Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-02-10

mode of life); to ''stand in the way of
sinners is to take ones position in their
way of life; to "sit in the seat of the
scornful" is to be one with them, symp.
athizing with and joining in their irrev-
erent spirit and jeering words. But has
delight IS an the laao Of the Lord: In the
study and practice of it, as appears from
the context. Having described the char
acter of the truly blessed man negatively
in the preceding verse. he, in this, speaks
of it positively. In his lao doth he
mediate: The word translated mediate,
implies that he exercised deep, serious
and affectionate thoughtfulness about it
and by this 1t appears that his delight
is in it. for what we love, We love to !
think of; and this he does day and night,
general phrase, not to be taken litter
ally, of course, but indicating that his is
no desultory, superficial study. but the
main effort and study of his life. Aud
he shall be like q tree, etc. i: He is likened |
to a tree planted by the streams Of aoaters,
never lacking moisture, which therefore
produces ats fruit IN ats season. keeps its
productive life, and regularly as the
proper season comes, brings forth its
fruit. and ats leaf s0itbers not, it is ever
green, beyond the power of whitening
drought and heat. 1t is picture of
vigorous. undecaying, productive and
happy life. Amd aOhatsoever he doeth
shall prosper: Apparently an uncondi-
tional affirmation of the worldly prosper
ity of the righteous (contrasted with the
worldly failure of the wicked) not found
here alone, but repeated often in the
Old Testament. But this seems to con-
tradict experience: the wicked often
flourish outwardly, and the righteous
often suffer; and indeed this latter fact
is affirmed and discussed elsewhere, as
in Psalms 81 and 70, and particularly
in the book of Job. But the affirmation
of our verse is very generally maintained
in the Old Testament for example, in
the book of Proverbs); how is it to be
understood ? prosperity says Lord
Bacon, sis the blessing of the Old Testa-
ment. and adversely of the New" and
this is substantially correct. The old
dispensation was outward and national !;
the doctrine of the future life being held
only indistinctly, and not as an effective
motive Of conduct, the present interven-
ton of God in earthly matters was all
the more relied on, and the pious Israel,
resting on Gods holiness and justice,
were led to emphasize the fact that good
will be rewarded and evil punished. On
the other hand, Christ brought into
prominence the individual inward life of
holiness, VIII ich Is sure to meet with op-
position from the unholy world around
it, and must needs expect persecution,
and rejoice in it as the sign of the en-
nifty of the unholy (Matt. 5: .1O-12).
Here are two contrasted principles, both
true in the main, both finding their ex
ceptions in actual life: on the one hand
obedience to the divine law, bringing
one into harmony with the factors of life
aud with God, ASSURES prosperity; OF
the other hand, holiness must come int
hostile contact with unholiness, and bring
> adversely. The results of religious lif;
=, are the combination of these two princi
Piles. THE auagodly -. are like til
chaf aohich tie acind driUeth aaoay: Tn
eastern threshing- floors were on higl
spots. across which the wind swept, driv
ing the light chaff out of sight into prac
teal nonenity; a picture of utter unpro
ductiveness and failure. Therefore til
atngodiy shall not stand IN the judgment
The word therefore at the beginning al
firms that this exclusion of the wicke
e is the result of what is declared in tn
n preceding verse that their utter insts
= bility and failure. Driven like chat
they cannot stand with Gods peopl,
If Nor sinners IN the congregation of I'll
3 righteous: At present wheat and cha
"a lie on one floor; wheat and tares gro
So in one field; good and bad men arc col
re tanned in the visible church. But tt
- husbandman will appear, with his fan !
III his hand, and will thoroughly purge b
Is floor; the harvest will come, and ii
u tares shall be gathered up, and bound
d. bundles to be burned. In other wore
W 'the angels shall come forth, and sew
IN the wicked from among the just" al
Ill then not one sinner shall be found g
u the congregation of the righteous" n
ne the Lord knoaOeth the a0ag of the rigl
ne eous: The sway" is the mode of life, Il
IT, purpose of the heart; 'knoweth" he
n' Gas often in the Old TestamenD mea
as "has friendly acquaintance with y t
n "knowing" is attended with love al
us favor Compare Matt. 7:23). But
D" aoay Of the asngodly shall perish: All the
1rt designs shall come to nothing, and tn
NJ shall perish with them. TEACHER.
"What are you going to do about it !!
;. Because the penalties of physiologic
:, laws are not executed speedily, sol