ,creator1 who said ,let there be light and there was light1 who set the sun in the heavens to rule the day1 made man in ,his own image by breathing into the human body that spiritual life which makes man a living soul1 and distinguishes him from the animal creation around him4 ,we can no more claim to be the author of our own spirits than the sun can claim to have called itself into existence4 ,,ii4 ,man's spirit is a candle1 because it is a revealing power4 ,all light is revealing2 it first makes evident its own existence and then reveals the existence of objects outside itself4 ,when the sun comes forth above the eastern horizon like a bridegroom from his chamber1 it reveals its own glory1 and it makes manifest all things upon which its rays fall1 and nothing is hidden from the light thereof4 ,so in a less degree is it with every flame of light1 and so it is with the mysterious spirit of man4 ,it is self-revealing and self-evidencing1 and in and by its light we become conscious of the existence of material forms and spiritual beings1 and moral and physical influence outside ourselves4 ,,iii4 ,man's spirit is a candle which is intended to prevent self-deception4 ,knowledge of any description is good and desirable1 but there are two beings of whom it is moral death to remain in ignorance--ourself and ,god4 ,the spirit of a man is the power by which he apprehends both1 and this proverb deals exclusively with man's power to know himself1 and especially with his power to take cognizance of himself as a moral and responsible being4 ,as the sun1 when it darts forth its rays upon the earth1 does not leave us in twilight1 and in uncertainty as to what is around us1 and as the candle brought into a dark chamber shows us1 maybe1 the dust and the cobwebs1 as well as the costly drapery on the walls1 so this ,god-kindled light searches into the innermost thoughts1 and feelings1 and motives1 and shows to every man who does not wilfully turn away from the sight1 both the good and the evil that is in him4 ,true it is that1 as a moral light1 it does not shine so brightly as it did when man came forth from his ,maker's hand1 and that he who hateth light because it is a reprover of his sin 7,john iii4 #bj7 may to some extent obscure its brightness1 yet every man possesses light enough within to show him his need of a light outside and above him--even of that true ,light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world 7,john i4 #i74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the candle which ,god has kindled in man has1 as the nearest sphere of illumination which goes forth from it1 the condition of the man himself--the spirit comprehends all that belongs to the nature of man in the unity of self-consciousness1 but yet more1 it makes it the object of reflection2 it penetrates1 searching it through1 and seeks to take it up into its knowledge1 and recognises the problem proposed to it1 to rule it by its power4 ,the proverb is thus to be ethically understood4--,delitzsch4 ,the essential connection between the life of ,god and the life of men is the great truth of the world1 and that is the truth which ,solomon sets forth in the striking words of my text4 ,the picture which the words include is one of the most simple4 ,a candle stands upon a table in a dark room1 itself unlighted4 ,fire is brought into the room2 a blazing bit of paper holds the fire1 but it is blown and flutters1 and any moment may go out2 but the blaze touches the candle and the candle catches fire1 and at once you have a steady flame which burns bright and pure and constant4 ,the candle gives forth its manifestation to all the neighbourhood which is illuminated by it4 ,the candle is glorified by the fire1 and the two bear witness that they are made for one another by the way in which they fulfil each other's life4 ,that fulfilment comes by the way in which the inferior substance renders obedience to the superior4 ,the wax acknowledges the subtle flame as its master and yields to its power1 and so1 like every faithful servant of a noble master1 it gives itself most unreservedly up1 and its own substance is clothed with a glory that does not belong to itself4 ,the granite1 if you try to burn it1 gives no fire2 it only opposes a sullen resistance1 and as the heat increases splits and breaks but will not burn4 ,but the candle obeys1 and so in it the scattered fire finds a point of permanent and clear expression4 ,the spirit of man is the candle of the ,lord1 says ,solomon4 ,god is the fire of this world4 ,it is a vital principle1 a warm pervading presence everywhere4 ,what thing in outward nature can so picture to us the mysterious1 subtle1 quick1 productive1 and destructive principle2 that which has always elevated men's hearts and solemnized their voices when they have said the word ,god1 as this strange thing1 so heavenly1 so unearthly1 so terrible1 and so gracious1 so full of creativeness1 and yet so quick and fierce to sweep whatever opposes it out of its path8 ,the glory1 the beauty1 the marvel1 the mystery of fire6 ,men have always felt the fitness of fire as being the closest of all the elements around the throne on which their conception of ,deity is sitting4 ,men and all other beings1 if such beings there are capable of watching our humanity1 see what ,god is in gazing at the manhood ,god has kindled4 ,the universe is full of the fire of divinity2 men feel it in the air as they feel an intense heat which has not yet broken out into a blaze4 ,there is meaning in a great deal of the unexplained1 mysterious awfulness of life--the sense of ,god felt1 unseen4 ,the atmosphere is burdened with heat that does not burst out into fire1 and in the midst of this solemn burning world there stands up a man1 pure and ,god-like4 ,in an instant it is as if a heated room had found some sensitive inflammable point where it would kindle into a blaze1 and prospects of ,god's felt presence become clear and definite4 ,the fitfulness of the impression of divinity is steadied into permanence4 ,the mystery changes its character1 and is a mystery of light and not of darkness4 ,the fire of the ,lord has found the candle of the ,lord1 and burns clear and steady1 guiding and cheering instead of bewildering and frightening us1 just as a man obedient to ,god has begun to catch and manifest ,his nature4 ,i hope you will find this truth comes very close to your separate lives1 but let me remind you first what essential dignity clothes the life of man in this world4 ,such philosophy as belongs to our time would deprecate the importance of man in the world1 and rob him of his centralness4 ,his position in such philosophies is this3 that the world was not made for man4 ,with us the old story that the ,bible told1 the book of ,genesis with its ,garden of ,eden1 and its obedient beasts waiting until man should tell them what they should be called1 stands firmly at the beginning of the world's history4 ,the great notion of the centralness of man in the ,garden of ,eden re-asserts itself in every cabin of the western forests1 or the southern jungles1 where a solitary settler and his wife begin as it were the human history anew4 ,there once again the note of ,genesis is struck1 and man asserts his centralness1 and the beasts hesitate in fear till he shall tame them to his service1 or bid them depart4 ,the earth under his feet holds its fertility at his command1 and what he does upon the earth is echoed in the storms4 ,this is the great impressive idea which over the simplest life of man is ever growing1 and with which the philosophies that would make little of the sacredness and centralness of man must always have to fight4 ,this is the impression which is taken up1 and steadied1 and made clear1 and turned from a petty pride to a lofty dignity and a solemn responsibility1 when there comes such a message as this of ,solomon4 ,he says that the true sacredness1 and superiority1 and centralness of man is in the likeness of his nature to ,god's1 and that capacity of spiritual obedience to ,him1 in virtue of which man may be the earthly declaration and manifestation of ,god to all the world4 ,so long as that truth stands1 the centralness of man is sure4 ,the spirit of man is the candle of the ,lord4 ,this is the truth of which ,i wish to speak to you--the perpetual revelation of ,god by and through human life4 ,i4 ,you must ask yourself1 first1 what ,god is4 ,see how at the very bottom of ,his existence1 as you conceive of it1 there lie these two thoughts--purpose and righteousness2 how impossible it is to give ,god any personality1 except as the embodiment of these two qualities1 the intelligence that plans1 and the righteousness that lives in duty4 ,how could any knowledge of these qualities1 of what they are1 of what sort of being they will make1 exist upon the earth1 if there were not a human heart in which they could exist1 and from which they could be shown8 ,only a person can truly utter a person2 only from a character can character be echoed4 ,you might write it over the skies that ,god was just1 but it would be at best only a bit of knowledge--never a ,gospel--never something which it would gladden the hearts of men to know4 ,that comes only when a human life is capable of a justice like ,god's justice1 and is clothed with ,his justice in the eyes of men4 ,i have just intimated one thing that we need to observe3 man's utterance of ,god is purely the utterance of a quality2 it can tell me nothing of the quantities that make up ,his life4 ,that ,god is just1 and what it is to be just1 ,i can learn from the just lives of the just men about me2 but how just ,god is1 to what unconceived perfection1 to what unexplained developments that majestic quality of justice may extend in ,him--of that ,i can form no judgment that is worth anything from the justice ,i see in my fellow-men4 ,,ii4 ,this seems to me to widen at once the range of the truth ,i am stating4 ,if it be a quality of ,god1 which man is capable of uttering1 then it must be the simple quality of manhood that is necessary for the utterance1 and not any specific quantity1 nor any assignable degree of human greatness4 ,whoever has the spirit of man may be the candle of the ,lord4 ,a larger measure of that spirit may make a brighter light2 but there must be a light wherever any human being1 in virtue of his essential humanness1 by obedience becomes luminous with ,god4 ,there are the men of manhood1 spiritually the leaders of the race2 how they stand out6 how all men feel their power as they come into their presence1 and feel that they are passing into the light of ,god6 ,they are puzzled when they try to explain it4 ,there is nothing more instructive and suggestive than the bewilderment men feel when they try to tell what inspiration is4 ,he who goes into the presence of any powerful nature1 feels sure in some way he is coming into the presence of ,god2 but it would be melancholy if only the great men could give you this conviction4 ,the world would be darker than it is if any human spirit1 as soon as it became obedient1 did not become the ,lord's candle4 ,a poor1 bruised life1 if only it keeps that human quality1 and does not become inhuman1 but is obedient to ,god1 in its blind way1 becomes a light4 ,a mere child with his pure humanity1 and with his turning of his life towards ,god from ,whom he came--how often he may burn with some suggestion of divinity1 and cast illumination upon problems and mysteries so difficult that he himself has never felt them6 ,little lamps burning everywhere4 ,,iii4 ,we have here the key to another mystery that often puzzles us4 ,what shall we make of some men rich in attainments and well educated1 who stand in the midst of their fellow-men dark and helpless8 4 4 4 ,let us let the light of ,solomon's figure upon it4 ,simply this3 they are unlighted candles2 they are the spirit of man furnished to its very finest1 but lacking the last touch of ,god2 like silver lamps all chaste and wrought with wondrous skill1 all filled with choicest oil1 but all untouched by fire4 ,,iv4 ,there are multitudes of men whose lamps are certainly not dark1 and yet who certainly are not the candles of the ,lord1--with a nature richly furnished1 yet profane1 impure1 worldly4 4 4 4 ,such a man is not another unlighted candle4 ,he burns so bright and lurid that often the pure light grows dim within its glare4 ,but if it be possible for the human candle1 when the subtle components of a human nature are all mingled carefully in it2 if it be possible that1 instead of being lifted up to heaven1 and kindled at the pure beam of ,him who is eternally and absolutely good1 it should be plunged down into hell1 and lighted at the cruel flames that burn out of the dreadful brimstone pit1 then we can understand the sight of a man who is rich in every energy of manhood cursing the world with the exhibition of the devilish instead of the ,godlike in his life4 4 4 4 ,v4 ,there is still one other way1 more subtle and sometimes more dangerous than this1 in which the spirit of man may fail of its functions as the candle of the ,lord4 ,the man may be lighted1 and the fire at which he is lighted may be1 indeed1 the fire of ,god1 and yet it may not be ,god alone he shows forth upon the earth4 ,i can picture to myself a candle which should in some way mingle the peculiarity of its own substance with the light it sheds4 ,so it is1 ,i think1 with the way in which a great many men manifest ,god4 ,they have really kindled their lives at ,him4 ,it is ,his fire that burns in them4 ,they are obedient1 and so ,he can make them ,his points of exhibition1 but they are always mixed with the ,god whom they show4 ,they show themselves as well as ,him2 just as a mirror mingles its own reflection with the things that are reflected from it and gives them a curious convexity because it is itself convex4 ,this is the secret of pious bigotry1 of holy prejudices2 it is the candle putting its own colour into the flame it has borrowed from the fire of ,god4 ,the feeble man makes ,god seem feeble1 the speculative man makes ,god look like a doubtful dream1 the legal man makes ,god seem as hard and steel-like as law4 ,,vi4 ,i have tried to depict some difficulties which beset the full exhibition in the world of the great truth of ,solomon4 4 4 4 ,man is selfish and disobedient1 and will not let his light burn at all2 man is wilful and passionate1 and kindles his light with ungodly fire2 man is narrow and bigoted1 and makes the light to shine in his own peculiar colour2 but all these are accident--distortions of the true idea of man4 ,how can we know that8 ,here is the perfect man1 ,,christ6 4 4 4 ,i bring a man of my experience and the man of my imagination into the presence of ,jesus1 but they fall short of ,him1 and my human consciousness assures me they all fall short of the best ideal of what it is to be a man4 ,i am come a light into the world1 said ,jesus2 he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father4 ,in ,him was light1 and the life was the light of men4 ,so wrote the man who of all men know ,him best4 ,i think ,i need only bid you look at ,him and you will see what it is to which our feeble lights are struggling4 ,there is the true spiritual man who is the candle of the ,lord1 the ,light that lighteth every man4 ,it is entirely a new idea of life1 new to the standards of our ordinary living1 which is there revealed4 ,all ordinary appeals to men to be up and doing1 and to make themselves shining lights1 fade away and become insignificant before this higher message which comes in the words of ,solomon in the life of ,jesus4 ,what does that higher message say to you and me8 ,that your full relationship to ,god can only be realised by obedience to ,him1 when you will shine by ,his light2 then you cannot be dark1 for ,he shall kindle you2 then you shall be as incapable of burning with false passion1 as you shall be quick to answer the true2 then the devil may hold his torch to you1 as he held it to the heart of ,jesus in the desert1 and your heart shall be as uninflammable as ,his4 ,as soon as ,god touches you1 you shall burn with a light so truly your own that you shall reverence your own mysterious life1 and yet be so truly ,his that pride shall be impossible4 ,in certain lands1 for the most holy ceremonies they prepare the candles with the most precious care4 ,the very bees that distil the wax are sacred4 ,they range in gardens planted with sweet flowers for their use alone4 ,the wax is gathered by consecrated hands1 and the shaping of the candles is a holy task performed in holy places1 with the singing of hymns1 and in an atmosphere of prayer4 ,all this is done because the candles1 when they are made1 are to burn in the most elevated ceremonies and on the most sacred days4 ,with what care must the man be made whose spirit is to be the candle of the ,almighty ,lord6 ,it is his spirit that the ,lord is to kindle for ,himself2 therefore the spirit must be the precious part of him4 ,the body must be valued only for the protection and education that the spirit may gain by it4 ,the power by which his spirit shall become a candle is obedience2 therefore obedience must be the struggle and desire of his life2 obedience1 not hard and forced1 but ready1 loving1 and spontaneous2 obedience in heart1 the obedience of the child to the father1 the obedience of the candle to the flame2 the doing of duty not merely that the duty may be done1 but that the soul in doing it may become capable of receiving and uttering ,god2 the bearing of pain not merely because the pain must be borne1 but that the bearing of it may make the soul able to burn with the ,divine fire that found it in the furnace2 the repentance of sin and the acceptance of forgiveness not merely that the soul may be saved from the fire of hell but that it may be touched with the fire of ,heaven1 and shine with the light of ,god as the stars1 for ever4--,philips ,brooks4 ,this candle of the ,lord is a slight and diminutive light4 ,a lamp is no such dazzling object4 ,a candle has no such goodly light as that it should pride and glory in it2 it is but a brief and compendious flame1 shut up and imprisoned in a narrow compass4 ,how far distant is it from the beauty of a star6 how far from the brightness of a sun6 ,this candle of the ,lord1 when it was first lighted up1 before there was any thief in it1 even then it had but a limited and restrained light4 ,god said unto it3 ,thus far shall thy light go2 hither shalt thou shine and no further4 ,adam1 in his innocency1 was not to crown himself with his own sparks4 ,god never intended a creature should rest satisfied with his own candle-light1 but that it should run to the fountain of light1 and sun itself in the presence of ,god4 ,what a poor happiness had it been for a man only to have enjoyed his own lamp4 4 4 4 ,the candle of the ,lord is a light discovering present1 not future things1 for did you ever hear of such a lamp as would discover an object not yet born8 ,would you not smile at him that should light a candle to search for a futurity8 4 4 4 ,let1 then1 this candle content itself with its proper object4 ,it finds work enough1 and difficulty enough1 in the discovery of present things1 and has not such a copious light as can search out the future4 4 4 4 ,the light of reason is a certain light4 ,lamplight1 as it is not glorious1 so it is not deceitful--though it be but limited1 it will discover such things as are within its own sphere with a sufficient certainty4 ,the letters of nature's law are so fairly printed1 they are so visible and capital1 that you may read them by this candlelight4 4 4 4 ,although there is not vigour enough in any created eye to pierce into the pith and marrow1 the depth and secrecy of being4 4 4 4 ,it is a directive light4 ,the will looks upon that1 as ,leander in ,musus looked up to the tower for ,hero's candle1 and calls it1 as he doth there3 ,lamp which to me1 on my way through this life1 is a brilliant director44 4 4 ,the will doth but echo the understanding1 and doth practically repeat the last syllable of the final decision2 which makes the moralist well determine that moral virtues cannot exist without intellectual powers44 4 4 ,other creatures1 indeed1 are shot more violently into their ends2 but man hath the skill and faculty of directing himself1 and is1 as you may so imagine1 a rational kind of arrow1 that moves knowingly and voluntarily to the mark of its own accord4 4 4 4 ,it is an aspiring light4 ,i mean no more by this than what that known saying of ,augustine imports3 ,thou hast made us1 ,o ,lord1 for ,thyself3 our heart will be restless till it return to ,thee4 ,the candle of the ,lord--it came from ,him and it would fain return to ,him4 ,for an intellectual lamp to aspire to be a sun is a lofty strain of that intolerable pride which was in ,lucifer and ,adam2 but for it to desire the favour1 and presence1 and enjoyment of a beautiful sun1 is but a just and noble desire of that end which ,god created it for4 4 4 4 ,if you look but upon a candle1 what an aspiring and ambitious light it is6 4 4 4 ,it puts on the form of a pyramid1 occasionally and accidentally by reason that the air extenuates it into that form3 otherwise it would ascend upward in one greatness1 in a rounder and completer manner4 ,it is just thus in the candle of the ,lord2 reason would move more fully according to the sphere of its activity1 it would flame up to heaven in a more vigorous and uniform way2 but that it is much quenched by sin 4 4 4 therefore it is fain to aspire and climb as well as it can4 ,the bottom and base of it borders upon the body1 and is therefore more impure and feculent2 but the apex and cuspis of it catches toward heaven4 4 4 4 ,every spark of reason flies upward4 ,this ,divine flame fell down from heaven and halted with its fall--as the poets tell us of the limping of ,vulcan--but it would fain ascend thither again by some steps and gradations of its own framing4--,culverwell4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bh1 see verse #bf4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,youth ,,and ,,age4 ,i4 ,each period of life has a value and a glory of its own4 ,there is a beauty in spring to which no other season of the year can approach4 ,the vivid green of the opening leaves1 and the meadows and hedge-banks carpeted with early flowers1 give to spring a glory all its own4 ,but the other seasons have their peculiar charms4 ,it is no less pleasant to look upon the landscape at midsummer1 when the woods are in their full dress1 and the valleys are covered over with corn1 or in the autumn1 when the harvest is being gathered in1 and flowers have given place to fruit4 ,if spring is the time of hope and promise1 autumn is the season of realisation and fulfilment1 and we are all content that the one should be lost in the other4 ,so it is with the different periods of our human life--each has its special charm and its special advantages4 ,we love to dwell upon the loveliness of childhood1 but we should not like to see our sons and daughters remain children for ever1 and it is pleasant to look upon and to experience the energy and hope of youth1 but there are good things which cannot be ours until we reach to mature life1 and even to grey hairs4 ,we have before considered the glory of the hoary head 7see on chap4 xvi4 #ca1 page #dic72 we have only to consider-- ,,ii4 ,the peculiar gift and glory of young men4 ,it is1 says ,solomon1 their strength--their power to do and to endure in a physical sense1 what the aged cannot1 by reason of the failure of their bodily powers4 ,when men have passed middle life1 they become more and more painfully conscious that if the inward man is renewed day by day1 the outward man is perishing at the same rate 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #af71 and although their experience is richer1 and their wisdom greater1 their physical ability and energy is not what it once was4 ,their ship is laden1 it may be1 with a far more precious cargo1 but the tide is not so strong1 and the breeze is not so powerful to waft it on its way as it was in the years that are gone4 ,it is the glory of the young man that his strength is often more than enough for himself1 he is able to bestow some upon the weak and needy4 ,but the aged man is often painfully conscious that he has none to spare1 that instead he is dependent upon the strength of others4 ,the consideration of the special advantage of each season of human life ought to cheer the aged man and prevent him from regretting the days of youth1 and at the same time it ought to make the young man respectful to the old1 and willing to listen to their counsel1 and so far as it is possible combine the wisdom of grey hairs with the vigour of youth4 ,it also warns the young man against any abuse of his physical powers--against any unlawful indulgence of bodily appetites1 and against the formation of unhealthy or indolent habits--which make so many of our youths prematurely old1 bringing upon them the frosts of autumn1 before they have brought forth its fruits4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #cj4 ,,pain ,,as ,a ,,preventive ,,of ,,pain4 ,for the different renderings of this verse1 see the ,critical ,notes4 ,however we translate it the thoughts suggested are the same1 viz43-- ,i4 ,that pain in the present may prevent greater pain in the future4 ,when the surgeon is called in to examine a wounded man1 the examination of the wound may give him more pain than he would have suffered if he had been let alone2 it may bring far more present suffering to extract the ball1 or to insert the probe1 than it would have done simply to bandage the wound4 ,but the pain of to-day is to ensure days of healthful rest by and by2 if the present suffering was not inflicted1 months and years of pain in the future might be the result4 ,the pain of mind or body inflicted upon a child of five or ten years old1 is intended by its parent to prevent greater moral or physical pain when he is fifty or seventy4 ,there is no human creature who can afford to do without the pruning-knife at some period of its life2 and if the pruning is not administered1 the penalty will be paid either in this world or the next4 ,the wise and loving parent gives pain in youth to prevent pain to his child in manhood1 and the ,all-wise and ,loving ,father1 ,god1 subjects ,his children to pain in the present life to prevent a deeper and more lasting pain in the life to come4 ,he pricks the conscience by ,his word to bring men to repentance1 and so to salvation from the wrath to come and ,he sees even in ,his own children so much evil remaining that ,he is compelled to visit their transgressions with the rod1 and their iniquity with stripes 7,psa4 lxxxix4 #cb71 in order to cleanse their characters4 ,,ii4 ,pain of body may be beneficial to the human spirit4 ,this is a subject to which our attention has been before directed4 ,see on chap4 xiii4 #bd1 page #ccd1 and on chap4 xvii4 #aj1 page #eaj4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,rivers of water4 ,rather streams1 the allusion being to the watercourses1 which in hot countries intersect fields and gardens for the purpose of irrigation1 in which the water is entirely under the control of the husbandman4 #b4 ,pondereth1 rather weigheth1 as in chap4 xvi4 #b4 ,it is the same verb as that used in #a ,sam4 ii4 #c and ,isa4 xl4 #ab1 #ac4 #d4 ,the ploughing4 ,this word is by most modern commentators translated1 as in the marginal references1 light4 ,it is likewise so rendered in the ,septuagint1 the ,vulgate1 and in ,luther's version4 ,ewald1 ,elster1 ,wordsworth1 and others1 translate as in the ,english version4 ,the ,hebrew words are very similar4 ,those who adopt the former rendering understand the word to stand in apposition to the high look and the proud heart of the first clause 7literally1 ,to be lofty of eyes1 and to be swollen of heart71 and regard it as a figurative representation of the spirit of the wicked man4 ,ewald and others refer the ploughing of the wicked to the very first-fruits of a man's activity4 #e4 ,thoughts1 rather the counsels1 the calculatings4 #f4 ,vanity tossed to and fro4 ,rather a fleeting breath4 ,the ,hebrew word hebel1 here translated vanity1 means vapour4 #g4 ,robbery1 or violence1 rapacity4 #h4 ,zckler translates the first clause of this verse1 ,crooked is the way of the guilty man4 ,fausset remarks that the ,hebrew word ish 7man7 expresses a man once good2 froward implies his perversity1 by having left the good way4 ,right1 i4e41 direct1 straightforward4 #i4 ,wide house4 ,literally house of companionship1 i4e41 to share the house with her4 #aa4 ,instructed4 ,zckler translates this prospereth1 and understands the simple to be the subject of both clauses of the verse4 #ab4 ,the words man and ,god are both supplied by the translators4 ,the verse should be ,the righteous considereth the house of the wicked 7and7 overthroweth1 etc4 ,some understand it1 therefore1 to mean ,the righteous man gives instruction to the house of the wicked to turn them away from evil4 ,but ,stuart remarks that the verb of the second clause is a very strong word1 to precipitate1 to cast down headlong1 and refers the righteous 7one7 of the first clause to ,god4 ,this is ,zckler's rendering also4 #ae4 ,shall be4 ,these words are not in the original1 and destroy the sense1 which is that justice is joy to the good1 and destruction to the bad4 ,luther renders1 ,it is a joy to the just to do what is right2 but to the wicked a terror4 #bd4 ,proud wrath1 literally wrath of pride or overflowings of haughtiness4 #bg4 ,with a wicked mind1 literally1 for iniquity1 and may refer to a desire to cloak a sinful purpose by an outward show of piety1 or an attempt to expiate a sinful act by an outward atonement4 ,miller reads for how much more because also4 #bh4 ,constantly1 rather for ever4 ,stuart understands the verse to mean that the sincere listener to the ,divine commands will ever be at liberty to speak1 and find confidence put in what he says4 #bi4 ,hardeneth his face1 or putteth on a bold countenance4 ,directeth1 or considereth1 or establisheth4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,the ,,king ,,of ,,kings4 ,i4 ,kings are more entirely in the hand of ,god than subjects are in the hands of kings4 ,the king of the days of ,solomon was1 as some ,oriental rulers are now1 an absolute monarch4 ,in the case of ,solomon himself1 his will was law1 and in his hand was the power of life and death 7see #a ,kings iii4 #bd1 #be74 ,of ,nebuchadnezzar it is said1 ,whom he would he slew1 and whom he would he kept alive2 whom he would he set up1 and whom he would he put down 7,dan4 v4 #ai74 ,it is to such a king that the proverb refers--to one who called no man or any number of men master1 but upon whose single will apparently depended the destiny of millions4 ,yet he was not the independent being that he appeared1 neither were his subjects so dependent upon his will as they appeared to be4 ,the most abject slave in his dominions was less under his control than he was under the control of ,him by whom kings reign and princes rule 7chap4 viii4 #ae1 #af74 ,the gardener whose ground is intersected by water-channels finds it a very easy task to turn the stream in the direction he desires2 the soil yields to his touch1 and forthwith the water flows whithersoever he wills4 ,but the moist earth is not so easily moulded by the hand of man1 as the heart of the proudest monarch is subdued to obedience by his ,maker2 and the water is not more entirely subject to the will of the husbandman than is the will of the most stubborn despot to the will of ,jehovah4 ,,ii4 ,the power which ,god exercises over kings extends into a region where no earthly ruler can penetrate4 ,the heart of the king is in the hand of ,jehovah4 ,this is more than the most absolute monarch can boast concerning his meanest subject4 ,nebuchadnezzar could issue his decree1 but whoso did not fall down before his golden image should be cast into the fiery furnace1 but he could not move the steadfast determination of the ,hebrew youths to acknowledge no god but the ,god of ,israel4 ,his will could determine what should be done to their bodies1 but all his threatenings could not reach their hearts4 ,but ,god rules the spirit of a man in that ,he has access to his innermost thoughts and feelings1 and can thus touch the spring of all his actions1 and thus bring him to do ,his will1 even when he seems to be doing only his own4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,could anything be more bold8 ,mark the compass--first1 of subject1 the whole stream as the gardener turns it2 second1 of object1 whithersoever or anything ,he pleases2 and third1 of sovereignty2 its pleasing ,him1 that being the only test4 ,the king may be ,csar4 ,his lip may make new geographies 7ch4 xvi4 #aj74 ,his heart may change the history of all things4 ,and yet1 like a vineyard's channels diverted by a child1 the ,pharaoh's heart is in the fingers of the ,most ,high4 4 4 4 ,upon whatsoever4 ,not toward anything4 ,a stream may be turned in a new direction to get rid of it4 ,god has no such streams4 ,it is turned on something4 ,for ,god has an end to answer when ,he rules even the vilest of fiends4--,miller4 ,whether1 in the second line1 the pleasant refreshing influence of the rivulets1 dispensing blessing and increase1 comes into account as a point of the comparison1 is uncertain 7comp4 ,isa4 xxxii4 #b72 this1 however1 is not improbable1 inasmuch as the heart of a king may in fact become in an eminent degree a fountain of blessing for many thousands1 and1 according to ,god's design1 ought to be so4 ,see chap4 xvi4 #ae4--,lange's ,commentary4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #b see on chap4 xvi4 #b1 page #ded4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,the ,,more ,,acceptable ,,sacrifice4 ,i4 ,the sacrifices of the ,mosaic law were acceptable to ,god as ceremonial signs4 ,they were instituted by ,god1 and therefore ,he expected them to be offered1 and was displeased when ,his commands concerning them were disregarded4 ,but they were but the means to an end1 and if they did not lead to that end they were worthless in ,his sight4 ,they were intended to awaken a sense of sin1 and to be accompanied by observance of higher precepts and by obedience to more enduring laws4 ,it availed nothing for a man to offer his bullock or his goat unless he laid his will upon the altar at the same time--no sin-offering could be acceptable to ,god unless the sin was put away1 and no meat-offering could be regarded with favour if the heart of the offeror was without love to his neighbour and his life was marked by acts of injustice to him4 ,it was of no avail to come before the ,lord with thousands of rams1 or with ten thousand rivers of oil1 unless the higher requirement was fulfilled--to do justly1 and to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with ,god 7,micah vi4 #g1 #h74 ,,ii4 ,the doing of justice and judgment is more acceptable to ,god because it is a moral reality4 ,to love our neighbour as ourself is in itself good1--it is a moral attribute1 an element of character1 a part of the man himself4 ,it is an expression of love to ,god and obedience to ,his commands which can be made anywhere and at all times1 for to do justice and judgment is the law of the moral universe1 and belongs to heaven as much as to earth4 ,it is to do what ,god has been doing from all eternity1 for it is written that they are the habitation of ,his throne 7,psa4 lxxxix4 #ad74 ,all other offerings without these are vain oblations1 and even an abomination 7,isa4 i4 #ac7 unto ,him who owns every beast of the forest and the cattle upon a thousand hills 7,psa4 l4 #aj74 ,to expect a holy and spiritual ,being to accept anything less than a moral reality is to expect ,him to be satisfied with less than would often content a fellow-creature4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,sacrifice2 literally1 slaughter4 ,but with slender exceptions1 the slaughter is a slaughter for sacrifice4 4 4 4 ,he did not love the slaughtering of ,his ,son upon the cross4 ,he did not love the slaughtering of beasts year by year continually4 ,on the contrary1 ,he does love righteousness1 and1 therefore1 ,he does love1 in the severities that men impugn1 that very element of right which is the attribute that they would bring into the question4 ,doing righteousness ,himself1 ,he prefers the right-doing of ,his creatures to any form of sacrifice or possible service they can ever render4--,miller4 ,sacrifice at best is only circumstantially good--rectitude is essentially so4 ,sacrifice1 at best1 is only the means and expression of good2 rectitude is goodness itself4 ,god accepts the moral without the ceremonial1 but never the ceremonial without the moral4 ,the universe can exist without the ceremonial1 but not without the moral4--,david ,thomas4 ,this maxim of the ,proverbs was a bold saying then--it is a bold saying still2 but it well unites the wisdom of ,solomon with that of his father in the #east ,psalm1 and with the inspiration of the later prophets4--,stanley4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #d4 ,,the ,,ploughing ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,i4 ,the high look and the proud heart indicate a man wrong at the foundation of his character4 ,they show that he has not yet learned the alphabet of true godliness--that he has not yet begin to know his guilt and his weakness4 ,he is ignorant of the depravity of his moral nature--of the capabilities of wrong that lie hidden within him1 undeveloped now1 it may be1 but ready to assert their presence when the temptation presents itself4 ,the man who has been born blind is entirely ignorant of the outline even of his own features1 but he does not form a conception which is farther removed from the reality than a spiritually unenlightened man does of the real features of his moral character4 ,the proud man by his pride proclaims his moral blindness--his high look is a sure indication that the light within him is darkness--that he has never seen himself as he really is4 ,hence it follows that he is wrong at the very core and centre of his moral being2 where pride holds her throne there is no room for ,god1 there is no confession of sin1 and no yielding to ,divine guidance4 ,,ii4 ,while the heart is wrong the whole life will be wrong4 ,this truth is expressed in the proverb1 however we translate the verb in the second clause 7,see ,critical ,notes74 ,things that are not wrong in themselves become wrong if done from a sinful motive4 ,a man may plough a field1 and in itself the action may be neither good nor bad1 but if he plough in order to sow a crop of thistles the action is a criminal one4 ,a man may be diligent and painstaking in his business1 and his diligence may in itself seem commendable1 but if he exercises it only to gain money for sinful ends his very buying and selling becomes sin4 ,and if we translate the word light1 and understand it to signify prosperity1 the truth taught is very much the same4 ,while a man's pride keeps him at a moral distance from ,god1 no matter how successful he may be1 the taint and curse of unpardoned sin is upon all his gains and possessions4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,holy intention is to the actions of a man that which the soul is to the body1 or form to its matter1 or the root to the tree1 or the sun to the world1 or the fountain to the river1 or the base to a pillar4 ,without these the body is a dead trunk1 the matter is sluggish1 the tree is a block1 the world is darkness1 the river is quickly dry1 the pillar rushes into flatness and ruin1 and the action is sinful1 or unprofitable and vain4--,jeremy ,taylor4 ,the evil spirit called sin may be trained up to politeness1 and made to be genteel sin2 it may be elegant1 cultivated sin2 it may be very exclusive and fashionable sin2 it may be industrious1 thrifty sin2 it may be a great political manager1 a great inventor2 it may be learned1 scientific1 eloquent1 highly-poetic sin6 ,still it is sin1 and1 being that1 has in fact the same radical and fundamental quality that1 in its ranker and less restrained conditions1 produces all the most hideous and revolting crimes of the world4--,bushnell4 ,all thine actions while unregenerate--whether inward or outward1 whether worldly or religious--are all sinful and cursed4 ,like the leper under the law1 thou taintest whatever thou touchest1 and makest it unclean4 4 4 4 ,thy calling is not without its corruption 4 4 4 nay1 thy very religious exercises are sinful4 4 4 4 ,thine incense stinks of the hand that offered it4 4 4 4 ,the vessel of thy heart is not clean1 and ,god will not taste of the liquor which cometh out of it4 ,because thy person is not accepted1 thy performances are all rejected4 ,thou art in the flesh1 and therefore canst not please ,god 7,rom4 viii4 #h74--,swinnock4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #e1 #g1 and #ag4 ,,the ,,roads ,,to ,,wealth4 ,i4 ,the most likely road to lead to wealth4 #a4 ,thoughtful diligence as opposed to thoughtless haste4 ,we have before considered the necessity of thought before action 7see on chap4 xx4 #ah71 and the same idea is conveyed in the use of the first noun here 7see ,critical ,notes74 ,but although it is wise and necessary to think before we act1 thinking must only be preparatory to action1 and must not take its place4 ,it is good for a man to make a good plan of his house before he begins to build2 but a house on paper only will not shelter him from the winter storms4 ,it is advisable for the captain to study his chart well before he embarks upon his voyage1 but if he does no more he will never reach the desired port4 ,so it is good for a man to take counsel with himself and others before he sets out upon the voyage of commercial life--before he begins to build for a competency or a fortune2 but after the thought and with the thought there must be action1 and there must be painstaking and persevering action4 ,he must not be all eagerness to-day and indifference to-morrow--he must not work hard this week and neglect his business next week2--such a man may get rich by a mere chance speculation or by a dishonest act1 but1 apart from all higher considerations1 it is not the best road1 because it is not the most likely road4 ,no doubt there are men who have made their fortune by short cuts--by what is called luck1 or by craft and robbery--but these are the exceptions1 and the way of diligent perseverance is the one by which riches are generally gotten4 #b4 ,self-denial as opposed to self-indulgence4 ,he that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man2 he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich 7ver4 #ag74 ,he who spends in self-indulgence as fast as he earns will be always poor4 ,the lover of pleasure and luxury will not be a lover of hard work1 and as we have just seen1 it is that alone by which most men grow rich4 ,and the extravagant and idle man will not be very likely to keep within his means1 and to confine himself to honest ways of making money4 ,and both these roads are roads which lead in the end to ruin4 ,it is not likely that ,solomon here refers to any poverty except material poverty4 ,but it is also true that no man whose heart is set upon the gratification of his own selfish desires--whose life is one of self-indulgent ease--can ever be rich in the only true and lasting riches4 ,he must always be in poverty as to character1 as to intellectual wealth1 and as to the gratitude and respect of those whom he might bless with his riches4 ,if1 therefore1 ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon1 who will commit to your trust the true riches8 ,and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's 7or another's71 who shall give you that which is your own8 7,luke xvi4 #aa1 #ab74 ,he is a poor man who has nothing but what he must leave behind him when he leaves the world4 ,the greatest millionaire has nothing he can call his own if he has not a godly character4 ,,ii4 ,the only blessed road to wealth1 viz41 the way of truth as opposed to lying1 the way of honesty as opposed to dishonesty4 ,we need not consider these sins separately1 for they are inseparable in human character and conduct4 ,the liar is a thief1 for by his tongue he cheats men of their rights1 and the thief lies in action as well as in word4 ,solomon does not say that thieves and liars shall not grow rich4 ,as a matter of fact they often do1 and leave far behind them in their race those who are plodding slowly on in the path of honest diligence4 ,but he looks to the end of such a way of making money1 and of these who so make it4 ,it often vanishes like a vapour 7see ,critical ,notes71 while the man who made it still lives4 ,one falsehood leads to another1 and a little dishonesty bringing success leads to another and another1 each one on a larger scale1 until the bubble becomes too thin1 and it bursts and all is gone4 ,but if the rogue keeps his fortune till the last--if he meets death a rich man1 and is buried with all the pomp of wealth1--retribution awaits him before the tribunal of a righteous ,god4 ,he sought death and destruction while he lived1 and he found it ever here2--destruction of character and spiritual death1 and he who here refused to do judgment goes to meet his judge a morally self-ruined man--one whose spiritual deathblow has been dealt by his own hand4 7,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #aa1 page #cjf47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #e4 ,haste may have much of diligence in the temperament4 ,but as indolence is its defect1 this is its excess1 its undisciplined impulse4 ,the hand too often goes before1 and acts without the judgment4 ,hence our ,english philosopher wisely counsels us--not to measure dispatch by the times of sitting1 but by the advancement of the business4 ,a wise man had it for a bye-word1 when he saw men hasten to a conclusion--,stay a little that we may make an end the sooner4 ,to choose time is to save time1 and an unreasonable motion is but beating the air4 ,the heavenly race is not to be run by so many heats1 but by a steady course4 ,run1 not with haste or speed1 but with patience the race set before us 7,heb4 xii4 #a74 ,the seed springing up in haste withered 7,matt4 xiii4 #bj1 #ba74--;,bridges4 ,verse #f4 ,they seek death because they not only walk in the way of it1 but run and fly with post haste as if they were afraid they should come too late or that hell would be full before they got thither4 ,thus ,balaam's ass never carries him fast enough after the wages of wickedness4 ,set but a wedge of gold before ,achan1 and ,joshua that could stop the sun in his course1 cannot stay him from fingering of it4 ,judas1 in selling his ,master1 what he doth1 doth quickly4--,trapp4 ,treasures2 literally stores2 from a root to shut up4 ,tongue2 standing for all instruments of labour 7see comment on chap4 xii4 #f74 ,lying2 not telling lies in the worldly sense1 for1 so put1 decent sinners would miss the signification1 but lying in that high sense in which the most honest worldling may fill the portrait4 ,tongue2 just coincident with fact1 is of the haste of the last verse2 that untrue uttering of thought against conviction in one's self1 and1 therefore1 hardly to be dreamed of and spared by the ,most ,high4 ,stores got by this lying career of business may seem solid1 because they may be whole blocks of granite in some fire-proof square mile of street2 and yet as to their possession the wise man employs a singularly intensive figure4 ,they are driven breath6 ,surely he will pause at that6 ,but no6 ,they are driven breath as of man chasing after death6 4 4 4 ,the meaning is1 that the hot breath of a man rushing to his doom is like the money made by the deceived impenitent4 ,first1 it is utterly perishable2 second1 it betokens the speed2 and third1 the voluntary rush to get himself to ruin4--,miller4 ,and forget not what the lying tongue includes--that he is chargeable with the evil who pretends1 in any way1 to be what he is not1 to have what he has not1 not to have what he has1 to have said what he has not said1 or to have done what he has not done1 or not to have said and done what he has said and done2 who tries to gain an end by any word1 or act1 or look1 or even by silence and concealment designed to convey a false impression--by any means whatever not in harmony with honest truth--with simplicity and godly sincerity4 ,this1 says ,solomon1 is vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death4 ,it is a vanity2 inasmuch as it involves both folly and sin--the folly being made evident in ultimate detection1 exposure1 shame1 and loss--loss of character1 loss of confidence1 and many a time loss of even what the falsehood had acquired4 ,it is tossed to and fro4 ,men learn it from one another4 ,the man who has been imposed upon retaliates--he has no satisfaction until he has succeeded in duping him by whom he has himself been taken in1 in practising on him an equal or a better trick4 ,it is practised with little thought--with the vanity of a light and inconsiderate mind--and laughed at1 in many instances1 when it proves successful1 instead of engendering remorse4 ,success produces a hundred imitators3 and the cheats and the dupes are successively reversed1 the dupe becoming in his turn the cheat1 and the cheat the dupe4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #ag4 ,self-indulgence is not human happiness2 it is a delirium1 not a delight4 ,it is a mere titillation of the dying nerves1 not a ,divine thrill of our imperishable sensibilities and powers4 ,its music is the notes of a maniac1 not the strains of a seraph4--,david ,thomas4 ,he may be rich secularly4 ,for here is a proverb that on earth has but a partial verity4 ,but now1 spiritually it is as settled as the heavens4 ,he that loveth his life shall lose it 7,john xii4 #be74 ,a man cannot scale heaven for its wine4 ,unless a man gets higher objects than himself1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4 ,and1 therefore1 it is literally true that the wealth that the soul attains is never made by the very most feverish desire to escape1 or by the very most impassioned thirst for the mere joy of heaven4 ,man2 the higher name for man4 ,he may be ever so skilful4 4 4 4 ,loving2 not1 if it loves1 but because it loves4 ,it is no harm to love happiness2 but it cannot be in loving it1 or because we love it1 that we can create everlasting riches4--,miller4 ,strange as it may seem1 the way to enjoy pleasure is not to love it2 to live above it2 to rejoice as though we rejoiced not2 to use the world1 as not abusing it 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #cj1 #ca72 never pursuing it as our portion1 or as making the happiness of an immortal being4 ,the man who gives his whole heart and time to the love of pleasure1 and sacrifices to it all his prudence and foresight1 is surely on the highroad to poverty4 ,on the same road is he that loveth wine1 under the power of a mocking delusion4 ,he that loveth oil--one of the most precious fruits of ,canaan--may find1 that those who could not live without dainties came to want necessaries4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,,two ,,ways4 ,i4 ,the way of fallen man4 ,it is a froward or refractory way in relation to ,god4 ,when we look at man's ways and compare them with the ways of all the creatures below him and inferior to him1 we note a remarkable contrast4 ,the sun1 which was created to give him light and heat1 never turns aside from its ordained path1 and the moon never forsakes her orbit1 with the rest of the heavenly bodies1 continue in the way ordained for them at the creation1 and impress us with a sense of order1 and regularity1 and obedience4 ,and the living creatures beneath man remain true to their instincts1 and manifestly fulfil their destinies in ministering to the wants of the human race4 ,but when we come to man we come to a law-breaking1 perverse creature--to a being who resists the law of ,god as written in his conscience1 and the commands of ,god as given in revelation1 and the very pleadings of self-love which often urge him to submission4 ,the way of the ,hebrew people under special ,divine tuition is a specimen of the frowardness of all men in their natural condition1 which is indeed a most unnatural condition1 seeing that it is out of harmony with all the rest of creation4 ,delivered from bondage by miracle and fed and guided by the same miraculous love and power for nearly half a century1 and again and again after their settlement in ,canaan delivered from the consequences of their disobedience by the same mighty hand1 the testimony against them was1 ,ephraim is joined unto idols1 let him alone 7,hosea iv4 #ae74 ,neither appeals to their conscience or their reason1 or even to their own self-interest1 nor promises nor threatenings1 could induce them to choose ,god's way in preference to their own1 and when ,he appeared among them in flesh1 and after ,he had risen from the grave and the full meaning of ,his incarnation and death was unfolded to them by ,his apostles1 they still perversely chose to go about to establish their own righteousness rather than submit themselves unto the righteousness of ,god 7,rom4 x4 #c74 ,and man in general is as froward1 as perverse1 as was this froward people4 ,though their reason1 and conscience1 and self-love are all on the side of ,god's way they persist in walking in their own4 ,,ii4 ,the way of renewed man4 ,it is a direct or straight way 7see ,critical ,notes71 because it is an obedient way4 ,no man but a godly man keeps in one undeviating course1 for none but he has but one aim and goal4 ,the unrenewed man may be swayed by passion to-day1 and by worldly interest to-morrow2 but with him who has been born to a new and higher life one principle lies behind all his actions2 and whatever his secondary plans and purposes1 they are all subordinated to the one ruling law--the ,will of ,god4 ,his work--whatever it may be--whether that of the judge upon the bench1 the minister in the pulpit1 the tradesman behind the counter1 or the sailor at the mast-head1 has one end and aim above all others1 viz41 to glorify ,god2 and this gives to it a directness and straightforwardness which is not an element in the walk and work of the ungodly4 ,see also on chap4 x4 #i1 #aj1 page #aec1 and on chap4 xi4 #c1 page #aie4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,no one is such a stranger in any land as man is in the land of righteousness2 neither is any stranger so ignorant of his way1 as man is of the way of virtue4 ,wherefore1 man and purity are rightly opposed in our translation4 ,for what is more froward1 more impure1 than man's way is8 ,and he that is pure1 how little man must he have in him4 ,how must he put off man to put on purity4 ,wherefore1 if in the whole way of man there be a right work1 it is not the work of man1 as he is man1 but the grace of ,god4--,jermin4 ,it is too natural for us to think that1 if we are no worse than the generality of our neighbours1 we are safe4 ,but ,solomon and ,paul teach us1 that1 to walk as man1 is not to walk like saints 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #c74 ,whilst we are following the course of this world1 we are walking in the broad road that leadeth to destruction1 and not in the narrow way that leadeth unto life4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #i and #ai4 ,,an ,,angry ,,woman4 ,i4 ,no social discomfort is to be compared to that of an ill-tempered wife4 ,a corner of the housetop would be exposed to the rain and to the storm1 both of which1 in ,eastern countries1 are generally of a violent character2 and although it is not uncommon for ,orientals sometimes to pass the night there1 it would be most undesirable to be obligated at all seasons1 and under all circumstances1 to have no other place of refuge4 ,he who had to dwell there would at one time be subjected to the intense heat of the mid-day sun1 and at another would be chilled by the midnight air4 ,neither is the wilderness a pleasant place of abode4 ,in addition to all the drawbacks of the housetop arising from exposure to the weather1 a wilderness is a place of dreary solitude1 and often of danger from wild beasts and lawless men4 ,but it is better to dwell in either of these places than with a brawling or even with an angry woman4 #a4 ,because one might enjoy intervals of repose4 ,the rain would not always descend1 neither would the storm-wind be always blowing2 the sun would sometimes give forth only an agreeable warmth1 and the night-wind bring only a refreshing coolness4 ,even in the wilderness the solitude would sometimes be enjoyable1 and life there would not always be in peril4 ,but the woman pictured here is one whose ill-temper is always ruling her and casting gloom over the home1 and when there is no storm of passion actually raging there is one brewing and ready to burst forth4 ,the unhappy partner of her life can never look forward to an hour of ease1 for the lulls in the storm are but momentary1 and the rifts in the clouds obscured again immediately4 #b4 ,because1 whatever may be the discomforts of a housetop or wilderness dwelling1 they may leave the soul at rest4 ,they can but reach the body1 and the mind may be so absolutely calm or absorbed in thought as to be almost unconscious of what is passing without4 ,to some men solitude has such charms that they are willing to forego many bodily comforts in order to obtain it4 ,there have been and are those whose own thoughts are the only company they desire1 and who would gladly brave the drawbacks of the housetop or the wilderness1 if by so doing they could be left undisturbed to indulge their own speculations1 or pursue their meditations4 ,but the sharp tongue of a contentious woman leaves no corner of the soul undisturbed4 ,it is vain for the subject of it to seek refuge in reflection upon more agreeable topics1 to endeavour to banish the actual present by calling up images of the future1 or of unseen though distant realities4 ,all the powers of the mind are paralyzed by such an incubus1 and the soul cannot wing its flight into pleasant regions1 as it can do sometimes when the suffering only touches the outer man4 ,,ii4 ,external good fortune is no proof against this domestic curse4 ,the wide house or the house of companionship1 suggests a goodly mansion--a dwelling which might be the centre of social gatherings1 and whose owner is able to indulge in hospitality on a large scale4 ,it calls up before us not the top-story garret of the very poor1 or even the narrow dwelling of a struggling man1 where the fight for bread1 and the effort to make both ends meet1 may have something to do with spoiling the temper of the housewife4 ,but the angry and contentious woman is not confined to these abodes--,solomon almost seems to speak here from experience1 but even if he did not1 we know that even palace walls cannot keep out the curse1 and that there is often such a skeleton at the must sumptuous feast4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the family is sometimes a fierce fire4 ,it comprehends the greatest portion of our world4 ,it is to us the most interesting1 and therefore is capable of becoming the most trying portion4--,cecil4 ,everyone has known some pair chained together by human laws where the heart's union has either never existed or been rent asunder4 ,two ships at sea are bound together by strong1 short chains4 ,as long as the sea remains perfectly calm all may be well with both2 though they do each other no good1 they may not inflict much evil4 ,but the sea never rests long1 and seldom rests at all4 ,woe to these two ships when the waves begin to roll4 ,there are two conditions in which they might be safe4 ,if they were either brought more closely together1 or more widely separated1 it might yet be well with them4 ,if they were from stern to stern riveted into one1 or if the chain were broken and the two left to follow independently their several courses1 there would be no further cause of anxiety on their account4 ,if they are so united that they shall move as one body1 they are safe2 if they move far apart1 they are safe4 ,the worst possible position is to be chained together1 and yet have separate and independent motion in the waves4 ,they will rasp each other's sides off1 and tear open each other's heart1 and go down together4--,arnot4 ,better to retire into a corner of the housetop than to quit the house and go into bad company for diversion1 as many who1 like ,adam1 make their wife's sin the excuse of their own4--,henry4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,the ,,desire ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,on the desire of the wicked see on chap4 xi4 #e1 #f1 page #aii4 ,concerning that desire it is here affirmed-- ,that it overmasters and destroys all natural feelings of compassion4 ,the ,bible teaches us that in the estimation of ,god he is our neighbour who1 as one of the same great human family1 stands upon the same level with us1--the child of the same ,god and heir to the same inheritance of sorrow and death4 ,as such he has a claim upon our consideration and goodwill at all times1 and sometimes he stands in need of our sympathy and help4 ,now there are spiritual desires and inclinations to which we are bound to subordinate some claims of human kinship4 ,the relation of a disciple of ,christ to his ,master is so far above all human ties that they sink into apparent insignificance beside it1 but this relationship has not the effect of lessening man's concern for the welfare of his brother1 but of increasing it tenfold4 ,but here is subjection to a principle as much below nature as the other is above it--evil instead of good is the aim of the life1 and in proportion as it rules and reigns it drags a man below the level of even ordinary human nature and leads him to so earnest a pursuit of his own wicked devices that he has no time to pause to consider the claims of others4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,evil4 ,all kinds of it4 ,he rejoices in iniquity 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #f72 he rejoices in calamity 7chap4 xvii4 #e72 he desires nothing but evil 7chap4 xvii4 #aa74 ,blessed be ,god1 if a soul desires anything but evil1 i4e41 desires it truly 7see ,james iv4 #b71 that soul is saved4 ,as to the second clause1 there may be a bending over earthly distress1 but real favour to his neighbour the lost man never shows4 ,the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel 7chap4 xii4 #aj74--,miller4 ,and here lies the difference between the godly and the wicked2 not that the one is pure from evil and the other commits it1 but that the one does it from constraint1 the other from delight4 ,the one testifies--,what ,i hate--the other--,what my soul desireth--that do ,i4 ,as the fruit of this native cherished principle1 self to the wicked is both his god and his object4--,bridges4 ,he views his neighbour in no other light than as1 on the one hand1 the means of thwarting1 or1 on the other1 the instrument of promoting his own ends4 ,can he gain anything by him8 he will flatter and cajole him and do everything to win his favour1 and secure his services4 ,does his neighbour's interest1 reputation1 personal and family comforts1 connections1 or even life itself1 stand in the way of the attainment of his wishes8--he is ready to sacrifice all to his idol4--,wardlaw4 ,it is the common maxim of the schools1 that1 seeing the nature of the good is the nature of that which is desirable1 it is impossible that evil1 as it is so1 should be desired4 ,but then the schools do add also1 that the will may desire anything1 it is not required that it be good in the truth of the thing1 but that it be apprehended as if it were good4 ,and thus it is that the soul of the wicked desireth evil1 because that he apprehendeth the good1 either of some pleasure of profit1 or some contentment in it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,,instruction ,,for ,,those ,,who ,,need ,,it4 ,i4 ,an inevitable event in the history of the scorner4 ,it is here taken for granted that he will be punished--that he who sets at nought the counsel1 and will have none of the reproof of wisdom1 will have his day of reckoning4 ,the day of his calamity and fear will come 7chap4 i4 #bg74 ,throughout this book1 as throughout all the inspired writings1 sin and punishment are linked as cause and effect4 ,there is punishment in the constantly increasing dominion of evil in the soul1 and there is punishment in the stings of conscience2 but there is also punishment by the direct interposition of ,god1 and it is to this that the proverb evidently points4 ,,ii4 ,one of the fruits of wisdom4 ,he who is wise will be instructed4 ,having used what he has1 he will in accordance with the ,divine law receive more4 ,to him that hath shall be given 7,mark iv4 #be74 ,he who by a wise use of five talents has gained other five1 shall have his store increased still more4 ,this is likewise a foundation principle of this book1 that the wise are those who are willing to be instructed1 and that to those who desire instruction it will not be wanting4 ,the special point of the verse is in the fact-- ,,iii4 ,that the punishment of evil men1 and the soul-advancement of the good1 have a work to do outside the men themselves4 ,when the scorner receives punishment others receive instruction4 ,this is one of its objects4 ,a good ruler1 as we have before seen 7chap4 xx4 #bf71 is bound to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked for many reasons1 and for this reason among others1 that the punishment of one offender may prevent others from committing a like offence4 ,men often learn by example what they would not learn by precept--the inexperienced are often more deeply impressed by one instance of retributive justice than they would be by many admonitions in word4 ,this is1 as we know from ,god's ,word1 one end of ,his visitations4 ,for this cause1 said ,god to ,pharaoh1 have ,i raised thee up1 for to show in thee ,my power1 and that ,my name may be declared throughout all the earth 7,exod4 ix4 #af74 ,there are vessels belonging to our navy which are past repair1 and are therefore unfit for sea4 ,yet they are retained as light-ships along the coast1 and are useful in preventing better ships from going to pieces on the rocks4 ,pharaoh had long scorned the commands and the judgments of ,jehovah1 and his own doom was fast hastening on4 ,but he would still serve as a beacon-light to save others--by his punishment the simple would be made wise4 ,but there is the other and brighter side of the picture4 ,the inexperienced are allured to goodness by the advancement of the good1 as well as deterred from evil by the downfall of the wicked4 ,when the simple sees the wise man in the attitude of a learner--when he finds that the wiser he is the more he desires instruction2 and when he marks the effect of his humility and earnestness in his growth in all that is calculated to win him respect and to afford him real satisfaction1 he receives knowledge by the instruction of the wise as well as by the punishment of the scorner4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a respectful sinner2 how is he a scorner8 ,the ,holy ,ghost plainly intends just the shock that such words occasion4 ,if a man hears that he should repent1 and knows the reasons1 and among the reasons are facts like hell1 and calls like ,christ's1 and scenes like death1 with all the realities of an eternal judgment1 is there any spoken scorn that can be thought of as more scornful than the acted scorn of not repenting8 ,the simple becomes wise1 i4e41 the subject or the witness of the punishment1 just as it may happen4 4 4 4 ,punishment never wastes4 ,the wicked may be thrust lower by his evil 7chap4 xiv4 #cb71 but some saint receives the lesson4 ,this principle reaches through the system4 ,the philosophy of hell is its good-doing through all the universe4--,miller4 ,it is a stroke easily taken which another feels1 the receiver only fears1 and it is a blow haply given which1 striking one1 reacheth two2 the scorner to his reward1 the simple to his amendment4 4 4 4 ,let it therefore be a sharp punishment which is inflicted2 smite a scorner1 for such it is that the scorner deserveth1 and it will work upon the simple1 though not by the touch of the punishment yet by the virtue of it4 ,and when wisdom hath once subdued him by fear1 then will it lead him on to hear the wise1 and by attention to receive knowledge4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,god',s ,,surveillance ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,we follow here the rendering now generally given of this verse4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,i4 ,we have a reference to a mystery in the government of ,god4 ,it is mysterious that the wicked are permitted to live at large--to pursue their plans and carry on their iniquitous work4 ,under human governors1 men who break the laws of the ,state and endanger life and property are not allowed to have liberty4 ,if they are permitted to live1 they live under restraint--their activities are confined within narrow limits1 and so their power to do mischief is taken from them4 ,the prisons scattered throughout our land declare that our rulers only permit those who break our laws to have a very narrow sphere of action2 they live where all their freedom is taken from them1 and where their rule of life is not their own but that of others4 ,but ,god allows those who break ,his laws a larger amount of freedom--,he permits them to mingle freely with righteous men1 and to exercise their influence upon the world1 and to carry out designs which are often in defiance of ,his commands4 ,this has often perplexed the good in the world1 and they have again and again asked the question1 ,wherefore do the wicked live--become old2 yea1 are mighty in power8 7,job xxi4 #g74 ,,ii4 ,the wicked living thus at large have ,god for a sentinel4 ,there are many men living at large who are known to be dangerous characters--who1 although they do not come within the reach of the law1 are known to cherish feelings and intentions which are antagonistic to it4 ,such people need a more vigilant supervision than those in the prison cells1 just because their freedom is greater4 ,an ordinary man can watch a criminal who is secure in a prison1 but much greater watchfulness and skill is needed to supervise the actions of one at liberty4 ,every house of the wicked contains a lawbreaker at liberty1 and often one house contains many such who have a large amount of freedom in the execution of their wicked designs4 ,god is the only ,being capable of being the sentinel over such a house4 ,they need one who knows the heart as only ,god knows it--one who sees all their plans before they become actions4 ,they need a sleepless sentinel--one who can be awake at all hours1 and so can never be taken by surprise4 ,and this they have in ,god4 ,none enters or departs from the house of the wicked1 and no plot is concocted within it that is not marked by this ever-wakeful sentinel4 ,the wicked have what it is indispensable they should have--an omniscient and omnipresent eye ever upon them4 ,,iii4 ,after the watch has been kept for a given time1 the house is marked for falling4 ,we know why ,god gives such men freedom1 for ,he has told us4 ,it is that they shall have opportunities of repentance--that they shall turn from their way and live 7,ezek4 xxxiii4 #aa74 ,he spares the house of the godless1 for the same reason that the vine-dresser desired that the fruitless fig-tree should be spared 7,luke xii4 #f-i74 ,he gives men time to bring forth fruits of holiness1 to their own profit and to ,his glory4 ,so ,he considered the house of the sinners1 before the flood4 ,his longsuffering waited while the ark was a preparing 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #bj7 for some tokens of a change of disposition towards ,himself1 and consequently towards ,his laws4 ,but none came1 and so the day came when the flood came1 and swept away both the houses and their inhabitants4 ,so ,he considered the house of the ,jewish nation1 after the death of ,christ4 ,in the days of ,john the ,baptist1 the axe was laid unto the root of the tree 7,matt4 iii4 #aj71 but the hand was not lifted to strike1 until the rejection of the ,messiah1 and of the ministry of ,his apostles1 had proved that there was no hope of a moral change4 ,the wicked shall be overthrown1 but ,god considereth their house long before ,he gives the final blow4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 7,it will be seen that these read the verse as in our version47 ,the punishment of the wicked reads a lesson not only of love and trembling1 but of wise consideration4 ,yet many are the perplexing mysteries of ,providence4 ,the righteous man does not always see with his right eyes4 ,the prosperity of the wicked staggers his faith1 excites his envy1 and induces hard thoughts of ,god 7,ps4 lxxiii4 #b-ad74 ,but when he looks with the eye of faith1 he sees far beyond the dazzling glory of the present moment4 ,he wisely considereth their house2 not its external splendour and appurtenances1 but how it will end4 ,he justifies ,god1 and puts himself to shame 7,ib4 verses #af-bb74 ,shall not the ,judge of all the earth do right8 7,gen4 xviii4 #be74 ,here we rest1 until ,he shall arise1 and plead ,his own cause1 and with the breath of ,his mouth1 and the brightness of ,his coming1 destroy the very existence of evil4 ,meanwhile1 where the superficial eye sees nothing but confusion1 let the righteous man wisely consider lessons of deep and practical profit4 ,the shortness of the prosperity1 and the certainty of the overthrow1 of the wicked2 the assurance of a day of recompense2 the contrast of the substance of the godly for time and for eternity--these are the apprehensions of faith4 ,do they not marvellously set out the perfections of ,god1 and call to each of ,his children--,my son1 give glory to ,god8--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,the ,,cry ,,of ,,the ,,poor4 ,i4 ,the cry of the poor may always be heard4 ,the poor1 said the ,saviour1 ye have always with you 7,john xii4 #h71 and so long as sin is in the world it must be so4 ,there are many who sickness and bereavement makes poor1 and many who are in need because of the sin of others1 besides those who have been brought to poverty by their own wrong-doings4 ,and from all these creatures of need there comes a cry--a direct appeal1 it may be1 for help1 or the voice of lamentation because of their distress4 ,this cry may be around us even when no appeal comes from the lip1 and when no word of complaint is uttered4 ,the wrongs of the oppressed and the miseries of the needy cry still when there is no speech nor language1 and when no voice is heard4 ,,ii4 ,no human creature can afford to stop his ears to this cry4 ,not one of the millions who walk the earth can reckon upon being always independent of the pity and help of his fellow-creatures4 ,he may be almost certain that he will not be so4 ,he is not sure1 however rich he is now1 that he may not have to cry for bread1 or he may have to cry for help in sickness or for sympathy in sorrow4 ,it is quite certain that he will at some period of his existence cry to ,god for mercy4 ,if1 therefore1 he is deaf to the cry of those whose distress he can relieve1 he is as unwise as the servant of whom our ,lord speaks in ,his parable1 who refused to have compassion on his fellow-servant to the amount of a hundred pence1 while he himself stood in need of the forgiveness of a far heavier debt 7,matt4 xvii4 #bc1 #ce74 ,he who stops his own ears at the cry of the poor stops the ears of ,god against ,his own1 for in the day when the favour of the ,king of the universe will be more precious than the wealth of ten thousand worlds1 the charge will be brought against him1 ,i was an hungered and ye gave ,me no meat2 ,i was thirsty and ye gave ,me no drink1 etc4 7,matt4 xxv4 #db74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,when we have reason to complain that we cry and shout1 but ,god shutteth our prayer1 let us consider our ways2 perhaps we have shut our ears on some occasions against the cries of the poor4 ,this was one reason why ,god accepted not the prayers and fasts of those people whom ,isaiah speaks of in the fiftieth chapter of his book4--,lawson4 ,did a rich man know for certain1 that himself should be a beggar before he died1 it would make him give to the poor when they cried1 that others might give to him when he cried4 ,now the wise man here assureth every hard churl1 that although now he be never so rich1 yet shall he be a beggar4 4 4 4 ,the cries of the poor are but ,god's proclamation1 whereby ,he publisheth ,his pleasure for the relieving of them4 ,it is ,god therefore ,himself that is not heard when they are denied2 it is ,god that is not heard in ,his command1 as well as the poor in his necessity4 ,and1 therefore1 being made deaf as it were with the loudness of ,his own crying1 ,he doth not hear the uncharitable when they cry unto him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,the ,,pacification ,,of ,,anger4 ,i4 ,human anger is an evil to be avoided4 ,even the anger of a righteous man exposes the object of it to danger4 ,david had good reason to be angry with ,nabal1 but his anger1 though it was the anger of a man just in the main1 so nearly overmastered him for the time as to lead him to meditate a very bitter revenge4 ,for even righteous indignation has a tendency to run into unrighteous action1 as in the case of ,esau and ,jacob4 ,the elder brother had just cause to be angry with the younger for his meanness and deceit1 but lawful displeasure soon degenerated into an unlawful purpose1 and ,jacob had to flee for his life4 ,if1 then1 even the anger of the righteous man is to feared because it may lead him to visit the offender with justice without mercy1 much more is the anger of the unrighteous man likely to lead him to extreme measures1 and the anger of either is an evil to be avoided when it can be done without sin4 ,,ii4 ,gifts may appease human anger4 ,this proverb does not1 we think1 refer to bribery but to lawful tokens of goodwill1 and of a desire to be reconciled--to gifts by which we seek to make some atonement for a wrong done4 ,such were the presents which ,jacob offered to ,esau1 and ,abigail to ,david4 ,a bribe is a gift offered to a third person who is to judge between the parties at strife1 but the gift here is from the offender to the person offended4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a gift in itself is gracious1 but if it be secretly given it is yet more acceptable2 for privy bestowing taketh away the blush of open receiving4 ,when as then a present shall even so closely be conveyed unto the receiver as that it shall covertly be put into his bosom1 then it will be most welcome and even forcible4--,muffet4 ,have gifts1 says a judicious writer1 such a powerful influence to disarm resentment8 ,then let no man plead1 in apology for the fury of his passions1 that he is not able to conquer them4 ,if money can conquer them1 shall reason1 and the fear of ,god1 and the command of ,christ1 be too weak to bridle them8 ,surely the commandments of ,god our ,saviour have too little authority with us1 if they have less influence upon our spirits than gold and jewels have upon the spirits of almost all men4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,,the ,,joy ,,of ,,righteousness4 ,i4 ,the just man's own character and actions give him joy4 ,it is a matter of experience with all the righteous beings in the universe that joy comes to them from uprightness of character4 ,the blessedness and joy of ,god ,himself comes from ,his supreme and absolute righteousness1 and in proportion as ,his creatures are conscious of partaking of ,his rectitude of character they feel real joy4 ,but this righteousness of character is made manifest in righteous deeds4 ,we know that ,god is a righteous ,god by what ,he has done1 and by what ,he has promised to do1 and the character of righteous men is likewise manifested in their acts4 ,from these deeds come joy to the doer4 ,whenever a good man is able to redress some injury1 or to make right some moral wrong--to put into exercise the love of right which is always latent within him--he feels joy4 ,,ii4 ,the just man derives joy from the justice and righteousness of others4 ,his great desire is to see the world freed from the rule of sin1 with all its consequent miseries1 and he hails every act of justice done as one more step towards that end4 ,he sympathises with all those who struggle for right against might1 whether with human or ,satanic powers1 and every victory gained by them gladdens his heart4 ,as he is on the side of justice he has nothing to fear1 but everything to gain1 from the advance of justice in the world1 and in the universe1 and therefore he not only rejoices in the doings of other righteous men1 but especially in the righteous acts of ,god4 ,knowing that every one of them tends to bring in the rule of everlasting righteousness1 and knowing that this rule will be the best possible for both the just and the unjust1 and having a glad consciousness that to him it can bring nothing but good1 the just dealings of ,god are the constant theme of his glad meditations4 ,with the ,psalmist he can sing1 ,seven times a day do ,i praise ,thee1 because of ,thy righteous judgments 7,psalm cxix4 #afd74 ,,iii4 ,the workers of iniquity have no such source of personal joy4 ,the name given implies their character4 ,it is iniquitous1 unequal1 crooked4 ,their path lies quite apart from the straight road of obedience to ,god and justice to men1 and therefore none of the flowers and fruits which grow only in the one path can be gathered upon the other4 ,but they not only miss the joy of the just1 but are active agents in creating their own misery4 ,sin is a destructive power4 ,destruction is used in two senses4 ,a thing is destroyed when the elements which compound it cease to be1 but it is also destroyed when the form which made it precious and beautiful is lost4 ,the palace is destroyed when the earthquake lays it level with the ground1 although all the stones and timbers are still there4 ,the garment is destroyed when the fire blackens and scorches it1 although the warp and woof of the fabric is still in existence4 ,so a man's destruction is1 as we understand the ,word of ,god1 not the cessation of his existence1 but the loss of all that makes existence of worth to himself and others4 ,,iv4 ,the workers of iniquity cannot rejoice in the righteous dealings of others4 ,the rectitude of the just man condemns them4 ,it makes their ways look more crooked by the force of contrast1 and it rebukes their consciences4 ,it necessarily sometimes takes a more active form against them4 ,the thief cannot joy in the law that condemns him to punishment1 and is not likely to take pleasure in the character of the judge who passes sentence upon him4 ,no godless man can rejoice in reflecting on the righteousness of ,god1 for that righteousness fills him with terror in the present1 and apprehensions concerning the future4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,not the saint's judgment2 that is joy1 of course3 but all judgment1 even the judgment of the lost4 ,sad doctrine that6 and to man's feeling a very shameful one4 ,but to man's reason there may be a glimpse of light4 ,the highest joy is to be holiness2 the highest holiness1 the holiness of ,god4 ,all judgment is built upon that4 ,god's holiness1 therefore1 being the basis upon which ,he condemns the lost1 is that judgment which is part of the trait may be part of the joy which springs to the glorified believer4--,miller4 ,it is joy to the just to do right2 but vexation 7distress1 trouble7 to the workers of iniquity4 ,such is ,boothroyd's rendering2 and it agrees with the ,french4 ,the righteous find their happiness in the ways of ,god1--in doing the thing that is right4 ,so far from true religion--practical godliness--being a source to them of irksome melancholy1 it is their joy4 ,but to the wicked it is irksome4 ,the principle of goodness or of godliness being absent from the heart1 all conformity to precept is against the grain with them4 ,they may do what is right from compulsion1 from considerations of interest1 or from the constraint of conscience and fear2 but pleasure in it they have none--no joy4 ,and hence it is that amongst ungodly1 worldly men1 the impression and saying are so prevalent1 that religion is melancholy4 ,while the heart continues at enmity with ,god1 all outward conformity to the will and worship of ,god can be nothing better than vexation1--harassing and fretting to the spirit and drawing forth the exclamation1 ,what a weariness is it6 ,the joy of religious and virtuous practice can only be felt where there is the inward power of religious and virtuous principle4 ,it is a joy that can only be known by the experience of the new heart2 and by the new heart it is felt to be the only joy worthy of the name4 ,but the heart that is still a stranger to the love must be still a stranger to the joy2 and the whole life of the good man must appear a life of bondage4 ,the man who has no ear for music would regard the ecstasies of a ,handel as ridiculous2 but such ecstasies are not on that account the less real4--,wardlaw4 ,gravity is nowhere so seemly1 as where it is the robe of the judgment seat2 and though justice be done1 yet if wantonly or lightly done1 it is divested of the honour of it4 ,wherefore the joy which the wise man here commendeth is not the vanity1 but the alacrity of the mind4 ,that detracteth from the worth of it even in the sight of men1 this addeth to it in the sight of ,god4 ,now1 that which breedeth this joy is the habit of it4 ,he that doth judgment now and then is not righteous1 though he do that which is righteous4 ,it is the constant doer of judgment that is made righteous by it1 and findeth joy in the doing of it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,like ,,to ,,like4 ,i4 ,the way of understanding4 ,what is this way8 ,in other parts of this book it is called the path of the just 7chap4 iv4 #ah1 see page #eh71 a way of righteousness 7chap4 xii4 #bh1 page #bia71 and a way of life 7chap xv4 #bd1 page #dcj74 ,it is a way of understanding1 because it is the path or method of life which is followed by those who have well considered their way--who regard both their present and future welfare in the highest sense of the word4 ,the way of righteousness is a way of understanding1 because it leads to spiritual life and blessedness1 both here and hereafter2 therefore those who walk in it give a proof of their wisdom4 ,if we count a man to have no understanding who persists in walking on a road which those who know tell him leads to a precipice over which he must fall1 and if the truth of what they say is confirmed by his own knowledge1 how much more shall we count those of no understanding who persist in following the path of moral ruin8 ,and by contrast the way of present moral light and life which is ever leading on to more light and life is well named the way of understanding4 ,,ii4 ,the doom of the wanderer from it4 ,he becomes one of an assembly with whom it is most undesirable to be numbered--the congregation of the dead4 ,the graveyard is a place in which living men never take up their abode4 ,those who are there are there because they can no longer remain in the dwellings of the living and healthy4 ,they would pollute the homes of those who are in life1 and must therefore be separated from them4 ,there is a spiritual graveyard--a place to which those who are destitute of moral life must be banished1 because they are unfit for any other dwelling4 ,and there they must remain1 for it is the only place suited to their character and disposition4 ,judas1 when he left this world1 went to his own place 7,acts i4 #be7--to the place to which he belonged1 because it was the abode of those like-minded with himself4 ,from the parable of the rich man and ,lazarus we infer that those who become numbered with that congregation will remain there until the great gulf fixed between them and the living is removed 7,luke xvi4 #bf74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the original word here translated remains1 signifieth to rest and be quiet4 ,it is rest that giveth understanding1 and it is understanding that giveth rest4 ,a disquieted mind doth not readily understand things1 and it is the understanding of things that quieteth the mind4 ,in the way1 therefore1 of understanding1 here be many resting-places4 ,he that is wearied with the cares of the world1 when he understandeth that man is born to cares1 resteth himself therein4 ,he that is toiled in getting the things of this world1 when he understandeth how little sufficeth nature1 and that when he dieth all shall be taken from him1 resteth himself there4 ,he that tireth his brains to search out knowledge1 when he understandeth that the greatest part of men's knowledge is the least of his ignorance1 and that to know ,jesus ,christ is life everlasting1 resteth himself there4 ,but he that wandereth from the way of understanding meeteth with no rest in all the ways he goes--his thoughts are in no quietness1 his heart hath no contentment1 his mind no peace4 ,it is the grave alone that is the bed of his rest2 and when he cometh to the congregation of the dead1 to the general assembly of all mankind1 then he shall be quiet4 ,or else1 to consider the verse as our translation hath it3 everyone that understandeth his way is not in the way of understanding4 ,the crafty politician understands his way well enough1 and goes on readily in it2 the covetous worldling understandeth his way well enough1 and goes and gets apace in it2 the cunning cheater understandeth his way well enough1 and passeth through with it4 ,but none of these are in the way of understanding3 that is but one1 and is the enlightening of the understanding by the ,word and ,grace of ,god4 ,that is the way of understanding1 because thereby we understand ourselves to be in the right way indeed4 ,the man1 therefore1 that wandereth out of this way1 when he hath wandered all his ways1 shall end them at last in the congregation of the dead--that is the rendezvous to which all are gathered--and being once there1 he shall remain for ever amongst them4 ,for when that change is come1 they that have passed the way of understanding shall pass from death to life1 but they that have gone out of the way shall only go from one death to another4--,jermin4 ,verse #ag has been treated with verses #e and #g4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,the ,,ransom ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 ,this verse must be understood to express the same truth as that in ,isaiah xliii4 #c1 in which ,jehovah1 speaking to the ,hebrew people1 says1 ,i gave ,egypt for thy ransom--,ethiopia and ,seba for thee1 referring doubtless to the deliverance by the overthrow of the ,egyptians and other nations4 ,here the ,divine interposition is not on behalf of an elect nation1 but on behalf of a special character2 not for the deliverance of ,israel according to the flesh1 but of the true ,israelite--the righteous and upright man wherever he is found1 for in every nation he that feareth ,him and worketh righteousness is accepted with ,him 7,acts x4 #ce74 ,i4 ,when the wicked man stands in the way of the true advancement of the good he shall be removed out of the way4 ,it is a law of the universe1 and the end to which all ,god's government tends1 that goodness shall finally have the ascendency over evil--that right shall triumph over wrong4 ,now1 although we speak of goodness and of evil in the abstract1 they have no abstract existence2 they can only exist in connection with free personalities2 with beings who have the choice of their actions4 ,hence1 if evil is to be put down1 it must be put down in the person of evil men or devils1 and if good is to rule it must rule in the person of the good4 ,therefore1 when the transgressor in any way opposes the real and true advancement of the righteous man he opposes the advance of righteousness1 and he must be sacrificed4 ,this is not always apparent to human eyes2 things often seem to tend in quite the contrary direction2 but this is because we do not know what is really most conducive to the coming of the kingdom of righteousness1 nor how the overthrow of evil can be best accomplished4 ,,ii4 ,every man must either be ransomed from sin or become a ransom for righteousness4 ,the righteous and the upright on the earth have only become so by submission to the righteous will of ,god--by taking ,his yoke and choosing ,his service4 ,this has delivered them from the power of evil--this has redeemed them from the slavery of sin4 ,it was quite open to ,pharaoh to fall in with ,god's will concerning ,israel--to obey the demand which was made upon him4 ,it was only after repeated refusal that he and his were made a ransom for ,god's people4 ,it is in every case where ,god's will is made known1 and it is only when men persist in transgression that they are made a ransom for the upright4 ,but there is no neutral ground4 ,every man who is not upright is a transgressor1 and as such will be subject to this law4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in the time of some strange visitation for sin1 the notorious offender1 who is guilty of heinous crimes1 by his suffering and death shall free the innocent person from the stroke of ,god's vengeance1 who should not be spared1 but plagued1 if the evildoer were winked at4 ,moreover1 some one that hath1 by breaking the ,lord's covenant or precept1 caused trouble to fall both on himself and many others1 who in like manner have not sinned as he hath done1 shall1 suffering alone for the sin which he hath committed1 deliver by his misery the rest that are in the same adversity1 but not for the same cause4 ,the executing of ,saul's sons 7#b ,sam4 xxi471 the stoning of ,achan 7,josh4 vii4 #bj71 and casting of ,jonah into the sea 7,jonah i4 #ab71 may more plainly declare and more fully prove the truth of this matter4 ,it may be here objected1 if the ,lord punish the righteous for the wicked man's offence1 how is he then righteous8 ,to answer hereunto briefly--,first1 though the ,lord afflict the innocent with the sinners oftentimes1 yet ,he doth not correct them for the faults of transgressors1 but for their own faults1 there being none so just but that he sinneth sometimes4 ,secondly1 when the just1 having authority to punish sin1 wink at the known offences of the ungodly1 by letting them go scot-free1 they make their transgressions their own1 so that in such cases no marvel if the ,lord scourge the just with the unjust2 for even the just do in such cases appertain to the family of the unjust4--,muffet4 ,it is the hatred of the wicked against the righteous that bringeth them into captivity1 but it is the favour of ,god towards them that ,he maketh those who have made them captives to be themselves the redemption of them4 ,or else1 if the condition of this world by ,god's permission and providence hath cast the righteous into thraldom1 it is the sport of the wicked to insult over them2 but it is the compassion of ,god towards them that ,he maketh those who make sport at them to be themselves the sacrifice of their deliverance4 ,and1 seeing misery1 being man's master1 requireth the right of command over him1 according as many are the general calamities of mankind1 ,god maketh the wicked to serve it1 and the transgressor to pay bondage unto it instead of the righteous4--,jermin4 ,the subjects of verses #ai and #bj have been