from darkness unto light,-to the destroying of the power of Satan,-"to the pulling down of strong holds," to the building up of those who have believed on their most holy faith; so that the spiritual temple may grow both by the accession to it of lively stones, and by the growth in grace of each individual member. Let all pray for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem.8

2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

7 Jude 20.

8 Ps. cxxii. 6, 7.

ON THE INSUFFICIENCY OF HUMAN WISDOM, POWER, AND RICHES.

JEREMIAH ix. 23, 24.

"Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

MEN are naturally prone to forget the Lord their Maker, and to glory in some other good than the blessed God. Of the ungodly it is too truly said, that "God is not in all his thoughts." "He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity." Thus, the Jews, to whom God had shown special favours, and given many demonstrations of his perfections, were prone to 1 Ps. x. 4, 6.

THE INSUFFICIENCY OF HUMAN WISDOM, &c. 271

glory in their wealth, privileges, power, and valour. and to forget the Lord their deliverer. This was a grievous sin in any nation or individual; but in the people of Israel it was peculiarly so. For, they had so many and clear proofs that the Lord alone was their strength and their stay ;-that he alone was the Rock of their salvation.

The privileges and distinctions in which men glory, avail not in the day of divine vengeancewhen the judgments of God are abroad in the earth. And as his judgments were about to be poured forth on his ancient people, their boasting of strength, wisdom, and riches, was very unseasonable and vain. We purpose to notice,

I. THE PROHIBITIONS CONTAINED IN THE TEXT. II. THE COMMAND.

I. WE NOTICE THE PROHIBITION.

1. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.” An inspired writer has declared that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."2 And that "the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." Men may be wise in their own conceit,-they may be wise and prudent in the opinion of others, their measures and councils may be, apparently, wisely devised; yet

2 1 Cor. iii. 19, 20.

God can and frequently does frustrate their counsels, and turn the wisdom of man into foolishness. It is the "Lord that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their counsel foolishness."3 An instance of this we have in the case of Ahithophel. This Ahithophel was regarded as the wisest counsellor in Israel; and his counsel was sought and given against David the king of Israel. For "the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with David and with Absalom."4 Yet the Lord had appointed to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon. Absalom."5 Men, whether kings, statesmen, warriors, or merchants, may lay deep schemes, may carefully concert their measures, may appear to be certain of success; but it is written, "there are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand."6 And so the Lord God admonished the Jews of old; "that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all."7

2. "Neither let the mighty man glory in his... might." What is man, the strongest man, but... ·

Is. xliv. 25. 4 2 Sam. xvi. 23.

3

6 Prov. xix. 21.

5 Ibid. xvii. 14.

7 Ezek. xx. 32..

dust, turned into dust, crushed by the mighty power of God, as God, as a moth is crushed between the fingers? Just consider upon how little the life of the strongest man depends,-on so trifling a thing as the respiration of a little air; that being stopped, he dies. Nor is the combined power of the many, able long to stand, or to stand at all against the will and the power of God. Powerful armies, marshalled and led by courageous and skilful generals, may combine and move forward in an overwhelming phalanx; associations of men may be formed for various achievements, and their number and strength may threaten to bear away into ruin all before them;-but their strength is perfect weakness when the arm of the Lord is uplifted to oppose them. Of what avail to the proud Assyrian monarch, were his numerous and mighty legions, his horses and chariots, when the Lord God fought for Israel? Nebuchadnezzar, the haughty king of Babylon, boasted of his power and blasphemously defied the living God: "Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"9 Hear, again, how the same mighty king boasted of his strength and the strength of his kingdom: "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty ?" But, ah! how sud

8

• 2 Kings xix.

9 Dan. iii. 15.

1 Dan. iv. 30.