A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 21 (Question 4 cont.)
SERMON XXI.
WE have been conſidering of the Divine Qualities; what next and laſtly follows in the Deſcription, is the Virtues of God: concerning which in general, we are to obſerve that all the Divine Qualities are to be aſcribed to each of them, as well as to his Being; and indeed they are all of them but his Being, variouſly apprehended by us: and by theſe Qualities it is, that theſe Vertues of his are diſtinguiſhed from thoſe in Angels & Men, which bear the like denomination: We aſcribe as Being, ſo Wiſdom, &c to ſome Creatures; but we do not put the Epithet of Infinite, &c. upon them; add theſe to any one of them, and that ſpeaks them to be Divine. As to the Being or Eſſence of God, it hath already been ſpoken to; and how theſe properties belong to it, hath been diſcovered in aſſerting and proving them to be God; for indeed they are ſuch Attributes, as reſult from the conſideration of God, as the moſt abſolute firſt Being. How we may aſcribe them to theſe Vertues is plain, if we conſider what it is to be Infinite &c. and then put the titles to his Wiſdom, &c. and that, if his Being be ſo, theſe muſt be ſo, is plain; becauſe whatſoever is in God, is God: it would be a diſparagement to his Divine Nature to aſcribe any thing to him, that is not like himſelf. It remains therefore only to ſpeak of theſe Ve…u…s of God ſeverully; and there are Six of them here aſſerted concerning him, as more eminently diſplaying of him.
1. THE firſt of theſe is Wiſdom: of which take this Deſcription, It is God, by one Simple and Erer…al Act, both knowing of himſelf, and all poſſible beings; and contriving & ordering all ſure… things often the beſt manner. The word Wiſdom is ſometimes taken in a reſtrained ſenſe, and then it intends properly a skill of chuſing & applying means ſuitably to the end: ſometimes in a more large, and then it comprehends all knowledge univerſally; in which reſpect we call … Man of great knowledge and skill, a … Man: thus, after our manner, we may app… it to God. In Man we take notice of ſeveral faculties, which are ſo many principles in him, or powers; and in theſe we obſerve ſeveral Vertues that do adorn them. The principal ſaculties in the rational Soul are the Underſtanding & Will; and in theſe are the Intellectual & Moral Vertues: among the Intellectual Verties, Wiſdom is the chief; and taken in its Intitude, it comprehends them all: and becauſe God is the moſt Intelligent Being, we aſcribe ſuch Verties to him, as are found in ſuch Agents; yea, he aſſumes them to himſelf. This Attribute of Wiſdom is the efore given to him in Scripture frequently, yea, it is appropriated to him in … Tim. 1.17. — The only wiſe God — Becauſe there is none wiſe as he i…. He is Wiſdom, and the fountain of it; The Ocean of it is in him originally; there are but ſome little rivulets of it that are derived from him to Angels & Men; we are therefore …ected to him for it; Jam. 1.5. And becauſe there is no other Intelectual Vertus …work… in the Deſcription, we may therefore take it in the largeſt ſenſe, according as it is deſti…; ſo that we here take the Wiſdom & Knowledge of God for the ſame thing; which is alſo ſometimes called his Underſtanding; ſee, Prov. 8.14. which are the words of the Son of God, who is God. To this Attribute therefore, in deſcriting of it, I have reſorted both that Knowledge which is called Theoreticall, which is more generally; and that which is counted Practical, which is more ſpecially denomi…ed Wiſdom; and I ſhall a little explain each of them.
[1.] WE aſcribe to God a Theoretical Wiſdom, which is by Divines called, Scientia ſi… pli… …lligentia; and to this there are two things …ributed in the Deſcription.
1. THAT he hath a thorough & perfect Knowledge of himſelf, or his own Being, and glorious Perfections. It is one thing which belongs to Wiſdom, that it is of a very large reach, or vaſt comprehenſion. Wiſe Men do know more than others do; now there is nothing that ſets forth God's Underſtanding more largely, than that he knows himſelf, graſps in his intuition the whole latitude of his own Infinite and Incomprehenſible Being; for this reaſon it is ſaid to be Infinlte, Pſal. 147.5. God only knows himſelf as he is: It is but a little portion that Men or Angels do know of him. He knows his own thoughts, and his thoughts are himſelf; yea, He is Underſtanding. Prov. 8.14. If this Wiſdom then be God, then it muſt be of an equal extenſion with God, elſe it could not be himſelf.
