,,studies ,,in ,,life ,,from ,,jewish ,,proverbs ,,studies ,,in ,,life ,,from ,,jewish ,,proverbs ,,by ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,elmslie1 ,m4,a41 ,fellow of ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge ,,london ,,james ,,clarke ,,co41 #ac #ad ,,fleet ,,street1 ,e4,c4 ,to ,,my ,,wife 8,forsan et hc olim meminisse juvabit0 ,,preface ,a writer of many books once said to me that he regretted every preface he had written4 ,seeing that ,i have the highest respect for his talents1 ,i am constrained to take to heart the moral1 which 7particularly in a book on proverbs7 would seem to be 8least said1 soonest mended40 ,but whatever else he may choose to leave unsaid1 an author is expected to give away his secret in the preface1 making known his intentions as discreetly as he can but still explicitly4 ,that duty accomplished1 he is at liberty to give thanks1 and so conclude4 ,the greater part of this volume 7,chapters ,v4 to ,,xii47 is occupied with a study of the teaching of 8,wisdom0 among the ,jews in ,palestine during the ,hellenistic ,age1 so far as the subject is represented in the two great collections of ,jewish sayings1 the ,book of ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus4 ,it would be too much to claim that in these chapters the book breaks new ground1 for the importance of the ,hellenistic period is recognised by students of history1 and there have been many commentaries on the ,book of ,proverbs1 nor has ,ecclesiasticus been without its expositors4 ,but the historian devotes himself to the relation of events1 and the commentator is busy with the thoughts of the several proverbs or with the textual difficulties they present1 rather than with their precise historical setting4 ,here an endeavour has been made to bring the proverbs into close connection with the history1 and it is hoped that not only do the proverbs thereby acquire fresh interest1 but also that there emerges a picture of the men who made them and used them in the furtherance of morality and faith4 ,even to professed students of ,jewish history the makers of the 8,wisdom0 proverbs are apt to remain distant and shadowy figures2 but we cannot afford to neglect any of the makers of the ,bible1 and ,i venture to think that the method followed in this volume makes it possible to appreciate the outlook of these men1 to realise their difficulties1 and if not to sympathise wholly with their views1 at least to feel that they were very human4 ,whether this brief sketch is successful in attaining its object or not1 it is certain that the subject deserves more attention than it has hitherto received4 ,besides the numerous maxims in ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus1 there are some interesting popular proverbs in the historical and prophetical books of the ,old ,testament4 ,to these a part of ,chapter ,,iv4 will be devoted4 ,occasional references will also be made1 especially in the second half of the book1 to proverbial sayings taken from the ,rabbinical literature of the ,jews4 ,the titles of ,chapters ,,xiii4 to ,,xx4 sufficiently indicate the nature of their contents1 and require no further comment here4 ,in translating the proverbs the ,revised ,version has been used as a basis1 but liberty has been exercised in making any alterations that seemed desirable on textual or literary grounds4 ,most of the changes thus introduced will readily explain themselves to those who are acquainted with the original texts or may care to consult modern commentaries1 such as that of ,professor ,toy on ,proverbs 7,international ,critical ,commentary7 and of ,dr4 ,oesterley on ,ecclesiasticus 7,cambridge ,bible ,series74 ,any volume1 such as this1 that touches a wide range of subjects must have correspondingly many obligations4 ,i welcome this opportunity of recording my gratitude to the authors whose writings are referred to in the following pages1 and in particular ,i desire to acknowledge my indebtedness to the ,right ,rev4 ,e4 ,l4 ,bevan's illuminating work on the ,hellenistic period1 to the writings of ,professor ,toy and ,dr4 ,oesterley mentioned above1 and to ,professor ,c4 ,f4 ,kent's short study and analysis of ,proverbs in his book ,the ,wise ,men of ,ancient ,israel4 ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,e4 ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i ,,the ,,characteristics ,,of ,,proverbs #ac ,,ii ,,the ,,proverbs ,,of ,,the ,,jews #bh ,,iii ,,forgotten ,,years #dc ,,iv ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,small ,,things #fj ,v ,,iron ,,sharpeneth ,,iron #ge ,,vi ,a ,,sower ,,went ,,forth ,,to ,,sow #ajj ,,vii ,,men ,,and ,,manners #ajh ,,viii ,,the ,,ideal #acf ,,ix ,,the ,,exaltation ,,of ,,wisdom #aff ,x ,,the ,,hill 8,,difficulty0 #agh ,,xi ,,harvest #aid ,,xii ,,values #bad ,,xiii ,,nature ,,in ,,the ,,proverbs #bbi ,,xiv ,,humour ,,in ,,the ,,proverbs #bcg ,,xv ,,from ,,wisdom',s ,,treasury #bde ,,xvi ,,the ,,body ,,politic #bdh ,,xvii ,a ,,chapter ,,of ,,good ,,advice #bfa ,,xviii ,,conduct #bfe ,,xix ,,faith #bgc ,,xx ,,the ,,gift ,,of ,,god #bhj ,,chapter ,i ,the ,characteristics of ,proverbs ,most writers on proverbs have thought it necessary to attempt a definition of their subject1 but the task is difficult1 and the phrase that will silence criticism has yet to be produced4 ,lord ,russell's epigram describing a proverb as 8,the wisdom of many and the wit of one0 is as good as any1 but it leaves so much unsaid that as a definition it is certainly inadequate4 ,on the other hand1 it is a true remark1 and the facts it emphasises may conveniently be taken as the point from which to begin this study4 ,no saying is a proverb until it has commended itself to a number of men2 the wisdom of one is not a proverb1 but the wisdom of many4 ,countless fine expressions well suited to become proverbial have perished in the speaking1 or lie forgotten in our books4 ,to win wide acceptance and then to keep pace with the jealous years and remain a living word on the lips of the people is an achievement few human thoughts have compassed2 for thousands that pass unheeded only one here or there1 helped by some happy quality1 or perhaps some freak of fortune1 is caught from mouth to mouth1 approved1 repeated and transmitted4 ,every accepted proverb has therefore survived a searching test1 all the more severe because judgment is not always passed upon the merits of the case4 ,popular favour is at the best capricious1 and often an admirable saying has died out of use and a worse become famous4 ,but of one thing we can be certain3 general recognition is never won except by that which expresses the beliefs1 or appeals to the conscience1 or touches the affections of average men4 ,however many the defects of any given proverb may happen to be1 it is sure to possess some quality of human interest4 ,in the second place1 it is generally true that1 although proverbs have a sovereign right to utter commonplace1 there is no such thing as a dull proverb4 ,no matter how pedestrian may be its doctrine1 somewhere in its expression will be manifest the 8wit of one0--a flash of insight or imagination1 a note of pathos or power4 ,of course1 many sayings through age and the changes of fashion have lost their savour for us1 but--the point is important--even these are not inevitably dull4 ,all were once piquant4 ,if we could but recapture the attitude of the men who made the phrase proverbial1 its interest would be felt again4 ,but although it thus appears that proverbs are essentially human and generally witty1 the study of them is attended by certain difficulties4 ,it is wise1 therefore1 to acknowledge at the outset the obstacles that will beset our path2 to be forewarned is to be forearmed4 ,many proverbs have achieved popularity1 not on account of what they say1 but of the way they say it2 the secret of their success has been some spice of originality or of humour in their composition4 ,originality1 however1 is a tender plant1 and nothing fades more quickly than humour4 ,a graphic or unexpected metaphor will delight the imagination for a little while1 but how swiftly and inexorably 8familiarity breeds contempt02 a phrase which is itself a case in point4 ,whenever therefore1 in studying the ,jewish proverbs1 we come upon famous and familiar words1 we must endeavour to let the saying for a moment renew its youth1 by deliberately quickening our sympathy and attention1 by counting it certain that words which have not failed through so many centuries to touch the hearts and minds of men deserve from us more than a passing glance of recognition4 ,many proverbs speak truth1 but a true word can be spoken too often4 ,every preacher in ,christendom knows how little1 through much iteration1 the words 8,hope0 and 8,love0 may convey to his hearers1 although most men are conscious that of the realities of ,hope and ,love they cannot possess too much4 ,so also with the truths expressed in proverbs4 ,for example1 many excellent men have lacked only promptitude to win success1 and we have need to be warned thereby2 but when the fact is put before us in the words 8,procrastination is the thief of time10 what copybook boredom rises in our indignant soul6 ,we will not learn the lesson from so stale a teacher4 ,every effort to indicate the genius of proverbs is attended by this disadvantage of verbal familiarity2 and1 of course1 it is the finest sayings that suffer most4 ,but just here the tragedy of the great ,european ,war lends unwelcome aid4 ,the intensity of human experience has been raised to a degree not known for centuries2 and1 as a recent writer in the ,spectator admirably puts it1 8,in all times of distress dead truisms come to life4 ,they confront the mind at every turn4 ,we are amazed at the vividness of our thoughts1 and confounded at the banality of their expression4 ,we imagined that only fools helped themselves out with the musty wisdom of copybooks1 but now it seems that even a fool may speak to the purpose4 ,there is nothing so new as trouble1 nothing so threadbare as its expression4 #8,all is fair in love and war'4444 ,how vividly that falsehood has been impressed upon us by our enemies4 ,yet how dull and indisputable it seemed such a little while ago4 ,even those of us who have least personal stake in the war grow terribly impatient at its slow movement4 ,almost every man who buys an afternoon paper thinks of the #8watched pot4' ,how many people have lately known the heart-sickness of #8hope deferred'8 #8,dying is as natural as living'3 that is a dull enough expression of fact1 when death is far off3 but1 when it is near1 it cuts like a two-edged sword40#a ,life for the present generation has verily been transformed2 it is both more terrible and more inspiring1 more poignant in its sorrows1 more thrilling in its achievements and its joys3 all things are become new4 ,once we could say glibly1 8,the heart knoweth its own bitterness10 using the phrase to point a trivial trouble1 but not now2 and perhaps never again in our life-time4 ,thank ,god1 it is not only the sorrowful sayings which rise in our heart with new meaning1 but also those which speak of courage and strength1 of loyalty and faith4 ,there is a third danger against which we require to be on guard4 ,proverbs cannot be absorbed in quantity4 ,like pictures in a gallery1 they stand on their rights1 each demanding a measure of individual attention and a due period for reflection4 ,many chapters in the ,book of ,proverbs are unpalatable reading1 not because they are prosy1 but because they are composed of independent maxims connected by no link of logical sequence or even of kindred meaning4 ,to read consecutively through a series of these self-contained units is to impose an intolerable strain on the mind4 ,the imagination becomes jaded1 the memory dazed by the march of too swiftly changing images4 ,the disconnected thoughts efface one another1 leaving behind them only a blurred confusion4 ,this will appear the more inevitable the more clearly we realise what a proverb is4 ,for consider3 not one nor two but countless observations of men and things have gone to the making of a single proverb2 it is the conclusion to which a thousand premisses pointed the way2 it is compressed experience4 ,and further1 a proverb usually gives not just the bare inference from experience1 but the inference made memorable by some touch of fancy in the phrasing4 ,hence the meaning of a proverb is not always obvious1 that it may seem the sharper when perceived4 ,some curious comparison1 some pleasing illustration1 is put forward to catch and hold attention until1 from the train of thought thus raised1 a truth leaps out upon us or a fact of life confronts us1 familiar perhaps but now invested with fresh dignity4 ,a proverb is not1 as it were1 a single sentence out of the book of human life1 but is rather the epitome of a page or chapter2 or1 if you please1 call it a summary1 now of some drama of life1 now of an epic or lyric poem1 now again of a moral treatise4 ,from a literary point of view proverbs are rich1 over-rich feeding4 ,they cloy4 ,there is in the ,book of ,proverbs a remark that adroitly puts the point3 ,hast thou found honey8 ,eat so much as is convenient for thee 7,pr4 #beaf74 ,it follows that frequent quotation of proverbs will be apt to fatigue the reader1 yet the danger is one which cannot wholly be avoided in this volume4 ,something1 however1 can be done by setting limitations on the scope of our subject1 and in the following pages no attempt will be made to present any systematic survey of the whole immense field of ,jewish proverbs1 ancient1 medival1 and modern4 ,attention will be given chiefly to two pre-,christian collections--the ,book of ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus--and1 even so1 many good sayings in those books will be left unnoticed4 ,moreover1 proverbs are not quite chaotic1 for all their natural independence4 ,they are like a forest through which many paths conduct2 by following now one1 now another topic it is possible to penetrate in various directions1 as inclination prompts4 ,but1 even so1 the peril of wearying the reader by over-many proverbs will only be lessened not removed2 wherefore again--'tis a word of high wisdom--,hast thou found honey8 ,eat so much as is convenient for thee4 ,enough of difficulties and dangers6 ,woe to him who goes 8supping sorrows with a long spoon06 ,a happier task1 however1 does remain1 before we set sail upon our quest3 we have still to count our blessings4 ,what are the virtues of proverbs8 ,what the interests we may hope to find in our subject8 ,the proverb does for human life something that science does for the world of ,nature3 it rouses the unseeing eye and the unheeding ear to the marvel of what seems ordinary4 ,as for ,nature1 most of us who are not scientists are still deplorably blind to her perfections1 but popular text-books have so far succeeded that we confess our ignorance with shame1 and some are even penitent enough to desire that they might grow wiser4 ,we are at least aware that there is nothing in the world not wonderful4 ,we used to pass the spider's web in our gardens with never a thought1 but now--is not ,le ,fabre whispering to us of 8rays equidistant and forming a beautifully regular orb10 of 8polygonal lines drawn in a curve as geometry understands it40 8,which of us10 says he1 pricking our human vanity1 8would undertake1 off-hand1 without much preliminary experiment and without measuring instruments to divide a circle into a given quantity of sectors of equal width4 ,the spider1 though weighted with a wallet and tottering on threads shaken by the wind1 effects the delicate division without stopping to think40#b ,the astronomer does not guard his secrets like the jealous astrologer of old2 so that now-a-days many a man who possesses neither the higher mathematics nor a telescope knows more than his eyes can show him of the marvels of the stars and the mystery of space4 ,professor ,j4 ,a4 ,thompson writes of ,the ,wonder of ,life1 and behold6 even he that hath no skill in biology may learn that the barren seashore is a teeming world1 more strange than fairyland4 ,science does not make ,nature marvellous2 she lifts the veil of ignorance from our mind4 ,proverbs perform the same service for the life of man4 ,taking the common incidents of experience1 they point out their meaning4 ,perceiving the principles in the recurrent facts of life1 they discover and declare that the commonplace is more than merely common4 ,that is a task greater and more difficult than at first sight may appear3 as has been well said1 8,there is no literary function higher than that of giving point to what is ordinary and rescuing a truth from the obscurity of obviousness40#c ,most men are slow1 desperately slow1 to perceive the significance of the experiences they encounter daily2 yet from the iron discipline of these things none of us can escape4 ,they are our life-long schoolmaster1 and woe betide the man who from that stern teacher learns nothing or learns amiss4 ,nor is it sufficient that the facts should be brought before us4 ,as a rule1 the truth requires to be pushed home4 ,ask us not to observe that the reasoning faculties of the human being are seriously and sometimes disastrously perturbed by the impulses of affection2 but tell us 8,love is blind10 and--perhaps--we shall not forget4 ,proverbs are superlatively human4 ,suffer the point to have a curious introduction4 ,in certain ancient colleges it is the custom on one ,sunday in each year to hold in the chapel a service of ,commemoration1 when the names of all those who were benefactors of the college are read aloud4 ,few ceremonies can convey more impressively the continuity of the generations1 the actual unity between the shadowy past and the vivid present which seems to us the only real world4 ,the roll may begin far back in the fourteenth or fifteenth centuries1 commencing with the names of the ,founder and a few medival ,benefactors 7some of them famous men71 but steadily and swiftly the years move onwards as the roll is read1 until1 listening1 we realise that in another moment what is called the past will merge into the present4 ,somehow the magical change takes place2 the past is finished1 and the record is telling now 8the things whereof we too were part10 ending perhaps with the name of one whom we called 8friend10 who sat beside us in the chapel--was it only a year ago to-day8 ,on these occasions the lesson is usually taken from a chapter in ,ecclesiasticus known as ,the ,praise of ,famous ,men3--,let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us4 ,the ,lord manifested in them great glory1 even his mighty power from the beginning4 ,such as did bear rule in their kingdoms and were men renowned for their power1 giving counsel by their understanding2 such as have brought tidings in prophecies2 leaders of the people by their counsels1 and by their understanding men of learning for the people--wise were their words in their instruction2 such as sought out musical tunes1 and set forth verses in writing2 rich men furnished with ability1 living peaceably in their habitations3 all these were honoured in their generations1 and were a glory in their days4 ,there be of them that have left a name behind them1 to declare their praises4 ,and some there be which have no memorial2 who are perished as though they had not been and are become as though they had not been born4 ,what6 even of those who were famous men8444 perished as though they had not been and become as though they had not been born4 ,the verdict is too hard4 ,granting that they missed genius1 did they not live nobly1 speak wisely1 make many beautiful things1 do generous deeds1 giving of themselves the best they had to give8 ,but 444 as though they had not been4 ,surely they merited some kinder fate than that8 ,and what of the multitudes of the unrenowned8 ,if the famous are nothing1 then the rest of men are less than nothing and vanity1 and1 dying1 they certainly can leave no trace behind them1 no word to carry the tale of how once they laboured1 loved1 hoped1 endured4 ,all their exquisite human longings1 all their pleasant thinking1 must be for ever lost8 ,no6 for proverbs are the memorial of ordinary men2 their very accents2 record of their intimate thoughts and judgments1 their jests and sorrowings1 their aspirations1 their philosophy4 ,and this even from distant ages6 ,there are proverbs old as the ,iliad4 ,men of genius have not a monopoly of immortal words4 ,perhaps at the start one man of keen wit was needed to invent the happy phrase or the smart saying1 but before it became a proverb countless ordinary folk had to give it their approval4 ,we know that every popular proverb has seemed good to a multitude of men4 ,essentially therefore it has become their utterance1 and is filled with their personality4 ,and1 of course1 proverbs are not only a memorial of the unknown dead2 they are equally a language of the unknown and unlearned living4 ,the humblest of men experience deep emotions which1 however1 they cannot articulate for themselves4 ,proverbs1 we repeat1 come to the rescue of the unlettered1 supplying words to fit their thoughts1 unstopping the tongue of the dumb4 ,just what effects this simple treasury of speech has had in history who can calculate1 but that it has not been slight is dexterously suggested by these words of anger and chagrin which ,shakespeare makes ,coriolanus speak3 8,hang 'em1 ,they said they were an hungry1 sighed forth proverbs2 ,that hunger broke stone walls1 that dogs must eat1 ,that meat was made for mouths1 that the gods sent not ,corn for the rich men only2 with these shreds ,they vented their complainings40 ,poor wretches6 with their 8meat was made for mouths40 ,doubtless they should have prepared for the most noble ,coriolanus a treatise setting forth their preposterous economics1 and humbly praying that in due course their petition might be brought before the ,senate4 ,but--8dogs must eat40 ,faugh6 8,no gentleman10 said ,lord ,chesterfield1 8ever uses a proverb40 ,perhaps not1 in an age of false gentility4 ,but men of genius in many a century have taken note of their rich humanism and their value as a real1 though undeveloped1 science of life4 ,aristotle1 ,bacon1 ,shakespeare1 ,montaigne1 ,cervantes1 ,hazlitt1 ,goethe1 thought fit to use them4 ,despite my ,lord ,chesterfield1 let us continue the subject4 ,in the third place1 proverbs are like a mirror in which the facts and ideals of society may be discerned4 ,this is so obvious a truth that its importance may be under-estimated until it is realised how clear and detailed the reflection is4 ,proverbs prefer the concrete to the abstract4 ,they contain many allusions#d that are like windows opening on to the land of their birth and offering glimpses of its life and scenery--the rain and the sunshine ripening its fields and vineyards2 the valleys and mountains1 the open country1 the villages1 and towns4 ,the activities and interests of the inhabitants are still more clearly disclosed4 ,manners and morals are laid bare1 all the more faithfully because the witness is often unintentional4 8,proverbs10 said ,bacon1 8reveal the genius1 wit1 and character of a nation40 ,in them ,humanity1 all reticence forgotten1 seems to have cried its thoughts from the housetops and proclaimed its hidden motives in the market-place4 ,suppose that almost all other evidence for the history of ,italy or ,spain were blotted out but the national sayings were left us1 there would still be rich material for reconstructing an outline of the characteristics and not a little of the fortunes of those peoples4 ,in respect of national disposition how terribly would the lust for vengeance appear as the besetting sin of ,italy3 ,revenge is a morsel fit for ,god--,revenge being an hundred years old has still its sucking teeth4 ,from the copious store of ,spanish proverbs could be substantiated such facts as the ,moorish occupation of ,spain1 the power and pride of her medival chivalry1 and the immense influence for good and evil which the ,church of ,rome has wielded in the length and breadth of the country4 ,archbishop ,trench lays stress upon this quality of proverbs4 ,speaking of ,burchardt's ,arabic ,proverbs of the ,modern ,egyptians1 he remarks1#e 8,in other books others describe the modern ,egyptians1 but here they unconsciously describe themselves4 ,the selfishness1 the utter extinction of all public spirit1 the servility1 which no longer as with an inward shame creeps into men's lives but utters itself as the avowed law of their lives1 the sense of the oppression of the strong1 of the insecurity of the weak1 and generally the whole character of life1 alike outward and inward1 as poor1 mean1 sordid1 and ignoble 444 all this1 as we study these documents1 rises up before us in truest1 though in painfullest1 outline4 ,thus1 only in a land where rulers1 being evil themselves1 feel all goodness to be their instinctive foe1 where they punish but never reward1 could a proverb like the following1 ,do no good and thou shalt find no evil1 ever have come to the birth03 altogether a black picture of ,mohammedan society4 ,it is a healthier1 happier scene that the ,jewish proverbs will unfold to us4 ,the last general characteristic of proverbs1 to which we need pay attention1 is their inexhaustible variety4 ,the world is their province4 ,religion and ethics1 politics1 commerce1 agriculture1 handicrafts1 riches and poverty1 diligence and idleness1 hope and contentment1 unrest and despair1 laughter and tears1 pride and humility1 love and hatred3 what is there you can name that we cannot set you a proverb to match it8 ,proverbs enter the palace unsummoned1 take stock of his ,majesty1 and then inform the world what they think of his doings4 ,they sit with my ,lord ,justice on the bench1 and he shall hear further of the matter if he judge with respect of persons4 ,but lo and behold6 they also keep company with highwaymen and thieves1 and the tricks of most trades are to them no secret4 ,proverbs are at home with men of every degree3 they dine at the rich man's table1 they beg with ,lazarus by the gate2 and shrewdly do they analyse the world from both points of view4 ,chiefly1 however1 they have dwelt in a myriad normal homes1 where neither riches nor poverty is given1 but where a hard day's work1 a sufficient meal1 and a warm fire in the evening have loosened tongues and opened hearts4 ,whereupon these unconscionable guests proceed to criticise the family4 ,they interfere between husband and wife1 parents and children1 and teach all of them manners with an unsparing frankness4 ,they play with the children1 counsel their parents1 and dream dreams with the old4 ,again1 proverbs are both country-dwellers and town-dwellers4 ,have they not observed the ways of wind and water1 sunshine and silvery starlight1 seen the trees grow green and the seeds spring into life1 the flowers bloom and the harvest ingathered8 ,yet also they have spent the whole year in the city1 walking its streets early and late1 strolling through the markets and bargaining in the shops4 ,ubiquitous proverbs6 ,there is nothing beyond their reach1 nothing hid from their eyes4 ,the advantages of this abundant variety are clear4 ,almost any topic of human interest will find sufficient illustration in proverbs4 ,frequently a saying will be found useful from more than one standpoint3 vary the topic and the same material may appear in new and unexpected guise4 ,on the other hand1 whatever subject be chosen1 a serious difficulty will be encountered4 ,as soon as the proverbs bearing upon it have been gathered together1 an extreme confusion of opinion will be apparent4 ,the trumpet gives a most uncertain sound6 ,thus1 let ethics be our starting-point4 ,many1 no doubt1 will be the maxims that breathe an easy1 practical morality1 and these1 being careful not to be righteous overmuch1 may seem tolerably compatible one with another2 but then in violent contrast will be some that soar to the very heavens1 and some also that surely emanate from hell4 ,these will suffice from the devil's forge3 ,dead men tell no tales--,every man has his price--or this ,italian proverb1 ,wait time and place for thy revenge1 for swift revenge is poor revenge4 ,for the heavenly1 here are two from ancient ,greece1 ,the best is always arduous#f--;,friends have their all in common#g2 or this tender ,english one1 ,the way to heaven is by ,weeping-,cross1 or this strong ,scottish phrase1 ,the grace of ,god is gear enough#h4 ,verily1 proverbs do battle one against another4 ,trench quotes the following3 ,the noblest vengeance is to forgive compared with the infamous ,he who cannot avenge himself is weak1 he who will not is vile4 ,penny wise pound foolish is cried in our one ear2 ,take care of the pence1 and the pounds will take care of themselves in the other4 ,could anything be more disconcerting to our hope of investigating the ethical system of proverbs8 ,but in like manner their social teaching at first sight seems a wilderness of contradiction1 their theology a babel of conflicting tongues4 ,the natural perplexity thus occasioned can1 however1 be resolved very simply4 ,two points must be kept in mind4 ,first1 that when with rough and ready justice men are classified as pious or wicked1 clever or stupid1 generous or miserly1 hopeful or despondent1 rich or poor1 young or old1 wise or ignorant1 and so forth1 these terms do represent real distinctions between persons1 although perhaps no one category suffices fully to describe any given individual2 and second1 that a proverb necessarily expresses a sentiment shared by a number of people4 ,it follows that what we ought to seek in proverbs is not one point of view but many4 ,we shall find the attitude of various classes and types of men4 ,we shall see life as it appears now in the eyes of the just and the merciful1 now of the evil and the cunning4 ,here in one group of sayings will be the way the world looks to a lazy man1 here again are the convictions of the unscrupulously shrewd4 ,here is some complacent merchant's view of social questions1 here the exhortations of an idealistic soul4 ,when once this fact about proverbs is recognised1 the difficulty of their contradictoriness instantly is removed4 ,instead of feeling that they speak in hesitating accents1 we discover that they are answering our questions1 not with one1 but with many voices1 far from uncertain in their tone4 ,the confusion vanishes4 ,we find ourselves listening to the speech of men who1 differing sometimes profoundly one from another1 have sharply defined ideas1 and can utter their thoughts with brevity1 force1 and wit4 ,it will be seen that our object is wide and deep1 and that there are many avenues of approach to it4 ,one road1 however1 would seem to be impossible--proverbs as literature4 ,that an occasional popular saying would have some touch of literary value1 is1 of course1 to be expected4 ,but a winged word now and then1 a lovely image flitting once in a while across the plains1 will not justify the topic1 8,proverbs as literature40 ,the individual proverb failing1 what hope is there that a collection of them will come nearer the mark8 ,suppose the very best of our ,english proverbs were gathered together1 there might be much to interest1 amuse1 or edify our minds1 but literature such an assemblage would assuredly not be4 ,the vital element of unity would be lacking4 ,as well string the interjections and conjunctions of our language into verse1 and call the result a poem6 ,and yet the incredible has happened4 ,once a collection of proverbs was so made as to be literature--but where and when must be left for the next chapter to relate4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,the ,proverbs of the ,jews ,of the facts we have been considering one is specially relevant to the subject1 not only of this volume but of the series in which it forms a part--namely1 the intimately human quality of proverbs4 ,mr4 ,morley has called them 8,the guiding oracles which man has found out for himself in that great business of ours1 of learning how to be1 to do1 to do without and to depart4#i0 ,the ,humanism of the ,bible ought therefore to be visible nowhere more clearly than in ,israel's proverbs1 if these are to be found within its pages4 ,but stay6 ,what right have we to expect their presence8 ,surely little or none1 if the ,bible is what many persons conceive it to be--only a book of religious teachings4 ,for consider the reasonable expectation1 and contrast the extraordinary facts4 ,in such a book we might reasonably expect to find a few proverbs3 that a king should quote a saying to suit his purpose1 a counsellor press home his wisdom with some well-known maxim1 or a prophet edge his appeal by the use of a popular phrase--that would be quite natural1 and indeed occurs4 ,but actually 7and here is the astonishing matter7 there are proverbs by tens and by hundreds1 gathered together in one ,book of the ,bible1 following verse by verse1 chapter by chapter1 till they choke one another through sheer profusion1 like flowers in an unkept garden4 ,thus in five chapters of the ,book of ,proverbs 7#ac-ag7 there are #aed separate adages4 ,so strange a phenomenon challenges attention4 ,it might be supposed that the ,hebrew language had been ransacked for proverbs1 but that suggestion will not stand scrutiny4 ,on investigation1 the ,book proves to be no deliberate1 systematic1 attempt to collect the ,hebrew proverbs4 ,thus1 when we look for the few1 but famous1 popular sayings that occur in the historical and prophetic writings of the ,old ,testament1 we find that not one of them is included4 ,as for system1 a casual glance will demonstrate its absence4 ,in most chapters of ,proverbs not even an effort is made to classify the material4 ,the ,book cannot be explained as an anthology of ,hebrew sayings--the most witty or worldly-wise1 the most moral or religious4 ,whatever the explanation1 here assuredly is something less artificial than an anthology4 ,good1 bad1 and indifferent proverbs alike are present4 ,many of the sayings unmistakably reflect a conception of morality more practical than exalted1 and some appear grossly utilitarian4 ,time and again the consequences of sin are navely presented as the reasons for avoiding it1 whilst the rewards of virtue are emphasised unduly4 ,later on we shall find reasons for holding that the utilitarian attitude is not fundamental1 and therefore not so destructive of the ethical value of these proverbs as it might seem4 ,but until both the circumstances which gave rise to the proverbs and the ends they were meant to serve are understood1 until 7as it were7 we have seen the men who spoke the maxims and the people who repeated them1 that more generous judgment is scarcely possible2 and meantime1 be it freely admitted1 there are many things in the ,book not agreeable to modern ethical taste4 ,religiously1 too1 the ,book of ,proverbs is on the surface disappointing4 ,neither the fire of the ,prophets' faith is visible1 nor the deep passion of the ,psalmists' longing after ,god4 ,who amongst us1 seeking spiritual help1 would choose a chapter in ,proverbs when the ,gospels or the ,letters of ,st4 ,paul are open to him8 ,so then on literary1 ethical1 and religious grounds there are plain reasons why this ,book has lost something of its former favour4 ,contrast the estimation in which it was held only two generations ago4 ,ruskin records that four chapters of ,proverbs1 the third1 fourth1 eighth and twelfth1 were amongst those portions of the ,bible which his mother made him learn by heart and 8so established my soul in life02 they were1 he declares1 8the most precious and on the whole essential part of all my education40 ,not so long ago1 ,proverbs was a text-book in many schools2 probably it is nowhere so used to-day4#aj ,even if neglect of this part of the ,scripture is partly chargeable to heightened standards of ethics or theology1 the loss incurred is great4 ,as a matter of fact1 depreciation of its ethical temper is often based on inaccurate notions1 often is exaggerated4 ,in comparison with our fathers1 who without commentaries read through their ,bibles from cover to cover1 we have not gained as we should2 for1 whilst we pride ourselves 7with what measure of justice is uncertain7 on being more sensitive to religious values1 they were far better acquainted with the religious facts4 ,they at least knew the contents of ,scripture2 we1 who have at our disposal abundance of interpretative help whereby to learn the nature of the ,bible and with instructed minds consider its spiritual worth1 too often are ignorant both of text and commentary4 ,doubtless the fault is due to certain characteristics of our time4 ,this is a feverish impatient age2 if our mental fare is not served us like our daily information1 put up into easy paragraphs1 so that he who runs may read1 we will not stay to seek it2 and the ,old ,testament is not an easy book1 though it answers patience with astonishing rewards4 ,candidly1 how does it stand with knowledge of the ,bible at the present time8 ,in charity let the question be addressed only to those who have a genuine interest in the ,christian religion1 desiring to rule their lives by its ideals and cherishing its promises4 ,even to such persons what is the ,bible8 ,a few there are who have found or made opportunity for serious consideration of its ,books1 and these have certainly felt the fascination of the vast and varied interests that have won and retained for biblical study the life-long service of many brilliant scholars4 ,but to the others1 and obviously they are thousands of thousands1 the ,bible is essentially the book of religion4 ,as such1 the ,new ,testament means the ,gospel narratives1 some immortal chapters from ,st4 ,paul1 a few verses in ,hebrews1 and ,st4 ,john's vision of that ,city where death shall be no more4 ,and what--religiously--in similar fashion is the ,old ,testament1 except a few1 comforting1 beautiful ,psalms2 some childhood memories of ,abraham1 ,joseph1 ,moses1 generous ,david and brave ,daniel2 a tale or two of ,elijah2 a procession of ,kings1 and an uncharted sea of grand but most perplexing ,prophets8 ,asked for a more general account1 some would describe the ,old ,testament as a record of the laws1 history1 and religious ideas of the ,hebrew people2 others would answer that it is 8part of the ,word of ,god10 but they might all be at a loss to say what is the religious value of ,leviticus1 what the spiritual relation between ,genesis and the ,gospel1 between ,kings and ,chronicles1 between ,job and ,revelation4 ,probably the great majority of men at the present time would be quite willing to confess that their knowledge of the ,bible is vague and insufficient1 but few1 we believe1 would suspect that there is anything wrong with the basis from which their thinking proceeds3 so firmly is it fixed in men's minds that the ,bible is merely the book of religion4 ,the ,bible is that1 but more also1 more and yet again more4 ,and how easily we might have realised the fact6 ,ought not the presence of these surprisingly heterogeneous proverbs alone to have stirred our curiosity1 and so compelled the enlargement of our thoughts about the ,old ,testament8 ,without needing to be urged1 men should1 of their own accord1 have perceived the astonishing range of interest and the wealth of literature the ,bible contains1 and should have seen in this variety a clue that would lead them by pleasant paths to treasures artistic and intellectual as well as religious4 ,thereby no loss could ensue religiously1 but on the contrary gain4 ,the greater our recognition of the artistic qualities of the sacred literature1 the more exact and full our understanding of the history of the ,jews and of their beliefs and interpretation of life1 so much the more wonderful will the actual development of religion in ,israel be seen to be4 ,this is the point to which the above remarks are meant to lead4 ,if the ,biblical proverbs compel as a first conclusion the recognition of how much more the ,old ,testament is than a text-book for theology1 that is a minimum and an initial discovery2 our appreciation of its meaning will assuredly not end there4 ,the growth1 in ,israel1 of the knowledge of ,god into a high and holy faith is an indisputable fact4 ,increase your comprehension of the circumstances attending this development1 and your faith in the reality of a self-revealing ,god should increase also4 ,so much for the presence of these proverbs in the ,bible4 ,now consider the affirmation with which the first chapter concluded3 that proverbs have once been literature4 ,that claim may be advanced on behalf of the sayings of the ,book of ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus4 ,it is of course obvious that the difficulty which has to be overcome is the essential independence of proverbial sayings3 each is so relentlessly complete in itself4 ,how can they be so related to each other as to acquire the higher unity indispensable for literature8 ,the lack of system in the ,book of ,proverbs has already been admitted frankly2 but the point must again be emphasised4 ,so far from the five chapters with the #aed maxims1 referred to above1 being exceptional they are typical of the greater portion of the ,book4 ,continually we encounter the same astonishing disregard for consecutive1 or even cognate1 thought in the grouping of the proverbs4 ,and yet1 despite this fact1 the attentive reader will become conscious of a subtle unity pervading the ,book4 ,the impression will grow that the confusion is not absolute2 somehow it is being held within bounds1 whilst here and there chaos has evidently yielded to the command of a directing purpose4 ,obstinate independents as proverbs are1 one discovers that here their masses1 unruly though they still may be1 have nevertheless become an army1 a host sufficiently disciplined to serve a common end4 ,as with a complicated piece of music through the intricacies of the notes runs ever an underlying theme1 so here through the medley of disparate sayings can be heard the preaching of one great thought--8,wisdom40 ,behind the proverbs1 behind the ,book1 we discover men1 preachers and teachers of an ,idea1 enthusiasts for a ,cause--8,wisdom40 ,just what that phrase implied1 just what manner of men those advocates of ,wisdom were1 we shall see in due course4 ,the point for the moment is that these ,jewish proverbs were not gathered haphazard1 nor simply as a collection of ,jewish proverbs2 but for the express purpose of illustrating1 developing1 and enforcing the conception of ,wisdom4 ,thus1 through the influence of this specific intention1 they received in sufficient measure the unity of literature4 ,this fact is of the utmost importance for our subject1 for it means that these proverbs may be considered not merely one by one but in their totality2 that is1 in their combination as text-books inculcating ,wisdom4 ,so regarded1 they afford a glimpse of a remarkable class of men in the intensely interesting century or two when the intellectual foundations of ,western civilisation were being laid down4 ,no doubt each proverb bears the impress of reality and has its individual interest1 is 7as it were7 a coin struck out of active experience2 but the same may be said of the collected proverbs as a whole1 and because the whole has its own significance1 the parts acquire a meaning and value they would not otherwise possess4 ,the ,jews are an astonishing people4 ,st4 ,paul perceived that they had a genius for religion1 but they have had genius for many other things besides1 as their strange fortunes testify4 ,their hand prospers1 whithersoever it is turned4 ,who but the ,jews can claim to have had a ,golden ,age in proverbs8 ,in utilising their popular sayings for a definite purpose1 and in thus making them literature1 the ,jews succeeded in a feat that other nations have scarcely emulated1 far less equalled4 ,moreover in the process the ,jews made their proverbs superlatively good4 ,some think that for wit and acuteness the ancient sayings of the ,chinese are unsurpassed2 for multitude and variety those of the ,arabs and the ,spaniards4 ,but the ,jewish proverbs of this 8,wisdom0 period excel all others in the supreme quality of being possession of all men for all time4 ,they are marvellously free from provincial and temporary elements2 and this is the more remarkable in that the ,jews were intensely nationalistic1 and their literature1 as a rule1 is steeped in racial sentiment4 ,of these proverbs1 however1 very few must be considered ,hebraic in an exclusive sense1 or indeed ,oriental4 ,the mass of them have been at home in many lands and many centuries1 because they speak to the elemental needs of men4 ,again and again they touch the very heart of ,humanity4 ,they are universal4 ,but that is the characteristic of genius4 ,if therefore proverbs be our study1 we could ask no better subject than these proverbs of the ,jews4 ,even so our theme is far from easy4 ,life1 when visible before us1 can with difficulty be portrayed4 ,harder by far is it to recall life from literature1 translating the symbols of letters into the sound of speech and looking through words into the colour and movement of the scenes that by the magic of human language are there preserved1 accurately enough1 yet only like pale shadows of the reality4 ,hardest of all is it1 when the documents to be studied are records of a far-past age and the life that of an alien people4 ,but how well worth every effort is the task6 8,many of us10 writes ,mark ,rutherford1 8have felt that we would give all our books if we could but see with our own eyes how a single day was passed by a single ancient ,jewish1 ,greek1 or ,roman family2 how the house was opened in the morning2 how the meals were prepared2 what was said2 how the husband1 wife1 and children went about their work2 what clothes they wore1 and what were their amusements40#aa ,information so detailed as ,mark ,rutherford desired will not be afforded by the ,jewish proverbs4 ,nevertheless they are full of frank1 intimate1 comment on the ways of men and women1 and of reflection on the experiences we all suffer or enjoy1 and certainly should learn how best to encounter4 ,if they yield less than might be wished for1 still what they show is shown in the nave and homely fashion that is so illuminating4 ,such being the difficulty of our task1 and such the encouragement to pursue it1 the reader will perhaps permit at the outset a short statement mentioning the writings where ,jewish proverbs are to be found1 and giving somewhat fuller information regarding the dates and composition of the two works from which the material of the following chapters will chiefly be derived4 ,,the ,,sources ,,of ,,jewish ,,proverbs ,i4 ,,occasional ,,proverbs4 ,in the historical and prophetical ,books of the ,old ,testament there are to be found some popular sayings current in early ,israel4 ,though few in number1 they possess considerable interest1 and will therefore be discussed in ,chapter ,,iv4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,proverbs4 ,this ,book is the principal 8source0 of the proverbs considered in this volume4 ,unlike modern writings1 which are usually the work of one author and will rarely require a longer period than five or ten years for their composition1 many of the ,books of the ,bible have reached their present form as the outcome of a protracted process of compilation and revision perhaps extending over many generations and involving the work of numerous writers4 ,the words of earlier authors were utilised again and again in later times by others who1 having somewhat similar ideas and purposes in view1 exercised complete liberty in reproducing1 or modifying1 or adding to the material they found to hand4#ab ,such a book is ,proverbs4 ,the consequence is that the question of date and authorship cannot be answered in a sentence4 ,the problem of the structure of the ,book rises as a preliminary subject4#ac 7a7 ,structure4 ,the ,book of ,proverbs in its present form represents the combination of five originally independent collections of the single proverbs which are of course the ultimate material of the ,book4 ,there is some evidence that these five collections were themselves built out of still smaller groups of proverbs1 but such subdivisions cannot be traced with certainty1 and for our purpose may be neglected4 ,the five main sections are as follows3--7a7 ,in chs4 #a-i1 a number of epigrams1 sonnets1 and discourses in praise of wisdom4 7b7 ,in chs4 #aja-bbaf1 a collection of two-line 78unit07 proverbs4 7c7 ,in chs4 #bbag-bdbb and #bdbc-cd1 two very similar collections of four-line 78quatrain07 proverbs4 7d7 ,in chs4 #be-bi1 a collection of two-line proverbs4 7e7 ,in chs4 #cj1 #ca1 epigrams1 sonnets1 and an acrostic poem4 7b7 ,date and ,authorship4 ,both in its component parts and as a composite whole the ,book of ,proverbs is an anonymous work4 ,it is true that titles1 such as 8,the proverbs of ,solomon1 the son of ,david1 king of ,israel0 7,pr4 #aa71 are prefixed to several portions of the ,book#ad1 but they do not imply authorship1 although to those unacquainted with the nature of ancient books that may seem the necessary meaning4 ,their significance will be considered later1 on p4 #ga4 ,the date of origin and the authorship of single proverbs are seldom discoverable3 a tantalising circumstance for those who would write about them4 ,and yet1 perhaps1 their reticence is wise4 ,it may be that some of the noblest sayings have sprung from the lips of a poor man in a peasant home2 and there are fools who would thenceforth despise them for their birth4 ,of the individual sayings in the ,book of ,proverbs a few1 in matter if not in exact phrase1 may go back to ancient days2 some may be due to ,solomon himself or date from his period2 but the vast majority#ae1 for cogent reasons of style1 language1 tone1 ethical and social customs and so forth1 are post-exilic--that is1 not earlier than about #dej ,b4,c42 nor on the other hand are they later than about #bjj ,b4,c41 by which time the several sections had been combined to form substantially the present ,book4#af ,something may be said concerning the relative priority of the five sections of the ,book4 ,internal evidence points to sections b and d as the oldest portions1 then section c2 sections a and e 7i4e41 chs4 #a-i1 #cj1 #ca7 being probably the latest groups4 ,but of the precise date when these collections were severally formed and combined1 and of the names of the men by whom the work was done1 we are unaware4 ,fortunately our ignorance of detail is but a negligible trifle compared with our firm knowledge of the general fact that in their present form these proverbs belong to the period #cej-bjj ,b4,c41 and their authors and compilers were men who styled themselves 8,the ,wise10 and were known in the ,jewish community by that term4 ,a hundred and fifty years may seem a wide margin1 but it is a mistake to wish it less2 if anything1 it ought to be increased4 ,for the point to be grasped is that ,proverbs represents the thoughts and ideals of the ,wise throughout that whole period 7#cej-bjj ,b4,c47 and even longer4 ,the exact dates of the combination and final revision of the component collections of sayings are therefore questions of minor importance4 ,the ,book is not to be treated as a fixed literary product of any one particular year1 but as representative of the teachings of the ,wise during very many years4 ,to the same class of men we owe1 besides ,proverbs1 other famous writings1 of which two1 ,job and ,ecclesiastes1 were also included in the ,old ,testament ,canon1 and two are to be found in the ,apocrypha1 namely1 ,ecclesiasticus 7or1 as it is often called1 ,the ,wisdom of ,ben ,sirach7 and the ,wisdom of ,solomon4 ,of these four writings the two first1 ,job and ,ecclesiastes1 are considered in other volumes of this series1#ag and therefore1 except for one or two quotations1 will not be utilised here1 although they both contain a number of proverbial sayings4 ,the ,wisdom of ,solomon also will seldom be noticed in this book3 it is much later in date than ,proverbs1 and is not a collection of proverbs1 but a set of discourses in praise of ,wisdom4 ,,iii4 ,ecclesiasticus4 ,on the other hand1 the book of ,ecclesiasticus or ,the ,wisdom of ,ben ,sirach1 is--next to ,proverbs--the source from which we shall derive most material4 ,like ,proverbs it is a storehouse of sayings about ,wisdom1 but fortunately1 unlike ,proverbs1 it is not anonymous1 and can be dated with some exactitude4 ,the author or compiler of the book was one1 ,jesus ben 7i4e41 ,son of7 ,sirach1 who lived in ,jerusalem about #bej-ahj ,b4,c41 his volume being finished about #aij ,b4,c4 ,some fifty years later his grandson1 then living in ,egypt1 translated it into ,greek1 and until recently the book was known to us only in its ,greek form4 ,now1 however1 a large part of the original ,hebrew text has been recovered1 with the happy result that the ,greek version can frequently be checked and obscurities be removed by means of the ,hebrew4 ,besides the single1 8unit10 proverbs1 there are in ,ecclesiasticus1 and in ,proverbs also though to a less extent1 a number of short sonnets and essays4 ,these longer passages will be freely referred to1 but perhaps a word in justification will here be in place4 ,it has been said with truth1 that 8often a parable is an elaborate proverb1 and a proverb is a parable in germ40 ,that comment excellently indicates the nature of the passages in question2 most of them are expansions of some brief gnomic phrase#ah4 ,when1 for example1 in ,e4 #bjad;f we read1 8,the gift of a fool shall not profit thee1 for his eyes are many instead of one2 he will give little and upbraid much and he will open his mouth like a crier2 to-day he will lend and to-morrow he will ask it again3 such an one is a hateful man44440 it is obvious that the verse is only an elaboration and explanation of the enigmatic proverb printed in heavy type4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,new ,,testament4 ,scattered through the pages of the ,new ,testament are more allusions to popular sayings than one would readily expect4 ,almost all offer interesting comment on the life and manner of the times2 but1 unfortunately1 they will fall outside the scope of this book1 except for occasional references4 ,v4 ,finally1 a great number of ,jewish proverbs are mentioned in the post-,biblical ,,rabbinical writings--the tractates of the ,mishna1 the ,midrashim1 and ,talmuds4 ,embedded in a vast and difficult literature 7how difficult only those know who have attempted seriously to study it71 these later ,jewish sayings have been somewhat inaccessible to ,gentile students4 ,they are interesting in many ways1 but the development of our subject in this volume will give opportunity for the mention only of a few4 ,should any reader desire to know more of these ,rabbinic sayings1 he can now be referred to a small but trustworthy collection recently made by ,a4 ,cohen and published under the title ,ancient ,jewish ,proverbs4 ,the question is1 ,what can the ,jewish proverbs tell us about human life8 ,the conclusion of the first chapter left us perplexed by indicating too many paths that might be followed4 ,this chapter solves the difficulty by suggesting that these proverbs will have a great deal to say to us1 if we choose to treat them in their historical aspect4 ,to do so is to follow the king's highway2 but when the plain road promises an interesting journey1 it is folly to search for bypaths4 ,the human story seems naturally to divide into past and present2 and1 because the present immediately concerns us1 we are all tempted to ignore the past and count it negligible4 ,to the uneducated man the past is dead2 and he fails to perceive that1 if the facts of history are unknown1 the present1 though it may fascinate1 will prove bewildering4 ,the truth is that history is one and continuous1 the present is organically related to the past1 and the division between them in our thought is artificial and perilously misleading4 ,nothing is of greater practical value than to learn and ponder the narrative of the past1 provided heart and mind are kept alert to discern the guidance it continually offers to ourselves4 ,to neglect its lessons is to starve the power of judgment in the present4 ,much that by our own unaided trials can only be learnt slowly1 painfully1 and at great hazard1 may be discovered swiftly and securely by observation of the experience of other men4 ,in this spirit let our studies of the ,jewish proverbs be first of the past3 what glimpses of former days are discernible in their homely words8 ,let us commence as if we had some leisure at our disposal1 and let us use it by following up occasional traces of very ancient times4 ,then we shall proceed to the more strenuous and more rewarding task of recovering a picture of the stirring years when ,wisdom was moulding the ,jewish proverbs to her urgent needs4 ,always1 however1 as the records yield up these tales of byegone days we are to keep in mind ourselves and our own generation1 striving so to interpret the fortunes of men of old that we in our turn may learn from them how to avoid folly1 endure trials1 use success1 and discover the secret of content4 ,finally we shall gather such of the proverbs as may please our fancy1 and briefly consider them in themselves for their perennial1 as opposed to their original or historical1 interest4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,forgotten ,years ,the past of human life offers an unimaginably long vista for our contemplation4 ,vastly many more are the years that have been forgotten than those that are remembered4 ,mr4 ,stephen ,graham is therefore quite right when1 in his book ,the ,way of ,martha and the ,way of ,mary1 he insists that ,christianity after nineteen hundred years is still a young religion1 its doctrines imperfectly understood1 its possibilities not yet unfolded4 ,but for that matter history itself is young1 since history knows at the most some six or seven thousand years of human history1 and ,man has been on earth hundreds of thousands of years4 ,glimpses of human life in those dim and distant ages are occasionally possible 7as we are about to observe in the ,jewish proverbs7 and have a certain fascination2 but their interest is apt to be overwhelmed by the disquieting ideas which the thought of so vast a stretch of time naturally raises in our mind4 ,in comparison1 our personal hopes seemed dwarfed into utter insignificance1 and it is no comfort when a ,psalmist 7more than twenty centuries ago7 suggests that to the ,deity time may be a very little thing3 ,thou turnest man to destruction1 and sayest1 ,return1 ye children of men4 ,for a thousand years in ,thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past1 and as a watch in the night4 ,god may expend so many myriad years as seemeth good to ,him in the making of sun1 moon1 and stars1 earth and sea--what matter8 ,but when the living bodies of men are racked with pain1 when tyranny endures and love and liberty are delayed1 then what is the millenial patience of ,god but terrifying8 ,we cannot wait for its slow maturing4 ,does ,he not know that we who would see the salvation of the ,lord in the land of the living are ready to faint8 ,perhaps1 however1 our distress arises from the adoption of a mistaken standpoint4 ,for1 first1 let the question be considered not from the point of view of ,god's patience but of ,his greatness1 and the infinitely long development will seem less dreadful4 ,the immensity of time may then be regarded1 not as a token of ,god's indifference to man1 but as a measure of ,his eternal majesty1 and as evidence of an intention sublime beyond our present power to apprehend1 yet not antagonistic to the value of the individual being--as indeed the author of ,isaiah #dj perceived3 ,why sayest thou1 ,o ,jacob1 and speakest1 ,o ,israel1 ,my way is hid from my ,god and my glory is forgotten by my ,god8 ,hast thou not known8 hast thou not heard8 the everlasting ,god1 the ,lord1 the ,creator of the ends of the earth1 fainteth not1 neither is weary2 there is no searching of ,his understanding4 ,and1 secondly1 there is something to be said regarding the brevity of our bodily existence1 to which an analogy will furnish the best introduction4 ,suppose that men were able to perceive the world of ,nature only in its immensities1 seeing the oceans but not the tumbling waves1 seeing the plains but not each green or golden field1 would they not fail to perceive an incalculably great portion of earth's beauty8 ,how unutterably more wonderful are all natural objects when the microscope reveals the marvel of every particle4 ,the tree is loveliest to him who has an eye to see the perfection of each leaf or knows the miracle of its growth from a single seed or shoot4 ,is it not possible that something similar is true of the human spirit in its apprehension of reality8 ,suppose that our personality was unable to taste life except on the grand scale1 so that for man a thousand years were only a passing moment1 experienced only 8as a watch in the night10 would not the half of life's glory then be hidden from those who were ignorant of what one year can be8 ,may not participation in reality on a small scale--time felt as a day1 an hour1 a minute--be indispensable if the human spirit is to grasp the amazing fulness of conscious life8 ,apparently circumscribed by the limit of our three score years and ten1 are we here to learn that consciousness1 even when measured in days and minutes1 is of eternal worth and pure delight8 ,for we do learn that lesson4 ,we do discover that an instant of perfect and unselfish tenderness may be of immeasurable value4 ,perchance ,man can never love ,god till he has loved his brother1 never know with the ,divine knowledge1 until in faith1 hope1 and charity he has desired to win the knowledge which is in part4 ,the cup of cold water must first be given lovingly unto the least of ,his brethren1 or we shall never comprehend to give it into the hand of ,christ ,himself4 8,he that is faithful over a few things10 said ,jesus1 8shall be set over many40 ,perhaps only to those who have sought to find ,heaven in life sub specie temporis can life sub specie eternitatis be imparted2 for to know life fully must be to know not only its infinite extension and its ,divine splendour1 but also the exquisite perfection of its fleeting moments4 ,i ,proverbs are one of the most ancient inventions of ,man1 far older than history4 ,four centuries before the birth of ,christ1 ,aristotle1 gazing as far into the past as his glance could reach1 saw proverbs still beckoning him back4 ,he spoke of them as 8fragments of an older wisdom which on account of their brevity or aptness had been preserved from the general wreck and ruin40 ,even the ,book of ,proverbs1 late as it is in date1 has features which1 if we follow out their significance1 will lead us back to the life of men in long forgotten years4 ,the signs1 of course1 are slight1 but they are none the less real2 and even a faint trace may be a sure thread of guidance4 ,only some grooves upon the surface of the rock1 but the lines were indubitably made by the movement of ice in the glacial age4 ,only a piece of jagged flint1 but the edge we finger was chipped by human hands for an object conceived in a human brain4 ,see how the conical marks where each stroke of the hammer fell are still as clear and purposeful as on the day when they were made4 ,flaking a flint is skilled work3 the blows must be cunningly aimed and exactly struck1 or the stone will be shattered instead of sharpened4 ,this one1 being well wrought1 is doubtless a ,neolithic weapon4 ,but here is a specimen more rude and primitive4 ,it is probably a thousand years older than the one we have just examined4 ,nevertheless1 we know that it also was worked by man1 and that human eyes chose it and human hands held it1 and fashioned it1 in days when man shared ,europe with the mammoth4 ,what faint but real traces of a far antiquity can be seen in the ,jewish proverbs8 7#a7 ,the first trace is to be found in the ,numerical ,sayings1 a curious type of aphorism1 half proverb and half riddle4 ,four of these occur in ,proverbs #cj4 ,,four ,,things ,,unsatisfied4 ,three things there be unsatisfied1 ,yea6 four that say not 8,enough0-- ,the land of death2 the barren womb2 ,earth unsated with water2 ,and fire that says not 8,enough0 7,pr4 #cjae;b1 #af74 ,,four ,,small ,,wise ,,things4 ,there be four things upon the earth small but exceeding wise3 ,the ,,ants--a people little of strength1 but in summer they store up food3 ,the ,,conies--these be a feeble folk1 but they make their homes in the rock3 ,the ,,locusts--are they that have no king1 but they march in an ordered host3 ,the ,,lizards--on which thou canst lay thine hand1 though they dwell in his majesty's court 7,pr4 #cjbd-bh74 ,,four ,,things ,,unbearable4 ,beneath three things the earth doth tremble1 ,yea beneath four it cannot bear up-- ,beneath a slave become a monarch2 ,beneath a fool that is filled with meat2 ,beneath an old-maid that hath found a husband2 ,beneath a handmaid heir to her mistress 7,pr4 #cjba-bc74 ,,four ,,stately ,,things4 ,there be three things of stately step1 ,yea1 four of stately gait-- ,the ,,lion1 that is the strongest beast1 ,and flees before no foe2 ,the 4442 the ,,he-,,goat too2 ,and the ,,king1 when 444#ai7,pr4 #cjbi-ca74 ,simple as these riddles may be1 they imply or make definite allusion to many things2 a settled community1 a king1 an army trained and disciplined1 economic foresight1 dramatic changes in social rank1 laws of natural inheritance1 acute reflections on the fate of man and on human character--surely a picture too elaborate for pre-historic years8 ,certainly1 and for these particular proverbs1 no such claim is advanced3 the lingering trace of a forgotten world is in their form1 numerical proverbs4 ,those just quoted are1 as it were1 links in a long chain1 which we may follow backwards or forwards4 ,the former process will lead to the result we seek2 but first1 for convenience and in further illustration1 let us notice some1 still later1 examples of these proverbs4 ,two more are included in the ,book of ,proverbs1 one of which will be quoted below 7p4 #ea73 here is the other4 ,,seven ,,hateful ,,things4 ,there be six things ,jehovah hates1 ,yea1 seven which he abominates-- ,haughty eyes1 a lying tongue1 ,and hands that innocent blood have shed1 ,a mind devising wicked plans1 ,feet that be swift to do a wrong1 ,a witness false declaring lies1 ,and he who stirs up friends to strife 7,pr4 #faf-ai74 ,though cast in the same mould1 this saying with its insistence on justice1 truth1 honesty of purpose and humility of spirit1 certainly reflects a later and more complex stage of thought than the nave conundrums quoted above from ,pr4 #cj4 ,indeed1 it may be no earlier than the third century1 the golden age of proverb-making1 to which period belongs also the following sentence from ,ben ,sirach's book3 ,there be nine things that ,i have thought of and in my heart counted happy1 and the tenth ,i will utter with my tongue--,a man whose children give him joy3 a man that liveth to see his enemies fall3 happy is he whose wife hath understanding1 and he that hath not slipped with his tongue1 and he that hath not had to serve an inferior man3 happy is he that hath found prudence3 and he that discourseth in the ears of them that listen4 ,how great is he that hath found wisdom6 ,and above him that feareth the ,lord is there none4 ,the fear of the ,lord surpasses all things2 and he that holdeth it1 to whom shall he be likened8 7,e4 #beg-aa74bj ,turn next to the ,sayings of the ,fathers1 a treatise of ,jewish ethical reflections1 compiled in the first and second centuries ,a4,d41 and in the fifth chapter will be found a series of 8numerical0 observations4 ,it must suffice to quote but one3 ,there are four types of moral character4 ,he that saith 8,mine is mine and thine is thine0 is a character neither good nor bad1 but some say 'tis a character wholly bad4#ba ,he that saith 8,mine is thine and thine is mine0 is a commercially minded man4#bb ,he that saith 8,mine and thine are thine0 is pious3 8,mine and thine are mine10 the same is wicked4 ,for a last and latest example a modern saying current among the ,jews and ,arabs of ,syria1 can be cited3 ,there are three ,voices in the ,world--that of running water1 of the ,jewish ,law1 and of money4 ,so much for the later links in the chain1 but what of its beginning8 ,why give thoughts in stated number8 ,is it a writer's trick to catch our fancy8 ,that it may be in the later1 but certainly not in the early instances4 ,there is only unconscious art in such an unsophisticated1 child-like verse as the ,,four ,,stately ,,things4 8,child-like10 that is the word we require to describe these riddles4 ,true2 but when were the ,jews and their ,semitic ancestors children8 ,before ,abraham was called1 when almost the world itself was young4 ,for a moment permit your thoughts to be drawn back a very great way1 and consider the rude and inefficient life of early man4 ,unaided by the numberless resources1 mental and material1 that enrich our civilised life1 dwelling in forests1 caverns and rude huts of stone or earth1 well-nigh defenceless against the larger animals1 haunted and harried by a thousand perils real and imaginary1 so man once lived and worked and thought1 and by his thinking accomplished marvels4 8,from the moment10 writes ,a4 ,r4 ,wallace1 8when the first skin was used as a covering1 when the first rude spear was formed to assist in the chase1 when fire was first used to cook his food1 when the first seed was sown or shoot planted1 a grand revolution was effected in ,nature1 a revolution which in all the previous ages of the earth's history had had no parallel2 for a being had arisen who was no longer necessarily subject to change with the changing universe--a being who was in some degree superior to ,nature1 inasmuch as he knew how to control and regulate her action1 and could keep himself in harmony with her1 not by a change in body1 but by an advance in mind40#bc ,but it was not enough that the individual should think4 ,the secret of human success has lain in the ability to communicate ideas4 ,yet1 to this day1 with what effort we find words to body forth our thoughts and feelings6 ,try to conceive how difficult was the formulation and transmission of ideas in those forgotten centuries4 ,imagine the tribesmen gathered home for the day and seated around their fire4 ,here is one who has had a thought when out hunting1 which would amuse or interest the rest1 if only it could be made articulate4 ,but none can read1 and none can write1 and language is in its infancy4 ,how then can he find a way to tell it1 and they perceive his meaning1 and all remember8 ,by means of proverbs2 not the neat epigram of later ages1 but yet sayings which for all their simplicity were embryonic proverbs4 ,earliest and easiest type of all was the bare comparison--this is like that--a type which1 it is interesting to note1 may be illustrated by one of the oldest phrases in the ,bible3 ,like ,nimrod a mighty hunter before the ,lord 7,gen4 #aji74 ,and the method of comparison never ceased to be a favourite mould for the formation of proverbs1 as some polished examples from ,proverbs will serve to show3 ,as the swallow ever flitting and flying1 so the curse that is groundless alighteth not 7,pr4 #bfb74 ,the way of the wicked is like the darkness3 they know not whereon they stumble 7,pr4 #dai74 ,another device for communicating thought and storing wisdom was the riddle1 and this also1 under slight disguise1 has its lineal descendants in the ,biblical proverbs4 ,thus ,pr4 #afad1 ,pleasant words are as an honeycomb1 sweetness to the soul and health to the body1 was once most probably a reply to the question1 ,what is sweet as honey8 ,another example is ,pr4 #bba3 someone would ask1 ,what is worth more than gold8 and when the listeners had guessed in vain give his answer1 ,a good repute4 ,but better than any one comparison1 more memorable than the single question1 was the numerical riddle2 for instance this--,what four things are beyond our power to calculate8 ,there be three things too wonderful for me1 ,yea1 four which ,i do not comprehend-- ,the way of an eagle in the air2 ,the way of a serpent upon a rock2 ,the way of a ship in the midst of the sea2 ,and the way of a man with a maid4--7,pr4 #cjah1 #ai74 ,by sayings such as these were thought and experience acquired and transmitted in forgotten years4 ,when complex thinking was impossible1 when minds were dull and expression feeble1 these primitive proverbs by the barb of their wit or fancy1 fixed themselves deep in the memories of men4 7#b74 ,the last quotation has in early ,indian literature a close parallel beginning thus3 ,the paths of ships across the sea1 ,the soaring eagle's flight1 ,varuna knows4444 and another of the numerical sayings from the same chapter of ,proverbs has an even closer parallel3 ,there be three things unsatisfied1 ,yea1 four that say not 8,enough03 ,death1 and the barren womb1 ,earth1 never sated with water1 ,and fire that says not 8,enough40 7,pr4 #cjae1 #af71 compared with3 ,fire is never sated with fuel2 ,nor ,ocean with streams2 ,nor the ,god of death with all creatures2 ,nor the bright-eyed one 7i4e41 woman7 with man4 7,hitopadea #b1 #aac74 ,these resemblances of thought and phrase between ,india and ,palestine provide another hint of far-past days by raising the question of the wandering of proverbs4 ,variations of the same tales and sayings occur among so many different peoples throughout ,europe and ,asia1 that the possible rise of similar ideas1 finding somewhat similar expression1 in the various races1 seems insufficient to account for the phenomena2 rather we must suppose that tales and phrases circulated from tribe to tribe over an amazing stretch of territory and in very early times4 ,what1 for example1 may be inferred from the correspondence between these ,jewish and ,indian sayings8 ,does it preserve a glimpse of some one man1 interested in the reflections and questionings of his people1 who once ages ago travelled out of ,india1 following the immemorial trade-routes westwards across ,arabia till he reached ,palestine1 and in the mind of some kindred soul left a memory of his wise words8 ,either that1 or perhaps many minds were needed to transmit the thought from ,east to ,west or ,west to ,east2 so that almost one might think of the words as having had wings on which they flew from camp to camp along the routes1 alighting wherever men gathered for trade and found time for friendly intercourse4 ,the subject might be developed at some length2 but1 try as we may1 the details of these migrations hide themselves in the mists of a too distant past1 and we catch but a glimpse of scenes we can never more make clear4 ,it is better to give more time to certain general characteristics of the ,jewish proverbs4 ,,ii ,the abnormal aptitude of the ,jews for proverb-making and their love of concrete expression are ultimately due to the conditions of early centuries4 ,of these two features it will be convenient to consider the second first4 ,the land of ,palestine1 home of the ,jews from about #abjj ,b4,c41 lies between an ocean of water and an ocean of sand3 on the west its coasts are washed1 but not threatened1 by the ,mediterranean ,sea2 on the east and on the south it has to wage incessant warfare against the indrifting sands4 ,the country is an oasis snatched from the great deserts and kept from their insidious grasp only by the toil and ingenuity of man4 ,behind ,palestine looms ,arabia1 and beneath the ,jew is the ,arab4 ,throughout the last five thousand years the population of ,palestine 7excepting the ,philistines on the coast7 has been formed by layer after layer of ,arabian immigrants1 who have invaded the fertile lands1 sometimes by the rush of sudden conquest1 but also by steady1 peaceful infiltration4 ,despite much intermarriage with the earlier ,canaanites there was always a passionate strain of the desert in ,jewish blood1 and throughout its whole history in ,palestine ,israel had to live in uneasy proximity to its kinsfolk1 the wild nomads who roamed the deserts to the east and south4 ,consequently the ultimate back-ground of the ,old ,testament writings is not ,palestine but ,arabia1 a land which sets a deep and lasting impress on its