WISDOM OF SOLOMON

THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON WAS PRODUCED ABOUT 5O B.C. IN ALEXANDRIA. JEWISH AND GREEK IDEAS ARE INTERMINGLED IN IT, AND SOME OF THEM COME RATHER CLOSE TO CHRISTIAN THOUGHT. THUS WELL WORTHY  OF INCLUSION FOR ITS OWN SAKE, IT ALSO FORMS A CONVENIENT TRANSITION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT.
 THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN THE HAND OF GOD, AN THERE SHALL NO TORMENT TOUCH THEM. IN THE SIGHT OF THE UNWISE THEY SEEMED TO DIE: AND THEIR DEPARTURE IS TAKEN FOR MISERY, AND THEIR GOING FROM US TO BE UTTER DESTRUCTION: BUT THEY ARE IN PEACE.  THIS IS CALLED; "THE IMMORALITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS."  FOR THOUGH THEY BE PUNISHED IN THE SIGHT MEN, YET IS THEIR HOPE FULL OF IMMORTALITY. AND HAVING BEEN A LITTLE  CHASTISED, THEY SHALL BE GREATLY REWARDED: FOR GOD PROVED THEM. HE FOUND THEM WORTHY FOR HIMSELF. AS GOLD IN THE FURNACE HATH HE TRIED AND RECEIVED THEM AS A BURNT OFFERING HE TRIED THEM, AND IN THE TIME OF HIS VISITATION THEY SHALL SHINE,, AND RUN TO AND FRO, LIKE SPARKS AMONG THE RUBBLE. THEY SHALL JUDGE NATIONS, AND HAVE DOMINION OVER THE PEOPLE, AND THEIR LORD SHALL REIGN FOREVER.  THEY THAT PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM SHALL UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH.: AND SUCH BE FAITHFUL IN LOVE SHALL ABIDE IN HIM.: FOR GRACE AND MERCY IS TO HIS SAINTS, AND HE HAS CARE FOR HIS ELECT.
THEN SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS MAN STAND IN GREAT BOLDNESS BEFORE THE FACE OF SUCH AS HAVE AFFLICTED HIM.WHEN THEY SEE IT, THEY SHALL BE TROUBLED WITH TERRIBLE FEAR, AND SHALL BE AMAZED AT THE STRANGENESS OF HIS SALVATION., SO FAR BEYOND  ALL THEY LOOKED FOR. AND THEY REPENTING AND GROANING FOR ANGUISH OF SPIRIT SHALL SAY WITHIN THEMSELVES, " THIS WAS HE, WHOM WE HAD SOMETIMES IN DERISION, AND A PROVERB OF REPROACH. WE FOOLS ACCOUNTED HIS LIFE MADNESS., AND HIS END WITHOUT HONOR. HOW IS HE NUMBERED AMONG THE CHILDREN OF GOD, AND HIS LOT IS AMONG THE SAINTS!
 THEREFORE HAVE WE ERRED FROM THE WAY OF TRUTH, AND THE LIGHT OF OF RIGHTEOUSNESS  HATH NOT SHINED UNTO US, AND THE LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS HAS NOT SHINED UNTO US. AS SOON AS WE WERE BORN, WE BEGAN TO DRAW TO OUR END, AND HAD NO SIGN OF VIRTUE TO SHOW; BUT  WERE CONSUMED IN OUR OWN WICKEDNESS. BUT THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE FOREVERMORE; THEIR REWARD ALSO WITH THE LORD, AND THE CARE OF THEM IS WITH THE MOST HIGH. THEREFORE SHALL THEY RECEIVE A GLORIOUS KINGDOM; AND A BEAUTIFUL  CROWN FROM THE LORD'S HAND: FOR WITH HIS RIGHT HAND SHALL HE COVER THEM:, AND WITH HIS ARM SHALL HE PROTECT THEM.  REMEMBER "WISDOM"  IS THE WORKER OF ALL THINGS. TAUGHT THAT IN HER IS A UNDERSTANDING SPIRIT, "HOLY," ONE ONLY, MANIFOLD, SUBTIL, CLEAR, UNDEFILED, NOT SUBJECTED TO HURT, LOVING THE THING THAT IS GOOD, QUICK, WHICH CANNOT BE LETTERED TO DO GOOD, AND BE KIND TO MAN, FREE FROM CARE, HAVING  ALL POWER UNDERSTANDING THROUGH ALL UNDERSTANDING, OF PURE, AND MOST SUBTIL SPIRITS. FOR THE HOPE OF THE UNGODLY IS LIKE DUST THAT IS BLOWN AWAY WITH THE WIND; LIKE AS THE SMOKE WHICH IS DISPERSED HERE AND THERE WITH A TEMPEST, AND PASSES LIKE A GUEST THAT STAYED ONE DAY. BUT THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE FOR EVERMORE; THEIR REWARD ALSO IS WITH THE LORD.  FOR WISDOM IS MORE MOVING THAN ANY MOTION. SHE PASSES AND GOES THROUGH ALL THINGS BY HER PURENESS. SHE IS THE PURE BREATH OF THE POWER OF GOD.
NOW IT WAS AT JERUSALEM THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION, AND IT WAS WINTER AND JESUS WALKED IN THE TEMPLE IN SOLOMON'S PORCH. THEN CAME THE JEWS ROUND ABOUT HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM. "HOW LONG DO YOU MAKE US TO DOUBT?
 IF THOU BE THE CHRIST TELL US, TELL US PLAINLY."
 JESUS ANSWERED THEM, "I TOLD YOU AND YOU DIDN'T BELIEVED ME." THE WORKS THAT I DO IN MY FATHER'S NAME, THEY BARE WITNESS OF ME. BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF MY SHEEP, MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, I KNOW THEM AND THEY FOLLOW ME: AND I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND. I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE. THEN THE JEWS TOOK UP STONES AGAIN TO STONE HIM. WE STONE YOU NOT FOR GOOD WORK DO WE STONE YOU, BUT FOR BLASPHEMY, CLAIMING TO MAKE YOURSELF GOD." JESUS ANSWERED THEM, "IS IT NOT WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW, I SAID.'YE ARE GODS'? IF HE CALLED THEM GODS, UNTO WHOM THE WORD OF GOD CAME, AND SCRIPTURE CAN NOT BE BROKEN; AND YOUR SAYING OF HIM,  "BLASPHEMEST" BECAUSE I SAID, 'I AM  THE SON OF GOD'?  IF I DO NOT THE WORKS OF MY FATHER, BELIEVE ME NOT. BUT IF I DO, BELIEVE THE WORKS, BELIEVE THAT THE FATHER IS IN ME, AND I IN HIM."