v. 32; xix. 8, etc.). The original integrity roughly. The hardening effect of wealth is of the mnrriage contract was re-established seen in onr Lord's parables of Dives and by Obrist. Lazarus (Lnke xvi.), and the Pharisee and Ver. 23.-This and the following verse, the publican (Luke xviii.). and the first two verses of the next chapter, Ver. 24.-A man that l1ath friends must are not found in the chief manuscripts of the show himself friendly. The Authorized Septuagint, though in later codices they Version is certainly not correct. The He- hnve been supplied from the Yersion of brew is literally, a man of friends will come Theodotion. 1'be Codex Ven et us llfa.rcianus to destruction. The word 1'.J?ii)'.l,') (hithroe,a) (23, Holmes and Parsons) is the only uncial is the hithp. infinitive of vin '' to break or that contains them. The poor useth in- destroy" (comp. Isa. xxiv. 10); and the treaties; but the rioh answereth roughly. maxim means that the man of many friends, The irony of the pnssage is more strongly ex- who lays himself out to make friends of bad pressed by Siracides : "The rich man bath and good alike, does so to hie own ruin. done wrong, and yet he tbreateneth withal: They will feed upon him, and exhaust his the poor is wi:onged, and he must intreat resources, but will not stand by him in the also" (Ecclus. xiii. 3). The rich man not day of calamity, nay, rather will give a help- only does wrong, but accompanies the injury ing hand to his downfall. It is not the number with passionate language and abuse, as if he of so-called friends that is really useful and were the sufferer; while the poor man has preoious. But there is a friend that sticketh humbly to ask pardon, as if he were in the oloser than a brother ( eh. x vii. 17 ; x..wii. wrong. Thus the Roman satirist writes- 10). " Libertas pauperis hrec est : Noµ,(' ,Ue>.4>ob, .-ob, d>..116,vob, ,p[>..ou<. Pulsatus rogat et pugnis coneisus adorat, Ut lice.. t paucia cum dentibus iode reverti." ,; Thy trne friends hold as very brethren." (J,µv., 'Sat.,' iii. 209.) The Vnlgate has, ViT amabilis ad societa.- Aben Ezrn explains the verse as denoting tem magis amicua erit qu,a.mfrater, "A man that a poor man making a submissive request amiable in interconne will be more of a. from a rich man is answered cruelly and friend than even a brother."
HOMILETICS. Ver. 10.-" A strong tower." These words suggest to us an image of a disturbed country with a massive fortified tower standing in its midst, ready to serve as a refuge for the peasants, who.till the fields when all is peaceful, but who flee to the tower for shelter when they see the enemy scouring over the plain. The baronial castles of England served the same purpose when our own country was suffering from the ravages of war. In the dangers of life the Name of the Lord is a similar refuge for his people. I. NOTE THE NATURE OF THE TOWER. "The Na.me of the Lord." 1. God himself. " God is our Refuge and Strength" (Ps. xlvi. 1). He does not send an angel to protect us. The Church is not a citadel for those who have not first found their shelter in God. But God is with his people for their protection. Even when we have sinned we must "flee from God to God "-from his WrRth to his mercy. 2. The God of Israel. The Lord, Jehovah. He is known in revelation, and he has been proved in history. This is no new tower that has not been tried and may be found faulty in the hour of need, like a fortreBs that bas never been besieged. The story of God':; people in all ages is one long confirmation of its venerable strength. 3. God as he is revealed-in his Name, '!'his implies two things. (1) Our knowledge of God. The name is significant of the attributes. God is what his Name signifies. (2) God's own glory and fa.ithfult!.ess. He is sometimes appealed to for his Name's sake. For the sake of his glory, and also his fidelity to his promiseR, his protecting grace is expected. II. OBSERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE REFUGE. A tower. 1. Strong. God is II Fortress. We do not confide in a weak goodness. Our security is in God's strength. 2. Lofty. The tower stands high up above the plain. It is the opposite to a mine. We must look up for shelter. We must climb to God. Our safety is in aspiration. 3. In our midst. 'fhough the top of the tower soars above our heads, its foundation is at our feet, and we can enter it from where we stand. God is near at hand for shelt&r and safety. 4. Conspicuous. A cave may not be easily discovered among the rock a of the hill:iide, but a tower is visible to all. Thuugh the presence of God is not vitible to the eye of sense, the revelation of the gospel is open and conspicuous. PROVERBS. 2 4 354: THE PROVERBS, [en. xvm. 1-24,
III. CONSIDER RO'W 'I'RE REFUGE MAY DE USED. 1. For the righteous. The tower !s a shelter trom undeserved suffering, as in the case of Job, . Here wronged innocence JS safe. It 1s also for all the redeemed who stand before God m the new ri"hteousness of Christ. We cannot be sheltered by God till we are reconciled to G~d. 2. By entering y·t. There is no safety in looking at it. It is necessary to flee to God in order to be protected by him. The fugitive may even need to run to reach the tower before the foe overtakes him. 3. With safety. It is not a palace with a banqueting-hall and couches of ease. It is a fortress, and therefore it may not always be comfortable· but it is safe. We are safe with God. '