children4 ,a life wild yet monotonous in the extreme1 rigid in its limitations but unbridled in its licence within those limitations3 such is the rule imposed by the vast wilderness on the men who have to wander its blazing solitudes4 ,arabia produces four paradoxes in the intellect and characters of its nomadic tribes4#bd ,first1 8the combination of strong sensual grossness with equally strong tempers of reverence and worship40 ,second1 8a marvellous capacity for endurance and resignation broken by fits of ferocity3 the ragged patience bred by famine4 ,we see it survive in the long-suffering1 mingled with outbursts of implacable wrath1 which characterises so many ,psalms4 ,these are due to long periods of moral famine1 the famine of justice40 ,third1 ingenuity of mind and swift perception1 but without that power or inclination for abstruse or sustained argument which the ,western world has inherited from the ,greeks4 ,fourth1 a subjective attitude to the phenomena of nature and history1 combined with an admirable realism in describing these phenomena4 ,for thousands of years before ,israel entered ,canaan and became a nation its ancestors were nomads of ,arabia4 ,it would be strange indeed if the great desert which so subtly and irresistibly sets its spell upon the human spirit had left no trace on ,jewish proverbs4 ,yet the trace is not evident in points of detail4 ,most of the sayings we shall study in this volume represent the thoughts of certain post-exilic ,jews4 ,where then does the mark of the desert linger8 ,first in the peculiar concreteness of the proverbs4 ,all proverbs tend to concrete expression1 but in this respect the ,jewish ones are only equalled by those of the ,arabs themselves2 and this quality is shown not only in the early but also in the later sayings4 ,let us illustrate the point before suggesting its ultimate cause4 ,the ,jew said1 8,two dogs killed a lion10#be where we say1 8,union is strength40 ,we say1 8,familiarity breeds contempt02 they said1 8,the pauper hungers without noticing it40#bf ,our tendency is to consider riches and poverty1 but they talked of the rich man and the poor4 ,the most remarkable example of this tendency is the conception that gives unity to the ,book of ,proverbs1 namely the idea of ,wisdom4 ,here1 if anywhere1 one would expect the abstract to be maintained4 ,but the individualising instinct has conquered1 and in the loftiest passages of ,proverbs we shall find ,wisdom praised1 not as an idea1 but as a person1 represented as a woman of transcendent beauty and nobility4 ,such abnormally concrete thinking may have its disadvantages1 but at least it will have one satisfactory quality--humanism4 ,men who thought not in generalisations but in particular instances1 who saw not classes but individuals1 could not help being great humanists4 ,if now we ask whence the ,jewish mind received this tendency1 our thoughts will have to travel back till we discern a group of black hair-cloth tents out in the ,arabian ,wilderness4 ,in the tents are men who have learnt to pass safely across the deserts and are at home in them as a seaman on the seas2 wild men and strong and confident1 yet never careless1 knowing that they can relax vigilance only at the risk of life4 ,for these wastes are not empty but treacherous2 apparently harmless1 in reality full of peril4 ,security in the desert depends on acute and untiring observation4 ,no amount of abstruse reasoning1 no ability in speculative thought1 will save life and property there1 if the first sign of a lurking foe is passed unnoticed in the trying and deceitful light4 ,every faculty must be trained to the swift perception of concrete facts1 faint signs of movement1 the behaviour of men and beasts4 ,the great sun in heaven may be trusted to rise and set3 why speculate on the mystery8 ,while we are lost in thought the sons of ,ishmael may fall upon us4 8,the leisure of the desert is vast1 but it is the leisure of the sentinel4444 ,to the nomad on his bare1 war-swept soil few things happen1 but everything that happens is ominous40 ,keen observation1 then1 more than any other quality1 is required by ,arabia from its children4 ,but observation is the quintessence of the art of proverb-making1 provided it be combined with practice in the expression of one's thoughts4 ,as for practice in talk1 one might readily suppose that the solitudes would have made their peoples tongue-tied4 ,in point of fact the contrary is true1 and the skill of the ,jews in the devising of proverbs1 no less than their love of concrete expression1 goes back to habits engendered by this desert existence4 ,arabian life provided not only long leisure for reflection but also opportunity for social intercourse in the small tribal groups2 so that the nomads came to have a passion for story-telling and for all manner of sententious talk1 witness the customs of the ,bedouin to this day and the immense collections of ,arabian proverbs4 ,hour after hour1 with ,eastern tirelessness1 the tribesmen1 gathered at the tent of their sheikh1 would listen approvingly to the eloquence bred of large experience and shrewd judgment4 ,here is the scene painted in the words of ,doughty's ,arabia ,deserta3 8,these ,orientals study little else than the art of conversation and narrative1 as they sit all day idle in their male societies2 they learn in this school of infinite human observation to speak to the heart of one another4 ,his tales referring to a ,moorish rogue1 ,mohammed ,aly1 seasoned with saws which are the wisdom of the unlearned1 we heard for more than two months2 they were never-ending4 ,he told them so lively to the eye that they could not be bettered1 and part were of his own motley experience40 ,the ,israelites carried this habit with them from ,arabia into their settled homes in ,canaan4 ,here is a similar scene in the hall of a modern ,palestinian village-sheikh3 8,we were seated on mats1 spread with little squares of rich carpet round three sides of a hollow place in the floor1 where a fire of charcoal burned1 surrounded by parrot-beaked coffee pots4 ,this was the hearth of hospitality1 whose fire is never suffered to go out2 near it stood the great stone mortar in which a black slave was crushing coffee-beans4 ,the coffee1 deliciously flavoured with some cunning herb or other1 was passed round4 ,but the conversation which followed was the memorable part of that entertainment4 ,in the shadow at the back the young men who had been admitted sat in silence4 ,the old men1 elders of the village community1 sat in a row on stone benches right and left of the door4 ,the sheikh made many apologies for not having called on us at the tents--he had thought we were merchantmen going to buy silk at ,damascus4 ,then followed endless over-valuation of each other1 and flattery concerning our respective parents and relations4444 ,the elders sat silently leaning upon their staves1 except now and then1 when one of them would slowly rise and expatiate upon something the sheikh had said--perhaps about camels or the grain crop--beginning his interruption almost literally in the words of ,job's friends3 8,hearken unto me1 ,i also will show mine opinion4 ,i will answer also for my part1 ,i also will show mine opinion4 ,for ,i am full of matter1 the spirit within me constraineth me40#bg ,so has it been in ,palestine time out of mind1 and it is in settings of this description that we must imagine the art of proverb-making developing in ,israel4 ,such1 then1 is the significance of these features which we have been considering--the numerical proverbs1 parallels with sayings of other nations1 the love of the ,jews for proverbs with their consequent skill in making them1 and their remarkable penchant for concrete expression4 ,otherwise1 antiquity has left few traces in the ,jewish proverbs4 ,that1 however1 is but natural1 since proverb-making was a living art among the people4 ,new maxims kept coming into use1 and they crowded out of memory the favourites of byegone generations4 ,doubtless a few of the sayings in the ,book of ,proverbs are ancient1 though just how old we cannot tell4 ,for example1 ,p4 #bgbj1 ,sheol and ,abaddon are never filled1 and the eyes of man are never sated may be co-val with the fear of death and the passion of greed4 ,cheyne discovers a relic of 8that old nomadic love of craft and subtlety0 in the saying 7,pr4 #bbc71 ,a shrewd man sees misfortune coming and conceals himself1 whereas simpletons pass on and suffer for it2 but his interpretation of the verse seems somewhat forced4 ,the following1 however1 in matter and perhaps in form also may be nearly as ancient as the settled occupation of the land3 ,remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers set up4 7,pr4 #bbbh74 ,nothing could well be easier than the removal of those landmarks--insignificant heaps of stone1 set at the end of a wide furrow4 ,but from earliest times the ,east has counted them adequate guardians of the fields1 and from generation to generation1 by consent of all decent-minded men1 they have stood inviolate4 ,other nations1 as well as ,israel1 called them sacred4 ,greece1 and ,rome too1 gave them a god for their protection1 ,hermes of the ,boundary1 beside whose shrine of heaped-up stones travellers would stay to rest1 and1 rested1 lay an offering of flowers or fruit before the kindly deity3 8,i1 who inherit the tossing mountain-forests of steep ,cyllene stand here guarding the pleasant playing-fields1 ,hermes1 to whom boys often offer marjoram and hyacinths and fresh garlands of violet40#bh ,even the thief and murderer1 we are told1 would hesitate before the wickedness of moving these simple1 immemorial heaps of stone3 such was their sanctity4 ,what unutterable contempt for the laws of ,god and man is therefore revealed in the multiple witness of the ,old ,testament#bi against the rich and powerful in ,israel1 that they scrupled not to remove the landmarks of their poorer brethren8 ,thieves and murderers would have kept their hands clean from such pollution3 ,remove not the landmark of the widow1 ,into the field of the orphan enter not2 ,for mighty is their ,avenger1 ,he will plead their cause against thee 7,pr4 #bcaj1 #aa74 ,,chapter ,,iv ,the ,day of ,small ,things ,popular as the custom of making and of hearing 8wise words0 may have been in ancient ,israel1 it is not surprising that only five or six proverbial sayings are recorded in the early writings of the ,old ,testament4 ,for proverbs are not likely to receive mention in literature4 ,they are too plain for the poet1 too vague for the historian1 too complaisant for the law-maker4 ,and even these five or six1 it appears1 have been preserved not for any merit they possess as proverbs3 one is of local interest only1 two are picturesque1 but obscure1 two are the merest truisms4 ,the right question1 therefore1 is not 8,why are there so few801 but 8,why have these sayings been rescued from oblivion802 and1 being preserved1 8,why should they receive our attention80 ,suppose that in ,britain fifty or a hundred years hence men should quote 8,it's a long1 long way to ,tipperary10 when they seek an expression for the pathos and heroism that mark the acceptance of a difficult and perilous task--if those words live1 why will they live8 ,obviously for no intrinsic merit1 but for the undying memory of men who counted not their lives dear unto themselves4 ,so with these early proverbs in the ,bible4 ,each of them came into quickening contact with a great personality1 or played a part in one of those fateful moments when the fortunes of a people or the trend of human thinking has been determined this way or that4 ,they have lived because each has been touched by the passion of humanity4 ,therefore we have to study them not in isolation from the context1 but in close connection with the scene or circumstance that gave them unexpected immortality4 99 99 99 99 99 7#a7 ,in days when ,jerusalem was not yet ,jerusalem1 ,city of ,david1 but only ,jebus1 a stronghold of the ,canaanites1 there had been built in the limestone uplands of ,juda an ,israelitish village1 ,gibeah1 situated 7as the name implies71 on a hill-top1 doubtless for such security as the rising ground afforded4 ,at the time we are concerned with1 ,israel stood in sore need of every protection her settlements could find4 ,baffled by the great ,canaanite fortresses1 the invading ,hebrews had never become absolute masters of the land1 and of recent years their fortunes had altogether failed under the counter-pressure of new invaders1 the ,philistines1 who had seized the coast of ,canaan and whose restless armies came sweeping up the valleys that lead to the highlands from the plain along the sea4 ,the raiders harried the ,judan villages1 slaying the men and carrying the women1 children and cattle captive to the lowlands4 ,the villages were an easy prey1 and the spirit of the ,israelites was broken by the miseries of these repeated ravages4 ,wandering bands of religious devotees1 preaching remembrance of the power of ,jehovah1 kept the embers of corporate feeling from flickering out2 but1 at the best1 their wordy warfare must have seemed a feeble answer to the mail-clad giants of the ,philistine hosts4 ,imagine that we are standing on the hill of ,gibeah1 looking down the steep pathway which leads up to the village4 ,a few days ago a young man1 accompanied by a servant1 went out to search the countryside for some strayed animals4 ,all in ,gibeah know him well1 ,saul1 the son of ,kish1 a proper man1 tall and powerful1 one who in happier days might have been a leader in ,israel4 ,saul and his servant are returning and have almost reached the foot of the ascent to the village4 ,last night they were with ,samuel at ,ramah1 and at day-break secretly the seer had anointed the youth to be king over ,israel2 but of these events we are ignorant as yet2 we do not know that the ,saul who went out will return no more4 ,idly watching from the hill-top1 we observe a company of devotees1 who have spent the night in ,gibeah1 descending the slope towards ,saul4 ,as they approach1 ,saul stops and1 to our faint surprise1 is seen to be in speech with them4 ,question and answer pass4 ,suddenly our listless attention changes to astonishment4 ,below1 excitement is rising1 and on none has it fallen more than on ,saul6 ,he begins to talk and gesticulate like a man inspired4 ,we raise a shout and the folk come running1 and1 as they see beneath them ,saul now in an ecstasy1 the incredulous cry breaks forth ,is ,saul also among the prophets8 ,what is the interest of this famous scene8 ,that a proverb was born that day in ,israel8 ,that it marked the commencement of a new stage in the national life of ,israel8 ,more than that4 ,the real interest is in the transformation effected by the recognition of a personal duty4 ,young men like the ,saul who went out to seek the lost animals are useful members of a ,state1 but1 had ,saul remained unaltered1 what waste of his latent1 unsuspected power6 ,saul had met devotees many times before1 but their words had roused no energies in him4 ,one touch of the faith of ,samuel1 one illuminating moment of consciousness that to him ,god had spoken1 and--,saul was a king1 and ,israel again a people2 despair became hope1 and hope achievement4 ,it has always been so1 whenever men have listened to the summons of personal religion4 ,we go upon our ordinary path a hundred times and return as we went1 uncomprehending2 but if once ,god meets us on the way1 whether ,he speak by the mouth of a prophet1 or1 as now1 by the shock of war1 the miracle is effected3 we are changed into another man4 7#b7 ,the scene of the second of these early proverbs is the steep and rugged country that mounts from the floor of the ,dead ,sea valley near ,engedi4 ,but the setting of the incident matters little2 its point is all in the play of character between two great personalities--,saul1 now nearing the dark finish of his reign and haunted by the thought that at his death the throne will pass from his house2 and ,david1 with youth and a good conscience to support him but fleeing for his life from the jealous king and hard pressed by the royal soldiery4 ,saul has entered a cave1 unaware that ,david is hiding in its recesses4 ,david suffers him to go out unharmed and still ignorant of his peril2 but quietly he follows ,saul to the sunlight at the cave's mouth1 and standing there1 as the ,king moves off1 he calls1 8,o my lord the ,king60 ,at the clear1 musical1 voice of the man he half-loves1 half-hates1 and cannot kill1 ,saul in astonishment turns to hear these words3 8,wherefore hearkenest thou to men's words saying #8,behold ,david seeketh thy hurt'8 ,behold this day the ,lord had delivered thee into mine hand in the cave3 and some bade me kill thee2 but mine eye spared thee and ,i said #8,i will not put forth mine hand against my lord1 for he is the ,lord's anointed4' ,moreover1 my father1 see1 yea1 see the skirt of thy robe in my hand3 for in that ,i cut the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not1 know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand1 and ,i have not sinned against thee1 though thou huntest after my soul to take it4 ,the ,lord judge between me and thee1 and avenge me of thee3 but mine hand shall not be upon thee4 ,as saith the proverb of the ancients1 ,out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness3 but mine hand shall not be upon thee40 ,we can see how ,david meant it1 that proverb of the ancients4 ,it leapt to his lips in eager protestation4 ,how could ,saul deem him capable of a deed of foulest treachery8 ,why could he not see that only out of the basest of men could such dire wickedness proceed8 ,but into the mind of ,saul the saying sank with double edge4 ,what had he done towards the making of this scene--that red mist of passion when he flung the javelin2 those cold and cunning plots to lure ,david into adventure that would be his death2 the unrelaxing hunt to catch and kill8 ,saul for an instant saw his soul laid bare by the ancient proverb3 he at least was a man from whom great wickedness had come1 and 8,a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit1 neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit40 ,and ,saul lifted up his voice and wept4 ,and he said to ,david1 8,thou art more righteous than ,i1 for thou hast rendered unto me good1 whereas ,i have rendered unto thee evil40 ,a few years later the ,king lay dead and vanquished on ,mount ,gilboa4 ,from that day to this men have not ceased to find in him a text for moralising1 with some justice but with strangely little sympathy1 seeing that he sinned in one thing and paid a heavy penalty4 ,which was the real ,saul8 ,the ,king crazy with murderous hatred1 or the man who answered ,david's generosity in those noble words1 who once 8was among the prophets10 who had made ,israel again a people and so long time had held the ,philistines at bay8 ,it does not greatly matter if men reply 8the mad ,saul1 who died believing himself forsaken of ,god02 and so push their moralisings home4 ,but on which ,saul does the ,divine judgment pass8 ,one man1 more than all others1 had reason to condemn1 and he did more than pardon4 ,he sang of ,saul slain on ,gilboa1 ,how are the mighty fallen8444 ,saul and ,jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives1 and in their deaths they were not divided4 7#c7 ,in the books of ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel two popular sayings are mentioned1 which may be considered together1 for their burden is one4 7a7 ,behold1 everyone that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee saying1 ,as is the mother1 so is the daughter 7,ezekiel #afdd74 7b7 ,but it shall come to pass that like as ,i have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict2 so will ,i watch over them to build and to plant1 saith the ,lord4 ,in those days they shall say no more1 ,the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge4 ,but every one shall die for his own iniquity3 every man that eateth the sour grapes his teeth shall be set on edge 7,jeremiah #cabh-cj72 and to the same effect1 this from ,ezekiel1 ,the word of the ,lord came unto me saying1 ,what mean ye that ye use this proverb concerning the land of ,israel1 saying1 ,the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge8 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord ,god1 ye shall not have cause any more to use this proverb in ,israel4 ,behold1 all souls are ,mine3 as the soul of the father so also the soul of the son is ,mine3 the soul that sinneth1 it shall die4 ,but if a man be just1 and do that which is lawful and right 444 hath spoiled none by violence1 hath given his bread to the hungry1 and hath covered the naked with a garment 444 he is just1 he shall surely live1 saith the ,lord ,god 7,ezekiel #aha;ff74 ,heredity1 the question at issue in these passages1 presents a more complex and stringent problem to the modern mind than to the ancient4 ,but it would be a great error to suppose that the ,jewish thinkers were less concerned about it1 or that its consequences seemed to them less bitter4 ,indeed for the ,hebrews the problem had a sinister back-ground which for us has sunk far out of sight4 ,the solidarity of the tribe or family was a fearsome reality in days when for the sin of one member vengeance would fall upon the whole community or household4 ,recollect the story of ,achan1 who stole from the sacred spoil a ,babylonish mantle1 silver1 and a wedge of gold3 ,wherefore ,joshua and all ,israel with him took ,achan ,,and his sons and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tent and all that he had1 and burned them with fire and stoned them with stones4#cj ,there was a grim wisdom in the ancient procedure4 ,man has had a stern fight for existence4 ,how far can he tolerate 8handicaps0 in the contest8 ,what can be expected from children of corrupt and vicious parents8 ,good citizens8 8,men do not gather grapes of thorns40 ,yet who could fail to see that the children were so far innocent2 and therefore1 whilst ,achan died unpitied and forgotten1 perhaps their young voices and terror-stricken looks remained an uneasy memory in the minds of those who stood consenting unto their death8 ,was it necessary that the child should be irretrievably ruined through his father's guilt8 ,by the time of ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel1 as the quotations show1 the problem had deepened and become general4 ,in the perils1 hardships1 and disasters which marked the decline and fall of the ,judan kingdom men felt that the whole nation was suffering the consequences of their fathers' iniquities1 and bitterly they quoted the saying ,the fathers have eaten sour grapes1 and the children's teeth are set on edge4 ,that way lay despair3 ,let us too eat of the grapes and drink of their wine and be merry1 since to-morrow we die6 ,even the prophets experienced the temptation to hopelessness2 as when ,ezekiel1 wrestling with ,judah sunk in the old sins1 thinks that in future days men will still have to cast at her the charge of idolatries handed down from the ancient ,canaanites3 as is the mother so is the daughter4 ,but ,jeremiah and ,ezekiel both fought their way through to a new conception of life1 and this it is which is proclaimed in the two chief passages quoted above4 ,deliverance from the entail of evil is1 they declare1 possible2 man is not immovably fastened in chains which his ancestors have forged4 ,so stands religion to-day1 claiming power in the building of human character4 ,fuller recognition and much deeper comprehension of the works of heredity 7as also of environment7 are desirable and are not inimical to a religious interpretation of human nature4 ,religion lays stress on these two points4 ,first1 the fact that if there is an entail of evil there is also an entail of good1 together with the judgement that the inheritance of good is the greater and ought to be made supreme3 that as ,st4 ,paul insisted ,where sin did abound1 grace doth much more abound#ca4 ,and1 secondly1 religion insists on the reality of that power of self-determination which would seem to be characteristic of every living being and in ,man to be of primary importance4 ,all that we may become does not follow inexorably from what we now are4 ,what we have become was not wholly involved in what we were4 ,crude determinism is either an ,eastern idleness or a pedant's nightmare1 and freedom1 though it slips through the meshes of our clumsy analysis is a reality4 ,to each in measure it is given1 though one may misuse it into the atrophy of evil habit1 whilst another may use it unto the liberty of the children of ,god4 ,we inherit1 but1 inheriting1 we also originate4 ,we are created1 but are also creators4 ,we are pressed by our environment1 but our environment may become ,christ1 whose service is perfect freedom4 7#d7 ,one other embedded proverb occurs in a passage of ,ezekiel 7#abba1 #bb73 ,and the word of the ,lord came unto me saying1 8,son of man1 what is this proverb that ye have in the land of ,israel saying1 ,the days are prolonged1 and every vision faileth80 ,other lands besides ,israel have echoed those despairing words4 ,it is hard not to feel in a city-settlement that 8the days are prolonged02 hard in a half-filled church not to wonder if 8every vision faileth40 ,but a true man will still hold to the instinct that somehow his hopes are certainties1 and will make answer with ,israel's prophet thus3 ,tell them therefore1 8,thus saith the ,lord ,god3 ,i will make this proverb to cease1 and they shall no more use it as a proverb in ,israel2 but say unto them1 #8,the days are at hand1 and the fulfilment of every vision4'0 ,a man who finds himself without confidence in ,god or man might save himself from pessimism by a study of the intellectual1 moral and spiritual achievements of the ,hebrew prophets4#cb ,looking back on ,jewish history it is manifest that the spiritual longings of these great personalities were realised to a wonderful extent and in ways impossible for themselves or their contemporaries to perceive or anticipate4 ,things did work together for good to those ,jews who sought to discover the will of ,god and1 despite perplexity and hardship1 refused to abandon their imperfect but advancing faith4 ,thus even the ,exile1 apparently the dissolution of ,israel's life1 proved to be the very means of its preservation and subsequent extension to a position of world-wide influence4 ,no one who has realised on the one hand the overwhelming difficulties against which the prophets had to contend1 the frankness with which they faced the naked facts1 their own agonising struggle of soul against doubt and despair1 and on the other side the ultimate vindication of their faith2 no one with that knowledge clear before him will find it easy wholly to despair of men1 or to cast from him for ever the hope of ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,besides these few incidental proverbs1 the pre-exilic literature of the ,old ,testament fortunately has preserved occasional glimpses of the makers of proverbs in ,israel1 and to these we now turn4 ,we shall then be prepared to study the special development of ,jewish proverbs which furnishes the chief interest of our subject4 ,it will be convenient first to set down the evidential passages consecutively1 and afterwards to consider their significance4 7a7 ,the narrative in #b ,samuel #ada;ff relating the stratagem by which ,joab succeeded in reconciling ,king ,david to his son ,absalom begins thus3 ,now ,joab the son of ,zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was towards ,absalom4 ,and ,joab sent to ,tekoa and fetched thence a wise woman4 7b7 ,the second passage is in #b ,samuel #bjaf-bb--;,joab1 as ,david's general1 having pursued the rebel ,sheba into the ,north of ,israel1 has compelled him to take refuge in the town of ,abel1 and is on the point of breaching the wall and capturing the city1 when there cried unto him a wise woman out of the city 444 and she said unto him 8,there is a saying1 ,to finish your business ask counsel at ,abel40#cc ,thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in ,israel4 ,and ,joab answered and said1 8,far be it from me that ,i should swallow and destroy4 ,but 444 ,sheba the son of ,bichri 444 deliver him only1 and ,i will depart from the city40 ,and the woman said unto ,joab1 8,behold1 his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall40 ,then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom4 444 7c7 ,the famous passage in which the wisdom of ,king ,solomon is extolled1 #a ,kings #dbi-cd3 ,and ,god gave ,solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much and largeness of heart1 even as the sand that is on the sea shore4 ,and ,solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the ,east 7i4e4 ,arabia7 and all the wisdom of ,egypt4 ,for he was wiser than all men3 than ,ethan the ,ezrahite1 and ,heman1 and ,calcol1 and ,darda1 the sons of ,mahol3 and his fame was in all the nations round about4 ,and he spake three thousand proverbs3 and his songs were a thousand and five4 ,and he spake of trees1 from the cedar that is in ,lebanon unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall2 he spake also of beasts and of fowl and of creeping things and of fishes4 7d7 ,isaiah #biac1 #ad3 ,and the ,lord said1 ,forasmuch as this people draw nigh with their mouth1 and with their lips do honour me1 but have removed their heart far from me and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them2 therefore behold ,i will again do a marvellous work among this people 444 and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish1 and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid4 7e7 ,jeremiah #ahah 7cp4 #hh and #ibc73 ,then said they1 ,come and let us devise devices against ,jeremiah2 for the law shall not perish from the priest1 nor counsel from the wise1 nor the word from the prophet4 ,of these passages the first two show that there was a 8,wisdom0 in ,israel before ,solomon1 that it was concerned with prudential counsel as to the conduct of life1 and was associated with the use of maxims1 some of which had passed into well-known proverbs2 and further that certain persons 7often1 perhaps generally1 women7 were recognised as of pre-eminent skill in this giving of advice2 and that townships 7doubtless with a shrewd eye to the increase of their commerce7 vied one with another in vaunting their respective sages4 ,slight as this evidence may be1 it is sufficient1 because it is in accord with the facts of later periods and with that liking for sententious talk which we have noted as characteristic of the ,semites from very early ages4 ,observe also how in the third passage the wisdom of ,solomon is not regarded as a quality peculiar to himself4 ,true1 he possessed wisdom in a rare or superlative degree1 but it was comparable with the 8,wisdom of the ,east0 7,arabia7 and the 8,wisdom of ,egypt40 ,nor was ,solomon alone in his wisdom4 ,to him the first place2 but he had great rivals whose names posterity thought worth preserving4 ,one suspects that the ,king's reputation for sagacity may have been enhanced by his royal estate1 and that in the passage quoted from the ,book of ,kings we see him through the haze of grandeur with which later generations encircled his reign4 ,even so1 the tradition of his wisdom stands1 and like all firm traditions has a basis in fact4 ,what inferences should we draw8 ,not that the three thousand proverbs with which tradition credited ,solomon are those preserved in the ,book of ,proverbs1 despite the fact that the main sections of the ,book are prefaced by titles ascribing them to him4#cd ,a few of the proverbs may have been spoken by ,solomon himself or at his court by persons renowned for sagacity1 but nothing more than that is probable4#ce ,two positive conclusions seem tenable4 ,first1 that ,king ,solomon made a profound impression on his contemporaries by reason of his subtle judgment1 and his ability to express his thoughts in just such moralistic maxims1 comparisons1 parables1 and fables1 as the ,wise were wont to use4 ,in fact1 the ,king was a ,wise-man and a ,wise-man was ,king4#cf ,no wonder that his renown grew until he became1 so to speak1 the patron saint of ,wisdom in ,israel1 with whose authority any 8,wise0 words might fittingly be associated4 ,but further in view of the aptitude shown by the ,king for the art of the ,wise1 it is reasonable to believe that their prestige at this period must have been greatly enhanced in the estimation of all classes4 ,the man of ,wisdom was persona grata at ,court4 ,and what more is needed to secure a reputation8 ,hence it is not unexpected1 though very interesting1 to find two or three centuries later that when ,isaiah and ,jeremiah speak of the ,wise they refer to them as an influence in the land ranking with the prophets and the ceremonial religion4 ,to the true prophets it appeared to be an influence not always for good1 or even inimical to their moral idealism4 ,thus ,isaiah declares that in the glorious day when ,jehovah reveals ,his truth the ,wisdom of the wise men shall perish 7,isaiah #biad72 and ,jeremiah gives as the reason why his enemies consider that his death or imprisonment would be small loss to the nation their belief that 8the law shall not perish from the priest1 nor counsel from the wise1 nor the word from the prophet0 7,jer4 #ahah74 ,this evidence might be augmented by passages in the ,book of ,job1 where1 for instance1 the wisdom of ,israel is described as an ancient1 though living1 tradition3 it is that which wise men have told from their fathers 7,job #aeah47 ,but enough has been said4 ,to sum up1 it appears that the ,hebrews1 like their near kinsmen the ,arabs1 loved to listen to the conversation of those1 who1 having ripe experience1 shrewd wits1 and a sharp tongue1 were able to cast their reflections on life into parables and maxims which the hearer could readily remember4 ,persons with an aptitude for such discourse were acknowledged among their fellows as 8wise40 ,anyone with the necessary intelligence and dignity might acquire this reputation4 ,the ,wise were never sharply differentiated from the rest of the community2 they did not become a strict order or a caste like the priests1 but remained a type or class2 a class1 however1 of such importance that it could be spoken of in the same breath with the prophets and the priests4 ,egyptian analogies suggest that the ,wise may have taken on themselves duties in the instruction of the young3 but just what these early sages said and thought we cannot ascertain4 ,nor is it likely we have lost much in consequence4 ,some of their favourite sayings may eventually have been incorporated in the ,book of ,proverbs1 but the antagonism of the great prophets shows that they were not enthusiasts for reform1 and doubtless the bulk of their maxims were prudential counsels suitable to the standards of the age4 ,in short1 their teaching must have been desultory1 lacking the inspiration of a definite purpose and a clearly conceived ideal4 ,thus far we find nothing that matters to the modern world1 nothing to awaken more than a flicker of our interest4 ,no reason has yet appeared to prompt the hope that ,israel would make more of her ,wisdom than ,edom or ,egypt of theirs1 and that was little enough4 ,in all this we find only 8the ,day of ,small ,things10 and need dwell no longer on its trifles4 ,but equally we ought to avoid the folly of despising it4 ,the ,hebrews1 after all1 were not precisely as their neighbours of ,philistia1 ,edom1 or ,egypt4 ,behind them they had1 as a people1 an astonishing history1 and in their midst a succession of amazing men1 the prophets who had prophesied to them words which it was not possible should die1 seeds of the ultimate ,wisdom4 ,in ,judah there was growing up a capacity for faith1 a spiritual interpretation of life and an enlightenment of moral conscience unique in the ancient world4 ,hence ,israel's ,wise-men were not as other ,wise-men2 they had great potentialities4 ,at length1 after the exile1 circumstances came to pass which favoured the development of latent genius in these men4 ,all that had been needed was an immediate stimulus1 a liberating idea1 a flash to kindle the flame4 ,,chapter ,v ,iron ,sharpeneth ,iron ,life is very jealous of its secrets1 and it is only by irrepressible questioning that man has read what he has read of the truth4 ,the insurgent 8,why80 of our early years is perhaps the one childish thing weought to cherish to our dying day4 ,all sorts of evil things--surface-familiarity1 routine1 but above all self-satisfaction--combine to stifle and to end our curiosity2 at length we acquiesce in and forget our ignorance1 and thereafter stand with our prejudices cumbering the ground for those who would go further4 ,questioning is health to the soul1 and perhaps success is to be measured not by the fulness of the answers we receive but by our eagerness in asking4 ,almost everyone knows that there is in the ,bible a ,book of ,proverbs4 ,a few of its sayings are in daily use4 ,most men have read a chapter or two4 ,but at that point knowledge is apt to flag4 ,what lack of enterprise6 ,it is like giving up an excursion at the first mile-stone4 ,why should there be a ,book of ,proverbs8 ,why did men think it worth transmitting1 and why did they finally count it sacred literature8 ,why has it just the form it has8 ,how comes it1 for instance1 that single sayings have sometimes blossomed into little essays1 and brief comparisons grown into finished pictures8 ,what is the note of clear intention which pervades the chapters and gives them a certain unity and individuality8 ,zeal and energy characterise the ,book4 ,zeal for what8 ,the previous chapter indicates that the answer to that last question may be stated concisely in the one word 8,wisdom10 the meaning of which subsequent pages will unfold4 ,the aim of the present chapter is to discover an adequate reason for the zeal4 ,not seldom it happens that enthusiasm for a cause is first provoked by opposition4 ,for example1 belief that international relationships ought to be governed by ethical principles was generally and genuinely held by the vast majority of ,english-speaking people in #aiad2 but the belief lacked energising force4 ,it seemed enough to entertain it4 ,of the existence of a fundamentally different conception--that ,might is the ultimate right in national affairs--we were of course aware1 but the knowledge did not disturb us greatly4 ,we fondly imagined that after some more debate1 and a little more reflection1 so unenlightened and unneighbourly a notion must disappear4 ,when1 however1 ,germany suddenly put false theory into infamous practice1 mark how our amiable opinion became not only an urgent and indispensable ideal1 but a definite policy which must at all costs be upheld and made effective1 if humanity was to be saved from the yoke of an utterly immoral tyranny4 ,in a moment we realised the awful immediacy of the issue that had been at stake4 ,the debate was not as we supposed1 on paper4 ,here was no wordy strife4 ,nay6 the battle at our gates was not confined even to the quick bodies of men2 it penetrated to the very mind and spirit1 so that almost ,st4 ,paul's words seemed again in place3 8,ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood1 but with 444 the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly places40#cg ,similarly it was an insistent menace that roused the fervour of the ,wise-men of ,israel4 ,subtle but deadly opposition compelled them either to champion their cause or see it fall4 ,wisdom in consequence acquired a firmer outline4 ,because another ,creed was in the air1 it also became a definite 8,way of life40 ,the issues were clarified1 the trend of things revealed4 ,it was felt there were but two paths for a man to choose1 now sharply defined and seen to lead in opposite directions3 ,hear1 ,o my son1 and receive my sayings1 ,and the years of thy life shall be many4 ,i have taught thee in the way of ,wisdom1 ,i have led thee in paths of uprightness4 ,when thou goest thy steps shall not be straightened1 ,and if thou runnest thou shalt not stumble4 ,take fast hold of instruction2 let her not go3 ,keep her1 for she is thy life4 ,enter not into the paths of the wicked1 ,and walk not in the way of evil men4 ,avoid it1 pass not by it2 ,turn from it1 and pass on4 ,for they sleep not except they have done mischief2 ,and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall4 ,for they eat the bread of wickedness ,and drink the wine of violence4 ,but the path of the righteous is as the shining light1 ,that shineth more and more unto the perfect day4 ,the way of the wicked is as darkness ,they know not at what they stumble4 7,pr4 #daj-ai7ch4 ,what then1 was ,wisdom's opponent8 ,not ,folly in the perennial sense1 else where was the novelty of the situation8 ,the foe was ,folly masquerading as ,wisdom1 a specious spurious ,wisdom which1 said the ,jewish moralists1 despite appearances was ,no-,wisdom4 ,but if it was not the reality1 it was very like it2 for the false ,wisdom was beautiful1 brilliant1 and exceedingly effective1 had all the rights of sovereignty save one1 all the qualities of permanence save one--a firm basis in morality4 ,it lacked only the 8fear of the ,lord10 which the ,jew defined as 8to depart from evil10 and which he held to be the one possible foundation for the truly wise life4 ,not having that1 it was but the devil robed as an angel of light1 ,folly of ,follies1 a ,temple of ,wisdom founded upon the sand4 ,in order to do justice to the efforts made by the ,jews of the third and second centuries ,b4,c4 to maintain an intellectual1 moral and spiritual independence in face of the new learning1 or rather the new manner of life we are about to describe1 it is necessary to appreciate not only the force of the attack but also the limited resources of the defence4 ,let us begin therefore by striving to realise the position of the ,palestinian ,jews in the ancient world4#ci ,the overwhelming religious importance of the ,jews has so distorted the proportions of that world that even the professed student of antiquity finds it difficult to recover the true perspective and realise their geographical and historical insignificance4 ,without pausing to reflect1 answer this question1 8,which were the chief nations of antiquity80 8,the ,jews1 the ,greeks1 the ,romans10 is perhaps the reply that would rise most readily to your lips4 ,but as well might one classify the inhabitants of the modern ,western world into ,manxmen1 ,europeans1 and ,americans6 8,which were the famous countries of the pre-,christian era80 8,palestine1 ,egypt1 ,assyria1 and ,babylonia10 might be our response4 ,but the ,egyptians and ,babylonians did not hang with breathless interest on the fortunes of ,palestine1 as we are naturally prone to imagine4 ,they cared no more for the fate of ,jerusalem than modern ,europe does for the fortunes of ,monaco4 ,now and again a king of ,egypt marching north along the ,philistine plain1 or a grand monarch of ,babylon1 sweeping south to the borders of ,nile1 might turn aside a fraction of his host to ravage and overcome the ,judan highlands4 ,but1 as a rule1 ,jerusalem1 not being on the main track of conquest1 was not vitally affected by the coming and going of the huge armies that issued periodically from the northern and southern ,empires4 ,and next consider how unimportant even in ,palestine were the ,jews of post-exilic days4 ,the history of that country is familiar to us only from the records of the ,jewish ,scriptures4 ,if with the same fulness we could hear the story from the standpoint of ,israel's neighbours the proportions of things might seem immensely changed4 ,how hard it is to remember that ,solomon in all his glory had no authority in ,philistine towns thirty miles away2 and that ,hiram of ,tyre doubtless considered himself every whit as great a lord as the ruler of ,jerusalem1 and perhaps more highly civilised1 certainly his superior in the matter of arts and crafts4 ,in #gbb ,b4,c41 with the capture of ,samaria1 the northern kingdom of ,israel passed out of history1 and with the influx of alien settlers into its desolated territory the district became semi-heathen4 ,in #ehf ,b4,c4 a like fate befell the little kingdom of ,judah1 the ,temple of ,jerusalem being burnt1 the city walls destroyed and the upper classes carried off to ,babylonia4 ,thereafter for a period of a century and a half ,jerusalem existed only as an enfeebled1 unfortified township4 ,the return of exiles from ,babylon in the reign of ,cyrus 7#ecg ,b4,c471 though the fame of it bulked large in ,jewish tradition1 was no great increase of strength1 perhaps little more than the accession of a few influential families4 ,not until a century later in the time of ,nehemiah1 about #dcb ,b4,c41 did the ,jews feel that their political history had recommenced2 and1 even so1 the work of ,nehemiah was not the creation of a kingdom for his people but the circumvallation of their one city4 ,with its walls restored ,jerusalem might again be said to exist1 a defenced city1 no longer dependent on the mercy of petty and jealous neighbours4 ,but the territories of the ,jews remained much as before2 namely the fields and little villages to a distance of some ten or fifteen miles around ,jerusalem4 ,nor was there any considerable extension of purely ,jewish land until the successes of the ,maccabees were gained in #aff ,b4,c4 ,to sum up4 ,even after the work of ,nehemiah had been accomplished1 the ,jewish ,state in ,palestine was still no more than an insignificant upland community1 a drop in the ocean of pagan races enclosing it2 a tract some fifteen miles in length and breadth with ,jerusalem as its only city4 ,doubtless the ,jews were encouraged by the prosperity of their kinsfolk in the great cities of ,babylonia1 ,syria and ,egypt4 ,but that was a source only of moral or financial help1 not of physical protection3 and to the east were the wild nomadic tribes1 and south of ,jerusalem the treacherous ,edomites1 and to the north the worse than alien ,samaritans1 whose ,temple on ,mount ,gerizim challenged ,jerusalem's last glory1 its spiritual pre-eminence4 ,galilee was heathen land2 on the west were the splendid heathen cities of the coast2 and far to the distant south beyond mysterious ,nile and away to the most distant north ranged the vast territories of heathen monarchs before whose military power and worldly splendour ,jerusalem was altogether less than nothing and vanity4 ,in #ccb ,b4,c4 a thunderbolt smote all the countries of the near ,east4 ,in that year a ,european army1 led by the young king of ,macedonia1 ,alexander the ,great1 invaded ,asia ,minor--with such astonishing effects that the event marks the commencement of a distinct epoch in history1 the ,greek or ,hellenic age4 ,military conquests prove sometimes to be of small consequence in the great movement of human affairs1 and famous battles often have decided no more than that so many thousand men should die untimely deaths and that this royal house instead of that should hold the throne3 an almost meaningless result4 ,only those wars are decisive which1 like the present one1 involve the dominance of one or other of two divergent conceptions or ideals of human life4 ,now the conquests of ,alexander were of this latter character2 and1 that being so1 their significance has to be measured not only from the standpoint of events but also from the history of ideas4 ,at this point then--the coming of the ,greeks to the ,east--let our narrative be checked for a moment that we may reach the same event by following up a different line of thought1 namely the history of the development of human society4 ,what is the significance of ,alexander from that point of view8 ,our aim in examining the question will have to be threefold2 to present 7of course1 in simplest outline7 first1 the ruling principles of the ,eastern or ,oriental manner of life2 secondly1 the ,western--that is1 the ,greek or ,hellenic--ideals2 and thirdly1 the attempt of ,alexander and his successors to impose this ,hellenic culture upon the ,easterns and1 in particular1 upon the ,jews in ,palestine4 #a4 ,first1 of ancient ,oriental life4 ,in a previous chapter it was said that behind ,palestine looms ,arabia and beneath the ,jew is the ,arab4 ,from before the dawn of history the immense grass-lands of ,arabia have been peopled by small nomadic tribes who derived a sufficient livelihood from the flocks they possessed and followed4 ,all the organised life of the ,semitic races1 with whom alone we are here concerned1 has its instincts rooted in this nomadic existence1 about which much might profitably be said2 but only one point is essential1 and to that our remarks will be confined4 ,it is that these pastoral communities have solved the problem of life under existing circumstances4 ,the rigid limitations of their physical surroundings dictates a narrow circle of ambitions beyond which they do not pass1 so long as the conditions remain unchanged4 ,for not only have they discovered how to live1 but they have found out the best way of living1 within their simple1 monotonous world4 ,therefore they continue1 but they do not change4 ,progress was practically unthought of1 certainly undesired2 and in fact the life of the modern ,bedouin of ,arabia is still in its essentials the same as that depicted in the ,book of ,genesis4 ,but about #cjjj ,b4,c41 for the first time though not the last time in history1 ,arabia became overcrowded1 in the sense that its pasturage was insufficient to sustain the population1 and multitudes of nomads1 hunger-driven1 poured forth into the fertile territories bordering the deserts4 ,there the arts of agriculture and of building were learnt1 settled communities formed1 tribal organisation yielded to larger groups1 kingdoms arose1 and eventually great empires4 ,but the civilised life of the ,semites proved to be as lacking in the instinct for progress1 whether material1 moral or intellectual1 as in its simpler way the original pastoral existence has been4 ,life in ,semitic towns became richer and more complex up to a certain point1 but there ambition faded1 and the ingrained habit of acquiescence in existing circumstances prevailed1 hindering and preventing further growth4 ,thus1 politically1 this eastern civilisation was characterised by the mass of the people seeking no share in their own government4 ,they were content to be ruled by authorities whom they seldom created and never effectively controlled4 ,it has been truly said that the kings of the ,east fought over the heads of their subjects4 ,the affairs of a baker in ,jerusalem1 a merchant in ,gaza1 a craftsman in ,tyre 7provided the victorious army left him alive7 were unaltered by the rise and fall of his rulers4 ,to the bulk of the inhabitants of the ,palestinian towns it mattered little whether they were temporarily independent or were under the heel now of ,babylon1 now of ,egypt1 now of ,persia4 ,men hoped for no more than that trade should be possible1 food obtainable1 and that the injustice in the realm should be--not abolished 7no one was so mad as to entertain the notion7 but--kept within tolerable bounds4 ,for the rest1 what more could a man desire than to live as had his father before him8 ,ancestral custom held the whole of life in its paralysing grasp1 and choked initiative4 ,the potter sought no new patterns2 what was wrong with the old8 ,why devise a new method of ploughing1 when the old way grew the crops8 ,innovation was an altogether hateful thing4 ,hence1 however populous ,eastern towns might grow1 however active and prosperous their commerce1 life in them was essentially stationary1 its ambitions limited1 its possibilities achieved4 ,in all ,palestine there was but one spark of unexhausted thought2 namely1 the conception of ,god which the great prophets of ,israel had discovered and transmitted to their people4 ,evidently a nation which remembered such words as these3 ,i hate1 ,i despise your feasts1 and ,i will take no delight in your solemn assemblies4 ,yea1 though ye offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings ,i will not accept them3 neither will ,i regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts4 ,take thou away from me the noise of thy songs2 for ,i will not hear the melody of thy viols4 ,but let justice roll down like waters1 and righteousness as a mighty stream#dj--that nation is not finished2 it has living seed within its soil4 ,yes1 but against this confident assertion recall how shrunken and enfeebled the ,jewish community had become4 ,further1 remember that in all things except their religion and their morality these ,jews were part and parcel of the general ,oriental civilisation4 ,in their civil occupations1 their commercial and agricultural methods1 they also were just as much slaves of tradition and as content with their bondage1 as were their neighbours4 8,slaves of tradition10 how much the words cover6 ,if even dimly we could realise the misery1 disease and squalor of the poor1 the degradation of womanhood1 in those tradition-ridden ,eastern towns2 if we could taste like gall and bitterness in our own experience one thousandth part of the injustice and cruelties of those 8contented0 despotisms2 8,a stationary civilisation1 having reached the limit of its ambitions0--how easily the phrase is framed6--if we could feel how much that meagre consummation left to be desired1 the words would seem to be written in blood and blotted with tears6 #b4 ,meanwhile in ,europe1 across the blue seas of the ,eastern ,mediterranean1 a new thing had come to pass3 an organisation of human life different in form and in intention because different in mind and spirit4 ,by its means the intellectual powers and artistic achievements of man were swiftly to be raised to an unimagined splendour1 and1 even so1 to remain unexhausted3 we say 8unexhausted0 because the inspiring and energising ideas which ,greek genius was the first to realise and accept have never ceased to operate1 being in fact the intellectual principles upon which ,western civilisation has been constructed1 and providing the ideal towards which the development of society is still directed4 ,doubtless there is terribly much to deplore in modern life2 we are far from wisdom1 peace and true prosperity2 it may be doubted whether the conditions of the poor under modern industrialism are not1 in places1 worse than anything even the ,east can show4 ,and yet there is one incalculable difference revolutionising the whole prospect4 ,unlike the ,east1 we do not acquiesce in existing evils4 ,we are not exhausted1 not apathetically willing to accept things as they are4 ,we spurn as nonsense and cowardice any suggestions that the limit of human development has been attained4 ,vehemently and hopefully we insist on the achievement of better things4 ,not all the errors of the past and the resultant evils of the present daunt us4 ,we are rebels against our failures1 and our discontent is the measure of our vitality4 ,this instinct for improvement1 which is the characteristic of ,western life1 we owe--an infinite debt--to the people whose coming into history we have now1 briefly1 to relate4 ,as early as before #bjjj ,b4,c41 the islands of the ,eastern ,mediterranean1 together with certain parts of the mainland of ,greece1 were the home of a vigorous sea-faring people1 possessing remarkable artistic talent4 ,their civilisation is now known by the name ,minoan4 ,somewhere between #abjj and #aajj ,b4,c4 catastrophic disaster befel this race4 ,out of the immense grass-lands which stretch from the plains of ,hungary in ,europe eastward right across central ,asia there issued a multitude of men1 moving southward with their wives and families4 ,the invaders swept down into ,thessaly and ,greece1 filling the mainland and pressing onwards across the sea to the gean ,isles1 massacring or enslaving the ,minoan inhabitants4 ,but if the newcomers at first brought ruin to a more highly developed race1 they had their own virtues4 ,they carried with them a fresh vigour1 like a breeze from the north4 ,hardy and simple1 they were not rude savages2 they had learnt the use of wheeled vehicles1 they had tamed the horse1 and above all they possessed1 as individuals1 a certain sturdy independence and an uncommon open-mindedness4 ,fortunately1 the older population was not extinguished2 large numbers survived as slaves1 and from these in time the 8horse-tamers0--as the conquerors loved to style themselves--learnt for themselves the secrets of the ,minoan arts and crafts4 ,with astonishing rapidity they were to improve upon their teachers4 ,owing to the mountainous character of ,greece and the indentations of its coast1 the invaders were split into many separate communities1 each easily controlling the small plains and valleys in the immediate neighbourhood1 but finding it difficult1 if not unnatural1 to extend its rule beyond the mountain passes4 ,for defensive purposes the members of these small groups naturally tended to inhabit a single fortified town1 which became the all-absorbing centre of the tiny state2 the town being1 as it were1 a stronghold and its territories a garden round it4 ,thus there came into existence what is known as 8the ,greek ,city-,state40 ,like the ,arabian tribes who also had passed from nomadism to settled life1 each of these new communities fell for a time under some form of despotic government1 now the rule of one man1 a ,king or 8,tyrant10 now of a clique of rich and powerful persons1 an ,aristocracy4 ,but there was something in the character of the ,greeks which proved intolerant of such organisation1 and1 unlike the ,arabians1 they passed beyond that experience and developed a novel and1 as events were to prove1 an invaluable social system to which they gave the name 8,democracy40 ,the foundation principle of the democratic state lay in the conviction that every adult free-born citizen1 being an integral part of the state1 contributing to its prosperity and security1 was entitled to a share in its government4 ,slaves were outside the franchise1 but all others whether base-born or noble1 rich or poor1 clever or stupid1 were citizens--each with a vote and a voice in the direction of public policy1 internal and external4 ,to this citizen-body belonged the power of electing from among themselves officers1 both civil magistrates and military commanders1 to whom administration was temporarily entrusted1 and who were ultimately responsible for their actions to the citizen-body4 ,under happy fortune this system was adopted as the constitution of society in the leading ,greek cities4 ,mark the mental and moral qualities thereby engendered4 ,in the first place men became exhilaratingly conscious that they possessed individual freedom combined with corporate strength4 ,each citizen felt himself to be of political importance1 an organic part of the state1 entitled on the one hand to a share in its glory and its privileges1 and on the other responsible himself for the general welfare4 ,how can the epoch-making importance of this fact adequately be emphasised8 ,in primitive patriarchal society the individual had been free but only within the narrow limits imposed by the rigidity of custom and the bare simplicity of rudimentary life4 ,and civilised town-life of the ,eastern type1 as we have seen1 was complex and magnificent in many ways1 but nevertheless had missed the secret of advancing freedom4 ,intellectually it hated novelties4 ,politically it made men either kings or the slaves of kings1 giving them either too great importance or none at all4 ,hence the larger the ,eastern town1 the more powerful and extensive the ,state1 the less was the mass of the people personally concerned in their civil or military affairs4 8,freedom0 in an ,eastern city meant anarchy4 ,the ,greeks succeeded in bringing freedom and civilisation into organic union4 ,so far from choking liberty1 the connection of each ,greek citizen with his city was perceived to be the very cause of the freedom he enjoyed1 the means by which his privileges were multiplied and secured4 ,hence the greater the organisation of society the greater the opportunities each citizen acquired for the development of personal talent and inclination4 ,it is assuredly no exaggeration to describe such an achievement as 8epoch-making40 ,along with political freedom went mental freedom4 ,interchange of opinion took place easily and continually between all grades of the free community4 ,the general obligation to promote the social1 commercial1 and military well-being of the state stimulated discussion and gave to debate the piquancy and solemnity of serious issues4 ,a ,greek might be poor1 but he could hold up his head with the richest as a member of the citizen army and the citizen electorate2 and in the citizen assembly he need not be a gray-beard to be reckoned wise4 ,mental ability became the test of worth1 and the benumbing tyranny of tradition was overthrown2 at least its unquestioned rule was at an end4 ,custom must henceforth submit to criticism and seek to justify itself4 ,enterprise1 enquiry1 innovation became the order of the day4 ,it was the emancipation of the human intelligence4 ,moreover1 since the rough work of society was performed by the slave population1 ,greek citizens found much leisure at their disposal4 ,herein was obviously a danger1 but also an opportunity2 and fortunately the genius of the people was not found wanting1 so that1 in the early days the ,greeks turned their leisure to good purpose1 physical and intellectual4 ,part of their leisure was devoted to physical exercises1 running1 wrestling1 boxing1 throwing the discus1 chariot-racing2 and in the healthful competition of these games in stadium and hippodrome they found continual pleasure4 ,but their ardour for mental exercise was even keener4 ,they began to think with restless energy and with brilliant results2 men of genius1 poets1 historians1 philosophers1 and artists1 by their matchless achievements raised the intellectual interests of their contemporaries to an extraordinary extent4 ,in general1 the ,greeks acquired a wonderful feeling for proportion and natural rhythmic beauty4 8,nothing in excess0 became their motto1 but what was meant thereby was no timid mediocrity1 but an avoidance of extreme1 wherever the extreme was grotesque or foolish4 ,men sought an equipoise of perfection1 and felt infinite delight in the increasing measure of their success4 ,within a few hundred years the ,greeks had produced masterpieces of art and literature which few nations have been able even to rival1 none to surpass4 ,in short1 three characteristics distinguished ,greek or ,hellenic civilisation3 ,first1 ,emulation4 ,men vied one with another1 vied with their own past efforts4 ,they sought to excel and achieved excellence4 ,second1 ,intellectualism4 ,the critical faculties of the mind were increasingly released from the trammels of tradition4 ,reason became the touchstone of life in all its aspects2 and thus1 just as in our own age1 the immense destructive and constructive energies of the free intelligence were ceaselessly set to work4 ,third1 ,patriotism4 ,this third quality calls for fuller comment1 for it was the main source of ,greek morality4 ,greek religion contributed something to the growth of moral principles1 but less than one might imagine4 ,its ethical interest for the most part was limited to inculcating the fear lest ,divine vengeance should follow gross outrage of the normal decencies of life4 ,doubtless also the artistic sense fostered love of the good1 since1 as a rule1 what is wicked appears to men to be ugly2 yet the fruits from this source also were not much to boast of4 ,but from the intense patriotism fostered by the ,city-,states came great moral consequences4 ,the interests of the ,state claimed men's allegiance1 and the claim was nobly answered4 ,not only great-hearted leaders but also masses of ordinary men were willing to set the public weal above their individual prosperity or security4 ,in striving to be noble citizens men became noble men4 ,thousands and thousands were conscious that they could not live unto themselves--without shame4 ,altruism was a searching reality in their lives1 and its burdens were loyally1 even gladly1 accepted4 ,men were very zealous for their city1 longing for its honour and renown1 ready to toil for it1 to face hardship and peril on its behalf1 and for its safety to die unflinchingly4 ,and no less measure of sacrifice was all too frequently required from the citizens of these ambitious and war-like little ,states4 ,let their own words tell how they met the supreme call3 8,through these men's valour1 the smoke of the burning of wide-floored ,tegea went not up to heaven1 who chose to leave the city glad and free to their children1 and themselves to die in the forefront of the battle40#da ,or1 best of all1 take ,simonides' epitaph on the ,athenians fallen at ,plataea3-- 8,if to die nobly is the chief part of excellence1 ,to us of all men ,fortune gave this lot2 ,for hastening to set a crown of freedom on all ,hellas1 ,we lie possessed of praise that grows not old40 ,surely no one can fail to hear in those words and in the spirit of this ,greek life the music of familiar things1 things which we have taken to our heart4 ,that is because the thoughts of ,hellas are the source from which our own intellectual and social ideas have been derived4 ,but ,hellenic life was not sunshine without shadow4 ,for all its power and brilliance ,greek society was exposed to many perils and was guilty of serious mistakes4 ,these1 however1 we have here no need to discuss in full4 ,it is enough to note that1 when-and-where-soever the necessity for ardent patriotism was absent or unfelt the ,greek conception of life lacked adequate moral incentive1 and sinister conditions which were a very black shadow in a fair world could and did arise4 ,much might also be said regarding the jealousies of the petty cities1 whence came warfare constant1 embittered1 and suicidal4 ,nevertheless it remains absolutely true1 that compared with the stagnation of ,eastern civilisation1 ,hellenism was life and health4 ,judge from one token1 the epitaphs just quoted4 ,men could not write like that in ,palestine or ,babylon1 because they never died for such a cause4 ,in the years between #cei and #cch ,b4,c4 the independent ,greek cities were all forced to admit the suzerainty1 first of ,philip ,,ii41 king of ,macedon1 and1 after his assassination in #ccf1 of his son ,alexander1 who was to be remembered throughout history as ,alexander the ,great4 ,the humiliation was not in any way a crushing blow to the spirit of ,greece4 ,to the yoke of ,philip and ,alexander the city-states could submit with a good grace1 for the ,macedonians were of the same ancestry as the ,greeks1 and for years had been to all intents and purposes a part of the ,greek world2 and ,alexander was wholly ,hellenic in his upbringing and his ideas4 ,had he not been educated by the great philosopher1 ,aristotle8 ,in #ccd ,b4,c41 the young king organised an army of ,macedonians and ,greeks and set forth to make a grand assault upon the nations of the ,east3 a stupendous task1 but the enterprise appealed to the ,greeks as a poetic requital of the awful peril one hundred and fifty years before when ,xerxes of ,persia at the head of a horde of ,orientals had crossed to ,greece and almost blotted out its rising life4 ,if the task was colossal and the force to achieve it tiny1 the results staggered the imagination of the world4 ,the huge ,persian ,empire crumbled at the touch of ,greek military prowess1 directed by the genius of ,alexander4 ,in three years the young ,macedonian had become absolute master of ,western ,asia ,minor1 of ,egypt1 ,syria1 ,babylonia1 and ,persia4 ,in #cbf ,b4,c4 he pushed his conquests to the ,punjab1 and in #cbe he died2 but ,hellenism did not die with him4 ,the ,east had seen many conquerors rise and sweep through its lands in triumph1 and had continued to dream its long dreams4 ,but the military achievements of ,alexander were only the beginning of his work4 ,what stirred the ,east to its depths was the fascination of the ideas that had accompanied him and that he deliberately sought to establish among the conquered peoples2 with what measure of success it now remains to consider4 #c4 ,a stormy period followed ,alexander's death4 ,eventually his ,eastern dominions were divided between two of his generals2 ,ptolemy1 who took possession of ,egypt1 and ,seleucus1 who became ruler of ,syria and the ,mesopotamian territories4 ,happily it is not necessary to follow the confused struggles that ensued between them and their successors--struggles in which ,palestine1 situated between the rival kingdoms1 was continually involved4 ,the point to be observed is that both ,ptolemy and ,seleucus were ,hellenes1 as also were most of their leading men1 and both they and their successors prosecuted1 with all possible energy1 ,alexander's policy1 the ,hellenising of the ,east4 ,consider the forces directed to the attainment of that object4 ,the powerful influences of the royal courts in ,egypt and ,syria saw to it that throughout the length and breadth of their kingdoms places of honour were reserved for ,greeks and such ,orientals as might show themselves capable of appreciating and adopting ,hellenic culture4 ,to be a ,greek1 if not by race1 then by imitation1 became the only avenue to wealth or fame or royal favour4 ,alexander1 however1 had seen that if ,hellenism was permanently to subdue and recreate the ,east it must touch not only the interests of such as are clothed in soft raiment and in kings' courts live delicately1 it must be made a reality daily affecting the life of common folk2 and with the foresight of genius he himself pointed the way to secure that end4 ,realising the organic connection between the ,greek ideals and the ,greek city1 he established at strategic points of his ,empire new cities planned on the ,hellenic model4 ,the ,ptolemaic and ,seleucid kings persevered in this scheme4 ,new cities of the ,grecian type were founded in their realms1 and the old towns were conformed to the new order of things so far as might be4 ,in all important centres the essential accompaniments of ,hellenic life were introduced3 new political organisation for the election of magistrates1 and buildings to meet the system2 a hall for the ,senate1 shady pillared galleries where the free citizens might gather to lounge and talk1 baths and gymnasia1 a stadium and a hippodrome for the games1 and for the drama a theatre4 ,with such interests and amusements the imagination of the common folk was stirred and pleased4 ,the youth of the cities became enthusiastic for the gaieties and glories of the competitive games4 ,guilds of athletes were formed and received the privilege of wearing a special dress1 8a broad-brimmed hat1 a fluttering cloak broached about the shoulders1 and high laced boots40#db ,in great public processions these young men marched as a special class1 wearing crowns of gold1 and bearing witness to the wealth and pride of their respective cities by the colours and rich embroideries of their attire4 ,but staider folk than the young and fashionable were also caught in the wide-spread nets of ,hellenism4 ,the wealth of the ,greek cities and the royal favour shown them attracted commerce1 and sleepy ,eastern merchants discovered that if they wished to do business they must conform to the prevailing tastes2 so that ,greek became the language of the market-place as well as of the ,court4 ,finally1 the learning and skill of the ,east confessed its conqueror4 ,greek art and ,greek literature1 ,greek science and philosophy made the older ,eastern styles seem worthless in comparison4 ,within two centuries following the death of ,alexander the near ,east had been transformed4 ,hellenism had cast its spell over the whole of life4 ,the period is one of profound interest for the study of humanity4 ,on the one hand it did much to secure the perpetuation of the intellectual methods of the ,greeks1 which might have perished had they not been extended beyond the frontiers of the small ,greek ,states in ,europe2 and on the other hand it showed that the ,east can change4 ,human nature is not1 as some would have us believe1 divided for ever into irreconcilable sections4 ,there are no unbridgeable gulfs between the ,eastern and the ,western mind4 ,if the modern ,westernising movements in ,china or ,india should fully succeed1 they will but demonstrate anew what was proved long ago in ,asia ,minor during the three critical centuries before ,christ4 ,the challenge these facts present to those who suppose that ,christianity cannot become a universal faith is obvious4 ,we must not attempt to give a detailed picture of ,hellenism4 ,but even these outlines are enough to show how thoroughly and dramatically the immemorial fashions of the ,east had been upset and new ambitions kindled1 so that men must have felt as if they had been emancipated from the dead past and told to make trial of a new form of life1 one that was already brilliant and delightful1 but was most of all thrilling in its unknown possibilities4 ,the peoples that walked in darkness thought they had seen a great light4 ,one fact1 however1 and that of prime importance1 has been left out of count in this description of the situation4 ,hellenism in the ,east had a fatal deficiency2 it lacked the keen patriotism that inspired the life of the old ,greek cities4 ,in ,athens men had known that only by the maintenance of their best ideals could ,athens lead the intellect of ,greece1 only by discipline and self-sacrifice could the foe be driven from ,athenian fields1 could ,athens rule the seas1 could ,athens be free and ,athens glorious4 ,but citizens of some ,hellenised city of ,syria experienced no such sentiments4 ,their politics were urban not imperial1 academic not matter of life and death4 ,to be a captain in the armies of ,ptolemy or ,seleucus might be a convenient way of gaining a livelihood and might lead to fame1 fortune and favour2 but after all1 to fight in those ranks was to fight for kings' glories1 not for hearth and home4 ,the ambitions of the petty states of ,greece had had certain evil aspects2 strifes1 jealousies1 envyings were ever present among them1 bleeding the higher interests of their common civilisation4 ,nevertheless the need for passionate devotion to one's city had been the root of ,hellenic virtue1 and that not even ,alexander's genius could transplant to ,asiatic soil4 ,moreover1 even such faint assistance as ,greek religion gave to morality failed the ,hellenism of the ,east4 ,by ,alexander's time the early conceptions of the gods had been riddled by criticism1 and as yet neither philosophy nor mysticism had discovered for morality a basis intelligible and acceptable to ordinary men4 ,the earnest spirits of the day were aware of the danger ahead4 ,they foresaw that1 if society continued on its present course unchecked1 its moral bankruptcy must bring disaster4 ,for not all the ,greeks were eating1 drinking1 and making money3 some were asking questions about life to which a demoralised ,hellenism could give no satisfying answer4 ,and the problem was more than merely intellectual4 ,the perils and pains of actual life made the enigma a personal agony for many men1 who saw that 8they were being carried onward into a future of unknown possibilities1 and whatever might lie on the other side of death1 the possibilities on the hither side were disquieting enough4 ,even in our firmly ordered and peaceful society1 hideous accidents may befall the individual1 but in those days when the world showed only despotic monarchies and warring city-states1 one must remember that slavery and torture were contingencies which no one could be sure that the future did not contain for him40 ,in the old days it had been possible to appeal for succour to deities not wholly inhuman in their ways and thoughts4 8,if now that hope faded into an empty dream1 man found himself left naked to fortune4 ,with the mass of passionate desires and loves he carried in his heart1 the unknown chances of the future meant ever-present fear40#dc ,the situation called for remedy4 ,hellenism itself evolved the ,stoic philosophy as a possible solution for its urgent problems4#dd ,our contention is that in their own sphere and in their own fashion the ,jewish proverbs1 as used at this period by the ,wise in ,jerusalem1 were1 like ,stoicism1 an