Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Where he calls God wise, he adorns him not with a perpetual epithet, but taxeth the craft and subtlety of those whom he saw to please themselves in their wisdom more then was meet.¹ He told them a little before, that they digged deep to cover their counsels, when by their close and secret practises they thought to flee; and yet to blear the eyes of the Lord. Now in taunting wise he derides their folly: as if he should say; No doubt but you thought your selves to be jolly wise men in so doing: yea, but you have to deal with a God that hath wisdom also to espy your plots well enough.² Wherein he privily taxeth them for such as imagined that God could not charge them with any thing, or as if he had bin one that was utterly unacquainted with their doings. In a word, it is as much as if he should have said; What will become of this goodly wisdom of yours in the end; will it bereave God of his Spirit? Nay, contrariwise in reproving you for your deceit and vanity, he will show by the effects, that he catcheth the wise in their craftiness: 1. Cor. 3.19.

VVHere he calles God wise, hee adornes him not with a perpetuall epithite, but taxeth the craft and subtiltie of those whom hee saw to please themselues in their wisdome more then was meete.¹ Hee told them a little before, that they digged deepe to couer their counsels, when by their close and secret practises they thought to flee; and yet to bleare the eyes of the Lord. Now in taunting wise hee derides their follie: as if hee should say; No doubt but you thought your selues to be iollie wise men in so doing: yea, but you haue to deale with a God that hath wisdome also to espie your plots well enough.² Wherein hee priuily taxeth them for such as imagined that God could not charge them with any thing, or as if hee had bin one that was vtterly vnacquainted with their doings. In a word, it is as much as if hee should haue said; What will become of this goodly wisdome of yours in the end; will it bereaue God of his Spirit? Nay, contrariwise in reprouing you for your deceit and vanitie, he will shew by the effects, that hee catcheth the wise in their craftinésse: