_Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands._ THE WISE BUILDER The Scriptures have adapted their instructions to every character and condition in human life. I. Describe the wise woman. 1. She must know how to manage with prudence and care the concerns o... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord._ HUMAN CONDUCT I. Men differ widely in their daily conduct. 1. Some men walk uprightly. Walking uprightly implies-- (1) Moral strength. The man is not bent and crooked by the infirmities of sin or the weight of depravity. (2) Conscious recti... [ Continue Reading ]
_Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox._ THE LAW OF INCREASE The illustration is drawn from husbandry, and in a country like Palestine, where the ox had such an important place in agricultural operations, it was peculiarly intelligible and peculiarly f... [ Continue Reading ]
_A faithful witness will not lie._ A TRUE WITNESS Truth is beautiful, as well as safe and mighty. In the incident related below a boy twelve years old, with only truth as a weapon, conquered a smart and shrewd lawyer, who was fighting for a bad cause. “Truth is the highest thing that man may keep,... [ Continue Reading ]
_A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not._ SECULARISM It is the constant profession of those who reject the Bible that they are seeking truth. They seek wisdom and do not find it. They want the first qualification of a philosopher, a humble and teachable spirit. There is a race of men amongst... [ Continue Reading ]
_Go from the presence of a foolish man._ THE SOCIETY TO BE SHUNNED Man is a social being. The text holds up the society which we should avoid--the society of the foolish. I. It is unprofitable. What you want in society is knowledge. True knowledge shall-- 1. Rightly guide. 2. Truly comfort. 3.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Fools make a mock at sin._ THINKING LIGHTLY OF SIN Breathing an atmosphere tainted with moral evil, seeing and hearing sin in our daily walks, we are in no small danger of overlooking its malignity. The word “sin” is to many obscure. It is seldom used in common life. It belongs to theology and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy._ MAN UNKNOWN TO MAN You cannot completely know your fellow-man. Every man is, in a measure, self-contained. Alone are we born, one by one; alone do we die, one by one. It is not surprising that we must be, in... [ Continue Reading ]
_There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death._ FORELOOKINGS It seems strange that all the dangers of this mortal state should be concentrated upon man. The dangers in all the realms below man are very few, and very simple, and very brief in their scope.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness._ ON A LIFE OF DISSIPATION AND PLEASURE We have much reason to beware lest a rash and unwary pursuit of pleasure defeat its end, lest the attempt to carry pleasure too far tend, in the issue, to sink us into misery. I... [ Continue Reading ]
_The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways._ THE BACK-SLIDER IN HEART I. The general nature, symptoms, and progress of backsliding. The idea of backsliding is that of gradually receding from an object full in view. It is not the turning back as in the case of those who forsook the... [ Continue Reading ]
_The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going._ SIMPLICITY AND PRUDENCE Such belief is not to the discredit of the simple man, but to the disgrace of the man who misleads him. No character is more admirable than that which is marked by simplicity and consequent tru... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly._ ANGER RESTRAINED In speaking recently of the power of God’s grace to quell our passions, Mr. Aitken told the story of a gentleman he knew in Liverpool, who, although a follower of the Lord Jesus, was cursed with a hasty and violent temper. It was a source... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the rich hath many friends._ FRIENDS IN PROSPERITY Ah! do not be puffed up by any of the successes of this life, do not be spoiled by the number of liveried coachmen that may stop at your door, or the sweep of the long trail across the imported tapestry. Many of those who come to your house ar... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he._ LONDON POVERTY The problems presented by poverty are recurrent. Wisdom as well as courage is required by those who would confront them successfully. Civilisation tends to the separation of men, but Christianity can bring them together till they constit... [ Continue Reading ]
_Do they not err that devise evil?_ THE GRIEVOUS ERROR OF DEVISING EVIL How difficult is the task to convince any human being that he has mistaken the road to happiness! He would say, “No man can judge for another what is best suited to his nature and temperament in the way of enjoying life.” And... [ Continue Reading ]
_In all labour there is profit._ WORK The doctrine of the Proverbs is, that what is good for the next world is good for this. He who wishes to go out of this world happily must first go through this world wisely. Men do, to a very great extent, earn for themselves their good or evil fortunes, and a... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge._ GODLY FEAR AND ITS GOODLY CONSEQUENCE Has it never surprised you that there should be such sentences as these in the Book of inspiration--secular proverbs interspersed with spiritual proverbs--the secula... [ Continue Reading ]
_The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life._ THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE I. Something that needs replenishing. Life is a fire--it must be kept alight; a lamp--it needs oil; energy--it demands a nervous sustentation. So with spiritual life--it cannot continue without food. II. Something to replenish man... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding._ SINFUL ANGER The scope of these words is to beat down sinful anger, a common evil, producing much mischief. In them there is-- 1. The excellency of meekness, and-- 2. The mischief of passionateness, and the evil thereof. I. The man that is s... [ Continue Reading ]
_A sound heart is the life of the flesh._ HEART AND HEALTH A “sound heart” is a heart that gives its supreme affection to the supremely good. All other hearts are more or less rotten. Such a heart, the text informs us, is the condition of physical health; it is the very “life of the flesh.” True,... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker._ OPPRESSION OF THE POOR A REPROACH TO THEIR MAKER Every man acting his part in his social capacity is “a spectacle.” Society is an organisation of rational creatures, acting together for some good. Society is a commonwealth of human nature in clo... [ Continue Reading ]
_The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous hath hope in his death._ THE WISDOM OF RELIGION JUSTIFIED IN THE DIFFERENT ENDS OF GOOD AND BAD MEN For the most part, the end of good men is full of peace and comfort, and good hopes of their future condition; but the end of bad men... [ Continue Reading ]
_Righteousness exalteth a nation._ THE ADVANTAGES OF RELIGION TO SOCIETIES There cannot be a greater prejudice raised against anything than to have it represented as inconvenient and hurtful to our temporal interests. On this account religion has suffered in the opinion of many as being opposed to... [ Continue Reading ]