An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Secondly, Consider wisdom, as it is applied in working. Some have much of that wisdom which we call Theoretical, knowing, discerning wisdom; but as for practical, working wisdom, how to put things together, how to order them as to the businesses and affairs of this life, they are very far to seek. We say, Great Scholars are not always the wisest men: many are knowing, they know almost all things, they will dispute (de omni scibili) of all things knowable, yet are very weak when they come to lay things together for practice or government; if it be but the government of a family, or of their private estate, they know not how to manage it, much less can they manage the government of great Societies or Corporations, least of all of Kingdoms and Nations. But as for the Lord, he hath not only a knowing wisdom, but a disposing, a governing, a working, practical wisdom, in ordering all affairs, which we properly call prudence or discretion, (Psal. 112.5.) We have seen knowing learned men do things very foolishly, imprudently, indiscreetly. But all the works of the Lord are contrived and modelled, as also effected and perfected with infinite wisdom. Hence that Holy exclamation, (Psal. 104.24.) O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all? Which as it is true of all the works of Creation, so likewise of the works of Providence, the former of which are spoken of in the beginning of the Psalm, and the latter in the following parts of it. The Lord in wisdom made the world, He made the heavens by his wisdom, (Psal. 136.5.) and by wisdom hath he founded the earth, (Pro. 3.19.) If in both those places we understand Christ by wisdom, it doth not hinder, but advance this truth; now as the Lord made the world both heaven and earth in wisdom, so in and by the same wisdom he governs heaven and earth, and all his works in both are full of wisdom. Thus it appears that the Lord is mighty in strength of wisdom, both as to the knowing and ordering of all things: yea, the Lord is so mighty in both these kinds of wisdom, that there is indeed none wise but he. And therefore the Scripture not only calls him, The wise God, but God only wise, (Rom. 16.27.