therefore they carry on a trade with other wicked men, who are able to add to their store of iniquity, by flattering and counselling them in sin.-Lawson.

A liar" is of essential use to the evil-doer. He can suborn him. He can get him to bear witness in his favour -to perjure himself to get him off, when in danger of being convicted. Such characters, too, it may be noticed, are fond of the lies of false teachers. They keep their ear greedily open to these. They are soothed, and flattered, and encouraged by them in their evil courses. They cannot but like the doctrine that allays their fears; that palliates sin; that makes light of future punishment; that tells them of a God all mercy; that assures them of ultimate universal salvation. Thus it was of old; and thus it is still (Isa. xxx. 9-11). Wardlaw.

A man most mischievous himself

yields most mischievously to the mischief of other sinners. "" A lie" is the most weakly credulous. This is often noticed among the earthly. The biter is often most bitten, the tyrant most tortured. The cunning is often most caught, and what is singularly the fact, the sceptic is often the most believing. It is not a complete proverb, though, for earth, because it is not universal. It is spiritually, as with all these other texts, that the truth has no exception. The greatest harm-doer is Satan, and so the greatest harm is done to Satan. He is the father of lies, and has been the most lied to. He was more deceived in Eden than his victim, and on Calvary than the men who crucified our Lord. And all his followers take from the world equal mischief with that which they inflict upon it.-Miller.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 5.

A DOUBLE REVELATION.

I. Revealing crime. He who mocketh the poor reveals his own character. If we find one brother of a family mocking another brother, we feel that his conduct is a revelation of the state of his heart. We feel that such a man must be destitute of all right feeling-that he has no regard for their common parent-none of that tender feeling which ought to bind members of the same family. God has made of one blood all nations of the earth, and he who mocks. the poor mocks one of the same great human family as himself, and thus_shows that he lacks all true humanity and all right feeling towards the common Father of both. The displeasure with which God regards such a man reveals the Divine character. If the ruler of a country identifies himself with the most defenceless and friendless of his subjects-if he exacts the severest penalties for any wrong done to them-if, in short, he reckons an offence against them as committed against himself-he reveals that he is a man of true benevolence. The displeasure with which God regards not only them who oppress the poor, but also those who mock them-and a man does this when he gives empty words but no sympathy and help-reveals the tender compassion of His nature. On this subject see also Homiletics on chap. xiv., page 31.

II. An aggravated crime. "He who is glad at calamities," etc. It is a sin both against God and human nature to mock the poor-to treat men with indifference and contempt because they are in a lowly station-because they are compelled to labour much and labour hard for the supply of their daily wants; he who is guilty of such conduct reveals a nature that is entirely opposed to the nature of God, and lays himself open to retribution. But when a man is not only indifferent to the miseries of others, but can actually find in them an occasion of gladness, he is as near to Satan in character and disposition as a man out of hell can be. He is not only ungodlike, but he is devilish. It is a prominent characteristic of the evil one that he finds a fiendish delight in the calamities of men, and a man cannot give a more convincing proof that

he is of his "father the devil" (John viii. 44) than by imitating him in this particular crime.

III. A heavy retribution. We can form some estimate of the weight of punishment which must fall upon this last offender, by remembering how God regards the first. If He convicts him who mocks the poor of casting reproach upon his Maker, how much more will he visit Him who "is glad at calamities."

OUTLINES and suggeSTIVE COMMENTS.

So Tyrus is threatened, because she was glad at Jerusalem's calamities, saying, “I shall be replenished now she is laid waste" (Ezek. xxvi. 2). (Ezek. xxvi. 2). And Edom similarly (Obad. 12.)— Fausset.

It is a sad thing when one "potsherd of the earth," because it happens to have got from the hand of the potter a little gilding and superficial decoration, mocks at another "potsherd of the earth" which chances to be somewhat more homely in its outward appearance, or, perhaps, formed of a little coarser material than the other; both the work of the same hands, and both like frail, brittle, and perishable.Wardlaw.

Why should I, for a little difference in this one particular of worldly wealth, despise my poor brother? When so many and great things unite us, shall wealth disunite us? One sun shines on us both; one blood bought us both;

one heaven will receive us both, only he hath not so much of earth as I, and possibly much more of heaven.-Bishop Reynolds.

To pour contempt upon the current coin with the king's image on it, is treason against the sovereign. No less contempt is it of the Sacred Majesty, to despise the poor, who have, no less than the rich, the king's image upon them (Gen. ix. 6). This view marks the contempt of the poor as a sin of the deepest dye.-Bridges.