already treated in this chapter4 ,see on verses #e and #g1 and on verse #i4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,a ,,noble ,,pursuit ,,and ,a ,,rich ,,prize4 ,i4 ,a noble pursuit4 ,following after righteousness and mercy4 ,these words may be taken as referring both to a state of judicial righteousness before ,god and to mercy received from him1 and also to the attainment of a righteous and merciful character4 ,the teaching of the ,scriptures is that the latter is the result of the former2--that all true righteousness and mercifulness among men flows from having obtained mercy from ,god1 and having come into right relations with ,him4 ,if a pursuit of any kind is to be successful it must be conducted according to certain known laws1 and must recognise certain indisputable facts4 ,if a man sets out to seek a distant shore where he knows the land is fertile enough to afford him abundant means of living1 he must regulate his pursuit of the land and of its riches in accordance with the laws which govern the natural world4 ,during his voyage he must observe the laws of navigation--he must steer his vessel with a due regard to the winds and tides1 or he will never reach the shore1 and when he lands he must still seek to obtain what he desires by working in harmony with natural laws4 ,if he ploughs in the autumn and expects to gather in the winter1 or sows weeds and expects to reap corn1 he will be utterly disappointed4 ,god is willing to bless his endeavours if they are made in subjection to known and established conditions1 but not otherwise4 ,so in every pursuit1 whether in the world of matter or of mind4 ,if a man also strive for masteries1 says ,paul1 yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #e71 that is1 unless he conform to the rules of the course4 ,the ,grecian runner might reach the goal without having a regard to the conditions of the contest1 but he would not even then receive the crown4 ,but in the pursuit of many things--and especially in the following after a righteous and godly character--it is impossible to reach the desired end without observance of the conditions laid down by ,god ,himself4 ,there is one way only to become a truly righteous and merciful man1 and that is by accepting the mercy of ,god and ,his method of justification1 called in the ,new ,testament the righteousness of ,god 7,rom4 iii4 #ba1 etc474 ,the history of the ,church combines with the testimony of ,scripture to confirm this truth4 ,the ,jewish nation1 as a nation1 refused to accept it1 going about to establish their own righteousness they have not submitted unto the righteousness of ,god 7,rom4 x4 #c74 ,their history since has been a moral failure1 and it is the history of all who have united with them in the rejection of the way of righteousness through the atonement of the ,son of ,god4 ,on the contrary1 the acceptance of that righteousness and mercy has been the first step in the formation of the most righteous and merciful characters that have ever lighted up our world4 ,the apostle who was the great expounder of the doctrine of imputed righteousness through the mercy of ,god could appeal to his spiritual children in such words as these3 ,for our exhortation was not of deceit1 nor of uncleanness1 nor in guile2 4 4 4 neither at any time used we flattering words1 as ye know1 nor a cloke of covetousness 4 4 4 but we were gentle among you1 even as a nurse cheriseth her children2 so being affectionately desirous of you1 we were willing to have imparted unto you1 not the gospel of ,god only1 but also our own souls1 because ye were so dear unto us 7#a ,thess4 ii4 #c-h74 ,this was ,paul's disposition and character after he became a partaker of ,divine mercy and a justified man through faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and all those who sincerely accept ,god's method of being made righteous bring forth the same kind of fruit in their life1 although not always in such abundant measure4 ,,ii4 ,a rich reward4 ,he who seeks mercy and righteousness from ,god by faith becomes1 as we have seen1 a righteous and merciful man4 ,this in itself is moral life--a quickening of the spiritual capabilities--an awakening to spiritual realities and joys which were before unknown--an entrance into the possession of all that makes existence worth having4 ,such a man gets honour of a real and lasting nature--the goodwill of all the good in all worlds and the favour of ,god ,himself4 ,he follows after righteousness for its own sake--out of the pure love of holiness and purity1 and not for any reward that it may bring either now or hereafter1 and he finds as he follows it that many things are added unto it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,follows after1 chases eagerly4 ,how absorbed the chase of some poor partridge on the hills4 ,even let that be our picture4 ,righteousness and mercy1 or kindness1 the two tables of the law2 a genial picture of all holiness4 ,now let a man chase holiness with the absorbed forgetfulness of self that such game would imply1 and all else will come in at the death4 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 and all things else will be added thereto 7,matt4 vi4 #cc74 ,life1 all sorts of life4 ,righteousness1 but one sort of righteousness in place of that personal righteousness which 7in the first clause7 we are still called to chase4 ,glory1 all sorts of glory4 ,the list is not an illogical one4 ,life1 all that is personally good and happy1 righteousness2 all that buys that and keeps a title to it1 glory1 that which is above happiness1 and is always to be counted higher--viz41 the honour and excellency of absolute purity of being4--,miller4 ,there is nothing which a man hath that is not going from him2 there is nothing that a man seeketh that doth not seek to keep itself from him4 ,it is therefore following that bringeth a man both to finding and possessing4 ,both are spiritual things1 not the things of this world1 that are worthy either of a man's following1 or finding1 or possessing4 ,they are righteousness and mercy that are worthy of our seeking1 they are life1 righteousness1 and mercy that are worthy of our finding4 4 4 4 ,gregory1 comparing spiritual and temporal riches together1 showeth their differences to be great1 because spiritual riches do even then increase1 when they that are laid out1 earthly riches are either laid out and so consumed1 or else are kept and are not profitable4 ,and in the following after them there is also this difference1 that he who followeth after the things of this world always findeth less than he looked for2 but he that followeth after spiritual things shall be sure to find more than he did or could look for--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bb4 ,a ,,wise ,,man ,,and ,a ,,mighty ,,city4 ,i4 ,the city of the mighty will not easily yield to conquerors4 ,when a fortress encloses within its walls many strong arms and stout hearts1 it will not be captured by child's play4 ,the confidence that the defenders have1 not only in the strength of their position but in their own individual power and prowess1 will certainly prevent them from giving up without a struggle4 ,such a city must be scaled or captured either by stratagem or by a mightier force than that which defends it4 ,there are various ways in which this may be done4 ,when the height and thickness of the walls prevent their overthrow from without they may be assailed from beneath1 and when brave men cannot be subdued by the sword they may be by hunger4 ,,ii4 ,in whatever way the city is taken wisdom is the mightiest force employed4 ,military strength--indeed physical force of any kind--is of little or no avail without wisdom to direct it4 ,under the guidance of a wise commander an undisciplined and almost powerless mob becomes a powerful army1 and a very small amount of mere strength can be made very effective if it is wisely directed4 ,belshazzar had strong walls around his city1 and a mighty army within it1 but ,cyrus possessed the wisdom which the ,babylonians lacked1 and therefore the wise man overthrew the confidence of the mighty4 ,,iii4 ,wisdom is a power that is needed to take other strongholds besides those built of brick or stone4 ,any obstruction or difficulty which a man encounters in life may be a city of the mighty to overthrow which wisdom will be an indispensable ally4 ,poverty is such a city1 and it cannot be scaled by activity and industry alone--the industrious effort must be guided by wisdom4 ,ignorance may be compared to such a stronghold1 and wisdom is needed to guide the pursuit after knowledge4 ,sinful habits are walls around a man1 and they are so defended and strengthened by invisible powers of evil that they cannot be cast down by strength of will alone--wisdom must be sought from above to turn the struggle into a victory4 ,but we have not only to contend with personal evils but with relative ones1 with the misery and sin around us if not within is1 and here again nothing can be done without wisdom4 ,muscular force can do a little to put down their outward manifestations1 but wisdom only can do anything towards lessening their real and terrible hold upon man4 ,the human soul1 also1 is a city which can be scaled only by the wise man4 ,in ,eden the city of ,man-soul was taken by the subtlety and craft of the devil1 and a wisdom more than human is needed to regain it4 ,the undertaking is especially difficult1 because there are inhabitants within the city who are averse to a change of masters--there are evil tendencies within which make men unwilling to leave the yoke of ,satan for the service of ,god4 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ has1 however1 scaled this city of the mighty2 all the wisdom of ,god has been brought to bear upon the work of reconciling men to ,himself1 and the ,cross has accomplished what physical force of ,omnipotence itself could not have achieved4 ,what is strength without a double share ,of wisdom8 ,vast1 unwieldy1 burdensome2 ,proudly secure1 yet liable to fall ,by weakest subtleties2 strength's not made to rule1 ,but to subserve where wisdom bears command4--,milton4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the ,israelites never crushed the ,philistines4 ,the ,jebusites long dwelt in ,jerusalem's stronghold 7,josh4 xv4 #fc74 ,the sinner 7at conversion7 in his feeblest state enters ,canaan1 and scales the city of the mighty4 ,but when his foot has touched that eternal tramping-ground1 alas for him6 there is still the citadel6 ,a wise man1 not only as being a wise man1 but in becoming a wise man1 has scaled the city of the mighty1 and evermore afterwards1 in becoming wiser1 he is casting down the strength of its place of confidence4 4 4 4 ,not to print mistake upon his emblems1 ,solomon qualifies the last by those that immediately follow4 ,conversion is not a warfare4 ,it is not the glow of camps or the shout of armed men1 but a drowsy and forlorn awakening4 ,arrayed against it may be the strength of the mighty1 but it is a strength absurd and miserable1 as against a droning and depressing inanition4 ,we wrestle not against flesh and blood1 and when we come to understand the venture1 the climb over the gates is not a bound of strength1 but a torpid crawl out of mortal infirmity of feeling4 ,hence the patient prosing of the ,preacher1 as he next approaches us 7in verse #bc74 ,christian obedience is the way to triumph4--,miller4 ,the art of war has already shewn the pre-eminence of wisdom above strength4 ,prudent tactics1 or a wise application of courage1 triumphs over mere personal prowess4 ,joshua's strategy in taking ,ai was a proof of military wisdom4 ,solomon seems to have known of a wise man singly delivering his city from the power of a mighty king2 a proof of wisdom quite tantamount to the strength of an aggressor scaling the walls1 and thus casting down its confidence 7,eccles ix4 #ac-ah74 ,much more therefore will spiritual wisdom1 the immediate gift of ,god1 overcome difficulties as formidable as the scaling of the city of the mighty4 ,a wise calculation of the cost is eminently serviceable in achieving most important triumphs 7,luke xiv4 #ca1 #cb74 ,for does not conscious weakness lead to a single dependence upon ,god8 ,and what difficulties are too great for an ,almighty arm8 ,by thee--said a valiant soldier in the army of faith--,i have run through a troop2 and by my ,god have ,i leaped over a wall4 ,weapons of a spiritual1 not a carnal1 temper1 are mighty through ,god to the pulling down of strongholds 7#b ,cor4 x4 #d71 impregnable to the power of man4 ,all the promises are to him that overcometh4 ,let the soldier go to the conflict strong in the ,lord1 and putting on his whole armour 7,eph4 vi4 #aj74 ,the triumph is sure4 ,the heavenly city will be scaled4 ,the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by force 7,matt4 xi4 #ab74--;,bridges4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bc see on chap4 xiii4 #c1 page #bid4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,a ,,name ,,of ,,degrees4 ,i4 ,many terms are needed to set forth the complete character of the wicked man4 ,a complicated machine has many parts1 each of which has a different action and performs a different work1 and each of which has its distinctive name4 ,but the whole make up one machine1 the name of which includes all the parts4 ,so it is with a wicked man4 ,he is like a complicated and destructive piece of machinery--all that he does and is may be comprehended in the general term1 godless1 or wicked2 but the various vices which go to make up his character have their distinctive name4 ,in this proverb three degrees of wickedness seem to be set forth under different names1 each one being an intensified form of the vice that has gone before4 ,first there is pride2 the man overrates his own worth1 and by so doing underrates the worth of others4 ,from pride of heart comes haughtiness of conduct--he is overbearing and insolent in his bearing towards those whom he looks upon as his inferiors4 ,then he becomes a scorner--he despises all1 whether good or bad1 and so fills up the measure of wickedness4 ,for when all feelings of respect and reverence for even human worth have died out of a man he cannot fall much lower4 ,,ii4 ,such a man is a constant vendor of what is within him4 ,he dealeth in it2 he cannot keep his pride and scorn to himself1 it overflows in his contemptuous carriage1 in his haughty look1 in his angry words1 and in his oppressive deeds4 ,he may deny the fidelity of the portrait which ,solomon here draws of him1 but he whose dealings with his fellow-creatures are marked by these characteristics must submit to be called by the odious names here given4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in the course of different proverbs this teacher will be found to have explained all his own use of terms4 ,piety as wisdom1 and wickedness as folly--terms very characteristic of his books--he explains at the very first4 ,scorner is his favourite name for the impenitent4 ,we were giving reasons for this under the eleventh verse4 4 4 4 ,the demurest sinner1 who seems thoroughly respectful to the truth1 would not push along so into the very jaws of death if he were not arrogantly trusting to himself1 and if he felt not scornfully free from the necessities of the ,gospel4--,miller4 ,it is the nature of pride to show itself as losing the contentment of those things upon which it is placed1 unless by showing of them it show itself in them4 ,and yet so odious a vice is pride1 and so shameful1 as that it would fain hide itself also4 ,but there is nothing that doth so manifest and make known the pride of anyone as his wrath doth2 wherefore as the name of a man telleth who he is1 so he who dealeth in wrath telleth his name4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #be and #bf4 ,,the ,,sword ,,of ,,the ,,sluggard4 ,i4 ,a sluggard cannot help desiring the results of toil4 ,it is natural and lawful for men to value bodily health and comfort1 and all those blessings which are the ordinary fruits of industry--they are good things which ,god gives ,his creatures to enjoy1 but they are not ,his only gifts nor ,his best gifts4 ,but they are the main objects of the sluggard's desire1 for an inordinate and exclusive love of them has made him a slothful man4 ,if he had put his reputation and his duty before his love of ease--if he had listened to the voice of conscience rather than to the pleadings of self-indulgence1 he would be a worker instead of a mere wisher4 ,the text suggests that mere desire to possess is not a power strong enough to turn an indolent man into an industrious one1 although it is strong enough to make him miserable and wicked4 ,for-- ,,ii4 ,a sluggard is an unrighteous man4 ,this is both implied and expressed in the proverb4 ,he is placed in contrast with the righteous man as one of an opposite character1 and he is declared to be an habitual breaker of the tenth commandment4 ,covetousness is a sin nearly allied to envy1 and both are in themselves transgressions of the moral law1 and often lead to more heinous crimes4 ,let no man1 then1 say that his refusal to take his part in the work of the world is a matter which concerns himself alone1 for even if a man were not responsible for a negative existence1 such a course is certain to lead to positive sin4 ,,iii4 ,he is a self-destroyer4 ,this is a phase of sloth which has not been placed before us in former proverbs on the subject4 ,the sluggard not only makes wretched the existence which it his great aim to pamper1 but he shortens it4 ,his covetous and unsatisfied state of mind is a canker-worm at the root of all that he does possess1 and1 deprived of the healthful influence of labour1 he becomes an easy prey to disease and death4 ,it is probable that nothing undermines the bodily constitution more surely than unsatisfied desire4 ,men who have been great workers1 but who have not seen the desire of their hearts fulfilled1 have often died in consequence4 ,how much more likely will the slothful man be to die under such a disappointment6 ,if the rust eats into the sword which is in constant use1 how much more certainly will it destroy that which is never drawn from the scabbard6 ,,iv4 ,the righteous man is a worker and a giver4 ,he is in all respects the exact opposite of the sluggard4 ,he works not so much because of the gain of labour as because he loves to work1 and because it is wrong to be idle4 ,this he shows by the use he makes of much that he gains--he gives with an unsparing hand4 ,in both he is an imitator of the righteous ,god1 who is the ,greatest ,worker and the ,greatest ,giver in the universe4 ,the righteousness of ,god prompts ,him to bountiful acts towards needy creatures1 and the righteousness of ,his righteous servants prompts them to do like deeds1 according to their ability4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #d1 page #bif4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the desire kills him4 ,why8 ,because he will not gratify it4 ,the way to gratify it is to get it accomplished4 4 4 4 ,say not1 ,it is the refusal that kills and not the desire4 ,that is not altogether the case4 ,the spark that is too weak to grow puts itself out by its attempts4 ,the desire that is too dull to act has treasured in it the last remainders of the heart1 and in its languid throbs makes itself the instrument of its own growing dissolution4--,miller4 ,in the ,paris ,french translation the words stand thus--,all the day long he does nothing but wish4 ,how very expressive at once of the unconquerable indolence and the fretful1 envious1 pining unhappiness of the sluggard6 ,and in his wishing1 he may at times1 by the power of a sanguine imagination1 work himself into hope2 and then1 disappointment only embitters the cup of his own mingling1--aggravates the misery1 which he is painfully conscious is self-inflicted4--,further3 he appears before us a stranger to all the positive and exquisite pleasures of charity and beneficence2 but the righteous giveth and spareth not4 ,it is not said1 you will observe--the diligent giveth and spareth not2 because there are not a few who are sufficiently exemplary in diligence1 to whom the ,bible would not give the designation of the righteous1 and who are far from being distinguished for benevolence4 ,but the antithesis1 as it stands here1 implies these three things3 ,first1 that diligence is one of the features in the character of the righteous3--,secondly1 that the natural tendency1 and ordinary result of this is1 through the ,divine blessing1 abundance to spare3--,thirdly1 that another distinguishing feature of the character of the righteous man1 is readiness to part with what his industry acquires--giving1 and not sparing2 that is1 giving cheerfully1 and giving liberally2 not assenting merely to the truth of the maxim1 as being the word of the ,lord1 but feeling the truth of their own heart's experience--,it is more blessed to give than to receive4--,wardlaw4 ,it is not said by ,paul1 ,if any man do not work1 neither let him eat1 for some would work and cannot get it1 others would work and are not able1 but ,if any man will not work1 if any have work to do1 and will not1 let him not eat4 ,in the same manner the wise man speaketh2 he doth not say1 his hands do not labour1 but his hands refuse to labour4 4 4 4 ,but he sheweth that though a sluggard be idle himself1 yet his desire be so hard a labourer1 that it is a daily labourer1 and such a daily labourer painfully worketh all the day long4 ,so that although he have no hands to work1 his desire hath hands to beg and crave of him2 which being not satisfied1 is a just punishment of his careless sluggishness4 ,but the righteous man1 being as earnest in his labour as the other in his desire1 getteth enough1 not only to satisfy his own desire1 but to supply the wants of others4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,the ,,sacrifice ,,of ,,the ,,wicked4 ,i4 ,a ,divine institution may become an abomination to the ,divine ,being4 ,the right use of the gifts of ,god makes them blessings to men1 but the abuse of them turns them into curses4 ,so with the ordinances of worship1 both under the ,old ,testament dispensation and in the ,new--that which is designed to bless men may by misuse add to their guilt before ,god1 and that which1 done in a right spirit1 is most acceptable to ,him1 will1 when joined to a sinful motive1 be most abhorrent to ,his holy nature4 ,the sacrifice of the ,levitical dispensation was an ordinance of ,divine appointment1 but even those who lived before the days of the prophets were not left to suppose that the merely ceremonial act was of any value in the sight of ,god if a correspondent state of heart was wanting1 ,the offering of ,cain was unacceptable1 because he lacked the faith of his brother ,abel 7,heb4 xi4 #d74 ,samuel taught the truth that to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams 7#a ,sam4 xv4 #bb71 and the father of our preacher was deeply conscious that sacrifice and burnt offering would not be acceptable to ,god unless they were the outcome of a broken spirit1 a broken and contrite heart 7,psalm li4 #af1 #ag74 ,the doctrine that ,god is a spirit1 and they who worship ,him must worship ,him in spirit and in truth 7,john iv4 #bd71 is taught in the ,old ,testament as well as in the ,new4 ,it is the teaching of this proverb4 ,,ii4 ,a ,divine institution may be used by men to cloak their iniquity4 ,the absence of a right motive is enough to turn the sacrifice into an abomination1 as we have seen 7see also on chapter xv4 #i1 page #djh71 but this comparatively negative wrong seems to lose some of its guilt beside the actual crime of the second clause of the verse1 when men actually put on the outward semblance of religion1 not from inadequate ideas of the requirements of ,god's law1 or from the force of habit1 or in a thoughtless spirit1 but with the deliberate intention of deceiving their fellow-creatures4 ,for it is inconceivable that any reasonable being can for a moment suppose that he can blind ,him before whom all things must be naked and opened 7,heb4 iv4 #ac74 ,if he believes in a ,god he cannot think that ,he is a ,being who can be imposed upon by such a miserable deception1 and1 this being granted1 it is most astonishing that any creature can presume to offer so great an insult to his ,creator4 ,and yet we know that sacrifices have been and are even now being offered to ,god for no other purpose than to cloak sin4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this is a ,new ,testament idea3--,ye ask and receive not1 saith the ,apostle ,james1 because ye ask amiss4 ,how8 ,why1 precisely in the way that the proverb points out1 because ye do it for an interested purpose2 as the ,apostle expresses it1 that ye may consume it upon your desires4 ,the wicked man asks for heaven that he may consume it in keeping comfortable through a long eternity4 ,the proverb in verse #ag postulates the opposite4 ,in merely loving happiness a man cannot create wealth4 ,the mass of hypocrites1 therefore1 are those eternal-happiness hypocrites44 4 4 ,there may be other reasons1 but that additional and fundamental among them all is this deepest one1 that religious acts cannot be accepted if they are built upon nothing tenderer than a calculated purpose4 7,so ,miller translates the last two words4 ,see also ,critical ,notes47 ,ye seek ,me1 says our blessed ,redeemer1 not because ye saw the miracles1 but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled 7,john vi4 #bf74--,miller4 ,for ,homiletics of verse #bh1 see on chap4 xii4 #ai1 page #bge4 ,the man that heareth is evidently the man who is teachable and open to conviction1 and therefore qualified to bear witness of the truth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the last clause of the proverb seems to fix and restrict the first4 ,a false witness often becomes so by the culpable habit of thoughtlessly repeating1 without examination or certain knowledge4 ,a man may thus do very serious injury to his neighbour's character or property4 ,it proves a very loose conscience1 and an utter want of that charity which covers instead of exposing faults4 ,it is rejoicing in iniquity rather than rejoicing in truth4 ,this false witness will certainly be punished by ,god2 and even by man he will be confounded and silenced4 ,no one for the future will regard or receive his testimony4 ,but the man that heareth--the true witness who speaketh only what he heareth1 and is fully acquainted with--he speaketh constantly--to conviction4 ,he holds to his testimony and never contradicts himself4 ,he speaks the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth4 ,his word1 even if it had been slighted at first1 gains more and more credit and authority when the false witness shall have perished 7chap4 xii4 #ai74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,the ,,face ,,and ,,the ,,way4 ,the last verb in the text is better translated--establisheth1 or maketh firm4 ,i4 ,what is intended to reveal may be used to conceal4 ,the human countenance is intended to express the feelings of the mind1 and when a man is not afraid for another to read his thoughts and intentions1 his face is to a great extent the index of his heart4 ,but a bad man is unwilling that his neighbour should know what is passing within him--his thoughts and purposes will not bear the light--they are so selfish or impure that he is ashamed of them1 or they are occupied with some malicious plan which must be concealed if it is to be successful4 ,he therefore hardens his face--puts on an appearance of innocence and frankness as a cloak of the evil underneath4 ,but this method of life is not an easy or a pleasant one--the contrast in the second clause seems to imply that such a man walks in an uneven or a miry road--it is hard to be always acting a part and to be obliged at all times to look what we do not feel1 and there may come unguarded moments and unlooked-for surprises when the mask will fall and the truth come to light4 ,,ii4 ,the godly man has no need to practise hypocrisy4 ,his thoughts and desires1 and aims1 are toward the true and the good--his heart is filled with goodwill towards his fellow-men1 and he has1 therefore1 nothing to fear or to be ashamed of when his face reveals his inner self4 ,this way of the upright is1 in comparison with the way of the wicked1 as a firm and level road--he who walks on it finds solid ground beneath his feet1 and has no need to be ever on the look-out for bogs and pitfalls4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a hardened heart and a hardened face1--a face that has learned to brave accusation and to look innocent under conscious guilt1 are the most undesirable of all attainments4 ,the confusion of innocence1 when evil is imputed1 is far preferable4 ,better far to be innocent and thought guilty1 than to be guilty and thought innocent4 ,better far to have the sentence of acquittal in our own bosoms1 though condemned by men1 than to succeed in getting acquittal from men1 and carry within us the sentence of guilt4 ,how painful soever the former1 we can still look up to ,god1 and forward to ,his tribunal1 as that of unerring rectitude1--where ,he will bring forth our righteousness as the light1 and our judgment as the noon-day4 ,o6 there will be no hardening of the face then4 ,conscience will do its duty4 ,the eyes which are as a flame of fire will search the inmost soul4 ,every eye will quail1 and every countenance1 even the most hardened1 sink1 before the look of ,him that sitteth upon the throne4 ,he will then at once wipe off the reproach of his people1 and bring to light the hidden things of darkness4 ,and then they who1 under the influence of faith1 and fear1 and love1 have considered their way1 shall lift up their faces without dread1 and meet the smiles of their gracious ,judge6--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #cj and #ca4 ,,counsel ,,against ,,the ,,lord4 ,i4 ,only those plans succeed which harmonise with the will of ,god4 ,this is of course true only in regard to the ultimate and final issue of men's plans and purposes4 ,sometimes1 and indeed oftentimes1 counsel against the ,lord is very successful for a season1 and for a very long season1 but it is only for a season4 #a4 ,this is obvious if we consider ,god's knowledge of the future4 ,it is inseparable from ,his ,divine nature that ,he shall be able to declare the end from the beginning1 and therefore ,he says ,my counsel shall stand1 and ,i will do all my pleasure3 yea1 ,i have spoken it1 ,i will also bring it to pass2 ,i have purposed it1 ,i will also do it 7,isaiah xlvi4 #aj1 #aa74 ,imagine the general of a vast army being confronted with a handful of blind men1 would there be any room to doubt who would have the victory8 ,if a traveller whose eyesight is so dim that he can only see a step or two before he has to travel an unknown road1 will he not do well to take the arm and avail himself of the guidance of a man whose sight is perfect8 ,the plan or purpose of our life is the road we desire to walk upon1 and as we know not what shall be on the morrow 7,james v4 #ad7 we can only hope to attain our desire if we enlist the ,all-seeing ,god on our side1 and in order to do this our counsel must be in harmony with ,his4 #b4 ,god's ,almighty power1 also1 ensures the success of ,his counsel4 ,the horse is prepared against the day of battle1 but what is the united force of a world compared with the might of ,him who hath comprehended the dust in a measure1 and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance8 4 4 4 ,the prophet answers the question1 ,the nations are as a drop of a bucket1 and are counted as the small dust of a balance 7,isaiah xl4 #ab1 #ae74 ,the knowledge that our guide has of a dangerous path--the fact that he is acquainted with it from the beginning to the end--may not ensure our arrival at the desired goal4 ,he and we may together be attacked by powerful foes1 and power to protect is as needful as knowledge to guide4 ,when we commit our way to ,god we have omnipotence as well as omniscience on our side4 ,,ii4 ,yet men are ever opposing their finite wisdom and strength to the almightiness and infinite knowledge of ,god4 ,the proverb embodies a truth so palpable to any who will look facts plainly in the face--it contains an inference so obvious to an unprejudiced mind that it would seem unnecessary to write it if we did not know that sin has so distorted men's mental vision--so biassed their reason--that they are ever imagining a vain thing and taking counsel against the ,lord and against ,his anointed1 saying1 ,let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us 7,psa4 ii4 #b1 #c74 ,the world is full of confirmations of the fact1 and it also contains abundant evidence of the truth of the inspired word4 ,he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh1 and the ,lord shall have them in derision4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it would be a strong sentence if he declared that counsel against the ,lord could never amount to anything4 4 4 4 ,but he does something more clear than that4 ,there is no 7such thing as7 wisdom1 etc41 against the ,most ,high4 ,they could do nothing if they were2 but wisdom never could be enticed to that side4 ,the sentence embodies both ideas4 ,there is no wisdom that could avail against ,god2 but secondly1 there is none that would ever attempt it4 ,the expressions are peculiar4 ,there is nothing of wisdom4 ,the word is repeated3 ,nothing1 nothing1 nothing4--,miller4 ,we may1 perhaps1 consider the wise man as pointing out three modes of covering and effecting evil purposes3 in the twenty-seventh verse1 the mask of religion2 in the twenty-eighth1 false testimony2 in the twenty-ninth1 the assumed boldness and look of innocence4 ,but 7verse #cj7 there is no wisdom1 nor understanding1 nor counsel1 against the ,lord4 ,there may be against men4 ,in one1 or other1 or all of these ways they may be deceived4 ,there may1 in many cases1 be wisdom1 and understanding1 and counsel more than sufficient to impose upon and outwit them4 ,but ,god knows all4 ,his eye cannot be eluded2 ,his designs cannot be thwarted2 neither ,his promises nor ,his threatenings can be falsified1 by any artifice1 or policy1 or might of the children of men--no1 nor of any created being4--,wardlaw4 ,wisdom is that which is gotten by experience1 understanding that which is gotten by study1 counsel that which is gotten by advice 4 4 4 but let all be put in the scales against the ,lord1 they are but the dust of the balance unto ,him4 4 4 4 ,for if wisdom be gotten by experience1 ,he is the ,ancient of days2 ,he was ancient when days began4 ,if understanding come by study1 ,he hath all understanding of ,himself at once4 4 4 4 ,and the whole world is ,his common council1 and that not to give at all1 but to receive counsel from ,him4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,a good name4 ,literally a name4 ,loving favour1 or grace1 goodwill4 #c4 ,are punished1 rather must suffer injury4 #d4 ,by humility1 rather ,the end or reward of humility1 etc4 ,delitzsch reads ,the reward of humility ,,is the fear of the ,lord1 etc4 #e4 ,shall be1 etc4 or ,let him keep1 etc4 #f4 ,train up a child1 etc4 ,miller reads ,hedge in a child upon the mouth of his way2 ,delitzsch1 ,give to a child instruction according to his way1 i4e41 conformably to the nature of youth4 #h4 ,the rod of his anger1 or as ,zckler1 the staff of his haughtiness4 #af4 ,zckler reads this verse ,one oppresseth the poor only to make him rich1 i4e41 the oppression which one practises on a poor man rouses his moral energy1 and thus1 by means of his tireless industry and his productive labour in his vocation1 he works himself out of needy circumstances into actual prosperity4 ,here begins the third main division of the book of ,proverbs4 7,see ,introduction47 ,its contents are styled in verse #ag ,the words of wise men1 and they differ from the second division in consisting for the most part of much longer sentences1 comprising1 as a general rule1 two verses1 but sometimes many more4 ,zckler remarks that there is prevalent everywhere the minutely hortatory1 or1 in turn1 admonitory style1 rather than that which is descriptive and announces facts4 ,delitzsch and other modern ,bible students infer from verse #ag that this portion of the book contains no inconsiderable number of utterances of wise men of ,solomon's time4 7,see ,introduction to the ,book of ,proverbs1 ,lange's ,commentary47 #ba4 ,them that send unto thee1 rather them that send thee4 ,the senders here1 says ,zckler1 are naturally the parents1 who have sent their son to the teacher of wisdom1 that he may bring back thence to them real culture of spirit and heart4 #bi4 ,diligent1 rather expert1 apt4 ,additional ,,critical ,,notes for ,chapter #bb 7after verse #af74 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,better ,,than ,,gold4 ,the second clause of the proverb explains the meaning of the name in the first clause--it is evidently a good reputation that is gained by uprightness and unselfishness--that loving esteem of others which is the fruit of looking not only upon their own things1 but also upon the things of others 7,phil4 ii4 #d74 ,such a name is better than wealth4 ,i4 ,because the one may come by inheritance1 and the other must be the result of personal character4 ,the man who is born to wealth deserves no credit for being rich--he may be destitute of all personal excellence--he may1 indeed1 be a morally bad man1 and may neither possess nor deserve the goodwill of his fellow creatures4 ,but if a man does possess the confidence and love of others it is because there is that belonging to him that wins men to trust in him and to love him--if he has a good name and deserves it he is in some respects a good man4 ,,ii4 ,wealth is often a transitory possession1 but loving favour often outlives the present life4 ,many mere temporal gifts belong more truly to a man than his riches--his good looks or his handsome figure may long outlive his wealth1 for they are more truly his4 ,the uncertainty of riches is the subject of many a proverb1 and therefore any possession which is more certain to last is better than they4 ,a good name--the well-deserved reputation which is the result of loving our neighbour as ourself--is quite independent of the changes and chances of mortal life--it goes with a man to his grave1 and embalms his memory long after he has passed away4 ,,iii4 ,a good name belongs to a higher region of life than wealth4 ,even when wealth has been honestly earned1 and is the reward of moral excellence1 and even if its possession could be assured to its owner1 a good name is a more precious gift4 ,much skill and industry are required to build up a fortune1 but skill and industry are not qualities of so high an order as those which are needed to acquire the loving favour of our fellow-creatures4 ,he who possesses the latter must be a more excellent man than the merely honest and skilful seeker after riches1 and the possession is itself of a far more precious nature4 ,the gold and the silver are of the earth1 earthy1 but love and trustful confidence are good things which belong to the soul1 and which are in consequence far more truly satisfying to man's higher nature4 ,when one man possesses both these good things he is able to compare their power to bless1 and none who has experimental knowledge of the worth of both would sacrifice his good name to retain his riches4 ,they must bring him much outward deference1 but he knows full well that this would cease if he became a poor man--that there are many who love not the man but only his money4 ,but if he is so blest as to have won men's hearts he is fully assured that adversity will not deprive him of this good gift4 ,to possess a good name is to be rich with the riches which constitute the most precious wealth of ,god4 ,he is rich in material riches1 for all the beasts of the forest are his and the cattle upon a thousand hills1 yea1 the world and the fulness thereof 7,psa4 l4 #aj1 #ab74 ,but this wealth is inferior to the mental power which produced it4 ,god is great in intellectual wealth4 ,with whom took ,he counsel1 and who instructed ,him and taught ,him in the path of judgment1 and taught ,him knowledge1 and showed to ,him the way of understanding8 7,isa4 xl4 #ad74 ,but ,his real wealth is ,his name--that name which ,he proclaimed to ,moses--,the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god1 merciful and gracious1 long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #e1 #f71 which makes ,him the object of the reverential love of all the good in the universe4 ,and so it is with ,his creatures--in proportion as they have those spiritual characteristics which are possessed in perfection only by ,god ,himself1 their reputation for mercy1 and goodness1 and truth becomes their most precious and prized possession4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we are not good judges of value in the public markets of life4 ,we make grievous mistakes1 both in choosing and refusing4 ,we often throw away the pearl and carefully keep the shell4 ,besides the great disparity in value between the things of heaven and earth1 some even of these earthly things are of greater worth than others4 ,the valuables in both ends of the balance belong to time1 and yet there is room for choice between them4 ,there is the greater and the less where neither is the greatest4 ,a trader at his counter has a certain set of weights which he uses every day and all day1 and for all sorts of commodities4 ,whatever may be in the one scale1 the same invariable leaden weight is always in the other4 ,this lump of metal is his standard1 and all things are tried by it4 ,riches practically serve nearly the same purpose in the markets of human life4 4 4 4 ,this is a mistake4 ,many things are better than gold1 and one of these is a good name4 ,a good conscience indeed is better than both1 and must be kept at all hazards2 but in cases where matters from a higher region do not come into competition1 reputation should rank higher than riches in the practical estimation of men4 4 4 4 ,the shadows are not the picture1 but the picture is a naked ungainly thing without them4 ,thus the atmosphere of a good name imparts to real worth additional body and breadth4 ,as a substitute for a good conscience a good name is a secret torment at the time1 and in the end a cheat1 but as a graceful outer garment with which a good conscience is clothed it should be highly valued and carefully preserved by the children of the kingdom4--,arnot4 ,one is more valuable than the other as a means of usefulness4 ,riches1 in themselves1 can only enable a man to promote the temporal comfort and well-being of those around him4 ,but character gives him weight of influence in matters of higher moment1--in all descriptions of salutary advice and direction1--in kingly instruction and consolation1--in counsel for eternity4 ,it not only fits its possessor for such employments1 but it imparts energy and effect to whatever he says and does4 ,his character carries a recommendation with it1--gives authority and force to every lesson and every admonition2 and affords1 by the confidence it inspires1 many opportunities and means of doing good1 which1 without it1 could not be enjoyed4 ,riches1 again1 bring with them many temptations to sinful and worldly indulgences1 such as are injurious to the possessor himself and to his family--both temporally and spiritually4 ,character1 on the contrary1 acts as a salutary restraint1--keeping a man back from many improprieties and follies1 and even outward sins1 by which it would be impaired and forfeited4 ,and this restraint is felt1 and properly felt1 not for his own sake merely1 but for the sake of all those objects with which his name stands associated2 and especially from a regard to usefulness in connection with the truth1 and cause1 and church of ,christ4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,levelling ,,down ,,and ,,levelling ,,up4 ,i4 ,the rich and the poor have much in common4 ,they have1 in fact1 everything in common which is independent of silver and gold4 ,at first sight this seems to include almost everything worth having1 and it does include the best and most lasting good1 and often much beside4 ,we rejoice in the thought that many a poor man has as large a share of ,god's blessed air and sunshine as his richer neighbour--that his bodily frame is as healthful and his house as full as love4 ,but alas6 we cannot forget that poverty in many cases shuts out men and women from the gladdening and healthful influences of pure air and sunlight1 and consequently shuts them up to bodily disease1 and tends to produce moral unhealthfulness4 ,as civilisation advances1 and countries become more populous1 the gulf between poverty and wealth in this respect seems to widen1 and when we consider how many advantages1 not only material but intellectual and moral1 the very moderately rich possess over the very poor1 we do not find so much in common between them as appears upon a slight view of the case4 ,it is indeed true that all the blessings of life that money cannot buy are as much within the reach of the poor as of the rich2 but how many good things--not only for the body1 but also for the mind and heart--are not to be gotten without gold and silver4 ,there is1 however1 one platform upon which they all meet1 even in this life--one levelling force which brings them into an absolute equality4 ,in the plan of redemption through ,jesus ,christ1 and in all the blessed effects which flow from it1 the rich man has no advantage over the poor man--the brother of low degree is shut out from nothing that his rich brother enjoys4 ,in this sense1 as in many others1 we may use the prophet's words3 every valley shall be exalted1 and every mountain and hill made low 7,isa4 xl4 #d74 ,it does this3 #a4 ,by declaring their common and universal sinfulness4 ,disease of body is a levelling power--fever makes no distinction between king and subject--between master and servant2 while they are under its dominion the one has no immunity from the weakness and pain of the other4 ,so the ,gospel plan declares concerning sin what experience testifies--that there is no difference1 that all have sinned 7,rom4 iii4 #bb-bc71 and that its debasing and destroying power is alike in prince and peasant4 #b4 ,by offering the same conditions of redemption to all4 ,a physician1 when he visits his patients with the intention of doing his best to heal them1 does not prescribe one kind of treatment to the rich and another to the poor4 ,the conditions of recovery are not regulated by their rank1 but by their disease4 ,so with the ,gospel ,remedy for the sickness of the soul4 ,it is the same for every man4 ,the strait road is not made wider for the man with money bags1 the gate is opened as wide for the pauper as for the emperor4 #c4 ,by providing the same inheritance for all who accept the conditions4 ,every man who accepts the way of salvation has an equal right to claim ,god as his ,father--has an equal liberty of access to ,him 7,ephes4 iii4 #ab71 at all times--is sealed with the same ,spirit of promise1 and his the same hope of blessedness beyond the grave4 ,to each and to all it is said1 ,all are yours1 and ye are ,christ's 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #bb-bc74 ,,ii4 ,to ,god must be referred the lot to which each man is born4 ,he1 as the ,creator1 calls each man into being1 and determines the sphere in which he finds himself when he awakens to consciousness and to a sense of responsibility4 ,man1 as a free agent1 has much to do with determining his lot in life when he arrives at mature years1 but the circumstances surrounding his birth and earlier years1 and the mental gifts with which he is endowed1 have much also to do with it1 and these are determined for him by ,god4 ,so that ,he is not only the ,maker of the man's personality1 but largely also of his position in the world4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in the distinction between the rich and the poor there is something not altogether pleasant to the human mind4 ,we are apt to recoil from it4 ,without much thought1 by the mere spontaneous promptings of our feelings1 we are apt to have some dissatisfaction as we behold the advantages of riches so unequally distributed among men4 ,and frequently the dissatisfaction increases1 as we can discover no just rule of this distribution2 and as we behold more and more of the contrasted advantages and disadvantages of this distinction between rich and poor4 ,something like this was1 in my opinion1 the feeling of the writer of this text4 ,he saw the distinction between rich and poor2 he felt amazed2 he had a disliking for it which set his mind at work4 ,he thought the matter over patiently and religiously4 ,and when he had done he gathers up the whole substance into this single aphorism and writes it down4 ,that was his satisfaction4 ,there he left the matter4 4 4 4 ,he had studied it as he studied botany3 ,from the cedar-tree that is in ,lebanon to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall4 ,he had contemplated the loftiness of the rich and the lowliness of the poor1 wherein they differed1 and wherein they agreed1 and especially who made them to differ4 4 4 4 ,his faith in ,god and constant recognition of ,him would lead him to take along with him in all his contemplations the idea of the one ,great ,maker of all2 and then1 when he found things strange1 dark1 or revolting to him growing out of the distinctions between rich and poor1 he leaves all that with ,god4 ,but before he comes to this1 and while he is engaged amid things which he can understand1 he finds another side of the question which at first disquieted him4 4 4 4 ,coming to examine the matter1 he finds that distinction is not the real affair after all2 that there are more agreements than distinctions--more resemblances than differences3 the ,maker of all has made the all more alike than unlike4 4 4 4 ,they meet together in their origin and their situation as they enter the world4 ,they are equally dependent1 helpless1 miserable4 4 4 4 ,the two classes are very much alike in their amount of happiness4 4 4 4 ,the rich man is not necessarily happy nor the poor unhappy4 4 4 4 ,the passions which make men miserable are exercised by both classes without any visible difference in their effects4 4 4 4 ,there is a substantial agreement in all the organs of perception and enjoyment1 and much of our felicity here depends upon the organic constitution that makes us men4 4 4 4 ,in intellectual faculties there is the same strong resemblance4 ,the perception1 memory1 imagination1 reason1 which ,god has given1 ,he has been pleased to give with an impartial hand4 4 4 4 ,there is one common end to our humanity2 4 4 4 among dead men's bones you can find nothing to minister to human vanity4 ,the rich and poor meet together in the tomb and at the final bar of ,god4--,dr4 ,spencer4 ,they meet often2 yea1 often is the rich forced to send for the poor1 needing as much the help of his labour as the other doth the help of his money4 ,but this maketh them to meet nearer yet1 by causing the same who was rich to become poor1 and he that was poor to become rich4 4 4 4 ,and they meet everywhere--there is no place that hath not both of them1 and as there are many of the one1 so there are many of the other4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #c see on chap4 xiv4 #ae-ah1 page #cfc2 on verse #d see on chap4 iii4 #a-ah1 pages #bi1 #cd1 #ci4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #e and #f4 ,a ,,hedged-,,up ,,way4 ,i4 ,god will hedge in the way of the froward man4 ,as we have seen in considering former proverbs1 men in a fallen condition have a tendency to break loose from restraint--especially from ,divine restraint--and to mark out a path for themselves of their own devising4 7,see on chap4 xxi4 #h47 ,every human creature shows more or less wilfulness in regard to their relations to ,god and ,his law--choosing rather to fashion his life according to his own ideas than accounting to the ,divine idea and desire concerning him4 ,and this wilfulness1 if unchecked1 grows with a man's growth and strengthens with his years1 until his frowardness becomes the distinctive feature of his life4 ,but he will not have it all his own way4 ,he will not find the crooked path which he has chosen altogether pleasant and safe4 ,thorns will prick his feet and pitfalls will endanger his life4 ,he will find himself confronted and fenced-in by laws of retribution which ,god has set about him to admonish him to forsake his rebellious way4 ,for all the pain of body or mind which men suffer1 and all the obstacles they meet with in the way of frowardness are intended to keep them from a deeper pain and a heavier punishment4 ,a thorn-hedge is set by the side of the highway to admonish the traveller to keep the path1 and so avoid1 may be1 the precipice or the bog on the other side4 ,if he attempts to climb the hedge he will be wounded1 and if he is a wise man the thorn-pricks will lead him to abandon his intention1 and so to escape more serious harm4 ,if the hedge does this if fulfils the end for which it was planted4 ,so with the pains and penalties with which ,god hedges in the present way of the wicked man--they are intended to lead him into a better and safer way4 ,,ii4 ,it is a parent's duty to hedge in the way of his child4 ,the father stands in the place of ,god to his young children in this respect1 for his discipline in their early years is the best possible preparation for the discipline of ,god later on in life4 ,indeed the wiser the training of the earthly father the less are his children likely to need the corrective discipline of their ,heavenly ,parent4 ,the child that accustomed to bend its will to the will of a good father will not find it so hard to yield obedience to the ,will of ,god as he who has had no such training4 ,he will grow upon the practice of sinking his will in that of a wiser will1 and it will not be irksome for him so to do4 ,having found his father's yoke an easy one1 and having in the path of filial obedience tasted pleasures unknown to the rebellious child1 he will the more readily accept the yoke of ,god1 and find in ,his service perfect freedom4 ,but this blessed result will not be attained without much anxious and sometimes painful effort on the part of the parent4 ,for the natural waywardness of man in general manifests itself in very early life4 ,a child would like to be trained in the way it would go1 rather than in the way that it should go4 ,but this would in effect be no training at all4 ,for the training of anything implies a crossing of the natural tendency--a repression in one direction1 and an effort towards development in another4 ,the training of the vine does not mean a letting it put forth its branches just where it wills or a twining of its tendrils around any object it chooses--it implies a free use of the pruning-knife and of the vine-dresser's other implements and methods of restraint and guidance4 ,every child1 like every unwise man1 would like to set up its own hedge1 and put up its own fences1 and prescribe the limits and bounds of its own conduct4 ,but as we have already seen1 ,god lets no man do this beyond certain limits1 for ,he ,himself sets thorns and snares in the way of the froward4 ,it is1 therefore1 cruel neglect in a parent to allow a child to do it1 for thus the tendency to go in the wrong say is strengthened by indulgence1 and every year the path of obedience to ,god becomes more difficult1 and looks less inviting4 ,if the parent does not set a hedge about his son's path1 he is only making it certain that he will encounter thorns and shares further on in life4 ,as to the promise attached to the command in this proverb1 it can hardly be said to be of universal application4 ,solomon himself seems to have been an exception to the rule4 ,we have every reason to believe that his father1 after his birth1 would train his son most carefully and enforce his precepts by example4 ,we must believe that ,david's own bitter experience of the thorns and snares in the path of sin made him very anxious to preserve his son from wandering as he had done1 and led him to train him most carefully4 ,it is also said of the sons of a man whose life was outwardly stainless--of ,samuel--that his sons walked not in his ways 7#a ,sam4 viii4 #c74 ,yet we cannot suppose that ,samuel1 who had seen in ,eli's family the miserable fruits of non-restraint1 had neglected to train his sons4 ,yet the exceptions are doubtless very few in number compared with the rule1--that a rightly-trained child does not depart from the right way in his riper years1 though1 in ,bishop ,hall's words1 ,god will let us find that grace is by gift1 not by inheritance4 ,lord1 with what care hast ,thou begirt us round6 ,parents first season us3 then schoolmasters ,deliver us to laws2 they send us bound ,to rules of reason1 holy messengers4 ,pulpits and ,sundays1 sorrow dogging sin1 ,afflictions sorted1 anguish of all sizes1 ,fine nets and stratagems to catch us in ,bibles laid open1 millions of surprises4 ,blessings beforehand1 ties of gratefulness1 ,the sound of glory ringing in our ears2 ,without our shame1 within our consciences1 ,angels and grace1 eternal hopes and fears4 ,yet all these fences and their whole array1 ,one cunning bosom--sin blows quite away4--,herbert4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #e4 ,a forcible image to show that nothing stands so much in a man's way as the indulgence of his own unbridled will4 ,the man who is most perversely bent on his purposes is most likely to be thwarted in them4--,bridges4 ,the ungodly finds nothing in his path to hell but thorns and snares1 and yet he presses on in it6 ,a sign of the greatness and fearfulness of the ruin of man's sin4--,lange4 ,verse #f4 ,three different meanings have been found of the interpretation1 according to his way4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,it may be--#a4 ,his way in the sense of his own natural characteristics of style and manner1--and then his training will have reference to that for which he is naturally fitted2 or--#b4 ,the way of life which he is intended by parents or guardians to pursue2 or1 #c4 ,the way in which he ought to go4 ,the last is moral1 and relates to the general ,divine intention concerning man's earthly course2 the second is human and economical2 the first is individual1 and to some extent even physical4 ,yet although the third presents the highest standard and has been generally adopted1 it has the least support from the ,hebrew idiom4--,tr4 of ,lange's ,commentary4 ,he learneth best any way that knoweth no other1 and he best keepeth any way that groweth in it4 ,two children that are bred and grow up together1 are settled in affection the one to the other4 ,now1 it can be but a childish goodness that is in a child2 but if the childhood of goodness shall be bred and grow up with the childhood of man1 it will settle the stronger union between them4 ,aristotle saith1 it is a matter of chiefest moment for a man to be accustomed this way or that4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,,an ,,analogy ,,affirmed ,,and ,a ,,contrast ,,suggested4 ,i4 ,the contrast between the poor man and the borrower4 ,the proverb at least suggests that the poor man and the borrower are not necessarily convertible terms--that a poor man may owe no man anything1 and that a man may be in debt without being a poor man in the common acceptation of the word4 #a4 ,the poor man and the borrower may occupy different social relations2 indeed1 as a rule this is the case4 ,the poor man may have been born to poverty1 and consequently may be inured to its hardships1 one of which is its subjection to the will of the rich4 ,but the borrower may have been born to wealth1 and himself accustomed to rule over the poor4 ,the one may be so ignorant and degraded by reason of his poverty as scarcely to be conscious of the yoke he wears2 whereas the servitude of the other will be galling in proportion as his education renders him sensitive to his position4 #b4 ,they may be unlike in the fact that the poor man may have had no choice but poverty--he may have been born in it1 and may have had no opportunity of altering his condition2 but the borrower may not have been absolutely obliged to borrow--he may have borrowed merely to speculate or to waste4 ,,ii4 ,the point of resemblance between them4 ,they are alike in being both dependent upon the same person--upon the rich man4 ,this rich man may be unlike his poor brother in nothing save in his possession of gold2 he may be as uneducated as he is1 and morally1 far beneath him4 ,he may be much less polished and refined than the man who borrows of him1 but1 whatever he is or is not does not alter the case1 his money makes him the master--both the poor man and the debtor must submit to his dictation1 must acknowledge their dependence on him4 ,both often have the painful consciousness that he holds in his hand all that makes their existence of any value to them--both often alike feel that he could at any time deprive them of their very bread4 ,,iii4 ,the lesson of the proverb4 ,the wise man1 by thus showing how two men who are unlike in almost every other respect may be reduced to the same level in this1 is probably reading a lesson against borrowing4 ,the poor man's subjection to the rich is a matter which it is not in his power to alter1 but a man goes into debt generally of his own free will4 ,he may often be very hardly pressed by necessity to do so1 or as a matter of business it may be advisable1 but the proverb at least suggests that the step should not be taken without well weighing the consequences4 ,it is doubtless mainly directed against borrowing when a man has not resources to repay1 and is not likely to have them4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 #a4 ,the responsibility of the rich4 ,how great the power of wealth4 ,in this world it is a talent often more influential for good than intellect or genius4 4 4 4 #b4 ,the temptation of the poor4 4 4 4 ,to become servile1 cringing in spirit4 ,flunkeyism is the greatest curse of the people4 4 4 4 #c4 ,the wisdom of the diligent4 ,the industrious man is a wise man4 ,why8 ,because the more industrious he is1 the more independent he becomes of wealthy men4--,dr4 ,d4 ,thomas4 ,very important it is to maintain an independence of mind1 quite distinct from pride1 which elevates the mind far above doing or conniving at evil1 for the sake of pleasing a patron4 ,many have been forced to great entanglement of conscience1 perhaps to vote contrary to their conscience1 rather than lose the great man's smile4 ,often also the influence of capital is an iron rule of the rich over the poor4 ,many1 who profess to resist conscientiously state-interference1 have little regard for the conscience of their dependants4 ,the monied master exercises a control over his workmen1 which shows too plainly his purpose to make them the creatures of his own will4 ,this gigantic tyranny should be denounced with the most solemn protest4 ,the true ,christian line is to shun that proud independence1 which scorns the kindly offer of needful help2 but at the same time to avoid all needless obligations4 ,sell not your liberty to gratify your luxury4 ,if possible1 owe no man anything but love 7,rom4 xiii4 #h74 ,guard against that poverty1 which is the result of carelessness or extravagance4 ,pray earnestly1 labour diligently4 ,should you come to poverty by the misfortune of the times1 submit to your lot humbly2 bear it patiently2 cast yourself in child-like dependence upon your ,god4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,a ,,worthless ,,seed ,,and ,a ,,rotten ,,staff4 ,i4 ,the seed sown4 ,it is iniquity4 ,all kinds of deeds and every manner of dealing that are out of harmony with the principles of justice are acts of iniquity4 ,the least deviation from the path of moral right is in its measure an iniquitous step4 ,sowing iniquity is an expression that covers very much ground1 and includes many degrees of moral wrong1 from the withholding of the smallest act of justice to the inflicting of the greatest act of injustice4 ,now1 whenever a man deliberately and knowingly does either the one or the other he does it with a purpose4 ,he has an end in view as much as the farmer has when he sows seed in the field4 ,men do not generally act unjustly and commit crime out of mere love of sin--they generally expect and desire to gain something by it that they think worth having4 ,solomon here declares that they will be disappointed4 ,he has before dwelt upon the retribution that will follow sin1 he is here speaking of its deceptive character4 ,men do not get from it what they expect--they are disappointed either of the harvest or in it4 ,this has been the experience of all sowers of iniquity in the world since ,eve cast in the first seed4 ,in a certain sense she got what she was promised1 but how different the crop from what she hoped for4 ,she reaped vanity4 ,,ii4 ,the staff depended upon4 ,haughtiness or pride4 7,see ,critical ,notes47 ,this pride of heart and haughtiness of demeanour is born of a man's imagining that he has gained for himself a position and a name that will defy the changes and vicissitudes of life4 ,this idea bears him up2 he leans upon it1 as men lean upon a rod or staff4 ,the rich man often makes a staff of his riches1 and uses it to rule over the poor1 as in verse #g4 ,the man of talent sometimes makes his talent a staff1 and walks among his intellectual inferiors with a proud and haughty step4 ,the great conqueror says in his heart1 ,i will ascend unto heaven1 ,i will exalt my throne above the stars of ,god4 4 4 4 ,i will be like the ,most ,high 7,isa4 xiv4 #ac-ad71 and with the rod of his power he smites the nations and tramples upon the rights of his fellow-creatures4 ,but all these rods of haughtiness shall be broken1 and those who lean upon them shall find they have been trusting to a broken reed1 and the objects of their oppression shall say unto them1 ,art thou also become weak as we8 art thou become like unto us8 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the proverb takes two terms for iniquity1 one meaning crookedness1 the other meaning nothingness4 ,it paints one as only breeding the other4 ,it intends a positive law4 ,wheat breeds wheat4 ,so iniquity breeds only worthlessness4 ,a man may live a thousand years and yet the harvest will be unvarying4 ,and then to meet the fact that the dominion that his ambition gives does make him ruler over the saints themselves1 he employs a verb which expresses high action1 but action that exhausts itself4 ,its literal sense is to consume4 ,the idea is as of a fever which wears down the patient and itself together4 4 4 4 ,the impenitent seem to have the whole rod1 or sceptre1 of our planet1 the true solution is this1 that the rod is just budding out its strength4--,miller4 ,often may oppressors prosper for a time4 ,god may use them as his chastening rod4 ,but the seed-time of iniquity will end in the harvest of vanity2 and when they have done their work1 the rod of their anger shall fail4 ,such was ,sennacherib in olden time1 such was ,napoleon in our own day4 ,never has the world seen so extensive a sower of iniquity1 never a more abundant harvest of vanity4 ,the rod of anger was he to the nations of the earth4 ,but how utterly was the rod suffered to fail1 when the purpose was accomplished6 despoiled of empire1 shorn of greatness--an exiled captive4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,the ,,bountiful ,,eye4 ,i4 ,the eye is an index of the soul4 ,this is true1 not only of the expression of the eye but of its direction4 ,what is in the mind can often be read in the eye2 both evil passions and ,divine affections reveal themselves through it1 but sometimes both depend very much upon where the eye looks--upon the objects towards which the glance is directed4 ,perhaps the text refers both to the eye that softens at the sight of another's woe1 and to the eye which makes it its business to look around and search for objects which the hand can help4 ,for if the expression of the eye reveals the character so does the direction which it habitually takes4 ,there is many an eye that readily moistens with sympathy at the tale or the spectacle of sorrow which can hardly be called a bountiful eye1 for it is only by accident that it ever encounters anything to call forth its sympathy4 ,but the eye that is ever on the watch for opportunities of doing good1 of feeding the hungry and raising the fallen1 is a much surer index of a godlike disposition4 ,for such an eye has something in common with the eye of ,him who looked upon the bond slaves of ,egypt and said1 ,i have seen the affliction of ,my people and am come down to deliver them1 and who1 manifest in a human body1 was moved with compassion at the sight of people who were as sheep not having a shepherd 7,mark vi4 #cd74 ,he whose bountiful eye brings down a blessing upon him is not one who now and then meets a needy brother and relieves him2 still less is he one whose sympathy is shown only by the look4 ,his is evidently one whose glance of pity is followed by a deed of kindness and whose habit it is to look out for opportunities of succouring the needy4 ,,ii4 ,the soul is blest by the ministry of the hand4 ,he who gives of his bread to the needy will have the gratitude of the needy1 and there is not a more exquisite joy perhaps on the earth4 ,but the blessing of ,god will be his in an especial manner4 ,upon both kinds of blessing see ,homiletics on chap4 xi4 #be1 page #bcd1 and on chap4 xix4 #ag1 page #egf4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,perhaps the expression--he giveth of his bread to the poor1 may mean1 that he is ready even to share his own provision with them2 not merely to give a small portion of his superfluities1 but to stint himself for their supply4 ,and this is the spirit of true charity4--,wardlaw4 ,some that have a bountiful eye have no bread to give1 but they will give what will turn to as good an account to the donor1 and sometimes will be as pleasing to the receiver2 tears and attention1 and offices of tenderness and prayers to ,him that is able to help4--,lawson4 ,this bountifulness is a privilege1 which earth possesses above heaven4 ,many a rich blessing is sealed to it4 ,beneficence is the most exquisite luxury2 and the good man is the genuine epicure4 ,he hath a continual feast1 because his objects are always before him4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,a ,,man ,,who ,,ought ,,to ,,dwell ,,alone4 ,i4 ,the scorner should be dismissed from social bodies for his own sake4 ,it is better for the man himself that his power to do evil should be as limited as possible4 ,if we could know beforehand that a man intends to commit a great crime1 and so render himself liable to heavy punishment1 and bring guilt upon his conscience1 the kindest thing that we could do for him would be to deprive him of the power of doing as he intends4 ,we should thereby save him from the misery of becoming a greater transgressor4 ,if the other disciples of ,our ,lord could have foreseen what was passing in the mind of ,judas1 and could have prevented his becoming the betrayer of his ,master1 how great a blessing would they have conferred upon that unhappy man6 ,whatever might have been his other sins1 he would not have been stung with that agony of remorse at having betrayed innocent blood4 ,but many sins are of such a nature that it is impossible to hinder men from their committal--the steps which lead to them are hidden from those around1 and no one suspects that the guilty one has any such intention4 ,the scoffer1 however1 is not a sinner of this kind--his transgression is not a single act1 but a habit of life2 it is not a secret purpose hidden in his heart until the moment of its accomplishment1 but is manifested in his words4 ,men can therefore1 to some extent1 hinder him from increasing his own guilt by depriving him of the opportunities of indulging in his sin--if they cast him out--if they shun his society1 and dismiss him from their midst1 he will have fewer opportunities and temptations to indulge in scoffing1 and so will be kept from going to such great lengths in sinning4 ,a man who loves to turn into ridicule all pure and holy things1 uses to his own condemnation and degradation influences which were intended to bless and elevate him1 and it is better for himself that they should be placed beyond his reach than that he should so abuse them and increase his own guilt4 ,,ii4 ,he should be cast out for the sake of his fellow-creatures4 ,there are certain diseases of the human body which are not only most dangerous for the patient himself1 but expose to a like danger all who come in contact with him4 ,the leper is not only a great sufferer himself1 but he is a centre of a deadly disease which will spread itself to those with whom he dwells4 ,it is therefore necessary to remove him from the society of other men--so long as he is a leper he must dwell alone1 must be denied the privilege of citizenship and the joys of social life4 ,so it ought to be with the scorner--the habit of scoffing is one which is very infectious--very easily communicated by one man to another2 and seeing that it is so soul-destructive1 those who indulge in it ought not to have the opportunity of communicating the moral pestilence4 ,but there is another aspect of leprosy which renders it necessary to isolate as far as possible those who are suffering from it from the abodes of other men4 ,even if it were not so infectious1 it is most loathsome2 and this alone would render some separation necessary4 ,now1 there are societies of men in which the words of the scoffer would be quite powerless to do harm--there are those whose love of that which is true and holy is strong enough to withstand all such evil influence4 ,but to such men a scorner is a most repugnant character--they loathe his irreverent treatment of that which is to them most sacred4 ,it is not required that they expose themselves to the pain of his society--they are at liberty to cast him out of their midst4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is no cure but casting out4 ,such men are the ,jonahs of churches1 and of the coteries of social life4 ,as long as they are there1 there will be nothing but the bluster and commotion of the storm--toiling in rowing1 incessant distress1 vain exertion1 and no progress4 ,the sea cannot cease from its raging1 till they are thrown overboard4--,wardlaw4 ,this thought occurs also in the ,psalms 7,ps4 lxviii4 #f74 ,only the rebellious1 says the ,psalmist1 shall come to mischief4 ,there are1 it is true1 great mountains of wickedness2 but take away this one element of scorn--that is1 make a man submissive and the causes of strife have flown4 ,christ manages afterwards4 ,take away the rebelliousness of the heart1 and great monstrous sins will slowly be corrected and disappear4 4 4 4 ,scorning is not itself the cause of the quarrel1 and therefore ceasing to scorn does not remove it directly4 ,christ must remove the cause4 ,scorning expels ,christ4 ,ceasing to scorn admits ,christ4 ,and1 therefore1 it is literally true--,cast out the scorner 7it may be thine own scornful heart71 and the cause of quarrel passes away1 and strife and shame cease4--,miller4 ,it is always the disposition of the scorner1 that wheresoever he is1 he scorneth to stay1 and it is always the best usage towards a scorner to cast him out1 and not suffer him to stay4 ,for whosoever keepeth him shall be sure to keep strife and contention with him1 and where they are1 reproach and shame are the attendants of them4 ,if any good be done a scorner he disdains that it is so little2 if any wrong be done him he complains that it is very great4 ,if he be used in anything1 he disdains to be a servant2 if he is not used he complains that he is neglected4 ,still he is discontented1 and still his discontent breeds quarrelling and debate4 ,but cast out the firebrand and the fire goes out2 cast out ,jonah and the storm shall cease4 ,cast out the scorner from thy house1 and then there shalt be quiet4 ,for whence are all suits of contention4 ,whence is all strife1 but because the heart scorns to bear this1 scorns to take that1 scorns to let it go8--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,a ,,road ,,to ,,royal ,,friendship4 ,i4 ,the pure in heart deserve to be honoured with the friendship of the king4 ,where there is purity of heart1 the springs of moral life are healthy--the whole man is an embodiment of truth and goodness4 ,such a man is worthy of the honour and confidence of those who stand in the highest positions1 inasmuch as purity of heart belongs to the man himself1 and is a possession that is counted precious by the best beings in the universe1 whereas power and rank are often but accidents of birth1 and in themselves alone are valueless in the sight of ,god1 and in the eyes of the greatest and noblest of ,his creatures4 ,,ii4 ,the king consults his own interest when he shows favour to such men4 ,a man of pure heart is a great blessing to any community4 ,his very life is in itself a light which scatters moral darkness--a well which makes a fertile spot wherever it springs forth4 ,and it is in proportion to the number of such men in a kingdom that the realm enjoys peace and prosperity4 ,if we could find any earthly commonwealth composed entirely of such citizens1 we should find a place where the kingdom of ,god had come--a heaven upon earth4 ,but where there is purity of heart there is grace of lips--there is active effort to spread truth and righteousness4 ,the well does not confine itself to the spot where it first issues from the earth1 but sends forth health-giving streams far and near4 ,seeing1 then1 that such men are the real pillars of a state1 he only is a wise king who seeks them out and delights to do them honour4 ,,iii4 ,some kings have recognised their obligations and interest in this matter4 ,pharaoh discerned the purity of ,joseph's heart by the grace of his lips1 and made him the second ruler in the kingdom1 and ,darius promoted ,daniel to the highest office in the realm4 ,david's resolution was--,mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land1 that they may dwell with me2 he that walketh in a perfect way1 he shall serve me 7,psalm ci4 #f74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,pureness of heart describes not the natural1 but the renewed man4 ,it is no external varnish1 no affectation of holiness2 but sincerity1 humility1 shrinking from sin1 conformity to the image of ,god4 ,he who hath fully attained this pureness is before the throne of ,god4 ,he who loveth it is the child of ,god on earth4 ,his desire is perfection1 constant progress1 pressing towards the mark 7,philip4 iii4 #ab-ae74--;,bridges4 ,what ,solomon says is rather an encouragement to love and cultivate pureness of heart1 than a motive to be directly regarded1 and allowed to influence us to this duty4 ,it is only one of those indirect results which may be enjoyed as a testimony of the higher approbation of ,god4 4 4 4 ,while we thank ,god for the favour ,he may give us in the sight of men1--we must see that we seek no friendships1 whether among the greatest or the least1 the highest or the lowest1 by any other means whatever than the pureness of heart1 and the consistency of life here recommended4--,wardlaw4 ,grace in the lips is necessary to recommend pureness of heart4 ,we ought always to speak the words of truth1 but we ought to speak it in the most pleasing manner possible1 that we may not render it unacceptable by our manner of representing it4 ,daniel showed his integrity and politeness at once1 by the manner of his address to ,nebuchadnezzar1 when he was called to give him very disagreeable information4--,lawson4 ,he that hath pureness of heart cannot choose but love it1 such is the exceeding beauty and amiableness of it2 and he that loveth pureness of heart cannot choose but have it1 for that it is which purifieth and cleanseth the heart4 ,many there be who love a cleanness1 and neatness1 and pureness of apparel2 many there are who love a clearness and pureness of countenance and complexion4 ,no washing or purifying is thought to be enough to make this appear1 so that often the heart is defiled by it4 ,and with such puritans the courts of princes are much attended1 wooing with this bravery the favour of the court and prince4 ,but it is to the pure in heart that ,god inclineth in favour the heart of the king4 ,and because the heart is not discernible by the king1 ,god therefore giveth grace unto the lips1 in which the purity of the heart shining1 tieth the heart of the king as a friend unto him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,the ,,preservation ,,of ,,knowledge4 ,i4 ,god preserves knowledge by preserving the man who possesses the knowledge4 ,the preservation of the life of the man of science who has discovered some secret of nature is a preservation of the knowledge that he has gained4 ,if the discovery has been made by him alone1 and he dies before he has revealed it1 the knowledge is lost to the world4 ,when a physician is acquainted with a special remedy or method of treatment for a certain disease which is known only to himself1 the preservation of his life is the preservation of this special knowledge4 ,if he leaves the world without imparting what he knows to another man1 his secret dies with him--the abstract knowledge is not left behind when the man who possessed it is gone4 ,all knowledge is preserved to us from age to age by its being communicated from one human being to another1 as one generation succeeds the other1 and the hand of ,god is to be recognised in its preservation4 ,but this is especially true of the knowledge of ,god4 ,in the days of old1 ,god long preserved a knowledge of ,himself in the world by preserving the life of ,noah1 of ,abraham1 of ,isaac and of ,jacob4 ,they stood almost alone in the world in this respect1 and were like lighthouses on a dark and stormy ocean1 sheltering and preserving a moral light in the moral darkness4 ,if the lighthouse is destroyed the light goes out2 and if these men had died without transmitting to others the light which they possessed1 the world would have been left in ignorance of ,god4 ,as the ages have rolled on1 there have been more of these spiritual lighthouses1 and ,god has always preserved a sufficient number upon the earth to bear witness of ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,god has preserved knowledge by causing special care to be taken of ,his written ,word4 ,holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 and the record of the truths which were revealed to them is with us until this day4 ,the knowledge of the way of salvation through ,jesus ,christ has thus been preserved for nearly nineteen centuries1 and to-day we can become as familiar with the events of the ,incarnation1 and with the teachings of the ,apostles1 as if we had lived in the first century of the ,christian era4 ,although many efforts have been made to destroy the ,scriptures of truth1 they are with us still1 preserved by the providence of their ,divine author1 in order that men may not be without the means of becoming wise unto salvation through believing the truths which they contain4 ,there have been dark days when the living guardians of ,divine truth were hardly to be found2 but if they had quite died out after the ,bible was written we should still have had this source of spiritual knowledge with us1 like a seed-corn1 preserving within its husk the living germ1 ready to burst forth and grow when it found a congenial soil4 ,god1 as the preserver of the knowledge of ,himself1 has made its safety doubly sure by not only committing it to the living man1 but by causing it to be communicated to the written page4 ,,iii4 ,the preservation of knowledge by the ,lord counteracts the evil and false words of wicked men4 ,acquaintance with truth concerning anything overthrows all false ideas and teachings concerning it4 ,the coming of the morning light scatters all the darkness of night1 and with it many false conceptions as to what is around a traveller on an unknown road4 ,so a knowledge of ,divine truth scatters error1 and overthrows false conceptions concerning ,god and godliness1 and convicts their enemies of falsehood1 thus rendering them powerless to do harm4 ,our ,lord1 by ,his knowledge1 thus overthrew the words of a great transgressor in ,his temptation in the wilderness1 and it is by the spread of this knowledge of ,god which ,he has ,himself preserved to us that the final overthrow of evil will be accomplished4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is still another sense of the words1--which they may bear2 though by some1 perhaps1 it may be regarded as fanciful3--,the eyes of the ,lord keep knowledge3--they retain it4 ,what ,he sees1 be it but for a moment1 does not1 as with our vision1 pass away4 ,it remains4 ,we see1 and having seen1 what passes from the eye passes also from the memory4 ,not so is it with ,god's vision4 ,the sight of ,his eye is no uncertain or forgetful glance4 ,it is unerring and permanent4 ,all that ,his eyes have ever seen is known as perfectly now as when it passed before them1--as when it existed or happened6--,and in the exercise of this permanent and perfect knowledge1 ,he overthroweth the words of the transgressors4 ,all their evil desert remains before ,him4 ,they can neither elude ,his knowledge1 nor bribe ,his justice1 nor resist ,his power4 ,they shall be made to learn by fearful experience1 whose words shall stand1 ,his1 or theirs6--,wardlaw4 ,when knowledge seemed on the eve of perishing1 a single copy of the ,scriptures1 found as it were accidentally1 preserved it from utter extinction 7#b ,chron4 xxxiv4 #ad-ah74 ,for successive generations the ,book was in the custody of faithful librarians1 handed down in substantial integrity 7,rom4 iii4 #b74 ,when the church herself was on the side of the ,arian heresy1 the same watchful eyes raised up a champion 7,athanasius7 to preserve the testimony4 ,often has the infidel transgressor laboured with all the might of man for its destruction4 ,often has ,rome partially suppressed it1 or committed it to the flames1 or circulated perverted copies and false interpretations4 ,yet all these words and deeds of the transgressors have been overthrown4--,bridges4 ,the eyes of the ,lord are ,his knowledge1 and it is in ,him1 in ,his knowledge that knowledge is preserved4 ,that is the bottomless treasure of it2 from thence issue out all the veins of knowledge1 wherewith the world is enriched4 ,it is ,he that preserveth knowledge for the seekers of it1 it is ,he that preserveth knowledge in the teachers of it4 4 4 4 ,his eyes shall watch over it1 and though blindness put out the eyes of many1 yet in ,goshen it shall shine and bring comfort to ,his people4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,an ,,active ,,imagination4 ,i4 ,inactivity of will may cause a too great activity of the imagination4 ,man is made for action1 and if he refuses to employ his powers in doing some useful and real work1 it is probable that he will put forth some morbid effort in another direction4 ,if his limbs are not at work1 his mind will probably be active1 and if he does not occupy it with objects which are worthy1 it will be filled with thoughts that are sinful1 and imaginations that are false4 ,it will be especially apt to invent excuses for sloth1 by magnifying the difficulties which stand in the way of effort4 ,every obstacle will be magnified into an insurmountable hindrance1 and little risks will be looked at through a medium which will make them look like dangers to be avoided at any sacrifice of duty4 ,the wish is often father to the thought1 and the slothful man welcomes and nurses the deception which is born of his own indolence4 ,and the sluggard is an easy prey also to the suggestions of the tempter1 who will not be slow to do what he can to inflame the imagination and distort the judgment4 ,,ii4 ,the sluggard rightly apprehends danger1 but mistakes the source whence it will come4 ,there is a devouring enemy which will slay him if he do not take care1 but it is not without him1 but within him4 ,he has a foe who endangers his life1 but that foe is his own sloth2 or1 as we say on chap4 xxi4 #be1 his own unsatisfied desire4 ,while his eyes are turned on the highway1 and he is seeking to avoid the lion which he fancies is there1 he is nursing in his bosom the indolence which will be his ruin4 ,he has more to fear from himself than from the most terrible manslayer that ever crossed the path of any human being4 ,but it is with him as with slaves to other forms of sin--he is ready to lay the blame of his disobedience to ,god's commands anywhere1 rather than upon his own unwillingness to comply with them4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,saith1 really a preterite4 ,these proverbs have usually the future4 ,the future is a present continuing forward4 ,here we have a future tracing itself backward4 ,the impenitent have always been saying the same thing4 ,age has not changed4 ,men have stuck to it for near a century4 4 4 4 ,there is a lion at the mercy-seat4 ,so that the minister quits answering the sluggard's cavils1 and tells each man plainly--,these cries are symptomatic4 ,there is no lion in the case4 ,and a heart that will shape these phantoms would shape others1 if these were laid4 ,the difficulty is sloth4 ,in truth1 there is a lion1 but it is a bad heart1 crouching against itself1 and lurking to destroy the poor unwary sinner4--,miller4 ,this is a very odd excuse for his laziness4 ,lions are seldom found in the fields in the day time1 and it is a very extraordinary thing if they be found in the streets4 ,does the sluggard himself believe there is any truth in it8 ,if he does1 why does he sleep in his house1 since it is possible that it may be set on fire by some accident in the night8 ,why does he ever take a meal1 for some have been choked by the bread which they put into their mouths8 ,when we are employed in the duties of our calling1 we need not vex ourselves with the apprehension of lions4 ,i will give mine angels charge over thee1 says ,god1 and they shall keep thee in all thy ways4 ,thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder1 the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet4 ,but let the sluggard remember that there is a lion in that bed where he dozes away his time1 and in that chamber where he sits folding his arms together4 ,the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour1 and he rejoices greatly when he lights upon a sluggard for he looks upon him to be a sure prey4 ,we are safe from the lions in the way of duty1 and never safe when we avoid it4 ,lions1 when they met ,david feeding his sheep1 were torn in pieces by him like kids4 ,a lion unexpectedly came upon that young man of the sons of prophets1 who declined his duty when he was commanded to smite his neighbour1 and rent him in pieces4--,lawson4 ,here is no talk of ,satan1 that roaring lion that lies couchant in the sluggard's bed with him1 and prompts him to these senseless excuses4 ,nor yet of the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah1 who will one day send out summonses for sleepers1 and tearing the very caul of their hearts asunder send them packing to their place in hell4 ,but to hell never came any as yet that had not some pretence for their coming hither4 ,the flesh never wants excuses1 and needs not to be taught to tell her own tale4 ,sin and shifting came into the world together2 and as there is no wool so coarse but will take some colour1 so no sin so gross that admits of a defence4 ,sin and ,satan are alike in this1 they cannot abide to appear in their own likeness4--,trapp4 ,the tongue is seldom slothful1 even in the slothful man himself4 ,that will bestir itself to find excuses1 and to plead pretences for the defence of sloth4 ,that will be diligent to allege reasons that the sluggard may be negligent4 4 4 4 ,if the lion had been within1 if the courage and nobleness of the lion had been in the sluggard's heart1 he would never have talked of a lion without4 ,no1 it was the cold snail that was within2 and unless the slothful man's house may be removed with him1 he will not stir to go out of it4 ,thus he that feareth to be slain1 without cause1 delighteth to be slain by his own laziness4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,a ,,deep ,,pit4 ,this verse treats of two classes of character1 both of which have been depicted before4 7,see on chaps4 ii4 #af-ai1 page #bd1 vi4 #bd1 page #hi1 vii4 #e-bg1 page #ie47 ,i4 ,the tempter4 ,the strange woman--the woman who has been so deaf to the voice of all that is womanly as no longer to be worthy of the name1 who instead of being man's helpmeet and endeavouring to win him to tread the path to heaven1 is his curse and makes it her aim to drag him down to hell4 ,notice the main instrument of her destructive power--the mouth4 ,it is by her words of flattery and deception and persuasion that she ensnares her victim and compasses his ruin4 ,history and experience confirm ,solomon's words1 for1 although external beauty is often a powerful ingredient in the temptation1 it is not always so1 and counts for very little if it is unaccompanied by that fascination of manner and of speech which have been used by so many bad women with such fatal effect4 ,if we look at the portraits of some of those women who have exerted so mighty a power for evil in the world1 we can seldom see sufficient beauty to account for the spell which they seemed to cast around their victims1 and we must conclude therefore that it was rather to be found where ,solomon puts it1--who may be hear speaking from bitter personal experience--viz41 in the tongue4 ,this proverb adds one more testimony to the many that have gone before of the immense power for evil or for good that is exerted by that little member of our bodily organism4 ,,ii4 ,the tempted4 ,he is here depicted as an unwary traveller along life's highway easily deceived by the appearance of things1 and1 too careless or too unsuspecting to look beneath the surface1 following the bent of his inclination and yielding to the voice of the charmer until he finds the ground giving way beneath his feet1 and darkness and hopelessness all around him4 ,notice the fearful name here given to such an one--to one who is led away by such a tempter4 ,he is abhorred of the ,lord4 ,here is full evidence that ,god does not look upon human creatures with indifference as to their moral character--that merciful ,father though ,he is1 ,he does not extend to men that indiscriminating and therefore worthless tenderness which some would have us believe is ,his main attribute--that if men look upon sin as mere obedience to the dictates of nature1 and therefore blameless1 ,he does not so regard it4 ,and if men will not attach any weight to the words of ,scripture--not believing them to be infallible--they can read the same truth in their every-day experience4 ,the terrible retribution which comes upon those who listen to the words of the strange woman is a sufficient testimony to the abhorrence in which the ,creator of men holds the sin to which she allures the unwary and the licentious man4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,to what do the fearful words amount8 ,to this3 that in ,his righteous displeasure1 there is not a heavier curse which an offended ,god can allow to fall upon the object of ,his wrath1 than leaving him to be a prey to the seductive