l. THE (l00DLINEBS OF FRIENDSHIP, "Very friends," or " chief friends," points to intimate friendship. This is one of the very fairest and worthiest things under the sun. The man to whom God gives a lifelong faithful friendship is rich in a treasure which wealth cannot buy and the excellency of which it does not equal. It should be; 1. Founded on common attachment to the same great principles, and on mutual esteem. 2. Independent of the changes that occur in circumstances and conditions, 3. Strengthened by adversity. 4. Elevated by piety, 5. Lasting as life. 'l'hen it is something which, for intrinsic beauty and substantial worth, cannot be surpassed. II. THE BILEN0E THAT MAY SAVE IT. There is a speech that saves it. Often the interposition of a few words of explanation, removing an offence which would have grown into seriousness, will save a rupture, Sometimes a kindly word of counsel or remonstrance to the imprudent or to the mistaken may have the same happy effect. But, at other times, silence will save it. We are often tempted, even strongly tempted, to say that which would come between two human hearts. To say what we know would only be to speak the truth; it would gratify the curiosity of those present; it would be a pleasant exercise of power or the use of an advantage we happen to possess. The words rise to our very lips. But no; it is not always our duty to say all that we know; it is often our duty to be silent. There are times when to "cover transgression" is an act of wisdom, of kindness, of generosity, of Christ-likeness (see John viii. 1-11). Let the fact remain untold; let the hearts that have been united remain bound together; seek and secure the permanence of" love." III. THE SPEE0H THAT WILL SEPARATE IT. A whisperer, one that repeats a matter, does separate friends. 1. There is always some occasion for silence in every man's life. No man is so correct in thought and speech that he could afford to have every utterance repeated to any one and every one. We all want the kindly curtain of silence to be drawn over some sentences that pass our lips. 2. There are always some thought- less speakers-men and women who will carry injurious reports from house to house, from heart to heart; there are some who are cruelly careless what things they promul- gate; there are some who consciously and guiltily enlarge and misrepresent, who form the dangerous and deadly habit of exaggeration, of false colouring, and who end in systematic falsehood. Those who idly and foolishly report what is true are, indeed, less guilty than they who enlarge and pervert. But they are far from guiltless. We are bound to speak with sufficient caution to save ourselves from the charge of circu- lating evil and spreading sorrow. We are responsible to God not only for the carefully prepared speech, but also for the casual interjection ; that is the meaning of our Lord in his familiar words (Matt. xii. 36). It behoves us to remember that our brother's reputa- tion, usefulness, happiness, is in our charge, and one slight whisper may destroy it all. One breath of unkindness may start a long train of sad consequences which we have no power at all to stop. A very few unconsidered and unhappily uttered words may sever hearts that have been beating long in loving unison, may disunite lives that have been linked long in the bonds of happy love.-C. Ver. 14.-The growth of strife. Experience shows us that- I. STRIFE IS A GROWTH. It is as when one letteth out water; first it is the trickling of a few drops, then a tiny rill, then a stream, etc. So with strife; first it is a disturb- ing thought; then it becomes a warm or a hot feeling; then it utters itself in a strong, provoking word which leads to an energetic resentment and response; then it swells into a decided, antagonistic action; then it grows into a course of opposition, and becomes a feud, a contention, a war. II. 'l'BE GROWTH OF STRIFE IS A CALAMITY. 1. It is the source of untold and incalculable misery to many hearts. 2. It betrays several souls into feelings and into actions which are distinctly wrong and sinful. 3. It presents a moral spectacle which is grievous in the sight of Christ, the Lord of love. 4. It rends in twain that which should be ur.ited in ono strong and hi.ppy circle-the home, the family connection, the Church, the society, the nation. 5. It arrests the progress which would otherwise be m!lde in wisdom and in worth; for it causes numbers of men to expend on bitter controversy and contention the energy and ingenuity they would otherwise expend on rendering service and doing good. III. Oun DUTY, OUR WISDOM, Ill TO ARREST IT AT ITB BE<llnrnma. You cannot extin- 'i'HE PROVERBS. [on. XVII. 1-28,
guish the conflagration, hut you can stamp out the SJlark ; you cannot stop the flow of the ri"l"er, but you can dam the rill with the palm of your hand. You cannot heal a. great ~chi~m, but you can appease a persona.I dispute; ?r, what is better, you can recall t~~ of!ens1"l"e word you have ):Ourself spok~n; or, what 1s better still, you can repress the nsmg thought, you can call m to your aid other thoughts which calm and soothe the soul ; you can rem em her him who "bore such contradiction of sinners ac,-ainst himself" wh? "!s a sheep b~fore her_ shearers is dumb,_ ~o. he opened;not his mouth," and you c:n mruntam a magnammous silence. When this 1s no longer possible, because the first inciting word has been uttered and resented, then let there be an earnest and deter- mined effort to quell all heat in your own heart, and to pacify the one whose ano-er has been arc>used. "Illessed are the peacemakers," etc. (see also Matt. v. 25; Ro~. xii, 18).-C.