The LORD's eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless. Sermons
I. EARLY TRAINING. (Ver. 6.) The young twig must be early bent. Experience teaches us that nothing in the world is so mighty for good or evil as custom; and therefore, says Lord Bacon, "since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let man by all means endeavour to obtain good customs. Custom is most perfect when it beginneth in young years; this we call education, which is in effect but an early custom. The tongue is more pliant to all expressions and sounds, the joints more supple to all feats of activity and motions, in youth than afterwards. Those minds are rare which do not show to their latest days the ply and impress they have received as children." II. INDEPENDENCE. (Ver. 7.) How strongly was the worth of this felt in those ancient times! Poverty and responsibility to others are to be avoided. Many are forced into distress of conscience and to the loss of a good name by being tempted, for the wake of the rich man's gold or the great man's smile, to vote contrary to their convictions. Others will sell their liberty to gratify their luxury. It is an honest ambition to enjoy a competence that shall enable one to afford to be honest, and have the luxury of the freest expression of opinion. Hence frugality becomes so clear a moral duty. III. INTEGRITY. (Ver. 8.) Ill-gotten gains cannot prosper. "The evil which issues from thy mouth falls into thy bosom," says the Spanish proverb. The rod wherewith the violent and unjust man struck others is broken to pieces. IV. NEIGHBOURLY LOVE (Ver. 9.) "Charity gives itself rich, covetousness hoards itself poor," says the German proverb. "Give alms, that thy children may not ask them," says a Danish proverb. "Drawn wells are never dry." So give today, that thou mayest have to give tomorrow; and to one, that thou mayest have to give to another. Let us remember, with the Italian proverb, that "our last robe is made without pockets." Above all, if our case is that "silver and gold we have none, let us freely substitute the kindly looks and the healing words, which are worth much and cost little." V. A PEACEFUL TEMPER. (Ver. 10.) Let the scoffing, envious, contentious temper be cast out of our breast first. As for others, let us strike, if possible, at the cause and root of strife. Let there be solid argument for the doubter, and practical relief for actual grievances. Let us learn from the old fable, and follow the part of Epimetheus, who, when evils flew abroad from the box of Pandora, shut the lid and kept hope at the bottom of the vessel. VI. A FAITHFUL AND CONSTANT HEART. (Ver. 11.) The greatest treasure to an earthly monarch, and dear above all to the King of kings. "He who serves God serves a good Master." Grace and truth are upon the lips of God's Anointed forevermore. And to clench these proverbs, let us recollect that nothing but truth in the inward parts can abide before the eye of Jehovah. "A lie has no legs." It carries along with itself the germs of its own dissolution. It is sure to destroy itself at last. Its priests may prop it up, after it has once fallen in the presence of the truth; but it will fall again, like Dagon, more shamefully and irretrievably than before. Truth is the daughter of God (Trench). - J.
