A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth
When his advice is asked, and he gives good and wholesome
counsel, and that being taken succeeds; it is a pleasure to a man
that he is capable of assisting his friend, and doing him
service, or a common good, whether it be in things natural,
civil, or religious; when his speech is with salt, seasoned with
grace, and he knows how he ought to answer every man; when that
which is good proceeds from him, and is to the use of edifying,
and ministers grace to the hearers, and is acceptable to them;
when with readiness he gives an answer to every man that asks him
a reason of the hope that is in him, with meekness and fear, (
Colossians 3:6 ) (
Ephesians 4:29 ) (
1 Peter
3:15 ) ; and a word [spoken] in due season, how good
[is it]?
whether by way of advice and counsel to such who stand in need of
it, or of exhortation and instruction to those that want it, or
of comfort to those that are distressed; such is a word of
promise spoken and applied by the Spirit of God to the hearts of
his people in a time of need; and such is the Gospel of peace,
pardon, righteousness, and salvation, as spoken by Christ and his
ministers to weary and wounded souls; it cannot be well and fully
expressed how sweet, how good, how suitable, as well as
seasonable, it is: see ( Proverbs
25:11 ) ( Isaiah 50:4 ) .
Proverbs 15:23
