Ver. 19.--{See homily on eh. xxvii. 23.)-C. Vers. 20, 22 (and ver. 8).-WeaUh 07' faithfulness1 a sermon to young men. What shall the young man set before him as his goal when he stands face to face with active life? Shall be make up his mind to be rich, or shall he resolve that, whatever his circumstances may be, he will be counted among those who are faithful to their trust? Shall be fix his mind upon and find his heritage in a large esta.te or in an honourable and a useful life? Let such an inquirer consider- !. THE OBAVE DOUBT ABOUT WEALTH, To have sufficiency of money for a. comfort- able home, for education, for the furtherance of the cause of God, and for the relief of human want,-this is certainly a very desirable thing. He who is facing the future may honestly desire to attain it, and be who has won it may well give God hearty thanks for the goodness which has placed this blessing in his power. But the mere acquisition of wealth, on which so many set their hearts, to which they devote their Jives, and for which they sacrifice the best and highest things of all, ensui·es nothing at all of that which is valuable to a man who uses his reason and cares for his character. For who can be sure: L How it will be gained. 'l'here are temptations on every hand to gain money dishonestly or, if not fraudulently, by questionable means; by taking ndvantage of the weak and struggling in a way which, if it be not positively unjust, is inconsiderate and unkind. Of those who "make baste to be rich," how very large a proportion fail to "be innocent" (v~r. 20) I They eithe! ~evi~te from the straight line of perfect equity, or they wander into ways of rank 1nJust1ce and shameful wrong. Who shall say whether the ne~t aspirant will not be cou:nt~d in _their number? An~ what does it profit a man to gain a fortune and to lose hie 1ntegnty? 2. How long it will stay. He "considereth not that poverty shall come upon him." Few things are lesR certain than the duration of wealth. ,vho that has reached middle life has not frequently known of those that were 5upposed to be beyond the reach of misfortune beiug suddenly reduced or positively beggared (see eh, xxiii. 6)? 3, How much ii on. xxvm.1-28.] THE PROVF.RBS. 551
will do for its possessor. "He that hasteth . . . bath an evil eye;" so far is he from being satisfied with his fortune, and from looking graciously and generously npon nil hie neighbours, rich and poor, that he looks enviously upon those that are wealthier thari himself, proudly upon those that are less successful, and grudgin_qly upon those that are poor, lest they should want his aid and diminish his store. 4. Whither it will go. If dishonestly obtained, it is likely enough that wealth will soon meet with the penalty it deserves, and pass to another holder. It may go to him that will "pity the poor,'' or it may get into the hands of "the fool," who will squander it in some kind of folly (Eccles. ii. 18, 19, 21). There is, then, an utter uncertainty abo;,it riches. It may be that God has not intended a man to be rich, but to be happy in a very humble stntion (eh. xxx. 9); and a pertinacious endeavour to secure what God bas not placed within reach must end in a wretched failure and a badly bruised spirit. 'l'o such as .these the strong words of Paul are applicable (1 Tim. vi. 0, 10). II. 'l'HE CERTAINTY ABOUT FAITHFULNESS. "A faithful man shall abound with 'blessings.'' And there is no room for questioning it. Let a man be faithful to bis convictions; let him be to God, his Father and his Saviour, what be knows in his heart he should be; let him be tnie and upright in all his relations with his fellow- men, and he will be regulating bis life by a sovereign principle which will "abound with 'l\lessings.'' It will: 1; Build up a strong and noble character. 2. Establish an honourable reputation and win the confidence of men. 3. Secure as large a measure of peace and of happiness as is the lot of disciplined humanity. 4. Dispense much good of many kinds to those around, both in public and in domestic life. 5. Lead down to a peaceful end, and on to a glorious future. What wise man would endanger the loss of these priceless blessiags for the uncertain and transient good of worldly wealth ?-C. Ver. 23.-(See homily on eh. x.xvii. 5, 6.)-C. Ver. 24.-Filial duty. These words may be taken not only as condemnatory of filial wrong, but as suggestive of filial obligation. We look first at- I. THREE FORMS OF FILIAL WRONG. 1. Culpable carelessness. Doing things or leaving them undone, so that the money of parents (which, perhaps, can ill be spared) is wasted. 2. Unconscientious appropriation. Which m!l.y ascend from picking out of the pot or taking from the cupboard up to o. serious o.ppropriation of property. 3. Unprincipltd involvement. Either in the form of (1) contracting debts which (it may ·be weil known) will have to be paid out of the father's purse; or, what is still worse, (2) following an evil course of conduct which will discredit the family namo n.nd rob ·it of its honoured and prized reputation. II. ITs GUILTINESS DEFORE Goo. 'l'bey wh11 do such things may justify them to their own minds; they may say to themselve~, "It is no transgression; what is our parents' is our own;" but this is noi the light in which it shows to Heaven. It is not only the wise man. but tho Son of God, who has affixed his solemn condemnation to fihal shortcoming (Matt. xv. 6). Undutiful conduct toward parents is a very heinous sin. 1. It is in most distinct violation of tho Divine command (Exod. xx. 12; Deut. xxvii. 16; Matt. xix. 10; Eph. vi. 1, 2; Col. iii. 20). 2. It is a wrong done to thosa ·who, ln virtue of their relationship, have the strongest claim upon us. 3. It is a siu against those who have spent on us the most patient, sacrificial love. To rob them to whom we owe more than we can owe any other human being is o.n aggrilvated offence indeed, It is well to consider- UL THE TRUE FILIAL FEELING, A true son, who realizes whnt is due to his parents, will not only shrink from taking the ndvantage which his father's trustfulness places in his power, but he will consider how he may make some return for nil that ho has received at hie parents' hands. And he will understand that this is to be rendered by: 1. Responsive affection. 2. Prompt and cheerful obedience. 3. Roady acquiescence in those things which are beyond his reach; docility and submissiveness of spirit. 4. Practical willingness to share the burdens of the home. Thus ho will lighten the labour and brighten the lives of thoso who were tho first, and will perhaps be tho longest, if not the last, to love him.-lJ. Vers; 25 (l11tter part) and 26 (former pnrt).-Jn whom to trust. They who look 652 'l'HE PROVERBS. [on. XXIX, 1-27.