Eccles. xi. 19. "I am the most foolish of all men." This is said by Christ in the person of humanity. So
Ps. lxix. 5. "God, Thou knowest my foolishness." But
1 Cor. i. 25. The foolishness of God is wiser than men.
Ecclus. i. 18. "In much wisdom is much grief," shows the wise man's sense of imperfection. So
viii. 7. "I hated my life,"and
14. "There be righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked;" that is, God sees evil where we do not.
17. "However much a man may labor, yet he shall not find it;" and
ix. 2, 3. There is one event to all. The heart ...is full of evil.
x. 1. "Dead flies cause the ointment to stink;"That is, almost everyone is defiled by heresy or other faults.
1 Pet. ii. 17, 18. Judgement must begin at the house of God.
6. There are four emotions which agitate mankind, two relating to the present, two to the future; two to good, and two to evil. There is sorrow, called in Greek lu/ph , and joy, in Greek xara/ or h9donh/ , although many translate the latter word by voluptas, pleasure; the one of which is referred to evil, the other to good. And we go too far if we rejoice over such things as we ought not, as, for example, riches, power, distinctions, the bad fortune of enemies, or their death; or, on the other hand, if we are tortured with grief on account of present evils, adversity, exile, poverty, weakness, and the death of kindred, all of which is forbidden by the Apostle. And again, if we covet those things which we consider good, inheritance, distinctions, unvaried prosperity, bodily health, and the like, in the possession of which we rejoice and find enjoyment; or if we fear those things which we deem adverse. Now, according to the Stoics, Zeno that is to say and Chrysippus, it is possible for a perfect man to be free from these emotions; according to the Peripatetics, it is difficult and even impossible, an opinion which has the constant support of all Scripture. Hence Josephus, the historian of the Maccabees, said that the emotions can be subdued and governed, not extirpated, and Cicero's five books of "Tusculan Disputations" are full of these discussions. Accordto the Apostle, the weakness of the body and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places fight against us. And the same writer tells us that the works of the flesh and the works of the spirit are manifest, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that we do not the things that we would. If we do not what we would, but what we would not, how can you say that a man can be without sin if he chooses? You see that neither an Apostle, nor any believer can perform what he wishes. "Love covereth a multitude of sins," not so much sins of the past as sins of the present, that we may not sin any more while the love of God abideth in us. Wherefore it is said concerning the woman that was a sinner, "Her sins which are many are forgiven her, for she loved much." And this shows us that the doing what we wish does not depend merely upon our own power, but upon the assistance which God in His mercy gives to our will.
7. The quotations from Scripture are now continued:
In 1 John i. 5, John i. 7, John i. 8, Matt. v. 14, Christ and the Apostles are called the Light of the world. The world therefore is darkness.
1 Tim. vi. 16. God only hath immortality and is"only wise"; yet others,like the Prince of Tyre (Ezek. xxviii. 3), are wise derivatively. So we are pure, but only by grace. Thus
1 John i. 7. The blood of Christ cleanses us.
Job xxv. 5, Job xxv. 6. The stars are not pure in his sight.
Gal. ii. 16. "By the law no flesh shall be justified;" butRom. iii. 1, 24, 28, 30. Being justified freely through His grace, etc.
vi. 14. Not under the law, but under grace.
ix. 16. Not of him that willeth, but of God which showeth mercy.
ix. 30-32. The Gentiles ...attained to the righteousness by faith.
x. 2. Christ is the end of the law to every one that believeth.
8. The Apostle confesses his need of this grace for his work.
1 Cor. i. 1-3. Grace to you from God.
7, 8. That ye come behind in no gift-that no flesh may glory in His sight.
1 Cor. iii. 6-10. Paul planted ...but God gave the increase.