mnn ! " as in oh. 'iii. 13. For the ways of Hebrew verb (eh. xii. 2). The grnce of God Wi~dom, see eh. iii. 17. bringcth 51\\vation ('l'itus ii. 11). Scpt1m- Yer. 33.-:Be wise. This will be the gint, "For my outgoings ((~080,) a.re the effect of attending to the injunction, Hear outgoings of life, and the will is prepared instrnotion (see on eh. iii. 4). The Vatican by the Lord (1<al l-ro1p.&.(era, 6l>.711Tis 1rap~ text of the Septuagint omits this verse; it Kvplov)." This latter oll\use was used by is added in the _'\.lcx1rndrian and Sin.• the Fathers, eapecinlly in the Pelagian Ver. 34.-Watching daily at my gates. controversy, to prove the necessity of pre- The idea suggested has been variously venieut grace (see St. Augustine, • Enchi- taken; e.g. as that of eager students waiting ridion,' ii. 32; • De Gratia,' vi. 16, 17). &t the school door for their teacher's appear- Yer. 36.-He that sinneth age.inst me &nce; clients besieging a great man's por- wrongeth his own soul. So Septuagint and tals; Levites guarding the doors of the Vulge,te. And the truth stated is obvious- temple; a lover at his mistress's gate. This he who refuses to obey Wisdom, and trans- last notion is supported by Wisd. viii. 2, gresses her wholesome rules, will smart for "I loved her, and sought her out from my it, Every sin involves punishment, injures youth; I desired to ma'ke her my spouse, the spiritual life, and demands satisfaction. and I was a loYer of her beauty." Waiting But Delitzsch and others take •~i!;>h, "my at the poets of my doors; keeping close to sinning one," "my sinner,'' in tlie older the eutre.nce, so as to be quite sure of not sense of" missing," ILS Job v. 24, the derived missing ber whom he longs to see. meaning of "sinning" springing naturally Ver. 35.-For whoso findeth me findeth from the idea. of deviating from the right life. Here is the reason why the man is we,y or failing to hit the mark. So here blessed who attends to the instruotion of the translation will be "he who miseeth Wisdom. A similar promise is made at eh. me,'' which is a good coqtrast to "whoso iii. 16, 18, 22. The truth here enunciated findeth me," of ver. 35. He who takes o. is also spoken of the Word of God, the ever- pe.th which does not lead to wisdom is guilty lasting Son of the Father. John i. 4, "In of moral suicide. All that hate me love him was life; and the life was the light dee.th (eh. vii. 27). " lie that believeth not of men ; " John iii. 36, " He that believeth the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of on the Son bath eternal life;" John xvii. God abideth on him" (John iii. 36). They 3, h This is life eternal, that they should who will not hearken to Wisdom, and who know tbee the only true God, e.nd him whom scorn her counsels, do virtually love death, thou didst send, even Jesus Christ" (comp. because they love the things and the practices John viii. 51; 1 John v. 12; Ecclus. iv. 12). which lead to death, temporal e.nd spiritual Shall obtain favour of the Lord; Vnlgate, Job xii. 10, "They. that ain are enemies hauriet 11<1lutem, which happily renders the to their own life" (comp. Wisd. i. 12).
HOMILETICS. Ver_ 5 __ Wisdom for the 6imple. We may divide the simple into three classes. 1. There are those who think themselves wise while they are but fools: there is no hope for such. 2. There are people who make no pretence to wisdom, but who have chosen folly, and are quite indifferent to the claims and charms of wisdom. 3. There are anxious seekers after wisdom, who feel their present ignorance and incompetence with acute distress, and long to be among the wise, but despair of reaching the privi- leged circle. The first class will refuse to believe that the call of wisdom is for them, but to the other two it may come with effect. I. THE SIMPLE NEED wrsno:r.r. This reflection should concern the second class- those who as yet have despised and rejected wisdom. 1. Wisdom is a /oy._ . Even pleasure is rejected in the renunciation of truth, knowledge, thought, the v1s10n of God, and the revelation of his will. The narrow mind is a dark mind, and wh~n the light of God breaks in it will be seen that many new delights of knowledge and Joys of Divine truth, which have long been missed, can now be happily received. 2. Wisdom is a safeguard. Men stumble in ~he dark. Snares arc set for the unwary. In t~is great, myBterious world we may easily go astray and be lost, perhaps be entrapped m foarful soul-perils. It is much to know the w~y, ~ ~now ourseI:ves, to know 011~ dang~rs,_ to know the will of God and how to have his gu1dmg and savmg help. 3. Wisdom is life. The foolish soul is but half alive, and it is on the road to destruction. Mere knowledge itself is a free intellectual life, and the exercise of thought in the practice.I application -.f the truth which we have assimilated, i.e. wi6dom, is a living activity. It ii most ""· nn. 1-36.] THE PROVERBS. 169