CHAP. XXX. 11-14. 601
In what Church do we not find the next generation--pure in their
own eyes, yet not washed from their filthiness? (Isa. lxv. 5.) The Pharisees
of the Gospel1 were the living picture, devoted to the externals of reli-
gion, and to them exclusively; "washing the outside of the cup and
platter," while the inward part was wholly unwashed from its filthiness.
We see them in the next generation in the Laodicean Church. (Rev. iii.
17, 18.) The family at this distance of time is far from being extinct.
Their lineal representatives abound among us. Their religion, as of
old, is mere ceremony; rigid in forms, but with an inveterate hatred of
vital godliness. In the service of the Church they will go through the
exercise of confession of sin, and supplication for mercy, as 'miserable
offenders;' still pure in their own eyes, with no conscious filthiness, from
which they need to be washed. Nay-they will even at the Lord's
table, engage in a service, as full of contrition and self-renunciation as
language could express; yet all this, not to humble the soul in sorrow
and confidence, but to feed self-righteousness and delusion. All is
formality, and "confidence in the flesh."
Indeed a thin cloak of profession suffices to maintain this self-
gratifying judgment. For everywhere it is the great work of Satan, to
delude the sinner into a good opinion of himself. His open profession
is "according to the course of this world," plunging without scruple
into all its follies and pleasures. His baptismal engagement is thrown
to the wind. He does not pretend to renounce the devil, the1worId, or
the flesh. Creeds are a matter of indifference. For the hearty service
of his God he has no care or concern. And yet, withal, he is pure in his
own eyes. He estimates himself by some plausible qualities, or some
course of external decorum,2 while a blind infidel as to the depravity of
his nature, which-not the gross acts of sin--gives the stamp to the
whole character. Sometimes partial obedience maintains this delusion;
while he hides from himself the genuine hypocrisy of secret reserves,
which mars all. (1 Sam. xv. 13, 14.) He was once impure; but he has
gone through a course of purifying observances, has washed himself
from his filthiness, little knowing the infinite distinction between being
pure in his own eyes, and being pure in the sight of God.
We often see this self-deceiver in the spiritual Church, exhibiting a
full and clean profession to his fellow-men; while himself--awful
thought!--living at an infinite distance from God. (1 Cor. xiii.l.) He
has got notions of the grand doctrines of the gospel, and he finds it con-
venient to profess them. Salvation by free grace is his creed, and he
will " contend earnestly for" its purest simplicity. He conceives him-
self to distinguish accurately between sound and unscriptural doctrine,
He deems it legal to search for inward evidences, lest they should ob-
1 Matt. xxiii. 25-27. Comp. Luke, xvi. 15; xviii. 10. John ix. 40, 41.
2 Matt. xix. 20. Rom. vii. 9. Philip. iii. 6.
602 EXPOSITION OF THE EOOK OF PROVERBS.
scure the glorious freeness of the gospel. All this is a cover for his
slumbering delusion. His conscience is sleeping in " the form of godli-
ness," while his heart is wholly uninfluenced by" its power." (2 Tim. iii.
5.) Or perhaps there may be alarming conviction of some powerful
corruption, which, if he could master, he would be at peace. But while
fixing his eye upon this single sin, he has no conception of the grand
fountain of evil within. Sometimes it is the Romish error (common
however to human nature) of substituting penance for penitence; some
external work of sacrifice for the deep, inwrought principle; or the
periodical routine of humiliation instead of the daily habit. But with
all this, there is no mourning for his innate guilt and pollution; no
sensibility of sin in thoughts, objects, motives, or prayers; no percep-
tible change from a proud, self-willed, or worldly spirit. All serves only
to soothe his conscience. He is pure in his own, eyes--in his own
imaginary view and perverted judgment! Yet until he be disturbed
in his complacency, how hopeless his condition! (Chap. iii. 7; xii. 15;
xvi. 2.)
Whatever allowance we may make in other cases for the pressure of
constitutional temperament, here at least the want of all cheering in-
fluence is a plain proof of self-delusion. Vital re1igion is the sugar in
the liquid, which impregnates the whole contents of the cup. The path
may be thorny, and our light darkness. But sweetness will be mingled
in our sorrow, even till the last drop in the cup of life shall be spent.
The formalist's religion is a piece of polished marble in the cup, exter-
nally beautifu1, but cold and dead; impregnating nothing with an atom
of sweetness.
The power of this self-delusion is, that man has no natural concep-
tion of the deep stain of sin, such as nothing but the blood of sprinkling
can fetch out. The man of God, bathed in the tears of penitence, cries
out for this sprinkling alone to "purge him." (Ps. Ii. 7.) The tears of
the purest repentance in themselves are impure and abominable.1 It is
not the exercise of a day to know the full extent of our corruption. As
the Lord leads us into the light of our own hearts, we behold" greater
and yet greater abominations." (Ezek. viii. 7.) The conscience purged
from sin becomes more clear for the discovery of remaining pollution.