2. THAT he alſo perfectly knows all poſſ… ble Beings. He not only underſtands what hath been, and what ſhall be, but alſo what might be, or what is capable of being. When God paſt that Eternal Decree of his, which is hereafter to be ſpoken of, he did not intend to do all that he was able: when he made the works of Creation, there was the re…d…e of the ſperis with him, Mal. 2.15. and he know what that was. God knows his own power, which is the ſubject of all theſe poſſibilities. God could have made more Worlds, and innumerable more kinds of Creatures: and God hath a fight of theſe in his vaſt Underſtanding; how elſe could there be a Conſultation, and an Election in and about his works of Efficiency, which is fully aſcribed unto him; Eph. 1.11. — all things after the counſel of his own Will. God's Ommi…tency in which he hath the Idea of poſſible things, is himſelf, if therefore he know…th himſelf, he muſt needs know both that and them. Hence the Scaipture is frequently relling us of things which God can do, tho' he never intends to give being to them. Now this Wiſdom of God properly belongs to the conſideration of his Divine Eſſence; for, becauſe he is the moſt abſolute Firſt Being, he muſt needs be the moſt Underſtanding Being; if God, he muſt be moſt Wiſe.
[2.] WE alſo aſcribe to God a Proctical Wiſdom: and that appears in his contriving and ordering all future things after the beſt manner: and this is that which Divines call Scientian Viſionis. As the appointing of all things belongs to his Will, (as we ſhall hear afterwards,) ſo the contri…a…ce & ordering thereof properly belongs to his Wiſdom. The Scripture ſpeaks of the manifold wiſdom of God, (Eph. 3.10) which is not intended of it, as it is in God; but as it appears in the various diſcoveries which are made of it in the things themſelves: in diſcourſing of which, I might be endleſs; but I ſhall only point at a few comprehenſive kinds of it, viz.
1. IN his Aſſigning of all things to their ſeveral ends. A Wiſe Agent always propounds to himſelf ſome end for which he works; he doth nothing in vain: and then diſcovers his Wiſdom in his orderly alotting of the means with reſpect hereto. There is one common end to which all things have an ultimate reſpect, and that is the Glory of God. Prov. 16.4. The Lord hath made allthings for himſelf. And in order to this, are many ſubordinate ends to which theſe & thoſe are appointed. Now the ſetting of theſe in order, the connecting of their ſubordination, and the ſetting them ſo as to have their due reſpect to the laſt; is an eminent diſcovery of this Wiſdom; we read of ſuch a Connexion, Hoſ. 2.21, 22. — I will hear, ſaith the Lord, I will hear the beavens, and they ſhall hear the earth. And the earth ſhall bear the own, and the …ine, and the eyl, and they ſhall bear Je…eel.
2. IN the ſuiting of an Idea in his mind, ca…lly b…rm…ous to the beſt ad…ncing of theſe …ds. A Wiſe workman forecalls his work, and draws out the whole ph…t in his mind, in which every piece & part in his work is con…ired, and deſigned where it is to be, how it is to be framed to fall in with the other; and the more harmonious and regular this imaginary mold or frame is the more is the wiſdom of the Ageat: Contrivance therefore belongs to the Ma…et workman, as having the greateſt enriofity in it. Such a frame had God in his mind from all Eternity, laid in his own head, with beſt counſel; and therefore we r…od is Acts 15.18. K…n unto God are all his w…is from the beginning of the world. And we are given to underſtand, that all things are does according to this Contrivance, Eph. 1.11.
3. HENCE this Wiſdom farther breaks out, and evidently appears in the Workmanſhip is ſelf; the making of this frame. the whole World, and every thing in it. We read, Pſal. 104.24.— In …ſdom best then made them all. The Creation hath on it, not only the imp… ſions of his Almighty Power, in producing ſuch a World out of nothing; and of Goodneſs, is giving a being to ſo many Creatures, and a uſefullneſs; but his wondrous Wiſdom too, ſuch as …s admirably aſtoniſhing; whether we look upon it in the whole, or in the parts: if we …a…e any one little piece of it, take a pile of graſs, which we trample upon, and it hath more myſteries in it, than the learnedeſt Philoſopher is able to Analyſt: A poor …, yea a Mite is a ſubject of unaccountable Problems, that will not only puzzle, but ſet down the moſt curious Naturaliſt to be able to tell how the Organs of life, ſenſe, untriment and motion are contrived in ſo ſmall a Characters but if we look upon Man, the maſter-piece of the vifible Creation, and what is he elſe but an heap of Riddles? his very Body is ſtrangely made; Pſal 139.14. — I am ſourfully & … …erfully made—. The Heathen Anatomiſt read a God in it, and was tranſported to ſing his praiſe. And if we conſider the ſetting together of this great Machine, the harmonious placing of every piece of it, and that among ſo many uncountable parts, there is none diſplaced or uſeleſs. The truth is, here is matter for ends leſs contemplation, and we muſt needs ſay that he was infinitely Wiſe who did all this.
