Let none therefore rely on his own gifts as if he did not receive them from God, and let none look to men as their rock when only the Lord can truly sustain them. This is given as a further example of how God is able to cause what human beings would never have predicted to happen. A person seems to be so much the master of their own tongue, and yet their skill is taken away. Discernment can be removed from those whose judgment was highly revered.
‘When the holy Scripture speaks to us of God’s providence: God intends that we should know his mighty power. For what reason? So that we honour him who holds us in his hand, and has complete sovereignty over life and death: so that we are subject to him, seeing he has all authority over us. On the other hand the Scripture shows us that God is wise in governing the world, according as I have said already. We do not therefore say that God does what he pleases, and we do not know whether it is good or bad. On the contrary, we must confess that all that he ever does is well done, and although we do not know the reason for it, yet we must honour his secret wisdom’ (Calvin – English updated).