purification nnd enlightenment of her conscience by the gospel, she looked for a" better country, that is, an heavenly." Both senses may be included. The enlightened spirit knows bow to idealize every material content, and will leave much undefined in the prospect. Enough to say of all the seekers of God's kingdom and righteousness, "They have a future before them." The soul itself suffices to itself for the scene of bliss, and converts the rich land of Canaan into the type of its inward joys and harvests of good. II. 'l'HE WICKED HA VE NO FUTURE BEFORE THEM. That is, in the sense par excellence. 'l'heir doom is to be rooted out and cast forth from the land. Wbat lies behind the material figure, who can say? To conceive it transcends the bounds of human thought. There is no travelling out of the analogies of experience possible. We reach at last a negative conception in the case both of future bliss and future woe. The Buddhists aim as their highest goal at the Nirvana, which is the negation of finite existence with its defects and evils. What must be the Nirvana of the wicked? The negation of the Infinite must mean confinement in self, and this is death indeed. They who have persistently said "No" to God and the good in their life will be confronted by an everlasting "No!" And thus again the wheel comes full circle, and they reap as they sow (comp. Matt. vii. 24-27).-J. Vers. 1-9.-The course, the goal, and the prize of wisdom. These are comprehen- sive verses; they include the three main features of the heavenly race. I. THE COURSE OF THE WISDOM-SEEKER. He who searches for wisdom is a wise runner in a heavenly race; be is pursuing an end which the Divine Author of his being distinctly and emphatically commends. 1. His search for life-giving truth must be characterized by readiness to receive. He must be wholly different in spirit from those who are disinclined to learn; still more must be be far removed from those who scorn- fully reject; he must be a son who "will receive the words" of wisdom-the words of the "only wise God," of him who is "the Wisdom of God" (ver. 1). 2. But there must be not only readiness; there should be eagerness to receive. He must" incline his ear" (ver. 2). Not only be prepared to listen when Wisdom speaks, but make a distinct and positive effort to learn the truth which affects him and which will bless him. 3. Beyond this, there must be carefulness to retain. The student must not let his mind be a sieve through which knowledge passes and from which it is readily lost; he must make it a reservoir which will retain; he is to "hide God's commandments" within him (ver. 1), to take them down into the deep places of the soul whence they will not escape. 4. Further, there must be perseverance in the search. He must" apply bis heart to understanding" (ver. 2). Not by "fits and starts" is the goal to be reached, but by steady, patient, continuous search. 5. And there must also be enthusiasm in the endeavour (vers. 3, 4). With the impassioned earnestness with which a man who is lost in the pathless wood, or is sinking under the whelming wave, " cries" and " lifts up his voice," should the seeker after heavenly wisdom strive after the gonl which is before him. With the untiring energy and inexhaustible ardour with which men toil for silver or dig for the buried treasure of which they believe themselves to have found the secret, should the soul strive and search after the high end to which God is calling it. II. THE GOAL HE WILL SURELY REACH. He who thus seelts for heavenly truth will attain that to which he is aspiring; "for the Lord giveth wisdom," etc. (ver. 6). There is no man who desires to be led into the path of that Divine wisdom which con- stitutes the life and joy of the soul, and who pursues that lofty and holy end in the spirit here commended, who will fail to reach the goal toward which he runs. 'l'ha.t earnest and patient runner shall be helped of God; Divine resources shall be supplied to him; he shall run without weariness, he shall walk without fainting, till the winniag- post is clasped (see Matt. v. 6; vii. 7, 8). 1. He shall apprehend the essential elements of religion. "Thou sbalt understand the fear of the Lord" (ver. 6). He will be led into a spiritual apprehension of that which constitutes the foundation and the essence of all true piety. He will be able to distinguish between the substance and the shadow, the reality and the pretence of religion. 2. He shall also-and this is a still greater thing-attain to a vital and redeeming knowledge of God himself. " Thou ahalt find the knowledge of Goc;l" (ver. 6), To ~now him is eti,rnal life (John xvii. 3). PllOVl!:RBI!, B 50 THE PROVERBS. [on. 11. 1-22.
But this knowledge must be-what in the case of the earnest disciple of heavenly wi~dom it will become-a vital knowledge; it must be of tho whole spiritual nature, nnrl not only of the intellectual faculty. It must be a knowledge which (1) engages the whole powers of the spirit; (2) which brings joy to the soul• (3) which leads· to an honest effort after God-likeness. ' III. THE PRIZE JIE WILL WIN. It may be truly said that the runner in the race finds a deeper rntisfaction in clasping the goal while his competitors are all behind him than in wearing the chaplet of honour on his brows. And it may be truly said that the most blessed guerdon which the heavenly runner wins is in that knowledge of God which is his " go~l " ~ather than in the after-?onou~s whi~h are his "prize." Yet we may well covet with mtense eagerness the prize which Wisdom holds in her hand for those who are victorious. It includes much. 1. Stores of deep spiritual verities. '' He layeth up sound wisdom," etc. (ver. 7)-greater and deeper insight into the most pro- found and precious truth. 2. Discernment of all practical wisdom. " Thou shalt understand righteousness, and judgrnent, and equity; yea, every good path" (ver. 9). 3. Didne guardianship along all the path of life. "He is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepcth the paths of judgment," etc. (vers. 7, 8).-C.