Those who are the most purified will have the deepest sensibility of im-
purity,2 and will most deeply value "tile fountain opened for sin and
uncleanness," with its free invitation--"Wash, and be clean." (Zech.
xiii. 1.)
Sinner! if thou be found unwashed from thy filthiness, must it not be
certain exclusion from that "place, into which shall not in any wise
enter anything that defileth?" (Rev. xxi. 27.) Awful indeed will be
1 Job, ix. 30, 31. Jer. ii. 22.
2 Comp. Rom. vii. 9 Philip. iii. 6, with Rom, vii. 14-24. 1 Tim. i. 15.
CHAP. XXX. 11-14. 603
the final sentence-- "He that is filthy, let him be filthy still!" (Ib.
xxii. 11)
The next generation provokes our sorrowful amazement. O how lofty
are their eyes! and their eyelids lifted up. Such intolerable arrogance!
What greater anomaly does the conscience afford than that of a proud
sinner! his eyelids being lifted up, instead of being cast down to the
ground. Such is his self-confidence even in the presence of his God!
(Luke, xviii. 11.) And before men-all must keep their distance from
these swelling worms! We may see this pride embodied in a system
--"the Man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God!" (2 Thess. ii. 4.) We may see it in worldly greatness
in the pride of Moab;1 the prince of Tyre;2 the boasting Antiochus;3
Haman in all his glory;4 "Herod arrayed in his royal apparel;"5
Nebuchadnezzar in his self-pleasing contemplation, before the severe
chastenmg of his God had taught him the wholesome lesson--"Those
that walk in pride he is able to abase." (Dan. iv. 30.) In a lower 1evel
it is the pride of birth, rank, wisdom, riches, or accomplishments. In
every circumstance is this high look specially hateful to God;6 and the
day is appointed in his own purpose for its prostrate humiliation. (Isa.
ii. 12.) Meanwhile little is it conceived, how really contemptible this
pride makes its deluded votaries appear before their fellow-creatures.
(Ps. ci. 5.) One beam of the divine glory,7 and one sight of the cross of
Calvary,8 must at once dispel their vain splendid illusion.
The last generation appears before us as a monster of iniquity. We
can scarcely draw the picture in its full colours. Conceive of brutes
with iron teeth--a wild beast opening his mouth, and displaying,
instead of teeth, swords and knives, sharpened ready for their murderous
work. (Ps. lvii. 4.) Yet withal, these cruel oppressors are marked by
pitiful cowardice. They vent their wantonness, only where there is
little or no power of resistance. It is not the wolf with the wolf, but
with the defenceless lamb; devouring the poor and needy from off the
earth,9 --"eating up my people"--not like an occasional indulgence,
but "as they eat bread" their daily meal, without intermission. (Ps.
xiv. 4.) Such cruel oppressors appear from time to time as a chastening
curse to the land; nay, they were found among the rulers of God's own
people,10 even among the teachers of religion.11 cloaking their covetous-
ness under the garb of special holiness. God would thus shew us a
picture of man left to himself. When the reins are loosened or given
up, is there any length of wickedness, to which he may not proceed?
Indeed the four generations teach us this lesson, most valuable, yet
1Isa. xvi. 6. Jer. xlviii. 29. 2Ezek xxviii. 2. 3Dan. xi. 36.
4Esth. v. 11. 5Acts, xii. 21. 6Chap. vi. 17; xxi. 4. Comp. Ps. cxxxi. l.
7Comp. Job, xlii. 5, 6. Isa. vi. 5. 8 Phil. ii. 5.
9Ib. x. 8, 9. Eccles. iv. 1. Isa. iii. 15. Am. ii. 6, 7; viii. 4. Mic. ii. 1, 2. Hab. iii 14.
10Am. iv. 1. Mic. iii. 1-3. 11Matt. xxiii 14.
604 EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.
most humbling, thoroughly to know. Yet so depraved is man, that he
does not understand his own depravity. Nothing is so much hidden
from him as himself. (2 Kings, viii. 13.) He keeps a good opinion of
himself, by keeping the light out of the heart and conscience. His
imagination fancies good, where there is nothing but hateful deformity.
Under this self-delusion, we deal so gently and tenderly with sin, that
no conflict is maintained with it, no sorrow or burden felt concerning
it. How deeply do we need the searching light and convincing power
of the Spirit of God, to shew us our abominations; to make us tremble
at the sight of them; and to let us see, that our remedy must come
from God every moment; that no partial change, no external polish,
nothing less than the creating power of God, can reach the case for a
cure! (Ps. Ii. 10.)
Adored indeed be the grace of God, if we be not in one or other of
these generations! But let us remember-" Such were some of us"--
either disobedient to our parents, or self-righteous in the church, or
proud and contemptuous, or cruel and oppressive. But we are washed
from our filthiness. (1 Cor. vi. 11.) Therefore--"who maketh thee to
differ?" (Ib. iv. 7) is the profitable recollection, when we are disposed
to forget from whence we were raised, and to whom we owe all that we
have and are for his service.