4. IN the Providential management of the World, and all the Affairs of it; the keeping of all things in order; conducting of them to their ends, ſo as to bring them to attain them actually; the keeping of ſo many wheels, which are in motion, to go regularly, and none of them to miſs, is a curious piece of infinite Wiſdom. It would have declared him to be God, if all had been right as it was when he made it; but it more admirably appears ſince the fall of Man; the Apoſtaſy of one of the principal pieces of this frame, by which he hath ſo far put himſelf out. It is the Wiſdom of God … …ulars it ſ…lf, in that the Sa… knows his …ing & going down: the unnountable S…s attend their ſeveral motions: that the ſee w…e and ſ…eſs Creatures, know their times, and obſerve them accurately: but that when man revelted from his Rule, and ſought to bring conſuſion upon the whole, turned himſelf from Deſigning his great end, and abuſed the Creatures that were under him to ſtrengths him in his Revolt: God for all this teacheth, and miſſeth not of his own glorious ends, but makes them ſervicable thereto, is glorified upon them, and recovers the glary of his abuſed mercies: ſomething of this is now and then ſeen at preſent, which extorts confeſſions from his very Enemies; but the full of it ſhall be made known in the day of revelation, when that Scripture ſhall have full accompliſhment, Pſal. 76.1…. barely the wrath of man ſhall pre…ſe thee: the remainder of wrath ſhalt than reſtrain. And needs muſt he be a wiſe Piles, that can fleer ſteadily in ſuch a St….
5. IN the happy contr… of Man's Redemptions. In this Paul tells us the manife… Wiſdom of God is known, Eth. 1.10. Divine Wiſdom, as well as Power was requiſite to be exerted in the breaking the head plot of the Devil, who bad ſ…ſubtily contrived the ruin of Man, by bringing him under a ſentence of Death, in which the Juſtice of God, and his Holineſston, were deeply concerned & engaged; to find out, and bring about a way, wherein Sin might be puniſhed, and the Sinner pardoned; Ju…ice might triumph, and yet Mercy be exalted; God's Halineſs appear in his not enduring Sin, and his Grace ſhine forth in his unexpreſſible love to the Sinner: this is called a great Mydery, and Angels themſelves are Students in it; and ſo great is the depth of Wiſdom that is herein contained, that CHRIST, who is the Subject in whom it conters, is for this reaſon entituled by the name of Wonderfull, Iſa. 9.6.
THUS we have conſidered the Object of this Wiſdom. But beſides that, we have in the Deſcription, a farther account of it, in reſpect of the Act, viz. That he doth all this by one Simple & Eternal Act. He doth it not ſucceſſively as Men do, not by multiplied Acts, but all at once: nor is this one a compound Act, conſiſting of many parts, as the actions of Creatures are; but wholly uncompounded. The things ſeen and contrived are many, but the contrivance is individual; and all this from Eternity, as in the forecited, Acts 15.18. And there needs no more be ſaid for the evidencing this Aſſertion, but the conſideration, that all God's Attributes are himſelf: if therefore he be a Simple & Eternal Being, his Wiſdom muſt be ſo too; and becauſe he is Inſinite, therefore muſt his Wiſdom be of ſo vaſt a comprehenſion, as to be able to graſp in all this at once and together. And if we are not able to diſcern or give an account how theſe things can be, it is not to be woudred at, if we conſider the narrowneſs of our underſtanding, and the ſhallowneſs of our wiſdom; it may ſuffuse to ſatisfy us, that it is ſo with him, becauſe he is God, and not Man.
