The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 301

law. 3. Their worship is positively offensive. It is "an abomination" unto him. And it is so, because: (1) Itisanactofconsciousrejectionofhis claim; the worshipper is tnking his Name and his Law upon his lips, and at the very time he is consciously keeping back from God what he knows is his due. (2) It is an act of positive insult, inasmuch as it supposes that God will be indifferent to the wrong things the worshipper is doing, the.t he will take a few words or offerings instead of purity, truthfulness, integrity, submission. II. Goo's PLEASURE WITH THE RIGHTEOUS. 1. Wno they are. (1) They are not the absolutely perfect in creed or conduct; for these are not to be discovered. (2) They are those who recognize in God the One whose they are and to whom they desire and intend to surrender their hearts and lives. It may be, it must be, an imperfect sacrifice; but it will be a genuine and therefore an acceptable one. 2. With what, in them, God is well pleased. (1) With the whole spirit and aim of their life. "'!'hey follow after righteousness;" they have set their heart on being just-to God their Creator; to their neighbours, and especially those closely related to them; to themselves. And their daily and hourly life will be an honest and devout endeavour to realize their aim (see Phil. i 20; iii. 12-15). It is they who truly desire and steadfastly endeavour, against whatever obstacles and with whatever stumblings and haltings, to be right and to do right, with whom God is pleased. (2) With their devotion. The prayer of these "upright" souls is God's "delight." He is pleased when they reverently approach him, when they humbly confess their failures, when they gratefully bless him for his patience, when they earnestly ask him for strength and grace for coming duties and struggles.-C. Ver. 11.-The certainty of God's notice. First we have- I. THE DIFFICULTY SUGGESTED. It is not unnatural to ask-Does God in very deed take notice of such bei'lgs as we are? does he condescend to watch the workings of our mind? are the flitting thoughts that cross our brain, the fugitive feelings that pass through our weak human hearts, within the range of his observation? Is that worth his while? Are they not beyond the pale of his Divine regard? II. THE ARGUMEN1' FROM SECRECY. If" Sheol" is before the Lord, if that region of darkness where " the light (itself) is as darkness," if the place of mystery and shadow is within his Divine regard, how much more are those who are living in the light of day, on whom the sunshine falls, who live their life openly beneath the heavens I The writer evidently felt that there was nothing so particularly hidden or secret about the mind of man. And we may well argue that there is nothing inscrutably hidden within our hearts; for do we not read, continually and correctly, the minds of our children? We know what they think and feel. And if their minds are open to us, how much more must our minds-the minds of the children of men-be "naked and open" to our heavenly Father I If our superior intelligence supplies us with the key to their secrets, what does not Omniscience know of us, even of those thoughts and motives we are most anxious to conceal ? III. THE ARGUMENT FROM UNATTRACTIVENESS. "Abaddon [destruction] is before the Lord." That which has no manner of interest in itself, that from which Benevo- lence would willingly turn its eyes, that which is repelling to the sight of love and life,-that even is before God; he never ceases to regard a scene so utterly uninviting. How much more, then, will he regard the hearts of his own offspring I There is nothing beneath the skies so interesting to him. What has the most charm to us in our home? Surely not any furniture or any treasures, however rare, or costly, or beautiful these may be. : It is our children; it is their hearts of love for which we care. It is to them that we come home in joyful expectation. It is on them our eye rests with benignity and delight. So with our Divine Father. He does look on all the furniture of this wonderful home in which we dwell (Ps. civ. 31); he ever has before him the sphere and scene of destruction; but that which draws his eye of tender interest and kindly pity and holy love is the heart of his sons and daughters. Wo are poor and needy, but we are all his offspring, and "the Lord thinketh upon us." 1. With what parental grief does he look upon (1) our separation from himself in sympathY:; (2_) our unlike- ness to himself in spirit and in character; (3) our disobedience to his wtll I 2. With what parental satisfaction does he view (1) our return to his side and his service; (2)  THE PROVERBS. (OlI, XV, 1-33,