When a Christian hath renounced carnal wisdom, God ! leaves him
not in the storm in the world as a ship without a stern. '"' He leaves him
not as having no pole-star to guide his course by, but he gives him better
direction. He hath the word of God, he hath the Spirit of God, he hath
* That is, ' helm.'— G.
2 COraNTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 12. 275
the gi-ace of God to guide him. Therefore, after the negative here, ' Not in fleshly wisdom,' the holy apostle tells us how the child of God is led in his own person, but
* Brj the grace of God.'' It is good for inferiors alway to be under the govern- ment of superiors, and so God hath framed the world. For beasts, because they have no wisdom of their own, they are led and guided by men : and man, because he is, as I said before, ' a beast by his own knowledge,' and hath but a finite, a limited understanding, he is guided by a larger understanding, he is guided by God if he be good. And it is the happiness of the creature to be under the guidance of a better wisdom. All things in the world are guided to their end. Things without life are guided to their end without their privity. We see there is an end in everything. There is nothing in nature but it hath its end ; whereupon comes that saying of the philosophers, which is good, that the work of nature is a work of deep understanding. Not so much as the leaves, but they serve to shelter, and cover the fruit from the sun, and the storms, that it may thrive the better. There is nothing in nature but it is of great use. The work of nature is a work of deep under- standing. Now man, because he hath a principle of understanding in him- self, he is so guided by the wisdom of God to his end, as that he under- stands his own end himself. He is so led by the wisdom of God, as that God hath created a work of wisdom in himself, that he together with God is carried to his end. Now, as I said, when we are out of the regiment and government of the flesh, we come under the gracious government of God. Therefore the apostle saith here, ' Not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God.'
The holy apostle means here especially, the particular grace opposite to fleshly wisdom, that is, spiritual wisdom.
Quest. But why should the apostle here not say thus, ' Not with fleshly wisdom, but with spiritual wisdom ?' Why should he not say so, rather than thus, ' Not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God ?' Why should he put grace instead of wisdom ?
Ans. I answer, he doth it for heavenly ends.
1. First, to shew that that wisdom whereby we are governed, it is not from ourselves, hut it is a (jmce. He considers wisdom, not so much as it is in ourselves, in the conduit ; but as it is in the spring, in the free love of God. It is a divine consideration, to consider all habitual graces in us, not as they are streams derived to us, and resting in us, but as they are knit to a spring which is never drawn dry ; which besides is a free spring. Therefore they are graces.
And that is the I'eason of the comfort of a Christian. He knows he shall never be destitute of necessary strength, of necessary comfort, of necessary direction and grace to lead him to heaven ; because those things that are necessary in him, he considers them as graces, not as habits, as it was the proud term of the philosophers to call them {rv).
We must consider them not as things in us invested in our nature, but as things that have their original from the free, constant, and eternal love of God ; as, what is so free as grace ? So a Christian looks on his disposition wrought by grace, and on every particular grace he hath ; as love, wisdom, patience, he looks to all as graces, as they come from the free love of God that is constant ; for ' whom he loves, he loves to the end,' John xiii 1. And his joy is more in the spring than in the stream ; it is more in the sun, in Christ himself, than in grace from him. Therefore the apostle, instead of
270 COMJIENTARY ON
the abstracted distinct gi'ace of wisdom, or any such thing, be saith, 'fiTace.' There is a savour in the very terms of Scripture, a sweet taste in the veiy language of the Holy Ghost.
2, And then to shew that we are not only governed by wisdom, but b}' other gi'aces, to slicir the comiection of it vith other f/racefs ; therefore he saith, * We have had our conversation, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God.'
3. To show likewise, that where ichdoDi fail^ in us, it is siijiplied hi/ r/ race ; for the wisdom of God for us, is larger than the wisdom of God in us. The wisdom that God works in us by his Spirit, it teacheth us to avoid dangers, and teucheth us how to lead our lives ; but wo are led by a higher wisdom. The grace of God for us, it is higher than that which is in us.