Exposition of Romans 8-11, Chapter 11 · Verss 33-35
VERSE 33. O the depth of the riches, both of the wiſdome and knowledge of God! How vnſearchable are his iudgments, and his wayes paſt finding out!
34. Eſay 40.13. Wiſd. 9.13. 1. Cor. 2.16.For who hath knowne the mind of the Lord, or who hath beene his counſeller?
35. Or who hath firſt giuen him, and it ſhall be recompenſed him againe?
IN theſe three verſes, and in the laſt, is a ſolemne concluſion of the things before deliuered, in the ninth, tenth, and this Chapter.
Hee hath ſpoken of many difficult points, as Election, Reprobation, Reiection of the Iewes, calling of the Gentiles, Recalling of the Iewes; he hath anſwered many queſtions, prouented many cauils, ſatisfied many doubts: here he religiouſly maketh a ſtop, admiring the wiſdome of God.
And high time was it for Paul ſo to doe: for in the 32 ver. he had deliuered a ſecret enough to hauehave ſwallowed vp any created vnderſtanding: and therfore there he breaks of, putting in a barre, againſt all further quarels which might be made falling into admiration of the infinite wiſdome of God in the adminiſtration of things. As a man wading into the ſea, when he comes vp to the neck, and feeles the water begin to heaue him vp, and his feete to fayle him, cries out, O the depth and goes backe, ſo it fares with Paul in this place; and it is as if he ſhould hauehave ſayd thus.
O you Romaines, and my countrymen the Iewes, I hauehave writ vntounto you of theſe things as far as I can; for the reſt I am ſwallowed vp, being more vnable to paſſe farther into this bottomleſſe, then to wade through the depth of the ſea. Ceaſe therefore to put more queſtions, & admire with me the depth of the wiſdome of God.
In theſe words are two things. 1. A propoſition. 2. A reaſon. The propoſition is in the latter end of the 33 verſe. How vnſerchable are his iudgments, and his wayes paſt finding out, ſet downe with admiration, how vnſerchable, which being plainly deliuered is this. The Iudgements and wayes of God are moſt vnſerchable. The words are ſignificant as can be, but becauſe the matter cannot be conteyned in any words, therefore he admires, How vnſerchable. A greater depth then can be ſadomed with mans reaſon, or expreſſed in any words.
The iudgments: Iudgments are vſually taken for the works of God vindicatiue Iuſtice and ſeuerity whereby he puniſheth ſinners: but here for Gods whole prouidence, ruling or ordering the affayres of the world, called iudgments, becauſe to iudge is a principall action of a Ruler. The adminiſtration of things whether God ſhew Iuſtice or mercy, is thus called often in the Pſalmes.
Vnſearchable: That is ſo deepely hid, that no man can find out or vnderſtand, farther then God reueales, and then to cō prehend the reaſon vnpoſſible. As it is not poſſible for vsus to find thoſe things which are about the Center of the earth, ſo a thowſand times farther are theſe things from vsus.
His wayes, Sometimes his commaundements are ſo called, but ſuch are found out in his word. Wayes therefore of God, are not the wayes the creature walkes towards the Creator, but the wayes of the Creator towards the creature. Heere the ſame thing I take it is meant by waies, which before by iudgements, by an Ingemination familiar to the Hebrews, though ſome (and that diuerſly) doe curiouſly diſtinguiſh them.
Past finding out: A metaphor from quick-ſented Hounds, who are at a loſſe, hauing neither foot-ſtep nor ſent left, of the game they purſue. None can trace the Lord, and finde out the way and reaſon of his doings. As none can line out the way of a Serpent ouer a ſtone, or of a ſhippe on the waues, or of an arrow in the ayre: ſo neither find the wayes which God walkes in, in the gouernment of things.
This propoſition is confirmed by reaſon, which is twofold; Firſt, from the excellencie of God, verſe 33. Secondly. From the deficiencie of man, verſ. 34.35.
The firſt is ſet down with exclamation. O the depth of the riches, of the wiſdom & knowledge of God! as if he ſhould ſay, his wiſdome is infinit. Arguiug thus: whoſe wiſdome is infinite, his wayes are vnſearchable: But Gods wiſdom is infinit: Ergo.
The three Genitiues, are by ſome applied to three Diuine properties, MercieMercy, Iuſtice, and knowledge. But I take it that the firſt Genitiue (of the riches) is added to (the depth) by an exceſſe of ſpeaking, ſignifying the ſame thing in effect, which exceedingly becomes that matter, which no words can ſufficiently ſignifie.
By Deph, is infiniteneſſe, and abſtruſeneſſe not to bee attained, as the bottome of the vaſte Ocean. By Riches meant, an infiniteneſſe of excellencie not to bee numbred, counted valued.
Wiſdome and knowledge, as they differ not in God, ſo heere they may be ſafely taken for the ſame, remembring this, that all the diuine properties are of the ſame extent of excellencie: of eueryevery of which it may be ſaid, O the depth of the riches!
