[Wherever true wisdom is, there will be " discretion to preserve us, and understanding to keep us^." We conceive this observation to be deserving of peculiar attention ; because the indiscretions of religious people are rarely traced to their proper source, a want of right dispositions in the heart. Where meek- ness, and modesty, and diffidence, and humility reside in the heart, there will be a corresponding propriety of conduct ii^ the life : but where pride, and conceit, and forwardness, and self- will are predominant, there will the deportment savour of these hateful qualities in all our intercourse with mankind. There is this remarkable diiference between human wisdom and that which is divine : human wisdom leaves the heart untouched, or even administers fuel to its corruptions : but divine wisdom " pours the very soul into the mould of the Gospel''," and assi- milates all its dispositions to the image of God himself. It was not Paul's eminence in intellectual attainments that made him so eminent in Christian tempers : it was the abundance of God's grace that rendered him so fruitful in every good word and work: and, if the grace of God abound in us, we also shall proportionably adorn the Gospel in the whole of our life and conversation. Let that then be remembered which Solomon has told us, " I Wisdom dwell with Prudence ""i" and let us be careful that we do not by any indiscreet conduct give " occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." Our determination, tlirough grace, must be, to cut oif from the world all unnecessary occasion of offence. We must not imagine that our separation from an ungodly world gives us a licence to violate either the duties or the charities of life ; but, whilst we " abstain from all appearance of evil," we must cultivate to the uttermost not only " whatsoever things are true, and honest, and just, and pure, but whatsoever things are lovely and of good report"^." We must labour to " behave ourselves wisely in a perfect way''."]
a Prov. ii. 11. !> Rom.vi. 17. The Greek.
■^ Prov. viii. 12. d Phil. iv. 8. « Ps. ci. 2.