wish for an experienced counsellor to advise him; and almost sit down in despair of ever attaining such a measure of wisdom as is necessary for him. It is to persons so circumstanced that St. James addresses the directions in our text. He supposes them to have " fallen into divers temptations," and to be labouring so to " possess their souls in patience," that ** patience may have its perfect work, and that they may be perfect and entire wanting nothing." But how is all this to be effected ? Any mariner may steer a vessel in a calm : but how shall one so inex- perienced regulate it in a storm ; and so regulate it, that it shall in no respect be driven out of its course? To these anxious questions the Apostle gives an an- swer : wherein he directs us,
I. How to seek wisdom —
True wisdom is the gift of God — [Even earthly wisdom must in reality be traced to God as its Author. The persons who formed the Tabernacle and all its vessels derived all their skill from God'': and even those who move in a sphere which may be supposed to be suited to tiie meanest capacity, and spend their lives in the common pursuits of agriculture, can no farther approve themselves skilful in their work, than they are instructed by God him- self''. But spiritual wisdom is still farther out of the reach of unassisted reason, because it is conversant about things " which no human eye has seen, or ear heard, or heart con- ceived, and which can only be revealed by the Spirit of God^" It is emphatically *' a wisdom which is from above ^," and which can " come only from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning*." The Spirit of God, whose office it is to impart itunto men, is called " the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord*^:" and to him are we directed '* to open the eyes of our understanding^," and to " guide us into all truth '':" since it is only by the unc- tion derived from him, that we can possibly attain a spiritual discernment'.]
To him must we look for it in earnest prayer —
[Study, ' Exod.xxxvi. 1,2. •• Isai. xxviii 23 — 29.
' 1 Cor. ii. 9—12. " Jam. iii. 17.
• ver. 17. with Matt.xvi. 17. ' Isai. xi. 2.
" Eph. i. 18. '' John xvi. 13.
» 1 John ii. 20, 27. & v. 20. with 1 Cor. ii. M.