15. The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three
things, that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough
(wealth, marg.). 16. The grave; and the barren womb; the earth :
that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
Agur describes in an artificial mode of expression,1 but with
forcible imagery, the cravings of human lust. If viewed in reference to
the last generation, they form an admirably finished picture of the
merciless and avaricious tyrant. They are like the horseleech, which
hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. They are like the three and four
things, the grave, the womb, the earth, and the fire.* But with a more
general reference the figures are graphically instructive. The horse-
leech with its two-forked tongue like two daughters, sucks the blood
with an insatiable appetite.| The grave opens the mouth for fresh
victims.2 The barren womb eagerly covets the blessing.3 The parched
earth, after large supplies, still thirsts for more. The fire, when the
spark first kindles a coal, or lights upon combustible matter, never
1 See Verses 21, 24, 29; vi. 16. Am. i. 3, 6.9; ii. 1, 4.
2 Chap. xxvii. 20. Hab. ii. 5. 3 Gen. xxx. 1. 1 Sam. i. 6, 11.
*Holden. Comp. Ps. lix. 12, 14. 15.
| Reformer's Notes.
'Non missura cutem, nisi plena cruoris hirudo."
HOR. De Arte Poetica, 476.
CHAP. XXX. 17. 605
ceases to bum as long as fuel is supplied, and in many a disastrous
conflagration, leaves us to cry out in fearful wonder, "Behold! how
great a matter a little fire kindleth." (Jam. iii. 5.) And yet these are
scarcely adequate representations of that insatiable thirst within, that
never says--It is enough. The greater the portion, the greater the lust.
Every indulgence provokes the appetite.* 'The horseleech hath but two
daughters. But we have'--says Bishop Sanderson-- 'I know not how
many craving lusts, no less importunately clamorous than they; till
they be served, incessantly crying, Give, give; but much more unsatisfied
than they. For they will be filled in time, and when they are filled,
they tumble off, and there is an end. But our lusts will never be satis-
fied. Like Pharaoh's kine, when they have eaten up all the fat ones,
they are still as hungry and as whining as they were before.|
How blessed then is the state, to which the Gospel brings us
"Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content! " What a
merciful--deliverance from that " destruction and perdition," the certain
end of lawless lust. (1 Tim. vi. 6-10.) Happy child of God--weaned
from his old indulgence! disciplined under his father's yoke! satisfied
abundantly with his father's love. Whether" he abound or suffer need"
--he can say--"It is wealth--I am full, and abound." (Phil. iv.
12, 18.) Has he not found that, which answers every demand, supplies
every need, and satisfies every desire? What but God can fill the
soul, which God hath made, and made for himself?
17. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall
eat it.
Agur here returns to the first generation--the unnatural despisers
of their parents. (Verse 11.) He had before described their character.
Now he links it with the punishment. Observe the guilt only of a
scornful look, or the mocking eye, when perhaps not a word is spoken.
Certainly if the fifth commandment is "the first with promise" (Eph.
vi. 2), it is also the first with judgment. No commandment in the
breach of it is visited with more tremendous threatenings. What a
picture is here given of infamy! Perhaps the case of Absalom furnishes
the most striking illustration--a self-willed youth or rebel against his
father and his sovereign made a spectacle of shame before his people
the vengeance of God inflicting the punishment, which was due at the
bar of human justice! (2 Sam. xviii. 17.) But we may observe a more
general illustration of the frightful picture. How many confessions
*See Augustine's Confession, Lib, iii. c. 1.
| Sermon on Phil. iv. 11. 'By the daughters of the horseleech may be understood covetous- ness and prodigality. Both then cry, Give, give. The former cries--Give, to keep; the
latter cries--Give, to spend. Neither of them saith--It is enough..' CARYL on Job, xx. 20.
606 EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.
on the scaffold have borne testimony, that the first step towards the
untimely end was contempt of parental authority and restraint! The
bodies of such criminals were deprived of the rites of burial; exposed
either on the gallows, or cast out into the valley, as meat for the fowls
of the air.! Thus the eye, that hath scornfully mocked his father, became the choice morsel of the eagle or the raven of the valley.*
But even where there is no such literal fulfilment, the curse is not
the less sure.:. Seldom do we see the disobedient rebels prospering, and
blessed in their own children. Retributive justice visits them late, but
certain; and the poignant anguish of many a disappointed hope, and
many an arrow shot from their own bow, may bear to them the message
of their chastising Father--"Thine own iniquities shall correct thee,
and thy backslidings shall reprove thee." (Jer. ii. 19.)
18. There be three things, which are too wonderful or me: yea, four, which
I know not. 19. The way of an eagle 1.n the a1.r; the way of a serpent
upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst (heart, marg.) of the sea,
and the way of a man with a maid. 20. Such is the way of an adul-
terous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done
no wickedness.
The kingdom of nature is full of wonder, and these wonders full of
instruction. Where the philosopher cannot give a reason, the humble
disciple may learn a lesson. The depths of nature are the figure of the
depths of sin--of the unsearchable deceitful heart. (Ib. xvii. 9.) The
eagle soars in the air with so lofty and rapid a flight, that the eye cannot