blandishments of an unprincipled woman3--that if ,god held any one in abhorrence1 this would be the severest vengeance ,he could take on him4--,wardlaw4 ,the mouth of a strange woman is but the mouth of a far deeper pit1 the pit of hell into which it openeth4 ,the one is digged by the wickedness of men1 the other by the justice of ,god4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,a ,,fact ,,stated ,,and ,a ,,duty ,,inferred4 ,i4 ,human nature in its most attractive form contains latent depravity4 ,the flower of the thistle is beautiful to look upon1 and its downy seed is an apparently harmless object1 and one worthy of admiration1 as it rears its head among the corn4 ,but how much power of mischief is wrapped up in that ball of soft down1 if it is allowed to scatter its seed unchecked4 ,a young lion is as pretty and harmless a creature as a kitten1 but what ferocious instincts lie dormant there4 ,a child is the most attractive and innocent of human creatures4 ,as we look upon its guileless face we can hardly connect the idea of sin with its nature1 and hardly believe it possible that the most depraved man or woman in the world was once as pure and stainless4 ,but the ,book of ,god tells us that even that young soul is tainted with the disease that infects all our race1 and what the ,book says is confirmed by the experience of all who have had anything to do with training children4 ,the foolishness of self-will very soon shows itself1 and the little one early gives proof that he or she is a true child of ,adam by rebelling against the restraints with which it is lovingly surrounded1 and desiring at all risks to eat forbidden fruit4 ,in the fairest child-form now living upon the globe there may be hidden seeds which1 when fully developed1 will fill the world with terror and misery4 ,,ii4 ,that this depraved tendency is deeply rooted in the child's nature4 ,it is bound in or fettered to it by a cable of many strands1 or a chain of heavy links--it is not a slight preference for the wrong which can easily be overruled--not a garment put on which the wearer can easily be persuaded to put off again1 but a part of the very nature--a bent of all the faculties of the soul4 ,,iii4 ,the disease is one which will yield to proper treatment4 ,we do not suppose that ,solomon's words teach that any corrective rod will be potent enough to drive out all tendency to do wrong1 inasmuch as experience and observation contradict it1 but the same experience and observation confirm the truth that wise correction in youth is mighty in its moral power1 and may so bring the child round to the love of the true and the good1 that its own efforts will second the efforts of the parent1 and it will itself turn upon the enemies within1 being fully convinced that the self-will that is bound up in its own heart is the greatest folly to which it is liable4 ,there are many who1 looking back upon the wise and loving chastisement of a tender parent1 can bear testimony to the truth of this proverb4 ,on this subject see also on chap4 xiii4 #bd1 page #ccd4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the rod of correction is proper to drive away no other foolishness than that which is of a moral nature4 ,but how comes wickedness to be so firmly bound1 and so strongly fixed1 in the hearts of children1 if it be not there naturally4--,jonathan ,edwards4 ,bound1 or fettered4 4 4 4 ,firmly knit1 closely settled2 well tied in2 that is1 fixed in the childish spirit2 this is the sense of nearly all the commentators4 ,of course1 there are great difficulties at once4 ,the fact theologically is just the opposite4 ,folly is not fixed in the childish heart2 but stronger and stronger in periods afterwards4 ,why not1 pro vero1 bound8 ,in much the majority of texts it means simply tied down1 or fettered4 ,folly is fettered in the heart of a child1 that is1 tied down1 and1 in many ways1 repressed4 ,this is literally the case4 ,it is weak1 and hemmed in1 and easier to grapple with and drag out of the soul in youth than at any other period4--,miller4 ,observe--it is foolishness1 not childishness4 ,that might belong to an unfallen child4 ,no moral guilt attaches to the recollection--,when ,i was a child1 ,i spake as a child1 ,i understood as a child1 ,i thought as a child 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #aa74 ,a child is to be punished--as ,mr4 ,scott wisely observed--not for being a child1 bur for being a wicked child4 ,comparative ignorance1 the imperfect and gradual opening of the faculties1 constitute the nature1 not the sinfulness of the child4 ,the holy child increased in wisdom 7,luke ii4 #eb74 ,but foolishness is the mighty propensity to evil--imbibing wrong principles1 forming bad habits1 entering into an ungodly course4 ,it means the very root and essence of sin in a fallen nature--the folly of being revolted from a ,god of love4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,oppression ,,and ,,servility4 ,i4 ,opposite actions proceeding from the same motive4 ,this proverb seems to be directed against a man whose mastering passion is the unworthy one of amassing material gain and ministering exclusively to his own enjoyment4 ,this is the commonest source of oppression4 ,covetousness1 says ,dreyden1 is itself so monstrous that nothing else is like it except it be death and the grave1 the only things ,i know which are always carrying off the spoils of the world and never making restitution4 ,this is a true picture of the avaricious man who regards none of the needs and rights of his fellow-creatures1 but only asks himself with regard to them how they can best be made to serve his interests4 ,this leads him to grind down those who are poorer than himself1 and use them as so many stepping-stones1 by means of which he can mount higher in the social scale1 forgetting that though their poverty makes them weaker than himself1 they have a ,friend who is far stronger than he is4 ,but the same man who thus oppresses his needy brother will make it his business to propitiate the rich1 and for the same end1 viz41 to advance his own interests4 ,tyranny and flunkeyism1 says ,dr4 ,thomas1 in his comment on this verse1 generally go together4 ,both are the children of avarice4 ,he that proudly domineers over the poor will servilely bow his knee to the rich4 ,,ii4 ,opposite actions meeting with the same retribution4 ,although these actions are so different1 they can both be traced to one fountain-head1 and therefore one sentence is passed upon both4 ,the man who lives for himself shall not get anything worth having2 or if he do1 things will be mixed with the cup of his prosperity1 which will make it an unpalatable one after all4 ,he may get wealth1 and may come to want health2 he may be rich and healthy1 and yet suffer in his family relationships4 ,he will certainly come to want peace of conscience1 the goodwill of his fellows1 and the favour of ,god1 and no gain can balance such a loss4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,sin pays its servants very bad wages1 for it gives them the very reverse of what it promised4 ,whilst the sin of oppression or injustice promises mountains of gold1 it brings them poverty and ruin4 ,shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar8 said the prophet to ,jehoiakim4 ,it could not be1 for he used his neighbour's services without wages1 and gave him nought for his work4 4 4 4 ,we are not proprietors but stewards of the gifts of ,providence1 and must distribute that which ,he has entrusted to our care according to ,his will4 ,and it is ,his pleasure that we should make to ourselves friends by the mammon of unrighteousness1 not of the rich but the poor4--,lawson4 ,the covetous wretch and the vain prodigal are of quite contrary dispositions1 and take quite contrary courses1 and yet they both meet at last1 for both come to want4 4 4 4 ,he that being rich taketh a little from the poor 7for how little must it needs be that is taken from them7 shall surely find that he taketh a great deal from himself1 even all that he hath4 ,and he that giveth much to the rich 7for it must be much1 or else it is not regarded by them7 will wish he had given it to the poor1 when being made poor1 he will give himself little thanks for it1 and find as little help from them to whom he has given his riches4--,jermin4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes at the beginning of this chapter will show that we have entered the third division of this book4 ,one or two additional notes are subjoined4 #ag4 ,miller reads the second clause1 ,and thou shalt incline thine heart1 etc4 #ah4 ,they shall withal be fitted in thy lips1 rather let them abide together upon thy lips4 #bj4 ,excellent things4 ,some here render thrice repeated things1 the ,french translation is things relating to rulers or governors1 and ,stuart reads ,have ,i not written to thee heretofore1 understanding ,solomon to refer to the previous portions of the ,book4 ,upon the first two ,wardlaw remarks that they both contain the idea of superiority or excellence1 for why are things repeated but for their excellence8 and princely or royal things--which the ,french translation may yield when analysed--is but a figurative way of expressing transcendent superiority4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ag-ba4 ,,trust ,,from ,,knowledge1 ,,and ,,blessedness ,,from ,,trust4 ,i4 ,knowledge of ,god must go before faith in ,god4 ,there must be a knowledge of the existence1 character1 and power of any person before there can be any trust in him4 ,god is not so unreasonable as to expect men to put trust in ,him unless they have some grounds for their trust4 ,hence the ,bible especially aims to make men acquainted with the ,being upon whom they are called to exercise faith1 by declarations concerning ,his character1 and by a history of ,his doings in the past1 and reminders of what ,he is doing in the present4 ,sometimes ,god points to the visible creation as a source whence man may obtain knowledge concerning ,him1 and come to exercise trust in ,him4 ,this is the drift of the sublime passage in ,isaiah xl41 in which ,jehovah seeks to bring ,israel1 by a consideration of ,his creative power and wisdom1 to confide in ,his ,almighty strength4 7,verses #bg-ca47 ,sometimes ,he appeals to ,his dealings in the past as a ground of faith in ,his character and purposes in the present4 ,what iniquity have your fathers found in me1 that they are gone from me8 7,jer4 ii4 #e47 ,the ,son of ,god appeals to ,his ,father's love as a basis of faith in ,himself 7,john iii4 #af74 ,paul speaks of the way of salvation as a knowledge of the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #f71 because without knowledge there can be no faith1 and an enlightened knowledge will certainly lead to faith4 ,the preacher here points to the necessity of gaining this true wisdom1 the knowledge of ,jehovah1 as the means of begetting trust in ,him4 ,,ii4 ,real blessedness will follow faith in ,god4 ,a child can have no lasting and real joy in its life1 unless it has faith in his father's love and wisdom4 ,he feels instinctively that he is dependent upon that father1 that much of his future well-being depends upon what that father is and does1 and if he cannot be sure that he has his real welfare at heart1 it will throw a dark shadow over his young life1 which will deepen as he becomes more and more capable of realising his position4 ,it is a worm at the root of all our peace of mind to distrust where we must depend4 ,all men must feel that they are dependent upon ,god1 and yet most men live1 and perhaps most die1 without giving ,him that trust which alone can give them peace1 and which those who know ,him will testify that ,he fully deserves4 ,the testimony of those who knew is blessed is the man that trusteth in the ,lord1 and whose hope the ,lord is 7,jer4 xvii4 #h74 ,and it is because of its trust-begetting character that ,solomon here declares that true knowledge--knowledge concerning ,jehovah--is pleasant to the soul4 ,,iii4 ,faith in the heart will manifest itself in the lip4 ,a perfume may be hidden in the casket1 but whenever the lid is lifted it will make its presence known4 ,the tongue will speak sometimes of that which fills the heart1 and when it does not do this in a direct manner there will be a tone in the conversation which will tell men what the soul prizes most4 ,knowledge in the heart will bring wise words to the lips--the love of truth will result in the answer of truth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ag4 ,this sounds like the opening of the earlier ,proverbs1 chap4 v4 #a2 viii4 #a4 ,the repetition is significant4 ,the life of the soul is attention4 ,if that be persevered in1 all things follow4 ,god only can give saving light4 ,and yet by laws like the planetary system1 ,he will give it on the bending of the ear4 ,alas for us6 we will not even do this much without ,his influence4 ,nevertheless ,he urges the promise4 7,see ,miller's rendering in the additional notes at the beginning of this paragraph47 ,it is a law1 though it be a law of grace4 ,god has framed it4 ,hear outwardly1 and thou shalt feel within4 ,such is our nature 7chap4 ii4 #a-e71 and it is shrewd to use it4 ,the inclining is from ,him2 but the advice also is from ,him6 ,shrink not from the advice because ,his strength is needed to make it ,his chosen instrument4--,miller4 ,we may mark that1 whereas in the beginning of ,proverbs the ,wise ,man had often called on his son to fasten attention on him1 saying1 ,my son1 my son2 now1 after so much said1 he supposeth that he needeth not to be called upon1 and therefore speaketh unto him1 without his usual compellation4 ,and surely when much hath been said1 to need still much calling on1 sheweth much neglect of what hath been said1 and much unworthiness to have been an hearer of it4 ,and yet because in the best some rousing of attention is requisite1 the ,wise ,man here lifteth up his voice1 to cause a careful bowing down of the ear to his words4 ,he would therefore have attention so to bow down the ear1 as to make it as it were a bed1 wherein the words of the wise might rest2 because that is it which will bring true rest unto the heart4 4 4 4 ,but we may further note1 that whereas he would have him to hear the words of the wise1 it is to his knowledge that he would have him apply his heart4 ,for we may hear the words of the wise men of this world1 we may hear the words of human learning and understanding1 and much good is to be gotten from them2 but we must apply our hearts unto the knowledge of ,god's ,word1 and so far receive the other as they agree with that1 or are not repugnant unto it4 ,or else hear the words of the wise1 whosoever they be1 if they be the words of wisdom which they deliver4 ,but if their actions teach otherwise than their words do1 apply not thine heart to follow their example4 ,let rather my knowledge instruct thee1 that the heart may be as well applied to doing1 as the ears to hearing4--,jermin4 ,verse #ah4 ,it will last when we get it4 ,this is the wonder to others4 ,here one has been trying to be a better man1 and begins to be one from a sudden epoch4 ,others wrestle with their faults1 and fall back into them again4 ,nothing can be more fitful than all moral reformations4 ,but here1 in spiritual life1 a flash shoots up1 and we never return to darkness4 ,why is this8 ,because it is pleasant1 says the proverb4 ,it becomes fixed because of its principle as of a sound nature4 4 4 4 ,when we watch over right words1 which 7,orientaliter7 stands for all right actions1 ,god rewards us by making them pleasant1 and so1 even as in heaven itself1 they become fixed as the very habit of our lips4--,miller4 ,many there are whose lips do speak the words of wisdom1 but they are not fitted upon their lips4 4 4 4 ,the reason whereof is1 because the words of wisdom are not seated in the heart4 ,for though the lips may give themselves motion and the head may furnish them with matter1 it is the heart that fitteth the lips4--,jermin4 ,it will give thee most high satisfaction if thou dost so heartily entertain them1 and thoroughly digest them1 and faithfully preserve them in mind1 that thou art able withal to produce any of them as there is occasion1 and aptly communicate for other men's instruction4--,bp4 ,patrick4 ,verse #ai4--a4 ,the particularity of address--to thee1 even to thee4 ,in the days of prophetic inspiration1 it was no unusual thing for the servants of ,god to receive express commissions to individuals1 in which they alone were concerned4 ,but the whole ,book of ,god--the entire word of ,his testimony--should be considered by every one as addressed to him2 as much so as if there were no other human being besides himself1 and as if it had been given by inspiration to himself alone4 ,there is no room for any saying1 as ,jehu did of old--,to which of all us8 ,the answer would1 in every case1 be--,to each of you all--to thee--to thee--to thee4 ,not that there is no such thing as1 rightly dividing the ,word of ,truth2 not that there are no portions of it that have a special appropriateness of application to the characters and circumstances of individuals4 ,still1 the great truths of the ,word are alike to each and to all4 ,and speedily a man may be placed in one or other of the peculiar situations to which the different portions of it are adapted6 ,i know of nothing more important than for every individual to bring ,divine lessons home to himself4 ,too often1 alas6 we forget personal amidst general application of particular truths4 ,we think of them as intended for men1 and forget that they are designed for us4 ,would you then profit by what you hear8--keep in mind that what is addressed to all is addressed to each--to thee1 even to thee4--#b4 ,mark the emphasis on the time--this day4 ,we set a mark1 in our minds1 on days that have been rendered memorable by events of special interest4 ,would ,noah1 think you1 ever forget the day of the year on which he and his family entered the ark1 and when the ,lord shut him in8 or the day on which he again stepped out of it upon the green earth1 to be the second father of mankind8 ,would the shepherds ever forget on what night of the year the angelic messengers1 amidst the light of the glory of the ,lord1 announced to them the ,divine ,saviour's birth1 and when the multitude of the heavenly host1 bursting on their sight1 ascended jubilant1 saying ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on earth peace1 good will toward men8 ,or would ,cornelius ever forget the day and the hour when the angelic visitant directed him to that instruction whereby he and all his house should be saved8 ,you1 it is true1 have many times heard the words of truth4 ,let me1 however1 remind any of you who have thus often heard1 and who still neglect them1 of the importance to you of each day that you enjoy the privilege4 ,every time you thus hear them1 your eternal all depends on the reception you give to the message of ,god4 ,this day may be important indeed1 for it may be the last on which ,divine truth shall sound in your ears4 ,o that it may be a day to be sacredly and joyfully remembered by every sinner now present1 as the day on which he first felt its inestimable preciousness to his soul6 ,if you thus hear1 and thus improve the opportunity1 the day will not be obliterated from your memory by the lapse of eternity4 ,there is one thing of which with emphasis it may be said to each individual sinner1 ,it is to thee1 even to thee3--,i mean the message of the ,gospel--the message of free mercy through the ,divine ,mediator4 ,there is no exception2 there is no difference4 ,the law speaks to each1 to thee1 even to thee--its sentence of condemnation4 ,the ,gospel speaks to each--to thee1 even to thee--its offer of free1 full1 immediate1 irrevocable pardon on the ground of the universal atonement4 ,to every fellow creature we can say--,an adequate atonement has been made for all2 therefore for thee--for thee1 even for thee2 and on the ground of that atonement does ,divine mercy come near to thee--to thee1 even to thee--with the offer of forgiveness1 acceptance1 and life4 ,this day is the message of life again made known unto thee1 ,o sinner2 and there is no obstacle to thine acceptance and enjoyment of it1 but what is in thyself2--none in ,god2 none in ,christ2 none in the atonement2 none in the ,divine offer of its virtue to mankind4 ,to thee is the word of this salvation sent2 and now is the accepted time1 now is the day of salvation4--,wardlaw4 ,only a ,divine ,word can beget a ,divine faith1 and herein the ,scripture excels all human writings1 none of which can bring our hearts to the obedience of faith4 ,i can speak it by experience1 says ,erasmus1 that there is little good to be got by the ,scripture1 if a man read it cursorily and carelessly2 but if he exercise himself therein constantly and conscionably he shall feel such a force in it1 as is not to be found in any other book whatsoever4 ,i know1 saith ,peter ,martyr1 that there are many who will never believe what we say of the power of ,god's ,word hidden in the heart2 and not a few that will jeer us1 and think we are mad for saying so4 ,but oh that they would be pleased to make trial6 ,let it never go well with me--for ,i am bold to swear in so weighty a business--if they find not themselves strangely taken and transformed into the same image4 ,the ,ephesians trusted in ,god so soon as they heard the word of truth4 ,they believed and were sealed 7,ephes4 i4 #ac74 ,and the ,thessalonians' faith was famous all the world over1 when once the ,gospel came to them in power 7#a ,thess4 i4 #e-h74--,trapp4 ,verses #bj and #ba4 ,how the preacher labours6 ,let us begin at his most expressive terminus4 ,we are to be sent for6 some certain day4 ,those that send is but the proverbial cast4 ,him that sends is the more perfect meaning4 ,as sure as the stars we shall be sent for one day2 and one thing will be exacted from us1 and one only in the creation1 and that is light4 ,the man without light perishes4 ,solomon says1 his whole aim has been to press light on the sinner4 4 4 4 ,have ,i not done1 he says1 and that under ,scriptural promises1 the very best things to secure my object8 and is not that object1 now that ,i might make thee to know the verity of the words of truth6 ,this ,hebrew is very peculiar4 ,words of truth are easily uttered4 ,counsels and knowledge of the deepest sort may be in the minds of infidels4 ,we may teach a child the very intricacies of faith4 ,but there is a verity at its deepest root that the natural man cannot perceive 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #ad74 ,to express this1 ,solomon uses a very infrequent word4 ,it means 7in radice7 to weigh out so as to be exact4 ,that ,i might make thee to know the exactness of the words of truth4 ,the meaning is that verity which is seen by a ,christian eye4--,miller4 ,surely if anything be worthy of sending for1 worthy of going for1 then are the words of knowledge and truth4 ,if they may be had for going or sending1 who should not go1 who should not send1 whither should we not go1 whither should we not send8 ,they are they which must bring us to heaven and to happiness4 ,or else to take the sense another way1 and in a spiritual application of the words3 ,who are they that send unto us8 ,what are the words of truth that we must answer unto them8 ,they that send unto us are ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son1 and ,god the ,holy ,ghost4 ,god the ,father sendeth ,his blessings1 ,god the ,son ,his merits1 and ,god the ,holy ,ghost ,his graces4 ,the words of truth that we must answer are the words of thankful obedience4--,jermin4 ,the certainty of the words of truth4 ,the evidence of the divinity of the ,bible1 instead of ever being shaken by all the efforts of infidelity1 has been augmenting from the beginning hitherto4 ,its external evidence has grown in the fulfilment of its predictions4 ,its internal evidence1 though in one sense ever the same1 has1 in another1 been increasing also2 inasmuch as it has stood its ground amidst all the advances of human knowledge1 and men have never been able to improve upon it or to get before it3--and it is the one only book of which this can be affirmed4 ,and its experimental evidence1--the manifestation of its truth in its saving influence1--in its power to dislodge and change the evil passions and habits of the worst of men1--has multiplied by thousands and tens of thousands of dead and living witnesses4 ,in our own days1 we have but to point1 not only to cases of revival in our own land1 in which the ,gospel has proved itself mighty through ,god to the pulling down of the strongholds of worldliness and corruption1 and turning hearts long alienated to ,god1--but to the lands of heathen idolatry and cruelty and vileness1 wherever ,gospel truth has found its way and has been embraced4 ,there1 in the marvellous changes that have been effected1--in the contrast between previous stupidity and pollution1 and heartless and murderous ferocity1 to intelligence and purity and virtue1 and peace1 and harmony1 and happiness1 we have the triumphs of the ,cross1 and the manifestation of the certainty--the ,divine certainty--of the words of truth4 ,they have thus shown themselves to be indeed excellent things by the excellence of their effects4 ,we call upon all to examine for themselves4 ,the ,bible courts examination4 ,it is the unwillingness and refusal to examine1 that is most to be deplored4 ,the genuineness of its writings1 the authenticity of its histories1 the reality of its recorded miracles1 the fulfilment of its prophecies1 the sublimity and consistent harmony of its doctrines1 the purity of its precepts1 the origin of its commemorative ordinances1 and its tendency to personal and social virtue and happiness1--all court examination4 ,the testimony of the celebrated ,earl of ,rochester1 when converted from infidelity and profligacy to ,christianity and virtue1 will be found the truth4 ,laying his hand on the ,bible1 he would say--,this is true philosophy4 ,this is the wisdom that speaks to the heart4 ,a bad life is the only grand objection to this ,book4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bb and #bc4 ,,god ,,the ,,spoiler ,,of ,,the ,,spoiler4 ,i4 ,robbery is of three kinds4 #a4 ,there is the open and unlegalised thief4 ,there are men who do not pretend to respect the rights of others and who openly live in violation of ,divine and human laws4 ,they differ somewhat in their methods and in the description of their plunder--some seeking to gain an entrance in to the mansion and lay hands on the jewels of the wealthy1 and others being content with what they can find in the cottage or on the wayside--but they are alike in pursuing their profession without any pretence that they fear ,god or regard men4 ,but these are not the robbers against whom the sentence is passed which is contained in this proverb4 #b4 ,there is the legalised thief4 ,there are governments under which iniquity is established by law--kingdoms in which wholesale robbery is carried on in the name of justice4 ,there were many such in the days of ,solomon and there is not a few in this nineteenth century4 ,perhaps1 however1 the ,preacher was not referring so much to a government as a whole as to individuals who1 sitting in the seats of justice1 were regardless of the rights of those over whom their position gave them authority4 ,the oppressor in the gate is probably a judge who disregards the rights of the poor man if he conceives it will further his own interest so to do1 while he all the time pretends to be an administrator of justice and does all in the name of the law of the land4 ,under this class may be placed those who hold in trust property which has been given for the use of the poor and who disregard the claims of the really needy and so defeat the good intention of the donor4 ,there is an immense amount of this misappropriation of money even in ,england1 and although those who are guilty of it distribute their favours with a pretence of impartiality1 and in the name of law they are as truly robbers in the sight of ,god as the burglar or the pickpocket4 #c4 ,there is the negative robber4 ,a man may be a thief without taking anything from his fellow-man or without holding any official position and abusing his power and privileges4 ,if a man or woman who is brought in contact with others poorer than himself or herself withholds from these poorer brethren anything simply because they cannot retaliate or enforce their rights1 such a man or woman is a robber of the poor4 ,and this may and is often done unconsciously--a man who would be indignant at being branded as unjust withholds from those whom poverty has placed in his power rights which belong to every rank and station but which are not always looked upon as the equal heritage of the poor and the rich4 ,for it is quite possible to rob the poor without taking or withholding money from them4 ,some1 who would not do this1 rob them of their rest and leisure and withhold from them consideration and sympathy4 ,,ii4 ,defenceless though the poor may seem1 ,almighty power is on their side4 ,although the robbery may be legalised on earth1 it is contrary to the law of heaven1 and although the judge who oppresses can be brought before no human tribunal1 he will one day stand before the bar of ,god4 ,the ,judge of all the earth was ,himself once a poor man1 and can sympathise with the oppressed poor as well as avenge their wrongs4 ,he will spoil the oppressor of his soul's comfort1 and cause him to faint1 and be afflicted for want of spiritual sustenance4 ,many a poor man's soul is made sad by legalised injustice1 and ,christ as man's judge will bring legalised justice to bear upon him who offends in this matter 7,matt4 xxv4 #da-df74 ,see also ,homiletics on ,verse #af1 and on ,chap4 xiv4 #cj1 page #chi4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,after so promising a preface1 and such wooing of attention1 we looked for some fresh matter1 and that of best note1 too4 ,but1 behold1 here is nothing but what we had before4 ,it is truth1 saith the wise man1 and yet ,i must tell you that to write the same things to me indeed is not grievous1 but for you it is safe 7,phil4 iii4 #a74--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bd and #be4 ,,an ,,infectious ,,and ,,dangerous ,,disease4 ,i4 ,friendship influences habit and thus moulds character4 ,the reason given here for avoiding the companionship of an angry man is1 lest thou learn his ways4 ,this subject has been treated at length in chap4 xiii4 #bj1 page #cbf4 ,there is great need when pestilence is abroad to avoid needless contact with infected persons and things4 ,in every man there is more or less liability to disease which sometimes only needs a slight exposure to unhealthy influences to develop into a fatal activity4 ,we are always living and moving amidst unhealthy and infectious moral influences which are hurtful to us1 because of the tendency there is within us to go wrong2 and it is therefore the mark of a wise man to avoid as much as possible all intimate contact with those who are manifestly under the dominion of sin4 ,this proverb does not of course forbid such intercourse as is sought for the purpose of benefitting the vicious man4 ,,ii4 ,a man's anger hurts himself more than those whom it leads him to injure4 ,we should have expected that ,solomon would advise us to avoid the angry man because of the injury he might do us when under the dominion of his passion1 but instead of that he commands us to shun him because of the injury we shall do ourselves if we become like him4 ,the wise man loses sight of the lesser danger in looking at the greater1 and counts as nothing the harm an angry man can do to the body of a fellow-creature1 in comparison with the grievous hurt he inflicts upon his own soul4 ,and this is manifestly a correct view1 whether we look at the present influence of passion or its remoter consequences4 ,the man who receives an unmerited insult or injury may sustain no loss of dignity1 nor suffer in any way in his spirit4 ,but he who inflicts the injury becomes a meaner man in the very act1 and creates a tempest of unrest within his own breast4 ,and a blow which deals even death to an innocent man does not necessarily deprive him of any real good1 but it creates a very hell of remorse for him whose anger prompted the deed4 ,while ,abel exchanged a blighted home here for an ,eden in a brighter world1 ,cain wandered a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,lest thou be infected by his example1 or provoked by his passion to return the like to him4 ,either 7#a7 a mischief which is often the effect of unbridled rage1 or 7#b7 an occasion of sin1 either by drawing thee to an imitation or requital of his rage1 or by tempting thee to unfaithfulness in performing the great office of a friend--to wit1 admonition or reproof1 which1 by reason of his furious temper1 thou either canst not or wilt not do4--,matthew ,poole4 ,it may seem strange that we should be supposed in danger of learning what we feel to be so very disagreeable4 ,and yet we may4 ,as already hinted1 a passionate man may have interesting and attractive qualities otherwise4 ,now1 in proportion as we either admire or love him for these1 will be the hazard of our thinking the less evil of his one defect1 and trying to palliate and to smile at it4 ,and there is no little truth in the saying1 that we either are like our friends and intimates1 or will soon be4 ,but more than this4 ,the sudden and often unreasonable heats of the passionate man are ever apt to fret and irritate our spirits1 and thus to form a habit of resemblance by the very reaction upon ourselves of his hot and hasty temper4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bf and #bg4 ,,suretyship ,,and ,,its ,,dangers4 ,i4 ,a command to avoid a perilous habit4 ,we cannot1 in the light of the spirit of ,bible teaching--especially that of the ,new ,testament--regard this proverb as forbidding all suretyship4 ,it cannot mean that one honest man when he has ample means at his command is never to become security for another man of honesty4 ,we know that there are cases in which it is the greatest kindness that one friend can do another1 and that it is often the means of giving a poor or unfortunate brother a fair start in life4 ,we are commanded to bear one another's burdens 7,gal4 vi4 #b71 and to do good unto all men1 especially unto those who are of the household of faith 7,gal4 vi4 #aj71 and this is sometimes the most effectual way of carrying out these precepts4 ,but ,solomon here warns men against the unwisdom of choosing for companions those men whose habit it is lightly to become a surety for another--who lend their name and credit without considering the responsibility they undertake or asking themselves whether they are doing any real good to the person they oblige4 ,although it may be a man's duty sometimes to become a surety for another it is perilous and wrong to make it a habit of life1 and thereby encourage thriftlessness and perhaps dishonesty4 ,,ii4 ,a warning as to the probable consequences of such a habit4 ,solomon regards it as certain that a man who habitually becomes a surety for debt will come to ruin4 ,this is obvious if we reflect that for one honest man who asks such a favour there are twenty who have little or no moral sense in such a matter2 that although a good and true man is often found in circumstances of such need1 the great majority who are so found are rogues4 ,for an illustration and comments on this subject see on ,chap4 vi4 #a1 page #gf1 and on page #baf4 ,also ,homiletics on ,chap4 xx4 #af1 page #ehi4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves2 but to do for him what might expose us to having our very bed sold from under us1 is to love him better than ourselves1 which is a step beyond the ,divine injunction4--,wardlaw4 ,seeing by taking suretyship upon him1 he put himself under the creditor1 and made himself to be1 as it were1 the bed on which the trust of others did rest1 and seeing by not paying he hath taken away the creditor from the bed of his rest1 it is but like for like if the creditor take away his bed from under him4 ,and yet the wise man asking the question seemeth to me to imply in some sort that he should not do it4 ,for though the other doth justly deserve it1 yet in so much need let mercy spare4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bh see on chap4 xxiii4 #aj1 page #fff4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bi4 ,,the ,,destiny ,,of ,,the ,,diligent4 ,i4 ,the diligent man meets with ,divine approval4 ,the repeated commendations of diligence and condemnations of slothfulness which we meet with in this book show the estimate which ,god sets upon rightly-directed industry4 #a4 ,the diligent man is in harmony with ,god4 ,the ,divine ,father is ever working for the good of ,his creatures1 and no being who ever trod this earth laboured so continuously and earnestly as the ,divine ,son4 ,with ,him during ,his public ministry the completion of one work was the beginning of another4 ,he was ever about ,his ,father's business1 diligently carrying on and seeking to finish the work which ,his ,father had given ,him to do4 ,the man who is diligent in business is in this respect a follower of his ,lord and ,master4 #b4 ,he is in harmony with creatures both above ,him and beneath ,him4 ,angels are doing the will of their ,king with promptitude and despatch--,gabriel flies swiftly 7,dan4 ix4 #ba7 when sent on a message to the earth4 ,heaven is a world of activity1 the cherubim around the throne rest not day nor night 7,rev4 iv4 #h74 ,many of the creatures below man set him an example of industry4 7,see on chap4 vi4 #f-aa1 page #gh47 ,even inanimate nature seems to rebuke the idle man4 7,see a comment by ,dr4 ,perry on page #dbe47 #c4 ,he is in harmony with the needs of humanity4 ,the world calls for diligent workers1 and without them all civilisation would soon cease and men sink to the condition of the savage4 ,we have around us many proofs of this4 ,the home of the indolent husband or wife is destitute of all refining influences and is often a nursery of crime4 ,the land where the people are all thriftless is a land of degradation and poverty4 ,we can well understand1 therefore1 that ,god's approval rests upon those who make the best use of the time and opportunities which ,he gives them4 ,,ii4 ,the diligent man will reap some reward for his diligence4 ,it is not1 of course1 possible to take this proverb in an absolutely literal sense1 because many diligent men never saw the face of a king4 ,but without diligence it is hardly possible for any man to obtain any position of honour1 or if he do he is not likely to retain it4 ,but there is another sense in which diligence may bring a man before kings4 ,caxton was a diligent man1 and by his diligence came literally to stand before the ,king of ,england4 ,but he has1 by his invention of the printing-press1 stood before kings and princes from that hour to this1 for they have all learned to honour his name1 and to acknowledge their obligation to him4 ,every time a royal traveller takes his seat in a locomotive ,james ,watt stands before him1 for his ability to move with ease and speed from place to place is the result of that man's diligence1 and his name is held in honour in consequence4 ,and instances might be multiplied indefinitely1 in which diligence has caused a man to stand before not only the kings of his own time1 but of succeeding generations4 ,on this subject see also ,homiletics on chap4 xii4 #bd1 page #bhe4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,of all the qualities which kings especially look to and require in the choice of their servants1 that of despatch and energy in the transaction of business is the most acceptable4 4 4 4 ,there is no other virtue which does not present some shadow of offence to the minds of kings4 ,expedition in the execution of their commands is the only one which contains nothing that is not acceptable4--,bacon4 ,god loves nimbleness2 ,what thou doest1 do quickly1 said ,christ to ,judas1 though it were so ill a business that he were about4--,trapp4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,when thou sittest1 etc4 ,miller here translates ,forasmuch as thou sittest1 and applying the word ruler to ,god gives to the proverb a meaning entirely different from that generally attached to it4 ,see his remarks in the ,suggestive ,comments4 ,what is before thee8 ,rather ,who is before1 etc4 #b4 ,put a knife1 etc4 ,zckler1 ,ewald1 and others translate1 ,thou hast put1 or thou puttest4 ,the meaning may then be ,thou hast virtually destroyed thyself if thou art a self-indulgent man4 ,delitzsch1 however1 gives the verb the imperative form1 as in the ,english version4 #c4 ,deceitful meat4 ,literally ,bread of lies4 ,many commentators understand this to mean a deceptive meal1 which is not given from motives of hospitality4 #e4 ,wilt thou set thine eyes8 etc4 ,rather ,wilt thou look eagerly after it1 and it is gone8 #f4 ,him that hath an evil eye--i4e41 the jealous man4 #aa4 ,their ,redeemer4 ,their ,goel1 or ,avenger4 ,in the ,hebrew law this word is applied to the nearest kinsman4 7,see ,ruth iii4 #ab47 #ag4 ,let not thine heart envy1 etc4 ,the verb translated envy refers to both objects in the verse1 and is better translated strive after4 ,miller renders it be aglow4 ,it is1 he says1 a verb expressive of all emotion4 7,see ,numb4 xxv4 #aa-ac47 #ah4 ,surely there is an end4 ,delitzsch here reads1 ,truly there is a future4 ,the root of the ,hebrew1 says ,miller1 signifies afterward4 #bj4 ,eaters of flesh4 ,this may be translated ,devourers of their own flesh--i4e41 those who destroy their bodies by sensual indulgence4 #bc4 ,the word also should be omitted in this verse4 ,the three nouns in the second clause stand in apposition to the one in the first4 ,instruction1 rather discipline4 #be4 ,this verse should be1 ,let thy father and thy mother be glad1 and her that have thee rejoice4 #bf4 ,observe1 rather delight4 #bh4 ,as for a prey1 ,delitzsch and ,zckler here translate like a robber4 ,transgressors1 rather the faithless4 #cj4 ,mixed wine--i4e41 wine mixed with strong spices4 #ca4 ,when it giveth his colour1 etc41 literally1 ,when it showeth its eye4 ,this may refer to its brightness1 or to the head1 or pearl of the wine4 ,when it moveth itself1 etc41 rather when it glideth down with ease4 #cc4 ,strange women1 rather strange things4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,,the ,,temptations ,,of ,,the ,,table4 ,i4 ,the table of a wealthy man is a place of temptation to the sin of overindulgence4 ,at such a table there is a great variety of dishes1 and the human appetite1 in common with every bodily sense and mental faculty1 delights in variety4 ,the eye is best pleased with a diversified landscape1 the ear with a diversity of sound1 and the mind when it can vary the objects of its contemplation4 ,so man's appetite is most gratified by a variety of food1 and there is much more temptation to excess under such circumstances than when his hunger has to be satisfied from a single dish4 ,then1 again1 the food at such a repast is generally of the most tempting kind--all the countries of the world are put under contribution to supply it with dainties1 and much skill and time is expended upon the preparation of the food4 ,there is little danger of eating too much when bread is the only fare1 but it begins and increases in proportion to the palatable nature of the viands4 ,and the proverb seems to be addressed to those to whom a seat at the rich man's or ruler's table was not an every-day occurrence--to those to whom it was not given to feast so sumptuously every day--and this would increase the force of the temptation4 ,the variety and the rarity of the dishes is much more tempting to one unaccustomed to such feasts4 ,,ii4 ,it is most degrading and injurious to yield to such a temptation4 ,this is implied in the strong metaphor which ,solomon uses4 ,an undue indulgence in the pleasures of the table1 even when it does not amount to positive gluttony1 is a most fruitful source of disease1 and for this cause1 if for no other1 dainty food well deserves the name which is here given to it4 ,but it is also most injurious to man's better nature2 it is often the first step to habits of intemperance and licentiousness1 but if it does not lead to them it is altogether incompatible with intellectual and moral excellence4 ,a man who is not master of his appetite is below the brute and can be neither great nor good4 ,it is well to remember that an appeal to the appetite was one of the elements in the first temptation4 ,an ,eastern fable runs thus3 ,a king once permitted the devil to kiss him on either shoulder4 ,immediately two serpents grew from his shoulders1 which1 furious with hunger1 attacked his head and attempted to get at his brain4 ,the king tore them away4 ,but he soon saw with horror that they had become part of himself1 and that1 in wounding them he was lacerating his own flesh4 ,such is the deplorable condition of every victim of appetite and lust4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,first1 thy duty is to be temperate as to the quantity of thy diet4 4 4 4 ,god gave man food to further1 not to hinder him in his general and particular calling1 and surely they sin who feed till1 like fatted horses1 they are unfit for service4 4 4 4 ,christians may cheer nature1 but they must not clog it4 ,it is a great privilege in the charter granted us by the ,king of ,kings1 that we should have dominion over the creatures2 but it will be a sordid bondage if we suffer them to have dominion over us4 ,socrates was wont to say1 that evil men live that they may eat and drink1 but good men eat and drink that they may live4 4 4 4 ,secondly1 thy duty is to be temperate as to the quality of thy diet4 ,though no certain quality of food can be set down1 yet in general this must be observed1 that we make not provision for the flesh 7,rom4 xiii4 #ab74 ,we may preserve the flesh1 but we must not provide for the flesh4 ,our enemy is strong enough already1 we need not put more weapons into his hands4 4 4 4 ,the ,christian may take his food1 but his food must not take him4 4 4 4 ,it is not unlawful to eat dainties1 but it is unlawful to set the mind upon them4 4 4 4 ,we may eat and digest dainties1 but we may not crave and desire dainties4 ,god made man not for fleshly dainties1 but for spiritual delights4 4 4 4 ,elijah could be content with a raven for his cook4 ,daniel fed and thrived upon pulse3 he looked fairer by it than those that did eat the king's fare4 ,brown bread and the gospel are good cheer1 said the martyr4 ,john the ,baptist could live upon locusts and wild honey4 ,the apostles had some ears of corn for a ,sabbath-day's dinner4 ,though ,god is pleased out of mercy to afford us better provision1 yet our work must be to mind moderation4--,swinnock4 ,it is of the ,lord that hunger is painful and food gives pleasure2 between these two lines of defence the ,creator has placed life with a view to its preservation4 ,the due sustenance of the body is the ,creator's end2 the pleasantness of food is the means of obtaining it4 ,when men prosecute and cultivate that pleasure as an end1 they thwart the very purpose of ,providence4--,arnot4 7,it will be seen that the following comment is based on ,miller's rendering4 ,see ,critical ,notes47 ,kings like to see their guests eat4 ,at the very utmost1 this part of our behaviour is a matter of indifference4 ,but of ,god nothing could be more exact4 ,we see all eating with ,him2 in fact1 feeding upon ,him1 as though ,he were ,himself bread4 ,forasmuch1 therefore is just in place4 ,discerning well who is before thee1 that also1 is perfectly consistent4 ,and then our sin1 what is that8 ,why1 fleshly appetite6 ,what is innocent at courts is idolatry in the banquet to the skies4 4 4 4 ,serving the creature more than the ,creator1 ,paul expresses it2 and gives us ample analogy after a ,new ,testament kind 7,rom4 i4 #be1 see also ,james iv4 #c71 for understanding1 how we have put a knife to our throat1 if we be men given to appetite4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #d and #e4 ,,the ,,deceitfulness ,,of ,,riches4 ,in order to get the true meaning of this proverb it is necessary to define what ,solomon understands by labouring to be rich4 ,we call the possessor of vast estates or a large account at the bank a rich man1 and so he is1 if he lives within his income1 paying his way and having a surplus to bestow upon the needy4 ,but so is the village smith1 who with less than a hundredth part of the income of the nobleman or merchant prince looks the whole world in the face and owes not any man4 ,riches and poverty are but relative terms1 and when we consider how indispensable it is that some men should possess more than a mere sufficiency for their personal needs1 we may be sure that the wise man did not mean to discourage all effort to gain even more than enough for our daily needs4 ,but the labour which is here forbidden is evidently that all-absorbing pursuit of wealth which engrosses the entire man to the exclusion of higher claims4 ,when men make gold their god instead of their servant it is obvious that the boundary line of lawful pursuit is passed1 and that deprecated in the proverb is entered upon4 ,the text-- ,i4 ,condemns all following after wealth under the inspiration of the natural heart4 ,man's own wisdom is an insufficient and dangerous guide in this matter as in all others4 ,the unrenewed heart of man is selfish and sordid1 prone to think only of its own desires and to set up a false standard of happiness4 ,only the wisdom that cometh from above can show men what is worth striving after1 what will really bless the present and afford satisfaction in the future4 ,if a man buys and sells and gets gain with a constant reference to the will of ,god1 and in dependence upon ,him1 he will not labour to be rich--in other words1 he will1 with ,paul1 learn in whatever state he is to be content1 and will know how to fulfil the duties which come with abundance and how to exhibit the graces which can only be manifested in poverty4 ,,ii4 ,teaches that only those who do not trust in riches can really enjoy their possession1 or escape bitter sorrow in their loss4 ,every rich man knows that it is possible that his wealth may leave him1 and that it is certain that he must leave his wealth4 ,the uncertainty of retaining them through life1 and the certainty of losing them at death1 are two thorns which must be found in the pillow of everyone who makes riches the chief good of his existence1 and must surely deprive him of any heartfelt satisfaction from their possession4 ,the soul of man is made for something higher and more lasting than any earthly good1 and of all that men call good1 and esteem precious1 there is nothing which has less to satisfy the cravings of the soul than mere material wealth1 or that is more easily and quickly lost4 ,the only way1 therefore1 to get any present satisfaction in it1 and to ensure oneself against future disappointment from it1 is to follow the ,apostolic injunction1 and trust not in uncertain riches1 but in the living ,god 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #ag74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,not like a tame bird1 that returns2 nor like a hawk1 that will show where she is by her bells2 but like an eagle1 whose wings thou canst neither clip nor pinion4 ,all their certainty is in their uncertainty1 and they are only stable in this1 that they cannot be stable4 4 4 4 ,wealth is like a bird2 it hops all day from man to man1 as that doth from tree to tree2 and none can say where it will roost or rest at night4 ,it is like a vagrant fellow1 which1 because he is big-boned1 and able to work1 a man taketh in a-doors1 and cherisheth2 and perhaps for a while he takes pains2 but when he espies opportunity the fugitive servant is gone1 and takes away more with him than all his service came to4--,t4 ,adams4 ,what a startling interdict this6 ,what an immense proportion of the world's toil1 and especially in such a community as our own1 does it bring under condemnation and proscription6 ,were all the labour directed to this forbidden end to cease1--,how little would be left6--what a sudden stagnation would there be of the turmoil of busy activity with which we are daily surrounded6 ,what are the great majority of men about1--in our city and in our country8 ,what keeps them all astir8 ,what is the prevailing impulse of all the incessant bustle and eager competition of our teeming population8 ,are not all1--with a wider or narrower estimate of what riches mean1--labouring to be rich8--,the love of fame has been called the universal passion4 ,is not the love of money quite as much1 if not more1 entitled to the designation8 ,yes2 and many a time does the wisdom of the world set itself to the defence of the world's toil and the world's aim--alleging many plausible1 and some more than plausible1 things in its pleadings4 ,riches1 say they1 keep a man and his family from dependence4 ,riches enable a man to enjoy many comforts that are in themselves lawful and desirable4 ,riches procure a man distinction and influence in society4 ,by this and other means1 riches put it in a man's power to do good3--why should we not 'labour to be rich8' ,it is all true2 and the plea is in part quite legitimate4 ,yet ,solomon1 by the ,spirit1 with the authority1 and in the kindness of ,god1 enjoins--labour not to be rich4--,wardlaw4 ,it were a most strange folly to fall passionately in love with a bird upon the wing4 4 4 4 ,how much better were it1 since riches will fly1 for thyself to direct their flight towards heaven1 by relieving the necessitous servants and members of ,jesus ,christ4--,bishop ,hopkins4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #f-h4 ,,feigned ,,generosity4 ,i4 ,men's inward life and feelings are often directly opposed to their outward life and actions4 ,a man is here pictured as manifesting a large hospitality4 ,his board is laden with dainty meats and surrounded with guests whom he presses to eat and drink with such an appearance of goodwill that it seems ungenerous to suspect him of insincerity4 ,but words and even deeds do not always proclaim the man4 ,as he thinketh in his heart1 so is he2 and this man's thoughts give the lie to his actions4 ,he gives of his good things from no desire to cheer and relieve those who are poorer than himself1 or to cement the bonds of friendship with his equals1 but for some unworthy1 and1 it may be1 from some base motive4 ,he puts on for the time the garment of benevolence1 but he is a wolf in sheep's clothing1 and will not hesitate to throw off his disguise1 if the selfish ends which he has in view demand it4 ,it is painful for us to be obliged to admit the truthfulness of the portrait here sketched by the ,wise ,man1 but we know that it is not an exaggerated one4 ,,ii4 ,those who encourage such hypocrisy will meet with a well-deserved punishment4 ,it is taken for granted1 and it is undoubtedly true1 that there is a false gloss upon such feigned generosity which makes it easy to distinguish from the real thing4 ,and1 if we accept the hospitality of such a man knowing it to be a deception1 we too practise hypocrisy1 and thus become a partaker of his evil deeds4 ,such a man is guilty of two heinous sins1 he is first a covetous and self-seeking sinner and then he is a gross hypocrite4 ,the covetous man is according to the ,inspired ,book an idolator 7,col4 iii4 #e71 and our ,lord when on earth could endure without anger all contradiction of sinners against ,himself 7,heb4 xii4 #c7 except hypocrisy4 ,this always set ,his holy nature on fire with indignation and called forth the only ,woes that ever passed ,his lips4 ,it was forbidden to the apostolic churches to sit at the table of any man who1 calling himself a brother1 was yet covetous or an idolator 7#a ,cor4 v4 #aa74 ,for such a man was under a far deeper condemnation than one who openly manifested his real character1 seeing that he added to his other sins that of professing to be what he was not1 and to eat with such a man was not only to countenance his covetousness and idolatry but to share his hypocrisy4 ,the ,old ,testament preacher here issues the same prohibition and obviously for the same reasons1 and if men disregard them they fully deserve the negative and the positive punishment with which they are here threatened4 ,all the friendly words which they utter to save appearances and to further selfish interests1 and which convict them in their turn of hypocrisy1 will be lost1 and bitter regret and self-condemnation will be their final portion4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the injunction1 or dissuasion1 ,i need not surely say1 is by no means intended to give any license or encouragement to a spirit of pride or disdain4 ,no4 ,it is only a salutary warning to be cautious of bringing yourselves under obligation to any selfish and hypocritical dissembler of kindness1 who only wishes to lay you under such obligation to serve purposes of his own4 ,the man who has thus entertained you will boast of his hospitality2 tell others of it1 making the most of it for his own behoof2 set it down against you1 debiting you on account of it with certain expected good turns at your hand1 when he comes to need them4 ,he will throw it up to you1 should you not do all he looks for2 or rail at you to others for ingratitude and meanness in forgetting his kindness4 ,he will remind you of it again and again1 with vexatious importunity1--teazing you for your favour and influence in some object he has in view for himself or his family4 ,it is amazing what an amount of expectation a man of this sordid and selfish disposition will found upon a dinner6 ,your having sat at his table1 eaten of his dainties1 and drunk of his wines1 is price enough even for your conscience itself4 ,beware of him4 ,keep yourself free4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #i4 ,,the ,,morally ,,incurable4 ,i4 ,a man may become morally incurable by human instructors4 ,there are cases of bodily disease which it would be quite useless for the most skilful physician to attempt to cure2 such an attempt would only be a throwing away of time and energy on his part which might be usefully employed upon another patient4 ,and so there is at least one form of moral disease which is beyond the reach of human effort4 ,it is that of the man who scoffs at everything1 and upon whom1 therefore1 the most affectionate entreaties and the most solemn warnings are thrown away4 ,,ii4 ,to offer to such an incurable fool the wisdom of ,god is to break a ,divine commandment4 ,the ,redeemer ,himself1 under the ,gospel dispensation1 issued such a prohibition4 ,even among the beneficent utterances of the ,sermon on the ,mount comes the command1 ,give not that which is holy unto the dogs1 neither cast ye your pearls before swine1 lest they trample them under their feet1 and turn again and rend you 7,matt4 vii4 #f74 ,although ,christ and ,his disciples were sent forth to proclaim the ,gospel message among men who1 on account of their bitter animosity to ,him and to ,his teachings were compared to wolves 7,luke x4 #c71 there were others in a far more hopeless condition before whom they were forbidden to place the great truths of the kingdom of ,god1 and they were such characters as the fool of this proverb1 who would have despised the wisdom of their words4 ,the deep import of the words of ,solomon are fully seen when we consider the even more startling utterance of ,him who loved and died for all men4 ,,iii4 ,there is a ,divine compassion for the sinner in this commandment4 ,to offer to such a man what he would scoff at1 would be to give him an occasion of increasing his own guilt by a new refusal of ,divine truth4 ,mercy1 therefore1 is mingled with the stern judgment of the prohibition4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we often speak of retribution as if it always lay beyond the grave1 and the day of grace as extending through the whole life of man2 but such is not the fact4 ,retribution begins with many men here4 ,the day of grace terminates with many men before the day of death4 ,there are those who reach an unconvertible state1 their characters are stereotyped and fixed as eternity4 ,the things that belong to their peace are hid from their eyes4 ,they are incorrigible4 ,such is the character referred to in the text4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,those that are reproved by ministers1 and ,christian friends may learn from this verse that they have no reason to take it amiss1 or to think that they are treated with contempt4 ,they are considered as offenders1 but at the same time as offending brethren1 who are not incurably perverse4 ,they would be treated in a very different way1 and might reckon themselves with more justice to be considered in the light of scorners1 and dogs1 and swine if there were no means used to recover them to repentance4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #aj and #aa4 ,,the ,,rights ,,of ,,private ,,property4 ,i4 ,in the community formed under ,divine direction there was a possession of personal and private property4 ,when the land of ,canaan was first divided among the tribes1 it was evident that each family had its respective allotment1 the boundaries of which were clearly defined 7,see ,duet4 xix4 #ad1 etc47 ,each head of a family became1 therefore1 a possessor of property1 to which no other person1 not even the king in the days of the monarchy1 had a right4 7,see #a ,kings xxi4 #a-c47 ,the kingdom1 therefore1 formed under direct ,divine supervision1 was not governed on communistic principles2 each man had his own inheritance1 which became more or less valuable according to the industry and skill expended upon it4 ,social inequalities must have resulted from this arrangement1 which were prevented from becoming too great by the arrangements connected with the year of jubilee1 but which within certain limits were evidently not regarded by ,god as opposed to the welfare of ,his chosen people4 ,we may infer1 then1 that the idea that it would be better for mankind if all things were possessed in common--if no man had anything which he could call his own--is not a ,divine idea1 and is a mistaken one4 ,,ii4 ,those who are too helpless to protect their own rights are especially under the protection of ,god4 ,the depravity of human nature is seen in the almost universal tendency displayed by the strong to forget the claims of the weak2 but when this tendency is carried to the length of wronging the widow and the fatherless1 it seems as if a man had sunk to the lowest depths of moral degradation4 ,yet there were such specimens of fallen humanity in the commonwealth established and governed by ,god ,himself1 as there are in nominally ,christian ,england4 ,but1 from the earliest days of ,jewish history1 ,god declared ,himself to be the ,guardian of the widow and the fatherless1 and the field which was their inheritance might have been well called ,god's ,acre1 from which all intruders were warned off by ,divine command and threatening4 ,this is a truth which it may be well for all those to lay to heart which hold property in trust for such dependent ones1 or who have any other responsibility in relation to them4 ,it is surely a comforting thought for the fatherless themselves that the place of the earthly parent is taken by ,one whose power as much exceeds all human power as ,his love goes beyond all human love4 ,,illustration4 ,the state of ,palestine with regard to enclosures is very much the same now as it has always been4 ,though gardens and vineyards are surrounded by dry stone walls or hedges of prickly pear1 the boundaries of arable fields are marked by nothing but a little trench1 a small cairn1 or a single erect stone placed at certain intervals4 ,it is manifest that a dishonest person could easily fill the gutter with earth1 or remove these stones a few feet without much risk of detection and thus enlarge his own field by a stealthy encroachment on his neighbour's4--,dr4 ,jamieson4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the words in the first clause of the verse have been sometimes applied in a very different department--even to the danger and the criminality of intermeddling with old and long established articles of doctrine in religion1 and principles and statutes of civil polity4 4 4 4 ,it is clear1 however1 that there can be no period of prescription for truth1--or rather for falsehood1--no length of time1 that is1 by which error that has passed for truth can become anything else than error4 ,no time can transmute wrong into right4 ,changes1 no doubt1 should be made with caution4 ,the longer anything has been received as a truth1 the improbability of its being found an error becomes ever the greater4 ,but if any dogma in any human system of ,christian doctrine is proved1 from a full and careful investigation of the ,word of ,god1 to have been set down and held as a truth by mistake1--it would be a most strange and mischievous attachment to antiquity for its own sake1 that would resist its being expunged and the truth discovered substituted in its room4 ,never must we forget1 that the most ancient landmarks of truth and duty are those which have been fixed here--in the ,bible--by the hands of prophets1 apostles1 and evangelists1 under the immediate direction of the ,spirit of the ,lord4 ,there are none so old as these4 ,from the ,bible human standards have been formed4 ,their landmarks profess to be in agreement1 in the bounding lines of truth and error marked out by them1 with those which are set down there4 ,but when1 on a careful survey1 any of them are found to have been misplaced1 and to bring any part of the region of error within the boundary of the territory of truth1--their removal becomes a duty of imperative obligation4--,wardlaw4 ,the word for redeemer signifies the man who was next of kin1 the kinsman on whom1 by the law of ,moses1 it was incumbent as a matter of duty1 and with whom too it was a matter of interest1 to look after the concerns of his poor relations2 with whom lay indeed the avenging of their blood1 if in any case1 their life should1 in cruel selfishness1 be taken away4 ,it was on the principle of that statute that ,boaz called upon the next of kin to come forward and redeem the inheritance of ,elimelech at the hand of ,naomi1 and that1 upon his hearing the conditions and declining1 he did it himself4 ,now he who happened to be the redeeming kinsman might himself be poor1 and powerless1 and without either means or influence4 ,but they should not1 on that account1 be unprotected and unbefriended4 ,jehovah ,himself would take the place of their kinsman--would plead their cause1 would maintain their rights1 would redress their wrongs1 would bring ,his power to bear against their oppressors4 ,he would fulfill for them the part of their near relation3 and he is mighty4 ,hear ,his words3--,ye shall not afflict any widow1 or fatherless child4 ,if thou afflict them in any wise1 ,i will surely hear their cry2 and my wrath shall wax hot1 and ,i will kill you with the sword2 and your wives shall be widows1 and your children fatherless 7,exod4 xxii4 #bb-bd74 ,these1 you may think1 are ,old ,testament threatenings1 belonging to a judicial law that has passed away2 or1 more properly1 they belong to the special theocracy1 inasmuch as they do not prescribe any punishment to be inflicted by the hand of man1 but announce what ,jehovah himself would1 by his own interposition1 execute4 ,be it so4 ,but think you that the character of ,god has changed8 ,such assurances and threatenings are not mere warnings of punishment2 they are expressions of character4--,wardlaw4 ,adored be the unsearchable pity1 grace1 and condescension of ,emmanuel6 ,when ,he could not redeem us as ,god1 ,he became our kinsman1 that ,he might be our ,redeemer6 7,heb4 ii4 #ad-af74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-bh4 ,,parental ,,duties ,,and ,,parental ,,joys4 ,this paragraph contains no subject upon which ,solomon has not dwelt before1 but their repetition shows the great importance which he attached to them4 ,i4 ,he repeats the truth that corporal punishment is a necessary and salutary element of parental training4 7see ,homiletics on chap4 xiii4 #bd1 page #bcd1 and on chap4 xix4 #ah1 page #egc47 ,,ii4 ,he shows by example that appeals are also to be made to the higher and better nature of the child4 ,although the rod is to have its place1 it is not to be the only force employed--a child is a reasoning and loving creature1 and that training will miserably fail which does not take this fact into account4 ,and in proportion as the child grows in years will the rod become less needful and effectual1 and wise warning and loving entreaty will take its place4 ,he is here besought to give his heart to wisdom and to live in the fear of ,jehovah--#a4 ,because of the exceeding joy that he will bring to his parents4 7,see verses #ae1 #bd1 and #be47 ,this is a thought that cannot fail to have weight with any son or daughter of good parents who is capable of grateful emotion4 ,the consideration of the tender love and the unwearying patience that have surrounded them from their birth1 and of the power that now lies in their hand to requite that long ministry of tenderness and long suffering1 ought to be a powerful motive to dissuade from the evil path and allure into the good way4 ,and it has been and ever will be1 for many a child of godly parents has been kept in the hour of temptation by the remembrance of his father or his mother1 even when he has not thought upon his ,god4 7,see also ,homiletics on chap4 x4 #a1 page #acg47 #b4 ,because of the temporal ruin of an opposite course4 7,see verses #ba1 #bg1 and #bh47 ,all these subjects have been considered before4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxi4 #ag1 page #fji1 and on chap4 vi4 #f-aa1 page #gi1 and on chap4 vi4 #bd1 page #hi47 #c4 ,because of the rewards and punishments of the life to come4 7,see verse #ah47 ,this verse 7see ,critical ,notes7 undoubtedly refers to the day of death and to the life beyond it1 as do also chaps4 xi4 #g1 and xiv4 #cb4 7,see ,homiletics on pages #bja and #cia47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ac4 ,the command is framed upon a supposition that parents often fail on the side of tenderness2 the word is given to nerve them for a difficult duty4 ,there is no ambiguity in the precept2 both the need of correction1 and the tremendous issues that depend on it1 are expressed with thrilling precision of language4--,arnot4 ,verses #ae1 #af4 ,now the proverb personates the father1 and1 instead of a roundabout speech1 utters the temper that should inspire the beating4 ,there will be no good unless the father shows the son that it will be his highest joy1 if the son learns wisdom4 ,if thou be really wise4 ,that is the caution of the first clause4 ,if it be no sham thing1 but an affair of the heart2 then my heart shall rejoice1 down in the same depths4 ,and then1 as men are great actors1 and may look virtue as they whip a child1 when they do not feel it much1 ,solomon protests that it must be real4 ,each part of this sentence must be meant4 ,not1--,thou must be a good citizen1 or a clever worker1 or a moral actor1 or a good gratifying son2 but the boy must see1 7and he surely will see it1 if it is felt71 that the yearning is that he become wise in heart1 i4e41 a good earnest ,christian1 and then on the other hand1 that down in the same depths1 not with outward expressions of pleasure1 but in your very heart--not in your made-up heart1 which you keep to show to others1 but in your very self--the proverb echoes your feeling1 ,my heart shall rejoice1 even mine4 ,the reduplication intensifies the sense4 ,and then1 unwilling to shake loose from the thought1 he pushes it further4 ,yea my reins shall rejoice4 ,that deepest1 firmest1 lastingest receptacle of joy1 the patient reins shall rejoice or exult--the very highest feeling coming from the deepest depths4 ,when thy lips1 which are the best expounders of the heart1 speak right things4 ,the doctrine therefore is that a man will save his child if he disciplines him with these witnessed tokens of his manifest affection4--,miller4 ,verse #ag4 ,this habitual fear of the ,lord is nothing separate from common life4 ,it gives to it a holy character4 ,it makes all its minute details not only consistent with1 but component parts of1 godliness4 ,acts of kindliness are done after a godly sort 7,john iii4 #e1 #f74 ,instead of one duty thrusting out another1 all are done heartily1 as to the ,lord1 and not unto man 7,eph4 vi4 #f1 ,col4 iii4 #bc74 ,some professors confine their religion to extraordinary occasions4 ,but ,elijah seems to have been content to await his translation in his ordinary course of work 7#b ,kings ii4 #a-ab74 ,an example that may teach us to lay the greater stress upon the daily and habitual1 not the extraordinary service4 ,others are satisfied with a periodical religion2 as if it were rather a rapture or an occasional impulse1 than a habit4 ,but if we are to engage in morning and evening devotions1 we are also to wait upon the ,lord all the day 7,ps4 xxv4 #e74 ,if we are to enjoy our ,sabbath privileges1 we are also to abide in our weekly calling with ,god4 ,thus the character of a servant of ,god is maintained--devoted to ,his fear 7,ps4 cxix4 #ch74--;,bridges4 ,verse #ah4 ,cut off1 as the worldling's is4 ,the worldling expects to be cut off4 ,he toils with a hope1 and that so vivid that he becomes aglow 7see ,miller's rendering1 in verse #ag7 in worldly earnestness of purpose2 and yet1 ab imo1 he knows that it will be cut off4 4 4 4 ,how can any intellect stand against such appeals8 ,work for something that will pay1 for 4 4 4 there is something that shall never be cut off4--,miller4 ,verse #ai4 ,the hinging pivot of this verse is the pronoun thou4 ,friends may do ever so much1 but in the end it must be thyself4 ,there is an eternal way4 ,it is a way not for the feet but for the heart4 ,the heart has some day to rise up and enter it4 ,once in1 it will never wander any more out4 ,my son1 take that critical step4 ,a man has a certain amount of strength1 a certain amount of susceptibility let us call it1 in matters of conversion4 4 4 4 ,now the father1 in his more immediate entreaties to his child1 is to remember this4--,miller4 ,verse #bj4 ,a man grows old by the common use of his faculties2 but if he pleases he can travel faster4 ,he can make drafts upon his flesh with wine1 and burn faster4 4 4 4 ,a man can seek death by the most moral impenitence4 ,but he can also travel faster4 ,he can do it by drunkenness4 ,he can do it by trains of trespasses1 of which common drunkenness may stand as chief4--,miller4 ,we are forbidden not only to be drunkards or gluttons1 but to be found in the company of such persons2 for bad company is the common temptation which the devil uses to draw men to these sins4 ,those who have been long inured to a temperate course of life must not think that they are at liberty to infringe this precept1 and to mingle themselves with the sons of riot1 because they are strong enough in their own eye to overcome all the temptations of sensuality4 ,christ charges ,his own disciples1 who had been practised in every virtue under his own eye1 and who had less temptations to this vice than any other men1 to take heed to themselves that their hearts might not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness4--,lawson4 ,verse #bc4 ,solomon bids us buy the truth1 but does not tell us what it must cost1 because we must get it though it be ever so dear4 ,we must love it both shining and scorching4 ,every parcel of truth is precious as filings of gold2 we must either live with it or die for it4 4 4 4 ,a man may lawfully sell his house1 land1 or jewels1 but truth is a jewel that excels all prices1 and must not be sold2 it is our heritage3 ,thy testimonies have ,i taken as an heritage for ever 7,psa4 cxix4 #aaa74 ,it is a legacy that our forefathers have bought with their bloods1 which should make us willing to lay down anything or lay out anything to purchase it4--,brooks4 ,a merchant buys for the very purpose of selling2 and he will not buy unless he has a pretty good assurance that he will sell at a profit2 that he can get for his article more than he has given4 ,the case here1 then1 is quite peculiar4 ,it is all buying4 ,the article is one which is to be bought but never sold4 ,and why8 ,for the best possible reason1 that it can never be sold at a profit1 there is nothing too valuable to be given for it1 there is nothing valuable enough to be taken for it4 4 4 4 #a4 ,the buyer tests his article4 ,he uses means to ascertain its genuineness4 4 4 4 ,the cautious purchaser makes sure of his bargain1 and all the surer1 the higher the price4 4 4 4 ,now1 all that is presented to us as truth must be thus tested4 ,in physical science scientific men will not take upon trust what professes to be a new discovery without examining thoroughly the experiments by which it is said to have been ascertained4 4 4 4 ,thus1 too1 does the metaphysician in regard to every new theory in mental science2 and the moral philosopher in the department of ethics4 4 4 4 ,now1 we are as far as possible from wishing it to be otherwise in the department of religion4 ,in proportion to the importance of the case1--to the height of the authority on which the claims to acceptance are rested1--the magnitude at once of the benefits promised1 and of the risks incurred1--ought to be the solicitude and care with which the testing process is conducted4 ,this then is the last department of all1 in which what professes to be truth should be taken upon trust2 in which inquiry should be careless1 and faith easy4 ,the obligation to examine is imperative and solemn2 and marvellous1 indeed1 is the indisposition of men to enter on the investigation4 ,men who1 with the utmost earnestness and perseverance1 will test every alleged truth in science1 in history1 or in politics1 cannot be persuaded to apply their powers to an inquiry more important1 by infinite degrees1 than any other that can engage the attention of the human mind6 ,they either decline it altogether1 or they set about it with a levity and a superficiality utterly at variance with what such a question demands1 and from which no just appreciation or correct conclusion can be anticipated4 #b4 ,it is not enough for the buyer to ascertain the genuineness of his article4 ,he sets about estimating its real worth2 its worth intrinsically1 and its worth adventitiously2 its worth in itself1 and its worth to him4 ,the two may be widely different4 ,the diamond is of incomparably more intrinsic worth than the grain of barley2 but the cock in the fable spurned away the former and picked up the latter4 ,in the present case1--having once ascertained the ,divine authority of the record1--there can be no hesitation about either the intrinsic or the relative value of what it makes known4 ,all truth is precious2 but its preciousness is1 of course1 endlessly varied in degree4 ,two things may be considered as combining to constitute its value4 ,they are--its subject1 and its utility4 ,in natural science some truths present a union of both4 ,the discoveries of astronomy for example1 are1 many of them1 full of intrinsic interest from their vastness and sublimity1 and the impressions they give of the transcendent majesty of ,god2 while1 in some of their practical bearings1 they are of pre-eminent advantage to men4 ,but in a peculiar sense may this be affirmed of the discoveries of ,divine revelation4 ,these discoveries present views of ,god's moral government1 in its great essential principles and in their practical application1 such as have in them a weight of moral grandeur1 and a consequent depth of absorbing interest surpassing all that nature can disclose4 ,and1 while they possess intrinsic preciousness above all other truths1--think of their value when estimated by the blessings which are unfolded in them1 and to which the faith of them introduces the believer1 in time and in eternity6 ,the purchaser values the article he is about to purchase1 by the amount of benefit the possession of it will bring him4 ,in like manner must you estimate the value of the truth you are here counselled to buy4 ,the value of it1 in this view1 is summed up by our ,lord himself1 when he says1 ,,this ,,is ,,life ,,eternal4 ,what then1 the real worth to you1 of any other compared with this8 #c4 ,the buyer1 when he has estimated the value of his article1 makes proportional sacrifices to obtain possession of it4 ,foolish estimates there may be2 and these foolish estimates may be the occasion of foolish bargains2 and these may be the grounds of regret and self-dissatisfaction4 ,but supposing the certainty of all the benefits1 for time and eternity1 which in the ,bible are promised and guaranteed in connection with the truth1 ,o6 what is there1 in the whole compass of what this world can confer1 that should not1 without one moment's hesitation1 be sacrificed for its attainment8 #d4 ,in proportion to the buyer's estimate of his article1 and the cost at which he has obtained it1 will be the jealousy with which he retains and guards it4 ,sell it not4 ,selling the truth1 is not simply letting slip from the mind the remembrance of mere abstractions2 it is to give up the profession and faith of it for the sake of the very things which we sacrificed for it4 ,but sell it not4 ,sell it not for the pleasures of sin4 ,sell it not for the riches and honours of the world4 ,o part not with the pearl of great price for the husks which the swine do eat4 4 4 4 ,and be prompt with your bargain4 ,those who are much set upon an article will not delay their purchase1 lest perchance it should pass from their hands4 ,blessed be ,god there is no danger here1 so far as others coming forward before you is concerned4 4 4 4 ,but if not now prompt and decided you may be thwarted in another way4 ,death may decide the matter for you4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #bf4 ,a supplication is come1 as it were1 from ,god to man1 that man would send ,god his heart2 penned by ,solomon under the name of wisdom 7chap4 ix4 #a71 and directed to her sons4 4 4 4 ,he which always gave1 now craves2 and he which craves always1 now gives4 ,christ stands at the door like a poor man1 and asks not bread1 nor clothes1 nor lodgings1 which we should give to ,his members1 but our heart--that is1 even the continent of all1 and governor of man's house4 4 4 4 ,should ,god be a suppliant unto thee and me1 but that our unthankfulness condemns us1 that for all the things which ,he hath given unto us1 we never considered yet what we should give unto ,him before ,he asketh4 4 4 4 ,mark what ,god hath chosen for ,himself3 not that which any other should lose by1 like the demands of them which care for none but themselves1 but that which1 being given to ,god1 moves us to give every man his due4 4 4 4 ,give ,god thy heart1 that ,he may keep it2 not a piece of thy heart1 not a room in thy heart1 but thy heart4 ,the heart divided1 dieth4 ,god is not like the mother which would have the child divided1 but like the natural mother which said1 ,rather than it should be divided1 let her take it all4 ,let the devil have all1 if ,he which gave it be not worthy of it4 4 4 4 ,as a man considers what he does when he gives1 so ,god licenseth us to consider of that which we do for ,him1 whether ,he deserves it1 whether we owe it1 whether ,he can require it1 lest it come against our will2 therefore give ,me1 saith ,god1 as though ,he would not strain upon us1 or take it from us4 4 4 4 ,is ,god so desirous of my heart8 ,what good can my heart do to ,god8 ,it is not worthy to come under ,his roof4 ,i would ,i had a better gift to send unto my ,lord2 go1 my heart1 to thy ,maker2 the ,bridegroom hath sent for thee1 put on thy wedding garment1 for the ,king ,himself will marry thee4 ,who is not sorry now that he did not give his heart before8 ,is he not worthy to die that will take his heart from ,him that made it1 from ,him that redeemed it1 from ,him which preserves it1 from ,him that will glorify it1 and gives it to him that will infect it1 torment it1 condemn it8 ,will a servant reach the cup to a stranger when his master calls for it8 ,or will a man sell his coat if he have no more8 ,what dost thou reserve for ,god1 when thou hast given ,satan thine heart8 ,christ hath promised to come and dwell with thee 7,rev4 iii4 #bj72 where shall ,he stay1 where shall ,he dine1 if the chamber be taken up1 and the heart let forth to another8 ,thou art but a tenant1 and yet thou takest ,his house over ,his head1 and placest in it whom thou wilt1 as if thou wert landlord4--,henry ,smith4 ,i4 ,man has nothing higher to dispose of4 ,his heart is given when he sets his strongest affections upon an object4 ,wherever he centres his strongest love his heart is1 and wherever his heart is he is4 4 4 4 ,,ii4 ,man is compelled to dispose of it4 ,he is forced1 not by any outward coercion1 but by an inward pressure4 ,it is as necessary for the soul to love as it is to the body to breathe4 ,the deepest of all the deep hungers of humanity is the hunger of the soul to love4 ,sometimes so ravenous does man's animal appetite for food become1 that he will devour with a kind of relish the most loathsome things2 and so voracious is the heart for some object to love1 that it will settle down upon the lowest and most contemptible creatures rather than not love at all4 ,,iii4 ,man alone can dispose of it4 ,no one can take it from him by force4 ,he is the only priest who can present it4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,verse #bh4 ,uncleanness leads to faithlessness of manifold kinds2 and it makes not only the husband unfaithful to the wife1 but also the son to the parents1 the scholar to the teacher and pastor1 the servant to the master4 ,the adulteress1 inasmuch as she entices now one and now another into her net1 increases the number of those who are faithless towards men4 ,but are they not1 above all1 faithless towards ,god8--,delitzsch4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bi-ce4 ,,the ,,drunkard',s ,,picture4 ,i4 ,the drunkard is an entire inversion of man as ,god intended him to be4 ,god made man's mind to rule his body1 but the drunkard's bodily appetites rule his mind4 ,god gave man an intellect to guide his actions2 ,he intended the various limbs of his body to be the servants of his will1 and to obey the dictates of his reason4 ,but the drunkard not only gives up all his spiritual and intellectual power to his body1 but all his other bodily powers to the rule of one sense--that of his palate4 ,men who are not awake to their spiritual and mental needs might be expected to have as much regard for their animal wants1 and to be as careful to avoid bodily suffering as the brute creation4 ,but it is not so with the drunkard--although nights and days of privation and suffering are often the fruits of an hour's drinking1 he voluntarily undergoes the former in order to enjoy the latter4 ,not only is conscience and reason and heart sacrificed to his mouth1 but every other bodily sense is made to serve the one sense and every other part of the body to suffer1 that one part may be gratified if but for a moment4 ,,ii4 ,he is an entire inversion of what we might expect even a fallen man to be4 ,looking at man as he is when he lives for this world only1 he is generally alive to his own immediate temporal interests and careful to avoid in the future what has brought him suffering in the past4 ,but it is not so with the slave to drink4 ,if only wife and children had to leave lives of misery and his own life was a constant round of even animal enjoyment1 the drunkard's career would not be such an unaccountable infatuation4 ,human selfishness would be sufficient to account for it4 ,but who suffers like the drunkard himself8 ,the wise man enumerates some of his miseries--woe1 grief1 contentions and wounds without cause1 the stings of remorse1 the disordered brain1 and entire loss of consciousness and of power to defend one's own life and property--this is the drunkard's heritage4 ,and in the intervals between his madness he knows it and drinks to the dregs the bitter cup of bodily and mental misery that must always follow the immoderate use of the wine cup4 ,and yet his language is ,i will seek it yet again4 ,the child that has been burnt dreads the fire1 but the poor drunkard scarred from head to foot with the marks of the flames1 seems with all his other losses to have lost also the natural instinct of self-preservation and the power of learning anything from the great teacher--experience4 ,,iii4 ,a consideration of the strength and nature of the drunkard's chain should lead all to shun that which enslaved him4 ,when we consider what havoc intoxicating drink has wrought1 it is marvellous that men do not turn from it with loathing2 that they are not afraid to play with so deadly1 and yet so treacherous an enemy to mankind4 ,when the sailor knows that there is a treacherous whirlpool in the ocean1 which has engulfed a thousand noble vessels1 he is careful to give it a wide berth1 to keep far beyond the outermost ring of the current4 ,but the habit of men in general seems to be to try how near they can come to his moral and social gulf of death1 without being drawn beneath the waters4 ,the experiment is fraught with deadly peril1 and is often a fatal one4 ,solomon's advice is to ensure safety1 by not even looking upon the wine when it is red4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is mention made of a monk at ,prague1 who having heard at shrift the confessions of many drunkards1 wondered at it1 and for experiment would try his brain with this sin1 and accordingly stole himself drunk4 ,now1 after the vexation of three sick days1 to all that confessed that sin he enjoined no other penance than this3 ,go and be drunk again4 ,surely his meaning was like that of ,seneca1 that drunkenness was a torment and affliction to itself4--,spencer4 ,drunkenness is a special water at the devil's banquet4 ,this sin is a horrible self-theft4 4 4 4 ,thieves cannot steal lands1 unless they be ,westminster ,hall thieves1 crafty contenders that eat out a true title with false evidence2 but the drunkard robs himself of his lands4 ,now he dissolves an acre1 and then an acre1 into the pot1 till he hath ground all his ground at the malt quern1 and run all his patrimony through his throat4 ,thus he makes himself the living tomb of his forefathers--of his posterity4 ,he needs not trouble his sick mind with a will1 or distrust the fidelity of executors4--,t4 ,adams4 ,verse #bi4 ,the best that can come of drunkenness is repentance--that fairest daughter of so foul a mother--and that is not without its woe1 and alas6 its sorrow and redness of eyes with weeping for sin4--,trapp4 ,verse #ca4 ,he that would avoid the commission of sin must avoid the occasion of sin4 ,if we would not fall down the hill we must beware of coming near the brow of it4 ,keep thee far from an evil matter4 ,when the wine laughs in thy face then shut thine eyes lest it steal into thine heart4 ,a guest may easily be kept out of the house at first1 but if once entertained it is hard to turn him out of doors4 ,when the governor of a fort once comes to parley with the enemy that besiegeth him there is great fear that the place will be surrendered4--,swinnock4 ,verse #cc4 ,one remarkable peculiarity of this chapter is the junction and alternation of these two kindred sins4 ,there they stand1 like two plants of death1 each growing on its own independent root1 and nourished by the same soil1 but cleaving close to each other by congeniality of nature1 and twisted round each other for mutual support4 4 4 4 ,the alliance1 so generally formed and so firmly maintained between drunkenness and licentiousness1 is a master-stroke of ,satan's policy4 ,it is when men have looked upon this deceitful cup1 and received into their blood the poison of its sting1 that their eyes behold strange women2 and when they have fallen into that narrow pit1 they run back to hide their shame1 at least from themselves1 in the maddening draught4--,arnot4 ,verse #cd4 ,the passage is interesting1 as showing what ,ps4 civ4 #be1 #bf1 cvii4 #bc-cj1 also show1 the increased familiarity of the ,israelites with a sea life4--,plumptre4 ,it is very foul weather in which a drunkard saileth4 ,for as ,st4 ,ambrose speaketh1 the multitude of lusts in him do raise a great tempest1 which toss his mind to and fro1 sailing as it were in the narrow sea of his body1 so that he cannot be pilot to himself4 4 4 4 ,but that which maketh the drunkard's case worst of all is this3 it is a shipwreck of the body only which in a tempest is feared1 but he maketh shipwreck of his soul if repentance be not a plank of safety to him4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#e4 ,a man of knowledge1 rather a man of understanding1 increaseth strength1 literally maketh power strong4 ,miller translates the entire verse thus3--,a strong man1 if wise1 is as a power indeed2 and a man of knowledge makes strength really strong4 #g4 ,wisdom is too high1 etc4 ,delitzsch here reads1 ,wisdom seems to the fool to be an ornamental commodity1 and thinks the comparison lies in the rarity1 costliness1 and unattainableness of wisdom4 ,the word1 says ,miller1 occurs but three times in the ,bible2 once in ,job xxviii4 #ah1 translated coral2 once in ,ezekiel xxvii4 #af1 translated coral and agate2 and once in this passage1 where it ought to be translated coral again4 ,some1 from this rendering1 understand the verse to signify that a fool uses wisdom like a precious stone1 only for ornament4 #h4 ,mischievous person1 literally a master or lord of mischief4 #i4 ,the thought1 etc41 rather1 the device or undertaking4 #aj4 ,if thou faint1 etc41 rather ,if thou hast been straitened in the day of straitness1 strait is thy strength4 #aa4 ,literally1 ,deliver them who are dragged forth unto death1 and them that totter to the slaughter1 oh1 rescue them4 #ab4 ,he that pondereth1 literally1 the ,weigher of hearts4 ,he that keepeth1 rather watcheth4 #ad4 ,there shall be a reward1 rather1 there is a future1 as in chap4 xxiii4 #ah4 #af4 ,the wicked shall fall4 ,delitzsch reads1 the wicked are overthrown when calamity falls on them1 i4e41 they do not rise again and again as the just man does4 #bj4 ,reward4 ,the same word used in verse #ad1 and in chap4 xxiii4 #ah4 ,its literal meaning is a hereafter4 ,zckler translates it end in the first two instances1 but in this case he reads future4 ,delitzsch and ,miller render it hereafter or future in every verse4 #ba4 ,given to change1 literally otherwise disposed1 or1 according to ,miller1 repeaters1 turners back4 #bb4 ,the ruin of them both1 etc4 ,this phrase is variously rendered1 and different meanings are also attached to the same rendering4 ,delitzsch follows the ,syriac version1 and reads1 the end of their years1 who knoweth it8 ,but ,zckler adapts the reading of the ,authorised ,version1 which is supported by the ,vulgate1 by ,luther1 ,ewald1 ,elster1 and others4 ,some understand the word both to refer to those who rebel against ,god1 and those who rebel against the king 7so ,zckler71 while others apply it to ,god and the king1 and the ruin foretold as that proceeding from them4 ,here begins a short appendix to the third main division of the book of ,proverbs1 the first clause of verse #cc being its superscription1 which is almost in the same words as that which introduces