is right or wrong; what pleases or does
not please him; what merits his praise or his censure; in short, what
we should follow or avoid. Again, by "his ways" is meant that which
he will manifest unto men and how he will deal with them. These
things men cannot and would not discover by their own reason, nor
search out by their own intellect, and never should they oppose their
judgments or speculations to God. It is not for them to say what is
right or wrong, whether an act or ruling is divine. They should
humble themselves before him and acknowledge that they cannot
understand, they cannot teach God in such matters; they should give
him, as their God and Creator, the honor of better understanding
himself and his purposes than do we poor, miserable worms.

"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his
counselor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be
recompensed unto him again?"

27. Paul states three propositions which take away from the world all
its boasting concerning divine things: To know the mind of the
Lord--what are his thoughts and purposes, or what he has determined
within himself from eternity; to be his counselor--advising or
showing him what to do and how to do it; to give to him--assisting
him, by one's own ability, to accomplish his divine purpose. All this
is impossible to human nature; it cannot know his mind, and how much
less will it be able, with all of its wisdom and activity, to counsel
him or give him anything.

28. Therefore, it is a shameful presumption on the part of the world
to presume by its own powers to ascertain and discover God's essence,
his will and works, and to counsel him as to his duties and
pleasures; and shameful is it that it presumes with its works to have
merited something from him, and to have earned a recompense; shameful
presumption to expect to be honored as having achieved much for God's
kingdom and for the Church--strengthening and preserving them and
filling heaven with holiness!

29. God must defeat minds so perverted. In his administration he must
disregard their opinions and attempts. Thus, being made fools by
their own wisdom, they may stumble and be offended at it. So would
God, by showing us the realities, convince us of the futility of our
own endeavors and lead us to acknowledge that we have not fathomed
his mind, his counsel and will, and that we cannot counsel him. No
man or angel has ever yet first thought out for God his counsel