If God should appear in human shape, would we dare to insult him? Would not the fear of a just and dreadful vengeance deter us? And to mock the poor, amounts to the very same thing. God did actually appear in our nature, and He was then poor for our sakes; and those that despise the poor, despise them for a reason that reflects upon our Saviour Himself when He dwelt among us.-Lawson.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 6.

FATHERS AND CHILDREN.

Two things are implied in this proberb:-First, that the fathers are good men. An aged man who is not a godly man cannot in any sense reflect any glory upon his descendants. Secondly, that the children are also godly and true, otherwise they are anything but a crown to their parents. The Wise Man is here speaking of those who are in both relations what God intended them to be. When such is the case

I. The children bring honour to their parents. They testify that the parents have trained them in the way that they should go-that they have given them a good example as well as good advice, and every child is then like a separate mirror, reflecting the character of the godly parent by whose influence he has become what he now is. And the greater number of these mirrors there are, the more brilliant is the crown of honour which is worn by the godly ancestor whose virtues are thus reproduced in his children and in his children's children, even long after he has left the world. Every tribute of respect that is paid to the children is another jewel placed in the crown of the godly ancestor.

II. The parents are the glory of their children. Men glory in being

descended from ancestors who have been great warriors or who have left them a vast inheritance of material wealth, but an inheritance of goodness reflects as much more glory upon those who are its heirs as the glory of heaven exceeds that of earth. Goodness holds a very old patent of nobility, and when children can boast of a long line of God-fearing ancestors, they can boast of a dignity which is as old as God. To be the descendants of those who are now before the throne of God is a glory before which all earthly glory fades away.

MAIN HOMILETICS of VERSE 7.

A TWOFOLD INCONGRUITY.

I. Truth from the mouth of a godless man. This is not an unknown case. A man of immoral practices may inculcate precepts of purity-a dishonest man may, for the purpose of cloaking his own character, be loud in his praises of integrity and uprightness. But the speech of such a man will fall powerless on his hearers, even if they do not know thoroughly the character of the speaker. There will be a lack of the true ring of sincerity about his words-being words only, and not convictions, they will be "as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." Suppose that a barrister, who was very ignorant of law and possessed of very limited mental capacities, having undertaken the defence of an important case, were to apply to one of his most learned and eloquent legal brethren to write his speech for him. When he got up to deliver that which was not the production of his own mind-that which he was not able thoroughly to appreciate himself-would not the listeners be struck with a sense of incongruity, would they not feel that, however good the arguments, however vivid the illustrations, however powerful the appeals, there was something lacking-that the speaker was a stripling wearing the armour of a giant? Something of this same feeling is experienced when an immoral man gives utterance to moral sentiments-he does not know the meaning of his own words, be lacks the experience necessary to give weight to what he says. He speaks what is in itself true, but he is not a true man himself, and consequently the utterance is like a "jewel of gold in a swine's snout."

II. Untruth from the mouth of a man of exalted station. A prince (ie., one who holds a high place among his fellow-men) is especially bound to be a man of truth and honour. It is here implied that he is to be an embodiment of truthfulness-that whether he owes his position to wealth, to birth, or to intellectual gifts-whatever else he lacks, he ought to be a truthful man; his words ought to be excellent, and they ought to be the reflection of excellence of character.

III. The second incongruity is more mischievous than the first. "Excellent speech becometh not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince." If a moral fool is a man who holds no position in the world, what he says will not be of so much consequence, because his influence upon others is little. He will injure himself, and those immediately connected with him, but the harm done will not be so widely spread as if he were one of the great of the land. The first man, if he puts on a garb of morality, and adopts language which does not represent his true self, is a liar, but his lying does not injure others so much as it does himself, But a "lying prince" is an instrument of wide-spread evil. To lie in a cottage is a sin against God and man, but to lie in a palace is a greater sin, because the inmate of a palace holds in his hand an immense power for good and for evil. What he says and does is felt more or less indirectly throughout his dominion, and as his responsibility is so great, the guilt of using it wrongly is great also.

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS.

God likes not fair words from a foul mouth. Christ silenced the devil when he confessed Him to be the Son of the Most High God. The leper's lips should be covered, according to the law.-Trapp.

Lying lips are no less unbecoming in the mouth of a prince, who ought to honour the dignity of his station by the dignity of his manners. A prince of our own is said to have frequently used this proverbial saying, "He that knows not how to dissemble knows not how to reign." You may judge from the text before us whether he deserved to be called the Solomon of his age. It was certainly a nobler saying of one of the kings of France, --that if truth were banished from all the rest of the world it ought to be found in the

breasts of princes. A man's dignity obliges him to a behaviour worthy of it, and of him whose favour has conferred it. All Christians are advanced. to spiritual honours of the most exalted kind. They are the children of God, and heirs of the eternal kingdom, and ought to resemble their heavenly Father, who is the God of truth. When a young prince desired a certain philosopher to give him a directory for his conduct, all his instructions were comprised in one sentence, "Remember that thou art a king's son." Let Christians remember who they are, and how they came to be what they are, and act in character.-Lawson.