the division itself4 7,see chap4 xxii4 #ag47 ,it extends only to the end of the chapter1 and consists of maxims which have no apparent connection with each other4 #bc4 ,these things also belong to the wise4 ,rather ,these 7the proverbs which follow7 are also from wise men4 ,the word also connects this introduction with that in chap4 xxii4 #ag4 #be4 ,to them that rebuke1 etc4 ,the word him is not in the original1 and spoils the sense4 ,if this rendering of the verb is accepted1 iniquity must be understood to be the subject of rebuke4 ,delitzsch however reads1 ,to them who rightly decide1 and ,miller renders1 ,to them that set the thing right4 #bf4 ,a right answer1 i4e41 a faithful1 straightforward answer4 ,the word comes1 says ,miller1 from a verb meaning to be in front4 ,the mention of the lips1 ,zckler remarks1 is to be explained simply by the remembrance of the question to which the upright and truthful answer corresponds4 #bg4 ,house4 ,this word may mean here as it does in ,exod4 i4 #ba1 ,ruth iv4 #aa1 #b ,sam4 vii4 #bg1 etc41 the family--the household interests4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-f4 ,,house ,,building4 ,i4 ,an undertaking founded upon wickedness lacks the first element of stability4 ,a house built upon a sandy foundation1 we all know1 does not possess the first requisite of safety4 ,it is useless to erect any building for fine weather purposes only--if it is not able to stand a storm all the labour expended upon it is lost4 ,those places are very few where the tempest does not come sometimes1 and even if we could find so favoured a spot1 a sandy foundation would not be a permanent one4 ,the ordinary play of the elements and the changes of the seasons would be ever at work upon the loose and shifting soil1 and in time the house must fall4 ,so it is with any work undertaken with an evil purpose or from wicked motives4 ,there are laws at work in ,god's universe which will forbid such a building to remain long in existence4 ,it is very easy work to lay the stones in the sand--much more easy than to hew out a place for them in the solid rock--and the apparently rapid success of evil men and evil deeds tempts many an unwise builder to work after their method4 ,but the experience of the ,psalmist is repeated in every age and must be to the end of time3 ,i have seen the wicked in great power1 and spreading himself like a green bay tree4 ,yet he passed away1 and1 lo1 he was not2 yea1 ,i sought him1 but he could not be found 7,psalm xxxvii4 #ce1 #cf74 ,,ii4 ,true wisdom consists in patient continuance in well-doing4 ,in this passage1 as throughout the entire ,book of ,proverbs1 wisdom is set up as the rival of evil1 and sin is accounted as the height of folly4 ,the wise man accounts everything foolishness which is against the moral law of the universe1 and the good man in his estimation the only wise man4 ,that this is a just and true estimate is apparent to all who look a little beneath the surface of things--to all who realise that it is one thing to seem and another thing to be4 ,the mansion upon the sand-bank appears to be a more desirable dwelling place than the cottage upon the rock1 but time will prove which is the safer of the two4 ,but permanence or safety are not the only recommendations to the home of wisdom4 ,there is a satisfaction and a positive joy to be found in doing the right to which the evil-doer is a stranger4 ,to be on the right side of the good is to be on the side of ,god and of conscience1 to know from experience that all the moral powers of the soul grow stronger with use1 and such experimental knowledge fills the chambers of the soul with all precious and pleasant riches 7verse #d74 ,these considerations ought to make it easy to obey ,solomon's precept3 ,be not envious against evil men1 neither desire to be with them4 ,the mariner on even a stormy sea would not envy the dweller in the lighthouse if he knew that the waves were rapidly undermining its foundation and rendering its speedy fall certain1 and to envy a man a short-lived prosperity which must have a sad end is as contrary to the dictates of reason and self-love4 ,a consideration of their end 7,psalm lxxiii4 #ag7 is a good preservative against such an envy1 and has been tried by many men since the days of ,asaph with the same success4 ,but without bringing the future into the present1 envy of the wicked may be effectually prevented if we can realise their present loss4 ,the inhabitant of the dwelling filled with materials to satisfy his bodily and mental appetites and wants does not envy him whose house is destitute of such comforts4 ,yet that would be more reasonable than for him who has the opportunity of rearing for himself a well-furnished house of wisdom--of building a character which shall be in itself a source of satisfaction and joy to his better nature--to desire the empty and unsatisfying portion of evil doers4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #f considered by itself see on chap4 xi4 #ad1 page #bad1 and on chap4 xx4 #ah1 page #eij4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #a4 ,sin is like sound1 and it finds the moral nature of fallen man1 like the atmosphere1 a good conducting medium4 ,the word or deed of evil does not terminate where it is produced4 ,it radiates all round2 and beside the direct propagation from a centre by diverging lines1 it further reduplicates itself by rebounding like an echo from every object upon which it falls4 ,human beings may well stand in awe when they consider the self-propagating power of sin1 and the facilities which their own corruption affords it4 ,different persons are affected in different ways4 ,one is shaken by the example of wickedness in its first out-go1 another by its rebounding blow4 ,one is carried away in the stream1 another hurts himself by his violent efforts to resist it4 ,some imitate the sin4 ,others fret against the sinner4 ,both classes do evil and suffer injury4 ,whether you be impatiently envious against evil men1 or weakly desirous to be with them1 you have sustained damage by the contact4--,arnot4 ,to be envious against evil men is plainly to confess ourselves to be worse than they are4 ,for1 as ,st4 ,gregory speaketh1 we cannot envy except it be those who we think to be better than ourselves4 ,indeed1 to envy against evil men is to make wickedness to be goodness1 and to show no goodness to be in his heart that is so envious4 4 4 4 ,whosoever thou be that envieth evil men1 ,i cannot tell who should envy thee1 except the devil1 because thou strivest to be more wicked than he is4 ,for they are only the godly that he is envious against4--,jermin4 ,verse #d4 ,the last virtue here spoken of is knowledge1 whereby the inward rooms of the house are filled with all precious substance2 unto the providing and treasuring up of food1 of money1 and all things necessary and comfortable1 the knowledge of times1 the prices of things1 and of the means whereby commodities may be obtained1 is requisite4 4 4 4 ,it is not to be marvelled at that many young married folk and householders in these days have nothing in their families but want of necessaries and bare walls1 seeing they want both wisdom and understanding1 and knowledge4--,muffett4 ,riches imply 7#a7 plenty of that which is precious and pleasant4 7#b7 ,propriety4 ,they must be that which is their own2 and hereunto economical prudence much conducteth4 ,god bestoweth abundance on the wicked ex largitate1 only out of a general providence2 but upon his people that are good husbands ex promisso1 by virtue of this and the like promises4--,trapp4 ,verse #e4 ,a strong man4 7,see ,miller's rendering in the ,critical ,notes47 ,a common man1 a better sort of man1 are the four words for man in the ,bible4 ,this is a strong man4 ,it means strong in a worldly sense4 ,that man1 if wise1 is a power indeed4 4 4 4 ,the meaning is that a strong man1 if not wise1 is not strong at all2 that piety is itself strength2 that the stronger a man without it1 the weaker he is2 that a strong man who is pious1 not only becomes strong in that1 but strong really by his worldly strength2 because piety gives realness to every gift4--,miller4 ,i4 ,intelligence apart from piety is power4 ,a man who has great intelligence1 and knows how to use it1 possesses a power superior to any physical force4 4 4 4 ,,ii4 ,piety apart from intelligence is a higher kind of power4 ,it is the patience of love1 endurance1 patience1 compassion2 it is a power which will touch men's hearts1 move the very arm of ,omnipotence1 take hold upon the strength of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,piety associated with intelligence is the highest creature power4 ,what power on earth is equal to that possessed by the man of vast intelligence and consecrated affections1 the man of sunny intellect and ,heaven-inspired sympathies and aims8--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,a wise man is not only strong in having wisdom1 but in getting strength also4 4 4 4 ,for by wisdom knowing well the want and need of strength1 he is careful and diligent to procure it2 whereas many times strength1 being presumptuous upon its own might1 seeks not for wisdom to support it1 and falls for want of having it4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,a ,,false ,,estimate ,,and ,a ,,true ,,one4 ,i4 ,the fool's estimate of wisdom4 ,solomon here gives the fool's own reason for remaining in his folly1 viz41 that wisdom is difficult to acquire--that neither intellectual or spiritual knowledge can be gained without pains and self-denial4 ,this is of course saying in effect that they are worthless1 and this false estimate lies at the root of all ignorance1 whether it be mental or moral4 ,for if we can make a man feel that a thing is good and will bring him good1 he will not be unwilling to seek to possess it1 and his search and his pursuit will be diligent1 and eager1 and continuous1 in proportion to the good which he believes the possession will bring him4 ,the idle schoolboy complains of the difficulty of his tasks1 and of the severity of his teacher1 because he does not rightly estimate the value of knowledge1 and the moral fool finds fault with the methods of becoming spiritually wise1 because he has no sense of the worth of such wisdom4 ,but it must not be forgotten that the longer the fool makes the excuse of the text1 the more true it becomes4 ,the powers of the intellect1 like those of the body1 are less capable of use the longer they remain idle4 ,if a healthy man is so indolent as to refuse to walk1 his legs by long disuse may become unable to perform their office1 and if the mental powers are left unexercised in youth1 it is more difficult to use them to purpose in middle life4 ,and it is so1 too1 with the spiritual perceptions and capabilities4 ,although it is never too late to acquire the highest wisdom1 it certainly seems more out of the reach of the man who has neglected to seek it throughout a long life1 than of him who gives to its pursuit the vigour and freshness of his youth4 ,,ii4 ,the consequent estimate which wise men form of the fool4 ,if men undervalue wisdom1 they themselves are little valued1 and their words and opinions have no weight with wise men4 ,as it is a mark of folly generally to open the mouth1 although nothing comes therefrom that is worth anything1 the declaration that a fool openeth not his mouth in the gate must point1 not to his own modesty or conscious inability to speak wisely1 but to the estimation in which he is held by others4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in bodily things1 the more weighty they are1 the lower they fall2 the lighter they are1 the higher they go4 ,contrariwise is it in the things of the soul1 and the more weighty they are1 the higher they are2 the lighter they are1 the lower they lie4 ,it is therefore the lightness of a fool's brain that makes wisdom too high for him3 the giddiness of his head is not able to look up unto the height of it4 4 4 4 ,therefore ,st4 ,gregory saith1 ,if thou wilt find wisdom1 tread upon the waves of this world1 and walk upon the waters of this life1 as ,st4 ,peter did1 and she will reach forth her right hand to thee1 as she did to ,peter4--,jermin4 ,verses #h and #i treat of subjects which have occurred more than once before4 ,see on chap4 vi4 #ab-ai1 page #ha4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,adversity4 ,i4 ,the inevitable in human experience4 ,the day of adversity is an ordination of ,god1 as a necessary element in man's moral training4 ,the human rulers of a well-ordered ,state make certain provisions for the education of the young1 and these provisions necessarily include many things that are distasteful1 and even painful1 to the pupils4 ,but if they were left to map out their own course1 and to arrange for themselves the plan of their education1 we well know that the result in the end would be unsatisfactory to everybody1 and most of all to themselves when they were old enough to judge4 ,even so it is with mankind and the ,ruler of the world4 ,god has purposed that men shall be subject to such a course of instruction and discipline as shall at least give them an opportunity of becoming wiser and better1 and the day of adversity is an indispensable element in such a training4 ,it therefore does not come to us by chance1 nor is it always to be regarded in the light of a penalty for special sin1 but is a token of ,divine interest in our real welfare--an expression of ,divine desire for our moral growth4 ,it is wise1 then1 for all to recognise the fact that adversity in some form or other1 at some period or other1 is an inevitable event in their human life4 ,,ii4 ,the test of human character4 ,no man knows his moral strength until he comes face to face with trial4 ,the chain that holds the vessel to the quay is only as strong as the weakest link1 and if that one gives way the vessel is loosed from her moorings as surely as if every link was broken4 ,so human character is only as strong as its weakest point1 and if a severe strain is brought to bear upon a man1 he will break down there4 ,in the day of adversity every virtue and excellence that we possess will be subjected to a severe test1 and if only one of them is found unequal to the trial1 the whole character suffers1 and we are in danger of losing our hold upon ,god1 and so drifting from the right course4 ,a man may have a high opinion of his own physical strength1 and fancy that he is well able to grapple with any foe who might attack him4 ,but it is not till he is in the grip of his antagonist that he knows how much or how little he is able to do and to bear4 ,if he finds himself on the ground1 stunned and bleeding1 he rises from the struggle with a lower estimate of his own muscular strength than he had before4 ,and so it is with the inner man when the day of adversity over takes it--we think that our faith and moral courage are equal to any emergency1 but we are sometimes stricken down to the dust and faint from the weight of a blow which we thought beforehand we could withstand1 and for the rest of our lives have less confidence in our spiritual strength4 ,,iii4 ,a strengthener of human character4 ,although men often faint in the day of adversity1 or find their resources insufficient to meet their needs in the hour of trial1 it is not necessarily the case1 nor is it always so4 ,indeed1 the intention of trial is not to take away our strength1 but to increase it4 ,if the day of adversity proves too much for our strength1 the encounter may leave us morally weaker than we were before2 but if we bear it courageously1 and do not allow it to drive us to despair1 or even to doubt1 we come out of the ordeal stronger than when we entered into it4 ,if a tree has too firm a hold upon the soil to be uprooted by the tempest1 the shaking will but make it firmer still1 and if our confidence and hope in ,god are not lessened by the blasts of adversity1 they are rendered stronger and brighter1 and more fitted to encounter the next storm4 ,but fainting at the first blow of adversity leaves very little strength to meet the next trial1 and this thought seems also to be in the proverb as it stands in the ,hebrew4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,if you were to hear some men's experience you would think they grew as the white pine grows1 with straight grain and easily split1 for ,i notice that all that grow easy split easy4 ,but there are some that grow as the mahogany grows1 with veneering knots1 with all the quirls and contortions of grain2 that is the best timber of the forest which has the most knots4 4 4 4 ,there are many who are content to grow straight1 like weeds on a dunghill2 but there are many others who want to be stalwart and strong like the monarchs of the forest1 and yet when ,god sends the winds of adversity to sing a lullaby in their branches1 they do not like to grow in that way4 ,they dread the culture that is really giving toughness to their soul and strength to its fibre4--,beecher4 ,the times of man's distress1 though it be a night of sorrow and trouble1 which it bringeth to the soul1 yet is it a day also1 because it showeth truly to the soul what a man is4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #aa and #ab4 ,,positive ,,punishment ,,for ,a ,,negative ,,crime4 ,i4 ,the negative crime4 ,the question ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 is here answered with an emphatic affirmative1 for whatever may be the special reference of the words it is plain that they condemn as criminal the non-interposition of the strong on behalf of the weak and distressed4 ,this crime may be committed from various causes4 ,those who are guilty of it may be entirely indifferent to the sufferings of others4 ,there are many men and women who1 if they are at ease themselves1 never concern themselves about the sufferings of others--it matters not to them who is hungry so as they are well fed1 and what privations others may be enduring while their needs are supplied4 ,but the crime is oftener chargeable to moral cowardice and unwillingness to practice self-denial4 ,a man may be sufficiently concerned for the danger of a drowning brother to throw him a rope1 but he may shrink from throwing himself into the water and risking a watery grave on his behalf4 ,so he may pity the ignorant and the erring and feel sad when he thinks of their sorrows and their sins1 and yet be unwilling to sacrifice his money or his leisure or his social position in endeavours to save them4 ,but the proverb seems to deal especially with what seems at first sight to be a less blameworthy class of persons than either of these--with those who have never considered the claims which others have upon them--who are really ignorant how many hearts are breaking around them and how many are perishing for the want of a helping hand4 ,but this ignorance is here regarded as criminal4 ,evil is wrought for want of thought1 as well as want of heart1 but it is as much evil in the one case as in the other1 and the want of thought is a sin in itself4 ,and so is the want of knowledge here4 ,god will not admit the plea ,i knew it not1 but holds him who utters it guilty for his ignorance as well as for his neglect4 ,,ii4 ,the positive punishment4 ,no truth is taught more plainly in the ,bible1 than that men will not escape retribution of some kind because they have simply abstained from doing ill4 ,the possessor of the one talent did not put it to a bad use1 or throw it away4 ,he kept it carefully wrapped in a napkin4 ,but the sentence passed upon him was not merely that he should be deprived of his privilege1 or that reward should be withheld1 but3--,cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness 7,matt4 xxv4 #cj74 ,the tree that was only barren was burned1 says an old writer4 ,the justice of this will be seen the more we consider how much actual wrong-doing on the part of some is chargeable to the not-doing of others4 ,how much sin might be prevented if those who have it in their power sought to deliver others from bodily1 or social1 or moral death4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that keepeth thy soul1 doth not ,he know it4 ,this favour of ,god may be here mentioned partly as a strong obligation upon ,him to preserve him who was made after ,god's image1 and whom ,god hath commanded him to love and preserve2 partly to an encouragement to the performance of his duty herein from the consideration of ,god's special care and watchfulness over those who do their duty2 and partly to intimate to them the danger of neglect of this duty whereby they will forfeit ,god's protection over themselves4--,poole4 ,the condition of sinners may be regarded as here very aptly set forth4 ,they are drawn unto death--seized1 or apprehended for death1 and ready to be slain3--and the death to which they are doomed1--,o how unutterably fearful6 ,but you may naturally meet me with an objection here4 ,in their condition there is no injustice2 no unrighteous and cruel oppression4 ,the sentence of death under which they lie is a divine sentence--in perfect accordance with all the principles of equity3--the sword with which they are ready to be slain is the sword of ,divine justice itself4 ,they deserve to die the death4 ,to attempt to prevent it would be to arrest the hand of ,god4 ,ought not divine1 and therefore unimpeachable1 justice too have its course8 ,the objection--otherwise irresistible--,god has ,himself removed4 ,justice1 infinite justice1 had all its claims acknowledged and fulfilled on ,calvary4 ,on the ground of the sacrifice there offered1 the atonement there made1 the ,god of justice and mercy has called on sinners to accept pardon1 in the name and for the sake of ,his ,son4 ,his call comes with authority4 ,it is a command4 ,it is in virtue of the satisfaction of justice in the atonement of ,christ1 that we ourselves enjoy our own deliverance from the death and destruction to which1 in common with all1 we were devoted4 ,and the very same authority that commanded us to believe and be saved1 enjoins on us to be agents in attempting the rescue of others4 ,o6 what should we not be ready to do1 to sacrifice1 to suffer for such an end6--to effect such a rescue6--,wardlaw4 ,while ,samuel ,romilly's ,bill to abolish the punishment of death for a theft amounting to the sum of five shillings passed the ,english ,house of ,commons1 it was thrown out by a majority in the ,house of ,lords4 ,among those who voted against the ,bill were one archbishop and five bishops4 ,our poet here in the ,proverbs is of a different mind4 ,even the law of ,sinai appoints the punishment of death only for man-stealing4 4 4 4 ,in expressions like the above a true ,christian spirit rules the spirit which condemns all bloodthirstiness of justice1 and calls forth to a crusade1 not only against the inquisition1 but against all unmerciful and cruel executions4--,delitzsch4 ,the ,hebrew midwives1 and ,esther in after ages1 thus delivered their own people drawn unto death4 ,reuben delivered ,joseph from the pit4 ,job was the deliverer of the poor in the extremity4 ,jonathan saved his friend at imminent risk to himself4 ,obadiah hid the ,lord's prophets4 ,ahikam and ,ebed-melech saved ,jeremiah4 ,johanan attempted to deliver the unsuspecting ,gedaliah4 ,daniel preserved the wise men of ,babylon4 ,the ,samaritan rescued his neighbour from death4 ,paul's nephew delivered the great ,apostle by informing him of the murderous plot4 ,the rule includes all oppression1 which has more or less of the character of murder4--,bridges4 ,who is lord over us8 is the watchword of the life-long battle between an evil conscience and a righteous ,judge4 ,here the commandment is exceeding broad4 ,like ,divine omniscience1 it compasses the transgressor before and behind4 ,it checks his advance1 and cuts off his retreat4 ,although a man should actually maintain in relation to every brother the neutrality he professes1 it would avail him nothing4 4 4 4 ,what ails our brother1 that he needs the compassion of a tender heart and the help of a strong hand8 ,he is drawn unto death1 and ready to be slain4 ,this is the very crisis which at once needs help and admits it4 ,if the danger were more distant1 he might not be sensible of his need2 if it were nearer1 he might be beyond the hope of recovery4 ,he is so low that help is necessary2 yet not so low as would render help vain4 ,he is drawn unto death1 and therefore is an object of pity2 but his life is yet in him1 and therefore he is a subject of hope4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ac and #ad4 ,,honey ,,and ,,wisdom4 ,i4 ,an analogy4 #a4 ,honey is found by man ready prepared for his use2 no human skill is needed to make it fit for food--nothing that man can do can render it more palatable than it is as it flows from the comb4 ,so the revealed wisdom of ,god as it is found in the ,scriptures needs no intervention of man to make it suitable to human needs4 #b4 ,as honey is evidently designed by ,god to furnish a wholesome and pleasant food for the body1 so has ,he designed that the revelation of ,his mind and will by ,his inspired messengers shall provide wholesome and congenial food for the soul of man4 ,the great abundance of honey in ,palestine led to its forming a more prominent part of daily food than in western countries1 and its possessing these two qualities made it very fit for general and constant use1 and was a perpetual testimony to the providence of ,god in relation to the needs and enjoyment of ,his creatures4 ,so is the provision which ,god has made for the spiritual wants of the children of men4 ,on this point we must take the testimony of those who have tasted this soul-food4 ,we should not ask a man whether honey was pleasant to the taste if he had never eaten it1 and those are not qualified to bear witness concerning the spiritual enjoyment and benefit to be derived from the wisdom of ,god who have not tested it4 ,all those who have done so1 whatever their condition in life1 in whatever age they have lived1 or whatever part of the world they have called their home1 have agreed with ,david's testimony that it is more to be desired than gold1 yea1 than much find gold3 sweeter than honey and the honey-comb 7,psa4 xix4 #aj74 ,,ii4 ,a contrast4 #a4 ,honey may be eaten unto it cloys the appetite and injures the eater1 but not so with the ,word of ,god4 ,those who eat the most of this spiritual food are the most spiritually healthy1 and have the keenest appetite for it4 #b4 ,although this ,god-given bodily food may do much to nourish and sustain a healthy man1 it cannot cure a diseased body1 or prevent the inroads of sickness and decay4 ,but there is a soul-transforming power in the spiritual food of which it is here an emblem4 ,those who eat of it are by it healed of spiritual disease1 and are continually and unceasingly growing in moral health and vigour4 #c4 ,the blessings flowing from eating the spiritual food are only fully realised in the life beyond the present4 ,to this the wise man refers in the last clause4 7,for ,homiletics on this thought1 see on chaps4 xi4 #g1 xiv4 #cb1 pages #bja and #cia47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ac4 ,the wise man's feast which he makes his son is but one dish4 ,and what need of more when that is both good and pleasant8 ,the glutton provideth many dishes1 and costly to make them luscious1 but they are not good1 not good for the health of the body4 4 4 4 ,on the other side1 the physician provideth divers meats1 and they are good--good either for the preservation of heath or for the recovery of it1 but they are not pleasant and grateful to the palate4 ,that is the best feeding when those are joined together4 4 4 4 ,or else if they are not joined together1 notice that the wise man putteth good in the first place2 as teaching thee rather to take that which is good though not pleasant1 than that which is pleasant but not good4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,when thou hast found it4 ,that is1 when thou hast so found it that thou canst feed upon it and convert it into nourishment1 then thy pains of seeking shall be rewarded4 ,and though it be a late reward1 for wisdom is not quickly found1 yet there shall be a reward1 and that so full1 that in nothing thine expectation shall be cut off4 ,for though hardly yet it is well-gotten2 and with pleasure will sweeten the pains1 with good will satisfy the tarrying and recompense the delay4 ,the ,chaldee rendereth the middle part of the verse1 ,if thou hast found1 the last will come better than the first4 ,as if this were a mark whereby to know whether we have found wisdom or not1 because then the further we go on the more sweetness we shall find4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ae and #af4 ,a ,,social ,,ambush4 ,i4 ,a common practice of the wicked man in relation to the good4 ,when we think of an ambush of men lying in wait to spring upon their foes at a fitting opportunity1 two hostile parties are at once brought before us1 we feel that there must be deep enmity on one side at least1 or men would not be at such pains to overthrow their fellow-men4 ,and this is indeed the case in society as a whole4 ,men are divided into two great parties4 ,on one side stand the lovers of righteousness1 and on the other the lovers of sin2 and the latter must ever be more or less actively opposed to the former4 ,but their favourite and most common method of attack is that indicated in the text4 ,wrong-doers are naturally cowards1 and in their endeavours to injure better men than themselves they shrink from open attack4 ,they are fully conscious that they could not stand their ground in a fair fight in the open field1 and so they try to fall upon their foe in a moment when he is off his guard and in a place where he least expects to meet them4 ,in other words1 evil men do not openly assail either the character or the position of a good man1 but by lying words spoken in his absence they try to blacken the first1 and by secret schemes to overthrow the second4 ,,ii4 ,an utterly useless attempt of the wicked man in relation to the good4 ,it is useless to try to kill a tree by lopping off the branches4 ,such a process may for a time deprive it of its beauty and stop its growth1 but while the root has its hold upon the soil and can draw nourishment to itself from unseen sources beneath the surface it will live1 and as soon as the axe has ceased to strike it will begin again to clothe itself in greenness and beauty4 ,so it is with a righteous man4 ,his enemies may succeed in bringing about his temporary overthrow and in depriving his outward life of much comfort1 but the springs of his existence are fed from an invisible and unfailing source1 and his well-being is not dependent upon external circumstances4 ,and so even if the malice of the wicked is permitted to strip him of some things which made his life more apparently prosperous and secure1 there is an inner life which they cannot touch1 and which enables him in due time to recover from the wounds which they inflict either upon his character or his circumstances4 ,for ,this is the heritage of the servants of the ,lord4 ,no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper2 and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn 7,isa4 liv4 #ag74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,because it spites the wicked1 that the godly dwell in safety1 therefore they lay wait against their dwelling1 by affliction and miseries seeking to throw it down1 and 4 4 4 because the virtues of the godly condemn the vices of the wicked1 therefore they lay wait and search into their dwelling houses to espy out their faults1 because the goodness of the righteous shameth the naughtiness of the wicked1 therefore they seek to break in even into their bedchambers and places of rest1 and there to discover their errors and infirmities4 ,solomon forbidding them to do it1 showeth it to be their manner to do it4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,perhaps you will say1 had ,i fallen only once1 ,i would not be much afraid2 but ,i have often fallen before the enemy1 and one day ,i must perish4 ,but hear what ,god says3--,the righteous man falls not once or twice1 but many times1 and still he rises4 ,your experience of former deliverances should encourage your hopes of new deliverances1 for the salvations of the ,lord are never exhausted4 ,in six troubles ,he will deliver1 and in seven there shall no evil touch you4--,lawson4 ,god's saints are bound to rejoice when they fall into divers temptations4 ,what though they fall into them8 not go in step by step1 but be precipitated1 plunged over head and ears4 ,say they fall not into one1 but into many crosses--as they seldom come single--yet be exceeding glad says the apostle1 as the merchant is to see his ships come laden in4--,trapp4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ag and #ah4 ,,the ,,fall ,,of ,,an ,,enemy4 ,joy at the overthrow of an enemy is a feeling which is natural to an unspiritual man1 but it is one which is here declared to be displeasing to ,god4 ,three reasons suggest themselves why this should be so4 ,i4 ,such an emotion is inconsistent with a man's own well-being and happiness4 ,the nature that can be indifferent to the calamities of another1 even although that other has been an enemy in the past1 is a nature destitute of all generosity and nobility4 ,but the heart that can be glad at such an event is altogether possessed with the spirit of the devil--the flames of exultation that burn upon such an altar have been set on fire of hell4 ,and as ,god loves the creature whom ,he at first created in ,his own image1 it displeases ,him to see him give place to a feeling so unworthy of his origin1 and at the same time so productive of misery to himself4 ,for the so-called joy that arises from such a cause is not only very short-lived1 but is like a fire that blazes and burns brightly for a time1 and then leaves nothing but a heap of ashes behind4 ,the exultation over the fall of an enemy soon dies out1 and leaves the heart scorched and dried by the heat of the unworthy passion4 ,,ii4 ,it is inconsistent with the spirit of brotherhood that ,god desires to exist among men4 ,if there has been a break in the harmony of a family1 and one member has been at enmity with another1 the oneness of the parentage ought to be sufficient to erase all memory of past wrongs when the offender is overtaken by misfortune4 ,such would be the case where there was any real family affection4 ,god desires all ,his creatures to recognise a universal brotherhood in virtue of their relation to ,him1 their common ,father4 ,he desires men to be ever ready to seek occasions to draw together in unity1 and to avoid all that deepens an opposite feeling4 ,if a man retains his enmity against his offending brother when that brother by reason of misfortune might be reconciled to him1 he ignores entirely the law of brotherly love which ,god desires to rule in ,his human family4 ,,iii4 ,it is inconsistent with a right recognition of our need of ,divine mercy4 ,however much our offending brother may have wronged us1 the amount of the debt of his trespass against us will bear no comparison to the amount of our indebtedness to ,god4 ,in sinning against us he has but wronged an erring human creature like himself1 and one who has very possibly failed in his duty towards him4 ,but when we sin against ,god1 we sin against ,one whose character is altogether fitted to win us to obedience1 and whose every action in relation to us has been dictated by perfect love4 ,it is only when we fail to recognise this truth that an unforgiving spirit can possess our hearts1 and it is only when such a spirit has full sway that any man can exult in the downfall of his enemy4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,for prevention hereof think thus with thyself3 ,either ,i am like mine enemy1 or else ,i am better or worse than he4 ,if like him1 why may ,i not look for the like misery8 ,if better1 who made me to differ8 ,if worse1 what reason have ,i to insult8 7,see ,obadiah #ab47--,trapp4 ,st4 ,gregory saith it is only the keeping of charity that doth prove us to be the disciples of ,god1 and that we have charity is shewn in two ways1 namely1 if we love our friends in ,god1 and if we love our enemies for ,god4 4 4 4 ,because another is an enemy to thee1 be not thou an enemy to goodness1 an enemy to thyself4 ,for he that rejoiceth when his enemy falleth1 doth himself fall much worse1 and hath more cause to be grieved for his own wretchedness2 he that is glad in his heart when his enemy stumbleth1 stumbleth more dangerously in his own heart4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on the subjects of verses #ai and #bj see verse #a of this chapter1 page #fgf1 and chap4 xiii4 #i1 page #cjc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ba and #bb4 ,,rule ,,and ,,reverence4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,be very careful with the word niggardly because it can sound like a racial slur1 especially to those who do not know the word or who are not paying attention4 ,consider substituting miserly1 sparing1 or parsimonious4 ,i4 ,the rule of some men and the subjection of others is a ,divine ordination4 ,god1 by creating men with such different gifts and with powers of mind and body so unequal1 evidently intends that society should not be on a dead level1 but that in all communities there should be some recognised head4 ,and the tendency of men in all ages to unite under some leader whom they deem worthy to be their head points to an instinct in human nature which we must refer to a ,divine origin4 ,the law of subjection and dominion has its place in the natural world4 ,the entire solar system is held together by the subjection of the lesser bodies to one which is greater than all1 and as the planets move in their orbits around the sun they seem like so many obedient subjects doing homage to their monarch1 while their attendant satellites are in their turn subject to them4 ,and the constant operation of this material law is productive of the most beneficial results4 ,in like manner the observation of some such law among free and intelligent creatures is necessary to the order and consequent peace of society4 ,,ii4 ,but the deference of the subject to his earthly ruler must be always subordinate to the will of the ,divine ruler of both4 ,there are cases in which to fear the king1 in the sense of obeying him1 would be to dishonour ,god1 and times when he who demands obedience refuses to comply with the ,divine demands upon himself4 ,it is obvious therefore that the fear of the earthly king can only be carried so far as is consistent with loyal obedience to the ,king of all the kings on the earth4 ,the first precept of the wise man in this verse admits of no limitation1 but the second must be limited by the first4 ,but those who have been the most faithful servants of ,god have ever been most ready to render honour to whom honour is due 7,rom4 xiii4 #g72 and when duty has compelled them to disobey their commands they have done so with all due respect for their lawful authority4 ,that fear of ,god which compels them to disobey unrighteous laws makes them obedient subjects to lawful rule1 and constrains them1 so far as is possible1 to live as peaceable citizens4 ,,iii4 ,therefore the peace of a kingdom and the stability of a throne will be in proportion to the reverence of king and people for the ,divine ,will4 ,the fear of ,god is the great adjusting power in all relations of life4 ,when it governs in the family the parents are loved and honoured by the children1 and the children's welfare is the constant care of the parents4 ,it is this fear of ,god alone that can solve the vexed problem of the relations between masters and servants1 between capital and labour1 and between monarchs and people4 ,where it is wanting there will be a weak rule on the one hand1 and a niggardly service and a half-hearted obedience on the other1 and both are responsible for those outbursts of disorder which involve both in a common calamity4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the connection of the two fears in the passage before us is evidently intended to impress the one by the other3--,if you fear ,god1 fear the king4 ,god1 whom you are bound supremely to fear1 and whose fear should produce obedience to ,his ,will1 has enjoined the fear of earthly rulers3 so that a failure in the fear due to them becomes a violation of the fear due to ,him4 ,i need hardly say1 that by the king we are to understand the government of the country4 ,it may be monarchical1 or it may not4 ,we are by no means to look upon such expressions as this1 in ,scripture1 as attaching the authority of inspiration to one form of government more than to another4 ,respecting the comparative merits of different forms1 the ,word of ,god should not be regarded as giving any decision1 whether for the kingly1 the aristocratical1 the popular1 or the mixed4 ,the respect1 or fear1 is due to the legislative and executive powers1 of whichsoever description these may be4--,wardlaw4 ,submission of heart and life to the ,king ,eternal overrides and controls1 yet does not injure a citizen's allegiance to an earthly ruler4 4 4 4 ,the fear of the ,lord must go first1 but the fear of the king may follow4 ,the supreme does not crush1 it protects the subordinate4 ,although the heart is full of piety1 there is plenty of room for patriotism4 ,nay1 more1 patriotism nowhere gets full scope except in a heart that is already pervaded by piety4 ,these elements are like the two chief constituent gases of the atmosphere4 ,the space which envelopes the globe is full of one gas--it is also full of the other4 ,to discharge the nitrogen would not make the space capable of containing more of the oxygen4 ,the absence of the one constituent destroys the quality but does not enlarge the quantity of the other4 ,take away godliness1 and your loyalty1 without being increased in amount1 is seriously deteriorated in kind4 ,take away loyalty1 and you run great risk of spoiling the purity of the remanent godliness4 ,god's works are all good--,his combinations are all beneficial4 ,if we attempt to mend1 we shall certainly mar them4 4 4 4 ,go forward in your allegiance to the powers that be1 not until you think you have gone far enough1 but until you come upon the law of ,god1 claiming the space in front for ,himself1 and absolutely forbidding your advance4 ,go forward with the fear of the king1 unless and until the fear of the ,lord cross your path like a wall4 4 4 4 ,no feasible rule can be laid down except what the ,scriptures contain4 ,let any man try to write down a scale showing when and where private persons may lawfully resist public authority1 and he will soon be convinced that the case is hopeless4 ,every attempt to define the liberty of rebellion will be found to open a door to anarchy4 ,in point of fact1 very little of the liberty that now exists in the world has been achieved by violent resistance to governments because of oppression in temporal things4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bc-bf4 ,,impartiality ,,of ,,truth4 ,i4 ,two blessings to society4 ,while there is nothing that more certainly undermines the moral tone of any community than that respect of persons which the ,bible so emphatically and constantly condemns 7,lev4 xix4 #ae2 ,jas4 ii4 #a71 there is no person who more contributes to the welfare of society1 and contributes more to its well-being than the man who judges all men by the same standard1 viz41 their character4 ,it is especially indispensable that those who are set apart to administer the laws of the land should be men above all suspicion of partiality4 ,for1 wherever there is a code of law1 it is a testimony to that inborn sense of justice which is more or less active in every human being2 and although it may sometimes be but an imperfect attempt to render to every man his right1 if it is administered by men of integrity it is one of the greatest bulwarks of national prosperity and security4 ,it may well be a matter of thankfulness to every ,englishman that the judicial bench of this land occupies the high position that it does in this respect as in all others1 and that the days when men thought it possible to use unlawful influences with an ,english judge have passed away4 ,but to what do we owe this blessing1 if not to the greater hold which the principles of the ,bible has upon our national life8 ,but ,solomon brings before us another character which is as necessary to a nation's moral health1 which is1 perhaps1 rarer than the first1 but which might and ought to belong to every man4 ,those who are called to sit in judgment are the few1 but those who in various ways are called to bear witness concerning persons and things1 are the many4 ,and some who would deem it a crime to have respect of persons in judgment1 do not realise how much the cause of truth and righteousness would be furthered if men1 in their every-day intercourse1 would give a right or straightforward answer 7see rendering in ,critical ,notes7 to the questions put to them4 ,if it was the habit of merchants and statesmen1 of masters and servants1 in the market and in the social circle1 to speak the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth1 how much purer would be the moral atmosphere which we breathe1 and how much more nearly would society on earth be like that of heaven4 ,,ii4 ,the recognition which such characters receive from their fellow-men4 ,in a world where the unrighteous far outnumber the righteous1 and where most men are but half loyal to truth1 it is remarkable that it should be so4 ,but history in general and individual experience in particular bears witness that ,solomon was right4 ,even unrighteous men cannot help admiring a just and truthful man1 and their consciences and their experience combine to testify that they themselves have more to hope from those who are morally above them than from those who are on a level with themselves4 ,it is probable that both moral sense and self-interest combine to bring people as a whole to bless him who rebukes the wicked and to kiss his lips who giveth a right answer4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bf4 ,the meaning of that ceremony of kissing him that was anointed to be king1 ,st4 ,gregory giveth to be this1 that it was to teach him that was so kissed that ,god hath brought him to that dignity to the end that he might make peace between ,god and his people that were under him1 whereof a kiss is a sign and pledge4 ,for by sinning we procure the enmity of ,god1 when therefore a ruler is set up for the correction of sinners1 thereby is taken away that which made us enemies to ,god4 ,if1 therefore1 we read this verse as the ,english doth1 we may understand it that everyone may acknowledge him to be a peacemaker between ,god and them1 who by right judgment punisheth the wicked4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,plan ,,and ,,patience4 ,i4 ,here is a lesson in working with method4 ,in all undertakings it is necessary to consider what is the most important and indispensable element of success1 and to make sure of that first4 ,in the building of a house in the literal sense1 the first thing to be done is to have a well-considered plan1 and to gather and prepare suitable and sufficient materials4 ,if1 when the building is half finished1 it is found that some great difficulty has been overlooked1 or that the materials and the means to procure them are inadequate1 failure and disgrace are the result1 and all the time and money hitherto spent upon the work is thrown away4 ,so in any other undertaking4 ,if a man desires a certain position in life for which special qualifications are needed1 he must first endeavour to know exactly what the requirements are1 and then make sure that he is able to fulfil them4 ,if he makes a start without well considering these things he may waste much precious time and energy1 and ruin his prospects for life4 ,the same principle may be applied to any philanthropic enterprise4 ,these often fail1 because they are entered upon without any just conception of the difficulties to be encountered1 or of the resources which will be required to carry them on to a successful issue4 ,,ii4 ,a lesson in working with patience4 ,the proverb seems to warn men not to be in too great a hurry to realise the fulfilment of their desires2 not to be impatient to reap the harvest before the crop has had time to ripen4 ,men are sometimes so eager to obtain a certain good which to them appears desirable that they make a desperate and reckless attempt to gain it by some other road than that of patient perseverance4 ,a man makes up his mind that he must live in a certain style1 and keep up a certain appearance before the world1 and he sets out to build a stately mansion without waiting until he has acquired the means whereby he can do it honestly4 ,men often desire to be at the beginning of their career where they can be only after days and years of toil1 and if they act under the inspiration of this spirit of impatience they often most effectually shut themselves out entirely from the realisation of their desires4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this wisdom the very little bees do practise and show us1 who first get honey and bring it into their hives1 and afterwards make their seats and honeycombs4 ,against this rule here set down divers sorts of people offend1 yea1 all that take a preposterous course1 whether in the matters of this life1 or in those things that are spiritual4 ,some enter into the state of marriage before either they have wit1 or have provided and gotten by their labour sufficient food or wealth to maintain them4 ,others lay out much on banquets1 buildings1 pastimes1 or apparel1 before they have a good stock or large comings in4 ,others meddle with hard points of controversy before they have learned the plain principles of religion4 ,others first and especially seek after the goods of this world1 and1 in the second place1 at their leisure1 and very slowly1 they follow after the kingdom of ,god4--,muffet4 ,possibly a spiritual meaning here1 as elsewhere1 lies beneath the prudential maxim4 ,the field may be the man's outer common work1 the house the dwelling-place of his higher life4 ,he must do the former faithfully in order to attain the latter4--,plumptre4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #bh and #bi4 ,,an ,,uncalled-,,for ,,testimony4 ,i4 ,there are times and circumstances in which it is our duty to witness against our neighbour4 ,when the interests of right and truth are at stake1 it is wrong for any man to be silent when by declaring what he knows1 he could establish those interests1 even although by so doing he brings punishment upon a fellow-man4 ,it is often indispensable to the safety of innocent people that the wrong-doer should be exposed and brought to justice1 and every man in such a case is not only blameless when he witnesses against such a neighbour1 but blameworthy when he does not do so4 ,this is not witnessing against him without cause1 for there is a good and sufficient reason for the action4 ,,ii4 ,such witness-bearing is of quite a different character from that which springs from malice4 ,there are men in society who seem to live like beasts of prey4 ,as the lion or the tiger is ever watching his opportunity to spring upon some defenceless creature at an unguarded moment1 so these men seem to make it their business to watch their fellow-creatures for opportunities to injure their reputation and mangle their character4 ,and in a world of faulty human beings1 it is not difficult for such men to find food for their malicious appetites1 without transgressing the limits of truth4 ,in most men there is enough imperfection1 and in many of actual sin1 to render it easy to make out a case against them4 ,but if no actual good can come to anybody by exposing their failings1 much harm will come to the man who thus bears witness against them without a cause4 ,the evil tendencies of his own evil nature will be strengthened by the act1 and he will be exposing himself to the danger of having a causeless testimony borne against himself in his turn4 ,,iii4 ,there are circumstances in which there is a strong temptation to bear a causeless testimony4 ,it is against this temptation that the proverb is especially directed4 ,when a man has spoken evil of us without cause1 when he has made public some hidden infirmity1 or some secret fall1 there is a great temptation to retaliate if opportunity offers--to tell what we know about him that will lower him in the estimation of his fellow-men4 ,but this temptation must be resisted1 both for our own sake and for his1 and for this reason among others1 that we are in the worst possible condition for bearing a truthful testimony4 ,a man under the influence of intoxicating drink would be altogether unfit to bear witness for or against another4 ,but the passion of revenge is as intoxicating to the human soul as the most potent liquor is to the human brain4 ,it distorts the judgment1 and dethrones the reason1 and tramples under foot all the noblest emotions of our nature4 ,a man under its sway would be very unlikely to be just to the object to whom he sought to return evil for evil2 nay1 he would be unable to confine himself within the limits of strict truth and pure justice4 ,and1 therefore1 one who has wronged us is the man above all other men of whose faults we should never speak1 unless there is an overwhelming moral necessity for it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bh4 ,and mayhap1 deceive with thy lips4 ,this is expressed by a little participle before the verb4 ,it helps in the ancillary thought1 that not only is speaking evil wicked if it can do no good1 but also it may prove actually unjust4 ,all statement has a hazard of mistake4 ,if it can do some good1 we may risk something so as to witness2 but if there can be no good1 we should risk nothing4--,miller4 ,verse #bi4 ,it is a great wickedness1 when ,god is made a pattern for wickedness2 and it is a strong temptation to wickedness1 when the example of the ,lord seemeth to countenance that which is proposed to be done4 ,it is therefore against this that the wise man adviseth in this verse4 ,for though ,god say1 ,i will render to everyone according to his works1 thou mayest not say1 ,i will render to the man according to his works4 ,god speaketh as a ,judge to whom it belongeth to consider the works of everyone1 and accordingly to reward them2 but no man may be a judge in his own cause1 no particular man may do that for himself which a judge may do for him4 ,wherefore it is a bad imitation thus to imitate the ,lord1 for we are not to do all things that the ,lord doth1 but all things that the ,lord commandeth us to do4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #cj-cd4 ,,the ,,sluggard',s ,,vineyard4 ,i4 ,we have here a precious possession in the hands of an unworthy proprietor4 ,a vineyard is not a heritage of little or no value--if rightly cared for and cultivated it will yield to its owners the means of obtaining an honest living1 and1 it may be1 put him in possession of wealth4 ,many a toiling1 struggling man without an inch of ground on ,god's earth to call his own would feel as if he had nothing left to desire if he had such a barrier between himself and poverty1 and would joyfully toil from dawn to sunset to make the best of that which ,god's providence had entrusted to him4 ,but here is property which would be prized and cultivated by many in the hands of one who neglects and wastes it4 ,the picture of our text is a parabolic representation of what is before our eyes every day4 ,a vineyard of bodily strength is given to a man who by dissipation breaks down its wall and invites disease to enter4 ,a vineyard of opportunities is inherited by a slothful youth who is too indolent and careless to improve them4 ,the vineyard of a vast fortune or of a position of great influence is entrusted to one who is void of understanding--who does not realise his responsibility to ,god or to men4 ,,ii4 ,we have man1 by neglecting to use ,god's gifts1 limiting ,god's power to bless him4 ,it was ,god's purpose that this vineyard should bring forth better things than thorns and nettles4 ,he desired to see it covered with choice vines1 whose branches should be loaded with clusters of refreshing fruit4 ,but this could not be unless man would be a co-worker with ,him4 ,god did ,his part4 ,the rain watered the soil1 the sun shone upon it1 but man refused to dig and plant1 to weed and cultivate4 ,and by withholding his power to labour he limited ,god's power to bless4 ,men do the same in other fields of labour1 and in connection with the other opportunities of receiving the ,divine blessing4 ,many good gifts come alike to the slothful and to the industrious man--to him who diligently keeps his vineyard and to him who neglects it4 ,god makes ,his sun to shine1 and sends ,his rain upon the fields of both4 ,but in the one case sun and rain find a soil prepared to receive the full benefit of the blessings they can give1 and in the other they can only strengthen the hold of the weeds upon the earth1 and to increase the unfruitfulness of the vineyard4 ,so men often limit ,god's power to bless them by ,his providence4 ,opportunities are given to them of bringing great blessings upon themselves or upon others1 but only on condition that they labour earnestly and diligently at some work which ,god gives them to do4 ,they may be called only to the special cultivation of their own intellectual and spiritual powers1 or they may also be in a position to transform others from weeds in the social and moral vineyard into plants of beauty and trees yielding fruit4 ,but whether the field open to them is a wide one1 or comparatively narrow1 all ,god's willingness to give the increase will be of no avail if they refuse to till the ground and sow the seed4 ,,iii4 ,we have a swift and sure-footed avenger advancing to awaken the slothful sleeper4 ,that slumber1 though long and deep1 will not go on for ever4 ,it would indeed be unjust to the active and industrious man if the slothful never felt the consequences of his indolence4 ,but this would be contrary to the laws by which ,god governs the world4 ,one of these laws is1 that bodily want1 or intellectual or spiritual beggary1 will in due time overtake him who neglects to exercise the faculties and capabilities which ,god has given him to enrich every part of his nature4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this is a picture of sloth4 ,at the same time it is a picture of sloth under attacks upon our faith4 ,the world moves on1 and1 in our laziness1 our garden gets all choked with new dogmas against the ,gospel4 ,the writer has already said that we are not to yield to them that are given to change 7verse #ba74 ,he has also said that we are not to answer them with deceit 7verse #bh73 and1 now1 what remains8 ,why1 that we baffle them1 that we work as hard as they do4 ,i know no proverb more useful for the men of our times4 ,we lie upon our lees till we think philosophy a sort of wickedness2 till we think quiet under its advances a sort of ,christian faith4 ,we let science work on1 till1 by sap and mine1 it is near our citadel4 ,great bodies of learned work are built up while the ,church sleeps4 ,if she fights1 it is with a sort of chicane1 with the gongs and bright paper1 like a ,chinese troop2 when duty plainly is1 to work up abreast of science4 ,if the ,church has more light1 she must expect more contest4 ,if she has better arms1 she must expect more battles2 with more mind1 of course more to oppose2 otherwise she has less to do than less capable believers4 ,the world's science must be met by the ,church's science1 and new1 sturdy brambles in her prolific fields must be ploughed under by improved implements4 ,otherwise1 old-time arguments1 and a sort of a chicane of a retort2 responses like those of women1 rather intended to say ,no than to be an actual reply1 become indicative of a sluggard-,church1 and of a garden cumbered like that before us4 ,slothful1 literally sluggard man4 ,man is here the better sort of man 7see ,miller's comment of verse #e72 in the last clause it is a common man4 ,the first has a field1 the second a vineyard4 ,all classes of men are bound to read up and get rid of occasions for cavil4 4 4 4 ,the wall2 necessary to keep a church at all4 ,let scientists trample in upon the vineyard with nothing but a few old clothes to scare them1 and presently we will have no ,church whatever4 ,not stone wall 7,e4 ,v471 but the wall1 as to its stones1 pulled down4 ,it will not slowly crumble1 but interested parties will help it when it begins to totter4 ,i saw1 or looked4 ,seeing such things requires an effort4 ,not the slothful man's business alone6 but mine6 ,i am sufficiently like him4 ,a vineyard with brambles1 like that of ,geneva1 or ,england1 or that of the cis-,atlantic ,socinian ,states1 is a picture for all mankind4 4 4 4 ,come1 etc41 sauntering along4 ,hithpael of walk4 ,armed man4 ,both these descriptions mean 7#a7 slowness1 and 7#b7 certainty2 7#a7 unobserved ease of gait2 but 7#b7 doomlike certainty in coming4 ,a ,church that enjoys her ease may super-eminently prosper4 ,her foe may be behind the hill1 and her doom may be sauntering noiselessly up1 but their coming is as certain as the dawn4 4 4 4 ,a little sleep more1 and the thing has been actually achieved4--,miller4 ,let us learn from the scene described3 #a4 ,how gradual may be the approaches of the evils of sloth1 while1 at the same time1 they are irresistible in the end4 ,this is the lesson of the thirty-fourth verse4 ,the traveller approaches by degrees4 ,when comparatively at a distance1 he appears harmless2 but1 when he has advanced a certain length1 he is discovered to be an armed man1--all resistance to whom is too late1 and consequently vain4 ,famine1 though gaunt1 is irresistibly mighty4 ,who can stand before it8 ,not the man of habitual sloth4 ,the very habit has the more thoroughly incapacitated him for plucking up any spirit to ward off the final ravages of the frightful enemy4 ,he succumbs1 sinks and dies4--#b4 ,our souls are committed by ,god to our own spiritual cultivation4 ,this is no sinecure4 ,they will not thrive themselves4 ,if we would have them as a watered garden1 and as a field which the ,lord hath blessed1 we must apply spiritual activity and labour1 to stock them with the appropriate graces1 affections1 and virtues1 and to promote the growth and productiveness of them all4 ,we must sow the seed1 and seek by prayer the showers of the ,divine blessing--the promised influences of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,we must watch over the germination1 the springing1 the growth1 and the fructifying of the seed4 ,without this all will be stunted and sterile4 ,the noxious and unsightly weeds of sin will spring and luxuriate1 and overspread the soil2 all growing that ought not to grow1 and nothing growing that should4 ,let parents apply the principle to the spiritual instruction of their children4 ,your families are as vineyards committed to your care and culture4 ,imagine not that1 when left to themselves1 they will spontaneously yield good fruit4 ,the experience of all generations reads you an opposite lesson4 ,you must enclose2 you must dig1 and sow1 and water1 and watch1 and protect the springing blade1 till it comes to the ear1 and the full corn in the ear4 ,you must train from their earliest germs your tender plants1 and guard1 and support1 and prune them1 and clear and manure the soil around them4 ,the incessant care of both parents must be bestowed upon this2 and all little enough4 ,they must look for the help and for the blessing of ,god4 ,o see to it1 that the verses before us be not a just description of any of your families--from your parental negligence1 indifference1 and sloth4 ,let every family be as a sacred enclosure for ,god2 fenced in from the blasts and blights of the world1 where the plants of his right hand's planting are reared from the seed1 for future productiveness4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #cb4 ,the owner did nothing for the farm1 and the farm did nothing for the owner4 ,but even this neglected spot did something for the passing wayfarer1 who had an observant eye and a thoughtful mind4 ,even the sluggard's garden brought forth fruit1 but not for the sluggard's benefit4 ,the diligent man reaped1 and carried off the only harvest that it bore--a warning4 ,the owner received nothing from it2 and the onlooker received instruction44 4 4 ,people complain that they have few opportunities and means of instruction4 ,here is one school open to all4 ,here is a schoolmaster who charges no fee4 ,if we are ourselves diligent1 we may gather riches even in a sluggard's garden4 ,he who knows how to turn the folly of his neighbours into wisdom for himself1 cannot excuse defective attainments by alleging a scarcity of the raw material4--,arnot4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,with this chapter begins the fourth main division of this book1 consisting1 as its introductory words inform us1 of sayings and perhaps writings of ,solomon1 which were placed together in their present form by men appointed to the work by ,king ,hezekiah4 ,zckler remarks that while the first and larger section of the book purports to be essentially a book for youth1 this is evidently a book for the people1 a treasury of proverbial wisdom for kings and subjects--as is indicated by the first introductory proverb4 4 4 4 ,whether as the source from which the transfer or compilation of the following proverbs was made1 we are to think simply of one book or of several books1 so that the transfer would be the purely literary labour of excerpting1 a transcribing or collecting by copying2 or whether we have to consider as the source simply the oral transmission of ancient proverbs of wise men by the mouth of the people1 must remain doubtful4 ,it is1 perhaps1 most probable that both the written and the oral tradition were alike sifted for the subjects of the collection4 7,zckler1 in ,lange's ,commentary47 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,copied out1 rather collected4 ,see the remarks above4 #b4 ,honour1 rather glory1 as in the first clause4 #c4 ,the word is should be omitted2 unsearchable applies equally to the three subjects of the sentence4 #d4 ,the finer1 rather the founder1 or goldsmith4 #f4 ,put not forth1 literally bring not thy glory to view1 do not display thyself4 #g4 ,whom thine eyes have seen4 ,there is some difference of opinion as to the person to whom this sentence refers4 ,fleischer understands it as referring to the king1 and to the additional humiliation felt when it comes upon one who has pressed so far forward that he can be perceived by the king4 ,delitzsch refers it not specially to the king1 but to any distinguished personage whose place he who has pressed forward has taken up1 and from which he must now withdraw when the right possessor of it comes and lays claim to his place4 4 4 4 ,thine eyes have seen him in the company1 and thou canst say to thyself1 this place belongs to him1 according to his rank1 and not to thee2 the humiliation which thou endurest is thus well deserved1 because1 with eyes to see1 thou wert so blind4 7,delitzsch47 #h4 ,lest thou know not1 etc4 ,as will be seen from the ,italics in the ,english version1 this sentence is very elliptical4 ,zckler reads1 lest 7it be said to thee7 what wilt thou do1 etc4 ,delitzsch1 ,that it may not be said1 etc4 ,miller1 ,lest what thou doest1 in its after consequence1 by thy neighbour putting thee to shame4 #i4 ,a secret to another4 ,rather ,the secret of another4 #aa4 ,pictures of silver4 ,literally sculpture1 or figures of silver4 ,delitzsch translates salvers1 ,zckler framework4 ,stuart says1 ,the idea is that of a garment of precious stuff1 on which is embroidered golden apples among picture-work of silver4 ,costly and precious was such a garment held to be2 for1 besides the ornaments upon it1 the material itself was of high value4 ,fitly spoken4 ,literally1 in1 or upon its time4 #ab4 ,an obedient ear4 ,literally an ear that heareth4 #ac4 ,the cold of snow1 etc4 ,the coolness of snow is not that of a fall of snow1 which in the time of harvest would be a calamity1 but of drink cooled with snow1 which was brought from ,lebanon1 or elsewhere1 from the clefts of the rocks2 the peasants of ,damascus store up the winter's snow in a cleft of the mountain1 and convey it in the warm months to ,damascus and the coast towns4 7,delitzsch47 #ad4 ,a false gift4 ,this gift is generally understood to be one bestowed by the boaster1 but which is worth nothing1 or the mere promise of a gift which is never fulfilled4 #ae4 ,prince4 ,rather ,judge4 #af4 ,filled4 ,rather ,surfeited4 #ag4 ,withdraw4 ,rather ,make rare4 #ah4 ,a maul4 ,an instrument or weapon shod with iron1 probably a war-club4 #ai4 ,foot out of joint4 ,rather ,an unsteady foot4 #bj4 ,nitre4 ,not the substance we now understand by nitre--i4e41 nitrate of potassa 7saltpetre71 but the natron or native carbonate of soda of modern chemistry4 7,smith's ,dictionary47 ,the combination of the acid and alkali would1 of course1 produce effervescence4 #bc4 ,driveth away4 ,rather ,brings forward the rain-clouds4 ,most modern commentators adopt this rendering of this verb1 and read the latter phrase to suit the metaphor--,so a secret or slanderous tongue1 a troubled countenance4 #bf4 ,falling down--i4e41 yielding or wavering4 ,corrupt4 ,rather ,ruined4 #bg4 ,the last phrase in this verse is variously rendered4 ,the words is not are not in the ,hebrew4 ,stuart reads1 ,searching after one's own glory is burdensome--i4e41 ,honour1 like honey1 is good only when sought in moderation4 ,zckler renders ,to search out the difficulty1 brings difficulty--i4e41 ,too strenuous occupation of the mind with difficult things is injurious4 ,delitzsch translates3--,but1 as an inquirer1 to enter on what is difficult is honour--i4e41 ,to overdo oneself in eating honey is not good1 but the searching into difficult things is nothing less than an eating of honey1 but an honour4 ,the word translated glory is literally weight1 and is often used to mean excellence and honour4 ,but it will bear the opposite meaning of a burden or difficulty4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-c4 ,,god',s ,,mysteries ,,and ,,man',s ,,research4 ,i4 ,there is much connected with ,god's nature and with ,his government that will never be revealed to man in his present state4 ,this is in accordance with the greatness of ,god and the littleness of man in comparison with ,him4 ,there are many things connected with ,god which man in his present state could not comprehend1 and there are others which he might comprehend1 but of which it is better he should remain in ignorance4 ,the parent conceals many things from a child because the concealment is more consistent with a wise training than the revelation of them would be4 ,some of them the child could not understand1 and others it is better that he should not know until he attain to riper years4 ,when he has become a man he will adore the wisdom of his parent in thus withholding from him what he did4 ,god1 as the infinitely wise ,parent and ,trainer of human creatures1 often doubtless conceals much from us for similar reasons1 and we shall one day see that the concealment was to the glory of ,his gracious character4 ,when a physician is called to treat a man whose life is hanging upon a thread1 he is not expected to enter into an explanation of the nature of the remedies he uses or to give a reason for all the treatment he prescribes4 ,such an explanation would be unworthy of the dignity of his profession and hurtful to his patient4 ,concealment is often an essential and necessary part of his plan1 and when the sick man is restored to health he acknowledges that it was to the glory of his healer that he kept him for a time in ignorance4 ,god is the great ,physician and ,healer of human souls1 and it would neither befit ,his majesty nor further ,his purposes of mercy to reveal the reasons of all ,he does to ,his fallen creatures4 ,when they have attained to perfect moral health they will give glory to ,him for all that ,he concealed as well as for all that ,he revealed4 ,,ii4 ,but there is much that is hidden that will be revealed to the diligent seeker4 ,if it is ,god's prerogative and a part of ,his ,divine plan to conceal much from man1 it is ,his purpose and desire to reveal much to him if he will only seek after it4 ,how many of ,god's operations in nature are full of mystery to one who only looks upon the surface of things1 but how far diligent and earnest searchers have penetrated into the secret workings of the ,divine wisdom in this direction4 ,although there is much hidden from them1 still there is much that was once a mystery that is now made plain4 ,and it is doubtless the same also in relation to ,god's working in higher regions--in ,his dealings in providence and in ,his plan of redemption4 ,although there is much here that must remain a mystery to the human mind1 he who diligently and reverently seeks to know the mind and purpose of ,god in relation to these things will not lose the reward4 ,,iii4 ,while then1 it is ,god's prerogative to determine what ,he will reveal to man it is man's glory and duty to be ever seeking to know more of ,god's ways and works4 ,the third verse seems to institute a comparison between the ,divine and human rulers4 ,these latter have their state secrets--sometimes for arbitrary purposes and in other cases from necessity they conceal their plans until their ends are accomplished4 ,if the government is a despotic one this secrecy is to be feared and deprecated2 if1 on the other hand1 the ruler or rulers are merciful and just their subjects may safely trust them when their plans of action are for a time hidden4 ,but however it may be with human kings1 there is no questioning the right of the ,king of ,kings to hide what ,he pleases from ,his creatures1 and no reason for ,his creatures to doubt either ,his wisdom or ,his love in so doing4 ,but man has a duty to perform in relation to this concealment4 ,his ,maker and his ,ruler does not desire to see him sit down in indolent indifference1 making no effort to penetrate the secrets of the world around him1 or to apprehend in some degree some of the deep things of ,god's unsearchable dealings 7,rom4 xi4 #cc74 ,the veil seems to have been cast over some of these problems for the very purpose of stimulating man to search and to test the depth of his interest in them4 ,while1 then1 the pursuit of knowledge of any kind is good1 there is none so elevating1 none that brings so rich a reward1 and none that man is so bound to follow after1 as the knowledge of ,god in ,his works of creation1 and providence1 and redemption4 ,solomon1 as the greatest monarch of his day1 counted this his first duty and his highest glory1 and there have been many uncrowned kings in all ages of the world who have set this before them as the aim and end of their life1 and in so doing have set a diadem upon their own brows and have won the homage and love of multitudes of their race4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verses #a and #b4 ,it was a good saying of a pious divine1 ,lord preserve us from a comprehensible ,god4 ,it is our duty to venerate and wonder1 and not to pry with curious eyes into the secrets of ,god4 ,the history of the fall is an everlasting warning to the sons of ,adam to prefer the tree of life to the tree of knowledge4--,lawson4 #a4 ,taking it in contrast with the latter part of the verse--but the honour of kings is to search out a matter1--there is implied the idea that the ,divine knowledge is universal1 perfect1 and free from everything of the nature of inquiry1 investigation1 effort1 in the acquisition4 ,his acquaintance with all things is1 in the strictest sense1 intuitive1 and1 in the strictest sense1 complete4 ,he requires no searching out in order to discover anything2 nor is it possible to make any addition to ,his knowledge4 ,the past1 the present1 and the future are alike before ,his all-comprehensive mind4 ,he sees all the present4 ,he remembers all the past4 ,he foresees all the future4 ,his knowledge is light without any darkness at all2 and it is light that is equally clear through the immensity of the universe1 and through all time and all eternity6 #b4 ,the language implies ,god's entire independence and supremacy1 as a part of ,his glory4 ,he giveth not account of any of his matters1 further than1 in sovereignty1 ,he sees meet to do4 ,he conceals when ,he pleases3--,who hath known the mind of the ,lord8 or who hath been ,his counsellor8 and who can demand the disclosure of any one of the secrets of the infinite and independent ,mind8 #c4 ,the impenetrable depth of ,his counsels is a part of ,god's glory4 ,his judgments are a great deep4 ,what line of created wisdom can fathom them8-- ,not angels1 that stand round his throne1 ,can search ,his secret will6 ,canst thou1 by searching1 find out ,god8 canst thou find out the ,almighty unto perfection8 ,it is high as heaven2 what canst thou do8 deeper than hell2 what canst thou know8 ,the measure thereof is longer than the earth1 and broader than the sea4 ,o the depth of the riches1 and wisdom1 and knowledge of ,god6 how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6 ,this is fitted to inspire us1 ,his intelligent creatures1 with reverence and godly fear4 ,in the sovereign secrecy1 the unapproachable reservation1 the unfathomable mysteriousness of the ,divine counsels--in the very requirement that we humbly bow1 in adoring submission1 where we cannot comprehend1 without asking a question1 or urging a further disclosure3--in all this1 there is something that gives the ,creator ,his proper place4 ,there is in it a sacredness1 and awfulness1 that makes us feel1 as we ought to do1 our infinite distance4 ,this is ,god's glory4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #c4 ,there is no searching the height or the depth of the ,king's heart1 any more than the height of heaven1 or the depth of the earth1 7which in those unastronomic days meant blankly not at all74 ,give ,god a universe to rule2 and what ,he must do in that great compass1 as a ,king1 is quite unsearchable4--,miller4 ,for ,homiletics of verses #d and #e see on chap4 xx4 #bf and #bh1 page #eif4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #f and #g4 ,,self-,,promotion4 ,i4 ,a wise man will let others judge of his qualifications for a high place or position4 ,men who consult their happiness and reputation are not so anxious to rise in the world as they are to qualify themselves for rising4 ,a wise man knows well that it is not merely the position he occupies which raises him in the estimation of others1 but the ability which he shows to fill the post1 and the fitness which men recognise as existing between him and his high place4 ,he has no desire to step into a position which he could not fill with some credit to himself and advantage to others1 knowing well that he would then be like the jackdaw in the peacock's borrowed plumes1 an object of derision to all beholders4 ,he would rather occupy a low place with abilities to fill a higher1 than be in one which was above his abilities1 and he therefore gladly leaves the question of his social advancement in the hands of others4 ,,ii4 ,self-promotion is not likely to result in satisfaction to the only actor in the transaction4 #a4 ,it is generally short-lived4 ,if a man is really fit for advancement1 some one or some number of people are generally to be found to say to him1 ,friend1 go up higher4 ,the interests of men in general1 are concerned in having the best men in the foremost places2 and such men1 in the end1 are generally placed in them by common consent4 ,but when a man without this call steps into a place of honour1 it is very common for others to resent his self-conceit1 and to call upon him to give place to a more worthy person4 ,and so his self-constituted triumph is soon over4 #b4 ,it often ends in humiliation4 ,it is hard to be obliged to take a lower place under any circumstances1 but when we are thus retracing steps which our self-esteem alone prompted us to take1 the chagrin is great indeed4 ,and as the ascent in such a case is generally made before the eyes of many onlookers1 so the descent will be equally public1 and this adds much to the disappointment and the shame4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,ambition is to the mind what the cap is to the falcon1 it first blinds us1 and then compels us to lower by reason of our blindness4--,e4 ,cook4 ,now1 it is not a little said in praise of him to whom it is said1 ,come up higher4 ,for1 first1 it showeth his modest humility1 which is the praise of all other virtues4 ,secondly1 it showeth the worth of his quality1 which deserveth advancement4 ,thirdly1 it showeth that to be due unto him which is bestowed upon him4 ,on the other side1 it is not a little reproach unto him that is put lower4 ,for1 first1 his pride is objected to him2 the overthrow of all that is praiseworthy4 ,secondly1 his unworthiness is rejected with an upbraiding of it4 ,thirdly1 the due punishment of being placed lower is justly inflicted4 4 4 4 ,and as if he were one unworthy for the prince to look upon1 it is not said1 by whom thou art seen1 but whom thine eyes have seen1 as noting also the proud presumption of the unworthy intruder4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #h-aa4 ,,two ,,ways ,,of ,,treating ,,an ,,enemy4 ,it us undoubtedly helpful1 and sometimes indispensable1 that a man who has been wronged by another should seek redress from the offending person4 ,these verses seem to refer to an injury done to character and reputation1 and seeing that these are a man's most precious possessions1 he has certainly as much right to seek restitution from him who has sought to rob him of this wealth1 as he has to try and capture the thief who has stolen his money or his plate1 and make him give back his unlawful gain4 ,solomon does not condemn all interference with a neighbour who puts us to shame1 but sets before us two opposite courses of action1 either of which may be taken in such a case4 ,he gives the consequences of both4 ,i4 ,there is the way of inconsiderate passion4 ,this is a bad way1 because--#a4 ,it may lead us to overstep the bounds of right and justice4 ,a man under the power of anger has no ear open to the counsels of reason and prudence1 and under such an influence he will very likely become as great an offender against his neighbour as his neighbour was against him4 ,he in his turn may become a slanderer and a betrayer of secrets 7verse #i71 and so lose all hold on his opponent2 and even be put to shame by the very person whom he intended to bring to shame4 ,he is like a blindfolded man who rushes hastily down a steep path without considering what will be the end of so mad an act4 #b4 ,it is the least likely way to convince the offender of his fault4 ,words of angry recrimination1 or deeds which savour of the spirit of revenge1 will almost certainly make an enemy tenfold more of an enemy4 ,if he disliked us before without any reason1 his dislike will now have some foundation to rest upon1 and the gulf of separation will be widened instead of bridged over4 ,the end to be aimed at when a brother man has trespassed against us is clearly defined by ,christ4 ,we are to try to gain our brother 7,matt4 xviii4 #ae71 that is1 we are to try and win his esteem and love4 ,this can never be done if we go forth hastily to strive4 ,but-- ,,ii4 ,there is the way of personal and wise remonstrance4 #a4 ,the complaint of our wrongs is to be made first to the person offending4 ,here the teaching of the wise man and the greater than ,solomon are identical4 ,if thy brother trespass against thee1 go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone 7,matt xviii4 #ae74 ,to speak of it to a third person is to expose our neighbour unnecessarily1 and1 perhaps1 to blacken his character far beyond his deserts4 ,for1 although we may give a plain unvarnished tale of his offence1 he to whom we give it may colour it when he repeats it to another1 and so what was but a molehill at the first may grow into a mountain before long4 ,but if we go directly to the transgressor himself1 we make it plain to him that we have no desire to make him suffer for his offence1 and only ask him to deal with us in the same spirit of brotherly love in which we deal with him4 ,our willingness to cover his fault will go a long way towards persuading him to confess and forsake it4 #b4 ,we are to reason and persuade rather than to upbraid4 ,the discourse is to take the form of a calm debate4 ,we are to ask for the grounds of his attack upon us1 and not to be too proud to enter into explanations of any act that he may have misconstrued4 ,we are to try and convince him of the harm he will do to himself if he persist in trying to injure another1 and we are to seek to clothe all our arguments and entreaties in language which is the least likely to offend and most calculated to win4 ,such words are compared by ,solomon to a beautiful work of art which is precious and admirable not only for the skill displayed in the workmanship1 but for the costly nature of the material out of which it is fashioned4 7,see ,critical ,notes on verse #aa47 ,it may be a robe of costly material embroidered with gold and silver1 or it may be a basket of wrought silver holding fruits of gold1 but whatever the exact form of the production1 it reveals skilful design on the part of the artist1 and bears witness to his painstaking skill4 ,a carefully framed appeal to lay before an offending brother is a work of art in a higher sphere--it calls forth all the tact and wisdom that we possess to fashion such a garment--to carve such a piece of work1 but it is worth all the labour and pains that can be spent upon it1 and will bring to its author the goodwill of others and the approval of his own conscience4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #h4 ,for the sake of illustration1 to suppose two or three varieties of this result3--#a4 ,the hasty man meets his supposed adversary1--some word or act of whom has just reached him4 ,he is all full of the fuming pride of offended self-consequence2 very big2 very wrathful4 ,in this spirit he makes his charge1 and finds it is a mere idle unfounded rumour that has come to his ears2 that there is actually nothing in it2 that nothing of the kind has ever been either said or done2 that there is no ground whatever for all his excitement and transport6--,how foolish he looks1 when his imagined enemy1 against whom he has been breathing out the vehemence of passion1 all collected and cool1 stands wondering at his agitation1--unable to divine what has come over him6--,and how is he laughed at for having stirred himself up to all this heat and hurry1--all this violence and emotion--for nothing6--#b4 ,it turns out that in the cause between him and his neighbour1 which he has so hastily taken up1 he is in the wrong--that1 after all his froth and bluster1 truth and justice are clearly on the other side1 with all the solid and satisfactory argument2 while on his there is little or nothing beyond the noisy and vehement protestations of self-sufficiency1 and he is quite unable to withstand the proofs against him--the verdict of all impartial persons being in favour of his opponent4 ,in this case1 he must either1 after having his pride keenly mortified1 cool down1 and own himself in the wrong--which is the best thing he can do1 but far from easy to a man of his temper2 or the more he is overpowered by the evidence of facts and by sound argument1 the more must the sense of conscious defeat1 and consequent feeling of inferiority1 inflame him to rage2 by which he will only render himself the more ridiculous1 and give cause of more lasting mortification and shame4 #c4 ,the same things are true of a controversial dispute on any subject4 ,generally speaking1 the hastiest and most self-confident is the most likely to fail4 ,such confidence very often accompanies partial information and superficial and one-sided views4 ,the petulant1 consequential disputant goes forth hastily to strive1 in the full assurance that his arguments are such as cannot be resisted1 and in the full flush of anticipated triumph--of victory before the battle4 ,but objections meet him1 of which he had never thought4 ,arguments are arrayed and urged on the opposite side1 such as had never occurred to his own mind1 and such1 therefore1 as he did not at all expect1 and cannot refute4 4 4 4 ,he is abashed1 confounded1 stupefied4--,wardlaw4 ,it is he that liveth in peace that doth enjoy himself4 ,it is he that is at home1 and findeth the comfort of what ,god hath bestowed upon him4 ,he that falleth into strife goeth from his rest and contentment1 goeth forth from himself1 so that he is hardly himself while the strife continues4 4 4 4 ,therefore let not strife be a thing into which thou art carried of thine own accord2 but either let thine adversary drive thee into it1 or else let necessity or some good reason either draw thee or force thee4--,jermin4 ,verse #aa4 ,the beauty of the texture sets off the fruit with additional charms4 ,so does a lively medium enhance the attractiveness of truth4 ,the preacher should strive to find out acceptable words--words fitly spoken--giving to each their proper meat--and that in due season suited to their ages and difference of temperament4 ,how forcible are right words6 7,job vi4 #be74 ,our ,lord witnessed of ,himself1 as gifted with the tongue of the learned1 that ,he might know how to speak the word in season 7,isa4 l4 #d7--;a word upon the wheels--not forced or dragged1 but rolling smoothly along1 like the chariot-wheels4 ,his discourses on the living water and the bread of life arose naturally out of the conversation1 and therefore were full of arresting application4 ,paul powerfully charged superstition on the ,athenians and strengthened his reasoning by quoting from one of their own poets 7,acts xvii4 #bb-bh74 ,to a corrupt and profligate judge he preached righteousness1 temperance1 and judgment to come 7,acts xxiv4 #be74--;,bridges4 ,that words may deserve this character1 they must be the words of truth2 for falsehood and error are on no occasion fit to be spoken4 ,and therefore ,job reproves his friends for endeavouring1 by false doctrine1 to comfort him1 and direct his exercise in the time of his distress4 ,but words may be true and yet unfitly spoken1 for although nothing is to be spoken but truth1 yet truth is not always to be spoken4 ,doeg the ,edomite was guilty of murder before he killed the priests of the ,lord1 by telling the enraged tyrant that ,david had received bread and a sword from ,ahimelech4 ,jonathan was a man of a very opposite spirit1 and discovered it by the seasonable mention he made to his father of ,david's exploit in slaying ,goliath4 ,by putting ,saul in mind of this noble action1 he disarmed for a time his angry resentments4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,,giving ,,and ,,taking4 ,i4 ,to give reproof effectually needs--#a4 ,a character which deserves respect4 ,an iron pin when cold may by the exercise of much strength and the expenditure of much time be driven through a plate of iron1 but if it be red hot1 it goes through it with speed and ease4 ,a blunt axe may fell a tree1 but if it has a good edge the work is done far more quickly and effectually4 ,so a very faulty man may obtain a hearing when he reproves1 and his reproofs may do good1 but the same reproof from the lips of one who possesses a high moral character will be far more likely to reach the conscience of the listener and lead him to repentance4 #b4 ,a knowledge of the character and disposition of him whom he reproves4 ,it is indispensable that the physician who ministers a powerful drug to a patient1 or who subjects him to a critical operation1 should first know something about his bodily constitution1 should ascertain if there is tendency to disease which his treatment might strengthen1 or exceptional weakness of any organ which would make it unable to bear the strain he is about to put upon it4 ,if he does not make some preliminary investigation on these matters he may be developing an evil as great as the one he seeks to eradicate4 ,a reprover should remember that all men are not alike in their temperament and moral development1 and that consequently what would do real good to one transgressor would only harden another1 and that1 therefore1 there must be acquaintance with the patient before the medicine is administered4 #c4 ,a sincere desire to benefit the offender4 ,he who reproves without a real feeling of pity and a wish to help him whom he reproves will find that his words will do almost as much good as water does to a rock when it falls upon it4 ,it may drop day and night for years1 but the rock is rock still--no moisture penetrates it and no verdure clothes it4 ,so reproof that is not dictated by love will never reach the heart1 and no fruits of repentance will result from fault-finding for its own sake4 #d4 ,a due regard to a fitting time and place4 ,he must not rebuke his child when he is suffering pain1 or charge home a fault upon the father of a family before his children4 ,we are not likely to reform a drunkard by upbraiding him when he is under the influence of drink1 or to convince a proud man that he is wrong by putting him to shame before others4 ,a wise reprover will not only see to it that his medicine is suited to his patient1 but will consider when it is most fitting to administer it4 ,,ii4 ,to take reproof meekly--#a4 ,reveals a man under the control of reason4 ,it is only the delirious patient or the child who angrily resists the surgeon's knife and looks no further than the present pain4 ,a reasonable man may cry out under the operation1 but he knows that his future health depends upon it1 and he therefore submits patiently1 although he suffers acutely4 ,if a man looks at reproof in the same light1 he will receive it in the same spirit1 and give a convincing proof that he is not ruled by passion but by reason4 #b4 ,reveals a man governed by true self-love4 ,love for our own true interests prompts us to welcome every hand stretched out to help us1 and every means afforded us of becoming better and wiser4 ,a wise reprover is a true friend1 and he who does not recognise him as such shows that his own advancement is not the aim of his life and the object of his desire4 ,but no greater proof of a sincere regard for our own moral and spiritual growth can be given than that of lending an obedient ear to a wise reproof4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the wise reprover or instructor1 who lovingly and seasonably telleth his neighbour of his fault or duty1 may fitly be likened unto a jewel of pearl2 for he lighteneth and enricheth him that is instructed with knowledge and the gifts of ,god's ,holy ,spirit4 ,the attentive and obedient hearer who desires to increase in learning1 and who receiveth the ,word of ,god with meekness1 may also be aptly resembled to a golden earring2 for he is transformed from glory to glory1 by the ministry and instruction of the prudent and learned teacher4--,muffet4 ,when a reproof is both administered in wisdom and received in humility and in good part1--then there is a union of two equal rarities4 ,a reproof well-administered is rare2 and not less so is a reproof well taken4 ,we may remark1 however1 that the rareness of the latter arises1 to no small extent1 out of the rareness of the former4 ,it