"Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness."
In the first of these verses there is no form of address; but there can be no doubt that we are to regard the words as a prayer to God:-to God as the God of providence-the supreme Disposer of all events,-that He would order everything, in sovereign wisdom, agreeably to the spirit and design of the suppliant's prayer; and to God as the God of grace-that in whatever situation He might be pleased, in His providence, to place him, He would furnish him with all the supplies of divine influence required to keep him from evil.
When, with regard to the different petitions of the prayer, Agur says, "Deny me them not before I die," his words are, obviously, not to be understood as meaning that he would be satisfied if, at any time before he closed his earthly life, the things he asks for were granted. The petitions are not of a description to admit of any such interpretation. He could never consider it enough that "vanity and lies should be removed from him" ere he died, though they should continue with him till the latest stage of his course; or that he should only learn contentment before he took his final leave of the world. The words properly signify-"until I die;" that is, grant me them from this time forward to the end of my life, till I shall "go the way of all the earth."
His first petition is-"Remove far from me vanity and lies." What may we regard as included under "vanity and lies?" First, all idolatry. This is often, in Scripture, alluded to under such designations as "vanity," "falsehood," "a thing of nought:" and I cannot doubt it was in Agur's mind. In this view, what he asks is, that his heart might be "right with God, and steadfast in His covenant,"-that his affections and desires might be supremely and solely to God, and that Him only he might serve.-Secondly, all error in sentiment;-that he might be so enlightened from above, as to embrace no false views, but might clearly understand divine truth, as revealed in the divine word, and might under a becomingly deep impression of the authority and sacredness of that word, cleave to it in its simplicity and purity, with full purpose of heart, unto the end:-Thirdly, the folly and deceitfulness of sin;-that he might not be the foolish dupe of temptation to those indulgences in evil by which many, in the vanity and infatuation of their minds, cheated themselves of their best blessings, and forfeited the final and eternal inheritance; that he might not hearken to the lying promises of Satan, and, at the expense of such a forfeiture, follow "the pleasures of sin which are but for a season:"-Fourthly, the thinking, inventing, and uttering of falsehood;-that he might ever keep his heart, as under the eye of Him who "desireth truth in the inward parts;" and that he might ever "speak the truth as he thought it in his heart," putting away all lying, deception, and folly from his lips, and practising all that was "true, and pure, and honest, and lovely, and of good report:"-and lastly, having, or expecting foolishly and selfdelusively, to find, his portion in this life,-that he might not be of those who were the victims of the world's delusions, vainly pleasing themselves with that "fashion of the world which passeth away."
And this naturally leads me to the threefold prayer which follows. The prayer, let it first be observed, is a very extraordinary one. In the first of its petitions, indeed,-"Give me not poverty"-who is there that will not join? What man of the world, if he thought he should be heard and answered, would not, with his whole heart, say-Give me not poverty?-the great object of the world's deprecation and dread!-But ah! on what different grounds from Agur's would the petition be presented!-for this must be specially remarked-that it is not on account of anything in the situations themselves, considered in a temporal respect, that this good man deprecates either the poverty on the one hand or the riches on the other. It is not on account of the difficulties, privations, and hardships of the one, nor is it on account of the cares, and risks, and anxious encumbrances of the other. It is solely on account of the temptations to sin-the hazard to the religious principle-involved in them. Here, the world cannot go along with him. But all the true children of God will. They will, like Agur, regard every situation and every want in life, as it bears upon and affects their highest and best interests-their relations to the unseen world and to eternity. Look then at the petitions as they lie before us, in this light. We take them in the order of the reasons assigned.
2. "Give me not riches-lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?" The gifts of God's kind providence ought to draw the grateful hearts of those who receive them to himself as the Giver: and it is truly affecting to think that they should work on our hearts in the very opposite way to that which is reasonable and right, and in the best sense of the word, natural-in agreement with the true and eternal nature of things:-that the gifts should so often usurp the Giver's place, the place in the affections and desires which should be occupied by Himself. This is one of the strong and melancholy indications of our depravity; that the more we enjoy of God's goodness, the more prone are we to forget Him; the more we get, the more apt to forget. What should we think of such treatment of us? and yet such is our treatment of God. It has been in all ages the manifested character of our fallen race. It is under the influence of this sad tendency, that the man of wealth "denies God and says, Who is the Lord?" This is quite similar to the description of the same character by Asaph:-"They speak loftily: they set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth."-"Who is the Lord?"-that is, that I should seek Him, or serve Him. Agur had seen this exemplified, and he was afraid of himself;-afraid lest he should imbibe the same spirit of lofty independence and high-mindedness,-as if he were superior to the obligations of religion, and could do well enough without God.
