Welcome to the Hackberry House of Chosun. My name is Bob and I'm reading today from the Book of Proverbs, actually a commentary on the Book of Proverbs by Charles Bridges. the leader of the evangelical party in the Church of England. He died in 1869. We're reading Proverbs chapter 16 today, verse one. Get your Bible because he doesn't always quote the entire verse, and I want you to be right with me. Proverbs 16, verse one. To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord," says King James Version. The great question is decided here. Who is the first mover in the work of conversion? Can man prepare his own heart for the grace of God? This proverb teaches that the Lord takes the stone out of the heart so that it may feel. The Lord draws the heart that it may follow. The Lord gives life to the heart that it may live. The Lord opens the heart that he may stamp it with his own law and mold it in his own image. This work begins with God. It is not we that come first and then are taught. We first of all learn and then we come. God's grace both goes ahead of us and cooperates in our salvation. Should we then idly wait until God works? Far from it. We must work, but in dependence on God, God does not work without us, but with us, through us, in us, by us, and we work in Him. Ours is to obey. His is the strength. He gives life to our actions. His commands do not imply our power to obey, but our dependence on Him for the grace of obedience. The work, as it is a duty, is ours, but as a performance, it is God's. He gives what He requires, and His promises are the foundation of our performances, says Bishop Reynolds. Our works are not the cause, but the effect of His grace. They could never come from us until God had put them in us first. This habit of dependence must continue to the end of our lives, We can no more prepare ourselves after we have received grace than we could before we received it. I beg, said Jerome, that I may receive, and when I have received, I beg again. Dependence is not the excuse for indolence, but the spring of active energy. Verse two, all a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. If man were his own judge, who would be condemned? Man judges by acts, God judges by principles. God's eye, therefore, sees a mass of corruption in us, while a man's ways seem innocent to him. In fact, man will never believe his real character until some subtle temptation exposes his own evil. O God, place the blood of your beloved Son in the scale of your justice, and we will give to you the glory of your wonderful works of grace. Verse 3, commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. An unsettled mind is a serious evil. It is a canker or a cancer to Christian peace. Every faculty is upset. The memory is confused and the will unsteady. Faith is the only principle that can establish us. This was our original happiness and security. Independence was the destruction of our well-being. To return to this humble simplicity is the privilege of the gospel. In all you do, seek the Lord's strength and guidance. Look to him for success in everything. Put your deeds, as you would put your children, with confidence into God's hands. Let your heart, as a matter of habit, turn to the throne of grace. Then, in a time of crisis, instant prayer will bring composure and resolution. This act of faith will enable us to collect our thoughts, establish them in God's peace, and keep our souls safe. Indeed, a great part of our worship is to commit our deeds to Him, not in a general dependence on His goodness or wisdom, but in a particular dependence for our special need. In this way, as we believe, we enter into His rest. We are solemnly warned that if we do not believe, we will not be established in this way. Nothing can be more erroneous than for those who fear God to suppose that they are still liable to the changes and chances of this mortal life. Change, if God sees fit, they may experience, but the sincerely religious have done with chance. Having once cordially committed themselves to God's paternal care, they can meet nothing in their course that is not the result of divine adjustment, of wisdom that cannot err. of love to which the tenderness of the tenderest parent bears no comparison. Under such a management, what can we rationally fear? Let us, through divine grace, only keep within the circle where these movements are carried on, and we need not doubt that though we see nothing remarkable in our course, an unseen hand is directing every circumstance, so as in the most effectual manner to avert what might hurt us, to ensure what will benefit us, and to direct all our concerns to the best possible issue." That last portion from Alexander Knox. Verse four, the Lord works out everything for his own ends, even the wicked for a day of disaster. Every workman has some purpose in his work. God has the highest purpose in his work. Everything was made by God and for God. This includes all the work of creation, all the events that take place in the nations, and all the dispensations of his providence. They all reveal his glory to his intelligent creatures. yes, even the wicked, whose existence might seem hardly reconcilable with divine perfection, the Lord includes in the great purpose of setting out His name. It is the greatest praise of His wisdom that He can turn the evil of men to His own glory, said Bishop Hall. And when men sin by their own free will, He ordains them to be punished as monuments to His power, His justice, and His patience. Clearly, God is not the author of sin. He cannot impart what He has not and what is contrary to His nature. Infinite perfection cannot impart imperfection. Absolute holiness cannot be the cause of sin, although, like the law, it may be the innocent occasion of it. If he foreknows with infinite knowledge, as Edwards profoundly observes, that proves the necessity of the event foreknown, yet it