WISDOM'S POETRY

"and sweetly doth she order all things"

I came across this passage in French in Prions en Eglise the other day and found it moving. It occurred to me that, having been brought up Protestant, I had never read the Book of Wisdom, deuterocanonical and very fine. The passage below, an exquisite poem in praise of Wisdom (here in the King James version), might be a description of the Holy Spirit.

For wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me: for in her is an understanding spirit holy, one only, manifold, subtil, lively, clear, undefiled, plain, not subject to hurt, loving the thing that is good quick, which cannot be letted [resisted], ready to do good,

Kind to man, steadfast, sure, free from care, having all power, overseeing all things, and going through all understanding, pure, and most subtil, spirits.

For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.

For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.

For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.

And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.

For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.

For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all the order of stars: being compared with the light, she is found before it.

For after this [light] cometh night: but vice shall not prevail against wisdom.

Wisdom reacheth from one end to another mightily: and sweetly doth she order all things.




Hat tip to Wisdom Square for the image.