Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/22

 to his strength of knowledge, and nothing to affection or love.

Solomon says, "Wisdom, is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom." (Prov. iv. 7.) This is the chief wealth, because "Wisdom giveth life to them that have it." (Eccles. vii. 12.) David says, "The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom" (Psalm xxxvii. 30); but of evil men, he asserts that "adders' poison is under their lips." (Psalm cxl. 3.) A learned man may be a lover of evil, and thus make his bed in hell; but this a wise man cannot be, nor can he do the work of the wicked. He is one who reduces all his acquired knowledge, be it little or much, to the practical purposes of a holy and righteous life, and with David he says, "My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditations of my heart shall be of understanding." A wise man sees the truth in all its clearness and beauty, from an inward love to God; but a learned man who is not wise, being grounded in self-love and pride, acquires with much difficulty, hard labour, and by the sweat of his face, the knowledge that glides easily and smoothly into the mind of the wise. The mouth of the good man is said to speak of wisdom, to instruct us that the doctrines of religion, which are the delight of his soul, terminate in holiness of life! Wisdom is Truth working in the soul to effect an inward purification from secret faults; while the meditations of the heart, being thoughts relative to holiness of life, terminate in the pure understanding of those truths that lead to an unbroken union with the Lord. O how peaceful is the state of the wise man! No worldly ambition ruffles his soul! His ambition is humility, and this makes his dwelling with God.