Holy Bible

Boast not thyself of to-morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1 On the conduct to be held with regard to future events Hugh Blair, D.D. It is needless to prove the change and mutability of our present state, or the fact that the changes cannot be foreseen by us. Obvious as they are, it would be well if the thoughts of men dwelt on them more. But by a strange and prevailing deception, almost every one thinks his own case an exception from the general law; and that he may build plans with as much confidence on his present situation as if some assurance were given him that it were never to change. It has been so contrived by Providence that there should be no permanent stability to man's condition on earth. The seeds of alteration are everywhere sown. And think on what small and inconsiderable causes changes depend. In the midst of all these contingencies plans and designs for the future are every day formed. And this is fit and proper. Rules and precautions may be indicated. I. BOAST NOT THYSELF OF TO-MORROW, Never presume arrogantly on futurity. Beware of pride and vanity. In the day of prosperity rejoice with trembling. II. DESPAIR NOT OF TO-MORROW. Adverse situations fill many with fears and alarms of what is to come. The day may bring forth some unforeseen relief, and therefore we should hope under distress. The doctrine which the changes of the world perpetually inculcate is that no state of external things should appear so important, or should so affect and agitate our spirits, as to deprive us of a calm, an equal, and a steady mind. Anxiety, when it seizes the heart, is a dangerous disease, productive both of much sin and much misery. III. DELAY NOT TILL TO-MORROW WHAT IS PROPER TO BE DONE TO-DAY. Thou art not the lord of to-morrow. Procrastination has, throughout every age, been the ruin of mankind. Many of the misfortunes which befall men in their worldly concerns are a consequence of delay. To-morrow, being loaded with the concerns of to-day, in addition to its own, is clogged and embarrassed. Evils of the same kind, arising from the same cause, overtake men in their moral and spiritual interests. IV. BE EVERY DAY PREPARED FOR WHAT TO-MORROW MAY BRING FORTH. The best preparation for all the uncertainties of futurity consists in a well-ordered mind, a good conscience, and a cheerful submission to the will of heaven. If to-morrow bring you any unexpected good, prepare to receive it with gratitude, temperance, and modesty. If it shall bring forth evil, prepare to receive it with manly fortitude. V. BUILD YOUR HOPES OF HAPPINESS ON SOMEWHAT MORE SOLID AND LASTING THAN WHAT EITHER TO-DAY OR TO-MORROW ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE. He who rests wholly upon this world builds his house upon the sand. We are begotten again unto a "lively hope." Here is the object to which a wise man will bend his chief attention, that, having acted his part on earth with fidelity and honour, he may be enabled, through the merits of his Saviour, to look for a place in the mansions of eternal and untroubled peace. This prospect is the great corrective of the present vanity of human life. ( Hugh Blair, D.D. ) Boasting H. Binning. Man's nature inclines to boasting, to glorifying in something, and this ariseth from some apprehended excellency or advantage, and so is originated in the understanding power of man. There is a glorying and boasting which is good, especially a boasting in God. It is the apprehended personal interest in a thing which makes it become a subject of boasting. Nothing is truly the soul's own but that which survives all changes, and is inseparable from it. There may be a lawful glorying in the works of God. Oftentimes men are found glorying in that which is their shame. The object of degenerate and vicious boasting is presented in this text. "Boast not thyself," or of thyself. Self is the centre of man's affections and motions. This is the great "Diana" that the heart worships. Men's affections part themselves into three great heads of created things. 1. The goods or perfections of the mind. 2. The goods or advantages of the body. 3. The things that are without us, bona fortunae, riches and honour.There is also a strong inclination in man towards the time to come; he has an immortal appetite. If the soul of man were in the primitive integrity, this providence of the soul would reach to eternity, which is the only just measure of the endurance of any immortal spirit. But since man's understanding is darkened, he can see nothing further than "to-morrow." But confidence in to-morrow is folly, because of the instability of all outward things, and because of our ignorance of future events. Of all boastings the most irrational and groundless is that which arises from presumption of future things, which are so uncertain both in themselves and to us. Self is the great and ultimate object of man's glorying. No man's present possession satisfies him, without the addition of hope and expectation for the future. Our present revenue will not content the heart. Therefore the soul, as it were, anticipates and forestalls the morrow. But consider — 1. How independent all things are of us and of our choice. 2. The inconstancy of all material things. There is nothing certain but that all things are uncertain. 3. Our ignorance concerning coming changes. All things proclaim the folly and madness of that which the heart of man is set upon. "The counsel of the Lord," that alone shall "stand." ( H. Binning. ) The necessity of a present repentance William Bramston. It is not the doctrine of repentance men scruple to acknowledge, but the time for doing it. They say, "To-morrow will be time enough." And they say this, again and again, through all the stages of life. Press on attention the absolute necessity of our present performance of this great work of repentance. I. SHOW THIS BY THE DANGEROUS UNCERTAINTIES WHICH ALL DELAYING MEN HAVE TO DEPEND UPON. There is no such thing hinted at in Scripture as future repentance. There is no ground for hoping that a late repentance will avail men who knowingly and wilfully defer that repentance which is the duty of the present. 1. What certainty can there be in that which depends upon so uncertain a foundation as the life of man? Who can ensure a hereafter to repent in? 2. As life is uncertain, so is the continuance of God's grace uncertain also. II. HOW IMPROPER THE TIMES RESOLVED ON BY SUCH MEN TO REPENT IN WILL BE FOR THE WORK OF THEIR REPENTANCE. Such as the time of sickness, or of old age, or of death. III. EVERY EXCUSE WHICH MEN MAY MAKE IN FAVOUR OF THEIR DELAYS MUST, IF SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED, OBLIGE THEM TO HASTEN THEIR REPENTANCE. 1. Excuse — their sins are so small; they can be easily cast off at pleasure. 2. Sins are so great; it is too difficult to repent. 3. Life is just now too full of other things. Consider that every moment consumes somewhat of the thread of life; and that of all business and employments none can possibly be more requisite than our making our peace with God. ( William Bramston. ) To-morrow W. H. Hay Aitken, M.A. Some are hindered by doubts, or blinded by definite unbelief; others are repelled from the gospel by prejudices of early education; others by worldly influences, others by the love of sin; and some by a coward fear of the possible consequences of decision. The chief hindrance, however, is the habit of procrastination. The fault is a common one even in worldly matters. There are things that must be done at once, and things which may be left. These latter have a very good chance of never being done at all. There are few who have not a lurking intention of thinking about religious matters sooner or later. Many are indisposed to prompt action, because they fear religion may. interfere with their manner of life, their commercial prosperity, and their social enjoyments. By and by, when other matters are not so urgent, they may find a convenient season. This habit of procrastination grows upon us until it becomes a sort of second nature, and at last, even should we wish to act promptly, we seem almost to have lost the power. For one who doubts the Bible, there are a hundred who simply put off for the present. The Holy Ghost says, "To-day"; they still say, "To-morrow." How can we best counteract this disposition towards procrastination? The