The passage is telling the consequences to the poor hardened man (see Critical Notes). Man is not like a thermometer, raised or sunken by every breath, but he is the subject of a change which makes a difference in moral influences. Without that change, instruction hardens him. With that change, it moves him and makes him better. Without the change the thermometer is always sinking; with the change it is rising all the time. This teaching is had in all forms in the New Testament. John says, "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you" (1 John ii. 12); his plain implication being, that it would be useless to write except for the grace of forgiveness. We hear of a "savour of death unto death" (2 Cor. ii. 16); and Christ tells (John xv. 24) that "if He had not come among them, and done the works that none other man did, they had not had sin."--_Miller._ Verse 8. By which I do not understand that we are forbidden to preach to the impenitent, but that we are to contemplate two facts: first, that unless they are changed our preaching will make them worse, and, therefore, second, that though our preaching is a chosen instrument of the change itself, yet, if they are _scorners--i.e._ if they are what our Saviour calls "swine" (Matt. vii. 6), and He means by that, specially incorrigible--we are not to scatter our pearls to them. We are not to intrude religion upon scoffers. We are to withhold the good seed to some extent (yet with infinite compassion for all,) for what may more reasonably be hoped to be the good and honest ground (Mark iv. 8).--_Miller._ We must distinguish between the ignorant and the wilful scorner. Paul "did it ignorantly, in unbelief" (1 Tim. i. 13). His countrymen deliberately refused the blessing, and shut themselves out from the free offers of salvation.--_Bridges._ Verse 9. _Instruction may be given with advantage to the wise._ (1) No truly wise man will account it impossible to make accessions to his wisdom. Such a man is not wise in his own conceit (Rom. xii. 16). His entrance into this course is of too recent a date, and the efforts which he has made to gain wisdom too defective, to permit him to think his wisdom incapable of augmentation (John viii. 2). And (2) every wise man, whatever be the nature of his wisdom, will wish it to be increased as much as possible (Prov. xviii. 15). Hence (3), whatever instruction is given to him which is adapted to his character and circumstances, that is, which shows wherein he is defective, either in the end which he is pursuing, or in the manner of his pursuit, no matter by whom the instruction is given, he will account himself happy in having it, and will be the better for it.--_Sketches of Sermons._ Verse 10. Men cannot begin to be wise except in holiness; unless it begins to be the fact that God is teaching a man, you cannot teach him.--_Miller._ The heart that is touched with the loadstone of Divine love trembles still with godly fear.--_Leighton._