"He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul: but he that despiseth his way shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end."
The phrase "He that keepeth the commandment" appears to be one which comprehends the giving of an appropriate reception and treatment to every part of the divine word. Every part of that word comes with authority,-has the full force of law. It is God's commandment that we receive His truth, as well as God's commandment that we do His will. "What, in Scripture, is called the obedience of faith, includes both;-the believing reception of truth, and the surrender of the heart and life to its holy practical influence,-which, in consequence of the perfect harmony between God's mind and God's will, is the same thing with conformity to the precepts of the divine law. We are equally bound by "the law of faith" as by the "law of works." The first of God's commandments to men, as sinners, is that they accept His salvation,-that they acquiesce in the terms of His offer of mercy. The rebel mind has not resumed its subjection to God till that is done. It remains in the spirit of rebellion; and in that spirit, obedience to no precept can be acceptably rendered. We must first give "the obedience of faith" to God's testimony; and then the obedience of practice to God's precepts. The latter is the result and evidence of the former:-and it is by both that we "keep the commandment."
And this, as we have frequently had occasion to urge, is connected with the life and well-being of the soul. It is by the faith of God's truth that the soul first receives life-spiritual life; and it is in "keeping" God's precepts, under the influence of that faith, that this life of the soul is maintained, enjoyed, and advanced. Everything that is contrary to God's "commandment," wars against the life of the soul. Hence it is added-"But he that despiseth his way shall die."-"His way" we might naturally suppose to mean God's way. But the name of God not occurring in the previous part of the verse, the phrase seems rather meant to describe the man who scornfully disregards all admonitions, both divine and human, who smiles indifferently at every warning; who follows the "sight of his eyes and the imagination of his heart;" walking at random, instead of carefully and constantly "cleansing his way, by taking heed thereto according to God's word." "He shall die"-"die the death;"-not merely the death that consigns the body to the grave, but the death that consigns the soul to hell-" the second death." He shall be lost for ever.
Verse Pro_19:17. "He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."-The "pity" in the verse before us, is practical pity; the pity that gives,-the pity that acts,-the pity that visits, and comforts, and relieves. It is not the whinings of an unprofitable sentimentalism. It is not the pity of words, that says "Depart in peace-be warmed, be filled;"-it is the pity of deeds, that "gives those things which are needful for the body:"-not evaporating in sighs, or drowning itself in tears, but testifying its sympathy by substantial acts of kindness. Its practical character appears in the very words before us. He is supposed, in the exercise of pity, to give: "he that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again."
The words imply, first, the Lord's own regard for the poor. The intimation of this in the words, is strong. We can hardly give a more satisfactory assurance of our regard for any one, than when we become responsible for all that is given to him; declaring whatever is done for him a favour to ourselves, and an obligation laid upon us to the doer or the giver. Thus the Lord here tells us, that all gifts to the poor are loam to Him.
The mode of expression before us, implies further, a right principle on the part of the giver. It is of great moment to mark this. There is much of giving to the poor, that has no principle in it, properly so called, at all; and there is not a little that springs from such principles and motives as have anything but the sanction of God's word. A man may give to the poor, from the mere imitation of others; from the mere wish to be rid of them; from the ostentatious love of eclat; from the presumption of self-righteousness, and the hope of "covering" by it "the multitude of his sins." Surely the Lord, in such cases, cannot be regarded as approving and accrediting the gift, and placing it in His book of remembrance as a loan to Himself. He looks to the heart. He has respect to motives. The giver must evidently be considered as having, when he gives, a regard to the Lord; as acting in obedience to His will, in imitation of His example, in humble and lively gratitude to Him as the author of all his mercies. He loves and pities the poor, because God loves and pities them, and has made it his duty, and the appropriate manifestation of his gratitude, that he should feel for them, and seek their good. And he does so all the more in the view of the divine example as embodied in the perfect character of the incarnate Redeemer; whose whole life on earth exemplified the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning him,-"He shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight," Psa_72:12-14.
It is implied also, specially, that the gift is bestowed, with no expectation of any return from the poor himself. It is not a loan to him, but a gift; and a gift bestowed, not from any hope of his becoming available for some selfish purpose at a future time; for then it would have in it, whether the receiver knew the purpose or not, the essential spirit of selfish bribery. It is this disinterested giving that is enjoined, and that is pleasing in God's sight.*1 The loan is not to the poor, but to the Lord. Hence the words imply still further, the certainty of a divine return,-and confidence in that certainty;-"and that which he hath given will He pay him again." Such is the security. What is given is not lost. It is laid up in the bank of faith,-in the exchequer of heaven. It may be returned in blessing here, in the present world. Thus it was promised of old;*2 and so stands the promises still.*3 And it shall be returned in future rewards of grace, the recompences of Him who himself "delighteth in mercy."*4 What a motive is here to the practice of generous, openhanded charity. When given on right principles, the gift is a "laying up of treasures in heaven!"*5 The invisible character of the security, and the distance of the time of the return, are both trials of faith;-and were there more "faith in God," there would be more giving to the poor; were there more "full assurance of hope," there would be more of the lodging in loans to the Lord, of property above.
