Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-02-23

A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
The REV. A. c. DIXON, D. D..
Subject: The Book of Wisdom.

Subject: The Book of Wisdom.
New York City.-The following SER
Non was contributed to the Union
gospel News by the Rev. A. C. Dixon,
u. d. 1t is entitled "The Book of Wis
dom," and is an appreciation of Prov
erbs. He took for bis text. '"The prov
erbs Of Solomon, the son of David,
king Of Israel" Proverbs IL.
10 preach a sermon on the whole
book of Proverbs may be a difficult
task, but shall attempt it this morn
ing in order that, if for no other rea-
son, I may impress upon you the i'm
portance of reading the whole book at
sitting.
If we should read part of friends
letter and another part tomorrow, and
another part the next day. we should
have at the close a very confused no
ton of what he had written to u.s. The
| method which many have of reading
the Bible by piecemeal may impart i'm
portant instruction, but it does not give
us the setting of the books nor a view
of the Bible as whole.
| Readers of fiction think little of sit
| ting up late at night that they may
finish a thrilling story. If the lovers
/
time reading it consecutively they
would find it more thrilling than any
book of fiction.
the book of Proverbs may be like
reading the dictionary. The subject
changes so often. And yet there is
a plan in the book which a closer
study shows to be an orderly arrange
ment
The first nine verses are the preface,
In which we have the use of proverbs.
They enable us to ''know. wisdom and
instruction, to perceive the words Of
understanding, to give subtlety to the
simple, to the young man knowledge
and discretion" If he hears and
heefls then they will be an ornament
of grace unto his head and chains
about his neck. Each proverb is a
jewel of wisdom more precious than
Erubies.
From the tenth to the nineteenth
verses there is described the socialism
of sin, and the young man is warned
against it. ''My son, if sinners entice
thee, consent thou not" If they say,
"Cast in thy lot among us, let us all
have one purse" walk not thou in
Cuc way Will IcIIdlu Iuyt Iccl
! from their path; for their feet run
evil, and make haste to she'd blood -
The social element in sin is one of it's
most dangerous features. The habit
of social drinking has made many a
drunkard. The social nature carries
the young man to the saloon, the pool
room, the gambling den, and entices
him to destruction. Men and women
IN oh t, c1o 1ol,4o
and, when one tries to escape, the So
cial nature becomes lasso with which
Satan drags his victim to the slaugh-
ter pen. 1t is, SO hard to tear away
from congenial company. The social
club has wrecked many a Christian
for time and eternity. Watch, there
fore, against the socialism of sin.
When sensualists say "Cast in thy
lot among us, let us all have one
purse" go the other way. Such a
community of goods means a fedora
ton Of death, which sooner or later
will lead to destruction
Beginning with the twentieth verse
Of the first chapter there is revealed
to lis the mission of wisdom. Many
expositors believe that wisdom here
refers to Christ, as He sis made wis
dom for u.s. And He is certainly the
Incarnation of wisdom. But the sim.
plest and most natural definition OF
wisdom, as it seems to us. is common
sense Common sense crieth without
she uttereth her voice in the street
she crieth in the. chief place Of con
course, in the openings OF the gates
Wherever q man goes his common
sense appeals to hims to fear God and
keep His commandments.
If he refuses he viii sooner or later
see his mistake, and the Common Sense
that called upon him Will laugh al
his. discontinue: Because I have
called, and We refused; have stretched
out my hand, and no man regarded
but We have set at naught all my coun
sci, will also laugh at your calamity
I will mock when your fear cometh."
do not believe that God in this pass
tage is represented as laughing at til,
(calamity or mocking at the fear of any
one. Our Common Sense laughs at u
and mocks us when distress and an
Suish come upon us. We saw what W,
; ought to have done and did it not
We appreciate opportunities lost. neve