Proverbs 11:17

The merciful man doeth good to his own soul

The merciful man

Our God is a God of mercy.

Since He is full of mercy Himself, He is well pleased when He sees us exercise the same towards our fellow-creatures. The wise man here does not speak of tenderness towards others. The merciful man he here represents is a self-interested individual. He “doeth good to his own soul.” The merciful is he who is alive to his eternal interests, who is seeking the good of that treasure which is committed to him--“his own soul.” How may you promote this most desirable of all objects?

1. He who would do good to his own soul must carefully avoid all manner of sin, whether in thought, word, or deed. The thoughts must be watched. We are to be careful of the words which we utter, so that we may not make our tongues the instruments of evil-speaking, lying, and slandering. And careful also of our conduct and action.

2. Another mark of the object being kept in view, is the habitual study of the Word of God. The Scriptures testify of Christ, and point Him out as the “way, the truth, and the life.”

3. Attention to the means of grace.

4. He endeavours to realise an interest in the merits and atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.

5. The merciful man, who does good to his own soul, does so only by placing his entire dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. (D. Slyman, B.A.)

The generous and the ungenerous

I. A generous disposition is a blessing to its possessor.

1. A merciful man doeth good to his intellectual faculties. It is a psychological fact that the intellect can only see clearly, move freely, and progress vigorously as it is surrounded by the atmosphere of disinterested affection. Selfishness blinds, cripples, enervates the intellect.

2. A merciful man doeth good to his moral sentiments. Conscience approves only of the actions that spring from love.

II. An ungenerous disposition is a curse to its possessor. Unmercifulness of disposition breeds the fiends of envy, jealousy, malice, remorse, fear, suspicion, pride, that torment the soul. (Homilist.)

Mercy to sufferers and to offenders

Mercy to sufferers is the disposition to relieve; mercy to offenders is the disposition to forgive. The two are infinitely united in God. Under His government all sufferers are offenders. It is only as offenders that they are sufferers, and when He pardons the offence He cancels the sentence to suffering. And in every good man the two are united. They should, indeed, be regarded as one principle, operating in different departments. The merciful man, whether considered in the one light or in the other--in exercising forgiveness or in relieving distress--“doeth good to his own soul”; he effectually consults his own interests. In the exercise of the generous and kindly affections there is a genuine and exquisite happiness. (R. Wardlaw.)