answer to the moral instability which contemporary ,hellenism had spread abroad4 ,but even if ,hellenism could have entered ,syria in its purest form1 it would have needed all its nobility to overcome the vices ingrained in the ,east4 ,when it came to the task with faith in the high gods shaken and falling1 with the spur of patriotism left behind in ,greece1 no wonder that the ugly elements hitherto held in check in the city-states fed themselves fat amid the ancient evils of the ,oriental world4 ,particularly in ,syria did the baser tendencies of ,hellenism run riot4 ,life there did indeed become richer1 richer in iniquity4 ,if facts have any meaning1 then the history of ,syria and ,egypt in the ,hellenic age cries aloud in witness of the futility of a civilisation1 however brilliant1 that lacks a basis of moral idealism3 8,other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid40 ,the fine culture of the ,hellenised lands was dependent on the wrongs and miseries of countless slaves2 the cities were filled with glittering1 venal women2 and the general population sank deeper and deeper in corruption1 gluttony1 and license4 ,even the games in ,syria were made to pander to the base side of human nature2 and1 although ideally the cult of athletics might be an excellent thing1 8in its actual embodiment it could show all degrees of degradation40 ,life in the ,syrian towns became for the most part a studied gratification of the grosser senses4 ,here is the accusation of an eye-witness1 a ,syrian ,greek named ,poseidonius1 who lived about #ajj ,b4,c43 8,the people of these cities are relieved by the fertility of their soil from a laborious struggle for existence4 ,life is a continual series of social festivities4 ,their gymnasiums they use as baths1 where they anoint themselves with costly oils and myrrhs4 ,in the public banqueting halls they practically live1 filling themselves there for the better part of the day with rich foods and wines2 much that they cannot eat they carry away home4 ,they feast to the prevailing music of strings4 ,the cities are filled from end to end with the noise of harp-playing40 ,and yet it was a great and wonderful age4 ,although the nobler qualities of the ,greek cities could not be made to grow in the new soil1 the genius of the ,greek intellectual attitude to life was rescued from the bickerings and fatal factions of the little states and was successfully communicated to the larger world1 to become in time the priceless heritage of ,western civilisation4 ,rightly conceiving that the spiritual aspect of human life is the supreme thing1 we are accustomed to divide history into the period before and the period after the birth of ,christ2 but were attention to be confined solely to the mental development of mankind1 the dividing line would be found in the coming of the ,hellenic methods of thought4 ,the bearing of these facts upon our subject is not far to seek4 ,in face of the subtle influences that were transforming their environment how fared it with the ,palestinian ,jews8 ,jerusalem was sheltered by its outlying position from the full tide of ,hellenism4 ,had it not been so1 its special characteristics could scarcely have been preserved2 it would have become as one of the cities of the coast4 ,but if ,jerusalem was not swept away by the flood1 that does not imply that the rain of new ideas was not falling in its streets and markets4 ,from #cjj to #bjj ,b4,c4 ,palestine was controlled by the ,ptolemaic ,kings of ,egypt1 from #aih ,b4,c4 by the ,syrian ,seleucids4 ,this change of authority imposed no check upon the progress and vigour of the ,hellenistic movement4 ,greek cities sprang up throughout the land1 and older towns were eager to adapt themselves to the new models4 ,shortly after the death of ,alexander1 ,samaria and ,ptolemais 7,acco7 had already become centres of ,greek influence1 and there was a group of ,greek cities beyond ,jordan4 ,imagine too how quickly and how effectively the ideas of the ,jews in ,jerusalem would be affected by intercourse with the flourishing colonies of their brethren now thoroughly at home in the great centres of ,greek dominion in ,egypt1 ,syria and ,babylon4 ,it is not surprising therefore to find a ,greek writer about #bej ,b4,c4 observing that 8many of the traditional ordinances of the ,jews are losing their hold40 ,and if any reader wishes further confirmation1 he need only turn to the works of ,josephus1 and note the relish with which that writer tells the story of ,joseph the son of ,tobiah1 nephew of the ,high-,priest1 who by his insolent wit won favour at the ,egyptian ,court1 and battened for a while on the extortionate taxes he wrung from the towns of southern ,syria3 a repulsive character but quite evidently a popular hero in the estimation of many of his ,jewish contemporaries4 ,picture the coming and going of ,greek traders in the bazaars of ,jerusalem1 and the journeying of ,jewish merchants to and from the markets of the ,hellenic cities4 ,consider what it meant that the immense mercantile centre of ,alexandria1 with its tempting opportunities to the acute and enterprising ,jew1 lay only a few days' journey to the south4 ,in short1 ,hellenism was swiftly becoming the very atmosphere men breathed4 ,certainly its manifold allurements were only too visibly and temptingly displayed before the eyes of the young and ambitious in ,jerusalem4 ,and yet ,hellenism had met its match in the strange city of ,zion4 ,greek met ,jew1 and in the struggle the ,wise-men of ,israel played no insignificant part4 ,for they marshalled and moulded their proverbs till they represented the ,wisdom of ,israel set over against the worldly-wisdom#de of ,greece4 ,they counselled a way of life which was not the seductive ,greek way4 ,they sturdily opposed another doctrine to the fashionable immorality of ,hellenism with its overwhelming prestige and ostensible success4 ,for several generations the attack of the new civilisation came by way of peaceful penetration1 which was perhaps harder to resist than open enmity1 since nobody could deny the good in ,hellenism1 its beauty1 and its cleverness1 if only it had been pure in heart4 ,later1 as we shall see1 the campaign was to be conducted with all the devices of reckless and inhuman violence4 ,hebraism against ,hellenism6 ,all ,egypt1 ,syria1 and ,persia had made scarcely an effort to resist the spell of the new learning and the new ways4 ,at first sight then how unequal the contest6 ,a stiff moralism preaching against the pleasures of sin to hot-blooded1 able1 and ambitious men4 ,a clique of obscurantists arrayed not against a kingdom or an empire but against a magnificent1 world-conquering civilisation4 ,the ,jews maintain their ground8 ,impossible6 ,no1 not wholly so2 for this battle1 like another which touches us more closely1 was ultimately spiritual2 and because the ,jews held a conception of the nature and destiny of man deeper1 truer1 than even the ,greeks had found1 ,hebraism in the end proved stronger than ,hellenism with all its genius and all its works4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,a ,sower went forth to ,sow ,let us imagine two of the ,wise-men meeting in the streets of ,jerusalem and conversing4 ,that is easier proposed than effected3 bold words1 to be followed by small performances4 ,for the outlines of ancient ,jerusalem are none too clear1 and again in what tongue shall our ,wise-men converse8 ,in ancient ,hebrew or in modern ,english8 ,modern ,english from their lips will seem incongruous1 and ,hebrew is not so widely known as it deserves4 ,before we can make so much as a beginning we are compelled to compromise3 let them talk in ,hebraic ,english4 ,but the difficulties need not discourage us overmuch1 for in this case even a half-done task will be worth the doing1 and there are some circumstances in our favour4 ,the topography of old ,jerusalem may be uncertain1 but our knowledge of the influences1 events and tendencies of the period in question is considerable4 ,therefore although the conversation between the ,wise-men must be imaginary1 it need not be fancy-free4 ,we can make them say such things as can be inferred from the historical situation1 and the talk can be so directed as to help our immediate purpose1 discovering what were the dominant fears and ambitions of the ,wise4 ,moreover1 however imperfectly this aim be realised1 the picture can hardly fail to help us across the gulf which divides the abstract or general conception from the concrete or particular embodiment1 a matter of vital importance for the comprehension of these ,jewish proverbs4 ,it is not sufficient to imagine the ,wise as a class4 ,doubtless most ,wise-men conformed to a type1 and they were a class in the community in that they shared a general attitude towards life2 but this bond of union was loose enough to leave room for great variety of interest1 beliefs1 and moral qualities4 ,and just this diversity within the unity is the point on which stress should be laid2 for it explains the individualism of the ,jewish proverbs1 and is the secret of their broad humanity4 ,it is the month of ,june in the year #bjc ,b4,c4 ,ptolemy ,philopator1 the ruler of ,egypt1 has died the previous year1 and is succeeded on the throne by ,ptolemy ,epiphanes1 a child of four years old4 ,the situation points to the renewal of warfare between the great ,empires4 ,embarrassed by the weakness of its young king1 ,egypt is in obvious danger from the restless ambition both of ,philip of ,macedonia and of ,antiochus ,,iii of ,syria4 ,but although the ,east is uneasy1 the storm has not yet broken4 ,palestine is still controlled by the ,egyptians1 and a garrison of ,ptolemy's soldiers lives at ease in the citadel of ,jerusalem4 ,zion is at peace2 her harvests of barley and wheat have been gathered in2 the first-ripe figs have fallen and already are on sale in the markets1 and there is prospect of a plentiful later crop4 ,imagine that we are watching the city1 as the day is about to break4 ,the last hour of the night is ending4 ,low down in the ,eastern sky a faint tinge of blue appears1 with shades of purple and pink above it1 fading upwards into the dark of the night sky overhead4 ,soon the horizon flushes into red1 changing swiftly to deep yellow as the first rays of the sun rise over the hills4#df ,the guard of the ,levites on duty at the ,temple stands watching for the dawn1 and as soon as the sunlight touches ,hebron1 just visible to the south1 they raise a shout1 heralding the day and summoning the people to hasten to the celebration of the morning sacrifice4#dg ,from the citadel the trumpets of the soldiers take up the sound and call the garrison from sleep4 ,soon the whole city is astir4 ,day has begun1 and its hours are precious before the sun grows hot beyond endurance4 ,the gates open1 and first the cattle-dealers and money-changers begin to pass along the narrow lanes1 hurrying ahead of the people to the ,temple-court4 ,shopmen appear and busy themselves preparing their booths in the bazaars4 ,from his house in one of the narrow streets a dignified man of rather more than middle age1 ,judah ben ,zechariah1 comes out and1 turning in the direction of the ,temple mingles1 with the stream of worshippers who purpose to be present at the offering of the sacrifice4 ,let us keep him in sight4 ,when the ceremony at the temple is ended1 he makes his way without haste through the tangle of streets towards the ,northern wall and the ,fish gate4 ,there in the open space near the gate1 just inside the city1 he stops1 and stands watching the passers by4 ,a company of ,tyrians1 pagans all of them1 files in through the gate1 bringing fish for ,jerusalem from the ,phoenician markets4 ,they are followed by a long caravan of forty or fifty mules laden with wheat from the north1 and their drivers1 like the ,tyrians1 are also pagan4 ,judah is ,hebrew of the ,hebrews1 and the sight does not please him4 ,after a while as he stands there a friend approaches and gives him greeting--,joseph ben ,abijah1 one who1 like ,judah1 had reputation as a ,wise-man4 8,peace be to thee1 ,judah40 8,and may ,jehovah bless thee1 my brother10 answered ,judah1 8and may ,he increase thee to a multitude2 for truly there be few this day in ,israel such as thou1 who keepest faith before ,god and before men4 ,behold now this long time stand ,i here1 ,joseph1 to see them that pass by1 and ,i swear unto thee that for one man of ,israel there be nine from the ends of the earth1 worshippers of strange gods4 ,men call this city ,zion2 but where are ,zion's children8 ,from end to end the streets are full of these ,gentiles4 ,moreover1 look yonder60 7a company of the garrison came swinging down to change guard at the ,gate7--8these soldiers of ,ptolemy6 ,mark well their heathen insolence1 their pride and their contempt for us4 ,are we not the bondservants of ,egypt1 even as our fathers were8 ,i tell thee1 ,joseph1 it is not well with ,israel40 8,nay6 thou art over-anxious1 ,judah4 ,the land is at peace4 ,the harvests are good1 trade prospers and extends2 we and our wives and our children dwell in safety4 ,none hinders us in our worship4 ,why then take so sore to heart these ,gentiles8 ,they are the slaves1 who in their folly worship dumb and senseless images4 ,is not ,israel free in her ,god8 ,moreover--a word in thine ear--how thinkest thou1 ,judah8 ,will ,ptolemy much longer lord it over us in ,zion8 ,or are his times come near to an end80 8,hush6 see that none hear thee4 ,i also think his day is at an end4 ,but for what then shall we look8 ,for the dreams of the prophets8 ,for the ,day of the ,lord8 ,ah1 would that the ,lord might rend the heavens and come down1 but ,i1 for one1 do not look for these things to come to pass at this time1 ,joseph4 ,and except the ,lord deliver us wherein shall we hope8 ,nay1 ,zion1 is still far from salvation4 ,we shall change the bondage of ,egypt for the yoke of ,syria1 and her little finger will be thicker than the loins of ,egypt4 ,antiochus is ten times more ,greek than ,ptolemy4 ,verily1 the whole world becometh ,greek4 ,traders and talkers1 how they throng in our streets and multiply in our midst6 ,and whether they be rich and noble or poor and the servant of servants1 behold how they despise us and make mock of us1 the people of the one true ,god6 ,and how with their vainglory and their wicked wisdom--for1 as the ,lord liveth1 'tis not the wisdom of ,god--they do bewitch fools and entice them away4 ,thou sayest1 #8,israel is free in its ,god'2 but ,i say #8,how long shall ,god find faith in ,israel8' ,if then ,ptolemy be cast down and ,antiochus be lifted up over us1 wherein is our advantage8 ,how wilt thou save this people from following wholly after the thoughts and customs of the ,greeks8 ,again1 thou speakest of peace and good harvests1 but how long shall peace and prosperity be permitted us8 ,if that whereof we speak should come to pass1 it shall not be without war and desolation4 ,who knows but that ,jerusalem shall soon be a besieged and captured city8 ,as for the ,day of the ,lord1 the prophet hath said #8,the ,lord will hasten it in ,his time' and his word is good2 but alas6 ,i fear that ours is better3 ,hope deferred maketh the heart sick40 ,said his friend1 8,i also--thou knowest it1 ,judah--am not of the dreamers1 and know well that they who in our days see visions are prophets in name and not in truth4 ,and the true prophets did not live for ever4 ,nevertheless their word liveth2 and have not we that are ,wise learnt from them that fear of ,jehovah which is to turn from evil and do good1 so that in measure their mantle is fallen upon us and we are become their successors1 and according to their commandments so we teach8 ,yea1 ,i say that their word hath overtaken this people1 not for evil but for good2 since of all the ,jews who is there that doth not from the heart know that the ,lord our ,god is one ,god1 and that the gods of the heathen are nought and their images wood and stone8 ,wherefore1 ,judah1 ,i fear not the ,greeks so much as thou4 ,for if a ,jew from among us go forth unto them and learn their skill and follow their fashions1 yet he will not reverence their gods4 ,moreover1 remember1 ,judah1 those that fight for us in the strife4 ,if ,god hath not raised up a prophet in ,israel these many years1 are not the ,priests and ,levites become a strong tower of defence8 ,in all their interpretation of the ,law of ,moses1 they do well3 for they seek to establish justice and mercy between a man and his brethren1 and to confirm the fear of ,jehovah's ,name4 ,it is written1 ,the ,law of the ,lord is perfect1 making clean the heart2 and these men love its statutes wholly4 ,thou dost not think that they will become ,greeks80 8,not all of them1 ,joseph2 yet of the great priests many are evil4 ,they live for place and power1 not for the pure service of their ,god1 and if the day come when it shall profit them these would surpass the ,greeks in the fashions of the ,greeks4 ,but concerning the ,levites and the ,scribes thou sayest right2 for they truly have set their hearts upon their work3 albeit zeal for the ,law will not save ,israel4 ,if only the ritual be observed and the services in the ,temple maintained1 if the feasts be duly kept1 they deem all things are well4 ,they would have all men more ,levite than themselves4 ,but what answer is that to the young who crave for fortune1 favour1 and fulness of pleasures like the unbridled heathen8 ,some it may satisfy1 but thou knowest that more turn empty away2 and all of them understand that the ,greeks will feed their desires full4 ,come now3 tell me1 ,i pray thee3 this very year how many are gone hence to seek fortune in the markets of ,ptolemais8 ,how many to the court of ,antiochus1 aye6 from the noblest of our families8 ,how many to be made captains in his armies and in ,ptolemy's8 ,perchance it is well for thee1 ,joseph1 whose son is a scribe well spoken of and one day will be counted a ,wise-man and a fearer of ,god even as thou1 his father1 art3 but my son1 my son1 is in ,alexandria1 though ,i besought him with tears that he would not go40 8,judah1 ,i verily knew that it was for this cause thine heart was sad4 ,nevertheless ,i would comfort thee1 my friend4 ,hear now my words4 ,they are not all lost to ,zion that are gone forth from ,zion's gates4 ,thou knowest there is no evil in thy son4 ,take heart4 ,are not the families of our people there in ,egypt many and prosperous8 ,thy son will be a loyal ,jew in ,egypt1 not forsaking his father's faith4 ,i am persuaded he will send his tribute to the ,temple when the time comes round4 ,aye6 and thine eye shall see him again ere long returning to keep the feast at ,jerusalem and to make glad thine heart4 ,my brother1 hear thou the thought which the ,lord hath given me concerning this thing4 ,it is written that all flesh shall come to worship before the ,lord in ,his holy hill2 but how shall this thing come to pass8 ,they chant in the ,temple of ,his outstretched arm and ,his mighty acts4 ,what if the stretching out of ,his arm is in the going forth of these ,his children unto the ends of the earth2 seest thou not how that already praise is offered to ,his ,name in many lands1 and ,his glory is exalted among the heathen8 ,in the ,temple they sigh for the day when all peoples shall come crouching to ,zion2 but what if thy son1 and others even as he1 have gone to prepare the way of the ,lord and to make straight ,his paths1 and in ,alexandria1 ,babylon1 and ,antioch are beginning the victory of our ,god1 a victory which shall be 7as saith ,zechariah7 #8not by might1 nor by power1 but by my ,spirit1' saith the ,lord8 ,so shall thy son's going be turned to ,god's glory1 and perchance it hath happened in accordance with ,his will4 ,saith not ,isaiah that ,his ways are not our ways1 nor ,his thoughts as our thoughts8 ,and when thou sayest of the priests and scribes that all their care is for the ,law and the ,temple1 and that they know not how to speak unto the heart of these young men1 in truth thy reproach is just4 ,but herein is our work4 ,we have the answer for this need in ,israel4 ,have we not counsel for success in life with allegiance to our ,god2 so that our words are from the ,lord1 though we praise not the ,law daily neither make mention of the prophet's hopes8 ,if then we be found faithful and our task well done1 none in ,israel shall reckon that ,wisdom is of the ,greeks only1 but rather that their ,wisdom is found folly in the latter end4 ,honour1 long life1 and riches are in our words and they that hearken unto us shall find them and yet shall not depart from justice nor hate mercy4 ,he that heareth our words and learneth our ,wisdom shall even dwell with the ,greeks and be wiser than they1 being delivered from the snares of their iniquities and the vanity of their faiths4 ,so shall it be with thy son1 my brother4 ,he will not forget thy instruction4 ,and like him there shall be many who1 though they go forth from ,jerusalem1 will yet give diligent heed unto our precepts1 and with them shall go ,wisdom to be a guide unto their feet that they shall not stumble4 ,yea1 even of those that in ,zion seem to heed us not1 some perchance shall remember in a distant land1 and so be saved from falling4 ,but1 come1 thou knowest this even as ,i1 though sorrow for a moment had hidden it from thine eyes4 ,with the blessing of ,god we do not labour in vain40 8,friend1 thou comfortest well2 and in my soul ,i know that these thy words are true1 and that our work is of ,god1 and that our children's children shall see the reward of all our labours4 ,but as for this generation many there be that scorn and few that hear40 8,be our zeal the greater then60 responded ,joseph1 8,what saith the prophet8--,precept on precept1 line upon line2 and for us therefore #8,proverb on proverb1'0 ,the older man smiled at him gently1 pleased by the words and spirit of his friend3 8,thou art a true friend and wise counsellor1 ben ,abijah4 ,and now let us leave this place1 and1 if it seem good to thee1 let us pass through the streets and take note of them that buy and sell2 for the heat is not yet upon us and the markets are full this day4 ,comest thou with me80 8,i come gladly4 ,thou shalt see--we shall find one here1 one there1 that hath need of our wisdom2 and perhaps to-day we shall even catch the ear of the multitude1 and many will give heed both to hear and to receive our teaching40 ,,chapter ,,vii ,men and ,manners ,students of the ,old ,testament do not require to be told that the universalism of the ,book of ,proverbs is a remarkable fact4 ,but even those whose knowledge of ,jewish history is not exact1 and who have not made a comparative study of the post-exilic writings1 need have no difficulty in perceiving how strange it is1 if they will give the briefest consideration to the following points4 ,just how free are these sayings from indications of the national aspirations or religious peculiarities of the ,jews8 ,never once in the whole ,book of ,proverbs is mention made of ,israel or of any synonym for ,israel6 ,not a word is said of the nation's past history or present fears and hopes2 the word 8prophet0 never once occurs1 although the influence of prophetic teaching is frequently manifest2 ,priests1 ,levites1 ,temple and even ,jerusalem are absolutely ignored2 8sacrifice0 is mentioned four times in disparagement2 ,to do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the ,lord than sacrifice 7,pr4 #bac2 cp4 #aeh2 #aga7mg72 #babg73 and 8offerings0 once incidentally3 ,i have peaceofferings with me 7,pr4 #gad74 ,even the divinely appointed ,law is passed silently by2 it is neither commended nor condemned4 ,true1 the word 8law0 is often found in ,proverbs1 but the law which men are there bidden to observe is not the precepts1 ritual or moral1 of the great ,pentateuch1 not the ,law of ,moses1 but the doctrine laid down by the ,sage and his confrres6 ,ben ,sirach differs from the ,sages represented in ,proverbs to this extent that once or twice he identifies the ,law of ,moses with the ,divine ,wisdom1 and asserts that ,wisdom has chosen ,zion for her resting-place4#dh ,otherwise his book has precisely the same broadly humanistic and super-national character4 ,clearly one need not be an expert in ,jewish history to see that all this is startling2 but it seems little less than astounding as soon as it is brought into comparison with the passionate patriotism and religious exclusiveness that characterise other books of the ,old ,testament1 not only those that set forth the ,law1 but also such prophecies as ,isaiah #dj-ff1 or again the ,psalms4 ,for example1 contrast the ecclesiastical version of ,israel's history given in the ,books of ,chronicles1 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 which in its present form is the work of a ,levite of ,jerusalem writing about #cej-bej ,b4,c41 i4e41 at the very period of this ,wisdom preaching4 ,a glance will show that the narrative of the ,chronicler is consistently intended to set forth the praises and virtues of the holy city1 ,jerusalem1 and its inhabitants1 the true 8,israel40 ,from first to last his work burns with national devotion1 and the events of history are by him so related as to make prominent the honours due to the divine ,law of ,moses1 wherein he sees the nation's eternal hope and sure defence4 ,greater contrast there could scarcely be4 ,the seeming indifference of ,proverbs and ,ben ,sirach would be explained if the ,sages had been irreligious or mere worldly-wise men1 contemptuous of altruistic1 national sentiment4 ,but their doctrine is in no way anti-national3 there is absolutely no whisper of polemic against ,judaism or even depreciation of its special tenets4 ,neither were they irreligious2 that is quite certain4 ,although on the surface there is no warm glow of religious zeal1 again and again 8the fear of ,jehovah10 said they1 8is the foundation of ,wisdom40 ,the ,sages1 at least the majority of them1 were respectable1 earnest1 and ,god-fearing ,jews4 ,it seems to the present writer psychologically incredible to suppose that such persons in ,jerusalem of #cjj-bjj ,b4,c4 were1 in their heart of hearts1 unmoved by the extraordinary distinctive sentiments of their race4 ,why then the apparent apathy shown in their proverbs8 ,it is true that a taste for aphoristic ethical teaching was manifesting itself at this period in various countries besides ,juda1 and that such moralistic teaching always tends to be cosmopolitan1 but we find therein no adequate explanation of the astonishing facts just mentioned4 ,it is more to the point to follow up a hint suggested by the conversation of the two ,wise-men depicted in the preceding chapter4 ,hellenism seemed to be in the ascendant1 as no observant person in ,jerusalem of the third century could fail to perceive2 equally1 no sober-minded pietist of the old school could be blind to its demoralising tendencies1 and no patriot fail to dread its disintegrating effect on ,judaism4 ,how to encounter the insidious and attractive force that threatened the overthrow not only of ,jewish nationality but of ,jewish virtue3 that was the problem for every loyal ,jew4 ,the ,priests and ,levites of the ,law of ,moses were fighting the foe in one way4 ,the ,wise had chanced on another weapon for the fray4 ,in the old1 common-sense maxims of their fathers1 which being rooted in ,israel's religious faith and enriched by the ethical idealism of the great prophets presented a general moral standard1 or at least a moral ardour1 clearly superior to the normal tone of the neighbouring ,hellenic cities1 the ,wise perceived they had an instrument for countering the peril on its more mundane side4 ,their duty was to teach men that in order to get on in life it was not necessary1 even in the clamorous confident ,hellenic atmosphere1 to fling morality overboard and laugh at the fear of ,jehovah4 ,to suppose that all1 or even the majority1 of the ,wise-men consciously formulated this point of view is of course not essential3 many of them may have been actuated by an instinctive rather than a reasoned antagonism to the spirit of the age4 ,the point is that1 viewing the teaching of wisdom on the one part and the circumstances of the period on the other1 this is the rle the ,wise in actual fact fulfilled4 ,now it is evident that the nature of the work presented to them was such as to make the advocacy of nationalism or even of the duty of conformity to the ,law somewhat irrelevant for them4 ,it was for others to enjoin these things4 ,the ,wise kept to their own path4 ,broad-minded yet loyal ,jews1 they were engaged on a task that happened to be naturally independent of the ritual injunctions of the ,law and of any immediate political concerns4#di ,it was their business to urge morality1 and to be very practical in so doing2 to tell men how to get on and not be blackguards2 to persuade men that the wages of sin is not victory but death--a noble task1 however matter-of-fact the means they used for its achievement4 ,we believe1 then1 that the universalism of these proverbs is to be explained chiefly as the mark of the ,wise-men's ability to keep to the point1 not as evidence either of lack of patriotism or of indifference to the national faith4 ,they were speaking to the heart on the common things of daily life that men of all races necessarily share with one another4 ,consequently--perhaps without their knowing or intending it--what they said transcended time and country4 ,it was none the less work for their people4 ,as we hope to show later1 there is good reason to believe that the plain1 common-sense morality of the ,wise preserved for ,judaism the respect and affection of many ordinary men1 whom the ,levites1 with all their enthusiasm for the specific forms of the national worship1 would have lost4 ,religion has no right to despise or overlook even the least of its advocates4 ,there was ,one who said1 8,he that is not against us is on our part40 ,reviewing the argument of these pages and the suggestions of the last chapter1 we conclude that1 whilst the ranks of the ,wise were wide enough to include men of diverse character and outlook1 they must be credited with having had a definite standpoint and a method of their own well suited to the circumstances of their times4 ,let us now turn our attention from the ,wise themselves to the men they observed4 ,let us walk with ,judah and ,joseph through the busy streets1 and take our stand with them in the open spaces by the city-gates1 and overhear their comments on the scenes of human intercourse which met their eyes4 ,let us1 as it were1 join some group that has gathered round to enjoy their talk1 to applaud their maxims and their morals1 to laugh as the characteristics of this man or of that are hit off in some shrewd epigram1 and perhaps--if need be--to take to heart the lesson4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the popular talk there were doubtless many sayings concerning the habits of the various craftsmen and traders--the potter1 the sandal-maker1 and so forth--but 7perhaps because the purpose of the ,wise was so broadly humanistic in its outlook7 such specialistic sayings are rare in the literature the ,sages have left us4 ,a few1 however1 do occur in which men are pictured from the standpoint of their external relationships1 and with these we may conveniently begin4 ,first1 then1 an observation so faithful to human nature that it has never lost its spice and is appropriate in all countries1 although it must always have had peculiar pungency in the deceitful1 haggling1 ,eastern marts4 ,behold the bargain-hunter drawn to the life3 8,it is nought1 it is nought10 saith the buyer2 ,but when he is gone on his way then he boasteth 7,pr4 #bjad74 ,not a man in old ,jerusalem but must have felt the dry humour and the accusing truth4 ,but here is the other side of the transaction3 ,a merchant shall hardly keep himself from doing wrong1 ,and a huckster shall not be acquitted of sin4 ,many have transgressed for the sake of gain1 ,and the fortune-hunter requires a blind eye4 ,as a nail will stick fast between the joinings of stones1 ,so will sin thrust in between buying and selling 7,e4 #bfbi-bgb74 ,six of one and half a dozen of the other1 but perhaps neither buyer nor seller were such rogues as they are painted6 ,let us allow a discount for the epigram4 ,of the man in debt1 a problem for society in all periods1 the ,sages said plainly but sufficiently3 ,the rich man lords it over the poor1 ,and the borrower is the lender's slave 7,pr4 #bbg74 ,ben ,sirach1 however1 was much more graphic2 says he1 ,many have treated a loan as a windfall1 ,and have been a plague to those that helped them4 ,till the loan is lent1 he will kiss a man's hand1 ,and for his neighbour's money will speak right humbly2 ,but when payment falls due1 he prolongs the days1 ,and girds and grumbles and says1 8,hard times0 7,e4 #bid1 #e74 ,support for ,ben ,sirach's description might still be obtained4 ,the rendering of assistance to unfortunate members of the community has always been a prominent and admirable feature of ,jewish society1 and quotations to be given later on will bear witness to the esteem in which the ,sages held the practice of charity4 ,but the alms-giving was not wide enough1 or else not deep enough or 7it may be7 not wise enough--as our own is not yet--to succour the lowest stratum of society4 ,remember ,lazarus at the rich man's gate3 apparently there were such as he in ,ben ,sirach's time1 whether brought low by misfortune or by fault3 ,my son1 lead not a beggar's life2 ,it is better to die than to beg4 ,a man that looketh unto the table of another1 ,his life is not to be counted life 7,e4 #djbh-bi74 ,in ,e4 #ch1 ,ben ,sirach discusses an ancient and unsettled controversy--subject1 the doctor4 ,as he devotes half a chapter to the matter1 we may reasonably assign it a paragraph4 ,it would seem that in those days the medical profession was under a slight cloud4 ,some people 7and for these we have no mercy3 they were doubtless prescribing for others1 not for themselves7 were of opinion that all sorts of healing were an invention of iniquity and an attempt to thwart ,god's will4 ,ben ,sirach enters a healthy-minded protest against these fanatical obscurantists1 insisting on the healing properties of plants3 ,was not water made sweet with wood to acquaint every man of ,god's power8 7,e4 #che72 an allusion to ,exod4 #aebe4 ,more damaging is the unspoken but obvious implication of the sober-minded ,chronicler when he records concerning ,king ,asa that in the thirty and ninth year of his reign ,asa was diseased in his feet2 his disease was exceeding great2 yet in his disease he sought not to the ,lord1 but to the physicians4 ,and ,asa 444 died in the one and fortieth year of his reign 7#b ,chron4 #afab74 ,but to this the physician may make a weighty answer4 ,until later times than ,asa's it seems possible that orthodox medical practice was in the hands of the priestly classes1 and therefore it may be suspected that ,asa is censured for having committed the unpardonable wickedness of daring to call in one of the non-priestly practitioners1 dealers in herbs and incantations1 outsiders1 quacks1 charlatans1 impostors all of them4 ,but unfortunately1 whatever the rights and wrongs of ,asa's case1 it must be admitted that the profession did not wholly succeed in quelling the doubts about its merits4 ,physician1 heal thyself--so ran the proverb in our ,lord's time 7,luke #dbc71 and is it not written of a certain poor woman that she had suffered many things of many physicians1 and had spent all that she had1 and was nothing better1 but rather worse 7,mark #ebf78 ,moreover1 reluctantly1 we have to notice that the ,mishna1 still later1 gives utterance to the disconcerting opinion that the best of physicians is deserving of ,gehenna 7,kidd1 #dad74 ,well1 well1 it is a vexed question4 ,with relief let us turn1 in conclusion1 to ,ben ,sirach's altogether cheerier view4 ,the ,lord1 says he1 created medicines out of the earth1 and a prudent man will not despise them4 ,wherefore1 honour a physician as thou needest him with the honours due2 for verily the ,lord hath created him4 ,for from the ,most ,high cometh his healing1 and from the king he shall receive a gift4444 ,my son1 in thy sickness be not negligent1 but pray unto the ,lord1 and ,he shall heal thee4 ,put away wrong-doing1 and order thine hands aright1 and cleanse thine heart from all manner of sin4 ,offer a sweet offering and a memorial1 set in order a fat offering as best thou art able4 ,then give place to the physician1 and let him not go from thee1 for thou hast need of him4 ,there is a time when in their hands is the issue for good3 they also shall beseech the ,lord that ,he may prosper them to find out what is wrong and to save the life 7,e4 #cha-ae7--then1 as the conclusion of the passage1 in the ,greek text come these words which read like a very doubtful compliment1 ,he that sinneth before his ,maker-- ,let him fall into the hands of the physician4 ,but ,ben ,sirach must be acquitted of malice1 for the ,greek text turns out to be a mistranslation of the original ,hebrew which fortunately has here been recovered2 and all ends happily thus3 ,he that sinneth before his ,maker ,will behave himself proudly before a physician4 ,good doctrine6 ,sound therapeutics and sound theology are allies1 not enemies4 ,reference to the special trades may be few1 but some of those few are memorable4 ,thus the only allusion in ,proverbs to the unskilled labourer is one of the poignant sayings of the ,book3 ,the labourer's appetite laboureth for him1 ,for his mouth constrains him to toil 7,pr4 #afbf73 ,hunger6 that unwearying goad of men1 so beneficial to the race1 so pitilessly cruel to the individual4 ,ben ,sirach gives us a glimpse of many men in some graphic verses--the ploughman1 the cattle-driver1 the engraver1 the smith1 the potter3 ,the wisdom of the scribe cometh by opportunity of leisure1 ,and he that hath little business shall become wise4 ,how shall he become wise that holdeth the plough1 ,that glorieth in the shaft of the goad1 ,that driveth oxen1 and is busied in their labours1 ,and whose discourse is of the stock of bulls8 ,he will set his heart upon the turning of furrows1 ,and his wakefulness is to give his heifers their fodder4 ,so is every artificer and workmaster ,that passeth his time by night as by day1 ,cutting gravings of signets1 ,and his diligence is to make great variety3 ,he will set his heart to preserve likeness in his portraiture1 ,and will be wakeful to finish his work4 ,so is the smith sitting by the anvil ,and considering the unwrought iron2 ,the vapour of the fire will waste his flesh1 ,and with the heat of the furnace will he contend2 ,the noise of the hammer will be ever in his ear ,and his eyes upon the pattern of the vessel3 ,he will set his heart upon perfecting his works1 ,and he will be wakeful to adorn them perfectly4 ,so is the potter sitting at his work1 ,and turning the wheel about with his feet2 ,who is alway anxiously set at his work1 ,and all his handicraft is by number2 ,he will fashion the clay with his arm1 ,and bend its strength in front of his feet2 ,he will apply his heart to finish the glazing1 ,and he will be wakeful to make clean the furnace4 ,all these put their trust in their hands1 ,and each becometh wise in his own work4 ,without these shall not a city be inhabited ,and wherever they sojourn they will not hunger4 ,they shall not be sought for in the council of the people1 ,and in the assembly they shall not mount up on high2 ,they shall not sit on the seat of the judge1 ,nor understand the covenant of judgement1 ,neither shall they declare instruction and judgement1 ,and among them that speak proverbs they shall not be found4 ,but they will maintain the fabric of the world1 ,and in the handiwork of their craft is their prayer 7,e4 #chbd-cd74 ,the passage is so interesting an illustration of the attitude of the educated ,jews towards manual labour that a digression is irresistible4 ,among the ,greeks all humbler forms of labour were heartily despised4 ,in ancient society so much of the rough work was performed by slaves that the fortunate classes could and1 as a rule1 did find occupation in military1 political1 commercial1 and literary or artistic affairs4 ,even the farmer was reckoned of small account1 because1 despite the honest worth of his occupation1 his busy life and practical interests denied him the intellectual leisure of the town population4 ,the ,romans had certain incidents in their historical traditions that gave to agriculture a measure of honour1 at least in theory4 ,otherwise their standpoint was much the same as that of the ,greeks4 ,but the ,jews maintained a more generous and a very sensible attitude1 as is exemplified by this quotation from ,ben ,sirach4 ,they recognised the limitations imposed by hard toil1 but at the same time they saw that it had an essential part to play in the economy of the whole1 and therefore they freely acknowledged its merits3 ,hate not laborious work1 ,for toil hath been appointed of ,god 7,e4 #gae74 ,nevertheless ,ben ,sirach is well pleased that ,god had not made him a farmer or a smith4 ,it is evident that he did not deem the art of the craftsman compatible with learning2 and1 since he loved his scribe's life1 his satisfaction at having full leisure to prosecute the search for ,wisdom is very human and pardonable4 ,all the same1 some may feel there is a touch of intellectual snobbery in his tone4 ,if so1 his successors1 the ,rabbis of later ,judaism1 did not follow him in the fault4 ,they took the view that the degrading tendencies of certain occupations must be frankly recognised1 but that there were many trades requiring manual toil which ought to be highly esteemed4#ej ,in that most interesting work of the first and second century ,a4,d41 ,the ,sayings of the ,jewish ,fathers1 we read that ,shemaiah said1 ,love work4 ,rabbi ,meir1 however1 said cautiously1 ,have little business1 and be busy in the ,law4 ,it is said in the ,talmud 7,kidd1 #ii;a7 that ,whosoever doth not teach his son work1 teacheth him to rob4 ,these remarks scarcely carry the question beyond ,ben ,sirach's view4 ,but many of the ,rabbis went much further and urged that religious and intellectual studies were not profitably undertaken unless accompanied by some acquaintance with manual labour4 ,thus1 said ,rabbi ,gamaliel 7about #ij ,a4,d471 ,an excellent thing is study of the ,law combined with some worldly trade 444 but all study of the ,law apart from manual toil must fail at last and be the cause of sin4 ,another1 and a powerful1 saying is this3 ,flay a carcase in the street and earn a living1 and say not1 8,i am a famous man1 and the work is beneath my dignity40 ,st4 ,paul will doubtless occur to many as an instance of a great scholar who was proud to know and to exercise the trade of tent-making4 ,recall how earnestly he protested to the ,christians of ,corinth his independence of their monetary help 7cp4 ,acts #aha-c2 #a ,cor4 #dab1 #b ,cor4 #aai74 ,this admirable association of labour and learning persisted among the ,jews1 and their history contains many examples of splendid men who combined the virtues of great scholarship with the pursuit of some humble means of livelihood4 ,some of the best-known ,rabbis of the ,middle ,ages supported themselves by labouring as carpenters1 shoemakers1 builders1 bakers1 and so forth4 ,of the numerous sayings concerning wealth and poverty we may mention some that bring before us the concrete picture of men rich and poor4 ,here is one that is eloquent of the bitterness of the contrast3 ,the rich man's wealth is his strong city2 ,the poor man's poverty is his undoing 7,pr4 #ajae74 ,even to-day1 in a land where ,justice is designed to be even-handed1 but must needs be approached through the lawyer1 who imagines that the rich and the poor stand on level terms8 ,even among the well-to-do the majority of men would think twice before engaging in legal warfare with a millionaire or a railway company4 ,of the friendlessness of the poor there are these pathetic proverbs3 ,wealth addeth many friends1 ,but the poor is separated even from the friend he hath 7,pr4 #aid74 ,the poor is hated even of his own neighbour1 ,but the rich hath many friends 7,pr4 #adbj74ea ,and this from ,ben ,sirach3 ,my son1 deprive not the poor of his living1 ,and make not the needy eyes to wait long 7,e4 #da74 ,do not those eyes stare hungrily from the proverb1 and seem to gaze after us as we hurry on8 ,a sterner note is heard in this almost ironical observation3 ,a rich man toileth in gathering money1 and when he resteth he is filled with his good things3 ,a poor man toileth in lack of substance1 and when he resteth he cometh to want 7,e4 #cac74 ,two beautiful passages in the ,book of ,proverbs recognise that the problem of success goes deeper than riches3 ,better a dinner of herbs where love is1 ,than a fatted ox and hatred therewith 7,pr4 #aeag74 ,remove far from me vanity and lies3 ,give me neither poverty nor riches2 ,feed me with the food that is needful for me3#eb ,lest ,i be full1 and deny ,thee1 and say1 8,who is the ,lord80 ,or lest ,i be poor1 and steal1 ,and use profanely the name of my ,god 7,pr4 #cjh1 #i74 ,both grand sayings4 ,the last is a really noble prayer for the ,golden ,mean1 and at the same time an effective accusation which we know to be only too true of many self-confident rich men on the one hand1 and many embittered poor men on the other4 ,finally1 let us ruminate on the fact that wealth and dyspepsia are old acquaintances3 ,better is a poor man1 being sound and of good constitution1 than a rich man that is plagued in his body1 says ,ben ,sirach 7,e4 #cjad72 and doubtless he had plenty of shocking examples to confirm his opinion1 if there be any truth in ,poseidonius' description of the ,hellenic cities whose citizens 8practically lived in the banqueting halls10 and were wont to pocket what they could not there devour4 ,in the next place we may turn to proverbs dealing with character4 ,fastening upon one outstanding quality1 for the moment they identify the personality with it4 ,and if that is never entirely fair to any human being--because even the best of us is1 for instance1 never perfectly brave1 nor the worst of us wholly mean--nevertheless it is good to be told bluntly whither the bias of our nature tends4 ,to isolate the ,virtues and the ,vices and to hold them up for praise or blame has ever been a favourite and a successful method of moral education4 ,the quotations that follow are1 as it were1 swift portraits1 some of them only lightning sketches1 seizing in outline some obvious feature2 but others 7for all their brevity7 are so full of life and colour1 and often so tellingly correct1 that no comment is needed to enforce the justice or importance of what is said4 ,they have been compared to 8,meissonier pictures3 minute1 graphic1 realistic1 unromantic2 pictures drawn not by ,fancy but by ,observation0#ec3-- ,,the ,,mean ,,man ,riches are not comely for a niggard1 ,and what shall a covetous man do with money8 ,he that gathereth by miserliness gathereth for others1 ,and others shall revel in his goods 7,e4 #adc1 #d74 ,the miser hasteth after riches ,and knoweth not that want shall come upon him 7,pr4 #bhbb74 ,,and ,,the ,,generous ,there is that scattereth1 and increaseth yet more2 ,and there is that withholdeth1 and it tendeth only to want4 ,the liberal man shall prosper the more1 ,and he that nourisheth others shall himself be nourished 7,pr4 #aabd1 #be7-- ,but appearances are sometimes deceptive3 ,there is that feigneth himself rich1 yet hath nothing2 ,and there is that feigneth poverty1 yet hath great wealth 7,pr4 #acg74 ,there are numerous sayings dealing with the tale-bearer and the mischief-maker1 for slander was a prominent evil of the crowded ,oriental cities3 ,,the ,,slanderer ,the liar disseminates strife3 ,the whisperer parteth friends 7,pr4 #afbh74 ,for lack of wood the fire goes out1 ,and where there is no whisperer1 contention ceaseth 7,pr4 #bfbj74 ,,the ,,mischief-,,maker ,an evil man digs a pit of mischief ,and on his lips is a fire that burns#ed 7,pr4 #afbg74 ,an evil man1 a sinful man1 deals always in crooked speech4 ,he winks his eyes and shuffles his feet1 ,and his fingers make secret signs3 ,his thoughts are all plots1 ,he plans ceaselessly mischief2 ,a spreader of discord4 ,wherefore1 his ruin shall come in an instant4 ,like a flash he'll be broken1 and that beyond mending 7,pr4 #fab-ae74 ,,the ,,boaster ,as clouds and wind that yield no rain1 ,so is he who brags of gifts ungiven 7,pr4 #bead74 ,,the ,,self-,,confident ,,man4 ,the fool is quite certain his way is right1 ,but the wise man listens to counsel 7,pr4 #abae74 ,seest thou a man wise in his own conceit8 ,there is more hope of a fool than of him 7,pr4 #bfab74 --the last1 a saying that increases in force when a little later we come to note just what the ,wise-men thought of a fool6 ,with these proverbs on the ,proud we may conveniently group some sayings on the man whose tongue runs away with his discretion3 ,,the ,,garrulous ,,man ,the tongue of the ,wise distils knowledge1 ,but the mouth of fools poureth out folly 7,pr4 #aeb74 ,a fool's mouth is his destruction1 ,his lips are the snare of his soul 7,pr4 #ahg74 ,a fool's vexation is instantly known1 ,but a prudent man ignores an affront 7,pr4 #abaf74 ,how true6 ,most normal persons have acquired the power to delay or suppress the answer that rises to the lips in anger1 but which of us would not confess that it was hard to learn this wisdom and that it is never easy to observe its teaching8 ,the temptation to blurt out all our thought in time of trouble or vexation is always with us4 ,in the hot-tempered ,east restraint was even more necessary than it is amongst ourselves1 and one is therefore not surprised to find the absence of this virtue receiving the same fearsome condemnation as self-confidence3 ,seest thou a man that is hasty of speech8 ,there is more hope of a fool than of him 7,pr4 #bibj74 ,next1 a group of proverbs concerning certain persons who to their own great surprise have missed success in society4 ,the list may begin with a character one scarcely expects to meet in ,scripture3 ,,the ,,practical ,,joker ,as a madman that casteth firebrands1 arrows and death1 ,so is he who deceives his neighbour and cries1 8,i was only in jest0 7,pr4 #bfah1 #ai74 ,then some advice to ,,the ,,boor ,,in ,,society#ee ,when thou sittest to eat with a ruler ,bear in mind his lordship's presence2 ,and if thou be a hearty eater1 ,put a knife to thy throat 7,pr4 #bca-c74 ,and1 thirdly1 in two proverbs1 ,,the ,,inopportune ,,man ,as one that taketh off a garment in cold weather1 ,and as vinegar upon a wound2 ,so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart 7,pr4 #bebj7ef4 ,he that blesseth his friend with a loud voice1 rising early in the morning2 ,it shall be counted a curse unto him 7,pr4 #bgad74 ,the last saying prompts the thought that ,mr4 ,e4 ,v4 ,lucas is also among the ,sages1 for has he not given it as his opinion that 8early rising leads to self-conceit1 intolerance1 and dulness after dinner08 8,the old poet10 says he1 8was right-- #8,when the morning riseth red ,rise not thou but keep thy ,bed2 ,when the ,dawn is dull and gray ,sleep is still the better way3 ,beasts are up betimes1 but then ,they are beasts and we are men4'0 ,the last of the social failures is the ,flatterer1 oily and ingratiating1 but treacherous and in the end exposed3 ,,the ,,flatterer ,the words of a flatterer are like dainty morsels ,going down to the innermost parts of the body 7,pr4 #ahh74 ,a man that flattereth his neighbour ,spreadeth a net for his feet 7,pr4 #bie2 cp4 #bfbh74 ,he that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favour ,than he that flattereth with the tongue 7,pr4 #bhbc74 ,theophrastus1 a ,greek writer1 has left us certain character-sketches of ,athenian society about #cjj ,b4,c41 many of which might profitably be studied in relation to these ,hebrew epigrams4 ,his essay on ,the ,flatterer is a case in point4 ,here is the ,greek conception3-- 8,flattery may be considered as a mode of companionship1 base but profitable to him who flatters4 ,the flatterer is a person who will say as he walks with another1 #8,do you see how people are looking at you8 ,this happens to no man in ,athens but you4'444 ,with these and the like words he will remove a morsel of wool from his patron's coat2 or1 if a speck of chaff has been laid on the other's hair by the wind1 he will pick it off1 adding with a laugh1 #8,do you see8 ,because ,i have not met you for two days1 you have had your beard full of white hairs--although no one has darker hair for his years than you8' ,then he will request the company to be silent while the great man is speaking1 and will praise him too in his hearing1 and mark his approbation at a pause with #8,true'2 or he will laugh at a frigid joke and stuff his cloak in his mouth as if he could not repress his amusement4 ,he will request those who pass by to #8stand still until ,his ,honour has passed4'444 ,when he assists at the purchase of slippers1 he will declare that the foot is more shapely than the shoes4 ,if his patron is approaching a friend1 he will run forward and say #8,he is coming to you'2 and then1 turning back1 #8,i have announced you4'444 ,he is the first of the guests to praise the wine1 and to say as he reclines next the host1 8,how delicate is your fare1' and 7taking up something from the table7 #8,now this--how excellent it is4'444 ,he will take the cushions from the slave in the theatre and spread them on the seat with his own hands4 ,he will say that his patron's house is well built1 his land well planted1 and that his portrait is excellent40#eg ,even when full allowance is made for the unity of authorship and the conscious and careful artistry of the ,greek writing1 it must be felt that comparison between the ,hebrew portrait and the ,greek is scarcely possible1 the advantage is so entirely with the latter4 ,the ,wise were perhaps unusually dull in their dicta concerning the ,flatterer1 but at their best they never come within sight of the brilliant detail that makes the ,greek portrait live before our eyes4 ,it is all the more significant therefore that the ,hebrew has hit the one point that the ,greek ignores or overlooks3 the moral issues of flattery4 ,theophrastus1 the artist1 observes that flattery is a base employment2 with its evil and disastrous consequences he does not trouble himself4 ,the ,wise miss almost everything except that3 ,a man that flattereth his neighbour1 said they1 spreadeth a net for his feet4 ,they offer an unadorned assertion2 but1 taken to heart1 it would prove more useful to society than all the subtlety of the ,athenian delineation4 ,note then in passing how the contrast is an epitome of the struggle between the two world-ideas1 ,hellenic and ,jewish2 on the one hand the overwhelming charm and skill of the ,greek1 and on the other the unfailing instinct of the ,hebrew for the one thing the ,greek world lacked4 ,,the ,,lazy ,,man ,in the lazy man the ,wise found a subject that stirred not only their wit but also their eloquence4 ,in two instances proverb has expanded to become a parable and a picture1 both of which arrive at the same conclusion4 ,the parable is very famous-- ,go to the ant1 thou sluggard1 ,consider her ways and be wise1 ,which1 having no chief1 overseer or ruler1 ,provideth her meat in the summer ,and gathereth her food in the harvest4 ,how long wilt thou sleep1 ,o sluggard8 ,when wilt thou arise from thy slumber8 ,yet a little sleep1 a little slumber1 ,a little folding of the hands to sleep-- ,so shall thy poverty come as a robber1 ,and thy want as an armed man 7,pr4 #ff-aa74 ,but the picture deserves to be no less familiar3 ,i passed by the field of the slothful1 ,by the vineyard of the witless man3 ,and lo6 it was all grown over with thorns1 ,its surface was covered with nettles1 ,its stonewall was broken down4 ,yet a little sleep1 a little slumber1 ,a little folding of the hands to sleep-- ,so shall thy poverty come as a robber1 ,and thy want as an armed man 7,pr4 #bdcj-cd74 ,besides these longer sketches there are several brief and pithy words about the lazy man4 ,first1 a delightful 8hit0 at him to whom any excuse for idleness is better than none3 ,the sluggard saith1 8,there is a lion outside4 ,i shall be slain in the streets60 7,pr4 #bbac74 ,and here are two beautiful verses which breathe the very air of indolence3 ,as the door turneth upon its hinges1 ,so doth the sluggard upon his bed4 ,the sluggard burieth his hand in the dish2 ,it wearyeth him to bring it to his mouth again 7,pr4 #bfad1 #ae74 ,the verse immediately following 7,pr4 #bfaf7 will serve to conclude this topic1 for it shows the sluggard to be own cousin to the type of man whom next we shall consider3 ,the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit ,than seven men that can render a reason4 ,as the ,wise went through the streets of ,jerusalem and stood to teach in its open spaces1 they observed certain men of various occupations1 differing one from another both in social rank and in mental ability1 whom nevertheless they classed under one category--,,the ,,sons ,,of ,,folly4 ,there were1 of course1 distinctions in the nature of their folly4 ,the ,authorised and ,revised ,versions are content to differentiate only three types1 namely--,simpletons#eh 7whether from lack of brain or lack of instruction1 8,dullards071 ,scorners#ei1 and ,fools4 ,the ,hebrew text goes further and classifies the last named1 the ,fools1 into 7#a7 ,ivvillim1 those whose folly is due chiefly to the unrealised weakness of their nature--ignorant1 vain1 confident1 headstrong1 infatuate persons3 in a word1 8stupid fools02 and 7#b7 ,kesilim1 whose is the folly of a gross and sensual nature1 men who are morally1 rather than mentally1 unresponsive to the finer aspects of life--insensate1 brutish persons1 8coarse fools02 and 7#c7 the ,nabal1 the man who is deliberate in his wrong-doing1 the 8,fool of ,fools10 but whose folly is only folly1 provided the moral instinct of ,humanity is sound and the law of the ,universe is ultimately against evil and ,man was meant for ,god and goodness4 ,he it is of whom a ,psalmist1 getting to the very root of the problem1 says ,the fool hath said in his heart3 8,there is no ,god40 ,having made the fundamental error1 his whole judgment of life has become perverted4 ,probably he is an astute person2 but the greater his ability1 the greater and more pernicious will be his folly4 ,naturally1 this fool and the scorner were often one and the same person4 ,the ,wise speak little of him1 except in his capacity as a scorner2 but they recognise that he is terrible4 ,one of the four things that cause the earth to tremble1 say they1 is when a man of this sort is filled with meat 7,pr4 #cjbb74 ,elsewhere 7,pr4 #agg7 they remark sarcastically that ,honest words do not become a fool--decency would be out of keeping with his character4 ,so much for 8the ,fool par excellence40 ,the rest of the sayings about 8fools0 are concerned with those of the first and second types4 ,if it were our intention to go into the teaching fully1 the nice distinctions of the ,hebrew would have to be observed with care4#fj ,but now that the ,nabal has been considered1 it will be sufficient to follow the classification of the ,english ,bible--scorners1 simpletons1 and fools--allowing the precise distinction between the weak and the coarse fool to lapse4 ,the ,simpleton is one type2 his folly may1 and should be1 cured by instruction4 ,but he is disappointingly dull of hearing and 8slow at the uptake03 ,how long1 ye simple ones1 will ye love simplicity8 cries ,wisdom to them 7,pr4 #abb74 ,nevertheless1 although the teacher may fail to give them efficient brains1 he can perhaps save them from evil and1 in a quiet1 humble way they may learn that fear of the ,lord which is a sufficiency of true ,wisdom4 ,wherefore on the whole the ,wise spoke to these men sympathetically and hopefully3 so in the exordium which states the purpose of the ,book of ,proverbs we are told that it is meant to give prudence to the simple 7,pr4 #ad74 ,to the average fool the ,wise were severe4 ,were they fair in being so8 ,surely many of these fools were either weak-willed or coarse1 as the case might be1 because they were just uninstructed 8simpletons80 ,no6 ,these are they who have opportunity but refuse or neglect it4 ,therefore their condition is culpable1 and the ,wise do well not to mince matters concerning the folly of their conduct4 ,such persons require to be kicked into sense1 and the ,wise were of opinion that in some instances the kicking might with advantage begin by being physical4 ,hold6 ,of whom are we speaking8 ,of the inhabitants of ,jerusalem8 ,yes1 but1 suppose we were analysing the population of our own times1 would there not be more than a few found guilty of just such folly--men and women undisciplined in mind and soul8 ,possessing plenty of wits and much capacity for moral feeling1 they fling their chances aside4 ,it is a perilous attitude towards the realities of life1 for refusal to learn grows ever easier as life goes on4 ,what chance do thousands give themselves of acquiring ,christian faith1 or even of maintaining or improving their intellectual and moral qualities8 ,do they seek for the good in the ,christian ,churches1 or for the faults1 and so miss the good8 ,how much study have they given to the knowledge of ,god in ,christ8 ,many have consulted their ,bradshaw more often than their ,bible4 ,what efforts do they make to apprehend the meaning and value of ,christianity in face of modern knowledge and in view of modern conditions8 8,last ,sunday you managed to evade the message which ,god sent you3 that makes it much easier to evade the message ,he sends you to-day4 ,next ,sunday you will be almost totally indifferent4 ,soon you will get out of reach of ,his word altogether1 saying it does you no good4 ,then you will deny that it is ,his word or ,his message40#fa ,this reference to ,church-going is of course but one point out of many3 the principle at issue is one which vitally concerns the whole of a man's attitude to life4 ,the fool is almost unteachable1 and that of course is his supreme peril4 ,he is so self-confident1 so unreasonable1 so certain he is right and others wrong4 ,he does not dream of becoming wiser1 because already he knows himself to be as wise as ,solomon4 ,therefore the ,sages are justified in their unsparing rebukes4 ,what is wrong with the fool1 is primarily his moral condition2 and accordingly for the moment we need not trouble to distinguish between the weak fool and the coarse4 ,what is censured in them both is neither their present silliness nor their grossness1 but their unwillingness to learn4 ,they have what amounts to an error of moral vision1 and they desperately need to realise the fact4 ,mr4 ,chesterton has somewhere said1 8,the fool is one who has an impediment in his thought4 ,it is not1 as the modern fellows say1 put there by his grandmother4 ,i have wandered over the world 7so to speak7 trying to find some faithful1 simple soul who really believed in his own grandmother4 ,he does not exist4 ,the first act of the fool1 when he is articulate1 is to teach his grandmother how to suck eggs4 ,fools have no reverence4 ,fools have no humility40 ,doubtless a man must not be blamed for the initial quality of his mind1 and possibly the ,wise were too caustic to the congenitally stupid4 ,but then the ,wisdom they were teaching was not intellectually difficult to acquire2 it was not book-learning but that ,wisdom which is from on high and can be revealed to babes and sucklings4 ,as for the third class1 the ,scorner or ,chief ,fool2 he too suffers from corruption of moral vision4 ,but with him the distortion is desperate3 he calls white black and black white4 ,for this alert1 deliberate ,fool1 the ,wise had little hope or none at all2 he has chosen the path of ,folly with his eyes open4 ,all they can do is to meet his scorn with a greater scorn1 and make their appeal in his hearing4 ,one does not wonder that the ,wise were baffled by this type of man4 ,there is hope of such a person1 but the hope is in the fact of ,christ4 ,this ,fool has wit enough to rethink the situation1 if he chose4 ,he may some day have imperative cause to reconsider his view of life1 and so may discover first that ,christ is truth1 and then learn that ,christ can pardon4 ,we turn now to the sayings themselves1 or rather to a selection from them1 for the sons of ,folly provoked very many proverbs4 ,a number are humorous and spicy--the sort of phrases that might catch the ear of a crowd1 raise a laugh at the fool's expense1 and remain fixed in the hearer's memory by the barb of wit4 ,think1 for instance1 of the feeble1 vacillating eyes that so often accompany and reflect a weak intellect or character3 ,wisdom stands ever before the mind of a prudent man1 ,but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth 7,pr4 #agbd74 and for comment on the mind behind the eyes1 this will do3 ,the mind of a fool is like a cartwheel1 ,and his thoughts like a rolling axle-tree 7,e4 #cce74 ,the ,wise laid their finger with much accuracy on the salient features of the foolish character4 ,thus in the dullard they point to his credulity1 ,the simpleton believeth every word1 but the prudent looketh well to his going 7,pr4 #adae74 ,the fool is apt to be greedy of reward1 ,the fool will say 8,i have no friend and ,i have no thanks for my good deeds 7,e4 #bjaf72 and grudging in his charity1 ,to-day he will lend but to-morrow he will ask it again 7,e4 #bjae71 although himself a spendthrift1 ,precious treasure abides in the ,wise man's house1 but a foolish man swallows it up 7,pr4 #babj1 cp4 ,pr4 #ada74 ,he is a blusterer1 ,a ,wise man is cautious and avoids misfortune1 but the fool rageth and is confident 7,pr4 #adaf72 shallow and frivolous1 ,as the crackling of thorns under a pot1 so is the laughter of a fool 7,ecclesiastes #gf72 garrulous1 saying what he thinks before he thinks what he says1 ,the heart of fools is in their mouth1 but the mouth of wise men is in their heart4 7,e4 #babf72 changeable and unreliable1 ,the foolish man changeth as the moon 7,e4 #bgaa72 ,take not counsel with a fool1 for he will not be able to conceal the matter 7,e4 #hag74 ,he is a bully often1 but his courage is unstable1 ,pales set on a high place will not stand against the wind2 so the cowardice in a foolish heart will not bear up against any fear 7,e4 #bbah74 ,he aspires to be witty1 but seldom has wit enough1 ,the legs of the lame hang loose3 so does a parable in the mouth of fools 7,pr4 #bfg74 ,nevertheless the fool's pride and self-confidence is complete1 ,the way of the foolish is right in his own eyes 7,pr4 #abae2 cp4 #adc1 #bhbf72 so that he loses sense of the awfulness of evil and even enjoys it1 ,it is as sport to a fool to do wickedness 7,pr4 #ajbc1 cp4 #acai72 sneering at those who fain would give him guidance1 ,a fool despiseth his father's correction 444 a fool scorns his mother 7,pr4 #aee1 #bj72 and hating information1 ,a fool hath no delight in understanding 7,pr4 #ahb74 ,thus it is almost useless to attempt to instruct a fool--here is a counsel of despair1 ,speak not in the hearing of a fool1 for he will despise the wisdom of thy words 7,pr4 #bci7--;and here is the sigh of the weary teacher1 ,wherefore is there a price in the hands of the fool to buy wisdom1 seeing that he hath no wits8 7,pr4 #agaf74 ,the inward parts of a fool are like a broken vessel1 and he will hold no knowledge 7,e4 #baad74 ,he that teacheth a fool is as one that glueth a potsherd together 7,e4 #bbg74 ,the fool1 in fact1 is in uttermost peril of being incorrigible1 ,he that discourseth to a fool is as one discoursing to a man that slumbereth2 at the end thereof he will say 8,what is it80 7,e4 #bbh74 ,altogether it is hard to suffer fools gladly3 ,a stone is heavy and the sand weighty1 ,but a fool's vexation is heavier than both 7,pr4 #bgc74 ,wherefore the ,wise dealt them some shrewd blows1 being well aware that the skin of the dullard and the scornful was tough3 ,a whip for a horse1 a bridle for an ass1 ,and a rod for the back of fools 7,pr4 #bfc74 ,as a dog returneth to his vomit1 ,so a fool repeateth his folly 7,pr4 #bfaa74 ,a rebuke entereth deeper into a sensible man ,than a hundred stripes into a fool 7,pr4 #agaj74 ,though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar1 ,yet will his folly not depart from him 7,pr4 #bgbb74 ,it may be thought that some of these words are over-bitter and even savage4 ,if so1 the plea can be advanced that there was probably much provocation4 ,the ,scorner seems to have been a familiar figure1 and he was doubtless clever enough to upset with his mockery many an audience to which the ,wise-man was holding forth4 ,he that correcteth a scorner getteth to himself insult1 and he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself reviling 7,pr4 #ig7--that sounds like the fruit of experience1 and there is much that is suggestive in this saying also--,the proud and haughty man1 scorner is his name1 he worketh in the arrogance of pride 7,pr4 #babd74 ,but if the ,wise suffered at times1 one gathers that they found no small consolation for their hurt dignity in such reflections as these3 ,answer not a fool according to his folly ,lest thou be like unto him 7,pr4 #bfd74 ,judgements are prepared for scorners1 ,and stripes for the back of fools 7,pr4 #aibi74 ,,chapter ,,viii ,the ,ideal ,the ,wise were not cynical persons intent on the faults and failings of humanity4 ,the sayings recorded in the preceding chapter give their comments on the abnormal elements of society1 and do not represent their general outlook on life4 ,the real centre of their interest was the ordinary man4 ,they were well aware that for one incorrigible fool or one notorious flatterer there are a hundred1 or a thousand1 average persons who1 if they do not grow better1 will assuredly grow worse2 and to these the bulk of their instruction was directed4 ,the ,wise therefore ought not to suffer in our estimation1 because we have arbitrarily chosen to set their critical opinions in the foreground4 ,and if it be insisted that1 in point of fact1 criticism of others is a prominent feature of the proverbs1 the reply is first1 that we are not endeavouring or expecting to prove the ,wise innocent of all censoriousness or occasional snobbery2 and secondly1 that criticism is an almost indispensable weapon for practical moralists4 ,human beings hate to be lectured directly on their weaknesses2 yet when the faults of others are being exhibited they will listen merrily and attentively1 notwithstanding the possibility that some shrewd blow may come knocking at the gates of conscience4 ,every teacher knows that the average man will be left only offended and unbelieving if he is told bluntly how much his small failings leave to be desired2 but show him by a shocking example whither the way of pride or folly tends and he will often take to heart the lesson4 ,it might therefore be claimed that in a sense all the proverbs were addressed to the normal1 teachable man1 even those which rebuke an extreme fault in an extreme manner being meant for the ears of others besides the hardened sinner against whom they were ostensibly directed4 ,certainly the great majority of the proverbs are applicable to the affairs of the rank and file of men4 ,so keen were the ,wise on the task of admonishing and encouraging very ordinary men that they uttered many a commonplace in a fashion too simple to be memorable or even momentarily interesting to any person of alert intelligence4 ,nevertheless such material cannot be neglected here1 and ought not to be despised4 ,it must not be neglected1 just because it is actually a large section of our subject matter2 it ought not to be despised1 for it all helps to show the humanism of the ,wise1 testifying that they were honest and practical teachers rather than clever writers anxious only to compile a book of skilful proverbs4 ,that teacher is to be condemned who cannot1 or will not1 relate his thinking to the capacities of his hearers4 ,the ,wise deserve praise because they said a great deal that even the simpleton could not plead was beyond him4 ,we have begun1 it seems1 by tasting some of the spices with which the ,wise seasoned their counsel4 ,we come now to the solid matter of their doctrine4 ,by noting the qualities they praised or blamed1 the deeds which won their approval or their censure1 we shall gain a general conception of their aspirations4 ,what were their ideals for men as individuals1 as members of a family1 as citizens of a ,state8 ,i4--,,the ,,individual ,the threefold division just suggested--man in his individual1 domestic and political relationships--seems simple and natural1 but proves difficult to maintain1 because the first category in reality trespasses on the other two4 ,strictly speaking1 none of the virtues and the vices concern the individual alone4 ,if a man ruin his health by intemperate indulgence of fleshly desires1 doubtless he is himself the prime sufferer1 but obviously the ,state loses something thereby1 and woe betide his family6 ,still1 such a quality as ,temperance may reasonably enough be classed as a personal virtue1 being primarily an aspect of ,man's duty to himself4 ,but what shall be said of duties such as ,generosity1 ,forbearance1 ,deceitfulness1 the exercise of which might be reckoned almost as much ,man's duty to his neighbours in family or ,state as to himself8 ,in which division shall we reckon these8 ,for convenience1 let these also be considered under the first heading as personal1 rather than social1 qualities4 ,enough material will still remain for use in the second and third sections of our topic4 7a7 ,,virtues ,,of ,,restraint4 ,a convenient starting-point for our review of the characteristics the ,wise desired to see in the individual is provided by certain negative virtues of restraint1 which the proverbs frequently enjoin4 ,sidenote3 ,i ,,of ,,the ,,appetite ,the duty of ,moderation in eating and drinking is sufficiently1 though not urgently1 commended3 ,he that loveth pleasure shall come to want1 and he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich 7,pr4 #baag7--;,a companion of gluttonous men shameth his father 7,pr4 #bhg74 ,again1 ,wine is a mocker1 strong drink a brawler1 and whoso erreth therein no wise man is he 7,pr4 #bja2 cp4 #bcbi-ce74 ,not that the ,wise were advocates of an ascetic abstinence3 they did no more than commend moderation4#fb ,thus ,ben ,sirach1 who certainly enjoyed banqueting on good food and good wine1 contents himself with advising the inexperienced 8not to eat greedily lest he be hated02 ,how sufficient1 says he1 to a well-mannered man is a very little1 and he doth not breathe hard upon his bed4 ,healthy sleep cometh of moderate eating2 he riseth early and his wits are with him4 ,the pain of wakefulness and colic and griping1 these go to the insatiable man 7,e4 #caai-bj74 ,sidenote3 ,,ii ,,of ,,anger ,the duty of curbing anger is emphasised in several telling proverbs4 ,doubtless the evil consequences of unbridled passion are more evident among the quick-tempered peoples of southern and eastern lands2 but the northerner is apt to be sullen1 and perhaps what he gains by initial restraint he loses through the permanence of his indignation4 ,who dare affirm that a warning against wrath is not sorely needed in all lands and all centuries8 ,what havoc has been wrought in human affairs by passion1 be it sullen or sudden6 ,not even poverty is chargeable with causing more pain and misery4 ,in delivering their admonitions the ,wise took up no specially exalted standpoint3 they were content to note the plain consequences of anger--its disastrous effect on society1 ,an angry man stirreth up strife and a wrathful man abounds in transgression 7,pr4 #bibb1 cp4 #aeah72 and how that the angry man 7too weak to conceal his emotions1 ,a fool uttereth all his anger but a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it ,pr4 #biaa71 must himself suffer in the end1 ,he that is soon angry will deal foolishly and a man of wicked desires is hated 7,pr4 #adag74 ,and again to much the same effect they said in a phrase that has become immortal1 ,he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty1 and he that controlleth his temper than he that taketh a city 7,pr4 #afcb74 ,how excellent that last proverb is6 8,so hot1 little man1 