Ver. 8.-The end better than the beginning. I. THE IMPORT OF THE PROVERB BTA'l'ED. Not always true that the end of a. thing is better than the beginning. Whether it is so depends largely on what the thing is, upon the character of its beginning and the nature of its end. 1. Cases in which the maxim will not apply. (1) Evil projects which reach their consummation; as e.g. the temptation of Eve by Sa.tan (Gen. iii. 1, etc.), the wrath of Cain against Abel (Gen. iv. 8), the design of David against Uriah and Bathsbeba (2 Sam. xi. 2-24), the murder uf Naboth by Jezebel (1 Kings xxi. 14), the seduction of a youth by the strange woman (Prov. iv. 3, 4). (2) Undertakings which, though good, nevertheless fail to succeed; as e.g. the journey of Jacob and his sons to Egypt, which commenced in gladness and ended in bondage and oppression (Gen. xlvi. 5, 6; Exod. i. 13); the voyage of the corn-ship of Alexandria. which carried Paul, and which, though it left the Fair Havens with a. soft south wind, was not long after caught by a tempestuous Euroclydon and wrecked on the island of Malta. (Acts xxvii. 13, 14). (3) Works and lives which appear promising at the outset, but terminate in disappointment and disaster; as e.g. the kingship of Saul (1 Sam. x. 24; xxxi. 6), the apostleship of Judas (Matt. x. 4; xxvi. 14-16), the adventure of the prodigal (Luke xv.11-16), the ministry of Demas (2 Tim. iv.10). 2. Oases in which the maxim will apply. (1) Evil projects when they are defeated; as e.g. that of Satan to ruin man, which was counter-worked by Christ's mission to effect man's salvation (Heh. ii. 14, 15); or that of the same adversary to overthrow Job's faith and allegiance, which was overcome by Job's constancy and trust (Job xiii. 12); that of Haman to exterminate the Jews, which the skilfulness of Mordecai and Esther (Esth. viii. 7, 8) thwarted; and that of the Jews to assassinate Paul, which the tact of his sister's son (Acts xxiii.16-31) enabled him to escape; that of the Spanish Armada to overthrow the Protestantism of England, and that of St. Bartholomew's Day to crush the Huguenots in France. (2) Good undertakings when successfully completed; as e.g. the building of Noah's ark to save himself and family from the Flood (Gen. vi. 22); and of Solomon's temple for the worship of Jehovah (1 Kings vi. 37, 38); the emanci- pation of Israel from Egypt under the-leadership of Moses (Exod. xii. 51; xiv. 31); and afterwards from Babylon under that of Zerubbabel (Ezra i. 11); the work of human redemption which Christ completed on the cross (John xix. 30), nnd the life of a good m11u. who dies in the faith (2 Tim. iv. 6-8). II. THE TRUTH OF THE PROVERB JUSTIFIED. Of things to which the maxim will 11pply. 1. The be_qinnings are a!tended with anxieties and fears as to ultimate success; while from all such the endings are delivered. As no man can foretell what a day may bring forth, or provide agaiost a.11 possible contingencie~, no one can calculate with absolute certainty that any scheme of his contriving will attain to success. Mnn pro- poses, but God disposes. When, however, success has been attained there is manifestly no further ground or room for apprehension. 2. The beginnings have periods of labour before them; while the endings have all such periods behind them. Not that labour is a bad thing, but that labour accomplished is better to contemplate than labour not yet attempted. In the former case failure is impossible; in the latter case it is still possible. In the latter, energy, thought, care, have still to be expended; in the former these are no more demanded. Instead of toil, there is repose; instead of peril, safety; instead of anxiety, peace. 3. The beginnings are times of preparation, of effort, and of laying out, while the endings are seasons of fulfilment, of reward, and of gathering in. Examples will be found in the reaping of a harvest in autumn as contrasted with its sowing in spring, the completion of a house as distinguished from its foundation-laying, the collection of profits from a fortunate speculation or investment in business, the gaiuing of distinction in learning after a long course of diligent study, the attainment of the " exceeding, even an eternal, weight of glory " at the close of a life of faith. 172 ECCLESIASTES; OR, THE PREACHER. [on. v11. 1-29.
LEssoNS. 1. A stimulus to diligence. 2, An argument for patience. 8. A caution against rashness.