*1 See Luk_6:31-36; Luk_14:12-14. rr
*2 Deu_15:7-11. rr
*3 2Co_9:6-8. rr
*4 Mat_10:41-42; 1Ti_6:17-19; Heb_6:10. rr
*5 Comp. Luk_12:33-34. rr
Verses Pro_19:18-19. "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again."-This too is a subject which has already been considered.* The verses before us, however, suggest some additional views of it; and it is a subject on which-as occasions for the use of the rod are occurring every day and every hour, and thus every day and every hour may good be done by the right, and evil by the wrong application of it-parents need to be frequently admonished. Observe, then-1. It is here assumed, that to the parent the infliction of chastisement is painful,-that it is a measure adopted with reluctance, involving as it does a strong and distressing conflict between feeling and duty, between the heart and the judgment. All parents who come not under the description-"without natural affection"-are tenderly sensible of this.-2. Correction with the rod should never be resorted to when the end designed can be effected by other means. God himself expostulates before he smites. The parent is not to be charged with "sparing the rod," who can effect the ends of discipline without it;-whether by touching the springs of affection, or, where they are at all understood, appealing to higher principles. The Lord's look to Peter had more effect than the severest visitation could have had. And if a parent has the affections of his children in such a degree, as that a look of grave displeasure shall affect their hearts more deeply with a sense of wrong than a hundred stripes,-why should the hundred stripes, or any one of them be inflicted?-3. When the rod is used-as used it must at times be-the end in view should be, purely and exclusively, the benefit of the child, not the gratification of any resentful passion on the part of the parent. Should the latter be apparent to the child, the effect is lost, and worse than lost; for, instead of the sentiment of grief and melting tenderness, there will be engendered a feeling of sullen hostility, a bitterness and alienation of spirit, a secret spurning at the rod, if not even of angry scorn towards him who has manifested selfish passion rather than parental love in the use of it. To avoid so sad a result, I repeat, no parent should allow himself to correct in a passion. If the hand that is trembling with rage seizes the rod, there is almost a certainty of harm rather than good being the result.-4. The verses direct, that it should be used early, by which, of course, must be understood, as soon as the nature and end of correction can be at all supposed to be apprehended. Not, sooner, certainly. It were unnatural and reckless cruelty to "chasten with the rod," before there could be any understanding of its design,-of the connexion between the chastisement and the fault for which it was inflicted. This connexion it is of essential importance, distinctly to point out and impress; and as early as there is reason to think that the correction can be so understood as to serve the purpose of salutary restraint, it may and ought to be begun. The reason is, that it is so much easier to prevent the formation of the habit of evil, than to overcome it when formed. Nip the first blossoms of sin, as soon as they appear; lest they ripen into "the fruits of Sodom, and the clusters of Gomorrah."-5. You are here taught further, that firmness must be in union with affection in applying the rod. The words seem to express a harsh, yet it is an important and most salutary lesson:-"let not thy soul spare for his crying." The words do not mean, that you should not feel, very far from that. It was the knowledge that feeling was unavoidable, and that the strength and tenderness of it were ever apt to tempt parents to relent and desist, and leave their end unaccomplished,-that made it necessary to warn against too ready a yielding to this natural inclination. The child may cry, and cry bitterly, previously to the correction; but, when you have reason to think the crying is for the rod rather than for the fault, and that, but for the threatened chastisement, the heart would probably have been unmoved, and the eyes dry;-then you must not allow yourselves to be so unmanned by his tears, as to suspend your purpose, and decline its infliction. If a child perceives this, (and soon are children sharp enough to find it out) ho has discovered the way to move you next time; and will have recourse to it accordingly.-This leads me to remark-6. The rod must be used with discriminative proportion according to the magnitude of the fault committed, and according to the variety of tempers with which you have to deal. This variety is very great. A look or a word will go deeper into the heart of one child than the severest punishment will affect another. One child is yielding, another stubborn; one gentle, another fiery. The great principle is, that you must not yield till you have gained your end. Violent, ungovernable tempers must be met with calm but settled and determined firmness; they must be subdued: your point must be steadily and peremptorily maintained; to give way, would only be to increase the evil. and greatly to augment your own difficulty and suffering on a recurrence of the need for chastisement, and the necessity of giving way again. In this sense, and in this connexion, the nineteenth verse is understood by many, and, at any rate, the principle of it bears a clear and forcible application to the case of correction:-"A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again." Just substitute child for man; and mark how true the statement is. If the child is "once delivered" from chastisement,-if "his crying," which in this case is the crying of tumultuous and bitter passion, once prevail to induce the giving up of the point, and of the attempt to inflict "the rod,"-the presumption grows. Passion, thus accomplishing its end, will rage with the greater fury next time;-will cry, and writhe, and spurn, and kick, with the more determined violence:-and "thou must do it again." The words may be used either of the deliverance or of the correction. Your delivering him, or allowing him to escape once, will, in the way just mentioned, produce the stronger necessity for your letting him off again:-or (which is better) punish now; for if not, it must be done, and done with the greater severity to him, and the greater pain to yourself, in consequence of indulgence having confirmed and accumulated the evil, and rendered it the more hard to subdue.