Force not thyself above, degrade not thyself below thy condition.-Wohlfarth.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 8,

THE POWER OF GIFTS.

I. All men value gifts. Whether they be gifts which are of intrinsic value from their beauty or their rarity or whether they are of little worth in themselves, but are the expressions of the love and gratitude of those who offer them, there is a certain pleasure in receiving them. A free-will offering is more acceptable to a right-minded man than that which is bestowed upon him as a matter of necessity. The fact that it is a gift invests it with a value beyond that which would otherwise be attached to it-makes it as a "precious stone" to the receiver. The good-will that prompts the gift turns a pebble into a diamond.

II. All the blessing of a gift does not rest with the receiver.-As a precious stone reflects rays of light in whichever way it is held, so generous-hearted liberality blesses him who gives as well as him who takes. The giver has the gratitude and love of the recipient and experiences the truth of the words of the Lord Jesus: "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts xx. 35). (For the opposite meanings which different commentators attach to the word gift, see Critical Notes.)

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS.

1. Those that have money in their hand think they can do anything with it. Rich men, whithersoever they turn this sparkling diamond, expect it should dazzle the eyes of all, and make them do just what they would have them do in hopes of it. 2. Those who have money in their eye will do any

thing for it. It has great influence upon them, and they will be sure to go the way it leads them.-Henry.

Viewed as referring to the person who confers the gift, or has it to bestow, -we may notice first, that the reference may be to the man who is known to have something to bestow which all

coret. In this case, every one desires his favour, strives to oblige him, tries every means of insinuation into his good graces. A man who has any skill in manoeuvering may, in this way, render what he has to confer a capital instrument for pushing forward his own prosperity; keeping all in expec tation, cherishing hope,-making his desired and coveted gift look first one way, then another, then a third; perhaps partially bestowing, and still reserving enough to hold expectants hanging on, so as to have them available for his own ends. Secondly:On the part of those who have gifts to

bestow, uses may be made of them that are honourable and prudent, quite consistent, not with mere selfinterest, but with right principle. They may be employed to avert threatened evil, and for the more sure attainment of desired good. Such was Jacob's gift to his brother Esau; when, in setting it apart, he said, "I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward will I see his face." Such was the gift of the same patriarch, at a later period, to "the man the lord of the country,' when he sent his sons the second time to Joseph in Egypt.- Wardlaw.

MAIN HOMILETICS OF VERSE 9.

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND HOW TO SEPARATE THEM.

We have before noticed various ways in which love covers sin or transgression. (See Homiletics of chapter xv. 12, page 157.) This proverb sets forth

I. That he who thus covers sin is a great benefactor of the human race. The great need of a fallen world is such a state of heart as will promote love among men. One of Christ's last commands to his disciples was Love one another as I have loved you" (John xvi. 12). And there is no more effectual way of promoting love than by freely forgiving an offence and at the same time endeavouring to turn the transgressor from the error of his way. A stream in winter may, by reason of the biting cold, be congealed into a rock-like solid mass, but when the summer sun shines upon it, it cannot long resist the influence, but melts and begins again to ripple and sparkle under its beams. So a sense of guilt and shame hardens the human heart, but a consciousness that the sin has been freely forgiven and forgotten melts it into contrition and love if it is not utterly dead to moral influences. This is the great power which binds sin-forgiven men and women to God-having been forgiven much they love much (Luke vii. 47-50).

II. A man of opposite character is a curse to his race. Friendship is the greatest boon of human existence, and he whose words or deeds tend to break any such tie does his fellow-men a great wrong. There is no more effectual way of doing it than by a constant repetition of the faults of others, either by reminding the offender himself of his shortcomings or by speaking of them to a third person. Solomon may refer to either of these habits-both are bad, and show a disposition entirely opposed to that of Him who, when he forgave His ancient people, promised that He would "remember their sin no more" (Jer. xxxi. 34).

OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS.

Seeketh love! A beautiful expression, much to be kept in mind! It shows a delight in the atmosphere of love-man's highest elevation in communion with his God (1 John iv. 16). It implies not the mere exercise of love,

where it is presented, but the searching and making opportunity for it. But how seldom do we rise to the high standard of this primary grace, exalted as it is pre-eminently above "the best gifts" (1 Cor. xii. 31; xiii.); and