INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 14
"A good wife is a great blessing to a family." "A foolish woman, that has no fear of God, nor regard to her business, that is wilful, & wasteful, & humoursome, that indulges her ease & appetite, & is all for jaunting & feasting, cards & the play-house, though she come to a plentiful estate, & to a family beforehand, she will impoverish & waste it, & will as certainly be the ruin of her house as if she plucked it down with her hands; & the husband himself, with all his care, can scarcely prevent it." "By this we may know a man that has grace, & the fear of God, reigning in him, he walks in his uprightness, he makes conscience of his actions, is faithful both to God & man, & every stop he makes, as well as every step he takes, is by rule; here is one that honours God." "No marvel if those who seek wisdom, as Simon Magus sought the gifts of the Holy Ghost, to serve their pride & covetousness, do not find it, for they seek amiss." "Sometimes the only way we have of reproving wicked discourse & witnessing against it is by leaving the company & going out of the hearing of it." "The folly of fools is deceit" "...those that make light of sin make light of Christ." "The way of ignorance & carelessness, the way of worldliness & earthly-mindedness, the way of sensuality & flesh-pleasing, seem right to those that walk in them, much more the way of hypocrisy in religion, external performances, partial reformations, & blind zeal; this they imagine will bring them to heaven; they flatter themselves in their own eyes that all will be well at last." "Self-deceivers will prove in the end self-destroyers." "The sorrows of the saints will end in everlasting joys (Psalms 126:5), but the laughter of fools will end in endless weeping & waiting." "Backsliding begins in the heart; it is the evil heart of unbelief that departs from God" "As sinners never think they have sin enough till it brings them to hell, so saints never think they have grace enough till it brings them to heaven." "It is wisdom to be cautious; The prudent man will try before he trusts, will weigh both the credibility of the witness & the probability of the testimony, & then give judgment as the thing appears or suspend his judgment till it appears. Prove all things, & believe not every spirit." "Presumption is folly." "Sin is the shame of sinners" "Wisdom is not only justified, but glorified, of all her children." "It is good having God our friend, for he will not desert us when we are poor." "Industrious people are generally thriving people" "Those that have wealth, & wisdom to use it, will have a great opportunity of honouring God & doing good in the world." "Meekness is wisdom." "A mild patient man is really to be accounted an intelligent man, one that learns of Christ, who is Wisdom itself." "Those therefore that have any true honour for God will show it by compassion to the poor" "Modesty is the badge of wisdom." "Justice, reigning in a nation, puts an honour upon it." "Vice, reigning in a nation puts disgrace upon it: Sin is a reproach to any city or kingdom, & renders them despicable among their neighbours." "It is therefore the interest & duty of princes to use their power for the suppression of vice & support of virtue." "...those who are selfish & false, who betray their country, oppress the poor, & sow discord, & thus cause shame, shall be displaced & banished" CHAPTER 15 "If wrath be risen like a threatening cloud, pregnant with storms & thunder, a soft answer will disperse it & turn it away." "Reason will be better spoken, & a righteous cause better pleaded, with meekness than with passion; hard arguments do best with soft words." "He that has knowledge is not only to enjoy it, but to use it, to use it aright, for the edification of others;" "The wicked shall not go unpunished, nor the righteous unrewarded, for God has his eye upon both & know their true character; this speaks as much comfort to saints as terror to sinners." "Where righteousness is riches are, & the comforts of them: In the house of the righteous is much treasure." "Sacrifices for sin were not accepted of those that resolved to on in sin" "God is greater than our hearts, & knows them better than we know them ourselves, & therefore is an infallible Judge of every man's character. Hebrews 4:13." "A cheerful spirit, under the government of wisdom & grace, is a great ornament" "The sorrow of the world works death." "Those that have great treasure have often great trouble therewith." "It is therefore far better, & more desirable, to have but a little of the world & to have it with God, & enjoy him in it, & live by faith, than to have the greatest plenty & live without God in the world." "He that is slow to anger not only prevents strife, that it be not kindled, but