nominally Christian world is pervaded by the radically false notion that religion has mainly to do with the future rather than with the present. This notion is encouraged by the use of the word "salvation." Men do not see that they need to be saved now. True religion is a matter of present urgency. Religion is the one secret of true enjoyment in life. Another cause of procrastination is a false idea of the relative importance of things temporal and things spiritual. Religion is regarded as distinct from the practical purposes of life. This is an inverted estimate of the relative importance of things. Why should we say to-day rather than to-morrow? Because, of all our life, only to-day is really ours. Tomorrow belongs to God. Every to-morrow that God allots you, when it gets to you is a to-day. The to-morrow that we think will do so much for us never comes. To-day may ensure our best interests; to-morrow they may have passed from us, and be forfeited for ever. Moreover, we have a great work to do, and only a limited time to do it in. And we are living in a perishing world, and men and women are dying unprepared every day that passes. By religious decision, how much happiness we may confer upon others by our personal example and influence. In this world of changes and uncertainties, no man can be sure that he will have any to-morrow. Think, too, how you are treating your Lord when, from day to day, you still continue to say, "To-morrow." To-day again He proffers the unspeakable gift. His time is now. Another to-morrow, and He may be constrained reluctantly to depart, wearied out at last by your heartless indifference. Oh, take shame to yourself that, hitherto, He has had nothing from you but "to-morrow." ( W. H. Hay Aitken, M.A. ) The folly and danger of boasting of the morrow R. Parkinson, B.D. No truth is more obvious than that of the instability of human life, and the uncertainty of all earthly things; and yet there is none which produces a less abiding impression on the mind, or a less practical effect on the conduct. It seems to be a truth so trite as to be beneath our notice. All our courses of action, all our habits of thought, imply that we have a longer continuance, and a firmer interest, in the things around us, than a full conviction of their vanity and their uncertainty appear to warrant. We are willing to allow, as a general rule, that all below is fleeting and uncertain, but in our own case we are anxious to find a fortunate exception. This, at least, lies in the bottom of our hearts, springing up indistinctly in our thoughts, and whispering peace and safety, where neither of them are discoverable by the eye of reason. A knowledge of the fate of others can never entirely remove this error, because it is deeply seated in the heart. By boasting of to-morrow is meant a confident expectation of its arrival, and an undoubting calculation of the enjoyments which it may be expected to bring along with it; such a fancied assurance of possessing it, as may lead us to defer what ought now to be done till that imaginary period. The greatest evil to which this leads is the postponement of a religious life to some future period of our existence, it is too common for man to look upon religion as something totally incompatible with the pursuits and enjoyments of the present world. He therefore relies upon the possibility that the morrow may be extended to him, and to that uncertain period he commits the serious task of shaking off the evil habits which he has contracted, and curbing the corrupt passions which he has hitherto indulged, and of cultivating the Christian graces. Too often in the short and anxious hour of our closing existence all the more serious work of life has to be done. Let it be our aim, then, to look upon religion, not as a task which we are commanded to perform, but as a privilege which we are invited to share. For most of the ills of life religion is an effectual remedy, and in all it is a cheering alleviation. 1. There are many miseries which the morrow is continually bringing forth, that are the direct consequence of our own imprudent conduct or our own vicious habits. They spring from a want of religion; and the possession of it would of course relieve them. 2. Suffering also belongs to us as the sons of mortality; such as pain, sickness, infirmity, age. Religion cannot altogether remove such woes, but it can very materially mitigate and relieve them. And, at least, it enables us to look rightly upon them. 3. There is a class of disappointments to which irreligious men are subject, but from which the true Christian is altogether free. The worldly man is entirely immersed in the things of this life, its pleasures and its cares. When the changeful morrow comes, and these are swept away, he is ruined. The happiness of the religious man is not dependent on such accidents as these. ( R. Parkinson, B.D. ) To-morrow I. THE ABUSE OF TO-MORROW. "Boast not" — 1. Because it is extremely foolish to boast at all, Boasting never makes a man any the greater in the esteem of others, nor does it improve the real estate either of his body or his soul. Morrows come from God; thou hast no right to glory in them. 2. Because to-morrow is one of the frailest things in creation, and therefore the least to be boasted of. Boast not of to-morrow — thou hast it not. Boast not of to-morrow — thou mayest never have it. Boast not of to-morrow — if thou hadst it, it would deceive thee. Boast not of to-morrow, for to-morrow thou mayest be where morrows will be dreadful things, to tremble at. 3. Because it is exceedingly hurtful to boast. It is hurtful now. Some men are led into extraordinary extravagance from their hopes of the future. It is hurtful to-morrow also. Because you will be disappointed with to-morrow if you boast about it before it comes. The over-confident not only entail great sorrow upon themselves but upon others also. II. THE ABUSE OF THE SPIRITUAL TO-MORROW. Never boast of to-morrow with regard to your soul's salvation. Those do who think it will be easier for them to repent to-morrow than it is to-day. Those do who suppose they shall have plenty of time to repent and return to God. Those do who boast in a way of resolves to do better. III. IF TO-MORROWS ARE NOT TO BE BOASTED OF, ARE THEY GOOD FOR NOTHING? Nay; we may look forward to them with confidence and joy, and we may seek in wise ways to provide for to-morrow. ( C. H. Spurgeon . ) The folly and danger of delays in religion Christian Recorder. I. MEN ARE NATURALLY INCLINED TO BOAST OF SOMETHING. II. MEN ARE APT TO DELAY RELIGION AS LONG AS THEY CAN. They boast of to-morrow. III. IT IS BASE AND SINFUL TO PUT OFF THE CONCERNS OF RELIGION TILL TO-MORROW. IV. GOD ALONE KNOWS WHAT IS TO COME. The Jews of Christ's time were dreaming of future prosperity, but He foresaw their ruin and destruction as at hand. We, like them, lay plans for futurity, and invade the province of the Most High. We perhaps anticipate wealth, honour. V. GREAT CHANGES HAPPEN IN A SHORT TIME. "For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Since the introduction of sin, the creature at its best estate is altogether vanity. ( Christian Recorder. ) The danger of trusting to the future W. Burns. I. In this passage it is very plainly insinuated THAT WE ARE TOO APT TO BOAST OF TO-MORROW. The young hope to live to old age; the middle-aged, having passed the most critical stages of infancy and childhood, reckon, with too much security, on grey hairs; while the old look around them for examples, a few of which they can glean of extreme age, and hope they themselves shall add to the number of extraordinary cases of longevity. Boasting of to-morrow likewise appears in framing worldly schemes of future ease and aggrandisement. He who proposes it as his object to make up a sum at all hazards, that he may, by a certain time, execute a plan of a great mansion, suited to the fortune, and then to enjoy himself. See where the evil lies; not in thinking of to-morrow, in the way of making wise and prudent preparation, always taking along with us, "If the Lord will"; but the evil is that boasting of to-morrow which involves in sinful, at any rate in worldly and presumptuous plans, in reference to some future period, or that kind of reference to to-morrow which is a substitute for attention, immediate and serious, to our most important, even our eternal interests. II. THAT IT IS FOOLISH TO BOAST OF TO-MORROW, "We are young." Granted; but the young droop oftentimes. The green leaf often is seen falling, nipped by frost, or shaken by the wind. The young and strong have been called hence by disease or accident, the majority were young. "But we have stood already many trials of our constitution, and many attacks, and are yet vigorous." The last, however, will come, and the very next may be fatal. "But we are a long-lived race. Father and mother, yea grandfather, and many relatives, lived to a great age." You forget the exceptions. "But we have somehow this persuasion, that we shall live long, and at any rate we will not indulge in gloomy presage of an early tomb." This is very delusive — it is foolish — you can give no reason for it — you may soon find you were deceiving yourselves. III. THAT THERE IS MUCH DANGER IN INDULGING THIS DISPOSITION. 