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 society, whose talents and attainments are extremely limited0. 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 inappropriate and high-sounding names ? I answer, That the wis- dom 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 intelligent,
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 d." 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 rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in theme?" They may possess much which passes under that name : they may be skilled in arts and sciences, even as Solomon himself: yet they shew that they are fools and idiots, 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 consists: they know not the value of an immortal soul : they know not the judgment that awaits them, or the importance of preparing for it. Thei'r 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 themf." Hence of them it is said, that " madness
c 1 Cor. i. 26 — 28. d Job xxviii. 28.
e Jer. viii. 9. f Isai. xlvii. 10.