The Progress., 1893-05-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, MAY ~.

/
ory Verses, 10. II-GoIden Text, Prov
ii, 3O-Commentary by the Rev. u. NJ
Stearns.
]. Whose lovcth instruction lovetl
knowledge, but he that hateth reproof i
british" Nearly every verse in this lessor
contains a contrast between the rigbteou!
and the unrichteous, the wise and the fool
And Scripture is full of such contrasts from
the story of Cain and Abel to the end of tn,
book. The wise build upon the rock; tn,
foolish build upon the sand; the wise have
lamps well trimmed; the foolish have lamp.
going out. The Lord knoweth the wav o
the righteous, but the way of the ungodly
shall perish (Nlath. vii, "a, %; XIV, lib
Ps. i, g. And rs to the brutes, they ever
put men TO shame and know more thar
some men Qsa i, 81.
2. "A good man obtaineth favor of the
Lord but man of wicked devices will He
condemn. The Lord shOweth favor 70 all
He maketh His sun to rise on the evil anC
on the good and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust" CNlath. Y, 45). He offer.
Himself freely to all, but only those who
receive Him shall enjoy Him John i II
~. Those who receive Him not are con
demned already, and TO shut Him out from
our hearts Is the most wicked device that
satan can invent l.Iohn iii, lS).
g. a man shall not be established by
wickedncsS, but the root of the righteOu.
shall not be moved" Wickedness shall NOT
deliver those that are given TO it, and
though men make a covenant with dealt
and hell, it shall not stand (Eccl vii, y: Isa
xviii, Isl. The Lord bringcth the cOun-c
of the hcathcn to naught. He maketh the
devices Of the people Of none effect lps
XXXiii, TO-. Bat, ON the contrary, all whoar,
III the rock Christ Jesus are in a sire anC
eternal refuge.
I. "A virtuous woman is crown to hei
husband, but she that maketh ashamed l.
as rottenness in His bones" II this is true
literally of wife and husband, how mucI
more of the church and Christ? We ART
said TO be even now married to the Lorc
that we should bring forth fruit unto Goo
Rom. vii. q, and Paul says of the believ
ers at Corinth, II have espoused you to one
husband that may present you as a chastt
virgin TO Christ" QI Cor. Xi, q.
). The thoughts of the righteous arc
right, but the cOunsels of the wicked art
deceit" This must mean the thought.
which he thinks through us, for we ar,
not sufficient of ourselves TO think anv
thing as of ourselves, but our sufiiciency il
of God" Oh Cor. iii, 81. The natural hear
is deceitful above all things and desperate
ly wicked DER. xvii, 81, and therefore coun
sci from such heart cannot but be deceit
The. contrast between Christ and satan i.
the contrast between truth and lying
g. THE words of the wicked are to lie il
wait for blood, but the mouth of the up
right shall deliver them" The last vers,
contrasted the thoughts Of the righteous
and of the wicked This contrasts thei
words.
Z. THE wicked are overthrown and arr
not, but the house of the righteous shal
stand" Jesus and all His house shal
stand. The gates of hell shall not prevail
against His church (Math. xvi, IS.
s. "A man shall be commended accord
ing to his wisdom, but he that is of per
verse heart shall be despised." That which
Christ, the wisdom of God, does or saws o.
thinks, in and through us, that shall stanC
and be approved, but apart from Him W,
can do nothing John XIV, 5; II Tim. ii, 15)
All who, having heard of Him. will not sub
NIT to Him are among the perverse tt
whom it is said Behold, We despisers, ano
wonder and perish (Acts xiii, Al.
8. He that is despised and hath serv
ant. is better than he that honoreth him
self and lacketh bread" If we will humbl,
ourselves to be His servants and be Willing
to be despised for Ills sake, He will ia du,
time !eXalt rs, while those who prefer Il
honor themselves and despise the bread o.
life must forever perish
10 "a righteous man regardeth the life !
of his beast but the tender mercies of til, |
wicked are cruel" Life is the special gifi |
OF God and can come only from God II, |
giveth life and breath and all things. He |
giveth natural life to man and beast. II,
giveth life eternal &c all who receive Him
II. HE that tilleth his land shall be sat
isfied with bread, but he that followett
vain persons is void of understanding
Here it seems to he the diligent and the
slOthful contrasted. Jesus SAYS, MY Father
worketh hitherto. aud | work" He give.
to every man his work He gives Il
each pound and says. Occupy till J
come"
r. THE wicked desireth the net of evi,
men, but the root of the righteous yieldett
fruit 1t is written that they sacrific,
unto their net and burn incense unto theil
drag because by them their portion is fal
and their meat plenteous" Hab. i. l6). II
other words, they prosper and grow ricl
and live only for the present, desiring only
the net which will gather in the most gain
They think not that suddenly they may b
,alled away, and then where shall theil
gain be? The righteous gather fruit unto
life eternal Their gain will abide.
l3. The wicked is shared by the trans
sression of his lips, but the just shall come
'ut of trouble" Troubles come to all gooc
md bad, and ofttimes apparently more h
he righteous than to the wicked, but til. !
wicked finally go off into trouble unending
While the righteous are sure to be in due
ime delivered. They shall forget theil
Misery and remember it as waters that
'ass away. And not only so, for we have
.lso the comfort of knowing that all pres
mt tribulation, patiently borne, is workine
ut for us far more exceeding and eterna,
weight of glory cJoJ XII. 16. III Cor iv IN