Such, then, is the danger of "being full,"-of the ample enjoyment and free use of the wealth of the world,-to engender and cherish the spirit that "denies God,"-that owns not His providence,-that disdains the restraints of His authority,-and that defies His threatenings, and spurns His grace; that says-"Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."-Agur did not consider himself as superior to the influences by which the principles of others had been shaken and overcome, or to the dangers before which others had fallen. He knew human nature better; he knew his own heart better. "Blessed is the man that feareth always!"
3. We have a petition, in the same spirit of self-jealousy, against poverty:-"Give me not poverty-lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."-His apprehensions were the same in kind as before. He feared lest, when feeling the hardships of a state of penury, not to himself alone, but still more to his family, to those nearest and dearest to his heart, he should be tempted to fraud and theft,-that is, to any dishonest practices, for the supplying of his own and their wants,-to any thing inconsistent with the high principles of integrity and honour by which the people of God should be distinguished. And associated with this is the temptation to impiety-"and take the name of my God in vain." This may mean, that he might be tempted, having committed the theft, to conceal it by false swearing-to perjure himself, and so try to coyer one sin by the commission of another; as it is not the first nor the thousandth time that lies have been told, and confirmed by spontaneous or exacted oaths, to prevent the detection of theft. Or it may refer, more generally, to the temptation to use "the name of God" in fretful and impious murmurings; in uttering hard things, in the spirit of angry discontent, against Him. This the poor are too often ready to do. Even the pious poor may, by great and long-continued privation and suffering, have their patience worn out,-become "envious at the foolish, when they see the prosperity of the wicked,"-be tempted to say, "How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High?"-and thus step by step, to arrive at "cursing and bitterness," and "taking the name of Jehovah in vain." This process was what Agur feared, in regard to himself. He dreaded the evil influence of this extreme, as well as of the other.
It is not, perhaps, correct to say, that the desire which Agur expresses, was for a moderate competency of worldly good. That he was impressed strongly with the dangers of the extremes is clear; and with the conviction that in the intermediate position the temptations were fewest and least,-as without question they are. But, in the spirit of humble self-diffidence, he would have been afraid to fix any thing in his mind as that which he exclusively desired:-he would have shrunk from determining, had the determination been put in his power. He leaves all to the judgment and appointment of God himself.
4. Such is clearly the spirit of the words, "Feed me with food convenient for me."-The phrase "convenient for me," or "suitable to me" evidently signifies consistent with my truest interests-the interests of my spiritual state and my everlasting destiny. It would be a very low interpretation of the words, to suppose them to mean no more than what God knew on the whole would be most conducive to his temporal comfort and enjoyment. The interpretation, moreover, would not be at all in harmony with the reasons assigned for the preceding petitions. It would set this fourth request, in the spirit of it, wholly out of keeping with the others.
He says in effect, "Place me, my God, in the condition which Thou-knowing fully as Thou dost my character, and the tendencies of my nature-seest to be best for me-best for me, as regards my highest welfare-the welfare of my soul and my prospects for eternity-that I receive damage in nothing by the snares and temptations of this present evil world."-The lesson is one,-and few lessons can be more important,-of perfect, unreserved acquiescence in divine appointments; along with the supremely earnest desire that all may be directed and overruled in such a manner as most effectually to secure from injury, and to advance in growth, the principles of the spiritual life in our souls, and to ensure our final attainment of heavenly glory,-of the "unsearchable riches of Christ." And where is the man deserving the name of Christian who would hesitate about choosing poverty in preference to riches,-the lowest abasement to the very highest elevation of worldly condition,-were he assured that the riches and the honours must be enjoyed at the expense of his soul's good, at the risk, and more than risk, of his spiritual interests, and of his being despoiled of the "better and more enduring substance,"-the "treasure in the heavens which fadeth not?"
Verse Pro_30:10. "Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty."-"Accuse not"-literally, "Hurt not with thy tongue"-that "unruly member" by which so immense an amount of mischief, private and public, has ever been wrought.
