duced. This prooess could sosrcely be tain oircumstancea. Some or the Fathers, <'ailed "pressure," though, possibly, the commenting on tho Vulgato rendering (Qui squeezing of the udder is mesnt, as the fm·tif,er premit uber11 ad elicie11dum lac, e:&• Septuagint and Vulgatc take it. But most primit butyrum; et qui veliementer emungit, probably the reference is to cheese, the elicit sanguinem), apply tho passage to the term used, chemah, being applied ind iffer- handling of the Word of God. Thus St. ently to curdled milk and cheese. To pro- Gregory(' Moml.,' xxi. 3)," Divine sentences duce this substance, the curdled milk is put require sometimes to be viewed externally, into little baskets of rush or palm leaves, sometimes to be explored internally. For tied cloi,ely, and then pressed under heavy we • press the udder strongly' when we stones. What the proverb says is that, as weigh with minute understanding tbe word the pressure applied to milk produces cheese, of sacred revelation, by which way of press- and as pressure applied to the nose brings ing whilst we seek milk, we find butter, blood, so the pressure of wrath bringeth because, whilst we seek to be fed with bat forth strife ; the irritation and provocation a little insight, we e.re anointed with the of anger occasion quarrels and contentions. abundance of interior richness. Which, They say in llfalabar, remarks Lane, "Anger nevertheless, we ought neither to do too is a stone cast into a wasp's nest." Septua- much, nor at e.11 times, lest, while milk is gint, " Press out milk, and there shall be sought for from the udder, there should butter; e.nd if thou violently squeeze the follow blood. For very often, persons, whilst nostrils, blood will come forth: and if thou they sift the words of sacred revelation draw forth words, there will come forth more than they ought, fall into a carnal quarrels and strifes." It is the third clause apprehension. For • be draws forth blood which is important, and to which the others who wringeth violently.' Sinoe that is lead up; and the verse must be taken in con- rendered carnal which is perceived by an nection with the preceding, as enforcing the overgreat sifting of _tile spirit" (Oxford duty of self-restraint and silence under cer- trausl.).
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-4.-Tne weary search for God. If we read ver. 1 thus: "Words of Agur the son of the Princess of Massa. The man's saying, I have wearied myself about God, wearied myself about God-then did I withdraw!" we a.re led to the contempla- tion of one who has grown tired and despairing in a. hopeless search for God. I. IT IS NATURAL FOR MAN TO BEEK Gon. Agur appears to have lived far away from the borders of the favoured land of Israel. If he was a Jew, he was one in exile, separated from the home of his people. If he was an Ishmaelite, he was even outside the covenant of Israel, and in that case we have the striking picture of an Arab of antiquity anticipating Ma.hornet in breaking from the idolatry of his fathers. Like Balaam, like Job, this resident in a heathen land looks up to the true God. St. Paul spoko to the Athenians of those who could "seek God, if haply they might feel after him, and find him" (Acts xvii. 27); and St. Peter could acknowledge God's acceptanco of all who look to him truly, no matter what race they might belong to (Acts x. 35). Tbe natural search of the soul for God springs from certain great fundamental facts, viz. : 1. God is the Father of all men, 2. All men need God, 3. All men are separated from God by sin, and therefore must feel naturally at a. distance. The world needs God. But the world ha.a lost God. Hence the natural search for God. II. THE NATURAL SEARCH FOB Gon RESULTS IN WEARINESS. This is not the weariness of protracted thinking, the reaction from high mental tension. It is worse than that; it is the weariness of a long and apparently fruitless search. Man cannot by searching find ont God. God does not appear to respond to the inquiry of the seeking mind. Even to the wisest of the Greeks he was "an Unknown God" (Acts xvii. 23). For God is not visible to the natural reason, nor is he ever seen excepting when he reveals himself. Now, there is no weariness like that of a long and hopeless search. 'l'he sickness of despair then begins to tire the soul. Such weariness drivea men at iast to abandon the vain pursuit, .Agur said, "'l'hen did I withdraw ! " Hs gave up the inquiry. This is the refuge of agnosticism. Ill. 'l'HE GREATNESS OF GOD'S WORKS MAKES THE BEAROB FOR HIM'. A WEARINESS, Bow vast is bis created universe! No man can reach up to the starry altitudes of heaven, or dive into the deep mysteries of antiquity, to find the scope and range of Clr. :ttx. 1-38.J THE PROVERBS. 581
the Divine activity. The tremendous energy of nature overwhelms us. Science can investigate its laws, and in a measure make use of its forces ; but they come out of a terrible darkness, and they transcend the control of so feeble a creature as man. A"ur did not simply distress himself with his own fruitless thinking. He knew sometbin" of the history of philosophy, and yet he had not been able to find one iaquirer who had solved the terrible enigma. over which his own heart was breaking. IV. THE SEARCH FOR Gon IB SATISFIED IN THE REVELATION OF CHRIST. St. Paul said to the Athenians, "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you" (Acts xvii. 23). This is not an authoritative declaration of a dogma of Divinity. 1. The revelation of Christ is such that we can see it and understand it for ourselves. We can see that God is in Christ by observing the stamp of the Diviae on his counte- nance-the signs of God in his life and work. Then in knowing Christ we know God (John xiv. 9). 2. Moreover, this revelation of God in Christ flashes a light on the huge mystery of the universe, and helps_ us to find God in nature. 3. The reconciliation between man and God, effected by the cross of Christ, removes the dark barrier of sin, which is the greatest hindrance to the soul in its search for God, and brings us into the presence of God, where we can behold "the beatific vision."