his stock of knowledge; the heathen emperor reckoned a day lost when he had not benefited some one; but for a man not to sleep except he has done a mischief, surely expresses as "perfect a night" as it is possible for human nature to attain to. Surely he then proves himself to be a child of him whose business it is to "go about seeking whom he may devour" (2 Pet. v. 8). 4. _It is a path which is destructive to others._ As the good man, by walking in God's path, blesses his fellow-creatures as well as himself, so the wicked man, in his path of darkness, is a curse to others as well as himself. The force of evil example alone is pernicious to all who surround him, but although he may begin in this negative way, he soon advances to positive acts of sin, until he lives upon the misery of others. It becomes his meat and drink to drag others to destruction with him, or, failing that, to do them as much injury as he can (verses 16 and 17). +III. The means of escape from this path of darkness and ruin.+ "Enter it not," and, to make sure of not entering it, give it a wide berth--"pass not by it, turn away" (verses 14, 15). When we see those whom we love in danger, we multiply words of warning, and are not careful to avoid repeating words which may have little or no difference in their meaning. So Solomon's anxiety shows itself here in the repetition of his exhortations. But there is some gradation observed in them. 1. _We are not to enter the paths, not even to set one foot upon the forbidden way._ Men may be tempted to venture a step or two just to take a glance, and intend to turn back as soon as they have done so, but it is enchanted ground, and it is more than likely if they are once upon the track they will go further than they at first intended. But if they do not _enter_ it, they cannot _walk_ in it. 2. _If you have already entered, do not persevere another moment, turn from it at once._ If the captain of a ship becomes all at once aware that he is steering his vessel upon the rocks, he puts about at once. The next best thing to not going wrong at all is to turn back--in Bible language, to repent, to put the face in the opposite direction, to turn the whole man back to the opposite goal. 3. _In order to escape the danger of entering at all, or of re-entrance after having once forsaken it, avoid its very neighbourhood, pass not by it, go not in the way of temptation._ If a youth has been induced to gamble, and has resolved to give up the habit, let him not go near the gambling house--let him give up all intercourse with gamblers; if he has been once under the fatal influence of strong drink, he must taste it no more--not even "_look upon_ the wine when it is red" (ch. xxiii. 31). He must "flee youthful lusts" and the most certain method of doing this is to strike out another course--to "follow after righteousness" (1 Tim. vi. 11, 12), to get well into the way of wisdom, to know from experience the blessedness of the path of the just.