2. The second work wherein God's wis- dom shines forth, is the work of redemp- tion: 1. Here was the master- piece of di- vine wisdom, to contrive a way to happi- ness, between the sin of man, and the jus- tice of God. We may cry out with the apostle, Rom. xi. 33., " O the depth of the riches both of the wivsdom and knowledge of God !" Tliis posed men and ang^els. If God had put us to find out a way of sal- vation when we were lost ; we could nei- ther have had an head to devise, nor a heart to desire, what God's infinite wisdom had found out for us. Mercy had a mind to Rave sinners, yet loath that the justice of God should be wronged ; " it is a pity," saith Mercy, " tliat such a noble creature as man should be made tf> be undone ; and yet no reason that God's justice should be a loser. What way then shall be found out ? Angels canru)t satisfy for the wrong done to God's justice, nor is it fit that one nature should sin, and another nature suf- fer : what then? Shall man be for ever lost?" Now, while Mercy was thus debat- ing with itself, what to do for the recovery of fallen man, here the Wisdom of Gyd stepped in, and thus the oracle spake, " Let God become man ; let the second person in the Trinity be incarnate, and suffer ; and so for fitness he shall be man, and for abilitv he shall be God: thus iustice mav be satisfied, and man saved." O the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God, thus to make justice and mercy to kiss each other ! Great is this mystery, " God ma- nifested in the flesh," 1 Tim. iii. 16. What wisdom was this, that Christ should be made sin, yet know no sin ; that G<k1 should condemn the sin, yet save the sinner ? Here was wisdom, to find out the way of salvation. — 2. The means by which salva- ti<m is applied, set forth God's wisdom ; that salvation should be by faith, not by works. Faith is an humble grace, it gives all to Christ ; it is an adorer of free grace,
atul free grace being advanced here, God hath his glory, and it is his highest wis- dom to exalt his own glory. — 3. Tlie way of working faith declares God's wisdom ; it is wrought by the word preached, Rom. X. 17., " Faith Cometh by hearing." What is the weak breath of a man to convert a soul ? It is like whispering in the ears of a dead man ; this is foolishness in the eye of the world ; but the Lord loves to slunv his wisdom, by that wliic^li seems follv, 1 Cor. i. 27., "' He hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise." Why so? V. 29. "That no flesh should glory in his presence." Should God con- vert by the ministry of angels, then we should have been ready to have gloried in angels, and have given that honour to tliem which is due to God : but when God works by weak tools, makes use of men who are of like ])assions with ourselves, aiul by them converts, now the power is plainly seen to be of God, 2 Cor. iv. 7., " We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excel- lency of the power may be of God, and not of us." Herein is God's wisdom seen, that no flesh may glory in his presence.
3. The wisdom of God wonderfully ap- pears in the works of his providence. Every providence hath either a mercy or a won- der wra])t up in it. The Avisdom of God, in his works of providence, appears : 1. By effecting great things by small con- temptible means. He cured the stinig Is- I'aelites, by a brazen serpent. If some sovereign antidote had been used, if the balm of Gilead had been brought, there had been some likelihood that this should have healed ; but what was there in a brazen serpent? It was a mere image, aiul not applied to him that was wounded, only he was to look upon it, yet this wrought a cure. The less ])rol)ability in the instru- ment, the more is God's wisdom seen — 2. The wisdom of God is seen in doing his work bv that which to the eve of flesh seems quite contrary: God intended t<> ad- vance Joseph, and make all his brethren's sheaves bow to his sheaf: now what \v»y doth he take? first Joseph is thrown ijito the pit, then sold into Egypt: then after that ])ut in ]»rison, Gen. xxxix. 20. And bv his imprisonment, God made way for his
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OF THE WISDOM OF GOD.