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I. THE COMMENDATION OF WISDOM. By wisdom is meant Christ the Wisdom of God; and grace, which is the only wisdom in a man. This can be shown in two ways.

1. The Lord counts nothing wisdom but godliness, and this He doth everywhere style "wisdom."

2. In God's account all things are folly without grace. The heathen were the greatest artists and philosophers of the world, those that most inquired into the secrets of nature, as in Athens and Corinth, which were universities and places far more famous than any other for knowledge, tongues, and all abilities. Take the greatest statist and politician in the world, which hath also a great show and name for wisdom. Let him be without a principle of grace, and his own policies will prove his own snare. Take the greatest men in the world, and they are wise in their own conceits, yet is their life a vanity. Wisdom acts by the highest principles. According to a man's principles are the rules of his actions. These are some of the high and excellent principles that godliness lays in the soul.

(a)  That the chief beauty of the creature is holiness.

(b)  The happiness of the creature consists in communion with God.

(c)  Sin is the greatest evil in the world.

(d)  It is better to suffer than to sin.

(e)  Things seen are but temporal.

II. AN EXHORTATION TO GET THIS WISDOM.

1. The excellency of grace lies in a conformity unto God.

2. From this conformity there ariseth a communion.

3. Grace fits a man for the service of God.

4. Grace turns all that a godly man enjoyeth into a blessing.

5. Grace fills the soul with all spiritual excellences.

6. Grace will preserve a man from all evil.

(William Strong.)

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KJV: Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

WEB: Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.