moral qualities. For : 2. The secret of the l,ighest courage ia faith. Ho who trust3 G,Jd ie armed with the might of God. This is higher than natural strength, because "even the you the shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isa. xl. 30, 31). 'Jhus there is a strength that is perfected in weakness (2 Cor. xii. 9). 3. Therefore we have no excuse to faint in the day of adversity. With such stoies of strength for the weakest, failure is culpable. Note: \Ve are not to blame for meeting with adversity-we cannot escape it; nor for suffering under it-this is natural ; but only for fainting~ i.e. for collapse and despair. Yet even this may not mean utter failure. We may still have some strength, though it be sickly and fast ebbing a.way. Like Gideon's heroes, we may be "faint, yet pursuing" ( J udg. viii. 4). Vers. 11, 12.-Culpable negligence. Following the Revised Version and the now generally accepted rendering of these verses, we will read the first as an exhortation to deliver men from death, and the second as a warning against neglecting this duty. I. THE EXHORTATION. "Deliver them that are carried away unto death, and those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back." Note first the grounds, and then the application, of this exhortation, 1. The grounds of it. (I) It springs from human need. Men are in danger in war, famine, poverty, disease, sin. The world cannot go on without mutual assistance. The selfish policy of sauve qui peut would be fatal to society. (2) It is based on human brotherhood. God has made all men of one blood (Acts xvii. 26). Our fellow-creatures of the animal world have claims upon us; for, like us, they are sensitive, and God made both us and them. Much more are our fellow-men in our care. (3) It is urged by Divine commands. The Bible teaches duty to man as well as to God, on Divine authority. The mainly negative requirements of the ten commandments do not cover all our duty. We are called upon to love our neighbours as ourselves, (4) It is confirmed by the example of God. He has given us our lives, spared them when forfeited by sin, and saved them from many dangers. He has given his Son in death to save us from ruin. Such redeeming mercy makes churlish negligence ou our part doubly culpable. 2. The application of it. (1) There should be mercy in war. It is heathenish to refuse quarter. The Christian soldier will dress the wounds of his enemy. (2) We should render assistance in C1LSes of accident and danger. It is horrible to read in the newspapers of men who would watch a child drown because they were not officers of the Royel Humane Society, because it was not their business to save lifo, and even because they had good clothes which they did not wish to soil. Selfish people will see a. man half murdered inn strcet- qlll\rrel without interfering. (3) We should help the poor. This applies to our own poor first, then to those of our neighbourhood, but the obligation extends as far :is a China famine. (4) Hospitals deserve support, for ministrations to the sick directly tend to preserve life. (5) Social reforms demand Christian assistance. (6) It is our supreme duty to spread the gospel throughout the world. This is a" Word of lifo" (Phil. ii.16). To let men perish for lack of the bread of life is culpable negligence. The lepers of Samaria rebuke such conduct (2 Kings vii. !J). II. 'l'BE w ARNING. I. Ignorance is no excuse. " Behold, we knew it" ( or "him") "not." Of course, this does not apply to unavoidable ignomnce. But the rich should know the condition of the poor. It is the duty of the West End to investigate the condition of the East End. While this duty is neglec::ted the comfortable complacency of ignorance is unpardonable. Further, if the attempted excuse be that the sufferer is personally unknown to us, this must not be admitted. Ho is still our brother. 'l'ho parable of the good Samaritan shows that the perfect stranj!:er has claims upon ue. i. God observes this negligence. He "pondereth the heart." He reads our secret thoughts and weighs our motives. Thus he knows whether we are kept ha.ck by unavoidable ignorance or inability to help, or whether the negligence is wilful. With this awful fact before us, that there is One who "pondereth the hoart," all flim.sy excuses must shrivel up and leave the negligence of the needy in its naked guilt. 3. God will treat us according to O'Ur treatment of our fellow-men. "With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again" (Matt. vii. 2). Moreover, ~n regard to the duty now before us, it is to be observed that God takes uote of omissions as woll as PROVEilDS, 2 H 466 THE PROVERBS. [cu. XXIV. 1-34.
of transgressions. The "eternal fire" is not spoken of by our Lord for thieves murderers, etc., but for those who failed to help the hungry, the thirsty, the needy (Matt. xxv. 41--46).