60 The Wifdom, Glory, and Vol. I, things would it produce ! what untoward Combinations of effeas would there be, if infinite Power íhould act without the Conduct and Direction of Infinite Wifdom ! It would eclipfe the Providence of God, and put out theEyes that are in the Wheels, as the Prophet reprefents God's Providence. There can be no Counfe', no Forecaft, no orderly Government of the World without Wifdom. The Goodnefs, and Mercy, and Juftice, andTruth ofGod, could not thine with that lustre, were it not for his Wifdomwhich doth illuftrate thefe with fo much advantage. ' I need not bring Teflimonies from Heathen Writers to confirm this, their Books are full of Exprefffons of their admiration of God's wife Government of the World. I will not trouble you with Quotations of particular Teflimonies. Epicurus indeed denyed that God either made or govern'd the World ; but he mutt needs acknowledge him to have been a very wife Being, becaufe he made him happy, which cannot be without Wifdom, tho' he had taken away all other evidence of his Wifdom. Ariflotle feems to have fuppofed the World to be a neceffary refult and emanation from God but then the other Seas of Philofo.. phers did fuppofe the World to be the free Product of God's Goodnefs and Wifdom. z. From Scripture ; job 9.4. He is wife in heart ; 36. g. He is mighty in firength and wifdom. Dan. z. to. Bleffed k the name of God for ever and ever, for wifdom and might are his. Hither we may refer thofe Texts which attribute Wifdom to God in a fingular and peculiar manner, Rom. i6. 2.7. and thofe which fpeak of God as the Fountain of it, who communicatesand bellows it updn his Creatures, Dan. z. zr. 5ames z. S. and thofe Texts which fpeak of the Wifdom of God in the Creation Of the World, Pfal. zoo. z4. 0 Lord, how wonderful are thy works, in wifdom haft thou made them all? Jer. z O. z t. who hath eflablifbed the world by his wifdom, and firetched forth the heavens by his difcretion ; in the Pro- vidence andGovernment of the World, Dan. z.zo. Wifdom and flrength are his, and he changeth times and feafons, he removed Kings andfetteth up Kings ; and in many other places ; in the redemption of Mankind ; therefore Chrift is called the Wifdom of God, z Cor. r. 24. and the difpenfation of the Gofpel, the hidden wifdom of God, and the manifoldwifdom of God, Eph. z. ro. If then God be only wife, the Original and only Fountain of it, from thence we learn, Firfl, To ge. to him for it. yam. z. S. Ifany man lack wifdom , let him ask it of God. There are many conceited Men, that think they are Rich and increafed, and Eland in need of nothing. The Apoftle doth not fpeak, as if there were fome that did not want Wifdom, but becaufe there are fome fo proud and con- ceited, that they think they lack nothing; thofe are flark Fools, andGod refills fuch foolilh and proud Men : But if any Man, fenfible of his Defect and Imper- fedion, cometh to God, hegives liberally, and upbraids no man. We are afhamed to learn Wifdomof Men, left they íhould contemn and upbraid us with our Folly : Men are envious and unwilling that others íhould be as wife as themfelves; but God'sGoodnefs makes him willing to impart Wifdom; hegives liberally, and up- braids no man. This is the molt defirable Accomplifhment and Perfe6tion ; Happy is'the man that getteth wifdom ; wifdom is the principal thing, therefore get wifdom : It is better than thofe things that are of higheft Value among Men; as Solomon often makes the Comparifon. Now becaufe it comes down from above, we íhould look up for it ; . it's by the Revelation of his Will, and the wife Counfeis of his Word, that' we are made wife unto Salvation; therefore we íhould beg of him, that he wouldgive us thefpirit of wifdom and revelation in the knowledge of himfelf, Eph. r. z 7. 2. IfGod be only wife in .fuch an eminent and tranfcendent Degree, then let us be humble. There's no Caufe ofboafiing, feeing we have nothing but what we have reteiy'd. The loweft Inftance, the leaf' Specimen ofDivine Wifdom out-fhines the higheft Pitch of Human Wifdom; the foolifbnefsof Godiswiferthan men, aCor.r.zg. therefore let not the wife man glory in his wifdom, Jer. 9. 29. Of all things we íhould not be proud of Wifdom ; the proud man throws down the Reputation of
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