True Wisdom

    Would you be wise?

    You must repent of all your past follies. This is the first thing to be done. ""What," say they, "shall we do?" "Repent," said Peter; "Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." That is, see that all this while you have been arrant fools. For so certainly every sinner is, as long as he is going on still in his trespasses—a fool. We must not call our "brother" so, but we may call ourselves so without danger: "So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee." "Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

    Judge in yourselves.—Is not he a fool that prefers toys, and trifles, and trash before treasures of gold and silver, and pearls, and precious stones? That ventures the loss of a diamond or a ruby, to purchase a pin, or a pebble? That thou hast done, sinner. Is not he a fool that grieves his best friend to gratify his worst enemy? That thou hast done, in offending God to serve the devil. Is not he a fool that, in his fancy, prides and pleases himself in a supposed happiness, which he is far from ?—as he that called all the ships that came into the harbor his own. "Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." "Smite upon thy thigh," and say—" What have I done?" Oh that ever I should be guilty of such prodigious folly. How it grieves and vexes me, that I have spent my time so idly; so vainly; that I have lost so many sabbaths. Be sure do this to God. In secret; in sincerity.

    You must receive Christ Jesus the Lord upon gospel terms—as a Prince, and a Saviour. We are never wise, neither can we be, until we do this. Until he is "made unto us of God wisdom" we remain in our foolishness. Now that he is not until we "receive" him, until we arc "in him:" "Of him arc ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." All the sons of God are wisdom's children. And "wisdom is justified of her children;" that is, they are wise children. Oh! then, this day, this moment receive him. Accept of him. Close with him. You may do it as you sit here: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." They came to the meeting fools; they went away wise. It was a house-meeting.

    You must resign and yield up yourself to the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit. He is that Spirit of "wisdom and revelation" promised for the enlightening of dark and foolish souls. "The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Therefore Paul prays, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." Away with all false guides.