Vers. 8, 16.-Making the most of ourself and our life. How shall we most truly "love our own soul" but by making all we can make of the nature and the life God has entrusted to our care! And how shall we do this? Surely by "getting wisdom" and "keeping understanding." To look at the subject negatively and, beginning at the bottom, to take an upward path, we remark- . I. THAT CONTEMPTUOUS OARELESSNESS MEANS CERTAIN RUIN. "IIe that despiseth his ways shall die." The man who never pauses to consider what be can accomplish, how he shall spend his days and his powers, but who goes aimlessly onward, letting youth and manhood pass without any serious thought at all, and content to snatch the enjoyment of the passing hour,-is a man of folly, and he can expect nothing, as be certainly will find nothing, but the most meagre portion and a very speedy end of everything. He sows to the flesh, and of the flesh he reaps corruption. To " despise our way" in this fashion is to forfeit our inheritance and come to utter destitution. Moving. higher up, but still failing to reach the right standard, we remark- II. 'l'HAT ANY COUNSEL WHICH IS NOT OF Goo WILL PROVE DISAPPOINTING. There is much cleverness and keenness that is not wisdom; there is much concern about ourself and our futnre which is not a true "love for our own soul." There are many counsellors who will advise us to seek certain pleasures, or to aim at certain honours, or to climb to a certain position, or to seek entrance into some particular society, or t~. secure a certain treasure,-and it will he well with us. But any counsel which falh1 short of telling us the will of God, which leaves untold the wisdom which is from above, will certainly prove to be unsound. A point will come in our experience where it will break down. It will not meet the deeper necessities of our nature nor the darker passnges of our life. We must take higher ground-that on which we see- III. THAT DIVINE WISDOM WILL LEAD US TO TRUE AND LASTING BLESSEDNESS. "'l'he fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding " (Job xx:viii. 28; see eh. i. 7; ix. 10). And surely: 1. To know God is, in itself, a real and a great blessing (Jer. ix. 24). To know God ns h11 is revealed in Jesus Christ is 380 THE PROVERBS. [olt, :ux. 1-29,
to be enriched in the most precious and valuable knowledge; it is "to be wiser than the ancients;" it is to have that in our mind which is of more intrinsic worth than all that men can put into their pockets. 2. 'l.'o know God in Jesus Christ is to have rest of heart (Matt. xi. 28, 29). Those who love themselves will surely care for spiritual rest-for a peace which no favouring circumstances can confer. 3. To learn of Christ and keep his commandments is to be preserved in moral and spiritual integrity· he that "kcepeth the commandments" by consulting the will of Christ will certainly " keep his own soul " from all that stains and slays a human spirit and a human lifo -from impurity, insobriety, untruthfulness, dishonesty, profanity, selfishness• he will .. keep his soul" in the love of God, in the light of his countenance, under his 'guardian care. To remain. loyal to the wisdo~ of God (to "keep understanding") is to find every good that 1s open to us. It 1s to move along that path which is evermore ascending; which conducts to the loftier heights of moral excellency, of exalted spiritual joy, of holy and noble service; which leads to the very gates of heaven and the near presence of God.-C.
Ver. 17 (see also eh. x. I½, 31 ; xvii. 5).- Valuable kindness. We gather- !. THA:' HAUGHTY UNKINDNESS IS A HEINOUS SIN, To mock the poor or to oppresa the poor 1s to reproach our Maker. For he that made us made them ; and, in many instances, made th.em to be as they are. ~h~ Son of man himself was poor, having nowhere to lay his head; and although 1t 1s true that poverty is very often the consequence and penalty of sin, yet, on the other hand, it is often (1) the accompani- ment of virtue and piety; and (2) frequently it has been the penalty of faithfulness to conviction, and therefore the sign of peculiar worth. To treat with disdain a condition which God himself has associated with piety and even with nobility of character is to mock our Maker. .And to oppress such is to be guilty of a flagrant sin ; it is to take advantage of weakness in order to do a neighbour wrong; this is to add meanness to cruelty and injustice. It is, moreover, to do that which our Lord has told us he will consider to be directed against himself (Matt. xxv. 42, 43). II. THAT PRACTICAL PITIFULNESS IS A MUCH-REWARDED VIRTUE. 1. It is accepted by our Divine Lord as a service rendered to himself (text; Matt. xxv. 35, 36). How gladly would we minister to Jesus Christ were we to recognize in some weary and troubled neighbour none other than the Redeemer himself clothed in human form again! But we need not long for such an opportunity; nor need we wait for it. It is ours. We have but to show practical kindness to '' one of the least" of his brethren, and we show it nnto him, the Lord himself (Matt. xxv. 40). .And what we do shRll be rendered unto us again; i.e. we shall receive in return from our Father that which will fully compensate us. Our reward will include not only this gracious acceptance, but: 2. We shall earn the gratitude of thankful hearts; and if (as is likely enough) we go sometimes unblessed of man, yet at other times we shall not want the cordial, loving, prayerful gratitude of a human heart; and what better treasure could we hold than that? 3. God will bless us in our own hearts for every kindness we render. He has so made our spirits that they are affected for good or evil by everything we do. Each thought, each deed, leaves us other than we were; stronger, wiser, worthier, or else weaker, lees wise, less excellent, than before. Our character is the final result of everything that we have ever done, both in mind and in the flesh. So that each gracious word we speak, each kindly service we render to any one in need, is one more stroke of the chisel which is carving a beautiful character, fair in the sight of God himself. 4. We gain the present favour of our Divine Lord, and may look for his strong succour in our own time of need. 5. We shall receive his word of honour in the day "when every ma.n shall have praise of God" (1 Cor. iv. 5).-C.
Ver. 18.-(See homily on eh. xiii. 24.)-C. Ver. 20.-Ready at the end. The wise man always shows hie wisdom by looking well before him. It is the sure mark of a fool to content himself with the immediate present. We do not wonder that proverbs should deal much with the future. " Pas- sion and Patience" is 1he picture which is always being exhibited before the eyes of men. en. xrx. 1-29.] THE PROVERBS. 381