Prov. xxviii. 11. T/ie rich man is wise in his oivn conceit; hut the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
PROVERBS are, for the most part, very obscure: they are intended to convey an abmidance of instruc- tion in a small space : and the truths contained in them are almost always such as escape the observa- tion of unthinking men, and such as militate against
their most received opinions. That the rich have greatly the advantage of the poor in reference to knowledge in general, must be confessed : for they have leisure, which the poor cannot command ; and instruction, which the poor cannot obtain. Hence it is generally supposed that the rich have the same advantage in reference to divine knowledge. But this is by no means true. On the contrary, the poor have, in reference to divine knowledge, the advan- tage of them. And this is what Solomon affirms, in the words before us : " The rich man is wise in his own conceit ; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out."
In support of Solomon's assertion, I will shew,
I. That the poor have really the advantage of the rich in reference to divine knowledge —
Elihu, intending to criminate Job, observed, " Great men are not always wise""." And if this be true in relation to the affairs of this world, much more is it so in reference to the concerns of eternity. Nor indeed are the poor always wise in this respect ; yet have they, on the whole, the advantage of the rich.
1. Tliey had the advantage in the days of old —
[Look at those who received the testimony of our blessed Lord. It was said with a kind of triumph, " Have any of the rulers and of the Pharisees beHeved on him ^ ? " Whereas we are told, on the other hand, that " the common people heard him gladly '^." And such was also the experience of the Apostles : it was chiefly amongst the poor that their ministry was attended with success ; as St. Paul observes : " Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called : but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the things which are mighty ; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are ; that no flesh should glory in his presence'^."]
2. They have also the advantage at this day —
[It was to be one mark of the Messiah's advent, that " to the poor the Gospel should be preached''." By them, too, was
a Job xxxii. 9. ^ John vii. 48. ^ Mark xii. 37.
d 1 Cor. i. 26—29. <= Matt. xi. 5.