Jam. iii. 13. Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge amongst you P let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
THE government of the tongue is of all things the most difficult; because every evil that is in the heart seeks for vent through that organ. A man who should be able so to control it that no unadvised word should ever escape from his lips, would be a perfect man. Yet, if a man profess to be religious, and have not so much self-government as to impose an habitual restraint upon his tongue, he deceives his own soul, and his religion is vain^. The gift of speech is to be improved for God by holy and hea- venly
* Jam. i. 26.
venly communications, and the man who suffers it to be a vehicle of sin, discovers himself to be a hy- pocrite before God. The inconsistency of such con- duct is obvious. ** A fountain cannot send forth both fresh water and bitter; nor can a tree bear both ohves and figs :" so neither can a renewed heart bear such different and discordant fruits*'. Whoever there- fore professes godhness, should take care that no such inconsistency be found in him. "Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you ? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom."
In these words we see, I. The proper character of Christians —
When we say that the Christian is ** a wise man, and endued with knowledge," we seem to be guilty of great arrogance ; since it is a notorious fact, that the great majority of religious persons, as St. Paul himself acknowledges, are of the lower orders of so- ciety, whose talents and attainments are extremely limited ^ And even where the disadvantages of education are not so great, it is often found that •' the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." How then can we presume to designate the godly by such inappropri- ate and high-sounding names ? I answer, that the wisdom of this world is in God's estimation, folly ; and that his people alone deserve the titles that are here assigned them. They are wise and intelHgent,
1. As fearing God —
[They all without exception fear God. This is the lowest attainment that will justify any pretensions to true piety. And what is said of it by holy Job ? " The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil is understanding '*." Here then at once is their character fixed by the testimony of God himself. And to them does it belong exclusively: for of all others the prophet Jeremiah says, " They have re- jected the word of the Lord; and, What wisdom is in them*?" They may possess much which passes under that name : they may be skilled in arts and sciences, even as Solomon himself:
yet
•"ver. 9— 12. MCor. i.26 — 38.
"" Job xxviii. 28. *Jer. viii.^.
1147."] IJfPLUENCEOF WISDOM ON THE CONDUCT. 61
yet they shew that they are fools and ideots, as it respects the things of God. They shew that they know not the true end of their being : they know not wherein real happiness con- sists : they know not the value of an immortal soul : they know not the judgment that awaits them, or the importance of preparing for it. Their views are circumscribed by the things of time and sense ; and of heaven and heavenly things they have no knowledge. " Their wisdom and knowledge, such as it is, only perverts them V Hence of them it is said, that "madness is in their hearts while they live^." But of the Lord's people, how ignorant soever they may be of other matters, it may be said, as on this very ground it was said of the Jews of old, " Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people ^"]