20. Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: {Wisdom: Heb. Wisdoms, that is, Excellent wisdom}
21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
A Father's instruction has warned us against the enticement of Satan. Wisdom — the Son of God himself, now invites us, — in all the plenitude of his Divine authority and grace.† Full of yearning love to sinners, he crieth, not only in the temple, but without in the streets, in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates (Compare Chapter 8:1-5. Matthew 13:2, 3a. John 7:37-39; 18:20, 21. Psalm 40:9, 10) — How long? Simplicity is another term for folly. It is the temper of mind of those that fear not God. They weigh not what they say or do. They live as if there were neither God nor eternity. Their understandings are blinded by the love of sin. In other cases man delights, not in his ignorance, but in its removal. But these simple ones, ignorant of the value and danger of their souls, love simplicity. They consider all endeavours to enlighten them, as breaking in upon an indulgent repose, and exciting a groundless alarm. For while they live riotously, slothfully, or licentiously, “they consider not in their hearts, that God remembereth all their wickedness,” and “that for all these things he will bring them into judgment.” (Hosea 7:2. Ecclesiastes 11:9.) They are encouraged by a few more furious than themselves — scorners — who have neither fear nor shame, remorse of heart, nor decency of manner; who take an active delight in their scorning: shooting their poisoned arrows against godliness. (See Psalm 64:3, 4.) All earnestness in religion is with them a weakness unworthy of sensible men. The very Scripture terms are revolting. A saint in Scripture means one sanctified by the Spirit of God. With them it means a foolish person or a hypocrite. Their souls are too high to stoop to the vulgar thoughts and habits of the gospel of Christ. Thus do they prove themselves (both the indolent mass of the simple ones, and their scornful leaders) to be fools, that hate knowledge. (Verses 7, 29, 30. Job 21:14; 24:13.) Aiming to keep out alarm, with it they shut out all that would make them wise and happy. If they hate the knowledge of their lost condition, they exclude all that follows upon it, to make them “wise unto salvation.” Of other knowledge they have often too much: mischievous, as keeping out better things; giving them an evil eye, filling the soul with darkness; making them “hate the light, so that they will not come to the light, lest their deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:19, 20.)
Our Lord deals with this case on the perfect freeness of the gospel. He would melt down the hardness by pleading remonstrance — How long? (Compare Matthew 23:37. Luke 19:41, 42.) He sweeps away all the suggestions of unbelief, all the heartless excuses of indolence, by inviting promises — Turn at my reproof. ‘I cannot turn myself.’ But I will pour out my Spirit as a living fountain unto you. And — as the consequence of this blessing — I will make known my words unto you. The Bible, before a dark and sealed book, shall be made clear to you. ‘I offer to you both my word outwardly to your ears, and a plentiful measure of my Spirit inwardly to your heart, to make that word effectual to you.’†
But we are often told, that all the illumination to be expected in our day is the written word, interpreted, like every other book, by our own reason; and that the Spirit's teaching is an enthusiastic delusion. Now this may pass with the simple and the scorner — who know nothing of the blindness of their hearts, and of the power of natural prejudice, which Divine grace alone can conquer. But the man that knows his own darkness, and that nothing less than the power of God can teach him — he will — he must “cry for knowledge, and lift up his voice for understanding” (Chapter 2:3); not because the word is dark (for it is light itself), but because he is dark, and therefore utterly unable to receive its instructions. (1 Corinthians 2:9-14.) We do not want a new revelation, we only want a Divine Teacher, we want the pouring out of the Spirit to make known the word. The word is the same Divine word as before. But it was not understood, discerned, not therefore practically effectual. Now there is joy, a power and sweetness, of which before we had no conception. It humbled us in the sense of our ignorance, and makes us pant for more of its heavenly light and influence.
But the proud caviller complains of God, as if he reckoned with him for a blindness and inability, which he cannot help, — innate without his consent. “Nay, but O man, who are thou that repliest against God?” (Romans 9:20.) He at once answers this Satanic plea, by offering to you present, suitable, and sufficient relief. He meets you on your way to condemnation with the promise of free and full forgiveness. (Isaiah 1:18; 43:23, 26.) Your plea will be of force, when you have gone to him, and found him wanting. The power indeed is of him. But he hath said — “Ask, and it shall be given you.” (Matthew 7:7.) If your helplessness is a real grievance, bring it to him with an honest desire to be rid of it. If you have never prayed, now is the time for prayer. If you cannot pray, at least make the effort. Stretch out the withered hand in the obedience of faith. (Mark 3:5.) If your heart be hard, your convictions faint, your resolutions unsteady; all is provided in the promise — I will pour out my Spirit upon you. Move then, and act in dependence upon the Almighty Mover and Agent. (Compare Philippians 2:12, 13.) Christian experience explains a mystery unfathomable to human reason. It harmonizes man's energy and God's grace. There is no straitening, no exclusion, with God. His promises with one mouth assure a welcome to the willing heart. If it cannot move, his Spirit can compel, point, draw it to the Savior. Yea, in the desire to turn, has not the Savior already touched it, and drawn it to himself?
But remember — the call — How long? is to an instant conversion; not to the consideration or resolution of the morrow, but to the decision of today. Delay is mockery of God. “Quench not the Spirit” now striving, but which “will not always strive with man.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19. Genesis 6:3.) Add not thus to the mass of guilt ready to sink you into perdition.
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