ummated, or
finished. Our dear elder was like his Lord in this respect. He could
say, with Newton,

"Christ's way was much rougher and darker than mine,
Did Christ, my Lord, suffer, and shall I repine?"

Again, another qualification in a ruling elder is wisdom. "Be ye wise
as serpents," said Jesus, "and harmless as doves." Are all these
professing Christians wise? Are all elders wise? Are all ministers
wise? Dr. Bonar says:

Be wise and use thy wisdom well.
_Be what thou seemest._ Live thy creed;
Be what thou prayest to be made.
Lift o'er the earth the torch Divine,
Let the great Master's steps be thine.

Blessed words these. Who can read them without thanking God for such
words and such men, that our kind Father above raises up to instruct us
in these things that pertain to our everlasting well-being? For all
well-being is the result of _well-doing_ in time and in eternity.

Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you, let him show,
out of a good conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom. This
meekness of wisdom Elder Knowles preeminently possessed. The psalmist
says, concerning such: "The meek shall inherit the land. And shall
delight themselves in abundance of peace. Strike, said Diogenes, to his
instructor, Antichenes, the philosopher; but you will find no staff so
hard that it will drive me away from your school. I love you, and I
have made up my mind to suffer anything for the sake of learning." This
yearning desire on the part of the true elder after fitness for his
office, ought to be willing to bear reproach for the sake of Him who
died, that we might live. There is great wisdom displayed in bearing
the Cross meekly for Jesus. If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign
with Him.

It is a blessed thing to suffer in love for Christ. To bear injustice
and conquer. Herein is consummate wisdom displayed. "If ye have bitter
envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the
truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every
evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James iii. 14-17).

But the wisdom of the elder now lying before us in the coffin was
displayed not only in his meekness, but in his _gentleness_ of
disp