The narrow gate (2)

I was thinking of a couple Scripture passages related to the narrow and “constrictedness” of the gate. Job 28:12 asks:

“But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?”

Where, indeed? Where has it been found in the whole of “church history”? Where has it been consistently found in, say, the Westminster Confession of Faith? How about the WCF section, “Of Marriage and Divorce”? Is wisdom and understanding found in there? How about at the Synod of Dort? Is wisdom and understanding found in those places in the Canons of Dort that deny the Godness of God (cf. Isaiah 10; Romans 9) and assert a hypothetical possibility for the reprobate to be saved( e.g., “sufficient/efficient”) by Christ’s atonement? And what is wisdom and understanding? Job 28:28 tells us:

“And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom! And to turn from evil is understanding.”

Certainly, none of the aforementioned Confessions and Synods feared the Sovereign Controller of the universe, or turned from the evil endorsing of adultery, or the evil of commanding or dictating to the Potter.

The other verse related to the narrow gate, the fewness of the elect, and the scarcity of wisdom and understanding is Proverbs 31:10-12:

“Who can find a woman of virtue? For her value is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, so that he has no lack of gain. She deals good with him, and not evil, all the days of her life.”

Who can find a woman of virtue? Why ask such a (rhetorical) question if these believing, these truly virtuous woman are scattered about through history? Our enemies and detractors like to wonder about who in church history has held to “our views.” I could reply by asking them when was the last time they cracked open that dusty book, called the bible? Then perhaps, they might see who held to “our views” regarding essential gospel doctrines. If our enemies were correct in there assessment of who is a true Christian in “church history” for example, then they really should answer Proverbs 31:10 with:

“A lot of men can, since they are found all over the professing Christian world!”

Really? Are you serious?