The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-03
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vi, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY 2.

Text of the Lesson. Prov. ill, 11-24-Mem-
ory Verses, I3-17-Golden Text. Prov.
iii, documentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
Stearns.
IL my son, despise not the chasteningof
The Lord; neither be weary of His correc-
ton" The apostle, in his epistle to the
Hebrews, quotes this and the next verse
also in connection with his admonition to
run with patience looking into Jesus, and
to consider Him that endured such contra
diction lest we be wearied and faint in our
minds. He tells us also that all Gods
chastenings are to make us partakers of
His holiness CHeb. xii, 5, 10). 1t is interest
ing to notice that the word translated
''chasten" in these verses in Hebrews is in
Eph. vi, 4, translated nurture" and in
II Tim. fiji, 16, instruction"
12. For whom the Lord loveth he cor
recteth, even as q father the son in whom
he delighteth" In Rev. iii, 10, we hear
Jesus saying from heaven, "As many as l
love / reEuke and chasten," and this also
agrees with Heb. xii, z, IF We endure
Christening, God dealeth with you as with
sons, for what son is he whom the father
chasteneth not?" But we must never for
get the end in view, which is to make us
more holy, more conformed to the image of
Gods dear Son (Rom. viii, 28, 29), whom
some day we shall be like q John iii, q.
10. Happy is the man that findeth wis
dom and the man that getteth understand
ing" For she says again, Whose fndeth
me findeth life and shall obtain favor of
the Lord" viii, 35). Now it is also written,
HE that hath the Son hath life, and he
that hath not the Son of God hath not
life'' Il JOHNNY, ~. And again, Christ our
Life Col. iii, ~. So we see that wisdom
and Christ the Son of God are synonymous,
as shown in the last lesson-Christ the
wisdom of God q Cor i, "a.
II. For the merchandise of it is better
than the merchandise of silver and the gain
thereof than fine gold" Paul counted all
things but loss for the excellency of the
the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and David
says that his judgments are more to be de
sired than gold-yea, than much fine gold
phil iii, 8, g.; Ps. xix, 10).
Is. "She is more precious than rubies,
and all the things thou canst desire are not
to be compared unto her" See almost the
same words in chapter viii, II, and compare
Job xviii, Is, and the context. Then con-
slider this wonder of wonders-that wisdom
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, and it
shall be given him" (Jas. i, 81 1.-The gift
of God is eternal life" Rom. vi, 2S) Rubies
must be left behind if we die, and all we
can desire, even if we could obtain, would
prove unsatisfying. The preacher says,
"Whatsoever mine eyes desired l kept not
from them; withheld not my heart from
any Joy, and, behold, all was vanity and
uaxatiop If lIyccl IL IN
10. Length of days is in her right hand,
and in her left hand riches and HONOR Or,
as it is in chapter viii, Is, Riches and
honor are with me-yea, durable riches and
righteousness. Our Lord Jesus says from
the glory. II counsel thee to buy of me gold
tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich"
(Rev. iii, 49, AS to length of days we
shall have in these mortal bodies, all that
He sees we can use for Him, and yonder it
is true that when we have been there ten
thousand thousand years, bright shining as
the sun, we've no less days TO sing His
praise than when we first begun. Christ
Himself our Life, our wealth and our glory.
II. Her ways are ways Of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace" Being paths
of righteousness, they cannot but be paths
of pleasantness and peace. All the paths
of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such
as keep His covenant and His testimonies
The path of the just is as the shining light
that shineth more and more unto the per-
feet day (Ps. xiii, 3; XIV, To- Prov. iv, 49,
The whole difficulty is in our ways and
paths of our making or choosing But if
we follow closely and fully in wisdom's
ways we shall find it as written.
IS ''She is tree of fife to them that lay
hold upon her, and happy is every one that
retaineth her" To lay hold and hold fast
is our part-or, in other words, to receive
and cleave unto, or enter and abide, or be-
lieve and continue. He does not force Him
self upon any one, but offers Himself for
our acceptance and will increasingly re-
veal Himself where He sees a longing for
Him Heb. vi, IS; Rev. ii, XIV; John i, xii;
Acts XII, %; Isa. ii, 10; John 2, xviii; John
V, "a; viii, 81.
49, 1.-The Lord of Wisdom hath founded
the earth. BY understanding hath He es-
tablished the heavens" Hear Him in
chapter viii, 1914: II wisdom dwell with
prudence. / am understanding. / have
strength" And in verses q, 28: when
He prepared the heavens, was there. When
He strengthened the fountains of the deep"
Compare John i, 3, "All things were made
by Him, and without Him was not any
thing made that was made" And also Col
i, xvi, and see how conclusive the proof
that Wisdom is none other than Jesus
Himself
20. by His knowledge the depths are
broken up, and the clouds drop down the
dew" See the proof of this in Gen. vii, IL;
Job xxxvi, "a Nothing in heaven or earth
can be done without Him, and there is
nothing too hard for Him der. x, -, 10;
Wi u Tnh Vii 1ixvil "a "a
Red sea before Israel. and the Jordan three
times before Israel, Elijah and Elisha. He
also can bring water from the rock and
send or withhold rain at His pleasure.
81. My son, let not them depart from
thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discre-
ton" We need to pray, Turn away mine
eyes from beholding vanity" and to obey
the command, run with patience looking
unto Jesus ops cxix, 81; Heb xii, y. Hap
by the people who see Jesus only" and who
can truly say, Zone thing have desired Of
the Lord; that will l seek after-to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in
His temple"
%. so shall they be life unto thy soul
and grace to thy neck" Life within and
beauty without. Moses taught the people,
saying, Love the Lord thy God, obey His
voice, cleave unto Him, for He is thy life
and the length of thy days" Deut. xxx, 2O)
Pauls determination was that Christ
should be magnified in his body, and he
could say, For me TO live is Christ phil. i,
90, 81
%. Then shalt thou walk in thy way
safely, and thy foot shall not stumble" "
When our way is His way, it must be a safe
way, and since He is able to guard us from
stumbling Jude "a, r. W. Hesurely will
If we let Him. That He will hold us by