No general counsel, or maxim of duty, is without exceptions. It is obvious that there are cases in which to accuse may be an important and imperative duty. When a master is known by us to be wronged, his property plundered by secret embezzlement, or other evils perpetrated affecting his interests or his reputation, without his privacy. In such cases, it becomes much more than allowable, it becomes incumbent,-a sacred duty, on the principle of the "royal law," to give information. But-
1. There are included in the prohibition slander, and false accusation.-Every thing of this kind is, in all cases, bad; but its turpitude is specially aggravated, when the subject of the slander is an inferior, and the charge against him to his superior, on whom he depends, and whose good opinion is of such essential consequence to him: and on this principle, if aggravated in the case of a servant, still more so is it in that of a slave,-the situation of such a one being sufficiently oppressed and wretched in itself. It is, then, "helping forward the affliction," which humanity should ever seek to alleviate.
2. It implies that we should not be forward and officious in accusing; eager to do it, needlessly; doing it,-when no good end is to be answered by it; or for trivial causes; or on grounds that are not clearly ascertained, but are uncertain and dubious. It should be remembered, how serious a matter it is to introduce an unfounded jealousy between a master and his servant,-serious especially to the latter, being a deep injury to the poor man's reputation, interest, present happiness, and future prospects; his all, in every view, as regards this world, depending upon his character.
3. The disposition which we ought rather to cherish, in this as in every case, is the disposition to excuse and to palliate, as far as truth will permit, rather than to criminate and blacken. A more unamiable feature there can hardly be in the character of any one, than a proneness to watch for and to report faults;-a malicious satisfaction in destroying a master's confidence in a servant,-and in this way, it may be, avenging himself of the inferior for some neglect or impropriety in his conduct towards him. This is mean, pitiful, and vile.
The motive urged is, "Lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty." The spirit of this consideration is the same as in some other cases mentioned in the Mosaic law.* I understand the words in the verse before us in a similar sense to that expressed in these passages. The curse of the servant may not be itself in a right spirit, or in a justifiable form of words:-yet if there is substantial ground for it,-if wrong is done,-if the inferior, of whom Jehovah is the graciously pledged protector, is really and seriously injured,-if the accuser is thus "found guilty" in the sight of God, He will prove himself the friend of the oppressed, and will vindicate his cause, and avenge the wrong.
* See Exo_22:22-24; Deu_15:7-9; Deu_24:14-15.
In the following verses Agur may he considered as warning his disciples,-and now warning us, against the characters described by him.
In Scripture, the word "generations" is repeatedly used to signify particular classes or descriptions of men; for two reasons, or points of analogy:-first, that as generation follows generation, so surely, in every generation, a succession of such characters is to be found;-and secondly, that they very often communicate the character to one another, and thus keep up their respective kinds,-are successive propagators of their species.
Beginning with the earliest earthly relation, we have brought before us first the generation of unnatural, ungrateful children-the "generation that curseth their father and doth not bless their mother." Parents ought to be blessed of their children, not cursed. They should be the objects of sincere attachment, self-denying obedience, and kind attention. For their sakes life itself should be ready to be risked and sacrificed. Children, from a proud, self-willed, stubborn spirit, may dislike discipline, restraint, and rebuke:-they may thus long for freedom, as they think and call it,-long to be their own masters, and to have their own way:-they may spurn at the rod, and fret and revile and "curse" their parents. Or, from the spirit of covetousness, and eagerness to obtain possession of their substance, they may wish them dead, and secretly, in their hearts, if not with their lips, "curse" them for living so long, and wish them out of the way, and have no tears for them when they are gone, or only the tears of feigned and hypocritical sorrow. Alas! it is to be feared that such cases were not mere suppositions in the days of Solomon; and that neither are they in our own. If you imagine the cases beyond nature,-then let me remind my young friends, that there may be various degrees of the same description of evil. Young persons may belong to the generation in this verse, who, if they do not positively "curse" yet, negatively, "do not bless." Under both forms of expression Solomon conveys the same generic description of character: and although, on the principle of parallelism, the two clauses of the verse may be regarded as much alike, yet even that does not require perfect sameness, but only similarity-admitting, and indeed generally exemplifying, some shade of difference. "Not blessing" is only thus an inferior measure of the same unnatural spirit that "curses." It implies the destitution, in feeling and in conduct, of the affection and gratitude which the relation requires. Do any of you, my young hearers, belong to this description of character?-this "generation" of unnatural children?-May God forbid! It is a very infamous and detestable character. It is ominous of all else that is evil. I am a father. But I trust I do not speak as a father only, but as a son too, whose memory blesses the departed objects of filial love, when I say that with nothing that concerns me would I trust the youth or the man that "curses his father and blesses not his mother." There is nothing that is good there; no principle on which to depend. It is well that men have agreed to execrate conduct so unnatural. I must remind you, however, that there are some feelings, of which the absence is deeply shocking, while their possession is hardly to be recognised as among the moral virtues, they have in them so much of mere instinct, and are common to men with the brutes. To constitute natural affection a virtue, it must be cultivated and exercised under the influence of a higher principle. Parents must be loved, obeyed, and blessed,-because such is the will of God. Parents stand next to God in the claim which His law makes on the love of the heart:-"Honour thy father and mother, that it may be well with thee:"-"Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right."
