compensate for the absence of this principle from the soul. He may have every conceivable advantage in his surroundings; he may have all imaginable shrewdness dexterity, cleverness, acuteness of intellect; but if everythiog be not based on the fea; of the living God, his character must be fatally incomplete, and his life must be a deplorable mistake. Reverence of spirit, devotion of habit, the obedience of the life,- this is the solid ground on which all wisdom rests. Let a man be ever so learned or so astute, if this he absent Wisdom itself writes him down a fool. II. THAT SACRED TRUTH 1B THE LOFTIEST AND WORTHIEST SUBJECT OF RUl[AN STUDY. It is well worth our while to give our careful and continuous thought to scientific, economical, historical, political truth. 'l'hese will repay our study; they will enlarge our mind and heighten our understanding. But worthy as they are, they yield in importance to the truth which is sacred and, in an especial sense, Divine. To "understand and know God," who he is, what is his character, what are the con- ditions of bis abiding love; to know man, who and what he is, what constitutes the real excellence and nobility of human character, what are the perils which threaten and what the habits which elevate it; to know the "path of life," the way back to God, to holiness, to heaven ;-this is wisdom indeed. The knowledge of the holy is under- standing. All other learning is slight in comparison with this supreme attainment. III. THAT THE BEil.VICE OF Goo IS INSEPARABLY CONNECTED WITII THE L.1STING WELL-BEING OF MAN. (Ver. 11.) 1. Obedience to Jehovah would have given a pro- longed and enduring life to the Jewish nation in their own favonred land. Conformity to Divine Law, the practice of truth, purity, uprightness, simplicity of life and manners, -these will go far to ensure long life to any nation now. 2. Obedience to Divine Law, especially to one commandment (Exod. xx. 12), !!ave good hope of longevity to the children of the Law (ver. 11; eh. iii. 2, 16). Piety and virtue now have promise of life and health. The sober, the pure, the diligent, those mindful of God's will, are likely to have their days multiplied and the years of their life increased. 3. To the true servants of Christ, who are faithful unto death, there is assured a "crown uf lire" (Rev. ii. 10).-C. Ver. 12.-Wisdom and folly. In this short verse we have some valuable thoughts suggested respecting both wisdom and folly. I. THE DISINTE!l.EBTEDNESB OF WISDOM. If any one should urge against the claims of Wisdom that they are very high, urgent, oppressive, that God's commandment is "exceeding broad ; " if it be asked by the young, " Why fling these shadows on our path? why weigh us down with these responsibilities?" it may well be replied by Wisdom, "Your services are not necessary to me. 'If I were hungry, I would not tell thee,'. etc.; if I plead with you, it is for your sake. You have need of my voice and my control; apart from me you cannot be blessed, you cannot realize the end of your being. I can do well without your devotion, but you cannot do without my favour. If yon nre wise, you will be wise for yourself." II. THE INALIENABLE CHARACTER OF WISDOM AS A POSSESSION. The wise man in the Book of Ecclesiastes laments that riches are things which a wise wan may take much trouble to gather, but he does not know who may scatter them. A man may be laborious and fru11:n.l, but not for himself; all the good may go to others who come after him. Thus is it with various acquisitions. Men no sooner gain them than they leave them behind for others; e.g. the hero, his glory; the student, his learn.in~; the conqueror or discoverer, the territory he has gained or found. But if a man is wise, he is wise/or himself as well as for others; he has a prize of which no accident will rob him, and which death itself will not take from his hands. Once his, it is his for ever -it is an inalienable possession. III. 'l'HE PROFOUND NATU!l.E OF TRUE WISDOM. There is a very shallow philosophy which assumes the name of wisdom, which invites us to stake everything on securing a comfortable and prosperous career in this world, leaving ont of account tbe supreme realities of our obligations to God, our duiy to our own spiritual and immortal nature, our responsibilities to other souls. '!'his superficial and false teaching overlooks the fundamental fact that a man is more than his means, that ourself is veater than our circumstances, that it is a poor profit to gain a world and lose a soul, that if we are wise we shall be wise/or ourselve,. PROVERBS. 0 194 THE PROVERBS. [on. IK, 1-18.
IV. THE STARTING-POINT oF TRUE WISDOM. Some are speaking with indignation not insincere, against so much insistence on a man's seeking his own salvation. They say it is only a refined selfishness. It may be true that there are Christian teachers who enlarge on this aspect disproportionately; but it must ever remain a truth of great prominence that a man's first duty to God is the duty he owes to himself. First because his own soul is his primary and chief charge; and, secondly, because he ea.~ do little or nothing for the world;till his own heart is right. If e. man, therefore, will be wise, he must first be wise for himself. V. THE FATE OF FOLLY. "If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it." This does not mean _th~t on~y the siD:ner bears the co~seq1;1en~es o~ his guilt-that is deplorably untrue; sm 1s widespread mg and far-reach mg m its evil consequences-it cirC1.1,lates and it descends. The passage means that the foolish man will have to bear alone the condemnation of his folly; every man that lives and dies impenitent must "bear his own burden " of penalty. The remorse and self-reproach of the future none will be able to divide; it must be borne by the sinner himself. There is One that once bore our transgressions for us, and will bear them away unto the land of forgetfulness now.-0.