Proverbs 11:1-16

False Weights Pride, Etc.

Pro 11:1-16

Instead of "weight" read "stone." Israel had now become a commercial nation in some degree, and therefore had come into the use of balances and measures and weights. No sooner did a commercial life begin than dishonesty would seem to have begun with it. Men tell lies in their balances; without ever saying a word they speak falsehoods in their unequal weights. The Lord is here represented as looking upon our commercial life. He not only hears our prayers, but watches all the way of our dealing, at the shop, the factory, the bank, and the marketplace. He himself tests every balance and every weight. This is a thought which is apt to escape the attention of all who are engaged in the business of the world. Many men suppose that by a trick of the finger, or by some sleight of hand, they can deceive the unwary and make a profit out of the ignorance of those who unwisely trust them. This may be so for the moment, and in the letter, but it is forgotten that the permanent criticism is divine, the unerring judgment is from above, and that the eye of God is constantly searching, not only whilst we are in the sanctuary, but in all our commercial relations and responsibilities. Here again is a reason why all men should trust the Bible. Its morality is on behalf of the buyer as well as on behalf of the seller. The Bible has not a morality for one side of the counter and no morality for the other; the whole transaction is exposed to divine criticism, and brings upon itself either malediction or blessing, according to the morality which the action expresses.

"When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom" ( Pro 11:2 ).

Pride has a short day in which to live; immediately behind red and blustering pride conies pale-faced, cowering shame. No pride can stand that is not based on reason and sanctioned by morality: without these guarantees it is mere ostentation, vanity, irrational and unseasonable boasting, exploding by its own energy, and coming to nothing because of its irregularity. There is nothing to be proud of upon the earth. We cannot be proud of our strength, for in our highest estate we are but like the grass, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven. We cannot be proud even of intellectual abilities, for we have nothing that we have not received, and indeed the higher our intellectual power the more modest will be our whole feeling in relation to ourselves. Partial power is more likely to be proud than is complete strength. It is whilst we grow that we are a surprise to ourselves, but when we have come to something like maturity we begin to feel how little there is on earth that is to be accounted of, and how true it is that he that glorieth should glory in the Lord. With the lowly is wisdom, with the modest, with the simple in heart, with the unselfish: they may not have the wisdom of letters, but they have that deeper wisdom which is before letters and which will survive all literature the wisdom of an open heart, an unprejudiced understanding, a loving and obedient will, a disposition whose mute prayer is continually, Lord, give me light, and show me what is true. God himself will dwell with the lowly man as in a chosen habitation; he will come to him by night and tarry with him to the break of day, and if he leave him it is but for a small moment, that his return may be marked by an intenser desire and adoration.

"When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting" ( Pro 11:10 ).

This is a tribute to righteousness which must come sooner or later. There is a heart in the city as well as in the individual man; a kind of civic personality as well as a narrow individuality. When principles of the highest morality govern the life of the city there is rejoicing everywhere, because where righteousness is the blessing of God is, and the blessing of God maketh rich, and no sorrow is added to that infinite and tender benediction. It is singular indeed that even bad men rejoice when good principles are so received and applied as to revive commercial industry and commercial confidence, and create a healthy state of feeling as between nation and nation, and city and city. When the wicked man perishes there is shouting of gladness, although there may have been during his lifetime adulation and hypocritical compliment paid to him. The wicked man never did anybody any lasting good. He always took away more than he gave, and he never pronounced a kind word except with a stinging spirit, and even in his superficial benedictions there was nothing enduring, nothing solid and lasting in the comfort which he pretended to bestow. The wicked man imagines that he is popular, but his imagination is vain. He is only made use of, looked for in order that he may help in a time of emergency, or in some way be unconsciously debased to uses the full range and purpose of which he does not perceive. No one weeps over the grave of the wicked man: it is an unblessed tomb; it is a desert rather than a garden; whatever grows there does not grow in beauty and fruitfulness by the will of man or the purpose of God. The wicked man has nothing before him but a gloomy immortality, a destiny of tears, reproaches, and accusations of every kind; the time will come when men will be ashamed to mention his name, or, if they do mention it, it will be with parentheses and reservations which constitute the bitterest malediction. Every one is proud to recall the repute of a righteous man. It is like reminding others of gardens of beauty, orcnards of delight, landscapes rich in all features of excellence and attractiveness: the name of the righteous is a name of health; it is breathed as with the fresh air of heaven; men delight to hear it and find their honour even in its repetition. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. The upright may be for a time opposed, but for a time only; the issue is certain; truth will prevail, and they who oppose the upright shall come to humiliation, if not to contrition, and to such a sense of injury inflicted upon the innocent as will elicit from them words of compunction, petitions, and supplications for pardon.

"He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace" ( Pro 11:12 ).

