largely upon the goodness of God, both in his works of providence and grace, concludes the psalm b with saying, " Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord." And in nearly the same terms the Pro- phet Hosea, having preached no less than seventy years with very little effect, and having comprised the principal and most important parts of the Divine messages in a book, concludes the whole with these most affecting words ; " Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them ? for the ways of the Lord are right ; and the just shall walk in them ; but the transgressors shall fall therein."
From these words we shall take occasion to shew,
I. Who they are that will understand divine things —
[The things which the prophet is speaking of in the former part of our text, are the same which he afterwards calls " the ways of the Lord." Now we might be led to sup- pose that he refers to the sins against which he had guarded them, the duties he had inculcated, the punishments he had denounced, and the blessings which he had promised them in the name of God; seeing that these things are the general scope of the whole book : but he limits his own words to one particular sense, and teaches us to understand him as speaking, not so much of those ways wherein God. had walked towards them, as of the ways wherein they were to walk before him : and therefore the things which the wise only can understand, are the things which pertain to vital experimental religion: and indeed this best agrees with the preceding context ; for through the whole chapter, God delineates the experience of true penitents, and shews, that when he shall come down as the dew upon their souls, they shall resemble the olive in their beauty, the lily in their growth, the cedar in their sta- bility, the wines of Lebanon in their fragrancy, and the corn itself, or vine, in their fruitfulness. These things, it must be confessed, surpass the comprehension of the natural man ; and therefore the prophet adds, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things ; prudent, and he shall know them."
But here we must attentively consider whom the prophet intends under the description of the " wise and prudent?" Is it worldly wisdom and worldly prudence of which he speaks in such high terms ? Are these the great requisites for the right
b Ps. cvii.
1179.] SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD's PEOPLE. 161
understanding of spiritual matters? Surely not; this cannot be the meaning of the prophet ; for then he would directly oppose the whole tenour of the sacred writings. Carnal wisdom and prudence are universally represented in the Scriptures as most adverse to divine truth, and as the greatest obstacles to the attainment of spiritual knowledge. Hear how St. Paul speaks of the wisdom and prudence of this world, in I Cor. i. 18, and following verses ; " The preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness ; but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God ; for it is written, 1 will destroy the wisdom of the ivise, and will bring to nothing the understand- ing of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Whex-e is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? for, after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom kneiv not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Then, in ver. 56, he appeals to their own experience and obser- vation ; " Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called ; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, that no flesh should glory in his presence." If any additional testimony were needed, we might take that of our Lord himself, who not only affirmed the same truth, but was exhilarated and comforted by the consideration of it, and made it the subject of his devoutest thanksgiving: " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent^ and hast revealed them unto babes." God indeed has been pleased in all ages to enlighten and convert some who were reputed wise ; because he would shew to all the world, that his truths, how- ever despised, were consistent with the profoundest wisdom, and capable of enlarging the most refined understanding : nevertheless, the wise and prudent of this world have always been the foremost to reject the truth of God. None cavilled more at our Lord's discourses than the Scribes and Pharisees; nor were any more contemptuous in their treatment of Paul than the philosophers at Athens. We may be sure, there- fore, that such are not the persons intended by the prophet in my text?