The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-10
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MAY IA.
Lesson Text: "Fruits of Wisdom,"
Prov. xiii, 1-15-Golden Text:
Prov. XII, 3O-Commen-
tary.

tary.
1. "Whoso loveth instruction loveth
knowledge. but he that hateth reproof is
british" Nearly every verse in this lesson
contains O 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 Of the
righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall
perish (Math. vii, "a, 26 XIV, 1-ls Ps. /. 81.
And as to the brutes, they even put men to
shame and know more than some men elsa.
L,s).
2. IA good man obtaineth favor Of the
Lord but 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. ", 49,. He offers Him
self freely to all, but only those who receive
who receive Him not are condemned al
ready, and to shut Him out from our hearts
Is the most wicked device that satan cen In
vent (John ill.,, 18).
8. "a man shall not be established by
wickedness, but the root of the righteous
shall not be moved" Wickedness shall not
deliver those that are given to it, and, though
men make covenant with death and hell, 1t
shall zot stand (Eccl viii, 8 Isa. xviii, 1S).
The Lord bringeth the counsel ofthe heathen
to naught. He maketh the devices OF the
people Of none effect Cps. xxxiii., 10Y. But
on the contrary, all who are In the rock
Christ Jesus ore In sure and eternal refuge.
T. "a irtuous woman 10 crown to her
husband, but she that maketh ashamed is IS
rottenness in his bones" If this Is true lit
orally 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 believers at Corinth, II have
espoused you to one husband that may
present you as chaste virgin to Christ" (II
S. ''The thoughts of the righteous are
right, but the counsels of the wicked are de-
ceit." This must mean the thoughts which
he thinks through US, "for we are not suff1-
cient of ourselves to think anything as OF
ourselves, but our sufflciency is Of God" QI
Cor. ILL.,, 81. The natural heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked Ger.
xvii, 81, and therefore counsel from such
heart cannot but be deceit. The contrast be-
tween Christ and satan Is the contrast be-
tween truth and lying.
6. ''The words Of the wicked are to lie in
wait for blood, but the mouth OF the upright
shall deliver them" The last verse con-
trasted the thoughts Of the righteous and OF
the wicked. This contrasts their words.
T. ''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 (Math. xvi, 18).
g. "a man shall be commended according
to his wisdom. but he that Is of perverse
heart shall be despised." That which Christ.
the wisdom Of God, does or says or thinks,
In and through US, that shall stand and be
approved, but apart from Him we can do
nothing (John xv., s; II Tim. L., 15). ALI
who having heard Him, will not submit to
Him are among the perverse to whom 1t Is
said, 'Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and
perish (Acts kill, 41).
9. she that is despised and hath servant,
Is better than he that honoreth himself and
lacketh bread" II we will humble our
selves to be His servants and be willing to be
despised for His sake, He will in due time
exalt US, while those who prefer to honor
themselves and despise the bread OF life must
forever perish.
10. "a righteous man regardeth the life OF
his beast, but the tender mercies of the
wicked are cruel" Life Is the special gift of
God and can come only from God. He
giveth life and breath and all things. BE
giveth natural life to man and beast He
giveth life eternal to all who receive Him.
II. .'He that tilleth his land shall be satis-
fed with bread, but he that followeth vain
persons is void Of understanding. Here 1t
seems to be the diligent and the slothful con.
trasted. Jesus says, "My Father worketh
hitherto, and 1 work" He gives to every
man his work. he gives to eacha pound and
says, Occupy till come"
IL. ':The wicked desireth the net OF evil
men, but the root Of the righteous yieldeth
fruit" 1t Is written that "they sacrifice unto
their net and burn incense unto
their drag because by them their portion Is
fat and their meat plenteous" (Hab. l., 16).
In other words, they prosper and grow rich
and live only for the present, desiring only
the net which will gather in the most gain
They think not that suddenly they may be
called away, and then where shall their gain
be? The righteous gather fruit unto life
eternal Their gain will abide.
13. THE wicked Is shared by the trans
gression of his lips, but the just shall come
out OF trouble" Troubles come to all good
and bad, and ofttimes apparently more to the
righteous than to the wicked, but the wicked
finally 20 off into trouble unending, while the
righteous are sure to be in due time delivered.
They shall forget their misery and remember
it as waters that pass away. And not only
80, for we have also the comfort Of know
ing that all present tribulation. patiently
borne, Is working out for us q far more ex-
ceeding and eternal weight Of glory Dob 81.
16 II Cor. w., 17.)
ID. "A man shall be satisfied with good by
the fruit Of his mouth, and the recompense OF
a mans hands shall be rendered unto him..
Say We to the righteous that it shall be we'll
with him. for they shall eat the fruit OF their
doings Woe unto the wicked 1t shall be Ill
with him, for the reward OF his hands shall
be given him elsa. ill.,, 10, ~. Such Is the
uniform testimony of Scripture. II Christ,
the wisdom Of God, Is accepted, then saliva
tlon is ours, and there will be reward In pro-
portion to labor (Rom. VI, %; Il Cor. ILL.,, 8,
Rev. xii, 12). II Christ is rejected, the soul
is lost, and suffering will be according to sin
(John i'll, 10; Luke xii, AZ, 49,.
Is. The way of fool is right In his own
eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counse! 1s
wise" All benefit for time and eternity comes
from receiving and obeying the wisdom OF
God, but as that Is opposed to the wisdom OF
man and casts down all mans reasonings (l1
Cor. X. s, margin) many in their pride and
folly prefer their own way and go madly on
to their destruction. The wisdom OF God 1s
foolishness to the natural man q Cor. H., 14.
Therefore the only way is to be born again
John ILL.,, 3).-Lesson Helper.
IT DON'T DIMINISH DRINKING.
The British Consul General at Christiania
has recently submitted to his Government an
Il