Wiſedome and knowledge of God, actiuely, not paſſiuely to be vnderſtood; which are otherwiſe in God, then wiſdome and knowledge in vsus. In vsus they are ſeparable, wee receiue them by gift, and hauehave them by communication; not ſo in God: He deriues his knowledge from none, but is the fountaine of all wiſdome in himſelfe and in his creatures; it is his Eſſence.
We know but little, and that by degrees taking out one leſſon after another: But God knowes himſelfe, the Trinitie, his creatures, all things paſt, preſent, and to come; open, ſecret, certeine, contingent; that that ſhall be, that which neuer ſhall be; and theſe perfectly, not by ſpecies and relation, but by himſelfe, not per prius and poſterius, by collection, diſcourſe, but in an inſtant, &c.
The ſecond Argument is taken from the Deficiencie of man, which is double, Firſt, of Knowledge, verſ. 34. Secondly, of righteouſneſſe, verſ. 35.
The firſt, None hath knowne his minde: He hath not called any man to counſell, either to aske or communicate counſels. This is taken out of Eſay 40.13.14. Nor man, nor Angell is admitted hereunto.
The ſecond Deficiencie is of Iuſtice: Who hath giuen him firſt, and it ſhall be recompenſed: that is, None can challenge God that hee is indebted to him: were God beholding to a man, then it might be tolerated that ſuch a man might aske a reaſon why God doth this or that: but God owes vsus nothing more then he pleaſe to promiſe of his owne meere goodneſſe: and therefore he neuer need or aske vsus leaue or render a reaſon of his wayes and gouernment of the world. Learned men point vsus heere to Iob 41.2. and I thinke hee may as well alledge Iob 35.7. if any thing in that booke.
Theſe two are ſet downe by Interrogation, ſo much the more to conuince man of his paruitie and nothingneſſe in compariſon of God.
This Reaſon in theſe two branches of it, confirmes the propoſition thus: For men to ſearch the reaſon of Gods iudgements, is for blind men to Iudge of colours: and for men to finde fault or queſtion Gods doings, is as though God were beholding to man: But men faile in knowledge, and God is not indebted to them, therefore it is neither poſſible nor lawfull to ſearch the hidden wayes of God.
doctrine It is neyther lawfull for man to ſearch, nor poſſible to finde the hidden wayes of God, Pſal. 30.6. and 147.5. Eſay 40.28. 1. Tim. 6.16. and 1. Cor. 2.11.16.
Obiect. Dauid ſaith he hath declared the iudgements of Gods mouth: Pſal. 119.13.and Paul ſaith elſewhere, 1 Cor. 2.16.he knowes, nay all Chriſtians know: We know, ſaith he, the minde of chriſt: It ſeemes Paul and Dauid knew.
Anſw. They knew that which was reuealed to them: The Spirit, ſaith Paul, hath reuealed: and Dauid ſaith, That he hath declared, judicia oris, the iudgements of his mouth, that is, which God hath ſpoken vntounto him.
Vſe. 1.Wade not too farre in the ſearching of hidden thinges: where God ſpeakes not, let not thine eare itch to heare: and aboue all things chamber thy tongue, that thou cenſure not, nor cauill at that which thou art not able to vnderſtand, nor to conceiue the reaſon of, if it were told thee.
When the calling of the Iewes is preached: ſome ſay it is not poſſible, ſome ſay it is not likely: ſome, why did the Lord thus to the Gentiles, thus to the Iewes? Alſo when the Doctrine of Predeſtination is taught; ſome ſay, that then a man may liue as he liſt, &c. Take heed: Beleeue that which is reuealed: ſearch not into this darkeneſſe without a light. Prayſe God for that which thou vnderſtandeſt; and in it, as alſo in that which thou doeſt not vnderſtand, crie out with Paul, O the depth! So alſo in the obſcuritie of the Trinitie and Vnitie, of the perſonall vnion of the two Natures in Chriſt, of the Myſtical vnion of Chriſt and his Church, of the Reſurrection &c. ſearch not, aske not a reaſon: it is not for our waxen wings to ſoare ſo high: but crie out, O the Depth!
To be ſearching and inquiring further then is reuealed, or the reaſon of ſuch myſteries, is not profitable.
It is reported, that Saint Auguſtine on a time walking by the ſea ſide, and beating his head to find out a reaſon of the Trinitie, lift vp his eyes and ſpied a childe, with a ſpoone keeching water out of the ſea into a little hole: Saint Auguſtine askes the childe why he did ſo; he anſwered, to emptie the ſea into that hole: at which Saint Augustine ſmiled, telling him it could not be done. So, good father, ſaith the childe, you buſie your braines about the Trinitie, and though you take more paines then I, yet your ſucceſſe ſhall be alike. The wiſdome of man is no more able to comprehend the Iudgements and wayes of God, then the skull of man is able to hold in it the whole water of the ſea. To ſtate earneſtly vponupon the Sun, is the way to loſe our ſight, not to encreaſe it, not to ſee more, but not to ſee at all. So the way to vnderſtand and to attaine wiſdome, is not to be too buſie in ſearching, but to content our ſelues with that which is reuealed.Pius pulſator pierunque inuenit quod temerarius ſcrutator inuenire non poteſt. Bern.
