May 8

The wisdom of the just. - Luke 1:17.

TO be religious is to be wise. It is so in the estimation of him whose judgment is always according to truth. Scripture is express on the subject. Hence the design of John’s ministry was to “turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” Hence Solomon says, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding.” It is not so, indeed, in the opinion of the world, the blind world. Yet while the men of the world rail and vilify the truly wise, they often feel convictions very different from their language; like Balaam, who while cursing Israel, was compelled to exclaim, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel; let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.”

So then wisdom will be justified of all her adversaries hereafter, and wisdom is justified of all her friends and all her children now. “They know that they have chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from them.” “They know whom they have believed, and why they have believed him, and they are persuaded that he is able,” and faithful, “to keep that which they have committed to him against that day.” They are all children of the light and of the day; they are not of the night nor of darkness. There are many things, indeed, of which they are ignorant, but they are “made wise unto salvation.” They have “an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.” Not all things absolutely, but all things relatively-all things essential, all things which are necessary to their real welfare. They were once blind; they will acknowledge it; but they now see and are thankful. They know what is “the hope of their calling and the riches of the glory of their inheritance.” They know all things comparatively: their knowledge is different from the knowledge of the same thing which they once had, for now in God’s “light they see light,” and the Holy Spirit “leads them into all truth.”

They have, therefore, other views of themselves, and other views of the Saviour, than they once had. Their knowledge discriminates between things that differ-between those truths which are essential and those which are circumstantial- between those truths which are fundamental and those which are ornamental-between treasures and treasuries. Their knowledge is practical. They are wise to propose the noblest end, and wise to pursue it by the most suitable means-wise to secure in the only opportunity the things which belong to their peace. “He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.”