1. It fosters irreligion and atheism. Leaving out of calculation your own weak and dependent state, the uncertainty of time, and your ignorance of futurity, you form your plans without any reference to the Divine Disposer. You erect many high towering schemes, which savour at once of impiety and folly. 2. It is found to foster some of the worst passions of the human heart. The ambitious reason thus: A few steps more, and I shall rise to the very top of my profession, or of my rank in society, and that in the regular course of events, which supposes the removal of others by the stroke of mortality, as the means of elevation. The covetous man adds heap to heap, with desires more and more insatiable, forgetful of his latter end, and of that country to which he goes, where his wealth will be of no benefit. A due consideration of this might, by the Divine blessing, cut up by the roots this grovelling and idolatrous propensity, and give the soul a heavenward direction. A day may bring forth many most unexpected events, casting a dark cloud over the most flattering prospects. This present day improved may be the happy means of arresting the evil which the presumption of to-morrow tends so much to foster. 3. The boast of to-morrow is most prejudicial to spiritual and eternal concerns. It is the most successful of all Satan's devices, and the easiest mode of compassing his designs. ( W. Burns. ) Ignorance of the future Charles Hyatt. I. TO WHAT THE WORDS OF THE TEXT WILL APPLY. On some things we can calculate with a degree of certainty. Apply text — 1. With regard to ourselves. And it will apply to both good and evil. The text seems to have in view evil. 2. To the dispensations of Providence. 3. This uncertainty regards our lives. Some are cut off in the midst of sin. Some in the midst of religious declensions. II. WHAT REASONS CAN BE GIVEN FOR THIS IGNORANCE OF FUTURITY. It never was designed that man should know the future. Even the angels in heaven have not this knowledge. Would such knowledge add to our happiness? or improve our religious character? This arrangement keeps us fully dependent on God. By this means He keeps the world in awe. III. APPLY THE FACT TO SOME USEFUL PURPOSES. 1. It should check vain curiosity. 2. It teaches us to hope for the best. 3. It is good to be prepared for the worst. 4. Learn the importance of real religion. ( Charles Hyatt. ) Man's ignorance of futurity R. Cameron. I. THE SENTIMENT CONTAINED IN THE TEXT. No man will attempt to controvert the assertion it makes. 1. We are ignorant of the future as to our circumstances. 2. We cannot tell what a day may bring forth as to the state of our bodies and our minds. 3. We are ignorant of the future as to our families and connections. 4. We are totally ignorant of futurity, as to the continuance of our lives. II. SOME LESSONS OF PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION. 1. Learn the importance of a life of faith and dependence on God. Man was never designed to be independent. 2. Learn to cultivate a spirit of holy resignation to the Divine will. 3. Learn to cultivate a spirit of cautious moderation as to the things of this present life. 4. Learn to cultivate a spirit of humility. ( R. Cameron. ) Ignorance of the future Mr. D. L. Moody says: "To recall the following act I would give my right hand. On the night when the Court House bell of Chicago was sounding an alarm of fire, my sermon was upon 'What shall I do with Jesus? ' And I said to the audience, 'I want you to decide this question by next Sunday.' What a mistake! That night I saw the glare of flames, and knew that Chicago was doomed. I never saw that audience again." Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth. Proverbs 27:2 Self-boasting J. Parker, D.D. Self-boasting is always a source of weakness as well as a revelation of vanity. In vanity there is no substance; it is idle breath, it is foolish vapour. When a man is left to praise himself it is evident that he has lived an inverted life, not a life full of blessedness and comfort in relation to other men. The sun does not praise himself, but under his splendour and warmth men look up and say how pleasing a thing it is for the eyes to behold the light. On the other hand, we must beware of a very common and perilous deceit. There is a sense in which every man ought to be able to praise himself; otherwise the applause of the public will be left by him to be a mockery and a lie. Our own heart should not condemn us. The psalmist was wont to glory in his integrity, and to point to it as his refuge in the time of misunderstanding. ( J. Parker, D.D. ) Sand weighty. Proverbs 27:3 The weight of sand A. Maclaren, D.D. By a fool this book means, not so much intellectual feebleness as moral and religious obliquity, which are the stupidest things that a man can be guilty of. The proverb-maker compares two heavy things, stones and sand, and says that they are feathers in comparison with the lead-like weight of such a man's wrath. I want to make a parable out of the text. What is lighter than a grain of sand? What is heavier than a bagful of it? The accumulation of light things is overwhelmingly ponderous. Is there anything in our lives like that? I. THIS REMINDS US OF THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF TRIFLES. The small things make life, and if they are small, then it is. We are poor judges of what is great or small. We have a very vulgar estimate of noise, notoriety, and bigness. We think the quiet things are the small ones. The most trivial actions have a knack of leading on to large results, beyond what could have been expected. These trivial actions make character. Men are not made by crises. The crises reveal what we have made ourselves by the trifles. We shape ourselves by the way we do small things. II. THE OVERWHELMING WEIGHT OF SMALL SINS. The accumulated pressure upon a man of a multitude of perfectly trivial faults and transgressions makes up a tremendous aggregate that weighs upon him. The words "great" and "small" should not be applied in reference to things about which "right" and "wrong" are the proper words to employ. Acts make crimes, but motives make sins. To talk about magnitude, in regard to sins, is rather to introduce an irrelevant consideration. Small sins, by reason of their numerousness, have a terribly accumulative power; a tremendous capacity for reproduction. All our evil doings have a strange affinity with one another. To go wrong in one direction leads to a whole series of consequential transgressions of one sort or another. Every sin makes us more accessible to the assaults of every other. If we indulge in slight acts of transgression, be sure of this, that we shall pass from them to far greater ones. An overwhelming weight of guilt results from the accumulation of little sins. III. PLAIN, PRACTICAL ISSUES OF THESE THOUGHTS. 1. The absolute necessity for all-round and ever-wakeful watchfulness of ourselves. 2. This thought may take down our easy and self-complacent estimate of ourselves. 