20). 3. Spiritual blessings which he will impart. He will dwell with us by his Spirit and the fruits of the 8pirit will abound in us. If, then, our interest in Christ, a.nd the yielding of our hearts to him, result in his close friendship nnd in those hi"hest 0 imparte.tions which flow therefrorn, how wise must be- III. EARLY DISCIPLEBIIIP TO HIM! For if we would make sure of finding him and possessing his friendship, we should seek him without delay. Delay is al ways dangerous. '!'here may intervene between ourselves and him: 1. Other objects which may fascinate our souls and lead us a.way from him. 2. The growth of the deadly spirit of procrastination. 3. A sudden close of our present life. But early disciple~hip, the coming in faith to his feet, to his cross, to his kingdom, to his vineyard, means tho certainty of holiness and usefulness below and the assurance of blessedness above.-C.
Vers. 22-31.-The excellency of Divine wisdom: No. 3. We have here additional features of the wisdom of God, viz.- I. THAT THE WISDOM EVERYWHERE ILLUSTRATED DWELT IN THE DIVINE 0= FROM ETERNITY, (Vera. 22-26.) Before anything visible was created, in the "far backward and a.bysm of time," even to eternity, wisdom was an attribute of the infinite God. II. THAT CREATION AND PROVIDENCE ARE THE DELIBERATE OUTWORKING OF THE DIVINE IDEA. "When he prepared the heavens ... then I was by him" (vers. 27-30). All things were constructed after the model in the Divine mind. Perfect intelligence, seeing through and foreseeing everything, directed everything according to absolute wisdom ; thus the kindest end was gained by the surest means ; thus beauty and serviceableness, grandeur and loveliness, are bound together in the visible world because they existed together in the mind of the great Architect (see Ps. civ. 24). III. THAT THE WISDOM OF HIS WORK WA,S A CONSTANT SOURCE OF SATISFACTION TO THE MIND OF Goo. (Ver. 30.) "I was daily his delight." We find a pure and God-given satisfaction in the execution of any work on which we have spent our utmost energy. We might have hesitated to refer this to the'Supreme Intelligence, but the Word of God warrants us in doing this (Gen. i. 31; Ps. civ. 31). We may, therefore, believe that the glories and beauties of creation are not only the source of joy to our minds (and the deeper and fuller in proportion to our purity and piety), but' that they are also a source of satisfaction to him who made them what they are. IV. THAT MAN IS THE SPECIAL OBJECT OF THE ,VISE ONE'S OARE. (Ver. 31.) "My delights were with the sons of men." 1. When God made man upright he "blessed him" (Gen. i. 28), and rejoiced in him as in his noblest work on earth. 2. When man fell God was grieved ; the heavenly Father's heart was saddened o.t his children's disobedience and wrong-doin11, 3. When man returns to righteousness God is well pleased (Luke xv. 23,'24). There is no such wisdom shown in creation or in provi- dence as in redemption. To arran~e the laws of a material universe, to direct the affairs of an illimitable kingdom,-there is wondrous wisdom in these Divine doings; but there is deeper wisdom still in redeeming a lost world, reconciling an alienated world, cleansin2 a guilty world, sanctifying an unholy world and fitting it for the society of the sinless in heaven.-C.
Vers. 22-31.-" Ghrist the Wisdom of God:" No. 2. .Again regarding the Lord Jesus Christ as the Wisdom of God incarnate, we may let these words suggest to us- I. His ETERNITY. (Vers. 22-26.) II. His SoNSHIP. (Vera. 22, 30.) III. Hrs AGENCY IN CREATION. (Vers. 37-29; see alr.o John i. 3, 10; Eph. iii. 9; Col. i. 16; Heb. i. 2, 3, 10; 1 Cor. viii. 6.) IV. Hrs PRIMAL BLESSEDNESS. (Ver. 30; and see John xvii. 5; Phil. ii. 6.) V. Hrs SUPREME INTEREST IN MAN. (Ver. 31.) "His delights were with the son~ of men." 'l'he interest taken by our Lord in ourselves wa.q that of a (1) Creator, (2) Divine Ruler, (3) Redeemer; it is now that of a (4) sovereign Saviour.-C.
Vera. 32-36.-The convi'ncing argument. Here is a very strong, "Now, therefore." The excellency of Divine wisdom has been so forcibly, so irresistibly urged that the speaker is entitled-to drive his argument home and ml\ko a practical application. But !Su THE PROVERBS. [OH, IX, 1-18,