is because reproof is so seldom well-given1 that it is so seldom well-taken4--,wardlaw4 ,an earring is fastened to the ear1 and that it may be fastened1 it pierceth the ear1 and being so fastened1 it is an ornament to the whole face2 so likewise is a reproof upon an obedient ear4 ,first1 it pierceth it1 and is received willingly into it2 secondly1 it is fastened upon it1 so that it stays with it2 thirdly1 it is an ornament to his whole life1 which is thereby reformed4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #ac1 see on chap4 xiii4 #ag1 page #cba4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ad4 ,,clouds ,,without ,,rain4 ,i4 ,those who promise and do not perform are wantonly cruel4 ,to raise expectations without fulfilling them is one of the greatest unkindnesses of which men can be guilty4 ,for however sorely the gift or the service desired may be needed1 if the needy brother has never had any hope of possessing it1 his sense of loss is not nearly so keen as it is if1 depending on the word of another1 he has felt as if the coveted good was almost in his grasp4 ,the thirsty traveller in the desert feels his thirst more terribly after the deceitful mirage has led him to believe that a refreshing lake is just within his reach4 ,he thinks he sees the sparkling water but a few paces distant1 and is already in fancy drinking his fill when all his hopes are destroyed by the vanishing of the deception1 and he is in a far worse condition than he was before its appearance4 ,there are many men who are as deceitful and as disappointing as the mirage of the desert4 ,their large promises awaken bright hopes in the breast of some wayfarer on the journey of life1 and he looks forward with confident joy to the time when he shall possess the promised gift4 ,but his heart is gradually made sick by the deferred hope 7chap4 xiii4 #ab7 until at last he becomes aware that he has been cruelly deceived1 and finds himself a far more wretched man than he was before the promise was made to him4 ,,ii4 ,as a rule he who promises most will perform the least4 ,those who bestow most upon others are those who do not spend much time in talking about what they will do4 ,sometimes a heavy cloud is seen in the heavens1 which seems as if it would every moment fall in refreshing showers4 ,but a few drops only fall on the parched earth1 and while the husbandman is looking with confident expectancy it vanishes from his sight4 ,on another day a cloud which seems to promise far less falls in abundance upon the thirsty land4 ,this is not the rule in nature1 but it is in relation to the promises and performances of men4 ,the loud boaster is well-nigh certain to be a cloud without rain1 and should therefore never be relied upon1 and the greatest givers are generally those who promise least4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,this verse may be understood1 either of ,god's gift to man1 or man's gift to ,god1 or else of man to any other man4 ,for many there are who boast of those gifts which ,god never bestowed on them2 and though ,god be infinite in ,his bounty1 yet by their lying do make ,him more bountiful than ,he is4 ,many there are who boast of their gifts to ,god1 either in regard of the church or the poor1 whereas ,his church or ,his poor have them as little as ,god ,himself needs them4 ,many boast of their kind gifts to others1 whereas their not performing them makes them more unkind than if they never had promised4 4 4 4 ,their false gifts are as the clouds1 and their boasting as the winds4 ,their false gifts do lift them up1 as the clouds are2 their great boasting maketh a great noise as the wind doth4 ,the winds drive the clouds and scatter them2 so doth their boasting spread abroad the fame of their false gifts2 and as the clouds without rain darken the heavens without watering the earth2 as the dry wind troubleth the air without refreshing the ground2 so these boasters even darken the heaven with their naughtiness1 and trouble the earth with their brags1 but satisfy none with their deeds4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ae4 ,,forbearance ,,and ,,persuasiveness4 ,i4 ,patience without speech is an overcoming power4 ,the strongest smith will find a piece of cold iron too much for him--if he attempt to bend or break it he will be met with a resistance which he cannot overcome4 ,but he places that apparently unconquerable bar upon the coals1 and by degrees it seems to assume altogether another nature1 and is ready to be fashioned to any shape or form4 ,he gets this victory by waiting1 and he finds it a far more effectual method than attempting to subdue the metal by physical force4 ,forbearance will sometimes do as much for the stubborn human will as the fire does for the iron4 ,many men who cannot be threatened into compliance with our wishes1 may be overcome by patient kindness4 ,a prince may be here put by ,solomon as a type of all men in authority and high position1 who by reason of their position are less under the power of others and consequently are less likely to yield to any other force than persuasion4 ,with such men high-handed dealing and efforts to intimidate generally provoke a more stubborn resistance4 ,,ii4 ,patience seconded by gentle speech is doubly powerful4 ,the smith's work is not done when by waiting he has given time for the iron to become soft and impressible2 he must then bring his skill and activity to bear upon it and so mould it to his will4 ,so after long forbearance there must be wise and persuasive speech to finish the work4 ,the long-suffering patience1 perhaps under trial and provocation1 has softened the hard heart or the stubborn will1 and now the gentle words are listened to and have their full weight4 ,but this would not have been the case if patience without speech had not gone first to make way for them4 ,,iii4 ,those who conquer by forbearance in deed and gentleness in word walk in the ,divine footsteps4 ,in the dealings of ,god with the human race1 no attribute of ,his character is more manifest than the riches of ,his forbearance and long suffering 7,rom4 ii4 #d71 and it is by this that ,he leads men to repentance4 ,instead of coming down upon man by storm1 says ,dr4 ,bushnell1 in a manner of direct onset to carry his submission by storm1 ,god lays gentle siege to him1 waiting for his willing assent and choice4 4 4 4 ,to redress an injury by gentleness1 and tame his adversary's will by the circuitous approach of forbearance and a siege of true suggestion is not the manner of men1 only of ,god4 ,it is not1 alas6 the manner of men in general1 but all those who call ,him ,master try to imitate ,him in this as in all other of ,his perfections that can be imitated by finite and imperfect creatures4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the soft member breaking the hard bone may seem to be a paradox4 ,but it is a fine illustration of the power of gentleness above hardness and irritation4 ,apply it to those who are set against the truth4 ,many a stout heart has been won by a forbearing1 yet uncompromising1 accommodation to prejudice4 ,in reproof ,jehovah showed what ,he could do in the strong wind and the earthquake4 ,but ,his effective rebuke was in the still small voice2 without upbraiding2 sharp1 yet tender 7#a ,kings xix4 #aa-ac74 ,so powerful is the energy of gentleness6 ,indeed1 among all the graces that adorn the ,christian soul1 like so many jewels of various colours and lustres1 against the day of her espousals to the ,lamb of ,god1 there is not one more brilliant than that of patience4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,use ,,and ,,abuse4 ,i4 ,the good gifts of ,god are to be enjoyed by men4 ,every creature of ,god is good1 says the apostle1 and nothing to be refused1 if it be received with thanksgiving 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #d74 ,god has filled the world with gifts to minister pleasure to the bodily senses as well as to the spiritual aspirations1 and the first are given to use richly to enjoy 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #ag71 as much as the last4 ,our ,great and ,beneficent ,father1 has not omitted to provide even for the gratification of our palate1 but has furnished us with an almost infinite variety of natural productions1 pleasant to the taste4 ,his kindness in this matter is not to be overlooked1 and these good gifts are not to be treated as though they were beneath our grateful appreciation4 ,the asceticism which refuses to partake of them is not in accordance with the spirit of either the ,old or ,new ,testament4 ,,ii4 ,there is no material and temporal good which cannot be misused by man4 ,honey may here stand for any or all the lower sweets of life--for every blessing which is not of a purely spiritual nature--and the greatest temptation to misuse of these lies in the direction of over-use--of indulging in them to the neglect of other and more precious good1 and so to the injury of the higher nature4 ,honey is a delicious article of food1 and wholesome and nutritious to a certain extent1 but if a man attempted to live upon it to the exclusion of plainer fair he would find that his bodily health would suffer4 ,in like manner is there danger to spiritual health from an undue indulgence of even the gifts of ,god1 which minister only or chiefly to the senses1 or which belong to this life alone4 ,,iii4 ,the misuse of what is good in itself puts an end of all real enjoyment of it4 ,if a man eats immoderately of honey it soon ceases to be pleasant to his taste1 and the very sweetness that at first attracted him produces loathing4 ,the same nausea of spirit follows immoderate indulgence in any merely temporal or material good--that which1 used lawfully1 would always afford true and real enjoyment1 cloys upon the man who abuses it by over-use4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the figure varies4 ,in a former sentence we are commanded to eat honey because it is good 7chap4 xxiv4 #ac71 and that was very carefully explained4 ,it meant that piety was itself good1 and we were to taste and see 7,psa4 xxxiv4 #h7 that before we could be ,christians4 ,but now the figure varies4 ,there is a sweetness of eternal hope1 even when we have not got down to the sweetness of a saving piety4 ,we are to put on the helmet of hope4 ,so the ,apostle tells us 7#a ,thess4 v4 #h74 ,but ,solomon cautions us that we are to put on no more than is sufficient4 ,we are eating more than enough honey when we have no right to eat any1 and so we may be eating too much when we ought to be getting more4 ,there is such a thing as having more hope than evidence4 ,and if a man has too much confident hope of heaven for the amount he has of piety1 there certainly is a case of eating more than is sufficient4 4 4 4 ,blessed is the man that has found honey4 ,let him eat so much as is sufficient for him in this dismal pilgrimage4 ,but1 when he is once refreshed like ,jonathan1 let him sound for an advance4--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,obtrusiveness4 ,i4 ,we may by indiscretion close a door which we have ourselves opened4 ,there are many things which are pleasant and wholesome occasionally1 which become not only unwelcome1 but annoying1 if we have too much of them4 ,we do not desire to hear the sweetest song every day and all the day long--that which is refreshing and delightful now and then become wearisome if constantly repeated4 ,we must apply this rule to ourselves in relation to our fellow-men4 ,while we rejoice to feel that there are those who love us so well as to desire our presence upon all occasions1 we must remember that most of our acquaintances will not set so high a value upon us1 and that to be seen too often where we should be welcome if seen but seldom1 is by our own act to shut our neighbour's door upon us4 ,,ii4 ,our neighbour's objection to our constant visits may rise from no unkindly feeling4 ,men who have work to do in the world cannot give all their time1 or much of it1 to the entertainment of visitors4 ,there are those who1 living to no purpose themselves1 forget that others feel themselves accountable to ,god for the use they make of their lives1 and such idle people often sorely vex and hinder their busy neighbours by their thoughtless and unseasonable visits4 ,the man who enters a house and takes from a diamond necklace one precious stone after another until he has taken the whole1 is doubtless no friend1 but a thief and a robber1 and is punishable by the law of the land2 but the man who enters his neighbour's house and robs him of hour after hour1 steals property which probably cannot be redeemed1 or redeemed only by encroaching upon the hours which ought to be given to rest4 ,so that such a thoughtless intruder steals not only his neighbour's time1 but indirectly his health and power to work4 ,surely such pests of society ought not to have the name of friend bestowed upon them1 but deserve to be branded with a name more befitting their character1 and more in accordance with their actions4 ,for ,homiletics of verse #ah1 see on chap xii4 #ah1 page #bgd4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ai and #bj4 ,,misplaced ,,confidence ,,and ,,unseasonable ,,songs4 ,the day of adversity is1 as we saw on chap4 xxiv4 #aj1 a testing time for the man who is the subject of the calamity1 and it is also a season in which he tests the worth of those who have called themselves his friends in the time of his prosperity4 ,these verses deal with two varieties among many who intensify his affection and deepen his grief1 instead of bringing him help and comfort4 ,there is-- ,i4 ,the faithless friend4 ,this phrase is a contradictory one1 but it is used for want of a better4 ,the word friend1 in its highest and best sense1 denotes one who is worthy of trust and who never fails in the hour of trial4 ,but there are many who assume the name who are unworthy of it1 and whose failure when they are most needed is one of the most bitter drops in the cup of calamity4 ,if the cable breaks in a calm sea the vessel and the crew may escape serious injury2 but if it gives way amid storm and tempest1 the consequences are most disastrous4 ,it is hard to find a professed friend failing us when we are sailing in calm waters1 but it may then be borne without entirely crushing the spirit4 ,but when such a discovery is first made in the day of trouble1 it is enough to break the stoutest heart4 ,,ii4 ,the undiscerning friend4 ,there are many real friends who lack the ability to discern how best to help the sorrowful and heavy hearted4 ,they sing a song with the intention of giving cheer when tears1 or at least silence1 would be far more acceptable to the wounded spirit4 ,songs of gladness1 such as are doubtless here intended1 fit the spirit when it is walking in the sunlight1 but they aggravate the suffering of those who are in darkness of soul4 ,he who aspires to the name of friend must learn to rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those that weep4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ai4 ,the greatest disaster1 in proportion to the number of men engaged1 that befel our arms in the ,eastern insurrection1 was the direct result of confidence in an unfaithful man4 ,at ,arrah-on-the-,ganges three or four hundred soldiers were sent to attack a body of the rebels1 and relieve some ,british residents who were in danger there4 ,a native was employed to ascertain the position of the enemy4 ,in consequence of his report1 the man left the river and made a night march into the interior4 ,the messenger was false4 ,the little army fell into an ambush prepared for them in the jungle4 ,two-thirds of their number were shot down in the dark by unseen foes4 ,the remnant escaped to their ship when the day dawned4 ,as they lay in that fatal valley getting their wounds in the dark1 and helplessly wishing for the day1 how exquisitely bitter must have been the reflection that a too ready trust in a faithless man had wrought them all this woe4--,arnot4 ,the ,god of nature hath placed the teeth in two jaws1 that the one may be helpful to the other2 and he hath supported man with two feet1 that the one may be a succor to the other4 ,from hence1 to teach us the help and support which one man ought to yield to another4 ,it is by means of this mutual support in the feet that we pass over the blocks that lie in our way2 for while the one foot is lifted up to step over them1 the other bears up the body4 ,it is the mutual help of the jaws1 and by their meeting together1 that we break hard things and make the fit nourishment for us4 ,in like manner1 therefore1 when a block lies in the way of anyone1 another should be ready to support him until he get over it4 ,when a hard distress lieth upon anyone1 another should be ready to help him for the better breaking through it4 ,but in this point too many are like a broken tooth1 and he that looketh to meet with them for help in his distress1 findeth them not to answer his expectation 4 4 4 and too many are like a foot out of joint1 and he that thinketh to rest upon them in time of need1 is sure to fall by them4--,jermin4 ,verse #bj4 ,he that taketh away a garment from another may think to ease his burden1 but it being done in cold weather1 it addeth to his coldness2 he that putteth vinegar upon nitre may think only to break the hardness of it1 but he dissolveth it4 ,in like manner he that singeth songs to a heavy heart may think to ease the burden of sorrow1 may think to break the hardness of grief1 but such is the force of the sad contraposition1 such is the power of the contrariety between singing and sorrow of heart1 that the ease of one's heart being able to sing1 increaseth the weight of the other's trouble that he cannot do so4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ba and #bb4 ,a ,,blessed ,,recompense4 ,i4 ,a recompense which is difficult4 ,no one can affirm that it is an easy thing to minister help and comfort to one who has done us an injury1 but it is more difficult in some cases than in others4 ,men are not bound to us by equal ties3 some are merely related to us because they partake of the same common humanity2 others are our kinsmen according to the flesh2 while others stand in an equal nearer relation1 and are brothers in a spiritual sense1 being partakers with us of what is called in ,scripture language the new birth4 ,according to ,christ's teaching this is the nearest and closest bond which can unite men1 and yet it cannot be denied that we sometimes have to exercise the grace of forgiveness even towards these brethren4 ,but the motive power which prompts us to return good for evil is certainly stronger in this latter case than in the others1 or at least it ought to be so4 ,for when we reflect that the brother who has wronged us stands in the same relation to ,christ as we do ourselves1 it ought not to be at all difficult for us to feed him when hungry1 or in any other way in our power to minister to his needs4 ,there will also in most men be found more or less natural promptings to succour an enemy who is related to them by ties of blood--the nearer the natural relationship the more easy will it be1 as a rule1 to comply with the command given by the ,wise ,man4 ,but the greatest difficulty will be found in obeying it when the enemy is one who is altogether unlike us in character1 and who is only related to us in the broad and universal sense of being human4 ,to be active and earnest in our endeavours to relieve the necessities of such an one needs often much ,divine help1 but it is demanded of us by ,him who dies for a world at enmity with ,him4 ,,ii4 ,a retaliation which is blessed in its results4 ,we understand with ,zckler1 the figure here used to describe the deep pangs of repentance which one produces within his enemy by rewarding his hatred with benefits4 ,this is a result most desirable and blessed for him who has been the offender4 ,for it is the only road by which he can regain peace of mind and self-respect1 as well as the esteem of all right-minded people4 ,this restoration of an erring brother would in itself be a great reward to the good man1 but it is not1 according to ,solomon1 the only one which is accorded to him who thus recompenses good for evil4 ,a special reward for the special act is promised by ,jehovah4 ,there is one which is the outcome of the laws by which ,he governs men4 ,if a traveller in a cold region finds a fellow traveller lying benumbed and forsaken by the roadside1 and does what he can do to raise and restore him1 the effort makes his own blood circulate more quickly1 and his own frame glow with warmth4 ,this it the outcome of a natural law of ,god1 and there is the spiritual one akin to it4 ,for whenever an effort is made to raise and restore one who has morally fallen1 he who makes the effort feels a reflex glow of moral life and health in his own spirit4 ,this is the certain effect which must follow every act of goodwill towards an enemy1 as surely as the shadow follows the substance4 ,but there are probably other rewards of an external nature--many blessings that come to a good man's life may be direct and special gifts from ,his ,father above for deeds which1 like the one now under consideration1 are especially pleasing to ,him4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,we may profess our goodwill towards our enemy1 that we forgive and pray for him from our heart4 ,but unless we are ready with the practical exercise of sympathy1 we are only the victims of our own moral delusion4--,bridges4 ,it is action1 not affection1 that is here spoken of--not the disposition of the heart1 but the deeds of the hand2 and if it be a more practicable thing that we should compel ourselves to right bodily performances than call up right mental propensities1 this may alleviate somewhat our dread of these precepts1 as if they were wholly unmanageable or incompetent to humanity4 ,before1 then1 taking cognisance of what should be the inward temper of ,christians towards those who maltreat or oppress them1 we would bid you remark that the outward conduct towards them is that which forms the literal subject-matter of the commandments here given4 ,the disciples are in this place told that 4 4 4 hard as it may be under their cruel provocations to keep unruffled minds and to feel peaceably1 they1 as much as in them lies1 are to live peaceably 4 4 4 while it may not be the tendency of nature so to desire1 our bidden obligation is so to do1 for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head4--,chalmers on ,rom4 xii4 #bj4 ,now1 we know that if a coal or two of fire be laid on the hearth of the chimney below1 he that is cold cannot be wholly warmed1 or receive much good thereby2 but if one basketful be poured on the fire after another1 so that the coals are heaped up to the mantel-tree1 or are as high as his head that fain would warm him1 then he waxeth thoroughly hot and beginneth even to burn4 ,it seemeth then that by this borrowed speech is meant1 that if a man shall be very bountiful even unto his enemy1 and heap upon him one good turn after another1 this will cause his affection1 which before was cold1 to burn within him4 ,thus dealt ,david with ,saul1 who spared his life when he might have slain him1 and only cut off a piece of his coat when he might have cut off his head4--,muffett4 ,i take for granted1 that ,i believe to be the truth1 that the words for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head1 have reference1 not to the fires of ,divine-vengeance1 but to the influence of kindly treatment melting down the enemy to conciliation1 as fuel heaped on the ore fuses it from the hardness1 and sends it forth in liquid streams1 to take the features and impress of the mould4--,a certain prince1 on leading his generals and his army against an advancing host of invaders1 declared his resolution not to leave a single enemy alive4 ,he sent an embassy to treat with them4 ,he made proposals such as subdued and attached them1 and rendered them valuable allies4 ,on astonishment being expressed that he should have thus failed in his determination and promise1 his ready reply was--,i have not failed3 ,i have kept my word4 ,i engaged not to leave a living enemy2 nor have ,i4 ,they are enemies no longer--they are friends4 ,he had heaped coals of fire on their head4--,wardlaw4 ,for hunger and thirst are common enemies1 both to thee and him4 ,and therefore1 as where a common enemy invadeth1 particular enmity is laid aside1 and all join there to help and withstand him2 so here lend a hand to resist these common enemies1 which though now have seized on thine enemy may quickly seize on thee4 ,besides he is hungry as a man1 he thirsteth as a man--not as an enemy--and therefore as a man give him bread to eat1 give him water to drink4 ,this may also quench the hunger of his enmity1 and satisfy also the hunger of his hatred4--,jermin4 ,if anyone desires to try this work1 he must bring to it at least these two qualifications1 modesty and patience4 ,if he proceed ostentatiously1 with an air of superiority and a consciousness of his own virtue1 he will never make one step of progress4 ,the subject will day by day grow harder in his hands4 ,but even though the successive acts of kindness should be genuine1 the operator must lay his account with a tedious process and many disappointments4 4 4 4 ,the miner does not think that his coals of fire are wasted1 although he has been throwing them on for several successive hours1 and the stones show no symptoms of dissolving4 ,he knows that each portion of the burning fuel is contributing to the result1 and that the flow will be sudden and complete at last4 ,let him go and do likewise who aspires to win a brother by the subduing power of self-sacrificing love4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bc4 ,,the ,,way ,,to ,,treat ,a ,,backbiter4 ,it will be seen from a reference to the ,critical ,notes1 that nearly all modern commentators render this verse quite differently from the common version1 and so reverse the meaning4 ,it will1 however1 bear the common rendering1 ,i confess1 says ,wardlaw1 that if the word will bear it at all1 our version seems decidedly preferable4 ,there is something tame1 commonplace1 and of little practical consequence--hardly worth forming the subject of a proverb--in saying that as the north wind brings rain1 'a backbiting tongue' brings anger4 ,but the verse as it stands in our translation inculcates a most important lesson4 ,we therefore take the proverb as we find it in our ,bible1 as setting forth-- ,i4 ,an unrighteous action producing a righteous emotion4 ,we have before had brought before us in this book the peculiar iniquity of backbiting and its evil results 7see ch4 xii4 #ag-ai1 #bb1 page #bgd74 ,the special unrighteousness of the act lies1 of course1 in the fact that the person who is the subject of it1 being absent and ignorant of the charge brought against him1 has no opportunity of defending himself4 ,a feeling of indignation against such an act1 and an expression of it in the countenance1 is therefore demanded from every lover of truth and justice4 ,he who will calmly listen to a tale of slander and show no token of disapproval1 makes himself a partaker of the sin4 ,but it is impossible for a righteous man to act thus4 ,when a putrid body is presented to our bodily senses1 if we are healthy men we experience a feeling of revulsion which we cannot conceal4 ,and so if a man is morally healthy he must experience and reveal a strong dislike to the backbiting tongue4 ,,ii4 ,the unrighteous action overpowered by the righteous emotion4 ,when the heavy rain-clouds which overspread the sky are dispersed and driven away by the wind1 they show themselves to be the weaker of the two contending forces4 ,and so when the backbiting tongue is silenced by the look of righteous indignation1 it gives proof that1 however strong the workings of evil are1 the power of goodness is stronger4 ,those who set their faces against this or any other vice1 may always draw encouragement from the fact that there is a reprover within the breast of the wrong-doer1 which in spite of all efforts to stifle it1 seconds the reprover from without--wherever the conscience is at all awake1 it says ,amen to a faithful rebuke1 whether administered by word or look4 ,and so it is that a countenance upon which is written righteous anger is so potent a check to a backbiting tongue4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is a great encouragement to tale-bearers1 to observe their wicked stories are heard with attention4 ,if a man looks upon them with a cheerful countenance1 and listens to their tales1 and makes them welcome to his table1 they naturally conclude that the person to whom they speak has as bad a heart as themselves1 and they will not fail to bring him new stories of the like kind1 as soon as they have got an opportunity to learn or to make them4 ,but if the receiver of stolen goods is a sharer with the thief in his guilt1 and if any man that encourages another in evil partakes in his sin1 then he that hears the backbiter with complacency is little better than himself1 and would probably follow the same trade if he had the same talents for it4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 clear ourselves from the sin of backbiting1 unless we refuse to receive a bad report of our neighbour1 and testify our displeasure1 by all proper methods1 at the base conduct of the assassins that would murder in the dark the good-name of their fellow-creatures4 ,when the murderers of ,isbosheth brought their master's head to ,david1 judging from their own disposition that it would be an acceptable present to him1 he treated them in such a manner that no man ever sent another present of the like kind to him4--,lawson4 ,there is a place for anger as well as for love4 ,as in nature1 a gloomy tempest serves some beneficial purposes for which calm sunshine has no faculty2 so in morals1 a frown on an honest man's brow is in its own place1 as needful and useful as the sweetest smile that kindness ever kindled on the human countenance4 4 4 4 ,we don't want a fretful passionate man2 and if we did1 we could find one without searching long or going far4 ,we want neither a man of wrath nor a man of indiscriminating1 unvarying softness4 ,we want something with two sides2 that is1 a solid real character4 ,let us have a man who loves good and hates evil1 and who1 in place and time convenient1 can make either emotion manifest upon his countenance4 ,the frown of anger is the shade that lies under love and brings out its beauty4--,arnot4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bd1 see on chapter xxi4 #i1 page #fac4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,cold ,,water ,,and ,,good ,,news4 ,i4 ,two blessings often ardently longed for4 ,in these days of travel1 many more can enter into the spirit of this analogy than in the days of ,solomon--the comparative ease by which men can reach the most distant lands1 and which in one aspect brings all places and people so much nearer together than in ancient times1 is on the other hand the cause of far more separation between those who are bound together by tender ties1 and fills far more hearts with an anxious longing for tidings from far countries4 ,no more apt illustration could be used to picture such a condition of spirit than that of thirst2 for as it1 if of long duration1 prostrates the frame and renders every other blessing of life incapable of affording any comfort1 so often does a long delay of tidings concerning those most dear paralyse all the energies of the soul1 and render it unable to gain comfort from any other source4 ,the wife whose husband has been long fighting for his country on the distant battle-field1 or the father whose son has been for years seeking his fortune in some far-off land1 turns often with distaste from all the comforts and interests which surround them1 and would willingly sacrifice many near blessings in exchange for cheering news from those beyond the seas4 ,they are like the traveller in the desert1 whose gold cannot allay his consuming thirst1 and who would willingly give a bag of pearls for a cup of cold water4 ,,ii4 ,two blessings bringing like results4 ,hagar and her son wandered in the desert till the water was spent in the bottle1 and then mother and son gave up all for lost and lay down to die4 ,we may take it for granted that neither the youth nor his mother were easily overcome or quickly daunted1 but thirst and its attendant evils would soon have slain them as certainly as a band of desert robbers4 ,but when ,god showed to ,hagar the well1 and they had drunk of its waters1 it was as though a new life had entered into them1 and hope and energy returned4 ,this is a type of what has happened to many a heart-sick soul since those days4 ,jacob was going down to his grave still mourning for the son lost so many years ago1 and life1 we may well believe1 had lost its interest for him when his sons brought the astonishing tidings1 ,joseph is yet alive1 and is governor over all the land of ,egypt4 ,and the old man renewed his youth1 and1 so to speak1 began to live again1 so life-restoring often to a thirsty soul is good news from a far country4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a far-off land sends specially good news because we faint the more1 and long the harder1 for the very reason that it is so distant4 ,they come more seldom4 ,and our relations with far-off lands are weightier and more critical than those beside us4 ,so much for the secular significance4 ,but oh6 the spiritual6 ,the righteous scarcely are saved 7#a ,peter iv4 #ah74 ,we are in a wilderness 7,rev4 xii4 #f1 #ad74 ,our enemies are legion 7,ephes4 vi4 #ab74 ,we run the gauntlet with daily foes 7,ephes4 v4 #af72 and that with daily changes in their attempts to trip us 7,prov4 v4 #f74 ,the sinner1 wherever he may be met1 is faint with fatigue4 ,our ,saviour knew this when ,he shaped ,his appeal ,come unto me1 all that labour1 etc4 7,matt4 xi4 #bh74 ,now1 high over all the odes of comfort is the good news from a far-off land4 ,all right there1 come anything6 ,a man's life may have been a perfect failure1 quoad the opinion of the world2 but if he have ,heaven it has been the very best--there has not been an hour of it that has not been marshalled by a ,divine tactic1 the best for the man and the best for his part in the war4--,miller4 ,we shall especially apply the subject--to heaven--good news from heaven4 ,there are several things that make good news from a far country as grateful as cold waters to a thirsty soul4 ,i4 ,if the country reported is altogether unlike our own4 ,the human mind is always interested in what is novel and romantic--strangeness has a strange fascination for the soul4 ,what charms have the reports of ,captain ,cook1 ,moffatt1 ,livingstone1 for all minds4 4 4 4 ,,ii4 ,if the country reported has conferred an immense benefit on us4 ,supposing that we had once been in a state of abject slavery1 and that the far country reported to us had effected our emancipation and guaranteed our liberty1 with what interest should we listen to everything about it--the act that served us would invest all the incidents connected with this history with a special charm4 4 4 4 ,,iii4 ,if the country reported contained any that are dear to us4 ,new ,zealand1 ,vancouver's ,island1 and many other countries1 are extremely interesting to many families in this land1 on account of the friends they have living in them4 4 4 4 ,,iv4 ,if the country reported is a scene in which we expect to live ourselves4 ,with what interest does the emigrant listen to everything referring to that land whither he is about to be wending his way1 and which he is adopting as his home4 ,heaven as a far country pre-eminently meets all these conditions of interest4 ,there is the ,novel4 4 4 4 ,how unlike that country is ours4 ,here is a sphere for the play of the romantic4 ,there is the ,benefactor4 ,what benefits that far country has conferred on us6 ,thence we have received ,christ the ,redeemer of the ,world1 and the ,blessed ,spirit of wisdom1 purity1 and love4 ,there are our ,friends4 ,how many of those who we have known and loved are there4 ,how many such are going there every day4 ,some of us have more friends in heaven than on earth4 ,there we expect to live4 ,there we expect an inheritance incorruptible1 and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf4 ,,the ,,evil ,,result ,,of ,,moral ,,cowardice4 ,i4 ,there can never be a good reason why a good man should waver or bow down before a bad man4 ,many reasons often exist why one bad man should fear another bad man1 they are both on the wrong side1 both arrayed against the moral order of the universe1 and therefore are on the weakest side1 and cannot count upon the support of any superior and all-powerful force4 ,neither of them has conscience or ,god upon his side2 each one has to fight his battle on his own charges1 and can with no confidence foretell the result4 ,but the want of firmness on the part of a righteous man in the presence of wickedness--even when that wickedness is allied with all the power that it can arrogate to itself--is contrary to reason4 ,for as surely as light must defeat the darkness1 so surely must right in the end prove itself victorious over wrong4 ,a good man has the whole force of the moral universe upon his side1 and is assured both by experience and by ,divine promise that if he holds fast to the end he shall be more than conqueror4 ,,ii4 ,the wavering of such a man pollutes the very sources of social morality4 ,unreasonable although it is1 yet it is not out of the range of human experience4 ,the best men are but men at the best says an old writer1 and in times of great trial they often give evidence that it is so4 ,good and noble men have sometimes trembled and given way before the terrors of the stake1 and far less terrible suffering has often sufficed to shake the constancy of true men who were less courageous4 ,but whenever such a fall takes place it is a heavy blow to the cause of right and truth upon the earth4 ,a good man is like a fountain of pure and living water4 ,he is a source of moral life and health in the circle in which he moves2 even if he does not put forth any direct or special effort for the advancement of morality1 his life will as certainly have an influence for good as the lighted candle will illumine the darkness around it4 ,but if he shows himself a coward when exposed to loss or danger for the sake of right1 it will do as much harm to the moral health of the community in which he lives as would be done to its bodily health if the stream from which its members drink were polluted at the fountain head4 ,the mischief done in each case may not show itself by any startling results4 ,the poison in the water may not kill1 but only lower the standard of health in those who partake of it1 and so a moral fall in a good man may not lead other men to open apostasy from the right path1 but it may make the walk of many unsteady4 ,christ tells ,his disciples this same truth when ,he calls them the salt of the earth1 and asks if the salt have lost its savour1 wherewith shall it be salted 7,matt4 v4 #ac74 ,in other words1 the good are the conservators of the moral purity of the world1 and if any one among them ceases to sustain this character he is not only a loser himself but a source of loss to others4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,lord ,bacon gives this proverb political application3 ,it teaches that an unjust and scandalous judgment in any conspicuous and weighty cause is1 above all things1 to be avoided in the ,state2 and in his ,essay 7lvi47 of ,judicature1 he says2 ,one foul sentence doth more hurt than many foul examples2 for these do but corrupt the stream1 the other corrupteth the fountain--,tr4 of ,lange's ,commentary4 ,eastern fountain and springs 7where the rains are only periodical1 and at longer intervals7 are of no common price4 ,the injury of corrupting them is proportionate4 ,the well is therefore a blessing or a curse1 according to the purity or impurity of the waters4 ,a righteous man in his proper character is a well of life1 a blessing in the midst of the land4 ,but if he fall down before the wicked by his inconsistent profession1 the blessing becomes a curse1 the fountain is troubled1 and the spring corrupt4 ,what a degradation was it to ,abraham to fall down under the rebuke of an heathen king2 to ,peter1 to yield to a servant maid in denying his ,lord6 ,how did ,david's sin trouble the fountain1 both to his family and his people6 ,how did the idolatry of his wise son corrupt the spring through successive generations6 ,when a minister of ,christ apostatises from the faith 7and mournfully frequent have been such spectacles7 or compromises his principles from the fear of man1 the springs and fountains of truth are fearfully corrupted4 ,when a servant of ,god1 of standing and influences1 crouches and falls down under the wicked1 the transparency of his profession is grievously tarnished4 ,satan thus makes more effective use of ,god's people than of his own4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bg4 ,,too ,,much ,,of ,a ,,good ,,thing4 ,for ,homiletics on the first clause of this verse1 see on verse #af1 page #gjc4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes will show that1 owing partly to its elliptical form1 the rendering of the second clause has been much disputed4 ,the reading found in our version is1 however1 quite admissible on the principles of ,hebrew interpretation1 and accords well with the first clause4 ,the analogy teaches-- ,i4 ,that a desire for the good opinion of others is right and salutary4 ,as honey is not only a pleasant but a wholesome article of food1 so the wish to stand well with our fellow-men is a ,god-implanted feeling which is very beneficial both to the individual man and to society as a whole4 ,he is a churlish being who does not care what other people think about him1 who sets at nought their esteem or their blame1 while a right regard to their judgment of us insensibly produces a beneficial influence upon our conduct and temper4 ,,ii4 ,but it is a desire which must not rule our life4 ,just as honey must not be substituted for plainer food1 or made the staple article of diet1 so a desire for the good opinion of others must not be put before higher motives--must not be made the ruling principle of life4 ,this proverb may be linked with the preceding one to some extent1 for the lack of firmness which good men sometimes display in the society and under the influence of worse men than themselves is often due to a desire not to lose their good opinion--not to be thought obstinate1 or morose1 or conceited4 ,but when any question of right or wrong is at stake the approval or disapproval even of those whose goodwill is most precious to us must be cast aside4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there is such a thing as vain glory4 ,there is such a thing as a person's indulging an insatiable appetite for applause or honour4 ,there is such a thing as searching it out1 looking ever after it1 eager to get it1 and touchily jealous of every omission to bestow it and every deficiency in its amount2 exploring for it in every possible direction2 listening with an ear on the alert to catch every breathing of adulation2 fishing for praise2 throwing out hints to draw it forth2 eulogising others1 to tempt a return2 saying things in disparagement of oneself1 for the sake of having the contradicted--things which1 said by another1 would stir the hottest of his blood4 ,the temper of mind may be put in exercise1 in regard to greater and to smaller matters4 ,it may assume the form of a proud ambition1 or of a weak-minded vanity4 ,but in either case it may with truth be said that it is not glory4 ,a man's honour should rather come to him1 than be eagerly solicited and searched for4 ,it should not be made his object4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bh4 ,a ,,defenceless ,,city4 ,the other side of this picture is given in chap4 xvi4 #cb4 7,see page #dig47 ,i4 ,such a city as is here described proclaims the lack of a wise and powerful governor within4 ,the walls and buildings of a city are constantly exposed to influences which promote decay1 even if no hostile military force attacks them4 ,the everyday exposure to storm and sun and rain will have a tendency to make the mortar crumble1 and the bricks or stones to become loose and fall away4 ,hence1 if a wise man governs a city he will make it a part of his constant duty to watch for the first signs of weakness1 and if he has the authority which his position ought to put into his hand1 he will cause each breach to be repaired as soon as it is discovered4 ,and when we see a city whose walls are in a perfect condition--where there are no fallen stones and no crumbling mortar--we feel at ease that there is rule and authority residing there4 ,but a city broken down and without walls tells plainly the opposite story4 ,now every human spirit in this fallen world is exposed daily1 and sometimes hourly1 to influences which tend to irritate and vex it1 and so to destroy its means of defence against temptation1 and lower its dignity and mar its moral beauty4 ,and if a man yields himself up to these influences1 and allows them to hold undisputed sway over his life1 he proclaims himself to be without those essential elements to his welfare and happiness--wisdom to see his danger1 and power to guard it4 ,,ii4 ,such a city gives an invitation to the invader without4 ,if a fortress is known to be well fortified1 if there is no weak or unguarded point1 an enemy will not hastily try to take possession of it4 ,its strength will oftentimes be its security against attack4 ,but if its fallen towers and tottering defences tell of weakness and anarchy within1 its condition will tempt the foe to enter4 ,so if a man gives evidence that he has no control over his passions1 both evil men and evil spirits will mark him for their prey1 and will make it their business to lead him from one sin to another--to make him not only a negative but a positive transgressor4 ,such an one1 in the language of ,paul1 gives place to the devil 7,eph4 iv4 #bg74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,to come to particulars2 if any be angry or given to wrath1 will he not quickly be led captive to revile and commit murder8 ,if the affection of covetousness possess any1 will he not easily be drawn to deceive and steal8 ,the like is to be said of all the passions of the mind1 which1 if a man cannot bridle or govern1 they will carry him headlong with violence into all mischief and misery1 as wild and fierce horses oftentimes run away with an unguided coach or waggon4--,muffett4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,the first clause of this verse should be1 ,as the sparrow flitting1 as the swallow flying1 etc4 ,causeless1 i4e41 undeserved--i4e41 ,such a curse is but transient--it alights for the moment1 but1 like a bird1 does not stay long4 ,miller and others1 however1 understand the comparison to carry an entirely opposite meaning4 7,see ,suggestive ,comments on the verse47 #c4 ,to our ,english ideas1 the whip and bridle are assigned respectively to the wrong animals1 but it must be remembered that the ,eastern ass is often quite as spirited an animal as the horse4 #f4 ,drinketh damage1 or injury4 ,as in ,job xxi4 #bj1 the verb drinketh seems to express suffering in a large measure4 #g4 ,are not equal4 ,the ,hebrew word1 so rendered1 is a very obscure one1 and is rendered by ,delitzsch1 ,gesenius1 and others1 hang down4 ,zckler and ,stuart give the sentence the imperative form1 and read1 ,take away the legs from the lame1 and the proverb in the fool's mouth4 ,parable4 ,this is the common word for proverb--the word that gives the title to the book4 ,on its real meaning1 see the ,introduction4 #h4 ,sling4 ,gesenius1 ,zckler1 and many other commentators1 adopt the reading in the margin of the ,english version1 and translate this word1 which is very obscure1 a heap of stones4 ,stuart1 ,ewald1 ,delitzsch1 and others1 retain the word sling1 which is the reading of the ,septuagint4 ,stuart thus explains the verse1 ,it would be absurd to bind a stone in a sling1 and then expect it to do execution4 ,equally so it is to bestow honour on a fool1 and expect any good consequences from it4 ,if the first reading is adopted1 the word stone must be understood to refer to a precious stone4 #i4 ,a thorn4 ,this is generally understood to mean a thorny stick or staff1 which is a mischievous weapon in the hands of a drunkard4 #aj4 ,this verse is very difficult and obscure1 and has many and entirely different renderings4 ,luther1 ,elster1 and others1 translate the subject of the first clause1 ,a master1 an able man1 formeth all aright1--or all himself4 ,delitzsch1 ,umbreit1 and ,hitzig1 read1 ,much produceth all4 ,the ,french version is in substance the same as our ,english marginal rendering4 ,perhaps the greater number of ,hebrew critics favour the rendering of ,zckler1 ,ewald1 ,stier1 etc41 who read1 ,as an archer1 who woundeth everything1 so is he who hireth fools and vagrants 7or wayfarers74 ,stuart and ,miller translate the first word1 arrow1 and the former thus explains the proverb1 ,he who employs fools and vagrants to do his work1 will injure himself4 #ae4 ,in his bosom4 ,rather1 ,in the dish1 as in chap4 xix4 #bd4 #ag4 ,meddleth1 rather1 is excited4 #ba4 ,coals to burning coals--i4e41 black coals to burning1 etc4 #bb4 ,a repetition of chap4 xviii4 #h4 7,see on that verse47 #bc4 ,burning lips--i4e41 lips whence some ardent expressions of friendship4 ,silver dross4 ,impure silver not freed from the dross4 #bd4 ,layeth up1 rather1 prepareth1 or mediateth4 #bf4 ,congregation--i4e41 before the people assembled for judgment4 7,zckler47 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,a ,,gift ,,wrongly ,,bestowed4 ,i4 ,to honour some men is both seemly and right4 ,the snow and the rain come from heaven by ,divine command1 and are indispensable to the beauty and fruitfulness of the earth4 ,so to accord honour where it is due is a ,divine command 7,rom4 xiii4 #g71 and is indispensable to our social well-being4 ,,ii4 ,but honour accorded to a fool 7i4e41 a bad man7 is incongruous and hurtful4 ,snow in summer is an exception to the rules of nature4 ,it would indeed be a surprise to our reapers when they were about to gather in the grain1 to find the fields white with snow1 and such an event would be most mischievous in its effects4 ,and in ,oriental countries rain in summer would be equally surprising1 and probably as hurtful1 since the rain in those lands generally descends in torrents and not in gentle showers as with us4 ,so1 although ,god has commanded us to honour all men 7#a ,peter ii4 #ag71 the wicked man1 by his wickedness1 puts himself outside this rule1 and to place him in a position of honour1 or to give him reverence1 is entirely out of place1 and an act which can only produce evil consequences4 #a4 ,it does harm to the man who gives it4 ,the heavy rain or snow falling upon the ripened cornfield1 takes away all its beauty and lessens its worth--it may make it utterly valueless4 ,and so it degrades a soul to bow down where it ought to stand erect and firm1 and a man who will from cowardice or any other cause cringe before a moral fool is a man who is of no use in the world from a moral point of view4 7,see on this subject1 on verse #bf of the preceding chapter1 page #gaa47 #b4 ,it injures the man who receives it4 ,it makes him feel as if there was no difference between vice and virtue1 when he finds himself receiving that which ought to be given to a good man only1 and so he is confirmed in his wickedness4 ,this will be the case especially if the person who does him honour is a better man than himself1 it is such a case as is described in the verse referred to above4 #c4 ,it has a bad influence upon men around them4 ,it is an encouragement to bad men to continue in their evil courses when they see wickedness enthroned in high places1 and worthless men receiving honour instead of the scorn which they deserve4 ,such an elevation makes all bad men more shameless and daring1 and it also discourages and depresses better men4 ,although the truly good man's actions spring from a deeper source1 and have their origin in a higher motive than the praise or blame of their fellow-men1 yet there are many who are not firmly rooted in the practice of virtue1 who are much influenced by the moral atmosphere in which they live4 ,if they see their fellow-men doing as ,god does1 and being a respecter of persons in regard to character1 and to character only1 their better nature will be strengthened1 and their efforts to be upright and godly will be encouraged1 but if they see the wicked walk on every side1 and the vilest men exalted 7,psalm xii4 #h71 they may give up the struggle after a higher and better life in despair4 ,and thus the effect upon the moral tone of the community will be as blighting and destructive as floods upon the growing corn1 or as snow upon the ripening fruits4 ,it is1 therefore1 the solemn duty of every man in this respect to discern between the righteous and the wicked1 between him that serveth ,god1 and him that serveth ,him not 7,mal4 iii4 #ah74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,honour is unfit for a fool1 in two respects especially2 the one1 for that punishment is properly due unto him2 the other1 for that he abuseth his authority1 be it civil or ecclesiastical1 unto the hurt of those that are subject unto him4--,muffett4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,the ,,causeless ,,curse4 ,a reference to the ,critical ,notes and the ,suggestive ,comments will show that different meanings are attached to this proverb4 ,i4 ,men often utter causeless curses4 ,in whatever country of the world we travel1 and among whatever society1 we are liable to hear men pouring forth maledictions against their fellow-creatures4 ,there are places and circles where such imprecations are never uttered1 because a better spirit rules those who belong to them1 but there are1 alas6 exceptions to a rule4 ,curses without cause are uttered by masters against servants1 and by parents against children1 and by men in every condition and relation in life--curses prompted by passion and falling from the lips of men who answer to the description of the ,psalmist--whose inward part is very wickedness1 and1 as a consequence1 whose throat is an open sepulchre spreading unhealthy and loathsome influence around 7,psa4 v4 #i74 ,,ii4 ,such a curse is harmless to its victims4 ,a curse which is undeserved has no sting2 it is as powerless to injure as the bird that flits over the traveller's head and soon disappears4 ,even if the creature attempted to harm the man it is too weak1 but not weaker than the curse without cause4 ,it may cast a passing shadow in its passage1 but there is no substance in it--it consists of words without weight1 and wishes that have no power to fulfil themselves4 ,,iii4 ,but such a curse will fall upon him who uttered it4 ,we know that every bird who casts a shadow over our path will presently settle down again--it will find its nest whence it started1 and there take up its abode4 ,and so every curse uttered without a cause will return upon the head of him who uttered it--upon him will come the same1 or worse1 ills than those he has called down upon another4 ,cursing men1 says ,trapp1 are cursed men4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 7,this comment1 it will be seen1 rests on another interpretation of the verse47 ,the type is graceful4 ,the bird is so little1 and his flight and roaming about so graceful1 that we never think of him as having an aim4 ,and yet1 the wildest sport upon the wing is continually directed1 and obeys the mind of the humblest voyager in the heavens4 ,curses2 of all other things not aimless4 ,he doth not afflict willingly 7,lam4 iii4 #cc74 ,and so whether large or trivial2 the one great curse1 or its numerous army of descendants2 none are without a purpose4 ,in each gentle pulse upon the wind the twittering swallow has no more clear a meaning than these flying griefs1 as they float fitfully toward them who are to bear them4 ,this ,hebrew has two meanings4 4 4 4 ,we have selected to no purpose here1 because the preposition is and not 4 ,had we selected for no cause1 there would have emerged a beautiful sense4 ,the meaning then1 as birds do not make their appearance in the spring as apparitions1 starting up ghost-like in the fields as they seem to1 but have come long journeys1 many of them in the night1 and have reached us by honest flying1 so the curse does not come without a cause4 ,the meanings1 as will be seen1 are very different4 ,one is1 that the curse has a cause on our part2 the other1 that it has a reason on the part of our ,creator4 ,now1 both are true4 ,both are very expressive4 ,both have a fitness in the passage4 4 4 4 ,to no purpose yields the wider truth1 and1 moreover1 is the bolder mystery4 ,the curse had a subsistence earlier than we1 and a cause later than it had a reason4 ,it was pre-determined from the very beginning4 ,and1 therefore1 ours is the bolder grasping of the cavil1 and replies to the sinner more deeply4--,miller4 ,powerless was ,moab's curse1 though attempted to be strengthened with the divination of the wicked prophet4 ,goliath's curse against ,david was scattered to the winds4 ,what was ,david the worse for ,shimei's curse2 or ,jeremiah for the curses of his persecutors8 ,under this harmless shower of stones we turn from men to ,god1 and are at peace4 ,let them curse2 but bless thou2 when they arise1 let them be ashamed2 but let thy servant rejoice 7,ps4 cix4 #bh74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #c-aa4 ,a ,,low ,,level4 ,i4 ,a moral fool puts himself on a level with the brute by turning a deaf ear to the voices of reason and conscience4 ,that which above all other characteristics distinguishes man from the lower animals is the possession of a moral sense and a reasoning faculty2 these are the great lights which ,god has given him for his guidance1 by the use of which he may ever be rising to a higher moral and intellectual level4 ,but the moral fool does not listen to them1 and even after he has tasted the bitterness of disregarding them1 and even while he is suffering from the evil effects of his folly1 he gives evidence of his moral stupidity by returning to it 7ver4 #aa74 ,this is a plain proof that he is as the horse or the mule1 which have no understanding 7,psa4 xxxii4 #i74 ,,ii4 ,having chosen his position he must be treated accordingly4 ,when men act like men--when their conduct is such as befits responsible and rational creatures--they are open to reason and persuasion1 and their fellow-men are bound to use such means in their intercourse with them4 ,they are bound to listen to what they have to say1 and to reply to their questions and consider their objections4 ,but to do this with such a person as is here called a fool would be to disobey our ,saviour's injunction1 and to cast our pearls before swine4 ,it would be letting ourselves down to his level and encouraging him in his self-conceit4 ,this1 we think1 is the meaning of verse #d4 ,but1 on the other hand1 we are not always to be silent when the fool is talking4 ,this also might lead him to think that his foolish arguments were unanswerable--that we thought him as wise as he thinks himself to be4 ,he is to receive sometimes the stern rebuke that his folly deserves2 the manifestation of our displeasure is to be in proportion to his manifestation of weakness and wickedness4 ,this will also be answering a fool according to his folly1 as in verse #e4 ,but a fool must be checked by means that will perhaps make more impression upon him than mere words4 ,the rod must be applied--coercion and punishment must come into use where reason and moral persuasion are useless4 ,having placed himself on a level with the brute1 he must be ruled sometimes by brute force--by the whip of compulsion1 by the bridle of restraint4 ,men have the power of doing this to a certain extent1 and it is their duty to use it4 ,but whether they do or do not1 ,god will certainly visit such an offender with the rod of punishment4 ,whether this is the truth contained in verse #aj or not1 revelation and experience affirm it1 and we have met with it repeatedly in this book4 ,it is a great offence against ,him who called us into being1 and who desires ,his creatures to be worthy of their ,creator1 when men thus in practice count themselves unworthy of their destiny4 ,the ,hebrew nation1 in the bygone ages1 was called by ,god to occupy a higher moral level than the surrounding nations1 but by its own stubbornness and self-conceit it made the purpose of ,god to none effect1 and was therefore necessarily made to feel the bitterness of being treated like a wild and refractory animal 7,jer4 xxxi4 #ah74 ,and so it is with men in general4 ,god would treat them as ,his sons1 but their moral foolishness compels ,him to make them feel the whip1 the bridle1 and the rod4 ,one other thought is suggested in verses #g and #h-- ,,iii4 ,that even the fool will sometimes adopt the speech of the wise4 ,a parable1 or a wise saying1 will sometimes be found in his lips1 he will be sometimes heard to utter words of wisdom and give good advice4 ,but precept is of little avail if not backed by a good example2 the words and the deeds of such a man are as ill-matched as those of a cripple who has one sound and useful limb1 but whose other is shrunken and useless4 ,the gait of such a man is awkward and uncertain1 the malformed and the healthy limb do not well balance his body4 ,this is an apt illustration of the incongruity which often exists between the words and actions of a moral fool4 7,for ,homiletics on verses #f and #h considered separately see on verse #a1 page #gad1 and on chap4 x4 #bf1 page #agi47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #c4 ,the rod is needful for the fool's back4 ,are you the unhappy fathers of foolish children8 you must make use of the rod and reproof to give them wisdom4 ,are you authorised to bear rule in the church8 the rod of church discipline must be applied to offenders1 that they may be reclaimed1 and others warned4 ,are you magistrates2 the rod which ,god has put into your hands may be a means of preserving young malefactors from the gibbet at a more advanced period of life4 ,are you wise8 beware of turning aside unto folly1 that you may never need the rod4 ,are you fools8 learn wisdom1 or do not blame those whom duty and charity will oblige to use the rod for your correction4--,lawson4 ,verses #d and #e4 ,answer a fool1 not with any dream that you thoroughly answer him1 lest you be like him1 and a fool yourself4 ,and yet1 by all means answer him4 ,answer wherever you can1 lest he think you can't2 exploding all baseless heresies and mistakes2 lest1 hardening himself where he might be convinced1 and defrauding himself where there is everything to be said1 he erect himself against facts where he has not been taught1 and become wise in his own eyes4 4 4 4 ,answer not a fool1 because much mystery does not admit of answer1 and you will be a fool yourself4 ,but more4 ,the natural man does not discern the things of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,if you answer a natural man with the idea that mere answers can turn him1 you must be like him1 as having no sense yourself of what is purely spiritual4 ,notice here a grand rebuke of reason in all attempts to convince the sinner4 ,nevertheless answer a fool1 and bow to just as great a rebuke to reason4 ,we use reason far too gingerly4 ,reason is a ,divine creation4 ,it is an instrument4 ,there is a thought as though it were wicked to go too deep4 ,on the contrary1 we are to out-think the fool4 ,if we leave science to work her way1 she will grow wise in her own conceit4 ,answer her4 ,rationalistic infidelity is by no means an infidelity in reason4 ,and the church should make that to be seen4 ,scripture has been belied in the direction of ,paul to the ,corinthians 7#a ,cor4 ii74 ,nothing is more irrational than rationalism4 ,and one of the first answers to the fool which he shall receive in the judgment will be1 that he had all the reason for believing ,christ which he had for anything beside1 and a host of greater ones peculiar to the ,gospel4--,miller4 ,these two sentences may seem at the first blush to be contrary 4 4 4 but this knot will be easily untied if it be observed that there are two sorts of answers1 the one in folly1 the other unto folly4 ,a fool is not to be answered in his folly1 or according unto his folly1 that is to say1 in such vanity as he useth1 or after such a raging manner as he speaketh4 4 4 4 ,a fool is to be answered unto his folly2 that is1 by reasons to be confuted1 and by reproofs that are wise to be bridled4--,muffett4 ,generally speaking1 it would be better to follow ,hezekiah's command concerning ,rabshakeh's blasphemy--,answer him not4 ,jeremiah thus turned away in silence from the folly of the false prophets 7,jer4 xxviii4 #aa74 ,if however we are constrained to reply--,answer him not according to his folly2 not in his own foolish manner2 not rendering railing for railing 7#a ,pet4 iii4 #i74 ,moses offended here4 ,he answered the rebels according to their folly--passion for passion1 and thus he became like unto them4 ,david's answer to ,nabal was in the same humiliating spirit4 ,the answerer in this case is like the fool4 ,he appears at the time to be cast in the same mould4--,bridges4 ,verse #g4 ,uniformity and ubiquity of obedience are sure signs of sincerity2 but as an unequal pulse argues a distempered body1 so doth uneven walking a diseased soul4 ,a wise man's life is all of one colour1 like itself1 and godliness runs through it1 as the woof runs through the warp4 ,but if all the parts of the line of thy life be not straight before ,god1 it is a crooked life4 ,if thy tongue speak by the talent1 but thine hands scarce work by the ounce1 thou shalt pass for a ,pharisee 7,matt4 xxiii4 #c74 ,they spake like angels1 lived like devils2 had heaven commonly at their tongue ends1 but the earth continually at their finger ends4--,trapp4 ,verse #i4 ,when a drunkard carries and brandishes in his hand a sweet briar1 he scratches more with it than he allows the roses to be smelled2 so a fool with the ,scriptures or a judicial maxim oft causes more harm than profit4--,luther4 ,proverbs have sometimes been hurtful even in the mouths of wise men1 through the imperfection of their wisdom4 ,job's friends dealt much in parables1 which they had learned by tradition from their wise ancestors1 but they misapplied them in the case of ,job2 and although they meant to plead the cause of ,god1 yet they displeased ,him so much by their uncharitable speeches against ,job1 which they drew by unjust inference from undoubted truths1 that ,he told them they had not spoken the thing that was right concerning ,him as ,his servant ,job had done4 ,if ,job had not been a strong believer1 their management of truth must have sunk him into despondency4--,lawson4 ,verse #aa4 ,the emblem is a loathsome and sickening one4 ,it is meant to be so4 ,it would not have been appropriate1 had it been anything else4 ,there are two ideas conveyed by the comparison4 ,the disposition or tendency1 on the part of the fool or vicious man1 to return to his folly2 and the loathsomeness--the vileness--of the thing itself1 when it does take place4 ,there are persons of great pretensions to refinement1 who affect great disgust at the comparison4 ,they wonder how anybody of ordinary delicacy can utter it4 ,they would think their lips polluted by the very words4 ,it were well for such persons to remember1 that there is no comparison so odious as the thing itself which is represented by it4 ,it were well if such persons would transfer their disgust and loathing at the figure to that which the figure represents3--if they would cherish a proper loathing of sin4 ,that is what ,god holds in abhorrence3--that is what should be abhorred by us4 ,persons may affect to sicken at the comparison here used1 and yet be themselves exemplifying the very conduct it so aptly represents4 ,folly and sin are incomparably more polluting and debasing to the nature of man1 than the vilest and most disgusting practices in the inferior animals4--,wardlaw4 ,and is this the picture of man--made a little lower than the angels 7,ps4 viii4 #e7--yea--made in the likeness of ,god8 7,gen4 i4 #bf74 ,who that saw ,adam in his universal dominion1 sitting as the monarch of creation2 summoning all before him2 giving to each his name1 and receiving in turn his homage 7,ib4 ii4 #bj7--who would have conceived of his children sunk into such brutish degradation8 ,the tempter's promise was--,ye shall be as gods 7,ib4 iii4 #e74 ,the result of this promise was--,ye shall be as beasts4 4 4 4 ,thus greedily did ,pharaoh return from his momentary conviction2 ,ahab from his feigned repentance2 ,herod from his partial amendment2 the drunkard from his brutish insensibility--all to take a more determinate course of sin2 to take their final plunge into ruin4--,bridges4 ,according to the usual method of the ,scriptures1 a known thing is here employed to teach an unknown4 ,the taste which inheres in nature is used as an instrument to implant the corresponding spiritual sensibility4 ,the revulsion of the senses from a loathsome object is used as a lever power to press into the soul a dislike of sin4 4 4 4 ,the lines are strongly drawn1 that the lesson may be clear and cutting4 ,there must be a rude hearty blow1 for there is a hard searing to be penetrated4 ,those who go back to suck at sins1 which they once repudiated1 may see in this terse proverb a picture of their pollution2 only the ,omniscient perfectly knows and loathes the vile original4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ab-af4 ,,self-,,conceit ,,and ,,indolence4 ,i4 ,the ruinous effects of self-satisfaction4 ,in the preceding verses ,solomon has drawn a picture of the moral fool--of the man who seems to have no moral sensibility1 and who is a slave to evil habits and degrading vices4 ,at first sight it would seem that no one could be in a more hopeless condition1 but a little consideration will convince us that the wise man is right when he declares that it is easier to convince a fool of his folly1 than a self-conceited man of his ignorance and weakness4 ,for there are many men who know that they are not what they ought to be1 although they have not the moral courage to quit their sinful courses2 and sometimes the very depth of degradation in which such men find themselves1 and the strong contrast which exists in their outward life between themselves and more respectable citizens1 startle them into a vigorous and successful effort to break their chains4 ,but a man who is wise in his own eyes is generally outwardly decorous in his behaviour--is what has been called a respectable sinner--and it is this very outward propriety which lulls his conscience to sleep4 ,like the ,pharisee in the temple1 he thanks ,god that he is not as other men 7,luke xviii4 #aa7 who are outwardly immoral1 and forgets that if he is not sensual he may be devilish 7,jas4 iii4 #ae71 may be under the dominion on the sin that made the first and greatest sinner in the universe4 ,it was men of this class1 and not the openly profane and sensual1 whom ,christ declared to be in danger of committing the sin which should not be forgiven 7,matt4 xii4 #ca71 and on another occasion he shows that their hopeless condition arose from the fact that they did not realise that they were in any spiritual need4 ,if ye were blind we should have no sin1 but now ye say1 we see2 therefore your sin remaineth 7,john ix4 #da74 ,this moral blindness is so hopeless because it is self-originated and self-sustained--because the subjects of it love darkness rather than light1 and even call their darkness light1 and their evil1 good4 ,,ii4 ,self-conceit is both the child and the parent of indolence4 ,if a man feels certain that he is far in advance of his competitors for any prize or position1 his efforts to gain it will be very feeble and intermittent4 ,and on the other hand1 if he is indolent he will be content with very low intellectual and spiritual attainments1 and inclined to place a very high estimate upon the very little mental or moral wealth that he possesses4 ,being unwilling to labour after more1 he makes the most of what he has1 and so his sloth keeps him ignorant1 and his ignorance confirms him in his slothful habits4 ,,iii4 ,the indolent man has spasmodic and fruitless seasons of activity4 ,he turns upon his bed of sloth as though he were going to rise1 and he puts his hand in the dish 7see ,critical ,notes7 of human enterprise and activity as though he intended to take a prize1 and to taste the sweets of honest and earnest toil4 ,but his resolutions are broken almost before they are formed1 and his moral courage is not strong enough to carry him through the first difficulty1 or make him willing to undergo the least self-denial4 ,and so he ever remains a stranger to the sweetness of repose honestly earned1 and to the relish of good things gained by industry and perseverance4 ,on this subject see also on chap4 xii4 #bg1 page #bhi1 and on verse #ac4 7,see ,homiletics on chap4 xxii4 #ac1 page #fdg47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,the publicans and sinners went faster to heaven than the ,pharisees2 yea1 there may be a greater nighness between the things when there is a greater distance between the working of them and the bringing them together4 ,thus1 brother and sister are nigher in blood yet farther off marrying each other than two strangers2 and thus two men upon the tops of two houses opposite to each other in one of your narrow streets--they are nearer each other in distance than those below are1 yet in regard of coming each to other they may be said to be farther off1 for the one must come down and then climb up again4 ,thus now a moral man1 though he seems nearer to a state of grace1 yet is really farther off2 for he must be convinced of his false righteousness1 and then climb up to the state of grace4--,goodwin4 ,verse #af4 ,there is no refuting a man who says nothing4 ,nonsense is unanswerable if there only be enough of it4 ,who would dispute against a pair of bagpipes1 or against a company of boys that hoot at him8 ,if you will make a match at barking or biting1 a cur will be too hard for you4 ,and if you will contend with multitudes of words1 or by rage or confidence1 a fool will be too hard for you4--,baxter4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,,needless ,,interference4 ,the wise man may here be regarded as passing from one extreme of character to the other--from the man who is too indolent to mind his own affairs1 to one whose activity is so great that it leads him to unnecessary interference with his neighbour's business4 ,or he may intend to suggest that indolence and meddling are very closely allied--that he who is not usefully occupied in doing his own work will be very apt to interfere impertinently with the concerns of others4 ,i4 ,such a meddler brings trouble upon himself4 ,it is a dangerous thing to take a strange dog by the ears1 and he who does it will be very likely to suffer for it in his own person1 for the creature will probably wound him4 ,but he who meddles impertinently with those who are at strife has to deal1 not with one angry brute1 but with two angry men or women1 and will very likely bring down the wrath of both upon his own head4 ,for it is to be noted that the strife with which it is mischievous to intermeddle is that which belongeth not to a man--a quarrel in which an outsider has no right to take a part4 ,,ii4 ,he may do harm to others4 ,to take a dog by the ears is at least a foolish and useless act1 and will certainly not increase the comfort or peace of anybody4 ,but it may so enrage the beast as to make him a general disturber of the public peace and safety4 ,and the same holds good in relation to meddlers2 the mischief that they do may extend far beyond themselves1 and their action may form a centre of a wide circle of mental disquietude and moral mischief4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a wide difference is made between suffering as a busy-body1 and suffering as a ,christian4 ,it is alarming to those who have no adequate sense of the criminality to find the apostle classify the one with murderers1 and thieves1 and evil-doers4--,bridges4 ,for ,homiletics on verses #ah-bb1 see on chap4 xvii4 #ad1 page #eac1 and on chap4 xviii4 #f-h1 page #eci4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bc-bh4 ,,counterfeit ,,friendship4 ,i4 ,because there are true friends in the world false men sometimes put on the garb of friendship4 ,because there is an abundance of genuine coin in the country men take the trouble to make counterfeit imitations of it2 the existence of the good money is the cause of the existence of the bad1 and the great preponderance of the good over the bad is the reason why men sometimes get imposed upon and take the bad for the good4 ,so there is much real and true friendship in human life1 and there is therefore an opportunity given to wicked men to imitate its outward expression--there are many burning words uttered from the depths of a sincere heart1 and therefore a wicked man will sometimes utter such words for the purposes of deception4 ,the vessel of clay covered with silver may be taken for silver1 because its shape and external appearance are close imitation of the genuine article1 and the fair words of the false man may effectually deceive the listener1 but it is because some things are what they seem1 that other things are made to seem what they are not4 ,,ii4 ,the words of true friendship are used to reveal1 and those of the false friend are employed only for concealment4 ,there were many silver vessels in ,solomon's palace1 and their bright splendour was a true revelation of their intrinsic worth and genuineness2 the shining surface reflecting the light was an indication of the preciousness of the entire article4 ,but when a clay vessel is covered with silver1 the external coating is used only to cover what is beneath1 and perhaps to deceive those who look on it4 ,so when the friendship is real the ardent expressions of affection which are uttered are only a revelation of the emotions which are experienced1 but when it is only a counterfeit the words are like the silver which hides instead of revealing what is beneath it4 ,solomon's father thus records his experience of the language of a counterfeit friend3 ,his words were softer than oil1 yet were they drawn swords 7,psalm lv4 #ba74 ,,iii4 ,because counterfeit friendship is opposed to human happiness it shall be publicly arrested and condemned4 ,every counterfeit has arrayed against it the force of human interest4 ,it is to the interest of the general community that the forger should be brought to justice1 and that the coiner of bad money should be severely punished4 ,it is only by rigidly enforcing the law against such criminals that they are kept in check1 and the safety of the public made tolerably secure4 ,when such offenders are discovered their wickedness is condemned by the united voice of the commercial world4 ,but the man who betrays another by false words is quite as great an enemy to his brother man1 and ought to be as severely dealt with and as publicly and universally condemned4 ,but it can hardly be affirmed that such is the case4 ,if every such betrayer were dealt with by human laws we should need a large increase of judges and gaolers and prison-cells1 and should find within the walls of the latter many men who are now living in mansions4 ,and if it were only punished by being shut out from the favourable notices of their fellow-men1 many would be missed from their present positions in commercial and fashionable circles4 ,although they are shunned1 and their wickedness is abhorred by all lovers of truth and honesty1 they are far from meeting at the hands of man with the contempt and condemnation which they deserve4 ,but the forces arrayed against such men are nevertheless in operation1 and though they often work secretly and slowly they are most certain to find their object and to make him conscious of their existence4 ,there are other agencies at work in the universe besides human agencies1 and a ,divine lawgiver as well as human lawgivers4 ,and although the latter may fail to discover those who break their laws1 no offender against the law of ,god will be able to escape public arrest and condemnation1 if not before a human congregation1 before a higher and more august assembly4 ,,iv4 ,a special form of punishment which will be the special portion of such offenders4 ,the great principle proclaimed by ,christ1 ,with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again 7,matt4 vii4 #b71 is here uttered by ,solomon4 ,every deceiver will be deceived1 and one false man will become the prey of another false man4 ,this is a law which is always and now in operation1 although the punishment may not always be discernable to onlookers4 ,but it is a work which the ,almighty ,judge has taken into ,his own hands1 and many a one who is now suffering from a pitfall laid by another1 knows very well in his secret soul that he is only passing through the same experiences which he once prepared for another--that if what he took for a silver vessel is only clay1 he has himself palmed off the counterfeit article for a genuine one4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #bh4 ,it is not easy for us to forgive the injuries we receive2 but it is far more difficult to forgive the injuries we do4--,lawson4 #a4 ,there is the inward self-reproach1 arising from the workings of conscience1 from which arises a secret irritability and fretfulness and unhappiness2 and this produces dislike of the innocent occasion of it1 instead of terminating 7as it always ought to do7 on self4 ,this of course is only more injustice4 ,true2 but it is in human nature to hate with a bitter hatred the object of our own crime2 as if it were a fault in that object to exist1 and so to be the object on which our sin terminates4 #b4 ,the evil passions1 like the good1 are strengthened and increased by their exercise4 ,if the utterance of the feelings of love serves further to inflame love1 the utterance1 in like manner1 of the feelings of hatred tend to inflame hatred4 ,the passion gives birth to the word and the action2 and1 reciprocally1 the word and the action strengthen the passion4 #c4 ,the fretful uneasiness produced by the unceasing apprehension of detection and exposure1 already alluded to1 and of the weight of his vengeance who is the object of the lying tongue's assaults1 gives rise also to the same feeling of rankling dislike to him who is the source of it4 ,thus the slanderer1 instead of feeling pity for the man who his slander wounds1 hates him still the more4 ,this appears to have had a very striking exemplification in the case of our blessed ,lord and ,his ,jewish unbelieving adversaries4 ,they hated ,him without a cause4--,wardlaw4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#d4 ,delitzsch reads this verse ,the madness of anger and the overflowing of wrath1 and before jealousy who keeps his place8 #e4 ,secret love4 ,zckler and ,hitzig understand this love to be that which from false consideration dissembles1 and does not tell his friend of his faults when it should do so4 ,delitzsch thinks it refers to love which is confined to the heart alone1 like a fire1 which1 when it burns secretly1 neither lightens nor warms4 #h4 ,place1 rather home4 #i4 ,this verse is obscurely rendered in the ,english version4 ,delitzsch translates ,oil and frankincense rejoice the heart1 and the sweet discourse of a friend from counselling of soul4 ,ewald1 ,elster1 ,luther1 etc41 render ,the sweetness of the friend springeth from faithful counsel of soul4 ,zckler1 ,the sweetness of a friend is better than one's own counsel4 #aj4 ,neighbour that is near1 etc4 ,the near neighbour is he who keeps himself near as one dispensing counsel and help to the distressed1 just as the far-off brother is he who1 on account of his unloving disposition1 keeps at a distance from the same4 7,zckler47 ,most commentators substantially agree with this view of the text4 #ad4 ,as a curse1 etc4 ,it is no better than a curse1 or it may be regarded as veiling an evil intention4 #af4 ,and the ointment of his right hand4 ,zckler and ,delitzsch translate ,and his right hand graspeth1 or meeteth oil1 that is1 he cannot hold her4 ,other commentators1 retaining the ,english translation1 understand it to refer to the hopelessness of concealing her vexatious disposition4 #ag4 ,stuart and ,noyes find here the idea of provocation4 ,but most critics take the ordinary view4 ,miller translates ,iron is welded by iron3 so1 for a man1 the tie is the face of a friend4 #bj4 ,hell and destruction1 rather the world of the dead4 ,eyes4 ,some understand the reference to be the insatiableness of human passion4 #ba4 ,a man to his praise4 ,delitzsch understands the meaning to be that a man is valued according to the measure of public opinion4 ,ewald1 ,hitzig1 and others1 coincide with ,zckler's rendering1 ,a man according to his glorying1 i4e41 ,one is judged according to the standard of that which he makes his boast4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,divine ,,property4 ,i4 ,a possession exclusively ,divine4 ,both the distant and the immediate future belong to ,god alone2 not only does ,he possess the exclusive control of what shall be in a hundred years to come1 but to-morrow1 and even the next hour and minute1 are exclusively ,his4 ,there is1 doubtless1 an existence beyond time where ,god's creatures can look forward to the future with more certainty than can man in his present condition1 but it does not belong to even the highest archangel to say what shall be in the far-off or even the near time to come4 ,this is the prerogative of ,him alone with whom all is one eternal present4 ,,ii4 ,a possession to which men often lay claim4 ,if we were to hear a man making definite plans as to how he would spend a fortune which it was only probable he would possess1 we should wonder at his tone of certainty1 and perhaps attribute it to weakness or presumption4 ,but we all dispose of our days1 and sometimes of our months and years1 long before they are ours1 and while our own past experience and that of others around us admonish us of the great uncertainties that surround our future1 we are prone to lay our plans as if to-morrow and many years to come were ours4 ,it is doubtless necessary and right to forecast to a certain extent--we must look forward to what will probably or may be on the morrow1 or be guilty of another form of presumption4 ,but we are not forbidden by the wise man to do this--all that the proverb warns us against is that boastful certainty in relation to the future which so ill becomes creatures so limited in their knowledge and so straitened in their resources--that definite laying of our plans which leaves ,god entirely outside of them1 and that confident disposal of ourselves which forgets to say1 ,if the ,lord will we shall live1 and do this1 or that 7,james iv4 #ae74 ,it would be foolish for a raw recruit to pretend to map out the plan of his general's campaign1 or for an unlettered peasant to prophecy what line of policy would be adopted by the prime minister of the land2 but he who boasts himself of to-morrow is more foolish1 and is also wicked4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the day is said to bring forth because time travaileth with the ,lord's decrees1 and in their season bringeth them forth1 even as a woman with child doth her little babies4 ,indeed1 time properly worketh not1 but1 because ,god's works are done in time1 it is said to do those things which are done therein4--,muffett4 ,i4 ,this ignorance of the morrow is necessary to the prosecution of our duties on earth4 ,could we draw aside the veil of the future and look at the things which are coming to us1 our energies would be so paralysed as to incapacitate us for the ordinary avocations of life2 mercy has woven the web of concealment4 ,,ii4 ,this ignorance of to-morrow is our incentive to the preparation for the future4 ,christ used this argument3 ,be ye1 therefore1 ready1 for in such an hour as ye think not the ,son of ,man cometh4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,the same reason that should check our boasting of to-morrow may preserve us from desponding fears4 ,it may be stormy weather to-day2 but storms do not last all the year4 ,we are filled and tormented with fears of some impending evil1 but we often give ourselves real pain by the prospect of calamities that never were appointed to us by the providence of ,god4--,lawson4 ,how awfully has this boasting been put to shame6 ,in the days of ,noah they married wives1 and were given in marriage1 until the very day when the flood came and destroyed them all4 ,abner promised a kingdom1 but could not ensure his life for an hour4 ,haman plumed himself upon the prospect of the queen's banquet1 but was hanged like a dog before night4 ,the fool's soul was required of him on the very night of his worldly projects for many years to come4 ,serious affairs to-morrow1 was the laughing reply of ,archias1 warned of a conspiracy which hurried him into eternity the next hour4 ,the infidel ,gibbon calculated upon fifteen years of life1 and died within a few months1 at a day's warning4--,bridges4 ,to count on to-morrow so as to neglect the duty of to-day is in many respects the greatest practical error among men4 ,none have a wider range1 and none are charged with more dreadful consequences4 ,whether the work in hand pertain to small matters or great--to the sowing of a field or the redemption of a soul--for every one who resolves deliberately not to do it1 a hundred tread the same path1 and suffer the same loss at last1 who only postpone the work of to-day with the intention of performing it to-morrow4 ,the proverb contains only the negative side of the precept1 but it is made hollow for the very purpose of holding the positive promise in its bosom4 ,the ,old ,testament sweeps away the wide-spread indurated error2 the ,new ,testament then deposits its saving truth upon the spot4 4 4 4 ,solomon warns us to distrust the future1 and ,paul persuades us to accept the present hour4 ,behold now is the accepted time2 behold now is the day of salvation4 ,to-morrow1 is the devil's great ally1 the very ,goliath in whom he trusts for victory4 ,now1 is the stripling whom ,god sends forth against him4 ,a great significance lies in that little word4 ,it marks the points on which life's battle turns4 ,that spot is the ,hougoumont of ,waterloo4 ,there the victory is lost or won4 4 4 4 ,an artist solicited permission to paint a portrait of the ,queen4 ,the favour was granted--and the favour was great1 for probably it would make the fortune of the man4 ,a place was fixed1 and a time4 ,at the fixed place and time the ,queen appeared2 but the artist was not there--he was not ready yet4 ,when he did arrive1 a message was communicated to him that her ,majesty had departed1 and would not return4 ,such is the tale4 ,we have no means of verifying its history1 but its moral is not dependent on its truth4 ,if it is not a history1 let it serve as a parable4 ,translate it from the temporal into the eternal4 ,employ the earthly type to print a heavenly lesson4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,self ,,praise4 ,i4 ,merit will win the praise of others4 ,the light of the sun makes its existence felt by every man who is possessed of vision1 and there are but few men who do not acknowledge that it is a good and pleasant thing4 ,the perfume of the flowers cannot be hidden while there are creatures endowed with the sense of smell1 and their fragrance is so grateful and refreshing to us1 that it is sure to win from us an acknowledgement of its existence and expressions of delight4 ,and as men are endowed with senses which recognise light and fragrance and every form of physical beauty1 so there is a moral sense in man which compels him to discern moral excellence or moral superiority4 ,the conscience and the reason stand in the same relation to spiritual worth and intelligence as the sense of sight does to the sunlight1 or that of smell to a pleasant odor4 ,it is true that there are men who will refuse to acknowledge the presence of moral worth1 but there are also some who will not acknowledge the existence of good in anything4 ,but they know it is there notwithstanding4 ,and although man as fallen may be more ready to praise that which appeals to his senses than that which commands the admiration of his better nature1 there will always be found some in every community who will give to real worth its due proportion of praise4 ,,ii4 ,self-praise generally implies a lack of merit4 ,a man of intellectual or moral worth loves knowledge or excellence of any kind for its own sake1 and not for the height to which it may raise him in the estimation of his fellows4 ,although he is or ought to be grateful for the esteem of others1 he does not make that the end of his existence2 his satisfaction arises not from what people think of him1 but from what he is in himself4 ,and just in proportion as a man attains to mental or moral heights1 so does he apprehend more truly how little after all he has and is1 and so the higher he goes the less value he commonly sets upon his present attainments4 ,it is therefore an inference most commonly drawn that he who praises himself is but little deserving the praise of others1 and is not likely to get it4 ,and this conclusion is generally a correct one4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it must never be forgotten that all such passages imply the sincere and earnest cultivation of a real and divinely approved principle4 ,the principle called for in this verse is that of true1 self-diffident modesty4 ,considerations entirely different1 and even opposite1 may induce the suppression of self-praise3--even the very desire of praise from others4 ,from this arises the danger of holding out--to the young especially--the motive or inducement of getting a character for modesty4 ,this may produce artifice1 affectation1 simulation1 hypocrisy4 ,that which is wanted1--that which ,god approves and requires1--is honest simplicity1 which neither1 on the one hand1 courts praise1 nor1 on the other1 affects to disdain and undervalue it1--which neither blusters out its own commendation1 nor whines and simpers1 and depreciates1 and makes light of what it is or of what it has done1 merely for the purpose of making others say more4 ,the affectation of despising the commendation of others is worse than the self-commendation that is reprehended4 ,it is1 in truth1 the very same spirit showing itself under another aspect4--,wardlaw4 ,praise is a comely garment1 but though thyself do wear it1 another must put it on1 or it will never fit well about thee4 ,praise is sweet music1 but it is never tuneable in thine own mouth1 if it come from the mouth of another1 it soundeth most tuneably in the ears of all that hear it4 ,praise is a rich treasure1 but it never makes thee rich1 unless another tell the sum4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #c and #d4 ,,wrath ,,and ,,envy4 ,i4 ,a most unhappy combination4 ,a fool and wrath4 ,wrath or displeasure is possible of every being capable of emotion4 ,the power to love implies the power to hate1 and he who can be pleased can also be displeased4 ,the most