3. Should we not turn ourselves with lowly hearts to Him who alone can deliver us from the habit and power of these accumulated faults, and who alone can lift the burden of guilt and responsibility from off our shoulders? ( A. Maclaren, D.D. ) Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? Proverbs 27:4 Anger and envy Robert Ann. I. THE EVIL PRINCIPLES INDICATED IN THE TEXT ARE EXTENSIVELY AND DANGEROUSLY PREVALENT. To be irritated and out of temper is one of the common tendencies of our nature, manifested even in childhood. The root is wrath, anger. This pernicious root grows differently in different natures, and with more or less vigour. This vicious principle is generally regarded too complacently, as though it were a necessary part of our nature. Wrath is dangerous. Its tendency is to increase. The spark will rise into a flame. The intensity of anger depends upon external circumstances, and also upon the condition of our health. The external exciting causes are continually changing. The foolish vice of irritating the temper of others is too common. Some like to torment the susceptible. Others are perpetually fault-finding and sneering. Envy is the condition of one who looks upon the happiness of another and longs to possess it. Envy generally seeks to conceal itself, and to work in secret and in darkness. Passion would strike down its victim in the public market-place, whilst envy would carefully weigh out and mix the poison for its victim to consume unconsciously in his food. This dangerous and deadly principle has extensive existence. Envy is the development of germs which are universally diffused. Then search into the very depths of your nature after the most minute germs of this evil. II. WHEREIN LIES OUR SAFETY AGAINST THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PRINCIPLES? There may be lurking in our nature forces which need to be held in check by a stronger power than mere intellectual culture. Our higher civilisation too often only gilds crime, and throws its mantle over it. A formal profession of religion may cover the vilest lusts of humanity. There is a higher power. Christianity offers a Divine power by which the evil nature may be purified and every evil passion brought into subjection. Our safety, our only safety, lies in the renewal and sanctification of our nature by the Holy Ghost. Separated from the conscious presence of Christ, and destitute of His renewing grace and protecting providence, who can tell into what mischief we may fall! ( Robert Ann. ) The sin of envy George Lawson, D.D. The envious man is far blacker than the passionate man; for the outrageous behaviour of an angry person sounds an alarm to his neighbour to be on his guard, but the envious man conceals his malignity till he has a fit opportunity to strike a mortal blow without danger of missing his aim. The one is a dog, that barks before he bites, the other is an adder in the grass, that stings the traveller when he is dreading no hurt; for the malice of the envious man is generally unsuspected, because no occasion was given for it. It is the good and happiness of the envied object that excited his malignity, and he does not so much as pretend that he has received any provocation. ( George Lawson, D.D. ) The nature and mischief of envy Jonathan Blagrave, D.D. The wise man compares envy with two very exorbitant commotions of man's mind, wrath and anger. Worse than these, more unkind and uncharitable, more unjust, violent and mischievous, is envy. There is neither any goodness, nor yet any strength, that is a sufficient guard against it. 1. There is no man's innocency, no man's virtue, that can secure him from the direful strokes of envy. Sometimes a man's goodness actually inflames the hearts of the envious. See case of Cain and Abel; of Esau; of the brethren of Joseph; of Saul, etc. The greatest instance of all is the envy of Scribes and Pharisees against our Saviour. 2. There is no man so great and powerful, or of so secure an estate or fortune, but the violence of envy hath been capable of overthrowing him. Illustrate case of Abner. I. A JUST DESCRIPTION OF ENVY. It is a displeasure or trouble arising in a man's mind from the sight or knowledge of another man's prosperity, and causing a man to hate such person, and try to ruin him. It commonly arises on the sight of the prosperity of inferiors or equals. Men envy that to others which they think themselves as well or better to deserve. They seldom envy things or persons that are much above them. Distinguish envy from emulation. Illustrate by these two qualities in Saul and Jonathan, on the occasion of David's killing Goliath. Emulation is a great and noble virtue, envy a poor and sneaking vice. It is always hiding itself. No man will own himself to be envious. He disguises it under a mighty pretended zeal for the truth; or a great love for the public welfare; or a charitable concern for the credit of his neighbour. How few men are wholly free from this vice. II. THE MISCHIEVOUS EFFECTS PRODUCED BY ENVY. See these, that we may be more set against it; that we may avoid it ourselves; that we may beware of it in others; that we may use our utmost endeavours to quench this flame. Disturbances in the state, schism in the Church, and trouble in a neighbourhood, or in a private family, are generally traceable to envy. To what end is all this evil done by envious men? What do they get by it? Envy is its own punishment. No man can find a greater torment for an envious man than he inflicts upon himself. Even if it succeeds in pulling down a man, it very rarely gets into his place. How is it that God endures, and seems to leave alone, these mischief-making, envious men? They are agents in doing His disciplinary work in His people. It makes men self-watchful. The envious quickly light upon and show up faults that we might have passed over. The envious calumniate failings, not virtues. Remedies are — 1. A right apprehension of the things of this world. 2. A due submission to the will of God. 3. A true humility. 4. A Christian charity.This last plucks it up by the very roots; and plants in our hearts what is most contrary thereto. ( Jonathan Blagrave, D.D. ) Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5, 6 Charitable reproof Bp. Gilbert. Self-love is so natural to us, that as it makes us apt to flatter ourselves on all occasions, so it inclines us to accept too easily of the flatteries of all others. Our unwillingness to know our own faults, or to be humbled under the sense of them, makes us uneasy when any venture on the most charitable, but often the most unacceptable, act of friendship, the telling us of our faults. But so long as we have faults it is very fit that we be made acquainted with them. And since we are too much blinded in our own favour, it is a great happiness to fall Into the hands of such friends as will not spare us. No man can perform this act of friendship without some force put upon himself. Few love to touch a tender part, or to grieve a person who is dear to them. Friends see faults while they are yet secret, before they break out into open observation; so by the kind severity of their rebukes, they save from the shame which the discoveries that envy will soon make may bring. Friendship that carries a man to rebuke another plainly and roundly is better than secret love, or silent, indulgent, blind love. Such reproofs may be as wounds, and give a very painful uneasiness; but even that will be medicinal. The first and necessary rule in managing our reproofs is, that no man should offer to reprove another, who is eminently and notoriously faulty himself. Another is, reprove in such a manner that it may appear we are their friends whom we reprove, and that we correct them for their own good. So much depends on the temper in which reproof is given. The most comprehensive rule is to order our reproofs with discretion and prudence. The things of which we find fault should be things of importance. Junior and inferior persons should not usually reprove

