is confident without warrant is likely to be off his guard. Believin" that all is safe, he does not fortify himself against a possible surprise of mischief. He is just in the condition most favourable for attack. The wily tempter is aware of this. Therefore the danger is all the greater because it is ignored. Thus Peter, weakened through over-confidence, fell into sin, even though he had been warned against it. Ill. ITB BIN. This is not merely a question of prudence and personal welfare. It touches our relations with God. He who boasts himself of the morrow acts either atheisticaUy, denying the Divine control of life, or presumptwusly, assuming without reason that God will aid his planH. Such conduct reveals a guilty pride. It is opposed to the humility of one who would bow low before the inscrutable providence of the Almighty. IV. ITB PUNISHMENT. Such boasting is certain to be punished by failure. It would not be well to Jet it proceed to success, for such a result would only confirm and aggravate the evil habit. Partial and temporary victory may be attained, but ultimate triumph cannot be won in this way. God casts down and humbles the boaster, and in his shame he has an opportunity of learning wisdom. V. 1TB ANTIDOTE. This is not to be found in a cowardly shrinking from the future, nor is it to be had in a habit of despair, ever painting the days to come iu the blackest hues, with the melancholy motto, "Blessed is he that expecteth little; for he shall not be disappointed." The true antidote is to be discovered in a spirit of trust. God has indeed hung an impenetrable curtain between our vision and the land of the future. Even the very morrow dwells as yet in a land of dru-kness, and we vainly try to discern its features. But it is perfectly familiar to God, before whom all eternity i~ as a clear picture ever present. And God, who knows the future, controls it. Therefore we are safe when we trust; and, eschewing boastfulness, we can learn not to be anxious about the morrow, because we can trust our Father who holds the secrets of all the morrows in his hand. Ver. 2.-Self-praise. I. SELF-PRAISE IS ILL-FOUNDED. It may be true to fact, but we cannot be sure that it is. 1. Possibly it is insincere. So many motives <.>f vanity aud self-interest urge a person to pretend to be better than he is, that a certificate of merit given by himself on behalf of himself cannot be to.ken at o. high vnlue. 2. Probably it is delusive. Even when it i~ perfectly sincere it is likely to be perverted by unconscious misconceptions. It is very easy to be honestly mistaken as to one's own worth. We o.re the worst conceivabh, judges of our own characters and deserts. Even when we co.n calmly and fairly eijtiD.late our powers we are likely to be very wrong in valuing our use of them. II. SELF-PRAISE SPRINGS FROM SELFISIINEBB, 1. It reveals e1 self-regarding habit. If a man is given to expatiate on bis own merits, he must be accustomed to turn his thoughts inwards; he must be familiar with the contemplation of himself. Now, this is not wholesome. 'l'he less a man thinks abot1t himself the better for his own soul's health. 2. It implies a desire of self-aggrandizement. There is usually a motive behind the habit of self-praise, and, though this may he nothing worse than childish vanity, it carries with it a desire for exciting the admiration of others; it aims at reaping a harvest of lo.udation. But possibly the end sought is more far-reaching, and the pretentious person indicts bis own testim0nials with a deliberate intention of securing some tangible advantage thereby. 'fhe self-praise is then just an ugly, glaring blossom of selfishness. III. SELF-PRAISE PROVOKES JEAT.OUBY. It rhrely secures the admiration that it seeks. On the contrary, it is generally received with suspicion; and even when it is honest and true, a large discount is taken off its claims. 1. Its defective auth01"ity i, perceived. This is a point to which vanity i11 siLgularly blind. Yet all the weakness of the situation is apparent to every beholder; for it is universally recognized that a man is strongly tempted to make out a good cas.i for himself, and that he is likely to be deceived into an inordinate estimate of his own value. Therefore self-praise is usually wasted. 2. lt irritates the vanity of others. 'l'he tendency is for the hearer to imagine that the vain speaker desires to exalt himself at the expense of others. A comparison of merit seems to be challenged, and this at once rouses the jealousy of the o.udience. 'l'hus self-praise does not win friends. What it may perhaps succeed in 522 THE PROVERBS. [OH, XXVII, 1-27.
extracting in the form of admiration Is paid for dearly by the dislike that it also creates. _IV. ~E:LF-PRAISE I:' c_ON;1'RARY TO CHRISTIAN HUMILITY. It represents a wholly ahen spmt. Doubtless 1t 1s a common weakness of men who are truly Christian and kind-hearted, for no man is perfect; but still it is a weakness, and it is foreicrn0 to the genius of the religion under which it finds a shelter. The often-repeated rule of Christ is that "Whosoever exalteth himself sh,l!.II be abased;" "The first shall be last." The true disciple is not to choose the upper seat in the synagogue. Humility, self-forgetful- ness, the preference of others, are the Christian graces. Self-praise is useless before God. V. SELF-PRAISE ONLY AIMS AT WHAT CAN BE BETTER ATTAINED WITHOUT IT. "Let another man praise thee." Self-praise silences the lips of admiration from others. The truly humble man will not crave such admiration. But all men of right feeling must desire to stand well with their fellows. It is happy to feel that we have the respect and confidence of those whose opinion we value. Now, these encourage- ments are better secured by unpretentious merit, and humility in earnest simple attempts to do right. '