is already past, be the more earnest now in " redeeming the time" that yet remains to you ]
^ ver. 21. y Eccl. xii. 1. ^ Isai. Iv. 6.
wisdom's address to men.
Prov. viii. 29 — 32. When he appointed the foundations of the earth, then I was hy him, as one brought up loith him : and I was daily his delight, rejoicing akvays before him : rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth : and my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, 0 ye children ! for blessed are they that keep my loays.
THE Proverbs of Solomon are a rich compendium of moral precepts, suited to men in all the various situations of civil, social, and domestic hfe. Some intimations indeed there are of Evangelical doctrines ; but they are neither numerous, nor distinct ; the scope and intent of the author having been, not so much to enlighten the minds of men with respect to principles of religion, as to supply them with a code of sacred ethics, for the regulation of their conduct. Yet, in the chapter before us, the language is so pecu- liar, as to have induced the most able commentators to think, that there was in the author's mind an in- tentional departure from his accustomed plan, and a
designed reference to Christ, the Saviour of the world. It is not our object to decide this point, but, rather, to exliibit the passage in such a view, as may render it most conducive to our spiritual improvement.
Let «rS consider then, I. What is that wisdom which here addresses us —
The two leading views of it will come under our consideration, if we interpret it as importing,
1. Wisdom personified — [It is evident that, throughout the whole chapter. Wisdom is represented as a person, and it must be spoken of as a person, in order to give scope for such a representation of it as is contained in our text^
Wisdom urns then ever " ivith God, as one brought up with him." It is an essential perfection of his nature, attendant on him on all occasions as a counsellor, without whose advice not any thing was ever transacted from all eternity. God has never done any thing from the mere impulse of his own sovereign will and pleasure : whatever he has predestinated, has nevertheless been " wrought according to the counsel of his own wilP. Wisdom has presided in all his councils ; nor has any thing ever been carried into effect without having previously received her sanction.
Her deliberations have been very mai7ily conversant about the ajfairs of men. God foresaw that man would fall, and, if left to himself, would perish like the fallen angels. But he greatly desired to save man, if peradventure it might be accomplished consistently with his own perfections. Every one of his attri- butes concurred in the wish ; but with some of them there seemed to be claims, which interfered with that object, and which could not by any means be set aside. Holiness required, that its hatred of sin should be fully known. Justice required satisfaction for the violations of God's law, and could in no wise be induced to relax its demands. Truth also desired, that its honour should not be compromised. It had no objection to the exercise of mercy, if only the sacred word of God might be kept inviolate: but it could never consent, whatever object were to be attained thereby, that the immutable God should be " made a liar*^." In this difficulty, all looked to Wisdom, to know, whe- ther she could devise any way, whereby the exercise of mercy might consist witli the rights of all the other attributes of tlie
^ We l)eg tliis to be particularly noticed ; because it is the sole ground of the following statement ; which, if that circumstance wero overlooked, might ajjpcar fanciful.
b Eph. i. 5, 10. c 1 John v. 10.