Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise. Note — I. THE INVOLUNTARY INFLUENCE OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE. The fruit of a life is the involuntary and regular expression of what the man is in heart and soul. All actions are not the fruit of life, inasmuch as man in the exercise of his freedom and, indeed, even by accident, performs actions that, instead of fully expressing, misrepresent his life. The regular flow of a man's general activity is the fruit, and this, in the case of a good man, is a "tree of life." It is so for three reasons. 1. It expresses real life. 2. It communicates real life. 3. It nourishes real life. II. THE HIGHEST PURPOSE OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE. "He that winneth souls is wise." This implies — 1. That souls are lost. 2. That souls may be saved. 3. That souls may be saved by man. 4. That the man who succeeds in saving souls is wise. III. THE INEVITABLE RETRIBUTION OF A GOOD MAN'S LIFE. The recompense here is supposed to refer rather to the suffering he experiences in consequence of his remaining imperfections than of the blessings he enjoys as a reward for the good that is in him. The sins of good men are punished on this earth. The argument here is a fortiori — if God visits the sins of His people with punishment, much more will He visit the sins of the wicked. (D. Thomas, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.WEB: The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls. |
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