He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. What is purity — this bright and blessed strength of human life? The foundation of all purity must rest upon the body. Without bodily purity no other form of purity is possible. On this must rise the structure of mental and spiritual purity. Our thoughts and words must be not less pure than our actions. Action is ripened thought, and thought is germinating action. "No man suddenly falls." The thoughts have grown accustomed to dwell on impurity long before the deed of impurity is committed. In pureness of mind lies our best defence. And purity of mind is essential to clearness of spiritual vision and lofty exaltation of soul. The vision of the Invisible is impossible to the impure. And the beatific vision of God should be man's noblest ambition. Practical suggestions:1. Cleanliness is a strong defence of bodily purity, and with this must go good moral habits. 2. Wholesome environment and occupation are strong aids to purity. When the surroundings of life are not wholesome, it is a struggle to keep life pure. 3. Go not into the way of temptation, and avoid the companionship of the impure. 4. Reverence your body. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost; let us not defile them with impurity. And whatever else you leave undone, yet believe in pure and sacred love. Love that is not pure is not love. The love of home is a splendid defence against impurity. (Canon Diggle.) II. THE OUTCOME OF PURE-HEARTEDNESS. A pure-hearted man will be pure in speech; his conversation will be seasoned with the salt of his pure feeling. Speech is the blossom of a man's life, and is fair or foul, fragrant or offensive, according to the character of the tree. 1. Conversation is the grace of the lips. Not mere religious talk; not prudery — the over-conscientiousness that detects wrong where no wrong is. Over-sensitiveness is not delicacy. 2. Prayer is a grace of the lips that springs from pure-heartedness. 3. The preaching of a pure-hearted man is a grace of the lips. Because of this grace of the lips which springs from purity of heart, special favours shall be won. "The king shall be his friend." Good men win social confidence wherever they are, and the favour of the King of kings. (Henry Allon.) I. THE HEART OF THE GOOD MAN. "He loveth pureness of heart." Not merely does he love the pure in language, in manners and habits, in outward deportment, but the pure in heart. Pureness of heart in man's case implies — 1. A moral renewal. 2. An urgent necessity. Without pureness of heart there is no true knowledge of God, or fellowship with Him. II. THE SPEECH OF THE GOOD MAN. "For the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend." By "the grace of his lips" we are to understand something more than grammatic accuracy, or elegant diction — something more than logical correctness or strict veracity. It means speech that is morally pure — pure in sentiment, pure in aim. It is said of Christ that the people wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. The man of a pure heart will have lips of grace. "If the tree is made good, the fruit will be good." III. THE INFLUENCE OF THE GOOD MAN. "The king shall be his friend." Solomon here speaks probably of his own determination. He meant to say that he would give his friendship to such men. "This," says Mr. Bridges, "had been his father's resolution" (Psalm 51:6; Psalm 119:63). This character smoothed the way to royal favour for Joseph (Genesis 41:37-45), for Ezra (Ezra 7:21-25), and Daniel (Daniel 6:1-3, 28). Nay, we find godly Obadiah in the confidence of wicked Ahab (1 Kings 18:3, 12; 2 Kings 13:14). So powerful is the voice of conscience, even when God and holiness are hated! Such alone the great King marks as His friends. Such He embraces with His fatherly love (Proverbs 15:9). Such He welcomes into His heavenly kingdom (Psalm 15:1, 2; Psalm 24:3, 4). IV. THE BLESSEDNESS OF A GOOD MAN "The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge." Three different interpretations have been given to the expression. 1. That the Lord vigilantly watches over His truth in the world. This is a truth, although we are not disposed to accept it as an interpretation of the passage. 2. That what the eyes of the Lord see He remembers for ever. "The eyes of the Lord preserve knowledge." He retains His knowledge. We do not preserve our knowledge. We forget far more than we retain. But we are not disposed to accept this as the idea of the passage. 3. That the Lord exercises a protecting superintendence over those who possess His knowledge. That it means, in fact, the same as the expression elsewhere. "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous." This we accept as the true idea. Whilst the Lord keeps the good man, He overthroweth the words of the transgressor. (D. Thomas, D.D.) People SolomonPlaces JerusalemTopics Acts, Faithless, Frustrates, Kept, Overthroweth, Overthrows, Overturned, Preserve, Transgressor, Treacherous, Unfaithful, WatchOutline 1. A good name is more desirable than great wealthDictionary of Bible Themes Proverbs 22:12Library The Rich and the PoorChapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have, … Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All The Formation of Habits. The Christian Business World Philip and the Emperor He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents. "But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. " We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love... Proverbs Links Proverbs 22:12 NIVProverbs 22:12 NLT Proverbs 22:12 ESV Proverbs 22:12 NASB Proverbs 22:12 KJV Proverbs 22:12 Bible Apps Proverbs 22:12 Parallel Proverbs 22:12 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 22:12 Chinese Bible Proverbs 22:12 French Bible Proverbs 22:12 German Bible Proverbs 22:12 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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