may not be the thing that causes the necessity. The Lord can decree nothing but good. If he permits evil, so far as not to hinder it, he nevertheless hates it as evil and permits it only for the greater good, and for the greatest good of all, the fuller manifestation of his own glory in it and out of it. He will be glorified in or on all his creatures. His retributive justice, no less than the riches of his grace, sets out his glory. It would seem that the redeemed are allowed to see this and to participate with divine satisfaction. The flames of hell excite the reverential praises of heaven. And again they shouted, hallelujah, the smoke from her goes up forever and ever, Revelation 19.3. God made man neither to save nor damn him, but for his own glory. And it is secured, whether in his salvation or damnation. Nor does God make man wicked. He made man upright. Man makes himself wicked. And being so, God may justly appoint him to damnation for his wickedness, in doing which he glorifies his justice, says Gil. Bishop Sanderson mentions those two great acts of his most secret and unsearchable counsel, than the one whereof there is not any one act more gracious the destination of those that persevere in faith and godliness to eternal happiness. Nor any one act more full of terror and astonishment than the other, the designation of such as live and die in sin to eternal destruction. The scriptures in the last resolution refer them wholly to His glory as the last end. The glory of His rich mercy being most resplendent in the one, and the glory of His just severity in the other. Verse five. The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this, they will not go unpunished. The hatred contained in a proud look has been mentioned in chapter six, but the searcher of hearts marks the proud of heart that may be disguised under a humble look. Men do not detest this spirit. In their eyes, it brings no disgrace. Indeed, it is often thought to be noble. But in reality, it keeps the heart from God. It lifts up the heart against God. It contends for supremacy with Him. When it strikes out at God like this, it is no wonder that God detests it. Verse six. Through love and faithfulness, sin is atoned for. Through the fear of the Lord, a man avoids evil. The correct exposition of this verse requires much care and consideration. We object to that false principle of theology that substitutes practical statements in place of the great doctrines of the gospel. The sin atoned for here seems to point us in the direction of expiation, and therefore to link this with man's love and faithfulness overturns the foundation of the gospel. There are duties to be performed, but they do not atone for sin. Man would atone for sin by repentance or external rituals, but God does this by sacrifice. He does not nullify the sanctions of the law by a simple deed of love, but combines the manifestation of His faithfulness by fulfilling these sanctions on the surety that love provided. No display of love can be conceived of to compare with that awful moment when God did not spare His own Son, but allowed blameless love and purity to agonize on the cross. Yet was this wonderful display of love no less a wonderful display of faithfulness? For it was the means by which inflexible justice could justify the guilty. How gloriously these two attributes harmonize. We do not ask to which we are most deeply indebted. Love engages. Faithfulness fulfills. The ransom is provided by love and accepted by faithfulness. Both sat together in the eternal council. Both entered into the world together. Verse seven. When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. God's favor and man's favor are often linked for the man of God. Yet he will always have his enemies, even if they are only in his own home. The best way for our enemies to be reconciled to us is for us to be reconciled to God, Bishop Patrick said. All our danger lies in his wrath, not in their anger. No creature can touch us without his permission. even if the enemies are let loose, if their harm is overruled for the more general good, is not the promise substantially fulfilled? No wise man will tax him with breach of promise, who, having promised a pound of silver, gives a talent of gold. Or who can truly say a man is not as good as his word, who is apparently much better than his word? God will take care of His people. Either peace or war will turn to their everlasting good. Verse 8. Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. The substance of this proverb has been given to us previously in chapter 15, 16, but here the treasures are more clearly seen to be much gain with injustice. It seems to be so obvious that it does not need to be explained, and yet the love of gain is so blind that it looks only at its own selfish end and to the present moment. It looks to things that can never bring true enjoyment or lasting security. Retributive justice is at hand. Better is a little with righteousness. Was not the widow at Zarephath richer with her scanty fare than Jezebel in her royal attire? We learn this valuable lesson. Fewer desires we have, the more peaceful we will be. If godliness is great riches in this life, what will it be in eternity? Verse nine. In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. This is a good description of God's sovereign rule. It is an inscrutable mystery how God accomplishes His fixed purpose by free-willed agents. Man without His will is a machine. God without His unchangeable purpose ceases to be God. As rational agents, we think and consult and act freely. We are dependent agents, and the Lord exercises His own power in permitting, overruling, or furthering our actions. Thus, man proposes, and God disposes. A man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. God orders our will without infringing our liberty or stopping us from being responsible creatures, for while we act as