tender mother can be angry1 and righteously angry1 with her child1 and we read in ,scripture of the wrath of the ,lamb 7,rev4 vi4 #af74 ,but there is an infinite distance between the wrath of the ,holy ,god1 and even between that of a good man or woman1 and that of a moral fool4 ,divine displeasure is an emotion1 and never a passion4 ,god is never passive in the hands of ,his anger4 ,and in proportion as men are like ,god they always have their displeasure under the control of their will4 ,it is as amenable to their conscience and their reason as an obedient horse to his rider4 ,but a fool is a man who is without power of self-government--who is himself governed first by one passion or desire and then by another--like a ship without a rudder1 at the mercy of the winds and waves4 ,when such an one is in the hands of his wrath1 a most mischievous and destructive force is at work4 ,for whether we consider its effects on the man himself1 or upon the objects of his anger1 we may truthfully brand it as burdensome1 and cruel and outrageous4 #a4 ,it is a cruel burden to the subject of it4 ,a more wretched creature can hardly be found in the universe than a man passive in the hands of his own anger2 it is like a heavy weight crushing out of him all power to stand morally erect and self-possessed1 and like a knotted scourge inflicting wounds not on the body but on the spirit4 #b4 ,the objects of it also find it a painful yoke4 ,in proportion as the fool is in a position to exert his influence over others1 in the same proportion is the amount of misery which he can create by his unbridled wrath4 ,perhaps its effects are nowhere so painfully felt as in the domestic circle4 ,as a master the wrathful fool may make his servants miserable1 but they may be able to quit his service and so get beyond his influence4 ,but there is no escape for wife and children from the wrath of a morally foolish husband and father2 for such there is a millstone ever about the neck1 and tormenting goads always pricking the feet4 ,,ii4 ,the most pitiless foe4 ,terrible as is the unbridled wrath of a fool1 there is a passion more to be dreaded4 ,the open battle-field in broad daylight is a place to be shunned1 but an ambush at midnight is more certain death4 ,men fear to meet the lion upon the highroad1 but the scorpion concealed among the grass is more dangerous4 ,for some resistance can be offered to an open and avowed enemy1 but no defence can be prepared against an unseen foe4 ,and if wrath is like the angry lion1 envy is like the deadly scorpion4 ,the first gives some warning of his design1 but the latter none4 ,the man of unbridled passion often misses his aim by reason of his unsteady hand--the very excess of his wrath sometimes takes away his power to execute his intention4 ,and he generally deals his blows at his enemy's face--speaks out his hatred in his hearing1 and publicly and openly tries to do him a mischief4 ,but the envious man acts in a different manner4 ,the natures that are most prone to envy have generally some power of self-control--they are more cold-blooded than passionate men4 ,though they are moral fools1 they have generally enough intellectual wisdom to see the best method of bringing to pass their malicious purposes2 and they consequently prefer an ambush to an open fight1 and choose rather to stab a man in the back than to meet him face to face4 ,in other words1 they do not upbraid him openly and give him an opportunity to defend himself1 but blacken his character by insinuations when he is absent4 ,and as it is the nature of envy to brood over its grievances in secret1 and that of unbridled wrath to manifest its displeasure immediately and openly1 the first gathers strength by repression and the other loses it by the very force of its expression4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as an earthquake ariseth from a tumultuous vapour shut up in the caverns and bowels of the earth1 where it tosseth and tumbleth until it break out and overturn all that standeth in the way of it1 so envy is a pestilent vapour which lieth in the heart of a man1 where it boileth and fretteth until it tumbleth and throweth down all that standeth in the malicious eye of it4 ,houses and trees stand firm against a tempest of lightning or a flood of rain1 and men stand out against the cruelty of sudden wrath and rage of a man's lasting anger1 but what house or tree standeth against the force of an earthquake1 and who is able to stand against the force of envy8--,jermin4 ,i do not ask for men passionless2 this is hominem de homine tollere4 ,give them leave to be men1 not madmen4 ,anger in the best sense is the gift of ,god1 and it is no small art to express anger with premeditated terms1 and on seasonable occasions4 ,god placed anger among the affections engrafted in nature1 gave it a seat1 fitted it with instruments1 ministered it matter whence it might proceed1 provided humours whereby it is nourished4 ,it is to the soul as a nerve to the body4 ,the philosopher calls it the whetstone to fortitude1 a spur intended to set forward virtue4 ,but there is a vicious1 impetuous1 frantic anger1 earnest for private and personal grudges2 not like a medicine to clear the eye1 but to put it out4 4 4 4 ,to cure the bedlam passion 4 4 4 let him take some herb of grace1 an ounce of patience1 as much of consideration how often he gives ,god cause to be angry with him1 and no less of consideration how ,god hath a hand in ,shimei's railing--mix all these together with a faithful confidence that ,god will dispose all wrongs to thy good2 hereof be made a pill to purge choler4 4 4 4 ,anger is a frantic fit1 but envy is a consumption4 4 4 4 ,among all mischiefs it is furnished with one profitable quality--the owner of it takes most hurt4 4 4 4 ,it were well for him that he should dwell alone4 ,it is a pity that he should come into heaven1 for to see one star excel another in glory would put him again out of his wits4 4 4 4 ,his cure is hard4 4 4 4 ,two simples may do him good if he could be won to take them--a scruple of content and a dram of charity4--,t4 ,adams4 ,well then might it be asked3 ,who is able to stand before envy8 ,even the perfect innocence of paradise fell before it4 ,satan lost his own happiness4 ,then he envied man1 and ceased not to work his destruction4 7,see ,wis4 ii4 #bc1 #bd47 ,it shed the first human blood that ever stained the ground 7#a ,john iii4 #ab74 ,it quenched the yearnings of natural affection1 and brought bitter sorrow to the patriarch's bosom4 ,even the premier of the greatest empire in the world was its temporary victim4 ,nay more--the ,saviour in ,his most benevolent acts was sorely harassed1 and ultimately sunk under its power4 ,his servants therefore must not expect to be above their ,master4--,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #e and #f1 #i to #aa1 and #ad4 ,,tests ,,of ,,friendship4 ,we group these verses together because they all treat of the same subject1 viz41 friendship in reality and friendship in profession only4 ,the same subject occurred in the preceding chapter 7see on verses #bc-bh1 and in chap4 xvii4 #ag1 #ah1 page #eai74 ,i4 ,he does not love us truly who does not love us well enough to tell us of our faults4 ,the true friend must desire to see the object of his affection as free from faults as it is possible for him to be2 the truest and the purest love seeks by every means within its reach to bless the beloved one4 ,and as we should not consider him a friend who would make no effort to free us from any bodily disease or physical deformity1 we ought not to call him an enemy who will strive to rid us of moral and spiritual blemishes4 ,for such an one gives proof that he cares more for our ultimate good than for our present smile--he shows that he is even willing to risk our displeasure in the hope of doing us real kindness4 ,he who gives us kisses when he ought to give us reproof1 or who holds back deserved rebuke from cowardice1 is more cruel than if he withheld from us an indispensable medicine simply because it had a bitter taste4 ,for if we will not take the unpleasant draught from the hand that we have clasped in friendship1 we are not likely to find it more pleasant when administered by a stranger1 much less by an enemy4 ,and if a wound is to be probed it is surely better for the patient that it should be done by a skilful and tender hand than by one who has no sympathy with us and no acquaintance with our inner life4 ,and as it is certain that those who do not love us will either rebuke us for our faults or despise us on account of them1 the real friend is he who1 by a loving faithfulness1 strives to rid us of them4 ,what would have become of ,david if ,nathan had lacked the courage to say to him1 ,thou art the man4 ,,ii4 ,such a true friend is the most refreshing and invigorating influence that can bless our life4 ,setting aside the blessing and strength which come to man direct from his ,father in heaven1 there is no source whence he can derive so much help and comfort as from the hearty sympathy and sound advice of a real friend4 ,they are like the anointing oil and perfume which refresh the weary ,eastern traveller at the end of his day's journey1 removing the traces of toil and the sense of fatigue1 and putting new life into every limb4 ,life is a dusty1 toilsome highway for most men1 and they sorely stand in need of some soothing and renewing influence as they pursue the journey4 ,and this1 ,solomon assures us--and experience confirms his assurance--is to be found in hearty friendship4 ,,iii4 ,the cultivation and retention of such friends should be one of the aims of life4 ,seeing that there is no other means by which we are so likely to get a true acquaintance with ourselves1 and no other earthly influence which is so likely at once to elevate and console us1 we ought to try and make real friends and be faithful to our friendships after they are formed4 ,and especially we ought ever gratefully to remember the friends of our youth--those who gave us help and counsel when we most needed them1 and to whose faithfulness and forbearance we probably owe far more than we can ever rightly estimate4 ,there is a proneness in the youth as he rises into manhood1 and is probably removed from early associations and lifted into a higher social sphere1 to forget his earliest and truest friend1 but the truly wise and honourable man will count fidelity to such a sacred duty4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #f4 ,many indeed profess their value for a true friend2 and yet in the most valuable discharge of friendship1 they count him their enemy4 ,the apostle had some just apprehension on this account1 though so wise and affectionate1 and speaking from the mouth of ,god 7,gal4 iv4 #ab-af74 ,as of the rule of friendship was1 that we should absolutely1 please1 without reference to the ,divine restriction--for good to edification 7,rom4 xv4 #b74 ,christian faithfulness is the only way of acting up to our profession4 ,and much guilt lies upon the conscience in the neglect4 ,but this open rebuke must not contravene the express rule of love--telling the fault between thee and him alone4 ,too often1 instead of pouring it secretly into our brother's ear1 it is proclaimed through the wide medium of the world's ear1 and thus it passes through a multitude of channels before it reaches its one proper destination4 ,the openness of the rebuke describes the free and reserved sincerity of the heart1 not necessarily the public exposure of the offender2 save when the character of the offence1 or the interests of others1 may appear to demand it 7#a ,tim4 v4 #bj74--;,bridges4 ,this is that false love which really injures its object2 and which1 on this account1--that is1 from its injurious tendency1 how little soever designed1 gets in the ,scriptures the designation of hatred3 ,thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart3 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour1 and not suffer sin upon him 7,lev4 xix4 #ag74--,wardlaw4 ,verse #i4 ,the best physic for man is man4 ,for friendship is a kind of life to man1 without which there is no comfort of a man's life4 ,friendship is in men a kind of step to ,god1 and by means of love man draweth near to ,god1 when1 as from being the friend of man1 he is made the friend of ,god4 ,but as among the ,jews there was no oil that did so rejoice the heart as that wherewith the kings were anointed2 no perfume that did so delight the soul as that which the priest offered2 in like manner as there is no friend so sweet as ,god1 so there is no counsel that doth so glad the soul1 so cheer the heart1 as that which ,he giveth in ,his ,word1 whereby we are made even kings and priests unto ,him4--,jermin4 ,the heartiness of a friend's counsel constitutes its excellence4 ,it is not official1 or merely intelligent4 ,it is the counsel of his soul4--,bridges4 ,verse #aj4 ,neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity4 ,this has certainly the appearance of a very strange advice4 ,whither1 in the day of our calamity1 should we go1 if not to the house of a brother8 ,where are we to expect a kind reception1 and the comfort we require1 if not there8 ,but the proverb1 like all others1 must be understood generally1 and applied in the circumstances and the sense obviously and mainly designed4 ,the meaning seems to be either--#a4 ,do not choose the day of thy calamity for making thy visit1 if thou hast not shown the same intimacy before1 in the day of thy success and prosperity4 ,this unavoidably looks not like the impulse of affection1 but of felt necessity1 or convenience and self-interest3 ,ay1 ay1 your brother will be naturally apt to say1 ,i saw little of you before3 you are fain to come to see me now1 when you feel your need of me1 and fancy ,i may be of some service to you4 ,or1 #b4 ,let not sympathy be forced and extorted4 ,in the day of thy calamity1 if thy brother has the heart of a brother1 and really feels for thee1 he will come to thee2 he will seek and find thee4 ,if he does not1 then do not press yourself upon his notice1 as if you would constrain and oblige him to be kind4 ,this may1 and probably will1 have the effect of disgusting and alienating him1 rather than gaining his love4 ,love and sympathy must be unconstrained as well as unbought4 ,when they are either got by a bribe1 or got by dint of urgent solicitation1 they are alike heartless1 and alike worthless4 ,the reason is--,for better is a neighbour that is near1 than a brother far off4 ,the antithetical phrases at hand and far off1 have evident reference here1 not to locality1 but to disposition4 ,a friendly and kindly-disposed neighbour1 who bears no relation to us save that of neighbourhood1 is greatly preferable to a brother--to any near relation whatever that is cold1 distant1 and alienated4--,wardlaw4 ,the proverbial sense is1 that better is a lesser comfort which is ready at hand1 than a greater solace which we must go to seek after4--,jermin4 ,verse #ad4 ,it is an excellent description of a notorious flatterer1 and a just denunciation of his due reward4 ,first1 he blesseth with a loud voice1 as if he wanted breath and sides to set out the praise of his friend1 and as if he would not only awaken him with the news of it but many others also with the loudness of it4 ,secondly1 he doth it rising early as if it were some main and principal business which he had to do1 and wherein he would show himself more forward than any others4 ,thirdly1 he doth it in the morning1 as if he would bless his friend before he blessed ,god1 or rather would make him his god by offering his sacrifice of praise unto him4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #g4 ,,want ,,of ,,appetite4 ,i4 ,the value which men set upon things depends upon their condition and circumstances4 ,when we look around upon our fellow-creatures1 we can but remark the widely different estimates which different men place upon the same things1 and also the different value which the same man attaches to the same object at different times4 ,to begin as ,solomon does1 with our lower nature--there are hundreds of well-fed citizens in every community who look with indifference at the most tempting dainties that are set before them1 and perhaps close to their mansions are to be found as many to whom one good meal would give the keenest physical enjoyment4 ,and if a traveller were passing through ,england he would probably turn away with disdain from a dinner of bread and water2 but if he were in some far-off desert land he would hail such plain fare with delight4 ,if we apply the proverb to man's intellectual nature1 we find the same law in operation4 ,some men are surrounded with opportunities of mental culture and growth1 and they despise and neglect them because they have no intellectual appetites1 while others who are shut out for such advantages are longing eagerly for them4 ,and it is no less true in spiritual things4 ,the longings and aspirations of those whose spiritual appetites have been awakened are entirely unknown to those who have not felt their soul need1 and the language which they use to express their desires is an unknown tongue to those who say1 ,i am rich and have need of nothing 7,rev4 iii4 #ag74 ,there was a time in the life of ,saul of ,tarsus1 when the language of ,paul the apostle would have been utterly unintelligible to him4 ,it would have been hard to convince the young man who consented to the death of ,stephen1 that he would one day count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus 7,phil4 iii4 #h71 but the different estimate which he set upon the ,gospel of the ,son of ,god depended entirely upon the difference in his own spiritual condition at those different periods in his life4 ,even the gift of a ,saviour is lightly esteemed1 when men are full of pride and worldliness2 it is true in this sense as in others that the full soul loatheth an honeycomb4 ,,ii4 ,a sense of need will not only teach men to value luxuries and comforts1 but will make what was unpalatable welcome and acceptable4 ,the young man who had lightly esteemed the good things on his father's table1 came not only to remember with a longing desire the bread that fed his father's servants1 but would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat 7,luke xv4 #af74 ,and when a youth has known the misery of homelessness1 the restraints of his father's house1 and the daily toil which once he felt to be so irksome1 are light and easy in comparison4 ,and so it is when a soul begins to hunger and thirst after righteousness4 ,the conditions of reconciliation with ,god and the yoke of ,christ1 which before were so distasteful1 are joyfully and eagerly accepted1 and that which was bitter becomes sweet to the soul4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,a ,,man ,,and ,,his ,,place4 ,i4 ,it is good for every man to have a place in the world which he can call his home1 and work which he feels especially belongs to him4 ,a man should have some spot on earth which is dearer to him than all the world beside1 and some calling or profession which he can recognise as his own4 ,it is not by any means desirable that he should always be in that place1 or that he should never employ his time in other work4 ,the bird often leaves the nest and flies hither and thither for many hours1 and men must and ought not to confine themselves always to one place and to the same employment4 ,change of scene and occupation is always desirable within certain limits1 and is often a necessity with men4 ,but however far the bird flies she returns to her nest1 and however much men may be obliged or may choose to wander1 they should always have one place to call home2 and however many things may occupy their hours of leisure1 they should have one kind of work which especially fills up their life4 ,,ii4 ,it is not good hastily and often to quit one sphere of work and one mode of life for another4 ,every honest calling has some advantages connected with it1 and almost every sphere in life has something to recommend it2 and steady perseverance in one employment1 and continuance in one position1 is often far more conducive to our material prosperity1 and more beneficial to our character and reputation1 than constant changes1 even although they promise more speedy promotion and a smoother path to some desired end4 ,this much is certain1 that change merely for the sake of change is foolish1 and change without good and sufficient reason is not wise4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,by place1 the ,holy ,ghost understandeth particular callings4 ,now ,god had taken care that none should molest a bird in her nest1 there she was safe 7,deut4 xxii4 #f1 #g72 but when she begins to wander then she is in danger1 either to be shot by the fowler or caught in the snare1 or made a prey to other ravenous birds4 ,so a man that is diligent in his calling whilst he is employed therein1 is in ,god's precincts1 and so under ,god's protection2 but when he wandereth abroad from his calling1 going out of his bounds to sit and talk1 he is a waif and a stray1 and so falleth to the lord of the manor1 the god of this world4 ,reader1 thou mayest expect to be preserved whilst thou art a-working1 but not when thou art wandering4 ,those soldiers who leave their place in a march and straggle to pilfer1 are many times snapt and slain by their enemies1 while they who keep their places are safe and secure4--,swinnock4 ,changes of place is thought of as an evil4 ,the sense of security is lost and cannot be regained4 ,the maxim1 it may be noted1 is characteristic of the earlier stages of ,hebrew history1 before exile and travel had made change of country a more familiar thing4 ,we seem to hear an echo of the feeling which made the thought of being a fugitive and a vagabond 7,gen4 iv4 #ab1 #ac7 the most terrible of all punishments4--,plumptre4 ,in such a comparison as this1 we cannot but suppose there is a reference to the purposes for which the nest is constructed4 ,the allusion is doubtless to the period of incubation--to the hatching of the eggs1 and the rearing of the young4 ,if the bird wanders from her nest during that period1 what is the consequence8 ,why1 that the process is frustrated--the eggs lose their vital warmth2 they become cold1 addled1 and unproductive4 ,absence1 even for a very short time1 will produce this effect2 and produce it to such a degree1 that no subsequent sitting1 however constant and prolonged1 can ever vivify again the extinct principle of vitality4 ,and then1 during the period of early training1 when the young are dependent on the brooding breast and wing of the parent bird for their warmth1 and on the active quickness of the parent bird1 as their purveyor1 for their sustenance1--desertion is death4 ,if the mother then wanders from her nest1 forsaking for any length of time her callow brood--they perish1 the hapless victims of a mother's neglect4 ,they are starved of cold1 or they are starved of hunger2 or1 it may be1 their secret retreat is found out by some devouring foe4 ,such appears to be the apt illusion4 ,let us now consider to what cases it may with truth and profit be applied4 #a4 ,in the first place then1 ,i apply it to a man's ,,home4 ,home may surely be regarded as most appropriately designated his place4 ,it is there he ought to be2 not merely enjoying comfort1 but imparting it2--not the place of selfish ease and indulgence1 but of dutiful and useful occupation4 ,he has a charge there1--committed to him1 not by the instincts of nature merely1 but by the law of ,god4 ,his family demand his first interest and get his first attention4 #b4 ,i apply the proverb to the ,,situation ,,in ,,life which has been assigned to a man by ,providence4 ,as the brooding bird should be found upon her eggs1 or with her young1 so should every servant1 in every department1 be found in his own place1 and at his own occupation4 ,it should be the aim of every man to have it said of him with truth--,tell me where he ought to be1 and ,i will tell you where he is4 #c4 ,i wish to apply the words to the ,,sanctuary ,,of ,,god4 ,i think they may be so applied with perfect appropriateness4 ,every ,christian must delight in ,god's sanctuary4 ,it is to him1 as a worshipper of ,god1 his place2--the place where1 at stated times1 he ought to be1 and where he chooses1 and desires1 and loves to be4 ,how frequently1 how strongly1 how beautifully1 does the ,psalmist express this feeling6--and on one occasion with an exquisitely touching allusion to those birds of the air1 that built their nests in the vicinity of the temple2 and which1 when banished from ,jerusalem1 and kept at a distance from the sacred precincts1 he represents himself as envying--coveting their proximity to the altars of ,jehovah 7,psa4 lxxxiv4 #c74--,wardlaw4 ,the #ith1 #ajth1 #aath1 and #adth verses have been considered with the #eth and #fth4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #ab see on chap4 xiv4 #ae1 page #cfd4 ,verses #ac1 #ae1 and #af are almost a verbal repetition of chaps4 xx4 #af1 and xix4 #ac4 ,for ,homiletics see pages #ehi and #egc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ag4 ,a ,,social ,,whetstone4 ,i4 ,this proverb may be applied to men's general intercourse with each other4 ,it is needful for a man to mingle with his fellow-creatures in order to have his faculties and capacities developed and fitted for action4 ,social intercourse is stimulating to the mind and refreshing to the spiritual nature1 and is indeed indispensable to our happiness and usefulness4 ,a man by himself1 says ,muffet1 is no man--he is dull1 he is very blunt2 but if his fellow come and quicken him by his presence1 speech1 and example1 he is so whetted on by this means that he is much more skilful1 comfortable1 and better than when he was alone4 ,the human countenance1 as the organ by which the soul of one man makes its presence felt by another1 has a quickening influence even when no words are uttered1 and this general friction of soul with soul preserves men from intellectual dulness and spiritual apathy4 ,,ii4 ,it is especially applicable to intercourse with those whom we know and love4 ,above and beyond the general need of man to have constant intercourse with man1 there are times and seasons when the face of a friend is especially helpful4 ,the sword that has seen much hard service must come in contact with another steel instrument to restore its edge4 ,the ploughshare that has pushed its way through hard and stony ground must be fitted for more work by friction with a whetstone1 and the axe1 after it has felled many trees1 must be subjected to a similar process4 ,so the intellectual and spiritual nature of man becomes at times in need of a stimulus from without which may fitly be compared with this sharpening of iron by iron4 ,hard mental toil1 contact with uncongenial persons and things1 disappointments1 and even great spiritual emotions1 have a tendency to exhaust our energies and depress our spirits1 and render us for a time indisposed to exertion1 and perhaps incapable of it4 ,in such a condition a look of sympathy and encouragement from one who understands us is very serviceable indeed1 and has the power to arouse within us fresh hope1 and therefore new life for renewed action4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,as you can only sharpen iron by iron1 you can only sharpen souls by souls4 ,neither dead matter1 however majestic in aspect or thunderous in melody1 nor irrational life1 however graceful in form or mighty in force1 can sharpen a blunted soul4 ,mind alone can quicken mind2 it is in all cases the spirit that quickeneth4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,iron is welded by iron4 7,this is ,miller's rendering47 ,that is1 we must bring a force of iron 7not of tin1 or brass1 or wood1 but1 by the very necessities of its nature1 of iron71 and strictly a face of it1 so that face may meet face 7as of the water in the #aith verse71 or they cannot run or mould themselves together4 ,fit a face of iron1 red hot1 to a face of iron1 also hot1 and force them hard upon each other1 and thus you weld them4 ,bring a man face to face with his neighbour1 and let them be warmed by a common taste1 and1 though one of them be ,god ,himself1 this will weld them4--,miller4 ,we owe some of the most valuable discoveries of science to this active reciprocity4 ,useful hints were thrown out1 which have issued in the opening of large fields of hitherto unexplored knowledge4 ,the commanding word in the field of battle puts a keen edge upon the iron 7#b ,sam4 x4 #aa-ac74 ,the mutual excitation for evil is a solemn warning against evil communications4 ,but most refreshing is it1 when1 as in the dark ages of the ,church1 they that feared the ,lord spake often one to another4 ,sharpening indeed must have been the intercourse at ,emmaus1 when the hearts of the disciples burned within them4 ,the apostle was often so invigorated by the countenance of his friends1 that he longed to be somewhat filled with their company4 ,upon the principle--,two are better than one--our ,lord sent ,his first preachers to their work4 ,and the first ,divine ordination in the ,christian ,church was after this precedent 7,acts xiii4 #b-d74--;,bridges4 ,the countenance of a friend is a wonderful work of ,god4 ,it is a work as great and good as a sun in the heavens2 and verily1 ,he who spread it out and bade it shine did not intend that it should be covered by a pall4 4 4 4 ,he intends that it should shine upon hearts that have grown dark and cold4 4 4 4 ,the human countenance--oh1 thou possessor of the treasure1 never prostitute that gift of ,god6 ,if you could1 and should pluck down these greater and lesser lights that shine in purity from heaven1 and trail them through the mire1 you would be ashamed as one who had put out the eyes and marred the beauty of creation4 ,equal shame and sin are his who takes this terrestrial sun--blithe1 bright1 sparkling countenance--and with it fascinates his fellow into the old serpent's filthy folds4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,the ,,reward ,,of ,,service4 ,i4 ,the reward of the servant of nature4 ,the fig-tree may here be taken as typical of all that the earth produces for the sustenance of man4 ,god has ordained that man shall be a co-worker with ,himself in making the earth fruitful4 ,if ,he gives the life to the herb or the tree1 and sends the sun and the rain to quicken and nourish it1 man must give his service too4 ,it is his business to prepare the soil1 to tend the ,god-given life1 and to protect it as far as possible from all adverse influences4 ,and this being done1 some reward is certain4 ,there will be cases of individual and occasional failure1 but fruit for service is the rule in the kingdom of nature4 ,,ii4 ,the reward of service rendered to man4 ,although the word servant is now obnoxious to many ears1 we do well to remember the estimate which ,god puts upon faithful service and the important place which it holds in the world4 ,he who served unto death left this command on record1 ,whosoever will be the chiefest1 shall be servant of all 7,mark x4 #dd71 and a little consideration will convince us that the whole of human society is knit together by service4 ,in one sense1 all true men and women1 however high their position1 are servants to others4 ,the good monarch and the faithful statesman are servants to their nation as truly as men and women in more lowly stations are servants to individual masters4 ,it is1 however1 doubtless to these latter that the wise man here refers1 and faithful service rendered by them in their small sphere is as much esteemed by ,god as the service of the greater and more gifted4 ,those who serve as to the ,lord1 and not unto men shall of the ,lord receive the reward of the inheritance1 says ,paul 7,col4 iii4 #bb-bd74 ,honour shall be awarded by ,god1 not in proportion to the kind of service rendered1 but in proportion to the spirit in which it is performed1 and this fruit of faithful service will never fail4 ,and1 as a rule1 esteem and gratitude from the earthly master will also be rendered4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,all sorts of inferiors1 then1 as both servants and subjects1 must make this reckoning and account of their superiors and rulers1 that they are unto them their peculiar charge1 whereon they must attend1 and the special hope of their honour and preferment4 ,they must therefore think and say thus with themselves3 ,surely this is the fig-tree that ,i must watch and keep2 this is the same olive-tree that ,i must look unto4 ,i must not suffer this to be spoiled or destroyed4 ,i must not suffer my ruler's goods to be wasted1 nor his name to be discredited1 nor the gifts of ,god in him to decay2 ,i must keep his favour1 and ,i must seek his welfare1 as much as in me lieth4--,muffet4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ai4 ,a ,,correct ,,likeness4 ,i4 ,a mirror in which we may see the reflection of the hearts of others4 ,all the knowledge that we have of our own personal appearance is gained by means of some reflecting surface4 ,we can only look upon ourselves indirectly1 and it is quite possible that every person who looks upon us has a juster conception of our appearance than we ourselves have4 ,if there were no substance which could serve as mirrors1 a man must always remain ignorant as to those peculiarities of feature which distinguish him from every other person on the face of the earth4 ,but none are destitute of nature's looking-glass--the stream or lake1 or even a smaller quantity of water1 will show a man what he is like as to his exterior4 ,and by means of a medium we can gain much knowledge concerning the inner life of our human brothers and sisters4 ,as we may gain a good idea of our own face by seeing its reflection in water1 so we may form a fairly correct estimate of the feelings and hopes and desires of others by studying our own4 ,after making allowance for many differences upon the surface dependent upon difference of temperament1 and education1 and circumstances1 we shall be safe in concluding that in the depths of the human soul there are spots which form a common meeting-ground for all mankind4 ,,ii4 ,a means by which we may gain the hearts of others4 ,we cannot plead ignorance of the way to our brother's heart4 ,we must not conclude1 because in outward expression he differs from us1 we have therefore nothing in common1 no clue to what is passing within his breast4 ,if we could call to mind how we felt in like circumstance1 or try to imagine how we should feel if we were in his place1 we shall hardly fail to form some idea of his feelings1 and shall therefore be able so to regulate our behaviour towards him as in some measure to supply his soul needs4 7,there are other interpretations of this verse1 for which we refer to the ,comments47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,here is one of the foundations on which that rule is built of doing to others as we would be done by 7,exod4 xxiii4 #i74 4 4 4 ,one corrupt heart is like another1 and so is one sanctified heart1 for the former bears the same image of the earthy1 the latter the same image of the heavenly4--,henry4 ,the proverb may be regarded as expressing reciprocity of soul4 ,it may mean this3 that just as the water will give back to you the exact expression which you gave to it--the frown or the smile1 the hideous or the pleasing--so human hearts will treat you as you treat them4 ,with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again4 ,this is true--manifestly true2 kindness begets kindness1 anger anger1 justice justice1 fraud fraud1 the world through4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,in the world we see our own hearts embowelled2 and there we can learn what ourselves are at the cost of other men's sins4--,bp4 ,hopkins4 ,as in the outline water trembles1 and is uncertain1 so also are hearts4 ,the lesson is3 ,trust not6--,luther4 ,no man knoweth or showeth the spirit of a man1 but the spirit of a man that is in him4 ,the water1 as a certain glass1 somewhat dim indeed1 but very true1 representeth the countenance therein imprinted unto the countenance that beholdeth the same2 even so the heart showeth man to man2 that is to say1 the mind and the conscience of every man telleth him justly1 though not perfectly what he is1 as whether he be good or evil1 in ,god's favour or out of the same2 for the conscience will not lie1 but accuse or excuse a man1 being instead of a thousand witnesses4 4 4 4 ,as water that is troubled representeth the visage amiss1 so a troubled or polluted mind may sometimes wrongly show to a man the estate wherein he standeth4 ,but if the soul be not wholly corrupt and the conscience seared as with a hot iron1 it will declare to a man his condition rightly1 though not peradventure fully in all respects4--,muffet4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bj4 ,,insatiability4 ,i4 ,a destructive force always in operation4 ,ever since the earth closed over the first dead body1 it has been constantly opening to receive those whom death has made ready for the grave1 and to-day this terrible and remorseless destroyer is as busy in our midst as ever4 ,and we know that it will be so to the end of time2 while the present dispensation lasts1 men will never be able to say that death has ceased to claim the mortal part of man1 or that the last grave has been dug in the vast graveyard of the world4 ,this is a most melancholy stand-point from which to view man and his destiny4 ,if all the human race lived to a good old age1 and went down to their last earthly resting-place like a stock of corn fully ripe1 death would still be a dark and dreary thing1 looked at by itself1 but it becomes much more appalling when it strikes men and women in the prime of life1 and carries them off1 often without warning1 from the place where they seemed so much needed1 and to which they were bound by so many ties4 ,,ii4 ,a faculty of men always at work4 ,the eye of man is simply an organ by which knowledge is conveyed to his mind4 ,and his appetite for fresh mental food is not lessened by that which he has received in the past--on the contrary1 it is quickened and whetted in proportion to the supply1 for while an ignorant man is often content in his ignorance1 the man who has learned most is generally the most eager to learn more4 ,and this passion in man for knowledge is not quenched by the certain consciousness he possesses that one day he must1 that to-morrow he may1 quit the scene of his investigations1 and end his search after truth under his present conditions4 ,surely if men did not instinctively feel that this life is not the only one1 their desire after constant intellectual growth would not be so ardent4 ,if there was not that within them that told them that death would not end their opportunities of growing in knowledge1 the contemplation of the shortness of life would paralyze the acquisitive faculty of men4 ,but we take the strength and universality of this undying desire of man as an argument for his existence after death and the grave have taken possession of the material house in which he lived and laboured on the earth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the eye is the avenue of growth4 ,the growth will be eternal4 4 4 4 ,it will take in more and more and raise or sink us through eternal ages4 4 4 4 ,the terms here used are used elsewhere for anything insatiate 7chap4 xxx4 #af74 ,solomon describes a great psychological law1 that the mind by its very nature sees1 and by all its seeings will grow1 either in one way or the other4--,miller4 ,the eyes1 by a very natural figure1 are put for the desires4 ,upon that which is the object of our desire1 we fix our eyes2 and that with an intensity of settled eagerness proportioned to the degree of the desire 7chap4 xxiii4 #e74 ,the meaning1 then1 is not merely that the sense of sight never has enough of its own peculiar enjoyments1 but that the desire that is by the eye expressed is never satisfied by any amount of present gratification4 ,the desires of men are insatiable4 ,they set their hearts on some particular object1 and long for its attainment4 ,they fix in their mind some point of advancement in the acquisition of the world1--some measure of wealth1 or of power which they think1 if once realised1 would satisfy them to the full4 ,they get what they want2 but they still long as before4 ,there is ever something unattained4 ,having gained the summit of one eminence1 they see another above it2 and as they mount1 their views widen and their conceptions and wishes amplify1 and still more is required to fill them4--,wardlaw4 ,the meaning of the second clause as indicated by this parallel cannot be doubtful4 ,it relates to the really demoniacal insatiableness of human passion1 especially the lust of the eyes4 7,comp4 #a ,john ii4 #af1 ,james iii4 #f2 and in particular ,prov4 xxx4 #af2 ,eccles4 i4 #h47--,zckler4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ba4 ,a ,,crucible ,,for ,,character4 ,although the second interpretation of this proverb given in the ,critical ,notes is very generally adopted1 it will very well bear the other constructions given below1 which is indeed adopted by many expositors4 ,i4 ,praise received is a test of character4 ,many moralists think that it is more difficult to pass uninjured through good report than through evil report4 ,dr4 ,payson reckons well meant but injudicious commendations a source of temptation to him1 and we do certainly often meet men possessing many good qualities whom popularity seems to have injured4 ,but all men who have any striking intellectual gifts or moral excellencies will be subject to this refiner's fire1 and if they pass through it uninjured they will prove that they are made of very pure metal4 ,as we remarked on verse #b1 page #gbe1 merit will win praise1 and therefore every deserving man will be more or less subject to this test1 and his conduct and bearing under it will reveal the real character of his motives and the strength of his principles4 ,in proportion as his actions have been disinterested and his aims pure and unselfish1 in the same proportion will he be able to bear praise4 ,if he is a truly humble man--if he has a right sense of his dependence on ,god and a consciousness of his own shortcomings--the praise of his fellow-creatures will only make him strive to be more deserving of it2 but if there is an alloy of baser metal mixed with the gold and silver of his character1 such an ordeal will be very likely to reveal it4 ,,ii4 ,praise given is a test of character4 ,that upon which a man bestows praise reveals the standard by which he rules his life4 ,men praise that which they value1 and there cannot therefore be a better revelation of their moral condition4 ,a man who praises the action of another1 irrespective of its moral character1 shows that he attaches little value to goodness1 while he who praises a bad action proclaims himself a lover of sin4 ,on the other hand1 commendation bestowed upon good deeds and godly men at least indicates a preference for what is good1 which one may hope will be manifested not only in word but also in deed4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 #a4 ,it may express what every man1 with reference to the praise bestowed upon him1 ought to do3--that is1 he ought to do with it what the fining-pot does to the silver1 and the furnace to the gold4 ,he should try it well4 ,there is a deal of dross frequently in it2 and men are apt to be fonder of the dross1 in some of its appearances1 than of the sterling metal4 ,the process of refining should in this case be very cautiously pursued3 just as a chemist1 if anxious for the correct result of an experiment with the crucible1 will be the more careful in making it1 in proportion as he is conscious of any leaning towards a particular theory1--lest this should bias his mind and put him off his guard4 #b4 ,a man is to his praise what the fining pot is to silver1 and the furnace is to gold1 because a man's conduct actually does put to the test the commendation bestowed upon him4 ,that conduct is like the fining-pot and the furnace to it1 in regard to the estimate formed of it by others4 ,his behaviour detects whether it be or be not just and merited4 ,commendation naturally excites notice4 ,all eyes are on the man who elicits applause1 to ascertain if the applause be well-founded4 ,in this way the commendation is put to the test2 and the man himself is the tester2--proving or disproving the justice of the character given him4--,wardlaw4 ,as praise is due to worth1 so it is the tryer and refiner of worth4 ,for as silver is melted in the fining pot1 and gold in the furnace2 so is the heart of man even melted with joy in the furnace of praise4 ,and as those metals which have least solidity are soonest melted1 so where there is least of the solidity of worth1 there the heart is soonest melted with praise4 ,and as in the furnace the light matter is blown away into smoke and vapour2 so by praise a light heart is quickly blown up1 and vainly transported and carried away with it4 ,but as the silver and the gold are made the finer and the purer by the furnace1 so true worth is ennobled and made the richer by just praise ascribed to it4 ,for he that hath worth in him1 the more he is praised the more will he endeavour to deserve it1 and by praise seeing what is dross in himself1 will by his care purge it out1 and cast it away4--,jermin4 ,the thought in verse #bb is but a repetition of a thought which has often occurred before1 as for instance in chaps4 xvii4 #aj and in xix4 #bi4 ,see pages #eji and #eaj1 also page #eha4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bc-bg4 ,,model ,,farming4 ,these words were especially applicable to the ,israelitish people in their early history1 when every family lived upon its own domain and found all its simple wants supplied by the produce of the land and the cattle which fed upon it4 ,the paragraph deals-- ,i4 ,with the duties of such a life4 ,solomon had several times before given exhortations to diligence in labour1 but here he sees rather to enforce the necessity of diligent and constant supervision on the part of the master and owner of the land4 ,he is not addressing a hired servant1 but one who is a landed proprietor and has flocks and herds of his own4 ,if a man in so highly favoured a position desires to reap all its benefits he must diligently superintend all who he employs and set them a good example of industry and perseverance4 ,he must not be content to leave these things to hirelings1 but must give such close attention to all that is going on in his domain as to be able intelligently to guide all the varied engagements which follow one another as one season succeeds the other4 ,no man ought to consider this an unworthy employment of his mental powers1 and he who does so would do well to remember that the cultivation of the soil was the employment which ,god gave to man when ,he first created him in ,his own image4 ,as an incentive to industry in this direction the proverb contains a reminder of the uncertainty of riches--it is unwise of any man to be wholly dependent upon a fortune made in the past and to have no resource in case of its loss4 ,,ii4 ,it sets forth the rewards attached to the performance of such duties4 ,there is first the supply of the necessaries of life4 ,luxuries are not promised1 but it is implied that simple food and clothing will not be wanting2 and a sufficiency of these is all that is really needful to man's comfort4 ,but there is a pleasure in obtaining them in this way which is surely not found in any other calling4 ,the cultivator of the ground escapes much of the monotony found in most other professions1 and has pleasures and advantages to which dwellers in the city are strangers4 ,if he is more exposed to the hardships of the winter1 the joy of spring--when the tender grass sheweth itself--is surely enough to repay him for it1 and then follow the varied occupations of summer1 one affording relief to the other1 until the year is crowned with the joy of harvest4 ,surely no mode of life is more favourable to bodily and spiritual health than the one here sketched by the ,wise ,man4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,solomon tells us1 in another place1 that the instability and uncertainty of earthly things1 after all our care1 is a motive to draw off our hearts from them1 and to fix our eyes upon nobler objects2 but he tells us1 in this place1 that the perishing nature of earthly things is likewise a reason for bestowing a moderate and lawful share of our attention upon our temporal interests4--,lawson4 ,verse #be4 ,the frail condition of fading worldly things is here well expressed1 it appeareth only and is cut down4 ,the tender grass sheweth itself1 and it is but a shewing1 for that being done1 it is eaten up presently1 being at once1 as it were1 both seen and devoured4 ,the herbs of the mountain are gathered2 their growing is not mentioned as being no sooner grown than gathered1 and as being grown for the gathering only4 4 4 4 ,wherefore as the careful husbandman looketh to the hay and grass and herbs1 and takes them in their time1 so is the good spiritual husbandman to consider the short time of worldly contentments1 and in their time to use them1 at no time to trust in them4 ,as hay and grass and herbs are taken in their season1 so it is the season in all things that is to be taken4 ,and1 therefore1 when the season appeareth1 let not thy negligence appear in omitting it2 when occasion shows itself1 show not thyself careless in apprehending of it2 when the fruit of opportunity is to be gathered1 climb the mountain speedily4--,jermin4 ,verses #bf and #bg4 ,in these two verses the wise man dehorteth from wastefulness of apparel1 and from excess in diet4 4 4 4 ,the proverbial sense is1 that plainness of apparel keepeth a man's estate warmest2 and that a homespun thread in clothing is a strong and lasting thread in the web of a man's worldly fortune1 and that a sober and temperate feeding both in himself and family doth best feed the estate of any man1 and that the flock of a man thriveth best when he is contented with the nourishment and sustenance that cometh from the flock4--,jermin4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#b4 ,for the transgression1 etc4 ,or1 ,in the rebellion4 ,for this use of the word transgression in the sense of revolt1 compare the verb employed in this sense in #b ,kings i4 #a2 also ,exod xxiii4 #ba1 etc4 7,zckler47 ,zckler translates the last clause1 through wise1 prudent men1 he 7the prince7 continueth long4 ,delitzsch reads1 ,through a man of wisdom1 of knowledge1 authority continues4 #e4 ,judgment1 or what is right 7,delitzsch74 #f4 ,perverse1 etc41 literally he who is crooked in two ways4 ,delitzsch translates1 a double-dealing deceiver4 #h4 ,usury and unjust gain4 ,literally1 ,interest and usury4 ,these are so distinguished according to ,lev4 xxv4 #cf1 that the former denotes the annual revenue of a sum of money loaned out1 the latter an exaction in other things1 especially in natural products 7,zckler74 #ab4 ,hidden4 ,or sought for4 ,delitzsch understands this to mean plundered1 or subjected to espionage4 #af4 ,ewald1 ,zckler1 ,delitzsch1 and others read this verse1 ,o prince devoid of understanding1 he that hateth unjust gain continueth long4 #ag4 ,first clause4 ,a man laden with the blood of a soul4 #ah4 ,perverse ways4 ,rather double ways4 #ba4 ,zckler reads the last clause1 ,and 7yet7 even for a piece of bread 7many7 a man will transgress4 #bb4 ,rather ,the man of an evil eye hasteth1 etc4 #bc4 ,delitzsch reads this verse1 ,he that reproveth a man that is going backwards1 etc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,cowardice ,,and ,,courage4 ,i4 ,this act of a wicked man reveals an unnatural condition4 ,the sparrow flies to her nest when the hawk is on the wing1 and the stag flees before the hunter or hounds that are on his track4 ,but neither bird nor beast is ever found fleeing in terror when it is not pursued4 ,but bad men flee when they are not chased1 and when there is nothing following them more substantial than their own shadow4 ,,ii4 ,the cause of this unnatural action4 ,there must be some influence at work somewhere which strikes this terror into the human spirit4 ,there must be some hidden power which thus unnerves a man when he is out of the reach of any visible avenger1 and causes him to tremble at the sound of his own footstep1 or to see the reflection of the face of the man he has wronged in every human countenance that he meets4 ,in the absence of all causes without we must look within1 and there we find the pursuer4 ,it is conscience that thus makes every wicked man a coward--that voice within him which thus bears witness to the existence of a ,divine law which he has broken1 and to a ,divine ,lawgiver to whom he must render an account whether he escape human justice or not4 ,,iii4 ,the hopeless nature of the act4 ,the man who flees when none are pursuing reveals that he is engaged in an attempt to flee from himself1 and this is an endeavour that will ever be fruitless4 ,a man may quit the scene of his crime and go into a country where all around him is entirely different1 but he will be painfully conscious that he is himself the same being--that although he has changed everything outside himself he has preserved his identity4 ,he can free his soul from his body and so flee from the world1 but he cannot free himself from the consciousness of guilt and so break the tie that binds him and his sin together4 ,for this flight from self is but another name for flight from ,god--from ,him to whom alone the ,psalmist's words apply3--,whither shall ,i go from ,thy ,spirit8 or whither shall ,i flee from ,thy presence8 ,if ,i ascend up into heaven thou art there2 if ,i make my bed in hell1 behold ,thou art there2 if ,i take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea2 even there shall ,thy hand lead me1 and ,thy right hand shall uphold me 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #g-aj74 ,,iv4 ,the entirely contrary attitude of a righteous man reveals an entirely opposite relation to conscience and to ,god4 ,the natural position of any creature in relation to the ,creator is the position which he held when he was originally created4 ,man was then on such good terms with himself and in such conscious favour with ,god that he had no sense of fear and no desire to flee from the ,divine presence4 ,it was not until the first sin had been committed that ,adam and his wife hid themselves1 and fled when no man pursued4 ,but there are descendants of ,adam who1 although they cannot pretend to sinlessness1 have no guilty fear of ,god1 and consequently are not afraid of man4 ,the original and natural relation between them and their ,father in heaven has been re-established by their acceptance of ,his conditions of reconciliation1 and being now on the side of righteousness they have no reason to flee even when many pursue them1 much less when they are alone with themselves and ,god4 ,they can sing with the ,psalmist1 ,the ,lord is my light and my salvation2 whom shall ,i fear8 ,the ,lord is the strength of my life1 of whom shall ,i be afraid8 4 4 4 ,though an host should encamp against me1 my heart shall not fear2 though war should rise against me1 in this will ,i be confident 7,psa4 xxvii4 #a1 #c74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,moses feared not the wrath of the king4 ,caleb and ,joshua stood firm against the current of rebellion4 ,elijah dared ,ahab's anger to his face4 ,nehemiah1 in a time of peril1 exclaimed--,should such a man as ,i flee8 ,the three confessors stood undaunted before the furious autocrat of ,babylon4 ,the ,apostles' boldness astonished their enemies4 ,paul before the ,roman governor1 and even before ,nero himself1 witnessed a good confession4 ,athanasius before the ,imperial ,council of ,heresy2 ,luther at the ,diet of ,worms1 finely exemplified this lion-like boldness4--,bridges4 ,the wicked is a very coward1 and is afraid of everything2 of ,god1 because ,he is his enemy2 of ,satan1 because he is his tormentor2 of ,god's creatures1 because they1 joining with their ,maker1 fight against him2 of himself1 because he bears about with him his own accuser and executioner4 ,the godly man contrarily is afraid of nothing2 not of ,god1 because he knows ,him his best friend1 and will not hurt him2 not of ,satan1 because he cannot hurt him2 not of afflictions1 because he knows they come from a loving ,god1 and end in his good2 not of the creatures1 since1 the very stones in the field are in league with ,him2 not of himself1 since his conscience is at peace4--,bp4 ,hall4 ,conscience within a man is one extremity of an electric wire1 whose other extremity is fastened to the judgment-seat4 4 4 4 ,a man may be saved from death by seeing the reflection of his danger in a mirror1 when the danger itself could not be directly seen4 ,the executioner1 with his weapon1 is stealthily approaching through a corridor of the castle to the spot where the devoted invalid reclines4 ,in his musings the captive has turned his vacant eye towards a mirror on the wall1 and the faithful witness reveals the impending stroke in time to secure the escape of the victim4 ,it is thus that the mirror in a man's breast has become in a sense the man's saviour1 by revealing the wrath to come before its coming4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #b4 ,,the ,,penalty ,,of ,,revolt4 ,as will be seen by a reference to the ,critical ,notes1 the word transgression would be better translated rebellion4 ,the proverb then sets forth1 ,i4 ,the disadvantages attendant on revolt against the existing government4 ,whether the rebellion be a lawful one or not--whether the ruler that is dethroned be a tyrant or a wise and just monarch1 the result is very much the same4 ,there will be many claimants to the vacant place1 and many to support the claims of each aspirant4 ,this is an effect which is almost certain to follow any uprooting of the existing order of things1 whether the order be good or bad4 ,if the crew of a vessel put their officers in irons1 the difficulty will immediately arise as to who is to guide the vessel4 ,if this is not speedily settled1 the ship will be in danger of running upon the rocks while she is drifting on without a guide4 ,it is the same with the vessel of the ,state4 ,many justifiable efforts to better the government of a country have broken down at this point--although there has been entire unity of feeling in favour of a change1 there has been a great diversity of opinion as to who should inaugurate it and succeed those who have been deprived of authority4 ,the confusion and insecurity which such a division has caused1 has often made way for a return to the old condition of things1 and the last state of the land has been worse than the first4 ,but this can hardly be used as an argument against all revolt against existing abuses1 but only as a strong incentive to try every other means before resorting to this last extremity4 ,,ii4 ,that which makes revolt unnecessary1 and consequently conduces to the peace of the commonwealth4 ,wisdom and prudence on the part of the monarch and his ministers 7for the words may be referred to either7 will avert such a calamity4 ,that kingdom is highly blest in which the throne is filled with a worthy occupant1 and surrounded by men of intellectual ability and moral worth1 and therein lies its only real security4 ,for every reasonable man knows that the reins of government must be held by some one1 and there is generally a sufficient number of reasonable citizens in a nation to uphold an enlightened administrator of righteous laws1 and to keep in check those turbulent spirits to be found everywhere1 who1 under the name of patriots1 only advocate change to serve their own selfish ends4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,let the children of ,zion be joyful in their ,king4 ,the kingdom to which they belong has one ,king2 and a king whose reign is permanent as well as unparticipated4 ,there are no rival powers there4 ,if the princes of this world1 in the plenitude of their presumption1 take upon them to intrude themselves within the precincts of ,his sole jurisdiction1 and to intermeddle with what does not belong to them1 the subjects of the ,king of ,zion must stand by ,his prerogative1 resist the encroachment1 and1 at all risks as to this world1 refuse obedience4 ,in the spiritual kingdom of which they are subjects1 ,christ is the only ,head2 and ,his ,word the only authoritative rule4 ,and there is no succession here4 ,he reigns over the house of ,jacob for ever2 and of ,his kingdom there is no end4 ,blessed be ,god for this6 ,the sceptre of our ,king can never1 even to the end1 be wrested out of his hands2 and ,he never dies4 ,he must reign1 till all ,his people are saved with an everlasting salvation1 and all ,his enemies are put under ,his feet4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #c4 ,,the ,,most ,,inexcusable ,,oppression4 ,i4 ,oppression from an unexpected quarter4 ,although poverty sometimes has a very hardening influence upon men1 we do not often find it takes the form of oppression of their fellow-sufferers in poverty4 ,on the contrary1 the sympathy of one poor man for another is often the brightest spot in his character4 ,but the ability to oppress implies some elevation of the oppressor over the oppressed1 and therefore leads us rather to look for the heartless tyrant among those who have known poverty1 but who are now in some degree raised above it4 ,and even here we should hardly expect to find an oppressor of the poor4 ,such a man cannot plead ignorance of the miseries of poverty4 ,we might expect that he would be full of sympathy for those into whose trials his own experience has so fitted him to enter4 ,if we wanted a tender nurse for a wounded man we should expect to find one in him who has himself been wounded1 and who knows what bodily pain is1 and in a man who has himself been poor we ought to find the most patient and generous ruler and judge of the poor4 ,oppression from such a quarter is a painful surprise4 ,,ii4 ,oppression to an extreme degree4 ,the oppressor of the proverb is one who has sinned against the knowledge furnished by his own experience1 and is therefore a greater transgressor than one who sins without such experimental knowledge4 ,if this barrier is not strong enough to restrain him1 he is not likely to be hindered by any less powerful ones1 and will therefore allow his cruel and unnatural passions to have full dominion over his conduct4 ,and so it will come to pass that a man1 who has been poor if he become an oppressor1 will be a more terrible one than he who has always been rich and powerful4 ,it may be regarded as a rule with few exceptions1 that he who breaks through the most restraints in order to sin will go to the greatest lengths in it4 ,,illustration4 ,this illustrative comparison is here most impressive4 ,it is founded upon a phenomenon which ,i have frequently seen1 and sometimes felt4 ,a small black cloud traverses the sky in the latter part of summer or beginning of autumn1 and pours down a flood of rain that sweeps all before it4 ,the ,arabs call it sale2 we1 a water-spout1 or the bursting of a cloud4 ,in the neighbourhood of ,hermon ,i have witnessed it repeatedly1 and was caught in one last year1 which in five minutes flooded the whole mountain side1 washed away the fallen olives--the food of the poor--overthrew stone walls1 etc4 ,every summer threshing-floor along the line of its march was swept bare of all precious food4 4 4 4 ,and such is the oppression of a poor man that oppresseth the poor4 ,these landlords1 and sheiks1 and emirs are generally poor1 hungry1 greedy1 remorseless1 and they come in successive swarms1 each more ravenous than his predecessor4 ,on a gigantic scale1 every hungry pasha from the capital is such a sale1 sweeping over the distant provinces of the empire4 ,vast regions1 formerly covered with golden harvests in their season1 and swarming with people full of food and gladness1 are now reduced to frightful deserts by their rapacity4--,thomson's ,the ,land and the ,book4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,woeful is the condition when necessity and imbecility meet together and encounter4 ,for necessity hath no mercy1 imbecility hath no help4 ,when poverty oppresseth anyone1 there is no measure in his oppressing another that is poor4 ,he spares not to strip him naked who hath already no clothes on4 ,he fears not to be a spoiler whom spoiling hath left nothing4 ,for there is nothing that doth so harden the hart of man as his own need2 and he hath little or no feeling of another's misery1 who feels the biting of his own4 ,as the rain falls1 so the earth bears it2 and as oppression dealeth1 so must the poor suffer it2 for as the earth lieth under all1 so doth he4 ,the rich man is a dashing rain upon him1 and when he pleaseth1 washeth away his means and succour from him 4 4 but there is no such sweeping rain unto him as when the oppressor is oppressed by poverty4 4 4 4 ,for he having nothing1 takes all that he can get1 and the hunger of his own distress so devoureth all1 as that he leaveth no food4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #d and #e4 ,,lawkeepers ,,and ,,lawbreakers4 ,i4 ,a quick understanding in ,divine things springs only from sympathy with ,divine precepts4 ,spiritual truth can only be apprehended by a soul in love with what is good and true4 ,a mere intellectual assent to certain moral propositions will not bring men to a real and intimate acquaintance with ,divine realities1 for the revelation of ,god is not a mathematical problem which appeals only to the intellect1 but a message to the consciences and affections of men4 ,the secret of the ,lord is with them that fear ,him 7,psa4 xxv4 #ad74 ,there must be spiritual sympathy before there can be spiritual perception1 for sin puts out the eyes of the soul1 and renders a man incapable of apprehending spiritual realities1 as physical blindness makes him unable of seeing material objects4 ,hence our ,lord made willingness to do ,his ,will the one essential condition to knowledge concerning ,his teaching 7,john vii4 #ag74 ,,ii4 ,those who love and obey the ,divine precepts contend with the wicked by their obedience4 ,love to ,god and obedience to ,him are inseparable4 ,the one is the necessary outcome of the other1 so that seekers after ,god described in verse #e1 and the keepers of the law mentioned in verse #d1 are the same persons4 ,the lives of such people are a more powerful reproof to the godless and wicked than any words which they can utter4 ,the feathers of the arrow have their place and value in helping the arrow find its destination1 but it is the steel point that penetrates the breast4 ,so words of admonition fitly spoken have their worth1 and are of some weight in contending with the wicked1 but a constant life of obedience to ,god is more convincing and penetrating4 ,so that ever true servant of ,god is fighting against the servants of sin by simply seeking to bring his life into conformity with ,his ,master's ,will4 ,,iii4 ,all neglect of ,god's law is a commendation of sin4 ,there are many men who would be ashamed openly to praise a wicked action who yet by their disregard of the ,divine requirements encourage open transgressors4 ,for there is no middle way here4 ,every man is on one side or the other1 and all who are not contending with the wicked by obedience are countenancing their evil courses by their own forsaking of the law of ,god4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #d4 ,forsaking2 simply evading or avoiding it1 no matter on what pretence4 ,solomon strikes for the result4 ,he scoffs at all apology4 ,do you1 or do you not1 obey direction8 ,if you do not1 the fact that you do not is all that is needed to mislead the looker-on1 for1 seizing upon that most villainous of all things1 praising the wicked--a thing that scarce ruffians do1 a thing that obscene seducers scarcely venture--he says1 ,all disobedience does it4 4 4 4 ,but the lonely widow1 going quietly to heaven1 who has asked carefully the road1 and has moved on as she was directed1 the text suddenly arms with a sword and spear6 ,she is a warrior6 ,in her quiet walk she is smiting down the rivals of her ,king4 ,and ,solomon literally means it4 ,the most effective army of the saints is the quiet group that dream of nothing but obedience4--,miller4 ,verse #e4 ,the natural man perceiveth not the things that belong to ,god1 but the spiritual man discerneth all things4 ,albeit there is some light in the wicked man which is sufficient to make him inexcusable1 yet he is always so blinded by natural ignorance and malice that both ,christ and the ,law to him are a mystery4 ,hence it cometh to pass that he neither fully seeth what is to be believed nor yet what is to be done1 either generally in all sorts of actions1 or particularly in the course of his calling or office4--,muffet4 ,origen saith1 ,of them who do not see1 some are blind1 and do not see because of their blindness2 others are in darkness1 and therefore do not see2 but others do not see because they shut their eyes4 ,and this is which many times makes the evil man not understand judgment--he will not do judgment1 and therefore will not understand it4 ,but true also it is that wickedness is a great blinding of the understanding4 ,for it turns away the eyes from the ,son of ,righteousness1 and casteth also a black shadow before it4 4 4 4 ,but what do they not understand1 that understand ,him that understandeth all things8 ,in all things that are required of them1 they understand what is to be done by them2 in all things that are taught them1 they understand the truth of them4 4 4 4 ,they understand the judgment that shall be upon the wicked2 they understand the reward that shall be to themselves2 they understand in all things to do judgment to others2 they are general scholars in their duties both to ,god and man4--,jermin4 ,he who makes wickedness his element1 falls into the confusion of the moral conception2 but he whose end is the one living ,god gains from that1 in every situation of life1 even amid the greatest difficulties1 the sense of what is morally right4 ,similarly the apostle ,john 7#a ,john ii4 #bj73 ,ye have an unction from the ,holy ,one1 and ye know all things3 i4e41 ye need to seek that knowledge which ye require1 and which ye long after not without yourselves1 but in the new ,divine foundation of your personal life2 from thence all that ye need for the growth of your spiritual life1 and for the turning away from you of hostile influences1 will come into your consciences4--,delitzsch4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #f1 see on chap4 xix4 #a1 page #efa2 on verse #g1 chap4 x4 #a1 page #acg2 on verse #h1 see the last remarks on chap4 xiii4 #bb1 page #cca4 ,on the subject of verse #i1 see on chap4 xv4 #h and #i1 pages #djg and #djh1 and on verse #aj1 see on chap4 xxvi4 #bg1 page #gba1 etc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aa4 ,,wisdom ,,is ,,wealth ,,and ,,poverty4 ,i4 ,riches tend to produce self-deception4 ,the power of riches to give external position and influence is almost unlimited4 ,wealth can bring its owners into the palaces of princes1 and place them on an equal footing with men of talent and rank4 ,it can surround a man with servants who will obey his nod1 and with friends who will flatter him to his heart's content4 ,by means of riches a man can make his name famous in both hemispheres while he lives1 and cause it to be remembered after he is dead4 ,it is not therefore surprising that many men who possess this potent means of influence should be so dazzled by it as to be unable to see themselves apart from it1 and should credit themselves with being more than ordinary men1 while the only difference is that they have more4 ,a rich man is always in danger of mistaking his wealth1 which is but an appendage to his personality1 for the wealth of wisdom1 which is a part of oneself1 and so of being the subject of the worst of all deception1 viz41 self-deception4 ,,ii4 ,but the possessor of riches does not often deceive other people as to his real worth4 ,men around him may flatter him and treat him as if they thought him very wise and clever1 but they are often despising him all the time1 and oftentimes there are those about him who1 although they are beneath him in rank and wealth1 are far above him in sagacity and penetration1 and can read his character and motives far better than he can himself4 ,wealth can do much for a man1 but it cannot purchase for him the respect and esteem of even the poor man who hath understanding1 and poverty has many drawbacks1 but it is free from this one--it does not minister to human vanity4 ,,iii4 ,a poor man who has moral and mental wealth is a greater blessing to the world than even a rich man who is wise and good4 ,he can show the world that there are some things better than wealth1 and that these better things are in no sense connected with it or dependent upon it4 ,he can convince men that ,god is but a shadow and that riches of heart and mind are the substance1 and he can demonstrate how much more lasting and satisfying is the influence gained by wisdom than that which is born of wealth4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the phrase searches him out1 may be variously understood4 ,he discerns his true character4 ,he sees that wisdom and wealth do not always go together2 that a full purse is quite compatible with an empty head4 ,he sees1 too1 that a man's wisdom is not to be estimated by his opinion of himself4 ,he sees shallowness where the man himself fancies depth1 and folly in what elates him with a vain consciousness of his own wisdom4 ,he sees abundant reason for not making the rich man his oracle1 or setting him up as his idol1 or making his example the pattern for his imitation1 merely for the number of his acres1 or for the gold and silver in his coffers4 ,he sees how prone men in general are to allow weight to counsel in proportion to the wealth of the counsellor4 ,but the understanding which ,god has given him shows him the absurdity of this4 ,he searches out the fallacy1 and directs and exposes the imprudence and folly of sentiments and proposals1 that are propounded and recommended by the wealthiest of the wealthy4 ,and still further1 taking understanding in its higher sense1 as it is used in this ,book as including a mind ,divinely enlightened and under the influence of the fear of ,god and all the principles of true religion3--the poor man who has this1 sees and knows that a little with the fear of the ,lord is better than the riches of many wicked2--that a good understanding have all they who do his commandments2--that no folly can be more palpable and flagrant than the folly of trusting in uncertain riches1--setting the eyes upon that which is not1 and neglecting provision for the soul and for eternity1--forfeiting the unsearchable riches provided by the mercy of ,god for sinners1--all the blessings1 unspeakably precious1 summed up in life everlasting2--spurning away the counsel that would put these in possession2--greedily coveting the treasures of the world that perish in the using1 and rejecting the ,divine offer of the treasures of immortality4 ,the poor man who hath understanding--,i can hardly say searches out the folly of this1--he discerns it by a kind of spiritual intuition4--,wardlaw4 ,the thought in verse #ab is the same as in chap4 xi4 #aj4 ,see ,homiletics on page #bjf4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ac4 ,,confession ,,and ,,forgiveness4 ,i4 ,sin tends to produce shame4 ,even a child often tries to hide an act of disobedience to a good mother's law1 and this not from fear of punishment merely1 but from an undefined sense of shame4 ,and this feeling clings to all men through life who are not entirely hardened in iniquity4 ,so long as the conscience is not entirely stifled1 men try to hide their wrong actions from their fellow-men even when no human punishment would follow the discovery1 and they even try to cover them from themselves by inventing excuses for them4 ,they often endeavour to cloak their sin before their fellow-creatures by putting on the garb of special sanctity1 and so add hypocrisy to their other transgressions1 and they will try to palliate their guilt at the bar of their own conscience by lowering the standard of morality which ,god has set up within them1 or by persuading themselves that ,he is a hard taskmaster1 requiring them to render ,him an unreasonable and a burdensome service4 ,there are other motives which induce men to cover their sins besides this one of shame1 and other methods by which they try to do it1 but whatever impels them1 and whatever means they use1 the truth taught in the proverb is always verified1 viz41 that all such makeshifts are worse than useless4 ,,ii4 ,the only prosperous method of dealing with sin4 ,this method consists of two acts which ,god has joined together1 and which man may not put asunder1 because neither of the two by itself would give evidence that the sinner was fit to receive full absolution4 ,if a man confesses his sin without forsaking it1 he seems almost to aggravate his transgression1 for he acknowledges that he sins knowing that it is sin1 and that it is useless to pardon him to-day1 because he will do the same thing to-morrow4 ,and if he forsakes his sin without confessing his guilt he shows that he does it from some other motive than abhorrence of evil4 ,certain sins are sometimes forsaken from expediency1 or from self-righteous motives1 but in such cases there is no guarantee that there will not be a return to them4 ,our ,lord describes such when he speaks of the unclean spirit going out of a man1 but returning to find an empty house--a soul with none of the newborn hopes and desires and aims which always come with true repentance--and of such ,he says that the last estate of that man is worse than the first 7,luke xi4 #bf74 ,but when hearty and sincere acknowledgement of sin is joined with earnest endeavour to forsake it1 ,god sees a soul which will know how to value ,his pardon1 and will find strength in it to fight against evil and finally to overcome it4 ,and to such a soul it is given to know the blessedness of the man whose transgression is forgiven1 whose sin is covered1 unto whom the ,lord imputeth not iniquity1 and in whose spirit there is no guile 7,psa4 xxxii4 #a1 #b74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,there are various ways of endeavouring to cover sins4 ,by denying them4 ,a lie is a cover which men put over their sins to conceal them from others4 ,they sin and deny the fact1 they wrap up their crimes in falsehood4 ,thus ,cain1 ,rachel1 ,joseph's brethren1 ,peter1 ,ananias and ,sapphira1 endeavoured to hide their sins4 ,by extenuating them4 ,men plead excuses4 ,the influence of others1 the power of circumstances1 the moral weakness of the constitution4 ,extenuation is a common cover4 ,by forgetting them4 ,they endeavour to sweep them from the memory by revelry and mirth1 by sensuality1 worldliness1 and intemperance4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,a child of ,god will confess sin in particular2 an unsound ,christian will confess sin by wholesale2 he will acknowledge he is a sinner in general1 whereas ,david doth1 as it were1 point with his finger to the sore3 ,i have done this evil 7,psa4 li4 #d72 he doth not say ,i have done evil1 but this evil4 ,he points at his blood-guiltiness4--,watson4 ,confession of sin will work a holy contrition and a godly sorrow in the heart 7,psalm xxxviii4 #ah74 ,declaration doth breed compunction4 ,confession of sin is but the causing of sin to recoil on the conscience1 which causeth blushing1 and shame of face1 and grief of heart4 4 4 4 ,secret confession gives a great deal of glory to ,god4 ,it gives glory to ,god's justice4 ,i do confess sin1 and do confess ,god in justice may damn me for my sin4 ,it gives glory to ,god's mercy4 ,i confess sin1 yet mercy may save me4 ,it gives glory to ,god's omnisciency4 ,in confessing sin ,i do confess that ,god knoweth my sin4--,christopher ,love4 ,it is fearful for a man to bind two sins together when he is not able to bear the load of one4 ,to act wickedness and then to cloak it1 is for a man to wound himself and then go to the devil for a plaster4 ,what man doth conceal ,god will not cancel4 ,iniquities strangled in silence will strangle the soul in heaviness4 ,there are three degrees of felicity3--the first is1 not to sin2 the second1 to know2 the third1 to acknowledge our offences4 ,let us1 then1 honour ,him by confession whom we have dishonoured by presumption4 4 4 4 ,sinfulness is a sleep1 confession a sign that we are waked4 ,men dream in their sleeps1 but tell their dreams waking4 ,in our sleep of security we lead a dreaming life1 full of vile imaginations2 but if we confess and speak our sins to ,god's glory1 and our own shame1 it is a token that ,god's ,spirit hath wakened us4 4 4 4 ,this is true1 though to some a paradox2 the way to cover our sins is to uncover them4--,t4 ,adams4 ,sin is in a man at once the most familiar inmate and the greatest stranger4 4 4 4 ,although he lives in it1 because he lives in it1 he is ignorant of it4 ,nothing is more widely diffused or more constantly near us than atmospheric air2 yet few ever notice its existence and fewer consider its nature4 ,dust1 and chaff1 and feather1 that sometimes float up and down in it1 attract our regard more than the air in which they float2 yet these are trifles that scarcely concern us1 and in this we live1 and move1 and have our being4 4 4 4 ,such1 in this respect1 is sin4 ,it pervades humanity1 but1 in proportion to its profusion1 men are blind to its presence4 ,because it is everywhere1 we do not notice it anywhere4 4 4 4 ,but the chief effort of the alienated must ever be to cover his sins from the eye of ,god4 4 4 4 ,all the wiles of the tempter1 and all the faculties of his slave1 are devoted to the work of weaving a curtain thick enough to cover an unclean conscience from the eye of ,god4 ,anything and everything may go as a thread to the web2 houses and lands1 business and pleasure1 family and friends1 virtues and vices1 blessings and cursings--a hideous miscellany of good and evil--constitute the material of the curtain2 and the woven web is walked over and over again with love and hatred1 joys and sorrows1 hopes and fears1 to thicken the wall without1 and to deepen the darkness within1 that the fool may be able1 with some measure of comfort1 to say in his heart1 ,no ,god4--,arnot4 ,sin and shifting came into this world together4 ,sin and ,satan are alike in this1 they cannot abide to appear in their own colour4 4 4 4 ,we must see our sin to confession1 or we shall see it to our confusion4 4 4 4 ,no man was ever kept out of heaven for his confessed badness2 many are for their supposed goodness4--,trapp4 ,st4 ,gregory speaketh1 ,he that covereth his sin1 doth not hide himself from the ,lord1 but hideth the ,lord from himself1 and that which he doth1 is that himself may not see ,god1 who seeth all things1 not that he be not seen4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #ad see on chaps4 xii4 #ae1 and on xiv4 #af1 pages #bga and #cfe4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ae-ag4 ,,vice ,,and ,,virtue ,,in ,,high ,,places4 ,i4 ,a cruel ruler is on a level with the most cruel of the brute creation4 ,the more power a man holds in his hand over the destinies of his fellow-creatures the greater is his responsibility1 and the blacker is his crime if he abuses his opportunities of blessing them4 ,in proportion to the unlimited character of his authority ought to be his care not to overstep the limits of the strictest justice1 and he is bound to lean rather to the side of mercy than to severity4 ,the less reason he has to fear any retaliation from those whom he rules1 the more is he bound to mingle much gentleness and forbearance with his government1 for it is the act of a coward to act towards the weak and defenceless as we should fear to act towards one who is our equal in strength4 ,the man who can be capable of such cowardice no longer deserves the name of a man1 but puts himself on a level with those beasts of prey from whom we shrink in terror1 knowing that in them there is no reason1 or conscience1 or pity to which we can appeal4 ,,ii4 ,incapacity in a ruler may work almost as much misery as cruelty4 ,a mother may not be guilty of positive acts of cruelty towards her children1 and yet they may suffer very keenly and very seriously from her unfitness to train their souls and her ignorance as to how to take care of their bodies4 ,her neglect may in the end bring consequences as fatal as the greatest severity would have done4 ,this rule holds good wherever one human creature has others dependent upon him1 and the more entire the dependence1 the more miserable will be the results of his or her incapacity4 ,in countries where rulers do not bear absolute sway1 a prince who wanteth understanding is not so great a curse as where his will is the only or the supreme law1 but the history of our own country contains instances of monarchs who1 although they would have been harmless in private life1 were1 from lack of capacity to rule1 very great oppressors of the people4 ,,iii4 ,the curse which rests upon all such oppressors of their kind4 ,like ,jehoram of old1 they depart undesired 7#b ,chron4 xxi4 #bj74 ,the blood of their brothers crieth out for vengeance upon their heads1 and no man puts forth a hand to arrest their doom4 ,even those who pity as well as blame1 if they wish well to the body politic1 feel it is a blessing when such tyrants are removed from the earth--when their power of doing violence to the rights of their fellow-creatures is at an end4 ,let no man stay him for the sake of those whom he leaves behind1 and let no man hinder his departure for his own sake1 for his continuance in his place upon the earth would but give him opportunity to add to his crimes1 and thus increase the weight of his punishment4 7,for illustrations of this subject and additional ,homiletics see on chap4 xi4 #ag1 page #bbj--;also page #bjh47 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ae4 ,but these emblems were insufficient to represent the monstrous barbarities that have been often exercised by those that were at the head of the ,roman empire in its pagan or antichristian state2 and1 therefore1 ,daniel and ,john represent them under the figure of monsters more dreadful than any that were ever beheld by the eyes of man 7,jer4 xxxi4 #ah1 ,daniel vii4 #aj1 ,rev4 xiii474 ,the language of inspiration could not furnish out more terrible images for the devil himself1 than those which have been used to represent the wickedness of tyrannical and persecuting powers4 ,we ought to be thankful for the wounds that have been given to the beast with seven heads and two horns1 and for the civil and religious liberties which we enjoy4--,lawson4 ,verse #af4 ,as want of understanding maketh a man an oppressor1 so to be an oppressor showeth a want of understanding in him4 ,but the special want at which the verse seems to aim is the greedy want of covetousness4 ,for as a covetous man wanteth understanding1 because he seeketh that so eagerly which he cannot keep1 so a covetous prince wanteth understanding1 because he seeketh that so earnestly which he hath already4--,jermin4 ,verse #ag4 ,god's jealous regard for the life of man was strongly expressed at the second outset of our world's history2 and expressed in terms of evident allusion to the early and awful violation of its sacredness in the antediluvian period3--,and surely your blood of your lives will ,i require2 at the hand of every beast will ,i require it1 and at the hand of man2 at the hand of every man's brother will ,i require the life of man4 ,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed3 for in the image of ,god made he man 7,gen4 ix4 #e1 #f74 ,for my own part1 having examined the various principles of interpretation by which those who are for doing away all capital punishments have explained these words1 ,i have not been able to satisfy myself with any one of them4 ,they seem to be all forced and unnatural1 and1 on different critical grounds1 inadmissible4 ,i cannot but regard the language as bearing no fair and natural interpretation1 but that which makes it a ,divine requisition1 on the part of man1 of blood for blood--that is1 of life for life2 and as thus affording more than a sanction1 as laying down a requirement4 ,though ,i am far from conceiving that we are bound by ,jewish criminal law1 yet in the law regarding murder there is so evident an allusion to this original and universal injunction1 and the language withal is so very pointed and emphatically reiterated1 that ,i cannot go the length of those who would include murder among crimes to be punished with infliction short of death4 ,when set beside the original and universal law it serves1 by its very emphasis and peremptoriness1 to confirm the ordinary interpretation of that charge to the second progenitors of our race as the just one1 and to show1 therefore1 the universality of its obligation4--,wardlaw4 ,even the heathen judged this awful transgressor to be under the ,divine vengeance 7,acts xxviii4 #d74 ,the death therefore of the murderer is an imperative obligation4 ,it is miscalled philanthropy that protests against all capital punishments4 ,shall man pretend to be more merciful than ,god8 ,pity is misplaced here4 ,the murderer therefore of his brother is his own murderer4--,bridges4 ,this is not directly an admonition against that which is immoral2 it may also be a declaration of that which is impossible4--,delitzsch4 ,the subjects of the next six verses have all been treated before4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #ah1 see on chaps4 x4 #i1 and xi4 #c1 pages #aec and #aie4 ,verse #ai is almost a verbal repetition of chap4 xii4 #aa1 see page #bff4 ,on the main subject of verses #bj and #bb1 see on chaps4 xiii4 #aa and xxi4 #e1 pages #cjf and #fji4 ,on verse #ba1 see on chap4 xvii4 #bc1 page #ebd1 and on verse #bc chap4 xxvii4 #e and #f1 page #gbh4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,robbing ,,parents4 ,i4 ,a parent's sacred rights4 ,a father and mother1 if they are worthy of the name1 have a very strong claim upon their children's consideration4 ,their children owe them obedience in their childhood1 and reverent and loving regard when they have reached manhood4 ,if their parents are rich1 their possessions are to be held as peculiarly sacred4 ,a feeling1 says ,wardlaw1 should attach to it somewhat like that which attaches to holy things--things pertaining to ,god and ,his service4 ,the violation of their property should be felt to be a description of sacrilege4 ,on the other hand1 if the parents are poor1 their children are certainly bound to help to support them1 and so in some measure to repay to them the expense of their own bringing up4 ,christ puts this duty to parents before that of giving even to the support of ,church ordinances1 and severely condemns the ,pharisees and ,scribes for inculcating opposite teaching 7,mark vii4 #aa74 ,,ii4 ,the character of the child who violates these rights4 ,there are1 alas1 many sons and daughters who1 instead of rendering more honour to their parents than to other people give them less1 and instead of showing more regard to their parents' rights than to those of a stranger1 seem to ignore the fact that they owe anything to them4 ,in the matter of money1 those who would not touch the possession of any other person will sometimes appropriate what belongs to their parents1 and say1 ,it is no transgression2 or if they do not go quite so far as this1 do not hesitate to live upon them when they ought to be earning their own living1 or to incur debts which they know their parents will discharge4 ,he who is guilty of any of these negative or positive transgressions robs1 his father and his mother1 and his character is given here4 ,although he may not be openly a vicious man--although he may seem to be much less blameworthy than the man who openly violates the law of the land1 he is here put on a level with him4 ,the sin in the sight of ,god is as great1 and there is in such a man the capability of developing into an open transgressor1 for he who can violate such holy demands of duty1 and trample upon the rights of such a sacred relationship1 only wants the motive and opportunity to commit actions which would at once class him among the criminals of society4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,but if any widow have children or nephews1 let them first learn to shew piety at home1 and to requite their parents 7#a ,tim4 v4 #d74 ,it is observable1 children's kindness to their parents is termed piety or godliness1 because it is a part thereof1 and very acceptable to ,god4 ,besides1 it is called a requiting them1 intimating that it is not an act of grace1 but of justice4--,swinnock4 ,to say that we did not look upon a thing to be a transgression will be no just excuse for any piece of conduct that we might have known to be criminal4 ,it will only shew us to be so depraved that even our minds and our consciences are defiled4--,lawson4 ,for ,homiletics on the first clause of verse #be1 see on chap4 xiii4 #aj1 page #cje4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bf1 ,,and ,,last ,,clause ,,of ,,verse #be4 ,,self-,,confidence4 ,i4 ,he that trusts in his own heart is a fool1 because he refused to profit by the experience of others4 ,if a man who has made a perilous voyage declares at the end of it that he has found his compass utterly untrustworthy1 we should count him a madman who would set out upon a similar expedition with the same faulty guide2 and if he went down in mid-ocean to rise no more1 we should certainly say that it was his own fault4 ,to trust to a guide which another man has proved to be unworthy of confidence when so much was at stake1 would be universally condemned as obstinate foolhardiness4 ,yet this is what men do in the voyage of life4 ,the testimony of most men who1 rejecting the guidance of a higher wisdom1 have shaped their lives according to their own ideas and inclinations1 has been at the end that they have trusted a guide that has misled them4 ,solomon himself steered a good deal of his life by this deceiving compass1 and at the end confessed that he had acted foolishly in so doing 7,eccles4 i4 #b74 ,it may be that the words of our text were the expression of his own bitter experience on the subject1 and that he is here counselling others to avoid the error into which he had fallen4 ,,ii4 ,he is a wise man who seeks guidance from ,god because he trusts in ,one who has proved ,himself worthy of confidence4 ,he who has declared that the human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked 7,jer4 xvii4 #i7 has offered ,himself as the object of man's trust and as ,his infallible guide4 ,millions of the human family have assented to the truth of the ,divine statement1 and have testified to the blessedness of submission to ,divine guidance1 and have been manifestly delivered by their submission from the bondage of evil1 and elevated into a region of moral purity and freedom to which other men are strangers4 ,they are living proofs that ,he who exhorts men to trust in ,him is not a deceiver1 but can justify the demands ,he makes upon our confidence and submission4 ,human experience has set its seal to the inspired word3--,blessed is the man that trusteth in the ,lord1 and whose hope the ,lord is4 ,for ,he shall be as a