Benson Commentary Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1 . Boast not thyself of to-morrow — Of any good thing which thou purposest to do, or hopest to receive to-morrow or hereafter; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth — What may happen in the space of one day to hinder thy designs or expectations. The day is said to bring forth what God, by his almighty power and providence, either causes or suffers to be brought forth or done in it. “The wise man,” says Melancthon, “here teaches us modesty; and prohibits those two great vices, confidence in ourselves, or any thing we have; and rashly undertaking unnecessary things, out of a foolish hope they will succeed according to our desires. Wise and good men will only meddle within the bounds of their calling; and will also depend on God for his blessing; but they will not attempt things without just cause, presuming they can carry them as they please.” Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips. Proverbs 27:2 . Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth — Except it be really necessary, either for thy own just vindication, or for the honour of God, or for the edification of others, in which cases this hath been allowed and practised by wise and virtuous men, as particularly by St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:12 . Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. Proverbs 27:3 . A stone is heavy, &c., but a fool’s wrath is heavier — More grievous and intolerable, as being without cause, without measure, and without end. “Fools and unskilful people,” says Melancthon, “are more apt to be angry than others, because they consider not the infirmity of mankind, and that there are many errors of others which ought to be borne withal, and cured after a gentle manner. For, as goodness is most eminent in God, who himself bears with many evils in us, and commands us to forgive and it shall be forgiven us, so wise men bend their minds to goodness and lenity; remembering the common infirmities of all men, their own as well as others. Nor can there be a more lively picture of the implacable spirit of a fool, than that which our Saviour himself hath drawn in the gospel: of a cruel servant, who, when he had been forgiven sixty tons of gold by his master, would not forgive his fellow-servant a hundred pence, Matthew 18.” Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy? Proverbs 27:4 . Wrath is cruel — And doth many barbarous things; and anger is outrageous — Often depriving a man of the proper use of his reason, and hurrying him into many mischiefs and miseries; but who is able to stand before envy? — Envy is worse than both of them, 1st, Because it is more unjust and unreasonable, as not being caused by any provocation, as wrath and anger are; but proceeding from mere malignity of mind, whereby a man is grieved for another man’s happiness, in which he ought to rejoice; 2d, Because it is more deeply rooted and implacable, whereas the other passions are commonly allayed; and, 3d, Because it is more secret and undiscernible, and therefore the mischievous effects of it are hardly avoidable, whereas wrath and anger discover themselves, and so forewarn and forearm a man against danger. Proverbs 27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5-6 . Open rebuke is better than secret love — “He that takes an ingenuous liberty to tell others of their faults, and rebukes them freely, when need requires, to their face, is a better friend, a more valuable, though, perhaps, he may please less, than he who hath more of the passion of love in his heart, but makes it not known by such good effects. The parable, says Lord Bacon, reprehends the soft nature of such friends as will not use the privilege which friendship gives them, in admonishing their friends with freedom and confidence, as well of their errors as of their danger.” See Dodd. Faithful are the wounds — The sharpest reproofs; of a friend — They proceed from an upright, loving, and faithful heart, and really promote the good of the person reproved; but the kisses — All the fair speeches and outward professions of friendship; of an enemy are deceitful — Hebrew, ?????? , are to be deprecated, are perfidious and pernicious, and therefore are such things as one may properly pray to God to be delivered from. Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Proverbs 27:7 . A full soul — A man whose appetite, or desire, is fully satisfied; loatheth a honey-comb — The most delicious meats; but to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet — Hunger makes a man relish the most distasteful food, while full stomachs loathe the most delightful. The design of this proverb is to show the inconvenience that oftentimes attends upon plenty, and the advantage of poverty, that the rich may learn moderation, and the poor content. “Poverty,” says Bishop Patrick, “hath this advantage over plenty, that it disposes men to be thankful for the smallest blessings, though mixed with care and trouble; when the richer sort, if they be not very careful, are apt to be unsatisfied with, nay to nauseate, their most delicious enjoyments, upon which they have long surfeited.” Proverbs 27:8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place. Proverbs 27:8 . As a bird that wandereth from her nest — That flies very much abroad from place to place, whereby she is exposed to all the arts of fowlers, and to birds of prey; so is a man that wandereth from his place — That, through vanity or lightness, changes the place of his abode or his calling; the ill effects whereof have been frequently observed. The LXX. read, Like as a bird is taken when it leaves its nest, so is a man reduced to servitude when he quits his habitation. Proverbs 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Proverbs 27:9 . Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, &c. — “As balsam and fragrant perfumes marvellously refresh and comfort the natural spirits, when they droop and are tired; so doth the very presence of a true-hearted friend, and much more his faithful counsel, rejoice a man’s soul; especially when he is at such a loss, that he knows not how to advise himself.” — Bishop Patrick. Proverbs 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off. Proverbs 27:10 . Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend — Of whose friendship thou hast had long experience; forsake not — But betake thyself to him, when thou art in distress, rather than to thy natural brother or kinsman, if he be not also thy friend. For better is a neighbour — That is, a friend, such as is mentioned in the beginning of the verse, who hath showed himself to be a true and good neighbour; that is near — Namely, in affection; than a brother far off — Who is alienated in affection from thee. Proverbs 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me. Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished. Proverbs 27:12-13 . Of the former of these verses, see on Proverbs 22:3 , and of the latter, on Proverbs 20:16 . Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him. Proverbs 27:14 . He that blesseth his friend — That saluteth, praiseth, or applaudeth him to his face, as the manner of flatterers is; with a loud voice — That both he and others may be sure to take notice of it; rising early in the morning — To perform this office, to show his great forwardness and diligence, and zeal in his service; which was the custom of the Romans afterward, and possibly of some of the Jews at this time. It shall be counted a curse to him — His friend will value this kind of blessing no more than a curse: because it plainly discovers a base design, and is a high reflection upon him, as if he either did not understand such gross and palpable flattery, or were so ridiculously vain-glorious as to be pleased with it. Proverbs 27:15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. Proverbs 27:15-16 . A continual dropping, &c., and a contentious woman are alike — Are equally troublesome; the first not suffering a man to go abroad with comfort; the latter not permitting him to stay at home with quietness. Whosoever hideth her — That is, attempts to smother her passion, that it may not break forth to her shame, and to her husband’s discomfort and reproach; hideth the wind — Undertakes that which is impossible; and the ointment of his right hand — Which, being the great instrument of action, by its much stirring diffuseth the savour of it. Houbigant renders it, He who will confine her at home may confine the wind, for whatsoever he shall seal with his hand, that is, whatsoever her husband would wish to keep secret, she will bewray or divulge. The Hebrew is very obscure, but the meaning of the verse evidently is, “To attempt to keep such a woman in the house, is to attempt to restrain the wind: and as one cannot touch perfumed oil with the hand but the odour will discover itself, so is it fruitless to endeavour to conceal the bad qualities of a quarrelsome woman; in spite of all endeavours she will discover herself.” Proverbs 27:16 Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself . Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17 . Iron sharpeneth iron — Iron tools are made sharp, and fit for use, by rubbing them against the file, or some other iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend — Quickens his ingenuity, enlivens his affections, strengthens his judgment, excites him to virtuous and useful actions, and makes him, in all respects, a better man. The countenance is here put for the mind or spirit, the state and disposition of which are commonly visible in men’s countenances. Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. Proverbs 27:18 . Whoso keepeth the fig-tree — That is, looks after it, and preserves it from suffering by drought, by vermin, or by wild beasts, &c. shall eat the fruit thereof — Shall partake of its pleasant fruit in due time; so he that waiteth on his master — That serves him faithfully, prudently, and diligently; shall be honoured — Shall receive that respect and recompense which he deserves. He mentions the fig-tree, because such trees abounded in Canaan, and were valued and regarded more than other trees. Proverbs 27:19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man. Proverbs 27:19 . As in water face answereth to face — As the image of a man’s face in the water answers to his natural face who looks into it; or, as in water one man’s face is like another’s, the difference of men’s faces being not there visible; so one man resembles another not only in the regard of the corruption of nature, which is alike in all men, but also with respect to the tempers and dispositions of their minds, wherein likewise they frequently agree. Dr. Grey thinks the verse should be rendered, “As the water showeth the face to the face, so doth the heart the man to the man.” In which sense Castalio seems to have understood it, paraphrasing it thus: “As a man may know what kind of a face he hath if he will look into the water, so he may know what kind of a man he is if he will examine his conscience.” Another interpretation, adopted by some, is, “A man may see himself, while he looks upon other men, as well as know other men, by considering himself, and that as certainly as he can see his own face in the water, or in any other mirror;” there being little or no difference between one man and another by nature, but the difference being made by the grace of God. Proverbs 27:20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Proverbs 27:20 . Hell and destruction are never full — The grave devours all the bodies which are put into it, and is always ready to receive and devour more and more without end; so the eyes of man are never satisfied — That is, his desires, which work and discover themselves by his eyes. Proverbs 27:21 As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise. Proverbs 27:21 . As the fining-pot for silver — Is appointed and used for the trial of silver, and the detection and separation of the dross from it; so is a man to his praise — Or, according to his praise: that is, he is known by his praises; either, 1st, By the quality of those who praise and applaud him; and, as they are good or bad, so is he thought to be: or, rather, 2d, By his behaviour under praises, according as he conducts himself either humbly and modestly, with thankfulness to God, and a due sense of his own infirmities, which is the case and temper of a good man; or ambitiously and vain-gloriously, taking to himself the honour which he should give to God, as ungodly men generally do in such a case. Thus Bishop Patrick: “A man is discovered what he is, by trying how he can bear praises, commendations, and great applauses; which will presently show either the virtue or the vanity of his mind.” In this sense the LXX. seem to have understood the clause, reading ???? ??????????? ??? ???????? ?????????? ??? ????? , a man is tried by the mouth of those who praise him. Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him. Proverbs 27:22 . Though thou shouldest bray, &c. — “The folly and wickedness of some men are so incurable, that though unto reproofs, and chidings, and threatenings, you should add stripes and blows, they would not grow a whit the wiser or better for it.” Not natural, but moral and wilful fools are here intended, who, by long continuance in sin, are hardened and stupified, and so are become incorrigible under all the means of amendment. Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Proverbs 27:23-24 . Be diligent to know the state of thy flock — That thou mayest preserve and improve what thou hast, and take care that thy expenses do not exceed thy income. Flocks and herds are here put for all riches and possessions, because anciently they were the chief part of a man’s riches. And look well, &c. — Hebrew, ???? ???? , set thy heart, &c. Trust not to thy servants, as many do, but make use of thine own eyes and reason for the conduct of thy affairs, lest thou come to ruin, as many have done by this very means. For riches — Hebrew, ??? , treasure, is not for ever — The sense is, what thou now possessest will not last always, but will soon be spent, if thou do not take care to preserve and improve it. And doth the crown endure, &c. — That is, a condition of the greatest honour and plenty. As if he had said, If a man had the wealth of a kingdom, without provident care and due diligence, it would soon be brought to nothing. Proverbs 27:24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? Proverbs 27:25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. Proverbs 27:25-27 . The hay appeareth, and the tender grass — In their proper seasons. These and the following things are mentioned as further arguments and encouragements to persuade to diligence: God invites thee to it by the plentiful provisions wherewith he hath enriched the earth for thy sake. And herbs of the mountains are gathered — Even the most barren parts afford thee their help. The lambs are for thy clothing — By their wool and skins, either actually used for thy clothing, or sold to purchase other clothing for thyself and family; and the goats are the price of thy field — By the sale whereof thou mayest either pay the rent of the field thou hirest, or purchase fields or lands for thyself. Goats might better be spared and sold than sheep, which brought a more certain and constant profit to the owner. And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, the food of thy household — Or, if thou choosest rather to keep thy goats, their milk will serve thee for food to thyself and family. In ancient times men used a plain and simple diet, and neither knew nor used that luxury therein which after ages invented. Proverbs 27:26 The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. Proverbs 27:27 And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens. Benson Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.

Expositor's Bible Commentary Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. CHAPTER 28 LIVING DAY BY DAY "Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day will bring forth."- Proverbs 27:1 "The grave and destruction are never satisfied; and the eyes of men are never satisfied"; and LXX adds, "An abomination to the Lord is he who sets his eye, and undisciplined men uncontrolled in tongue."- Proverbs 27:20 "Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof, so he that waits on his Lord eats of the honor."