we please, we must be answerable. The doctrine of providence is not like the doctrine of the Trinity, which has to be accepted by faith. Experience gives us evidence about God's providence, even in all the minute circumstances that form the parts of the divine plan. A matter of ordinary business, the indulgence of curiosity, the supply of a necessary need, a journey from home, all are connected with infinitely important results. And often, when our purpose seems to be perfectly clear, we discover that our own plans are blocked by unexpected difficulties and unexpected facilities open in a totally opposite way. Ultimately, we acknowledge that the Lord has led us in a direct route, and so we find our happiness and security in giving up our will to our heavenly guide. He knows the complete route. He knows the end from the beginning. Verses 10 to 13. Here is a manual for kings. He does not show them what they are, but what God requires them to be. They should be a blessing to their people and benefactors to the world. Such a king, and this is the glory of royalty, will have no interest of his own apart from the public good. He remembers that honest scales and balances are the Lord's, and so he hands down even-handed justice. He will not only refrain from wrongdoing, but detests wickedness. He is not only careful to remove all evil from himself, but he will surround himself with faithful counselors. Constantius, the father of Constantine, tested the character of his Christian servants by the imperative command to offer sacrifices to his gods. Some sank under the trial, but those who had really bought the truth would not sell it for any price. They were inflexible. Constantius banished from his service those Christians who did offer sacrifices to his gods. Of the remaining, he said, these men I can trust. I value them more than all my treasures. This was sound judgment. For who are so likely to be faithful to their king as those who have proved themselves faithful to their God? The righteous are the pillars of the earth, the lions around the king's throne, his glory and defense. Verse 14, the vast power of a king is depicted in this graphic picture of Eastern despotism Life and death are in his hands. His will is law. The despot issues his order and the executioner performs his warrant without delay or resistance. No ordinary wisdom could appease his wrath. Verse 15, a king's favor indicates the same absolute power. The restoration of Pharaoh's butler to his former place was like a dead man rising to life But think about the king of kings, before whom the mightiest monarch is as dust. One smile scatters the thickest cloud, and his favor is like a rain cloud in spring. Christ lives, said the noble Luther, or else I would not desire to live one moment. Yes, Christian, bitter and deep as your sorrow may be, fear above everything else displeases your Lord. Look to that time when you will walk up and down in unclouded light. O my Lord, let the splendor of that day irradiate my soul, even at this distance from it, and leave no space void of its light and comfort. Yes, let it eclipse all other joys, and by its glistening beauty make the small contentment of this world to be so many glowworms which shine only at night. Impress on my heart such a sense of yourself and your glory that I may prefer to forget myself rather than you and your appearing. And that prayer is from Bishop Patrick. Verse 16, how much better to get wisdom than gold? To choose understanding rather than silver. Even leaving inspiration on one side, this must be considered to be a sound judgment. It was made by someone who had the largest part of both blessings that ever fell to a man. If you put in the balances of the sanctuary, the overwhelming interests of heaven and earth, of the soul and the body, of eternity and time, Who will dispute the verdict? The spiritual understanding of this is like the sudden discovery of a rich treasure that can be used immediately. Verse 17, the highway of the upright avoids evil. He who guards his way guards his life. Here, the highway of the upright is the plain beaten path, the way of holiness, and it avoids evil. We each have our own world of evil. Consider an inner circle where the conflict is sharpest. There, the need for divine discipline is far more keenly felt than in public sins. Show great forbearance to others, but none to yourself. Admit no foibles or infirmities. Think of nothing that hinders your Christian life as small. The real injury is not from our living in the world, but from the world living in us. Amen. Charles Bridges, Proverbs. Thank you so much for listening. Please do look around the site. We have over 3,000 audios featuring some of the church's great preachers, persecution stories from North Korea, Bible studies on a number of subjects and a blog. And then there's my books at amazon.com or our Zoom meetings on Tuesday and Saturday that I'll tell you about if you'll write to me at bob.j.falkner.72 at gmail.com. And also, just recently, we've opened up Hackberry Radio and a new website. Would you go over to hackberryhouseofchosen.com, obviously all one word, hackberryhouseofchosen.com, and click on that first audio file that you see there. That's Hackberry Radio and you will see a constant stream, 24-7, of audios that came right here from Sermon Audio. I'm not leaving Sermon Audio. A constant stream of audios. And when you see one there, as you're listening to one, I should say, and you want to follow it up more, come back here to Sermon Audio and click on Series, and you'll see where that goes. But there are some of the series many of you haven't heard of, and you will hear about them on Hackberry Radio. Just check it out, will you, and let me know how you feel about it. if there's something I can do to improve it. Thank you so much. And this is the Hackberry House of Chosun. Lord willing, we'll talk again real soon. Bye-bye.