Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-05-13
FRUITS OF WISDOM.
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR MAY II.

To ne wise wins Gods Smile, Mans Ar
prcvsi and the Satisfaction ~ seif-Ths
Higher Isht-Esposi,iop By Rsv. Dr.
Court, n. n.
Golden Texts The fruit Of the righteous ia
n tree OF life, and he that winneth souls IL
wise prov. XII, 90).
Lesson: Prov. xii, lis.
Our lesson consists Of apparently uncon-
nected maxims concerning the benefits Of
true relgion--called wisdom-and the
wickedness which despises truth, righteous
ness and the counsel Of God. Our division
II only approximate.
I-wIsDoM WINS Cons SMILE. Cverses
1-5)
I. Jehovah's approval (a) Remember
that wisdom In the book Of Proverbs means
knowledge applied TO the duties of human
lfe-the practical side of religion. Such
wisdom must win Gods smile, as verse
tells us IL actually does. The first maxim
Is apparently a simple one, but is at the
foundation Of all science, learning and
wisdom. One that loves knowledge is IA
vored by God. How shall people know the
lover of knowledgei Not every professed
votary Of knowledge is lover Of knowl-
edge. Many profess to love knowledge
that love only the prizes and pelf which
some forms Of knowledge gain for them.
The genuine votary OF wisdom loves to be
right, correct in his views, as holding the
truth. Hence he loves, desires and re-
joices to be put right when he is
astray, wrong, mistaking error for truth.
Correction Is genuine misunderstanding
the erring one right, II need be, not only
18th n xvorI - mn rv,tve, adx x,so b,,t xuttb
censure, reproof and the rod. Yet reproof
is not always pleasant. 1t Is, as William
Arnot tells us, bitter, but as one takes Bit
ter medicine for the health Of the body, 80
one should take bitter reproof, il merited,
for the health of the soul. Flattery Is
sweet, but unwholesome, II hate him, for
he doth not prophesy good concerning me"
Il Kings xxi, 81. There, In that an
cient Israelitish king, is humanity in the
lump and without disguise" (Arnot).
Painfully must the student plod on, glad
to have his exercises corrected again and
again, until, warned by the wise teacher,
he gains accuracy in understanding and
applying his knowledge, for the sake of
which he undertakes the pains Of learning.
On the contrary, the hater of rebuke is
"brutish," stupid and obstinate like an un-
tanned beast. The brute makes no perma-
nent progress Qualities acquired tend to
disappear. The trained animals let alone
20 back to the wild state when freed from
mans supervision and control. They have
no love of knowledge. They hate reproof
or correction for it's pain, and like them is
the man that hates to be set right, either
by his fellow men or by God. Men have a
capacity for improvement, for proflting by
correction. Brutes have none, and there
fore men that hate correction are british.
They are like the beasts that perish" (Ps.
xix, 12). God is willing to be our teacher.
Indeed teacher" Is one of the titles Of Je-
sus, 30 often misunderstood under the dis
euise of ''master''--the name of head teach
or in English schools. In this sense 40
times is 'didaskalos," the Greek word for
teacher" translated master" in the four
gospels and applied to Jesus The verb is
applied to His teaching 81 times So we
have divine correction of our crude exer-
cises in godly living as well as in acquiring
the knowledge of the truth that saves. He
Is 'brutish" that refuses such correction.
Read and profit by Ps. xvi. Z; Jer. XXI,
Is. Compare vi, g. Be not as the "brutes;"
listen to the voice of the Great Teacher Cps.
xxxii, 6, o.. Qb) Verse 2 is literally, 1.-THE good
man draws forth good will from Jehovah"
In a very obvious sense the good man
causes delight on Gods part, and this beams
on the good man as favor. The smile OF God |
shows His good will to those in whom He
takes delight God as good cannot but take
In goodness. and the sense of Gods delight |
Is the experience of His favor. (c) The next |
clause may be translated, The scheming !
man will He condemn" There are good |
and bad schemes The word has |
both a good and bad meaning. So here |
the man OF schemes, devices, plannings and |
is very likely to be bad man,
having selfish or sinister ends in view. |
Men distrust such men. Hence they are
guilty by God, their schemes
and plots being usually meant for no good.
Beware of the too crafty, calculating, |
,cheming man. (d) God is wide awake to
ali that man plots and knows him and calls
nim wicked. Honest men do not need much
inesse. Gods disapproval Is mans warn
ng. Read Ps. iy, 8; v, II; xiii, 8.
3. Only the wise are stable and steady. |
al Impiety is wickedness. Such as are
wicked are not established. They cannot
,tand in the storms of life. nor will they at
ast stand before God. See chapter X, 25.
md Ps. /, L. How many have imagined
hat they could be established by wicked
ness and have been deceived! History, as
we'll as everyday life, shows the instability
If individuals and families, royal as well as
private, that have tried to build up stable
by wickedness. (b) On the
contrary, the righteous, like well rooted
rec, may be swayed by the storms OF life
but will hold his place and remain i'm
fixed, steadfast, true to principle
md to God. "The root of the righteous
hall not be moved" (Col. ii, 7; Ps. xii, p.
8. Righteousness is seen as worthy of ap-
,roval. (a) In the home this is evident in
he person of the virtuous woman. This
,ook is remarkable for the high estimate
,ut upon good women. See chapter XXI
or her character. '.The woman" says st.
Paul, lis the glory of the man Il Cor. XII,
J It is worthy of note that the Hebrew
vord here rendered ''virtuous" means
strong" Virtue is strength; vice is weak
ess, yielding to what ones reason and
onscience condemn. To the strong the
ictory Is given and tothe victor the crown.
Iere garland, wreath, crown. mean adorn-
aent, ornament. The most precious jewel
hat can adorn q woman is her virtue. not
a the narrow sense Of that word. but In
be widest sense, including purity, truth.
indness, piety. Such a woman, is truly
adorns her home; her hus-
m na ie nroud of her. she Ia a Jewel I'm his