The Progress., 1893-04-22

3
xii, e5-Commentary by the Rev. u. N.
Stearns.
! 30. Wisdom c=e,h without she uttereth
her voice in tie streets" When we read in
| the New Testament such words as these
/ Christ. the wisdom of God. WHO of God
/ is made unto us wisdom Il Cor. i, %, 30l
we have no difficulty IN understanding whc
| is meant in this book hy wisdom. Just -
/ Jesus Christ is both the living personal
word and also the written word, 50 He /.
wisdom as to His person and as to His ut
terances. 1t is no wonder, then, that it is
written, Wisdom j, the principal thing
| therefore get wisdom Gv, -.
! 2l. she crieth in the chief place of con
course in the openings of the gates. In the
city she uttereth her words saying" The
! great multitude are in the broad way OF
self and self pleasing, with little or nc
| thought of a hereafter and day of judg
ment. They care not for the fact thai
whatsoever man soweth that shall ht
! also reap" and their only thought is pleas
ure and prosperity here and now (MatL
vii, 13; Gal. vi, .. Wisdom is represented
as calling unto them as they hurry alons
their downward road.
%. How long, We simple ones, will ",
love simplicity, and the scorners delight il
their soorning. and fools hate llnowledge:
| Simple ones, if they believe the devil, ar,
easily led astray. fthey believe God, they
| are easily led Alright If they go astray
| they are soon among the scorners and the
| fools Yet wisdom loves them and erie,
unto them: How long" How long shal
thy vain tEo4ghtS lodge within thee?'
How long Wj!t non refuse 10 humble thy
self before Ne" tier. iv. l4. TX. y, b:
%. "rmn you at Myreproof: behold | viii
pour ont My Spirit unto you; will max,
known Ny words unto yOu." lie calls 81
| lovingly, 50 patiently. 50 perseyerlngiy
Come unto Ne; return unto the Lord
turn. O backsliding children; take Wit
you words and turn to the Lord The
are some Of the many words of the Lord 4
the erring ones as He entreats them tC
come unto Him Qsa. ", 3, :; Jer iii, !, :
l2 "A; Hos. xiv, o. Ho only asks us to tUrT
TO Him, and He will do all the rest, giving
His words and His Spirit, His words which
are Spirit and Life (Jo!n vi, 63).
"a. Because have called, and We refu~"d
| have stretched out my hand, and no u.;.i
regarded" 1t does not seem possible tha'
people who had been so wondrOusly dealt
with could so treat such love, but the hu
man heart is still the same, and the same
love on His part is turned away from by
those to whom His hands are implOringly
stretched out. How is it with yOus
p. But ye have set at naught all My coun
sci, and would none of My reproof." They
Knocked the messengers of God, and de
spised His words, and misuscd His prophets
until the wrath of the Lord arose againsi
His people, till there was no remedy
QI Chron. XXXvi, l6) They even went 81
far as to say, We have made covenant
with death, and with he'll are we at agree
ment; we have made lies our refuge anc
under falsehood have we hid ourselves
lisa. xviii, l5). Like the men before the
food, whose houses God filled with gooC
things, they said unto God, Depart from
us; what can the Almighty do for us
dob xxi, l5-lS)?
26~''i also will laugh ut your calamity;
will mock when your fear cometh." What
soever man soweth, that shall he alsC
reap, and he that soweth the wind shall
reap the wEirlwind' Gal. vi, Z; Hos viii
a. Concerning all who take counse
against Him it is written, "lle that sittetl
in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shal
have them in derision' Dps. ii, -, and il
His loving invitations are persistently de
spised we must remember His words
None of those men which were bidder
shall taste Of my supper luke xiv, ~.
when your fear cometh as desola
tiOn and your destruction cometh as
whirlwind; when distress and anguish
L. !.
will come upon all who despise His love
and make light of His salvation. Because
there is wrath, beware lest He take thee
away with His stroke; then great ransom
cannot deliver thee dob XXXvi, 1s).
%. Then shall they call upon me, but
will not answer: they shall seek me early
but they shall not find me-" Then shsl
they cry unto the Lord. but He will not
hear them; He will even hide His face from
them at that time, as they behaved them
selves i'll in their doings (Mic. iii, 4). He
told jeremiah that the intercession of Moses
and Samuel could not save the nation, anG
He told Ezekiel that the presence of Noah
Daniel and Job would be Of no avail (Jer
XIV, L. EZek. xiv, IL. 20). Sin may become
so great that not hing will do but judgment
90. For that they hated knowledge anG
did not choose the fear of the Lord" They
say unto God, Depart from MS for we desirt
not the knowledge of Thy ways (.Job xxi. IL
The fear OF the Lord is the beginning OF
wisdom, IA foundation of life, IA great treas
ure prov. i, = iX, 10: xiv, -; lisa. NXXiii, o.
But they had no reverence for God, no re !
spect for His ways, no gratitude for His
gifts. The fool says there is no God. and
many a one who would not say this wishes |
that there was no God. The carnal mind
is enmity against God Rom. viii, y.
30. They would none Of my counsel; they
despised all my reproof" Our Lord Jesus |,
said that whosoever heard His words, but /
did them not, was like a man building OIL
sand, only to have everything swept away
(Nlath. vii, 26. 27).
81. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit I
of their own way and be filled with Their /
own devices" Their own wickedness will /
correct them and their backslidings re
prove them. Hear, o earth; behold, viii /
bring evil upon this people, even the fruit /