- Proverbs 27:18 HERE is a wholesome lesson for us. We are to trust no future, however pleasant; we are to dwell in no past, however honorable. Life consists of a present, given to us day by day; this is our whole wealth; squandered, it cannot be recovered; neglected, it withers as a leaf. Titus, the Roman Emperor, would say in the evening, when he had omitted his duties or failed in his purposes, Perdidi diem , "I have lost a day";-yes, that lost day is lost forever; other days may come, but not that one; the duties of that day may be performed afterwards or by other hands, but still the day is lost, because it passed away empty. The thief which cheats us of our days, and beggars us of our wealth, is the specious thought that tomorrow belongs to us. The illusion is as old as the world, but is today as fresh and powerful as ever. We have to shake ourselves free of a spell, and awake out of a dream, to see that when tomorrow comes it is already today. We only begin to live in any true and satisfactory sense when we have learnt to take each day by itself, and to use it as if it were our last, and indeed as if it were our all; dismissing the thought of tomorrow as a mere phantom which forever evades our grasp. Life is a mosaic, a large work shaping on the wall or in the dome of some vast cathedral which eye hath not yet seen; and it can only be effectually wrought if, with minute and concentrated care, the little piece of colored glass which we call Today is duly fixed into its bedding and fitted exactly to its immediate neighbors. "Why do you work with such intensity?" the great artist was once asked; "Because I work for eternity," was the answer. And that is why each day is of such importance: that is why each day demands all our thought and care: eternity is made up of days, and the present day is all of eternity that we can ever possess. It is well for us then each morning to take the day fresh from God’s hands, and at once to throw our whole soul into it, and to live it with a pure intensity, a sense of solemn and joyful responsibility. "Oh, Day, if I squander a wavelet of thee, A mite of my twelve-hours’ treasure, The least of thy gazes or glances (Be they grants thou art bound to or gifts above measure), One of thy choices or one of thy chances (Be they tasks God imposed thee or freaks of thy pleasure), - My Day, if I squander such labor or leisure, Then shame fall on Asolo, mischief on me." But it may be said, Is not this the life of a mere butterfly? Is it not the mark of a prudent man to work with his eye on the future, -"Prepare thy work without, and make it ready for thee in the field, and afterwards build thine house". { Proverbs 24:27 } Is it not just what we have to complain of in the foolish man that he ignores tomorrow, -"A prudent man seethe the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and suffer for it?" { Proverbs 22:3 , Proverbs 27:12 } Here is an apparent contradiction which requires reflection. And the difficulty increases when we remember that most worthy works are the labor of years: an architect lays his plans for a great building which he can hardly hope to see finished in his own lifetime; an author spends days and months and years in the preparation of materials, and must depend on the uncertain future for a time to shape them into a book: a statesman, in proportion as he is wise, avoids what is called a hand-to-mouth policy, and lays his plans with his eye on distant possibilities, well knowing that his immediate actions are liable to misunderstanding, and may prove to be a complete failure unless the opportunity is accorded him of realizing his far-reaching schemes. And, in the same way, youth is spent in education which derives all its value from the expected years of manhood, and all the days of a good life are necessarily a preparation for that which is to come after: we must study in order that we may teach; we must train ourselves for duties which will come upon us, as we may reasonably suppose, in some distant future. Yet our tomorrow is unknown; we are not to boast ourselves of it; we cannot tell what a day may bring forth, and must therefore live only to bring forth, and must therefore live only in today. Now the solution of this difficulty leads us to one of the profoundest of all spiritual truths. It is this: No life can be worth anything at all apart from the Eternal God, and faith in Him. Life cannot be really lived if it is merely "a measure of sliding sand" taken "from under the feet of the years." Our swift days cannot be effectually and wisely used unless we are linked with Him who embraces in Himself the past, the present, and the future. Our work, whatever it may be, cannot be rightly done unless we are, and know ourselves to be, in the great Taskmaster’s sight. The proper use of each day can only be made if we are confident that our times are in His hands; only in this quiet assurance can we have composure and detachment of spirit enough to give our whole strength to the duty in hand. We must be sure that the Master Artist knows the whole mosaic, and is ordering all the parts, before we can surrender ourselves to the task of putting today’s piece into its place; we must have complete faith in the Architect who is designing the whole structure, before we can have our mind at leisure from itself to chip our block of stone or to carve our tiny gargoyle. We can only live in the present, making the most of that which is really ours, on condition that we have God as our Future, relieving us of all anxious care, and assuring to us just strength for today. Thus our text has an implied contrast, which we may draw out in this way: "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth"; but boast thyself in God all the day long, { Psalm 44:8 } for thou knowest that He will bring forth righteousness, wisdom, and love continually. Now let us follow out some of the consequences of this spiritual attitude. Examine the condition of these restless human hearts all around us without God. They are all toiling for tomorrow. Here is one making money, as it is called; he is looking forward to laying aside so many thousands this year; in a few more years he hopes to realize a round sum which will relieve him from the necessity of toil and of further money-making. His eye is set upon that goal. At last he reaches it. Now his desire should be satisfied, but no, "Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and the eyes of man are never satisfied." { Proverbs 27:20 } He does not stay a night at the desired goal; he is off before sunset.; all the strain and the fret must be faced over again. Or look at the boundless ambition which possesses godless men; honors achieved only whet their appetite for more. We need not assume that the ambition is unworthy; all we have to notice is its insatiability; in politics, in literature, in art, in social distinction, it is like Sheol and Abaddon, -a maw that ever opens; a gulf that can swallow anything and everything, yet never be filled. The LXX addition seems to regard this uncontrolled desire as the mark of deficient culture; and, spiritually speaking, no doubt it is. Men without God are always uncultured; they have not found the center of their being, they have not procured the keystone to their accumulated knowledge, and it is, in consequence, not an arch through which they can travel to any goal, but a confused pile which blocks the way. These desperate strivings and loud-tongued, undisciplined desires are an abomination to the Lord, because they mar His mighty plan and introduce disorder where He intended order, discord where He intended harmony, deformity where He intended beauty. They are the work of egoism instead of theism. It is needless to dwell upon the heart-sores and the disappointments which fall to the lot of the people whom we are thinking of. What ghastly mockery the morrows on which they counted prove to be! In some lonely and rocky island, girdled by the moaning of the dreary seas, and cut off from all the interests which gave to life its excitement, egotism ends its days. Or it is on some restless couch, surrounded by all the outward trappings of wealth and power, that the dying spirit cries, "My kingdom for an inch of time!" The man who by his brilliant genius has drawn all his generation after him passes, bearing "through Europe the pageant of his bleeding heart," to a hopeless grave. The woman who has achieved the end of her ambition, ruling the courts of fashion, the acknowledged queen of salons, ends her days with a sense of frustration, cynical in her contempt for the world which was foolish enough to follow and admire her. But, on the other hand, here is one who boasts himself in God. "Lord, it belongs not to my care," is the language of his spirit, "Whether I die or live; To love and serve Thee is my share, And that Thy grace must give." The first thing that strikes you in him is his perfect peace. His mind is stayed on God. The future has no terrors for him, nor has it any joys. God is all in all to him, and God is his now. His treasure is in possession, and moth and rust do not corrupt it, nor can thieves break through or steal. To say that he is contented seems too mild a term for so positive and joyous a calm. But in contrast with the discontent which prevails everywhere outside of God, it is worthwhile to dilate on this passive virtue of contentment. That endless worry about little things has ceased; he is not annoyed because someone fails to recognize him; he is not affected by