SERMON XIII.

THE WISDOM OF GOD.

NOW UNTO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE THE ONLY WISE GOD, BE HONOUR AND GLORY, for EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

In this passage of Scripture, glory and honour are ascribed to God, in the character of the eternal, immortal, and invisible' Ruler of all things, and also in that of God the only wise ;' with a solemn Amen subjoined to the ascription. When God is called the only Wise,' it is not intended that there is no other wisdom beside that which is inherent in him; but that he is the source of all wisdom, and wise to such a degree as to render all other wisdom nothing in comparison with his. The Wisdom of God is, in other words, infinite; and shall now be the subject of our consideration.

The word Wisdom is applied indifferently to the character, and to the conduct of an intelligent being. As applied to the latter, it denotes the choice of good ends, and the selection and adoption of good means for the accomplishment of them. As applied to the former, it denotes that attribute which thus chooses, selects, and adopts.

Wisdom is therefore a compound attribute, being made up of the knowledge to discern, and the disposition to choose, the ends and means which I have mentioned. The Wisdom of God is formed therefore of his Omniscience and Benevolence, united in planning and accomplishing all real good, in the progress of his immense and eternal kingdom.

It will not unnaturally be supposed, that, as the Omnisci

ence and Benevolence of God have already been separately discussed, an examination of them, when combined in the attribute of wisdom, must be superfluous. I have at times adopted this opinion; but upon considering the propensity of our minds to dwell on these attributes, in this combination; a propensity encouraged abundantly by the Scriptures; and the frequency with which the divine wisdom recurs, in forms very various and interesting, both in the conversation and writings of men, and the word of God, I have concluded that a particular discussion of this subject would, if properly conducted, hold a useful place in this system of Discourses.

After the arguments adduced to prove the existence of these attributes, separately considered, it must, I presume, be unnecessary to allege any proofs of their existence in this combination. This Discourse will therefore be employed only in illustrating this dignified subject, as it is exhibited in the various conduct of the Most High. From this vast field, also, a few examples only will be selected; it being neither necessary nor possible on this occasion, to extend such an investigation to any great length. The scheme of discourse which I propose to pursue, is to mention,

I. Summarily, such exemplifications of the divine wisdom as are commonly insisted on; and

II. More particularly, some others which have been less the objects of public attention; or which at least I have seen either very little, or not at all, discussed by others.

I. I shall mention summarily such exemplifications of the divine wisdom, as are commonly insisted on.

Among the numerous subjects included under this head, the heavens by their magnificence undoubtedly strike the eye with the greatest force and splendour. In all ages, contemplative men have regarded the illustrious objects presented to us in this great field of observation, as eminently indicating the wisdom of God. 'Oh give thanks,' says the Psalmist, "unto Him who alone doth great wonders; who by wisdom made the heavens; who made great lights, the sun to rule by day, and the moon and stars to rule by night; for his mercy endureth for ever.' The Lord by wisdom,' saith Solomon, 'hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.' When he prepared the heavens,' says Wis

dom itself, speaking by the voice of the same writer, I was there, when he set a compass on the face of the deep.'

To us, whose views are enlarged and rectified by the modern astronomy, this subject is presented with an importance which it could not have assumed in the mind of the ancients. To them, the size, proportions, distances, and uses of the heavenly bodies were in a great measure unknown; and where this was not the fact, were so partially known as to leave the mind in many respects perplexed and lost. With our superior advantages we discern the sun to be a vast luminous world, astonishingly greater than all the others united, which compose the solar system. All these we behold arranged around this glorious world as their common centre. To them the sun communicates motion, light, regularity, and harmony; and to their inhabitants, life, and the means of sustaining it; food, raiment, warmth and activity; and their consequences, usefulness and enjoyment. This amazing scene of wonders, we have the most satisfactory reason to believe, is in a sense endlessly repeated in the stellary systems, diffused throughout the boundless expansion, and repeated with a similar display of divine wisdom in their regularity, harmony and beauty. Even an Atheist must be compelled to confess, that in this scene there is a perfect and glorious accomplishment of just such things, as, in the view of the human mind, appear to be suited to the most perfect operations of the most perfect wisdom.

