how much more to dwell by faith on the mediation of Him who is "the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person; assuming our nature, carrying our sins up with him to the cross, rising from the dead, sitting at the right hand of God, ever living to make intercession, diffusing his Spirit, and scattering his graces, among the children of men. Who that knows any thing of such an object, can be content without wishing to know more of him? Who will not be disposed to look on all things else as dross and dung when compared to such an object? To feel the steady illumination of faith, is to dwell in a calm and holy light; and if it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the natural light, how much more to behold this light of God, which sheds an incomparably sweeter ray; which reveals his face, brings near his love, and lays open the prospects of eternity! Guided by this light, you will be conducted to the abode of the celestial city, when a view will be opened into paradise, and you will hear, with John, "the voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of harpers harping with their harps, and crying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."† 1. An increase of faith will deliver us from the perplexity which springs from a state of mind unsettled in religion. * Heb. i. 3. VOL. V. Q + Rev. xiv. 2 ; V. 13. 2. It will have an extensive influence on our sanctification. (1.) The joys of faith will diminish your sensibility of the pleasures of sin. The pure and certain satisfaction, which springs from spiritual views, will indispose you to relish the polluted gratifications of sense: the satisfaction to be derived from earthly pleasures will appear too light and airy, too transitory and inconstant, to bear a comparison with those richer enjoyments to which the soul has access by faith. (2.) As the gospel supplies the strongest motives to holiness, so faith brings the heart into contact with those motives. (3.) So important is an increase of faith to an advancement in the divine life, that all the graces of the christian are represented as so many fruits of faith, neither any farther acceptable to God than as they spring from this principle. In their extent, perfection, and variety, they are nothing more than the genuine practice of a lively faith: "Abide in me, and let my words abide in you.' Faith is a prolific grace; it produces and maintains every other; it "works by love;"† it purifies the heart." + "* II. In its aspect towards God. It is the grand instrument of glorifying him. In its essential exercises, apart from its external effects, it is eminently adapted to glorify God. It renders to him the glory due unto his + Gal. v. 6. * John xv. 7. 1 John iii. 3. name. It rests on him as the Eternal Truth, as the Rock of Ages: "Abraham being strong in faith, gave glory to God."* Directions for increasing Faith. I. Earnest and humble prayer: "Lord, increase our faith." Fall at the footstool of the cross, crying, with him in the gospel, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief." II. Frequent and devout converse with the object of it. III. Watchfulness against the influence of those objects which have a fatal tendency to eclipse its light, to obstruct its operations, and impair its effects: namely, sensual pleasure; eager pursuit of the world; intimate converse with men of the world. XXIV. ON WISDOM. JAMES i. 5.-If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not.‡ Of all the gifts which God is wont to dispense to the children of men, the most valuable is wisdom. Without this, the advantages we derive from every other are precarious and transitory, and are often more than overbalanced by the evils which result from their abuse. Wisdom is of incomparable value, *Rom. iv. 20. + Mark ix. 24. Preached in June 1811. as it instructs us how to use every other good; how to turn it to the best account, and make it most subservient to the true end of our being. The Scriptures extol the excellence of wisdom in the highest terms:-" Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding: For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than pure gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her."* Wisdom is to be distinguished from knowledge; to which it bears an affinity, but ought not to be confounded with it. There may be a large compass of knowledge acquired, the fruit of extensive observation and reading, accompanied with a quick perception and a capacious memory, where there is very little wisdom. A wretched misconduct may appear at the same [time], a series of imprudences, thoughtless prodigality, or intemperance, sufficient to invalidate the least pretension to wisdom. There are far more knowing than wise men. Talents of the highest order, and such as are calculated to command universal admiration, may exist apart from wisdom. Though wisdom necessarily presupposes knowledge, and it is impossible to exercise it in things of which we are ignorant, yet it ought to be something more practical, or rather more comprehensive: it ever bears a relation to the end; and, in proportion as it is * Prov. iii. 13–15. perfect, to the highest and last end the agent can be supposed to have in view. It first judges of the end fittest to be pursued, and next determines what are the most fitting and suitable means of accomplishing it. Every other quality besides is subordinate and inferior to wisdom, in the same sense as the mason who lays the bricks and stones in a building is inferior to the architect who drew the plan and superintends the work. The former executes only what the latter contrives and directs. Now, it is the prerogative of wisdom to preside over every inferior principle, to regulate the exercise of every power, and limit the indulgence of every appetite, as shall best conduce to one great end. It being the province of wisdom to preside, it sits as umpire on every difficulty, and so gives the final direction and control to all the powers of our nature. Hence it is entitled to be considered as the top and summit of perfection. It belongs to wisdom to determine when to act and when to cease; when to reveal, and when to conceal a matter; when to speak, and when to keep silence; when to give, and when to receive; in short, to regulate the measure of all things, as well as to determine the end, and provide the means of obtaining the end, pursued in every deliberate course of action. Every particular faculty or skill besides needs to derive direction from this; they are all quite incapable of directing themselves. The art of navigation, for instance, will teach us to steer a ship |
