The Pulpit Commentary — Proverbs — Section 516

of execution, but who trembles at every footfall lest it should be that of the messenger who summons him to his doom. 3. This cowa1·dice gives rise to needless alarms. 'l'he murderer starts at the fall of a leaf-so utterly unstrung is he under the tremendous consciousness of gnilt. Can any condition be more dreadful? Rather than endure this agony of apprehension, men, who were in no danger of being arrested, have con- fessed their crimes and given themselves up to justice. ·when we consi<ler the relation of sin to God and to his judgments, it is foolish indeed to live in the cowardly shame of guilt.. For there are peace and pardon for the penitent. II. 'l'HE COURAGE OF llIGHTEOUSNESS. 1. This courage is based on a clean conscience. (1) The feeling of innocence. Una can brave the lion and subdue its savage nature to her service because the panoply of her innocence is her perfect protection. The martyr can face the fury of the persecutor, strong in the consciousness of right and truth. It is painful to be wrongly accused, but a sensible man should learn to bear calumny when he knows that he is not guilty in the sight of God. (2) The new experience of regeneration. One who has been redeemed by Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit !lecd not live in the perpetual fear of guilt and shame. He is forgiven and restored. He is like the prisoner who can walk boldly out of the jail with a royal pardon. Yet his confidence can never be the same as that of original innocence. It must always have a certain humility. 2. This courage is ;'ustifie,J, by ezperience. The true man does not find his boldness fail him. He is as safe as he feels himself. The first guarantee of success in any cause is a clear consciousness that we are in the right. In the end, right and truth must triumph. But if they meet with temporary defeat, their champion need fear no real evil. He now gives his life, as he has before given his strength, to the good cause. Whether he serves it by life or by <leath, he does nobly, and be need not fear that he will be deserted by God. Ver. 9.-The prayer that is an abomination. God does not hear all prayer. There n.re even prayers that he rejects with wrath. 'l'he broken words of the penitent, the simple cry of the little child, and the ungrammatical sentences of the ignorant person may be all acceptable to God, while prayers faultless in form and impressive in utter- ance are flung back as insults to the Divine majesty. The first consideration is not as to the nature of the prayer, but as to the character of the supposed worshipper. 'rhe prayer that is an abomination is one which, however perfect it may appear to be in itself, comes from contaminated lips. We need to examine ourselves rather than to weigh our phrases. I. 'l'HE CO~"DUCT THAT lll.AKES THE PilAYER AN ABOMINATION. This is the conduct of one "that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law." Such conduct carries with it two evil things. 1. Wilful error. The heathen who do not know the Law may well be dealt with leniently when they blunder into supe1·stition, and even confuse their consciences with degraded forms of religion, for their error is involuntary. But when a man has a.n opportunity of coming to a. knowledge of the truth, but rejects it in indolence or aversion, be is to blame for the wrong notions which would have been corrected but for his voluntary acceptance of darkness rather than light. Devotion ought to be enlightened by instruction. The Bible should be rend in public worship. Seri pture truth is needed as a guide to prayer. 2. DeUberate disobedience. The turning aside from heariag the Law is not likely to spring from a mere reluctance to learn its doctrines. Behind this there lies a di8like to obeying its precepts, which reveals a stubborn self-will in opposition to the will of God. Now, such an evil staLo of the heart precli..des all favour from Heaven. II. THE nEABON WHY THE PRAYER 1s AN ABOMINATION, This may be looked for in two directions. It may lie in the prayer itself, or it may be fouud in the man who utters it. 1. A. bad prayer is offered, If the worshipper is wilfully ignorant, he is to blame for asking for things which he would refrain from seeking when in a moro enliohtened condition. If he is self-willed a.nd disobedient, he is guilty of asking amiss for ~hat he may spend on his own lusts (Jas. iv. 3), instead of seeking what is in accordance with the will of God. 2. A. prayer proceeds from sinful lips. 'l'here are momentd of distress when the most undevout man would be glad of heavenly aid, if only it would come like the help given by Homer's gods and goddesses to his heroes in their times of danger. 'l'here is no spiritual religion ill the cry for help under such ffll, XXVIII, 1-28,] THE PROT'ERBS. G41