Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1948
“The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.” Proverbs 15:19.
You must have noticed how frequently godly people almost wear out their Bibles in certain places. The Psalms, the Gospel of John and parts of the Epistles are favorite portions and are thumbed in many an old Believer’s Bible till the fact is very noticeable. There are certain sheep-tracks up the slopes of Scripture which are much more trodden than the rest of the holy fields. I suppose it has always been so and I will not quarrel with the instincts of the saints.
I do, however, regret that any portion of Holy Writ should be neglected. There are Bible readers who keep clear of the historical parts of Scripture and also greatly avoid the Book of Proverbs—indeed, they almost wonder how Proverbs and Ecclesiastes came to be a part of the Word of God! Very singular it must seem to them that this Book of Proverbs should be placed so very near to Solomon’s Song—that sacred Canticle which is the center and climax of inspired Scripture—a book which I do not hesitate to call “the holy of holies,” the innermost sanctuary of Divine Love. Concerning that deeply mystical, mysterious and rapturous Canticle, it would be impossible to speak too highly. It is, indeed, the Song of Songs—a song, however, which none can sing but such as are made songsters by God, Himself, by partaking of the Inspiration, not of the fountain which gushed from Mount Parnassus, but of that fountain of every blessing which flows from the mount of Everlasting Love.
It is certainly remarkable that, hard by such a deeply-spiritual Book, there should be placed the Book of Proverbs, which mainly consists of instructions for this life. Doubtless there is a meaning in that arrangement. The Lord would not have the highest spirituality divorced from common sense. God has made us body and soul and He would have us serve Him with both. There is a part of us that is material and there is a part that is spiritual—and both need guidance such as the Holy Spirit affords us in the inspired Book. The Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us, not as to our soul, alone, nor our spirit, alone, but as to our body, also—and He would have us recognize this fact.
While we are in the world we are not to regard ourselves as if we were pure spirits, having nothing to do with earth, but we are to look to our lower nature and our earthly surroundings and order all these in accordance with the will of the Lord. It is not enough that our hearts are cleansed—our bodies are to be washed with pure water. We are in the world and we must eat, drink, work and trade even as other men do. And all this must be as much brought under the rule of wisdom as our higher nature and its actions. The Christian’s faith does not come to him merely to create holy raptures and heavenly emotions—it comes to help him in the business of every day.
Grace is intended to sanctify all the relations of life. There is no necessity that a man who is wise unto salvation should, in other respects, be a fool! The reverse should be constantly seen—sanctity should beget sagacity and purity should be the mother of prudence. We are to make the common things of this world sacred to God so that the bells of the horses may be as truly, “Holiness unto the Lord” as was the miter of the consecrated priest who served at the altar.
I pray my friends not to be so spiritual that they cannot do a good day’s work, or give full measure, or sell honest wares! To my disgust I have known persons professing to have reached perfect purity who have done very dirty things. I have been suspicious of superfine spirituality since I knew one who took no interest in the affairs of this world and yet speculated till he lost thousands of other people’s money! Do not get to be so heavenly-minded that you cannot put up with the little vexations of the family, for we have heard of people of whom it was said that the sooner they went to Heaven the better, for they were too disagreeable to live with below!
As the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ is meant for this world as well as for worlds to come, the volume of Holy Scripture is fitly made to contain Proverbs as well as Psalms. I have been told, but I do not know how true it is, that
Scotland owes very much of its practical shrewdness to the fact that the Book of Proverbs used to be printed in a small form and was one of the first books read by all the children at the public schools. I can only say that if it were so, it showed much wisdom on the part of those who made the arrangement and I have no doubt that if it were still so, it would be a clear gain to the rising generation. It is a right thing to have practical teaching in connection with sound doctrine—and common sense in conjunction with deep spirituality. Let the Gospels, Psalms, Prophets and Epistles be your bread—and let the Book of Proverbs be your salt. Neglect neither the one nor the other.