Verse Pro_30:12. "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." This is the generation-a very numerous one in every age-of self-deceivers. The "filthiness" here spoken of is the moral pollution of fallen and sinful humanity; of which the word of the holy God gives so sad and so true an account It is in the very nature of this depravity to be insensible to its own existence, or at least to its own degree. Sensibility to its true extent implies the operation of a new principle, the principle of a new spiritual nature. It is no matter of wonder, then, that depraved creatures should be found thinking well of themselves. There are some who have little consciousness of evil in them at all. And the reason is plain. They look at human laws and human theories pf morals, and the conventional but godless morality of the world, and the prevailing sentiments about good and evil, virtue and vice, among men like themselves, whose moral sentiments are deadened by sin like their own. They come not at once to the only true test-that spiritual law, holy, just, and good, which begins and ends with supreme love to God, as its first requirement, and its pervading and summary principle; from which alone any one act of right and acceptable obedience can proceed. No soul is "washed from its filthiness," till it is delivered from the elementary principle of all moral pollution-enmity against God. There is no true moral cleansing that does not begin with this. There are two things the propensity to which has ever been strong, since man became a fallen creature:-One is, to separate morality from religion, and to imagine that there may be no religion, and yet good enough morality; whereas the divine summary of the moral law consists of two precepts, of which the first relates to God, and the second to men. And it would be just as reasonable to say that the first may be obeyed without the second as to say that the second may be obeyed without the first,-as reasonable to say that a man may be religious without being moral, as to say that a man may be moral without being religious. The two tables of the law are only the higher and the lower departments of one moral code; and the same principles that produce conformity to the one will produce conformity to the other. And where the first principle of all is wanting, there can be true conformity to none. This source of self-deception is most extensively and ruinously prevalent. The other to which I referred is-the externalizing of religion itself. The love and fear of God, springing from faith in Him as revealed to sinners in the Gospel, is the religion of the Bible. But the religion to which men have ever been prone is a religion of outward observance,-of rites and ceremonies, of bodily presence, and posture, and utterance, and act:-a system that lulls the conscience in security by deadening it to the demands of all that is spiritual and holy in the affections and desires of the heart, and all that is truly godly in the life. "What an exemplification of this propensity among the Jews, when they were persuading themselves that they were the chosen people and the favourites of Heaven, at the very time that they were "walking after their own lusts"-"having no fear of God before their eyes,"-breaking every command, and making "the name of God to be blasphemed among the Gentiles,"-"far from God, and far from righteousness." There was a fearful forgetfulness of the apostolic maxim-"He is not a Jew, who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God," Rom_2:28-29. Nor was the propensity confined to the Jews:-it prevails still. It involves danger to all. It is deplorably manifesting itself in our own days. And many other sources are there of self-delusion-making men "pure in their own eyes, while they have not been washed from their filthiness." They may think well of themselves, as saints and favourites of God, from high doctrinal profession, the antinomian "grace" which tempts the lofty talker and pretender "to continue in sin:"-dreams and visions, and impressions and special intimations of the safety of their state, while their character will not abide the Bible tests of true religion:-connexion with godly men, and especially with godly parents:-self righteous and fanciful experiences, of which the extent and variety are sadly great:-peculiar circumstances in the manner of their own supposed conversion, of which they make much and are ever prone to talk,-dwelling more on themselves than on Christ,-more on what separates them from others, than on what is common to them with all believers; while after all they are addicted to a variety of evils, which their fancied religions attainments hide from, or palliate to, their consciences, and keep their hearts in the enjoyment of a deceitful and ruinous self-complacency. O my brethren, while we pray sinners to bring themselves to the true standard of character, in order that they may see and feel their need of gospel grace; let us be faithful in bringing ourselves and our profession of that gospel to the true test of faith in Christ and filial relationship to God; "examining ourselves whether we be in the faith, proving our own selves;" lest we be found having a name to live while we are dead,-a form of godliness while we axe denying its power;-lest we be of those who are "pure in their own eyes, and yet have not been washed from their filthiness."