In the revolution of the Seasons, intimately connected with this subject, we behold an inferior, but still a splendid, display of the same glorious attribute. From the present position of the earth are derived, in the different parts of its annual circuit, summer and winter, seedtime and harvest. It cannot be necessary for me to attempt a detail of the various methods in which the divine hand provides, through the instrumentality of the seasons, for the supply of our wants, the relief of our distresses, and the uninterrupted succession of our enjoyments. A child needs not to be informed, that all creatures wait upon God, that he may give them their meat in due season; and that he opens his hand, and satisfies the wants of every living thing.'

Nearly allied to the revolutions of the seasons, is that by which the world enjoys the vicissitudes of day and night. The

diurnal rotation of the earth, connected with the position of its axis, furnishes to all its parts an equal enjoyment of these two great affections of our globe; just as its annual revolution, connected with the same positions, distributes the seasons alternately, in a regular succession, over all the regions from the equator to the poles. By the day, man is enabled to pursue successfully all the business of life; and by the night is, at the necessary and most proper intervals, furnished with seasons of refreshment and rest. It ought to be remarked, that by means of the refrangibility of light, and the refractive power of the atmosphere, a portion of day is added to us every morning and every evening; and the light of the sun conveyed to us, and withdrawn from us, in that gradual manner, which, while it is eminently beautiful and delightful, is at the same time the only manner in which it could be comfortable, or perhaps tolerable to our eyes.

A philosopher has made it an argument of the wisdom of God, and in my view justly, that the earth is clothed in green, a colour eminently easy, refreshing, and delightful to the

eye.

In the provision made for the wants of men and animals, there are innumerable, as well as wonderful, proofs of the Wisdom of God. The means by which an ample supply for all these wants is continually furnished, were they not the objects of our daily inspection, and thus rendered so familar as to be in a great measure unregarded, would awaken in our minds, not approbation merely, but amazement. A single plant produces yearly a great number of seeds; so many as to furnish, in the ordinary course of providence, abundant assurance, that that kind of plant shall be continued throughout the successive ages of the world. As a farther security, these seeds are, to a great extent at least, and in all probability universally, incorruptible, when lodged below the depth, within which vegetation springs; notwithstanding they are so easily dissoluble above that limit. By the latter circumstance, an easy, certain, and abundant vegetation is secured: by the former, seeds are treasured in the earth for long periods of time; whence by deep plowing, digging, and other means, they are brought again within the region of vegetation, and spring in the same manner as fresh seeds. I have been satisfactorily informed of the vegetation of seeds, which had in this manner been cer

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tainly kept in the earth no less than two hundred years. diffusion of these seeds over the face of the earth is accomplished by means, which are perhaps still more wonderful. Such seeds as are heavy, and immoveable by more obvious means; such for instance as the stones and-seeds of fruits, are commonly swallowed both by birds and beasts, and conveyed in their stomachs whithersoever they rove, and are ultimately planted, not only in the neighbouring fields and countries, but also in more distant regions. Others of considerable weight are lodged permanently in a large and light husk, which, together with the seed contained in it, is easily separated, after the seed has become ripe, and blown by the wind over extensive tracts. Others still are winged and feathered in such a manner as to be easily wafted in the breeze, and spread through all the surrounding country. A young gentleman once in my presence examining a seed of a particular kind of grass, and finding a beautiful feather thus adhering to it, was so struck with this contrivance for the dispersion of such seeds over the earth, that he exclaimed, The man must be a brute, who does not believe in the existence of God.'

The most necessary and useful things are also, with the most perfect wisdom, generally diffused; while those which are less interesting to human happiness, are more rare and solitary. Food, raiment, drink and fuel, are spread everywhere. Gold and gems, wines and spices, are found only in particular places. Wheat and grass, the most useful of all vegetables, grow in more soils and climates than any other. Water and air exist throughout the world, and are placed beyond the controul of man. Could any one of our race command either of these elements, he would possess an absolute dominion over every inhabitant of those regions to which this command extended. Animals useful for food, or other important purposes of man, are multiplied easily to any extent. Fish, which fur

nish so considerable a part of human sustenance, multiply, in a sense, endlessly. Other animals of inferior use are by various causes limited to a very moderate increase. The clothing of animals changes with the change of climate. When removedto a cold latitude it becomes thick, soft, and warm; when to a hot latitude, it becomes thin, coarse, and cool. Without these changes, the animals thus removed would be unable to live.