31. This is true of none but the Lord Jesus. He only was with God in the beginning, before all creatures were. 2. From his having the Holy Spirit: "Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you." Prov. i. 23. But it is Christ alone who has received the Holy Spirit, and pours it out according to his will: "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications."-Zech. xii. 10. 3. From the name given in Luke xi. 49: "Therefore also said the Wisdom of God." So that in this elegant Old Testament parable we have a sweet and inviting representation of the love and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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I. The preparation he has made.-Verses 1, 2. 1. A house: "Wisdom hath builded her house." may mean two things. (1.) The invisible Church which Christ is now building: "Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory."-Zech. vi. 13. "Upon this rock I will build my Church."-Matt. xvi. 18. "Whose house are we." -Heb. iii. 6. Just as it was Solomon, the prince of peace, who built the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, so it is Christ, the great prince of peace, the king of glory, who builds up this house. His hands have laid the foundation-his hands shall also finish it. He chooses the stones, brings them out of the quarry of nature, lays them on the foundation: "I will lay thy foundations." This is the house sinners are invited to enter. Come, and be part of "the spiritual house." Come, and be one of the living stones. Come, before he brings out the head-stone with shoutings. (2.) The many-mansioned house: "In my father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you."-John xiv. 2. "For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God. an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."-2 Cor. v. 1. "Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."--Heb. xiii. 14. This is the house into which Christ will bring all his redeemed at last. Here we live in crazy dwellings, that will soon be a heap of smouldering ruins. But Wisdom hath builded her house, and invites poor helpless sinners to take refuge there. Come to me, and I will provide you a home for eternity" a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

2. The pillars: "She hath hewn out her seven pillars." Pillars in the Bible seem always to describe eminent believers-not merely stones, but stones which are used to support other stones of the temple: "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them."-1 Sam. ii. 8. "I bear up the pillars of it."-Ps. lxxv. 3. "I have made thee an iron pillar." Jer. i. 18. "James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars."-Gal. ii. 9. And this is what all who overcome will yet be made: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the

temple of my God.”—Rev. iii. 12. Of these pillars there are seven-a perfect number-enough to bear up the temple of God. -enough to give it perfect beauty and proportion. God will never want a sufficient number of eminent believers in the world to maintain his cause, and bear his name. He hath hewed them -they are all his own workmanship. They are the work of his own hands. By his Word, mercies, afflictions, he hath hewed them. He gives them all their beauty, grace, and stability. This is the house you are invited to enter, where patriarchs and apostles dwell, to share in the peace and joy of John and holy Paul. 3. The feast: "She hath killed her beasts."-Verse 2. The peace, and joy, and holiness, to be had in Christ, are here described under the image of a feast. So Isa. xxv. 6: "In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast." And in Isa. lv. 1: "Ho, every one that thirsteth." And in Matt. xxii. 4: "Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. So here: "She hath killed her beasts." This clearly points to the finished atonement of Christ. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. With dying breath he said, "It is finished." He is the Lamb as it had been slain from the foundation of the world. It is a finished atonement that you are invited to share in. The great redemption is complete. Christ has died. Christ has not now to die. All his sufferings are past; and if any of you are willing to take him as your atonement, you are welcome. She hath mingled her wine." This clearly points to the gift of the Holy Spirit. "Be not filled with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." The Holy Spirit is the new wine of the kingdom, "that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak." This also is free to sinners. "She hath furnished her table." These things are not only in the house, but spread upon the table. All things are now ready. All this is free and ready for sinners now. It is spread out. There is no need of delay.

II. The messengers.

1. She hath sent forth her maidens, or young damsels. Prophets, apostles, ministers, missionaries, are here called the maidens of Wisdom. No doubt there is a beautiful suitableness in the word with the rest of the parable. The Saviour is set forth as a queen, so that his ministers are well represented as maidens. But there are also other reasons: (1.) On account of their weakness. The ministers of Christ are not compared to wily statesmen, but to simple maidens. "God hath chosen the foolish things

of the world, to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring

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to naught things that are." God has seldom chosen to convert many by men of gigantic mind and attainments, lest we should glory in man. God often blesses weaker brethren, that he may get all the glory. (2.) On account of the purity of their lives. Those whom Wisdom sends are in her own image. Christ first sanctifies, and then sends. Ministers should be like him whom they preach. Hear how Paul speaks: "Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblamably, we behaved ourselves among you that believe."-1 Thess. ii. 10. And this he could say without pride or boasting. Hear how Samuel speaks: "Witness against me before the Lord and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you."-1 Sam. xii. 3. Hear what Paul says to Timothy: "A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach."-1 Tim. iii. 2. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without." Ah! pray, brethren, that your ministers may be kept humble and holy. We have more temptations than you. Satan aims most at standard-bearers.

