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alive unto God and holiness. They enjoy that which is better than life, the loving-kindness of the Lord; for through Jesus, the Father looks upon them with a pleasant countenance. The smiles of God make heaven, and they that obtain favour of the Lord have a heaven upon earth.

But miserable are the despisers of the wisdom and grace of Christ.

Ver. 36. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

They that despise Christ's gospel, or reject his salvation, are sinners against him who is the Supreme Wisdom, and the fountain of happiness to men. They are haters of Him who is love itself. Such ungrateful rebels are as great enemies to themselves as to Christ. They murder their immortal souls; they love those sins which are death and damnation in disguise.

Sinners against Christ shall receive a reward of vengeance suited to the blackness of their guilt, and shall, through eternity, have no room to complain of their Judge. Death and life were set before them, and they chose death, and shall for ever eat of the fruit of their own choice. Consider these things, O unbelievers! If ye will not now consider them, in the latter days ye shall perfectly consider them.

CHAPTER IX.

THE happiness of the followers of Christ is not entirely reserved to another world. Even in this life they are admitted to a feast of fat things.

Ver. 1. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.

The church of Christ is a house, wherein he dwells and takes pleasure*. It must be a glorious edifice, for wisdom is the builder of it t. It is a strong and durable building, for it has many pillars, hewed out, not by the wisest of kings, but by the wisdom of God. Here there is abundance of soul-nourishing provision; for,

Ver. 2. She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

We shall surely be satisfied with the fatness of God's house, with that flesh which is given for the life of the world, and with that spiced wine which is the blood of the New Testament. Does Christ give us his own flesh and blood, to nourish and refresh our souls? what grace, what comfort, what privilege, will he withhold? He is most willing to communicate this provision to us.

Ver. 3. She hath sent forth her maidens; she crieth upon the highest places of the city.

The servants of Christ are called maidens, because Christ himself is spoken of under the character of Wisdom, which in the Hebrew language is of the feminine

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gender. The followers of the Lamb are called virgins, to denote their purity *. Ministers also must be pure in their doctrine and behaviour. The voice of these maidens, is the voice of that wisdom which sends them. It is she that gives the invitation by their mouth; and she does it in the most public and audible manner, crying with a voice like that of a herald from the highest places of the city. But who are invited to this feast?

Ver. 4, 5. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

The simple and unwise are welcomed to this feast. They are called not only by the servants, but by the master of the feast, to partake of these precious provisions. The poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, they that have no money, and they that have spent all their substance for things that do not profit, are graciously invited to come, and eat and drink abundantly, by receiving Christ and his salvation, as they are freely offered in the gospel t.

But we cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and the table of devils. When we come to Jesus by faith, and partake of his precious blessings, we must forsake the society and the course of the foolish.

Ver. 6. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

The companions of fools shall remain for ever in the congregation of the dead. But in the way of understanding there is life, and no death. Do we abhor death, and love life? Then, if we believe the words of Christ, we will forsake the foolish, and go in the path of understanding +.

* Rev. xiv.

+ Luke xiv. Isa. lv, 1-4. Prov. xiii, 14. John vii. 51.

But may we not associate with the foolish, in order to reclaim them? There are two sorts of foolish persons. Some have naturally a pliable and modest disposition; though destitute of the grace of God, or though conversant in the ways of sin, they are not yet hardened in sin by long practice. There may be some hope of making good impressions on the minds of such persons as these. But there are others who are stubborn and determined sinners. To them, in ordinary cases, there is no hope of doing any good.

Ver. 7, 8. He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee—

If we reprove the profligate sinners that mock at every thing sacred, we are not likely to benefit them, but to procure hurt to ourselves.

Such men, when we have irritated them by our admonitions, will pry into our characters with all the keenness of malice and revenge. Few characters can stand the scrutiny of a malicious eye; so that instead of serving them, we shall be in danger of losing much of our usefulness to others, by making them our enemies*. Yet reproofs are like pearls when they are administered with the meekness of wisdom, and met with an obedient ear t.

Ver. 8, 9.-Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

There is scarcely a man so wise and holy as not to need instruction and reproof. The difference between wise men and fools lies not in this, that the former are above reproofs, but that they know their need of them, and are disposed to receive them with meekness, and to improve by them, and to love and thank their re

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provers *. The wise and the just man are the same in the view of this wisest of men, for this is a fundamental maxim in his writings

Ver. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Solomon knew how to appreciate that wisdom which directs men in the prudent management of their own concerns, and in the wise administration of public affairs; but he rightly judged that religion is the true wisdom, and that, compared with it, all other kinds are vanity and folly. He examined with the eye of the prince of philosophers the objects of nature; but the knowledge of the most holy God, one in essence, but subsisting in three persons, was in his estimation true understanding. This kind of knowledge excels the other as much as the light of the sun the glimmer of a glow-worm. He that knows God in truth, is possessed of a never-ending life +.

Ver. 11. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

It is not for God's benefit, but for ours, that he invites us to receive wisdom ‡.

Ver. 12. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

God can receive no additions of blessedness by our wisdom, though he delights in it. He cannot lose his glory by our contempt of his gospel and laws ||. The ministers of wisdom will rejoice in our compliance with their calls, but the profit or the loss of our behaviour under a dispensation of the gospel, must be felt by ourselves §. Life and death are set before us. May God grant us a disposition to chuse life.

Psal. cxli. 5.

+ John xvii. 3.

Phil. iii. S.

Rom. ix, 22.

Prov, iii. 2. Job xxxv. 6, || Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

§ Isa. xlix. 4.

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