but angry passions are the worst instructors to the tongue in the world. Floods of venom are poured from them when they have mastered reason, and obtained the command of the lips *.

A man of understanding having the government of his tongue, shews the excellency and coolness of his spirit, either by silence, or by the meekness of his words, as the occasion directs him. David had such a command of his passions through the power of faith, that he said nothing amiss when he was tried with the most provoking usage in the time of distress, a season when the spirits of other men are discomposed by mere trifles. He was like a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs, "for in thee, O Lord," says he, "do I hope. Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God t."

But if a man spare his words, may he not lay himself open to the suspicion of being an ignorant man or a fool? No.

Ver. 28. Even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise; and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

The silence of a fool is almost always a covering to folly, and a sign of some degree of wisdom, yet it is not always a sign that his folly is in any degree cured. Absalom held his peace when his sister was ravished by Amnon; but his silence proceeded from sullenness and cunning, and prepared the way for the execution of his furious revenge.

It is a good sign that a fool is not incurable, when he has learned to hold his peace from a sense of his own ignorance, and a desire to learn from others. It is as difficult a thing to learn to be silent, as to learn

to speak, and although unseasonable silence is not a good thing, yet unseasonable speaking is far worse,

It is often a point of real wisdom to be silent, for there is a time to be silent, and a time to speak, and the wise man's heart knoweth both time and judgment. When men have no call to speak on a subject, or when they have not duly considered it; when they are dis-· composed by passion, or in the company of those whose passions render them incapable of hearing reason; and finally, when they are more likely to expose themselves to damage than to do good to others by speaking,-then to hold their peace altogether, will be their best method of behaviour.

It is sometimes our duty to hold our peace even from good, but we must not run into one extreme to avoid another. Silence which is occasioned by cowardice, when we are manifestly called to bear testimony for truth, is a dangerous sin *. Nor must we desert the defence of oppressed innocency, to prevent inconveniency to ourselves +.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Ver. 1. Through desire a man, havingTM separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

MEN'S wisdom in this world is imperfect, and appears much more in desires than attainments . But * Matt. x. 32. Rev. xxi. 3. + Prov. xxxi. 8, xxiv. 12. Phil. iii. 13, 14.

these desires are not feeble and ineffectual wishes, like those of Balaam, when he desired to die the death of the righteous, and yet had a prevailing love to the wages of unrighteousness. Genuine desires of wisdom and holiness will dispose a man to separate himself from every thing that would obstruct the attainment of it, and to use every proper mean for obtaining it.

We are not called to give up every connection with the world, but in the calling wherewith we are called, we are directed to abide with God. But we must lay aside every unnecessary incumbrance, and avoid that load of worldly cares which would press us down to the earth, and keep us from travelling in that way of life which is above to the wise. Worldly cares, and the lusts of other things, are the thorns that choak the good seed of the word, and hinder it from bringing forth good fruit. David was called to the government of a kingdom, but he did not suffer the weighty cares of government to alienate his soul from the word of God, which was still his meditation day and night. How far it is a man's duty to separate himself from other things to learn wisdom, depends upon his particular circumstances; for the same person, in different situations, is required to employ a greater or lesser part of his time for this purpose. The labourer, that must attend upon his own business with diligence in its proper season, should employ himself in beholding God's work, when his hand is sealed up by stormy weather *.

The person that desires wisdom with earnestness will seek and intermeddle with it: although he depends on God for this precious gift, yet he will not make the freeness of divine grace a pretence for laziness; but by reading and hearing, meditating and conversing, praying, and practising what he knows already, he will

Job xxxvi. 6, 7.

follow on to know the Lord, and on such means the blessing of God may be expected*.

It is not one branch of wisdom only that the lover of wisdom will seek after. It is his earnest wish and endeavour, that the word of Christ may dwell in him richly in all wisdom. He regards both knowledge and practice as necessary parts of wisdom, that his eye may be clear, and his whole body full of light. He wishes and endeavours to be sound in the faith, and to attain a large measure of acquaintance with the law and the gospel. He is careful to understand his own way exactly, and to have every one of his steps ordered in the word of God. Every branch of religion is valuable in his eyes, and the Spirit shall lead him into all truth.

Ver. 2. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

The disposition of fools is entirely opposite to that of the lovers of wisdom, for they have no pleasure in understanding. Novelty, or curiosity, or a desire to make a figure by their knowledge, may sometimes induce them to bestow some pains to procure knowledge; but their eyes were never opened to discern the divine beauty of truth and holiness, and they have no spiritual sensation, to relish the sweetness of that which every Christian declares from experience to be sweeter than honey from the comb. Herod heard John gladly, and did many things because of him; but his obstinate continuance in the sin of incest was an evidence that he had no true delight in wisdom, for that would have disposed him to abhor every false way. In the 58th chapter of Isaiah, we read of wicked men that delighted to know God's way; but we learn from the follow

Prov. ii. 1.-6.

ing part of that discourse, that their delight in wisdom was an empty pretence. They hoped to make satisfac tion to God for their sins by their observation of ordinances, without seeking any experience of their sanctifying influence. Their delight was not placed on God or his ways, but on those advantages to themselves which they fondly hoped to obtain by bodily exercise. The hearers resembled by the stony ground received the word with joy, and for a time seemed to profit by it; but they had no cordial relish of the gospel. Their delight was only a transient flash of affection, and it soon appeared that they loved their bodies more than their souls, and preferred their ease and safety to the gospel of salvation.

The delight of a fool is, that his heart may discover itself. Some of the wicked are decent in their outward conduct, and their pleasure lies in the inward indulgence of their corrupt disposition; but others of them are not ashamed of their folly, and take delight in making it visible to all men by its fruits. They discover their pride and vanity, their sensual and irreligious dispositions, by their tongues and practices; so that you may easily see that they are corrupt trees, because they bear nothing but corrupt fruit.

This proverb instructs us to distinguish between fools and wise men. A wise man seeks and intermeddles with all wisdom, because he delights in it after the inward man. If we love not wisdom, but take pleasure in the thoughts of foolishness or in the outward expressions of folly, we must be ranked in that black catalogue of which so many bad things are said in this book, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

Foolish thoughts too often come into the minds of the wise, but we must suppress them as soon as they enter, lest by giving them licence to pollute our hearts,