INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 26
"When bad men are in power they commonly abuse their power" "...a wise man will use his wisdom for the conviction of a fool" "It will turn much to a man's disgrace to make use of the service of a fool, for people will be apt to judge of the master by his messenger." "To give honour to a fool is to put a sword in a madman's hand, with which we know not what mischief he may do" "Those that talk well & do not live well, their good words will aggravate their own condemnation & others will be hardened by their inconsistency with themselves." "We should therefore pray for kings & all in authority, that, under them, our lives may be quiet & peaceable." "Many are hindered from being truly wise &... (in covenant-love relationship w/ God) ...by a false & groundless conceit that they are so. John 9:40, 41." "If we can be instrumental to make peace between those that are at variance we must do it." "Let every one with quietness work & mind his own business, & not with unquietness quarrel & meddle with other people's business." "If men would consider that a lie comes from the devil, & brings to hell-fire, surely that would spoil the sport of it, it is casting arrows & death to themselves." "...it will be very difficult to avoid quarreling with those that are quarrelsome." "He whose hatred is covered by deceit will one time or other be discovered, & his wickedness shown, to his shame & confusion." "The righteous God will take the wise, not only in their own craftiness, but in their own cruelty. It is the plotter's doom. Haman is hanged on a gallows of his own preparing." "A wise man therefore will be more afraid of a flatterer that kisses & kills than of a slanderer that proclaims war." CHAPTER 27 "We must not take thought for the morrow (Mat. 6:34), but we must cast our care concerning it upon God." James 4:13-15. "We know not what a day may bring forth, what event may be in the teeming tomb of time; it is a secret till it is born. Ecclesiastes 11:5." "God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events, & reserved to himself the knowledge of them, as a flower of the crown, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself, & a continued readiness for every event. Acts 1:7." "Let our own works be such as will praise us, even in the gates. Philippians 4:8." "...it does not become us to applaud ourselves." "Those who have no command of their passions do themselves even sink under the load of them." "Faithful are the reproofs of a friend, though, for the present they are painful, as wounds. It is a sign that our friends are faithful indeed if, in love to our souls, they will not suffer sin upon us, nor let us alone in it." "Those that thus desert the post assigned to them are like a bird that wanders from her nest. It is an instance of their folly; they are like a silly bird; they are always wavering, like the wandering bird that hops from bough to bough & rests nowhere." "Let every man therefore, in the calling wherein he is called, therein abide, therein abide with God." "Where there is temptation, it is easy to foresee that if we thrust ourselves into it there will be sin, & as easy to foresee that if we venture upon the evil of sin there will follow the evil of punishment; &, commonly, God warns before he wounds, having set watchmen over us. Jeremiah 6:17." "...over-praising a man makes him the object of envy" "And the greatest danger of all is that it is a temptation to pride" "Wise & profitable discourse sharpens men's wits" "God is a Master who has engaged to put an honour on those that serve him faithfully. John 12:26." "Those whose eyes are ever towards the Lord in him are satisfied, & shall for ever be so." "He has a good temper of mind who knows how to pass by evil report & good report, & is still the same. II Corinthians 6:8." "This should encourage us to be careful & industrious about our business, that that will bring in a sufficient maintenance for our families; we shall eat the labour of our hands." CHAPTER 28 "...those ...that go on in wicked ways" "...they fear where no present or imminent danger is. Psalms 53:5." "Sin makes men cowards." "What a holy security & serenity of mind those enjoy who keep conscience void of offence & to keep themselves in the love of God" "We cannot imagine what a great deal of service one wise man may do to a nation in a critical juncture." "Those that set God's glory before them as their end, his favour as their felicity, & his word as their rule, & apply to him upon all occasions by prayer, they seek the Lord, & he will give them the spirit of wisdom." "Those that are companions of riotous men, that choose such for their companions & delight in the conversation, will certainly be drawn from keeping the law of God & drawn to transgress it. Psalms 119:115." "That which is ill-got, though it may increase much, will not last long." "It is by the word & prayer that our communion with God is kept up." "How reverent & serious should we be, whenever we are hearing from & speaking to the Lord of glory." "The comfort of the people of God is the honour of the nation in which they live. There is a great glory dwelling in the land when the righteous do rejoice, when they have their liberty... are not persecuted, ...when they are preferred & employed & have power put into their hands." "There is nothing hid which shall not be revealed." "He that confesses his guilt to God, & is careful not to return to sin again, shall find mercy with God" "His conscience shall be eased & his ruin prevented." "Happy