Some think it a great degree of accuteneſſe to be ſearching into hidden things, and into the reaſon of the counſells of God: but indeed it is childiſhneſſe. At another mans houſe, a childe will be queſtioning why is this? and what is that? but a wiſe man will hold his peace, knowing it to bee good manners to reſt contented with that which is done by the Maſter of the houſe, whoſe minde hee vnderſtands not. So in this world, which is Gods houſe, childiſhly inquire not why God doth ſo and ſo, who owes thee nothing, that eyther thou ſhouldeſt meddle with his doings, or he be bound to render a reaſon thereof vntounto thee. Paul ſaith, 1. Tim. 6.4.If any man conſent not to the doctrine according to godlineſſe, he doteth about queſtions: we thinke it wiſdome, but Paul calls it dotage: when men fall to queſtioning, and apply not themſelues to beleeue, they begin to dote, or to be ſicke vponupon queſtions, as the word alſo ſignifies. Noſon peri zeteſeis.As ſicke ſtomackes long for eueryevery thing they heare of, and when they hauehave it, they can take no profit by it. Quando animae cogitationū vincitur febre &c. tunc quaerit, cum vero ſana eſt, non quaerit, ſed fideliter credit. Chryſoſt. hom. in loc. Tim.So it is an argument of a weake minde, to be queſtioning of that, which to know, would not be profitable. When the minde is ſicke, then it is queſtioning, Why? How? Wherefore? but when it is ſound, then it queſtioneth not, but beleeueth.
Might not our Kings Maieſtie bee iuſtly angrie, if eueryevery looſe peaſant ſhould be talking or examining his doings? So no doubt is God angrie with the curious examiners of his wayes. When Peter asked about Iohn, Ioh. 21.21.22.that which concerned him not to know, hee had a ſharpe rebuke; and when the Diſciples asked of another ſecret, Act. 1.6.7.they were reproued. Take thou example, and account it no Imputation to bee ignorant of things not reuealed. This is learned ignorance.
If wee conſider but the flies and wormes, God appeares admirable in them? How much more in the adminiſtration of things? Let vsus reſolue that all things are moſt iuſtly and wiſly brought to paſſe though all vnderſtand not the reaſon; remembring that it is God, not man, that gouernes the world; and when we fayle in apprehending, let vsus by our fayling, learne to ſay, O the depth!
Vſe. 2.We know but in part: not the hundreth part, of that which we ſhall know, let vsus long to be tranſlated out of darknes, into the fulnes of Gods marvellous light.
Vſe. 3.Gods goodnes is wonderfull to vsus, that he hath revealed thoſe things which are neceſſary to ſaluation: which all the wiſemen in the world could neuer hauehave found out, if God had not reuealed them: learne and ſtudy theſe things, and if thou knoweſt Chriſt, bleſſe God for this his wiſedome; and eternall life.
Men talke of wiſedome: but he is wiſe that knowes this, and he is a very foole that knowes it not, though in Phyſicks he hauehave Salomons, and in Politicks, the wiſedome and knowledge of Achytophell.
Paul deſired to know nothing but Chriſt and him crucified: 1 Cor. 2.2.ſtudy thou this and how to liue well. All thy life is to ſhort to learne this as thou ſhouldſt: therefore trouble not thy mind with things not reuealed, and too high for the meaſure of thy capacitie; but paſſe them all over with O the depth. The Philoſopher while he gazed on the heavens fell into a pit on awares he that walks plainely walks ſurely.Pro. 10.9
Vſe 4.God knowes the ſighes, the grones, the teares of his children; they ſhall not looſe the reward of their leaſt obedience. So he knowes the wayes, the words, the thoughts of wicked men, and will ſet them in order before thē at the day of iudgment. He knowes all things: thy heart, with what minde thou prayeſt, heareſt, more by thee, then thou knoweſt by thy ſelfe. Thou mayſt walke in a cloud before men, thou canſt not before God. Beware the hypocrite.
Vſe. 5.God is of infinit knowledge and power, feare him. Thou art aſrayd, to offend or provoke, or ieſt at a wiſe man that is skilfull in the law; but with a ſimple man thou art bold. And dareſt thou provoke God whoſe wiſedome is infinit? And alſo his Iuſtice and power? This is Atheiſme. For didſt thou thinke there were a God, and that he were wiſe and iuſt, and able to plague thee, thou durſt not offend him. Will a man keepe a ſeruant, who alwayes angers his Maſter, and laugheth him to ſcorne? So ſhalt thou be turned into hell, if thou dareſt diſpiſe our infinit God, or his word.