1 COR. 1. 26.
THis Text hath discovered two sorts of wise men, The wise man after the Spirit, and The wise man after the flesh; as also, Gods determination about the later, which is full of admiration and terror. He hath not chosen many wise men after the flesh. The characters of carnal wise men, you heard the last day. I shall conclude the first subject here enumerated at this time, and that which remaineth to be considered in the first place is, What are the Reasons why God passeth by this humane wisdom, and makes no account of it, Would it not have made much for the honour of the Gospel? Would it not have been a greater credit and ornament to Religion, to see all the great wise men of the world, to have done like the wise men of the East that came to adore Christ, though lying in a stable? Is not this History famous, that wise men should come so farre, and bring their external oblations, and testimonies of high respect to Christ, in that mean and contemptible way, and that in danger of their lives by Herod? In outward judgement these might have been called, The fools of the East, rather then the wise men. This did wonderfully celebrate the name of Christ; and may not a man say, If God would thus affect all the wise men in the world, would not godlinesse and religion be freed from those blemishes and scandals that have been and still are upon it? They are the simple and more foolish sort of people, that set themselves to the power of religion: None of the subtil profound and wise men of the world will venture too farre this way. This I confesse is a very plausible pretence, and might have deceived many, did not one example of our Saviour wonderfully confound such objections, where you may see him wonderfully affected with this divine dispensation, his heart is greatly moved with it; I thank thee, O Father, that thou hast hid these things from the wise, and hast revealed them to babes, Mat. 11. 25. The Text saith, he made this confession in a publike and solemn manner by way of thanksgiving unto God. So then, if this riddle of Gods dispensation be unfolded by Scripture-direction, we shall see matter of great praise and joy, not muttering or repining at Gods providence. And in this way of God there may be reason on Gods part, why he rejects such; and reasons on the carnal wise mans part, why he is refused.
And for the first, One eminent and visible reason, why God lets not the destroying1 Sword, as to the Israelite, but the Scepter of Grace passe over this wise man, is to teach us that humane wisdom hath no merit or causality, yea hath no disposition or preparation to the enjoyment of Christ. For when we see God so ordering it, That not many wise, not many prudent and subtil men are advanced to this crown of glory, all the world seeth it, That it is not humane wisdom or prudence, but the meer grace of God that makes the difference. The Apostle doth often inform those that were converted, That it was not for any works they had done, but by grace onely: So then, God who aimeth at his glory in all things, that every mouth might be stopped, that no man might say, I had a better understanding, I had a quicker insight then others, therefore God chose me, he takes such as are Babes and foolish comparatively, and bestows immortality and glory on them. Had the wise men of the world been called, then Achitophel, Whose counsels, were as the oracles of God had not been refused. The Heathens many of them gave a large testimony of their great wisdom; yet none of the Platoes, the Aristotles, the Tullies of the world did God make use of; but Piscatoria simplicitas, the mean things of the world were the fittest way for God to make his own greatnesse known; and hence it is that by sad experience we see men of the quickest parts, the nimblest wits, the most constant memories, yet to be the furthest off from the Kingdom of heaven. Its Gods way, he alone will have the glory, and to him only it doth appertain, and therefore he takes not those who may plead any internal worth in themselves.
Secondly, God will hereby teach us; that he doth more regard the least degree of a2 true humble and saving knowledge of him, then he doth all the humane wisdom in the world. That as the Scripture cals that tongue, Isa. 50. 4. The tongue of the learned in the Preacher, who is able to speak a word of comfort in due season to a contrite broken heart for sinne; So that man is a wise knowing man, who hath the fear of God in his heart, and thereby departs from all evil; and indeed as in beasts, that is their proper wise instinct they have; whereby they are able to avoid that which is evil and hurtful to them; so in man, that is his proper wisdom to avoid that which is his greatest evil. Now the greatest evil of a man, as a man, is sinne. For he being made rational and after the image of God, and for that glorious end of eternal happinesse, that is his proper evil which depriveth him of this, and onely sin doth that: Oh consider then thou art wise, when thou canst refuse all those sins that do so easily beset thee! Thou canst cry out, as they did of the deadly herb in the pot; This is death, yea this is damnation. Observe what is that which makes a man approved of by God, it is not his great wisdom, his great learning, but a practical knowledge of himself and of Christ. Aristotle said concerning the natural knowledge of the heavens in their nature and motions, that a little knowledge that way is greater then much knowledge of the sublunary things, but certainly the practical knowledge of heavenly things is farre more necessary then the speculative knowledge of all Arts and Sciences. Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he knoweth God. Do not then boast thy self either of outward greatnesse or inward excellencies of the minde, for thou art not to be compared to the meanest person in the world, how contemptible soever, that doth in a saving manner know God: This is eternal life to know God, Joh. 17. 3. You cannot say, wisdom, honour, riches are eternal life.