lives, treasuring up precious men and
women. These people, James says, are famous for their use of the fine
cloak of charity. They make the best use of it in hiding away beyond any
chance of being found a great mass of ugly, crooked, poisonous sins.

The man with the reputation of being the wisest man gives a special
definition of wisdom. The old version runs, "he that winneth souls is
wise."[12] This is a great statement from Solomon's pen. He had searched
into all the avenues of men's pursuits. He was a great experimenter.
Everything was put to a personal test. He amassed wealth beyond all
others. He delved into the fascinations of intellectual delights, of deep
intricate philosophies and problems.

He knew the subtle appeal to strong men that there is in deftly handling
and controlling men, personally and in large numbers. He had tasted the
rich wines of pleasure as had few. This is his conclusion: the wise man is
he that gives his strength with all of its fine-grained cunning to wooing
men back, through the old Eden gate, up to the tree of life.

This is the finest fruitage any life can yield. This will be to the bearer
of it a tree of life giving twelve crops of fruits, a crop of every month,
a perennial, alike in heat and frost, in storm and drought, and with a
peculiar healing quality in its green leaves for all men.

The revised version gives a fine turn to this old bit, exactly reversing
the first statement. "He that is wise winneth souls." The old philosopher
says that here is the real test of wisdom. He that is a wise man gives the
cream of his thought and wisdom to personal influence with men. He thinks
the thing best worth while is drawing a man through the inner reach upon
his thinking and affections and will away from the impure and ignoble and
deceptive up into touch with his first Friend.

And he finds too that nothing he has ever undertaken calls for a finer
play of all his powers at their best. All the diplomacy and fineness and
tact and keen management at his command will be called upon. He must be a
wise man to do such work. It is no fool's errand this. It demands the best
in the best.

There is no body of men more keen or skilled in the handling and
influencing of men, than the politicians. And I use the word in its fine
meaning, as well as in its cheaper meanings. As democracy has won its way
increasingly among the governments of earth these politicians have
increased in number and in influen