Do we realize the great importance of spiritual wisdom? In our many petitions does

the prayer for wisdom find a place? Solomon, when he chose wisdom, received signal

manifestations of the Lord's pleasure. The place of wisdom is emphasized in such

passages as, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom" (Prov. 3: 13); "Get wisdom, get

understanding" (4: 5); "Wisdom is the principal thing. . . . get wisdom" (4: 7);

"Wisdom is better than rubies" (8: 11). When we remember that it is used in relation to

Christ, we see still more its importance; Christ is not only the power of God unto

salvation, but the wisdom of God after salvation.

Wisdom is connected with our walk, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as

fools, but as wise" (Eph. 5: 15); "Walk in wisdom to them that are without" (Col. 4: 5).

While Eph. 1: prays for a spirit of wisdom in order to know the deeper things pertaining

to our calling, Col. 1: 9 prays for "wisdom and spiritual understanding" in order that

such may "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing". The two subjects are not so far

removed from one another as they may appear. To none but those who were "perfect"

could the apostle speak of the "hidden wisdom" in I Cor. 2:, and to none will be

revealed the full glories of our calling but to those who seek by grace to walk worthy of

it. As it was said of old, "then shall we know if we follow on to know", so it is to-day.

When God saved us, the riches of His grace abounded towards us (Eph. 1: 7, 8), but when

He reveals the mystery of His will, it is with all wisdom and prudence.

There is a fact relating to the usage of the word wisdom which is worth recording.

The word occurs nine times in the prison epistles, but is only found in the epistles that

speak of Christ as the Head, and which tell of His fulness. In the three passages n

Ephesians where wisdom occurs, we find knowledge and the mystery mentioned also.

(See 1: 8, 9, 17, and 3: 10). Wisdom differs from knowledge. Wisdom has reference to

the capacity to make good use of knowledge, the ability to discern. How much we need

this, how seldom we seek it! Not only does the apostle pray for wisdom as a preparation

to full knowledge, but he prays for revelation. There is no ambiguity about the word used

here. It is the same as that used by the apostle when he claimed to have been given the

dispensation of the mystery, "by revelation He made known to me the mystery"

(Eph. 3: 3), or when he claimed to have received the gospel "by the revelation of Jesus

Christ" (Gal. 1: 12). It does not mean that to each believer is given a revelation in order to

add to inspired truth--no further "revelation" in that direction is warranted--but it means

that a revelation is needed before we can understand what has already been written. Not

a few of our readers will agree to this fact. To them, as to the writer, many passages of

Scripture were read and re-read; their meaning, so far as the human side was concerned,

was plain, but we read as it were through a veil; this, God alone can do. The moment we

realize this, we shall cease to wonder why so many of our friends "cannot see" that which

is so plain to us. Israel, when they read the Scriptures, have a veil over their hearts, even

though the original Hebrew may present no difficulties to them. We can plainly see that

the O.T. points to the Lord Jesus Christ; they, however, do not see this; the veil has not

been removed from their hearts (II Cor. 3:). Tradition forms a thick veil, and covers the