tree planted by the waters1 and that spreadeth out her roots by the river1 and shall not see when heat cometh1 but her leaf shall be green2 and shall not be careful in the year of drought1 neither shall cease from yielding fruit 7,jer4 xvii4 #g-h74 ,surely1 then1 he is a wise man who makes the trial for himself4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,the heart1 indeed1 has instrumentality to save us4 ,we must trust everything to that4 ,but it is the heart dwelt in by ,christ4 ,he that takes his heart and confides it to the ,son of ,man1 receives for it an altered life1 and will be able to trust that heart thus trusted to ,christ as the instrument in the battle of deliverance4--,miller4 ,though the mariner sees not the pole-star1 yet the needle of his compass1 which points to it1 tells him which way he sails4 ,thus the heart that is touched with the loadstone of ,divine love1 trembling with godly fear1 and yet still looking towards ,god with fixed believing1 interprets the fear by the love in the fear1 and tells the soul that its course is heavenward towards the haven of eternal rest4--,leighton4 ,whoever trusts another for his guide must do it upon account of two qualifications to be found in him3--#a4 ,that he is able to direct and lead him4 #b4 ,that he also faithfully will give the best directions4 4 4 4 ,there are two things which may make a trust foolish3--#a4 ,the value of the thing which we commit to a trust4 #b4 ,the undue qualifications of the person to whose trust we commit it4 ,in both respects the confidence reposed by men in their own hearts is exceeding foolish4 ,i4 ,the honour of ,god is entrusted4 ,so far as the manifestation of ,god's honour depends upon the homage of ,his obedient creatures1 so far is it at the mercy of our actions1 which are at the command of the heart1 as the motion of the wheels follows the disposition of the spring4 ,god is never disobeyed but ,he is also dishonoured4 ,,ii4 ,man trusts his heart with his happiness in this world1 and this is two-fold--spiritual and temporal4 ,,iii4 ,he entrusts his heart with the eternal concernment of his soul hereafter4 4 4 4 ,the heart of man will also be found to have eminently these two ill qualities utterly unfitted for such a trust4 ,i4 ,it is weak1 and so cannot make good a trust4 ,its weakness is twofold4 #a4 ,in point of apprehension it cannot perceive and understand certainly what is good4 #b4 ,in point of election1 it cannot choose and embrace it4 ,,ii4 ,the heart is deceitful1 and so will not make good its trust4 4 4 4 ,the delusions of the heart may be reduced to three sorts4 #a4 ,such as relate to the commission of sin4 #b4 ,such as relate to the performance of duty4 #c4 ,such as relate to a man's conversion1 or change of his spiritual estate4 4 4 4 ,the heart if it does not find sins small1 has this notable faculty1 that it can make them so 4 4 4 and in duty is willing to take up with the outside and superficies of things1 and 4 4 4 it will persuade him that he is converted from a state of sin1 when perhaps he is only converted from one sin to another2 and that he has changed his heart when he has only changed his vice4--,south4 ,on the subject of verse #bg1 see on chap4 xi4 #bd-bf1 page #bcd1 and on chap4 xiv4 #ca1 page #chi4 ,the subject of verse #bh has been treated in chap4 xi4 #aj1 page #bjf4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#d4 ,he that receiveth gifts4 ,zckler translates this1 a man of taxes4 #g4 ,considereth4 ,literally knoweth4 ,zckler and ,delitzsch translate the latter clause1 the godless discern1 or understand not1 knowledge4 #h4 ,bring a city1 etc41 literally1 set a city on fire4 #i4 ,the second clause should rather be he rageth and laugheth 7i4e41 the fool71 and there is no rest4 #aj4 ,delitzsch translates this verse3 ,men of blood hate the guiltless and the upright2 they seek his soul4 #aa4 ,his mind4 ,rather his wrath4 ,keepeth it till afterward4 ,rather restraineth it1 keeps it in the background4 #ac4 ,the deceitful4 ,rather the usurer4 ,a man of usury is only a more concrete expression for a rich man and this is the corresponding term in chap4 xxii4 #b 7,zckler74 #ah4 ,vision4 ,rather ,revelation4 ,the word denotes prophetic prediction1 the revelation of ,god by ,his seers 7#a ,sam4 ix4 #i72 the chief function of these consisted in their watching over the vigorous fulfilling of the law1 or in the enforcement of the claims of the law 7,zckler74 #ai4 ,doth not answer4 ,rather there is not an answer1 that is in action1 by obedience4 ,delitzsch translates does not conform thereto4 #ba4 ,a son1 etc4 ,there are many different translations of this verse1 but the general verdict of scholars seems to favour the ,english rendering4 ,luther translates the verse1 ,if a servant is tenderly treated from youth up1 he will accordingly become a squire4 #bd4 ,he heareth cursing4 ,rather the curse1 i4e41 according to ,zckler1 the curse which according to the law 7,lev4 v4 #a4 sq47 marks a theft as an offence demanding a heavy penalty4 ,delitzsch translates he hateth the oath1 and explains it as that of the judge who adjures the partner of the thief by ,god to tell the truth4 7,see also ,lev4 v4 #a47 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #a4 ,,reproof ,,and ,,destruction4 ,i4 ,an act of benevolence which is often resented4 ,when a child is reproved1 and if need be chastised1 for playing with the fire or neglecting its lessons1 all reasonable people see that it is a kind act1 and the child itself1 when it has grown wiser1 acknowledges that the reproof1 even if it took the form of punishment1 was an act of true benevolence1 for it has saved him from bodily suffering or from intellectual loss4 ,but it is probable that at the time the reproof was administered it was received with resentment1 and the parent or friend who administered it was looked upon as an enemy4 ,and it is so generally with men in relation to the reproofs of ,god1 whether they come direct in the shape of providential chastisements or indirectly in the rebukes of ,his servants4 ,god can have but one aim in reproving ,his creatures1 and that is to save them from the pain which follows sin1 and to increase their capabilities of happiness by bringing them under ,his ,divine training4 ,but this effort of ,god is often resisted1 and man in the act of resistance is here and elsewhere likened to the ox which refuses to obey his master4 ,he hardens his neck against the yoke of ,divine reproof4 ,repentant ,ephraim acknowledges that under ,divine chastisement he was as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke 7,jer4 xxxi4 #ah72 he resisted the efforts of his ,god to bring him into subjection to ,his wise rule1 and into harmony with ,his benevolent purposes concerning him4 ,the ox who does nothing but browse is living the lowest form of life which a brute can live--he eats1 and sleeps1 and fattens for the knife4 ,but if his master leads him from his pasture1 and harnesses him to the plough1 he thereby makes him a co-worker with himself2 the beast now helps to raise the corn which not only feeds himself1 but feeds men also1 and thus1 by coming under the yoke1 he becomes a more useful and valuable creature4 ,but as he is only a brute1 he is not to be blamed if he prefers the lower life to the higher4 ,as it is with the ox and his master1 so it is with the sinner and ,god4 ,the godless man is content to live upon a level with the lowest level of brute life--to satisfy his bodily appetites1 to eat and drink1 and die and leave undeveloped all his capacities for spiritual growth and blessedness4 ,but ,god would make him a co-worker with ,himself in lifting him to a higher level and in making him a more useful and blessed creature4 ,but men often resist this benevolent intention1 and resent this check upon their self-will4 ,,ii4 ,the resistance to many acts of benevolence bringing one act of judgment4 ,it must at last be decided whose will is to be the law of the universe--that of rebellious men or that of the ,holy ,god2 and though the ,divine longsuffering is so exceedingly great1 ,he must1 in the interests of ,his creatures1 assert ,his right to their obedience4 ,this ,he did in the case of ,his chosen people--after centuries of resisted reproof sudden and irremediable destruction came upon the nation1 and those who1 like the ,jews1 will not come under the yoke of ,god1 must sooner or later feel ,his rod4 ,if they will not be ,his children they must be treated as rebellious subjects4 ,on this subject see also on chap4 vi4 #ab-ai1 page #ha4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,such was the destruction of the old world1 and of the cities of the plain1 long hardened against the forbearance of ,god4 ,pharaoh grew more stubborn under the rod1 and rushed madly upon his sudden ruin4 ,eli's sons hearkened not unto the voice of their father1 and in one day died both of them4 ,ahab1 often reproved by the godly prophet1 hardened his neck1 and the bow1 drawn at a venture1 received its commission4 ,how must ,judas have steeled his heart against his ,master's reproof6 ,onward he rushed1 that he might go to his own place4--,bridges4 ,sins repeated and reiterated are much greater than sins once committed4 4 4 4 ,as in numbers1 one in the first place stands but for a single one1 in the second place ten1 in the third place for a hundred1 so here1 each repetition is a great aggravation4 ,it is one thing to fall into the water1 another thing to lie there2 it is the latter that drowns men4--,swinnock4 ,on the subject of verse #b1 see on chap4 xi4 #aj1 page #bjf4 ,on verse #c1 see on chap4 x4 #a1 page #acg1 and on chap4 v4 #a-bj1 page #fh4 ,the subject of verse #d has been treated on page #dgb1 in the homiletics on chap4 xvi4 #aj-ae1 and that of verse #e in the homiletics on chap4 xxvi4 #bc-bh1 page #gba4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #f4 ,a ,,snare ,,and ,a ,,song4 ,i4 ,sin deceives men4 ,if a man digs a pit for the purpose of entrapping a victim1 his great aim is to make the path over it as inviting as possible and entirely to hide from sight the snare which he has laid1 for1 as ,solomon tells us elsewhere1 ,surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird 7chap4 i4 #ag74 ,so when the great deceiver of men tries to lead them into sin1 he makes the way of transgression look very inviting1 and persuades his victim that some great gain is to be gotten by the sin4 ,he hides from view the pit of misery that lies at the end of every path of disobedience to ,god4 ,he did not let ,adam and ,eve see beforehand the bitter consequences of breaking the ,divine command or he would not have succeeded in accomplishing their downfall4 ,and he does not let the young man whom he persuades to rob his master see the felon's cell beyond1 or his persuasions would be ineffectual4 ,his great aim is to make men believe there is security where there is danger--a solid rock where there is a yawning pit--probable gain where there is certain loss4 ,seeing that sin is against the sinner's own interests1 and that there is in every man an instinct of self-preservation1 we must conclude that if transgressors were not ensnared1 ,satan could take the captive no other way4 ,,ii4 ,righteousness gladdens men4 ,god1 who is the ,fountain and ,source of all the joy in the universe1 made man for happiness4 ,this is the portion which ,he intended all ,his creatures to possess1 and which they forfeit by their own act and deed4 ,before sin entered our world1 song was man's natural employment--it was as natural for him to rejoice in ,god's love as it was to breathe ,god's air4 ,and in proportion as sin is banished from the human soul1 and the right relation between it and ,god is re-established1 joy and gladness re-enter the heart4 ,the indissoluble connection which is found everywhere between righteousness of life and peace of mind is a revelation of the character of the ,being who sits upon the throne of the universe1 and although the song of the righteous in this world is not an unbroken one1 and they have sorrow as well as joy1 they are hastening to a world where ,god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes1 and there shall be no more sorrow or crying1 neither shall there be any more pain2 for the former things are passed away 7,rev4 xxi4 #d74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,or1 a cord1 viz41 to strangle his joy with--to check and choke all his comforts4 ,in the midst of his mirth he hath many a secret gripe1 and little knows the world where the shoe pinches him4 ,every fowl that hath a seemly feather hath not the sweetest flesh1 nor doth every tree that bringeth a goodly leaf bear good fruit4 ,glass giveth a clearer sound than silver1 and many things glitter besides gold4 ,the wicked man's jollity may wet the mouth1 but not warm the heart--smooth the brow1 but not fill the breast4 4 4 4 ,but though ,saul could not be merry without a fiddler1 ,ahab without ,naboth's vineyard1 ,haman without ,mordecai's courtesy1 yet a righteous man can be merry without all these4--,trapp4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #g see on chap4 xiv4 #ca1 page #chi1 and on chap4 xxiv4 #aa1 #ab1 page #fhj4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #h4 ,,the ,,citizen',s ,,enemy ,,and ,,the ,,citizen',s ,,friend4 ,i4 ,a scornful man is a social calamity4 ,a scorner is a man who has a great opinion of his own wisdom and ability1 and a very low one of all who oppose him4 ,from his self-constructed elevation he looks down upon those who refuse to obey him1 and counts them his inferiors simply because they do so4 ,this is a perilous course to pursue even when only individual interests are at stake1 but when the scornful man holds the welfare of others in his hand1 the disastrous effects of his conduct are more widely spread4 ,when he is the only person who suffers from over-estimating himself and underrating the strength of his opponents the issue is hardly to be regretted1 but ,solomon here has in his mind a public man who brings ruin upon many besides himself by his proud disdain of their foes1 and by his refusal to recognise a common danger4 ,goliath was such a man4 ,as the representative and champion of the ,philistines he over-estimated the value of his physical strength1 and set too low an estimate upon the unseen power arrayed against him1 and his scorn of his enemies brought a great calamity upon his nation4 ,a scornful man brings the heaviest calamity upon a people when he scoffs at the power of ,god and persuades his followers to set at nought ,his demands and threatenings4 ,this was the great crime of many of ,solomon's successors on the throne1 and of the false prophets of ,judah and ,israel1 and hence the sentence passed upon them and upon those who listened to them3 ,wherefore hear the word of the ,lord1 ye scornful men1 that rule this people which is in ,jerusalem4 ,because ye have said1 we have made a covenant with death1 and with hell are we in agreement3 when the overflowing scourge shall pass through1 it shall not come unto us2 for we have made lies our refuge1 and under falsehood have we hid ourselves3 ,therefore thus saith the ,lord ,god 4 4 4 ,judgement also will ,i lay to the line1 and righteousness to the plummet3 and the hail shall sweep away the refuges of lies1 and the waters shall overflow the hiding places1 etc4 7,isa4 xxviii4 #ad-bb74 ,,ii4 ,a wise man is a social blessing4 ,we have before seen 7see on chap4 xiv4 #ae-ah1 page #cfd7 that it is one of the characteristics of a wise man that he recognises the presence of moral danger in relation to himself1 and the same may be said concerning danger of every kind1 not only as regards himself1 but others also4 ,the recognition of danger is quite distinct from the fear of it2 indeed those who are most quick to discern it have generally the most courage to meet it and the most wisdom to avert it4 ,scornful men generally have nothing but scorn wherewith to meet a foe1 but the man who is truly wise can afford to acknowledge the strength of his enemies because he is fully prepared to meet them4 ,if he seek to turn away the wrath of man by persuasion1 he will be able to back his persuasion by wise reasoning1 and if he strive to avert the wrath of ,god he will endeavour to bring those for whom he intercedes to such a state of mind as will render them fit to appreciate ,divine pardon4 ,but if he cannot do this his own character will give effect to his prayers1 and as in the case of ,moses and the children of ,israel1 ,god will spare many sinners for the sake of one righteous man4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,surely it was wisdom in the king and people of ,nineveh1 instead of bringing their city into a snare by scornful rebellion1 to avert by timely humiliation the impending destruction 7,jonah iii4 #e-aj74 ,let the people be gathered2 let the ministers of the ,lord gird themselves to their work of weeping and accepted pleaders for the land 7,joel ii4 #ag74 ,surely except the ,lord of ,hosts had left us a very small remnant of these powerful intercessors1 we should have been as ,sodom1 and we should have been like unto ,gomorrah 7,isa4 i4 #i74 ,praised be ,god6 ,the voice is yet heard--,destroy it not1 for a blessing is in it 7,ib4 lxv4 #h74 ,the salt of the earth preserves it from corruption 7,matt4 v4 #ac74 ,shall not we1 then1 honour these wise men with reverential gratitude--,my father--my father6 the chariots of ,israel1 and the horsemen thereof8 4 4 4 ,moses--,exod4 xxxii4 #aj-ad2 ,deut4 ix4 #h-bj2 ,ps4 cvi4 #bc2 ,aaron--,num4 xvi4 #dh2 ,phinehas--,num4 xxv4 #aa2 ,ps4 cvi4 #cj4 ,elijah--#a ,kings xviii4 #db-de2 ,james v4 #af1 #ah2 ,jer4 xviii4 #bj2 ,dan4 ix4 #c-bj2 ,amos vii4 #a-f4 ,the righteous remnant--,isa4 i4 #i1 vi4 #ac4 ,comp4 ,gen4 xviii4 #cb2 ,job xxii4 #cj2 ,jer4 v4 #a2 ,ezek4 xxii4 #cj1 #ca4 ,contrast ,ezek4 xiii4 #e4--;,bridges4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #i1 see on chaps4 xxiii4 #i and xxvi4 #c-aa1 pages #ffe and #gaf4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #aj4 ,,soul-,,seekers ,,and ,,soul-,,haters4 ,i4 ,a proof of the unnatural condition of the human family4 ,when we look at a human body we see that every limb and organism belonging to it ministers to the well-being of the whole frame1 and thus to the comfort of the living soul that inhabits it4 ,this we recognise to be a natural and fitting state of things--just what we should have expected to find before experience4 ,if in any human body we at any time see the hand inflicting injury upon the head1 or any one member causing discomfort to another1 we conclude1 and with reason1 that some disturbance of the natural condition has taken place--that there is physical disease in some bodily organism1 or moral disease in the spirit that animates the body4 ,so our human instincts and our reason force us to the conclusion that the natural relation of the members of the great body of humanity is one in which each for all and all for each should be the rule of action4 ,that it is not so1 can but strike all thinking men and women as a terrible incongruity4 ,that most men not merely regard their human brethren with indifference1 but that many actually hate and seek to injure their fellow-creatures is surely an evidence that some fatal moral distemper has laid hold of the race4 ,and the evidence becomes stronger when we consider the truth of the first assertion in the proverb--that not only do bloodthirsty men seek to injure other men in general1 but that the objects of their especial malignity are the upright--those who have given them no provocation1 but whose desire and aim it is to bless their human brothers and sisters4 ,,ii4 ,an example in renewed men of what human brotherhood ought to be4 ,notwithstanding the great amount of self-seeking and enmity that is found in the world1 there always has been found a small minority who have been seekers of the good of others1 and in whom love to their human brethren has been the keynote of existence4 ,and this love has been felt1 and this seeking has been active1 in behalf of those who hated them1 and sought to do them ill4 ,all such members of the human family are doing their part towards restoring men to the condition of peace and goodwill in which their ,creator intended them to live1 and help us to form some idea of what earth would have been if sin had never entered it4 ,it is true they would then have had no opportunity of loving their enemies1 and of doing good to those who hate them1 but the love which seeketh not her own would have found free scope for her activities in going out towards those animated by the same spirit of love and would never have had to sorrow over efforts to seek and save that have been apparently fruitless4 ,all just men who are seekers of the well-being of others1 and especially those who seek the good of their enemies1 are followers of that ,just ,one who was hated by the bloodthirsty of ,his day1 and who sought their souls while they sought ,his life4 ,the history of the martyr ,church in all ages has been the history of the bloodthirsty hating the upright1 and of the just treading in the footsteps of their ,divine ,master1 and seeking the souls of their persecutors4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,these words may mean--and probably do mean--that the upright1 in opposition to the blood-thirsty by whom the just is hated1 seek his soul1--that is1 the soul or life of the object of the hatred--of the just or the upright4 ,of the ,lord ,himself it is said--,he loveth the righteous4 ,and in this all ,his people resemble ,him4 ,it is one of their characteristic distinctions4 ,they pray for the upright1 and endeavour1 by all means in their power1 to preserve them from the deadly machinations of their persecutors4 ,the amount of love required of ,god's people towards ,god's people is that they be ready to lay down their lives for the brethren4 ,and if for the brethren--how much more for ,,the ,,just ,,one4--,wardlaw4 ,the just seek his soul4 ,as ,paul did of his countrymen the ,jews1 of whom five times he received forty stripes save one 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #bd72 as the disciples did of those spiteful ,pharisees that had causelessly accused them 7,matt4 xv4 #b-ab72 as that martyr ,master ,saunders did3 ,my lord1 said he to ,bishop ,bonner1 you seek my blood1 and you shall have it4 ,i pray ,god you may be so baptized in it as hereafter you may loathe blood-sucking1 and so become a better man4--,trapp4 ,on the subject of verse #aa see on chap4 x4 #ai-ba1 page #afh4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ab4 ,a ,,moral ,,cancer ,,in ,a ,,king',s ,,court4 ,i4 ,a man in authority should be a discerner of character4 ,the man whose bodily sight is defective is not fit to be entrusted with the destinies of others in any case in which clear vision is needed4 ,a purblind seaman would not be the man to stand upon the bridge of a vessel and direct its movements1 nor would a general unable to distinguish friends from foes be a safe person to whom to entrust the guidance of an army in the field4 ,and a man is manifestly in the wrong place if he is a ruler over others and is not a discerner of character4 ,,ii4 ,a man in authority should be the possessor of a character4 ,a ruler may be a good man himself and yet be imposed upon by others1 but as a rule a lover of truth is a discerner of truth1 and an honest man will detect the false ring of the liar's words4 ,but if a man is himself a liar1 he will instinctively shrink from contact with true men1 and true men will not care to hold intercourse with him1 or to serve him1 and so he must necessarily gather round him servants who are like himself4 ,such processes of attraction and repulsion are always going on in the world1 in all departments of government1 in the family1 in the factory1 and in the court4 ,the servants are generally what the master is1 and the courtiers reflect the character of the monarch4 ,,iii4 ,it is therefore indispensable to the moral purity of any community that its head be first a good man and then an able man4 ,moral excellence is before all other things needful1 but it is not the only thing needful4 ,a good man is not always a keen discerner of character1 although his goodness will strengthen his power of discernment1 but he who rules men should possess in an uncommon degree the power of reading them as well as that of setting them a good example in his own life4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he that carrieth ,satan in his ear is no less blameworthy than he which carrieth him in his tongue4 ,untruths are cherished and fostered1 as it were1 by those who are too light of belief4 ,but this credulity is especially to be shunned by rulers in church1 commonwealth1 or private families2 for all the inferiors commonly follow the example of the superiors4 4 4 4 ,it may indeed sometimes fall out that an ,obadiah may lurk in ,ahab's court1 but this is rare1 and commonly the sway goeth another way4 ,who were ,saul's courtiers but ,doeg and such backbiters8--,muffett4 ,how wise was ,david's determination--both as the sovereign of his people and the ruler of his house--to discountenance lies1 and uphold the cause of faithful men6 7,ps4 ci4 #b-g74--;,bridges4 ,it is natural1 when we think of ,solomon's own situation as king of ,israel1 to expect to find some of his maxims of proverbial wisdom bearing special reference to the character and conduct of men in power4 ,and so it is4 ,when1 moreover1 we think of the wisdom with which1 at the outset of his reign1 and at his own earnest request1 he was ,divinely endowed1 we as naturally anticipate a correspondence between the maxims and the character4 ,nor are we disappointed4 ,the maxims are not those of the selfishness of power1--not those of arbitrary despotism or the sovereignty of royal will2 nor are they those of an artful1 intriguing1 ,machiavellian policy4 ,they are sound and liberal1 and based on the great principle of the public good being the end of all government--the principle that kings reign1 not for themselves1 but for their people2 while1 in all their administration1 they ought to be swayed and regulated by the laws of an authority higher than their own1 by a regard to the ,will of ,god as their rule1 and the ,glory of ,god1 to which all else must ever be subordinate1 as their supreme aim4 ,but we must not forget1 that the ,book of ,proverbs forms part of the canon of ,inspired ,scripture2 that it does not contain1 therefore1 the mere dictates of human wisdom1 how extraordinary soever that wisdom was2 that a greater than ,solomon is here4--,wardlaw4 ,the reigns of those princes who gave an easy belief to accusations1 are stained with the most atrocious crimes4 ,tiberius ,csar put to death the greater number of his own privy councillors1 by giving ear to lies1 and encouraging his servants to be wicked2 and it is probable that the worst action that ever was committed since the fall of ,adam1 the murder of the ,prince of ,life1 was occasioned by ,pilate's wicked and cowardly regard to the temper of that tyrant1 and his fear of being accused as an encourager of treason1 if he had suffered our ,lord to escape4--,lawson4 ,rulers are the looking-glasses according to which most men dress themselves4 ,their sins do much hurt1 as by imputation 7#b ,sam4 xxiv47--the prince sinned1 the people suffered--so by imitation2 for man is a creature apt to imitate1 and is more led by his eyes than his ears4 4 4 4 ,height of place ever adds two wings to sin1 example1 and scandal1 whereby it soars higher and flies much further4--,trapp4 ,the subject of verse #ac is the same as that of chap4 xxii4 #bb1 page #fcf4 ,the deceitful man should be the man of usury1 money-lender1 meaning simply the rich man4 7,zckler47 ,for subjects of verses #ad and #ae1 see on chapter xvi4 #aj-ae1 page #dgb1 and xiii4 #bd1 page #cce1 also on chap4 xix4 #ac-ah1 page #egc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #af4 ,,victory ,,not ,,with ,,the ,,majority4 ,i4 ,there is no necessary connection between numbers and righteousness4 ,weeds grow faster than wheat1 and are much more abundant than the grain4 ,but the simple fact that there are more weeds than there is corn does not alter the character of either4 ,in the same field it may happen that there is more to bind for fuel than for food--that the tares far outnumber the ears of wheat--and in this case the worth is on the side of the smaller quantity4 ,so it is in the moral field of the world4 ,it is a startling fact that under the government of ,god the wicked are permitted to multiply--that when a man sets himself in opposition to his ,maker1 he is not at once removed from the earth1 but is permitted to live and use his life to make other men wicked like himself4 ,we may sometimes be inclined to ask with the patriarch1 ,wherefore do the wicked live1 become old1 yea1 are mighty in power 7,job xxi4 #g71 and the question may be difficult for us to answer2 but this we must never forget1 that neither with an nor with ,god is there any necessary connection between quantity and quality1 between worth and abundance4 ,,ii4 ,neither are numbers any guarantee of victory4 ,the greatness of a tree and the number of its branches do not make it certain that it will outlive the storm--on the contrary1 its great bulk and height are often the causes of its fall4 ,when the wicked multiply1 and so increase transgression1 they sometimes lose sight of their personal sin and danger in the sin and danger in the multitude1 and persuade themselves that there is safety in numbers4 ,but the very opposite is the case4 ,men grow more bold in transgression in proportion as they are surrounded with other transgressors1 and venture to do deeds of wickedness when in company with others that they would fear to commit alone4 ,and so the multiplication of the wicked1 as it increases transgression1 is the means of hastening their fall instead of retarding it4 ,it was when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth 7,gen4 vi4 #a7 that their wickedness became so great as to compel ,god to destroy them by a flood4 ,it was the combination of the entire ,jewish nation that enabled them to commit the crime of crucifying the ,lord of ,glory1 but it was this increase of transgression that led to their final fall4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,combination emboldens in sin 7,isa4 xli4 #g74 ,each particle of the mass is corrupt4 ,the mass therefore of itself ferments with evil4 ,hence the prevalence of infidelity in our densely crowded districts above the more thinly populated villages4 ,there is the same evil in individual hearts1 but not the same fermentation of evil4--,bridges4 ,the reference is1 in all probability1 to the influence of wicked rulers in promoting the increase of wickedness in the community1 which requires not either illustration or proof4--,but the righteous shall see their fall4--,their fall1 that is1 from power and authority4 ,it is not the final fall--the perdition of the wicked1 that is intended4 ,in that the righteous have no pleasure4 ,herein they resemble ,god2 are of one mind and heart with ,him4 ,he says1 and confirms it by ,his oath--,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked4 ,in the execution of the sentence against them1 ,god glorifies ,himself2 and the righteous solemnly acquiesce1 acknowledging and celebrating the justice of the ,divine administration3--,even so1 ,lord ,god1 ,almighty1 for true and righteous are ,thy judgments6 ,but pleasure in witnessing the execution of the sentence1 we cannot1 we must not1 for a moment1 imagine them to have4--,wardlaw4 ,cyrillus ,alexandrinus tells us1 when man was alone upon the earth there was then no such matter as sinning4 4 4 4 ,much company in sin ever makes more1 it being the weakness of man's understanding to fear little hurt and danger1 where many run into it1 and it being the nature of wickedness to take strength from a multitude1 as not fearing then to be opposed or resisted4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #ag1 see on chap4 xix4 #ah1 page #egc4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #ah4 ,,divine ,,revelation ,,and ,,human ,,obedience4 ,i4 ,the human soul needs what it cannot produce4 ,if the flower is to attain to its development of beauty and colour it must have the sunlight and the rain from without itself--it needs what it has no power to produce4 ,the husbandman and all mankind need a harvest1 but they have no power within themselves to supply their need2 although they can plough1 and plant1 and sow1 they cannot give the quickening rays of light and heat which alone can make the seed to live and grow4 ,the entire human race has spiritual needs which it cannot supply1 and capabilities which must be developed by influences outside and above itself4 ,it needs a knowledge of ,god's ,nature1 and ,will1 and ,purposes1 if it is to grow in moral stature1 and blossom and ripen into moral beauty and fruitfulness1 but no human intellect or heart can acquire this knowledge by its own unaided efforts4 ,if the human soul is to grow in goodness it must know ,god1 and if it is to know ,him1 ,god must reveal ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,god by revelation has supplied man's need4 ,this supply men had a right to look for and expect4 ,he had a right to look to the ,creator of his bodily appetites and needs for the supplies that are necessary to his physical life and well-being1 and he does not look in vain4 ,god has given the earth to the children of men 7,psa4 cxv4 #af71 and every year ,he causes it to bring forth and bud1 not only giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater1 but an abundance of luxuries for his enjoyment4 ,it is most natural and reasonable to look to the ,giver of all these good things for the body1 and expect from ,him the supply of the deeper needs of the soul4 ,we do not think a human parent does his duty to his child if he only feeds and clothes him and makes no effort to enlighten his mind and satisfy his heart4 ,and surely the ,great ,father of the universe would not be worthy of ,his name if ,he dealt so with the children of whose bodies and souls ,he is the ,author4 ,but ,he has not left us thus unprovided for1 but at sundry times and in diverse manners ,he has spoken unto men 7,heb4 i4 #a71 telling them enough of ,himself and of themselves to satisfy their spiritual cravings1 and to elevate their spiritual nature4 ,,iii4 ,it follows that gratitude and self-love should prompt men to listen to ,god1 and to obey ,him4 ,if the foregoing assertions are true1 it follows that man must give heed to the revelation of ,god1 or sustain permanent and irretrievable loss4 ,as he cannot reject the ,divine provision for the body without bodily death1 so he cannot refuse attention to ,god's provision for his soul without spiritual ruin--without causing to perish all those powers and faculties of his highest nature the exercise of which make existence worth having4 ,self-love1 therefore1 should prompt a man to keep the law1 and if he do not listen to its voice he has only himself to blame for missing real happiness4 ,if a man is starving1 his best friend can do no more than supply his need1 he must eat the food set before him2 and when ,god has offered to the children of men that wine and milk which will satisfy the soul1 and cause it to grow1 ,he has done all that even a ,god can do 7,isa4 lv4 #a1 #b74 ,man is a self-murderer if he refuse it4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,he doth not say they may perish1 but they do perish2 or they are in danger of perishing1 but they do certainly perish where there is no serious1 conscientious1 faithful1 powerful preaching4 4 4 4 ,these men perish temporarily2 when vision1 when preaching ceased among the ,jews1 oh1 the dreadful calamities and miseries that came upon the people6 4 4 4 ,there men perish totally3 both the bodies and the souls of men perish where serious conscientious preaching fails 7,hosea iv4 #f72 ,my people are destroyed for want of knowledge44 4 4 ,the ,papists say that ignorance is the mother of devotion2 but this text tells us that is the mother of destruction4--,brooks4 ,this is only a hypothetical case1 for there are no such people4 ,nevertheless there is such a principle4 ,just in proportion as men do not know they will not be punished4 ,paul and ,solomon are in full accord4 ,they that sin without law shall also perish without law2 but they that sin in the law shall be judged by the law 7,rom4 ii4 #ab74 ,these ,proverbs elsewhere have taught the same doctrine 7chap4 viii4 #cf74 ,men might all perish1 but some less terribly1 from a difference of light4 ,all men have some light 7,rom4 i4 #bj72 and that which they actually have is all that they shall answer for in the day of final account4 ,still there is a form of ignorance that will exactly proportion our guilt4 ,it is ghostly ignorance1 or the absence of spiritual knowledge4 ,perhaps ,i may still say that a man is punished for what he has1 and not for what he has not4 ,a man who knows of this ignorance1 and has light enough to know his need of light1 has enough to give account for in that without being supposed to suffer for a profound negation4 ,be this as it may1 there is such an ignorance4 ,it exactly grades our sins4 ,it is the measure of our depravity4 ,the profounder it sinks we sink4 ,no man need sink or perish4 ,there is a remedy4 ,the word is nigh 7us74--,miller4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #ai and #ba4 ,,masters ,,and ,,servants4 ,i4 ,human servants generally need correction4 ,the relation of master and servant is generally1 though not always1 founded upon some superiority on the one side and inferiority on the other4 ,where there is any right adjustment of social relations1 those who serve are those who lack knowledge of some kind which those who rule are able to impart1 and hence arises the necessity of correction on the part of the master and of submission on that of the servant4 ,it is undeniable that there are many inversions of this ideal moral order1 but the proverb can only refer to what ought to be1 and what often1 though not always1 is the case4 ,,ii4 ,the means of correction ought to be moral means4 ,a servant is a moral and intelligent agent1 and not a machine or a brute1 and he can and ought to appreciate appeals to his reason and conscience4 ,a wise and humane rider will use his voice to his steed in preference to the whip or the spur1 and generally finds it effectual4 ,and words of reproof and encouragement are probably the only successful means of dealing with human nature in this relationship4 ,if these fail1 no others will avail1 and all benefit from the connection will cease4 ,,iii4 ,therefore human masters need much wisdom4 ,if they are over-indulgent the servant may take undue advantage and claim privileges to which he has no right 7ver4 #ba74 ,in the present constitution of things in this world1 and probably throughout the universe1 there are inequalities of position and rank which no wise man can ignore1 and it is kind and wise to those beneath us to maintain these differences and distinctions4 ,but to maintain them without haughtiness1 and with that consideration and sympathy which ought to mark all our intercourse with our fellow-creatures1 needs much wisdom on the part of superiors4 ,dr4 ,david ,thomas suggests another1 and perhaps a pleasanter application of this proverb4 ,there is another side1 he says1 to the kindness of a master towards his servant1 that is1 the making of the servant feel towards him all the sympathy and interest of a son4 4 4 4 ,he who can make his servant feel towards him as a loving1 faithful1 and dutiful child1 will reap the greatest comfort and advantage from his service4 ,but this happy result can only be brought about where the master is truly wise as well as kind4 ,for ,homiletics on verses #bj and #bb1 see on chap4 xiv4 #ag and #bi1 pages #cfc and #chf4 ,on verse #bc1 see on chap4 xi4 #b1 page #aib1 and on xvi4 #ah1 page #dhb4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verse #bd4 ,,criminal ,,partnership4 ,i4 ,partnerships are self-revealing4 ,that proverb is an old and true one--,tell me what company you keep1 and ,i will tell you what you are4 ,a man seeks the society and shares the pursuits of those who are likeminded with himself2 if he chooses the fellowship of the good it shows that there is something in his character that has an affinity to theirs1 and if he willingly associates himself with bad men1 he proclaims himself to be a bad man4 ,good men do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly1 or sit in the seat of the scornful--men who are found in such places must be counted among the ungodly and scornful1 although they may be negative rather than positive sinners4 ,,ii4 ,criminal partnerships are self-destroying4 ,as we have seen1 partners with criminals are criminals themselves in spirit if not in actual deed1 and must therefore meet with the doom of the transgressor4 ,probably the proverb is directed against those who shelter themselves under the idea that those who do not commit the crime themselves1 but only consent to it beforehand1 or conceal it afterwards1 are not so very guilty2 but this is nowhere the teaching of ,scripture1 nor is it the verdict of the human conscience4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,a partnership life is becoming more and more common and necessary in our commercial ,england4 ,great undertakings can only be carried out by companies4 ,modern legislation has greatly encouraged these combinations1 by limiting the monetary liability of its members4 ,hence1 joint-stock companies are multitudinous and multiplying4 ,such companies are often1 perhaps generally1 projected and managed by selfish1 needy1 and unprincipled speculators2 and honest men are often tempted by the glowing promises of their lying programmes to become their adherents1 and they soon find themselves in the unfortunate position referred to in the text4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,the receiver and resetter is at least as guilty as the thief4 ,i say at least2 for in one obvious respect he is worse4 ,his is a general trade1 which gives encouragement to many thieves1 by holding out to them the means of disposing of their stolen property and evading the law4 ,he is thus1 in fact1 a partaker in the guilt of all4 ,one thief cannot set up and maintain a resetter2 but one resetter may keep at their nefarious trade many thieves4--,wardlaw4 ,there is a warning under the eighth commandment4 ,do we realise the same solemnity of obligation as under the first8 ,many professors attach a degree of secularity to a detailed application of the duties of the second table4 ,but both stand on the same authority4 ,the transgressions of both are registered in the same book4 ,the place in the ,decalogue cannot be of moment1 if it be but there with the imprimatur--,i am the ,lord thy ,god4--,bridges4 ,it is the cursed policy of ,satan1 that he strives to join men in wickedness4 ,in drunkenness there must be a good fellow2 in wantonness there must be a corrival2 in bloody duels there must be a second2 in theft there must be a partner1 yoking men together to draw upon themselves the heavy burden of ,god's displeasure4 4 4 4 ,wherefore1 although it may be a love unto the things stolen1 or else a love unto the stealer1 which maketh others to join with him1 certainly he showeth little love to ,god's law1 certainly he proveth great hatred1 which he has to his own soul4 ,for while he joineth with another in stealing some worldly goods1 he joineth with ,satan in stealing his own soul from himself4 ,and whatsoever fear he may have of some curse which the other hath laid upon him1 if that he doth reveal it1 he hath much more cause to feel the curse of ,god's wrath1 if he doth conceal it4 ,he hath but heard the one1 he shall feel the other4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #be and #bf4 ,,safety ,,from ,a ,,snare4 ,i4 ,men fear and hope too much from their fellow men4 ,this fear and this hope are very active agents in this world1 influencing men often to abstain from what they know to be right1 and inducing them to do deeds of evil4 ,good men have often staggered and sometimes fallen before this fear and have been misled by this false hope1 and both the hope and the fear are intensified when the object of them belongs to the ranks of the conventionally great--when the man whom they desire to propitiate is a ruler among his fellows4 ,such a man sometimes has the power to injure those who displease him1 and has also much that he can bestow upon those who seek his favour2 but the weight of his displeasure and the worth of his gifts are generally estimated far too highly by his inferiors in rank1 and when this is the case they are snares which lead to sin4 ,,ii4 ,trust in ,god is the only escape from the fear that will mislead1 and the hope that will disappoint4 ,the many and the great contrasts1 not only between the favour of ,god and the favour of man1 but between all that is connected with the seeking and the bestowal1 will lead every wise man to forsake the pursuit of the less for the greater4 #a4 ,the favour of an earthly ruler is often obtained only by the exercise of great skill on the part of the seeker4 ,when the woman of ,tekoa desired to obtain from ,david the forgiveness of ,absalom1 what ingenuity on her part was necessary in order to gain the monarch's ear and goodwill4 ,she had to study how to put the case before him in the best light1 and to enact a little drama before his eyes in order to enlist his attention and soften his heart4 ,and yet she was pleading with a tender-hearted father for his own son4 ,how different it is when we plead for the mercy of ,god either for ourselves or others4 ,the simplest statement of the case is sufficient2 no schemes or plans of any kind are necessary to win the ear of ,him who is always waiting to be gracious4 #b4 ,success with an earthly ruler is often unconnected with the merit or demerit of the pleader4 ,it often happens that the most worthless characters obtain the greatest favours1 even if the ruler himself be a fairly impartial man1 because they have more friends at court than a deserving man4 ,in the case just mentioned1 ,absalom1 a thoroughly bad man1 was able to command the services of a person who was probably more fitted to gain the desired end than any person in the kingdom4 ,if there had been a banished subject who really merited a free pardon from the king1 he would probably not have been able to command the services of so successful a pleader as the woman of ,tekoa4 ,but the case is altogether different with ,him who doth not judge after the sight of ,his eyes1 neither reprove after the hearing of ,his ears 7,isa4 xi4 #c74 ,the judgment which cometh from the ,lord is founded on the strictest impartiality1 and depends upon nothing but the character and needs of the suitor4 ,if we add to these drawbacks the uncertain good which may be contained in the favour of a ruler even after it is obtained1 we may well wonder that it is as true now as in ,solomon's days that the many seek it1 and only the few trust their earthly and their spiritual interests with their ,god4 ,how many of the few who are not disappointed of the favour of great men are disappointed in it1 and find it a poor and unsatisfying portion after all2 but the testimony of all those who seek the higher good is ,in ,thy favour is life1 and ,thy lovingkindness is better than life 7,psa4 xxx4 #e2 ,psa4 lxiii4 #c74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,to those who look out upon society from the standpoint of trust in ,god1 the greatest magnates of the world will appear only as grasshoppers4 4 4 4 ,he who can say1 ,surely my judgment is with the ,lord1 will stand before his race with undaunted heroism1 and before his ,god with devotion4 ,conscious dependence on the ,almighty is the spirit of independence towards men4--,dr4 ,david ,thomas4 ,the fear of man leads you into a snare1 and will the fear of ,god make you safe8 ,no2 if the character of the affection remains the same1 you will gain nothing by a change of object4 ,if you simply turn round and fear ,god as you feared men you have not thereby escaped4 ,the fear of the greater ,being is the greater fear4 ,the weight presses in the same direction1 and it is heavier by all the difference between the finite and the infinite4 4 4 4 ,it is not a transference of fear from man to ,god that can make the sinner safe4 ,the kind of affection must be changed1 as well as its object4 ,safety lies not in terror1 but in trust4 ,hope leads to holiness4 ,he who is made nigh to ,god by the death of ,his ,son stands high above the wretched snares that entangled his feet when he feared men4 ,the sovereign's son is safe from the temptation to commit petty theft4 4 4 4 ,when you know in whom you have believed1 and feel that any step in life's journey hereafter may be the step into heaven1 the fear of this man and the favour of that will exert no sensible influence in leading you to the right hand or to the left4--,arnot4 ,albeit faith1 when it is in the heart1 quelleth and killeth distrustful fear1 and is therefore fitly opposed to it in this sacred sentence2 yet in the very best sense it fights sore against faith when it is upon its own dunghill4 ,i mean in a sensible danger4 ,nature's retraction of itself from a visible fear1 may cause the pulse of a ,christian that beats truly and strongly in the main point--the state of the soul--to intermit and falter at such a time1 as we see in the examples of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,david1 ,peter1 and others4 4 4 4 ,the chameleon is said to be the most fearful of all creatures1 and doth therefore turn himself into so many colours to avoid danger1 which yet will not be4 ,god equally hateth the timorous and the treacherous4 ,fearful men are the first in that black roll 7,rev4 xxi4 #h74--,trapp4 ,there is a higher step to be taken before we can well step so high2 there is the favour of ,god to be procured before the favour of the ruler can well be obtained4 ,for kings are but ,god's kingdoms2 as they reign over their people1 so ,he reigneth over them2 as they sit on the throne of their kingdom1 so ,he sitteth on the throne of their hearts1 and by a distributive justice dispenseth the judgment of his and their favours according as it seemeth good to ,his eternal wisdom4 ,the favour therefore of thy ruler is worth thy seeking for2 but first seek and get ,god's favour1 if thou wilt get and enjoy the other to thy happiness4 ,and when thou hast gotten it1 remember that it was ,god's hand which directed the king's hand to reach it forth unto thee4 ,for it is too commonly seen1 as one speaketh1 ,then doth ,god especially slip out of the minds of men1 when they enjoy ,his benefits and favours4--,jermin4 ,for ,homiletics on verse #bg1 see on chap4 xxviii4 #d4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,critical ,,notes4--#a4 ,agur4 ,there have been many conjectures about this person4 ,many consider that it is a figurative name1 and some have adopted the old ,jewish tradition that it is an allegorical designation of ,solomon4 ,the name1 says ,delitzsch1 means 'the gathered' 7see chap4 vi4 #c1 x4 #e71 also the collector1 or the word might mean1 perhaps industrious in collecting4 ,the son of ,jakeh1 etc4 ,stuart and ,zckler adopt here the reading of ,hitzig and others1 and read ,the son of her who was obeyed in ,massa 7or the princess of ,massa73 ,i have toiled for1 or carried myself about1 ,god1 and have ceased4 ,for their reasons the student is referred to their commentaries1 where the subject is discussed at great length4 ,ithiel and ,ucal signify respectively ,god with me1 and the son of the mighty1 and the common opinion is that they were ,agur's disciples4 ,from the great differences between the language and style of the last two chapters of the book1 and those which have preceded them1 most scholars believe that they were written outside the land of ,palestine4 ,zckler thinks that ,agur and ,lemuel might very properly be regarded as ,arabian-,israelitish shepherd-princes or kings of a colony of ,israelites of the tribe of ,simeon that had emigrated to northern ,arabia4 7,see #a ,chron4 lv4 #ch-dc2 ,micah i4 #ae1 ii4 #h1 #aj47 ,delitzsch suggests that they were ,ishmaelites who had raised themselves above the religion of ,abraham1 and recognised the religion of ,israel as its completion4 #b4 ,brutish1 i4e41 without reason4 #aj4 ,stuart and ,zckler here read ,cause not a servant to slander his master4 ,delitzsch agrees with the ,english version4 #ae4 ,horseleach1 or vampire1 an imaginary spectre or ghost1 supposed to suck the blood of children4 7,stuart47 #ae and #af4 ,on these verses1 ,dr4 ,aiken1 the ,american translator of the ,proverbs for ,lange's ,commentary1 remarks1 ,as compared with the numerical proverbs which follow1 the complexity and the more artificial character of the one before us at once arrests attention4 ,they all have this in common1 that whatever moral lesson they have to convey is less obvious1 being hinted rather than stated4 4 4 4 ,in the one now under consideration1 insatiable desire and the importance of its regulation seem to be the remote object4 ,in the development1 instead of the 'three things' and 'four things' which repeatedly appear afterwards1 we have the 'leech1' its two daughters1 the three and the four4 ,some have regarded the two daughters as representing physical characteristics of the bloodsucker1 others as expressing by an ,orientalism a doubly intense craving4 ,parallelism suggests making the first two of the four the two daughters2 other allusions of the ,scripture to the greediness of the world of the dead justify the first1 while the second alone belong to human nature4 #bc4 ,odious1 or unloved4 #bf4 ,conies4 ,a gregarious animal of the class ,pachydermata1 which is found in ,palestine living in the caves or clefts of the rocks4 ,its scientific name is ,hyrax ,syriacus4 4 4 4 ,it is like the ,alpine marmot1 scarcely the size of a domestic cat1 having long hair1 a very short tail1 and round ears 7,smith's ,biblical ,dictionary74 #bh4 ,spider4 ,most commentators translate lizard4 ,delitzsch reads1 ,the lizard thou canst catch with the hands1 and yet it is in the king's palaces4 #bi4 ,go well1 rather1 are of stately walk4 #ca4 ,delitzsch renders the last clause of this verse3--,a king with whom is calling out of the host4 ,,note4--,the following is ,miller's unique translation of the first four verses of this chapter with his reasons for the same1 and the teaching which he sees in the passage4 ,it struck us that we would take the simple ,hebrew and inquire its meaning4 ,we would accept nothing as a proper name till we found it destitute of sense2 and1 following no intricate conceits1 we would fail of a directer meaning before we went into anything more difficult4 ,it is astonishing how facile the result4 ,we believe that all was the work of ,solomon4 ,we believe there was no such man as ,agur1 except that great man ,jesus ,christ4 ,we believe there was no such king as ,lemuel4 ,we believe everything is the work of ,solomon as much as any other proverb4 ,if it appear ,arabic or extra-,hebraic no matter4 ,solomon gathered his materials over a wide surface4 ,we believe it is distinctly what it says1 ,the prophecy4 ,we count it as all finished in the four first verses1 and ,jakeh and ,ithiel1 and ,ucal and ,muel in the next chapter 7verse i4 #d74 ,we would be quite willing to read it that way1 if1 like ,lo-ammi in the prophet1 or ,lo-ruhamah1 words confessedly significant 7,hosea i4 #h1 #i71 it were thought euphonious or wise to give them without a translation4 ,but what the ,hebrews saw why not our people see8 ,certain it is that the words to a ,hebrew were about as follow3-- #a4 ,words of ,i-fear1 ,son of the ,godly3 ,the prophecy3-- ,the ,strong ,man speaks to ,god-with-me1 to ,god-with-me and to ,i-am-able4 #b4 ,forasmuch as ,i am more brutish as to myself1 than a man of the better sort1 and have not the intelligence of a common man4 #c4 and have not been taught wisdom and yet know the knowledge of holy things4 #d4 who has gone up to heaven and come down8 who has gathered the winds in his fists8 who has bound the waters in a garment8 who has set firm all the extremities of the earth8 what is his name1 and what is his son's name8 ,because1 ,thou knowest4 ,let us examine1 first1 the language1 and then the result as to the sense4 ,i-fear4 ,this is the very simplest ,hebrew4 ,it actually occurs in ,deuteronomy 7chap4 xxxii4 #bg74 ,the verb is the familiar one 1 which means primarily to turn out of the way4 ,and this turning out of the way for danger is a prudent and innocent character of fear4 ,agur therefore1 or ,i-fear1 with the light we get afterward1 marks himself as the ,strong ,man of the next clause2 the ,son of the ,godly1 because descended out of the loins of the ,church 7see ,rev4 xii4 #e72 and the ,man--just as ,muel 7chap4 xxxi4 #a7 is ,god and man--contemplating the low humanity of ,christ1 which is about to express its wonder at its amazing knowledge4 ,godly2 from a root meaning to venerate3 ,jakeh is in the singular1 and means the pious one2 which keeps in view what is too often forgotten1 that ,christ was not the son of the abandoned1 but1 as ,his mother expresses it 7chap4 xxxi4 #b71 the son of my vows4 ,the ,prophecy2 not needfully prediction1 as in the present case1 but an oracle1 vision1 or inspired elation of any kind4 ,the words that follow constitute the prophecy for though the speech of the ,man-,christ does not begin till the second verse1 the very names in the next clause are predictive2 and the most vitally so of the whole of the vision4 ,the ,strong ,man2 strong1 though weak2 strong because he sees in himself such wonderful conditions4 ,the word strong is implied in the noun that is selected4 ,speaks2 oracularly4 ,it is the solemn1 poetic1 and in fact1 rare expression4 ,to-,god-with-me4 ,that the ,man-,christ should address the ,deity has innumerable precedents4 ,if it were necessary1 we could imagine the ,human ,nature as addressing the ,divine ,nature2 for that really occurs in high ,eastern vision1 in the ,book of ,zechariah 7chap4 iii4 #d1 #f1 #g1 #h74 ,in lofty texts1 like this1 it is perfectly admissible4 ,christ speaks of ,his ,divine ,nature 7,john iii4 #ac72 and speaks of it as being where the ,man ,christ ,jesus was not1 viz41 in ,heaven4 ,but the fourth verse of this chapter mentions both ,father and ,son2 and therefore in this1 which is so near it1 it is not necessary to distinguish4 ,the ,strong ,man speaks to the ,god which was with 7,him71 and calls ,him ,ucal1 which means ,i-am-able4 ,there was a powerful ,divinity in ,christ1 and that ,he was wondering about4 ,his mother repeats the wonder in the after case 7chap4 xxxi4 #b74 ,the whole is a grand ,prophecy of ,christ in the form of a grand inquiry4 ,agur makes it of ,ithiel4 ,that is1 the ,man1 ,i-fear1 goes searching into the ,god-with-me4 ,there is an ,i-fear part and an ,i-am-able part1 of ,his one ,grand ,person2 and these parts speak even in the ,new ,testament with the humility 7,john v4 #ai7 and with the splendour 7,john viii4 #eh7 that belong to each4 ,forasmuch as2 the simple particle because4 ,i am more brutish1 i4e4 more the mere untaught animal4 ,as to ,myself1 i4e4 as to my human self2 for it is the ,strong ,man that speaks4 ,the emphasis is laid by the mere expression of the pronoun4 ,than a man of the better sort2 than an educated1 refined man1 which ,christ was not4 ,and have not the intelligence of a common man4 ,that is1 he had not the education usually given to the more lowly4 ,the commonness of the humanity is expressed again by the noun4 ,and have not been taught wisdom4 ,here the emphasis is on taught4 ,and yet know the knowledge of holy things4 ,the meaning of the whole is1 that he has singular light4 ,he confronted the doctors in the temple1 and1 as a little child1 was a miracle4 ,whence came this8 ,this is what the prophecy represents as a surprise4 ,who has gone up to ,heaven and come down8 ,somebody has4 ,the ,strong ,man addresses this appeal to the ,god-with-me2 and ends it significantly2--,who is it8 ,because ,thou knowest4 ,one word back in the third verse3--know the knowledge4 ,we have not altered this1 nor said have the knowledge1 which would be better ,english1 because this seems the intentional form4 ,the words that ,christ gave to ,his disciples1 ,god gave to ,him2 and ,christ1 in saying so1 would include all senses2 the outer word2 the inner word2 the outward blessed revelation1 and the inner teaching4 ,he knew the knowledge2 i4e41 ,he discerned in perfect ways what the ,spirit without measure was there to impart4 ,going up to heaven1 gathering the wind1 binding the waters1 and setting firm the extremities of the earth1 were the work of a ,divinity4 ,some ,divinity had been at work upon ,him4 ,he applies to the ,able ,one1 to the ,god with ,him1 to explain a low man's wonderful knowledge1 and then adds1 as significant of the reply1 ,because ,thou knowest4 ,the extract is given here1 not because we agree with ,miller's view of the passage1 but as affording a specimen of the mode of interpretation which he adopts throughout the book4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-i4 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,true ,,humility4 ,i4 ,in proportion as men know ,god they confess they know ,him not4 ,a child looks above his head at the midnight sky and he concludes that the stars that he sees are only so many shining points which have no use beyond that of beautifying the heavens and giving a little light to our world4 ,he does not think that there is any more to know about the stars1 but this conclusion of his is based upon complete ignorance4 ,how different is the attitude of the astronomer in relation to the stars4 ,he has good reason to believe that each one is a sun like unto that which makes the centre of our own system of planets1 and this enlarged knowledge enables him to form some idea of how much he has to learn about them1 and so draws from him such a confession of ignorance as a child would never utter4 ,he realises that what he knows is nothing in comparison with what there is to know1 and it is his increased knowledge which makes him feel thus4 ,so men who never reflect upon the nature or character of ,god have no conception of the height and depth of the knowledge of the ,infinite1 and hence have no conception of their ignorance concerning ,him4 ,it is only the man who has in some degree apprehended the greatness of his ,maker that has any idea of how far he is from comprehending ,him1 and his consciousness of ignorance increases with his growth in the knowledge of ,god4 ,agur1 who here declares that he has no knowledge of the ,holy1 and is without understanding on the highest and deepest subjects1 was evidently a man who had endeavoured by searching to find out ,god1 and his confession is the result of his knowledge and not of his ignorance4 ,but what he knew only served to show him how much remained unknown4 ,,ii4 ,therefore humility is the great sign of high attainments in ,divine knowledge1 and those who know most will be the most able and willing to be taught more4 ,humility is the effect of the most thorough acquaintance with any subject1 and of the most profound meditation upon it4 ,when men utter their opinions in the spirit of self-conceit1 and are lifted up by their acquirements1 we must ascribe it to their ignorance and not to their knowledge4 ,those who have learned most are the most teachable scholars and the first to welcome instruction from whatever source it may come4 ,if we were to tell a savage of the wonderful capabilities of electricity he would most likely look upon us with contempt1 and refuse to believe our statements2 but if we were to speak to an experienced electrician about some new theory or discovery in relation to it he would not turn from us in disdain simply because he was unacquainted with it1 but would gladly welcome any new light upon the subject4 ,this is pre-eminently the case in the knowledge of all that relates to the ,divine ,being4 ,when ,he becomes the object and subject of study and contemplation--when a creature who had no existence a few years ago seeks to know ,him who is ,god from everlasting to everlasting he finds himself embarked upon an ocean without a shore1 and is compelled to exclaim3 ,such knowledge is too wonderful for me1 it is high1 ,i cannot attain unto it 7,psa4 cxxxix4 #f74 ,his humble reverence will always be in proportion to the progress that he has made4 ,he who knew as much about ,god and ,his dealings as any man who ever lived1 gave1 as the result of his researches1 that ,his ways are past finding out1 and was led by it to ascribe to ,him glory for ever 7,rom4 xi4 #cc-cf72 and all who have trodden the same path1 either before or after him1 have arrived at the same conclusion1 and have acquired the same spirit of humility4 ,and this is the spirit which makes a man willing and therefore able to receive a higher and deeper revelation4 ,because he knows that he has not already attained--that there is no comparison between what he knows and what there is to know--his mind is ever open to receive new instruction1 and he welcomes any means by which he can advance a step nearer to that light which no man can approach unto1 and catch a fresh glimpse of ,him whom no man hath seen or can see 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #af74 ,,iii4 ,the unsearchableness of ,god is no hindrance to practical godliness4 ,if ,agur could not know all that he desired about ,god1 he knew enough to trust ,him1 and enough to make him desire to serve ,him4 ,he could from experience testify that ,god had spoken to men1 and that ,his word was to be depended on1 and that there was a reward to those who kept it4 ,if ,god is unknowable in some aspects of ,his nature1 godly men in all ages have found him a shield in danger1 and a rock of certainty1 upon which it is safe to rest4 ,although ,agur could not ascend into heaven and read the secrets of the other world1 he felt that he could strive to walk with ,god in this world1 and the effect of a real conviction of the greatness and majesty of ,god is not to drive men from ,him but to draw them near in holy living as well as in humble adoration4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,this was true humility1 that like true balm ever sinks to the bottom1 when hypocritical1 as oil1 swims on the top4 4 4 4 ,he that looks intently on the sun hath his eyes dazzled2 so he that beholds the infinite excellencies of ,god1 considers the distance1 cannot but be sensible of his own naughtiness1 nothingness4 ,it is fit the foundation should be laid deep1 where the building is so high6 ,agur's humility was not more low than his aims lofty3 ,who hath ascended up to heaven8 ,it is a high pitch that he flies1 for he knew well that godliness1 as it begins in a right knowledge of ourselves1 so it ends in a right knowledge of ,god4--,trapp4 ,verse #d4 ,the discourse is philosophically accurate1 as well as religiously devout4 ,it is through the mutual relations of air1 earth1 and water1 that the ,supreme ,ruler gives or withholds the food of man 7verse #h74 ,these three1 each in its own place and proportion1 are alike necessary to the growth of grain1 and consequently to the sustenance of life4 4 4 4 ,the earth is the basis of the whole operation4 4 4 4 ,alike in its creation and its arrangement1 its material and its form1 the final cause of the earth has obviously been the growth of vegetation and the support of life4 ,but the earth could not bear fruit at any portion of its surface without the concurrence of water2 and how shall the supply of this necessary element be obtained8 ,who hath bound the waters in a garment8 ,again the clouds and showers1 the springs and streams1 with one voice answer1 ,god4 ,so wide is the dry land1 and so low lies the water in its ocean storehouse1 that we could not even conceive how the two could be made to meet1 unless we had seen the cosmical hydraulics in actual operation from day to day and from year to year4 ,here lies the earth1 rising into mountains and stretching away in valleys1 but absolutely incapable1 by itself1 of producing food for any living thing4 ,there lies the sea1 held by its own gravity helpless in its place1 heaving and beating on the walls of its prison-house1 but unable to rise and go to the help of a barren land4 4 4 4 ,in this strait--when the land could not come to the water and the water could not come to the land--a ,mediator was found1 perfectly qualified for the task4 ,who hath gathered the wind in ,his fists8 ,the air goes between the two1 and brings them together for beneficent ends4 ,the atmosphere softly leans on the bosom of the deep1 and silently sucks itself full4 ,the portion so charged then moves away with its precious burden1 and pours it out partly on the plains but chiefly on the vertebral mountain ranges4 ,thus the continents are watered from their centres to the sea4--,arnot4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #e and #f4 ,,the ,,word ,,of ,,god4 ,i4 ,god has given man a knowledge of ,his ,character and ,will4 ,although1 as we have just seen from the preceding verses1 ,god is so great and incomprehensible in ,his nature1 there is a knowledge of ,him which is possible to man and which he possesses4 ,this seems reasonable before experience4 ,if a man built a vessel which he intended to send his son to navigate across an unknown sea1 we should conclude beforehand that he would put a compass in the vessel4 ,and we should likewise conclude before experience that a just ,god would not build a world1 and call into existence a creature like man to dwell in it1 without furnishing him with a compass by which to guide his life--a revelation and a law by obedience to which he can be blest and saved4 ,and what might have been expected has come to pass4 ,god has spoken1 and has thus met human expectation and human need4 ,agur recognised this fact in the days of old1 and we1 to whom in these last days ,god has spoken by ,his ,son 7,heb4 i4 #a71 have a clearer revelation4 ,in answer to ,agur's question1 ,who hath ascended up into heaven1 or descended1 we can bring the words of ,christ1 ,no man hath ascended up to heaven but ,he that came down from heaven1 even the ,son of ,man which is in heaven 7,john iii4 #ac71 and in the record of ,his life and death obtain the fullest and clearest revelation of ,god that it is possible for ,him to give and for us to receive4 ,,ii4 ,the ,word of ,god is what of necessity it must be4 ,the sun is in its nature light1 and therefore rays of light must proceed from it4 ,that which flows from it must of necessity be of the same nature as the sun whence it comes1 and the fountain of natural light being pure the streams which flow from it must be pure also4 ,when human words are a reflection of the human soul1 and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 7,matt4 xii4 #cd71 the spoken word must be of the same nature and character as the inward feelings4 ,the purity of the outward word will be in proportion to the purity of the inner life4 ,god is moral light--,in ,him is no darkness at all 7#a ,john i4 #e7--therefore1 rays of moral light must flow from ,him2 all that proceeds from ,him must be1 like ,himself1 perfectly free from all shadow of moral imperfection4 ,,iii4 ,because the ,word of ,god is what it is1 it must be carefully preserved from human additions4 ,it is manifest that nothing that man can add to what ,god has said can make ,his ,word more fitted to a man's needs1 any more than any intervention of man can make the sun more perfectly adapted to human vision4 ,it is therefore a criminal act for any creature to add to the ,divine ,word by putting his own ideas on an equality with the revealed thoughts of ,god1 and most foolish for him to expect them to have the same power on the heart and conscience as ,divine words have4 ,the law of the ,lord is perfect1 converting the soul 7,psa4 xix4 #g71 and man must not tamper with its perfection4 ,all ,scripture is given by inspiration of ,god1 and is profitable for doctrine1 for reproof1 for correction1 for instruction in righteousness4 ,that the man of ,god may be perfect1 thoroughly furnished unto all good works 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #af1 #ag74 ,the fact that it comes from ,god is a guarantee that blessing will come from seeking to understand and obey it1 and condemnation by seeking to improve it by human addition4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it is the saying of ,tertullian1 ,this is the first thing which we believe1 that there is nothing beside ,god's word to be believed44 4 4 ,at least it must not be taught or received1 as added to ,his words1 either as of equal authority with them1 or as supposing any defect in them4 4 4 4 ,he therefore that addeth to ,god's words1 shall add unto his own words the just and sharp reproof of ,god upon them2 and whatsoever any may think to find by the doing of it1 he shall himself therefore be found a liar4 ,search them thou mayest to find the depth of them1 explain them thou mayest that others may be able to find the meaning of them3 but in searching1 in explaining1 let nothing be added that is contrary to them4 4 4 4 ,for what can he be but a liar that opposeth truth itself8--,jermin4 ,the learner is far in advance of his starting-point now4 ,he set out in quest of knowledge to gratify a curious intellect2 he ends it by finding rest for a troubled soul4 ,he addressed himself successively to the air1 and the water1 and the earth2 but they were all dumb4 ,they sent back to him only the echo of his own cry4 ,turning next to the ,scriptures1 he finds what he sought and more4 ,his darkness vanishes1 and his danger too4 ,no sooner has he learned that the ,word is pure than he learns that the ,speaker is gracious4--,arnot4 ,there is1 perhaps1 in the expression here a more immediate reference to the unmingled truth of ,god's ,word4 ,this suits the connection with what follows3--,he is a shield unto them that put their trust in ,him4 ,scepticism and infidelity unsettle the mind4 ,they leave it without confidence and without security4 ,the mind under their influence is like a vessel that has drifted from its moorings1 and has been left to drive out to sea1 without rudder and without anchor1--unmanned1 and at the mercy of the winds and waves and currents3--or1 to keep nearer to the allusion in the verse under comment1 it is like a soldier in the thick and peril of the battle without a shield1 in danger from every arrow that flies1 and every sword that is raised against him4 ,they make their unhappy subject the sport and the victim of every delusive theory and every temptation of ,satan4 ,hence such expressions as that of ,paul to the ,ephesians3--,over all1 taking the shield of faith1 wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked4 ,god is the ,,shield of all who trust in ,him4 ,and it is the trust1--it is the firm faith in ,god1--that imparts the feeling of security4 ,so1 what is here said of ,god himself is said of ,his truth or faithfulness3--,his truth shall be thy shield and buckler4 ,god could not be a shield1 though ,his power be almighty1 unless ,he were faithful4 ,it is ,his faithfulness that renders ,him the object of trust4 ,and when this view of ,god's faithfulness is such as to impart perfect trust--the spirit1 calm and tranquil1 feels as if it were under the protection of an all-covering shield4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,verses #g-i4 ,,the ,,middle ,,way4 ,i4 ,a desire that our circumstances should be favourable to our godliness reveals a soul alive to the meaning of existence4 ,the man who values his health more than his raiment1 and is more anxious to keep his body in a fit condition to work than to clothe it in purple and fine linen1 reveals that he rightly estimates the comparative value of the two1 and values most that which is worth most4 ,but no man attains to a right estimate of the comparative worth of all that belongs to him until he values his character more than all things else1 and is willing to suffer the loss of all his other possessions in order to preserve that4 ,he is a wise man who1 in the choice of clothes1 considers first what will conduce to health2 but the highest wisdom is that which leads a man in choosing--so far as he is able--his position in life1 to consider first of all what will be favourable to his soul's welfare4 ,such a man reveals that he has made the all-important discovery that the chief end of man is to glorify ,god1 and that he can do this only by a holy life4 ,he therefore makes it the aim of his life to say in deed as well as in word ,hallowed be thy name2 for he has learned the lesson of the text1 that anything less than perfect dependence upon ,god is a denial of ,him1 and any act of doubtful integrity is taking ,his name in vain4 ,,ii4 ,a prayer that our circumstances may be thus favourable1 reveals a soul conscious of its own weakness4 ,there can be no doubt that a man's confidence in ,god ought to be so strong as to remain unshaken in the most adverse circumstances1 and his spirituality ought to be deep enough to remain uninjured in the greatest temporal prosperity1 but this is but seldom the case4 ,all sincere and humble servants of ,god acknowledge their proneness to yield to temptation1 and the more vital their godliness1 the more earnestly do they put up the petition1 ,lead me not into temptation4 ,paul could say without boastfulness1 ,i know both how to be abased1 and ,i know how to abound4 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengtheneth me 7,phil4 iv4 #ab1 #ac71 but there have been but few men who would say this with truth1 and those who have been most like him in spirit have been the most ready to acknowledge the danger of being exposed to either extreme4 ,a very robust man can keep in perfect health either in the arctic regions or in the torrid zone1 but there is most safety in living in a region between these two extremes1 and the wisest men acknowledge this1 and unless duty calls them1 prefer the latter to either of the former4 ,so a man of ,god1 although he hopes that he might be found faithful in any circumstances1 reveals a right spirit of humility when he puts up the prayer of ,agur4 ,for he knows that the tempter of men is most skilful in using our circumstances against our godliness1 and that both great wealth and extreme poverty are weapons which he can use with great skill4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #g4 ,agur re-enforces his request4 ,it was honest1 else he would never have begun it2 but being so1 he is resolved to follow it4 ,so ,jacob would have a blessing1 and therefore wrestles with might and slight2 and this he doth in the night and alone1 and when ,god was leaving him1 and upon one leg4 4 4 4 ,when poor men ask us two things we think we deal well if we grant the one4 ,few are ,naamans that when you beg one talent will force you to take two4 ,but ,god heaps mercies on his suppliants1 and blames them for their modesty in asking4--,trapp4 ,verse #h4 ,we are not only to pray for the removal of sin1 but for the removal of it at a great distance from us4 ,as ,god removes it far away in pardon1 the soul that abhors sin desires to have it far removed from the heart and life4 ,our ,lord reaches us not only to pray against sin1 but against temptation2 for there is a strong inclination in the hearts of men to comply with temptations when they are presented to the soul4 ,if a man has a bag of powder in his hands1 he will certainly wish to keep at a distance from the fire4--,lawson4 ,food convenient is obviously not a fixed measure4 ,it implies1 not a bare sufficiency for natural life1 but a provision varying according to the calling in which ,god has placed us4 ,if ,agur be the master of a family1 then that is his competency1 which is sufficient to maintain his wife1 children1 and household4 ,if ,agur be a public person1 a prince or a ruler of the people2 then that is ,agur's sufficiency1 which will conveniently maintain him in that condition4 ,jacob when he had become two bands1 evidently required more than when in his earlier life with his staff he had passed over ,jordan 7,gen4 xxxii4 #aj74 ,what was sufficient for himself alone1 would not have been sufficient for the many that were then dependent upon him4 ,the immense provisions for ,solomon's table1 considering the vast multitude of his dependents1 might be only a competency for the demand 7#a ,kings iv4 #bb74 ,the distribution of the manna was food convenient--nothing too much1 but no deficiency--,he that gathered much had nothing over2 and he that gathered little had no lack 7,exod4 xvi4 #ah74 ,and thus1 in the daily dispensation of ,providence1 a little may be a sufficiency to one1 while an overflowing plenty is no superfluity to another4 ,only let ,christian self-denial1 not depraved appetite1 be the standard of competency4--,bridges4 ,verse #i4 ,many in their low estate could serve ,god1 but now resemble the moon1 which never suffers eclipse but at her full1 and that is by the earth's interposition between the sun and herself4--,trapp4 ,for ,homiletics on the subject of verse #aj see on chap4 xxiv4 #bh1 #bi1 page #fhi4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aa-ag4 ,,four ,,manifestations ,,of ,,ungodliness4 ,i4 ,children without natural affection4 ,parents that have the disposition and character which ,god intends them to possess are the best reflection of ,god that a child can look upon in a fallen world4 ,a son or daughter can by no other means so well come to understand the fatherhood of ,god as by considering the tenderness and self-sacrifice of good human parents1 and hence the ,saviour in ,his most beautiful parable 7,luke xv47 uses this relationship to set forth the depth and strength of ,divine love to sinful men4 ,he who treats such love lightly1 therefore1 despises the love of ,him who instituted the relationship of parent and child to minister to human happiness and to elevate human character4 ,the man or woman who is guilty of this crime reveals a heart incapable of worthy emotion1 and a conscience dead to all the claims of duty4 ,such an unnatural being must fail in all his other relationships--he cannot be a good husband or faithful friend1 or worthily fulfil any of the more public duties of life4 ,a man who was found wanting here1 was1 in the ,hebrew commonwealth1 regarded as rotten at the very core of his moral nature1 and condemned to suffer the extreme penalty of the law 7,deut4 xxi4 #ah-ba74 ,thus ,god puts the rebellious child on a level with the murderer and blasphemer1 and the terrible threatening passed here upon one who disregards the fifth commandment is another proof of the greatness of the sin in the eyes of ,god4 ,in verse #ag such a sentence is passed upon an undutiful child as is scarcely paralleled in ,scripture4 ,even the body which was the home of so unnatural a soul shall be exposed to ignominy and contempt4 ,,ii4 ,self-deceivers4 ,this is a manifestation of ungodliness1 which is in some degree common to all men whose inner vision has not been set right by ,divine grace4 ,all unrenewed men are more or less like the ancient ,laodiceans1 who thought they had need of nothing1 but who were in reality so spiritually blind that they could not see their spiritual nakedness 7,rev4 iii4 #ae74 ,it is those who are not washed from their filthiness that are pure in their own eyes1 for they are in the condition of spirit described by the apostle ,john--they walk in darkness1 and that darkness hath blinded their eyes 7#a ,john ii4 #aa74 ,but it is their own fault if they remain in this condition of blindness4 ,a man may be born into this world with weak or impaired vision1 but there may be means within his reach whereby the defect may be remedied and he become capable of seeing things as they are4 ,by coming under the influence of those who can see well themselves and who can help him to sight also1 he may be brought from a state of comparative darkness to one of light1 and if with these opportunities within his reach he become worse instead of better1 and at last totally blind1 his blindness is a crime and not a misfortune4 ,so1 although it is true that we all come into this world with our spiritual perceptions defective and impaired1 we are blameworthy in the highest degree if we do not put ourselves in contact with the moral light which ,god has placed within our reach1 and we shall in time come to the condition of the ,jewish nation in the days of the prophet and in the time of ,christ 7,isa4 vi4 #i2 ,matt4 xiii4 #ad71 seeing1 we shall see1 and shall not perceive4 ,for the light which lighteneth every man 7,john i4 #i7 has come into the world2 and when ,his ,word is allowed free access to man's heart and conscience it opens his spiritual eyes as the morning sun playing upon the bodily eyes of the sleeper arouses him to life and consciousness4 ,self-deception1 therefore1 is a sin1 and a sin inseparable from ungodliness4 ,,iii4 ,the proud4 ,this sin is the natural outcome of the one just mentioned4 ,if a man has no sense of his state before ,god1 he will have no right conception of his position in relation to his fellow-creatures4 ,the eyes that cannot discern their own moral defilement will certainly look disdainfully upon others4 ,he who thus dishonours his ,god will certainly despise his brother1 and the less a man has to be proud of1 the prouder he will be4 7,on the subject of pride see on chap4 xi4 #b1 and xiii4 #aj1 pages #aib and #cje47 ,,iv4 ,the cruel and covetous4 ,man's rapacity and selfishness are set forth in verses #ae to #ag in very strong terms4 ,his greediness and cruelty are compared to that of a creature the sole end of whose existence is to gorge itself with blood2 to the ever open grave2 to swords and knives1 etc4 ,we know too well that this picture is not overdrawn4 ,nothing that man can imagine in the form of cruelty can surpass what man has been guilty of1 and such ingenuity has he sometimes displayed in this direction that one is constrained to believe that he has been inspired by a supernatural power of evil1 for his deeds of darkness have seemed too black for man of himself to conceive4 ,some of the cruelty of man towards man may not be the offspring of covetousness1 but doubtless much of it is4 ,men often care not who suffers1 or how much they suffer1 so that they satisfy their own selfish desires1 and all this unnatural conduct is an evidence that there is a schism in the human race which calls for some remedy such as that of the ,gospel1 whereby such savage natures may be transformed1 and ,the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb1 and the leopard shall lie down with the kid1 etc4 7,isa4 xi4 #f74 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,in ,scripture1 the word generations is repeatedly used to signify particular classes or descriptions of men2 for two reasons1 or points of analogy3--first1 that as generation follows generation1 so surely1 in every generation1 a succession of such characters is to be found2--and secondly1 that they very often communicate the character to one another1 and thus keep up their respective kinds1--are successive propagators of their species4--,wardlaw4 ,verse #aa4 ,here a new thought begins1 but probably one from the same teacher4 ,as he had uttered what he most desired1 so now he tells us what he most abhorred1 and in true harmony with the teaching of the ,ten ,commandments places in the foremost rank those who rise against the ,fifth4--,plumptre4 ,solon1 when asked why he had made no law against parricides1 replied1 that he could not conceive of anyone so impious and cruel4 ,the ,divine lawgiver knew ,his creature better1 that his heart was capable of wickedness beyond conception 7,jer4 xvii4 #i74--;,bridges4 ,verse #ad4 ,yet withal1 these cruel oppressors are marked by pitiful cowardice4 ,they vent their wantonness only where there is little or no power of resistance4 ,it is not the wolf with the wolf1 but with the defenceless lamb2 devouring the poor and needy from off the earth1--eating up my people--not like an occasional indulgence1 but as they eat bread their daily meal1 without intermission 7,ps4 xiv4 #d74--;,bridges4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ah-bj4 ,,depths ,,of ,,wickedness4 ,i4 ,there are deeds of iniquity which leave no outward immediate trace4 ,the path which the eagle opens by her wings when she soars aloft cannot be traced by the human eye4 ,the air closes behind her as she moves1 and she leaves nothing to show that she has passed that way4 ,the vessel ploughs its way through the deep1 and leaves a wake behind her for a short time4 ,but the sea1 like the air1 soon resumes its former condition1 and the keel leaves no lasting indication upon the water whereby the course of the mariner can be seen4 ,so the serpent glides over the rock1 and for a moment its shining scales are reflected in the sun1 and then it is hidden from sight and the rock bears no footprint upon its surface4 ,no human skill could1 in any of these instances1 find any evidence by which to establish the fact that either the thing without life or the living creatures had been there4 ,so the sin to which all these comparisons are linked is one which may be concealed from the eyes of all except those concerned in it1 not only at the time of its committal1 but also in the immediate future4 ,those who come in contact with the guilty parties may see no more trace of the sin than they would do of an eagle's course1 or1 to use the other metaphor1 of bread that had been eaten by one who has wiped his mouth after the meal4 ,,ii4 ,sin is so in opposition to the voice of the human conscience that even those who love it must seek to hide it4 ,the adulteress has sunk as low in the moral scale as it is possible for a human creature to sink1 and yet she seeks to hide her shame4 ,men of evil deeds love darkness rather than light1 and so give evidence that there is that within them that condemns their unholy deeds4 ,the very denial of the crime is a condemnation of it4 ,there are many crimes which are not amenable to human law which men1 notwithstanding1 try to hide from human eyes1 and their efforts to do this are witnesses against them and in favour of the law which they have broken4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #ba-bc4 ,,burdens ,,grievous ,,to ,,be ,,borne4 ,i4 ,it is sometimes dangerous to the peace of a community to raise a person from a low to a high position4 ,to place a man who has never before crossed a horse1 upon a high-spirited charger1 is to create a source of danger both to himself and others4 ,there is a strong probability that the unskilful rider will be thrown from his unaccustomed elevation1 and so injure himself4 ,and it is also probable that he will be the means of mischief to other travellers upon the road1 whom he will overthrow in his unskilful efforts to keep his seat4 ,it is generally as dangerous an experiment to lift a man at once from the position of a servant to that of a ruler4 ,although faithfulness over a few things is1 according to the highest authority1 the best qualification for rulership over many things 7,matt4 xxv4 #ba71 it is not always hands used only to service are fit to hold the reins of government1 either in a small or a large society4 ,on this subject see also on chap4 xix4 #aj1 page #efi4 ,,ii4 ,some human creatures cannot safely be trusted with even a sufficiency of this world's goods4 ,they are not only unfit to rule others1 but so unfit to rule themselves that they cannot be filled with meat without becoming a centre of disturbance4 ,even enough of the necessaries of life suffices to make them injurious to themselves and insolent to their betters4 ,this is especially true of men who are slaves to their bodily appetites4 ,there are men in the world who1 although peaceable and even useful citizens when they are kept in a state of comparative want and hardship1 indulge in excess and immorality as soon as the restraint is removed4 ,they will sometimes know this to be true1 and yet they are so wanting in moral courage and strength as not to struggle after a higher condition of being4 ,such men are fools indeed4 ,,iii4 ,the change of disposition which change of circumstance sometimes seems to work may be the result of deliberate purpose4 ,when a servant becomes a ruler he may be the occasion of trouble simply from intellectual inability1 and the fool who cannot safely be filled with meat may be only morally weak2 but the woman here represented as developing into a curse after marriage suggests a person who has deliberately hidden her real character for a time in order to gain a position in which she can have more opportunities of indulging her evil propensities4 ,this is a step farther in wickedness1 and this domestic burden is often the most grievous of all burdens4 ,on this subject see on chap4 xxi4 #i and #ai1 page #fac4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,judge1 then1 how horrible it is that men should set the devil1 or his two angels the world and the flesh1 in the throne1 whiles they place ,god in the footstool2 or that in this commonwealth of man1 reason1 which is the queen or princess over the better powers and graces of the soul1 should stoop to so base a slave as sensual lust4--,t4 ,adams4 ,and now1 just notice the comprehensiveness1 in regard to the happiness of human life1 of the four things thus enumerated4 ,they begin1 observe1 at the throne1 and come down to the domestic servant4 ,they embrace four great sources of the social unhappiness of mankind4 ,they are--incompetent rule1 preposterous and besotted folly1 conjugal alienation and strife with its domestic miseries1 and the unnatural inversion of social order4--,wardlaw4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bd-bh4 ,,lowly ,,teachers4 ,i4 ,men can learn from creatures far beneath him4 ,herein he gives evidence both of his greatness and of his imperfection4 ,he is often so faulty in many respects that some of the most insignificant creatures around him read him lessons of wisdom1 and yet his capability of receiving instruction from them shows how superior he is to them4 ,for creatures below man1 although their actions are often marked by something that seems very nearly akin to reason1 are not capable of receiving moral instruction1 either from those above or beneath them1 and so give proof that they lack a capacity which man possesses4 ,,ii4 ,the lessons taught him by each of these creatures4 #a4 ,from the ant industry and forethought4 ,on this subject see on chap4 vi4 #f-aa1 page #gh4 #b4 ,from the coney 7see ,critical ,notes7 a prudent acknowledgement of weakness4 ,it is one of the marks of a wise man that he knows his weakness as well as his strength1 and this seems to be the lesson conveyed by the feeble folk who1 conscious of their feebleness1 make their abodes in the rocks4 ,foolhardiness may ruin a man as surely as cowardice1 and it is quite a different thing from courage1 though it is sometimes mistaken for it4 #c4 ,from the locust the need of unity and co-operation4 ,the locust is in itself a small and weak insect1 yet it is well known what mighty and terrible work can be accomplished by them when they unite4 ,they stand as an example of the wonderful effect of perfect combination and unanimity in action4 7,see ,joel ii4 #b-aa47 ,they seem animated by a single purpose1 and the myriads of individuals seem to become one great and irresistible monster1 and thus show us what great things can be accomplished in any community when men are