The chapter concludes with a renewed call to heed a father's words clothed with the authority of Jehovah.
“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart more than all thou guardest; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corruption of lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and be all thy ways well-ordered. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil” (vers. 20-27).
As parental affection in the fear of Him Who deigns to teach young no less than old would bring lessons of wisdom before the child, the listening ear, the attentive mind, cannot be dispensed with. Personal respect, however due, is not enough: the ears, the eyes, and above all the heart, have their part to do. Such training is to be kept “in the midst” of the heart. What else is to be compared with what has Christ for its source, character, object, and aim? “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” No wonder then that it can be added, “for they are life to those that find them and health to all their flesh “; or, as the apostle says to his genuine son Timothy, “godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Faithful is the saying and worthy of all acceptation.” No doubt too Christianity has given immense accession to the truth by the coming of the Son of God. For “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: He Who was manifested in flesh, was justified in spirit, was seen of angels, was preached among Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was received up in glory.” Yes, the secret of piety is in Him thus known as He is; and all else is but a fair show in the flesh, which flickers for a moment before it is extinguished forever.
Hence the call to “keep thy heart more than all thou guardest.” The utmost vigilance is needed and due; “for out of it are the issues of life.”
Scripture ever and truly views the heart as the moral center on which all outward conduct and walk depend. Hence the Lord in Luke 8 speaks of those who in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience; as in John xv. He said, If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done to you. This indeed is piety: to abide in Him Who is life and salvation and peace, to have His words, yea not only obeyed but constantly cherished, with prayers going up and answers coming down accordingly. No wonder then that His Father is glorified, much fruit borne, and the Lord Jesus not ashamed to own such as His disciples.
But there is meanwhile evil still allowed to go on around; and what is so trying, it is in our nature, the old man. That it was crucified with Christ in order that the body of sin might be annulled, so that we might no longer be slaves to sin, is our blessed knowledge by faith. This is no real reason that we should deny the existence of that evil thing in us, but the best and most powerful ground why sin should not “reign” in our mortal body. For we are not under law but under grace. Hence though this knowledge could not then be possessed, yet then as now the word is “Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corruption of lips put far from thee.” The Epistle of James is the plain proof of the importance attached to this, and yet more pressed, if possible, than of old; but how deplorable the unbelief that stood in doubt of its inspired authority and exceeding value in its own sphere! Nor did the Lord Himself slight the same need and danger when He taught; nor the great apostle of the uncircumcision any more than those of the circumcision.
There is another call quite as urgent. “Let thine eyes look right on, and thine eyelids look straight before thee.” Christ ever was the object of faith, and He is now revealed as the way, no less than the truth and the life. But, morally speaking, the eye is of great moment, the state of our spiritual vision. As Christ gives us eyes who were born blind, so only He makes and keeps our vision clear. “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness” (Luke 11:34, 35). Let us not forget the searching word. Christ guides safely but by the single eye.
Nor are we left without direction in detail. “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.” Negligence is no more of faith than haste; and we slip in both ways through lack of dependence and attention to the word of God.
The path of Christ is narrow, but direct through this world to Himself in glory. The saints were ever called to walk with God before their eyes; and His will is now declared thus to honor the Son. Hence “Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” For evil lies on both sides.