Proverbs 11:30

The scope of the whole is a comment on Pr 11:23. Thus liberality, by God's blessing, secures increase, while penuriousness, instead of expected gain, procures poverty.

THE text does not say, "he that wins money is wise," though no doubt he thinks himself wise and perhaps, in a certain groveling sense in these days of competition, he might be so. But such wisdom is of the earth, and ends with the earth. There is another world where the currencies of Europe will not be accepted, nor their past possession be any sign of wealth or wisdom. Solomon, in the text before us, awards no crown for wisdom to crafty statesmen, or even to the ablest of rulers.

THE text does not say, "he that wins money is wise," though no doubt he thinks himself wise and perhaps, in a certain groveling sense in these days of competition, he might be so. But such wisdom is of the earth, and ends with the earth. There is another world where the currencies of Europe will not be accepted, nor their past possession be any sign of wealth or wisdom. Solomon, in the text before us, awards no crown for wisdom to crafty statesmen, or even to the ablest of rulers. He issues no diplomas to philosophers, poets, or men of wit. He crowns with laurels only those who win souls. He does not declare that he who preaches is necessarily wise—and alas, there are multitudes who preach and gain much applause and eminence—who win no souls and who shall find it go hard with them at the last, because in all probability they have run and the Master has never sent them. He does not say that he who talks about winning souls is wise, since to lay down rules for others is a very simple thing, but to carry them out is far more difficult. He who actually, really and truly turns men from the error of their ways to God, and so is made the means of saving them from going down to Hell is a wise man. And that is true of him whatever his style of soul-winning may be. He may be a Paul, deeply logical, profound in doctrine, able to command all candid judgments—and if he thus win souls he is wise. He may be an Apollos, grandly rhetorical, whose lofty genius soars into the very Heaven of eloquence—and if he wins souls in that way he is wise, but not otherwise. Or he may be a Cephas, rough and rugged, using uncouth metaphor and stern declamation. But if he win souls he is no less wise than his polished brother or his argumentative friend. The great wisdom of soul-winners, according to the text, is proven only by their actual success in really winning souls.

I HAD very great joy last night—many of you know why, but some do not. We held our annual meeting of the Church and it was a very pleasant sight to see so many Brothers and Sisters knit together in the heartiest love, welded together as one mass by common sympathies, and holding firmly to, "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism." Think of a Church with 4,900 members! Such a community has seldom been gathered in any age and in the present century it is without parallel. "O Lord, You have multiplied the people and increased the joy. They joy before You as the joy of harvest." It brings tears into one's eyes to look upon so many who declare themselves to be members of the body of Christ. The hope that so many are plucked as brands from the burning and delivered from the wrath to come is, in itself, exceedingly consoling, and I felt the joy of it while communing with my Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. On thinking it over afterwards, however, it seemed to me that there was a higher joy in looking at a body of Believers than that which arises from merely regarding them as saved. Not but what there is a great joy in salvation, a joy worthy to stir the angelic harps! Think of the Savior's agony in the ransom of every one of His redeemed! Think of the work of the Holy Spirit in every renewed heart! Think of the love of the Father as resting upon every one of the regenerate! I could not, if I took up my parable for a month, set forth all the mass of joy that is to be seen in a multitude of Believers if we only look at what God has done for them, promised to them and will fulfill in them.

I HAD very great joy last night—many of you know why, but some do not. We held our annual meeting of the Church and it was a very pleasant sight to see so many Brothers and Sisters knit together in the heartiest love, welded together as one mass by common sympathies, and holding firmly to, "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism." Think of a Church with 4,900 members! Such a community has seldom been gathered in any age and in the present century it is without parallel. "O Lord, You have multiplied the people and increased the joy.

Winneth souls - Better, a wise man winneth souls. He that is wise draws the souls of people to himself, just as the fruit of the righteous is to all around him a tree of life, bearing new fruits of healing evermore. The phrase is elsewhere translated by “taketh the life” 1Ki 19:4; Psa 31:13. The wise man is the true conqueror. For the Christian meaning given to these words, see the New Testament reference in the margin.