Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-11-17

them to her House
Beautiful.
The way to the heavenly life on earth
is shown to men. The City of God is not
in heaven alone, but comes down from
God out OF heaven, and is among men.
The steps to this blessed life are set forth
In all their attractiveness The appeal
Is to Gll that Is highest. noblest, and best
in men.
Today's lesson includes verses 1 to II,
chapter g. Book of Proverbs. With ex-
planatory notes the lesson follows:
l. My son." The older and wiser man
addresses the younger, not as a master or
tyrant. but as n father and friend. desir-
ing his pupils good. 1t implies also that
tne one addressed is acting like a son.
Forget not my law" We forget that
u, 10 which we do not pay earnest attention.
therefore. 1t is our duty and our wisdom
70 " read the whole law of God; % to
STUDY IL earnestly and thoroughly: go TO
use IL as guide to our daily lives. Let
.nlne heart keep my commandments.
. ,nefe Is no true. no lasting obedience
mat uoes not come from the heart. the
fountain of life. Mere outward obedience
Is not acceptable Who would accept from
soh or daughter, from husband or wife.
mere outward righteousness that did
not How from love?
& For length of DAYS and years of life
ana peace" Long life is of little use un-
perity, which the word also means. %
ms IS statement of a general principle
.nat keeping Gods commandments tenos
10 length of life, by preserving the con-
sutution sound and healthy"
D. Mercy" toward the SHINING and to-
ward the suffering "And truth" SINGER
Ity, pure. upright dealings i'm all things.
!. nese are mentioned as duties toward our
ieliow men which are apt to be neglected.
bihd them about thy neck" as costly
ornaments. carefully guarded from loss,
always In sight. something to delight in.
| ihey are indeed the graces and the
beauty or men. well as their duty.
write them on the table (tableO of thine
neart. AS the ten commandments upon
the tablets of stone. never TO be effaced.
faVour and good understanding"
me reward or fruit of adopting the
course recommended and exhibiting the
virtues spoken of in the preceding verse.
Is mere subjoined. This is twofold: as 1t
regards others. both God and man. favor;
as IL regards the possessor. good success,
prosperity.
Z. wise in thine own eyes," l. e., I'm
thlne own opinion or conceit. Be not
pulled up with a vain concet of thine
own Importance, thy knowledge, thy su-
perior wisdom. Pear the Lord" Not
| to be afraid of, but reverence. stand IN
awe or his greatness, and wisdom, and
goodness. so that we shall trust our all
TO him. "And depart from evil" The
natural consequence of fearing the Lord.
g. 1T shall be health to thy navel" the
muscles of the body. and marrow. or
moisture, Ito thy bones" The marrow
was supposed TO keep the bones in a
healthy state. 8. Honor the Lord with
tiny substance" your capital, the property
you possess.
10. so shall thy barns he filled with
plenty. Compare the promise In Ma
lachi 3: 10. Fats shall overflow out"
overflow with the crop of grapes 1t is too
small to contain. Or 1T may refer to the
Missing and bursting OF the new grapes.
IL. "Despise not Shrink not from) the
christening" Discipline, schooling, in
struction by punishment. Delitzsch trans
iates, The school of Jehovah" Neither
be weary: /. e.. do not loathe. abhor, feel
disgust nor vexation towards. The word
certainly denotes loathing or nausea. "Of
MS reproof." or correction by means of
reproof. "Those who are determined to
do wrong loathe all reproof that would
turn them from it,
IL. For whom the Lord loveth he re-.
proveth." Care, burdens, losses, sickness,
troubles are no necessary proof that we
are worse than other men, as we have
seen In Job, but are the fatherly disci-
pline of one who loves us with all his
heart, but loves us too well to let us go
On In the wrong.
H. Happy is the man." The
word for happy" is plural in
the original. The plural form ex-
presses the manifold nature of the
blessedness of the wise man. He Is
blessed in every way at all times. from
all sources, in all departments of his life,
in all circumstances. He is blessed I'm
body and in soul; in time and in eternity.
-P. THAT findeth (has found, and holds
possession of wisdom" After a long
and arduous search. as for hid treasures.
Often there Is far more gained I'm the act
of searching than in mere possession.
This is true of almost all good things
Rasselas was discontinued In the Happy
Valley, and so were all the dwellers
there; and he was willing to tunnel his
way out with infinite labor rather than
dwell amid its projections.
a. "The merchandise OF it." 1t must
be gained by labor and cost, as earthly
treasures are. 1t Is impossible TO inipart
character or wisdom by direct gift. There
Is continual traffic i'm wisdom, using
what one has in gaining more. Compare
Christs parallels of the hid treasure and
the pearl of great price Matt. IL: A-46.
Is. "She is more precious than rubies"
or pearls. as some translate the word
which probably includes all precious
stones 1.-THE things thou canst desire"
All pleasures, all delights. all the treas
uros of wealth, all that men give up
their lives TO obtain. Wisdom is as far
above all these as the sun and stars
above the street lamp.
Is. Length OF days" a long and happy.
useful life even life forever more. See
ON verse 8. In her right hand" as the
best of these gifts. I'm her left hand"
AS not so valuable as long life. Are
riches" that il. al the good things that
riches can bring.
II. Her ways are ways of peasant
ness; l. O., ways in which one obtains
what Is agreeable to the inner and the
outer man, and which II does good to en-
toy.-Deiitzsch. The very acts of religion
are in themselves pleasant.