Proverbs 4

Behold I have taught you statutes: keep, therefore, and do them, for this is your wisdom. And to be wise is an honor: I may say of every commandment of God, as (Proverbs 4:9). It shall give to your head an ornament of grace.

Contend for Scripture. Though we should not be of contentious spirits, yet we ought to contend for the Word of God; this jewel is too precious to be parted with (Proverbs 4:13): "Keep her, for she is your life." The castle of Scripture is beset with enemies — heretics fight agai…

1. I shall speak concerning wisdom in general. Solomon says, wisdom is the principal thing (Proverbs 4:7). 'Tis better than riches (Proverbs 31:14).

Such as scoff at holiness shall be cast out of heaven. 2. Use of Exhortation: Above all things pursue after sanctification; seek grace more than gold (Proverbs 4:13). Keep her, for she is your life.

An idle person stands for a cipher in the world, and God writes down no ciphers in the Book of Life. We read in Scripture of eating the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27), and drinking the wine of violence (Proverbs 4:17). It is as well a sin to eat the bread of idleness, as to…

(Psalm 141:3) Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. (4.) Look in a special manner to your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Keep your heart with all keeping.

Lastly, seeing we have this corruption of nature in us, we must keep our hearts with all diligence, and set watch and ward about them. So Solomon says: Counterguard thy heart my son, Proverbs 4.23. Why does Solomon give this commandment?

And whereas it is a hard thing for a man to search out his own heart, we are to pray to God that he would give us his Spirit to discern between that which is good and evil in us. Now when a man has found out the estate of his heart by searching it, he is further to observe and k…

Faith raises our fame; righteousness exchanges our fetters for a crown. A crown of glory shall she deliver to you (Proverbs 4:9). By espousing godliness, we are better than others (Ecclesiastes 7:8).

Proverbs 4:23. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. The heart of man is his worst part before it is regenerate, and the best afterwards; it is the seat of principles, and fountain of actions.

A Saint Indeed: or the great work of a Christian, opened and pressed; from Proverbs 4:23. Being a seasonable and proper expedient for the recovery of the much decayed power of godliness, among the professors of these times.

1. Be transformed, that you may be transfigured, be you transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:2). The change must begin in the soul (2 Corinthians 3:18), and from there it is conveyed to the body; the luster of grace makes way for the splendor of glory (Proverbs 4…

The good things, that we are to do, we must do them with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Our duty is to keep our hearts in the fear of God, and we must do it with all diligence (Proverbs 4:24). It is our duty to seek God's kingdom, and we must take it with violence.

If this will not do the deed, God has in store, his corrections, and judgments, to be as a hedge to hem us in (Hosea 2:6). This being so, our duty is to guard and enclose ourselves, specially our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), and all the senses and powers of our souls (Psalm 141:3), b…

And so it is with too many Believers: They are all Trees planted in the Garden of God, some thrive, some decay for a season, but the growth of the best is secret. Sanctification is a progressive work — a river continually fed by a living fountain may as soon end its streams befo…

How great pleasure arises from a constant diligent self-inspection! When a man's spirit dwells within itself, resides at home, seeks not itself abroad; remains within its own bounds, is intent upon itself; watches over its own motions as its proper charge; is formed to a complia…

Keep your selves in the love of God, Jude 21. Keep your hearts with all diligence, Proverbs 4:23 Though Providence keep you, yet it is in the way of your duty. The Ninth Performance of Providence.

Job eschewed evil, whatever led him to evil, all the appearances of evil, as the Apostle speaks; we cannot avoid the sin, if we will not avoid the occasion. When Solomon cautions to take heed of the path of the wicked, he uses four expressions and all to the same purpose, Avoid…

In sum, it describes the spiritual beauty of the Bride in these properties, 1. That it is radiant, and shining, there is no true glory but this, which is like the light, all other beauty is but dark; grace makes one shine like a light in a dark place (Philippians 2:15). 2. It is…

Yet, 4. We say there is no ground to think, but Solomon knew much of the mind of the Spirit in this Song, indeed, more than many learned men nowadays. For, 1. He was not only a believer, but one eminent for gifts and knowledge; and none will say but he was so for divine knowledg…

We find that God gives an honorable testimony concerning Abraham, and confides in him upon this account (Genesis 18:19): "I know Abraham, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." And Sol…

And if you thus do, he that is able to keep you from falling, will present you faultless before [reconstructed: the] presence of his glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). 5. Carefully watch your hearts; though God has undertaken to guard you, yet you are bound to watch your own he…

As to the last, I pray you to keep this treasure, and let it not be in the least impaired, wasted or prejudiced: I tell you it is a greater loss to lose one grain of grace than a mine of gold, or both the Indies; the gaining of the world cannot countervail the loss of a soul, an…

Ahab violently took away Naboth's vineyard (2 Kings 21:11). Hell is taken by this violence (Proverbs 4:17): Who drink the wine of violence. This wine will turn to poison at last (Psalm 11:5): Him that loves violence God's soul hates.

This the Apostle in Romans 3:15 cites as belonging to the Description of all natural Men. So in the Description of the Wicked, Proverbs 4:14-19. It is said, that they sleep not unless they have done Mischief, that they drink the Wine of Violence, etc. and yet by the wicked there…

"Train up a child," says Solomon, that is, while he is young and tender: and again, "He that loves his child nurtures him early." Thus was Samuel sent when he was very young to be trained up under Eli (1 Samuel 1:24), and Solomon was instructed by his father when he was tender (…

I shall speak to the former first as the spring of the latter, Keep your heart with all diligence. For all depends upon that for from there are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). And if so, then the regulating of the tongue, and eyes, and feet and all will follow.

The most do thus — walk at random, give attendance on public worship, and have some customary way of private prayer, but further do not eye how they walk, what is their carriage all the day long, what they speak, how they are in company, and how alone, which way their hearts go…

Certainly, he that would not be foiled, needs a great deal of holy moderation, and constant jealousy over his heart; he had need to guard his senses (Psalm 119:37): Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; and to look to his company (Psalm 119:115): Depart from me, you evil doer…

A sermon (Number 1418) delivered on Lord's Day morning, June ninth, 1878, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life." -- Proverbs 4:13. Faith may be well described as taking hold u…

A sermon (Number 179) delivered on Sabbath morning, February 21, 1858 At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens, by C. H. Spurgeon. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”—Proverbs 4:23. If I should vainly attempt to fashion my discourse after lo…

A sermon (Number 2058) by C. H. Spurgeon “Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.”——Proverbs 4:25. These words occur in a passage where the wise man exhorts us to take care of all parts of our nature, which he indicates by members of the body.

It is a poor kind of love parents express to their children, in providing great estates and portions for them, or bringing them up in trades that they may thrive in the world; but when you train them up for heaven, there's the best love. (Proverbs 4:3-4) For I was my father's so…

3. Observe, this practical obedience is expressed by having respect to the ways of God. To respect God's ways, is to take heed that we do not turn out of them, to regard them and ourselves: observe to do them (Joshua 1:8), and it is called elsewhere, pondering our path (Proverbs…

Men remember what they heed and regard. Proverbs 4:21. Attend to my sayings, keep them in the midst of your heart. Where there is attention, there will be retention.

It is but a formal account we can give, without serious consideration. We must therefore keep our hearts with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). 3. There needs in many cases a serious search: for instance, in deep desertion, when God withdraws the light of his countenance, and men h…

For the Lord sees not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Proverbs 4:23: Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Cast salt into the spring.

Job does not only take notice of his eyes when they did stir up carnal thoughts for the present (Job 31:7), but says, "if my eyes have walked after my heart, and if my steps have turned out of the way;" he speaks twice of the disorders of his eyes. The heart may be corrupted by…

I know a Christian is not infallible, besides his general godly course, he may have his particular slips and errors; yet because the world is apt to take prejudice, we should not but upon the constraining evidence of conscience, enter upon any ways of dissent or contest, lest we…

I say a carnal man may trace the growth of sin in his own heart step by step, and say, this I had because I slighted such a check of conscience, despised such an ordinance, fell into such an enormous practice, for God forsakes none till they first forsake him: so may a child of…

There needs a serious calling of ourselves to an account, or a strict view and survey of our former courses, if we would amend what is amiss in them; and still as we renew our repentance, this course must we take. 2. As it relates to present actions, or the ways in which we are…

Men may have a fit of devotion in their prayers, but their general course is not answerable; (Matthew 6:33) First seek the Kingdom of God: if we seek it in good earnest, we shall show it in our conversations and demeanors. (Proverbs 4:7) Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore…

Do you seek after spiritual wisdom more than gain? Proverbs 4:7: Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding. Is this your main business, to be wise to salvation?

I intend no particular enumeration of tongue-sins to be avoided, nor any distinct and particular discourse about speaking and ordering our tongues; but only to hint these things in general, leaving the particular application and improvement to be made by every man, as his own ca…

So men think they are going heaven-ward, when alas sin leads them to hell, while their eyes are shut, and they know not where they go. 5 Man's darkness is seen by this; That he stumbles, and knows not at what (John 11:9-10, Proverbs 4:19). Sinners are ever and anon stumbling at…

7. Take heed of the occasions and very appearances of this evil, Sin: abstain not only from apparent evils, but from the (yes, from all and every the) appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Do not be so irreligious as to go into temptation, when you have been so religious a…

1. That sinful thoughts do defile a man, though they never come to words or deeds, be never uttered, never practiced: (Matthew 15:19-20) out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, etc., and these defile the man; not only murder and adultery, but the thoughts of…

The will is become perverse and stubborn, worse than so, it is willful and mad, set upon sin and hell (Ecclesiastes 8:11). The affections (concupiscible) are inordinate, the passions (irascible) are unruly, so that man is more headstrong than the horse that rushes into the battl…

A crown of gold is in itself heavy, but the honor of the crown makes it light and easy to be worn. I may say of every command of Christ as Solomon speaks of wisdom (Proverbs 4:9): she shall give to your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to you. It is…

It brings a kingdom; a man's sin brings him to shame (Proverbs 13:5; Romans 6:21): What fruit had you in those things of which you are now ashamed? But religion brings to honor (Proverbs 4:8); it brings a man to a throne, a crown, it ends in glory; it is the sinner's folly to re…