The wisdom of God for us, it watchcth over us, it keeps us from more evil, and doth more for us, than that which is in us, although that be spiri- tual and heavenly. Therefore the apostle here, he names not distinctly ' gracious wisdom,' which he mainly intends, as we see by the opposition, ' Not by fleshly wisdom, but by gracious wisdom ;' why doth he not say so, but * by grace '?' Because our Christian conversation it is not only by wis- dom in us, but by grace and love, partly in us and partly for us.
For indeed there is a watchful providence, there is a waking love about the guiding of a Christian in his course to heaven, that keeps him in, more, than any grace that is in him. And a Christian at the hour of death, and at the day of judgment, will be able to say with experience, that the wis- dom of God for me hath been more than any wisdom he wrought in me : though by the wisdom in me, he enabled me to discover many dis- couragements, to see many wants, and to take many good courses that he blessed for me.
But his wisdom for me was greater in preventing occasions above my strength, in offering means that I never dreamed of, in fitting occasions and opportunities to me.
The wisdom of God about and toward a Christian is more than any wisdom that is in him. For, alas ! having to do with the devil and with malicious spirits, and with the world, the stream whereof is against grace, it is hard for that beam of wisdom in us, that little wisdom we have, though it be an excellent, spiritual, divine thing. Yet notwithstanding there is a heavenly wisdom that watcheth for us, and gives issue and success to all the good we do, and turns away all evil that is above the proportion of grace and strength in us. Therefore, saith he, our conversation is in the grace and favour of God, not only in me, but /or me. I find experience of grace ; not only the grace that is in me, but of grace every way for me in all my courses.
And that is the reason why weaker Christians are sometimes the safer Christians. Another Christian that is wiser, he meets with troubles perhaps.
Aye, but God knows that he hath but a little proportion in him, and there- fore God's wisdom is more for him without him. God doth wondrously for infants and weak persons. The lack in them is supplied by his heavenly wisdom.
And that makes Christians confident, not to take thought what they shall speak, or how to carry themselves, more than is meet ; not to have distracted thoughts, I mean, to be discouraged in a good cause. He thinks I have not only a promise of grace to direct and guide me, but likewise the wisdom of heaven for me, to discourage others, to take away occasions of
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP, I, VER. 12. 277
discouragement from me, to offer mc encouragements, and to lift up my spirit when occasion serves.
This is the comfort of a Christian, that God is his strength. ' He hath wrought all our works for us,' saith the prophet, Isa, xxvi, 12, He not only works gi'acioi;s works in us, but he works all our works for us.
In that the apostle mentions gi'ace, when his meaning is of the parti- cular grace of wisdom, as the opposition shews, the first thing that I will observe from it is this, that
Obs. A Chriiitian stands in need of wisdom.
When he is out of the fleshly government of fleshly wisdom, he stands in need of another wisdom, and that is grace, the wisdom of God,
We stand in need of wisdom ; for, alas ! what can we do in this world without wisdom ? what can we do without light ? For bodily inconve- niences we have a bodily light, an outward light to shew us what is noisome ; for reasonable inconveniences that our common wits apprehend, we have the light of reason.
1. But there be many inconveniences, jiiani/ daiufers to the soul. Now there must be a light of wisdom answerable. We need a heavenly wisdom to avoid devilish inconveniences and dangers to the soul, which without wisdom we cannot avoid.
2. Again, there is a necessity of wisdom that is heavenly, when we have renounced carnal wisdom, there is such a likeness between that which is good, and that which is evil, between truth ami falsehood. ' Likeness is the mother of error,' * Falsehood is wondrous like truth. Evil is wondi-ous like good ofttimes, in show, when a sophister hath the handling and the pro- pounding of it. Though there be as much distance between them as be- tween light and darkness ; yet to the appearance of man, to his shallow judgment, they are wondi'ous like one another. Here is need of wisdom to discern, and distinguish between these.
3. Again, there is wondrous need of wisdom, because there are a fp-eat manij hindrances from the doim/ of that which is good. It is good to have wisdom to see how to remove those hindrances. There are a great many advantages to help us to do good. There is much wisdom requisite to take all the helps and advantages to do that which is good ; and unless we have wisdom we cannot take the advantages to do good, as we should,