so hot80 ,the ,british ,government has discovered the uses of advertisement for thrusting facts before the unobservant3 one may disapprove the practice but not on the ground that it is ineffective4 ,what if this proverb 7and a few other valuable sayings that the ,jewish ,sages could supply7 were to appear one fine day on a million placards throughout the ,kingdom8 ,would the money go wasted1 or would there be the swiftest and most economical reform on record8 ,sidenote3 ,,iii ,,of ,,speech ,closely associated with restraint of passion is restraint of speech1 a duty which is considered in several forceful proverbs3 ,death and life are in the power of the tongue1 and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof 7,pr4 #ahba7--;,he that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life1 but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction 7,pr4 #acc74 ,of the specious dignity that silence for a time confers1 they said with truth and humour3 ,even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise2 when he shutteth his lips he is esteemed as prudent 7,pr4 #agbh74 ,on the other hand1 speaking the right word at the right time won their keen approval4 ,was it not the very art in which they themselves sought to excel8 ,a man hath joy in the answer of his lips1 and a word in due season how good it is 7,pr4 #aebc74 99 99 99 99 99 7b7 ,,things ,,to ,,avoid4 ,much can be learnt regarding the ideals of the ,wise by observing what they counselled men to shun4 ,thus the sayings on the ,sluggard 7p4 #abh7 might be used to show how they hated ,indolence3 ,as vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes1 so is the sluggard to them that send him 7,pr4 #ajbf74 ,they censured ,disdain and ,pride3 ,he that despiseth his neighbour is void of wisdom 7,pr4 #aaab7--,pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall 7,pr4 #afah74 ,ingratitude is dealt with in a restrained but memorable saying1 ,whoso rewardeth evil for good1 evil shall not depart out of his house 7,pr4 #agac72 and there are these two splendid proverbs against ,revenge1 ,say not1 8,i will recompense evil03 wait on the ,lord1 and he will save thee 7,pr4 #bjbb7--;and ,rejoice not when thine enemy falleth1 and let not thine heart be glad when he is overthrown1 lest the ,lord seeing it be displeased1 and transfer his anger from him to thee 7,pr4 #bdag-ah7fc4 ,recall1 by way of contrast1 the terrible ,italian proverbs quoted in ,chapter ,i4 7p4 #bc72 remember the innate ferocity1 derived from the ancient custom of the ,desert vendettas1 that has always characterised the quarrels of the near ,east2 and the wonder of such generous and noble exhortations as these in the ,jewish proverbs cannot fail to be perceived4 ,here is a vice which the ,wise counted worse even than anger3 ,wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming but who can stand against ,jealousy 7,pr4 #bgd78 ,they repeatedly point out the evil of contentiousness3 ,as coals to the hot embers and wood to fire1 so is a quarrelsome man to inflame strife 7,pr4 #bfba7--;,it is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife1 but every fool sheweth his teeth 7,pr4 #bjc74 ,one proverb makes use of two curious similes to enforce the lesson1 ,lay thine hand upon thy mouth2 for1 as the churning of milk bringeth forth butter1 and as wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood1 so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife 7,pr4 #cjcc7 and another with a touch of dry humour remarks1 ,he seizes a dog by the ears who meddles with a quarrel not his own 7,pr4 #bfag71 i4e41 having once taken hold he cannot let go6 ,what the ,wise thought of ,slander and of ,flattery has been indicated sufficiently in the preceding chapter4 ,dissimulation and ,treachery stirred them to a fine contempt3 ,fervent lips and a wicked heart are an earthen vessel plated with silver4 ,he that hateth dissembleth with his lips1 but layeth up deceit within him3 when he speaketh fair1 believe him not2 for in his heart are seven abominations4 ,though his hatred cloak itself with guile1 his wickedness shall be shown openly before the congregation 7,pr4 #bfbc-bf7--;brave words and vigorous6 ,one feels very sure that the ,empire which betrayed its mind in the ,hymn of ,hate would need to show more than the penitence of fair words on fervent lips before it could hope for clemency from this ,sage4 7c7 ,,the ,,virtues4 ,so much for the ,vices4 ,it is time to consider the positive qualities that the ,sages praised1 and the foregoing picture of guile raises thoughts of its opposite4 ,let us begin therefore with the praises of ,true ,friendship4 ,ben ,sirach expands the subject into a little essay3 ,if thou wouldest get thee a friend1 get him by dint of trial1 and be not in haste to trust him4 ,for there is a friend that is such for his own occasion1 and he will not continue in the day of thine affliction4 ,and there is a friend that turneth to an enemy1 and he will be openly at strife with thee to thy confusion4 ,and there is a friend that is a companion at the table 7i4e41 a 8cupboard-lover071 and he will not remain in the hour of thy distress4444 ,a faithful friend is a strong defence1 and he that hath found him hath found a treasure4 ,there is nothing can be exchanged for a faithful friend1 and his excellency is beyond all price4 ,a faithful friend is a medicine of life1 and they that fear the ,lord shall find him 7,e4 #fg;ff74 ,to match any single proverb against such words is a hard test1 yet there is one that not only can bear the ordeal but is perhaps the finest of all epitomes of friendship3 ,a friend is always friendly1 born to be a brother in adversity 7,pr4 #agag1 mg4 ,r4,v474 ,seeing that the ,wise saw in the fool's pride and self-sufficiency his worst and fatal error1 it is only to be expected that they should lay constant stress on the duties of preserving an open mind and continuing amenable to instruction and reproof3 ,take fast hold of instruction2 let her not go1 for she is thy life 7,pr4 #dac7--,whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge1 but he that hateth reproof is a boor 7,pr4 #aba7--;,he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be broken1 and that beyond mending 7,pr4 #bia74 ,no less prominent and much more remarkable 7seeing how profoundly and persistently falsehood in speech has beset the ,oriental character7 is the demand for ,truthfulness3 ,a righteous man hates deception 7,pr4 #ace74 ,we are told that only truth endures3 ,the lip of truth shall be established for ever1 whereas a lying tongue is but for a moment 7,pr4 #abai74 ,sincerity of character is often extolled in plain speech and in metaphor3 ,the righteousness of the perfect shall make straight his way 7,pr4 #aae7--,the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life 7,pr4 #ajaa7--,the tongue of the righteous is like choice silver 7,pr4 #ajbj7--,the lips of the righteous feed many 7,pr4 #ajba7--,the thoughts of the righteous are just 7,pr4 #abe7--,the heart of the righteous studieth what to answer1 but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things 7,pr4 #aebh74fd--,the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life 7,pr4 #aacj74 ,integrity of purpose is even more beautifully commended in this memorable proverb3 ,he that loveth pureness of heart1 and on whose lips is grace1 the king shall be his friend 7,pr4 #bbaa74 ,perhaps not a few of the ,wise wore an air of superiority to their neighbours2 some may have given ,god thanks that they were not as other men2 but assuredly not all fell victims to what was for them a natural temptation1 and justice demands that full weight be assigned to the numerous sayings in which they castigate ,vanity or praise ,humility4 ,for instance1 ,when pride cometh1 said they1 then cometh shame1 but with the lowly is ,wisdom 7,pr4 #aab74 ,to be temperate in body and mind1 energetic1 peaceable1 honest and truthful1 teachable1 sincere1 loyal and honourable--evidently the ,wise made no small demand on human nature4 ,but above and beyond these qualities1 and very wonderful in the old ,oriental world1 are these virtues1 which the ,wise expected good men to possess and show--consideration for others1 helpfulness1 mercy1 kindness of word and deed1 and even forgiving love4 ,they declare that1 ,whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his ,maker1 and he that is glad at calamity shall not go unpunished 7,pr4 #age74 ,the righteous ought to be a guide to his neighbour 7,pr4 #abbf72 and 7as an arresting passage insists7 the obligation must not be shuffled off or wilfully ignored3 ,deliver them that are carried away unto death and them that are tottering to the slaughter see that thou hold back4 ,if thou sayest1 8,behold we knew not this10 doth not ,he that weigheth the hearts consider it8 ,and he that keepeth thy soul doth ,he not know it8 ,and shall he not render to every man according to his work 7,pr4 #bdaa1 #ab78 ,as regards the broad social applications of this proverb1 the deep guilt of all nations leaves little to choose between them4 ,but taking the command on its more intimate and individual aspect1 does it not utter a warning that the average ,briton has peculiar need to hear8 ,for our national character is such that we hate interfering with another man's way of life2 we are even shy of rebuking the young4 ,there is1 of course1 a virtue in our natural tolerance1 for men cannot be school-mastered into mending their ways4 ,but conscience will admit that much of our non-interference is mere shirking of duty1 a passing-by on the other side4 ,if we were less frightened to warn or to help others1 less anxious how our words would be received and whether we might be snubbed and made uncomfortable or called a ,pharisee1 it may be that1 whenever we did so warn or help1 we should do it with a better grace and therefore more effectually4 ,since nine out of ten are wont to err on the side of silence1 we reiterate the injunction 444 them that are tottering to the slaughter see that thou hold back4 ,there are times when diffidence may be a sin1 and the fear of contention cowardice4 ,concerning ,mercy in deed or thought and ,honesty in speech the ,wise said1 ,let not mercy and truth forsake thee4 ,bind them upon thy neck1 write them on the tablet of thine heart2 so shalt thou find favour and good repute in the sight of ,god and man 7,pr4 #cc1 #d74 ,there are phrases concerning ,kindness which live in the memory and touch the heart3 ,the healing tongue is a tree of life 7,pr4 #aed7--,there is that speaketh rashly like the piercings of a sword1 but the tongue of the ,wise is health 7,pr4 #abah71 and a saying that for all its gentleness holds the conscience in a vice-like grip3 ,a soft answer turneth away wrath 7,pr4 #aea7--so hard to believe when occasion presses1 but proved true a thousand thousand times4 ,and here1 in conclusion1 are three1 wonderful1 winged proverbs1 which haunt one with the magic of their moral challenge3 ,say not1 8,i will do so to him as he hath done to me1 ,i will render to the man according to his work0 7,pr4 #bdbi7--;,if thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat1 if he thirst give him water to drink2 for thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head1 and the ,lord shall reward thee 7,pr4 #beba74 ,hatred stirreth up strife1 ,but love covereth all transgressions 7,pr4 #ajab74fe ,so much for ,man1 the individual4 ,to finish the outline of the ,wise-men's ideal we have still to consider the proverbs concerning family life and the wider relationships of the ,state4 ,,ii4--,,family ,,life ,a slight acquaintance with ,oriental life will suggest the probability that in the family1 as the ,wise conceived it1 fathers and sons were the only important figures2 and ,jewish proverbs at first sight confirm the conjecture3 8,daughters10 says ,kent#ff1 8are passed by with a silence that is significant40 ,but1 significant of what8 ,not that they were ill-used or neglected or unloved in ,hebrew homes1 but that the ,wise not unnaturally acquiesced in the normal conditions of ,oriental existence which inevitably made a daughter of much less importance than a son4 ,a girl was debarred from the manifold interests of commercial1 social1 and political affairs2 she could not1 like a son1 perpetuate the family name2 nor could the parents hope to see in her the support and strength of their old age4 ,the ,wise never attempted to ignore facts1 and they never aimed at nor imagined revolutions in the fundamental circumstances of society as they found it4 ,but we have to confess that ,ben ,sirach does more than acquiesce in the recognised limitations of daughters4 ,he was reprehensibly querulous upon the subject1 and we fear lest some who read may find it difficult to forgive him for such a ridiculous exhibition of masculine stupidity4 ,says ,ben ,sirach 7and from the slow shake of his head we infer this to be no hasty dictum1 but the result of his mature and cautious consideration71 ,a daughter is a secret cause of wakefulness to a father1 and anxiety for her putteth away sleep4444 ,keep a strict watch over a headstrong daughter1 lest she make thee a laughing-stock to thine enemies1 a byword in the city1 and notorious among the people 7,e4 #dbi-aa74 ,closer scrutiny of the ,wise-men's thoughts about family life reveals something surprising and gratifying4 ,it might have been expected that in any ,eastern society ,woman would continue all her days to be held in small esteem1 carrying a heavy yoke for scant reward4 ,but the ,hebrew proverbs testify on the contrary that when a ,jewish woman grew up and became wife or mother she stepped at once into a noble and influential position1 enjoying a real share in the honour or prosperity of her husband1 and entitled equally with him to the obedience and devotion of her children4 ,no less than the father she was reckoned by the ,wise to be the children's guide and counsellor4 ,she had reasonable opportunity for social intercourse with other persons than the members of her own household1 and within her own house was trusted with responsibilities that gave her a large share in the making or marring of its happiness and fortunes4 ,the ,wise-men's ideal of married life is presented in a famous panegyric1 which deserves to be given at length1 for some writers have declared--not unreasonably in view of the immemorial inferiority to which the women of the ,east have been condemned--that it is the most remarkable feature of the ,book of ,proverbs4 ,,the ,,wise ,,and ,,loyal ,,wife#fg ,a virtuous woman who can find8 ,for her worth is far above rubies4 ,the heart of her husband trusteth in her1 ,and he shall have no lack of gain4 ,she doeth him good and not evil ,all the days of her life4 ,she seeketh wool and flax1 ,and worketh it up as she pleaseth4 ,she is like the merchant-ships1 ,bringing her food from afar4 ,she riseth also while it is yet night1 ,and giveth food to her household4 ,she examines a field and buyeth it2 ,with her earnings she planteth a vineyard4 ,she girdeth herself with strength1 ,and maketh strong her arms4 ,she perceives that her profit is good2 ,her lamp goes not out by night4 ,she puts out her hand to the distaff1 ,and layeth hold on the spindle4 ,she extendeth her hand to the poor2 ,yea1 she reacheth forth her hands to the needy4 ,she feareth not snow for her household1 ,for all her household are clothed with scarlet4 ,she maketh her cushions of tapestry2 ,her clothing is fine linen and purple4 ,her husband is distinguished in the gates1 ,when he sitteth among the elders of the land4 ,she maketh linen cloth and sells it1 ,and delivereth girdles to the merchants4 ,strength and dignity are her clothing1 ,and she laughs at the time to come4 ,her speech is full of wisdom1 ,and kindly instruction is on her tongue4 ,she looketh well to the ways of her household ,and eateth not the bread of idleness4 ,industrious1 skilful1 wise1 provident and kind1 she is rewarded by the praise and affection of husband and children-- ,her husband also1 and he praiseth her saying3 8,many daughters have done excellently ,but thou excellest them all40 ,wherefore despite the despondent query1 ,a virtuous woman who can find8 which somewhat quaintly introduces this eulogy1 we may believe that the ideal thus pictured was a reality in many ,jewish homes4 ,to be critical1 the poem has a touch of the ,hausfrau conception which is none too pleasing1 but it does not set out to say everything about ,woman1 and one might fairly read some romance between the lines2 certainly the enthusiasm of the last verse has a note of something deeper than 8thanks for value received40 ,to give further assurance1 if that be required1 we may also quote this happy saying1 ,whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing1 and obtaineth favour from the ,lord 7,pr4 #ahbb74 ,the treatment of children advocated by the ,wise is accurately1 although too succinctly1 summarised in the notorious 8,spare the rod and spoil the child0 doctrine 7cp4 ,pr4 #acbd74 ,thus we are told1 ,the rod and reproof give wisdom1 but a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother 7,pr4 #biae7--,withhold not correction from a child1 for if thou beat him with the rod he shall not die4 ,thou shalt beat him with the rod1 and shalt deliver his soul from ,sheol 7,pr4 #bcac1 #ad74 ,all this sounds merely harsh4 ,but the splendid records of ,jewish family life make one suspect that the ,wise were sterner in their words than in their deeds1 that at least their justice was often tempered with mercy and their discipline with genuine affection4 ,ben ,sirach1 the most severe1 is also the most encouraging4 ,here is a truly forbidding passage3 ,pamper thy child1 and he shall make thee afraid2 play with him and he will grieve thee4 ,laugh not with him1 lest thou have sorrow with him and thou shalt gnash thy teeth in the end4 ,give him no liberty in his youth1 and wink not at his follies4 ,bow down his neck in his youth1 and beat him on the sides while he is a child1 lest he wax stubborn and be disobedient unto thee1 and there shall be sorrow unto thy soul 7,e4 #cji-ab74 ,but against its ferocious energy set the kindly1 peaceable atmosphere of this exhortation in which ,ben ,sirach expands the fifth commandment on the relations of children to parents3 ,he that giveth glory to his father shall have length of days1 and he that hearkeneth to the ,lord shall bring rest to his mother4 ,in word and deed honour thy father that a blessing may come upon thee from him3 for the blessing of the father stablisheth the children's houses1 but the curse of the mother rooteth out the foundations4444 ,my son1 help thy father in his old age1 and grieve him not as long as he liveth4 ,if he fail in understanding1 have patience with him1 and dishonour him not all the days of his life4 ,for the relieving of thy father shall not be forgotten1 and over against thy sins it shall be set to thy credit4 ,in the day of thine affliction it shall be remembered to thine advantage1 to put away thine iniquities as the heat melteth hoar-frost 7,e4 #cf-i1 #ab-ae74 ,further1 the severity of the ,wise regarding children might seem less repellent if we appreciated more keenly the circumstances of their age4 ,probably their stern discipline has to be set against a background of disastrous slackness4 ,how were children brought up in the ,grco-,syrian cities8 ,were they sent forth untutored to join the mad dances of unbridled inclination8 ,was there in but too many ,jewish1 as well as ,hellenic1 homes appalling blindness to the need of control and moral training8 ,great allowance must be made for the ,wise1 if they were under the necessity of pointing a contrast4 ,and who can deny the essential wisdom of their attitude8 ,who dare say that kindness does not lie in an excess of discipline rather than in an excess of indulgence8 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and even when he is old he will not depart from it 7,pr4 #bbf74 ,as to the value which the ,wise attached to the virtue of filial duty1 if further evidence than the quotation just given from ,ben ,sirach is needed1 it lies to hand in proverbs that condemn the deeds of unnatural children1 who used violence to their parents 7,pr4 #aibf71 or mocked and robbed them 7,pr4 #cjag2 #bhbd74 ,listen to the indignation in this utterance3 ,whoso curseth his father and mother1 his lamp shall be put out in blackest darkness 7,pr4 #bjbj74 ,the servants of the household are less noticed in the proverbs than one would expect4 ,usually they were slaves1 and the status to our mind suggests hardships and injustice4 ,but the remarkable provisions laid down in the ,hebrew ,law regarding ,hebrew slaves greatly alleviated their lot1 preventing or mitigating cruelties which frequently befell the slaves of the ,gentile nations4 ,few topics1 in fact1 more arrestingly demonstrate the superiority of the moral feeling of the ,jews as compared with the ,greeks or ,romans than the treatment accorded to their respective slaves4 ,in ordinary circumstances the life of the ,jewish slave was not unhappy1 and to gain freedom might be disaster rather than benefit4#fh ,the trustworthy slave found satisfactory and sometimes honourable position in many ,jewish households3 he was in reality1 though not in theory1 a member of the home4 ,on the other hand1 among the ,greeks and ,romans the slave was regarded strictly as property1 not necessarily to be treated as a human being4 ,if a man chose to misuse or destroy his 8property10 so be it6 ,it was solely his affair4 ,if he chose to wreak his anger at a certain cost to himself1 no more need be said on the subject4 ,doubtless theory and practice did not always agree1 and some ,roman slaves were happy and well cared for1 and some ,jewish were miserable4 ,but1 generally speaking1 it is true that the ,jews were more humane to their servants than the ,gentiles1 although the evidence of the proverbs would not lead one to think so4 ,here1 for instance1 is a sufficiently sinister saying3 ,a servant will not be corrected by words1 for though he understand he will not answer 7,pr4 #biai74 ,similarly when ,ben ,sirach counsels a measure of restraint in dealing with a slave he does so on the ,grco-,roman ground that he is part of one's possessions1 and therefore not to be spent foolishly 7,e4 #cccj1 #ca72 and he says bluntly and indeed brutally1 ,fodder1 a stick1 and burdens for an ass2 bread and discipline1 and work for a servant4 ,set thy servant to work1 and thou shalt have rest3 leave his hands idle1 and he will seek liberty4 ,yoke and thong will bow the neck1 and for an evil servant there are racks and tortures4 ,set him to work1 as is fit for him2 and if he obey not1 make his fetters heavy 7,e4 #ccbd-bh74 ,on the other side1 however1 may be set this proverb3 ,a servant that acteth wisely shall have rule over a son that doeth shamefully1 and shall inherit among the brethren 7,pr4 #agb71 and ,ben ,sirach does something to redeem himself in these gentler sentiments1 ,entreat not evil a servant that worketh truly nor a hireling that giveth thee his life4 ,let thy soul love a wise servant2 defraud him not of liberty 7,e4 #gbj1 #ba74 ,,iii4--,,ideals ,,of ,,society ,the duties of men in general social relationships afforded a wide field for the application of wisdom4 ,in expressing their views on these topics1 the ,sages said little that was original1 much that was truly wise4 ,the perfect ,state will be one in which justice between man and man never faileth1 and its operation must range from the highest to the lowest in the land4 ,as for the great ones of the earth1 the fateful consequences of their conduct is emphasised as follows3 ,as a roaring lion and a ranging bear1 so is a wicked ruler over a poor people 7,pr4 #bhae7--;,by justice the king establisheth the land1 but he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it 7,pr4 #bid72 and that the latter type of monarch or official was1 alas6 more than an evil dream is navely vouched for by the existence of a most unideal1 if frank1 intimation that ,a gift in secret pacifieth anger1 and a present in the purse strong wrath 7,pr4 #baad74 ,princes are exhorted to temperance1 8,it is not for kings1 ,o ,lemuel1 it is not for kings to drink wine1 nor for princes to say #8,where is strong drink8' lest they drink and forget the law1 and pervert the judgement of the afflicted0 7,pr4 #cad1 #e72 to justice1 and consideration of the lowly1 ,the king that faithfully judgeth the poor1 his throne shall be established for ever 7,pr4 #biad72 to kindness and truth1 ,mercy and truth preserve the king1 and he upholdeth his throne by mercy 7,pr4 #bjbh74 ,two other sayings are worthy of mention2 one a subtle proverb1 ,it is the glory of ,god to conceal a thing1 but the glory of kings to search out a matter 7,pr4 #beb72 the other ominous1 ,the heaven for height1 and the earth for depth1 and the heart of kings is unsearchable 7,pr4 #bec74 ,but this demand for right-dealing is extended throughout the body politic3 honesty was required in the courts of law from the witness 7,pr4 #bdbh7 and from the judge 7,pr4 #agbc72 from dealers in shop and market 7,pr4 #bjbc72 and generally from all men1 in a saying which is a significant and ringing echo of the ,prophets' work in ,israel3 ,to do justice and judgement is more acceptable to the ,lord than sacrifice 7,pr4 #bac74 ,turning next to the disorders of society we find that the ,wise set their face against the following offences4 ,land-grabbing1 they declare1 is a sin ,god will assuredly punish 7,pr4 #bcaj1 #aa71 and so also oppression of the poor1 ,rob not the poor because he is poor1 nor crush the afflicted in the gate2 for the ,lord will plead their cause and despoil of life those that despoil them 7,pr4 #bbbb1 #bc74 ,warnings are given against lawlessness3 ,envy not thou the man of violence1 and choose none of his ways2 for the perverse are an abomination unto the ,lord1 but ,his friendship is with the upright 7,pr4 #cca1 #cb72 and in ,pr4 #aaa;ff1 there is an amusing description of outlaws enticing a novice to join them3 8,come with us1 let us lay wait for blood4444 ,we shall fill our houses with spoil4 ,thou shalt cast thy lot amongst us2 we will all have one purse40 ,against drunkenness there is this effective saying3 ,who hath woe8 who hath sorrow8 who hath quarrels8 who hath complainings8 who hath wounds without cause8 who hath dimness of eyes8 ,they that tarry long at the wine1 that go to seek out mixed wine4 ,look not thou upon the wine when it is red1 when it sparkles in the cup1 when it goeth down smoothly4 ,at the last it biteth like a serpent1 and stingeth like an adder 7,pr4 #bcbi-ca74 ,still greater stress was laid on the peril of unchastity1 and there are many earnest entreaties to shun the seductions of wicked women 7cp4 ,pr4 #ea-ad2 #fbj-gbg73 ,my son1 attend to my wisdom1 incline thine ear to my understanding1 that thou mayest preserve discretion and thy lips keep knowledge4 ,for the lips of a strange woman drop honey1 and her mouth is smoother than oil2 but her latter end is bitter as wormwood1 sharp as a two-edged sword3 her feet go down to death1 and her steps take hold on ,sheol4 ,the spread of ,hellenic civilisation in ,palestine had increased luxury and sensuality1 and in these matters the ,wise doubtless were combating the most prominent vices of the age4 ,another common fault of town life which merited and received their vehement rebuke was malice against neighbours3 to the portrait of the ,slanderer already given 7see p4 #abb7 two proverbs may here be added3 ,devise not evil against thy neighbour seeing he dwelleth securely beside thee 7,pr4 #cbi7--;and this grand one1 ,whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein1 and he that rolleth a stone1 it shall return upon him 7,pr4 #bfbg74 ,several interesting maxims of the ,wise concerning ,wealth and ,poverty are kept for consideration in a subsequent chapter1 and some have already been recorded1 but the topic is one so intimately affecting the common weal that here also it must receive mention4 ,these ,wisdom proverbs are sometimes charged with exhibiting too mundane an attitude towards riches1 so frankly and unreservedly do certain of them recognise the material advantages wealth confers4 ,for the moment1 however1 we are not concerned with a general judgment but with noting ideals4 ,isolating therefore the nobler sayings1 we find emphasis rightly laid on the broad distinction between just and unjust gains4 ,for the former riches1 which were the reward of diligence and shrewd but upright conduct1 there is cordial approbation4 ,our deeper modern perplexities as to the proper distribution of wealth was of course beyond the ,wise-men's ken2 it is enough that we find them clear on the issue presented to their day and generation3 ,the treasures of wickedness1 said they1 profit nothing 7,pr4 #ajb7--;,better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is perverse in his ways1 though he be rich 7,pr4 #bhf7--;,better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice 7,pr4 #afh71 and lastly the noble passage 7,pr4 #cjg-i1 see p4 #aba7 in praise of the ,golden ,mean will perhaps be remembered4 ,further the ,sages were stern in denunciation of greed and of indifference to the needs of the poor and defenceless3 for instance1 ,he that augmenteth his substance by usury and interest gathereth for him that hath pity on the poor 7,pr4 #bhh7--,the ,lord will root up the house of the proud1 but he will establish the property of the widow 7,pr4 #aebe72 and correspondingly1 they exalted the virtues of generosity and kindly help ,he that giveth unto the poor shall not lack1 but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse 7,pr4 #bhbg7--,withhold not good from them to whom it is due1 when it is in thy power to do it4 ,say not unto thy neighbour1 8,go1 and come again1 and to-morrow ,i will give10 when thou hast it by thee 7,pr4 #cbg1 #bh74 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ideals of the ,sages1 so far as they are immediately visible in the proverbs1 have now been given1 at least in broad outline4 ,it remains to sum up and to consider the result4 ,of the vices condemned1 deeds of violence and sins of the flesh are prominent enough1 but 7and the fact is remarkable7 almost equal stress is laid on the iniquity of many of the sins of the spirit4 ,thus1 pride1 jealousy1 malice1 revenge1 contentiousness1 and all forms of dishonesty1 guile1 and treachery are the way of the wicked2 whereas humility1 charity1 peaceableness1 purity of heart1 and honest purpose mark the upright man4 ,to be indolent1 obstinate1 and passionate in speech or action is characteristic of the fool intellectual and the fool ethical2 whereas the sensible man is diligent1 faithful to his friends1 helpful to his neighbours1 tactful and teachable4 ,on the last point the ,wise were urgent1 and they deserve praise for their insight3 that men have need to be apt to learn1 not merely when they are young and ignorant1 but after they have attained maturity and learnt much1 is doctrine as important as it is unpopular4 ,the frigid discipline advised by the ,sages for the upbringing of children must be admitted to be harsh1 but perhaps the conditions of the age almost dictated it1 and at least it reflects the value that the ,wise most rightly placed on learning young4 ,moreover1 stern as their rule may seem1 they did not deem it incompatible with the growth of affection and trust between fathers and sons4 ,of womanly virtue they held a high ideal1 and the esteem felt for the good wife and wise mother was1 for the ancient world1 extraordinarily great4 ,ideal relations between master and servant were conceived in terms of fidelity1 care for the interests of both parties1 and possibly of friendship4 ,in the perfect ,state there would be an upright government1 riches acquired by just means only1 and generous care to preserve the poor from suffering4 ,there would be commercial honesty1 thrift and industry2 no slander1 no impurity1 no impiety1 but only honourable and prudent conduct3 in short1 a peaceful1 prosperous1 kindly and contented society1 devoted primarily to the pursuit neither of comfort nor of pleasure nor of riches1 but of high ,wisdom4 ,finally1 as the climax1 we must remember those exalted proverbs demanding the exercise of mercy1 forgiveness1 mutual help and love4 ,the standard of character the ,wise thus set before men is open to adverse comment4 ,it savours of salvation by merit4 ,that therefore it falls below the ,christian ideal1 and below the majestic and penetrating conception of human possibilities that the great ,hebrew ,prophets urged1 is undeniable4 ,but such radical criticism may for the moment be put aside2 later on we shall discuss what may be the relative values of the ,wise-men's words and works4 ,for the present all that is desirable is to consider certain surprising features which the reader may have noted in this outline of ,good and ,evil4 ,first1 then1 there are curious deficiencies in the list of the ,virtues4 ,several qualities we admire are ignored or touched rarely and with hesitation1 as for example ,courage4 ,but1 with one exception1 these gaps in the ,ideal are not so serious as might appear4 ,the proverbs do not show all that was in their authors' minds and hearts4 ,altogether fallacious1 as we shall see later1 would be the notion that the prudence of the ,wise was really pusillanimous1 that they had in reality no place for courage in their conception of life1 as they have little or no room for its mention in their proverbs4 ,the valid inference from these absences is only that1 as ,toy says1 8the ,wise attached more importance to other qualities as effective forces in the struggle of life40 ,but what can possibly be said concerning the apparent absence of ,religion1 the exception alluded to above8 ,that which one looked to find in the foreground of the picture--where is it8 ,yet even in this point the plea just made might be repeated4 ,the immediate object of the ,wise was to commend certain ethical conduct as being1 despite appearances1 the right line to follow in order to command true success in the contingencies of daily life2 and in pursuance of that task they could say a great many things without requiring to express their views on ritual worship or theological belief4 ,still1 when the point at issue is a man's love for religion1 to plead simply that he more or less ignored it in his teaching because other qualities seemed more effective in the struggle of life1 would verily be a thin apology4 ,the real reply to this serious charge is vastly stronger4 ,it is the admission that our exposition of the ,wise-men's thoughts has not been fair to them4 ,one emphatic and reiterated proverb of theirs1 which is evidently a key-proverb and interpretative of the general tenor of all their teaching1 has not yet been given1 and it is essentially religious3 ,,the ,,fear ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,is ,,the ,,foundation ,,of ,,wisdom3 ,,and ,,the ,,knowledge ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,one ,,is ,,understanding 7,pr4 #iaj2 #ag74 ,consider the implication4 ,the word 8foundation0 7usually rendered 8beginning07 in ,hebrew unites the notions both of 8beginning0 and 8best02 and 8fear10 of course1 is to be interpreted religiously as 8reverence0 not as 8terror40 ,such awe of ,god 7say the ,wise7 is to be reckoned the commencement of ,wisdom and also ,wisdom's quintessence3 it is both the root and the fruit of perfect living4 ,now ,wisdom was the sublime source to which the ,sages traced back even the simplest of their counsels1 and the most practical of their observations on men and affairs2 it was the creative sun1 the derivative proverbs being1 as it were1 the rays by which its light is distributed over the whole of life4 ,but now it appears that this sun and centre of all things itself was conceived as rising out of religious faith1 for when the ,sages considered this high ,wisdom and asked what was its sum and substance1 they answered1 8,the fear of the ,lord10 and1 when they wondered what might be its origin1 again they answered1 8,god40 ,the fundamental importance of this one saying would therefore be obvious even if it stood alone as a solitary expression of faith4 ,but other religious proverbs occur as we shall note in due course2 for example1 ,ben ,sirach's opening words1 ,all wisdom cometh from the ,lord1 and is ever with him 7,e4 #aa71 or this--,trust in the ,lord with all thy heart1 and lean not on thine own understanding4 ,in all thy ways acknowledge him1 and he shall make plain thy path 7,pr4 #ce1 #f74 ,such sayings may not be numerous in comparison with the secular sayings1 but there are enough of them to show that the great proverb quoted above is not an isolated sentiment of formal piety thrust into a mass of worldly-wisdom for appearance's sake4 ,the soul of the ,wise-men cannot accurately be gauged by deducting the few religious from the many non-religious proverbs1 and drawing the inference that these men must have cared very little for ,god and overwhelmingly much for worldly prosperity4 ,human nature guards its secrets from such cynical or mechanical treatment4 ,rather will it be true that when1 as here1 even one earnest plea is made for the love of ,god as the ultimate inspiration of conduct1 that will give us the heart of the whole matter to which all else is subsidiary and only to be interpreted in and through the underlying religious faith4 ,matter-of-fact1 prudential1 moralisms might be far more numerous than they are in these ,jewish proverbs1 and still it would not follow that the ,wise-men were devoid of religious feeling or fervour4 ,some doubtless were1 but others assuredly were not1 and all 7save an occasional sceptic7 would have stoutly maintained the view that their counsel was derived from the ultimate1 fundamental doctrine of 8the fear of the ,lord40 ,the second obvious point of criticism is the indefiniteness apparent in this so-called ,ideal of the ,wise4 ,their ethic may justly be called redundant1 or defective1 or both2 and in truth their ,utopia1 even in its broad outline1 does seem too confused and too fragmentary to provide any coherent scheme4 ,contrast the relatively clear-cut work of the ,hellenic thinkers who1 starting also from similar vague popular notions of ethics1 correlated1 combined1 and sifted the material until1 as in the ,stoic and other philosophies1 precisely formulated systems were elaborated4 ,was not the ,jewish lack of method fatal to effective teaching8 ,no4 ,the ,wise did not1 indeed could not1 construct a strict unity out of their free-and-easy1 uncorrelated aims4 ,but they were not candidates for a degree in ,moral ,sciences1 nor are their doctrines here exhibited as a satisfactory substitute for modern social philosophy4 ,their thinking1 as a matter of fact1 was definite enough to serve their day and generation4 ,the position was not quite so serious as it may appear from a theoretical point of view4 ,in reality1 the ,sages knew very well what they were aiming at1 and had a reasonably clear idea of the type of character they wished to see developed in themselves and other men4 ,now it is fortunate that in the pages of ,ecclesiasticus we possess not a little information about the thoughts1 habits1 and fortunes of its author1 ,jesus ben ,sirach2 for this man1 though doubtless not a perfect embodiment of ,wisdom1 provides just what we most require at this point of our study--a historical figure1 and an admirable and typical representative of his class4 ,to envisage him will humanise our notion of the ,wise-men and may give to their ideals a coherence which in the abstract they may seem to lack4 ,jesus ben ,sirach was a ,jew of ,jerusalem who lived about #bej to #ahj ,b4,c42 that is1 well on in the period of ,hellenic influence4 ,by profession a scribe1 he seems all his days to have been a man of earnest mind1 naturally inclined to intellectual and literary pursuits4 ,he was of good family1 and presumably possessed of considerable means1 to judge by his life-long leisure for study1 the tone of his remarks on wealth1 his easy and regular participation in social entertainment1 and his foreign travels1 which provided the one stirring episode in a placid career4 ,from some remarks in his book we gather that his travels were undertaken whilst he was still a young man4 ,just when and where he journeyed is uncertain1 but since he says that he came into touch with a foreign ,court1 in all probability he visited the great cities of ,egypt and the ,court of ,alexandria4 ,the important point is that his tour was not without excitement and real peril 7,e4 #cdab1 #eac;ff74 ,through some lying and malicious gossip he had the misfortune to incur royal displeasure1 suffered imprisonment1 and1 in his own firm opinion1 was for a time in gravest danger of losing his life4 ,such an experience is inevitably a severe test of any man's mettle1 and is doubly sure to produce a deep impression on the mind of one so naturally unadventurous as ,ben ,sirach4 ,his comments on the matter are therefore a valuable clue to his character4 ,he took the view that his travels1 notwithstanding the danger1 had been a great and lasting benefit1 an experience in which anyone who aspired to be counted wise would do well to imitate him4 ,it had proved worth all the hardship and anxiety--a fine broadening influence3 ,he that hath no experience knoweth few things1 but he that hath travelled shall increase his skill4 ,many things1 he reflects1 have ,i seen in my wanderings 7,e4 #cdaj74 ,the other impression left by his adventures was the paramount value of ,israel's ,wisdom4 ,in the hour of his danger he would have perished but for the principles of discreet and honest conduct in which ,wisdom had instructed him4 7,e4 #cdab74 ,he returned from abroad to settle for the rest of his days in beloved ,jerusalem1 where he became an honoured citizen1 a man of considerable weight socially as well as intellectually1 and a notable exponent of ,wisdom1 whose advice in the manifold affairs of daily life was sought and respected4 ,there are grounds for thinking that for some years he may have conducted a regular school for instruction in the science of ,wisdom4 ,he was a thorough townsman1 loving the busy life of his city1 keenly observant of its varied occupations and appreciative of all opportunities of human intercourse4 ,so far from thinking of him as a scholarly recluse1 careless of all save his duties as a scribe or teacher1 we have to picture a man who enjoyed dining out with his friends2 no glutton1 yet a frank connoisseur of food and wine4 ,feasting he considered a subject not to be trifled with1 as is shown by the rules for polite behaviour1 which he is careful in all seriousness to detail in his book4 ,as for his faults1 one suspects that in public he was inclined to be dictatorial and perhaps pompous1 but he possessed a saving grace of humour4 ,in his home1 if we are to trust his own assertions1 he must have been a strict disciplinarian4 ,many of his sayings are too worldly-wise to be commendable4 ,now and then he is cynical1 and for the out-and-out fool he allows no hope3 to essay teaching such an one is as futile as glueing a broken potsherd together 7,e4 #bbg72 and again1 ,seven days are the days of mourning for the dead1 but for a fool all the days of his life 7,e4 #bbab76 ,still1 ,ben ,sirach was no pessimist about humanity1 and his judgments of men for the most part are kindly and hopeful4 ,the outstanding feature of his personality was his breadth of interest4 8,whether it is upon the subject of behaviour at table1 or concerning a man's treatment of a headstrong daughter1 or about the need of keeping a guard over one's tongue1 or concerning the folly of a fool1 or the delights of a banquet1 or whether he is dealing with self-control1 borrowing1 loose women1 slander1 diet1 the miser1 the spendthrift1 the hypocrite1 the parasite1 keeping secrets1 giving alms1 standing surety1 mourning for the dead1 and a large variety of other topics--he has always something to say1 which for sound and robust common-sense is of abiding value40#fi ,except that he puts the point in his own way1 there is in matter or opinion little in ,ben ,sirach's book that could not be paralleled from the ,book of ,proverbs4 ,but in manner an interesting difference is observable4 ,ecclesiasticus is far and away superior in point of literary charm4 ,it has the merit of constant variety1 and in places real grace of expression1 for to a much greater degree than in the ,book of ,proverbs ,ben ,sirach has developed the brief unit-proverb into epigrams and sonnets1 short essays1 eulogies and longer odes2 and although the unit-proverb is still frequent1 it is no longer the sum and substance of the book4 ,thus by the skilful use of the more elaborate forms1 the almost unrelieved disjointedness that detracts so seriously from the pleasure of reading ,proverbs is triumphantly overcome4 ,in criticism of ,ben ,sirach's ethical attainments1 one is inclined to call attention to the juxtaposition of great and little matters which he perpetrates in his book3 a feature also to be observed in ,proverbs4 ,questions of fundamental moral law and trivialities of etiquette are astonishingly conjoined1 apparently without his feeling the least sense of the absurdity4 ,thus he bids his pupil be ashamed 8of unjust dealing before a partner and a friend1 of theft in the place where he sojourns1 and of falsifying an oath and a covenant1 and of leaning on the table with the elbow when at meat0 7,e4 #daag-ai76 ,manners and morals1 one is driven to suppose1 had not been sufficiently differentiated in general opinion4 ,then also1 just when our respect for ,ben ,sirach is quietly increasing1 he is apt to dismay us by interjecting some most unideal observation1 as when immediately after delivering a stinging censure on lying speech1 he remarks 7,e4 #bjbi7 that gifts which blind the eyes of the ,wise1 and are a muzzle on the mouth1 are an effective way of appeasing influential persons4 ,nevertheless1 as one reads his book1 the conviction deepens that ,ben ,sirach was sincere and earnest in his profession of morality1 and such falls from grace as the proverb just quoted are probably due to his anxiety to give an honest representation of the facts of life4 ,it has been said in his favour that he was no platitudinarian1 by which1 of course1 is not meant that his book contains no platitudes1 but only that in face of the supreme problems of human existence he did not cravenly blink the facts1 but faced them and sought to do justice to them2 as for instance when1 writing of death1 he owns that to a healthy and prosperous man it is wholly a 8bitter remembrance0 7,e4 #daa74 ,from youth to his dying day this man loved and served ,wisdom1 and his volume is a storehouse of many noble and valuable thoughts4 ,it may be charged against the authors of ,proverbs that they paid scant regard to the peculiar national aspirations of their race4 ,if so1 ,ben ,sirach can be acquitted on that score4 ,he had a thoroughly patriotic outlook1 for he makes it quite clear that to his mind ,judaism was the real home of ,wisdom and the truly wise man is a loyal ,jew obedient to the ,law4 ,his sense of the marvel of the world as a revelation of divine power1 which he expresses in two chapters of considerable ability1 shows that he was not without poetic feeling4#gj ,all his thinking rested on belief in a great and holy ,god1 ,source of all ,wisdom1 in whom he exhorts men to put their trust1 from whom they must ever seek guidance4 ,a worthy citizen6 ,of whom does he remind us8 ,surely of such a man as was ,horace1 strolling on the ,appian ,way1 pleased with himself and with his fortunes1 much interested in the pageant of life1 keenly observant both of the faults and the graces of his fellows1 humorous1 shrewd and kindly8 ,or of ,chaucer1 part courtier1 part business man of ,london town1 yet with a quick eye and swift sympathy for the deeper issues in the human drama8 ,or 7to come nearer our own days7 of ,pepys1 with his matter-of-fact ways1 his sturdy1 average morality1 and his honest enjoyment of the good things of life8 ,or of ,dr4 ,johnson1 with his natural pomposity and his big1 generous soul8 ,yes1 of all these2 but ,ben ,sirach had one great quality that perhaps none of these possessed to the same extent--a most earnest sense of duty in regard to his fellow men1 a whole-hearted desire to give them the advantage of the lessons life had taught him4 ,perhaps the reader is disappointed still4 ,when the utmost has been said for these ideals1 he may feel that there is no new insight into the mystery of things1 and no irresistible appeal to conscience4 ,but remember that even an imperfect ,cause and an inadequate ,ideal1 provided the fundamental aim be generous and sound1 may be the source of real and lasting benefits to men1 for life is such that the goal we fain would reach instantaneously must1 as a matter of fact1 be approached by small advances1 which therefore ought not be despised4 ,the ,wise1 it is true1 were neither perfect ,saints nor complete ,philosophers1 but our subject is the ,humanism of the ,jewish proverbs1 and if even this ,ben ,sirach1 model pupil of ,wisdom1 is not a wholly inspiring figure--is he not very human8 ,moreover1 the utmost has not yet been said on behalf of the ,sages4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,the ,exaltation of ,wisdom ,continuing the criticism of the ideal or ideals of the last chapter1 it may be said that the morality commended is not unusual nor markedly superior to that of other peoples4 ,do not many of these proverbs state the merest a b c of ethical sentiment1 for which any civilised nation could produce a parallel in its proverbs8 ,the charge is not only true in a general way1 it has special force in view of the circumstances of the fourth to the second centuries ,b4,c4 ,for there is evidence of a widespread tendency to sententious moralising in that period1 and1 had we so desired1 this ,jewish movement might have been considered only as part of a larger whole4#ga ,among the ,greeks1 especially in ,asia ,minor1 this was the age when several gnomic poets1 such as ,menander and ,phocylides1 won fame and popularity by their moral aphorisms1 and indeed the ,jewish proverbs have many opinions in common with contemporary ,hellenic sayings4 ,in ,egypt also there was current a collection of ethical observations1 the ,precepts of ,ptah-hotep and the ,maxims of ,aniy1 so closely resembling the form and sentiment of the average ,jewish proverb that it has been suggested that the ,sages of ,palestine were directly influenced by these ,egyptian teachings4 ,certainly the resemblances are striking4 ,these ,egyptian books 8inculcate the study of ,wisdom1 duty to parents and superiors1 respect for property1 the advantages of charitableness1 peaceableness and content1 of liberality1 chastity1 and sobriety1 of truthfulness and justice2 and they show the wickedness and folly of disobedience1 strife1 arrogance and pride1 of slothfulness1 interference1 unchastity1 and other vices4 8,what then8 ,is the idealism of the ,jews decreased in value because other nations also had moral ambitions8 ,judging from the facts of history1 the elements of morality1 and of commonsense1 too1 need constant iteration in all languages and all periods1 not excluding the present4 ,to discover that most of the ,jewish proverbs are far from unique is no real loss1 indeed the danger lies rather in the other direction4 ,if it could be shown that these maxims were unlike those current elsewhere among men1 the accusation would be serious1 for then this volume must needs be written1 not on the humanism1 but on the unhumanism of a part of the ,bible4 ,the charge that the ,jewish maxims are not unusual is to be admitted and--dismissed4 ,more disquieting would be the contention1 which the number of self-regarding maxims readily suggests1 that the general moral tone of these proverbs is not merely normal but actually low4 ,there is no denying the unblushing utilitarianism that at times crops out4 ,it is said3 ,i 7,wisdom7 walk in the paths of righteousness1 in the midst of the paths of judgement1 that ,i may cause those that love me to inherit substance and that ,i may fill their treasuries 7,pr4 #hba7--,the reward of humility and the fear of the ,lord is riches and honour and life 7,pr4 #bbd74 ,this sounds even more reprehensible than the famous definition of ,christianity as 8doing good for the sake of the kingdom of heaven40 ,it seems suspiciously like doing good for the sake of the kingdoms of this earth6 ,but1 hear the defence4 ,first it has already been urged that general judgments on the proverbs as a whole require most careful handling1 if they are to be even moderately fair3 let the utilitarian sage bear his own sin2 his brother who said1 8,love covereth all transgressions10 ought not to be implicated in his fall4 ,secondly1 there is the sensible1 though not lofty1 argument that since the ,wise were dealing with men tempted to throw off even ordinary moral restraint in the burning desire to get all possible prosperity and enjoyment out of life1 if they had pitched their key much higher it is very probable they would have received no hearing at all4 ,modern students of ethics are well aware that pleasure1 however often it may accompany good conduct1 cannot be made the motive for virtue4 ,but the ,wise were less sophisticated than ourselves1 and it was therefore easy for them to make the mistake of expressing in too commercial a fashion their conviction that 8honesty is the best policy0#gb2 and even if they did sometimes over-emphasise the thought of external reward1 we should remember that perhaps it was the only way to catch the ear of certain men and draw them back from the hot pursuit of ,folly4 ,the third point will be surprising to those who are not aware how late in ,jewish history was the development of a worthy conception of immortality and the just judgment of the soul after death4 ,compared with the ,christian1 who starts from the belief that 8,god is not the ,god of the dead1 but of the living01 and that the consequences of good or evil conduct reach onwards beyond the grave1 the ,wise-men of ,israel were cruelly handicapped in their consideration of the moral problem4 ,oesterley with justice pleads in extenuation of ,ben ,sirach's stress on the worldly advantages of ,wisdom1 8,this is natural in a writer whose whole attention is concentrated on the present life1 and who has nothing but the vaguest ideas about a life hereafter40#gc ,fourthly1 the ,wise were not conscious of their utilitarianism4 ,of course it is bad to be utilitarian at all1 but it is better to be so unintentionally than deliberately4 ,the ancients did not1 could not1 speak or write with that precise realisation of the implications of words1 which often does1 and certainly should1 characterise a modern thinker4 ,while therefore the ,wise cannot be exonerated from blame in this respect1 there is not a little to be said in mitigation of their offence4 ,but the last plea we have to advance on their behalf is the best2 and indeed it is the main apology we wish to make for all their shortcomings-- ,a man's utterances are often an inadequate expression of his soul4 ,our final estimate ought to be based1 not on the proverbs themselves1 singly or collectively1 but on what is behind them1 the character of the speakers4 ,the question is1 ,were these sayings just verbal piety and respectable commonplace1 or were they1 so to speak1 waves borne on the swell of an advancing tide1 having beneath and behind them the deep impulse of a live enthusiasm8 ,what manner of men were the ,sages at heart--mere talkers1 seeking the mental satisfaction of turning a neat phrase and sunning themselves in popular esteem1 or men genuinely concerned for the moral welfare of their fellows8 ,one we have already considered and not found him altogether wanting4 ,much can be forgiven if only the majority of the ,wise were like ,ben ,sirach1 in earnest about their task4 ,we ventured to describe him as a typical ,wise-man1 but what ground is there for that assertion8 ,now this vital question is not an easy one to investigate and answer1 since concerning the individual ,sages1 except ,ben ,sirach1 no personal information has been transmitted1 and we have therefore only their sayings from which to draw a conclusion4 ,even so the material is perhaps sufficient4 ,surely there is a valuable hint to be found in the 8strict attention to business0 of ,proverbs as well as ,ecclesiasticus2 both of these books preach at us incessantly from their text 8,wisdom40 ,why is it that every word they contain is directed to the end of moral improvement8 ,must there not have been a remarkable concentration on moral interests to account for the comparative absence of what one might describe as the neutral1 non-moral observations on life1 which are common in the proverbs of every other nation8#gd ,fortunately however1 there is one much stronger piece of evidence available4 ,it has been explained that the abstract conception 8,wisdom0 represented the teaching of the ,wise in epitome1 and was the unification in thought of their manifold opinions4 ,it follows that what they said1 or left unsaid1 about 8,wisdom0 furnishes an admirable test of their sincerity1 revealing the presence or absence of enthusiasm for their work4 ,wisdom was the ,cause they championed against ,folly3 it will be easy to tell whether they truly loved it4 ,if they had been only clever people1 content to parade their shrewdness1 or comfortable upholders of law and order1 proclaiming the maxims of respectability with a business eye to the security of their own possessions1 then inevitably they would have betrayed themselves by giving an exposition of ,wisdom coldly intellectual4 ,but the opposite is what has happened1 and the warmth and passion as well as the reverence1 of their words in honour of ,wisdom bear eloquent1 unconscious testimony to the admiration and affection in which the ,sages held their calling4 ,hear then the ,praises of ,wisdom-- ,happy is the man that findeth ,wisdom1 and the man that getteth understanding2 for the merchandise of it is better than silver1 and the gain thereof than fine gold4 ,she is more precious than rubies1 and none of the things that thou canst desire are comparable unto her4444 7,pr4 #cac-ae73 surely a disconcerting verse for upholders of the supposed utilitarianism of the proverbs8 ,again1 ,how much better is it to get ,wisdom than gold6 ,yea to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver 7,pr4 #afaf1 cp4 #haj7--so much for the ,sages' notion of comparative values4 ,in chapter #i of ,proverbs1 by a touch of fine imagination1 ,wisdom is daringly pictured as a noble ,lady1 bidding guests to her banquet4 ,she is the counterpart of ,madam ,folly1 who also gives a banquet and who thus invites a passer-by3 ,stolen waters are sweet1 and bread eaten in secret is pleasant1 7to which the ,wise add in caustic comment as they see the foolish one enter3 ,but he knoweth not that the dead are there1 that her guests are in the depth of ,sheol1 ,pr4 #iag1 #ah74 ,but1 in contrast1 ,wisdom--,wisdom hath builded her house1 she hath hewn out her seven pillars3 she hath killed her beasts1 she hath made ready her wine1 and furnished her table4 ,she hath sent forth her maidens2 on the highest parts of the city she crieth aloud1 8,whoso is ignorant1 let him turn in hither02 and to him that is void of understanding she speaketh1 8,come1 eat ye of my bread1 and drink of the wine which ,i have made ready0 7,pr4 #ia-e74 ,ben ,sirach knew that ,wisdom was high1 and he does not disguise that only by long1 unwearying efforts can her favour be attained4 ,but the reward1 says he1 outweighs the toil1 and he bids men seek her3 ,at the first she will bring fear and dread upon a man and torment him with her discipline1 until she can trust his soul and has tested him by her judgements 7,e4 #dag2 cp4 ,e4 #fai-be74 ,nevertheless1 he says1 ,come unto her with all thy soul1 and keep her ways with thy whole power4 ,search and seek1 and she shall be made known unto thee1 and when thou hast hold of her1 let her not go4 ,for in the end thou shalt find her to be rest1 and she shall be changed for thee into gladness4 ,her fetters shall be to thee a covering of strength1 and her chains a robe of glory 7,e4 #fbf-bi74 ,wisdom is the source of all right and noble conduct1 the principle that in all things ought to regulate men's lives4 ,casting behind him the grim facts of ,hellenistic courts1 and perhaps of high society in ,jerusalem also1 one wise man1 seeing in vision the world as it should be1 put these glowing1 optimistic words into the mouth of ,wisdom3 ,by me kings reign1 and princes decree justice4 ,by me princes rule1 and nobles1 even all the judges of the earth 7,pr4 #hae1 #af74 ,but all these praises are slight compared with the thoughts inspired by the supreme conviction that ,wisdom itself is derived from ,god and dwells in ,his ,presence3 8,the ,wisdom that illumines the lives of the good is a reflection of the full-orbed wisdom of ,god40#ge ,it is the ineffable counsel of the ,almighty1 the power by which ,he created heaven and earth 7,pr4 #cai;f71 the principle through which the universe is still sustained4 ,in face of this belief praise rose into exultation1 and ,wisdom was reverently but enthusiastically conceived as that which had been ordained of ,god from eternity to be ,his counsellor in the work of ,creation and ,his daily delight3 ,jehovah formed me first of ,his creation1 ,before all his works of old4 ,in the earliest ages was ,i fashioned1 ,even from the beginning1 before the earth4 ,when there were no depths was ,i brought forth1 ,when there were no fountains brimming with water4 ,before the mountains were sunk in their bases1 ,before the hills was ,i brought forth2 ,or ever ,he had made the earth and the fields1 ,or the first clods of the world4 ,when ,he established the heavens ,i was there1 ,when he drew the circle over the abyss2 ,when ,he made firm the skies above1 ,and set fast the fountains of the deep2 ,when ,he gave the sea its bounds1 ,and fixed the foundations of the earth1 ,then was ,i with ,him as a foster-child1 ,and daily was ,i ,his delight1 ,as ,i played continually before ,his eyes1 ,played o'er all the habitable world4 ,so now1 my children1 hearken unto me1 ,receive my instruction and be wise2 ,for happy is the man that heareth me1 ,happy are those that keep my ways1 ,watching daily at my gates1 ,and waiting at my gate-posts4 ,for he that findeth me findeth life1 ,and winneth favour from ,jehovah2 ,but he that misseth me wrongeth himself3 ,all that hate me love death4 7,pr4 #hbb-cf74gf ,in similar language ,ben ,sirach imagines ,wisdom proclaiming her glory in the very presence of ,god ,himself3 ,i came forth from the mouth of the ,most ,high1 ,and like a cloud ,i covered the earth2 ,i had my dwelling in the high places1 ,and my throne was in the pillar of cloud2 ,i alone compassed the circuit of heaven ,and walked in the depth of the abysses1 ,in the waves of the sea and through all the earth2 ,and in every people ,i got me a possession4 ,with all these ,i sought for a resting-place-- 8,in whose lot shall ,i find a lodging80 ,then the ,creator of all commanded me1 ,even he that formed me1 pitched my tent ,and said1 8,in ,jacob be thy dwelling1 ,and in ,israel thine inheritance40 ,in the beginning1 before the world1 ,he fashioned me1 ,and to all eternity shall ,i fail not4 ,in the holy tabernacle ,i ministered before ,him1 ,and thus was ,i established in ,zion2 ,yea1 in the beloved city ,he gave me resting-place1 ,and in ,jerusalem was my dominion 7,e4 #bdc-aa7gg4 ,such words would have set the ,greeks1 as they set us1 asking questions3 8,is it implied that ,wisdom is an entity distinct from ,god802 8,how far is it fair to see ,greek influence in this apparent ascription of personality to ,wisdom80 ,both questions may be considered together4 ,too much stress cannot be laid on the firm hold which ,monotheism had obtained in post-exilic ,judaism2 to the ,jews of the ,hellenic age the unity of ,god was a fundamental tenet4 ,but the ,jewish mind was as yet unphilosophical1 not from lack of intelligence but from lack of inclination or initial suggestion4 ,hebrew thought started from the existence of ,god as an axiom1 and was content to use the fact of conscience as the key to the interpretation of life1 whereas ,greek thought had naturally inclined towards making intellectual speculation the basis of its endeavour to attain through truth1 morality1 and beauty to the secret of life and the knowledge of ,god4 ,consequently many utterances that inevitably raise metaphysical questions in our minds1 and would have philosophical meaning if spoken by a ,greek1 were put forward by the ,jews most simply1 without consideration of inherent intellectual problems4 ,of this character are the praises of ,wisdom3 although language is used that would fittingly be applied to a personal being1 there was no intention to personify ,wisdom as some kind of sub-divine ,being other than ,god4 ,the ,wise intended only to declare their fervent belief that the ,wisdom they studied1 loved1 and trusted1 was transcendently great1 was ,god's ,wisdom1 was 8from above40 ,wisdom in these proverbs was not consciously deemed to be more than an attribute of ,god1 and phrases that seem to us to overstep the bounds and confer personality are to be regarded as an enthusiasm of the heart not implying metaphysical conclusions as to the ultimate nature of ,deity4#a;a ,this is the language not of philosophy but of affection and reverent esteem4 ,from an early age there was a strong tendency in ,hebrew thought towards clothing abstract and collective terms in the warm language of personal life1 and the books of ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus may fairly be considered a natural development of pure ,hebrew tradition4#b;a ,and yet there are 8signs of the times0 about them4 ,the description of ,wisdom we are discussing would read strangely in pre-exilic ,hebrew books2 and so the question of ,greek influence may still be pressed4 ,in the opinion of the present writer the influence1 if any1 is confined to a slight unintentional colouring4 ,seeing that the ,wise stood out against the pressure and menace of unscrupulous1 secular ,hellenism1 and that they lived at a period when ,greek intellectual prowess had not yet brought its full weight to bear on ,palestinian1 or at least on ,judan1 thought1 it is a reasonable conjecture that any trace of new philosophy in the proverbs has been introduced unwittingly and unwillingly4 ,the general soundness of this opinion becomes vividly apparent1 if the two passages quoted above are compared with the eulogy given in a ,jewish work of considerably later date1 the ,wisdom of ,solomon4 ,there ,wisdom1 ,artificer of all things1 is described as ,a spirit1 quick of understanding1 holy1 ,only-begotten1 manifold1 subtle1 mobile1 ,pure1 undefiled1 clean1 ,inviolable1 loving the good4444 ,for ,wisdom is more mobile than any motion1 ,yea1 she pervadeth and penetrateth all things ,by reason of her pureness2 ,for she is a breath of the power of ,god1 ,and a pure effulgence of the ,almighty4 7,wisdom of ,solomon1 #gbb;ff74 and in one verse 7,w4,s4 #id7 ,wisdom is actually called ,she that sitteth beside ,thee on ,thy throne1 astonishing words from a ,jew4 ,the atmosphere of ,hellenic philosophy being here unmistakable1 the contrast between the language of this passage and the restrained phraseology of ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus is accordingly significant4 ,as the ,book of ,job is treated in another volume of this series1 the reference to it must here be brief1 but a chapter on the ,exaltation of ,wisdom must not close without some mention of the wonderful poem in that ,book1 where also confession is made of the sublimity of ,wisdom1 but it is insisted that ,wisdom dwells far beyond the reach of mortals1 unknown and unknowable1 save to the inscrutable ,deity who wills not to reveal its secrets unto suffering man4 ,each section of this great passage begins with the haunting question1 ,but ,wisdom--whence cometh it1 and where is the place of understanding8 ,we quote the last stanza only4 ,but ,wisdom--whence cometh it1 ,and where is the place of understanding8 ,it is hid from the eyes of all creatures1 ,and concealed from the fowls of the air4 ,abaddon and ,death acknowledge3 8,but a rumour thereof have we heard40 ,god alone hath perceived the way to it1 ,he knoweth the place thereof-- ,even ,he that made weights for the wind ,and meted the waters by measure1 ,when ,he made a law for the rain1 ,and a way for the flash of the thunders4 ,then did ,he see it and mark it3 ,he established and searched it out 7,job #bhbj-bg74gh 8,the ,humanism of the ,bible0--who would ask finer acknowledgment of one aspect of life1 its profound mystery2 who could fail to hear in those grand but desolate words the pathos of our mortal ignorance voicing its immortal longing8 ,happier than this poet1 and more in accord with ordinary human experience1 were the ,wise-men of ,proverbs2 for theirs was the faith that1 though ,wisdom might dwell in the innermost light of ,god's presence1 the boon of its guidance was not wholly denied to men4 ,they praised its exceeding great glory1 acknowledging its transcendence1 yet quietly rejoicing in the measure of knowledge they were conscious of receiving3 ,wisdom is the principal thing1 ,therefore get ,wisdom3 ,yea6 with all that thou hast gotten ,get understanding 7,pr4 #dg74 ,,chapter ,x ,the ,hill 8,difficulty0 ,the ,wise had not found the last secrets of ,wisdom4 ,there were ranges of human nature beyond their imagining1 there were paths to salvation not visible from the highroad of respectability4 ,perhaps they suspected as much in moments when the sublimity of ,wisdom towered over them4 ,but usually no doubt they felt convinced that1 given an unquestioning acceptance of their precepts1 this world would be made perfect4 ,better it would have been1 but that is all4 ,perfection is higher than climbing humanity believes1 and short cuts to the summit prove delusive4 ,mechanical obedience to rules and regulations for our conduct will certainly not suffice1 for character fails to ripen in that dry soil4 ,so to reverence the past as to accept its thoughts as finished standards1 requiring from us only the repetition of the lips and not the re-affirmation or re-statement of heart and intellect1 is to exclude the possibility of progress2 and that1 racially1 is the unpardonable sin4 ,tradition1 an invaluable servant1 is a fatal master4 ,god means us to own no ultimate authority save ,his eternal and ever-present ,spirit4 ,there was room in the world for many a ,ben ,sirach1 but there was even more room for men like ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 who could break free from conventional standards of morality1 and penetrate further into the exceeding great and precious promises of ,god4 ,moreover it would have been disastrous for the ,wise themselves1 had the world accepted their way of life as indisputable truth4 ,think what would have happened to their characters1 already inclined to superiority1 if with one accord men had bowed down to their every word and received their maxims as beyond the breath of criticism4 ,the point of course1 is not one that the ,sages would have appreciated4 ,few men can resist the impression 7and those few must be cold-blooded1 unenthusiastic souls7 that all would be well1 provided their lightest word was law4 ,what a truly delightful world1 where one's judgments met only with reverent and grateful admiration6 ,yet were ,god to give us the desire of our hearts1 we might construct a universe excellent according to our standard1 and be left ourselves the only insufferable persons in it4 8,sweet are the uses of adversity40 ,there was1 however1 little danger of the ,wise being spoilt by approbation4 ,they may have had a sufficiently good conceit of themselves1 but they cannot possibly have been ignorant that many of their neighbours held them in very different esteem2 and whenever a ,wise-man in old ,jerusalem put his heart into the effort to guide his brethren into the path of understanding he can have been under few1 if any1 delusions regarding the obstacles in the way4 ,in the last two chapters we have been picturing life as the ,wise desired it to be1 not as they actually found it4 ,our next duty is to descend from these heights to the plain where opposition waited to test what stuff the ,wise-men's dreams were made of4 ,not without courage1 not without patience1 were they able to keep these ideals in their hearts4 ,the discouragements they suffered are written large across the face of the literature4 ,consider first the reception accorded to their teaching4 ,all the ,jews were not lovers of ,understanding1 nor was ,jerusalem a ,state wherein the dictates of celestial ,wisdom ruled with unquestioned sway4 ,no doubt the note of confidence which pervades ,proverbs and ,ecclesiasticus implies that many people respected the ,wise-men's dignity and paid deference to their speeches4 ,but the presence of outspoken hostility is not a whit less clear4 ,they did not preach unchallenged at the entry of the ,gates4 ,on the contrary the number and severity of the proverbs denouncing 8scorners0 show that the irreverent were a vigorous section of the population4 ,we have to bear in mind that the ,gateway was open to all-comers1 and ,psalm #aa 7,blessed is the man that sitteth not in the assembly of the scornful7 supplies a hint that the scoffer 7and his friends7 may have had an inconvenient habit of claiming his own corner of the ground1 and that not infrequently it pleased him to be merry at the ,wise-man's expense1 now pretending he could not1 or would not1 hear the sermon 7,a scorner heareth not rebuke1 ,pr4 #aca71 now deriding the doctrine 7,i have called and ye have refused1 ,i have stretched out my hand and no man regarded3 ,ye have set at nought all my counsel and would have none of my reproof1 ,pr4 #abd;f72 now encouraging others to make vexatious interruptions 7,cast out the scorner1 and contention shall go out1 ,pr4 #bbaj74 ,sage-baiting seems to have been a joke that waxed not stale with repetition3 8,how long10 asks one ,wise man pathetically1 8how long will scorners delight in their scorning0 7,pr4 #abb78 ,he that reproveth a scorner getteth himself insult 7,pr4 #ig7--;behold a sage by the street-corner1 wise in words but by no means so sharp in repartee1 shaking a puzzled head and wondering what the laughter had been about and why his audience had so speedily melted away4 ,besides these cynical persons--the scorners or intentional fools--there were fools-by-birth1 whether dull-witted or coarse-natured or both1 8,simpletons01 to whom the ,wise were perhaps less charitable than is meet4 ,but then 8suffering fools gladly0 belongs to the apostolic ethic2 and it vexed the ,wise to think how much breath they had wasted in seeking to teach these folk4 ,glorious ,wisdom stirred no enthusiasm in their obtuse souls1 and the shafts of morality seldom discovered a joint in the armour of their self-content4 ,wherefore1 concerning these also went up the cry1 8,how long1 ye simpletons1 will ye love simplicity0 7,pr4 #abb78 ,and when we read that the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit then seven men that can render a reason 7,pr4 #bfaf71 who can fail to see a baffled ,sage turning wearily and disgustedly away8 ,towards the dull-witted is due mercy and patience2 but oh6 those self-satisfied1 petty persons1 ignorant of their ignorance1 into whose mental darkness no new illuminating thought can penetrate4 ,these were the prime objects of the ,wise-men's indignation--and legitimately2 for in all ages they have been the curse of society1 the mainstay of old abuses1 rocks which have to be blasted from the path of progress4 ,of your charity1 then1 bear in mind that the ,wise did not lecture picked pupils only1 but faced the contradictions and stupidities of the highway1 and endured the disappointment of seeing men hostile or indifferent to their teaching4 ,but the point will bear further consideration4 ,two types of opponents may be distinguished4 ,first1 the actively hostile1 whose manner of life was in violent contradiction to the ,wise-men's principles1 men who must often have hated them for their moralising efforts4 ,in the mirror of the sayings we observe the immoral1 the cruel1 