flows back by a. law of rconomic grnvitation. A ma.n labours for himself with selfish- ness and wickedness, and the harvest falls into better hands; "not intending it of himself; but it is so clone through God's secret providence." IV. PRAYERS ARE VITIATED BY INJUSTICE. (Ver. 9.) They a.re tainted by a horrible lie. In prayer the goodness, the moral perfection, of God is assumed; and prayer implies that the holy will ou.~ht to be clone. Yet how great the contradiction between such prayers on the lips and the heart bent upon dcfcatin~ that will! ",Just reason that God shall refuse to hear him who refuses to hear God." \Vithout the "ceasing to do evil, and the learning to do well," sacrifices arc vain oblations, and 'incense is an abomination to God (Isa. i. 11-15). V. THE SEDUCER 1s SELF-SEDUCED. (Ver. 10.) So the snare of Balaam, laid for Israel, became the cause of his own ruin. If the retribution is not visible, it i.q a fact in the soul. Among the ingredients of remorse, none is more bitter tb:m the recollection of having led youth and innocence astray. It is a. sin most difficult of self-for.~veness. But the righteous inherit salvation. 'fhere is a real seme in which men shoul<l seek to realize the character of "just men that need no repentance." There is no salvation in 1ellishness-none which does not imply a regeneration of the social consciousness. VI. POVERTY AND RICHES HAVE THEIR COMPENSATION. (Ver. 11.) Confidence in riches begins in illusory self-confidence; and there is much to abet and foster it in the opinion of the multitude; for, as the old saying runs, "Rich men have ilO faults." Bat the poor man, endued with sense and with religion, sees through these false estimates; knows that the rich feel misfortune~ which pass over bis own head; that they pay a tax of constant care and anxiety; and that it is ever better to fare hard with good men than to feast with bad. VII. "THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE THE VOICE OF Goo." (Ver. 12.) Whatever be the love of greatness and splendour, of rank and position, in the common mind, the people cannot but rejoice in good rulers, and be depressed under evil. A generous acclamation breaks from the popular heart when good men are raised to honour. • 11 When Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in the kiug's royal apparel, ... the city ofShushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jew~ ha,! light, and ~laclness, anrl. joy, and honour; in every province ... a feo.st and o. good d,1y" (Esth. viii. 15-17).-J.
Vers. 13, 14.-'I'he inner conditions of peace· and of mi'se1·y. I. THE coNCE.1.T.ME)sT OF SIN. (Ver. 13.) It is like a. wo'rm in the bud, preyin·! upon the cheek n.ud upon the heart. The deepest way of such concealment is when the sinner persuades himself that "he has no sin," apologizing to himself, giving a false colour to his wrong. The sense of a dualism in our being unreconciled will not aclmit of peace nnd rest. II. THE CONFESSION AND RENUNCIATION OF !!IN. To o.dmit the truth about ourselves, neither extenuating nor exaggerating our sin and fault; to allow tho detecting an,\ discriminating light of Gocl's judgment to fall clear an,\ foll on tl,o conscience ;-this i~ wba.t confession requires. But it must be cow plcte,.l by rcnuuciation; otherwise it is a mockery. 'l'o say- " We're sorry and repent, And then go ou from do.y to day, Just as we always weut" -in the words or the child's hymn-is mere sentimcnto.lity o.nd we~knoss. Ilut never are these conditions fulfilled without a sense of the Divine pity striking into t 110 heart. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins; a.nu the conscience is assured that he is too ji:st to permit the sinner who has become " sufTcror from godly sorrow to b6 tormented by remorse one moment longer than is necl'ssnry for his healing. Ill. THE TENDER CONSCIENCE. (Ver. 14.) It is well with him whose heart is i:J. the coustant habit of reverential dependence upon Go.J. His law for human conduct envelops all life from the greatest to the minutest matters. It is the atmosphero of the soul that we need to keep pure; it i~ the fellowship with the Spirit who is holincs,. that wo need most jealously to guard. IV. 'l'uE HARDENING OF THE HEART. (Ver. 11.) Making li~ht of sin leads to its repetition; repetition indurates the conscience. Di~rcgnrd of the delicacies of the soul }ead,.q surely to a benumbed, aud presently to a lost, sensibility. It is bett,,r to fed tw PROV~:RBB. 2 N 546 THE PROVERBS, [oH. xxvm.1-28.