USE 1. LEARN hence, How worthy the Works of God are of …ur Contr… & …d…tita. Wiſdom is that which …mmends any that have it, to others: it gains their applauſe and wonderment. And indeed, it hath ſo much radiancy & ſplendour in it, that it cannot but ſ…prize ſuch as behold it. Sol…m…n tells us. F…l. 8.1. Who is …s the wiſe man' end aks known' the interpret…en of a thing? a man's wiſdom …theth has ſace … ſhine, and the badneſs of his ſort ſhall be …god. The Wiſdom of God then is a fit Object for the reaſonable Creature to employ his thoughts & obſervation upon. This is not to be ſeen oſ…ntially & d…redly by us, the light of it is too dazzling for our weak eyes: but the re…ections of it that are made by the works of Creation & Providence, in which it is ſo admirably imprinted, will lead us by the hand to make precious diſcoveries of it, and moſt aſtoniſhing. It is the Pſalmiſts remark, Pſal. 111.2. The works of the Lord are great, ſought rat of all them that have pleaſure therein. And certainly one thing that ſo engageth them is the admirable Curioſity of them; the accurate and aſtoniſhing ſtreaks of Divine Wiſdom that are there to be diſcovered. The ſpeculation of theſe things would mightily help us to honour and adore this God; to love him, and to truſt in him. Man's Sabbath was at firſt appointed him, to ſequeſter himſelf to this employment: it will coſt us time and labour, but the profit will recompenſe us for all. And there is no Day paſſeth, which gives us not occaſion to make remarks upon it And if our hearts be right, we ſhall ſee ſo much of it, as will abundantly ſatisfy us in the Wiſdom of that which we cannot penetrate into; and make us acknowledge the Reaſon, not to be the want of Wiſdom in the thing, but the darkneſs that is upon our underſtandings; and ſay as he, Job 37.19. Teach us what we ſhall ſay unto him, for we cannot order our ſpeech by reaſen of darkneſs.
USE 2. THIS ſhould teach us, both to commend the management of all our couceres to God, and to adore his Wiſdom in all the Changes which befall us. It is not of Man in himſelf to direct his own way; we are not wiſe enough to know what is beſt for us; and if left to our own choice, would ſoon undo our ſelves. Here then is encouragement to make free reſignation of our ſelves into the hands of God, and leave our all to his diſpoſe; becauſe he is infinitely Wiſe, and knows how to ſteer all to his glory, and our beſt good: and there can be no Caſe ſo intricate and perplexed, but he doth eaſily ſee the way thro' it, and how to bring us ſafe to the farther end of it; Pr…. 16.3 C…m…t thy works unto the Lord, and thy th… … ſhall …e eſ…ſted. This alſo may quiet our minds under the dark Providences which paſs over us at any time, to remember that all the Affairs of the whole Creation are managed by him, according to his prudent Counſel, in which he hath laid out all in the beſt way to bring about his moſt holy purpoſes; and tho' we cannot ſee the leading of them, yet he doth. And as nothing falls out beſide his purpoſe. If he doth nothing …aſ…ly, but upon mature deliberation: and how ſhould this ſcience & quiet us! We never begin to find fault with any Providence which befalls us, but in ſo doing we make injurious reflections upon the Infinite Wiſdom of God: and let him that contends with his Maker, look to anſwer it.
USE 3. HERE alſo are we adviſed, Whither to go for Wiſdom, to guide us in our whole way. Whom ſhould we repair to, but the All wiſe God; hitherto we are directed by the Spirit of God, Jam. 1.5. If any of you lack wiſdom, l…t him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and uphraideth not; and it ſhall be given him. And there are three Arguments couched in theſe words to urge the Advice upon us,
1. Conſider, YOU want Wiſdom: you cannot do without it. To ſerve God, to do the duties of Chriſtians, to carry it right in all the relations you bear, to know how to order your Converſation in all things as becomes the Goſpel, and to live among Men ſo as to honour God and adorn your Profeſſion, requires a great deal of Wiſdom; and you have none of the true Wiſdom in your ſelves naturally: Man indeed would be thought Wiſe, but he is born as the …ild Aſſes Colt. The title which the Scripture puts on a natural Man is a Fool: and tho' there are ſome Principles of Wiſdom in the Regenerate, yet there is much folly remaining in them.
2. GOD hath Wiſdom enough to impart to ſuch as do …ant it. He is not only infinitely Wiſe in himſelf, but he can make them ſo, that come to him for it, in ſenſe of their need: He is called the Father of lights: He is the fountain which can ſend forth it's ſtreams: He can irradiate your Underſtandings, and fill them with the light of ſpiritual knowledge; and convey into them every good & perfect gift: all the Wiſdom that hath eminently appeared in any, was derived from him; he made them Wiſe.
3. HE is a free giver to ſenſible Petitioners. A fountain is not more communicative of its waters, than God is of Wiſdom to them that ask it of him: He was exceedingly well pleaſed with Solomon, that he asked this of him rather than any other thing, and he gave it him very liberally. There is none wants it, but for want of asking, or becauſe they do not ask in faith. Let us then covet herein to be like God, long for and ſeek after heavenly Wiſdom. And to that end, let us be always waiting at his Poſts, attending on his Counſels, opening of our hearts to receive his influences: Thus ſhall we have a Wiſdom which the world are ſtrangers to; even ſuch a Wiſdom as will make us wiſe to Salvation.
[AUGUST 13. 1689.]