the malicious or scandalous things which are said about him; he is not anxious for human recognition, and is therefore never distressed because others are more courted than he is: he knows nothing of that malignant passion of jealousy which is worse than the cruelty of wrath arm the flooding of anger; { Proverbs 27:4 } he does not want wealth and he does not dread poverty. He says:- "Some have too much, yet still do crave; I little have, and seek no more: They are but poor though much they have, And I am rich with little store: They poor, I rich; they beg, I give; They lack, I leave; they pine, I live." When we have entered into this Divine content and are made by our absolute trust in God free from care for the future, it is wonderful how quick we become to see good in apparent evils. To the world this is so incredible that it suspects insincerity, but there is nothing more sincere and more real. A poor child who was blind found the greatest blessing in the affliction, saying, "You see, I can give more to the Missionary Society than the other children, because I can knit in the dark, and have not to spend money on candles." You go to one of God’s children expecting to find him broken down and rebellious under some great and undeserved calamity, but you find that he has discovered a blessing in the loss before you get there, and is actually rejoicing, or at any rate he is replying to all provocations, "The Lord gave and the Lord took away: blessed be the name of the Lord." He is afflicted, but you cannot think of him as afflicted, for "all the days of the afflicted are evil, but he that is of a cheerful spirit hath a continual feast." { Proverbs 15:15 } Yes, it is that illusive and imaginary morrow that robs us of our peace; it is the misgiving, the anxious care, the dark foreboding. But when we put God our Father in place of the morrow, and know that He comprehends and sees all that we have need of, the peace which passes all understanding settles down upon our spirit, and steals into our eyes, and breathes on our lips, and men perceive even in us why our Father is called "the God of Peace." The second thing which strikes us in those who have learnt to make their boast in God rather than in the morrow is the service which they render to their fellows. This is not only because they are able to turn their undivided attention to the duty which lies nearest, and to do with all their heart what their hand finds to do, but the very spirit of serenity in which they live is a constant help and blessing to all who, are around them. It may have been given to, you to come into contact with such a soul; in his presence your restlessness dies away, it seems as if your burning brow had been touched with a soothing hand; perhaps "with half-open eyes you were treading the borderland dim twixt vice and virtue," and that quiet spirit seemed like a clear shaft of the dawn revealing where you trod; perhaps you were heartbroken with a great sorrow, and the restfulness and confidence of that strong soul gave you an indefinable consolation, hope broke into your heart, and even joy. In receiving that help from what the man was rather than from what he gave, you became aware that this was the highest service that any human being can render to another. It is a great thing to succor the physical and material sufferings of men; it is a greater to bring them clear truths and to give them some stimulus and guidance in the intellectual life; but it is greatest of all to communicate spiritual sustenance and power, for that means to bring souls into actual and conscious contact with God. One of the noblest examples of this service to humanity is furnished in the life and the writings of St. Paul. His personal presence became the new creation of that ancient heathen civilization, and countless individual souls were, through the inner life which he presented, brought to a complete change and made new creatures in Christ. His writings have been, ever since he died, a constant source of life and strength to many generations of men. He has been misunderstood, "the ignorant and unstedfast have wrested" what he wrote, but none the less he has been to the Church a perpetual regenerator, and, as a great writer of our own day has declared, "The doctrine of Paul will arise out of the tomb where for centuries it has lain covered; it will edify the Church of the future; it will have the consent of happier generations, the applause of less superstitious ages." Now what is the secret of this power? It is given in his own words, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." { Php 1:21 } He was able to fling himself with that passionate temerity into the present duty, he was able to preach the word with that victorious vigor in season and out of season, just because the whole burden of the unknown future was rolled away from him, and he, more than any man that ever lived, understood what it is to live just for today. Every Christian may possess the same secret; it is the open secret of the Sermon on the Mount; as our gracious Lord told us, we may be as the lilies of the field and as the birds of the air, without anxiety or misgiving, knowing that our Heavenly Father cares for us. It is not given to us all to be great philanthropists, great reformers, great preachers, but it is put within the reach of all to render to others the sweet service of abiding always in trustful and loving submission to God’s will, and of shedding upon all the light of our peace. And this leads us to notice one last feature of this true spiritual life. It has an honor of its own, though it is not an earthly honor; it has a, reward, though it is not a material reward, "Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof, and he that waiteth on his master eats of the honor." { Proverbs 27:18 } That is a saying which can only apply in a very modified degree to earthly service and human masters. How many loyal servants of kings have been deserted by their lords at the critical moment, and left to eat the fruit of disgrace and ignominy! But the saying applies in its fullness to our Master Christ and His service. Think of the Christian life under this simple figure: it is like the careful cultivation of the fruit tree. He is the Vine. Our sole concern is to keep in touch with Him, to sit at His feet, to watch for His fruit, to see that no other concern disturbs the quiet relation of perfect loyalty and devotion to Him. Our aim is not to do our own business or seek our own ends, but to be sure that we are always awake to His purposes and obedient to the demands which He makes upon us. It is not ours to reason why, but it is ours to do at all costs whatsoever He bids us do today. We have nothing to do with tomorrow; we have no responsibility for the fruit, for no fruit-bearing power lies in us. All we have to do is to keep the fig tree. Now when we abide in this concentrated and whole-hearted devotion to our Master, -when for us to live is Christ, -then honor comes to us unsought, but not unwelcome. The fruit of service is to the taste of the true servant the highest honor that he can imagine. We need no apocalyptic vision to assure us. His word is enough, confirmed as it is by a constant and growing experience. The servants of our Lord already stand before Him, holding in their hands the talents which they have gained for Him; already they hear His gracious "Well done," and the sound of it is more musical in their ears than all the acclamations of their fellow-creatures. This is their honor; what could they have more? They are counted one with Christ; they shared His travail, and now they share His satisfaction and his joy. And thus those who make their boast in God, and do not boast of the morrow, find that the morrow itself becomes clear to them in the light of His countenance; they do in a sense know what it will bring forth: it will bring forth what they desire, for it will bring forth their Father’s will; it will bring forth the victory and the glory of Christ. "Henceforth ye shall see Him coming in the clouds of heaven." Is not that enough? When our hearts have learnt to hanker only after God’s will, to desire only Christ’s victory, they may boast themselves even of tomorrow; for tomorrow holds in its bosom an assurance of blessing and joy. The Expositor's Bible Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com . Used by Permission.