Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-05-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, MAY IA.

knowledge, but he that hateth reproof is
BRITISH" Nearly every verse in this lesson
contains a contrast between the righteous
and the unrighteous, 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 knoweth the way ct
the righteous, but the way of the ungodly
shall perish (Math vii. o. %; ky. lib.
Ps. |, g. And as to the brutes, they even
put men to shame and know more than
some men lisa i. -
3 "a good man obtaineth favor of the
Lord but n man of wicked devices will He
condemn The Lord showeth favor to all
He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and
on the good and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust" (Math v, 49, He offers
Himself freely to all, but only those who
receive Him shall enjoy Him John /, II,
l2) 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 John iii, lS).
3. "A man shall not be established by
wickedness but the root of the righteous
shall not be moved" Wicledness shall not
deliver those that are given to it, and,
though men make a covenant with death
and hell, it shall not stand (Eccl. viii, &; lisa
xviii, lS). The Lord brngeth the counsel
of the heather to naught. He maketh tn,
devices of the people of none effect Fps
XXXiii, 10y. But, on the contrary, all who are
in the rock Christ Jesus are in sure and
eternal refuge.
T. "A vrtuous woman is "A crown to hei
husband, but she that maketh ashamed is
as rottennces in His bones" If this is true
literally of wife and husband, how much
more of the church and CHRISTI We are
said to be even now married to the Lord
that we should bring forth fruit unto God
Rom. vii, y, and Paul says of the believ
ers at Corinth, 81 have espoused you to one
husband that may present you as chaste
virgin to Christ" QI Cor XII, 81
5. THE thoughts of the righteous art
right, but the counsels of the wicked art
deceit" This must mean the thoughts
which he thinks through us, "for we are
not sufficient of ourselves to think any
thing as of ourselves but our sufficiency is
of God" I'll Cor. iii, 81 The natural heart
is deceitful above all things and desperate
ly wicked der. xvii, 81, and therefore coun
q
The contrast between Christ and satan is
the contrast between truth and lying.
6. THE words of the wicked are to lie in
wait for blood, but the mouth of the up
right shall deliver them" The last verst
contrasted the thoughts of the righteous
and of the wicked This contrasts theii
words.
Z THE wicked are overthrown and art
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 (Math. xvi, 1S).
g. "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 says Oh
thinks, in and through us, that shall stand
aud be approved, but apart from Him We
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 t.
whom it is said, Behold, We despisers, ant
wonder and perish Acts xiii, Az.
9. He that is despised and hath a serv
ant, is better than he that honoreth him
self and lacksth bread" If we will humbl,
ourselves to he His servants and be willing
to be despised for His sake, He will in du,
time eXalt us, while those who prefer t,
honor themselves and despise the bread o
life must forever perish.
10. "A righteous man regardeth the lif
of his beast, but the tender mercies 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. H
giveth natural life to man and beast. Fl
giveth life eternal tc all who receive Him.
IL. He that tilleth his land shall be sat
isfied with bread but he that followed
vain persons is void of understanding.
Here it seems to be the diligent and tn
slothful contrasted Jesus says, MY Fathe
worketh hitherto, and work" He give
to every man his work. He gives t
each a pound and says, Occupy till
come"
~ 1.-THE wicked desireth the net of evi
men, but the root of the righteous yieldet
fruit" Ii is written that they sacrifc
unto their net and burn incense unto thei
drag because by them their portion is ia
and their meat plenteous" (Hab. i, l6). L
other words, they prosper and grow ric
and live only for the present, desiring onl
the net which will gather in the most gair
They think not that suddenly they may
called away, and then where shall thei
gain beP The righteous gather fruit unit
life eternal. Their gain will abide.
gression of his lips, but the just shall com
out of trouble" Troubles come to all goo
and bad, and ofttimes apparently more t
the righteous than to the wicked, but til
wicked finally go off into trouble unendins
while the righteous are sure to be in du
time delivered. They shall forget the
misery and remember it as waters tha
pass away. And not only so, for we hay
also the comfort of knowing that all pre-
ent tribulation, patiently borne, is workin
out for us far more exceeding and eterni
weight of glory dob XII, l6 II Cor. iv, ~.
IA. "A man shall be satisfied with goo
by the fruit of his mouth and the recon
pense of a mans hands shall be rendere
unto him." Say ye to the righteous that
shall be well with him, for they shall ct
the fruit of their doings Woe unto II
wicked; it shall be i'll with him, for the T
ward of his hands shall be given him Us
iii, 10, ~. Such is the uniform testimor
of Scripture. If Christ, the wisdom of Co
is accepted, then salvation is ours, and the
will be reward in proportion to labor (Ron
vi o.. Cor iii s: Rev xii l2) If Chri