Prov. xxviii. 5. The?/ that seek the Lord understand all things.
THERE are, in the Holy Scriptures, broad, and, if I may so call them, sweeping expressions, which, if taken in their strict and literal sense, have not so much as even the semblance of truth. Yet are they not liable to be misunderstood, because every candid reader will of necessity supply the restrictions which are necessary for a just interpretation of them. For instance : no one who should read the words which we have just heard, would suppose that Solomon ever intended to assert that all who sought the Lord were at once brouGfht to the knowledore of all arts and sciences, and to an acquaintance with all the languages of the earth. Every expression must of necessity be restricted either by the subject of which it treats, or
by the context in which it stands. The words before us are used in a way of contrast with those which precede them. The writer has just said, that " evil men understand not judgment;" that is, they under- stand not what they are doing, or wliat they ought to do, or the true end and scope of God's deahngs with them. But they who seek the Lord are well instructed in these things : they may be as ignorant of worldly things as any other people ; but of things relating to their spiritual and eternal welfare they have a discern- ment which no ungodly man either does, or can, pos- sess. Taking the words with this restriction, I shall,
I. Confirm the sentiment —
Here I might enumerate a great variety of parti- culars, such as the evil of sin, the beauty of holiness, the glory of Christ, which a spiritual man alone can truly apprehend : but, as the expression is broad and comprehensive, so shall my illustration of it be ; that so the contrast between the spiritual and carnal man may more forcibly appear. Of those, therefore, who seek the Lord, I will say, they understand,
L The true state and character of the world around them —
[That every thing bears the appearance of some great change that has been wrought upon it, is obvious to all. The very elements bear this stamp upon them; as does also the whole creation, animate and inanimate, rational and irrational. No one can conceive of the world, or any thing in it, as having preserved that degree of perfection in which it was originally created. The ungodly therefore, as well as others, are sensible that there is a great deal of disorder in the world. But the godly man alone sees this in any degree according to its real extent. He sees that the whole universe is up in arms against Almighty God, under the command of that wicked fiend, who, having himself rebelled against his Maker, is la- bouring to bring every creature into a participation of his crime ; and who, having succeeded in this enterprise, is justly called, " the god of this world." He sees that this contest is carried on, not by those only who are sunk in open profligacy, but by the most moral and sober of mankind ; who, in fact, are as much " alienated from the life of God" as others, and have their own " minds as much at enmity with him" as any other people upon earth. He sees, in a measure, what men ought