2. Ment.al labour not only designs the painting, or the sculpture, or tho oratorio, nnd writes the poem or the history, but it invigorates the mind and braces all the mental faculties. 3. Moral struggle not only saves from vice and crime, but makes the soul strong for noble and honourable achievement. 4. Spiritual endeavour not only refines the highest faculties of our nature, prepares us for the companionship of the holiest, and accomplishes the highest purposes of the Redeemer, but bl"inga us into the favour and leads us into the likeness of God himself.-C. Ver. 33.-(Sce homily on eh. xxix. 11.)-C. Ver. 34.-The strength and the reproach of nat-ions, I. SIN THE NATION'S SHAME. I. A si11f1tl nation in the sight of God. This is a nation of which the people have gone astray frum him; do not approach him in worship; do not consult his will as revealed in his \Vord; have no ear to lend to those that speak in bis Name; lose all sense of sacred duty in the pursuit of gain and pleasure. 2. The flagrant guilt to which such godlessness leads down. (1) It is probable, in a high degree, that impiety will lead to iniquity, that the absence of all religious restraint will end in abandonment to evil in all its forms. (2) History assures us that it does so. Tb~ denial, or the defiance, or the entire disregard of God and of his will, conducts to and ends in vice, in crime, in violence, in despotism, in the dissolution of old and honourable bonds, in the prevalence of despair and suicide, in utter demoralization. 3. This is the reproach to a people, A country may lose its population, or its wealth, or its pre-eminent influence, without being the object of reproach; but to fall into general impiety, and to live in the practice of wrong-doing,-this is a disgrace; it brings a nation down in the estimate of all the wise; its name is clothed with shame; its fame has become infamy. II. RIGHTEOUSNESS A NATION'S STRENGTH. Nat.ional righteousness does not consist in any public professions of piety, nor in the existence of great religious organizations, nor in the presence of a multitude of ecclesiastical edifices and officers; nations have had all these before now, and they have been destitute of real 1ighteousness. That consists in the possession of a reverent spi_rit and an estimable charactei·, and the practice of purity, justice, and kindness on the part of the people themselves (see Isa. !viii.; Micah vi. 6--8). In this is a nation's strength and exaltation, for it will surely issue in: 1. Physical well-being. Virtue is the secret of health and strength, of the multiplication and continuance of life and power. 2. Material prosperity; for right- eousness is the foundation of educated intelligence, of intellectual energy and vigour, of commercial and agricultural enterprise, of maritime intrepidity and success. 3, Moral and spiritual advancement. 4. Estimation and influence among surrounding nations. 5. The abidingfauour of God (Ps. lxxxi. 13-16). We may learn from the text (1) that no measure of brilliancy in statesmanship will compensate for debauch- ing the minds of the people, for introducing ideas or san~t~oning habit~ which are morally unsound and corrupting; (2) that the humblest c1t1_zcn whose hfe tends ~o establish righteousness amongst his neighbours is a true patnot, however narrow his bJ)here may be.-C.
EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XV. Septuagint, "A submissive (~,ro,r!,r.,.outrcz) Ver. 1.-A soft answer tumeth away a.newer e.verteth wrath." Thus Abigail wrath. Two things are here to be observed: quelled the excessive anger of De.vid by an answer should be given-the injured her judicious submission (1 Sam. xxv. 24, person should not wrap himself in sullen etc.). But grievous words stir up anger. silence; and that answer should be gentle A word that causes vexation makes anger an<l conciliatory. This is tersely put in a rise the higher. medileval rhyme- •On;js µcz.,.czlas ,l,rlv cz!'T101 :\&;,o,. ,, Fre.ngitur ire. gravie •• Of empty anger words a.re oft the cause." Quando eat responsio suavill." Ver. 2.-The tongue of the wise useth " Anger, however great, knowledge a.right. '.rhis meo.ns either, Is checkeil by answer sweet." brings it forth opportunely, at the righL OH, XV, 1-33.] THE PROVERBS. 291