The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-11-18

III. 6-Commentary by the Rev. ID. M.
stearns.
1. my son, forget not My law; but let
thine heart keep My commandments. 4"
Between the lesson on Gods blessing upon
Solomon and the going forth of his fame
we have this one on the secret of all bless
ing and true honor. These words are for
wisdom's children, those who are children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus (John 1,
12), for inasmuch as the law cannot give
life only those who have life can keep the
law (Gal iii, 81, 22; Rom. X, 4; viii, 3, A.
Because In Christ we have life freely by
His grace therefore we love His law and
keep His commandments
2 For length of days and long life and
peace shall they add TO thee. " ''He is our
life and the length of our days (Deut
xxx, 20). ''He is our peace" (Eph Ii, AZ
To receive Him Is life I John v, l2), but
He came TO give us more than life even
life abundantly John X, 10). Many saved
people miss much of heaven upon the earth
(Deut. XII, 1S-2D because they do not eat
the word of God and lay 1t up in their
hearts for constant meditation.
g. Write them upon the table of thine
heart" All the paths Of the Lord are
mercy and truth unto such as keep His COW
| enant and His testimonies Cps xxx, 10)
And every believer Is expected TO be liv-
ing witness to this fact an epistle of
Christ, written with the Spirit of the liv-
ing God In fleshy tables of the heart Oh
Cor. Ill, 81
4. $50 shalt thou find favor and good
understanding in the sight of God and
man" Not that all men will praise you
or love you II you live "A holy life, for not
all loved our Lord, and the disciple must
be content to be as his Master (John XIV,
20). But the conscious blessing of the Lord
will be yours, and the favor of all such as
truly love the Lord. When it is manifest
that the Lord is with us, there will be-
abundant blessing to many, as in the case
of Joseph, David and Daniel
O. Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart, and lean not unto thine own under
standing" Since IL is not in man that
walketh To direct his steps der. X, 23) and
the heart is decetful above all things
and desperately wicked, is it any wonder
that the Spirit has written, Cursed be the
man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh
his arm. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord ISL
(Jer. xviii D, T. o. And again, Commit
thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him,
and He shall bring 1t Co pass.
6. sin all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct thy paths. This goes
we'll with Phil. iv, 6, Z, where we are for
hidden to be anxious about anything and
commanded TO be prayerful about every
thing Guidance and blessing are assured
to all who rely upon Him to direct and
manage them and their affairs. See for
further comfort Ps. xxi, s; III Chron
xvi, 8.
z, 8. "Be not wise in thine own eyes,
fear the Lord and depart from evil " Here
Is the secret of soul health, and the health
or sickness of the soul ofttimes wondrously
affects the body. The fear of the Lord in
cludes, at least a fear to grieve Him and
humbling of self Co walk with Him
(Mic. vi, s, margin), in complete subjec-
ton TO Him and to His word.
8, 10. Honor the Lord with thy sub
stance and it'll the first fruits of all thine
increase. Here Is the secret Of blessing
in temporal things; barns and wine presses
full The same thing Is strongly empha-
sized in Nal. Ill, 10. He who in all
things acknowledges God and with cheer
fulness renders To God becoming graft
tude cannot but enjoy the blessing Of
God. The nine lepers who went to the
priest did as they were commanded, they
did their duty, but the grateful tenth re-
ceived had an abundant blessing which the
duty fellows missed. Let all Christians
give at least grateful tenth, and God will
make His promises literally true
II, ~. my son, despise not the chasten-
ing of the Lord " Our Heavenly Father
earnestly desires the highest happiness for
all His children, but He is often hindered
in doing for US what He would like TO by
our willfulness, therefore TO fit us to re-
ceive His bounty He has to chasten us, to
humble us, TO make us see the folly of our
ways, that we may yield to Him and His
ways and be blessed indeed
10. Happy is the man that flndeth wis
, dom, and the man that getteth under
! standing" Christ is the wisdom of God.
} He also Is life, and also understanding q
Cor 1, "a; Prov. viii, IA, 35). Give heed
to chapter Nv, 5, Z, and take the comfort
! of Prov Ill, "a w. 12 vi 20. Think Of an
: unfailing friend and guide with us day
and night to lead us, talk with us, keep
us and guard us from stumbling. Com
pare Jude xiv and Eph. iii, 20.
IA. For the merchandise of 1t Is better
: than the merchandise Of silver. and the
, gain thereof than fine gold. Silver and
, gold and all the gain OF earth are only for
the earth and pass away, but wisdom is
} eternal-it endureth forever. To increase
in wisdom Is heavenly and eternal thing,
and to make Him who Is our wisdom
known to others Is the highest and wisest
of all occupations
| 10. "She Is more precious than rubies,
) and all the things thou canst desire ore not
to be compared unto her" So also in
chapter viii, IL. And again, In Job xviii.
> IS, it Is written, 1.-The price Of wisdom Is
, above rubiesl When Mary sat at Jesus
, feet and heard His word, and Martha
, seemed to find little fault with her.
Jesus said, But one thing is needful, and
, Mary hath chosen that good part, which
} shall not be taken away from her" What
ever He meant by those words we GER
tainly know that He Himself the wisdom
of God, is to us the one thing needful, and
In Him dwelleth all the fullness OF the
Godhead bodily (Col. IL, 81.
, 10. Length of days In her right hand,
, and in her left hand riches and honor. "
, In chapter viii, 10, it is written, Riches
and honor are with Me; yea, durable riches
and righteousness. There are riches
which perish, which are of use only In this
world and there are durable riches, which