the violent1 plotters of mischief against their neighbours1 whose deeds were evil1 whose words scorched like a fire 7,pr4 #afbg72 dishonest dealers and pitiless usurers1 who robbed the poor and crushed the defenceless 7,pr4 #bbbb72 men who lured others into wickedness2 bloodthirsty men1 thieves1 cut-throats1 and reckless outlaws 7,pr4 #aaa;ff74 ,against these ,wisdom1 for all its exaltation1 must often have seemed powerless4 ,secondly1 there was the mass of the indifferent1 who1 being neither very good nor very bad1 did not think ,wisdom mattered very much or that it was any special concern of theirs3 a type with abundant representatives to-day4 ,why will they not comprehend that it is to them1 almost more than to any others1 that ,wisdom is crying aloud2 and that their co-operation is desperately needed for the advancement of mankind8 ,why do they saunter so carelessly down the streets of life1 sometimes to fall into sore disaster from which a little ,wisdom1 had they sought it1 would have saved them8 ,why do they always pass 8the preacher for next ,sunday0 without a second thought8 ,ah6 these are they that require a full church and good music and a first-rate sermon4 ,but if they attended1 the churches would be full and the choirs strong2 and sermons have a way of winning home when men are out not for oratory1 but to seek the truth of ,god4 ,certainly the ,wise were not ignorant of the problem of the inattentive4 ,something of disappointment and perplexity lies behind the reiterated appeals of the ,book of ,proverbs3 ,hear1 ,o my son1 and receive my sayings4 444 ,my son1 let them not depart from thine eyes4 444 ,hear1 my son1 the instruction of a father1 and attend to know1 for ,i give you good doctrine4 ,granted that the exhortation tended to become a set phrase1 and that 8my son0 was often spoken to an eager pupil or an attentive class in the ,wise-man's house1 it was also used in the market place1 and for one man that stopped and responded how many passed by unheeding8 ,doth not ,wisdom cry and ,understanding put forth her voice8 ,in the streets she takes her stand2 beside the gates1 at the portal of the city1 at the entrance of the gates she cries aloud 7,pr4 #ha-c7--;frequently1 we may suspect1 with small result4 ,see1 yonder is ,alexander ben ,simeon1 young1 confident and well-to-do1 proud to think that his parents have called him by the name of the great ,greek conqueror4 ,he comes strolling through the bazaar to the gate of the city4 ,there two voices accost him4 ,one1 that of his friend ,aristobulus3 8,greeting1 ,alexander6 ,hast heard news of the boxing8 ',tis said that ,aristonicus is beaten in the ,olympic pankcration4 #8,by whom8' ,by ,cleitomachus of ,thebes4#gi ,but ,i swear it cannot have been by fair means4 ,how sayest thou80 ,the other voice was that of ,judah the ,wise1 who1 perceiving the two young men in talk1 approached them hopefully and earnestly1 though of course with all necessary dignity4 8,a wise son10 said he1 8maketh a glad father1 but a foolish son is a heaviness to his mother4 ,now1 therefore1 my sons1 hearken unto me1 for blessed are they that keep my ways4 ,treasures of wickedness profit nothing1 but righteousness44440 ,unfortunately the last words were not heard by ,alexander and ,aristobulus4 ,they were already some distance off1 hunting for the man who had spread the rumour of the downfall of ,egyptian athletics4 ,but others besides the young could be deaf to good counsel4 ,jerusalem had many confident citizens of middle life1 into whose soul the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things had entered1 choking the ,word3 the rich man's wealth is his strong city1 and as an high wall in his imagination 7,pr4 #ahaa71 said the ,wise with a sigh4 ,there is one proverb that suggests where the most grievous personal disappointment of the ,wise lay3 namely1 in those1 whether boy or man1 who said 8,i go1 ,sir2 but went not03 ,cease1 my son1 to hear instruction1 only to err from the words of knowledge 7,pr4 #aibg74 ,surely there was sorrow in the heart of him who uttered those words of warning8 ,in the next place consider the hindrances that the general conditions of the age placed in the path of morality4 ,these also are not difficult to perceive4 ,the moral corruption of the luxurious ,hellenic cities may have been perfectly obvious and the danger unmistakably clear1 but dazzling opportunities1 political1 social1 and commercial1 also lay waiting there for the young and ambitious ,jew4 ,is it to be wondered if many a lad was ready to make a bid for fortune1 and let his morality take its chance8 ,important families of ,jerusalem1 with a handsome son who might perhaps win favour at the foreign courts or shekels in their markets1 will have had little love for old-fashioned1 moralistic ,wiseacres1 who forsooth were stupid enough to oppose 8the onward march of progress40 ,one passage 7,pr4 #aaj-ai71 addressed to 8my son10 urges him not to take up highway robbery as a career3 ,if they say1 8,let us lay wait for blood1 let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause0 444 consent not thou1 but there cannot have been much outlet for promising youths in that direction2 it is perhaps a formal rather than a serious warning4 ,much more prominent were the sensual temptations to which prosperous persons were exposed1 temptation to indulgence in gluttonous feasting and drunken revelry4 ,such vices were alluring to an extent unknown to us who live in an age when society is no longer slave-ridden1 when the wealthy can have as many duties to occupy their energies as the poor1 and when it is no longer gentlemanly to be drunk4 ,you cannot make a drunken man wise until you have sobered him4 ,but the evils of intoxication1 though real enough1 were less serious in old ,jerusalem than in modern cities1 and in wine the ,wise saw an enemy only where pronounced abuse was present4 ,complete abstinence is unmooted1 and even temperance is demanded in very temperate terms4 ,ben ,sirach bestows an encomium on wine taken in moderation4 ,wine1 says he1 is as good as life to men1 if thou drink it in its measure4 ,what life is there to a man that is without wine8 ,and it hath been created to make men glad4 ,wine drunk in season and to satisfy is joy of heart and gladness of soul 7,e4 #cabg;f74 ,he observes its quarrelsome tendencies1 but thinks it necessary only to counsel tact6 ,rebuke not thy neighbour at a banquet of wine1 neither set him at nought in his mirth4 ,speak not unto him a word of reproach1 and press him not then for repayment of a debt 7,e4 #caca74 ,in like manner ,proverbs #caf1 #g is not suitable as a text for a ,temperance address1 even if 7which is doubtful7 it be partly metaphorical3 ,give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish1 and wine unto the bitter in soul3 let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more4 ,here's a stick to beat the teetotallers withal6 ,how one can imagine some foolish persons discovering that even a text is worth picking up 7if it will serve to throw at an opponent71 and pouncing gleefully upon these sayings4 8,foolish persons08 ,yes1 8foolish02 for the effects of alcohol in the development of modern society have been1 and are1 calamitous to the material as well as the spiritual progress of the race4 ,moreover1 even the ,wise were insistent in denunciation of excessive drinking4 ,said ,ben ,sirach1 ,wine drunk largely is bitterness of soul with provocation and wrath4#hj ,drunkenness increaseth the rage of a fool unto his hurt2 it diminisheth strength and addeth wounds 7,e4 #cabi1 #cj2 cp4 ,pr4 #bja1 #bcbi;ff1 quoted pp4 #ach1 #bcb74 ,there is no possible doubt what their attitude would have been towards the facts of the modern ,drink ,question4 ,had they seen one thousandth part of the moral and material losses consequent upon drunkenness and heavy drinking in the great ,european or ,american cities1 the book of their proverbs would have been replete with commands and entreaties for reform4 ,in respect of the relations of the sexes1 the morale of the post-exilic ,jewish state was high4 ,monogamy was the custom1 and the virtuous wife received a degree of honour unequalled in the old ,oriental world4 ,there are1 however1 in the proverbs frequent warnings against adultery2 but1 as the ,hebrews were more outspoken than ourselves on such matters1 it may be that the prominence of the subject points not so much to the prevalence of the offence as to the indignation with which it was regarded4 ,yet it must be borne in mind that the crowded city life of the period increased temptations to that sin4 ,more serious socially was the evil of venal women4 ,schechter#ha is of opinion that the repeated denunciations of 8strange women0 exaggerate the low state of morality in ,jerusalem1 but1 with all reasonable allowance for rhetoric1 it is certain that the peril was never absent from the streets of ,jerusalem1 and in the brilliant cities of ,egypt and ,syria1 so close at hand1 licence walked unrestrained and unrebuked4 ,the ,wise knew only too well how powerful and deadly a foe this evil could prove to their hopes for men4#hb ,the arch-enemy1 not only of ,idealism1 but of the mildest proposals for reform has ever been the selfish individual4 ,turn to the proverbs1 many of which have already been quoted1 about rich men1 about money-lenders1 false-witnesses1 slanderers1 oppressive rulers and unjust judges2 and it becomes easy to realise how strong was the opposition confronting the preachers of ,wisdom4#hc ,finally1 recollect the gulf between a reform in words and its translation into fact4 ,with all our political machinery designed to yield better legislation1 how difficult it is to give effect to the will of the wiser and nobler members of the community4 ,ancient society found it incalculably harder to redress its wrongs4 ,grievances were not always stifled2 they might be aired in moderation and provided the charge was vague4 ,but1 short of revolution1 how was it possible to bring adequate pressure to bear on the guilty1 strongly entrenched in their high offices by birth and wealth and autocratic might8 ,these and similar considerations will suggest the external difficulties of the life in which the ,wise were placed4 ,to the 8fightings without10 however1 must next be added a tale of 8fears within40 ,the ,old ,testament writers were not unconscious of the intellectual problems of religion4 ,it is true that they do not debate1 or often doubt1 the existence of ,god4 ,but the question of the ,being of ,god is1 in a sense1 academic2 the question of ,his character and relation to men is vital2 and this problem the ,jews felt as acutely and faced as honestly as any modern men can do4 ,many of them had encountered realities of experience sterner than most modernists have known--at least until #aiad4 ,some of the ,sages1 no doubt1 were unspeculative persons1 content with traditional beliefs4 ,but others there were not blind to any of the poignant elements of life4 ,all may have assumed ,god as a fact1 but some realised that only if ,god be just and holy and merciful1 was the ground of morality solid beneath their feet4 ,men who maintained that in the fear of the ,lord and honourable conduct is found the key to a successful career1 could not ignore the fact that in reality the wicked were frequently prosperous and the good subject to misfortune1 injustice1 pain1 and bitter hardships4 ,how could such things be in the world of a righteous ,god8 ,not until the post-exilic period was it vividly realised by a number of ,jewish thinkers how obdurate these facts are to an optimistic interpretation of life1 and how they menace not only belief in a gracious ,god1 but also the whole structure of morality4 ,in many of the later ,psalms1 and in portions of the ,wisdom literature1 to which the ,book of ,proverbs belongs1 the stringency of the problem is clearly recognised1 and the struggle for faith grows correspondingly severe4 ,men cried to ,god to sustain their trust despite the awful enigmas of suffering and wrong4 ,they wrestled agonisingly with the facts1 turning now to one1 now to another1 explanation1 if in any wise hope in ,god might be preserved4 ,our consideration of the great subject must here be confined to considering the proverbs of the period4 ,from these it appears that the rank and file of the ,wise-men either did not feel the problem in its acutest form or failed to reach those heights of spiritual insight that some of the ,jews attained4 ,in the proverbs a variety of sensible but unsatisfactory arguments are put forward4 ,one method of defence was to challenge or deny the reality of the facts alleged3 ,there shall no mischief happen to the righteous1 but the wicked shall be filled with evil 7,pr4 #abba7--,say not thou1 8,i will recompense evil40 ,wait on the ,lord1 and he shall save thee 7,pr4 #bjbb7--,the ,lord is far from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous 7,pr4 #aebi7--,the ,lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish1 and he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked 7,pr4 #ajc74 ,no one capable of sympathy with human perplexity will dismiss such assertions as merely stupid4 ,pathetically insufficient they may be1 but these are the words of men convinced that somehow their instinct for ,god and the moral life is sound2 and there is grandeur in the unyielding defiance4 ,another favourite reply was to insist on the solid rewards of virtue or to maintain that in the end it is honesty that pays best3 ,the wicked earneth deceitful wages1 but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward 7,pr4 #aaah7--;,he that soweth iniquity shall reap calamity 7,pr4 #bbh74 ,the ,wise liked also to dwell on the fear of retribution which is likely to haunt the evil-doer3 ,his own iniquities shall take the wicked1 and he shall be holden in the cords of his sin 7,pr4 #ebb71 a retort to the power of which many a villain1 dogged by the thought of exposure1 could bear witness4 ,after all1 there generally is human justice to be considered1 although the divine seem far away4 ,sometimes ,the ,wise had recourse to the suggestion that the fear of the ,lord prolongeth life1 but the years of the wicked shall be shortened 7,pr4 #ajbg74 ,some1 more daringly1 declared that the agony of a single day or hour might redress the balance2 thus ,ben ,sirach3 ,it is an easy thing in the sight of the ,lord to reward a man in the day of his death according to his ways4 ,the affliction of an hour causeth forgetfulness of delight1 and in the last end of a man is the revelation of his deeds4 ,call no man blessed before his death#hd2 and 7yet another suggestion7 a man shall be known in his children 7,e4 #aabf-bh74 ,this further possibility that ,justice1 if nowhere manifest in a man's own life1 will certainly appear in the fortunes of his descendants1 is emphasised also in several ,psalms and in passages of the ,book of ,job 7e4g41 ,job #ed71 and apparently was more satisfying to the ,jews than it would be to ourselves4 ,a new argument1 too vague to be consoling1 is hinted in ,pr4 #afd1 where it is declared that ,god hath made everything for its own end1 even the wicked for the day of trouble4 ,these answers1 of course1 do not cut deep enough1 and their inadequacy reflects adversely on the value of the ,wise-men's judgments of life4 ,but three important points must be noted in extenuation4 ,first1 the best that ,israel's ,wisdom had to say on the sore problem was not said in the proverbs to which we are here limiting attention4 ,if anyone desires to know how unflinchingly certain ,wise-men and other ,jews could face the facts and uphold their faith1 he must turn to the ,book of ,job1 to the ,psalms1 to ,daniel and the daring aspirations of ,apocalyptic writers4 ,secondly1 there was as yet among the ,jews no active belief in the continuance of personal consciousness after physical death1 and thus the moral problem raised by the suffering of good men was immensely harder for them than it is for ourselves4 ,the ,hebrews from earliest times had believed vaguely that a phantom-like continuation of individuality awaited good and bad alike in the underworld of ,sheol2 but that existence was not reckoned to be 8life0 in any real sense2 certainly it was not thought that a man could receive the reward of his merits in ,sheol1 the land of shades4 ,sheol offered no solution1 or even alleviation1 of the moral enigma confronting the ,wise4 ,if there was to be a ,divine vindication of morality1 in their opinion it must needs be shown on earth1 either in the life-time of the sufferer himself or in that of his children4 ,in the period we are considering1 reason and intuition were already pointing the ,jewish thinkers to a higher doctrine of human immortality2 but no traces of the great liberating conception have made their appearance in the proverbs4#he ,the attitude of the ,wise towards death may be grasped from ,ben ,sirach's words3 ,when a man is dead he shall inherit creeping things and beasts and worms 7,e4 #ajaa7--,thanksgiving perisheth from the dead1 as from one that is not2 he that is in life shall praise the ,lord 7,e4 #agbh74 ,death to ,ben ,sirach is a great silencing fact1 not a mystery provoking thought4 ,sometimes he speaks of it very quietly3 ,all things that are of the earth turn to the earth again1 and all things that are of the waters return to the sea 7,e4 #djaa71 and he bids men fear it not1 seeing that death comes to us all3 ,fear not the sentence of death4 ,remember them that have been before thee and that come after4 ,this is the sentence from the ,lord over all flesh1 and why doest thou refuse when it is the good pleasure of the ,most ,high8 ,whether thou livest ten or a hundred or a thousand years1 there is no inquisition of life in the grave 7,e4 #dac1 #d74 ,the same unquestioning acquiescence appears in the helpless commonplace of the following3 ,o death1 how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that is at peace in his possessions1 unto the man that is at ease and hath prosperity in all things1 and that still hath strength to enjoy luxury4 ,o death1 acceptable is thy sentence to a man that is needy and that faileth in strength1 that is in extreme old age and is distracted about all things1 and is perverse and hath lost patience 7,e4 #daa1 #b72 and still more grimly in his unconsciously brutal counsel to beware of long sorrow for the dead3 ,my son1 let thy tears fall over the dead1 and as one that suffereth grievously begin lamentation1 and wind up his body according to his due1 and neglect not his burial4 ,make bitter weeping and passionate wailing1 and let thy mourning be according to his desert1 for one day or two1 lest thou be evil spoken of2 and so be comforted for thy sorrow4 ,for of sorrow cometh death1 and sorrow of heart will bow down the strength4 ,set not thy heart upon him1 forget him1 remembering thine own last end4 ,remember him not1 for there is no returning again3 him thou shalt not profit1 and thou wilt hurt thyself 7,e4 #chaf;ff74 ,this great difference of outlook would of itself incline one to a lenient judgment on the imperfections of the proverbs4 ,but thirdly1 and chiefly1 remember that the ,wise-men lived in a world that knew not ,jesus1 a world in which the supreme moral fact had not yet appeared4 ,therefore they lacked what we possess--the assurance that nothing1 tribulation or anguish or persecution1 or famine1 nakedness1 peril or sword1 can sunder the spirit of ,man from the love of ,him whom to know is life eternal4 ,to them it was not possible1 as it is for us1 to confront the reality of evil with the greater reality of good1 to answer the mystery of present suffering with the deeper mystery of the peace of ,christ4 ,lastly1 the noblest of the proverbs has been kept in reserve till now4 ,said one of the ,sages1 perceiving that suffering 7be it justly or unjustly incurred7 is at least an efficient teacher3 ,my son1 despise not the chastening of the ,lord1 neither be weary at his reproof4 ,for whom the ,lord loveth he reproveth1 and paineth the son in whom he delighteth 7,pr4 #caa1 #ab74 ,the author of ,hebrews #ab1 writing to men enduring great distress but with the fact of ,christ before them1 thought fit to quote those words2 and we also will do well to ponder them4 ,it is reasonable to believe that hardships 7which judged from certain aspects often are unjust71 even such terrible hardships as men sometimes endure1 are inevitable in a world where moral personality is in the making3 not otherwise could ,god ,himself make man 8in ,his own image02 not otherwise could even ,he create beings who should learn to seek the ,truth1 and to will the ,good1 in freedom4 ,it is easy to see that courage1 to take one instance1 cannot be disciplined in sham fight1 but only in the hazard of real risks4 ,so also1 it may be1 all other fruits of the ,spirit will grow for men nowhere save on the rugged slopes of the hill called 8,difficulty40 ,the ,wise1 therefore1 despite their perplexities1 were not pessimistic4 ,but1 though they resolutely drove out despair1 they knew depression3 ,even in laughter the heart may be sorrowful1 and the end of mirth be heaviness 7,pr4 #adac71 and ,a faithful man who can find8 7,pr4 #bjf78 ,to at least one of the ,sages ,god seemed far distant1 silent and inscrutable4 ,thus ,pr4 #cja-d--,the ,words of ,agur1 444 ,i have wearied myself1 ,o ,god1 ,i have wearied myself1 and am consumed1 ,i surely am more foolish than other men1 and no wisdom have ,i acquired to give me knowledge of the ,holy ,one4 ,who hath ascended up into heaven and descended8444 ,what is his name and his son's name1 if thou knowest8 ,the sturdy rebuke that immediately follows1 7,pr4 #cje-f7--;,every word of ,god is tried4 ,he is a shield to them that trust in ,him4 ,add not thou unto ,his words1 lest ,he reprove thee1 and thou be found a liar1 is the sentiment of another and a happier man than ,agur4 ,such was the world in which the ,wise had to labour and to think4 ,how like our own6 ,how sobering in the discipline it imposes on the idealist6 ,to one who reads without consideration of the back-ground the sententiousness of these ,jewish proverbs may soon prove irksome4 ,but the fault becomes bearable1 and the ,wise grow very human1 when we recognise that for all their bold words1 they were not always confident of their creed1 and that to many an earnest man among them the preaching of morality must at times have seemed a weary and a fruitless task4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,harvest ,we have seen the ,wise at work1 breaking up the hard ground1 ploughing the field and scattering the seed4 ,came ever their toil to harvest8 ,and since the world is the field1 to what place in the wide world1 what point of time in the world's long story1 ought our search to be directed8 8,they that sow in tears10 said a brave man long ago1 8shall reap in joy2 though he goeth on his way weeping bearing forth the seed1 he shall come again rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him10--and his words encourage us to search for effects of the ,wise-men's teaching in the immediate history of their times4 ,no matter how often the ,psalmist's expectation has gone unfulfilled1 something in us cries assent to his daring1 and we shall therefore follow his guidance2 nor shall we look in vain4 ,but one knows that the proverb ,jesus quoted to ,his disciples1 ,one soweth and another reapeth1 is more often true to the facts of life2 and therefore1 following its warning1 we must be prepared also to seek traces of the ,wise-men's influence in times and places unforeseen by them4 ,so wide a range of human history thus opens for consideration that the task we are attempting in this chapter is necessarily difficult4 ,it is still further complicated by the problem of analysis4 ,for example1 to say bluntly that in the modern determination to remedy existing evils in our social organisation the ,christian ,church may see the harvest of its labours is ultimately true1 but it is not the whole truth1 and because there is so much more to be said on the matter the statement might be challenged as actually untrue by those whose thoughts leap at once to the chequered official record of the ,church in the last few centuries4 ,but the opposition with which such cut-and-dry assertions are received often requires only a more careful analysis for its removal4 ,quite certainly1 despite the antagonism of certain professed ,christians1 the penetrative influence of the regular preaching and teaching of ,christianity1 especially during the last generation or so1 has done more towards rousing and enlightening the national conscience regarding social conditions than can easily be measured2 but the social movement of to-day also owes much to the rise of ambitions that naturally accompany the increase of wealth1 to scientific invention1 to popular education1 and to other factors that might be mentioned4 ,the progress of mankind is the product of many influences that have worked together for good1 and the ethical and intellectual condition of a people at any given period is like a garment woven from many threads but without seam4 ,analysis of history is desirable2 but to attempt an analysis so subtle that we can say1 8,just so much is due to this influence from the past1 so much to that10 is always difficult1 if not impossible4 ,in part of what follows we must be content to describe certain events and circumstances concerning which we make no greater 7but also no less7 a claim than that the ,wise were a contributory cause1 their words and their example having co-operated with the work of others in producing the result described4 ,where then1 may it be said1 that the seed they sowed took root and ripened8 ,one general answer may be given instantly--,wherever the ,bible has been known and read3 a result immeasurably exceeding the utmost expectations of the ,wise4 ,who among them ever hoped that their proverbs would receive a place in a ,book destined to exercise pre-eminent moral and spiritual force throughout the world1 and that through all these centuries the best part of their wisdom1 wit1 and idealism would be known and esteemed in a myriad ,gentile homes8 ,for closer consideration three themes may profitably be singled out2 the first being that of immediate ,jewish history in ,palestine1 by which is meant the critical centuries #cej to #aej ,b4,c4 ,this topic will first be discussed generally1 and then attention will be concentrated on certain events during the years #bjj to #aej ,b4,c41 when the struggle between ,judaism and ,hellenism came to a climax and was decided4 ,i 7a7 ,less than justice is done to the ,wise in the picture of post-exilic ,judaism usually presented to students4 ,they are not wholly ignored1 but their value as a formative influence in the community of ,jerusalem and ,juda1 we venture to think1 has been insufficiently appreciated4 ,for this misjudgment there are several plain reasons which will prove to be well worth examining4 ,in the first place1 the absence of theological fervour in the proverbs1 their matter-of-fact standpoint1 and the doubtful propriety of certain sayings have been disappointing and even disconcerting to many readers of the ,bible4 ,judged too hastily by the superficial features of their writings1 the ,wise have been dismissed either as altogether wanting or1 at best1 as of small moral and religious importance4 ,but how serious an error that method of rough-and-ready judgment may induce1 can readily be imagined4 ,it is much as if some future historian1 attempting to estimate the value of ,christianity to this generation1 had to derive his opinion from a survey of the volumes of sermons published1 many of which he might be inclined to criticise on the ground that they were concerned with the inculcation of commonplace moral duties4 ,there is far more behind such a book as ,proverbs than can appear in it4 ,the ,wise have been considered too much from the literary point of view1 too little from the human4 ,but1 secondly1 it is not surprising that the attractive1 8human0 aspect has been overlooked or underestimated4 ,we miss the warmth of personal history in the proverbs4 ,one's interest is stirred so much more deeply by persons than by things or even ideas2 and the proverbs are so coldly impersonal that only close scrutiny1 such as we have here attempted1 reveals the ,wise as men4 ,they may often have been pompous1 self-satisfied folk1 but it cannot be denied that in their writings they were anything but self-advertising1 saying many things about ,wisdom and next to nothing about themselves4 ,even more serious for their repute than this praiseworthy self-reticence is1 thirdly1 the fact that the ,wise soon vanish from the surface of ,jewish affairs1 apparently as completely as the prophets4 ,but again appearance is misleading1 and the explanation that can be found for this fact deserves to be set forth at some length1 because it is likely to help us further in the understanding of our subject4 ,commencing perhaps as early as the latter part of the fifth century1 ,b4,c41 there developed in the loyal ,jewish community1 alongside of the elaborate worship of the ,temple1 a custom of meeting together for purposes of religious exhortation and prayer1 and1 above all1 for study of the great ,law which was increasingly felt to be the strength and heart of ,judaism4 ,at these meetings1 or ,synagogues1 the delivery of a moral discourse would be appropriate1 perhaps was formally arranged1 and the speaker selected for this purpose must often have been one of those known as the ,wise4 ,but commendation and exposition of the ,law was even more in place on these occasions1 and this duty would naturally be entrusted to one of those who were making the exact interpretation of the ,law a life-long interest and indeed a profession2 that is1 to one of those who are familiar to us by the title 8,scribe40 ,now it is easy to see that the functions of the ,wise and of the ,scribes were not far sundered1 and these 8synagogue0 meetings must have done much to promote and hasten the approximation of the two classes4#hf ,indeed the process of fusion can be watched in the pages of ,ben ,sirach's book4 ,from it we learn that ,ben ,sirach1 prominent as a ,wise-man1 was himself professionally a ,scribe1 and he praises that occupation as the best of all careers1 the one most suitable for a disciple of ,wisdom 7,e4 ,prologue and #cia-c74 ,what more was needed than that the ,sages should recognise in the ,law of ,moses the mysterious ,wisdom which they served8 ,and we find this very identification expressly made by ,ben ,sirach1 who declares 7in reference to certain wonders of ,wisdom he has set forth in previous verses7 that ,all these things are the book of the covenant of the most high ,god1 even the ,law which ,moses commanded us 7,e4 #bdbc2 cp4 #aea1 #aibj1 etc474 ,what happened is clear4 ,from about the beginning of the second century ,b4,c4 the functions of moral exhortation--the special sphere of the ,wise1 at least in public--were discharged by persons who were ,scribes2 henceforth1 to put it briefly1 the ,wise were mostly ,scribes1 and the ,scribes were mostly ,wise4 ,the disappearance of the ,wise-men is thus explained2 seated in ,moses' seat1 they have passed out of our sight and so out of mind2 or1 if dimly recognised by us in their new character1 they have been involved in the ,scribes' not wholly merited disfavour4#hg ,in the fourth place1 the ,wise have also suffered unduly from the overwhelming prestige customarily assigned to the ,law in post-exilic times4 ,many scholars have so sat in its shadow that they seem to lose sight of all other elements in the situation1 nay6 even to have forgotten the sunny side of the ,law itself4 ,jerusalem is sometimes pictured as a city of ecclesiastical lawyers1 and the ,jews as a congregation clustered round a book of rules2 an exaggeration and misconception that might never have gained favour1 had the mass of spiritual exposition and reflection embodied in early ,rabbinical literature been more accessible to ,christian students4 ,it is a question of proportion4 ,without denying that the ,law had become the rallying-point of distinctive ,judaism and was destined to obtain a paramount place in ,jewish life and thought1 we have to insist that it held no monopoly of influence in the period before #aej ,b4,c41 when the ,wise were still distinctively the ,wise4 ,jewish legalism may already have become an important fact in the national consciousness1 but plenty of room remained for ,jewish humanism4 ,we would insist that whilst the ,law had one great rival--the spirit of indifference to all its teaching which the growth of ,hellenic fashions favoured--it had also coadjutors4 ,there were other spiritual influences at work1 moulding the standards and ideals of the ,jews2 one of these was the study and appreciation of the writings of the great ,prophets of ,israel1 whence before long came the high aspirations of the ,apocalyptic school of thinkers2 and another was the example and teaching of the ,wise4 ,consider the point in view of the normal qualities of human nature4 ,what impresses ordinary folk8 ,how do they learn new knowledge8 ,men are impressed by worth and dignity in their teachers1 the ,easterns in particular paying even undue deference to age and prosperity4 ,and most men learn by small degrees3 as ,isaiah put it1 they need to be taught precept upon precept1 line upon line1 here a little1 and there a little4 ,is not that exactly what the ,wise were best fitted to give them--precept upon precept8 ,here were some of the most honourable and prosperous citizens of the day1 not keeping their ,wisdom jealously to themselves1 but counting it their serious duty to impart the secrets of success2 now teaching chosen pupils2 now mingling in the open with all sorts and types of men 7,did not ,wisdom cry aloud and utter her voice in the broad places1 and cry her message in the chief place of concourse1 even at the entering in of the gates1 cp4 ,pr4 #abj1 #ha-c872 everywhere upholding reverence towards ,god and a standard of morality1 if not perfect1 at least far superior to average attainments4 ,day in1 day out1 the social and personal idealism1 and the wholesome vigorous commonsense of these proverbs were being instilled into the ears of the people by teachers whose prosperous respectability alone was enough to gain them popular attention4 ,must it not be that all this had effect1 and great effect1 on the ,jewish community8 ,the ,law no doubt enlisted the prime devotion of the pious1 the prophets appealed most to the enthusiast1 but the ,wise must have had the ear of the ordinary folk--that is1 of the majority of men4 7b7 ,detailed proof of the conclusion thus drawn from general considerations is of course not available4 ,there is1 however1 one direction in which immediate evidence of the ,wise-men's influence may be sought1 namely in the issue of the struggle between ,judaism and ,hellenism4 ,to this end let us briefly pass in review certain events of the years #bjj to #aej ,b4,c4 ,it will already be clear to the reader how slight was the chance of the older ,jewish habits persisting in face of the full tide of new life and thought1 which was steadily smoothing them away as waves will melt sandcastles on the shore4 ,by the end of the third century the infection of ,hellenism was rife1 not only in the upper classes1 but in all grades of ,jewish society2 8even in the very strongholds of ,judaism it modified the organisation of the ,state1 the laws1 public affairs1 art1 science and industry1 affecting even the ordinary things of life and the common associations of the people40#hh ,black as was the outlook for ,judaism at this date1 it was soon to grow much worse4 ,early in the second century the leading families of ,jerusalem had become thoroughly ,hellenic in their point of view1 and1 worst of all1 in #agd ,b4,c4 the office of the ,high ,priesthood fell by intrigue into the grasp of an unscrupulous man1 ,joshua or 7to use the ,greek name which he adopted and preferred7 ,jason4 ,this ,jason1 to curry favour with the ,syrian king1 set to work to complete the transformation of ,jerusalem into a ,grecian city4 ,accordingly a gymnasium was now built1 and so popular was the ,high ,priest's policy1 so forgotten the old-fashioned sentiment1 that even the ,priests were found willing to participate actively in the competitions of the public athletic games4 ,the unholy zeal of the more ardent ,hellenists1 however1 crystallised into definite shape such opposition as still existed4 ,a body of men1 convinced upholders of strict ,judaism1 now drew together and became known as ,hasidim1 i4e41 8,the ,conscientious0 or 8,the ,faithful02 but their ranks were recruited largely from the poorer classes1 they lacked intellectual prestige1 and no doubt their opposition to ,hellenism in some respects had the weakness of mere unreasoning conservatism4 ,the party did not seem fitted either to grow in numbers or to continue through many years1 and with its passing the old ,jewish piety bade fair to perish finally4 ,but at this stage occurred one of the most astonishing dnouements in history4 ,in #age ,b4,c4 ,antiochus ,,iv ,epiphanes began to reign over the ,syrian dominions3 a remarkable but dangerous man1 eccentric to the verge of insanity2 inordinately vain1 yet endowed with great ability1 energy1 and ambition4 ,soon after his accession certain tumults took place in ,jerusalem4 ,the rioting was directed against ,syrian authority1 but did not amount to anything which could fairly be construed as rebellion1 being in fact mere faction-fighting4 ,none the less ,antiochus1 whose exchequer happened to be in sore straits for money1 made the occurrence a pretext1 first1 for plundering the ,temple of its treasures and1 two years later1 for inflicting on the ,jews a cruel punishment4 ,entering the city in #afh ,b4,c4 he razed its walls1 and desecrated the ,temple in an abominable fashion1 sacrificing swine on the altar and converting it into a sanctuary for ,hellenic worship4 ,still more important1 however1 was his resolve once and for all to stamp out any obscurantists among the ,jews who might presume any longer to follow their ancestral customs and oppose the ,greek culture4 ,then began throughout the ,jewish province a fierce persecution4 ,in all towns and villages men and women were sought out and slain--whosoever was found guilty of practising ,jewish observances1 or possessed a copy of the ,jewish ,law1 or refused to offer worship at a heathen shrine4 ,the position of the loyal ,jews soon became desperate4 ,the threat of torture and death was stamping out relentlessly the last flicker of resistance4 ,many of the ,hasidim1 refusing to make the great surrender1 died for their faith1 and the small companies who escaped to the deserts for refuge1 though steadfast in determination to resist1 were in despair1 feeling that ,jehovah had forsaken ,his people utterly4 ,a famous passage in #a ,maccabees 7#bbi-ch7 relates how one thousand of them1 men1 women and children1 pursued into the wilderness by the ,syrian troops1 were overtaken on a ,sabbath day1 and how 7rather than violate the laws of the ,sabbath by fighting7 they sought neither to escape their enemies by flight nor yet to defend themselves1 but stood and met death in heroic silence4 ,such was the condition of affairs when suddenly a change came over the character of the ,jewish resistance4 ,a certain ,mattathias1 a priest of the village ,modein1 with his five sons 7one of whom was the famous ,judas1 afterwards surnamed ,maccabeus71 indignant at what was taking place1 and convinced of the futility of such passive martyrdom as had led to the massacre just mentioned1 struck a blow for freedom1 and began to organise active opposition4 ,the ,hasidim fell in with the new policy1 and men rallied to the support of ,mattathias and his sons4 ,it was as if the latent patriotism of the ,jews had waited only for a spark to kindle it1 had required only action on lines of sufficient common sense to offer a faint chance of success in combating ,antiochus4 ,the new army that sprang dramatically into being was fortunate in its commander4 ,under the brilliant leadership of ,judas ,maccabeus surprising victories were gained1 and after vicissitudes of fortune which it is not in point here to record1 there emerged a ,jewish ,state1 free from the tyranny of ,syria1 and eager to preserve the essence of that moral monotheistic faith which had been ,israel's one unique glory4 ,but whence this astonishing revival8 ,the ,hasidim were none too numerous1 and if1 as is entirely probable1 a large proportion of their men were advanced in years1 they can hardly have been the most efficient portion of the ,maccabean armies from a military point of view4 ,victories in war are won by young1 vigorous men1 and the swift triumph of the ,maccabees implies the adhesion to their cause of numbers of young ,jews from within and without ,jerusalem2 and that again is explicable only by the presence in the nation of a strong undercurrent of respect for the older1 distinctive ,judaism4 ,things were not quite so desperate as they had seemed4 ,hellenism had progressed far2 but it had not eaten out the heart of the people4 ,obviously if all the young ,jews had been convinced ,hellenists1 content to follow the lead of the high-priestly party to any lengths and wholly contemptuous of ,israel's former piety1 they would have looked on with indifference1 or even approval1 while the last remnants of the puritanical ,hasidim and the villagers of ,modein were being blotted out4 ,but from that attitude they had evidently been saved1 and it is fair to acknowledge that the ,wise must have done much to achieve that consummation4 ,their broadminded outlook1 their sensible but genuine piety1 their solid worth of character1 their shrewd yet earnest and at times enthusiastic teaching1 all had helped effectively to maintain regard for the old-fashioned interpretation of life that rested on 8the fear of the ,lord40 ,with the example of the ,wise-men before them1 there must have been many who1 though they felt that ,hellenism was wonderful1 yet knew in their soul that ,judaism also was great and wise4 ,so soon therefore as the vileness of a bloody and remorseless persecution clarified the moral issue and compelled a choice1 men were found who could make the right resolve to fight for their liberty and their fathers' ,god4 ,the result of the ,maccabean conflict was a real decision2 the tide had turned1 and the losing battle was not lost4 ,hellenic thought and method would in days to come mould and modify the ,jewish people in many ways1 but its strangle-hold on the vital point of ,jewish religion was loosened1 never to be renewed4 ,the spiritual genius of ,judaism could breathe again4 ,henceforth1 to quote a memorable saying of ,wellhausen1 8in a period when all nationalities and all bonds of religion and national customs were being broken up in the seeming cosmos and real chaos of the ,grco-,roman ,empire1 the ,jews stood out like a rock in the midst of the ocean4 ,when the natural conditions of independent nationality all failed them1 they nevertheless artificially maintained it with an energy truly marvellous1 and thereby preserved for themselves1 and for the whole world1 an eternal good40 ,,ii ,the second field in which one may reasonably look for signs of the ,wise-men's labours is of course subsequent ,jewish history1 the question being1 8,did the teaching of the ,wise slip out of sight and memory when the crisis we have described was ended1 and when the professors of ,wisdom became the ,scribes and were more and more absorbed in purely scribal interests1 or did it escape oblivion and continue a living influence in the life of the ,jews80 ,the ground that must furnish an answer to our question is chiefly the presence or absence of references to these proverbs1 or of imitations and echoes of them1 in the later ,jewish literature4 ,to begin with1 however1 there is one clear1 independent proof of the esteem in which at any rate the ,book of ,proverbs came to be held1 and that is its inclusion in the ,hebrew ,bible4 ,this fact alone is irrefutable and sufficient testimony that the thoughts of the ,wise never ceased to influence the minds and characters of loyal ,jews4 ,so much for ,proverbs1 but what of ,ecclesiasticus8 ,it also was far from being forgotten4 ,though it failed to secure a place in the ,hebrew ,canon1 it was included in the ,septuagint#hi1 the ,bible of the ,greek-speaking ,jews of ,egypt4 ,the ,talmud in one ultra-orthodox passage forbids quotations to be made from ,ben ,sirach's book1 but actually there are quotations from it in the ,talmud itself6 ,in fact1 a vast number of references might be adduced from the whole range of ,jewish literature testifying both to the popularity of these two great treasuries of the ,sages' sayings1 and to the steady appreciation of proverbs old and new1 which the ,jews displayed4 ,to set forth proof of this assertion even in barest outline would involve technicalities that might be wearisome4 ,we give therefore but two or three points in illustration4 ,perhaps the most interesting1 and for ,gentile readers the most accessible1 source of evidence is a work of the first and second century ,a4,d41 a compendium of the ethical ideas and ideals of certain famous ,jewish teachers1 bearing the title ,pirke ,aboth1 that is ,the ,sayings of the ,fathers4#ij ,throughout this treatise the influence of the ,wisdom writings is clearly indicated by the sententious style that characterises the several ,sayings1 as well as by the numerous direct references to ,proverbs4 ,a few quotations will bring this out1 and at the same time illustrate the high ideals1 curiously but often very attractively expressed1 of which the book is full3-- ,ben ,zoma said1 8,who is mighty8 ,he who subdues his nature1 for it is written #8,he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty' 7,pr4 #afcb740ia ,antigonous of ,soko used to say1 8,be not like servants who work for their ,lord with a view to receiving recompense1 but be as slaves that minister without seeking for reward1 and let the fear of heaven be upon you40#ib ,rabbi ,chananiah said--something that might have averted the ,european war1 and made ,germany a blessing instead of a curse1 had her rulers and thinkers accepted his deep counsel6--8,whenever in any man his fear of sin comes before his wisdom his wisdom endures1 but whensoever a man's wisdom comes before his fear of sin his wisdom doth not endure40#ic ,rabbi ,judah ben ,thema said1 8,be bold as a leopard1 and swift as an eagle1 and fleet as a hart1 and strong as a lion to do the will of thy ,father which is in heaven40#id ,and there was ,rabbi ,samuel the ,little1 who chose for his life's motto just one verse of ,proverbs 7#bdag71 and added thereto no word in comment3 8,rejoice not when thine enemy falleth1 and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth40#ie ,so the topic might be pursued1 and from ,midrash and ,talmud might be drawn examples in plenty1 both references to the ancient proverbs and quotations of new ones--words of wit and humour1 of prudence and fine idealism--applied to all manner of human intercourse1 and witnessing abundantly that in ,israel ,wisdom was still known of her children4 ,space must be found for just these three observations on married life3 ,whose wife dies in his lifetime1 the world becomes dark for him 7,c4 #ee7if4 ,he who loves his wife as himself and honours her more than himself 444 it is of him the ,scripture saith 8,thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace0 7,c4 #ee74 ,and1 lastly1 this gentle and subtle saying3-- ,if thy wife be short1 bend down and whisper to her 7,c4 #ee74 ,if ,wisdom is an influence at all1 it is always an intimate influence working in homes and individual consciences as well as in street and market-place1 so that besides noting the frequent mention of proverbs in the literature1 consideration should also be paid to the vigour of ,jewish morality in the ,christian era4 ,perhaps the simplest and most human point at which to test the matter briefly will be the ethic of the ,jewish home4 ,dispossessed of their native land and scattered to a thousand different cities1 the ,jews were compelled to work out their own salvation under great and increasing difficulties4#ig ,god1 says a significant ,talmudic comment1 dwells in a pure and loving home2 and no one1 aware of the evils that were rampant in the decaying paganism of the ,grco-,roman ,empire and persisted1 still powerful though not unrebuked1 in the slowly developing society of nominally ,christian ,europe1 would deny that the isolated and often harassed communities of the ,jews did their utmost to make that noble saying a reality1 maintaining with amazing courage and pertinacity a splendid ideal of family and communal existence4 ,a discussion of the topic in the ,jewish ,encyclopdia concludes with the following affirmation3 8,throughout these centuries of persecution and migration the moral atmosphere of the ,jewish home was rarely contaminated1 and it became a bulwark of moral and social strength1 impregnable by reason of the religious spirit which permeated it40 ,and in elucidation of what was involved in the persecution referred to let this one grim statement speak3 ,from the sixteenth century1 and earlier1 regulations were enforced compelling the ,jews of numerous large cities to reside in certain confined areas1 8ghettos40 ,nevertheless the dreadful overcrowding to which this led resulted in no serious moral evils3 8,the purity of the ,jewish home-life was a constant antidote to the poisonous suggestions of life in slums1 and it was even able to resist the terrible squalor and unhealthiness which prevailed in the miserable and infamous ,roman ghetto1 where at one time as many as #aj1jjj inhabitants were herded into a space less than a square kilometre4 ,in the poorer streets of this ghetto several families occupied one and the same room4 ,the sufferings of the ,jews in that hell upon earth were not diminished by the yearly overflowing of the ,tiber which made the ,roman ghetto a dismal and a plague-stricken swamp40#ih ,of course many things worked together to sustain the morality of the ,jewish people--the long-suffering of the ,psalmists1 the golden promises of the mighty ,prophets1 and the strength of the ancient ,law4 ,but surely also that store of homely1 yet stirring and challenging1 proverbs which the ,wise-men had created1 may claim a real share in the magnificent result8 ,and if1 quite rightly1 it be insisted that the ,law1 with its fascination of hallowed customs and manifold spiritual suggestions1 played the all-important part1 then in reply we may still enter the plea that1 as ,ben ,sirach had felt and said1 for the ,jew the ,law was ,wisdom and ,wisdom had become the ,law4 ,,iii ,in the third place1 the words of the ,wise were given an honoured place in the mind of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,to some that may be an unexpected statement4 ,it is well-known that ,jesus was intimately familiar with the doctrine of the ,prophets1 and many have perceived how conscious ,he was of all that is admirable in the ,law1 the spiritual essence of which ,he fulfilled4 ,but1 though ,his interest in the ,wise is seldom noted1 it is no less true that ,he had considered deeply and sympathetically the idea of the ,divine ,wisdom1 and was familiar with the famous proverbs that sought to apply its guidance alike to the greatest and the least of our affairs4 ,just how often a memory of ,wisdom is traceable in the recorded words of ,jesus cannot be determined with certainty4 ,verbatim allusions are rare1 perhaps because the ideas of the ,wise and their more memorable sayings had become so familiar in our ,lord's time as to be common ground between hearer and teacher1 so that often it was only the point made by the ,wise that was hinted at1 or caught up and given some new turn and emphasis4 ,but echoes from the thoughts and images of the proverbs are so frequent in the ,gospels that together they furnish ample evidence of ,his having known and valued the ancient treasury of ,wisdom4 ,the evidence is1 of course1 cumulative1 and its strength must not be judged by the following few illustrations4#ii ,no fewer than seven of the eight ,beatitudes 7,matt4 #ec;ff7 recall proverbs of the ,wise2 what had been1 as it were1 a seed of thought in the proverb finding ripe expression in the ,beatitude4 ,for instance1 ,blessed are the poor 7i4e41 humble7 in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven1 said ,jesus--,better1 said the ,wise1 is it to be of a lowly spirit with the poor1 than to divide the spoil with the proud 7,pr4 #afai74 ,with ,jesus' condemnation of mischievous talk1 ,every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof in the day of judgement2 for by thy words shalt thou be justified1 and by thy words thou shalt be condemned 7,matt4 #abcf1 #cg71 compare ,pr4 #ahbj1 #ba ,death and life are in the power of the tongue2 and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof 7also ,pr4 #acb1 #aed1 #babc1 etc474 ,with the teaching1 ,lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth 444 but in heaven1 compare ,pr4 #aad1 #bh1 #aeaf1 #afh1 etc4 ,give us this day our daily bread seems to echo ,pr4 #cjh3 ,give me neither poverty nor riches2 feed me with the bread that is needful for me4 ,in the command for generous dealing1 ,give to him that asketh thee1 and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away 7,matt4 #edb71 there is perhaps a precise reminiscence of ,pr4 #cbh3 ,say not unto thy neighbour1 8,go and come again0 when thou hast it with thee 7cp4 also ,pr4 #aiag with ,matt4 #bedj72 and again when ,jesus encouraged ,his disciples saying ,be not anxious how or what ye shall speak4444 ,for it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your ,father which speaketh in you 7,matt4 #ajai1 #bj71 perhaps the very words of ,pr4 #afa were in ,his memory3 ,the plans of the heart belong to man1 but the answer of the tongue is from the ,lord8 ,some of the immortal images in our ,lord's parables may have been painted from the thought suggested by a proverb4 ,in the parable of ,luke #adg-aa1 the command not to seek the highest seats at the banquet may originate in the saying of ,pr4 #bef as much as in the concrete examples of the failing which contemporary life no doubt afforded4 ,so also the famous parable of the two houses1 one built on rock1 the other on sand1 perhaps goes back to the seed-thought in ,pr4 #abg3 ,the wicked are overthrown and are not1 but the house of the righteous shall stand2 and the proverb ,boast not thyself of to-morrow1 for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth1 ,pr4 #bga1 might be text for ,christ's parable of the rich man and his barns 7,luke #abaf-ba74 ,again when ,jesus1 speaking of the kingdom of heaven1 likens it to a marriage feast 7,matt4 #bba-ad2 etc47 and elsewhere compares it in its infinite value to a hidden precious pearl1 there are details in the language used which suggest that the picture of ,wisdom's banquet 7,pr4 #ia-e71 and the proverbs on the incomparable worth of ,wisdom were not far distant from ,his mind4 ,more important than even the certain or possible verbal reminiscences of the proverbs is the resemblance between the manner of ,jesus' teaching and the manner of the ,wise4 ,like them1 ,he also taught in the streets1 seeking the people where they were most easily to be found2 and though ,his words were infinite in depth of insight and spiritual grandeur1 ,he was wont to clothe them in simple language--now quoting a telling proverb1 ,physician1 heal thyself1 now kindling imagination by a familiar but graphic metaphor or comparison that went home to the heart1 and challenged the conscience1 and was comprehensible to learned and unlearned equally4 ,like the ,wise1 ,he spoke constantly on those simple but supreme issues which concern every man that cometh into the world2 and ,his highest doctrine was often cast1 like the lessons of ancient ,wisdom1 in brief sentences that refused to be forgotten3 ,blessed are the pure in heart1 for they shall see ,god--,he that findeth his life shall lose it1 and he that loseth his life for ,my sake shall find it4 ,many readers will realise that the deepest thing concerning the relation between ,jesus ,christ and ,wisdom has not yet been referred to1 but that we deliberately reserve4 ,enough has been said for the present purpose4 ,who in face of all these facts would dare to maintain that the ,wise-men toiled to no purpose4 ,their love's labour was not lost4 ,in the issue of the struggle with ,hellenism and the revival of the ,jewish national consciousness with its unique moral and religious features1 some of them witnessed a result such as their teaching1 whether they were fully conscious of the fact or not1 had tended to achieve4 ,but also there came gradually in later generations1 and in lands of which they had not so much as heard1 a rich reward of which the end is not yet in sight4 ,could they but have foreseen even a small corner of this ultimate harvest field1 how completely depression would have vanished1 and all mistrust of ,god's dealings with faithful men been lifted from their minds6 ,their proverbs were laid on the foundation of a religious and ethical idealism1 and if some have proved to be only wood1 hay and stubble1 others were gold1 silver and costly stones1 and these have obtained a place in the temple of eternal ,truth4 ,doubtless the imperfections of the ,wise were great and their failures and disappointments many1 but all the time they were building far better than they knew4 ,is it not always so with every courageous effort after righteousness1 every honest search for the kingdom of the living ,god8 ,,chapter ,,xii ,values ,our fathers required no volumes on the ,humanism of the ,bible4 ,they felt themselves close-linked with its heroes2 ,patriarchs1 ,judges1 ,warriors1 ,kings1 and ,prophets were their kith and kin1 not in blood1 but in the nearer relationship of human experience4 ,saul1 in his pride1 his jealousy and desolate death1 stood in warning beside them2 ,david1 pattern of faith and fortitude in adversity1 was at their right hand1 so that in their distresses men would take courage1 remembering that ,david also had cried unto the ,lord and been delivered4 ,but the perspective of the years has ceased to be foreshortened1 and between our generation and the old world of the ,bible a great gulf now seems fixed4 ,nevertheless our fathers were right1 and we are wrong4 ,saul and ,david and the men of the ,bible are not separated from us by #c1jjj years1 nor yet by one year1 for difference of race and custom are trivialities compared with the fundamental conditions of life and the unalterable principles of character4 ,our predecessors may have made too light of the differences1 but that is a small fault compared with the modern tendency to ignore the resemblances3 not to ask 8,what do these men and these events say to us concerning the eternal things we share with them80 is to miss the one thing needful4 ,to illustrate the argument1 recollect that skeleton of dates1 ,william the ,conqueror #ajff 444 which not so long ago did duty in our schools for the record of the glory of ,england4 ,what could have been more ineffective for revealing the soul of history8 ,now-a-days1 the tale is better told but1 even so1 be the events narrated never so graphically1 unless they are conceived in relation to ourselves we are little benefited4 ,to use the famous simile of the prophet1 bone may come to its bone1 and sinews be upon them1 and flesh come up and skin cover them above1 until the very semblance of men rises before our eyes2 but there will be no breath in them4 ,only when it is realised how out of the living past has grown the living present1 only then enters the breath of ,god into the men of old and they live and stand up upon their feet1 an exceeding great army--to our aid in the shaping of what is to be4 ,history is profitable in so far as its significance for the present is understood4#ajj ,thus1 with fine insight1 the ,jews perceived that even their majestic ,law would be of no avail if it were heard only as the recital of words delivered long ago at ,sinai1 and accordingly the exhortation ascribed to ,moses in the ,book of ,deuteronomy comes to its climax in this deep saying3 ,the commandment is not too hard for thee1 neither is it far off4 ,it is not in heaven1 that thou shouldest say 8,who shall go up for us to heaven1 and bring it down unto us1 and make us hear it1 that we may do it80444 ,but the ,word is very nigh thee1 in thy mouth and in thy heart1 that thou mayest do it4#aja ,and so also in like manner this account of the history behind the ,jewish proverbs has not been told in order to evoke for a brief moment nerveless phantoms of the ,wise in ancient ,israel1 but with the hope that a voice would be heard saying even of this ,word 8,it is very nigh thee1 in thy mouth1 and in thy heart1 that thou mayest do it40 ,what is the significance for us of these men and their experiences8 ,consider some of the features of this ,movement1 if so precise a term may for convenience be applied to the easy1 natural1 teaching of ,wisdom4 ,in the first place observe the thorough and effective contact established by the teachers of ,wisdom with the people they sought to reach4 ,one of the main problems confronting ,christianity is the severance of the potential influence of its ,churches from the life of the people2 verily ,mahomet sits waiting for the mountain4 ,what then8 ,ought the ,churches to be abandoned1 and men go a-worshipping in the market-place8 8,impractical--at the best it would soon lose its effect--the experiment has been made1 with sadly limited results03 a thousand valid objections6 ,but the problem must not be dismissed so lightly with a bare consideration of its obvious difficulties1 for the issues at stake are too serious2 the bulk of the population live perilously free from the stimulus of any ,ideal1 whether self-sought or impressed from without by the teaching of others4 ,seeing then that the ,wise succeeded where we have missed the mark1 their ways must at least deserve a scrutiny2 here is a method by which the poor were preached to1 and religion stood daily in the streets and morals in the market-place2 here is idealism put in language the unlearned could both comprehend and recollect4 ,indeed the proverb was wonderfully suited to their needs1 for even its riddles were easily solved1 not darkening counsel but devised only to awaken curiosity and so assist the slow and simple mind4 ,of course a slavish imitation of the ,wise-men's procedure is out of the question in modern circumstances1 but slavish imitation is not suggested4 ,said ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds when urging the students of the ,royal ,academy to the study of the ,old ,masters1 8,the more extensive your acquaintance is with the works of those who have excelled1 the more extensive will be your powers of invention40 ,there is a force of idealism latent in almost all men1 but it requires to be brought to the surface1 examined1 criticised and judiciously directed to the attainment of practical objects2 otherwise the greater part of its potential energy will never be brought into action2 and in this easy-going land of ours there is more than normal scope for increased discipline of the mind4 ,we can afford to think much harder than we have ever yet done without losing the virtue of humorous1 tolerant good-nature4 ,as ,mr4 ,clutton ,brock has said recently1 8,the fact that some thinking is bad is not a reason why we should not think at all4 ,the ,germans have been encouraged by their bad thinking to exercise certain virtues perversely and to bad ends1 but still to exercise them in a manner which has astonished the world2 while we have been little encouraged by thinking1 good or bad1 to exercise any virtues40#ajb ,there is ample room for more outspoken interest in the ends and principles of human life1 more earnest and stringent consideration of the problems of social organisation--provided our discussions be undertaken1 not in the spirit of silly contention1 mere bolstering up of unconsidered prejudice1 but in a sincerity that will be both more critical and yet more humbly eager1 for truth's sake1 to learn one from another4 ,for it is not division of opinion1 or even real conflict of interest that prevents and retards reform1 so much as the dead weight of ignorance1 of indifference and of paltry pride in argument--the very sins which in the past were the prime cause of the evils that call for remedy4 ,no less than the ancient ,hebrews we moderns stand in need of the exhortation to let ,wisdom enter into our hearts and knowledge be pleasant unto our souls 7cp4 ,pr4 #baj74 ,neither with all our heart1 nor even with all our mind1 far less with all our soul1 have we yet sought her whose ways are ways of pleasantness1 and all her paths are peace 7,pr4 #cag72 nor have we understood sufficiently that she is a tree of life to all that lay hold on her1 and happy is every one that retaineth her 7,pr4 #cah74 ,says a later ,jewish proverb1 ,lackest thou ,wisdom1 what hast thou acquired8 ,hast acquired ,wisdom1 what lackest thou8 7,c4 #ic47 ,secondly1 the constant intimate contact that the ,wise maintained with the actualities of men's ordinary experience was beneficial not only to the taught but to the teachers4 ,it kept the ,wise in touch with work-a-day problems 7the most difficult of tasks for the idealistic thinker71 and so helped to make their toil productive4 ,it taught them how to bring ,heavenly ,wisdom down from the right hand of ,god that she might dwell with men1 and make their homes pure and loving1 and their business just1 and their pleasures clean4 ,and herein is a thought of no little encouragement for preachers and teachers in these days of not overcrowded ,churches4 ,somehow it seems that personal contact is invaluable in the moral and spiritual education of man4 ,that is why the leading article1 with its scores of thousands of readers1 may sometimes have less effect than a good sermon heard by a few hundred4 ,the ,press addresses us from an ,olympian but distant ,fleet ,street1 thundering at us--but in cold print2 whereas the parson and the teacher1 if he is a true man1 somewhere and to some few is a neighbour and a friend4 ,however excellent the ,manual of ,ethics1 it will not serve to influence the lives of many4 ,the ,son of ,man1 it seems1 must come eating and drinking and teaching in our streets4 ,in the next place1 this ,movement is an interesting and important example of independent as opposed to systematic instruction1 illustrating both the weaknesses as well as the strength of pronounced individualism1 and supporting the opinion that1 if only one safeguard be present1 the advantages of individualism outweigh its dangers4 ,teachers less restricted than the ,wise it is difficult to imagine4 ,each was free to develop his own opinions on the nature of life and the principles of success and failure1 even to the point of open agnosticism4 ,what prevents such licence from becoming chaos8 ,the reply indicated by the ,wisdom ,movement is that freedom1 even extreme freedom1 of judgment in matters of conduct and faith will not result in chaos provided there is an underlying unity of aim4 ,all the ,wise were lovers of ,wisdom4 ,they conceived their theme in different fashions1 but they had all the same intention--to teach and to practise ,wisdom and not ,folly2 hence1 despite the diversity in their proverbs1 the shifting standpoints1 the variety of ethical standards1 even the contradictions of advice1 their teaching was ultimately effective4 ,if we had had space to consider their work in relation to other movements in the intellectual life of that period1 both in ,palestine and also in the wider world1 it would have been easy to show that the immaturities in the ,wise-men's thoughts1 the uncertainties of their faith and ethic 7the very points on which the cynical would pounce as evidence of failure7 on a wider and wiser survey of the facts were in reality co-operating influences1 clearing the way for a deeper1 fuller1 faith4 ,truth is eternal1 but men's apprehension of it is progressive2 and it should be insisted that1 given the presence of one fundamental purpose so that an ultimate unity of spirit must necessarily exist1 divergence of opinion1 even on matters of high importance1 does not indicate weakness or indecision or decay1 but rather is a sign of vitality and hope4 ,the reason for this is obvious4 ,final statements can be made only with regard to the conceptions of the abstract sciences1 such as mathematics1 or to the judgments we can sometimes pass on lost causes2 and on the other hand power to perceive the imperfection of present attainment has ever been1 and still is1 the prime condition of human progress3 8,god10 said ,john ,robinson1 minister of the ,pilgrim ,fathers1 8has yet more truth to break forth out of ,his ,word40 ,the bearing on modern ,christianity is not far to seek4 ,a doctor recently remarked to the present writer that one had only to enter the several ,churches of a certain town to discover that ,christians were now in hopeless confusion1 ignorant as to what they did or did not believe1 and that if the professed followers of the faith could not state their doctrine coherently1 others might well be excused from attempting the task of ascertaining what ,christianity now meant4 ,the argument is not unusual1 but it is profoundly mistaken4 ,it might have been retorted that divergencies of medical opinion 7and many patients will bear witness that they are neither slight nor few7 are no indication whatever of the essential unsoundness of the science of medicine1 but rather the guarantee of its advance into more accurate knowledge4 ,moreover had the critic been in actual touch with the feeling and activities of the ,churches in question1 he would have recognised that the points of disagreement1 though important1 were not upon the vital question of faith in ,god and general attitude towards life2 so that whilst he personally might still have been unable to accept ,christian belief1 he could not possibly have formulated such an indictment as appears above4 ,the real peril of ,christian theology has not been vagueness1 but the ,hellenic tendency to essay the definition of all things to the last iota4 ,but from the perils inherent in that attitude ,christianity has been delivered by the passionate instinct of mankind for truth1 and by the reforming energy of great individuals2 and will be delivered1 so long as the ,church has faith in the guiding ,spirit of ,god4 ,there is value in the ,wise-men's witness to the intimate relation between faith and morality4 ,the religion of ,israel in its higher development is magnificent in its clear recognition that the claim of ,god upon man is absolute1 complete and not partial--if there be one ,god1 ,creator of heaven and earth1 then certainly ,he besets us behind and before and lays ,his hand upon us--and that the love of ,god and the love of our fellow-men must be indissolubly related1 faith being the inspiration of morality1 and moral action the necessary outcome of faith4 ,with these sublime beliefs1 proclaimed by ,prophets and ,psalmists1 the ,wise were in accord3 they also in their more homely fashion recognised the universality of the ,divine claim1 and its operation in the realm of moral duty4 ,perhaps those thoughts may seem to some readers only elementary and obvious ideas on spiritual things4 ,but they ought to be regarded not as elementary 7and therefore of small account7 but as fundamental and vital conceptions4 ,every student of comparative religion would testify how great and terrible a gulf in human life was crossed when first a ,hebrew ,prophet conceived the thought that ,god desireth mercy and not sacrifice1 not ceremonial worship but philanthropy 7in the true sense of the word71 and how glorious a hope for the future of religion then dawned upon our race4 ,moreover the fact remains that1 even if to many these thoughts of ,god and the nature of ,his service may be no novelty1 even if they have grasped the idea in its full significance and are conscious of its exact bearing on manifold contemporary affairs1 there is still room for its reaffirmation4 ,said a soldier in ,france1 after a discussion about ,christianity to which he had listened intently and with some surprise1 8,but1 as ,i understand it1 religion is all talk about heaven4 ,what's it got to do with morality80 ,religion has got to do with morality1 and morality1 like the demand for truth and the instinct for the beautiful1 penetrates life through and through to its least details4 ,christianity is not a bargain with the ,deity entailing magical immunity from hardship in this life and special privileges in the next4 ,it is such an attitude of the essential personality as should wholly determine our activities in each and every aspect life can present to us1 both now and hereafter4 ,the scope of religion is as wide as our interests2 and what could serve more happily to remind us of that fact than these ,jewish proverbs which1 beginning with the fear of ,god1 range from kings to labourers1 from merry men to broken hearts1 from dreams of perfect justice to cynical observations on the uses and advantages of bribes8 ,wisdom is indeed ubiquitous3 ,divers weights and false balances are an abomination unto the ,lord1 say the ,wise in the busy mart2 and then in the hour of leisure and of plenty ,it is not good to eat much honey--and all this in the name of transcendent ,wisdom1 whose fruit is better than gold1 yea1 than fine gold2 ,wisdom that was set up from everlasting1 from the beginning1 or ever the earth was4 ,incidentally we have also to note how thoroughly these proverbs1 by reason of the range of interest of which we have just been speaking1 and by the sensible attitude they endeavour to preserve1 illustrate the ,humanism of the ,bible2 for surely the most ungenerous of critics would not accuse them of being unpractical or absorbed in supra-mundane matters4 ,the point has already been emphasised1 and therefore we will not dwell upon it again1 except to remark its importance as one instance of a general principle3 that ,idealism to be effective must needs grow out of the soil of commonsense4 ,there is a degree beyond which existing facts must not be disregarded4 ,for example1 men have not mastered the art of flight by ignoring gravitation1 but by having studied its laws and conquered the difficulties they present4 ,in the admirable words of a friend of the writer1 8,christian opinion is peculiarly liable to the danger of running counter to the average common sense in the midst of which it finds itself2 that is a natural alternative to simply falling into line with current common sense views4444 ,thought that has its head in the clouds must have its feet planted firmly in sound common sense1 if its heart is to be in the right place4444 ,no one can think of ,jesus as the devotee of a faddist cult4 ,he entered whole-heartedly into the common joys and sorrows and into the common interests of the people3 their wedding-feasts and their mourning for dead friends and their longing for freedom from the ,roman yoke4444 ,he entered by the open door of common sense1 and led out the spirit of man into a larger life than it had ever conceived40#ajc ,omitting the superlative 8ever10 these words in italics are wonderfully apposite in reference to the genius of the ,wisdom ,movement in ,israel4 ,there is value for us in the confidence which the ,wise-men showed in their attitude towards life4 ,they1 like ourselves1 lived in an age when all things were being put to trial1 and doubt and perplexity were rife4 ,they were aware that even their instinctive fundamental ideas were under challenge1 aware that the path they followed was unfinished2 and yet1 as the general tone of the proverbs indicates1 they lived with firmness and decision1 and therefore achieved much4 ,they were wise indeed in that they perceived the issue between good and evil to be clear enough for a man to choose which of the twain he will pursue4 ,having chosen1 these men did not content themselves with expressing a timorous hope that the moralistic view of life might ultimately be proved correct2 they did battle for righteousness1 valiantly and practically4 ,so with ourselves4 ,stringent and systematic application of the test of reason is a most