This choice moreover was approved of God himself, who not only commended it as wise, but honoured it with a rich reward ; giving him in a very abundant measure the blessing he desired'^, and bestowing on him also those minor blessings which he had forborne to ask.]
From this brief view of Solomon's choice we may easily collect,
II. The instruction to be gathered from it — •
It clearly shews,
1. That an ability to discharge our duty aright is the most desirable of all blessings —
[In whatever line of life we be, this will be found a truth. Persons in higher life may, if truly gracious, do extensive good : but wealth and power are abused, so as rather to diminish than augment the happiness of those who are within the sphere of their influence. Besides, in many cases, wealth and power can
a 1 Kings iv. 29—31.
do no good at all ; whereas wisdom is serviceable in every situa- tion in which we can be placed ; nor is there a man existing who may not be benefited by the possessor of it. " Wisdom," we are told, " is profitable to direct : " and whilst it regulates the motions of others, it will enable a man to " guide his own aflTairs with discretion," and to " walk wisely before God in a perfect way^."
Need I say from how many diflficulties and evils it will keep a man ; or what peace and joy it will bring into the soul ? Truly, as in the want of this not all the world can give any permanent satisfaction, so, in the absence of all other things, this will afford the richest comfort and support. We may well therefore say, that nothing in the universe is to be compared to if^. Would to God that the rich and great in every place made it, in the days of youth too, the one object of their pursuit!]
2. That it is the gift of God alone —
[Education will improve our talents; but it will never confer solid wisdom: that " cometh from above '^." We may go to every creature in the universe, and they will all give us the same answer, " It is not in me; it is not in me®." The man famed for wisdom almost as much as Solomon himself^, has directed us to God as the only true source of all wisdom^. We must seek it therefore, not by study only, but by prayer ; for "it is God that giveth vnsdom ; and out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding'^." If any man could have derived it from any other source, surely Solomon might ; seeing that he was naturally possessed of strong mental powers, and had the advantage of being instructed by the most pious and experienced of kings. But he felt that none but God could open the eyes of his understanding, or enrich him with that spiritual knowledge, which alone could quaKfy him for the discharge of his high office.]
3. That where a desire after it is supreme in the soul, God will signally honour and bless us —
[The desire after wisdom ought to be so predominant in the soul as to have no rival there: if it be not supremely coveted, the desire after it is not sincere. But where it is really sought as the supreme good, there God promises that he will grant it, yea and liberally too, if we come to him in faith, and ask it at his hands'. To desire this is the best way of obtaining
t> Ps. ci. 2. «: Prov. iii. 13 — 18. ^ Jam. i. 17.
^ See that eloquent passage, Job xxviii. 12 — 23. f Ezek. xxviii. 3. s Dan. ii. 20, 21. ^ Prov. ii. 1 — 6.
• Jam. i. 5. Eph. iii. 20.