Art. 3. On the remedy against the vanity of imprudence, which is the acquisition of wisdom, which is explained in two parts.
What more does he have etc. He set forth above the remedy against the vanity of malice and against the vanity of avarice: here thirdly he sets forth the remedy against the vanity of imprudence . Against this, however, the supreme remedy is the acquisition of wisdom; and because no one can acquire wisdom unless he has the proper method of learning: therefore this part has two sections. In the first he gives the method, in the second he unfolds the teachings of wisdom, at the passage: Better is a good name etc.
First the method of acquiring wisdom is explained by a threefold reasoning.
The method of considering or learning for one who wishes to be wise is handed down in this way. First, that he should learn useful things: second, that he should leave aside hidden things: third, that he should not inquire into lofty things.
(Vers. 8.). First therefore he teaches to seek and consider useful things, and this is, how one may arrive at the life of glory. Therefore he asks: What more does the wise man have than the fool, and what does the poor man ? He rightly joins these two: poor and wise. For one is called poor through contempt of present things: whence Matthew 5: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"; wise, through the savor of eternal things and right estimation: concerning which Proverbs 3: "The wise shall possess glory: the exaltation of fools is disgrace." But the fool is called the worldly man, who on the contrary, despising eternal things, gapes after earthly things: concerning whom Job 5: "I saw the fool with a firm root, and I cursed his beauty at once." What more does the wise and poor man have than the fool in this life? supply: little. Except that he may go there, where life is, namely eternal life, to which man ought to aspire, not to temporal things, which cannot be held: on account of which he has little here in mortal life, because "the learned dies equally with the unlearned," above in chapter two: but in eternal life he has much more, because he will obtain delightful, abundant, secure being, all things in the open vision and enjoyment of the highest good: concerning which life John 17: "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God" etc. To this life the wise proceed, because they direct their eyes toward it, as is said above in chapter two: "The eyes of the wise man are in his head"; and therefore he follows Christ, the light, who, as is said in John 14, is "the way, the truth, and the life": but the fool does not proceed: whence below in chapter ten: "The labor of fools shall afflict them, because they do not know how to go to the city."
(Vers. 9.). To this life one cannot rightly arrive without knowledge: therefore he adds: It is better to see
what you desire, that is, to know the life which you long for: than to desire what you do not know, that is, to wish to arrive there in ignorance: and therefore one ought to direct one's consideration toward it: Proverbs 4: "Let your eyes look upon what is right, and let your eyelids go before your steps And indeed this is good to know, but to desire what one does not know is foolish. Therefore he adds: But this also is vanity and presumption of spirit, namely, to desire what man does not know, just as James and John desired and asked to sit at the right hand, and sought presumptuously: therefore it is said to them in Matthew 20: " You do not know what you ask ".
It can also be expounded as a commendation of the knowledge of useful things, so that the sense is that it is better to know desirable and useful things than to desire to know hidden things, which indeed he forbids to consider, because this is presumption of spirit, namely, to wish to know what God has disposed in his providence.
(Vers. 10. 11.). And indeed he forbids to scrutinize this, consequently saying: He who is to be etc. Here he calls back from scrutinizing hidden things, such as the divine disposition: on account of which he says: He who is to be, his name has already been called, with respect to eternal election; Romans 4: " Who calls those things which are not, as though they were ". And it is known that
he is man, with respect to the smallness of the duration of life: Genesis 3: " Dust you are, and to dust you shall return ". And he cannot contend in judgment against one stronger than himself, with respect to the condition of justice: for no one is so just that he can justify himself in judgment with God: Job 9: " I know that man is not justified when compared to God. If he should wish to contend with God, he cannot answer him one for a thousand "; therefore Job said: "How great then am I, that I should answer him "; and therefore it is added: because stronger: whence Job 9: " If strength is sought, he is most mighty; if equity of judgment, no one dares to bear witness for me ". Therefore this hidden disposition is said not to be scrutinized by us; because in our words little truth is found, especially when we wish to discuss those things which are hidden from us.
Therefore he adds: Words are very many, that is, few things are known: below, chapter 10: The fool multiplies words ". And having much vanity in disputing, and little truth, above, chapter 3: " He has delivered the world to their disputation, so that man may not find the work which God has wrought from the beginning even to the end "; and therefore those who wish to scrutinize these things become vain, according to that word of the Apostle in First Corinthians 3: " God knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain ".