_A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke._ THE HEEDLESS SCORNER The first part of the sentence has been rendered, “is his father’s instruction”; i.e., a wise son embodies his father’s instruction. A wise man may point to his son and say, “This is the sum-total... [ Continue Reading ]
_A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth._ NATURAL RETALIATION Although the spirit and practice of retaliation are nowhere vindicated in Scripture, but everywhere explicitly and strongly condemned, yet a treatment corresponding to their own conduct towards others is what every one may expect... [ Continue Reading ]
_The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat._ THE NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF IDLENESS AND OF INDUSTRY This text is true both in a temporal and spiritual sense. I. The nature and effects of sloth. The slothful man wants to attain the end with... [ Continue Reading ]
_A righteous man hateth lying._ MORAL TRUTHFULNESS I. An instinct to the righteous. “A righteous man hateth lying.” A soul that has been made right in relation to the laws of its own spiritual being to the universe and to God has an instinctive repugnance to falsehood. A right-hearted man cannot b... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wickedness overthroweth the sinner._ THE EFFECTS OF SIN There is a cause for every effect. Moral evil, as a cause, has produced the most awful, alarming, and extensive consequences. I. Give the character of the sinner. 1. What is sin? The transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). No law, no transg... [ Continue Reading ]
_There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing._ THE POOR RICH AND THE RICH POOR Two singularly-contrasted characters are set in opposition here. One, that of a man who lives like a millionaire and is a pauper; another, that of a man who lives like a pauper and is rich. Now, I do not suppose... [ Continue Reading ]
_The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out._ THE LIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE LAMP OF THE WICKED By this we are to understand that the light of the righteous burns joyously, is a very image of gladness and rapture: the sun rejoiceth as a giant to run his co... [ Continue Reading ]
_Only by pride cometh contention, but with the well-advised is wisdom._ PRIDE AND HUMILITY By a proud man we mean one who esteems himself better than others; by a humble man, one who esteems others better than himself. What are the evil effects of pride? 1. It cuts off a man from all the salutary... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase._ RIGHT METHODS OF OBTAINING WEALTH The text implies three things. I. That wealth in itself is a good thing. 1. All men strive for it, in obedience to the original command--to possess the earth and subdu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life._ HOPE DEFERRED Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, whether the person hoping, or the thing hoped for, be good or evil. The second member of the text is a dividing word. “Tree of life” belongs only to the hope o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed._ MAN’S DESTRUCTION The more literal rendering would be, “He that despiseth the Word shall bring ruin on himself.” This is a great law of the Biblical revelation--namely, that destruction is not a merely arbitrary act on the part of God, a mere penalty,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The law of the wise is a fountain of life._ THE LAW OF THE GOOD I. The good are ruled by law--“The law of the wise.” What is law? The clearest and most general idea I have of it is--rule of motion. In this sense all things are under law, for all things are in motion. The material universe is in m... [ Continue Reading ]
_Good understanding giveth favour._ A SOUND INTELLECT I. The nature of a sound intellect. A good understanding must include four things. 1. Enlightenment. The soul without knowledge is not good. A good understanding is that which is well informed, not merely in general knowledge, but in the scien... [ Continue Reading ]
_Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly._ THE WISE AND THE FOOLISH I. The wise man. “He dealeth with knowledge.” This implies-- 1. That he has knowledge. Knowledge is essential to a wise man. All true knowledge has its foundation in God. There is no knowledge t... [ Continue Reading ]
_A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health._ MINISTERS ARE AMBASSADORS I. Justify the comparison of the Ambassador and the minister of the gospel. Observe-- 1. The high commission under which they act. The ambassador is invested with authority to perform busine... [ Continue Reading ]
_But he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured._ ACCEPTING REPROOF One of the weakest traits of any person is to be unwilling to accept honest criticism and correction. From the foolish child who will never listen to parental authority, on to the foolish man who will never listen to rebuke or rea... [ Continue Reading ]
_The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul._ SOUL PLEASURE AND SOUL PAIN I. Soul pleasure. What is it? 1. An accomplished desire. Desire is the spring power of our activities. Locke defines it “as the uneasiness which a man feels within him on the absence of anything whose present enjoyment car... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed._ WALKING WITH WISE MEN A MEANS OF ATTAINING WISDOM I. What is it to walk with wise men? It is to choose persons of that character for our intimate friends, and voluntarily join in their company and conversati... [ Continue Reading ]
_Evil pursueth sinners:but to the righteous good shall be repaid._ THE PRACTICE OF WICKEDNESS GENERALLY ATTENDED WITH GREAT EVIL The practice of righteousness is men’s true interest, even in this present life. Wickedness is generally attended with great misery, even here as well as hereafter. Exce... [ Continue Reading ]
_A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children _ THE INHERITANCE OF A GOOD MAN’S CHILDREN The happiness of men depends less on their external conditions than on their personal virtues. “A good man is satisfied from himself.” The effects of a man’s habits are transmitted to his chil... [ Continue Reading ]
_Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment._ THE RESPONSIBILITY, CULTIVATION, AND HARVEST OF SMALL GIFTS Palestine was a land of small peasant proprietors, and the institution of the Jubilee was intended to prevent the acquisition of large estates... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes._ THE CHILD WISELY CHASTENED Under this apparent severity is to be found the spirit of true kindness. It would seem as if the last word in the text were an emphatic word. There is a good deal of chastening, but i... [ Continue Reading ]
_The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul._ THE SATISFACTION OF THE BODY DETERMINED BY THE CONDITION OF THE SOUL Bodily satisfaction is an essential element in our happiness so long as we are in this world. The text implies that the satisfaction of the body depends upon the condition of... [ Continue Reading ]