is the man who always keeps up in his mind a holy awe & reverence of God, his glory, goodness, & government, who is always afraid of offending God & incurring his displeasure, who keeps conscience tender & has a dread of the appearance of evil" "He that hardens his heart, that mocks at fear, & sets God & his judgments at defiance, & receives not the impressions of his word or rod, shall fall into mischief; his presumption will be his ruin, & whatever sin (which is the greatest mischief) he falls into it is owing to the hardness of his heart." "Oppressors therefore & tyrants are the greatest fools in the world" "Those that are honest are always safe." "Integrity & uprightness will preserve men, will give them a holy security in the worst of times; for it will preserve their comfort, their reputation, & all their interests." "Those that are false & dishonest are never safe" "We are are directed in the true way to be happy, & that is to be holy & honest." "Usefulness shall be the reward of faithfulness, & it is a good reward." "He that is of a proud heart, that is conceited of himself & looks witha contempt upon all about him, that cannot bear either competition or contradiction, he stirs up strife, makes mischief, & creates disturbances to himself & every body." "None live so easily, so pleasantly, as those who live by faith." "He that walks wisely, that trusts not to his own heart, but is humble & self-diffident, & goes on in the strength of the Lord God, he shall be delivered; when the fool, that trusts in his own heart, shall be destroyed." "Woeful is the condition of that man who has the word of God & the prayers of the poor against him." "When power is put into the hands of the wicked, men hide themselves" "When bad men are disgraced, degraded, & their power taken from them, then that which is good revives again, then the righteous increase" "It is well with a land when the number of good people, increases in it" CHAPTER 29 "Those that go on in sin, in spite of admonition, shall be destroyed; those that will not be reformed must expect to be ruined" "...a virtuous young man ...he loves wisdom. ...he avoids bad company, & especially the company of lewd women. ...he rejoices his parents, & has the satisfaction of being a comfort to them, & increases his estate, & is likely to live comfortably." "...a vicious young man ...he hates wisdom; he keeps company with scandalous women, who will be his ruin, both in soul & body; he grieves his parents, &, like the prodigal son, devours their living with harlots. Nothing will beggar men sooner than the lusts of uncleanness; & the best preservative from those ruinous lusts is wisdom." "He that flatters others, in expectation that they will return his compliments & flatter him, does but make himself ridiculous & odious even to those he flatters." "Those that make God their chief joy have him for their exceeding joy, & it is their own fault if they do not rejoice evermore." "Who are the men that are the blessings of a land - the wise men who by promoting... (covenant-love relationship w/ God), ...which is true wisdom, turn away the wrath of God, & who, by prudent counsels, reconcile contending parties & prevent the mischievous consequences of divisions. Proud & foolish men kindle the fires which wise & good men must extinguish." "Bad men hate their best friends" "Good men love their worst enemies" "He is a fool who utters all his mind - who tells everything he knows, & has in his mouth instantly whatever he has in his thoughts, & can keep no counsel" "A wise man will not utter all his mind at once, but will take time for a second thought, or reserve the present thought for a fitter time, when it will be more pertinent & likely to answer his intentions" "Lies will be told to those that will hearken to them" "Parents... They must not only tell their children what is good & evil, but they must chide them, & correct them too, if need be, when they either neglect that which is good or do that which is evil." "The more sin there is the nearer is the ruin threatened." "Where... the word of the Lord is scarce, there is no open vision (I Sam. 3:1), where it is so the people perish" "...what reason we have to be thankful to God for the plenty of open vision which we enjoy." "Undue anger is a sin which is the cause of many sins" "Those that think to gain respect by lifting up themselves above their rank, by looking high, talking big, appearing fine, & applauding themselves, will on the contrary expose themselves to contempt, lose their reputation, & provoke God by humbling providences to bring them down & lay them low" "Honour shall uphold the humble in spirit; their humility is their honour, & that shall make them truly & safely great, & recommend them to the esteem of all that are wise & good." "We must not shrink from duty, nor commit sin, to avoid the wrath of man" "We are encouraged to depend upon the power of God, which would keep us from all that fear of man which has either torment or temptation in it." "A holy confidence in God makes a man both great & easy, & enables him to look with a gracious contempt upon the most formidable designs of hell & earth against him. If God be my salvation, I will trust & not be afraid." "...an unjust man makes himself odious to the just, & it is one part of his present shame & punishment that good men cannot endure him." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Job To Song Of Solomon, Mac Donald, pgs. 940 - 963.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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