of one heart and mind on any subject1 and are willing to lay aside personal preferences and individual interests in order to achieve a common purpose4 #d4 ,from the lizard 7see ,critical ,notes7 the results of perseverance4 ,this little creature is constantly found in ,eastern houses1 and doubtless in the palace as well as in more lowly dwellings4 ,although hardly so good an example of perseverance as the spider1 yet it owes its presence in the house to its own energy in overcoming obstacles1 and its pertinacity in seeking out some means of entrance1 and may therefore be regarded as worthy of man's imitation when some task is set before him which calls for continuous and watchful effort4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,it has been remarked by some1 that the four emblems express all that is requisite for the conservation and well-being of a ,,state or ,,kingdom4 ,there is supply of food2--commodious and secure dwelling places2--subordination1 concord1 and united exertion2--and the prevalence and encouragement of the ingenious and useful arts4 ,these are things that governors and kings should look to4 ,and we may apply the emblematic lessons to domestic life4 ,before a man can prudently marry1 and have a family1 he should have some suitable provision made1 and something like a fair prospect of being able to support them4 ,next is to be found a suitable dwelling1 adapted to the circumstances and convenience4 ,then1 when settled1 there must be harmony1 union1 co-operation1 in all departments of the household4 ,and lastly1 there must be the diligent1 constant1 persevering application of his skill and labour to his worldly calling4--,wardlaw4 ,the ants prepare their meat in the summer1 that they may not starve in the rigours of the winter months4 ,how despicable1 compared with these insects1 are the rational creatures1 who suffer the thoughts of an endless duration to be pushed out of their minds by threescore and ten years8 ,the high hills are a refuge for the wild goats1 and the rocks for the conies2 and has ,god provided no refuge for our souls8 ,god himself is our refuge and our strength1 and those that make ,him their habitation shall be secured from the fear of evil4--,lawson4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #bi-ca4 ,,kingly ,,qualities4 ,these words seem to set forth animal qualifications needed by human leaders4 ,i4 ,they must be men of courage4 ,a cowardly man in any position in society will1 at some time or other1 be found wanting1 but what is needed in everyday life and by men in ordinary positions1 is indispensable in him who has to lead others4 ,a king in the days of ,solomon was expected to be at the head of his army in the day of battle1 and if he was not then an example to all beneath him in this respect1 he brought disgrace and ruin upon himself and them4 ,a king in all ages1 and under all circumstances should be to his subjects what the lion is to the other beasts of the forest--a pattern of dignity and courage4 ,,ii4 ,they must be active and watchful4 ,both the greyhound and the war-horse--whichever may be here meant--are characterised by swiftness of foot and great sagacity4 ,they are ready at any moment to set forth on any errand1 and are always on the alert when danger is near4 ,the goat1 also1 is agile in its movements1 and as sure-footed as it is fleet4 ,all these animal qualities are symbolic of mental qualifications which must be possessed by those who aspire to lead and rule their fellow-men successfully4 ,they must not be behindhand when called to action1 but they must at the same time take heed to the dangers which may lie in wait for them4 ,they must be ever ready at the call of duty1 but they must not be rash and hasty1 and so endanger much more than their own personal safety4 ,on the subject of verses #cb and #cc1 see on chap4 xvii4 #ad1 page #eac4 ,,remarks ,,on ,,the ,,chapter ,,as ,a ,,whole4 ,while it appears at the first view that the flowers and fruits from the cornucopia of ,agur's wisdom1 original and in part so rarely fashioned1 are heaped up wholly without order1 yet they all agree in this1 that they depict the glory and all sufficiency of the ,word of ,god1 dissuade from adding to it by any human supplement1 and most urgently commend the fulfilling and following it by a pious life4 ,there is hardly a single commandment of the ,decalogue that is not directly or indirectly repeated and emphasised in these maxims4 ,observe the relation of the prayer for the hallowing of ,god's name 7verses #g-i7 to the first and third commandments2 the references contained in verse #aa1 and again in verse #ag to the fifth commandment2 the warnings against the transgression of the sixth commandment in verse #ad as well as in verses #cb-cc2 the reproving and warning aim of verses #ah-bj1 and #bc1 in their bearing upon the seventh2 the allusion to the eighth in verse #i1 and to the ninth in verse #aj2 and finally the reference1 reminding us of the tenth in verses #ae and #af4 4 4 4 ,no one of these proverbs is wholly without an ethical value2 not even the two numerical proverbs 7verses #bd-bh1 and #bi-ca71 which at the first view stand apart as incidental reflections on merely natural truths1 but in reality hide under their ingenious physical drapery decided moral aims4 ,for in verses #bd-bh four chief virtues of one's social and political avocation are specified through an allusion to a like number of examples from the animal world1 and verses #bi-ca run into a delineation of the high dignity and glory of a king by the grace of ,god in contrast with the insufferable tyranny of base upstarts 7verses #ba-bc74--,lange's ,commentary4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,critical ,,notes4--,lemuel4 ,this ,hebrew word signifies ,for ,god1 or belonging to ,god1 and is regarded by most commentators as a proper name4 ,the prophecy4 ,delitzsch1 ,stuart1 and many other ,hebrew scholars render this word as a proper name1 and read ,the words of ,lemuel1 king of ,,massa1 which his mother taught him4 ,miller reads the verse1 ,words in respect to the ,seed-of-,god1 a king2 a prophecy in agreement with which his mother disciplined him1 and1 as in the preceding chapter1 applies it to ,christ4 #b4 ,what1 etc4 ,an impassioned exclamation expressing inward emotion4 7,zckler47 ,the question1 says ,delitzsch1 which is at the same time a call1 is like a deep sigh from the heart of a mother concerned for the welfare of a son4 #c4 ,the second clause reads literally nor thy ways to destroy kings1 and hence some understand it as a warning against warlike rapacity and lust of conquest1 but1 as ,delitzsch remarks1 this does not stand well as the parallel to the warning in the first clause4 #d4 ,strong drink4 7,see on chap xx4 #a47 #e4 ,any of the afflicted4 ,literally ,the sons of want4 #h4 ,such as are appointed to destruction4 ,literally ,children of leaving1 generally understood to mean orphans4 ,the twenty-two verses following form an alphabetical song1 each verse beginning with the several letters of the ,hebrew alphabet arranged in consecutive order4 #aj4 ,virtuous4 ,literally a woman of power4 ,rubies1 rather pearls4 #aa4 ,he shall have no need1 etc4 ,rather1 ,he shall not fail of spoil4 ,strictly1 'the spoils of war1' a strong expression to denote his rich profit4 7,zckler47 #ae4 ,this probably signifies the appointed task for the day4 #ba4 ,scarlet4 ,delitzsch and ,zckler retain this reading2 the former remarks that as high-coloured1 it appears dignified as well as preserves warmth4 #bb4 ,coverings1 rather coverlets1 as in chap4 vii4 #af1 a part of the furniture of the bed4 #be4 ,she shall rejoice4 ,rather1 ,she laugheth at the future1 i4e41 she is not afraid of it1 being fully prepared for all emergencies4 #bf4 ,law of kindness4 ,delitzsch reads ,amiable instruction4 #cj4 ,favour1 i4e41 outward grace4 ,vain1 or a breath4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #a-i4 ,,divine ,,commands ,,from ,a ,,mother',s ,,lips4 ,i4 ,two considerations made it obligatory upon ,lemuel to attend to this counsel of his mother4 #a4 ,she was inspired to utter it4 ,however we may translate the word here rendered prophecy 7see ,critical ,notes71 its place in the ,holy ,scriptures gives to it the authority of a message from ,god4 ,the words are not merely the results of a tender and wise mother's own observation and experience1 but they are the utterances of a spirit under the special influence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,although1 therefore1 his mother's love1 and1 doubtless1 her holy example1 ought to have been very powerful incentives to attention and obedience1 his obligation was increased tenfold by the conviction he must have had that ,god spoke to him through her lips4 #b4 ,he was a king4 ,if men in every station of life are bound to keep the paths of purity and charity1 much more is it the duty of one in a high place--the influence of whose actions stretch so far beyond his immediate surroundings1 and who holds in his hand the destinies of so many besides his own4 ,because ,lemuel had been called by ,god to a throne1 what he was and what he did concerned not a few people only1 but a nation1 and this reflection ought to have added great weight to his mother's words4 ,,ii4 ,the first and indispensable duty of a ruler is to rule himself4 ,every man is a little kingdom made up of many different and sometimes opposing forces--of inclinations towards the earthly1 the sensual1 and even the devilish1 and of aspirations towards the heavenly1 the spiritual1 and the godlike4 ,there are lawful desires which1 satisfied in a lawful manner1 may lead to much enjoyment and blessing1 but which1 if allowed to rule the man1 or even to have any share in the government of the life1 will degrade and may almost brutalise him4 ,bodily appetites have their place in the constitution of man1 but it was never intended that they should be satisfied by breaking the moral law2 and when they lead to this1 moral anarchy has set in1 and moral ruin is not far off4 ,the two great sins of the body against which ,lemuel is here warned have in all ages shown how man can turn blessings into curses by abusing and mis-using them1 and the ,word of ,god and human history unite in proclaiming the truth that the ,divine intention is perverted when the body rules the man and not the man the body4 ,every man is bound to be king of himself1 and one who aspires to be a king over others and is yet a slave to his own unlawful passions will being upon himself the curse of man and the judgment of ,god4 ,on this subject see also on chap4 vi4 #bd-ce1 page #hi1 and on chap4 xxiii4 #bi-ce1 page #fgc4 ,,iii4 ,the obligation next in order is succour of the needy4 ,in former chapters we have considered the obligation which ,god lays upon every man to consider the cause of the poor and afflicted4 7,see on chaps4 xiv4 #bj1 page #cgj1 and chap4 xxiv4 #aa1 page #fhj47 ,as we remarked at the outset1 duties which men owe to their fellow-men multiply and become binding in proportion to opportunities4 ,the king of ancient times was but another name for one whose direct influence over his subjects was greater than that of monarchs in our day4 ,his word was law1 and the power of life and death was often in his hand alone1 and if he exercised self-denial and gave of his substance to those in want1 he might often by his individual action entirely change the condition of half his subjects4 ,the relations of society have changed since then1 and kings have no longer so exclusively the power for good or ill1 but their influence is still very great1 and if it is all exerted in favour of benevolence and justice1 and they live lives of self-denial and active compassion on behalf of others1 they will come up to the ideal picture here drawn for their imitation4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #b4 ,there was a threefold cord of maternal love which this parent was wont to employ1 and which remained in its form as well as its power in the memory of her son4 ,my son is the outmost and uppermost aspect of the relation4 ,this is a bond set in nature1 felt by the parties1 and obvious to all4 ,on this she leans first when she makes an appeal to his heart4 ,but at the next step she goes deeper in4 ,she recalls the day of his birth4 ,she goes back to that hour when nature's greatest sorrow is dispelled by nature's gladdest news4 ,a man-child is born into the world4 ,by the pains and joys of that hour she knits the heart of her son to her own1 and thereby increases her purchase upon the direction of his life4 ,but still one step farther back can this mother go4 ,here is the son of her vows4 ,before his birth she held converse1 not with him for ,god1 but with ,god for him4--,arnot4 ,verse #d4 ,it is not for kings to admit within their dominions anyone that is stronger than themselves1 and able to overthrow them4 ,it is not for kings to harbour anyone within their dominions that is false unto them1 and ready to betray them2 much more it is not for kings to admit within themselves any immoderate quantity of wine1 which soon proveth too strong for them1 and quickly with shame overthroweth them4--,jermin4 ,,main ,,homiletics ,,of ,,the ,,paragraph4--,verses #aj-ca4 ,a ,,model ,,matron4 ,this picture of a faithful and kindly wife1 mother1 and mistress is here placed before the youthful monarch as the ideal woman whom he is to seek with all diligence1 because she is well worth any pains to secure1 and with much discrimination1 because she is a rarity1 and because there are many imitations of the real gem which look very much like it before they are tested4 ,this beautiful picture is held to his view as the master holds some grand conception on canvas before his pupil1 in order that he may acquire a distaste for all that comes short of it4 ,this portrait may have been drawn by the mother of ,lemuel2 in any case we may safely conclude that she was such a woman herself1 and if it came from another hand it is1 probably1 her likeness drawn from life4 ,we notice-- ,i4 ,the prominent features of her character4 #a4 ,her energy4 ,there seems to be within her a spring of unfailing activity1 and the completion of one task is immediately followed by the beginning of another4 ,in her home she is astir before the dawn1 and when her domestic duties are completed she gives her mind to the transaction of business without--to the best market in which to sell her goods1 and to buy all that she needs for the supply of her household4 ,we cannot conceive of this energetic spirit in a frail and sickly body--she must have been physically healthy and strong1 and we may give her credit for having been observant of the laws of ,god in this respect as in higher matters1 and be sure that she avoided whatever might weaken her body or deaden her intellect4 ,this being the case1 her constant activity would be a pleasure1 and would in itself contribute to the maintenance of her bodily strength4 #b4 ,her capability4 ,she was not only a great worker1 but there was wisdom behind the work--a brain directing the hands4 ,there are many people always busy1 who yet accomplish but little1 because their activity is not wisely directed--indeed1 energetic action without wisdom to guide it1 may be most disastrous in its effects4 ,there is an abundance of power in the locomotive1 but if it is set in motion and left free from wise control1 it works ill instead of good4 ,but this woman's intellectual capacity equalled her active energy4 ,she was a good judge of the merchandise that she had to sell1 and knew the value of the land that she bought4 ,she was methodical1 and so able to arrange the employments of all the household so that no confusion should arise1 and she could also show them with her own hands how to perform their work1 for she layeth her hands to the spindle1 and so follows up her precept by example4 ,her capacity also manifested itself to her forethought--in keeping her supply well ahead of her demand4 #c4 ,her loving tenderness4 ,she might have been all that we have thus far painted her1 and yet not have made a happy home4 ,if she had been nothing more she might have been feared1 and in some measure respected1 but she would not have been loved4 ,just as energy may be dangerous without wisdom to guide it1 so such capable energy may be repellent without love to soften it4 ,but her uncommon endowments and attainments did not make her impatient with her inferiors1 and she was not so absorbed in providing for those at home as to forget the poor outside4 ,her commands were given in a winning tone1 and her corrections in a loving spirit4 ,she was more apt to instruct than to reprove1 and doubtless acted upon the principle that the way to make people better is to make the best of them4 ,,ii4 ,the root of all these excellencies4 ,although it is not absolutely stated1 it is implied that godliness was the source of this symmetrical character--that it was the fear of the ,lord which enabled her to keep so even a balance of virtues as to stand forth a perfect pattern to the women of every age and nation4 ,the fear of ,god had given her a right conception of her duties towards all mankind1 and especially of the sacred nature of her relationships as wife and mother4 ,she fully entered into the ,divine idea of marriage1 and this made her the true helpmeet of her husband1 and in regard to each son and daughter she heard the voice of her ,god saying1 ,take this child and nurse it for me4 ,she knew that faithfulness in all things was expected of a servant of ,god1 and that true godliness consists not so much in the things done as in the spirit in which they are performed4 ,in this spirit of ,george ,herbert she could say-- ,teach me1 my ,god and ,king1 ,in all things ,thee to see2 ,and what ,i do in anything ,to do it as for thee4 ,all may of ,thee partake2 ,nothing can be so mean ,which with this tincture 7for ,thy sake7 ,will not grow bright and clean4 ,this is the famous stone ,that turneth all to gold2 ,for that which ,god doth touch and own ,cannot for less be told4 ,and thus living every day and always in conscious fellowship with the ,unseen1 she would be too conscious of her own shortcomings to be anything but tender towards the failings of others1 and would not forget that she owed all her success in life to the blessing of the ,lord1 and held all her material good in stewardship for ,his service4 ,,iii4 ,the blessed results of all4 ,she had an abundant and lasting reward4 ,her husband's trust in her was undimmed by a single shadow2 whatever position she was called upon to sustain he felt fully confident that she was equal to it1 and that everything that he possessed--from his reputation to his purse--was not only safe in her hands1 but had increased in worth through his connection with her4 ,her words of loving counsel1 and her useful and benevolent life1 were not lost upon her children1 but as good seen sown in good ground brought forth an abundant harvest in their filial reverence and noble deeds4 ,and this family blessedness was not a thing that could be hid1 but1 like a candle of the ,lord in a world of much moral darkness1 it shed its light all around1 and blessed and stimulated others to fear ,god1 and so to serve their generation4 ,,outlines ,,and ,,suggestive ,,comments4 ,verse #ab4 ,the manner of some is to do good with the one hand1 and with the evil of the other to spoil it2 whereby they still remain to be evil wives4 ,others will do good while the fit lasteth1 but they are weary of well-doing2 whereas a good wife indeed will do good to her husband all the days of her life4 ,it is not said of his life1 but of hers4 ,for though he may be dead1 she will do him good while she liveth1 by doing good to his children1 to his friends1 to his memory4--,jermin4 ,verse #af4 ,some consider but they buy not2 some buy but they consider not2 some consider and buy1 but they plant not2 some consider and buy and plant2 but it is with the rapine of their hands1 not the fruit of their hands4 ,that field is well bought1 where wisdom considereth what is bought1 where ability buyeth that which hath been considered1 where care planteth that which hath been bought1 and where honesty giveth a blessing to that which hath been planted4--,jermin4 ,verse #bj4 ,she doth not only open her hand1 but stretcheth it 7if ,i may so make use of the word71 as if she would hold more to give the poor if she could4 4 4 4 ,and as if one hand were not enough for her it is said she reacheth forth her hands2 and if she had more than two no doubt she would reach them all forth to the poor4--,jermin4 ,verse #bb4 ,it is precisely such a woman who should wear such garments4 ,the silk hangs all the more gracefully on her person that it was wound and spun by her own hands4 4 4 4 ,this matron is not limited to silk and purple2 strength and honour are her clothing too4 ,she may safely wear elegant garments1 who in character and bearing is elegant without their aid4 ,if honour be your clothing1 the suit will last a life-time1 but if clothing be your honour1 it will soon be worn threadbare4--,arnot4 ,verse #bf4 ,there be may false keys which open the mouths of many1 as rashness1 and choler1 and pride1 and folly1 and the like4 ,but there is one right key1 and that is wisdom4 ,that it is which makes a virtuous woman courteous to all1 a flatterer to none1 a tale-bearer to none2 that it is which maketh her to be familiar with a few1 to be just and true with every one3 that it is which maketh her respectful to her husband1 lovingly grave to her children1 awfully grave to her servants2 dutiful to her superiors1 affable with her equals1 friendly to her neighbours1 and not disdainful to her inferiors2 that it is which maketh her slow to speak1 quiet in speaking1 profitable by speaking4--,jermin4 ,verse #bi4 ,by the benefit of a better nature1 or civil education1 or for the praise of men1 or for a quiet life1 sure it is that all unsanctified women1 though never so well qualified1 have failed1 both quoad fontem1 et quoad finem1 for want of faith for the principle and ,god's glory for the aim of their virtuous actions4 ,and1 therefore1 though they may be praiseworthy1 yet they are far short of this gracious matron4 4 4 4 ,better is pale gold than glittering copper4 7,bernard47 ,say the world what it will1 a drachm of holiness is worth a pound of good nature4--,trapp4 ,verses #cj and #ca4 ,the lessons and where they began4 ,obedience is traced up to faith4 4 4 4 ,as we traverse the various phases of her character1 we seem to be making our way over a well-watered and fruitful region1 until we reach at last the fountain of its fertility4 4 4 4 ,near the base of a mountain range1 early in the morning of the day and the spring of the year1 you may have seen1 in your solitary walk1 a pillar of cloud1 pure and white1 rising from the earth to heaven4 ,in the calm air its slender stem rises straight like a tree1 and like a tree spreads out its lofty summit4 ,like an angel tree in white1 and not like an earthly thing1 it stands before you4 ,you approach the spot and discover the cause of the vision4 ,a well of water from the warm depths bursts through the surface there1 and this is the morning incense which it sends right upward to the throne4 ,but the water is not all thus exhaled4 ,a pure stream flows over the well's rocky edge1 and trickles along the surface1 a river in miniature1 marked on both sides by verdure1 while the barrenness of winter lies on the other portions of the field4 4 4 4 ,such are the two outgoings of a believer's life4 ,upward rises the soul in direct devotion2 but not the less on that account does the life flow out along the surface of the world1 leaving its mark in blessings behind it wherever it goes4 ,you caught the spring by surprise at dawn1 and saw incense ascending4 ,at mid-day1 when the sun was up1 it rose unseen4 4 4 4 ,thus is it in the experience of living ,christians in the world4 4 4 4 ,the upright pillar is seldom visible1 but the horizontal stream is seen and felt to be a refreshment to all within its reach4--,arnot4 ,,the ,,end4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,detailed changes3 - represents an illegible character4 - ,note counting convention3 ,when a note continues from the prior page1 it is note zero or same note1 7if it had been addressed in the transcriber's notes on the previous page74 ,the first note that begins new on a page is note one1 etc4 - ,in the ,table of ,contents 7,,toc71 on page v4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter i4 #a-d1 change ,the ,author1 his ,method and ,his ,object to capitalise ,his 7twice74 ,chapter i4 #g-i1 change ,the ,root of ,true ,knowledge and the ,means of its ,attainment to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter i4 #aj-aj1 change ,enticement to ,sin and ,exhortation against yielding to it to capitalise ,against1 ,yielding1 and ,it4 ,chapter ii4 #ab-bj1 change ,the ,character of those from whom ,wisdom ,preserves to capitalise ,those and ,whom4 ,chapter iii4 #e1 #f1 change ,exhortation to confidence in ,god to capitalise ,confidence4 ,chapter iii4 #g-ab1 change ,the way to capitalise ,way4 ,chapter iii4 #ca-ce1 change ,the ,oppressor not to be ,envied to capitalise ,not and ,be4 ,chapter vi4 #bd-ce1 change ,a ,special ,sin and its ,penalties from which ,he who ,keeps ,god's ,law will be ,kept to capitalise ,its1 ,which1 ,who1 ,will1 and ,be4 ,chapter viii4 #aj1 #aa1 change ,better than ,wealth to capitalise ,than4 - ,,toc1 page vi4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter x4 #bh1 change ,hopes ,realized ,disappointed to spell out and4 ,chapter xi4 #ab1 #ac1 change ,contempt and ,tale-bearing to capitalise ,bearing4 ,chapter xi4 #bb1 change ,precious ,things possessed by ,unworthy ,owners to capitalise ,possessed4 ,chapter xii4 #a1 change ,the ,love of ,knowledge and the ,proof of it to capitalise ,it4 ,chapter xii4 #c1 change ,a ,right ,desire and the ,means of its ,attainment to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter xii4 #e-h1 change ,thoughts and ,words and their ,result to capitalise ,their4 ,chapter xii4 #be1 change ,heaviness of ,heart and its ,cure to capitalise ,its4 - ,,toc1 page vii4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter xiii4 #bc1 change ,land and its ,tillers to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter xiv4 #f1 change ,seeking but not ,finding to capitalise ,not4 ,chapter xiv4 #ca1 change ,the ,oppressed and their ,oppressors to capitalise ,their4 ,chapter xv4 #af1 change ,a ,treasure without ,trouble to capitalise ,without4 ,chapter xv4 #bj1 change the homiletics reference to page #acg1 from page #acf4 - ,,toc1 page viii4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter xvi4 #h1 change the first homiletics reference to page #dje1 from page #dae4 ,chapter xvi4 #bg-cj1 change ,different ,species of the same ,genus to capitalise ,same4 ,chapter xvi4 #cc1 change ,the ,lot and its ,disposer to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter xvii4 #i1 change ,how to make ,friends and ,how to ,separate ,them to capitalise ,make4 ,chapter xvii4 #aj1 change ,correction must be ,adapted to capitalise ,must4 ,chapter xvii4 #bd1 change ,the ,eyes of a ,fool and those of a ,wise ,man to capitalise ,those4 ,chapter xviii4 #f-h1 change ,folly and its ,results to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter xviii4 #ac1 change ,answering before ,hearing to capitalise ,before4 ,chapter xix4 #b1 #c1 change ,influence leading to ,sin to capitalise ,leading4 ,chapter xix4 #h-i1 change the homiletics references to pages #aba and #abd1 from #abb and #abh4 ,chapter xix4 #bd1 change the homiletics reference to chapter xxvi4 #ab-af from xxvi4 #ac-ae4 ,change the reference for ,possibilities of ,human ,depravity from xxvi4 #bf-bh to xxvi4 #bf-bi4 - ,,toc1 page ix4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter xx4 #d1 change homiletics reference to page #adb1 from page #adf4 ,chapter xx4 #aj1 add reference to chapter xi4 #a4 ,chapter xx4 #ac1 change homiletics reference to page #gh1 from page #gi4 ,chapter xx4 #ah1 change ,thought before ,action to capitalise ,before4 ,chapter xx4 #ba1 change second cross reference from xxi4 #e-g to xxi4 #e1 #g4 ,chapter xxi4 #aa1 change ,instruction for those who ,need ,it to capitalise ,those and ,who4 ,chapter xxi4 #bc1 change the homiletics reference to chapter xiii4 #b-c from xiii4 #c4 ,chapter xxii4 #a1 change ,better than ,gold to capitalise ,than4 ,chapter xxii4 #e1 #f1 change ,a ,hedged-up ,way to capitalise ,up4 ,chapter xxii4 #aj1 change ,a ,man who ,ought to ,dwell ,alone to capitalise ,who4 ,chapter xxii4 #bf1 #bg1 change ,suretyship and its ,dangers to capitalise ,its4 ,chapter xxiv4 #h1 #i1 change cross reference from chap4 vi4 #ab1 #ai to chap4 vi4 #ab-ai4 - ,,toc1 page x4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter xxiv4 #bh1 #bi1 change ,an ,uncalled-for ,testimony to capitalise ,for4 ,chapter xxv4 #ad1 change ,clouds without ,rain to capitalise ,rain4 ,chapter xxv4 #bg1 change ,too much of a ,good ,thing to capitalise ,much4 ,chapter xxvi4 #ab-af1 change ,self-conceit and ,indolence to capitalise ,conceit4 ,chapter xxvii4 #h1 change ,plac to ,place4 ,chapter xxvii4 #bb1 change second homiletics reference to chapter xix4 #bf-bi from xix4 #bi4 ,chapter xxviii4 #d1 #e1 change ,law-keepers and ,law-breakers to ,lawkeepers and ,lawbreakers4 ,chapter xxviii4 #f1 change page reference to #efa from #ehb4 ,chapter xxviii4 #i1 change page reference to #djf from #djg1 #djh4 ,chapter xxviii4 #aj1 change reference to chapter xxvi4 #bc-bh from xxvi4 #bg and page #gba from #gbb4 ,chapter xxviii4 #ab1 change reference to chapter xi4 #aj-aa from xi4 #aj4 ,chapter xxviii4 #ad1 change second reference to chapter xix4 #ae-ah from xiv4 #af4 ,chapter xxviii4 #ah1 change first reference to chapter x4 #i-aj1 from x4 #i4 ,chapter xxviii4 #bd1 change page reference to #gea from #gdi4 ,add entry for chapter xxviii4 #be;a4 ,chapter xxviii4 #be1 #bf1 change to #be;b1 and change page reference to #geb from #gea4 ,chapter xxviii4 #bh1 change reference to chapter xi4 #aj-aa from xi4 #aj4 ,chapter xxix4 #b1 change reference to chapter xi4 #aj-aa from xi4 #aj4 ,chapter xxix4 #c1 change first page reference to #fg from #fh4 - ,,toc1 page xi4 7unnumbered in original71 chapter xxix4 #ai1 change ,soul-seekers and ,soul-haters to capitalise ,seekers and ,haters4 ,chapter xxix4 #ac1 change reference to chapter xxii4 #bb-bc from xxii4 #bb4 ,chapter xxix4 #af1 change ,victory not with the ,majority to capitalise ,not4 ,chapter xxix4 #bc1 change second reference to chapter xvi4 #ah-ai from xvi4 #ah4 - ,page #b1 ,divisions1 point ,,iii1 change ch4 xxii4 #ag2 xxiv4 #bb reference to ch4 xxiv4 #ag--xxiv4 #bb4 ,critical ,notes1 chapter i41 set verse numbers #ag1 #bj1 #bh1 and #cb in bold for consistency4 ,title ,the ,author1 his ,method1 and his ,object to capitalise ,his 7twice74 - ,page #d1 verse #b1 note one1 apply ,reverential ,capitalisation 7,,rc7 to ,divine 7twice74 ,verse #d1 note one1 use four period ellipsis4 - ,page #e1 verse #e1 note two1 change ,melancthon to ,melanchthon4 - ,page #f1 title1 change ,the ,root of ,true ,knowledge and the ,means of its ,attainment to capitalise ,its4 ,point ,i1 change subpoint 7#a7 to #a4 for consistency4 - ,page #g1 note zero1 paragraph one1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit2 add #a ,cor4 ii4 #ad reference2 change the smothering the to the smothering of the4 ,verse #h1 note two1 capitalise ,oriental2 change patriarchial to patriarchal4 ,title1 change ,enticement to ,sin and ,exhortation against yielding to it to capitalise ,against1 ,yielding1 and ,it4 - ,page #i1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change youth reflect up to youth reflect upon4 ,verses #aa-ac1 note one1 change subpoint #b of point #b to 7#b7 for consistency4 - ,page #aj1 verse #aa1 note zero1 change the word and to ,roman type from ,italic in ,traditions of ,robin ,hood and ,henry ,v to separate the two titles4 - ,page #aa1 title1 change the scripture reference from ,verses #bj-bc to #bj-cc4 ,point ,i #a1 remove right double quotes after handiwork4 - ,page #ab1 point ,v1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,spirit4 ,point ,,vi1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #ac1 verse #bj1 note two1 capitalise ,orientals4 ,note six1 change the double quotes around the scripture to single quotes and add a closing double quote4 - ,page #ad1 verse #ba1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,verse #bb1 note one1 add closing double quote after first4 - ,page #af1 verse #bh1 note zero1 change wicket4gate to wicket-gate4 ,verse #ca1 note three1 add right parenthesis after ,isa4 iii4 #i-aa reference4 - ,page #ag1 verse #ca1 same note1 use three period ellipsis after desire4 ,spell-out ,ver4 #cb4 ,verse #cb1 note one1 move the closing double quotes from after lees to after evil4 ,note five1 change period after plague in it to a question mark4 - ,page #ah1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter ii41 change #i4 ver4 and #aj4 ver4 to bold numbers1 for consistency2 format #ac as bold4 - ,page #ai1 lesson1 point ,,ii #d1 add closing quote after him4 ,verses #a and #b1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #bj1 verse #e1 note two1 use four period ellipsis4 - ,page #ba1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,himself4 - ,page #bb1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 add left double quote before preserveth4 - ,the break between pages #bb and #bc is in the word cannot3 cannot4 ,in this and all subsequent cases1 the whole word was moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #bd1 title1 change ,the ,character of those from whom ,wisdom ,preserves to capitalise ,those and ,whom4 ,lesson1 point ,i #b1 change forwardness to frowardness4 - ,page #bf1 verse #af1 note five1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #bg1 verse #ba1 note two1 use a four period ellipsis4 - ,page #bh1 spell out ,ver4 #bb4 ,verse #bb1 note three1 change ,that to lower-case4 ,critical notes1 chapter iii41 change #c to #d4 ,verse #f1 add right double quote after smooth4 ,format verse numbers #ab and #cd in bold1 for consistency4 - ,page #cj1 verse #b1 note one1 change ,it itself to ,in itself4 ,note three1 change exclamation point after wisdom to a question mark4 ,note five1 add right parenthesis after ,psalm references4 - ,page #ca1 verse #d1 note two1 use three period ellipsis4 - ,page #cb1 lesson heading1 apply ,italic formatting consistently2 change ,verses to initial cap from all caps4 - ,page #cc1 lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 ,verses #e and #f1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,note two1 add left parenthesis before scripture reference4 - ,page #cd1 title1 change ,the way to capitalise ,way4 ,lesson1 point ,i #d1 change ,john ix4 #da to ,john ix4 #ci-da4 - ,page #cg1 verse #h1 note three1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #ci1 note one1 add right double quote after correction4 - ,page #dj1 verse #ad1 note three1 change entradoes to entradas4 - ,page #da1 verse #af1 note six1 point ,i1 add right double quote after evil men4 - ,page #db1 verse #ag1 ,barrow's comment appears as two paragraphs2 the ,transcriber merged them4 - ,page #dc1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 complete the ,job xxxviii4 #d reference4 - ,page #dd1 lesson1 point ,,iii 7#b71 change greater is warmer to greater in warmer4 ,point ,,iv1 add left double quote before who4 ,verse #ai1 note two1 change i4 #aj to i4 #bj2 apply ,,rc to ,diviner4 - ,page #df1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 remove period after ,lot4 ,notes1 remove the em-dash after ,verse #bb4 - ,page #dg1 notes1 remove the em-dash after ,verse #bd4 - ,page #dh1 lesson1 point #b1 change friend do live to friend does live4 - ,page #ej1 title1 change ,the ,oppressor not to be ,envied to capitalise ,not and ,be4 - ,page #eb1 critical notes1 chapter iv41 change #d to #e4 ,verse #g1 add period after get wisdom4 ,verse #ae1 add left double quote before reject it4 - ,page #ec1 lesson1 point ,i #d1 apply ,,rc to ,his and ,he4 ,second lesson1 spell out ,ver4 #b4 - ,page #ed1 verse #b1 note two1 add right double quote after us4 - ,page #ee1 verse #f1 note one1 change the double quotes around the ,love her quotation to single quotes and insert a closing double quote4 - ,page #ef1 verse #g1 note zero1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,verse #g1 note #d1 point #c1 a typesetting issue 7extra ink7 next to is vain4 - ,page #eg1 verse #aa1 note one1 add right double quote after faith4 - ,page #eh1 verse #ac1 note zero1 capitalise new sentence ,the word was given4 - ,page #fj1 lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 add right double quote after righteousness and remove right double quote after just4 - ,page #fa1 verse #ah1 note two1 use three period ellipsis4 - ,page #fb1 verse #ah1 note two1 set the word joy in ,italic to match knowledge and holiness2 use four period ellipsis after practical godliness4 ,title1 change chap4 ,,ii4 #a--h to chap4 ii4 #a-e4 - ,page #fd1 verse #bc1 note one1 add point #b at ,victual this fort4 - ,page #fg1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter v41 add #d before ,wormwood4 ,verses #f1 #ad1 and #af1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #fi1 lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 change breaketh one edge to breaketh one hedge4 ,point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #ga1 verse #ab1 note zero1 add right double quote after converted2 change has not repented to hast not repented for consistency with hast long known ,christ4 ,verses #aa1 #ab1 note one1 point ,,iii has an odd structure in the original3 there are two points 7#a7 each followed by a point #b4 ,the ,transcriber changed each #b to a 7#b74 - ,the break between pages #ga and #gb is in the word interpreters3 interpreters4 - ,page #gc1 lesson1 copy missing title from ,,toc4 - ,page #ge1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter vi41 verse #aa1 add right double quote after shield4 ,format #af in bold2 add right double quote after illustrations4 ,change the #bb that appears after verse #cj to #cb and format it bold4 - ,page #gf1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 add right double quote after eyelids4 - ,page #gh1 verse #c1 note two1 add right double quote after sin4 - ,page #gi1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 change to ,him to lower-case1 referring to a person4 - ,page #hj1 notes1 change ,verse #e to ,verse #f and ,verse #f to #h to ,verses #f to #h4 - ,page #hb1 lesson1 point ,i shows subpoints #b1 #c1 and #d4 ,the ,transcriber added point #a and set the next sentence in ,italic2 set the sentence for subpoint #b in ,italic4 - ,page #hc1 lesson1 point ,,ii #a1 change lay in wait to lie in wait4 ,point ,,ii #c1 change a comma after ruin to a period2 change ,ps4 xxxi4 #e to ,ps4 xxxi4 #e1 #f2 change periods after proud look and lying tongue to question marks4 - ,page #hd1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ab and ,ver4 #ac4 ,verse #ad1 note one1 add final period before credit4 ,note three1 change there to their4 - ,page #hf1 title1 change homiletic cross references to i4 #g-i from i4 #h and iv4 #a-d from iv4 #a4 - ,page #hh1 notes1 remove em-dash after ,verse #bc4 ,note two1 capitalise ,vulgate4 - ,page #hi1 title1 change ,a ,special ,sin and its ,penalties from the ,he who kept ,god's ,law will be kept to capitalise ,its1 ,which1 ,who1 ,keeps1 ,will1 ,be1 and ,kept4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 change lays in wait to lies in wait2 change reference from verse #be to verse #bf4 ,parenthetical at end of point ,,iii1 move period inside right parentheses4 - ,page #ij1 point ,,iv1 change ,father to father1 referring to ,paul4 - ,page #ia1 verses #bg and #bh1 note one1 change point 7#d7 to bring the word the before the point2 add a final period to this note before the credit4 - ,page #ib1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter vii41 add the words ,critical ,notes4 ,notes on the ,strange ,woman3 first paragraph1 in the ,wordsworth quote1 change double quotes around ,strange ,woman to single quotes1 and use a three period ellipsis4 ,in the ,hengstenberg quote1 use a three period ellipsis after ,wisdom2 change double quotes to single quotes around the mouth quote and the woman ,jezebel4 ,add right double quotes after symbolical person4 ,second paragraph 7continues to following page71 change double quotes to single quotes throughout and insert a closing double quote at the end of the paragraph4 - ,page #ic1 lesson1 point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #ie1 title and first note1 change #f-cg to #e-bg4 - ,page #if1 verse #e1 note two1 move period inside parenthesised reference4 - ,page #ig1 verse #ad1 note two1 move period for parenthetical to inside the parentheses4 ,verse #ad1 note three1 point #b1 move period for parenthetical to inside the parentheses2 point #c1 change period after ceremonies of religion to a question mark4 - ,page #ih1 verse #ai1 note two1 change at home rather to at home either4 - ,page #ii1 note zero1 use a four period ellipsis4 ,critical ,notes1 chapter viii41 verse #ba1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,verse #bc1 capitalise ,authorised4 - ,page #ajj1 notes on personification1 remove point #a as a singleton4 ,correct the ,deut4 xxxii4 #f reference by changing the comma after the chapter number to a period4 ,in the ,fausset quotation1 change the double quotes around brought forth to single4 - ,page #aja1 remove the period after point 7#e7 for consistency4 ,punctuate the ,harris quotation as if it is part of the ,aiken quotation4 - ,page #ajb1 lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quote after was lost4 ,point ,,iii1 change let ,him come to lower-case4 ,verse #a1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #ajc1 title1 change ,god's ,speech meeting ,man's ,need to capitalise ,meeting4 - ,page #ajd1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his2 add right double quotes after pit and after abundantly4 - ,page #aje1 verse #d1 note one1 point ,i1 change eyery to every4 - ,page #ajf1 verse #i1 note one1 add right double quote after red2 add right parenthesis after reference4 - ,page #ajg1 title1 change ,wisdom better than ,wealth to capitalise ,better and ,than4 ,point ,,ii1 add period after chap4 - ,page #aji1 verse #aa1 note one1 set the sentence after point #e in ,italic1 for consistency4 - ,page #aaj1 verse #ab1 note one1 change verse #bb-cj to verses4 - ,page #aaa1 verse #ac1 note six1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #aac1 verses #ae1 #af1 note one1 change who use to keep to who used to keep4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,note five1 change 7#a7 to #a4 and capitalise the next word1 for consistency4 - ,page #aad1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change unforseen to unforeseen4 ,point ,,iii1 change 7#a47 to #a4 for consistency4 ,change reference to vers4 #aa1 #ab to vers4 #aj1 #aa and move the period inside the parentheses4 - ,page #aae1 verse #ag1 note one1 move a comma outside the parentheses4 ,note two1 point 7#c71 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,note three1 change 7#a7 to #a4 and capitalise the next word1 for consistency4 ,verse #bj1 note one1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit 7thrice74 - ,page #abd1 verses #cj-cf1 note one1 add a comma to beginning the4 ,critical ,notes1 chapter ix41 verse #b1 capitalise ,orientals4 - ,page #abe1 lesson1 point ,i1 change ,exod4 xx1 ii to ,exod4 xx4 #b4 - ,page #abg1 lesson1 point ,x1 add left double quotes before if thou4 - ,page #acj1 verse #b1 note four1 change sweatmeats to sweetmeats4 - ,page #aca1 verse #e1 note zero1 capitalise ,negro2 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #acb1 verse #i1 note one1 change #a4 to 7#a7 for consistency4 ,verse #ab1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #acc1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 add right double quote after hell4 - ,page #acf1 verse #ah1 note two1 change damned to dammed4 - ,page #acg1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter x41 verse #d1 add right double quote after worketh4 ,verses #f and #bb1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,verse #bi1 add right double quote after iniquity4 - ,page #ach1 lesson1 point ,i1 change 7#b7 to #b4 and capitalise the next word1 for consistency4 - ,page #ada1 lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit 7thrice74 ,fourth note1 point ,,ii1 change slily to slyly2 add a right double quote after belly4 - ,the break between pages #ada and #adb is in the word unrighteous3 unrighteous4 - ,page #adb1 note zero1 point ,,iii #b1 capitalise ,new ,jerusalem4 - ,page #adc1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add period after rule4 - ,page #ade1 verse #d1 note five1 point #a1 change industrous to industrious4 - ,page #adh1 note one1 change occasioned offered to occasion offered4 ,note four1 points ,i #a and ,,ii #a1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #adi1 lesson1 point ,,iii #a1 add double quotes before for and after sake4 - ,page #aeb1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quote after eater2 remove right double quote after fruit4 - ,page #aec1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #aee1 verse #i1 note four1 in-line note about inspiration4 - ,page #aef1 lesson1 introduction1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #aeh1 lesson1 point ,i1 remove point #a4 as a singleton4 - ,page #aei1 lesson1 point ,,iv1 change the cross reference from i4 #ab to i4 #aj-ai4 - ,page #afa1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quote after ,him4 - ,page #afb1 lesson1 point ,,iii 7#b71 remove right double quote after made2 change the double quotes around ruined and the final line to single quotes1 add double quotes at the end of the paragraph4 ,verse #ae1 note four1 add double quotes around the word destruction4 - ,page #afc1 verse #ae1 note zero1 use four period ellipsis4 - ,page #afd1 title1 change ,verse #ah to ,verse #ag4 - ,page #aff1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change agains to against4 - ,page #afg1 note one1 change clamourous to clamorous4 ,note two1 point #c1 use four period ellipsis4 - ,page #afi1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 add right double quote after judgment4 ,verse #ai1 note two1 capitalise ,christian4 ,note three1 add right double quote after silent4 - ,page #aga1 note two1 point ,,iii1 point #a after ,observe1 change to do harm to to do no harm4 - ,page #agb1 verse #ba1 note one1 change ,cant4 iii4 #b to ,cant4 iv4 #aa4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quote after bands4 - ,page #agc1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 use three period ellipses after because and judgment4 - ,page #agd1 lesson1 point ,i1 change tell to tells4 - ,page #agf1 lesson1 point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #agi1 note two1 change do not correct to does not correct and refresh the desert to refreshes the desert4 - ,page #aha1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #ahc1 note zero1 point ,,ii1 change insuportable to insupportable4 - ,page #ahe1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quote after ,godhead4 - ,page #ahf1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change question mark after away to a period2 apply ,,rc to ,him2 and change the double quotes around the loved darkness and ,i will not have quotations to single quotes4 - ,page #ahh1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change cross reference to lower-case4 ,remove parentheses from the cross reference for verse #ca2 split the list of four verse numbers into two links1 word and inserted4 - ,page #aij1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xi41 verse #ad1 change steermanship to steersmanship4 ,verse #ag1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,verse #be1 add a period after seeketh and a right double quote after pleasing4 - ,page #aib1 note two1 change ,melancthon to ,melanchthon4 ,note three1 remove right double quote after ,jehovah4 - ,page #aic1 lesson1 point ,i1 use three period ellipsis after thoughts4 - ,page #aie1 note one1 add a period after prince and capitalise next word4 ,note three1 add closing quote after prudent4 - ,page #aif1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quote after man4 - ,page #aig1 illustration1 capitalise ,nereids4 ,note one1 change period after paths to a question mark4 - ,page #aih1 note two1 change towards ,him to toward ,him4 - ,page #bjj1 verse #d1 note one1 add a left double quote before from4 ,spell out ,ver4 #e4 ,note three1 change point ,,iii to point ,,ii4 ,spell out ,ver4 #f4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #bjb1 note one1 use three period ellipsis after expects4 - ,page #bjf1 title1 change ,the ,fate of the ,unrighteous one to capitalise ,one4 - ,page #bjg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change develope to develop2 a right double quote after ,god is4 ,point ,,iii1 change ,isa4 lx4 #ah to ,isa4 lx4 #ag-ah4 - ,page #bji1 ,foulon illustration1 in the first sentence1 there is a four word appellation in ,french3 the ,italic formatting ends after three words4 ,all four were tagged as ,french4 ,the first instance of ,htel-de-,ville was accented like the second one4 ,change ,sanscoulottism to ,sans-coulottism4 ,note two1 use four period ellipsis4 - ,page #baa1 title1 change ,contempt and ,tale-bearing to capitalise ,bearing4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 add a period after made known4 - ,page #bab1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove quotation marks4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ab and ,ver4 #ac4 - ,page #bad1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ,plassy to ,plassey4 - ,page #baf1 change cross reference for verse #ae from vi4 #a-d to vi4 #a-e4 - ,page #bag1 lesson1 point ,i #a1 change develope to develop4 ,point ,,ii1 capitalise ,critical ,notes4 - ,page #bai1 lesson1 point ,i1 change subtilly to subtilely4 - ,page #bbj1 lesson1 point ,,iv1 add right double quote after mercy2 capitalise ,richard iii4 and apply ,italic formatting as the title of a play4 - ,page #bba1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #bbb1 note one1 in-line comment on niggardly4 ,it also refers to ,ecclesiasticus1 which is not part of the #ff-;book canon of scripture4 ,it is in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible and it can be found on-line4 ,note two1 in the word kindness1 the first n sort is inverted4 ,note three1 capitalise first quoted word ,he4 ,note four1 capitalise ,sabbath4 ,note five1 capitalise ,good ,samaritan4 - ,page #bbc1 lesson1 point ,i1 change comma after bane to a colon4 - ,page #bbd1 lesson1 point ,i #c1 change a honest man to an honest man4 ,point ,,ii #a1 change cross reference ch4 vii4 #a1 #d to chap4 vii4 #a-d4 ,point ,,ii #b1 change #a ,isa4 ii4 #a to #a ,john ii4 #a4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ah4 - ,page #bbe1 note five1 add a period after the initial to ,a ,clarke4 - ,the break between pages #bbe and #bbf is in the word encumbrances3 encumbrances4 - ,page #bbf1 verse #ah1 note zero1 change ,thess4 iv4 #a to #a ,thess4 iv4 #a4 ,spell out ,ver4 #ai and ,ver4 #bj4 - ,page #bbh1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change naught to nought4 ,point ,,iii1 change ,his work to lower case1 referring to men2 add right double quote after anointed2 change refuges of lies to refuge2 change ,isaiah xxviii4 #ah to ,isaiah xxviii4 #ag-ah2 change ,isaiah liv4 #ae1 #ag to ,isaiah liv4 #ae-ag4 - ,page #bbi1 title1 change ,precious things possessed by unworthy owners to capitalise ,things1 ,possessed1 ,unworthy1 and ,owners4 - ,the break between pages #bbi and #bcj is in the word himself3 himself4 - ,page #bca1 copy missing outline title from ,,toc4 - ,page #bcb1 verse #bc and chap4 x4 #bd1 note one1 point ,,ii1 change points 7#a7 and 7#b7 to #a4 and #b41 respectively1 for consistency4 - ,page #bcc1 note zero1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,he4 ,in-line note about niggardly4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 change that is meet to than4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,he2 add ,deut4 xv4 #aa reference2 apply ,,rc to ,he4 - ,page #bcd1 lesson1 point ,i #d1 add double quotes around the ,james v4 #a-c quotation4 ,notes1 spell out ,vers4 #bd1 #be4 ,note one1 change final period to a question mark4 - ,page #bcg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change chap4 viii4 #af to chap4 viii4 #ag4 - ,page #bci1 lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 replace period after living ,god with right double quote4 ,note five1 change pruning himself to preening himself4 - ,page #bdj1 lesson1 in-line note on niggardly4 ,add ,i42 remove the bold quotation marks4 - ,page #bdb1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,him 7twice74 - ,page #bdf1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xii41 the name ,zckler is spelled without the accent in these notes and it was transcribed consistently with other chapters4 ,verse #i1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #bdg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change the period after born to a question mark4 - ,page #bdh1 verse #a1 note five1 in-line note on ,hottentot4 ,apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #bdi1 verse #a1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,change first cross reference for verse #b from chap4 iii4 #d to chap4 iii4 #a-d4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #b4 ,note one1 change will he done to will be done4 ,note three1 move right double quote to before the credit from after the credit4 - ,page #bej1 verse #b1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,title1 change ,a ,right ,desire and the ,means of its ,attainment to capitalise ,its4 - ,page #bed1 title1 change ,thoughs and ,words and their ,result to capitalise ,their4 ,lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 change out thy mouth to out of thy mouth and thereon to therein4 - ,page #bee1 lesson1 point ,,iv ,i #c1 add left double quote before turned4 ,add ,,ii4 before ,but for the wicked4 - ,page #bee1 lesson1 renumber point #d as point #b4 ,verse #e1 note one1 change whom to which4 - ,page #beg1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #g4 - ,page #beh1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #h4 - ,page #bei1 add missing lesson title from ,,toc4 - ,page #bfj1 note two1 capitalise ,oriental4 - ,page #bfa1 note one1 change ,ecclus4 x4 #cj to ,ecclus4 x4 #bg4 ,,nb1 ,ecclesiasticus is not part of the #ff-;book ,canon4 ,it is available in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible or on-line4 - ,page #bfc1 note one1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #bfd1 note one1 change worlding to worldling4 ,note four1 add double quotes around regard4 - ,page #bff1 lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,change the sub-points of point ,,ii from 7#a7 to #a4 for consistency with point ,i4 - ,page #bfg1 note four1 change transcendantly to transcendently4 ,add the missing outline title from the ,,toc4 - ,page #bfh1 lesson1 renumber the subpoints of point ,,ii #b as 7#a7 and 7#b74 ,in point ,,ii #b 7#a71 change ,jas4 v4 ii4 to ,jas4 v4 #aa4 - ,page #bgj1 verse #ac1 note three1 add a period after chap4 - ,page #bgc1 verse #af1 note three1 change ,chap4 to chap42 change #a ,sam4 xii4 #ce to #a ,sam4 xx4 #cd4 - ,page #bgd1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change ,chap4 x4 #ah to chap4 x4 #ah4 - ,page #bge1 lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 remove right double quotes after ,god2 add right double quotes after weary2 change ,acts x4 #ad to ,acts iv4 #ab4 ,point ,,iv1 change page reference to #aij from #aia4 - ,page #bgg1 verse #ah1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,verse #ai1 note four1 the r sort of ever is not in line4 ,verse #bb1 note four1 change #b ,cor4 #a-ag to #b ,cor4 i4 #ag4 - ,page #bgh1 note after poem1 change #b ,john i4 to #b ,john #a and #b ,john iii4 to #b ,john #c4 ,second note after poem1 apply ,,rc to ,he maketh4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quote after righteousness4 - ,page #bhj1 verse #bj1 note zero1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,god1 ,who4 ,lesson1 add a right double quote just before the credit for the poem4 - ,page #bha1 lesson1 point ,,ii 7#b71 change #b ,tim4 iv4 #ac to #b ,tim4 iii4 #ac4 ,note three1 add right double quotes after touch him and his sin4 - ,page #bhb1 same note1 move the right double quotes to after wine from within the reference4 ,change ,heb4 v4 #h1 #aa to ,zech4 v4 #h1 #aa4 - ,the break between pages #bhb and #bhc is in the word appearance3 appearance4 - ,page #bhd1 note one includes a reference to ,ecclesiasticus1 which is not in the #ff-;book ,canon4 ,it is available in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible or on-line1 if desired4 - ,page #bhf1 title1 change ,heaviness of ,heart and its ,cure to capitalise ,its4 - ,page #bhg1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 add right double quote after thereof4 ,point ,i #c1 change ,psa4 xxii4 #c to ,psa4 xxxii4 #c4 - ,page #bhh1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 tag ignis fatuus as ,latin and set it in ,italic4 - ,page #bhi1 note one1 add right double quote after them4 ,add missing lesson title from ,,toc4 - ,page #bia1 verse #bg1 note zero1 add left double quote before the slothful4 ,add missing lesson title from ,,toc4 - ,page #bib1 homily on whole chapter1 point 7#a71 add vers4 #a-aa for consistency4 ,add point 7#c7 and capitalise next word1 for consistency4 - ,page #bic1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xiii41 verse #ae1 ,miller's comment1 add right double quotes after perpetual4 ,verse #ai1 add left double quotes before appeased and right double quotes after satisfied4 ,lesson1 point ,,iii1 change chap4 iv4 #a1 #d to chap4 iv4 #a-d4 - ,page #big1 verse #d1 note three1 apply ,,rc to ,his and add right double quotes after baptism4 - ,the break between pages #bii and #cjj is in the word towering3 towering4 - ,page #cjj1 note two1 change villany to villainy4 ,in-line note about niggardly4 - ,page #cja1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ,laodician to ,laodicean4 - ,page #cjb1 lesson1 point ,v1 add right double quotes after husbandmen4 - ,the break between pages #cjb and #cjc is in the word proverbs3 proverbs4 - ,the break between pages #cjc and #cjd is in the word throughout throughout4 - ,page #cjd1 note two includes a ,st4 ,gregory comment2 change the double quotes around an internal quotation to single quotes1 and add closing double quotes after wealth4 7,alternately1 the ,st4 ,gregory comment might continue to the end of the note47 ,note three1 change shall he put out to shall be put out4 - ,page #cje1 lesson1 point ,i after poem1 remove right double quotes after you4 - ,page #cjf1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 change periods after severed and blighted to question marks4 - ,page #cjh1 verse #aa1 note zero1 remove comma after 7#a7 for consistency4 - ,page #cji1 lesson1 point ,,iii #b 7#c71 add right double quotes after himself4 - ,page #caa1 note zero1 point ,,iv1 add right double quotes after fail4 - ,page #cac1 note four1 change if they lay under to if they lie under4 - ,page #cae1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 remove right double quotes after death4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,holy4 - ,page #caf1 lesson1 point ,i1 change who his regarded to who is regarded4 - ,page #cag1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 ,renumber the points of point ,,iii3 change #a4 ,antiquity to #b #b4 ,men's to #c2 #c4 ,it is attractive to #d2 #b4 ,it is hard to #e2 and #c4 ,it is a to #f4 ,renumbered point ,,iii #d1 change page #h1 second head to include ch4 i4 #aj-ai for utility in plain text4 - ,page #cai1 note one1 use four period ellipses after last and perdition4 ,note three1 point #a1 add right double quotes after stern4 - ,the break between pages #cba and #cbb is in the word sheet-anchor3 sheet-anchor4 - ,page #cbb1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change ,heb4 x4 #aj to ,heb4 x4 #bc4 ,note five1 change ,lord's to lower-case1 referring to a human4 - ,page #cbd1 verse #ah1 note zero1 add right double quote after condition4 - ,page #cbh1 note three1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,note six1 change ,jehosaphat to ,jehoshaphat2 remove the left double quotes before wrath4 - ,page #ccc1 title1 change ,land and its ,tillers to capitalise ,its4 - ,the break between pages #cce and #ccf is in the word leisure3 leisure4 - ,page #cch1 lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,change the ,john vii4 #ch text from out of ,his heart to out of his belly4 - ,page #cdc1 verse #b1 note zero1 add right double quotes after ,god's way4 - ,page #cde1 verse #e1 note one1 terminate the ,italic formatting at correctly and set the next sentence in ,roman4 - ,page #cdf1 title1 change ,seeking1 but not ,finding to capitalise ,not4 - ,the break between pages #cdf and #cdg is in the word discerning3 discerning4 - ,page #cej1 verse #g1 note #a1 use four period ellipsis after workmen4 ,spell out ,ver4 #h4 ,note two1 add right double quotes just after fools4 - ,page #cea1 verse #h1 note one1 use four period ellipsis after wise4 - ,page #ceb1 verse #i1 note one1 change idiotcy to idiocy4 - ,the break between pages #ceb and #cec is in the word vine-clad3 vine-clad4 - ,page #cec1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change secresy to secrecy4 - ,page #cee1 title1 change ,what seems to ,be and ,what ,is to capitalise ,seems and add a comma after ,be4 - ,page #ceh1 verse #ab1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,divine4 - ,the break between pages #cei and #cfj occurs within the scripture reference ,isa4 lvii4 #bj1 #ba between the chapter and first verse number4 ,the chapter and first verse number were moved to the earlier page4 - ,page #cfj1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,him 7twice74 - ,page #cfd1 lesson1 point ,i #d1 the list of verse numbers was transcribed into two links1 with the word and inserted4 - ,page #cfe1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 add right double quotes after ,god4 ,verse #ae1 note three1 add right double quote after doctrine2 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #cff1 verse #ae1 note one1 format the word ,to in the second sentence in ,roman as it is in the first4 ,note two1 change we use to tell to we used to tell4 - ,page #cfg1 verse #af1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cfi1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 after the ellipsis1 capitalise ,then2 insert right double quotes after ,father4 - ,page #cgj1 lesson1 point ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,he4 - ,page #cga1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #bj4 ,verse #bj1 note two1 change etween to between4 ,verse #ba1 note two1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #cgc1 lesson1 point ,,ii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #cgd1 note four1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,word's4 ,lesson1 point #c1 change developes to develops4 - ,page #cge1 note one after poem1 change ,where he to ,were he4 - ,page #cgf1 note two1 add right double quote after ,matthew reference to close ,henry quotation4 - ,page #cgg1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,title1 change ,wealth with and without ,wisdom to capitalise ,without4 - ,page #cgh1 note six1 add left double quotes before ,wisdom4 - ,page #cgi1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quotes after ,witness4 - ,page #chj1 note five1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit and ,word4 - ,page #cha1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #chd1 heading1 add missing page number #cac4 ,verses #bf and #bg1 note one1 change presumptous to presumptuous4 - ,page #chh1 note two1 in the original1 point ,,ii starts a new paragraph4 - ,page #chi1 title1 change ,the ,oppressed and their ,oppressors to capitalise ,their4 - ,page #cij1 lesson1 point ,,iii #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #cib1 note zero1 change ,job xxvii4 #aj to ,job xxvii4 #h2 change ,ghost to lower-case2 change ,job4 iv4 #ba to ,job xiv4 #aj4 - ,page #cid1 note one1 points #b and #c1 use four period ellipses4 ,title1 change ,the ,hidden made ,manifest to capitalise ,made4 ,lesson1 points ,i and ,i #a1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #cif1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word2 add right double quotes after sin4 ,note two1 point 7#a71 change lesson to lessen4 ,note three1 apply ,,rc to ,christianise4 - ,page #cig1 same note1 change ,machiavel to ,machiavelli4 ,note one1 point #a1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #cih1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #cii1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xv41 verse #bf1 add right double quote after words4 ,verse #cc1 add left double quotes before a discipline4 - ,page #djj1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 remove m-dash between bold and non-bold print4 - ,page #dja1 point ,,ii1 change as if ,he to lower-case1 referring to a person4 - ,page #djb1 verse #c1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 - ,page #djd1 verse #d1 note zero1 add left double quotes before saving2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,note six1 format sharp in ,italic for consistency4 - ,page #dje1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 - ,page #djf1 verse #g1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #djg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quotes after ,him2 apply ,,rc to ,he and ,his4 - ,page #dji1 verse #i1 note one1 remove left double quotes before ,but2 add left parenthesis before ,phil4 iii4 #aa reference4 - ,page #daj1 note four1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dab1 note two1 change subtilty to subtlety2 remove right double quotes after ,him2 add left double quotes before ,there4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 change see page #cbc to add ch4 xiii4 #ah for utility in plain text4 - ,page #dac1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change cross reference from chap4 i4 #bb-cb to chap4 i4 #bj-cc4 ,note one1 change this pains to these pains4 - ,page #dad1 lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quotes after beautiful4 - ,page #dae1 verse #ac1 note one1 add right double quotes after body4 - ,page #daf1 note two1 change ,prophecy to ,prophesy4 ,note four1 add right double quotes after not4 - ,page #dag1 same note1 change prophecy to prophesy4 ,lesson1 point ,i #a1 change envelopes to envelops4 - ,page #dai1 title1 change ,a ,treasure without ,trouble to capitalise ,without4 - ,page #dbc1 verse #ah1 note one1 remove 7ver4 #ac74 - ,page #dbe1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 - ,page #dbf1 note three1 change unresistable to irresistible4 ,change verse #bj page to #acg from #acf4 - ,page #dcj1 lesson1 point ,i1 change ,sheol to ,shel twice to match spelling in ,critical ,notes4 - ,page #dca1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ,sheol to ,shel4 - ,page #dcb1 note two1 change transcendant to transcendent2 add left double quotes before partaker4 ,note three1 change ,sheol to ,shel4 - ,page #dcd1 lesson1 part ,,ii1 add left double quotes before judge2 remove right double quotes after crieth add right double quotes after helper4 - ,page #dce1 lesson1 part ,,iii1 change rivers to river2 add a four-period ellipsis after earth2 swap ,seba and ,sheba - ,page #dcg1 note five1 change villany to villainy4 - ,page #dci1 lesson1 point ,,iii #c1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 ,note one1 point 7#b71 change covetousnes to covetousness4 ,after ,ephes4 v4 #e reference1 change covetousness man to covetous man4 - ,page #ddj1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quotes after things4 - ,page #dda1 note one1 add right parenthesis after chap4 x4 #ai reference4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 change everyone of us to every one of us4 - ,page #ddb1 lesson1 point ,,ii #b1 remove right double quotes from after live and left double quotes from before ,i 7no internal quotes in text referenced74 ,note one1 change heart's to hearts4 ,note two1 capitalise first ,publican for consistency2 apply ,,rc to ,he descends4 - ,page #dde1 lesson1 first point #b1 change colon after others to a period4 - ,page #ddg1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ca and ,ver4 #cb4 - ,page #ddh1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #cc4 ,verse #cc1 note four1 add right double quotes after ,israel2 change everyone bigger to every one bigger4 - ,page #dej1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xvi41 verse #d1 capitalise ,authorised4 ,verse #i1 change den otes to denotes4 ,verse #bf1 add right double quotes after him4 - ,page #deb1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit42 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #dec1 note five1 apply ,,rc to ,designer4 - ,page #ded1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #dee1 note one1 change is sense to in sense2 change ,prov4 xxxvi4 #b to ,psa4 xxxvi4 #b4 - ,page #def1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,will and ,word4 ,lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,will4 - ,page #deg1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,will and ,word4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,will 7twice74 ,note four1 add double quotes around commit4 - ,page #dei1 lesson1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #dfj1 lesson1 point ,,iv #c1 apply ,,rc to ,he2 after ,consequently1 point #c1 apply ,,rc to ,will 7twice72 change overruled ,his authority to lower-case1 speaking of ,pharaoh2 apply ,,rc to ,he4 - ,page #dfa1 lesson1 point ,,ii #a1 add ellipsis after ,god and add square brackets around ,he1 because the word is not in the verse but makes the quote more intelligible2 change ,phil4 iii4 #g1 #h to ,phil4 ii4 #g1 #h2 apply ,,rc to ,god-like4 - ,page #dfb1 note two1 change ,solomon to ,lemuel4 7,see ,critical ,notes for chapter xxxi47 ,apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,change father and son to lower-case because there is no enmity within the ,godhead4 - ,page #dfc1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 add right double quotes after us and glory2 add a period after chap4 - ,page #dfd1 note three1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #dff1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 - ,page #dfg1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #dfi1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,add comma to pass nothing4 ,apply ,,rc to ,own ,will and ,his4 - ,page #dgj1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change the double quotes around the quoted scripture to single quotes2 add a period at the end of the quotation4 - ,page #dgb1 lesson1 point ,i1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #dgc1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #aj4 ,note one1 format the word equity in ,italic for consistency4 - ,page #dgd1 note one1 spell out ver4 #i4 ,spell out ,ver4 #aa4 ,note one1 change ,eccles4 vii4 #ae to ,ecclus4 vii4 #ae4 ,,nb3 ,ecclesiasticus is not part of the #ff-;book ,canon4 ,it is available in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible or on-line4 ,note four1 add right double quotes after wickedness4 - ,page #dge1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ab and ,ver4 #ac4 - ,page #dgf1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ad4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #dgg1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ae and ,ver4 #af4 ,note one1 add right double quote after world4 - ,page #dgi1 note zero1 change conquerers to conquerors4 - ,page #dhj1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 add an ellipsis after ,god2 change ,phil4 ii4 #f to ,phil4 ii4 #f-h4 ,point ,,ii1 change #a ,tim4 ix4 #aa to #a ,tim4 vi4 #aa4 ,note one1 change ,num4 iv4 #g to #a ,tim4 iv4 #g4 ,note three1 add right double quotes after man4 - ,page #dha1 note one1 add double quotes around highway4 - ,page #dhc1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ai4 - ,page #dhd1 note four1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #dhf1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #bj4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,note three1 add right double quotes after ,blessed4 - ,page #dhg1 note one1 add right double quotes after likelihoods2 apply ,,rc to ,his and ,word4 - ,page #dhh1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #dhi1 note one1 point #c1 remove a period from the ellipsis4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dij1 note1 point 7#b71 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #dia1 title change ,different ,species of the same ,genus to capitalise ,same4 - ,page #dib1 note #b1 change ,psalm lxiv4 #a-f to ,psalm lxiv4 #f4 ,spell out ,ver4 #bh and ,ver4 #bi4 - ,page #dic1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #cj4 - ,page #did1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 - ,page #die1 note two1 change ,phil4 #i to ,philemon #i for concreteness4 - ,page #dif1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,he4 - ,page #dih1 note three1 change ,judges viii4 #a #c to ,judges viii4 #a-c4 - ,page #dii1 title1 change ,the ,lot and its ,disposer to capitalise ,its4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,will 7twice7 and ,he4 - ,page #ejd1 lesson1 point ,i1 change cross reference from chap4 xiv41 page #ca to chap4 xiv4 #ca1 page #chi4 - ,page #eje1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change he visit ,him to ,he visit him to put the ,,rc on the correct pronoun4 - ,page #ejg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add double quotes around gift4 - ,page #ejh1 title1 change ,how to ,make ,friends and ,how to ,separate them to capitalise ,them4 - ,page #eji1 title1 change ,correction must be ,adapted to the ,character of the ,offender to capitalise ,must4 - ,page #eaj1 note three1 update the ellipsis to change the comma to a period and add a period4 ,note six1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #eab1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ab and ,ver4 #ac4 - ,page #ead1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,he4 ,note three1 add right double quotes after thereof4 ,lesson1 insert missing title from ,,toc4 - ,page #eae1 point ,,ii1 capitalise ,which4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #eaf1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,divinely4 - ,page #eag1 lesson1 note ,,ii1 remove right double quotes after creatures4 - ,page #ebj1 illustration1 at the top of the second column1 after the word speed1 the comma sort was inverted and appears as an apostrophe4 ,the word god was changed to lower-case given the context4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #ag4 - ,page #eba1 note one1 change rescue to venture4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,friend4 ,spell out ,ver4 #ah4 - ,page #ebb1 change cross reference for verses #bj and #ba from x41 #a1 #ac1 #ad1 etc4 to x4 #a1 #ac1 #ad1 etc4 as two links4 - ,page #ebd1 note two1 capitalise ,sabbath2 change vigetous to vegetous4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 add right double quotes after therewith4 - ,page #ebe1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,note two1 change period after path to a question mark4 ,note four1 in the four word ,latin phrase1 only the fourth word was set in ,italic1 possibly for emphasis4 - ,page #ebf1 title1 change ,the ,eyes of a ,fool and those of a ,wise ,man to capitalise ,those4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 add right double quotes after it4 - ,the break between pages #ebh and #ebi is in the word government3 government4 - ,page #ecc1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xviii41 verse #a1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,lesson1 introductory comment1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 change ,his maker to his ,maker to put the ,,rc where it belongs4 - ,page #ece1 note zero1 in the scripture reference that starts the page1 change the period after #ae to a semicolon4 ,note one1 change particle to particle and1 on the next line1 add a period after to4 - ,page #ecf1 verse #c1 note #a1 the period sort after this is inverted4 - ,page #ech1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ,matt4 xii4 #bd1 #be to ,matt4 xii4 #cd1 #ce4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #eci1 title1 change ,folly and its ,results to capitalise ,its4 ,spell out ver4 #ad4 - ,page #edj1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #f and ,ver4 #h4 - ,page #edb1 lesson1 point ,i1 add a period after #a4 ,point ,i #b1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #edd1 note one1 change ,isa4 i4 #aj to ,isa4 l4 #aj4 - ,the break between pages #ede and #edf is in the word provided3 provided4 - ,page #edf1 note one1 change fidgetty to fidgety4 - ,page #edg1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,note one1 add right double quotes after bear4 - ,page #edh1 note zero1 point #a1 add a period to the first ellipsis4 ,point #b1 change presumptious to presumptuous2 add a period to the second ellipsis4 - ,page #edi1 note two1 add right double quotes after heart4 - ,page #eed1 note one1 add a period to the ellipsis4 - ,page #eeh1 lesson1 point ,i1 change the page cross reference from #cjb to #cjj4 - ,page #eei1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change cross reference from chap4 xxx4 #h1 #i to chap4 xxx4 #g-i4 - ,page #efj1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,his ,own4 - ,page #efa1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xix41 the name ,zckler appears throughout without the accented character4 ,it has been made consistent with other uses4 ,verse #g1 set the words are not in ,italic and add a right double quotes after good4 ,verse #ah1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 ,verse #bj1 add right double quotes after beneficence4 ,verse #bd1 change vi4 #ad to ch4 xii4 #bg4 ,lesson1 change title comma to period2 add missing title from ,,toc4 - ,page #efb1 title1 change ,ignorance leading to ,sin to capitalise ,leading4 - ,page #efd1 lesson1 point ,,iv #a1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,gospel4 - ,page #efe1 note zero1 change henious to heinous4 ,spell out ,ver4 #b4 - ,page #eff1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #c4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,he and ,his ,word and ,he4 ,note two1 point #a1 use three period ellipses after intemperance1 indolence1 and frame4 ,point #b1 use three period ellipses after them and others4 ,point #c1 use a three period ellipsis after undutiful4 ,point #d1 use three period ellipses after when and grace4 - ,page #efg1 lesson1 change page #bgd to add ch4 xii4 #ag-ai1 #bb reference for utility in plain text4 - ,page #efh1 lesson1 point #c1 add a right double quote after death4 - ,page #efi1 cross reference for verses #h and #i1 change page numbers to #aba and #abd from #abb and #abh1 respectively4 ,add missing verse #aj lesson title from ,,toc4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 add double quotes around delight and servant4 - ,page #egj1 note three1 change ,he to lower-case1 thrice4 - ,page #egb1 note four1 apply ,,rc to ,holy 7twice74 ,use four period ellipsis after glory4 - ,page #egc1 title1 change ,domestic ,sorrow and how to avoid it to capitalise ,how and ,avoid4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii #a1 change li4 #e to ,ps4 li4 #e for concreteness4 - ,page #egd1 notes1 spell out ,vers4 #ac1 #ad4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,spell out ,ver4 #ah4 - ,page #ege1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,his 7twice74 ,note one1 use three period ellipsis4 ,add left double quotes before ,wherewithal4 ,remove right double quotes after maintains4 ,add left double quotes before ,the4 - ,page #egf1 lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quotes after poor2 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #egg1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,note three1 use four period after obedience4 - ,page #egh1 lesson1 point ,i1 use a three period ellipsis after hostility4 - ,page #egi1 notes1 spell out ,vers4 #ah1 #ai4 ,note one1 add right double quotes after again4 - ,page #eha1 note zero1 use four period ellipsis after disappear4 ,cross reference for verse #bd1 change xxv4 #ac-ae to xxvi4 #ab-af4 ,lesson title1 change verses #bf-bh to verses #bf-bi4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #bf and ,ver4 #bg4 - ,page #ehd1 cross reference for verse #d1 change page reference to #adb from #adf4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 add double quotes around counsel4 - ,page #ehe1 lesson1 points ,i #a and ,i #b1 add double quotes around ,no4 - ,page #ehf1 cross reference for verse #aj1 change chap4 xi41 page #a to chap4 xi4 #a4 - ,page #ehg1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #g1 ,ver4 #h1 ,ver4 #i1 and ,ver4 #aj4 - ,page #ehh1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #aa4 - ,page #eij1 title1 change ,thought before ,action to capitalise ,before4 - ,page #eib1 cross reference for verse #ba1 change chap4 xxi4 #e-g to chap4 xxi4 #e1 #g1 #ag1 and the page number to #fji from #eif4 - ,page #eic1 note three1 add right double quotes after joy4 - ,page #eid1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel 7twice74 - ,page #eif1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 add double quotes around throne4 - ,page #eig1 illustration1 use three period ellipsis after it4 - ,page #eii1 note two1 add double quotes around ,god4 - ,page #fja1 note zero1 point ,,iv1 use four period ellipses after worldly and life4 - ,page #fjb1 note zero1 point ,,vi1 use four period ellipsis after ,solomon4 - ,page #fjc1 note one1 change ,the light of reason is a certain light to set light in ,roman1 for consistency4 ,use four period ellipses after candlelight1 being1 and for4 - ,page #fje1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxi41 verse #ab1 add right double quotes after overthroweth4 - ,page #fjf1 ,critical ,notes1 verse #bg1 add right double quotes after iniquity4 ,note one1 use four period ellipsis after ,most ,high4 - ,page #fjg1 verse #c1 note one1 use four period ellipsis after sacrifice4 - ,page #fji1 note one1 use three period ellipsis after corruption4 - ,page #faj1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #e1 ,ver4 #f1 and ,ver4 #ag4 - ,page #fab1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,change second cross reference to page #aie from #aif4 ,note two1 change ,cor4 iii4 #c to #a ,cor4 iii4 #c4 - ,page #fac1 lesson1 point ,i1 capitalise ,eastern and ,orientals4 - ,page #fae1 title1 change ,instruction for ,those who ,need it to capitalise ,who4 - ,page #faf1 note one1 use a four period ellipsis after happen4 ,note two1 use a four period ellipsis after amendment4 - ,page #fah1 note two1 use a four period ellipsis after beggar4 - ,page #fbj1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change everyone of them to every one of them4 - ,page #fba1 lesson1 point ,i1 change chap4 iv4 #ah4 ,see page #eh4 to chap4 iv4 #ah1 see page #eh4 ,merge this sentence into the one that follows4 - ,page #fbb1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,grace4 ,change cross reference from verses #e-g to verses #e and #g4 - ,page #fbc1 note one1 change storming of ,achan to stoning of ,achan4 - ,page #fbd1 cross reference1 change #e to #g to #e and #g4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quotes after righteousness of ,god4 - ,page #fbe1 add trailing period to lesson title4 - ,page #fbh1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel4 - ,page #fbi1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #fcj1 lesson1 point ,i1 add right double quotes after rams and truth4 - ,page #fcc1 note three1 use four period ellipsis after ,him4 - ,page #fcd1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxii41 verse #bi1 add left double quotes before apt4 ,add a link to the further ,critical ,notes for this chapter on page #feb1 after verse #af4 ,title1 change ,better than ,gold to capitalise ,than4 - ,page #fcf1 lesson1 point ,i #a1 change ,rom4 v4 #ab to ,rom4 iii4 #bb-bc4 ,point ,i #c1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit2 add right double quote after ,christ's2 change #a ,cor4 iii4 #bc to #a ,cor4 iii4 #bb-bc4 - ,page #fcg1 cross reference1 change chxp4 xiv4 #af to chap4 xiv4 #ae-ah4 ,the link for chap4 iii4 #a-ah is to chap4 iii4 #a-d1 which is the start of that section4 ,title1 change ,verses #c and #d to ,verses #e and #f4 ,change ,a ,hedged-up ,way to capitalise ,up4 - ,page #fch1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,heavenly ,parent and ,will4 - ,page #fci1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #e and ,ver4 #f4 - ,page #fda1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change ,isa4 xiv4 #ac to ,isa4 xiv4 #ac-ad4 - ,page #fdb1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 ,point ,,ii1 change ,his bread to lower-case1 speaking of a person4 - ,page #fdc1 title1 change ,a ,man who ,ought to ,dwell ,alone to capitalise ,who4 - ,page #fde1 note one1 change perfection is desire to desire is perfection4 - ,page #fdi1 change third cross reference to vii4 #e-bg on page #ie from vi4 #f-bg on page #ae4 - ,page #feb1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,providence1 ,he1 and ,his 7twice74 - ,page #fec1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #fed1 verse #ai1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #fee1 same note1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine ,word and ,divine2 add a period after whatsoever4 - ,page #fef1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel and ,divine4 - ,page #feh1 title1 change ,suretyship and its ,dangers to capitalise ,its4 - ,page #fei1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 add right double quotes after swiftly4 - ,page #ffa1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxiii41 verse #bc1 add period after discipline4 ,verse #be1 add right double quotes after rejoice4 - ,page #ffd1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add left double quotes before covetous4 - ,page #ffg1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,himself4 - ,page #ffh1 same note1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #ffi1 lesson1 point ,i1 change corporeal to corporal4 - ,page #fgj1 notes1 change ,verse #ae1 #af to ,verses #ae1 #af4 ,verse #ah1 note one1 remove right double quotes after is4 - ,page #fga1 note zero1 point #b1 apply ,,rc to ,divine 7twice74 - ,page #fgb1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 ,verse #bf1 note one1 point ,,iii1 change his to him4 - ,page #fge1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxiv41 verse #af1 add right double quotes after them4 ,verse #bb1 capitalise ,authorised ,version4 - ,page #fha1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #fhb1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #fhc1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change shall condemn to shalt condemn4 ,note one1 use three period ellipsis after and4 - ,page #fhe1 verses #ag and #ah1 change ,obadiah xii4 to ,obadiah #ab4 ,in-line warning about niggardly4 - ,page #fhf1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #fhi1 title1 change ,an ,uncalled-for ,testimony to capitalise ,for4 - ,page #fij1 lesson1 part ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,his4 - ,page #fia1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 spell out ver4 twice2 change #bc to #bh4 - ,page #fic1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxv41 verse #h1 change be thy neighbour to by thy neighbour4 ,verse #ag1 change ,withhold to ,withdraw4 - ,page #fid1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 ,point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #fie1 note two1 point #a1 the word foresees appears at a column break2 the first half in ,italic1 the second half in ,roman2 whole word is transcribed in ,italic4 ,point #c1 after poem1 change can'st to canst4 - ,page #fif1 same note1 change can'st to canst2 change secresy to secrecy4 - ,page #fig1 lesson1 introduction1 change seem no refer to seem to refer4 - ,page #fii1 title1 change comma to period4 - ,page #gjj1 lesson1 point ,i #b1 change ,if he do not make to ,if he does not make4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #gja1 title1 change ,clouds without ,rain to capitalise ,without4 - ,page #gjg1 note one1 use three period ellipses after that and peaceably4 - ,page #gjh1 lesson1 point ,i1 change page #bgd to add ch4 xii4 #ag-ai1 #bb for utility in plain text4 ,point ,,ii1 add double quotes around ,amen4 - ,page #gji1 note zero1 change ceptable to acceptable4 ,note one1 use a four period ellipsis after countenance4 ,lesson1 point ,,ii1 change had drank to had drunk4 - ,page #gaj1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change are good news to is good news4 ,note one1 add right double quotes after labour4 ,note two1 point ,,iv1 use a four period ellipsis after ,novel4 - ,page #gaa1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change apostacy to apostasy4 - ,page #gab1 lesson1 introduction1 change verse xvi4 to verse #af4 - ,page #gac1 verse #bh1 note one1 add a period after waggon4 - ,page #gae1 lesson1 insert ,i4 before ,men utter4 - ,page #gaf1 note one1 remove right double quotes after heavens4 - ,page #gah1 verses #d and #e1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit and ,gospel4 ,note two1 use four period ellipsis after speaketh4 - ,page #gai1 verse #aa1 note one1 remove right double quotes after animals4 ,note three1 add period after original4 - ,page #gbj1 title1 change ,self-conceit and ,indolence to capitalise ,conceit4 - ,the break between pages #gbj and #gba is in the word together3 together4 - ,the break between pages #gbd and #gbe is in the word preserve3 preserve4 - ,page #gbe1 note two1 change ,hougomont to ,hougoumont4 - ,page #gbh1 note three includes a reference to ,wisdom1 which is not part of the #ff-;book ,canon4 ,it is available in a ,roman ,catholic ,bible or on-line4 - ,page #gbi1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #f4 - ,page #gcj1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #i4 ,note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,him4 ,spell out ,ver4 #aj4 ,note one1 add right double quotes after off4 ,spell out ,ver4 #ad4 - ,page #gca1 note zero1 change his ,god to lower-case1 because the flatterer is exalting a man4 - ,page #gcc1 cross reference1 change #fth and #gth to #eth and #fth4 - ,page #gcf1 note two1 add period after through4 - ,page #gch1 lesson1 point ,i1 change page #gbe to also refer to verse #b for utility in plain text4 - ,page #gdj1 notes1 spell out ,ver4 #be and ,vers4 #bf and #bg4 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxviii41 change #a to #b4 - ,page #gda1 ,critical ,notes1 verse #bb1 add right double quotes after hasteth4 ,lesson1 point ,,iii1 change ,psa4 cxxxix4 #g1 #aj to ,psa4 cxxxix4 #g-aj4 - ,page #gdc1 note one1 change plentitude to plenitude and precints to precincts2 apply ,,rc to ,word4 - ,page #gdd1 illustration1 use a four period ellipsis after food4 - ,page #gde1 lesson1 points ,i and ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,will4 ,notes1 spell out ,ver4 #d4 ,note one1 use a four period ellipsis after it4 ,spell out ,ver4 #e4 ,note one1 change both ,christ and the ,law to him is a mystery to are a mystery4 - ,page #gdf1 note zero1 use a four period ellipsis after it4 ,verse #h cross reference1 change to page #cca from #ccb2 verse #aj1 change to page #gba from #gbb4 - ,page #gdg1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely4 - ,page #gdh1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 add left double quotes before blessedness and right double quotes after guile4 - ,page #gdi1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,spirit4 - ,page #gec1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change ,jer4 xvii4 #h to ,jer4 xvii4 #g-h4 ,note three1 change the #a before ,the honour of ,god to ,i4 ,in point ,,ii #c1 use a three period ellipsis after so4 - ,page #ged1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxix41 verse #ah1 add right double quotes after law4 - ,page #gee1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change cross reference to chap4 vi4 #ab-ai on page #ha from chap4 vi4 #ae on page #hb4 - ,page #gef1 lesson1 point ,i1 change ,chap4 to lower case4 - ,page #geg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change cross reference to chap4 xiv4 #ae-ah from chap4 xiv4 #af4 ,note one1 change ,phinehas xxv4 #aa to ,phinehas--,num4 xxv4 #aa4 ,change ,contrast xiii4 #e to ,contrast ,ezek4 xiii4 #e for concreteness4 ,title1 change ,soul-seekers and ,soul-haters to capitalise ,seekers and ,haters4 - ,page #gfj1 note zero1 apply ,,rc to ,divinely2 change ,machiavelian to ,machiavellian2 apply ,,rc to ,will1 ,glory1 and ,inspired4 ,title1 change ,victory not with the ,majority to capitalise ,not4 - ,page #gfa1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine4 - ,page #gfb1 lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,nature1 ,will1 and ,purposes4 - ,the page break between pages #gfc and #gfd is in a unit that style indicates should not be broken4 ,the text on the first page ends at the m-dash2 the opening quotation mark and the word ,tell have been moved to the earlier page so as not to break the unit4 - ,page #gfd1 note three1 apply ,,rc to ,decalogue4 - ,page #gfe1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change ,psa4 lxiii4 #c to ,psa4 xxx4 #e2 ,psa4 lxiii4 #c4 - ,page #gfg1 ,critical ,notes1 chapter xxx41 verse #ae1 change horseleech to horseleach to match ,a4,v4 ,verses #ae and #af1 change the double quotes to single quotes around three things1 four things1 and leech4 - ,page #ggj1 verse #b1 note one1 use a four period ellipsis after top4 ,verse #d1 note one1 use a four period ellipsis after operation2 add double quotes around ,god4 ,lesson1 point ,i1 apply ,,rc to ,character and ,will4 - ,page #gga1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,,iii1 apply ,,rc to ,word 7twice74 - ,page #ggb1 note one1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,speaker4 ,note two1 apply ,,rc to ,word and ,him4 - ,page #ggc1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change that strengtheneth to which strengtheneth to match ,a4,v4 ,verse #g1 note one1 change ,him to lower case1 referring to ,jacob4 ,verse #h1 note two1 change dependants to dependents4 - ,page #gge1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 apply ,,rc to ,word4 ,point ,,iv1 apply ,,rc to ,gospel2 change dwell to shall dwell and lie to shall lie2 set etc4 in ,roman rather than ,italic4 ,verse #aa1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,divine2 change ,his heart to lower case4 - ,page #ggg1 lesson1 point ,,ii1 change cross reference to chap4 vi4 #f-aa on page #gh from chap4 vi4 #f on page #gi4 - ,page #ggh1 note two1 apply ,,rc to ,him4 - ,page #ggi1 remarks on chapter xxx41 change verse #g-i to verses #g-i4 - ,page #ghj1 lesson1 point ,,iii1 change second cross reference to page #fhj from page #ahj4 - ,page #ghc1 verse #bi1 note one1 remove period after principle4