of his actions by regarding them as (1) beginning and ending with himself; (2) affecting his immediate circle, hie own family; (3) reaching and influencing his neigh- bours; (4) acting upon those who will come after him. 'l'he forms of human activity are indefinitely numerous-so complex is his nature, so various are his relations to his kind and the world in which he lives. II. Goo's NOTICE OF ALL oun DOINGS. "The ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord." Every thought is thought, every feeling felt, every resolve ma<le, every plan formed, every word spoken, every deed done, under his all-observing eye. "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Heb. iv. 13; see 2 Cbron. xvi. 9; Job xxxi. 4; Ps. cxxxix. 2-12; and eh. xv. 3). The eyes of the Lord not only cover tbe earth and the heavens, but they look everywhere within; through the thick curtains of the night his own hand has spread, and through the thickest folds our hand can draw, and through the walls of our human frame into the inner chambers and darkest recesses of our souls. III. Goo's MEASURE OF OUR DOINGS, "He pondereth all his goings." God weighs all that he sees in the scales of his Divine wisdom and righteousness. He marks every thought, word, deed; and he estimates their worth, their excellency or their guilt. Never any way taken, any course entered upon, but all the motives which led to its choice and execution are before the mind of God, and are accepted or are blamed by him. And this being so, there must be-- IV. Goo's REMEMBRANCE OF OUR PAST AS WELL AS HIS OBSERVATION OF OUR PRESENT LIFE. For the Omniscient One cannot forget; and it may be that, in some way unknown to us, but quite in accordance with some ascertained facts, all our past actions are spread out before his sight in some part of bis universe. Certainly the effects of all we have done abide, either in our own character and life or in those of other men. Our ways, past and present, are before him; he is estimating the moral character, for good or ill, of all our goings. Therefore: 1. In view of all our guilt, let us seek his mercy in Christ Jesus. For it is a truth consistent with the foregoing, that, if there be repentance and faith, all our sins shall "be cast into the depths of the sea" (Amos vii. 19). God will "hide his face from our sins, and blot out our iniquities" (Ps. li. 9). 2. In view of God's observation and jndgment, let us strive to please him. If we yield our hearts to himself and our lives to his service, if we accept eternal life at his hands through Jesus Christ, and then seek to be and to do what is right in his sight, we shall do that which ho will look upon with Divine approval, with fatherly delight (Gal. iv. 1; Heb. xi. 5; xiii. 16; 1 Pet. ii. 20, etc.).-C. Vers. 22, 23.-The end of an evil course. There are two fearful evils in which impenitent sin is sure to end, two classes of penalty which the wrong-doer must mo.ke up his mind to pay. He has to submit to- I. AN INWARD 'l'YBANNY OF TlIE MOST CRUEL CHARACTER. (Ver. 22.) We may never have seen the wild anim~l captured by the hunter, making violent efforts to escape its toils, failing, desperately renewing the attempt with fierce and frantic struggles, until at length it yielded itself to its fate in sullen despair. But we have witnessed something far more romantic than that. We have watched some human soul c11ught in the meshes of vice (intemperance, it may be), or entangled in the bonds of sin (coveteousness, it may be), struggling to be free, failing in its endeavour, renewing the attempt with determined eagerness, and failing again, until at length it yields to the foe, vanquished, ruined, lost I "His own iniquities have taken the wicked himself, ho is holden in the cords of his sins." 1. Sin hides its tyranny from view; its cords are so carried that they are not seen; nay, they are so wound around the soul that at first they are not felt, and the victim hos no notion that he is being enslaved. 2. Gradually and stealthily it fastens its fetters on the soul; e.g. intemperance, impurity, untruthrul- ness, selfishness, worldliness. 3. It finally obtains a hold from which the soul cannot sh11ke itself free; the man is "holden;" sin bas him in its firm grip; he is a captive, a spiritual slave. Beside this terrible tyranny, the persistent wrong-doer has to cndure- II, Al'TER-CONBEQUENCEB YET MORE CALAMITOUS. (Ver. 23.) These are: 1. Death 122 THt PROVERBS. toa. vr. 1-85.
in tho midst of fully. "He shall die without instruction," unenlightened by eternal truth, in the darkness of error and sin; he will die," hoping nothing, believing nothing, nnd fearing nothing "-nothing which a. luan should die in the hope of, nothing which a man should live to believe nnd die in the faith of, nothing which a man should fear, living or dying. He shall die without peace to smooth his dying pillow, without hope to light up his closing_ eyes. 2. Exclusion from future blessedness through his folly. " In the greatness of bis folly he shall go astray." Whilo the simplest wisdom would ha'l'e led him to seek and find entrance into the City of God, in the greatness of his follv he wanders off to the gatcsof the City of Sorrow. 1. If the path of folly has been entered upon and is now being trodden, return at once without delay. Further on, ~rchance a very little further on, it may be too bte-the cords of sin may be too strong for the soul to snap. Arise at once, in the strength of the strong Deliverer, and regain the freedom which is being lost. 2. Enter in earliest days the path of spiritual freedom. Bear the blessed yoke of the Son of God, that every other yoke may be broken. Enrol in his ranks whose "service is perfect freedom."-C,
EXPOSITION.