appeases it if it be already kindled, brings water to the flame, unites those again that have fallen out, & by gentle methods brings them to mutual concessions for peace-sake." "The way of the righteous is made plain; it is easy to be trodden & not rough, easy to be found, & not intricate." "It is the character of a wicked man that he takes pleasure in sin" "Many a good word comes short of doing the good it might have done, for want of being well-timed." "If we speak wisely & well, it will redound to our own comfort & to the advantage of others" "A good man sets his affections on things above, & deals in those things." "A good man is truly noble & great; his desires & designs are high, & he lives above the common rate of other men. It is above the capacity & out of the sight of foolish men." "God sets himself at a distance from those that set him at defiance" "Those that are so wise as to bear reproof well will hereby be made wiser" "Those that learn well, & obey well, are likely in time to teach well & rule well." "Those that humble themselves shall be exalted here & hereafter." CHAPTER 16 "Man cannot go on with his business without the assistance & blessing of God, who made man's mouth & teaches us what we shall say." "The only way to have our thoughts established is to commit our works to the Lord." "The pride of sinners sets God against them." "God can turn foes into friends when he pleases." "Lord, direct my way. I Thessalonians 3:11." "Heavenly wisdom is better than worldly wealth, & to be preferred before it. Grace is more valuable than gold." "Grace is for the soul & eternity; gold only for the body & time" "It is the way of the upright to avoid sin, & every thing that looks like it & leads towards it" "To depart from evil is understanding." "Pride will have a fall." "Humility, though it should expose us to contempt to the world, yet while it recommends us to the favour of God, qualifies us for his gracious visits, prepares us for his glory, secures us from many temptations, & preserves the quiet & repose of our own souls, is much better than that high-spiritedness which, though it carry away the honour & wealth of the world, makes God a man's enemy & the devil his master." "Those that have solid wisdom will have the credit of it" "Many things are pleasant that are not profitable." "A froward man, that cannot find in his heart to love any body but himself, is vexed to see others live in love, & therefore makes it his business to sow strife, by giving men base characters one of another, telling lies, & carrying ill-natured stories between chief friends, so as to separate them one from another, & make them angry at or at least suspicious of one another. Those are bad men, & bad women too, that do such ill offices; they are doing the devil's work, & his will their wages be." "Let old people be old disciples; let them persevere to the end in the way of righteousness, which they long since set out in, that they may then be found in it." "Nothing comes to pass by chance, nor is an event determined by a blind fortune, but every thing by the will & counsel of God." CHAPTER 17 "There may be peace & quietness where there are not three meals a day, provided there be a joint satisfaction in God's providence & a mutual satisfaction in each other's prudence." "It is God only that tries the hearts." "It is an honour to children to have wise & godly parents." "A word is enough to the wise." "Stripes are not enough for a fool, to make him sensible of his errors, that he may repent of them, & be more cautious for the future." "He is an evil man indeed that seeks all occasions to rebel against God, & the government God has set over him, & to contradict & quarrel with those about him." "...let us avoid the company of furious men, & get out of their way when they are in their fury, & so consult our own safety." "Good parents, relations, ministers, friends, are helps to get wisdom." "Christ is a friend that loves at all times (John 13:1) & we must so love him. Romans 8:35." "Many a one has paid dearly for an unbridled tongue." "It is helpful to be cheerful." "The sorrows of the mind often contribute very much to the sickliness of the body" "We should therefore watch & pray against all melancholy dispositions, for they lead us into trouble as well as into temptation." "2 ways a man may show himself to be a wise man: 1. By the good temper, the sweetness & the sedateness of his mind... 2. By the good government of his tongue." "He spares his words, because they are better spared than ill-spent." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Job To Song Of Solomon, Mac Donald, pgs. 866 - 892.
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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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