even while they are in the full enjoyment of their earthly happiness. That happiness is crowned and perfected, when on the tie of nature there is superinduced the bond. of grace; and there is thus an everlasting as well as a temporary union. Let this be the aim-and may this be the happiness of every wedded pair in this assembly!

Verse 20. "There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up." There is an evident correspondence between this verse and verse seventeenth. They may be regarded either as contrasts or as counterparts to each other. "The wise" and the righteous are in this book the same,―wisdom consisting specially in "the fear of the Lord;" and on the same principle, “the foolish" and the wicked are the same. The verse has clearly a reference to temporal things. The "treasure" is earthly treasure; the “oil," that of worldly prosperity and abundance. When the treasure is called "treasure to be desired," it seems to be designed to mark the difference between the treasure that is gotten by industry, prudence, frugality, and justice; and that which is gotten by unrighteousness, fraud, and oppression ;-between the treasure in the house of "the wise" and the treasure in the house of "the foolish." The former alone is "treasure to be desired," as being obtained rightly and used rightly; and as being obtained by the divine blessing and enjoyed with it. The "treasure" and the "oil" may in themselves be the same. But of everything earthly there is an adventitious as well as an intrinsic value. The "treasure" which is obtained and enjoyed otherwise than we have described, is not "to be desired." A man is better with nothing than with "treasure" gotten wickedly-gotten by a lying tongue-gotten by theft or robbery-gotten by oppressive grinding of the faces of the poor-gotten as a bribe for evil-gotten in any way that sets conscience and God against its owner; and better far with nothing than with "treasure" in the use of which God and the claims of benevolence are forgotten; in the use of which, a man seeks as his sole end to gratify self, and is thus "treasuring up unto himself

wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righte ous judgment of God."

But a foolish man spendeth it up." This may either mean that the foolish man spendeth up his own treasure; so that whatever he acquires is speedily, through his own mismanagement, or extravagance, or abuse, consumed and gone; --or that the wise man has a fool for his successor to whom his treasures go, and by whom they are soon exhausted:"Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity."-Eccl. ii. 18, 19.

How true the closing words of this passage-" This is also vanity!" "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!"-is the text of the book; and this is only one of its many illustrations and proofs. In "the dwelling of the wise" there are treasures infinitely more precious than any this world can furnish ;-treasures of spiritual blessing,-unsearchable riches-riches that "perish not in the using." He is rich in possession, and rich in hope, rich in time and rich for eternity. "THE WISE " and

66

THE FOOLISH" shall divide mankind at last. To which of the two assemblies would you belong? You may to either. It depends upon your own choice. God says "Ye fools, when will ye be wise?" He shuts up none to final privation and suffering, but those who voluntarily and pertinaciously shut themselves up to folly. The gospel is the wisdom of God for our salvation; and it is our wisdom to receive it.

LECTURE LXVII.

PROV. XXI. 21-31.

"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? A false witness shall perish; but the man that heareth speaketh constantly. A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord."

"RIGHTEOUSNESS AND MERCY are the two great divisions of moral duty between man and man. In the Bible, as might be expected, they stand associated with a third―GODLINESS; that which forms the principle of the duties which man owes to his Maker and moral Governor.* There is nothing to which men are more prone than to put these asunder; and while, to a certain extent, practising towards their fellow-men what justice and humanity require, to leave out of their estimate of their characters altogether the affections and the conduct that arise from, and are required by, that primary obligation, that takes precedence of, and indeed is inclusive of, all others, -the obligation of every intelligent creature to God. The overlooking of this is the most affecting proof of human de

* Comp. Tit. ii. 11, 12; Mic. vi. 8.

pravity, and the most prolific cause of human delusion. But, apart from the union, in Scripture, of these three branches of character, it may be noticed, that the word "righteousness" is frequently taken in a more comprehensive sense, —as a term for human duty at large, as it is also a term for all the moral excellence of Deity.* And when we recollect that "righteousness" consists in giving every one his due, why should it not include the first of all dues, that which is due to God? If it is unrighteous to withhold that which is due, the ungodly man is, in the highest sense, the unrighteous man. He fails to pay the first and most imperative of his debts. If there can be no claim equal to God's, there can be no iniquity equal to the violation of it.-Benevolence is one of the primary elements of the divine character. And it is the law of the moral universe. Love is the fulfilling of that law. God has inade love due from creature to creature, as well as from the creature to Himself. And he can neither imitate God, nor obey Him, who does not follow after "mercy" as well as "righteousness."

He who "followeth after"-who habitually and perseveringly practises these virtues, "findeth life." He has a truly happy life. He has God's presence and blessing; and these are life,—life's true zest and joy. He also “findeth righteousness." The man of high principle, who is noted for his strict uprightness, will generally meet with a return in kind. Few, comparatively, will attempt to cheat the thoroughly honest dealer. Knaves themselves will be awed into honesty by the knowledge of his character. And he "finds honour;" -when in any case righteousness and mercy" are eminently united; when a man not only adheres strictly to the imperative demands of justice, but lays himself out for the benefit of others—at a cost of toil and trouble, and self-denial and sacrifice,—“honour" will be his due; and honour he will obtain. It will attend upon him while he lives, and it will be attached to his name when he is gone hence. There may be a kind of greatness arising from mere vastness of in

66

*See 1 John iii. 7; ii. 29.

† Comp. Phil. iv. 8, 9.

tellect and mightiness of power, working wonders in the earth, and affecting now and for ages to come, the destinies of nations. But where there has been no principle; where there has been neither "righteousness" nor mercy," but the flagrant violation of both, the very page of history, which records the greatness, records with it the dishonour; associating with the magnitude of the events, and the magnitude of mental and physical resources by which they were brought about, the brand of moral reprobation. The only true, living, lasting "honour" is that which is gained by the operation of great moral principles, for all real greatness lies in moral worth. Even in life, the man of self-denying generosity will be so valued, and so honoured, that others will be ready to risk and sacrifice life itself for his preservation. "For a good man some would even dare to die."

But higher and better blessings may be meant. These, indeed, are not, in God's word, associated, in the way of merit on the creature's part, or of reward on His, with the practice of "righteousness and mercy;"—but "life, righteousness, and honour are ever connected with the character. *

Verse 22. "A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof." The proverb has had, at times, a literal fulfilment. Look at ancient Babylon. With its insurmountable walls and bulwarks, it seemed secure; and its monarch could smile in proud defiance at the power of the mightiest assailants. But Cyrus had something besides military force. He had wisdom; and the turning of the course of the Euphrates, and entering by its channel, accomplished what force could not in any way effect; and in an unexpected moment,—a moment of careless and fearless mirth and revelry, and glorying in the impregnable security of its lofty and massive muniments,—was “the strength of the confidence" of Babylon "cast down." language refers, however, under a particular illustration, to the conquering of great difficulties in general-affirming that, for this end, wisdom is much more effectual than mere physical

* Rom. vi. 20-22; Psal. xxiv. 3—5; Rom. ii. 6—11,

The