2. She crieth upon the highest places in the city. This is the way Christ did when he was on earth-in the days of his flesh. How often he stood by the Lake of Galilee, and cried to the multitudes that thronged the shore: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!" Once he stood in the midst of the temple, and in the great day of the feast he cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." And his last cry over this fallen world was: "Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." He crieth still. are but the mouth-piece of Christ. He crieth by us: "God doth beseech you by us.' We are but a voice-it is Jesus that speaks. He cries in your mercies-he cries in your distresses-he cries through his ministers. He is still carrying on his grand prophetical office, and you are called to hear his voice; "He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you. despiseth me."

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III. The persons invited. Those who are simple, and want understanding. So in Prov. i. 22: "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?" Simple ones are those who are ignorant of their danger. "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished." Prov. xxii. 3. Those among you who do not know the weight of your sinsthat do not know the plague of your own heart-that do not know that you are over the depths of hell-smiling and happy when you are treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. Simple ones are those who are easily deceived by the devil-" who are taken captive by him at his will." Ah! how many of you are

there here who are opposed to the truth-who hate serious preaching! Why? You are taken captive. How many of you are taken up with a creature, that shuts out all the glories of eternity!

Without heart: "Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart." Hos. vii. 11. How many of you have no heart for Christ! You see no beauty in him--" no form nor comeliness that you should desire him." No heart for prayer. You do not love it--you turn away from it with loathing. No heart for holiness-for the pleasures of God, and of heaven. You have a feeling of nausea at the very thought of them.

Such Jesus invites-welcomes-presses to close with him. True, Jesus invites his own: "I love them that love me"-"Come, my people, enter into thy chambers"-"O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock." True, Jesus invites those who have a sense of sin; "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."-"Ho, every one that thirsteth" -"I will give to him that is athirst." Yet it is as true that Jesus here invites simple ones-those that have no heart for divine. things. Ah, brethren! many of you are like Gallio, “who cared for none of these things." You have no heart for preaching or praying-no heart for Christ and the eternal world. All your heart is taken up about this world--about your lusts and pleasures. Ah, silly doves! Jesus calls for you, and does not wish you to perish. You may perish-you may sink into your grave-but it will be with the voice of Jesus ringing in your ear: "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?"

IV. The invitation.

1. Forsake the foolish, and live. If ever you are to be saved, you must forsake the foolish. Solomon tells you plainly, “A companion of fools shall be destroyed."-Prov. xiii. 20. what David said: "Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for God hath heard the voice of my weeping."--Ps. vi. 8. Even though they should be those of your own household, yet God's command is clear: "Forget also thine own people, and thy father's house."-Ps. xlv. 10. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." Ah! how many poor souls have been carried away captive, and led down to hell, all through foolish companions? Forsake the foolish, and live. You say you cannot. Why? Are they more precious than salvation ? If you will be the friend of the world, you must be the enemy of God. 2. Come, eat of my bread. This is explained in John vi. 53: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." You must personally close with Christ, and live upon him-as one who eats and drinks, when hungry, really enjoys the feast. It is not the man who hears of a feast, or sees it, but he that sits down and eats and drinks-he alone

enjoys it. So those only who close with Christ-who take him as their righteousness, and feed upon him as their strength and daily life--are saved through him.

Improvement.

1. Amazing love! that calls you to a feast, and not to hell. 2. Those of you that do not care, are the very persons called. 3. If you do not obey his call, you will soon be in the very depths of hell.

LECTURE XIV.

FOLLY'S HOUSE.

"A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call passengers who go right on their ways, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell."-PROV. ix. 13–18.

In our last lecture from this chapter, we saw that Wisdom is the Lord Jesus Christ, that he has builded a house, and prepared a feast, and that he is inviting poor simple sinners to turn in to him and be saved. We now come to the opposite side of the picture. Another woman, but O how different! sits at the door of her house, and cries to the same passengers. She invites them to turn in and partake of "stolen waters, and bread eaten in secret." But, ah! "her guests are in the depths of hell." I have little doubt that this second woman represents the devil, the great enemy of God and man.

I. The name and character: "A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing." This is the name and character of Satan: "Foolish, simple, knowing nothing." Satan was once one of the brightest spirits that stood before the throne of God. He is called Lucifer, son of the morning: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!"-Isa. xiv. 12. There is reason to think that of all the creatures, he was the likest to the Son of God. All the fallen angels were like morning stars, and Satan was the brightest of them all. When they fell, these bright spirits were darkened-they lost the Holy Spirit. They still remain full of amazing powers and faculties; but all distorted now. Satan himself has lost all his true wisdom. He is very crafty still, full of cunning and lies, but he has no wisdom. He has no true knowledge or understanding. His name is Folly -he is simple, and knoweth nothing.