Providence and the Displacement of Counselors

According to the saying, "they shall build and I will turn back," says the Lord (Job 22:28). And concerning those having a bad building, it is said: "you destroy them and will not build them." Thus, if it is shut according to men, no one will open; for if God is not prospering a certain action, which someone pre-ordains, through whom words are known, who is able to open? He shut the escape from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and an opening was not found. And in its entirety, many such things you will find.

For He closes against the useful, not allowing the enjoyment of human things, but to be in want; and toward what? Toward salvation, He brings the difficult things. And He closes in another way according to men, when He does not allow them to prosper in evils, and this happening properly toward God, not as the Pharisees did; for it was said to them: "you shut the kingdom of the heavens, you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those entering to enter" (Matt 23:13). And the kingdom of the heavens is shut when those who seem to be teachers, through whom they work evils, make certain imitators of themselves, so that neither they nor those imitating them may enter into the kingdom.

If, therefore, God also shuts to the one who has shut it because of his conduct, who will open to him? Likewise the water and that which hinders according to the sensible, according to what is said, "one part shall be shortened and a part, on which I will not wet, shall be dried," hinders, it dries the earth; and of this you have the example in the Kingdoms; for He is "the one raising clouds from the end of the earth, making lightning into rain" (Job 37:3). And according to His own authority, He touches the earth toward growth and toward destruction of those in it, as in the flood according to Noah (Gen 7).

But if you lead these up with understanding, you will find also the profit from them. With Him are power and strength, with Him are knowledge and understanding. The reasonable proof of each of those things happening from Him, the God, is that no one else would be able to do it, or Him, as He teaches, asserting: "with Him are power and strength." And so that no one may irrationally suppose that He makes God remain by power and strength alone, He brings: "with Him are knowledge and understanding." For even if someone is displeased with the things happening, saying, "why is this fertile and wealthy land again becoming a wasteland, while the needy remains without bread?", let him hear.

The phrase 'with him are knowledge and understanding.' For He himself, 'having arranged all things by weight and measure,' provides to each according to the words of His providence what He wills. The production or administration of existing things does not occur by chance, but the diversity of created things and the wisdom of administration have come from and stand in divine wisdom.

It must be noted that it is not said, as if God were a compounder, that 'strength and might are with him' and 'with him are knowledge and understanding'; for all these things the Son is, being simple and uncomposite. He leads away captive counselors, and he makes the judges of the earth err. And these are the works of providence; for by will and by judgment, captive counselors are led away and judges are displaced.

And if 'counselors' refers to those who blow great in the state, many of these are also found scattered in captivity; which is clear from the captivity of Israel, concerning which Jeremiah lamented over their city, saying: 'How sits the city once full of people, now as a widow full of nations; she who ruled among the lands has become a tributary' (Jeremiah 2:36). And if 'those who advise' signifies the name of counsel, then God leads away those who do this for evil. An example of this is Ahithophel, whose counsel and life were perverted.

For from this also one can understand the work of providence: that even those most wise among those advising, following the purpose of advising, fail in their outcomes, not as if they advised badly, but as if providence is testing them otherwise. So also rulers who have done all things by themselves fail; for the end belongs to God. By His own power He 'made judges err.' And if 'made err' signifies madness, this also happens to those using judgment in a way that is not required; for God displaces such people, proving them foolish. But 'made err' can also signify their displacement; for by the providence of the Word of God, 'judges are displaced' and kings are seated on thrones. Similar to this is 'through me kings reign' and 'the Lord establishes kings and removes them.' Often He gives these both in anger and according to...