necessary attitude to preserve1 but it is not a whit less necessary1 despite our uncertainty regarding ultimate problems of existence1 early in life to form a definite idea whither we wish to direct our steps4 ,to do so is the only highway to an effective life4 ,nor is it unreasonable to demand from men that much resolution1 for ,good and ,evil do present themselves quite distinctly as alternative routes4 ,of course1 all the coward in us and all the sluggard prompts a protest for delay3 we see a hundred reasons for postponing judgment1 or for arranging a compromise between the claimants2 8our philosophy is unsettled2 we have neither proved ,god to our complete satisfaction1 nor has ,he clearly justified ,his ways to us3 so that surely it is not reasonable to insist that we make choice 7and therefore1 we take it1 the subsidiary matter of our unwillingness need not arise7--let us drift a little longer through these puzzling mists40 ,nothing but a bold decision for ,wisdom or for ,folly ever clears those mists away4 ,to shirk the challenge 7as some do all their lives7 is easy and at first may seem the natural course to adopt1 but it entails a heavy penalty4 ,it deprives us of any firm criterion of judgment1 and we must needs go fumbling with the golden opportunities which come but return not4 ,take then the ,wise for an example4 ,uncertainty they felt1 but uncertainty did not paralyse their power1 because they met perplexities in the open field of action4 ,from us1 as from them1 many secrets of creation are concealed2 but some things are certainly evil and some are pure and good4 ,a blessing and a curse are set before us1 and the difference between them is in no way obscure4 ,we ought to choose the blessing2 and then1 in faith that the ,good is really and ultimately the ,true1 act vigorously in support of our belief4 ,wisdom we know and ,folly we know2 ,christ we have seen and the fruits of wickedness3 in the name of sanity how much clearer need the issue be8 ,passing from the methods and manner of the ,movement1 it is encouraging to turn for a moment to the thought of its success4 ,when we measure the might of the forces making against ,wisdom1 the numbers and influence of those bent on pleasure or on riches with scant regard1 or none at all1 for nobler possibilities in life1 it is wonderful that the ideals of the ,wise should have become known to vast numbers of men in alien lands1 and that1 enshrined in the ,bible1 their influence should still remain unexhausted4 ,had the memory of them continued in honour only for a century or two and been restricted to the limits of the ,jewish communities1 even that would have been a result exceeding what had once seemed probable4 ,for ,hellenism was a monstrous flood apparently capable of sweeping away far larger obstacles than all ,judaism combined--priests1 prophets1 and ,wise-men--could raise against its onset4 ,but ,wisdom and ,law and ,prophets survived the deluge1 quite unharmed and indeed strengthened by the trial they had undergone4 ,why was it so8 ,how comes it to pass that the ,wise after all do not toil in vain2 that the ,crucified conquers2 that ,st4 ,paul1 who in his lifetime can establish no more than a few struggling ,churches1 eventually commands the intellect of ,greece and subdues the power of ,rome8 ,surely because1 in the words of yet another great passage in the ,hebrew ,scriptures1 ,elisha's vision in beleaguered ,dothan was no mirage in the eyes of a famine-haunted man1 but truth of truth1 and the mountains of ,reality which compass the ,city of ,human ,faith are full of the chariots of the ,lord of ,hosts4 ,christianity is not dying1 nor is the ,church doomed1 nor is the work of idealists in this generation of no avail4 ,rather he is blind that imagines so1 blind to the armies that in the soul of ,man do battle for the one eternal ,god4 ,such are some of the reflections prompted by the history of the ,wisdom ,movement4 ,we come now to what those unacquainted with the events we have been describing may have imagined to be the only1 as it is the most obvious and perhaps the most important1 gift the ,jewish ,sages have left for our inheriting--the proverbs themselves1 considered apart from their origin or use in relation to any particular historical events4 ,not all the sayings are of value in themselves1 for some are trivial and some are obsolete1 some have been said better1 and a few were better left unsaid4 ,but there remain many having permanent interest1 and many that speak deep and undying truth1 truth which we1 no less than our fathers1 have need to learn1 and which those who come after us will have to learn or suffer loss4 ,had we chosen to use such proverbs as texts whereon to build discussion1 illustration or enforcement of their thoughts and counsels1 they are enough to fill not one but many volumes of this size4 ,for stirring subjects would open up on every side4 ,how shrewd1 for example1 are these ,jewish maxims in their insistence that principle should precede practice1 that success in life is won not by experiment unguided by fixed purpose but by the early adoption of certain great principles which our experiences will continually test and interpret1 clarify and confirm6 ,how sensible in their demand for the use of unsparing criticism--both the discipline of self-imposed criticism1 and the humility that will receive1 and1 if necessary1 assent to the reproof of others6 ,how true the instinct which taught them to feel that real ,wisdom is not merely an intellectual affair2 so that they bid men seek not learning but rather the power to use it for right purposes1 not knowledge of fact so much as the understanding mind4 ,it is of profound importance in life this distinction between intelligence and knowledge4 ,as the late ,lord ,cromer remarked to one of his friends soon after the outbreak of the ,european war1 8,i believe that ,germany will live in history as the supreme example of the failure to distinguish ,wisdom from ,learning40 ,it is ,wisdom that the ,jewish ,sages preached4 ,and how wise they were in the emphasis they lay on the necessity of application in the difficult task of awakening and cultivating the dormant powers of the mind4#ajd ,above all1 how more than wise1 how humane1 are they in depicting ,wisdom in lovely colours1 not as cold and repellent1 but as warm and welcoming1 an infinitely desirable1 compassionate ,friend of ,humanity6 ,how much we have still to learn from them in that respect1 we who are not yet wholly delivered from an age that of set purpose hid the fascinating light of knowledge under a bushel of dull and unimaginative discipline1 making education seem a thing to be endured2--till we grew up--and depicting ,morality as an ,all-seeing ,eye1 unblinkingly on the watch for our misdemeanours1 a sort of inescapable ,super-,spy6 ,and again1 treating the proverbs from this general point of view1 what inexhaustible variety of themes would be at our disposal--education1 commerce1 responsibility1 virtue and vice1 hardships1 luxury1 marriage and friendship1 idleness and diligence2 in fact we might talk 8of shoes and ships and sealing-wax1 of cabbages and kings02 an embarras de richesses4 ,the remaining pages of this volume will be given to a review of certain of the ,jewish proverbs1 grouped under several topics4 ,the principle on which these topics and the proverbs used in their illustration have been selected is chiefly the avoidance of repetition1 so far as has proved reasonably convenient4 ,obviously1 many most suitable subjects1 such as the personal virtues1 and many sayings that might fittingly be quoted in exposition of the themes actually chosen for the following pages1 have already been utilised in our account of the ,wisdom ,movement4 ,these then1 with a few exceptions1 will not be reproduced again1 partly because there is little need to draw upon them1 the stock of ,jewish proverbs being far from exhausted1 but mainly because it is to be hoped that their wit and wisdom for ourselves and for all men did not pass unnoticed and unconsidered in the historical setting4 ,the sins of omission of which the following pages are guilty are patent even to the author4 ,if they rouse the reader into making a better selection for himself1 good and again good4 ,to preserve a thread of connection with what precedes1 we may commence by reviewing first ,nature and then ,humour in the ,jewish sayings1 both of which subjects have not only a certain general interest1 but will help further to show how the proverbs can contribute to our realisation of the ,humanism of the ,bible4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,nature in the ,proverbs ,in comparison with the ,greeks and those peoples who have inherited something of the ,grecian genius for form and colour in the world1 it may fairly be said that the ,hebrews were inartistic4 ,when1 however1 they are charged with being 8unresponsive to ,nature10 or 8lacking the artistic sense10 it is time to protest4 ,for the ,hebrews were not unobservant of ,nature or unsympathetic1 and the writers of the ,old ,testament make many allusions to the scenes and processes of the visible world1 and they recognise its beauties and its marvels4 ,the artist's proper quarrel with the ,hebrews is that very seldom did they see ,nature in and for itself1 but almost always through the medium of its relationship to the mental or physical interests of ,man--how far does ,nature threaten or encourage his faith and aspirations8 ,what does it teach him8 ,the ,psalmist does not tell you 8what a glorious night it is0 or that 8the sunset is magnificent02 he says that the heavens declare the glory of ,god1 and the firmament sheweth ,his handiwork4 ,we are bidden to lift our eyes to the hills1 not to perceive the lights and shadows on their slopes1 but because thence we may look to see the advent of our hope4 ,let us set two famous passages in contrast1 the first from ,greek literature1 the second from the ,new ,testament4 ,in one of ,pindar's jewelled ,odes1 the poet--singing the praises of ,iamos1 a mortal born of the god ,poseidon and a human mother--first paints in rich and glowing words a picture of the infant hero laid in a cradle among the rushes1 8his soft body bedewed with light from the yellow and purple colours of the pansies10 and then goes on to show him1 now grown to manhood and tasting the first fresh glory of his youth1 8going down to the midst of the ,alphus stream1 there to invoke the regard of his divine progenitor and to beseech of him the favour of a hero's task--1 1 by night under the open sky40#aje ,no one who has ever felt the magic of a star-filled night can miss the art that makes the passage culminate in those two words4 ,now compare this from the ,new ,testament1 of course in reference to the literary question only3-- 444 8,so when he had dipped the sop1 he taketh and giveth it to ,judas1 the son of ,simon ,iscariot4 ,and after the sop1 then entered ,satan into him4 ,jesus therefore saith to him1 ,that thou doest1 do quickly4 ,now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him4 ,for some thought1 because ,judas had the bag1 that ,jesus said unto him1 ,buy what things we have need of for the feast1 or that he should give something to the poor4 ,he then having received the sop went out straightway3 and it was night40#ajf ,here also is art1 the highest art--it needed the darkness to cover ,judas and make possible his sin--but the art is unconscious4 ,the words are given only as a detail of fact1 an indication of time1 added without a thought of their effect on our emotions4 ,the writer of the ,gospel is altogether absorbed in the agonising human interest of the scene4 ,no expectation therefore should be entertained that ,nature in the ,jewish proverbs will be presented with unusual beauty or close observation4 ,nothing very wonderful is remarked of the world outside the little world of man1 and the allusions almost always are made in relation to human hopes and fears and habits4 ,but ,nature has not been expelled from the proverbs2 she crops out now and then1 and1 if we bear in mind this warning against undue hopes1 the subject seems worth a brief examination4 ,well then1 the following proverbs are assembled solely on account of their references to natural phenomena4 ,that is the one and only pretext for their collocation4 ,some perchance may say that the excuse is insufficient--but they forget that 8a touch of ,nature makes the whole world kin40 ,since tradition saith of ,solomon that 8he spake of trees from the cedar that is in ,lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall2 he spake also of beasts and of fowl and of creeping things and of fishes10 we can see where we ought to make a start4 ,we begin with the trees4 ,the trees however will disappoint us4 ,wisdom1 we are baldly told1 is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her 7,pr4 #cah71 and it is said 7,pr4 #bgah7 ,whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof4 ,even if we get so far as to spy a little fruit upon a tree1 and imagine that we have it safely gathered1 lo6 and behold6 it rolls out of our fingers4 ,for the famous proverb1 ,like apples of gold in baskets of silver1 ,so is a word spoken in season 7,pr4 #beaa71 is pretty but elusive1 the truth being that the vague phrasing of the ,english ,version is due to nobody knowing what the ,hebrew really means6 ,the best passage is this from ,ben ,sirach1 ,as the flower of roses in the time of new fruits1 as lilies at the waterspring1 as the shoot of ,lebanon in time of summer1 444 as an olive tree budding forth fruit1 and as an oleaster with branches full of sap 7,e4 #ejh-aj74 ,here are the birds in proverbs3 ,in vain is the net spread in the eyes of any bird 7,pr4 #aag74 ,as a bird that wandereth from its nest ,so is a man that wandereth from his home 7,pr4 #bgh74 ,birds resort unto their like1 ,and truth will return to them that practise it 7,e4 #bgi74 ,the eye that mocketh at a father1 ,and despiseth an aged mother1 ,the ravens of the brook shall pick it out1 ,and the young eagles shall eat it 7,pr4 #cjag74 ,the beasts may be divided into the wild creatures untamed by man1 and the domestic animals4 ,some of the latter are to be seen wandering most naturally through this picture of the wise farmer3 ,be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks1 ,and look well to thy herds2 ,for riches endure not for ever1 ,nor wealth to all generations4 ,when the hay is carried and the tender grass springeth1 ,when the grass of the mountains is gathered1 ,then the lambs will supply thee with clothing ,and the goats yield the price of a field1 ,and give milk enough for thy household1 ,enough for the maintenance of thy maidens 7,pr4 #bgbc-bg74 ,for the horse see ,pr4 #bfc1 ,e4 #cjh and #ccf2 of the dog1 whom we shall meet again in the next chapter1 there is a famous saying in ,eccles4 #id1 ,better a living dog than a dead lion4 ,among the wild animals1 the lion 7,pr4 #cjcj7 and the bear enjoy the most fearsome reputation according to the proverbs--,the king's wrath is as the roaring of the lion 7,pr4 #aiab7--;,as a roaring lion and a ranging bear1 so is a wicked ruler over a poor people 7,pr4 #bhae74 ,but there are worse things than either--,let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a fool in his folly 7,pr4 #agab7--;,i will rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than keep house with a wicked woman 7,e4 #beaf74 ,the references to conies1 locusts1 and lizards in ,pr4 #cjbf;f may be remembered 7see p4 #dg74 ,wine1 said the ,wise1 goeth down smoothly1 but 7was there gout1 or worse1 in those days87 at the last it biteth like a serpent1 and stingeth like an adder 7,pr4 #bccb71 and the serpent's elusive track across the rock is mentioned in ,pr4 #cjai4 ,perhaps these references to snakes should have been placed at the head of a paragraph on creeping things4 ,however that may be1 one of the creeping things1 being 8exceeding wise0 7,pr4 #cjbd71 received an immortality in ,proverbs3 ,go to the ant1 thou sluggard1 ,consider her ways and be wise 444 7,pr4 #ff74 ,cannot one see a ,sage in some leisure hour1 bending down to watch the busy energetic little creature hurrying about its toil8 ,and then--8,aha60 said he1 8behold a proper scourge for lazy bones06 ,the one reference to fishes makes one wonder whether the days of yore1 like our own times1 had their sea-serpent season4 ,says ,ben ,sirach1 ,they that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof1 ,and when we hear it with our ears we marvel4 ,therein be also those strange and wondrous works1 ,variety of all that hath life1 the race of sea-monsters 7,e4 #dcbd1 #be74 ,the proverbs may lack something as a text-book for young scientists2 yet here is the very essence of the fact of gravitation observed and duly noted3 ,he that casteth a stone on high casteth it on his own head 7,e4 #bgbe74 ,two or three features in what one may call civilised ,nature1 are worth recording here1 although ,man played the chief part in their appearing3-- ,a glimpse of a battlemented town3 ,a wise man scaleth the citadel of the mighty1 ,and bringeth down its strong confidence 7,pr4 #babb74 ,of great ships on the sea3 ,she is like the merchant ships1 ,she bringeth her food from afar 7,pr4 #caad74 ,of a prosperous dwelling-place3 ,through ,wisdom is an house builded ,and by understanding it is established1 ,and by knowledge are the chambers furnished1 ,with all precious and pleasant riches 7,pr4 #bdc1 #d74 ,curiously enough1 no reference to sun1 moon or stars occurs in ,proverbs#ajg1 but there are several allusions in ,ecclesiasticus1 especially in one remarkable chapter of really poetic appreciation1 which tells first of the wonder and the blazing intolerable heat of the sun 7,e4 #dca-e71 and then celebrates the glories of moon and stars and rainbow--the moon increasing wonderfully in her changing1 a beacon for the hosts on high1 shineth forth in the firmament of heaven4 ,the beauty of heaven is the glory of the stars1 an array giving light in the highest heights of the ,lord3 at the word of the ,holy ,one they stand in due order and sleep not in their watches4 ,look upon the rainbow and praise him that made it2 exceeding beautiful in the brightness thereof4 ,it compasseth the heaven round about with a circle of glory2 the hands of the ,most ,high have constructed it 7,e4 #dch-ab74 ,again in a panegyric on the virtues of ,simon1 the son of ,onias1 the high-priest 8great among his brethren1 and the glory of his people10#ajh ,ben ,sirach says that1 when the people gathered round him as he came forth out of the sanctuary1 he was glorious ,as the morning star from between the clouds2 ,as the moon at the full2 ,as the sun shining forth upon the ,temple of the ,most ,high2 ,and as the rainbow giving light in clouds of glory 7,e4 #ejf1 #g74 ,the elements and seasons1 in one way or another1 are referred to not infrequently4 ,for instance1 ,pr4 #beac1 ,as the coolness of snow in time of harvest1 so is a faithful messenger to them that send him#aji3 a proverb we might appreciate more fully if either we had to go harvesting under an eastern sun or if ,his ,majesty's postal system were suddenly abolished4 ,as clouds and wind without rain1 ,so is he that boasts of gifts ungiven 7,pr4 #bead74 --how tantalising to see the precious moisture far overhead and drifting hopelessly out of reach1 in a land where rain was desperately needed6 ,one passage from the poetical chapter of ,ecclesiasticus mentioned above has something of the ,grecian charm1 combining as it does grace of expression with precise observation of ,nature4 ,save in the spring-song of ,canticles1 in one or two ,psalms and in some exquisite chapters 7e4g41 chapters #bh and #ch7 of ,job1 it has few1 if any1 rivals in ancient ,jewish literature4 ,mark the skilful transition from the raging of the tempest to the stillness of the snows3-- ,by ,his mighty power ,jehovah maketh strong the clouds1 ,and the hailstones are broken small3 ,at ,his appearing the mountains shake1 ,and at ,his will the south wind rages1 ,and the northern storm and the whirlwind2 ,the voice of ,his thunder maketh the earth to travail4 ,like birds flying down ,he sprinkleth the snow1 ,and as the lighting of the locust is the falling down thereof3 ,the eye will marvel at its white loveliness1 ,the heart be astonished at the raining of it4 ,so also the hoar-frost ,he spreads on the earth as salt1 ,and maketh the shrubs to gleam like sapphires 7,e4 #dcae-ai74aaj ,some of the simplest allusions to natural phenomena are among the most memorable of these 8,nature0 proverbs perhaps because it happens that the clear and simple image from the world without is linked to some equally clear and simple1 yet poignant1 experience of human life3-- ,as cold waters to a thirsty soul1 ,so is good news from a far country 7,pr4 #bebe74 ,as in water face answereth to face1 ,so answereth the heart of man to man 7,pr4 #bgai74 ,as the sparrow in her wandering1 as the swallow in her flying1 ,so the curse that is causeless alighteth not 7,pr4 #bfb74 ,dreams give wings to fools 7,e4 #cda74 ,the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn1 ,shining more and more unto the perfect day 7,pr4 #dah74 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,humour in the ,proverbs ,discretion counsels the suppression of this chapter4 ,justice insists that it shall be written1 for the ,hebrews1 on the evidence of the ,scriptures1 have been accused of lacking humour2 a much more serious offence than being inartistic4 ,humour1 divine gift1 is no merely ornamental or superfluous quality we can easily afford to do without1 but is the active antagonist of many deadly sins4 ,from inordinate ambitions and peacock vanity humour is a strong deliverer4 ,if only ,germany could have laughed at herself now and then these past thirty years6 ,of course the mere fact that the accusation has been levelled against the ,hebrews is nothing serious1 for the same charge has actually been made against the ,scotch2 but whilst the ,scot is well able to take care of his own reputation1 few have been concerned to defend the ,hebrew on this score4 ,the ,bible is on the whole a solemn book1 but remember the nature of its subjects4 ,british humour is plentiful enough2 but you will seek it in the pages of ,punch rather than in our volumes of jurisprudence or in official histories or in impassioned orations urging the redress of wrongs1 or in ,the ,book of ,common ,prayer1 or in the hymnaries4 ,it is not fair to expect that ,hebrew humour will show itself to full advantage in the ,scriptures4 ,however1 the least promising material has a way of supplying against its will one form of humour--the unintentional2 we can all quote some examples from the hymn-book4 ,of this unconscious humour1 the ,bible has its share4 ,many no doubt will recall that stricken ,assyrian army of whom it is navely said in the ,authorised ,version that 8when they arose early in the morning1 behold1 they were all dead corpses40 ,so in the proverbs there are numerous sayings which to us are provocative of a laugh or a smile1 or at least bring to memory certain amusing incidents of life1 but which probably were uttered by their authors without a thought of anything comical in the words4 ,thus1 the following1 ,there is one that toileth and laboureth and maketh haste1 and is so much the more behind 7,e4 #aaaa71 may be meant as a solemn inculcation of the doctrine 8,more haste1 less speed10 but we conjure up a vision of our fussy friend and see the fun in it4 ,again the remark 7,pr4 #bfag71 ,he that passeth by and vexeth himself with strife not belonging to him is like one that taketh a dog by the ears 7and then finds he dare not let go671 is to us amusing but to its author may have seemed merely a shrewd or apt comparison2 and yet in this instance we may suspect the ,sage also had a smile for the impulsive man's predicament4 ,is the humour of this unconscious3 ,houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers1 but a prudent wife is from the ,lord 7,pr4 #aiad78 ,far be it from a prudent man to say4 ,the question of ,hebrew humour1 however1 goes much deeper4 ,doubtless there is a philosophy of laughter1 and an ideal humour1 possibly a standard joke to which all other jokes imperfectly conform2 but what the definition of this perfect humour may be who dare yet say8 ,at present the nations have each their own opinion and the divergencies are great4 ,we must ask of the ,hebrew no more than ,hebraic humour1 and it does not necessarily follow that his notion of fun will coincide with ours or even nearly resemble it4 ,was he humorous in an ,eastern way8--nothing more can reasonably be required4 ,what then was the way of humour in the ,semitic ,east8 ,fortunately life in ,palestine has altered so little that modern observation can help us to an answer4 8,the first appearance of an ,eastern01 writes ,dr4 ,kelman#aaa1 8is grave and solemn1 with an element of contempt in it rather trying to the stranger4 ,the ,eastern does not understand chaff1 his wildest outbreak of humour reaching no further than those solemn and laboured puns of which he has always been so fond4444 ,perhaps it is due to the ever-present remembrance of danger that the ,eastern--especially if he be an ,arab--so often assumes a show of superiority and bullying swagger1 which seem to the uninitiated quite impervious to any thought of fun4 ,but the mask is easily laid aside1 and the gravest and most contemptuous ,syrian will suddenly collapse into harsh laughter or forget himself in childish interest4 ,their notion of entertainment differs so much from ours that ,eastern 8festivities0 may appear to us only wearisome or even ridiculous4 ,on one occasion we arrived at our tents to find a #8poet' or improvisator1 waiting for us4 ,the minstrel seated himself on the ground1 while we formed a wide circle round him1 and the camp-servants stood behind4 ,from a cloth-bag he produced an instrument which bore close resemblance to a domestic shovel1 much the worse for wear and perforated with little irregular holes as if it had been shot4 ,he began to play1 and sang a selection which soon conquered any levity that may have greeted his beginning4 ,he had but a few tunes and they all ended in the ,minor doh si lah1 the lah being prolonged1 diminuendo and tremolo1 in a long wail that had a sob in it4 ,while the wail was dying away his head was thrown forward and his face uplifted1 the upper lip quivering rapidly and the eyes rolling from side to side4 ,then just as he seemed to have reached silence1 came a quick spasmodic outburst1 very loud and clear1 with vigorous accompaniment1 which in its turn died off in the same long wail4 ,all this must be imagined with a wonderful sunset of gold in a sky of indigo and grey1 against which the figure of the ,arab sat in dark silhouette40 ,a pleasure so ludicrously sad would certainly seem to imply a lack of humour in those who can enjoy it2 but--8the minstrel whom we have described was quite open for joking when he had emerged from his ecstasy4444 ,often at night there is singing among the servants of the camp and outbursts of hilarity can be heard4444 ,when a fantazia 7to celebrate the gift of a fatted sheep7 was held there was no possibility of mistake as to the mirth40 ,thus there is good reason to mistrust appearances4 ,and certainly it is inherently improbable that the ,hebrews should have been devoid of humour2 for1 as ,dr4 ,kelman goes on to insist1 8the ,east is full of provocatives to mirth4 ,take the one instance of the camel4 ,much has been written about him from many points of view1 but justice has never been done to the camel as a humorous animal4 ,yet he is the most humorous of all the inhabitants of the ,east4 ,beside him1 with his sardonic pleasantry1 the monkey is a mountebank and the donkey but a solemn little ass4 ,he has been described as #8the tall1 simple1 smiling camel'2 but on closer acquaintance he turns out to be hardly as simple as he might be taken for1 and if he smiles1 he is generally smiling at you4 ,the camels you meet in ,syria are carrying barley with the air of kings and regarding their human companions with1 at best1 a contemptuous tolerance40 ,dr4 ,kelman in conclusion comments on1 and cites examples of the camel's unsanctified capacity for conduct bearing a horrible resemblance to that abomination of human invention--the practical joke4 ,to sum up4 ,eastern humour is by no means non-existent1 but being often deliberately concealed or restrained in the presence of strangers and being of a different temper from our own1 it may easily fail to be observed by ,western eyes4 ,generally speaking1 it is apt to be of the most awkward ,order of the ,camel's ,hump1 tending to other people's disadvantage1 fond of personalities1 often coarse because primitive1 and1 it may be1 cruel4 ,this being so1 it will now readily be understood that the ,bible held for its contemporaries much more wit than we are wont to perceive in it4 ,thus to many a ,hebrew the incidents of ,jacob's clever1 and none too scrupulous1 dealings narrated in ,genesis would seem not only edifying but also extremely amusing4 ,from this point of view such a saying as 7,pr4 #agab7 ,let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man rather than a fool in his folly is a merry jest2 other examples from the proverbs will be given below4 ,but however plentiful this fierce and bitter kind of fun1 the sting of the original accusation is not drawn4 ,after all1 our conviction remains deep-rooted that there is only one real humour--our humour2 and no other brand is genuine4 ,what men miss1 and complain of missing1 is that fine impartial sense of the ludicrous which is just as ready to see the disproportionate in ourselves as in others4 ,the humour we demand is that kindly1 tolerant1 variety which can laugh at our own folly with profit and enjoyment1 and at our neighbour's without malice4 ,but is even this best of all humour absent from the ,bible8 ,rare it may be2 absent altogether it is not1 and with a certain triumph we venture to claim its presence in not a few of the ,wise-men's sayings1 to which may be added an occasional proverb from the ,rabbinic literature4 ,beginning1 however1 with examples of the dry or caustic type of wit1 camel-humour1 let us take some of the sayings on ,woman to illustrate the point4 ,doubtless the ladies had a great deal to say in reply1 but with the customary meanness of man their remarks have been suppressed by the ,sages3 ,as a jewel of gold in a swine's snout1 ,so is a fair woman without discretion 7,pr4 #aabb74 ,it is better to dwell in the corner of the roof ,than in a wide house with a fractious woman 7,pr4 #bebd2 cp4 #bai74 ,a continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike 7,pr4 #bgae74 ,one saying there is on this topic1 which comes nearer to our thought of humour1 its bitterness being forgotten in the quaintness of the simile employed3 ,as the going up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged1 ,so is a wife full of words to a quiet man 7,e4 #bebj74 ,some of the characters pictured in ,chapter ,,vii4 lent themselves to sarcasm1 particularly the ,sluggard1 and the ,fool2 but1 if certain of the proverbs about them may seem too heavy-handed1 touched with the camel brand of humour1 others surely come near to being 8the real thing40 ,of the ,sluggard the remark1 ,he that is slack in his work is brother of him that is a destroyer 7,pr4 #ahi7 is true1 undeniably true1 but a trifle icy in its wit4 ,more amusing and much more genial were these sayings1 which we may repeat from ,chapter ,,vii43 ,the sluggard saith1 8,there is a lion in the way2 a lion is in the streets0 7,pr4 #bfac7--,the sluggard burieth his hand in the dish1 it wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth 7,pr4 #bfae7--;and1 above all1 the ,sluggard's ,anthem1 ,yet a little sleep1 a little slumber1 a little folding of the hands to sleep 7,pr4 #bdcc74 ,of the ,fool1 some observations are almost savage1 such as ,pr4 #agab 7quoted above71 and this--,though thou bray a fool in a mortar 444 yet will his folly not depart from him 7,pr4 #bgbb74 ,the following are more subtle and on the whole more kind3 ,the legs of the lame hang loose1 so doth a story in the mouth of fools 7,pr4 #bfg7--,the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth 7,pr4 #agbd7--;,he that discourseth to a fool is as one discoursing to him that slumbereth2 at the end of it he will say1 8,what is it80 7,e4 #bbh74 ,but the ,fool and ,mr4 ,lazybones were ever an easy target3 it needed a prettier wit to slay the ,self-,advertiser with a word1 but does not this saying despatch him neatly1 ,it is not good to eat much honey2 so for men to search out their own glory is not glory 7,pr4 #bebg78 ,here is a pleasing pair of contrasts--to the disadvantage respectively of a would-be 8silent ,solomon10 and of a ,chatterbox3 ,there is that keepeth silence1 for he hath no answer to make2 ,and there is that keepeth silence as knowing his time 7,e4 #bjf74 ,there is that keepeth silence and is found wise2 ,and there is that is hated for his much talk 7,e4 #bje74 ,in conclusion we give some proverbs that seem to the present writer still more clearly to come within the category of modern humour1 whether by reason of their sly shrewdness or some droll comparison1 or even a frank intention to rouse our sense of fun3 ,he that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just1 but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him out 7,pr4 #ahag74 ,better is he that is lightly esteemed and hath a servant1 than he that makes a fine show and lacketh bread 7,pr4 #abi74 ,there is that buyeth much for a little and payeth for it again sevenfold 7,e4 #bjab74 ,in the city my ,name1 out of the city my ,dress 7,c4 #bfe74 ,sixty runners may run1 but they will not overtake the man who has breakfasted early 7,c4 #hf72 ,thy friend hath a friend1 and thy friend's friend hath a friend 7,c4 #beh7--;a canny hint on ,gossip4 ,confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth or a foot out of joint 7,pr4 #beai74 ,if one person tell thee thou hast ass's ears1 take no notice2 ,should two tell thee so1 procure a saddle for thyself 7,c4 #aia74 ,if our predecessors were angels1 we are human2 if they were human1 we are asses 7,c4 #ada76 ,as for this last observation1 it may have been well enough once upon a time1 but of course one would not dream of asserting it now-a-days--as regards the present generation it would be1 yes1 altogether inappropriate4 ,well1 let us not dispute the matter4 ,ancient and modern1 ,east and ,west1 we can all unite to enjoy the honest fun and good counsel of ,ben ,sirach's advice 7,e4 #aiaj7 to that distracted individual the man with a secret3 ,hast thou heard a word8 ,let it die with thee4 ,be of good courage1 it will not burst thee6 ,,chapter ,,xv ,from ,wisdom's ,treasury ,,wisdom ,,exalteth ,,her ,,sons1 ,,and ,,taketh ,,hold ,,on ,,them ,,that ,,love ,,her3 ,,he ,,that ,,loveth ,,her ,,loveth ,,life4 ,,and ,,they ,,that ,,seek ,,her ,,early ,,shall ,,be ,,filled ,,with ,,gladness3 ,,he ,,that ,,holdeth ,,her ,,fast ,,shall ,,inherit ,,glory 7,e4 #daa1 #ab74 ,but ,wisdom will brook nothing less than the full purport of those words--a diligent search1 a genuine love1 and an unrelaxing grasp--in exchange for her high rewards4 ,and though it is better to find her late than not at all1 as a rule it is true that only the life she has entered early is likely to know great happiness4 ,yet ,wisdom makes no mystery of her treasures1 nor hides them willingly4 ,here are some of her most precious truths4 ,how simply told6 ,how hard to make our very own6 ,as iron sharpeneth iron1 ,so man sharpeneth man4#aab ,faithful are the wounds of a friend4#aac ,who is ignorant of it8 ,as ,bacon says in his essay on ,friendship1 8,there is no such flatterer as is a man's self2 and there is no such remedy against flattery as the liberty of a friend40 ,and yet how rarely1 in actual experience1 have men the grace to appreciate1 or tolerate1 even the kindliest of their critics4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a soft answer turneth away wrath4#aad ,have you tested the matter yet8 ,he whose spirit is without restraint is like a city that is broken down and hath no wall4#aae 99 99 99 99 99 ,seest thou a man wise in his own conceit8 ,there is more hope of a fool than of him4#aaf ,pride goeth before destruction1 ,and a haughty spirit before a fall4#aag 99 99 99 99 99 ,the wicked flee when no man pursueth4#aah ,if a righteous man fall seven times1 he riseth up again2 ,but the wicked are overthrown by calamity4#aai 99 99 99 99 99 ,he that despiseth small things shall fall by little and little4#abj ,be not wise in thine own eyes2 ,fear the ,lord and depart from evil4#aba 99 99 99 99 99 ,hope deferred maketh the heart sick2 ,but a wish fulfilled is a tree of life4#abb ,woe unto fearful hearts and to faint hands1 ,and to the sinner that goeth two ways6 ,woe to the faint heart1 for it believeth not2 ,therefore shall it not be defended4 ,woe unto you that have lost your patience6 ,what will ye do when the ,lord shall visit you8#abc 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is no wisdom nor understanding1 ,nor counsel against the ,lord3 ,the horse is prepared for the day of battle1 ,but the victory is of the ,lord4#abd ,truth stands3 ,falsehood does not stand4#abe 99 99 99 99 99 ,this is a very long chapter2 ,think on these things4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,the ,body ,politic ,the art of hurling texts dies out of fashion1 is almost dead1 perhaps because it yielded the delight of victory so seldom1 but for deeper reasons also4 ,it was ever a game at which two could play2 the ,scriptures proving so rich a quarry that your skilled antagonist would quote you text for text4 ,both ,socialist and ,individualist have found therein ammunition in plenty for their long quarrel1 by reason of the disconcerting manner in which the ,bible preaches both doctrines and gives its sanction to neither4 ,thus it never so much as questions the propriety of individual ownership1 yet on the other hand continually and with awe-inspiring vehemence it is found denouncing the wickedness of individual owners and the wrongs arising from their sins and negligences4 ,so for the unreflecting text-hunter confusion was apt to grow worse confounded4 ,the existence of this impasse1 which in reality pointed only to an error in method1 has helped to create the notion1 characteristic of the present time1 that the ,bible having failed to settle the difficulty1 we ought to consider our problems entirely without its aid4 ,so completely are we now supposed to be the sole arbiters of our conduct that1 even if the ,bible had been found to enjoin 7or forbid7 explicitly and beyond all possibility of doubt certain socialistic measures1 it would in no way follow that what may have been right in ,jerusalem long ago is right now1 or what was wrong then wrong now4 ,up to a point this attitude is sound3 not to consider our duties for ourselves1 as if our ancestors or any external authority could rightly determine them for us without our active consent1 is to fall into a sin that1 however innocently committed1 sooner or later benumbs the conscience and1 if historical experience has any lesson whatsoever to teach1 paralyses social progress4 ,but the legitimate distrust which the modernist feels for mere text-hunting can be1 and often is1 pushed too far4 ,to construe it as a mandate contemptuously to ignore the thinking and ideals of the past is to be guilty of as foolish a blunder as ever was involved in the old method of determining an issue by proof-texts2 for the relation between even the ,old ,testament and the social affairs of any modern community is far too valuable to be disregarded with impunity2 and on these three grounds at least4 ,first1 the experiences of the ,israelitish people constitute incomparably the most amazing national career the world has witnessed2 and the story of their fortunes testifies for all time that one nation1 situated in no secluded and sheltered corner of the globe1 but occupying a little land encircled by vast and jealous ,empires and covered time and again by the surge of successive civilisations1 prolonged its life and in all essential respects maintained its identity1 not by bread alone1 but by words that proceeded out of the mouth of ,god4 ,for1 undeniably1 ,israel has preserved its continuity not merely through the stormy fourteen hundred years of which the ,biblical records tell1 but subsequently throughout the ,christian era1 in virtue of distinctive moral and religious qualities2 and whatever view a man may hold regarding the truth of religion and the validity of morals1 no serious student of human affairs can afford to overlook their practical effect in the history of the ,jews4 ,secondly1 in the course of that history 7limiting our attention to the ,old ,testament literature7 there appeared certain great personalities1 in particular the true prophets1 whose insight into the problems of society1 whose enthusiasm for the welfare of men1 and whose burning invective against all forms of injustice and oppression1 ought to be familiar to every man who feels within him the sense of social obligation4 ,the example of the ,prophets of ,israel and also1 though less brilliantly1 of her ,psalmists1 her ,law-makers and her ,wise-men1 is a magnificent incentive to duty1 quickening the conscience1 stimulating one's resolution under difficulties1 and encouraging to good hope4 ,in the third place1 the record of these men's thoughts frequently deserves our intellectual consideration4 ,modern industrialism has created unsolved problems of organisation and production1 upon which it would be idle to contend that the conditions of life in the ,judan highlands offer valuable comment2 but since modern commerce1 for all its marvellous development of wealth and resources1 has signally failed to remove the vast inequalities between man and man1 indeed has only accentuated them and made the contrast still more bitter for the unskilled1 the weakly1 and the unfortunate1 it follows that from the standpoint of human happiness the social problem is in its essence unchanged3 the poor1 in fact1 are still with us1 with their great virtues and also their shortcomings1 their pathetic lack of opportunity1 and often their failure to profit when they might1 and above all1 with their capacity for joy and sorrow and aspiration1 which things they share with the richest in the land4 ,no wonder that he who reads the ,old ,testament with intelligence and sympathy will constantly feel its words on the social needs of men not merely pricking his conscience but holding and challenging the intellect--how wealth is made1 how rightly used1 how kept1 how lost2 what it feels like to be poor2 of the duties of him that hath to him that hath not2 by what things a city is preserved1 and of the power we each possess to make or unmake one another's joy in life4 ,on these and kindred subjects the ,jewish proverbs have a vast deal to say that is worthy of attention1 but an outline of their comments and pleadings has been given in the description of the ,wise-men's ideals 7,chap4 ,,viii474 ,it may be hoped that the foregoing remarks will help to make more clear the bearing on present social duty of the teaching there related in reference to a distant past4 ,here then follow only a few considerations which will suggest how the subject might be developed1 and will at the same time give opportunity for the quotation of some fine proverbs not mentioned in ,chapter ,,viii4 ,i4 ,in dealing with the perplexities of organised society1 we moderns possess the advantage of high and increasing skill in the use of classification1 so that we are able to envisage our problems in abstract terms1 analysing the population into reasonably exact groups1 and considering the inter-relations of 8classes0 and the reconciliation of class interests one with another4 ,this attempt1 crude though it still may be1 to employ scientific method in the treatment of humanity is all to the good2 but if one thing more is forgotten1 our best-laid schemes somehow refuse to work or are apt to work amiss4 ,for--8the #8masses' and #8the poor' whom it is #8our' duty to keep are neither sycophants nor toadies nor sponges nor are all of them at the last gasp4 ,they resent the control of their destinies by classes or persons who profess to know what is good for them4 ,they will never become the passive instruments of anybody's social theory4 ,they will trust themselves only to those who love them4 ,individualists and socialists take note6 ,experts and doctrinaires1 be warned in time60#abf ,now the ,jewish proverbs1 not of set purpose but by sound instinct1 subtly and insistently remind us how personal all social questions ultimately prove to be4 ,they think and speak with the individual in the foreground of the mind4 ,they prefer the concrete to the abstract1 with how great advantage6 ,contrast the effect of these two passages2 the occasional1 abstract type1 ,water will quench a flaming fire1 and almsgiving will make atonement for sin 7,e4 #ccj71 with the much more frequent personal presentation3 ,incline thine ear to a poor man and answer him with peaceable words gently4 ,deliver him that is wronged from the hand of him that wronged him 7,e4 #dh1 #i74 ,we discuss 8,capital and ,labour02 but the ,jewish proverb says 7,pr4 #bbb2 cp4 #biac7 ,the rich and the poor dwell together1 ,the ,lord ,god made them both2 and how deep the proverb goes1 how swiftly it strikes home and excites the imagination4 ,rich and poor together1 yes1 in a sense--united within one city's bounds2 and yet how far apart they dwell from one another4 ,how tragically far apart6 ,but are they so greatly sundered as at first thought one imagines8 ,in the things that matter ultimately--their manhood1 womanhood2 their tears and laughter2 their loves2 their sinning and repenting2 their strength and health2 their death and immortality8 ,perhaps there is just one meeting-place where rich and poor unite and stand absolutely equal2 but it is there where earth and heaven fade away--the great white throne of ,god4 ,mark how the sense of the individual man1 with whom eventually all our plans to remedy the mischiefs in the body politic must come to terms1 permeates the following proverbs3-- ,a good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children2 ,but the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous 7,pr4 #acbb74 7,no pious platitude this1 but a keen-sighted observation of fact4 ,it is seldom indeed that wealth is handed down through many generations1 except in a morally 8good0 family2 and on the other hand the sinner's undisciplined children can usually be depended on to make ducks and drakes of their inheritance74 ,whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor1 ,he also shall cry1 and shall not be heard 7,pr4 #baac74 ,there is that scattereth and increaseth yet more2 ,and there is that withholdeth that which is meet1 and it tendeth only to want 7,pr4 #aabd74 ,hast given the poor to eat and drink1 accompany them on their way 7,c4 #bjh74 ,in the recognition of personal faults as the bane of society3 ,he that covereth a transgression seeketh love1 ,but he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends4 7,pr4 #agi74 ,for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty1 ,and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags 7,pr4 #bcba74 ,these few maxims might be multiplied with ease1 but they are sufficient for our purpose4 ,is it not clear how profoundly humanistic are these ,jewish proverbs in their outlook on social affairs8 ,except our science be tempered by the same redeeming grace1 we shall succeed on paper but fail in fact4 #b4 ,the ,jewish proverbs throw out a challenge to the present age in the demand they make for commercial honesty and consideration of the general welfare of the community4 ,this claim is put forward in a variety of ways1 and there is no mistaking its earnestness2 as in the famous saying1 ,a false balance is an abomination unto the ,lord1 and a just weight is ,his delight 7,pr4 #aaa71 a maxim reiterated in similar language in ,pr4 #bjaj1 #bc4 ,again it is said1 ,the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vapour driven to and fro3 they that seek them seek death 7,pr4 #baf7--;,better is the poor that walketh in his integrity than he that is crooked in his ways though he be rich 7,pr4 #bhf72 and memorably--,better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice 7,pr4 #afh72 to which add this startlingly modern protest against the food-profiteer1 ,he that withholdeth corn1 the people shall curse him2 but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it 7,pr4 #aabf74 8,ah6 but the times have changed1 and the complications and stringency of modern business often render the employment of perfectly honest methods impractical4 ,in those byegone days a man of industry and ability had perhaps little temptation to double-dealing1 or at least was not compelled to follow the tricks of the trade in order to squeeze out a livelihood40 ,but no6 that shortcut out of the difficulty is barred4 ,ben ,sirach puts the matter bluntly3 ,a merchant1 says he1 shall hardly keep himself from wrong-doing1 and a huckster shall not be acquitted of sin 7,e4 #bfbi74 8,well1 then1 have the proverbs any remedy to suggest8 ,it is easy for the purist to talk4 ,no one wishes to deny the courage of him who maintains a life-long protest against sharp practice1 and we grant you the desirability of the protest2 we can even admit the success of one here and there who has undertaken it4 ,but it may seem doubtful if such unbending rectitude could be carried out generally2 and at any rate1 as matters stand1 there must be thousands of well-meaning men who to keep themselves and their families from want and hunger must bow themselves slightly in the modern house of ,rimmon0--so may a plea for a reasonable latitude be advanced4 ,what solution do the proverbs offer for the stern facts of present-day commerce8 ,none2 but that is no reason why we1 following the spirit of their teaching1 should not strive to find a remedy for our more complex problems1 especially since the line along which progress can be made is surely not difficult to discover4 ,the root of the matter is in the fact that whilst commercial dishonesty may benefit 7in a material sense only7 certain persons1 it can only do so at the expense of the many1 so that its elimination would necessarily conduce to the general welfare of organised society4 ,meantime it is hard for the individual to kick against the pricks of a system far greater than he1 but it does not follow that the community of individuals is unable to fight the giant and slay him4 ,though the present situation is such that the guilt of the individual is lessened 7it is of course still real71 the guilt of the community in tolerating such a condition of affairs is the more increased4 ,for union is immense strength4 ,it is the imperative duty of modern man by collective action 7which may require eventually to become world-wide7 to check1 diminish and abolish those evil and improvident conditions which now impose such pressure upon the integrity of individuals4 ,a herculean task6 ,what then8 ,the resources of civilised man are already vast1 and they increase with marvellous rapidity1 ,we stand at the beginnings of organised achievement2 yet already magnificent opportunities for the betterment of human life lie within our reach1 and wait only the consent of mind and conscience for their realisation4 ,false weights have continued1 despite the ,jewish proverb1 these twenty centuries and more2 it does not follow that they need continue to the twenty-first4 #c4 ,much of the injustice and degradation still prevalent in our civilised society would be brought to an end by the force of public opinion1 were it not for wide-spread ignorance of the facts4 ,sometimes the ignorance is wilful blindness and no true ignorance2 men refuse to look or listen2 but as a rule it is due to mere lack of interest and unimaginative carelessness4 ,no decent man or woman could desire the appalling facts of child-labour in the mines and factories of this country during the first half of the last century1 or1 for the matter of that1 the facts of sweated industries at the present day2 but many respectable people wished not to know and vastly many more troubled not themselves to know1 and so the horrible and disastrous iniquities went on year by year4 ,time and again the frank uncompromising proverbs of the ,jews set us an example by their bold recognition of evil4 ,they proclaim it for what it is1 not mincing words but denouncing wickedness outspokenly and vehemently4 ,a hundred illustrations could be taken from the maxims already quoted4 ,here1 from sayings not yet mentioned1 are three vigorous assaults on the hypocrite1 the oppressor1 and the morally perverted4 ,there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes1 and yet are not washed from their filthiness4444 ,there is a generation whose teeth are swords and their mouths armed with knives1 to devour the poor from off the earth1 and the needy from among men 7,pr4 #cjab1 #ad74 ,as one that killeth a son before his father's eyes1 ,so is he that bringeth a sacrifice from the goods of the poor4 ,the bread of the needy is the life of the poor2 ,he that depriveth him thereof is a man of blood4 ,as one that slayeth his neighbour is he that taketh away his living2 ,and as a shedder of blood is he that depriveth a hireling of his hire 7,e4 #cdbj-bb74 ,he that saith unto the wicked 8,thou art righteous10 peoples shall curse him and nations shall abhor him 7,pr4 #bdbd74 #d4 ,,of ,,riches ,,and ,,the ,,deceitfulness ,,thereof ,weary not thyself to be rich4444 ,for riches certainly make themselves wings1 like an eagle that flieth toward heaven 7,pr4 #bcd1 #e74 8,believe not much them that seem to despise riches2 for they despise them that despair of them4444 ,be not penny-wise2 riches have wings1 and sometimes they fly away of themselves1 sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more40#abg ,a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches 7,pr4 #bba74 8,i cannot call riches better than the baggage of virtue4 ,the ,roman word is better1 impedimenta4 ,for as the baggage is to an army so is riches to virtue4 ,it cannot be spared nor left behind1 but it hindereth the march2 yea and the care of it sometimes loseth or disturbeth the victory4 ,of great riches there is no real use except it be in the distribution2 the rest is but conceit40 ,his riches are the ransom of a man's life1 but the poor heareth no threatenings 7,pr4 #ach74 8,but then you will say1 they may be of use to buy men out of dangers or troubles4 ,as ,solomon saith1 #8,riches are as a stronghold1 in the imagination of the rich man4'#abh ,but this is excellently expressed1 that it is in imagination1 and not always in fact4 ,for certainly great riches have sold more men than they have bought out40 ,wealth gotten in haste shall be diminished1 but he that gathereth slowly shall have increase 7,pr4 #acaa74 8,seek not proud riches1 but such as thou mayest get justly1 use soberly1 distribute cheerfully1 and leave contentedly40 ,health and a good constitution are better than all gold1 and a good spirit than wealth without measure 7,e4 #cjae74 ,riches profit not in the day of wrath1 but righteousness delivereth from death 7,pr4 #aad7-- whereat the shallow-minded may smile if it please them4 #e4 8,most gracious ,god1 we humbly beseech ,thee1 as for this ,kingdom in general1 so especially for the ,high ,court of ,parliament3 that ,thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of ,thy glory1 the good of ,thy ,church1 the safety1 honour1 and welfare of our ,sovereign and his ,dominions2 that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours1 upon the best and surest foundations1 that peace and happiness1 truth and justice1 religion and piety1 may be established among us for all generations40 ,how the ,jewish proverbs would endeavour to give effect to the prayer for good government has been told already 7p4 #aeb71 and it may be remembered that their teaching was described as a demand for a reign of justice extending from the highest to the lowest in the land4 ,but that was an inadequate description4 ,examine more carefully what they say1 and it will appear that the ,jewish proverbs ask for more than bare justice2 they enjoin mercy1 they plead for honour1 kindness1 generosity1 and affection between man and man2 in a word they plead for humanity as the supreme solvent of human need4 ,and are they not profoundly and rebukingly right therein8 ,justice may be the stones of the great building1 but ,love is the cement without which the fabric will not cohere4 ,the stability of society depends on the good-will of well-intentioned men--,by the blessing of the upright the city is exalted1 and it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked 7,pr4 #aaaa74 #f4 ,one other arresting feature concerning the relations of rich and poor4 ,the poorer classes of ,jerusalem must have had many faults1 but the ,wise were very gentle towards them2 scarcely ever do they reproach the poor directly for their shortcomings4 ,on the other hand they have no mercy for the sins of those in high places1 their instinct seeming to be that the root of evil in the ,state is in the neglect of opportunity on the part of those who possess the means for well-doing3 and this is the more significant and conscience-searching in that the speakers of these proverbs were themselves1 as a rule1 members of the 8fortunate0 classes4 8,the poor1 forsooth1 are thieves60 ,are they8 ,then1 why8 ,if a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood1 all his servants are wicked 7,pr4 #biab74 8,the poor are disloyal and jealous of their betters60 ,are they8 ,the king that faithfully judgeth the poor1 his throne shall be established for ever 7,pr4 #biad74 #g4 ,in conclusion1 a few memorable proverbs that will repay consideration4 ,here is an ambiguous maxim--from one point of view a platitude1 from another a deep saying3 ,sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation ,because of iniquity1 violence and greed of gold 7,e4 #ajh74 ,does it mean that greed and evil ambitions incite nations to war1 to conquest1 and so to the acquisition of new territories8 ,if so1 we are none the better for the information4 ,yes1 but sometimes the 8transference0 takes place the other way1 and not as the covetous folk desire it should4 ,there have been peoples whose blind lust for power overreached itself1 to meet with disaster and condign punishment4 ,concerning them too might it be said1 though with a different accent to our words1 8,sovereignty is transferred from nation to nation1 because of iniquities1 violence and greed of gold40 ,there is no ambiguity1 and no indecision1 in these fine sentiments1 which are none the less admirable1 because they do not tell us how to reach the ,golden ,age3 ,when the righteous prosper the city rejoices2 ,and when the wicked perish there are shouts of joy 7,pr4 #aaaj74 ,righteousness exalteth a nation1 ,whereas sin is a shame to any people 7,pr4 #adcd74 ,but of all that the ,jewish proverbs have to say on the duties of our interrelated lives1 this is the best in that it does show the gateway to the ,golden ,age1 and allows no man to pass by unchallenged1 ,if thou wilt lift the load ,i will lift it too2 ,but if thou wilt not lift it1 ,i will not 7,c4 #beg74 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,a ,chapter of ,good ,advice ,suppose ,a ,,lecture 7subject1 ,,good ,,advice7 to be given in ,,the ,,large ,,lecture ,,hall1 to-night1 by the ,venerable ,rabbi ,wiseman4 ,we go1 but with mixed feelings1 assuring ourselves we do not care a straw for his advice1 but we have nothing much better to do1 the man has a reputation1 and we wonder whether the hall will really be full to hear him4 ,somewhat to our surprise1 the hall does fill rapidly1 is full6 ,extraordinary how a well-known name will draw3 doubtless the man has got a 8following0 in every town1 prepared to drink in every word he says4 ,but that will not altogether account for it2 there must also be a big number here to-night who have come1 like ourselves1 out of mere curiosity4 ,we wait the great man's arrival with impatience1 uncomfortably conscious that we are meant to be edified1 expectant that we shall be merely bored4 7,a lecture of 8,good advice10 forsooth4 ,as if we haven't a right to our own opinions1 and are not competent to advise ourselves3 it will take him all his time to impress us67 ,the ,rabbi arrives1 to the usual clap-clapping of his admirers in the hall4444 ,we are a little surprised at his appearance--a strong face1 but his best friends would not call him handsome4 ,at the same time1 to give him his due1 one could not call him pompous4444 ,why doesn't the ,chairman stop talking8 ,who wants to listen to him8 ,seeing that we are 8in for it10 let's hear what the speaker has to say1 and so get it over-- ,at last the ,rabbi rises1 and proves wiser than we have expected2 wise enough to be also wily4 ,he begins with a touch of humour2 we smile1 are caught off our guard1 and for a few moments 7it was all he needed7 he has captured our attention4 ,here is the thread of his remarks3 ,commend not a man for his beauty1 ,and abhor not a man for an ugly appearance4#abi ,be willing to listen to every godly discourse1 ,and let not the proverbs of understanding escape thee4 ,if thou seest a man of ,wisdom get thee betimes unto him1 ,and let thy foot wear out the steps of his doors4#acj ,but1 ,let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house1 ,lest he be weary of thee and hate thee4#aca ,answer not a fool according to his folly1 ,lest thou be like unto him4#acb ,he that giveth answer before he heareth1 ,it is folly and shame unto him4#acc ,learn before thou speak2 and have a care of thy health1 ,or ever thou be sick4#acd ,prepare thy work without and make it ready for thee in the field2 and afterwards build thine house4#ace ,hast spoiled thy work8 ,take a needle and sew4#acf ,boast not thyself of to-morrow2 ,for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth4#acg ,change not a friend for the sake of profit1 ,neither a true brother for the gold of ,ophir4#ach ,laugh not a man to scorn when he is in the bitterness of his soul2 for there is one who humbleth and exalteth4#aci ,reproach not a man when he turneth from sin2 ,remember we are all worthy of punishment4 ,dishonour not a man in his old age2 ,for some of us also are waxing old4 ,rejoice not over one that is dead2 ,remember that we die all4#adj ,do no evil1 so shall no evil overtake thee2 ,depart from wrong1 and it shall turn aside from thee4 ,my son1 sow not the furrows of unrighteousness1 ,and thou shalt not reap it sevenfold4#ada ,be not thou envious of evil men1 neither desire to be with them1 for their heart studieth oppression and their lips talk of mischief4#adb ,let not thine heart envy sinners1 but be thou in the fear of the ,lord all the day long2 for surely there is a reward and thy hope shall not be cut off4#adc ,say not thou1 8,it is through the ,lord that ,i fell away3 for that which ,he hateth ,he made not40 ,say not thou1 8,it is ,he that caused me to err1 for ,he hath no need of a sinful man40#add ,say not1 ,he will look upon the multitude of my gifts1 and when ,i offer to the ,most ,high ,god ,he will accept it4#ade ,keep thy heart with all vigilance1 ,for that is the way to life4#adf ,be not faint-hearted in thy prayer1 ,and neglect not to give alms4#adg ,commit thy ways unto the ,lord1 ,and thy purposes shall be established4#adh ,a brief lecture1 but none the worse for that4 ,much ,wisdom in small compass4 ,depart1 as you must1 whether touched or ostensibly indifferent4 ,however that may be1 whatever your feelings now1 you cannot forget all his words2 some of them are fastened in the memory4 ,one day you may act upon them and discover that they were wise indeed1 and then you will want yourself to move a vote of thanks to the lecturer4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,conduct ,this chapter will prove less ambitious than its title suggests4 ,as the remarks made a few pages back1 on ,the ,body ,politic were meant to be taken in conjunction with what was said in ,chapter ,,viii4 regarding social and family conduct1 so here also only a few reflections will be given in summary or in supplement of the ,wise-men's ideal of personal character4 ,it is perhaps as well that it seems superfluous to recapitulate the various attributes that the proverbs say are to be chosen or eschewed by the perfect man2 for when the ,vices have been assembled they form a dismal and depressing crowd1 and when the ,virtues are lined up over against them1 they are a celestial host but they glitter on high beyond a modest man's attainment4 ,moreover the art of noble living is best practised not by those who go spelling out the details1 as if the ,virtues were meant to be acquired singly or the ,vices attacked and conquered one by one1 but by those who from sound instinct or a wisely-trained intelligence have mastered a few great thoughts and assented to follow their guidance in the maze of life4 ,it is the purpose of these pages to touch only on certain of these controlling facts1 principles1 or ideals of conduct4 ,the task before us is therefore neither intricate nor long4 ,it is simple1 yet 7for all its simplicity7 serious4 ,there is one quality that is not so much a part of character as the very soil out of which it grows--,honesty of purpose2 if absent or only fitfully present1 moral growth is either stunted or cut off2 if present1 then a multitude of imperfections are found pardonable4 ,wise therefore is the ,jewish proverb that says of ,deceitfulness1 using a realistic metaphor more eloquent than many words1 ,bread of falsehood is sweet to a man1 but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel 7,pr4 #bjag74 ,over against it set this strong simple plea for ,sincerity3 ,strive for the truth1 unto death1 and the ,lord ,god shall fight for thee 7,e4 #dbh72 and then consider the implication in the contrast of those maxims--that ,evil is first sweet then bitter1 and ,good first painful then joyous4 ,sometimes those propositions are visibly1 demonstrably1 true in their entirety2 sometimes the second part of them to be credited requires faith in the spiritual nature of man4 ,but of the first part there can be no question2 'tis a matter of universal experience--moral victories at the first are difficult1 moral defeats easy1 ,the way of sinners is smooth without stones1 but at the end thereof is the pit of ,hades 7,e4 #baaj71 a glissade to the precipice and over2 facilis descensus ,averno4 ,setting aside for the moment the influence of religious belief on conduct 7the next chapter will have something to say upon the point71 it would seem that there is one outstanding quality to which the ,jewish proverbs recur again and again1 as if to tell us that here is the supreme secret4 ,that quality may be called ,receptivity1 but it has many aspects for which other titles might more fittingly be used3 it is the willing mind1 the open eye and the hearing ear2 in youth it is zeal to learn1 in manhood more often the grace to profit by mistake4 ,so from teachableness it is wont to pass into penitence1 the recognition of error and imperfection--not passive penitence1 however1 but the active desire to improve--and then from this virile penitence it should rise into that disposition of ,charity or ,love towards others1 which is the highest virtue1 without which a man may have many talents and yet profit nothing4 ,let us trace the sequence in the proverbs1 commencing with the desire for knowledge3 ,the fear of the ,lord is the chief part of knowledge1 ,but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction4 ,my son1 hear the instruction of thy father1 ,and forsake not the teaching of thy mother2 ,for they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head ,and ornaments round thy neck 7,pr4 #ag-i74 ,yea1 if thou cry after discernment1 ,and lift up thy voice for understanding2 ,if thou seek her as silver ,and search for her as hid treasures 444 ,then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgement1 ,and equity1 yea1 every good path 7,pr4 #bc1 #d1 #i74 ,to him that is willing to learn1 the proverbs promise rich and wonderful reward1 and the ,new ,testament repeats the promise3 ,god scorneth the scorners1 ,but ,he giveth grace to the lowly 7,pr4 #ccd74adi ,if thou desire wisdom1 keep the commandments1 ,and the ,lord shall give it unto thee freely 7,e4 #abf74aej ,thus far the subject is familiar4 ,twice already reference has been made to this virtue of ,learning-,ever4 ,impenitently we bring it up again1 seeing that the ,jewish proverbs are most urgent on the matter and also that men to-day stand in no small need of the counsel4 ,for all its vaunted liberty of thought1 our age is by no means patient of personal criticism1 doubtless because owing to the swift and amazing increase in control of material resources it has been peculiarly successful in certain directions 7not1 however1 the most important72 and the success has made us vain4 ,to know a little about the universe 7and we know no more7 is a very dangerous thing4 ,but observe how from the initial grace of an eager1 receptive attitude towards life1 other virtues naturally appear4 ,frankly and patiently to recognise one's errors is to increase in wisdom1 to learn before it is too late1 to see the pitfalls one has narrowly escaped1 and so to be humbled1 to feel the sense of a great forgiveness vouchsafed to the simple-hearted1 and accordingly to be grateful and to be happy3 ,he that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper3 ,but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy4 ,happy is the man that feareth alway3 ,but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into calamity 7,pr4 #bhac1 #ad74 ,this experience1 if at all intense1 has a profound effect on character2 he that knows he has been forgiven much will love much1 and his gratitude towards the ,giver of all mercy will spontaneously show itself in mercy towards other men4 ,others will wrong him and disappoint him often1 but1 remembering his own imperfections1 he will want to judge them gently and never to despair of helping them2 to him it seems as if 8they know not what they do40 ,but this is the very disposition required of us in the prayer 8,forgive us our trespasses1 as we forgive them that trespass against us10 and the question must surely be rising in the reader's mind1 ,what relation can possibly be discovered between these high thoughts and the ,jewish proverbs8 ,this surprisingly intimate relation--that whilst the manifestation of perfect forgiveness in ,christ's own ,person made ,his ,prayer a new power in the world1 the thought in this petition was not new2 it goes back to these words of ,ben ,sirach1 ,he that taketh vengeance on his neighbour will meet vengeance from the ,lord1 and his sins will surely be confirmed4 ,forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done thee1 and then shall thy sins be pardoned when thou prayest 7,e4 #bha1 #b76 ,who dares withhold his approval from the condition in the abstract8 ,if we are ,christians at all1 our conscience must welcome its eternal justice1 recognising that we can ask no greater mercy to be extended us by ,god4 ,and so we are wont to repeat the ,prayer willingly without reservations or misgivings 444 just until the day come when 8our neighbour0 has gotten him a name and we lie dazed and bleeding from the hurt that he hath dealt us4 ,that is the moment for which these words were spoken--,let not mercy and truth forsake thee1 bind them upon thy neck 7,pr4 #cc74 ,know that--,by mercy and truth iniquity is purged away1 and by the fear of the ,lord men depart from evil 7,pr4 #aff74 ,by the time a man has schooled himself to put those exhortations into practice1 he will be in no danger of treating forgiveness lightly3 true forgiveness is conditioned by the ,moral ,law1 is no futile shutting-of-the-eyes to uneradicated sin1 and may therefore call for faithfulness unto death and necessitate the greatest sacrifice earth knows1 even the ,cross of ,christ4 ,and with the thought let us return to that saying of ,ben ,sirach1 ,strive for the truth unto death4 8,the ,truth0 is here to be interpreted in the fullest sense of the term2 it means ,righteousness or ,justice2 it denotes sincerity in things great and small1 in thought word and deed4 ,the proverb then may serve as a reminder of the uncompromisingly stern and perilous element in human experience4 ,until three years ago many men had no lively sense of that aspect of things4 ,the sinister possibilities were not absent1 but often they were fallaciously concealed4 ,when a man catches the same train to town day after day and his outward circumstances are uneventful and regular as some slow-moving stream1 he may easily be deluded into thinking that his inner1 spiritual self is likewise pursuing the even tenor of its way2 whereas in reality it may be waging a desperate battle against increasing pride1 prejudice1 hardness of heart1 and a whole battalion of the ,fiend's picked legionaries4 ,the ,prosperous1 consulting his bankbook1 may easily be betrayed into saying 8,i shall not want10 whilst the soul within him is choking4 ,if our essential life is spiritual and consists in our love of the ,true1 the ,good1 the ,beautiful1 riches are likely to prove a thin armour against the enemy4 ,but three long and terrible years of war have transformed the situation1 and there are few to-day who do not know that there is 8a striving for the truth unto death40 ,little need now to emphasise the dark side of life2 myriads are but too well acquainted with its tragedies4 ,the ,jewish proverbs offer no philosophy of ,suffering2 for that one must go to the ,christian religion1 which has faced the worst of the problem and is unique in having found a reassuring answer4 ,when1 however1 we turn to the immediate question1 how best to meet and deal with hardship1 physical or mental1 behold6 ,christianity is content to appropriate the language of a ,jewish proverb and reiterate its counsel1 though with a glorious new confidence3 ,therefore let us also1 seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses1 lay aside every weight1 and the sin that doth so easily beset us1 and let us run with patience the race that is set before us1 looking unto ,jesus1 the author and perfecter of our faith4444 ,for consider ,him who endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself that ye wax not weary1 fainting in your souls4 ,ye have not yet resisted unto blood1 striving against sin1 and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasoneth with you as with sons1 ,my son1 regard not lightly the discipline of the ,lord ,nor faint when thou art reproved of him2 ,for whom the ,lord loveth ,he disciplines1 ,and chasteneth#aea every son whom ,he receiveth 7,pr4 #caa1 #ab74 ,it is for discipline that ye endure2 ,god dealeth with you as with sons2 for what son is there whom his father doth not discipline8 7,hebrews #aba-g74 ,to use or to refuse this idea of the educative opportunity in suffering makes an amazing difference to life4 ,says a commentator of the older school writing upon this passage in ,proverbs3 8,first1 ,despise not the discipline4444 ,do not meet sorrow by a mere hardihood of nature4 ,let your heart flow down under trouble1 for this is human3 let it rise up also to ,god1 for this is divine4 ,and secondly1 ,faint not4444 ,this is the opposite extreme4 ,do not be dissolved1 as it were--taken down and taken to pieces by the stroke4 ,you should retain presence of mind and exercise your faculties4 ,if the bold would see ,god in his afflictions1 he would not despise2 if the timid would see ,god in them1 he would not faint4444 ,the same stroke may fall on two men and be in the one case judgement1 in the other love4 ,you may prune branches lying withered on the ground1 and also branches living in the vine4 ,in the two cases the operation and instrument are precisely alike2 but the operation on this branch has no result1 and the operation on that branch produces fruitfulness40#aeb ,my son1 if thou comest to serve the ,lord1 ,prepare thy soul for trial4 ,set thy heart aright and with constancy endure1 ,and be not terrified in time of calamity4444 ,for gold is tried in the fire1 ,and acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation1 ,put thy trust in ,god and ,he will help thee2 ,order thy ways aright and set thy hope on ,him 7,e4 #ba-f74 ,never in living memory has there been greater need for wise and persuasive advice how to conduct oneself in time of anxiety and affliction4 ,in the gales of life many a ship is flung on the rocks for lack of a little good seamanship on board4 ,but ships need care even when they are sailing summer seas2 and so1 because one hopes that brighter days are coming to the world and coming soon1 there is room for one more counsel in conclusion4 ,religion1 and particularly ,christianity1 has been robbed of half of its power over men's souls1 by reason of the absurd and tragical notion that it bears chiefly on the woes of man and very little on his joys4 ,on this score also the ,jewish proverbs preach a useful and pleasant sermon1 with their natural honest desire for the good things of life and their strong and salutary conviction that in ,wisdom--being that fear of the ,lord which is to depart from evil--will be found a never-failing source of refreshing happiness3 ,the fear of the ,lord is glory and exultation ,and gladness and a crown of rejoicing4 ,the fear of the ,lord shall delight the heart1 ,and shall give gladness and joy and length of days 7,e4 ,i#aa1 #ab2 cp4 ,pr4 #baj1 #caf74 ,,chapter ,,xix ,faith ,ben ,sirach has a wise passage in recognition of the transcendent majesty of ,god4 ,he has been seeking to describe the marvels of the universe1 and words have failed him2 how much more then if he should strive to declare the glory of the ,creator6 ,wonderful as the visible world may be1 ,many things are hidden greater than these1 and we have seen but a few of ,his works4444 ,the ,lord is terrible and exceeding great1 and marvellous is ,his power4 ,when ye glorify the ,lord praise him as much as ye can1 for even then will ,he surpass4 ,when ye exalt him1 put forth your full strength2 be not weary2 for ye will never attain 7,e4 #dcbi-cb74 ,these words give the reason why expressions of belief in ,god so often appear to the unbelieving mere platitudes4 ,before the thought of the living ,god1 men of intense and sensitive faith are either silent1 or at the most will speak in simple language1 being conscious that we may say many things1 yet shall we not attain2 and the sum of our words is 8,he is all0 7,e4 #dibg74 ,the ,jewish proverbs recognise that ,god makes one fundamental demand from men1 namely ,honesty of purpose--the very quality or attitude of soul which1 as we have just seen1 is so essential to the growth of moral character3 ,all the ways of a man are right in his own eyes1 ,but ,god weigheth the heart 7,pr4 #bab74 ,he that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten1 his offering is made in mockery2 and the mockeries of wicked men are not well-pleasing 7,e4 #cdah74 ,ben ,sirach says of a sinner1 confident in his wrong-doing because no man seeth him--,but he knoweth not that the eyes of the ,lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun1 beholding all the ways of men1 and looking into secret places 7,e4 #bcai74 ,and again he writes of the hypocritically pious3 ,the ,most ,high hath no pleasure in the offerings of the ungodly1 neither is ,he pacified for sins by the multitude of sacrifices 7,e4 #cdai2 cp4 ,pr4 #babg74 ,it does not seem probable that the ,almighty will be any the better impressed1 should the wicked offer up hymns instead of sacrifices4 ,motive is still the criterion of worship3 take heed how ye praise or pray1 lest your words be no more than the sound of a voice2 take heed how ye hear1 lest1 judging a sermon1 you fail to hear ,god's judgment of you2 and above all remember that the chief act of worship1 without which all else is in vain1 must be rendered at home and in the city's streets1 for--said a ,wise-man on whom the spirit of the prophets had descended--to do justice and equity is more acceptable to the ,lord than sacrifice 7,pr4 #bac74 ,a plain commandment1 but there is none greater3 8,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself40 ,and to them that are fain to keep the commandment ,god giveth gifts4 8,but0 says one1 8how know you that they are ,god's gifts8 ,is there a ,god to give8 ,faith is very difficult to attain40 ,certainly faith is difficult to the sophisticated in this and every age2 but to the ,wise it has always seemed natural1 and never impossible4 ,said a young ,russian modernist1 8,i find it difficult not to believe in ,god40 ,so much in passing2 we shall return to the question a little later4 ,meantime1 however1 let us turn to what cannot be denied1 the reality of the gifts and the axiomatic truth of the assertion that they are from ,god in the sense that they are the consequence of believing ,god is and is good4 ,to believe in the true ,god1 the high and holy and merciful ,god of ,israel's noblest thinkers1 the ,god and ,father of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 certainly gives men confidence and courage1 not because the dangers and difficulties of life are removed1 but because our strength being increased1 it becomes possible to overcome them3 ,the name of the ,lord is a strong tower2 the righteous runneth into it and is safe 7,pr4 #ahaj74 ,through the new spirit that is ours1 life is lifted to a higher plane where we feel that1 when sorrow and pain and sin have had their say1 still the ,lord reigneth2 ,god is greater than ,his foes3 ,whoso feareth the ,lord shall not be afraid and shall not play the coward2 for ,god is his hope 7,e4 #cdad74 ,to them that seek ,him ,god gives illumination4 ,evil men understand not justice1 but they that seek the ,lord understand it altogether 7,pr4 #bhe7--which does not mean that the pious are omniscient1 but does mean that to follow after truth and goodness enlightens1 whereas to seek evil and pursue it makes men blind4 ,accordingly it is said1 ,there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the ,lord 7,pr4 #bacj71 and the truth of that great saying has been repeatedly displayed in the rise and fall of mighty nations and empires1 as well as in the lives of individuals4 ,selfishness is always short-sighted1 snatching greedily at shadows and missing the best there is in life4 ,again1 ,the curse of the ,lord is in the house of the wicked1 but ,he blesseth the habitation of the righteous 7,pr4 #ccc72 and that is true because it is seldom that such things as passion1 hatred1 cruelty and haunting moral fears are absent from the former1 and1 whatever the good man's house may lack1 it will generally have love1 joy1 peace and all the fruits of the ,spirit4 ,one remarkable proverb claims that ,when a man's ways please the ,lord1 he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him 7,pr4 #afg72 and the value of the saying is perhaps increased in that1 regarded pedantically1 the claim breaks down1 whereas on a wider consideration it seems to be subtly and profoundly true4 ,thus1 our truthfulness may not prevent some particular individual 7our enemy7 from deceiving us by a lie1 but it helps many1 who might become false and some day deceive us1 to persevere in truthfulness2 and if all men really were liars1 heaven help our race6 ,our honesty may not prevent a thief from breaking through and stealing1 but it does make it easier for other men to be honest and so helps to reduce dishonesty in the world2 and if all men were deceivers1 peaceful trade would cease4 ,mercy begets mercy2 the kindness of all true men who love ,god and follow ,christ is making the world more kind4 ,in a word1 the effect of righteous example is magnificently great4 ,what matter then if the truth be superlatively phrased8 ,let us affirm it boldly3 8,when a man's ways please the ,lord1 he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him40 ,here is a verse that sums up the whole topic3-- ,the eyes of the ,lord are upon them that love ,him1 ,a mighty protection and strong stay1 ,a cover from the hot blast and a shelter from the noonday1 ,a guard from stumbling1 and a succour from falling4 ,he raiseth up the soul1 and enlighteneth the eyes2 ,he giveth healing1 life1 and blessing 7,e4 #cdaf1 #ag74 ,the gifts are good4 ,but is there a ,giver1 a ,god who cares8 ,why not so believe8 ,it is neither impossible nor incredible4 ,in the last chapter we shall touch further upon the great question4 ,for the moment our concern is only with the answer to it that we find in the ,jewish proverbs4 ,that answer is boldly affirmative4 ,let us begin1 however1 with a rather hesitant saying2 ,a man's goings are of the ,lord1 how then can he understand his ways8 7,pr4 #bjbd74 ,possibly the author intended not to assert ,god's guidance but only to complain of the baffling character of our fortunes4 ,if so1 we will have none of it4 ,if there be no ,god at all1 at least let us struggle to determine our path with such intelligence as we can muster4 ,in the following1 however1 there is no dubiety about the affirmation of faith3 ,a man's heart deviseth his way1 but the ,lord directeth his steps 7,pr4 #afi74 ,hard doctrine6 theoretically possible perhaps1 but is it probable8 ,certainly it is hard to believe1 almost incredible1 so long as it is considered merely from the critic's chair4 ,but the sublime hope that ,god careth for men displays an astonishing vitality2 and the altogether amazing and significant fact is this1 that just where it ought most surely to die down and be extinguished1 there it always rises up and burns again--as now in the trenches4 ,here is the witness of an educated man1 who had long ceased to be a ,christian in the conventional usage of the term4 ,he is writing freely to one who had been more than a friend for ,christ's sake1 and it is fair to give his words1 because death is no longer a mystery to him4 8,half-unconsciously ,i hummed the tune rather than the words of the famous hymn ,when ,i survey the wondrous ,cross2 ,as ,i did so there appeared before me1 not a vision of ,christ's person1 but of the meaning of the glorious crown of thorns ,he wore4 ,the ,king of ,heaven1 the ,prince of ,peace1 is a man--,he took not upon ,him the nature of angels4 ,that would have been easy but futile4 ,it would not have linked ,him with us closely enough4 ,so my vision told me4 ,he must needs suffer for us4444 ,and if suffering1 and forgiveness1 and love of our fellows1 and general self-forgetfulness be what is required of every one of us1 how greatly we all stand in need of ,his atonement4 ,that was the lasting impression of my vision3 but1 subsidiary1 there was another4 ,i felt1 for a moment1 a sense of divine spectatorship1 as if there was but ,god in the world besides me2 and ,god1 all-seeing1 all-understanding1 with whom no words were necessary#aec40 ,but also those whose training in the school of life has brought them no such command of words as had the writer of the above1 have their own way of voicing the instinct1 saying that 8if a fellow's name is written on a bullet he'll get it1 and if it isn't1 he won't40 ,press the nave metaphor4 ,who writes the name on the bullet8 ,not ,krupps2 they are too busy for that4 ,then is the writing the writing of ,god1 graven upon the bullet8 ,probably the man himself would say1 ,fate is the writer4 8,fate0 on the lips of men who have nineteen centuries of ,christian tradition behind them is only another name1 and imperfect1 for ,god the ,father4 ,there is fatalism and fatalism4 ,the fatalism of men who1 being conscious 7however dimly7 that duty has drawn them into a war which is at bottom an immense conflict of ideas and ideals regarding the use and abuse of national power1 feel somehow that they will not die except they were appointed to lay down their life for others2 that fatalism is separated by a hair's breadth from explicit trust in the overshadowing love of ,god4 ,belief in ,god's providence may seem difficult to the student at his ease1 but it is high human doctrine4 ,it was the doctrine of ,jesus2 and keen and earnest thinkers1 and simple men and women innumerable1 facing the sternest facts of life1 have found it possible to place their trust in it1 and1 trusting1 have found themselves at peace4 ,be not afraid of sudden fear1 nor of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh2 ,for the ,lord shall be thy confidence1 and shall keep thy foot from being taken 7,pr4 #cbe;f74 ,in conclusion1 here is a proverb which needs a few words of introduction4 ,the graces and benefits of religion are frequently associated in the ,bible with 8meekness0 or 8humility40 ,now those ,english words carry unfortunate associations which are absent from the ,hebrew they represent4 ,the 8humility0 commended by the ,prophets and ,psalmists is a certain frank simplicity of soul--a quality from which not a few of the most effective and virile personalities in the world's history have derived their power4 ,it has little or nothing to do with softness or timidity of character2 indeed courage is its hall-mark4 ,those who first rallied round the ,maccabean leaders in the struggle against an unclean ,hellenism were of 8the meek ones of the earth40 ,the ,russian peasant has this ,biblical 8humility10 but the proudest military empire in the modern world has tasted the fortitude of his soul4 ,wherefore we may claim that this exquisite saying is not merely beautiful1 but is also profound3 ,the prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds 7,e4 #ceag74 ,,chapter ,,xx ,the ,gift of ,god ,the sayings we have been quoting in this volume for the most part belong to the life of ordered and peaceful society4 ,there is no tramp of armies1 no sense of imminent death1 no outrage of gigantic suffering and injustice1 in the pages of ,proverbs or ,ecclesiasticus4 ,to-day1 however1 the ordinary problems and interests of peace-time seem altogether irrelevant4 ,twenty million fighting men in ,europe1 asked what a maxim is1 would talk to you of machine-guns2 the maxims otherwise called proverbs belong to a different and forgotten world4 ,for trifling moralisms we have to-day neither taste nor time4 ,but the ,jewish proverbs range wide enough to have a word for everyone1 for the grave or the gay1 for pious or profane1 for those in haste just as much as for those at leisure2 and many of their comments on life are very far removed from being trifling4 ,in our enquiry we have met not a few winged words worth capturing and holding fast even in war-time2 great thoughts such as this assertion1 ,he that followeth after righteousness shall attain unto life1 but he that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death 7,pr4 #aaai71 or this reassuring hint of the fundamental goodness of human nature1 ,when the righteous triumph there is great glorying1 but when the wicked come to power men hide themselves 7,pr4 #bhab2 cp4 #aaaj71 or this grand medicine for a tempted people1 ,righteousness exalteth a nation1 but sin is a disgrace to any folk 7,pr4 #adcd74 ,moreover it ought to be recognised that1 properly regarded1 morality is never unimportant2 moralisms being trifling only so long as they remain mere words1 not when they are translated into deeds4 ,act upon the good that is found in these proverbs1 and immense results would follow4 ,but just there is the crux3 8,it is a small matter to get right principles recognised1 the whole difficulty lies in getting them practised4 ,we need a power which can successfully1 contend against the storm of our passion and self-will40#aed ,now there is one deeply significant fact which we have seen in our study of the ,jewish proverbs1 but on which we have not yet laid sufficient stress--the fact that they seemed to their authors to point beyond themselves to a ,divine ,source4 ,they were not fortuitous atoms gathered no man knew whence or why1 but part of a marvellous system inspired and originated by ,god1 sustained by ,his inexhaustible power1 and governed by ,his holy purposes4 ,whatever may be thought regarding particular proverbs1 no sensible person can imagine that ,wisdom itself is idle or unimportant talk4 ,wisdom remains wise even in such a war as this1 though the nations rage and the kingdoms are moved4 ,but is there a ,divine ,wisdom8 ,or is the aspiring faith of men only an unsubstantial dream8 ,from first to last the ,jews believed that ,wisdom is a reality1 and1 far from weakening as the years went on1 their confidence even increased1 and their thoughts of the wonder and glory of the ,heavenly ,wisdom became1 if possible1 more sublime and yet no less intimate4 ,and high as they exalted ,wisdom1 her chiefest glory remained this1 that she was willing to dwell with men4 ,let us take as a last quotation some beautiful and loving words from that late work1 the ,wisdom of ,solomon1 to which reference was made in ,chapter ,,ix3 ,wisdom is an effulgence from everlasting light1 ,a stainless mirror of ,god's working1 and an image of ,his goodness4 ,and it1 being one1 hath power to do all things2 ,and remaining in itself1 reneweth all things3 ,and from generation to generation passing into holy souls ,it maketh men friends of ,god and prophets4444 ,wisdom is fairer than the sun1 and above all the constellations of the stars4 ,being compared with light1 it is found to be before it2 ,for to the light of day succeedeth night1 ,but against ,wisdom evil doth not prevail 7,w4,s4 #gbf-cj74 ,is there this ,heavenly ,wisdom8 ,century by century1 ,life is accumulating its patient answer to the question1 building up its vast evidence that the word of ,god endures1 generation by generation confirming the intuition that the visible is for man the least real and that it is the unseen things that are eternal4 ,but out of the midst of history there has also come one finished and marvellous reply--the personality of ,jesus ,christ4 ,wisdom1 whence cometh it8 ,and where is the place of understanding8 cried one who had despaired to find an answer4 ,but the day came when certain of the ,jews declared that ,wisdom was found1 that the infinite ,divine ,wisdom in its full glory had dwelt amongst us4 ,all1 and more than all1 that had been said or thought or hoped of the ,heavenly ,wisdom1 they had discovered in ,christ ,jesus4 ,for one who had been man among men to be thus by ,jews identified as the ,perfect ,wisdom1 which was but an aspect of ,god ,himself1 is clearly wonderful2 but just how utterly amazing it is1 perhaps only those can realise who are conscious of the innate and magnificent monotheism of the ,jews1 and who have listened with sympathy and understanding to these reverent and rapturous praises of ,wisdom4 ,that a human being could possibly be felt to be the incarnation of ,wisdom's ,self is a miracle4 ,but the miracle is precisely that which has happened1 and it is explicable only by a cause as great as the effect2 that is1 by the miracle of what ,jesus was and is4 ,recognition of ,christ as the ,divine ,wisdom1 and of ,wisdom as incarnate in ,christ1 permeates the tradition and theology of the ,new ,testament4 ,it is visible in almost every passage where ,his disciples have sought to express the mystery and majesty of ,him whose human love they had known on earth1 whose divine power they now felt from heaven4 ,the idea of ,wisdom is the basis of ,st4 ,paul's great utterances regarding ,christ in the ,epistle to the ,colossians2 of the affirmations in ,hebrews that by ,christ were the worlds made and that ,he is the ,radiance of the ,divine ,glory and the ,reflection of the ,divine ,being2 and behind the wonderful opening chapter of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel there is a hymn to the ,eternal ,wisdom1 which was in the beginning1 and was with ,god1 and was ,god4#aee ,who hath ascended into heaven and descended8--asked a sceptical questioner in the ,book of ,proverbs 7,pr4 #cjd74 ,no man ascended into heaven1 but ,he that descended out of heaven1 even the ,son of ,man1 rings out the answer of the ,gospel 7,john #cac74 ,if any man lack ,wisdom let him ask of ,god1 who giveth to all liberally1 and upbraideth not2 and it shall be given him1 writes ,st4 ,james4 ,surely ,god's gift is ,christ8 ,there are now nineteen centuries to show that nothing that has set itself against ,his wisdom has endured and been accepted as the truth4 8,we need a power which can successfully contend against the storm of our passion and self-will40--,st4 ,paul affirms that the need has been met and answered in ,christ crucified1 the ,power of ,god and the ,wisdom of ,god1 and the ,gospel holds out the same promise3 as many as received ,him to them gave ,he power to become the children of ,god4 ,but are they many who throughout these centuries have sought to find ,wisdom in ,christ1 and in ,his redeeming compassion1 ,his perfect knowledge of human weakness and human need1 ,his calm unfailing strength1 ,his infinite holiness1 ,his glorious ideal1 ,his faith1 ,his sacrifice1 have declared that they have found that which they sought8 ,they are very many4 ,already they are a multitude which no man can number--out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples--of whom some have sealed the confession with their life-blood1 and some have given equal testimony in the unfaltering purity and patience of a quiet and unselfish life4 ,some of them have been learned and some unlearned in this world's knowledge1 but it is abundantly evident that all who have been faithful to ,his word have possessed in its fulness the deeper ,wisdom which is from above4 ,the sum of it all is this4 ,christ has come4 ,there are those who do not trouble to seek for ,wisdom with their whole heart1 but that is a foolish attitude which should be shunned4 ,the miracle has happened1 and we ought to face its challenge4 ,what think ye of ,christ8 ,whose son is ,he8 ,index ,a ,,brief ,,bibliography ,articles on ,proverbs1 ,ecclesiasticus1 ,wisdom ,literature1 ,hellenism1 etc41 in the ,encyclopdia ,brittanica 7#aath edition71 ,hastings's ,dictionary of the ,bible and the ,encyclopdia ,biblica4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,toy1 ,proverbs 7,international ,critical ,commentary74 ,g4 ,,currie ,,martin1 ,proverbs1 etc4 7,the ,century ,bible74 ,c4 ,f4 ,,kent1 ,wise ,men of ,ancient ,israel4 ,w4 ,o4 ,e4 ,,oesterley1 ,ecclesiasticus 7,cambridge ,bible for ,schools and ,colleges74 ,s4 ,r4 ,,driver1 ,literature of the ,old ,testament s4v41 ,proverbs1 etc4 ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,modern ,criticism and the ,preaching of the ,old ,testament1 ch viii4 ,a4 ,r4 ,,gordon1 ,the ,poets of the ,old ,testament chs4 ,,xv4-,,xviii4 ,c4 ,,taylor1 ,sayings of the ,fathers 7,pirke ,aboth74 ,a4 ,,cohen1 ,ancient ,jewish ,proverbs 7,wisdom of the ,east ,series74 ,e4 ,l4 ,,bevan1 ,the ,house of ,seleucus 7#b vols47 ,e4 ,l4 ,,bevan1 ,jerusalem under the ,high ,priests4 ,h4 ,p4 ,,smith1 ,old ,testament ,history chs4 ,,xviii41 ,,xix4 ,i4--,,index ,,of ,,references ,,proverbs4 ver4 ,,chapter ,i4 page #d #acj #g-i #aeg1 #bfg #aj;ff #aec1 #aha1 #ahd1 #bjj #ag #bca #bb #acj1 #ahj1 #aha #bd #ahj ,,chapter ,,ii4 #c1 #d1 #i #bfg #aj #bag1 #bgb #af-ai #ahf ,,chapter ,,iii4 #c1 #d #ade1 #bfi #e1 #f #aeh #g #bdf #aa1 #ab #aib1 #bga #ac-ae #agj #af #bgb #ag1 #ah #bag1 #bca #ai;f #agb #be;f #bgh #bg1 #bh #aee1 #baa #bi #aed #ca1 #cb #aec #cc #bge #cd #bfg ,,chapter ,,iv4 #g #agg #aj-ai #gg #ac #adb #ah #bcf #ai #ea #bc #bfd ,,chapter ,v4 #a-ad #aec #bb #ahh ,,chapter ,,vi4 #f-aa #abh1 #bcc #ab-ae #abc #af-ai #dh #bj-vii4 #bg #aec ,,chapter ,,vii4 #a-bg #aec #ad #ajh #bj #bcd ,,chapter ,,viii4 #a-c #ahb1 #bjj #aj #aga #ae1 #af #agb #ai #bbb #ba #afg #bb-cf #agc #bc #bbb ,,chapter ,,ix4 #a-e #aga1 #bab #g #ace1 #ahj #aj #aeg #ag1 #ah #aga ,,chapter ,x4 #b #aed #c #ahh #aa #adc #ab #ade #ae #aai #bj1 #ba #adc #bb #be #bc #acd #bf #adj #bg #ahi ,,chapter ,,xi4 #a #bec #b #adc #d #baa1 #beg #e #adc #aj #bei1 #bhj #aa #beh #ab #adj #ah #ahh #ai #bhj #bb #bda #bd1 #be #abb1 #bec #bf #bed #bh #baa #cj #adc ,,chapter ,,xii4 #a #adb #e #adc #g #baa #i #bdc #ae #abc1 #acd #af #abc #ah #ade #ai #adc #ba #ahh #bf #add ,,chapter ,,xiii4 #a #ahj #b #baa #c #adj #e #adc #g #abb #h #beg #aa #beg #ab #bdf #ai #acd #bb #beb #bd #adi ,,chapter ,,xiv4 #a #acc #c #acd #ac #aib #ae1 #af #acc #ag #aci #bj #abj #cb #aij #cd #bei1 #bhj ,,chapter ,,xv4 #a #ade1 #bdf #b #abc #d #ade1 #baa #e #acd #h #ajh #af #baa #ag #abj #ah #aci #bj #acd #bc #adj #bd #aij #be #aee #bh #adc #bi #ahh ,,chapter ,,xvi4 #a #baa #c #bfd #d #ahi #f #bfi #g #bgf #h #aed1 #baa1 #bed #i #bgg #af #aga #ah #adj1 #bdf #ai #baj #bd #ea #bf #aaf #bg #abc1 #aha #bh #abb #cb #aci1 #bjf1 #bdf ,,chapter ,,xvii4 #a #ajh #b #aea #e #add #g #abi #i #bec #aj #ace #ab #bcb1 #bda1 #bdb #ac #adj #af #acd #ag #adb #ba #acj #bc #aec #bd #acc1 #bdb #bh #adj ,,chapter ,,xviii4 #b #acd #g #abc #h #abe #i #bdb #aj #bge #aa #ahc1 #beg #ac #bfb #ag #bdc #bj1 #ba #adj1 #baa #bb #adh ,,chapter ,,xix4 #d #abj #ab #bcb #ad #bch #ag #baa #bf #aej #bg #ahc #bi #ace ,,chapter ,,xx4 #a #ach1 #ahe #c #ada #f #aib #aj #bbb1 #bec #ad #aac #ag #bff #bj #aej #bb #adj1 #ahh #bc #aec1 #bec #bd #bgg #bh #aeb ,,chapter ,,xxi4 #b #bgc #c #ajh1 #aec1 #bgd #f #bec #i #bdb #ac #bec #ad #aeb #ag #ach #bj #acc #bb #bcc #bc #baa #bd #ace #bg #ajh1 #bgd #cj1 #ca #bdg1 #bge ,,chapter ,,xxii4 #a #ea1 #beg #b #beb #c #eh #d #afg #f #aej #g #aac #h #ahh #aj #ahj #aa #adc #ac #abh2 cp4 #bdb #bb1 #bc #aec1 #aha #bg #aac #bh #eh ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 #a-c #abd #d1 #e #bef #i #acd #aj1 #aa #ei1 #ec #ac1 #ad #adi #ag1 #ah #aij1 #bfc #ba #bec #bi-ca #aec1 #ahe #bi-ce #ach1 #bcc ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 #a #bfc #c1 #d #bcd #aa1 #ab #add #af #bdf #ag1 #ah #ada1 #bjg #bd #bef #bg #bfb #bh #aec #bi #ade #cj-cd #abh1 #bdb ,,chapter ,,xxv4 #b1 #c #aeb #f #baa #aa #bca #ac #bcd #ad #abc1 #bce #af #ag #ag #cj1 #bfb #ai #bdc #bj #abe #ba #ade #bd #bdb #be #bcf #bg #bbb1 #bdc #bh #bdf ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 #b #ea1 #bcf #c #acd1 #bcb #d #ace1 #bfb #g #acd1 #bdb #aa #ace #ab #abc1 #bdf #ac #bdb1 cp4#abh #ad1 #ae #abh1 #bdb #af #abh1 #aha #ag #ada1 #bch #ah1 #ai #abd #bj #abb #ba #ada #bc-bf #ada #bg #aed #bh #abe ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 #a #baa1 #bfb #c #acd #d #ada #f #bde #h #bca #ad #abe #ae #bdb #ag #bde #ah #bca #ai #bcf #bj #eh #bb #ace1 #bdb #bc-bg #bcb ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 #a #bdf #e #bge #f #aed1 #bde1 #bed #g #ach #h #aee #ab #bhj #ac1 #ad #bfh #ae #aeb1 #bcb #ag #bde #bb #abb #bc #abe #bd #aej #bf #acd #bg #aee ,,chapter ,,xxix4 #a #adb #d #aeb #e #abe #aa #aci #ab #bei #ac #beb #ad #aeb1 #bei #ae #adi #ai #aea #bj #abd #bb #aci ,,chapter ,,xxx4 #a-f #aib #d #bhc #g-i #aee #h1 #i #aba1 #baa #ab1 #ad #bef #ae1 #af #df1 #eb #ag #aej1 #bcb #ah1 #ai #ea1 #bcc #ba-bc #dg1 #abi #bd-bh #dg1 #bcc #bf;f #bcb #bi-ca #dg1 #bcb #cc #ada ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 #d1 #e #aeb #f1 #g #ahe #aj-bi #adg;f #ad #bcc ,,ecclesiasticus4 ,prologue #aih ,,chapter ,i4 #a #aeh #aa1 #ab #bgb #bf #bfg ,,chapter ,,ii4 #a-f #bga;f #ab-ad #bdf ,,chapter ,,iii4 #f-i #aej #ab-ae #aej #cf #beb ,,chapter ,,iv4 #a #abj #h1 #i #beb #aa1 #ab #bde #ag #aga #bh #bff1 #bfi ,,chapter ,,vi4 #g;ff #adb #ai-be #aga #bf-bi #aga #ce1 #cf #bfb ,,chapter ,,vii4 #a-c #bfc #i1 #aa #bfc #aj #bfd #ae #aah #ah #bfc #bj1 #ba #aeb ,,chapter ,,viii4 #e-g #bfc #ag #acc ,,chapter ,,ix4 #c-i #ahf ,,chapter ,x4 #h #bei #aa #aij ,,chapter ,,xi4 #b #bfb #aa #bch #bf-bh #ahi ,,chapter ,,xiv4 #c1 #d #abb ,,chapter ,,xv4 #a #aih #aa1 #ab #bfc ,,chapter ,,xvii4 #bh #aij ,,chapter ,,xviii4 #ai #bfb ,,chapter ,,xix4 #a #bdf #b #ahf #aj #bdd #bj #aih ,,chapter ,,xx4 #e1 #f #bdc #ab #bdc #ad;f #dj #ae1 #af #acc #bi #afc ,,chapter ,,xxi4 #f #bgb #aj #bff #ad #acd #bf #acc ,,chapter ,,xxii4 #g #acd1 #afb #h #acd1 #bdb #ab #afb #ah #acd #ai #bgd ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 #c-aa #agd #bc #aih ,,chapter ,,xxv4 #a1 #b #dh #g-aa #dh #af #bcb #bj #bdb ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 #e #dh #bi;ff #aac1 #bed ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 #a1 #b #aac #i #bca #aa #acc #be #bcc ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 #a1 #b #bfi ,,chapter ,,xxix4 #d1 #e #aac ,,chapter ,,xxx4 #h #bcb #i-ab #adi #ad #aba #ae #beg ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 #c #abj #ab;ff #abd #ai1 #bj #aci #bg;f #ahd #bi1 #cj1 #ca #ahe ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 #e #acc #f #bcb #bd-bh #aea #cj1 #ca #aea ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 #a #bcf #aj #afa #ab #afj1 #afa #ad #bge #af1 #ag #bgf #ah1 #ai #bgd #bj-bb #bef ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 #ag #bgi ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 #a-ae #aae #e #aad #af;ff #aia #bd-cd #aag ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 #a-c #aih ,,chapter ,,xl4 #aa #aij #bh;f #aad ,,chapter ,,xli4 #a #afc #a-d #aia #ag-ai #afc #bj #ahf ,,chapter ,,xlii4 #i-aa #adf ,,chapter ,,xliii4 #a-e #bcd #h-ab #bcd #ae-ai #bce #bd-be #bcc #bg-cb #bgc ,,chapter ,,xliv4 #a;ff #bj ,,chapter ,l4 #f1 #g #bcd #h-aj #bca ,,chapter ,,li4 #c;ff #afj ,genesis #aj #i 7#ej72 #bh #aj-ai 7#di74 ,exodus #ae #be 7#aad72 #bj #e 7#fg74 ,numbers #ba #bg 7#fi74 ,deuteronomy #bg #ag 7#ei72 #hj #aa-ad 7#bae74 ,joshua #g #bd1 #be 7#ff74 ,ruth #b #g-ad 7#bce74 #a ,samuel #aj #aa 7#fb72 #bd #i-ac 7#fc72 #bd #af 7#fd74 #b ,samuel #a #bc 7#fd72 #ad #a;ff 7#fh72 #bj #af-bb 7#fh74 #a ,kings #d #bi-cd 7#fi1 #bca74 #b ,kings #d #ah1 #ai 7#bce74 #b ,chronicles #af #ab 7#add7 ,job #e #d 7#ahi72 #ae #ah 7#gc72 #bd #b 7#ei72 #bh #bj-bg7age72 #bh1 #ch 7#bce74 ,psalms #a 7#gg72 #a #a 7#ahj72 #ai #a 7#bbi72 #ij #c 7#dc74 ,ecclesiastes #g #f 7#acc72 #i #d 7#bcb74 ,canticles #b #aa;ff 7#bce74 ,isaiah #e #h 7#ei72 #bh #aj 7#aji1 #bjj72 #bi #ac1 #ad 7#gj 72 #dj #bg 7#dd72 #ee #h 7#ajf74 ,jeremiah #ah #ah 7#gj72 #ha #bh-cj 7#fe;f74 ,ezekiel #ab #ba1 #bb 7#fg72 #af #dd 7#fe72 #ah #a;f 7#fe74 ,hosea #e #aj 7#ei74 ,amos #e #ba;f 7#hc74 ,zechariah #d #f 7#ajf74 ,st4 ,matthew #b #ab 7#bhc72 #e #c;f 7#baj72 #e #db1 #aj #ad1 #ab #cf1 #bb #a-ad1 #be #dj 7#baa74 ,st4 ,mark #e #bf 7#aae74 ,st4 ,luke #d #bc 7#aae72 #ab #af-ba 7#baa72 #ad #g-aa 7#baa74 ,st4 ,john #a #ab 7#bhd72 #c #ac 7#bhc72 #g #ag 7#bfg72 #ah #bf;ff 7#bcj74 ,acts #ah #a-c 7#aai74 ,romans #e #bj 7#fg72 #ab #bj 7#ade74 #a ,corinthians #a #bd 7#bhd74 #b ,corinthians #aa #i 7#aai74 ,ephesians #f #ab 7#gf74 ,hebrews #ab #a-g 7#bgj;f74 ,james #a #e 7#bhc72 #d #f-7bfg74 #a ,peter #e #e 7#bfg74 #a ,maccabees #b #bi-ch 7#bjb74 ,wisdom of ,solomon #g #bb;ff 7#agf1 #bhb72 #i #d 7#agf74 ,sayings of the ,fathers #di1 #bjf;f4 ,,ii4--,,index ,,of ,,subjects ,abbreviations1 #dj1 #bje1 #bjg4 ,agnosticism1 #agf1 #aib1 #bah4 ,almsgiving1 #aac;f ,anger1 #aci;f4 ,antiochus ,epiphanes1 #bja ,aristotle1 #de4 ,athletics1 #hh1 #ic1 #if1 #ahc1 #bja4 ,bacon1 ,francis1 #bb1 #bde1 #bef4 ,beggar1 #aad4 ,ben ,sirach1 #ci1 #afj;ff4 ,bribery1 #aeb1 #afc1 #beg4 ,children1 #ade;ff1 #bga4 ,chronicler1 #aji1 #aad4 ,church1 #ahb1 #aie1 #aiin1 #baf1 #bbj1 #bbe4 ,commerce1 #aac1 #bed4 ,craftsmen1 #aaf;f4 ,cromer1 ,lord1 #bbf4 ,death1 #afc1 #afh1 #aij;f4 ,democracy1 #hf;ff4 ,desert1 ,arabian1 #ed;f1 #ada4 ,discipline1 ,self-1 #aci1 #aga1 #aia;f4 ,doctor1 #aad;f4 ,ecclesiasticus1 #ci;f1 #afb1 #bje4 ,education1 #adi4 ,epitaphs1 ,greek1 #hi;f4 ,farmer1 #bcb4 ,fatalism1 #bgh4 ,flattery1 #abe;f4 ,fools1 #abi;ff1 #bdb4 ,forgiveness1 #add1 #bfh4 ,friendship1 #adb4 ,germany1 #bjf1 #bag1 #bcg4 ,ghetto1 #bji4 ,greek1 ,city-,state1 #hf;ff4 ---- philosophy1 #ien1 #aei1 #age;f4 ,hasidim1 #bja4 ,hellenism1 #hd;ff1 #aaj1 #aif1 #bja;f1 #bbe4 ,heredity #fe;f4 ,history1 #ba;f1 #dc1 #ha1 #aid;f1 #bad;f4 ,honesty1 #ada1 #adc;f1 #aec1 #bec;f1 #bfe1 #bgc4 ,idealism1 #bac1 #bbb4 ,individualism1 #bah;f1 #beb4 ,jealousy1 #ada4 ,josephus1 #ih4 ,justice1 #aeb1 #beh1 #bfi4 ,king1 #aeb1 #beh4 ,labour1 #aaf;ff4 ,law of ,moses1 #chn1 #ajd1 #ajh1 #aaj;f1 #aih1 #bji4 ,mercy1 #add;f1 #bgf4 ,miserliness1 #abb4 ,morality1 #ij1 #id;f1 #aec1 #aha1 #ahc;ff4 ,nationalism1 #hi1 #id1 #afd1 #agdn4 ,oesterley1 #aea1 #afb1 #afh1 #bfg ,old ,testament1 #bdi4 ,pindar1 #bbi4 ,poseidonius1 #if1 #aba4 ,pride1 #abc1 #adj1 #adc4 ,proverbs3 ,arabic1 #bc;f2 ,chinese1 #cd2 ,egyptian1 #aff2 ,english1 #ad-be1 #agi1 #bdf2 ,greek1 #be1 #aff2 humanism of1 #ai;f1 #bb1 #afb1 #bbg1 #bhj2 ,indian #ea;f2 ,italian and ,spanish1 #bc;f1 #ada2 ,new ,testament1 #aid1 #bab2 numerical1 #df;ff2 ,scotch1 #be2 ,rabbinic1 #da1 #di1 #ee1 #bjf;f1 #bah1 #bdc1 #bdg1 #bec1 #bei1 #bfb2 wandering of1 #ea;f4 ,providence1 #bgf;ff4 ,ptolemy1 #ia1 #ig1 #aja1 #ajc4 ,rabbis1 #aai4 ,receptivity1 #adb1 #aga1 #bff4 ,religion1 #aeg;f1 #bbj;f1 #bgb4 ,ruskin1 #cj4 ,rutherford1 ,mark1 #ce4 ,scribe7s71 #aaf;f1 #afj1 #aihn4 ,seleucus1 #ia1 #ig4 ,sheol 7see ,death74 ,slander1 #abb;f1 #aed4 ,slaves1 #hf1 #aej;f4 ,sluggard1 #abg;ff1 #adj1 #bdb4 ,solomon1 #cg1 #ga;f1 #bca1 #bdc4 ,solon1 #ii1 #ahi4 ,suffering1 #ahg;ff1 #bgj1 #bge4 ,synagogues1 #aig;f4 ,temperance 7see ,wine74 ,theophrastus1 #abf4 ,universalism1 #ajh;f1 #aaa4 ,utilitarianism1 #bi1 #afg;ff4 ,wealth1 #aai;f1 #aed1 #bef;f4 ,wine1 #ach1 #aec1 #afa1 #ahd4 ,wisdom1 ,greek1 #ii1 #ajf4 ---- personified1 #agd;f1 #bhb4 ,wisdom of ,solomon1 #ci1 #age1 #bha4 ,woman1 #adf1 #aed1 #ahf1 #bda;f4 ,headley ,brothers1 #ah1 ,devonshire ,street1 ,bishopsgate1 ,e4,c4#b42 and ,ashford1 ,kent4 8,,the ,,humanism ,,of ,,the ,,bible0 ,,series4 ,edited by ,professor ,,john ,e4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,b4,a4 7,oxon71 ,d4,d4 7,united ,free ,church ,college1 ,glasgow71 and ,d4 ,,russell ,,scott1 ,m4,a4 7,late ,pusey and ,ellerton ,hebrew ,scholar in the ,university of ,oxford47 ,large ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth ,gilt4 ,price #cs4 #f;d4 net per ,volume4 ,the aim of the ,series is to set forth the human experience that underlies1 and is reflected in1 the ,bible4 ,the doctrinal and theological treatment of the ,bible has undoubtedly tended to obscure its transcendent human interest4 ,this ,series is an attempt to recover some of those ancient experiences and personalities which come to expression in the ,bible1 and to show how fascinating and relevant they are to the life of to-day4 ,it seeks in a broad way to interpret the spirit of the ,biblical books with which it deals1 and to indicate their permanent human interest and worth4 8,if the series may be judged by its first volume it promises to fulfil admirably its purpose of making the ,bible a more human book40--,glasgow ,herald4 8,the series promises to be a valuable contribution to theological thought40--,dundee ,courier4 ,london3 ,,james ,,clarke ,co41 #ac #ad1 ,,fleet ,,street1 ,e4,c4 ,and of all ,booksellers4 ,,pessimism ,,and ,,love4 ,in ,ecclesiastes and ,the ,song of ,songs4 ,by ,,david ,,russell ,,scott1 ,m4,a4 7,late ,pusey and ,ellerton ,scholar in the ,university of ,oxford74 ,large ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth ,boards1 ,gilt4 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,no more suggestive and illuminative scriptural studies have been published recently40--,irish ,presbyterian4 8,there can be no question of the freshness of his exposition40--,glasgow ,herald4 8,mr4 ,scott is an accomplished ,hebrew scholar 444 his pages contain much that is illuminative of the ancient text1 and much that touches the quick of modern needs40--,methodist ,recorder4 8,the volume 444 very successfully attains the aim of the series which it so admirably opens40--,professor ,g4 ,buchanan ,gray1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,litt41 in the ,mansfield ,college ,oxford ,magazine4 8,mr4 ,scott's command of language is quite remarkable1 and clear diction is combined with penetrative insight and sound judgment40--,aberdeen ,daily ,journal4 8,extremely interesting and able expositions 444 attractive and valuable4 ,mr4 ,scott is heartily to be congratulated on the striking success of his opportune work1 both as a translator and expositor40--,dundee ,advertiser4 8,an able and exhaustive analysis and explanation of ,ecclesiastes4 ,the book teems with valuable instructions for men of to-day40--,liverpool ,courier4 8,the studies and expositions will be found suggestive1 practical1 and thoroughly up to date in their application to the problems of present-day life40--,northern ,whig4 8,a very useful piece of work4 ,it is expository and frankly homiletic4 ,mr4 ,scott gives us a fresh translation of both the books4444 ,this kind undoubtedly has its place1 and it could hardly be done better than ,mr4 ,russell ,scott does it40--,methodist ,times4 8,thoughtful and stimulating4444 ,these scholarly studies will appeal not only to ministers of religion and theological students1 but to the average reader with a taste for philosophic moralising40--,nottingham ,daily ,express4 ,,the ,,individuality ,,of ,s4 ,,paul4 ,by ,r4 ,h4 ,,strachan1 ,m4,a4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth ,boards1 ,gilt4 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,a close and careful investigation of the teaching of the ,apostle4 ,mr4 ,strachan's style is crisp and pointed40--,the ,times4 8,the book represents much honest and independent thinking1 and is a very sincere and helpful contribution to a working knowledge of ,st4 ,paul's life and theology40--,the ,scotsman4 8,of ,mr4 ,strachan's study of the ,apostle we can speak in terms of warm commendation4 ,it is a work of clear discernment and of sound judgment 444 deserves to be welcomed as a most helpful study of the individuality of ,st4 ,paul and as a valuable exposition of the truths which it was his mission to proclaim40--,westminster ,gazette4 8,mr4 ,strachan writes with strength1 decision1 lucidity and makes ,paul stand before us as a ,christian thinker and pastor40--,methodist ,times4 8,the arrangement of the matter is admirable1 and as a result the very large amount of information is compressed into a very small space4 ,among the many books on this great theme1 this of ,mr4 ,strachan's alike for its scholarship1 its humanity1 and its style deserves an honoured place40--,liverpool ,post4 8,the theological student will find ,mr4 ,strachan's work fresh1 stimulating and reverent4 ,the volume is characterised by great accuracy40--,aberdeen ,free ,press4 8,an important and original contribution to the understanding of the ,new ,testament40--,sheffield ,daily ,telegraph4 8,unquestionably a very striking and valuable contribution to the study of ,paul as a man and a theologian40--,christian ,world14 8,every page bears evidence of painstaking research4 ,the volume will prove of signal value to the student40--,aberdeen ,daily ,journal4 ,,religion ,,in ,,song4 ,,studies ,,in ,,the ,,psalter4 ,by ,professor ,w4 ,g4 ,,jordan1 ,d4,d4 7,queen's ,university1 ,kingston1 ,ontario1 ,canada47 ,large ,crown #hvo1 ,cloth ,gilt4 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,this is a most fascinating volume4 ,resting on a basis of accurate scholarship which is never obtruded1 ,prof4 ,jordan interprets the spirit of the ,psalter with singular felicity4 ,in his skilful hands this ancient ,hymn ,book becomes amazingly modern4 ,his volume is eminently wise and helpful4 ,to the preacher it is a veritable gold mine1 while apart altogether from its religious power and insight it is a literary treat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,other ,volumes already arranged for3 ,,the ,,problem ,,of ,,pain4 ,a ,,study ,,in ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,job4 ,by ,professor ,,john ,e4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,d4,d4 ,,studies ,,in ,,life ,,from ,,jewish ,,proverbs4 ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,elmslie1 ,fellow of ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,,jesus ,,and ,,human ,,life4 ,by ,professor ,,joseph ,f4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,m4,a41 ,hislop ,college1 ,nagpur1 ,india4 ,london3 ,,james ,,clarke ,co41 #ac #ad4 ,,fleet ,,street1 ,e4,c4 ,and of all ,booksellers4 ,a ,,catalogue ,,of ,,theological1 ,,illustrated ,,and ,,general ,,books ,,published ,,by ,,james ,,clarke ,,co41 #ac #ad1 ,,fleet ,,street1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4 ,,classified ,,according ,,to ,,prices1 ,,with ,,index ,,of ,,titles ,,and ,,authors ,,at ,,the ,,end4 ,new ,books and ,new ,editions ,marked with an ,asterisk4 ,,the 8,,worship-,,song0 ,,series4 ,edited by ,w4 ,,garrett ,,horder ,including ,,worship ,,song 7#hjc ,hymns74 ,,psalms ,,and ,,canticles 7#aej74 ,,anthems1 ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern 7#acj74 ,for full particulars as to prices1 etc41 see separate ,catalogue1 which will be sent post free on application4 #ab_/f net ,the ,marprelate ,tracts4 ,by ,,william ,,pierce1 ,author of 8,an ,historical ,introduction to the ,marprelate ,tracts40 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the 8,tracts0 reprinted in this volume are among the most famous in history4 ,they were read eagerly everywhere in ,england1 from the ,court to the country farmhouse1 when they appeared at the end of the sixteenth century4 ,they are racy in style1 and the unknown author1 8,martin ,marprelate10 brings great resources of wit1 humour and argument to bear in his tremendous onslaught upon the ,bishops4 ,mr4 ,pierce gives a very scholarly edition of the tracts1 enriched by many valuable and illuminating notes4 ,dr4 ,,james ,,moffatt1 in ,the ,british ,weekly1 says3--8,will rank as a standard edition4 ,it is not possible to convey any idea of the historical scholarship and research which have gone to the making of this book1 but ,mr4 ,pierce will have his reward in the consciousness of serving the cause of religious liberty2 and in the gratification of those who have to study the religious situation of ,england during the sixteenth century4444 ,their historical importance is considerable40 8,one of the most valuable contributions to our history ever made40--,principal ,w4 ,b4 ,,selbie4 #aj_/f net ,,the ,,polychrome ,,bible ,a ,new ,english ,translation of the ,books of the ,bible4 ,printed in various colours1 showing at a glance the composite nature and the different sources of the ,books4 ,with many ,notes and ,illustrations from ,ancient ,monuments1 c4 ,each volume is the work of an eminent ,biblical scholar of ,europe or ,america1 and the whole work is under the general editorship of ,,paul ,,haupt1 of ,johns ,hopkins ,university1 ,baltimore1 assisted by ,,horace ,,howard ,,furness4 ,the ,book of ,ezekiel4 ,translated by the ,rev4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,toy1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,professor of ,hebrew and other ,oriental ,languages1 and ,lecturer on ,biblical ,literature in ,harvard ,university4 #bjh pp4 7#hi pp4 translation and #aai pp4 notes74 ,with nine full-page ,illustrations 7including a ,map of ,western ,asia7 and #ajb ,illustrations in the ,notes4 ,cloth1 gilt top1 #ajs4 #f;d4 net4 ,for other ,volumes in this ,series see page #d4 #g_/f net ,a ,chronicle of the ,archbishops of ,canterbury4 ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,mckilliam1 ,m4,a4 ,demy #hvo4 ,photogravure ,portrait and #af illustrations4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #gs4 #f;d4 net4 ,christ's ,vision of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,by ,,james ,,stirling4 ,author of 8,the ,stewardship of ,life10 8,finders of the ,way10 etc4 ,demy #hvo4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #gs4 #f;d4 net4 ,hampstead3 ,its ,historic ,houses2 ,its ,literary and ,artistic ,associations4 ,by ,,anna ,,maxwell4 ,large foolscap #dto4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top4 ,four illustrations in colour and #cb full-page illustrations4 #gs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,history of the ,united ,states4 ,by ,,john ,,fiske1 ,litt4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,for ,schools4 ,with ,topical ,analysis1 ,suggestive ,questions and ,directions for ,teachers1 by ,,frank ,,alpine ,,hill1 ,litt4,d41 formerly ,headmaster of the ,english ,high ,school in ,cambridge1 and later of the ,mechanic ,arts ,high ,school in ,boston4 ,with #ahj ,illustrations and #ci ,maps4 ,crown #hvo1 half leather1 gilt top1 #gs4 #f;d4 net4 #f_/- net ,,the ,,polychrome ,,bible ,the ,book of ,joshua4 ,translated by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,m4,a41 ,litt4,d41 ,principal of ,lancashire ,independent ,college1 ,manchester1 formerly ,fellow of ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,cambridge4 #id pp41 printed in nine colours 7#dc pp4 translation and #ea pp4 notes1 including an illustrated ,excursus on the ,tel-el-,amarna ,tablets and a ,list of ,geographical ,names74 ,eleven full-page ,illustrations 7one in colours7 and #be ,illustrations in the ,notes4 ,cloth1 gilt top1 #fs4 net4 ,the ,book ,of ,judges4 ,translated with ,notes1 by ,g4 ,f4 ,,moore1 ,d4,d41 ,professor of ,hebrew in ,andover ,theological ,seminary4 #ih pp41 printed in seven colours 7#db pp4 translation1 #ef pp4 notes74 ,seven full-page ,illustrations 7including a ,map in colours and #bj ,illustrations in the ,notes74 ,cloth1 gilt top1 price #fs4 net4 ,for other ,volumes in this ,series see page #c4 ,the ,meaning and ,value of ,mysticism4 ,by ,e4 ,,hermann1 ,author of 8,eucken and ,bergson40 ,demy #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #fs4 net4 ,the ,person of ,christ ,in ,modern ,thought4 ,by ,e4 ,,digges ,,la ,,touche1 ,m4,a41 ,litt4,d4 ,donnellan ,lecturer #aiaa-aiab1 ,author of 8,christian ,certitude10 etc4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #fs4 net4 8,a full and exhaustive treatment4444 ,dr4 ,digges ,la ,touche has produced a valuable introduction to the study of ,christological speculation of the ,modern ,period1 as well as an apologia for the less fashionable confessional ,christology of the sixteenth century40--,the ,commonwealth4 8,a book of considerable immediate service4444 ,there is no side of the subject unvisited40--,expository ,times4 ,through ,science to ,faith4 ,by ,,dr4 ,,newman ,,smyth1 ,author of 8,the ,place of ,death in ,evolution10 8,old ,faiths in ,new ,lights10 8,the ,reality of ,faith10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #fs4 net4 8,we commend ,dr4 ,smyth's work to the attention of all thoughtful readers40--,liverpool ,mercury4 ,america ,in the ,east4 ,by ,,william ,,elliot ,,griffis1 formerly of the ,imperial ,university of ,japan1 ,author of 8,the ,mikado's ,empire10 8,corea1 the ,hermit ,nation10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 with #ai ,illustrations1 #fs4 net4 8,we need hardly say that there is much that is interesting in the book40 ,spectator4 ,rev4 ,t4 ,t4 ,lynch3 ,a ,memoir4 ,edited by ,,william ,,white4 ,with ,portrait4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 net4 #f_/- ,kit ,kennedy3 ,country ,boy4 ,by ,s4 ,r ,,crockett4 ,with ,six ,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 gilt top1 #fs4 8,mr4 ,crockett has never given better evidence of originality and dramatic power44440--,manchester ,guardian4 ,the ,house of the ,secret4 ,by ,,katharine ,,tynan1 ,author of 8,for ,maisie10 8,her ,ladyship10 c4 ,large crown #hvo4 ,illustrated4 ,cloth boards1 #fs4 8,miss ,katharine ,tynan can always be depended upon for a good story told in a quiet and charming manner4 ,as ever1 it has a well-developed and well-constructed plot4 ,we have thoroughly enjoyed this excellent story1 and can recommend it very strongly40--,bookman4 ,the ,story of ,clarice4 ,by ,,katharine ,,tynan4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #fs4 8,a story which is on a level with the best ,miss ,tynan has yet written4 ,it is quiet and simple4 ,we like #8,the ,story of ,clarice1' and its reasonableness and soundness mark it out for popularity40--,morning ,post4 ,helga ,lloyd4 ,a ,romance of ,grasmere4 ,by ,,edmund ,,lee4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #fs4 ,friend ,olivia4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #fs4 #e_/- net ,the ,romance of ,preaching4 ,yale ,lectures for #aiad4 ,by ,,charles ,,silvester ,,horne1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,a ,popular ,history of the ,free ,churches10 c4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,getting ,together4 ,essays by ,friends in ,council on the ,regulative ,ideas of ,religious ,thought4 ,edited by ,,james ,,morris ,,whiton1 ,ph4,d4 7,yale74 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,charles ,darwin and other ,english ,thinkers4 ,with reference to their ,religious and ,ethical value4 ,by ,s4 ,,parkes ,,cadman1 ,d4,d4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,evolution1 ,life and ,religion4 ,by ,,edward ,,bruce ,,kirk1 ,r4,f4,a4,s4 7,membre de la ,socit ,astronomique de ,france1 ,david ,elder ,lecturer on ,astronomy1 ,glasgow and ,west of ,scotland ,technical ,college74 ,cloth1 #es4 net4 ,john ,smith the ,se-,baptist1 ,thomas ,helwys1 and the ,first ,baptist ,church in ,england4 ,by ,,walter ,h4 ,,burgess1 ,b4,a4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 net4 ,faith and ,verification4 ,with ,other ,studies in ,christian ,thought and ,life4 ,by ,,principal ,e4 ,,griffith-,,jones1 ,d4,d4 ,large crown #hvo4 with ,photogravure ,portrait1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,the ,private ,relationships of ,christ4 ,by ,t4 ,,vincent ,,tymms1 ,d4,d4 ,author of 8,the ,mystery of ,god10 8,the ,christian ,idea of ,atonement10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 ,theology and ,truth4 ,by ,,newton ,h4 ,,marshall1 ,m4,a41 ,ph4,d4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #es4 net4 8,the book is masterly both in constructive power and in exposition4444 ,it is a book which ought to be widely read40--,aberdeen ,free ,press4 ,the ,growing ,revelation4 ,by ,,amory ,h4 ,,bradford1 ,d4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 net4 #d_/f net ,dante ,for the ,people4 ,selected ,passages from the ,divine ,comedy in ,english ,verse4 ,by ,,gauntlett ,,chaplin4 ,large ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,j4 ,b4 ,paton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,educational and ,social ,pioneer4 ,by ,,james ,,marchant4 ,large crown #hvo1 ,photogravure ,portrait1 and ,illustrations on ,art ,paper1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,christian ,world ,pulpit4 ,half-,yearly ,volumes1 cloth boards1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 8,a notable collection of the utterances of ,protestant preachers on a wide variety of subjects which many people will rejoice to ponder at leisure40 ,the ,glasgow ,herald4 #d_/- net 99,the ,rosebud ,annual for #aiag4 ,the ,ideal ,book for the ,nursery4 ,four coloured plates and printed in colour throughout4 ,handsome cloth boards1 #ds4 net4 ,coloured paper boards1 varnished1 #cs4 net4 8,a veritable treasury of the best of good things40--,liverpool ,mercury4 ,social ,salvation4 ,by ,,washington ,,gladden4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #ds4 net4 #c_/f net 99,the ,psalms in ,modern ,speech and ,rhythmical ,form4 ,by ,,john ,,edgar ,,mcfadyen1 ,d4,d41 ,professor of ,old ,testament ,language1 ,literature1 and ,theology1 ,united ,free ,church ,college1 ,glasgow1 ,author of 8,the ,messages of the ,psalmists10 8,studies in the ,psalms10 8,introduction to the ,old ,testament10 etc4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 99,in the ,father's ,house3 the ,people's ,prayer and ,praise4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration10 8,the ,art of ,exposition10 etc4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,reconstruction3 ,a ,help to ,doubters4 ,by ,,robert ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,my ,belief10 8,oliver ,cromwell10 etc4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,j4,b40 ,j4 ,brierley1 his ,life and ,work4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,exposition10 8,portrait ,preaching10 8,concerning ,conscience10 etc4 ,large ,crown #hvo1 ,photogravure and other ,portraits1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,great ,unfolding4 ,notes on the ,revelation4 ,by ,colonel ,g4 ,j4 ,,van ,,someren1 ,indian ,army 7retired71 ,author of 8,babylon3 ,past1 ,present and ,future40 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,selections from ,brierley4 78,j4,b40 of 8,the ,christian ,world074 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,portrait ,preaching4 ,studies in ,bible ,characters4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,exposition10 8,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration10 etc4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,my ,daily ,meditation for the ,circling ,year4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,things that ,matter ,most10 8,the ,passion for ,souls10 c4 ,handsomely bound in cloth boards1 gilt edges1 with headband and marker1 #cs #f;d4 net4 ,leather1 #es4 net4 ,advent ,sermons4 ,discourses on the ,first and ,second ,coming of ,christ4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,orchard1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,sermons on ,god1 ,christ and ,man40 ,large ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,saint ,paul's ,fight for ,galatia4 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,,watkins1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,th4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top4 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,effectual ,words4 ,sermons that led to ,christ4 ,compiled by ,,john ,,reid1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,the ,first ,things of ,jesus10 8,the ,uplifting of ,life10 etc4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top4 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,things that ,matter ,most4 ,short ,devotional ,readings4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,author of 8,the ,transfigured ,church10 8,sharing ,his ,sufferings10 8,the ,passion for ,souls10 etc4 ,handsomely bound in cloth1 gilt edges1 with headband and marker1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leather1 #es4 net4 ,sermons on ,god1 ,christ and ,man4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,orchard1 ,d4,d4 ,author of 8,modern ,theories of ,sin10 8,the ,evolution of ,old ,testament ,religion40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,constructive ,natural ,theology4 ,by ,dr4 ,,newman ,,smyth4 ,author of 8,through ,science to ,faith10 8,the ,reality of ,faith10 etc4 ,cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,saint ,paul and ,his ,cities4 ,by ,r4 ,w4 ,,pounder1 ,author of 8,historical ,notes on the ,book of ,revelation40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,song of the ,well1 and other ,sermons4 ,by ,,david ,,burns4 ,author of 8,sayings in ,symbol40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,until the ,day ,dawn4 ,the ,new ,testament ,basis for a ,doctrine of ,inspiration4 ,by ,,rev4 ,j4 ,,puleston ,,jones1 ,m4,a4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,illustrations from ,art for ,pulpit and ,platform4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,james ,,burns1 ,m4,a4 ,author of 8,sermons in ,art40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,unfettered ,word4 ,a ,series of ,readings for the quiet hour4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,author of 8,the ,gospel of ,grace10 etc4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,heaven and the ,sea4 ,by ,,frank ,,elias4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #af ,illustrations from classical paintings1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,concerning ,conscience4 ,studies in ,practical ,ethics4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs4 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration10 8,practical ,lay ,preaching and ,speaking to ,men10 etc4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,voices of ,to-,day3 ,studies of ,representative ,modern ,preachers4 ,by ,,hugh ,,sinclair4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,spoken ,words of ,prayer and ,praise4 ,a ,book of ,prayers4 ,by ,s4 ,a4 ,,tipple4 ,author of 8,days of ,old10 8,sunday ,mornings at ,norwood10 etc4 ,cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,fighters and ,martyrs for the ,freedom of ,faith4 ,by ,,luke ,s4 ,,walmsley4 #eab pp4 ,frontispiece in colour and #af ,illustrations on art paper4 ,large crown #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,what ,is the ,bible8 ,a ,,modern ,,survey4 ,by ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil41 ,author of 8,jesus3 ,seven ,questions10 8,problems of ,immanence10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,wisdom of ,god and the ,word of ,god4 ,by ,w4 ,,harvey-,,jellie1 ,m4,a41 ,b4,d4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,days of ,old1 and other ,sermons4 ,by ,s4 ,a4 ,,tipple1 ,author of 8,sunday ,mornings at ,norwood40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,christ or ,chaos8 ,by ,e4 ,s4 ,,watson 78,deas ,cromarty074 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,transfigured ,church4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,passion for ,souls10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,art of ,exposition4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration10 8,practical ,lay ,preaching10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,heavenly ,visions4 ,studies in the ,book of ,revelation4 ,by ,rev4 ,,charles ,,brown1 ,author of 8,letters of ,christ10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,westminster ,sermons4 ,dean ,h4 ,,hensley ,,henson1 formerly of ,s4 ,margaret's1 ,westminster4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,religion and ,miracle4 ,by ,,george ,a4 ,,gordon1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,through ,man to ,god10 8,the ,christ of ,to-day10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,working ,woman's ,life4 ,the ,autobiography of ,,marianne ,,farningham4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,gospel of ,grace4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,christ's ,pathway to the ,cross10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,winning of ,immortality4 ,by ,,frederic ,,palmer1 ,author of 8,studies in ,theologic ,definition40 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,christian ,certitude3 ,its ,intellectual ,basis4 ,by ,e4 ,,digges ,,la ,,touche1 ,litt4,d4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,life in ,his ,name4 ,by ,,david ,m4 ,m#8,,intyre1 ,author of 8,the ,hidden ,life of ,prayer10 c4 ,handsomely bound in cloth boards1 gilt edges1 with headband and marker1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,interludes in a ,time of ,change3 ,ethical1 ,social1 ,theological4 ,by ,,james ,,morris ,,whiton1 ,ph4,d4 7,yale71 ,author of 8,divine ,satisfaction10 8,gloria ,patri10 c4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,modern ,theories of ,sin4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,orchard1 ,d4,d4 ,thesis approved for the ,degree of ,doctor of ,divinity in the ,university of ,london4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,evangelical ,heterodoxy4 ,by ,j4 ,,morgan ,,gibbon1 ,author of 8,the ,epistle to the ,galatians40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,christian of ,to-day4 ,a ,brief ,description of ,his ,thought and ,life4 ,by ,,robert ,,veitch1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,the ,first ,christians10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,right ,hon4 ,h4 ,h4 ,asquith1 ,m4,p4 ,a ,biography and ,appreciation4 ,by ,,frank ,,elias4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,editor of ,the ,christian ,world ,pulpit4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,first ,things of ,jesus4 ,by ,,john ,,reid1 ,m4,a41 of ,inverness1 ,author of 8,jesus and ,nicodemus3 a ,study in ,spiritual ,life40 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,jesus3 ,seven ,questions4 ,by ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil41 ,author of 8,the ,new ,evangel10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,evolution of ,old ,testament ,religion4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,orchard1 ,d4,d4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,church and ,modern ,life4 ,by ,,washington ,,gladden1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,who ,wrote the ,bible80 c4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,my ,belief4 ,answers to ,certain ,religious ,difficulties4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,cartoons of ,st4 ,mark10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,story of ,congregationalism in ,surrey4 ,by ,e4 ,e4 ,,cleal4 ,demy #hvo1 #dfd pages1 #df ,illustrations on art paper and ,map1 cloth bevelled boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,jesus and ,his ,teaching4 ,by ,,erich ,,von ,,schrenck1 ,mag4 ,theol4 ,translated by ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,atonement in ,modern ,thought4 ,a ,theological ,symposium4 ,by ,professor ,,auguste ,,sabatier1 ,professor ,,harnack1 ,professor ,,godet1 ,dean ,,farrar1 ,dr4 ,p4 ,t4 ,,forsyth1 ,dr4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,dr4 ,,lyman ,,abbott1 ,dr4 ,,john ,,hunter1 ,dr4 ,,washington ,,gladden1 ,dean ,,fremantle1 ,dr4 ,,cave1 ,dr4 ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,rev4 ,r4 ,j4 ,,campbell1 ,principal ,,adeney1 ,rev4 ,c4 ,,silvester ,,horne1 ,rev4 ,,bernard ,j4 ,,snell1 and ,dr4 ,t4 ,t4 ,,munger4 ,cheap ,edition4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,this interesting work4444 ,among the writers are men of great distinction4444 ,deserves careful attention40--,the ,spectator4 ,a ,voice from ,china4 ,by ,,griffith ,,john1 ,d4,d4,edin41 ,hankow4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,story of the ,english ,baptists4 ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,carlile4 ,large crown #hvo1 #cbj pages1 #h ,illustrations on art paper1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,first ,christians2 or1 ,christian ,life in ,new ,testament ,times4 ,by ,,robert ,,veitch1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,gloria ,patri3 or1 ,our ,talks ,about the ,trinity4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,whiton1 ,ph4,d4 7,yale74 ,cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net ,the ,christ that is ,to ,be3 ,a ,latter-,day ,romance4 ,by ,sir ,j4 ,,compton-,,rickett1 ,m4,p4 ,new ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,family ,prayers for ,morning ,use1 and ,prayers for ,special ,occasions4 ,compiled and ,edited by ,j4 ,m4 ,g4 ,cloth1 pott quarto1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,preaching to the ,times4 ,by ,dean ,h4 ,,hensley ,,henson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth extra1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,sound sense and scholarly solidity40--,dundee ,courier4 ,the ,dutch in the ,medway4 ,by ,,charles ,,macfarlane4 ,author of 8,the ,camp of ,refuge10 c4 ,with a ,foreword by ,s4 ,r4 ,,crockett4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,quickening of ,caliban4 ,a ,modern ,story of ,evolution4 ,by ,sir ,j4 ,,compton-,,rickett1 ,m4,p41 ,author of 8,christianity in ,common ,speech10 c4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,,the ,,humanism ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,,series ,edited by ,,professor ,,john ,e4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,b4,a4 7,oxon71 ,d4,d4 7,united ,free ,church ,college1 ,glasgow71 and ,d4 ,,russell ,,scott1 ,m4,a41 7,late ,pusey and ,ellerton ,hebrew ,scholar in the ,university of ,oxford74 ,large ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth ,gilt4 ,price #cs4 #f;d4 net per ,volume4 ,the aim of the ,series is to set forth the human experience that underlies1 and is reflected in1 the ,bible4 ,the doctrinal and theological treatment of the ,bible has undoubtedly tended to obscure its transcendent human interest4 ,this ,series is an attempt to recover some of those ancient experiences and personalities which come to expression in the ,bible1 and to show how fascinating and relevant they are to the life of to-day4 ,it seeks in a broad way to interpret the spirit of the ,biblical books with which it deals1 and to indicate their permanent human interest and worth4 8,if the series may be judged by its first volume it promises to fulfil admirably its purpose of making the ,bible a more human book40--,glasgow ,herald4 ,pessimism and ,love in ,ecclesiastes and the ,song of ,songs1 with translations from the same4 ,by ,,david ,,russell ,,scott1 ,m4,a4 8,an able and exhaustive analysis and explanation of ,ecclesiastes4 ,the book teems with valuable instructions for men of to-day40--,liverpool ,courier4 ,the ,individuality of ,s4 ,paul4 ,by ,r4 ,h4 ,,strachan1 ,m4,a4 8,every page bears evidence of painstaking research4 ,the volume will prove of signal value to the student40--,aberdeen ,daily ,journal4 99,religion in ,song3 ,studies in the ,psalter4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,jordan1 ,b4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,this is a most fascinating volume1 eminently wise and helpful4 ,to the preacher it is a veritable gold mine1 while apart altogether from its religious power and insight it is a literary treat4 ,other ,volumes already arranged for3 ,the ,problem of ,pain4 ,a ,study in the book of ,job4 ,by ,,professor ,,john ,e4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,d4,d4 ,studies in ,life from ,jewish ,proverbs4 ,by ,w4 ,a4 ,l4 ,,elmslie1 ,fellow of ,christ's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,jesus and ,human ,life4 ,by ,,professor ,,joseph ,f4 ,,mcfadyen1 ,m4,a4 ,hislop ,college1 ,nagpur1 ,india4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,bible ,edited by ,,frank ,,knight ,,sanders1 ,ph4,d41 ,woolsey ,professor of ,biblical ,literature in ,yale ,university1 and ,,charles ,,foster ,,kent1 ,ph4,d41 ,professor of ,biblical ,literature and ,history in ,brown ,university4 ,super royal #afmo1 cloth1 red top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net per volume 7,to be completed in #ab ,volumes47 ,i4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,earlier ,,prophets4 ,by ,frank ,knight ,sanders1 ,ph4,d41 and ,charles ,foster ,kent1 ,ph4,d4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,later ,,prophets4 ,by ,frank ,knight ,sanders1 ,ph4,d41 and ,charles ,foster ,kent1 ,ph4,d4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,israel',s ,,law-,,givers4 ,by ,charles ,foster ,kent1 ,ph4,d4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,prophetical ,,and ,,priestly ,,historians4 ,by ,john ,edgar ,mc,fadyen1 ,m4,a47,glas471 ,b4,a47,oxon47 ,v4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,psalmists4 ,by ,john ,edgar ,mc,fadyen1 ,m4,a47,glas471 ,b4,a47,oxon74 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,poets4 ,by ,nathaniel ,schmidt1 ,m4,a4 ,,viii4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,apocalyptical ,,writers4 ,by ,frank ,chamberlin ,porter1 ,ph4,d41 ,d4,d4 ,,ix4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,jesus ,,according ,,to ,,the ,,synoptists4 ,by ,thomas ,cuming ,hall1 ,d4,d4 ,x4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,jesus ,,according ,,to ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,john4 ,by ,james ,stevenson ,riggs1 ,d4,d4 ,,xi4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,paul4 ,by ,george ,barker ,stevens1 ,ph4,d41 ,d4,d4 ,,xii4 ,,the ,,messages ,,of ,,the ,,apostles4 ,by ,george ,barker ,stevens1 ,ph4,d41 ,d4,d4 ,volume ,,vi4 will appear shortly4 8,such a work is of the utmost service to every student of the ,scriptures40 ,the ,dundee ,advertiser4 ,by ,j4 ,,brierley 78,j4 ,b407 ,faith's ,certainties4 ,by ,j4 ,,brierley 78,j4,b4071 ,author of 8,religion and ,to-day10 8,ourselves and the ,universe10 etc4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,religion and ,to-day4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,life of the ,soul4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,vigorous in thought1 rich in literary allusions1 and incisive in style4444 ,mr4 ,brierley is always convincing as well as ingenious40--,methodist ,recorder4 ,the ,secret of ,living4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,this author has given several thoughtful volumes1 but not one in which the ideal and the practical are so well blended and so skilfully contrasted as in the present40--,liverpool ,courier4 ,life and the ,ideal4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,this book is a book to read1 and each section is food for constant reference and continued thought40--,manchester ,courier4 ,aspects of the ,spiritual4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,these essays are equal to the best he has yet produced4 ,they cover an immense variety of subjects40--,daily ,news4 ,sidelights on ,religion4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,delightfully optimistic1 a description which sums up as a whole this very interesting and helpful volume4 ,it deserves to be widespread40 ,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,religion and ,experience4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,this book is quite worthy to be placed alongside of ,mr4 ,brierley's best work40--,daily ,news4 ,the ,eternal ,religion4 ,second ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,well written and helpful40--,the ,times4 ,the ,common ,life4 ,second ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,a book which every minister ought to possess40--,british ,weekly4 ,problems of ,living4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,these beautiful and charming essays40--,hibbert ,journal4 ,ourselves and the ,universe3 ,studies ,in ,life and ,religion4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,we have not for a long time read a brighter1 cheerier1 or wiser book40 ,daily ,news4 ,studies of the ,soul4 ,eighth ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,dr4 ,,horton says3--8,i prefer this book to the best-written books ,i have lighted on for a year past40 ,our ,city of ,god4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,we say without hesitation that this is a most inspiring work40 ,westminster ,gazette4 #c_/f ,a ,gamble with ,life4 ,by ,,silas ,k4 ,,hocking1 ,author of 8,to ,pay the ,price40 ,large crown #hvo1 bevelled boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr',s ,,novels ,crown #hvo1 cloth extra1 #cs4 #f;d4 each4 ,the ,beads of ,tasmer4 ,the ,last of the ,mac,allisters4 ,woven of ,love and ,glory4 ,a ,border ,shepherdess4 ,the ,squire of ,sandal ,side4 ,for other books by this ,author see pages #e and #bb 7also #cj74 #c_/- net 99,the ,rosebud ,annual for #aiag4 ,the ,ideal ,book for the ,nursery4 ,four ,coloured ,plates and printed in colour throughout4 ,coloured paper boards1 varnished1 #cs42 cloth boards1 #ds4 8,a rich fund of enjoyment for the nursery40--,aberdeen ,free ,press4 ,the ,personality of ,jesus4 ,by ,,charles ,h4 ,,barrows4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #cs4 net4 ,school ,hymns1 for ,schools and ,missions4 ,with ,music4 ,compiled by ,e4 ,h4 ,,mayo ,,gunn4 ,harmonies ,revised by ,,elliott ,,button4 ,large ,imp4 #afmo1 #cs4 #b_/f net 99,the ,nature and ,message of the ,bible4 ,by ,w4 ,b4 ,,selbie1 ,d4,d41 ,principal of ,mansfield ,college1 ,oxford4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 99,war and ,immortality4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,,morrow1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,questions asked and answered by our ,lord10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 99,through a ,padre's ,spectacles4 ,by ,j4 ,,golder ,,burns1 ,c4,f4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,poems4 ,by ,,madame ,,guyon4 ,translated from the ,french by the late ,,william ,,cowper1 with a ,prefatory ,essay by ,d4 ,,macfadyen1 ,m4,a4 ,f'cap #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,appeal of ,jesus4 ,by ,t4 ,s4 ,,cairncross1 ,b4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,making of a ,minister10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,chosen ,twelve4 ,by ,,james ,,golder ,,burns1 ,b4,d41 of ,glasgow4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,simon ,peter's ,ordination ,day4 ,studies in the ,twenty-first ,chapter of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,john ,a4 ,,patten1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,ambrose ,shepherd1 ,d4,d4 ,a ,memoir and ,sermons4 ,written by ,,eric ,,shepherd4 ,edited by ,j4 ,f4 ,,shepherd1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 with ,portrait1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,making of a ,minister4 ,by ,t4 ,s4 ,,cairncross1 ,b4,d41 ,author of 8,steps of the ,pulpit40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,pulpit ,manual4 ,containing ,prayers of ,adoration1 ,confession1 ,petition1 ,thanksgiving1 and ,intercession2 ,suggestive ,summaries2 ,orders of ,service for ,sacraments1 ,marriage1 ,admission to ,communion1 ,church ,festivals1 and other ,public ,occasions4 ,compiled by ,,james ,,burns1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,illustrations from ,art for ,pulpit and ,platform40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,seriousness of ,life4 ,sermons on ,practical ,subjects1 with an ,essay on ,preaching4 ,by ,,james ,s4 ,,rutherford1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,through ,eyes of ,youth4 ,a ,book of ,poems4 ,by ,e4 ,,cecil ,,roberts1 ,author of 8,phyllistrata1 and other ,poems40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,homes and ,careers in ,canada4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,good ,new ,times10 etc4 #af ,illustrations on art paper4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,christian ,union in ,social ,service4 ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,carlile1 ,author of 8,the ,story of the ,english ,baptists10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,self-,realisation4 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,,betts1 ,,ll4,d41 ,author of 8,fragments of ,thought10 8,the ,education of a ,soul10 8,living ,pleasures10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,who was ,jesus8 ,the ,answer of the ,new ,testament4 ,by ,d4 ,h4 ,,maconachie1 ,b4,a41 ,b4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,translation of ,faith4 ,by ,h4 ,,bulcock1 ,b4,a41 ,b4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,studies in ,christian ,mysticism4 ,by ,,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,dyson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,astronomy ,simplified4 ,by ,rev4 ,,alex4 ,c4 ,,henderson1 ,b4,d41 ,f4,r4,a4,s4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,phyllistrata1 and other ,poems4 ,by ,e4 ,,cecil ,,roberts4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,led by a ,child2 and other ,sermons4 ,by ,rev4 ,,alfred ,,holborn1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,our ,protestant ,faith4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,,stephens ,,roose1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,story of the ,twelve3 ,a ,dramatic ,poem in eight books4 ,by ,,arthur ,,hay ,,storrow4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,waiting ,life3 ,by the ,river of ,waters4 ,by ,,hubert ,,foston1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,lit4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,uplifting of ,life4 ,by ,rev4 ,,john ,,reid1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,the ,first ,things of ,jesus10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,unveiled ,glory2 or1 ,sidelights on the ,higher ,evolution4 ,by ,rev4 ,,luther ,,winther ,,caws1 ,author of 8,the ,unrecognised ,stranger10 8,the ,unfolding ,dawn40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,looking ,inwards3 ,words ,addressed to the ,soul of the ,church4 ,by ,,edward ,,shillito1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,eucken and ,bergson4 ,their ,significance for ,christian ,thought4 ,by ,e4 ,,hermann4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,messages of ,hope4 ,by ,,george ,,matheson1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4,e4 ,author of 8,thoughts for ,life's ,journey10 c4 ,handsomely bound in cloth boards1 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net2 leather1 #ds4 net4 ,problems and ,perplexities4 ,by ,w4 ,e4 ,,orchard1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,modern ,theories of ,sin10 8,evolution of ,old ,testament ,religion10 etc4 #cjd pages1 printed on ,india paper1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,imperishable ,word4 ,by ,w4 ,,charter ,,piggott4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,constructive ,christianity4 ,by ,,william ,,souper1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,peter in the ,firelight4 ,by ,,william ,,allen ,,knight1 ,author of 8,our ,syrian ,guest10 8,no ,room in the ,inn10 etc4 ,illustrated in ,colours4 ,fancy ,cover4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,young ,man's ,ideal4 ,by ,,william ,,watson1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,prayer10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,modern ,minor ,prophets4 ,edited1 with a ,chapter on 8,lay ,preaching and its ,by-,products10 by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,the ,art of ,sermon ,illustration10 8,practical ,lay ,preaching and ,speaking to ,men40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,fifty ,years' ,reminiscences of a ,free ,church ,musician4 ,by ,e4 ,,minshall4 ,crown #hvo1 ,photogravure ,portrait1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,problems of ,immanence4 ,studies ,critical and ,constructive4 ,by ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil41 ,author of 8,the ,new ,evangel10 8,jesus3 ,seven ,questions10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,sculptors of ,life4 ,a ,book for ,young ,men and ,young ,women4 ,by ,,thomas ,,yates4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,an ,impregnable ,faith4 ,a ,modern ,pilgrim's ,progress from ,scepticism through ,morality and ,religious ,optimism to ,jesus ,christ and the 8,good ,kingdom40 ,by ,rev4 ,,david ,,melville ,,stewart4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,lifted ,veil4 ,a ,novel4 ,by ,j4 ,g4 ,,stevenson4 ,cheap ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #d ,illustrations1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,augustinian ,revolution ,in ,theology4 ,by ,rev4 ,,thomas ,,allin1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,race and ,religion40 ,illustrated by ,comparison with the ,teaching of the ,antiochene ,divines of the ,fourth and ,fifth ,centuries4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,beatitudes and the ,contrasts4 ,by ,,hubert ,,foston1 ,m4,a41 ,d4 ,litt4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,king ,george and ,queen ,mary4 ,by ,,henry ,,warwick4 ,illustrated by latest portraits on art paper4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,letters to a ,ministerial ,son4 ,by ,a ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,religion3 ,the ,quest of the ,ideal4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,hodgson1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,sc41 ,d4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,universal ,over-,presence4 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,,betts1 ,author of 8,fragments of ,thought0 and 8,the ,education of a ,soul40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,thoughts for ,life's ,journey4 ,by ,,george ,,matheson1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4,e41 ,author of 8,leaves for ,quiet ,hours40 ,cheap ,edition4 ,cloth boards1 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net2 leather1 #ds4 net4 ,life's ,beginnings4 ,wisdom and ,counsel for ,daily ,guidance4 ,fifth impression4 ,printed on ,india paper and handsomely bound in leather1 round corners and gilt edges1 boxed1 #bs4 #f;d4 net 7uniform with 8,the ,pilot074 ,also in silk grain cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,velvet calf1 round corners1 gilt edges1 #ds4 #f;d4 net4 8,one can easily understand how a compendium of the thoughts of master minds such as this may be a real stimulus in these days of stress4 ,the battle of the world will be entered upon with a cheerful heart after a thoughtful perusal of the most noble passages allotted to each day by these discriminating anthologists4 ,should be in constant demand4 ,one of the prettiest and most acceptable gift-books this busy season has seen40 ,dundee ,advertiser4 ,the ,true ,christ1 and other ,studies in 8,whatsoever things are true40 ,by ,w4 ,l4 ,,walker1 ,author of 8,the ,teaching of ,christ10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,christ ,in ,everyday ,life4 ,by ,,edward ,,increase ,,bosworth1 ,dean of ,oberlin ,theological ,seminary4 ,f'cap #hvo1 ,india paper1 cloth boards1 round corners1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,things ,most ,surely ,believed4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,gospel of ,grace10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,lyrics of the ,soul4 ,a ,book of ,poems4 ,by ,,marianne ,,farningham1 ,author of 8,harvest ,gleanings10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,conquering ,prayer3 or1 ,the ,power of ,personality4 ,by ,l4 ,,swetenham1 ,author of 8,religious ,genius40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,immanence of ,christ in ,modern ,life4 ,by ,,frederick ,r4 ,,swan4 ,with ,introduction by ,j4 ,,brierley1 ,b4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,health in the ,home ,life4 ,by ,,honnor ,,morten1 ,author of 8,a ,complete ,book of ,nursing10 8,how to ,treat ,accidents and ,illnesses10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 art leather cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,ungilded ,gold2 or1 ,nuggets from the ,king's ,treasury4 ,selected ,passages from the ,bible1 arranged for ,daily ,devotional ,reading 7uniform with 8,the ,pilot074 #chd pages1 leather boxed1 #bs4 #f;d4 net2 also silk grain cloth1 gilt lettering1 red edges1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,challenge1 and ,other ,stories for ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,stevenson1 ,author of 8,the ,christ of the ,children10 #dto1 cloth boards1 #bdj pp4 ,eight ,illustrations4 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leaves for ,quiet ,hours4 ,by ,,george ,,matheson1 ,f4,r4,s4,e41 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,author of 8,words by the ,wayside10 c4 ,new and cheap edition4 ,handsomely bound in cloth boards1 with chaste design in gold1 and gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leather1 #ds4 net4 ,the ,pilot4 ,a ,book of ,daily ,guidance from ,master ,minds4 ,contains nearly #b1jjj of the choicest extracts systematically arranged for every day of the year4 ,printed on ,india paper and handsomely bound in leather1 with round corners and gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net2 velvet calf1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,a book of real daily value40--,sheffield ,telegraph4 ,liberty and ,religion4 ,by ,p4 ,,whitwell ,,wilson1 ,author of 8,why ,we ,believe10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,why ,we ,believe4 ,papers on ,religion and ,brotherhood4 ,by ,p4 ,,whitwell ,,wilson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,new ,testament in ,modern ,speech4 ,with notes4 ,an idiomatic translation into everyday ,english from the text of 8,the ,resultant ,greek ,testament40 ,by the late ,,richard ,,francis ,,weymouth1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,litt41 ,fellow of ,university ,college1 ,london1 and formerly ,head ,master of ,mill ,hill ,school1 ,editor of 8,the ,resultant ,greek ,testament40 ,edited and partly revised by ,,ernest ,,hampden-,,cook1 ,m4,a41 formerly ,exhibitioner and ,prizeman of ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,new and revised ,edition4 ,cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leather #ds4 net4 ,thumb ,indexed1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leather #es4 net4 ,also on ,oxford ,india paper1 cloth boards1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,leather1 #es4 net4 ,persian morocco1 yapp1 leather lined and silk sewn1 round corners1 red under gold1 #hs4 net4 ,turkey morocco1 limp1 #hs4 #f;d4 net4 7,see also p4 #bb47 ,the ,new ,evangel3 ,studies in the 8,new ,theology40 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil4 ,second ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 8,may be studied with advantage40--,spectator4 ,the ,resultant ,greek ,testament4 ,exhibiting the ,text in which the majority of ,modern ,editors are agreed4 ,by the late ,,richard ,,francis ,,weymouth1 ,d4,litt4 ,cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,young ,man's ,religion and his ,father's ,faith4 ,by ,n4 ,,mcghee ,,waters4 ,small crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 8,it is an earnestly religious and well-written work40--,the ,scotsman4 ,the ,good ,new ,times4 ,by ,h4 ,,jeffs1 ,author of 8,practical ,lay ,preaching and ,speaking to ,men40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,history of ,france1 #aahj-acad ,a4,d4 ,the ,growth of the ,feudal ,absolute ,monarchy4 ,with four maps1 illustrating the changes in ownership of territory in ,france at different periods4 ,by ,a4 ,f4 ,,dodd 7,first ,class in ,history ,tripos1 ,cantab474 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 #b_/- net ,the ,church and the ,next ,generation4 ,by ,,richard ,,roberts1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,the ,story of ,joseph the ,dreamer1 told by ,himself1 and ,other ,poems4 ,by ,,alfred ,,capes ,,tarbolton4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,the ,judges of ,jesus3 ,judas1 ,annas1 ,peter1 ,caiaphas1 ,herod1 ,pilate's ,wife1 ,pontius ,pilate4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,stevenson4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,the ,value of the ,old ,testament4 ,by ,,bernard ,j4 ,,snell1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,the ,value of the ,apocrypha10 8,gain or ,loss80 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,the ,purpose of the ,cross4 ,by ,b4 ,g4 ,,collins4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,atonement and ,progress4 ,by ,,newton ,h4 ,,marshall1 ,m4,a41 ,ph4,d41 ,author of 8,theology and ,truth40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 ,authority and the ,light ,within4 ,by ,,edward ,,grubb1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #bs4 net4 #b_/- net ,ideals for ,girls4 ,by the ,rev4 ,h4 ,r4 ,,haweis1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,music and ,morals40 ,new ,edition1 crown #hvo1 handsomely bound in bevelled boards1 gilt edges1 #bs4 net4 8,a book that all parents should place in the hands of their daughters40 ,the ,glorious ,company of the ,apostles4 ,being ,studies in the ,characters of the ,twelve4 ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,cloth boards1 gilt top1 #bs4 net4 8,many think that a readable sermon is a contradiction in terms4 ,let them read these pages and discover their mistake40--,examiner4 ,the ,model ,prayer4 ,a ,series of ,expositions on the ,lord's ,prayer4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,new ,edition1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #bs4 net4 8,mr4 ,jones brings a cultured mind1 a well-stored memory1 and a gift of spiritual insight to the illustration of the ,lord's ,prayer40 ,sunday ,school ,chronicle4 ,simple ,cookery4 ,comprising 8,tasty ,dishes0 and 8,more ,tasty ,dishes40 ,over #ejj ,tested ,receipts4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs4 net4 8,a book that should be in every household40 ,the ,children's ,paul4 ,a ,life of ,st4 ,paul specially written for the ,young4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,stevenson4 #dto1 cloth boards1 #h ,illustrations on art paper1 #bs4 net4 ,the ,christ of the ,children4 ,a ,life of ,jesus for ,little ,people4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,stevenson4 ,cheap ,edition4 #dto1 cloth boards1 #ab ,illustrations1 #bs4 net4 8,it is the very loveliest life of ,jesus for children ever written by a long way40--,rev4 ,,kingscote ,,greenland in ,the ,methodist ,recorder4 ,stories of ,old4 ,bible ,stories ,retold4 ,by ,c4 ,d4 ,,michael1 ,author of 8,noble ,deeds10 8,deeds of ,daring10 c4 ,cheap ,edition4 #dto1 #bhh pp41 cloth boards1 #h illustrations1 #bs4 net4 #b_/- ,,clarke',s ,,copyright ,,library ,crown #hvo1 tastefully bound in cloth boards1 #bs4 ,the ,black ,familiars4 ,by ,l4 ,b4 ,,walford4 ,kid ,mc,ghie4 ,by ,s4 ,r4 ,,crockett4 ,,popular ,,edition ,,of ,,emma ,,jane ,,worboise',s ,,novels ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #bs42 bevelled boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,abbey ,mill1 ,the4 ,brudenells of ,brude1 ,the4 ,canonbury ,holt4 ,chrystabel4 ,emilia's ,inheritance4 ,esther ,wynne4 ,father ,fabian4 ,fortune's ,favourite4 ,fortunes of ,cyril ,denham1 ,the4 ,grey and ,gold4 ,grey ,house at ,endlestone1 ,the4 ,heirs of ,errington1 ,the4 ,his ,next of ,kin4 ,house of ,bondage4 ,husbands and ,wives4 ,joan ,carisbroke4 ,lady ,clarissa4 ,margaret ,torrington4 ,millicent ,kendrick4 ,mr4 ,montmorency's ,money4 ,nobly ,born4 ,oliver ,westwood4 ,overdale4 ,robert ,wreford's ,daughter4 ,st4 ,beetha's4 ,singlehurst ,manor4 ,sissie4 ,story of ,penelope1 ,the4 ,thornycroft ,hall4 ,violet ,vaughan4 ,warleigh's ,trust4 ,a ,woman's ,patience4 ,,new ,,series ,,of ,,copyright ,,books ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #bs4 ,the ,beads of ,tasmer4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,a ,morning ,mist4 ,by ,,sarah ,,tytler4 ,the ,debt of the ,damerals4 ,by ,,bessie ,,marchant4 ,the ,pride of the ,family4 ,by ,,ethel ,f4 ,,heddle4 ,the ,squire of ,sandal ,side4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,the ,new ,mrs4 ,lascelles4 ,by4 ,l4 ,t4 ,,meade4 ,miss ,devereux1 ,spinster4 ,by ,,agnes ,,giberne4 ,between ,two ,loves4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,she ,loved a ,sailor4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 #a_/i net ,the ,new ,testament in ,modern ,speech4 ,by the late ,,richard ,,francis ,,weymouth1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,litt4 ,pocket ,edition 7without notes71 cloth boards1 #as4 #i;d4 net4 ,also on ,oxford ,india paper1 cloth boards1 round corners1 gilt edges1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 7,see also p4 #ai47 #a_/f net ,,the 8,,freedom ,,of ,,faith0 ,,series ,f'cap #hvo1 #abh pp41 handsomely bound in ,green ,leather1 with chaste design in gold4 ,price #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,simple ,things of the ,christian ,life4 ,by ,g4 ,,campbell ,,morgan1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,letters of ,christ4 ,by ,,charles ,,brown4 ,christ's ,pathway to the ,cross4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,the ,crucible of ,experience4 ,by ,f4 ,a4 ,,russell4 ,the ,passion for ,souls4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,value of the ,apocrypha4 ,by ,,bernard ,j4 ,,snell1 ,m4,a4 ,inspiration in ,common ,life4 ,by ,w4 ,l4 ,,watkinson1 ,m4,a4 ,prayer4 ,by ,,william ,,watson1 ,m4,a4 ,a ,reasonable ,view of ,life4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,blake1 ,m4,a4 8,there are precious things in every volume1 and the ,series deserves success40--,dundee ,advertiser4 ,through ,many ,windows4 ,some ,modern ,parables4 ,by ,,ernest ,a4 ,,birch4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,man on ,the ,road4 ,by ,,charles ,h4 ,,betts1 ,,ll4,d41 ,a4,s4,p41 ,author of 8,fragments of ,thought10 8,living ,pleasures10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,well by ,bethlehem's ,gate4 ,by ,,william ,,allen ,,knight1 ,author of 8,the ,song of our ,syrian ,guest10 etc4 ,handsomely bound in cloth boards1 gilt1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,way and the ,work4 ,a ,manual for ,sunday ,school ,teachers4 ,by ,j4 ,w4 ,,wimms1 ,m4,a41 ,b4,sc4 7,lecturer on the ,theory and ,practice of ,education1 ,university of ,london71 and the ,,rev4 ,,frederick ,,humphrey4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,a ,popular ,history of the ,free ,churches4 ,by ,c4 ,,silvester ,,horne1 ,m4,a4 ,cheap ,edition1 with additional ,chapter4 ,cloth boards4 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,christ and ,war4 ,the ,reasonableness of ,disarmament on ,christian1 ,humanitarian and ,economic ,grounds4 ,a ,peace ,study ,text ,book4 ,by ,,william ,e4 ,,wilson1 ,b4,d4 ,preface by ,dr4 ,,rendel ,,harris4 ,crown #hvo4 ,cloth boards4 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,cloth limp4 #as4 net4 ,life's ,little ,lessons4 ,addresses to ,children4 ,by ,,vernon ,,gibberd4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,for ,childhood and ,youth4 ,ideals of the ,modern ,sunday ,school4 ,by ,,thiselton ,,mark1 ,d4,lit41 ,b4,sc41 ,author of 8,the ,teacher and the ,child10 etc4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,facets of ,faith4 ,aspects of ,spiritual ,life and ,thought4 ,by ,a4 ,w4 ,,blue4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,life's ,beginnings4 ,wisdom and ,counsel for ,daily ,guidance4 ,silk grain cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,also printed on ,india paper and handsomely bound in leather1 round corners and gilt edges1 boxed1 #bs4 #f;d4 net 7uniform with 8,the ,pilot074 ,velvet calf1 round corners1 gilt edges1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 8,an admirable compilation4 ,the authors have read widely and their selections from modern religious writers are made with taste and judgment4 ,a very attractive and helpful little book40--,british ,weekly4 ,the ,wayfarer at the ,cross ,roads4 ,by ,,arthur ,,pringle4 ,author of 8,the ,faith of a ,wayfarer40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,old ,testament ,stories ,in ,modern ,light4 ,a ,,bible ,,guide ,,for ,,the ,,young4 ,by ,t4 ,,rhondda ,,williams1 ,author of 8,the ,christ ,within10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,j4 ,h4 ,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,a ,,character ,,study4 ,by ,,frank ,,morison4 ,illustrations on art paper4 ,fancy paper boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,way of ,prayer4 ,by ,,john ,,edgar ,,mcfadyen1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,divine ,pursuit10 8,prayers of the ,bible40 ,fancy boards1 gilt top1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,chats with ,women on ,everyday ,subjects4 ,by ,,edith ,c4 ,,kenyon1 ,author of 8,a ,queen of ,nine ,days10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,faith and ,form4 ,an ,attempt at a ,plain ,re-statement of ,christian ,belief in the ,light of ,to-day4 ,by ,,henry ,,varley1 ,b4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,invisible ,companion and ,other ,stories for ,children4 ,by ,,edward ,w4 ,,lewis1 ,m4,a41 ,b4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,unescapeable ,christ10 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,sharing ,his ,sufferings4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,passion for ,souls10 c4 ,small crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net2 leather #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,reasonableness of ,jesus4 ,by ,,frank ,y4 ,,leggatt1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,making of ,heaven and ,hell4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,blake1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,a ,reasonable ,view of ,life10 c4 ,small #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,ideals in ,sunday ,school ,teaching4 ,by ,,alfred ,h4 ,,angus1 ,b4,sc4 ,with ,foreword by ,j4 ,h4 ,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,notes on the ,life and ,teaching of ,jesus4 ,by ,,edward ,,grubb1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,authority and the ,light ,within40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net2 limp cloth1 #as4 net4 ,the ,faith of a ,wayfarer4 ,by ,,arthur ,,pringle4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,jesus or ,christ8 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,,warschauer1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,phil41 ,author of 8,the ,new ,evangel10 8,jesus3 ,seven ,questions40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,who ,wrote the ,bible8 ,by ,,washington ,,gladden1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,the ,growing ,revelation10 c4 ,new and cheap edition1 #bef pages1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,reasons ,why for ,congregationalists4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,ungilded ,gold2 or1 ,nuggets from the ,king's ,treasury4 ,selected ,passages from the ,bible1 arranged for ,daily ,devotional ,reading 7uniform with 8,the ,pilot074 #chd pages1 silk grain cloth1 gilt lettering1 red edges1 #as4 #f;d4 net2 leather1 boxed1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,women and their ,work4 ,by ,,marianne ,,farningham1 ,author of 8,harvest ,gleanings10 8,women and their ,saviour04 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,sunny ,memories of ,australasia4 ,by ,rev4 ,w4 ,,cuff4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards4 ,portraits and ,illustrations4 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,britain's ,hope ,concerning the ,pressing ,social ,problems4 ,by ,,julie ,,sutter1 ,author of 8,britain's ,next ,campaign10 c4 ,cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,burning ,questions4 ,by ,,washington ,,gladden4 ,cheap ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,reform in ,sunday ,school ,teaching4 ,by ,professor ,a4 ,s4 ,,peake4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,storehouse for ,preachers and ,teachers4 ,a ,treasury of ,outline ,texts and ,sermons4 ,by ,j4 ,,ellis1 ,author of 8,the ,seed ,basket10 c41 c4 ,cloth boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net ,words by the ,wayside4 ,by ,,george ,,matheson1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 ,f4,r4,s4,e41 ,author of 8,thoughts for ,life's ,journey10 c4 ,new ,edition4 ,oblong1 cloth boards1 gilt top1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,conquered ,world4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,bound in ,buckram ,cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 #a_/c net ,the ,christian ,world ,album of ,sacred and ,standard ,compositions for the ,pianoforte4 ,edited by ,w4 ,h4 ,,jude4 7,uniform with 8,the ,christian ,world ,album of ,sacred ,songs4074 ,paper cover1 #as4 #c;d4 net4 ,cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,christian ,world ,album of ,sacred ,songs4 ,containing #id ,sacred ,songs1 in old notation and tonic sol-fa1 selected from the choicest works of the most eminent composers4 ,edited by ,w4 ,h4 ,,jude4 #afj pages1 paper cover1 #as4 #c;d4 net2 cloth boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 #a_/- net 99,the ,joy ,bringer3 ,a ,message for those who ,mourn4 ,by ,,emily ,,ridgway1 author of 8,the ,sweet o' the ,year10 8,the ,gate ,beautiful10 etc4 ,tastefully bound in white porcelain and blue cloth1 #as4 net4 99,a ,week with the ,fleet3 ,being ,impressions of the ,fleet at ,work4 ,by ,,cecil ,,roberts4 ,f'cap4 #hvo1 illustrated cover1 #as4 net4 99,the ,happy ,warrior4 ,an interpretation of the famous picture by ,g4 ,f4 ,,watts4 ,by ,,james ,,burns1 ,m4,a4 ,author of 8,illustrations from ,art10 etc4 ,bound in padded white porcelain1 with silver lettering and photogravure frontispiece in box1 #as4 net4 ,this beautiful booklet offers a message of tender consolation to the bereaved1 and is dedicated to the memory of the gallant sons1 who1 by land or sea1 have laid down their lives for the ,empire4 ,sir ,galahad4 ,by ,,james ,,burns1 ,m4,a41 ,author of 8,the ,happy ,warrior40 ,with ,photogravure ,frontispiece of ,watts's famous picture 8,sir ,galahad40 ,bound in khaki cloth1 #as4 net4 ,around the ,guns4 ,sundays in ,camp4 ,by ,,james ,,black1 ,m4,a41 of ,edinburgh4 ,crown #hvo1 khaki cloth boards1 with design in colours1 #as4 net4 ,kaiser or ,christ8 ,sermons by the ,,bishop ,,of ,,london1 ,,dr4 ,,john ,,clifford1 ,,dr4 ,s4 ,,parkes ,,cadman1 ,,dr4 ,,griffith-,,jones1 ,,dr4 ,c4 ,h4 ,,watkins1 ,,rev4 ,,theodore ,,wood4 ,demy #hvo1 paper covers1 #as4 net4 ,quaint ,rhymes for the ,battlefield4 ,by a ,,quondam ,,cricketer 7,c4 ,d4 ,,studd1 ,belgian ,congo1 #aiac74 ,cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,sweet ,peas and ,antirrhinums4 ,how to ,grow ,them to ,perfection4 ,by ,,william ,,cuthbertson1 ,author of 8,pansies1 ,violas and ,violets40 ,crown #hvo1 coloured paper boards and frontispiece in colour1 #as4 net4 ,written in a popular form for the amateur gardener by one who is a thorough master of his subject4 ,the ,way of ,remembrance4 ,by ,j4 ,a4 ,,hutton1 ,m4,a4 ,tastefully bound in blue and white with gilt lettering4 #as4 net4 ,god1 ,humanity and the ,war4 ,by ,g4 ,,campbell ,,morgan1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,simple ,things of the ,christian ,life10 c4 #as4 net4 ,christ and ,war4 ,the ,reasonableness of ,disarmament on ,christian1 ,humanitarian and ,economic ,grounds4 ,a ,peace ,study ,text ,book4 ,by ,,william ,e4 ,,wilson1 ,b4,d4 ,preface by ,dr4 ,,rendel ,,harris4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth limp4 #as4 net4 ,cloth ,boards1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,great ,embassy4 ,studies in the ,growth of ,christianity4 ,by ,,cuthbert ,,mcevoy1 ,m4,a4 ,foolscap #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,everychild4 ,by ,,harold ,,begbie1 ,author of 8,broken ,earthenware40 ,crown #hvo1 ,frontispiece and cover in colours4 #as4 net4 ,the ,seed of the ,kingdom4 ,devotional readings from the letters of ,isaac ,penington4 ,selected by ,,jennie ,,street 7,editor of the ,sunday ,school ,times74 ,fancy ,boards1 #as4 net4 ,how to ,cook4 ,the ,art of ,cooking made easy1 with a chapter on the use of a gas oven4 ,by ,j4 ,s4 ,,marshall4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,our ,life ,beyond4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,christ's ,pathway to the ,cross10 8,the ,gospel of ,grace10 etc41 etc4 cloth boards1 gilt lettering1 #as4 net2 white cloth1 padded1 in box1 #a_/i net4 ,flowers from the ,master's ,garden4 ,by ,a4 ,e4 ,,winter4 ,cloth boards1 gilt lettering1 #as4 net4 ,ecce ,vir3 ,jesus and ,modern ,manhood4 ,by ,d4 ,,melville ,,stewart4 ,author of 8,an ,impregnable ,faith40 ,f'cap #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,the ,garrisoned ,soul4 ,meditations on 8,peace1 ,perfect ,peace10 by ,c4 ,e4 ,p4 ,,antram4 ,fancy cloth1 #as4 net4 8,it is just the sort of book1 chaste and beautiful1 contents and binding alike1 that would make a pretty present on a birthday or a ,church festival4 ,its size and its type make it suitable also to send to an invalid4 ,indeed1 its cheering chapters would to many such1 we are sure1 act like a tonic1 and be an efficient co-worker with the physician40--,sheffield ,telegraph4 ,women and their ,saviour4 ,thoughts of a ,minute for a ,month4 ,by ,,marianne ,,farningham1 ,author of 8,harvest ,gleanings10 c4 ,cloth1 #as4 net4 8,these #8thoughts of a minute for a month of mornings1' are the outpourings of an entirely unaffected piety40--,glasgow ,herald4 ,reasons ,why for ,free ,churchmen4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,b4,d4 ,small #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,the ,price of ,priestcraft4 ,by ,,howard ,,evans4 ,crown #hvo1 paper covers1 #as4 net2 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 8,we wish for it a very large circulation4 ,no one has served the cause of religious freedom better than ,mr4 ,howard ,evans by his labours in the ,press and elsewhere40--,british ,weekly4 ,sunday ,afternoon ,song ,book1 with ,tunes4 ,compiled by ,h4 ,a4 ,,kennedy and ,r4 ,d4 ,,metcalfe4 #as4 net4 ,words only1 #abs4 #f;d4 per hundred net4 8,the airs have been selected and arranged under the editorship of ,mr4 ,r4 ,d4 ,metcalfe1 and add so much to the value of the collection that this edition will easily supersede all others and give the work a new popularity with choral societies and others interested in church music40 ,the ,scotsman4 ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,d4,d41 ,author of 8,john ,howe10 8,the ,teaching of ,jesus10 c41 c4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,nineteenth ,thousand4 #as4 8,worthy a place in the library of every ,christian student40 ,methodist ,recorder4 ,rome from the ,inside2 or1 ,the ,priests' ,revolt4 ,translated and ,compiled by 8,j4 ,b40 of ,the ,christian ,world4 ,third ,thousand4 ,f'cap4 #hvo1 #as4 ,outline ,text ,lessons for ,junior ,classes4 ,by ,,gladys ,,davidson1 ,author of 8,kindergarten ,bible ,stories10 c4 ,f'cap #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 8,the book is simple and practical1 and will be found suggestive and helpful by teachers40--,sunday ,school ,chronicle4 ,how to ,read the ,bible4 ,hints for ,sunday ,school ,teachers and other ,bible ,students4 ,by ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,new and ,revised ,edition4 ,cloth boards1 #as4 net4 8,a most admirable little work4 ,we know of no book which deals with this subject so clearly and adequately within so small a compass4 ,it speaks of itself modestly as 8,hints for ,sunday-school ,teachers and other ,bible ,students10 but it ls one of the very few manuals which are well worth the study of the clergy40--,the ,guardian4 ,short ,talks to ,boys and ,girls4 ,by ,j4 ,c4 ,,carlile1 ,author of 8,talks to ,little ,folks40 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,a ,religion that will ,wear4 ,a ,layman's ,confession of ,faith4 ,addressed to ,agnostics1 by a ,,scottish ,,presbyterian4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth boards1 #as4 net4 ,the ,divine ,satisfaction4 ,a ,review of what should and what should not be thought about the ,atonement4 ,by ,j4 ,m4 ,,whiton4 ,crown #hvo1 paper1 #as4 net4 ,the ,conquered ,world4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,d4,d4 ,cloth1 #as4 net4 ,health and ,home ,nursing4 ,by ,mrs4 ,,lessels ,,mather1 ,health ,lecturer to the ,northumberland ,county ,council4 ,f'cap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #as4 net4 ,a book that should be in every household4 ,contains chapters on ,the ,care of the ,invalid1 ,homely ,local ,applications1 ,feeding the ,invalid1 ,infection and ,disinfection1 ,care of the ,teeth1 ,the ,value of ,foods1 ,influenza1 its ,causes and ,prevention1 ,consumption1 its ,causes and ,prevention1 ,digestion and ,indigestion1 ,headaches1 ,home ,nursing of ,sick ,children1 ,what to do till the ,doctor ,comes1 ,habit in ,relation to ,health1 ,the ,health of the ,town ,dweller4 ,wayside ,angels1 and ,other ,sermons4 ,by ,w4 ,k4 ,,burford4 ,pott #hvo1 cloth1 #as4 net4 ,helps to ,health and ,beauty4 ,two ,hundred ,practical ,prescriptions by a ,pharmaceutical ,chemist4 ,price #as4 net4 8,this little book contains two hundred practical prescriptions or formul1 for preparations for the hair1 hands1 nails1 feet1 skin1 teeth1 and bath1 in addition to perfumes1 insecticides1 and medicaments for various ailments4 ,as far as possible technical language is avoided1 and the directions are clear and concise40--,pharmaceutical ,journal4 ,morning1 ,noon and ,night4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,f'cap #hvo1 parchment cover with gold lettering1 #as4 net4 8,deeply suggestive1 and as earnest as its fancies are pleasing and quaint40 ,dundee ,advertiser4 ,tasty ,dishes4 ,a ,choice ,selection of ,tested ,recipes1 showing what we can have for ,breakfast1 ,dinner1 ,tea and ,supper4 ,it is designed for people of moderate means who desire to have pleasant and varied entertainment for themselves and their friends4 ,it is a book of genuine and tested information4 ,new ,edition4 ,thoroughly revised and brought up to date4 #acjth ,thousand4 ,crown #hvo1 #as4 net4 8,no home ought to be without this timely1 useful1 and practical family friend40--,brighton ,gazette4 ,more ,tasty ,dishes4 ,a ,book of ,tasty1 ,economical and ,tested ,recipes4 ,including a ,section on ,invalid ,cookery4 ,a ,supplement to 8,tasty ,dishes40 ,new ,edition4 ,price #as4 net4 8,every recipe is so clearly stated that the most inexperienced cook could follow them and make dainty dishes at a small cost40--,pearson's ,weekly4 8,the recipes given have been carefully tried and not been found wanting40 ,the ,star4 ,talks to ,little ,folks4 ,a ,series of ,short ,addresses4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,,carlile4 ,crown #hvo1 art vellum1 #as4 net4 8,no one who reads this book can reasonably doubt that ,mr4 ,carlile is master of the difficult art of catching and sustaining the interest of young people4 ,he is wise enough to dispense with the preacher's framework1 texts1 introductions1 c41 and at once he arrests attention by a direct question or a brief story40--,literary ,world4 ,christianity in ,common ,speech3 ,suggestions for an ,every-day ,belief4 ,by ,sir ,j4 ,,compton-,,rickett1 ,m4,p4 ,demy #hvo1 #as4 net4 #a_/- net ,,recitation ,,books ,by ,,mary ,e4 ,,manners ,crown #hvo1 ,linen ,covers1 #as4 each4 ,a ,tale of a ,telephone1 and ,other ,pieces4 8,narrative pieces1 suitable for recitation40--,outlook4 ,aunt ,agatha ,ann3 and other ,ballads4 ,illustrations by ,,ernold ,a4 ,,mason and ,,louis ,,wain4 8,excellent pieces for recitation from a popular pen40--,lady's ,pictorial4 #a_/- net ,,picture ,,books ,,for ,,the ,,young ,pictures by ,,louis ,,wain1 ,,harry ,b4 ,,neilson1 ,j4 ,a4 ,,shepherd1 ,,elsie ,,blomfield1 etc4 ,printed in colour1 varnished boards1 #as4 net4 ,animal ,fancy-,land4 ,animal ,picture-,land4 ,animal ,happyland4 ,merry ,times in ,animal ,land4 ,animals in ,fun-,land4 ,the ,merry ,animal ,picture ,book4 ,holidays in ,animal ,land4 ,animal ,playtime4 ,animal ,gambols4 #f;d4 net ,they that ,wait4 ,a ,message for ,war ,time4 ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,in this daintily produced brochure1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,jowett presents an inspiriting message of comfort and hope for these times of anxiety and strain4 #f;d4 net4 ,recollections of ,newton ,house4 ,by ,,rev4 ,,isaac ,,hartill1 ,f4,r4,g4,s41 ,f4,r4,hist4,s4 #fd pages1 with frontispiece4 #f;d4 net4 ,c4 ,silvester ,horne4 ,in ,memoriam4 ,april #aeth1 #ahfe-,may #bnd1 #aiad4 #fd pages1 with portrait1 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,birthday of ,hope4 ,by ,j4 ,d4 ,,jones1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,illustrated4 ,printed on art paper1 with fancy cover and ribbon1 #f;d4 net4 ,padded white cloth1 lettering in gold1 boxed1 #as4 #f;d4 net4 ,the ,ship's ,engines4 ,a ,parable4 ,by the late ,t4 ,,campbell ,,finlayson1 ,d4,d4 ,in vellum cover1 #f;d4 net4 ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,jowett says3--8,i am so glad you are issuing the article in the shape of the little booklet4 ,i am sure it will be very helpful to many people1 and will bring light and leading to many bewildered souls40 ,england's ,danger4 ,by ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d4 ,price #f;d4 net4 ,contents3 ,,romanism ,,and ,,national ,,decay2 ,,st4 ,,peter ,,and ,,the ,,rock2 ,,truth2 ,,protestantism2 ,,holy ,,scripture2 ,,purgatory4 8,good fighting discourses4 ,they contend that ,roman ,catholicism has ruined every country in which it prevails and controvert the leading positions taken by ,roman theologians40--,scotsman4 #f;d4 ,,clarke',s ,,sixpenny ,,series ,demy #hvo1 ,paper ,covers4 ,studies of the ,soul4 ,by ,j4 ,,brierley1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,bow of ,orange ,ribbon4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,jan ,vedder's ,wife4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,a ,daughter of ,fife4 ,by ,,amelia ,e4 ,,barr4 ,ourselves and the ,universe4 ,by ,j4 ,,brierley4 #d;d4 net ,holy ,christian ,empire4 ,by ,rev4 ,,principal ,,forsyth1 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 of ,hackney ,college1 ,hampstead4 ,crown #hvo1 paper cover1 #d;d4 net4 8,rich in noble thought1 in high purpose1 in faith and in courage4 ,every sentence tells1 and the whole argument moves onward to its great conclusion4 ,dr4 ,forsyth has put the argument for missions in a way that will nerve and inspire the ,church's workers at home and abroad for fresh sacrifice40 ,london ,quarterly ,review4 #c;d4 net ,school ,hymns1 for ,schools and ,missions4 ,words only4 ,compiled by ,e4 ,h4 ,,mayo ,,gunn4 ,cloth limp1 #c;d42 cloth boards1 #f;d42 music1 #cs4 #b;d4 net ,the ,sunday ,afternoon ,song ,book4 ,containing #acg ,hymns4 ,for use at 8,pleasant ,sunday ,afternoons10 and ,other ,gatherings4 ,compiled by ,h4 ,a4 ,,kennedy1 of the ,men's ,sunday ,union1 ,stepney ,meeting ,house4 ,twentieth ,thousand1 #b;d2 music1 #as4 8,contains #acg hymns1 the catholic character of which1 in the best sense of the term1 may be gathered from the names of the authors1 which include ,tennyson1 ,ebenezer ,elliott1 ,whittier1 ,g4 ,herbert1 ,c4 ,wesley1 ,thomas ,hughes1 ,j4 ,h4 ,newman1 ,longfellow1 ,bonar1 and others4 ,while the purely dogmatic element is largely absent1 the ,christian life1 in its forms of aspiration1 struggle against sin and love for the true and the good1 is well illustrated40--,literary ,world4 ,,index ,,of ,,titles ,,page ,abbey ,mill1 ,the1 #bb ,advent ,sermons1 #h ,america in the ,east1 #e ,animal ,fancy-land1 #cj ,animal ,gambols1 #cj ,animal ,happyland1 #cj ,animal ,playtime1 #cj ,animal ,picture-,land1 #cj ,animals in ,fun-,land1 #cj ,apocalyptical ,writers1 ,the ,messages of the1 #ac ,apostles1 ,the ,messages of the1 #ac ,appeal of ,jesus1 ,the #ae ,around the ,guns1 #bf ,aspects of the ,spiritual1 #ad ,asquith1 ,the ,right ,hon4 ,h4 ,h41 ,m4,p41 #aj ,astronomy ,simplified1 #af ,atonement and ,progress1 #bj ,atonement in ,modern ,thought1 ,the1 #aa ,augustinian ,revolution in ,theology1 #ah ,aunt ,agatha ,ann1 #bi ,authority and the ,light ,within1 #bj ,beads of ,tasmer1 ,the #ae1 #bb ,beatitudes and the ,contrasts1 ,the #ah ,between ,two ,loves1 #bb ,birthday of ,hope1 ,the1 #cj ,black ,familiars1 ,the1 #ba ,border ,shepherdess1 ,a1 #ae ,bow of ,orange ,ribbon1 ,the1 #ca ,britain's ,hope1 #be ,brudenelle of ,brude1 ,the #bb ,burning ,questions1 #be ,canonbury ,holt1 #bb ,challenge1 ,the1 #ai ,chats with ,women on ,everyday ,subjects1 #bd ,children's ,paul1 ,the1 #ba ,chosen ,twelve1 ,the1 #ae ,christ and ,war #bc1 #bf ,christ in ,everyday ,life1 #ah ,christ of the ,children1 ,the1 #ba ,christ or ,chaos81 #i ,christ that is ,to ,be1 ,the #ab ,christ1 ,the ,private ,relationships of1 #f ,christ's ,pathway to the ,cross1 #bc ,christ's ,vision of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 #d ,christian ,certitude1 #aj ,christian of ,to-day1 ,the1 #aj ,christian ,union in ,social ,service1 #af ,christian ,world ,album of ,sacred ,songs1 ,the1 #be ,christian ,world ,album of ,sacred and ,standard ,compositions for the ,pianoforte1 #be ,christian ,world ,pulpit1 ,the1 #g ,christianity in ,common ,speech1 #bi ,chronicle of the ,archbishops of ,canterbury1 ,a1 #d ,chrystabel1 #bb ,church and ,modern ,life1 ,the1 #aa ,church and the ,kingdom1 ,the1 #be ,church and the ,next ,generation1 ,the1 #bj ,common ,life1 ,the1 #ad ,concerning ,conscience1 #i ,conquered ,world1 ,the1 #be1 #bh1 #cj ,conquering ,prayer1 #ah ,constructive ,christianity1 #ag ,constructive ,natural ,theology1 #h ,crucible of ,experience1 ,the #bh ,dante for the ,people1 #g ,darwin1 ,charles1 and other ,english ,thinkers1 #f ,daughter of ,fife1 ,a1 #ca ,days of ,old1 #i ,debt of the ,damerals1 ,the1 #bb ,divine ,satisfaction1 ,the1 #bh ,dutch in the ,medway1 ,the1 #ab ,earlier ,prophets1 ,the ,messages of the1 #ac ,ecce ,vir1 #bg ,effectual ,words1 #h ,emilia's ,inheritance1 #bb ,england's ,danger1 #cj ,esther ,wynne1 #bb ,eternal ,religion1 ,the1 #ad ,eucken and ,bergson1 #ag ,evangelical ,heterodoxy1 #aj ,everychild1 #bg ,evolution1 ,life and ,religion1 #f ,evolution of ,old ,testamen ,religion1 ,the1 #aa ,exposition1 ,the ,art of1 #i ,ezekiel1 ,the ,book of1 #c ,facets of ,faith1 #bc ,faith and ,form1 #bd ,faith and ,verification1 #f ,faith of a ,wayfarer1 ,the1 #bd ,faith's ,certainties1 #ad ,family ,prayers for ,morning ,use1 #ab ,father ,fabian1 #bb ,fifty ,years' ,reminiscences of a ,free ,church ,musician1 #ag ,fighters and ,martyrs for the ,freedom of ,faith1 #i ,first ,christians1 ,the1 #aa ,first ,things of ,jesus1 #aa ,flowers from the ,master's ,garden1 #bg ,for ,childhood and ,youth1 #bc ,fortune's ,favourite1 #bb ,fortunes of ,cyril ,denham1 ,the1 #bb 8,freedom of ,faith0 ,series1 ,the1 #bc ,friend ,olivia1 #e ,gamble with ,life1 ,a1 #ae ,garrisoned ,soul1 ,the1 #bg ,getting ,together1 #f ,glorious ,company of the ,apostles1 ,the1 #ba ,god1 ,humanity and the ,war1 #bf ,good ,new ,times1 ,the1 #bj ,gospel of ,grace1 ,the1 #aj ,great ,embassy1 ,the1 #bf ,great ,unfolding1 ,the1 #g ,grey and ,gold1 #bb ,grey ,house at ,endlestone1 ,the #bb ,growing ,revelation1 ,the1 #g ,hampstead1 ,its historic houses2 its literary and artistic associations1 #d ,happy ,warrior1 #bf ,health and ,home ,nursing1 #bh ,health in the ,home ,life1 #ai ,heaven and the ,sea1 #i ,heavenly ,visions1 #i ,heirs of ,errington1 ,the1 #bb ,helga ,lloyd1 #e ,helps to ,health and ,beauty1 #bi ,his ,next of ,kin1 #bb ,history of ,france1 #aahj-acad1 #bj ,history of the ,united ,states1 ,a1 #d ,holidays in ,animal ,land1 #cj ,holy ,christian ,empire1 #ca ,homes and ,careers in ,canada1 #af ,horne1 ,c4 ,silvester1 #cj ,house of ,bondage1 ,the1 #bb ,house of the ,secret1 ,the1 #e ,how to ,cook1 #bg ,how to ,read the ,bible1 #bh 8,humanism of the ,bible0 ,series1 #ab ,husbands and ,wives1 #bb ,ideals for ,girls1 #ba ,ideals in ,sunday ,school ,teaching1 #bd ,illustrations from ,art for ,pulpit and ,platform1 #h ,immanence of ,christ in ,modern ,life1 ,the1 #ai ,imperishable ,word1 ,the1 #ag ,impregnable ,faith1 ,an1 #ag ,individuality of ,s4 ,paul1 ,the4 #ab ,inspiration in ,common ,life4 #bc ,interludes in a ,time of ,change1 #aj ,in the ,father's ,house1 #g ,invisible ,companion1 ,the1 #bd ,israel's ,law ,givers1 ,the ,messages of1 #ac ,jan ,vedder's ,wife1 #ca 8,j4,b40 ,j4 ,brierley1 his ,life and ,work1 #g ,jesus and ,his ,teaching1 #aa ,jesus and ,human ,life1 #ac ,jesus or ,christ81 #be ,jesus3 ,seven ,questions1 #aa ,jesus1 ,the ,messages of1 ,according to the ,gospel of ,john1 #ac ,jesus1 ,the ,messages of1 ,according to the ,synoptists1 #ac ,joan ,carisbrooke1 #bb ,joshua1 ,the ,book of1 #d ,jowett1 ,j4 ,h41 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d41 #bd ,joy ,bringer1 ,the1 #bf ,judges of ,jesus1 ,the1 #bj ,judges1 ,the ,book of1 #d ,kaiser or ,christ1 #bf ,kingdom of th41 #ba ,king ,george and ,queen ,mary1 #ah ,kit ,kennedy3 ,country ,boy #e1 #ba ,lady ,clarissa1 #bb ,last of the ,mac,allisters1 ,the #ae ,later ,prophets1 ,the ,messages of the1 #ac ,leaves for ,quiet ,hours1 #ai ,led by a ,child1 #af ,letters of ,christ1 ,the1 #bc ,letters to a ,ministerial ,son1 #ah ,liberty and ,religion1 #ai ,life and ,teaching of ,jesus1 ,notes on the1 #bd ,life and the ,ideal1 #ad ,life in ,his ,name1 #aj ,life of the ,soul1 #ad ,life's ,beginnings1 #ah1 #bd ,life's ,little ,lessons1 #bc ,lifted ,veil1 ,a1 #ag ,looking ,inwards1 #ag ,lynch1 ,rev4 ,t4 ,t43 ,a ,memoir1 #e ,lyrics of the ,soul1 #ah ,making of a ,minister1 ,the1 #ae ,making of ,heaven and ,hell1 ,the1 #bd ,man on ,the ,road1 ,the1 #bc ,margaret ,torrington1 #bb ,marprelate ,tracts1 ,the #c ,meaning and ,value of ,mysticism1 #e ,merry ,animal ,picture ,book1 ,the1 #cj ,merry ,times in ,animal ,land1 #cj ,messages of ,hope1 #ag ,messages of the ,bible1 ,the1 #ac ,millicent ,kendrick1 #bb ,miss ,devereux1 ,spinster1 #bb ,model ,prayer1 ,the1 #ba ,modern ,minor ,prophets1 #ag ,modern ,theories of ,sin1 #aj ,more ,tasty ,dishes1 #bi ,morning ,mist1 ,a1 #bb ,morning1 ,noon1 and ,night1 #bi ,mr4 ,montmorency's ,money1 #bb ,my ,belief1 #aa ,my ,daily ,meditation for the ,circling ,year1 #h ,nature and ,message of the ,bible1 ,the1 #ae ,new ,evangel1 ,the1 #bj ,new ,mrs4 ,lascelles1 ,the1 #bb ,new ,testament in ,modern ,speech1 ,the1 #ai1 #bb ,nobly ,born1 #bb ,old ,testament ,stories in ,modern ,light1 #bd ,oliver ,cromwell1 #bh ,oliver ,westwood1 #bb ,our ,city of ,god1 #ad ,our ,life ,beyond1 #bg ,our ,protestant ,faith1 #af ,ourselves and the ,universe1 #ad1 #ca ,outline ,text ,lessons for ,junior ,classes1 #bh ,overdale1 #bb ,passion for ,souls1 ,the1 #bc ,paton1 ,j4 ,b41 ,m4,a41 ,d4,d1 #g ,paul1 ,the ,messages of1 #ac ,person of ,christ in ,modern ,thought1 ,the1 #e ,personality of ,jesus1 ,the1 #ae ,pessimism and ,love in ,ecclesiastes and ,song of ,songs1 #ab ,peter in the ,firelight1 #ag ,phyllistrata and ,other ,poems1 #af ,pilot1 ,the1 #ai ,poems4 ,by ,mme4 ,guyon1 #ae ,poets1 ,the ,messages of the1 #ac ,polychrome ,bible1 ,the1 #c1 #d ,popular ,history of the ,free ,churches1 ,the1 #bc ,portrait ,preaching1 #g ,prayer1 #bc ,preaching to the ,times1 #ab ,price of ,priestcraft1 ,the1 #bg ,pride of the ,family1 ,the1 #bb ,problem of ,paris1 ,the1 #ac ,problems and ,perplexities1 #ag ,problems of ,immanence1 #ag ,problems of ,living1 #ad ,prophetical and ,priestly ,historians1 ,the ,messages of1 #ac ,psalms1 ,the1 ,in ,modern ,speech and ,rhythmical ,form1 #g ,psalmists1 ,the ,messages of the #ac ,pulpit ,manual1 ,a1 #af ,purpose of the ,cross1 ,the1 #bj ,quaint ,rhymes for the ,battlefield1 #bf ,quickening of ,caliban1 ,the1 #ab ,reasonable ,view of ,life1 ,a1 #bc ,reasonableness of ,jesus1 ,the1 #bd ,reasons ,why for ,congregationalists1 #be ,reasons ,why for ,free ,churchmen1 #bg ,recollections of ,newton ,house1 #cj ,reconstruction1 ,a ,help to ,doubters1 #g ,reform in ,sunday ,school ,teaching1 #be ,religion and ,experience1 #ad ,religion and ,miracle1 #aj ,religion in ,song1 #ac ,religion and ,to-day1 #ad ,religion3 ,the ,quest of the ,ideal1 #ah ,religion that will ,wear1 ,a1 #bh ,resultant ,greek ,testament1 ,the1 #bj ,robert ,wreford's ,daughter1 #bb ,romance of ,preaching1 #f ,rome from the ,inside1 #bh ,rosebud ,annual1 ,the1 #g1 #ae ,school ,hymns1 #ae1 #ca ,scourge of ,god1 ,the1 #bb ,sculptors of ,life1 #ag ,secret of ,living1 ,the1 #ad ,seed of the ,kingdom1 ,the1 #bf ,selections from ,brierley1 #g ,self-,realisation1 #af ,seriousness of ,life1 ,the1 #af ,sermon ,illustration1 ,the ,art of1 #aj ,sermons on ,god1 ,christ and ,man1 #h ,sharing ,his ,sufferings1 #bd ,she ,loved a ,sailor1 #bb ,shepherd1 ,ambrose1 ,d4,d41 #ae ,ship's ,engines1 ,the1 #cj ,short ,talks to ,boys and ,girls1 #bh ,sidelights on ,religion1 #ad ,simon ,peter's ,ordination ,day1 #ae ,simple ,cookery1 #ba ,simple ,things of the ,christian ,life1 ,the1 #bc ,singlehurst ,manor1 #bb ,sir ,galahad1 #bf ,sissie1 #bb ,small ,books on ,great ,subjects #be1 #cj ,smith1 ,john1 the ,se-,baptist1 ,thomas ,helwys1 and the ,first ,baptist ,church in ,england1 #f ,social ,salvation1 #g ,song of the ,well1 ,the1 #h ,spoken ,words of ,prayer and ,praise1 #i ,squire of ,sandal ,side1 ,the1 #ae1 #bb ,st4 ,beetha's1 #bb ,st4 ,paul and ,his ,cities1 #h ,st4 ,paul's ,fight for ,galatia1 #h ,storehouse for ,preachers and ,teachers1 #be ,stories of ,old1 #ba ,story of ,clarice1 ,the1 #e ,story of ,congregationalism in ,surrey1 ,the1 #aa ,story of ,joseph the ,dreamer1 ,the1 #bj ,story of ,penelope1 ,the1 #bb ,story of the ,english ,baptists1 ,the1 #aa ,story of the ,twelve1 #af ,studies in ,christian ,mysticism1 #af ,studies in ,life from ,jewish ,proverbs1 #ac ,studies of the ,soul1 #ad1 #ca ,sunday ,afternoon ,song ,book #bg1 #ca ,sunny ,memories of ,australasia1 #be ,sweet ,peas and ,antirrhinums1 #bf ,tale of a ,telephone1 ,a1 #bi ,talks to ,little ,folks1 #bi ,tasty ,dishes1 #bi ,theology and ,truth1 #f ,they that ,wait1 #cj ,things ,most ,surely ,believed1 #ah ,things that ,matter ,most1 #h ,thornycroft ,hall1 #bb ,thoughts for ,life's ,journey1 #ah ,through a ,padre's ,spectacles1 #ae ,through ,eyes of ,youth1 #af ,through many ,windows1 #bc ,through ,science to ,faith1 #e ,town ,romance1 ,a1 #bb ,transfigured ,church1 ,the1 #i ,translation of ,faith1 ,the1 #af ,true ,christ1 ,the1 #ah ,unfettered ,word1 ,the1 #i ,ungilded ,gold1 #ai1 #be ,universal ,over-,presence1 ,the1 #ah ,until the ,day ,dawn1 #h ,unveiled ,glory1 ,the2 or1 ,sidelights on the ,higher ,evolution1 #ag ,uplifting of ,life1 ,the1 #af ,value of the ,apocrypha1 ,the1 #bc ,value of the ,old ,testament1 #bj ,violet ,vaughan1 #bb ,voice from ,china1 #aa ,voices of ,to-day3 ,studies of ,representative ,modern ,preachers1 #i ,waiting ,life1 ,the2 ,by the ,riverof ,waters1 #af ,war and ,immortality1 #ae ,warleigh's ,trust1 #bb ,way and the ,work1 ,the1 #bc ,wayfarer at the ,cross ,roads1 ,the1 #bd ,way of ,prayer1 ,the1 #bd ,way of ,remembrance1 ,the1 #bf ,wayside ,angels1 #bh ,week with the ,fleet1 ,a1 #bf ,well by ,bethlehem's ,gate1 ,the1 #bc ,westminster ,sermons1 #aj ,what is the ,bible81 #i ,who was ,jesus1 #af ,who ,wrote the ,bible81 #be ,why ,we ,believe1 #ai ,winning of ,immortality1 ,the1 #aj ,wisdom of ,god and the ,word of ,god1 ,the1 #i ,woman's ,patience1 ,a1 #bb ,women and their ,saviour1 #bg ,women and ,their ,work1 #be ,words by the ,wayside1 #be ,working ,woman's ,life1 ,a1 #aj ,woven of ,love and ,glory1 #ae ,young ,man's ,ideal1 ,a1 #ag ,young ,man's ,religion1 ,a1 #bj ,,index ,,of ,,authors ,,page ,abbott1 ,lyman1 #aa ,adeney4 ,w4 ,f41 #aa1 #bh ,allin1 ,t41 #ah ,angus1 ,a4 ,h41 #bd ,antram1 ,c4 ,e4 ,p41 #bg ,barr1 ,amelia ,e41 #e1 #ae1 #bb1 #ca ,barrows1 ,c4 ,h41 #ae ,begbie1 ,h41 #bg ,bennett1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,h41 #d ,betts1 ,c4 ,h41 #af1 #ah1 #bc ,birch1 ,e4 ,a41 #bc ,black1 ,j41 #bf ,blake1 ,j4 ,m41 #bc1 #bd ,blomfield1 ,elsie1 #cj ,blue1 ,a4 ,w41 #bc ,bosworth1 ,e4 ,i41 #ah ,bradford1 ,amory ,h41 #f ,brierley1 ,j41 #g1 #ad1 #ca ,brown1 ,c41 #i1 #bc ,bulcock1 ,h41 #af ,burford1 ,w4 ,k41 #af ,burgess1 ,w4 ,h41 #f ,burns1 ,david1 #h ,burns1 ,rev4 ,j41 #h1 #af1 #bf ,burns1 ,j4 ,golder1 #ae ,cadman1 ,s4 ,p41 #f1 #bf ,cairncross1 ,t41 ,s4 #ae ,campbell1 ,r4 ,j41 #aa ,carlile1 ,j4 ,c41 #aa1 #af1 #bh1 #bi ,cave1 ,dr41 #aa ,caws1 ,rev4 ,l4 ,w41 #ag ,chaplin1 ,gauntlett1 #f ,cleal1 ,e4 ,e41 #aa ,clifford1 ,john1 #bf ,collins1 ,b4 ,g41 #bj ,compton-,rickett1 ,sir ,j41 #ab1 #bi ,cowper1 ,w41 #ae ,crockett1 ,s4 ,r4 #e1 #ba ,cuff1 ,w41 #be ,cuthbertson1 ,w41 #bf ,davidson1 ,gladys1 #bh ,dodd1 ,a4 ,f41 #bj ,dods1 ,marcus1 #aa ,dyson1 ,w4 ,h41 #af ,elias1 ,f41 #i1 #aj ,ellis1 ,j41 #be ,elmslie1 ,w4 ,a4 ,l41 #ac ,evans1 ,h41 #bg ,farningham1 ,marianne1 #aj1 #ah1 #be1 #bg ,farrar1 ,dean #aa ,finlayson1 ,t4 ,campbell1 #cj ,fiske1 ,j41 #d ,forsyth1 ,p4 ,t41 #aa1 #ca ,foston1 ,h41 #af1 #ah ,fremantle1 ,dean1 #aa ,furness1 ,h4 ,h41 #c ,gibberd1 ,vernon1 #bc ,gibbon1 ,j4 ,morgan1 #aj ,giberne1 ,agnes1 #bb ,gladden1 ,washington1 #g1 #aa1 #be ,godet1 ,professor1 #aa ,gordon1 ,george ,a41 #aj ,griffis1 ,w4 ,e41 #e ,griffith-,jones1 ,e4 #f1 #bf ,grubb1 ,e41 #bj1 #bd ,gunn1 ,e4 ,h4 ,m41 #ae1 #ca ,guyon1 ,madame1 #ae ,hall1 ,t4 ,c41 #ac ,hampden-,cook1 ,e41 #ai ,harnack1 ,professor1 #aa ,harris1 ,rendel #bc1 #bf ,hartill1 ,i41 #cj ,harvey-,jellie1 ,w4 #i ,haupt1 ,p41 #c ,haweis1 ,h4 ,r41 #ba ,heddle1 ,ethel ,f41 #bb ,henderson1 ,alex4 ,c41 #af ,henson1 ,dean ,h4 ,hensley1 #aj1 #ab ,hermann1 ,e4 #e1 #ag ,hill1 ,f4 ,a4 #d ,hocking1 ,s4 ,k4 #ae ,hodgson1 ,j4 ,m4 #ah ,holborn1 ,alfred #af ,horne1 ,c4 ,silvester #f1 #aa1 #bc ,horton1 ,r4 ,f4 #g1 #aa1 #be1 #bh1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca ,humphrey1 ,f4 #bc ,hunter1 ,john #aa ,hutton1 ,j4 ,a4 #bf 8,j4 ,b40 of ,the ,christian ,world1 #bh ,j4 ,m4 ,g41 #ab ,jeffs1 ,h41 #g1 #i1 #aj1 #af1 #ag1 #bj ,john1 ,griffith1 #aa ,jones1 ,j4 ,d41 #i1 #aj1 #ah1 #ba1 #bc1 #be1 #bg1 #cj ,jones1 ,j4 ,p41 #h ,jordan1 ,w4 ,g41 #ac ,jowett1 ,j4 ,h41 #h1 #i1 #bc1 #bd1 #cj ,jude1 ,j4 ,h41 #be ,kennedy1 ,h4 ,a41 #bg1 #ca ,kent1 ,c4 ,f41 #ac ,kenyon1 ,edith ,c41 #bd ,kirk1 ,e4 ,b41 #f ,knight1 ,w4 ,a41 #ag1 #bc ,la ,touche1 ,e4 ,d4 #e1 #aj ,lee1 ,e41 #e ,leggatt1 ,f4 ,y41 #bd ,lewis1 ,e4 ,w41 #bd ,london1 ,bishop of1 #bf ,mc,evoy1 ,cuthbert1 #bf ,macfadyen1 ,d41 #ae ,mc,fadyen1 ,j4 ,e41 #g1 #ab1 #ac1 #bd ,mc,fayden1 ,j4 ,f41 #ac ,macfarlane1 ,charles1 #ab ,m#8,intyre1 ,d4 ,m41 #aj ,mc,killiam1 ,a4 ,e41 #d ,maconachie1 ,d4 ,h41 #af ,manners1 ,mary ,e41 #bi ,man of the ,world1 ,a1 #ah ,marchant1 ,bessie1 #bb ,marchant1 ,j41 #f ,mark1 ,thistelton1 #bc ,marshall1 ,j4 ,s41 #bg ,marshall1 ,n4 ,h41 #f1 #bj ,mason1 ,e4 ,a41 #bi ,mather1 ,lessels1 #bh ,matheson1 ,george1 #ag1 #ah1 #ai1 #be ,maxwell1 ,a41 #d ,meade1 ,l4 ,t41 #bb ,metcalfe1 ,r4 ,d41 #bg ,michael1 ,c4 ,d41 #ba ,minshall1 ,e41 #ag ,moore1 ,g4 ,f41 #d ,morgan1 ,g4 ,campbell1 #bc1 #bf ,morison1 ,f41 #bd ,morrow1 ,h4 ,w41 #ae ,morten1 ,honnor1 #ai ,munger1 ,t4 ,t41 #aa ,neilson1 ,h4 ,b41 #cj ,orchard1 ,w4 ,e41 #h1 #aj1 #aa1 #ag ,palmer1 ,frederic1 #aj ,peake1 ,a4 ,s41 #be ,pharmaceutical ,chemist1 ,a41 #bi ,pierce1 ,w41 #c ,piggott1 ,w4 ,c41 #ag ,porter1 ,f4 ,c41 #ac ,pounder1 ,r4 ,w41 #h ,pringle1 ,a41 #bd ,reid1 ,rev4 ,j41 #h1 #aa1 #af ,ridgway1 ,emily1 #bf ,riggs1 ,j4 ,s41 #ac ,roberts1 ,e4 ,cecil1 #af1 #bf ,roberts1 ,r41 #bj ,roose1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,s41 #af ,russell1 ,f4 ,a41 #bc ,rutherford1 ,j4 ,s41 #af ,sabatier1 ,a41 #aa ,sanders1 ,f4 ,k41 #ac ,schmidt1 ,n41 #ac ,schrenck1 ,e4 von1 #aa ,scott1 ,d4 ,r41 #ad ,scottish ,presbyterian1 ,a1 #bh ,selbie1 ,w4 ,b41 #ae ,shepherd1 ,e41 #ae ,shepherd1 ,j4 ,a41 #cj ,shillito1 ,edward1 #ag ,sinclair1 ,h41 #i ,smyth1 ,newman1 #e1 #h ,snell1 ,bernard ,j41 #aa1 #bj1 #bc ,someren1 ,j4 ,van1 #g ,souper1 ,w41 #ag ,stevens1 ,g4 ,b41 #ac ,stevenson1 ,j4 ,g41 #ag1 #ai1 #bj1 #ba ,stewart1 ,d4 ,m41 #ag1 #bg ,stirling1 ,james1 #d ,storrow1 ,a4 ,h41 #af ,strachan1 ,r4 ,h41 #ab ,street1 ,j41 #bg ,studd1 ,c4 ,d41 #bf ,sutter1 ,julie1 #be ,swan1 ,f4 ,r41 #ai ,swetenham1 ,l41 #ah ,tarbolton1 ,a4 ,c41 #bj ,tipple1 ,s4 ,a41 #i ,toy1 ,rev4 ,c4 ,h41 #c ,tymms1 ,t4 ,v41 #f ,tynan1 ,katharine1 #e ,tytler1 ,s41 #bb ,varley1 ,h41 #bd ,veitch1 ,r41 #aj1 #aa ,wain1 ,louis1 #bi1 #cj ,walford1 ,l4 ,b41 #ba ,walker1 ,w4 ,l41 #ah ,walmsley1 ,l4 ,s41 #i ,warschauer1 ,j41 #i1 #aa1 #ag1 #bj1 #be ,warwick1 ,h41 #ah ,waters1 ,n4 ,mc,g41 #bj ,watkins1 ,c4 ,h41 #h1 #bf ,watkinson1 ,w4 ,l41 #bc ,watson1 ,e4 ,s44 #i ,watson1 ,w4 #ag1 #bc ,weymouth1 ,r4 ,f41 #ai1 #bj1 #bb ,white1 ,w41 #e ,whiton1 ,j4 ,m41 #f1 #aj1 #ab1 #bh ,williams1 ,t4 ,r41 #bd ,wilson1 ,p4 ,w41 #ai ,wilson1 ,w4 ,e41 #bc1 #bf ,wimms1 ,j4 ,w41 #bc ,winter1 ,a4 ,e41 #bg ,wood1 ,t41 #bf ,worboise1 ,emma ,j41 #bb ,yates1 ,t41 #ag ,headley ,brothers1 ,printers1 ,ashford1 ,kent2 and ,bishopsgate1 ,e4,c4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the ,spectator1 ,sept4 #aa1 #aiae4 #a;a ,see the discussion in ,abelson1 ,the ,immanence of ,god in ,rabbinical ,literature1 pp4 #aii;ff4 #b ,le ,fabre1 ,life of the ,spider1 ,ch4 ix4 7,eng4 trans4 by ,teixeira de ,mattos1 #aiab74 #b;a ,cp4 ,g4 ,a4 ,smith1 ,modern ,criticism and the ,preaching of the ,old ,testament1 p4 #bhh4 #c ,r4 ,j4 ,moulton1 ,modern ,reader's ,bible1 p4 #adef4 #d ,cf4 such sayings as 8,coals to ,newcastle0--a proverb that has a parallel in many countries1 for example1 the ,greek phrase1 8,owls to ,athens40 #e ,trench1 ,proverbs and their ,lessons1 first published in #aheg3 a learned and brilliant little volume to which the present chapter is indebted for several suggestions4 #f 4 #g 4 #h ,a version1 doubtless1 of ,proverbs #ajbb4 #i ,john ,morley1 ,aphorisms3 ,an ,address to the ,edinburgh ,philosophical ,institution 7#ahhg7 p4 #g4 #aj ,as a text-book it was at least memorable4 ,a distinguished man of letters tells me that one of its injunctions1 taught him in his first school1 he might claim never to have forgotten3 ,let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbour's house1 lest he be weary of thee and hate thee 7,pr4 #beag74 ,his friends bear regretful and emphatic witness that the facts completely justify his claim4 #aa ,mark ,rutherford1 ,the ,revolution in ,tanner's ,lane1 p4 #bch4 #ab ,in the final form of the ,book thus gradually evolved it is sometimes very easy1 sometimes difficult or impossible1 to distinguish with exactitude the earlier from the later #8sources' out of which it has been composed2 but the main stages of the compilation can generally be determined with a high degree of accuracy1 just as in an old cathedral through the varying modes of architecture employed the general history of the building is clearly visible to the trained perception4 #ac ,evidence for the statements here given is omitted1 partly because they are matters of general agreement among modern students of the ,bible1 but still more because the full evidence has been repeatedly set forth in works accessible to any who may have inclination to consider the subject in detail4 ,reference may conveniently be made to ,c4 ,h4 ,toy1 ,proverbs1 or to the same writer's article ,book of ,proverbs1 in the ,encyclopdia ,britannica 7#aath edition72 or to ,g4 ,f4 ,moore1 ,literature of the ,old ,testament1 ch4 xxii4 7,home ,university ,library74 #ad ,cp4 also #aja ,the proverbs of ,solomon2 #bbag ,words of the ,wise2 #bdbc1 ,these are also words of the ,wise2 #bea ,these are also proverbs of ,solomon which the men of ,hezekiah1 king of ,judah1 copied out2 #cja1 ,sayings of ,agur1 son of ,jakeh2 #caa1 ,sayings of ,lemuel1 king of ,massa4 ,the last two of these titles rest on an uncertain ,hebrew text4 ,for the allusion to ,solomon see pp4 #ga1 #gb4 #ae ,perhaps almost all1 in their present polished form4 ,thus ,toy 7,proverbs1 p4 xi47 declares that 8none of the aphorisms are popular proverbs or folk-sayings4 ,they are all reflective and academic in tone1 and must be regarded as the productions of schools of moralists in a period of high moral culture40 ,this observation is generally true1 and of great importance2 but it is not to be understood as meaning that the ,book1 or even the several sections1 sprang out of nothing4 ,in and behind the finished product there may well be a great deal of earlier material4 #af i4e41 any subsequent changes were of a minor character1 introduced occasionally by some scribe or copyist4 ,the year #bjj ,b4,c4 may reasonably be taken as the lower limit of date1 partly because ,proverbs has features 7notably its attitude to the ,mosaic ,law7 which suggest that it was finished earlier than ,ecclesiasticus1 a work composed about #aij ,b4,c4 ,this argument1 though strong1 is not conclusive2 but in any case the peaceful1 comfortable1 tone which pervades ,proverbs indicates that it is not later than the years of persecution preceding the ,maccabean revolt in #afg ,b4,c4 #ag ,see for ,ecclesiastes the volume ,pessimism and ,love by ,d4 ,russell ,scott2 and for ,job1 ,the ,problem of ,pain1 by ,j4 ,e4 ,mc,fadyen4 #ah ,n4,b4 ,hereafter the abbreviation 8,e10 will constantly be used for ,ecclesiasticus1 and 8,pr40 for ,proverbs4 #ai ,the dots indicate words missing from the ,hebrew text or of unknown meaning4 #bj ,cp4 also ,e4 #bea1 #b2 #bfe4 #ba lit4 8the character of ,sodom40 #bb i4e41 ,he thinks the world requires nothing more than the interchange of commodities4 ,as to the way of putting it1 be it remembered that in the ,orient business transactions are1 politely1 8gifts02 cp4 ,gen4 #bcaj-af4 #bc ,a4 ,r4 ,wallace1 ,natural ,selection4 #bd ,g4 ,a4 ,smith1 ,early ,poetry of ,israel1 p4 #cc2 and cp4 ,kinglake1 ,eothen1 ch4 #ag4 #be ,cohen1 ,ancient ,jewish ,proverbs1 #hh4 #bf op4 cit4 #ac4 #bg ,fulleylove and ,kelman1 ,the ,holy ,land1 pp4 #ajc1 #ajd4 ,note the 8,scriptural0 language4 ,such talk1 when we find it in the ,bible1 is neither pedantic nor is it a 8religious0 dialect4 ,to a ,western it seems affected1 but let us remember that to an ,eastern our manner of speech1 with its tortuous sentences1 might savour of an unholy cunning4 #bh ,appius ,planius1 #ahh 7,mc,kail's translation74 #bi e4g41 ,hosea #eaj1 ,isaiah #eh1 ,deut4 #bgag1 ,job #bdb4 #cj ,cp4 ,joshua #gbd1 #be4 ,the earliest form of the narrative clearly implies that all1 and not ,achan alone1 were destroyed by burning or stoning4 #ca ,not but what the belief is at least as old as the ,hebrew ,law1 ,i the ,lord thy ,god am a jealous ,god1 visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate ,me1 and shewing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love ,me and keep ,my commandments4 #cb ,a study1 not a half-hearted perusal of the text in the ,english ,bible4 #cc ,cp4 ,numbers #babg1 ,wherefore they that speak in proverbs say 8,come ye to ,heshbon10444 #cd ,for these titles see ,chapter ,,ii41 p4 #cg4 ,that such a phrase as ,the proverbs of ,solomon1 the son of ,david1 king of ,israel 7,pr4 ,i#a7 at the head of a section does not necessarily imply or even claim authorship1 may seem astonishing to those unacquainted with ancient literature1 but it is easily understood by those who have made so much as a moderate study of the subject4 ,the ancient title in modern parlance would be represented by some such heading as the following1 8,a collection of sayings representative of ,hebrew wisdom dedicated to the memory and example of that royal lover of ,wisdom1 ,king ,solomon40 ,to suppose that the propriety of the ancient procedure ought to be judged by modern canons of literary right and wrong would be both unjust and foolish4 ,similarly from the heading prefixed to ,pr4 #be-bi1 ,these also are proverbs of ,solomon which the men of ,hezekiah1 king of ,judah1 copied out2 it does not follow that the proverbs in those chapters were old in ,hezekiah's time4 ,probably ,hezekiah1 like ,solomon1 showed special interest in literary work1 and it may be that a collection of proverbs formed in his reign is the nucleus of the present chapters #be-bi 7,so ,volz1 ,weisheit1 p4 #ie74 ,on the other hand it is possible that nothing more should be inferred than that1 there being a tradition of literary activity in ,hezekiah's reign1 the compilers of the ,book of ,proverbs made use of the tradition in order to indicate 7by this title7 that in their opinion the proverbs of chaps4 #be-bi were later than or secondary to the 8,solomonic0 proverbs which precede in chs4 #a-bd 7,so ,toy1 ,proverbs1 vi41 and p4 #deg72 and see also ,driver1 ,literature of the ,old ,testament1 p4 #dje4 #ce ,detailed proof is impossible1 and the question must be argued on general evidence1 which any modern commentary on the ,book of ,proverbs will supply4 ,toy1 ,proverbs1 vi4 is emphatic in his view that no authority whatever attaches to titles ascribing proverbs to ,solomon4 ,volz 7p4 #ie7 is non-committal3 8,whether small fragments of ,solomon's work have been transmitted to us cannot be determined40 ,driver1 ,literature of the ,old ,testament1 p4 #djf;f1 is of much the same opinion2 but1 remarking that the 8proverbs in #aja;ff exhibit great uniformity of type10 he remarks that 8perhaps this type was set by ,solomon40 #cf ,compare the way in which the ,greeks tended to associate all fables with the name of sop4 #cg ,ephesians #fab 7,weymouth's translation74 #ch ,cp4 the similar but more poetic description in ,psalm #a4 #ci ,what follows is without reference to the ancient civilisation of the far ,east1 ,india or ,china4 ,the 8world0 we are here considering means the civilisation of the lands bordering the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,a few pages later1 the terms 8,eastern0 and 8,western0 will be used with similar latitude3 8,eastern0 or 78,oriental07 denoting the peoples of ,egypt1 ,arabia1 ,palestine1 ,syria1 ,mesopotamia2 and 8,western0 the peoples of ,greece1 ,macedonia1 and the old ,greek colonies of the gean islands and the coast of ,asia ,minor4 #dj ,amos #eba;f4 #da ,simonides 7,mac,kail's translation1 ,greek ,anthology1 pp4 #adi1 #aea47 #db ,bevan1 ,jerusalem under the ,high ,priests1 p4 #ce4 #dc ,bevan1 ,stoics and ,sceptics1 pp4 #be1 #bf4 #dd ,stoicism1 whilst it offered the thinker immunity from the fears of life1 was also adapted to the needs of the generality of men whom it sought to provide with principles for the stable and successful conduct of ordinary life4 ,bevan 7op4 cit47 points out that the system shows signs of hasty construction1 reflecting the urgency of the problems it sought to meet4 ,its strongly practical character is seen in the tendency to find expression in brief1 pointed1 formul1 catch-words1 and maxims1 evidently designed to make its doctrines easy for the average man to comprehend4 ,the resemblance to ,hebrew ,wisdom-teaching is interesting and obvious4 #de ,we have to use the term 8worldly-wisdom0 and not 8wisdom10 because the ,greeks also had their seekers after true wisdom at this period1 as may be seen in the gnomic verses of ,solon1 ,phocylides and ,theognis1 many of whose maxims1 as well as the sayings of ,stoic philosophers1 might be quoted to show that ,hellenism was not without the protest from within itself of noble souls4 ,the contrast suggested above is therefore not one between ,greek and ,hebrew ,wisdom-teaching1 but between the ,hebrew ,wisdom and the general 8unwisdom0 of ordinary ,hellenic life4 #df ,see ,g4 ,a4 ,smith1 ,jerusalem1 vol4 i41 ch4 i41 where a beautiful description of night and dawn in ,jerusalem may be found4 #dg ,mishna1 ,yoma1 #c4a #dh ,see p4 #agd and #aih4 ,of the ,book of ,proverbs ,toy remarks that 8if for the name ,jehovah we substitute #8,god1' there is not a paragraph or a sentence which would not be as suitable for any other people as for ,israel0 7,proverbs1 p4 xxi47 #di ,the ,jews seem to have had an unusual aptitude for confining themselves to particular points of view4 ,mark to what an extent the ,prophets ignore the ,priests1 and the ,priests the ,prophets4 ,this makes it less surprising to find that the ,proverbialists should ignore both4 #ej ,further reference may be made to ,delitzsch1 ,jewish ,artisan ,life in the time of ,christ1 and also ,bchler1 ,der galilaische #8,am-ha-' ,arets des zweiten ,jahrhunderts4 ,some of the trades then reckoned ignoble seem by no means so to us2 for example1 tanners1 weavers1 and hairdressers were particularly despised4 ,one ,rabbi quaintly remarks3 8,ass-drivers are mostly wicked1 camel-drivers mostly honest1 sailors mostly pious1 the best of physicians is destined for ,gehenna1 and the most honourable of butchers is a partner of ,amalek40 #ea ,it is good to feel that1 whatever the ,christian centuries have not yet achieved for the regeneration of society1 the 8poor man's neighbour0 has redeemed his reputation from this terrible charge4 #eb ,cp4 ,matt4 #faa1 ,give us this day our daily bread4 #ec ,lyman ,abbott1 ,life and ,literature of the ,ancient ,hebrews1 p4 #bgh4 #ed i4e41 his slanders1 which scorch his victims4 #ee ,compare the unintentionally funny passage in ,e4 #caab;ff4 ,if thou sittest at a great man's table1 be not greedy at it1 nor say1 8,what a lot of things are on it60444 ,stretch not your hand wheresoe'er your glance wanders1 nor thrust yourself forward into the dish4 ,eat like a man i4e41 do not gnaw or gobble as an animal would do what is set before thee1 and do not bolt your food1 lest you be loathed4 ,be first to leave off for the sake of good manners1 and be not insatiate lest you offend4 ,cp4 ,e4 #h which also treats of 8,how to behave40 #ef ,the ,hebrew text of the first two lines is uncertain4 #eg ,theophrastus1 ,characters 7,jebb's translation71 pp4 #hb1 #hc4 #eh ,in ,hebrew1 ,pethm4 #ei ,hebrew1 ,ltsm4 #fj ,sometimes the whole point of a saying lies in the use of different terms4 ,thus ,pr4 #agba seems merely redundant in the ,r4,v41 8,he that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow2 and the father of a fool hath no joy40 ,but the 8fool0 of the first clause is in the ,hebrew ,kesl1 a coarse fool1 and the 8fool0 of the second is ,nabal2 i4e41 to have the first as a son will involve some regrets1 but the second robs his father of all joy4 #fa ,horton1 ,proverbs 7,expositor's ,bible71 p4 #cdg4 #fb ,see below1 ch4 ,x41 p4 #ahd;f4 #fc ,toy justly remarks1 8,the motive here assigned--fear of ,jehovah's displeasure--belongs to the ethical system of ,proverbs4 ,but this motive does not impair the dignity of the moral standard presented4 ,jehovah's displeasure is the expression of the moral ideal3 it is one's duty1 says the proverb1 not to rejoice at the misfortunes of enemies4 ,this duty is enforced by a reference to compensation1 but it remains a duty40 #fd 8,the antithesis is ethical1 not merely intellectual4 ,the meaning is not that the righteous speaks cautiously1 the wicked inconsiderately2 but that the good man takes care to speak what is true and kind1 whilst the bad man1 feeling no concern on this point1 follows the bent of his mind and so speaks evil40 7,toy ad4 loc474 #fe cp4 ,romans #abaj1 and also p4 #bfh4 #ff ,wise ,men of ,israel1 p4 #aeh4 #fg 7,pr4 #caaj-bi74 ,the poem is in the ,hebrew an alphabetical acrostic1 which accounts for certain repetitions and roughnesses in the movement of the thought4 #fh ,cp4 ,luke #afc 7see ,oesterley in ,the ,expositor for ,april1 #aijc74 #fi ,oesterley1 ,ecclesiasticus1 p4 xviii4 #gj ,e4 #db1 #dc4 #ga ,see ,skinner in the ,jewish ,quarterly ,review1 ,jan41 #aije1 p4 #beh4 #gb ,a proverb which does not come from the ,bible1 though many people have supposed it does4 #gc ,see further pp4 #aia;f4 #gd i4e41 such proverbs as 8,a burnt child dreads the fire10 or 8,he that is down need fear no fall40 #ge ,gordon1 ,poets of the ,old ,testament1 p4 #bif4 #gf ,gordon's translation1 op4 cit41 p4 #bif4 #gg ,gordon1 op4 cit41 p4 #bih4 ,observe the touch of national sentiment which is characteristic of ,ben ,sirach4 ,his view is that ,god intended good to every nation 7not an easy doctrine to reach in face of the enormities of which some of the heathen nations surrounding ,israel were capable71 but1 although ,god had offered wisdom to all1 only ,israel had responded to the offer and so received the divine gift4 #gh ,gordon's translation1 op4 cit41 p4 #cjd4 #gi ,at ,olympia in the year #bab ,b4,c4 ,aristonicus was the proteg of ,king ,ptolemy1 and champion of the ,egyptian gymnasia4 #hj ,the ,hebrew text seems to have read1 8,headache1 shame and disgrace are the effect of wine drunk in provocation and wrath40 #ha ,judaism 7second series71 p4 #eg4 #hb ,cp4 ,pr4 #baf-ai2 ,e4 #ic-i1 #aib1 #dabj2 and refs4 on p4 #aec4 #hc ,see especially chaps4 vii41 viii41 and xviii4 #hd ,this maxim was familiar among the ,greeks1 and is quoted by eschylus1 ,sophocles1 ,euripides and other writers4 ,tradition ascribed its origin to ,solon1 the statesman of early ,athens1 who was reckoned one of the seven ,sages of ,greece4 ,its occurrence in ,ecclesiasticus is an interesting illustration of the cosmopolitan aspect of the ,wisdom movement4 #he ,pr4 #adcb1 ,the righteous hath hope in his death 444 comes nearest to the idea of immortality2 but the accuracy of the ,hebrew text is doubtful4 ,pr4 #aebd and #bcag1 #ah are to be understood as referring to the character of the good man's life on earth 7see ,toy's notes on these passages74 #hf 8,the influence of the synagogue as a religious factor1 even in the times of ,ben ,sirach1 was felt more deeply than the scarcity of references to it in the contemporary literature would lead us to believe01 ,schechter1 ,judaism ,second ,series1 p4 #fe2 cp4 ,j4 ,abrahams1 ,studies in ,pharisaism and the ,gospels1 pp4 #a;ff4 #hg ,the reader familiar with the ,gospels should guard against the notion that the ,scribes were always guilty of the worst qualities that legalism is apt to foster4 ,a class ought not to be equated with its less worthy representatives1 unless we are willing1 for example1 to condemn the first ,christians for the sins of certain orders in the ,medival ,church1 or to saddle the eager pioneers of the ,reformation with the shortcomings of their followers in the eighteenth century4 #hh ,see the article ,hasideans and ,hellenism 7,jewish ,encyclopdia1 ,vol4 ,,vi474 #hi ,commonly referred to by the abbreviation ,,lxx4 #ij ,see ,dr4 ,taylor's edition 7,cambridge1 #ahgg74 #ia ,aboth1 iv4 #b4 #ib ,aboth1 i4 #c4 #ic ,aboth ii4 #ac4 #id ,aboth v4 #cj4 #ie ,aboth iv4 #bf4 #if ,n4,b4--,c4#ee;,cohen1 ,ancient ,jewish ,proverbs1 ,no4 #ee4 ,quotations of these later ,rabbinical ,jewish proverbs will be given in this manner1 as a reference to ,mr4 ,cohen's handbook is likely to be of more use to readers than a citation of original ,rabbinic sources4 #ig ,jew and ,christian1 too often ignorant of the virtues each possesses1 are painfully conscious of one another's defects4 ,better knowledge of history would do much to relieve or lessen mutual prejudices4 ,how seldom do ,christians realise that some of the less amiable qualities found in certain classes of modern ,jews 7,are there no objectionable ,gentiles87 are the logical result of regulations decreed by our medival ,christian forefathers4 ,for example1 the ,jews were once as catholic as any other nation in the arts and industries they followed for a livelihood1 until legal restrictions were multiplied against them4 8,even in ,spain10 writes ,mr4 ,abrahams1 8,jews were forbidden to act as physicians1 as bakers or millers2 they were prohibited from selling brass1 wine1 flour1 oil or butter in the markets2 no ,jew might be a smith1 carpenter1 tailor1 shoemaker1 currier or clothier for ,christians 444 he might neither employ nor be employed by ,christians in any profession or trade whatsoever4444 ,in other parts of ,england these restrictions were far more rigidly enforced than in ,spain4 ,in ,england money-lending was absolutely the only profession open to the ,jews4 ,on the ,continent ,jews were taxed when they entered a market and taxed when they left it2 they were only permitted to enter the market place at inconvenient hours1 and the ,church ended by leaving the ,jews nothing to trade in but money and second-hand goods1 allowing them as a choice of commodities in which to deal new gold or old iron40 7,jewish ,life in the ,middle ,ages1 p4 #bda74 #ih ,abrahams1 ,jewish ,life in the ,middle ,ages1 p4 #fh4 #ii ,the argument is worked out at greater length by ,c4 ,f4 ,kent1 7,wise ,men of ,israel1 pp4 #agf;ff71 in an essay to which this brief review of the theme is much indebted4 ,see also p4 #bfh4 #ajj ,cp4 ,marvin1 ,the ,living ,past1 pp4 #b1 #c4 #aja ,deut4 #cjaa-ad4 #ajb ,the ,ultimate ,belief1 p4 #b4 #ajc ,professor ,d4 ,k4 ,picken1 in the ,australasian ,intercollegian ,magazine1 ,dec41 #aiaf4 #ajd 8,i know no teachers who lay more stress upon the cultivation of the mental power of attention40 ,g4 ,a4 ,smith1 in ,modern ,criticism and the ,preaching of the ,old ,testament1 ch4 ,,viii4 #aje ,pindar1 ,olympian ,,vi41 #ed;ff4 #ajf ,st4 ,john1 #acbf;ff4 #ajg ,the moon once 7,pr4 #gbj7 but merely in indication of time4 #ajh ,he was gratefully remembered for his work in strengthening the defences of ,jerusalem and executing repairs to the ,temple about #aij ,b4,c4 #aji ,for allusions to the heat and thirst of the reapers1 cp4 ,ruth #bg-i1 #ad1 and #b ,kings #dah1 #ai4 #aaj ,the ,greek text is no less effective--,and when the frost is congealed it is as points of thorns1 but it is only a misreading of the ,hebrew4 #aaa 8,the ,holy ,land10 pp4 #bji;ff4 #aab ,pr4 #bgag #aac ,pr4 #bgf4 #aad ,pr4 #aea2 cp4 #afcb4 #aae ,pr4 #bebh4 #aaf ,pr4 #bfab4 #aag ,pr4 #afah #aah ,pr4 #bha1 cp4 ,shakespeare's 8,conscience does make cowards of us all40 #aai ,pr4 #bdaf4 #abj ,e4 #aia4 #aba ,pr4 #cg4 #abb ,pr4 #acab4 #abc ,e4 #bab-ad4 #abd ,pr4 #bacj1 #ca4 #abe ,c4 #gh4 #abf ,l4 ,p4 ,jacks1 ,from the ,human ,end1 p4 #af4 #abg ,bacon1 ,essay on ,riches4 #abh ,bacon is referring to ,pr4 #ahaa4 #abi ,e4 #aab4 #acj ,e4 #fce1 #cf4 #aca ,pr4 #beag4 #acb ,pr4 #bfd4 #acc ,pr4 #ahac4 #acd ,e4 #ahai2 cp4 ,first learn1 then form opinions 7,c4 #bag74 #ace ,pr4 #bdbg4 #acf ,c4 #aha4 #acg ,pr4 #bga4 #ach ,e4 #gah4 #aci ,e4 #gaa4 #adj ,e4 #he-g4 #ada ,e4 #ga-c4 #adb ,pr4 #bda4 #adc ,pr4 #bcag4 #add ,e4 #aeaa1 #ab4 #ade ,e4 #gi4 #adf ,pr4 #dbc4 #adg ,e4 #gaj4 #adh ,pr4 #afc4 #adi ,cp4 ,james #df2 #a ,peter #ee4 #aej ,a verse which1 as ,oesterley observes1 affords an interesting combination of the doctrines of ,grace and ,free-will2 cp4 ,john #gag4 #aea ,the quotation in ,hebrews is taken from the ,greek 7,,lxx7 text of ,proverbs3 the ,hebrew text of ,proverbs now reads 8,even as a father the son in whom he delighteth10 but the original text probably had 8and paineth0 instead of the words 8,even as a father0--the difference in ,hebrew is very slight 7cp4 p4 #aib74 #aeb ,arnot1 ,laws from ,heaven1 p4 #acj;f4 #aec ,from a letter quoted in ,holmes1 ,walter ,greenway1 ,spy2 and ,others1 ,sometime ,criminal4 #aed ,horton1 ,proverbs 7,expositor's ,bible71 p4 #cah4 #aee ,see the articles by ,dr4 ,rendel ,harris on ,the ,origin of the ,prologue to ,st4 ,john's ,gospel in the ,expositor1 ,aug4 #aiaf-;,jan4 #aiag4 ,note also the acknowledgment of ,christ as ,wisdom1 implied in the story of the homage of the ,wise ,men at ,his birth1 ,matt4 #bab4