* Pro_13:24.
I have taken the 19th verse in connexion with the 18th as applying remarkably well to the case of high-spirited and passionate children. They need not, however, be thus limited. They are understood by some commentators, as signifying that violent passions ever inflict their own punishment upon their unhappy subjects. These men are their own tormentors. They are never at rest. They are ever falling into scrapes and difficulties, and quarrels, and suits. You may "deliver" them-but they are no sooner freed from one, than they run into another,-thus punishing themselves, and keeping their friends in incessant vexation and trouble.
The words may also mean, in regard to wrathful men, what we have considered them as signifying in regard to wrathful children;-that they ought to be punished,-punished now-in order to break and subdue their violence. It is better to coerce them firmly at once, as the only likely means of bringing them to their senses, and preventing incessant repetitions of their offensive and violent conduct.
Verse Pro_19:20. "Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." This brief counsel is in harmony with the whole of the introductory portion of this book, as well as with others of its proverbial sayings. "Thy latter end," there can be no doubt, refers to death; to the time of bidding a final adieu to the world and all its relations and interests. That "latter end," indeed, is not the end of our being. Were it so, the words-"that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end" would be bereft of all their meaning. The wisdom, in that case, both for life in its prime, and life in its close, would be, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die!" Wisdom in our "latter end" has reference to our preparation for what is beyond,-for the subsequent eternity of our being:-compared with which the present life is "less than nothing and vanity," and from its relation to which, as its preparatory stage, the present derives all its value. He who, at the end of life, is unprepared for the life to come, will then feel himself to have been a fool all his days. He reaches the verge of a never-ending and never-changing state of existence;-and the time given him to prepare for it has been wasted-all wasted, on its own worthless and passing interests. Even if the man has lived what is called a virtuous life, without any extraordinary out-breakings of the grosser vices-yet, if he has been a man of the world,-without God, and without any such anticipations of eternity as to induce preparation for it in earnest, in the only way in which such preparation can be made by a sinful creature-by an interest in the work of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, by obtaining through the one the pardon of sin, and through the other a renewed and holy heart;-he will then be found, in regard to all that is before him-all the vast and incalculable interests of the future world, emphatically a fool. It is a sad thing to live a fool; it is a much sadder thing to die a fool. But the one generally follows the other. The greater proportion of men die as they live. Wouldst thou then be wise in "thy latter end?"-attend now to the affectionate admonition:-"HEAR COUNSEL, AND RECEIVE INSTRUCTION."
What can all the science and philosophy of the world do for a man, any more than its wealth, to make him "wise in his latter end?"
"Yon cottager, who weaves at her own door,
Pillow and bobbins all her little store,
Content, though mean, and cheerful if not gay,
Shuffling her threads about the live-long day,
Just earns a scanty pittance, and at night
Lies down secure, her heart and pocket light:-
Just knows, and knows no more, her Bible true,
A truth the brilliant Frenchman never knew,
And in that charter reads, with sparkling eyes,
Her title to a treasure in the skies!-
Oh! happy peasant! Oh! unhappy bard!
His the mere tinsel, here the rich reward:-
He, praised perhaps for ages yet to come,
She, never heard of half a mile from home:
He, lost in errors his vain heart prefers,
She, safe in the simplicity of hers!"
All the wit of Voltaire, and all the fulsome flattery of his friends, could but ill suppress the horrors of his dying hours. He could not hear the very mention of the name of Jesus. Hume died "as a fool dieth." The concealed but, it is believed, authentic accounts of the nurse that waited upon him, attest the secret misgivings, groans and agonies of his dying chamber:-but, even were there no truth in them, his low pitiful jestings were more affecting by far than the direst distress. Even on his own principles,-even on the supposition of death being the final cessation of conscious existence,-was that a time for indulging in dull attempts at drollery? Surely, the very idea of the complete and everlasting extinction of all those powers of thought and speculation and inquiry, which had engaged his life, and which were on the stretch for further effort and further acquisition,-the quenching of all this light,-the transition from a living, intelligent, active mind, capable of everlasting expansion and corresponding enlargement of knowledge and delight, to a clod of earth, a mere handful of unconscious dust,-was enough to make any man seriously thoughtful, and to render joking, and such joking, most unnatural and unreasonable, and to excite more than a suspicion that there was a lurking unbelief of his own philosophy, and an appalling apprehension of a life to come, which this drivelling facetiousness was meant to cover from observation. And what is the wisdom that can only enable a man to say, as Tindal said-"If there be a God, I desire that he may have mercy upon me?" Is it wisdom to leave even a doubt on such subjects to the "latter end?" It is he who " hears counsel and receives instruction,"-the counsel and instruction of God-whose "latter end is peace." It is he, who, viewing the full harmony of the divine perfections in the salvation of sinners through the mediation of Jesus, can look forward without alarm,-can cast himself on the covenanted mercy of God, and anticipate death as a release from the sorrows and the sins of mortality, and the introduction to perfect purity and "fulness of joy." It is he who can say, in triumph over the fears of death and the grave, of judgment and of hell-"I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing," 2Ti_4:6-8.
