No XVII.

PROVERBS.

THE book of Proverbs gives us the application of that wisdom which created the heavens and the earth, to the details of life in this world of confusion and evil. This

thought brings out the immensity of grace unfolded here. God deigns to apply His wisdom to the circumstances of our practical life, and to show us, with His own intelligence, the consequences of all the ways in which man may walk. It is a great blessing to be provided for the labyrinth of this world, in which a false step may lead to such bitter consequences, with a book that sets forth the path of prudence and of life; and that, in connection with a wisdom which comes from God.

It is well to remember that the book of Proverbs treats of this world, and of God's government, according to which man reaps that which he has sown. This is always true, whatever may be the sovereign grace that bestows on us things beyond and infinitely above this world.

Solomon was filled with wisdom from above, but which had its exercise in this world, and its application to it; that is to say, which applied to it God's way of viewing all things, discerning the truth of all that, day by day, is developed in it. We have here the ways of God, the divine path for human conduct, the discernment of that which the heart of man produces and of its consequences; and also for one who is subject to the Word the means of avoiding the path of his own will and of his own foolish heart (which is unable to understand the bearing of a multitude of actions that it suggests to him), and this not by bringing him back to moral perfection, for that is not the object of the Proverbs; but to that wisdom and prudence which enable him to avoid many errors and to maintain a serious walk before God, and an habitual submission to His mind. The precepts of this book establish practical

Here, then, must this wisdom be displayed. Here must the perfection of God's ways be manifested. Here must divine wisdom be a guide to the conduct of a being subject to its direction. Now, it is in Christ, the wisdom of God, that this is found. Whoso hearkens to Him finds life. Observe, here, that all-important, as this revelation is, of the display of God's wisdom in connection with men, we, do not find the Church here. She is called away from this present evil age to belong to Jesus in Heaven. Christ cannot actually yet rejoice in the sons of men. When He takes possession of the earth this will be fully accomplished: this will be the Millennium. Meantime He calls on men to hear His voice. The principle of a path to be followed by hearkening to the words of wisdom, is one of the greatest importance for this world, and of the most extensive bearing. There is the path of God, in which He is known. There is but If we do not walk in it we shall suffer the consequences, even if really loving the Lord. But in fact wisdom has done more than this; it has formed a system, established a house of its own, upheld by the perfection of well-regulated and co-ordinate solidity. It is furnished with meat and wine, the table is spread; and, in the most public manner, wisdom invites the simple to come and partake, while pointing out to them the right way in which life is found. There is another womanbut before speaking of her, the Spirit teaches that instruction is wasted on the scorner, he will but hate his reprover. Wisdom is wise even in relation to its enemies. There is progress for the wise and the upright, but the beginning of it is the fear of the Lord. It is the fundamental principle.

one.

But scoffing is not the only character of evil. There is the foolish woman. This is not the activity of love which seeks the good of those who are ignorant of good. She is clamorous, sitting in the high places, at the door of her house, seeking to turn aside those who go right on their ways, and alluring those that have no understanding into the paths of deceit and sin; and they know not that her guests are the victims of death.

In chapter x. begin the details which teach those who

give ear how to avoid the snares into which the simple might fall, the path to be followed in many cases, and the consequences of men's actions. In short, that which characterises wisdom in detail; and also, the result of God's government, whatever appearances may be for awhile. It is well to observe, that there is no question of redemption or propitiation in this book; it proposes a walk according to the wisdom of God's government.

In the final chapter, we have the character of a king according to wisdom, and that of the woman in her own house. The king who does not allow himself that which, by darkening his moral discernment through the indulgence of his lusts, would make him unfit to govern. In the woman we see the persevering and devoted industry which fills the house with riches, brings honor to its inhabitants, and removes all the cares and anxieties produced by sloth. The typical application of these two specific characters is too evident to need explanation. The example of the woman is very useful, as to the spirit of the thing, to one who labours in the Church.

Although, in this book, the wisdom produced by the fear of the Lord is only applied to this world, it is on that very account of great use to the Christian, who, in view of his heavenly privileges, might more or less forget the continual government of God. It is very important for the Christian to remember the fear of the Lord, and the effect of God's presence on the details of his conduct; and I repeat that which I said at the beginning, that it is great grace which deigns to apply divine wisdom to all the details of the life of man, in the midst of the confusion brought in by sin. Occupied with heavenly things, the Christian is less in the way of discovering by his own experience the clue to the labyrinth of evil through which he is passing. God has considered this, and He has laid down this first principle, "simple concerning evil, and wise unto that which is good.' Thus the Christian may be ignorant of evil (if a worldling were so, he would fall into it), and yet avoid it through his knowledge of good. The wisdom of God gives him the latter; the government of God provides for all the rest. Now, in the Proverbs, we have these

things in principle and in detail. I have not dwelt on the figurative character of the forms of evil. They are rather principles than figures. But the violent man of the last days, is continually found in the Psalms; and Babylon is the full accomplishment of the woman who takes the simple in her snares and leads them down to death; just as Christ is the perfect wisdom of God which leads to life. But these two things which manifest evil, proceed from the heart of man at all times since the fall. Only, we have seen that there is an active development of the wiles of the evil woman who has her own house and her own arrangements. It is not simply the principle of corruption, but an organised system: as is that of sovereign wisdom.

FRAGMENTS.

There are two ways in which we learn the knowledge of God -by enjoying Him-or by our needs, to which He ministers. At present it is chiefly the latter: by and bye it will be the

former.

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, note the Father's love in falling on the son's neck, and kissing him in all his rags; then introducing him into the house, clothed in the best robe. It would have been discre litable to the Father, had his son been in his house in rags.

An ambassador is not of the country into which he is sent: so we, having to bear witness for Christ down here, should do so according to the glory in which he has set us: and, as being born from above, carry out into the daily details of our conversation the great and heavenly principles of that country, to which by our new birth we belong.

All through the gospel of John we find Christ occupied with putting His disciples in the same place with Himself, before God and before the world.

N: XVIII.

ECCLESIASTES.

THE Book of Ecclesiastes is up to a certain point, the inverse of the Book of Proverbs. It is the experience of a man who-retaining wisdom, that he may judge of all-makes trial of everything under the sun that could be supposed capable of rendering men happy. That is, by enjoying everything that human capacity can entertain as a means of joy. The effect of this trial was the discovery that all is vanity and vexation of spirit; that every effort to be happy in possessing the earth, in whatever way it may be, ends in nothing. There is a canker worm at the root. The greater the capacity of enjoyment, the deeper and wider is the experience of disappointment and vexation of spirit. Pleasure does not satisfy, and even the idea of securing happiness in this world by an unusual degree of righteousness, cannot be realised. Evil is there, and the government of God in such a world as this, is not in exercise to secure happiness to man here below-a happiness drawn from things below, and resting on their stability. There is no allusion to the truth that we are dead in sin and transgression. It is the result of the experience which he has gone through, and which he sets before us. As to the things around us, there is nothing better than to enjoy the things which God has given us; and finally, the fear of the Lord is the whole of man, as the rule of his walk on earth. His own capacities do not make him happy, even when he has everything at command. "For what can the man do that cometh after the king?" Man fails to secure joy; and permanent joy is not to be found for man. Consequently, if there be any, it is with the sense that it cannot be retained. The moral of this book goes even farther than that of the proverbs-on one side at least; for we must remember that it is this world that is in question (under the sun). Wisdom avails no more than folly. The difference between them is as great as that between light and darkness. But one event happeneth to them all, and much reflection only makes us