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"Come with us"-join our party cast in thy lot among us" - become a sworn brother and thou shalt have an equal share of the spoils; for we make but one purse. Let us murder as we go-"swallow them up alive," for "dead men tell no tales." And then seize upon their substance and fill our houses with the spoil." We shall become exceeding rich, great and renowned.

All this is true to the letter, with respect to companies of robbers and gangs of pirates. They make one purse- they murder as they go, and they share equally in the spoils. But they are a most wretched and miserable class of human beings, because they are so sinful. God's laws cannot be violated with impunity. The feet of such men, saith the wise man, "run to evil,"-" destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known."

Hence the voice of warning to the young, in the context. "Walk not thou in the way with them ; refrain thy foot from their path."

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And hence too, Solomon calls upon all such as are in the paths of wickedness as are engaged in the terrible work of murdering and robbing, to hearken to the voice of wis

dom to repent of the cruel deeds-forsake so miserable a life and walk in accordance with the beautiful principles of righteousness that the inestimable blessings of peace and joy might be secured unto them.

This he does in the verses which immediately precede our text. Where he says, after having described the wretchedness of such ungodly men ;

"Wisdom crieth without she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief places of concourse; in the opening of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn ye at my reproof: Behold I will pour out my spirit unto you. I will make known my words unto you."

Here is the promise of wisdom to those who would be sufficiently wise to turn from their evil ways. They should listen to the words, and be dictated by the spirit of wisdom.

But there were some who would not repent- and thus escape the sure reward of their doings. And so wisdom continues, with regard to this class. "Because I have called

and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand:: and none regarded. But ye have set at nought my counsel and would (listen to) none of my reproof-I, also, will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh."

Here you will please notice that it is not GOD who will laugh at the calamities of those wicked persons here described; but WISDOM. Wisdom is here personified and made to speak as an individual. A style of writing very common with Solomon.

I (wisdom) have stretched out my (wisdom's) hand and no man regarded it; but ye have set at nought my (wisdom's) counsel and would none of my reproof. Therefore I (wisdom) will laugh at your calamity." Everywhere in the writings of Solomon, is wisdom made to speak and declare to the children of men Saying if ye will not hearken to my admonitions and attend to my instructions, neither can I assist you in the day of your sorrows. And the whole world knows by experience something of the truth of this declaration. There is nothing more valuable than the teachings of Wisdom if we regard them so as to prevent our violating the laws of God and man. But after we have been

guilty of gross immoralities and crimes, and are lying under the condemnation of those laws, in what possible manner can wisdom impart assistance. If a man lies in prison has wisdom physical strength to release him? If he is condemned to death, can wisdom rescue him from his fate.

Says Dr. Adam Clarke, the Methodist commentator, on the sayings of wisdom to those who would not listen to its reproof. "These words appear to be spoken of the persons described in verses from 11th to 19th: (robbers murderers &c.) "who have refused to turn from their evil ways till arrested by the hand of justice; and here the wise man points out their deplorable state. They are now about to suffer according to the demands of the law, for their depredations. They now wish they had been guided by wisdom. and had chosen the fear of the Lord; but it is too late; die they must, for their crimes are proved against them; and justice knows nothing of mercy.”

This is what is signified by Solomon in the words which follow by the fear and destruction which should come as a whirlwind. "Then," (when about to suffer death) saith wisdom,

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They shall call upon me, but I will not

answer; they will seek me early, but they will not find me. *** They shall eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple (from wisdom) shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

But whoso hearkeneth unto me (in early life) shall dwell safely, and be quiet from fear of evil."

Such are the instructions of Solomon with egard to the subject under consideration. Reader, a word to you and I close.

You perceive that nothing is said in the context of either death, or judgment after death, or the pains and horrors of an endless hell. This, the celebrated biblical critic Dr. Clarke candidly acknowledges in his comments on this place. "Nor can any thing spoken here," says he, "be considered as applying or applicable to the eternal state of the persons in question; much less to the case of any man convinced of sin, who is crying to God for mercy."

That

Is this not a blessed consideration. the believing christian can thus vindicate the character of his Heavenly Father, and rejoice in the goodness of his God. Oh, "let God be true but every man a liar!"

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