INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 18
"If we would get knowledge or grace, we must desire it, as that which we need & which will be of great advantage to us. I Corinthians 12:31." "You can expect no other from those that are profane than that they will be scoffers" "Those therefore who would secure their honour must retain their virtue." "Proud & passionate men, & drunkards, are fools, whose lips enter into contention." "He that is remiss in his work, whose hands hang down... that neglects his business ...he is as much a fool & in as sure & ready a way to poverty" "...he that is trifling & careless in praying & hearing is brother to him that does not pray or hear at all: & omissions of duty & in duty are as fatal to the soul as commissions of sin." "...ruin will at last be the punishment of pride" "...honour shall at length be the reward of humility." "It is folly for a man to go about to speak to a thing which he does not understand, or to pass sentence upon a matter which he is not truly & fully informed of, & has not patience to make a strict enquiry into; &, if it be folly, it is & will be shame." "Those that prudently seek knowledge shall certainly get knowledge" "We must get knowledge, not only into our heads, but into our hearts, get this savour & relish of it, apply what we know to ourselves & experience the power & influence of it." "We must therefore remember that we have two ears, to hear both sides before we give judgment." "Wisdom & grace would indeed make it most easy to us to forgive our relations & friends if they offend us, but corruption makes it most difficult to forgive them" "A man may do a great deal of good, or a great deal of hurt, both to others & to himself, according to the use he makes of his tongue." "A good wife... it is a sign that God delights in a man to do him good & has mercy in store for him; for this therefore, God must be sought unto." "Christ is a friend to all believers that sticks closer than a brother; to him therefore let them show themselves friendly." CHAPTER 19 "If man has not understanding, he is as the beasts. Psalms 49:20. An ignorant soul cannot be a good soul." "Rashness. He that hastes with his feet (that does things inconsiderately & with precipitation, & will not take time to ponder the pain of his feet) sins; he cannot but often miss the mark & take many a false step, which those prevent that consider their ways." "Let poor people therefore make God their friend, pursue him with their prayers, & he will not be wanting to them." "Those are here encouraged 1. That take pains to get wisdom, to get knowledge, & grace, & acquaintance with God; those that do show that they love their own souls, & will be found to have done themselves the greatest kindness imaginable." "...he that keeps understanding, as he shows that he loves his own soul" "He that retains the good lessons he has learnt, & orders his conversation according to them, shall find the benefits & comfort of it in his own soul & shall be happy here & for ever." "A man that has not wisdom & grace has no right nor title to true joy, & therefore it is unseemly." "Discretion teaches us to defer our anger" "Christ is a King whose wrath against his enemies will be as the roaring of a lion (Rev. 10:3), & his favour to his own people as the refreshing dew. Psalms 72:6." "A discreet & virtuous wife is a choice gift of God's providence to a man - a wife that is prudent, in opposition to one that is contentious." "If we keep God's word, God's word will keep us from every thing really hurtful." "What is given to the poor, or done for them, God will place it to account as lent to him, lent upon interest (so the word signifies); he takes it kindly, as if it were done to himself." "Those that are of strong, or rather headstrong, passions, commonly bring themselves & their families into trouble by vexatious suits & quarrels & the provocations they give" "Those that would be wise in their latter end must hear counsel & receive instruction, in their beginnings must be willing to be taught & ruled, willing to be advised & reproved, when they are young." "It is far better to have a heart to do good & want ability for it than have ability for it & want a heart to it" "Serious godliness has a direct tendency to life, to all good, to eternal life; it is the sure & ready way to it" "Those that ridicule things sacred & serious do but make themselves ridiculous." "God's judgments slumber not; they are prepared. Matthew 25:41." CHAPTER 20 "Drunkenness, which pretends to be a sociable thing, renders men unfit for society, for it makes them abusive with their tongues & outrageous in their passions" "A drunkard is a fool" "Those princes that rule by wisdom & love rule like God himself, & bear his image; but those that rule merely by terror, & with a high hand, do but rule like a lion in the forest, with a brutal power." "...good soldiers must endure hardness." "...it is hard to find those that really are kind & liberal, that have done & will do more than either they speak of or care to hear spoken of, that will be true friends in a strait" "He (God) hates those that thus break the common faith by which justice is maintained, & will be the avenger of all such." "God is the God of grace. It is he that gives the ear that hears God's voice, the eye that sees his beauty, for it is he that opens the understanding." "The lips of knowledge (a good understanding to guide the lips & a good elocution to diffuse the knowledge are to be preferred far before gold, & pearl, & rubies" "All the pleasures & profits of sin are bread of deceit." "The pleasures of sin are but for a season, & are succeeded with sorrows." "We must refer ourselves to God, & leave it to him to plead our cause, to maintain our right & reckon with those that do us wrong in such a way & manner as he thinks fit & in his own due time." "...a bargain made by fraud will prove a losing bargain in the end." "Let not old people despise the young, for they are strong & fit for action, able to go through business, & break through difficulties, which the aged & weak cannot grapple with. The glory of young men is their strength, provided they use it well (in the service of God & their country, not of their lusts)" "Let not young people despise the old, for they are grave, & fit for counsel, & though they have not the strength that young men have, yet they have more wisdom & experience." "Correction is grievous to him that forsakes the way, & yet it is good for him. Hebrews 12:11." CHAPTER 21 "God can change men's minds, can, by a powerful insensible operation upon their spirits, turn them from that which they seemed most intent upon, & incline them to that which they seemed most averse to" "God looks at the heart, & judges of men according to that of their actions according to their principles & intentions" "Those that are hasty, that are rash & inconsiderate in their affairs, & will not take time to think, that are greedy of gain, by right or wrong, & make haste to be rich by unjust practices or unwise projects, are in the ready road to poverty. Their thoughts & contrivances, by which they hope to raise themselves, will ruin them." "Those that refuse to do justice will choose to do wrong. The effect of injustice; it will return upon the sinner's own head." "God will be deaf to the prayers of those who are deaf to the cries of the poor" "It is a pleasure & satisfaction to good men both to see justice administered by the government they live under, right taking place & iniquity suppressed, & also to practise it themselves" "It is a terror to wicked men to see the laws put in execution against vice & profaneness." "He that forsakes the way to heaven, if he return not to it, will certainly sink into the depths of hell." "Those cannot dwell in peace & happiness that cannot dwell in peace & love." "It is better to have no company than bad company." "We must both do justly & love mercy" "Those that do follow after righteousness shall find righteousness" "By a constant watchfulness over our words we shall prevent abundance of mischiefs which an ungoverned tongue runs men into. Keep thy heart, & that will keep thy tongue from sin; keep thy tongue, & that will keep thy heart from trouble." "The righteous & industrious have their desires satisfied, & enjoy not only that satisfaction, but the further satisfaction of doing good to others." "...when holiness is pretended, but some wickedness intended, then especially the performances is an abomination. Isaiah 66:5." "What is true is true eternally." "Those that fight against God are preparing shame & ruin for themselves" "When we are preparing for the day of battle our great concern must be to make God our friend & secure his favour." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Job To Song Of Solomon, Mac Donald, pgs. 892 - 915.
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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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