Agur doubtless beheld them in this view, and therefore rather deprecated them as evils, than desired them as objects of his ambition.]
2. A mediocrity of state and condition — [He did not, through a dread of wealth, desire to be reduced to poverty : he wished rather to stand at an equal distance from each extreme ; and to enjoy that only which God should judge " convenient for him." It is not easy for us to say precisely what a competency is ; because it must vary ac- cording to men's education and habits ; that being poverty to one, which would be riches to another : yet the line drawn by Agur, seems to mark the limits most agreeably to the mind of God, because it exactly corresponds with the views of patri- archs'', of prophets % of Apostles^, and particularly with the prayer which our blessed Lord himself has taught all his fol- lowers to use^.]
In urging his request, Agur manifested great zeal and earnestness: his whole soul appeared to be en- gaged in it : we are therefore interested in inquiring into,
II. The reasons with which he enforced it —
He was not actuated by any carnal motives, though he was praying about carnal things. It was not the incumbrances of wealth, or the hardships of poverty that he dreaded ; he considered only the aspect of the different states upon his spiritual advancement ; and deprecated them equally on account of the tempta- tions incident to both.
1 . On account of the snares of wealth — [Riches foster the pride of the human heart, and engender a haughty and independent spirit. This was the eifect of opu- lence on God's people of old''; and the same baneful influence is observable in our day. The great consider it almost as an act of condescension to acknowledge God. Scarcely one of them in a thousand will endm-e to hear his name mentioned in private, or his will propounded as the proper rule of his conduct. The atheistical expressions in the text are indeed the language of his conduct, if not also of his lips\ It is on this, as well as other accounts, that our Lord has spoken of riches as ren- dering our salvation difficult, yea impossible, without some
^ Gen. xxviii. 20. e jgr. xlv. 5. f 1 Tim. vi. 8 — 10.
g Matt. vi. 11. and the first clause of ver. 13. between which and Agur's prayer there is a remarkable agreement.
'1 Deut. xxxii. 15. Hos. xiii. 6. i See Exod. v. 2. Ps. xii. 4.
824.] agur's wish. 313
signal interposition of divine grace*^. And therefore everyone who values his soul may well deprecate an exalted state.]
2. On account of the snares of poverty —
[Poverty has its snares no less than wealth: where its pressure is felt, the temptations to dishonesty are exceeding great. Even tliose who are in ease and affluence are too easily induced to deviate from the paths of strict integrity, especially when there appears but little probability of detection: how much more strongly then may a dishonest principle be supposed to operate, when called forth by necessity and distress ! God appointed that a person suspected of theft should clear himself by an oath before a magistrate'; but this was a feeble barrier against dishonesty ; for he that will cheat, will lie ; and, if urged to it, will rather perjure himself to conceal his crime, than expose himself to shame by confessing it. Thus one sin leads to another ; and a soul, that is of more value than ten thousand worlds, is bartered for some worthless commodity. Justly then may that state also be deprecated, which exposes us to such tremendous evils.]
This subject may teach us,
1. Contentment with our lot —
[Whatever be the means used, it is God alone that fixes our condition in the world : and, if we be Christians indeed, we may be sure that our lot is tliat which, all things considered, is most for the good of our souls. If any variations in it have taken place, such changes have been sent to teach us that con- tentment, which St. Paul so richly experienced, and which it is no less our privilege than our duty to learn™. If we have that which is best for our souls, then we have that which is really best.]