The Scripture directory for church-officers and people, or, A practical commentary upon the whole…

¹First therefore, God makes this wisdom foolishness, in a passive sense, in that he did not vouchsafe to use it as an instrument to propagate the Gospel. He disdained to take the wise and learned Orators or Philosophers of the world. Now wherein could a greater scorn be put upon the wisdom of the world, then in this particular, that God would not so much as own it, or take notice of it, in the plantation of the Gospel? Paul doth often mention this, 1 Cor. 1. It pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save men, when the wise men of the world would not acknowledge God by the creatures. And at another time, Paul renounced the cunning and deceitful ways of humane wisdom; They did not come in such words: And why? That their faith might be in the power of God, 1 Cor. 2.5. So then, if you regard what Instruments God did at first choose to diffuse his Gospel truths, you will find he slighted and passed over the great wise men of the world, and chose the poor, foolish, and contemptible Instruments. Herein God did demonstrate his wisdom, that so all power and greatness might be acknowledged to be in and from him only. What a reproach did Haman account it, that all the Royal robes and honour should be put upon Mordecai his great enemy, and he laid aside? No less did this enrage the wise men of the world, to see, that by such contemptible Instruments, so great and mighty changes should be wrought upon the hearts and lives of men. This is the first instance. Yet this is not so to be understood, as if God did not sometimes use the wise men of the world; for he chose Cyprian, Nazianzen, Basil; to the latter whereof, Libanius, the great Scholar in those days, but an Heathen, wrote, that he did so admire his judgment, that he did all over sweet and tremble to think on that time when he should read his Epistle, and pass his censure of it. But though God did use such wise men, yet this was not the chief and principal thing whereby they propagated Faith, but rather the Gospel simplicity. They did it not quà sapientes, quà Orators, but quâ credentes: As Sampson wrought those great and wonderful things, not by the strength of his arms, but by his hair, that so the effect might be attributed to God, and not to Sampson.

¹First therefore, God makes this wisdome foolishnesse, in a passive sense, in that he did not vouchsafe to use it as an instrument to propagate the Gospel. He disdained to take the wise and learned Oratours or Philosophers of the world. Now wherein could a greater scorn be put upon the wisdome of the world, then in this particular, that God would not so much as own it, or take notice of it, in the plantation of the Gospel? Paul doth often mention this,