his delight, rejoicing always before him. Ver. 31Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and iny delights were with the sons of men. Chap. iii. 19-The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. Ver. 32-For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous. Ver. 6In all thy ways' acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy patlis. Chap. ii. 5-Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Ver. 6-For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Ver. 22-But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. Chap. i. 23-Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Ver. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. Ver. 25-But ye have set at nought all my council, and would none of my reproof. Ver. 26-I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh. Ver. 29-For that they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the fear of the Lord. THE ANSWER OF THE LORD. "Now, Joanna, I shall answer thee, from the words of Solomon: a wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is heaviness to his mother. And now I shall tell thee from the WISDOM of SOLOMON, who is the WISE SON, that shall make glad his FATHER that first created him to have нIs delight with the sons of men: for by MY WISDOM, I laid the foundation of the earth, and by MY WISDOM I formed MAN in it; and now iny secrets shall be with them that fear ME; and they who delight in the knowledge of their GOD, the knowledge of their God shall be given unto them; and I will pour out MY SPIRIT upon them. The WISDOM that was given to OF THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. 165 SOLOMON, was wisdom given for all men to know and understand the end of all things; that the wicked should be rooted out, and they that TRUST in the LORD, should be ESTABLISHED in the earth. So I'll begin from SOLOMON: You know that water bread would waste, And if they'll now believe their LORD, For men to see the ways of ME, They are more harden'd strong. These judgments did not burst. They say my words they will not hear But I do say to thee this day That hasty they will fall; The time's at hand you'll see your land To tremble one and all, That now do mock the coming stroke ; Inventions here in them appear To mock the words of ME; They will not clear my BIBLE here, But judge that all is ended here, And for himself alone? No it was wisdom come from ME, Given out for every man, That at the last when I do burst The wisdom given at the first, Much better than his birth did drop? Strong in the Man, will you contend And if he goes to slay a friend Must fall on him, at last must come His ending's not the best; The thing much better was for him To stop it at the first, And ne'er go through what's in his view; So ending you see here With SOLOMON can never join, In earthly things appear; Because in all I'll prove the Fall That they the ending cannot call The best for them to come; If men begin to harbour sin, And then in practice they go on, They all must say another way "We cannot see it clear "The ending best for all to burst; "We know it is not so." But I shall prove it at the last, And prove his WISDOM TRUE- OF THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON. Better than the beginning were: When at the first the Woman plac'd You say the Man was not then blest But now at last I'll prove it best- Though she brought sorrow at the first, For upright here did Man appear To see the end, as I intend To make the whole for Man. And from the words that here are penn'd, "We know it shall for ever stand, "No man can baffle HE. "Then why should Men so vain contend, "To take away his word? "We well do know what he's decreed "Is power like a God." Then how can Man so simply come To alter MY DECREES? For I shall answer thee- 167 To shew him plain what was the end So with their God men do contend; The words of him from ME they came→→→ And to it now I'll stand; And he that trusteth his own heart For wisdom here no man can clear, That now will stand in Satan's hand- Because the Woman should not stand, I tell you there he shall appear He dug a pit for all; And now he's catch'd in his own snare, He in it now shall fall: He roll'd the stone at first, 'tis known, But now the end is come of all- As he did dig the pit for she, On him the same; the time is come, I know, to wrest the every thing |