Wisdom reacheth from one end to another mightily: and sweetly doth she order all things.
All Commentaries on Wisdom of Solomon 8:1 Go To Wisdom of Solomon 8
Pseudo-Augustine
AD 1400
Since the world was corrupted by original sin and actual sins, the Creator of the world wanted to heal its fall with a secret and wonderful plan, through the mystery of the incarnate Word. By the same word through which he had created everything from nothing, he would restore what was lost. In fact, "he speaks and everything is made; he commands, and all exists." Let us not think that this power is diminished or changed in him "in whom there is no alteration or shadow of change" or that he is less powerful or wise in restoring than he was in creating. The hand of the all-powerful potter, whose paths are all truth and mercy and who, taking mud from the earth, raised it to the dignity of a rational nature, wanted in this way to reconstruct in fragile vessels what had been ruined. Thus the man"s sin would not remain unpunished, since God is just, nor did it remain unhealed, since he is merciful. If the one whose wisdom "extends mightily from one end of the earth to the other and governs all things well" were only just, he could have fought by his power against the seducer of the human race, bringing the lost sheep back under his dominion in the flock. But, by doing so, he would have only shown the excellence of his power and would not have exercised his healing mercy for the redeemed. Nor would it have become apparent with how much charity the Creator loved his creation"a creation he called to love him, offering in exchange considerable rewards"since miserable humanity, prior to receiving grace, would have obtained by merit what they otherwise would have received as a reward, even if they hardly deserved it. What the wisdom of God could have done with wisdom and power, he wanted to do with tenderness, uniting himself to the weakness of our flesh, which he had healed in the first place in himself. By this work, like a physician, he restored the human race to health. Not that it could not have been otherwise due to the skill and power of the Physician, but because an antidote corresponding to the illness could not have been more easily obtained. "The weakness of God is stronger than human beings, and the foolishness of God is wiser than human beings."
