ON THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD



"The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."--I Cor. iii. 19.

It is remarkable that about the time of our Saviour's coming into
the world all kinds of learning flourished to a very great degree,
insomuch that nothing is more frequent in the mouths of many men,
even such who pretend to read and to know, than an extravagant
praise and opinion of the wisdom and virtue of the Gentile sages of
those days, and likewise of those ancient philosophers who went
before them, whose doctrines are left upon record, either by
themselves or other writers. As far as this may be taken for
granted, it may be said that the providence of God brought this
about for several very wise ends and purposes; for it is certain
that these philosophers had been a long time before searching out
where to fix the true happiness of man; and not being able to agree
upon any certainty about it, they could not possibly but conclude,
if they judged impartially, that all their inquiries were in the end
but vain and fruitless, the consequence of which must be not only an
acknowledgment of the weakness of all human wisdom, but likewise an
open passage hereby made for letting in those beams of light which
the glorious sunshine of the Gospel then brought into the world, by
revealing those hidden truths which they had so long before been
labouring to discover, and fixing the general happiness of mankind
beyond all controversy and dispute. And therefore the providence of
God wisely suffered men of deep genius and learning then to arise,
who should search into the truth of the Gospel now made known, and