How true this is in all departments of life! We have just said that imperfect wisdom is exposed to temptations of vanity and to all the snares of flattery. The man spoken of in the text is simply void of wisdom: he only sees parts of things; his is a mere worldly sagacity without root or foundation, without core or innermost life that can withstand all storm and uproar and trial, and be the better for the distress and discipline through which it may have to pass. The imperfectly educated man despiseth his neighbour, because he does not understand him; his neighbour may be too large a man for him; his neighbour may see things which do not come within his purview; and because the unwise man cannot follow the man who is wise he vents his displeasure in criticism and depreciation. Many a man cannot be so clear and dogmatic in his statements as he would wish to be, simply because he sees a larger horizon than is beheld by those who are not of equal understanding with himself. The man who has large keen vision is afraid to tell the world all he sees, because the world is in so many instances half-blind, and could not test the reality of his vision, and therefore might be tempted to rail upon him, and call him by reproachful names. The man of understanding, however, holdeth his peace where his neighbour's character is under judgment. By the mere necessity of his understanding he sees more than the fool can see, and he is willing to abide in patience until processes eventuate in their proper issues. He may not commit himself to a definite judgment; but he shows his wisdom by quietly observing, by giving his neighbour time for development, by operating upon the principle that self-evolution will explain every mystery in the long run. Many men have a reputation for clearness and positiveness who ought to have a reputation for mere shallowness and impertinence. They can only see that which is palpable, and handle that which is ponderable; they have no inner life, no keen prophetic vision, no sense of the largeness and infinity of life, and therefore they can pronounce complete judgments, and pose as oracles and dogmatists, where they ought to be branded as men of vain minds, shallow understanding, and flimsy character. The man who is void of understanding is likely to be a talebearer; he must talk; he is a man of boundless words; it is dangerous to meet him when you are in haste, for if you ask him the simplest question he is prepared to pour out a flood of words in reply to your inquiry; he likes to be thought wise, to be in the confidence of people, and to be able to explain secrets which other men can only refer to with a modesty that is inconsistent with falsehood: the talebearer talks with his eye, and with his feet, and by making signs with his fingers; he wishes to impress the company with the fact that he knows a great deal more than he will say; and he also says a great deal more than he knows even by the very signs which are supposed to confirm his self-control. The faithful spirit concealeth the matter: he is a confidential man; he knows that many words are spoken which were never intended to be repeated, and that self-control is one of the first conditions of true healthy discipline. The faithful spirit could often excite sensation, create interest in himself, draw around him men who are anxious to obtain knowledge of secrets that they may profit by their felony; but the faithful spirit is willing to be misjudged, misunderstood, regarded indeed in some instances as morose, and solemn, and self-involved: he passes judgment unto the Lord, and finds in his own faithfulness a consummate and abiding reward.

"He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretiship is sure" ( Pro 11:15 ).

Instead of "stranger" read "another." Man is often pointed out in the Bible as the enemy of man. This might be thought to be churlish, if it were not so abundantly and tragically proved by daily experience. What could be kinder and more philanthropic than to be surety for another man? If all men were faithful this would be so; if all faithful men could control circumstances this would be still more truly so. But men are not all faithful; they lie in wait for one another; the strong intends to make a profit out of the weak; and even many who profess the morality of the gospel are willing to wait until the poor man is unable to carry his burden any longer, then they will relieve him of what property he may have, and enjoy themselves on the miseries of his life. It is difficult to apply any stated rules to these circumstances; the very difficulty of applying a stated rule to them suggests the need of our coming to them in the spirit of Christ, who never broke the bruised reed, took advantage of the fallen, or spoke unkindly to any man whose heart was sore and weary. It is an invaluable principle, however, that he that hateth suretiship is sure. There is a suretiship which is positively felonious that is, the suretiship in which there is no security behind it; the speculation which says it will take its chance, and leave everything to the chapter of accidents: where a man is prepared to be surety for another, and has ample property to meet the contingency, and is prepared to meet it when approached, and to accept the reward of having endeavoured to do his best, then suretiship is divested of all that is undesirable and tormenting. Let young men beware how they become sureties: let poor men never enter into suretiships, for they tell lies by signing their names to bonds which they can never fulfill; they sail under false colours. When a man's name is on a bill it means that he is able to pay that bill, but in many cases the reality proves to be just the contrary. In all such cases the name is a lie, the surety is an oath hateful in the sight of heaven.

"A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches" ( Pro 11:16 ).

Here the sexes are put in beautiful apposition: woman is gracious, man is strong. Graciousness dissociated from strength has indeed an influence all its own; strength dissociated from graciousness is mere strength, and is wanting in all those attributes which excite and satisfy the deepest confidences of the world. A woman can work miracles by her graciousness. She knows how to enter the sick chamber noiselessly. She knows how to enter the room without violence, ostentation, or impressiveness, which signifies vanity and display. Woman can speak the gentle word, and look the gracious look, and use the magical touch of friendship and trust, and, in short, can carry her own way without appearing to do so by the very force of tenderness, sympathy, and persuasiveness. Who would raise the foolish question whether grace or strength is the more desirable attribute? Each is desirable in its own way; a combination that is the very perfection of character. Strength and beauty are in the house of the Lord. The great column looks all the better for the beautiful capital which crowns and enriches it. Men should endeavour to cultivate grace, tenderness, all that is charmful in spirit, disposition, and action: this cannot be done by mere mimicry; it is to be done by living continually with Christ, studying his spirit, entering into all his purposes, and reproducing, not mechanically, but spiritually, as much as possible of all that was distinctive of his infinite character. The Bible has ever given honour to woman. He is a fool and an unjust man who wishes to keep women in silence, obscurity, and in a state of unimportance; and she is a foolish woman who imagines that she cannot be gracious without being strong, and who wishes to sacrifice her graciousness to some empty reputation for worthless energy. It is not good for the man to be alone, for he is without grace; it is not good for the woman to be alone, for she is without strength: when men and women stand to one another in the right Christian relation they will complete one another, and together constitute the divine idea of humanity.