John Trapp on Proverbs 8:12

Verſ. 12. I Wiſdome dwell with Prudence] I draw all into practice, and teach men to prove by their own experience, what that good, and holy, and acceptable will of God is. Of the moſt that would bee held knowing men, it may well bee ſaid, as Tully ſayes the Proverb went of the Athenians; that they uſed their wiſdome, as men do artificial teeth, for ſhew onely: And that they did ſcire quae recta ſunt, ſed facore nolle, know what was right, but had no minde to do accordingly. Socrates ſaid, there was no difference between [non-Latin text not transcribed] & [non-Latin text not transcribed], Wiſdome, and Prudence or Moderation; Xenoph. de dictis & factis Socrat. Sith hee that knows good things to do them, and evil things to avoid them, is to bee held a wiſe man, and none elſe.

And finde out knowledge of wit[illegible: 1 letter]y inventions] Tending to piety; Not thoſe toylſome toyes, ſophiſmata, quae nec ignoranti nocent, nec ſci[illegible: 1 letter]ut en[illegible: 1 letter] juvant, Seneca. that are hard to come by, but of no uſe or worth, proof or profit: Theſe are but laborious loſs of time, as Ariſtotle hath it, like an Olive, of Date-ſtone, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Ariſt. hard to crack the one, or cleave the other, but nothing, or nothing worth ought, when crackt or cloven within either. Wiſdome findes her Scholars ſomewhat elſe to do, than to bee ſo buſily idle. Witty ſhee allows them to bee, but not wittily wicked, not wiſe to do evil, inventers of [illegible: 1 word] or idle things. Walk circumſpectly, ſaith ſhee, not as fools, but as wiſe, [illegible: 2 letters]ing the times, underſtanding what the will of the Lord is, and putting it in ſpeedy execution.Eph. 5.[illegible: 1 letter]5, 16, 17. Keep therefore and do it, for this is your wiſdome, &c. Deut. 4.6. (See the Note there) this will ſpeak you far more witty than thoſe Wits of the World, who ſeek out many inventions, Eccleſ. 7.28. but all to no purpoſe, and become vain in their imaginations, their fooliſh heart being darkned, [illegible: 2 letters]m. 1.21.