Ver. 20.-" .Afaitliful man." I.~Hrs CllARACTER. Nothing can be more grand than fidelity. When found in a man it is an image of the eternal constancy of God; it is like that Divine righteousness which the psalmist compared to the "everlasting hills" -so firm., so enduring, so changeless. It would be well if this grand Old Testament grace were more prized and cultivated in the Christian Church. Let us consider it in some of its manifold aspects. What is the character of the faithful man? 1. He is true to himself. This fidelity must lie at the root of his fidelity to others. The faithful man must act out honestly what he feels to be demanded by his own inner convictions. 2. He is true to his God. The man of God is faithful as well as trustful 'l'hus his faith has the two sides of passive submission and active loyalty, The primary duty to God must be observed before the secondary duty to man can be kept. 3. He is true to his friend. This does not merely mean that he keeps his pledges. It also involves his regarding the welfare of his friend and coming to his aid in the hour of need, danger, and helpful service. 4. He is true to his word-one who "sweareth to his own hurt aud changeth not." It is nothing that we keep our promises when they run along the lines of our own inclinations. 'l'he test is that they are equally honoured when they involve self-sacrifice. 5. He is true when unobserved. Faithful service is the opposite of eye-service. The faithful man will do well, though he never expects to be called to account. Faithful work is that which never meets the eye, and yet is as well wrouO'ht as the most conspicuous work. 6. He is true in/ace of danger. Here is the test of fidelity. The faithful servant of Christ is one who will not forsake his Lord when persecution threatens him. The martyr is "faithful unto death" (Rev. ii. 10). II. His FRUITFULNESS, He "abounds with blessings." He is like Abraham, "the father of the faithful," who was both blessed himself and a blessing to others (Gen. xii. 2). 1. He is a, recipient of abundant blessings. It is a happy thing to, be faithful even though fidelity be met with misunderstanding or persecution: (1) Fidelity is itself a blessing. This grace is its own reward. To have grace to live a stron~~ true, noble life is to be one of God's blessed sons, though no further reward be ant1c1pated. (2) Fidelity brings many earthly blessings. It may not secure worldly wealth, though i:enerally integrity is a safer road to ~uccess in life t~e.':1 t~e crooked path~ uf dishonour. But it will secure peace, and 10 the long run 1t 1s hkely to be rccogmzed and rewarded with well-merited honour. 'l'o be accounted a faithful servant is to be crowned with better than Olympian garlands. (3) Fidelity will be rewarded with OH. xxvm.1-28.J THE PROVERBS. 643
heavenly favolll'. This is just the chief of Divine approvals singled out by Christ for his servants, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. x.xv. 21). 2. He is a source of abundant blessings, One true, faithful soul-what a tower of strength I what e. treasury of help I what a haven of refuge I He is rich indeed who has a faithful friend. The faithful man can be relied on to help in time of need, when the faithless man, who perhaps is much stronger, deserts his trusting friend. Christ is faithful (2 Thess. iii. 3), and as such is a source of abundant blessings to his people. His fidelity is the ground of our faith. Ver. 26.-Thefolly of trusting one's own heart. I. WHAT IT IS TO TRUST IN ONE's OWN HEART. 1. It is to trust in one's own wisdom. The heart here, as throughout the Bible, stands for the intellectual as well as the emotional nature. 'fherefore we may be said to trust in it when we lean to our own understanding (eh. iii. 5) rather than seek counsel from God in prayer and the use of the Scriptures. 2. It is to trust in our own character. We may think highly of our own g::,odness and moral strength, and so venture into temptation needlessly or rush into difficult enterprises without counting the cost. 3. It is to trust in our own affections. Thus we are led to believe, like Peter, that our love to Christ will not fail (Matt. xxvi. 35). 4. It is to trust in our own energy. Thiaking we can do more than we are capable of accomplishing, through over-estimating our mental or spiritual powers we unduly rely on Olll' own resources. II. How ONE IS TEMPTED TO TRUST IN ONE'S OWN HEART. 1. Pride tempts. It is humiliating to own weakness. .A. high opinion of one's own merits inevitably leads to a dangerous self-confidence. 2. Unbelief tempts. !f men had more faith in God they would not be so content to rely on their own poor resources. It is the worldly spirit that leads to the limitation of view to human powers. 3. Self-will tempts. Men naturally desire to have their own will fulfilled. The less they look away from them- selves, the more does it appear that they can do as they like. .A. selfish life tends to be a self-contained life. III. WHY IT IS FOOLISH TO TRUST IN ONE'S OWN HEART. 1. The heart is deceitful. "Deceitful above all things" (Jer. xvii. 9). We do not know our own hearts. There are hidden weaknesses, unsuspected snares, unlooked-for limits. Ignorance of our own inner selves makes the self-trust e. confidence without foundation. 2. The heart is sinful. "Desperately wicked" (Jer. xvii. 9). Too often he who trusts in his own heart trusts in an evil heart. 'l'herefore he is likely to be led astray by his thoughts and desires. Until the heart is clennsed and renewed, the worst possible course is to trust it. On the contrary, it must be distrusted, resisted, restrained. 3. The heart is frail. Even when it has been freed from the dominion of sin, the heart of man iti liable to fall, open to temptation, and in danger of yielo.ing in the moment of trial. IV. IN WHAT WAY ONE 0AN AVOID TRUSTIN<l IN HIS OWN HEART. It is not enongh to see the danger and folly of this trust, for a ma.n must have something to rest upon, and if the best foundation is unstable he will still build upon it rather than abandon himself to despair. Now, the cure for the tendeacy to trust in a wrong security is to be found in the possession of a better faith, a faith that is wise and safe. One great mischief of a man's trusting in his own heart is that he is thus led to forsake God. The remedy is found in returning to the true ground of the soul's confidence in God. He who thus trusts is wise. 1. God is true. Unlike the fickle heart, he is faithful and can always be trusted. 2. God is good. Therefore we should turn from the siaful heart to the holy and gracious God. 3, God is strong. 'l'he frail heart fails; tho mighty God is a steadfast Rock.