Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-05-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, MAY "a.


ri, 3o-Cominentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
l. Whose loveth instruction loveth
knowledge, but he that hateth reproof is
BRITISH" Nearly every verse in this lesson
contains contrast between the righteous
and the unrghteous the wise and the fool.
And Scripture is full of such contrasts from
the story of Cain and Abel to the end of the
book. The wise build upon the rock; the
foolish build upon the sand; the wise have
lamps well trimmed; the foolish have lamps
going out. The Lord kuoweth the way of
the righteous but the way OF the ungodly
shall perish (Math. viii -, %; XIV, liza;
rs. /, g. And as to the brutes, they even
put men to shame and know more than
some men Osa i, y.
=. "A good man obtaineth favor of the
Lord, but man of wicked devices will He
condemn The Lord showeth favor to all.
| He makcth His sun to rise on the evil and
| on the good and scndeth rain on the Just
! and on the unjust" (Math. V, 40. He offers
| Himself freely to all, but only those who
receive Him shall enjoy Him GJohn l. II,
| ~ Those who receive Him not are CON
| dcmned already, and to shut Him out from
| our hearts is the most wicked device that
satan can invent (John iii, 49,
g. "A man shall not be established by
! wckedncss. but the root Of the righteous
shall not be moved" Wickedness shall not
/ deliver those that are given to it, and
| though men make Il covenant with death
and hell. it shall not stand CEccl viii, s: lisa
xviii. ls) The Lord bringeth the counsel
/ Of the heather to nauQht He maketh the
devices Of the people of none effect ops
! XXNii. l0) But. ON the contrary, all who are
| in the rock Christ Jesus are in a sure and
eternal refuge
l. ~ virtuuus woman is "A crown to her
husband, but she that maketh ashamed is
as rottennesS in His bones" If this is true
literally of wife and husband. how much
more of the church and Christ? We are
| said to be even now married to the Lord
that we should hiring forth fruit unto God
Rom. vii, a, and Paul says OF the beiev-
ers at Corinth, II have espoused you to one
husband that may present you as "a cha$te
virgin to Christ I'll Cor. ri, >.
>. "Ghc thoughts of the righteous are
right. but the cUuuselS of the wicked are
deceit" This must mean the thoughts
which he thinks through us, for we are
not sufficient of ourselves to think any
of God" Oh Cor. iii. 81. The natural heart
is deceitful above all things and desperate
ly wicked tier xvii. ~, and therefore coun
sci from such II heart cannot but be deceit
The contrast between Christ and satan is
the contrast between truth and lying
t. THE words of the wicked are to lie in
wait for blood. hut the mouth of the up
right shall GeliNcr them" The last verse
contrasted the thoughts of the righteous
and of the wicked This contrasts their
words.
I The wicked are overthrown and are
not, but the house of the righteous shall
stand" Jesus and all His house shall
stand. The gates Of hell shall not prevail
against His church CAtath. xvi, lSl.
S "A man shall be commended accord
ing to his wisdom, but he that is of per
VERSE heart shall be despised." 1ha; which
Christ, the wisdom of God, does or says OF
thinks, in and through us. that shall stauc
and he approved, but apart from Him W,
can do nothing (John XIV, >; II Tim ii, li)
All who, having heard Of Him, will not sub
nit to Him are among the perverSe &c
whom it is said, "Behold We despscrs. are
wonder and perish Acts Xiii, Al
o. lie that is despiSed and hath serv
ant, is better than he that hunorcth him
self and lacketh bread" II we will humbl,
ourselves to be His servants and he wlln.
to be despiscd for His sake, He will in du,
time eXalt MS, while those who prefer t,
honor themselves and despise the bread o
lie must forever perish.
10. "A righteous man regardcth the lif
of his beast, hut the tender mercirs of tn
wicked are cruel" Life is the special gif
of God and can come only from God II
giveth life and breath and all things II
givcth natural life to man and beast II
EiNeth life eternal to all who receive Him.
II. "iie that tilleth his land shall he sat
sfed with bread. but he that followed
vain persons is void of understanding
Here it seems to he the diigent and til
slothful contrasted .Jesl,s says; My Fathe
worketh hitherto, and work" He give
to every man his work He gives t.
each a pound and say, OCCUPY till
come"
r. The wicked dcsircth the net of evi
men, but the root of the righteous yeldctI
fruit" 1t is written thar they sacrilic
unto their net aud burn incense unto thci
drag BECAUSE bv them their portion is IA
and their meat plenteou.' tflab. j. 100. /
other words, they prosper and grow ric
and live only for the present, desiring oul
the net which will gather in the most gail
They think not that suddenly they may b
called away, and then where Shall thei
gain be? The righteous gather fruit unit
life eternal. Their gain will abide.
l3 The wicked is shared by the trans
! erosion Of his lips but the Just shall com
out OF trouble" Troubles come to all goo
and bad, aud ofttmes apparently more I
the righteous than to the wicked but til
wicked finally 20 off into trouble uneudiul
while the righteous are sure to he in du
! . do Sh al a.