he continues fafe, because he continues humble, watchful, advertent1, least he should be deceived and tranfported; and he is careful to be the more thankful, and the more watchful because the command of his God, and the nature of his condition, requires it: Is he poor, neglected, unfuccefsful? yet he remains ftill patient, humble, contented, thankful, dependant upon the God he fears. And furely every man muft needs agree, that fuch a man is a wifer man than he who is ever changed and tranfported with his condition; that if he be rich or powerful, there is nothing more vain, proud, infolent than he; and again let his condition become poor, low, defpifed, there is nothing under heaven more defpondent, difpirited, heartlefs, difcontented and tortured than fuch a man, and all for the want of the fear of Almighty God, which being once put into the heart, like the tree put by Mofes into the waters, cures the diforder and uneafinefs of all conditions.

9. In as much as the true fear of God is always mingled with the knowledge of the will of God, and that will is contained most fully in his written word, it must needs be that a man that truly fears the Lord, and instructed in the word of God, the precepts thereof must needs be deeply digefted into his mind. Now as this word is the word of the ever-wife God, and therefore certainly must be full of moft wife directions, fo let any man but impartially and deeply conficer the precepts contained in the word of God, he fhall affuredly find the best directions in the world for all kind of moral and divine wisdom: And I do confidently fay, that in all other books of morality there are not fo found, deep, certain, evident inftructions of wisdom (yet most strictly joined with innocence and goodness), as there are in this one book, as would be easily demonftrable even to a reasonable judgment; but this is too large a theme for this place.

10. But befides all this, there is yet a fecret, but a

1 considerate.

moft

most certain truth, that highly improveth that wisdom which the fear of the Lord bringeth, and that is this; That thofe that truly fear God have a fecret guidance from a higher wisdom than what is barely human; namely, by the spirit of truth and wifdom, that doth really and truly, but fecretly, prevent and direct them. And let no man think. that this is a piece of fanaticifm. Any man that fincerely and truly fears Almighty God, relies upon him, calls upon him for his guidance and direction, hath it as really as the fon hath the counfel and direction of his father. And though the voice be not audible, nor the direction always perceptible to fenfe, yet is equally as real as if a man heard the voice faying, This is the way, walk in it. And this fecret direction of Almighty God is principally feen in matters relating to the good of the foul; but it may alfo be found in the great and momentous concerns of this life, which a good man, that fears God and begs his direction, fhall very often, if not at all times find. 2. Befides this direc

tion, a good man, fearing God, fhall find his bleffing upon him. It is true that the portion of men fearing God is not in this life; oftentimes he meets with croffes, afflictions, and troubles in it; his portion is of a higher and more excellent ftate and condition than this life; yet a man that fears God hath also his blesfing in this life, even in relation to his very temporal condition: for either his honeft and juft intentions and endeavours are bleffed with fuccefs and comfort; or if they be not, yet even his croffes and difappointments are turned into a bleffing; for they make him more humble and lefs esteeming this prefent world, and fetting his heart upon a better 1: For it is an everlasting truth, that all things fhall work together for the beft to them that love and fear Almighty God, and therefore certainly fuch a man is the wifest

1. But yet further. Certainly it is one of the greateft evidences of wisdom to provide for the future, and to provide for thofe things for the future that are of greatest moment, importance and ufe. Upon this account the wife man admires the wifdom of the ant, that little creature, that yet provides his meat in fummer; and we efteem it the folly of children and prodigals in this, that they have no profpect for the future how they fhall fubfift hereafter. Now the wifdom of a man that feareth God difcovereth itself in this, that it provides and lays up a good and safe store for the future, and that in refpect of these three kinds of futurities: 1. For the future part of his life: 2. For the future evil days: 3. For the future life that is to take place after this prefent, fhort and uncertain, and tranfitory life.

1. In refpect of the future time of his life. It is true our lives in this world are but short at best, and together with that fhortnefs they are very uncertain. But yet the man fearing God makes a due and safe provision for that future portion of his life, how short or how long foever it be. 1. By a conftant walking in the fear of God he tranfmits to the future part of his life, a quiet, ferene, and fair conscience, and avoids those evil fruits and confequences which a finful life produceth, even in the after-time of man's life. The bruifes and hurts we receive in youth, are many times more painful in age than when we first receive them. Our lives are like husbandmen's feed-time;

fow evil feeds in the time of our youth, it may be they may live five, ten, or more years before they come up to a full crop, and poffibly then we tafte the fruit of thofe evil ways in an unquiet mind or confcience, or fome other four effects of that evil feed. All this inconveniency a man fearing God prevents, and instead thereof reaps a pleafing and comfortable fruit of his walk, in the fear of God; namely, a quiet

'Prov, xxx. 25.

con

conscience, and an even, fettled, peaceable foul. 2. But befides this, by this means he keeps his intereft in, and peace with Almighty God, and makes fure of the best friend in the world for the after-time of his life, to whom he is fure to have accefs at all times, and upon all occafions with comfort and acceptance; for it is an infallible truth, that God Almighty never forfakes any man that forfakes not him firft.

The fecond futurity is the future evil day, which will most certainly overtake every man, either the day of feeble and decrepit age, or the day of ficknefs, or the day of death; and against all thofe the true fear of God makes a fafe and excellent provifion. So that although he may not avoid them, he may have a comfortable paffage through them; and in the midft of all thefe black clouds, the witnefs of a good confcience fearing God, and the evidence of the divine favour will fhine into the foul like a bright fun with comfort, when a man fhall be able, with Hezekiah, to appeal to Almighty God, Remember now, O Lord, I befeech thee, how I have walked before thee in 'truth and in uprightnefs of heart, and have done 'that which was good in thy fight! This will be a cordial under the faintnefs of old age, a relief under the pains of ficknefs, and cure of the fear of death itfelf, which to fuch a foul will be only a gate and paffage to a life that will be free from all pains and infirmities, a life of glory and immortality.

3. The third futurity is the life and ftate after death. Moft certain it is, that such a state there will be, and that it is but of two kinds, a ftate of everlasting happiness, or a state of everlafting mifery; and that all men in the world do moft certainly belong to one of thefe two ftates or conditions: And as it is most just and equal, fo it is moft true, that they that truly fear God, and obey him through Jefus Christ, shall be partakers of that everlasting ftate of bleffed

VOL. I.

1 Isa. xxxviii. 9.

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nefs

nefs and immortal happiness: and on the other fide, they that reject the fear of God, contemn and disobey his will, fhall, without true repentance, be fubject to a ftate of everlafting mifery. Now herein the trueft and greatest wisdom of a man appears, that he duly provides against the latter, and to obtain the former; all other wifdom of men, either to get human learning, wealth, honour, power, all wifdom of ftatefmen and politicians, in comparison of this wifdom, is but vain and trivial. And this is the wifdom that the fear of God teacheth and bringeth with it into the foul: 1. It provides against the greatest of evils, the everlafting ftate of mifery, and infelicity, and eternal death: 2. It provides for and attains an everlasting eftate of bleffednefs and happiness, of reft and peace, of glory and immortality, and eternal life; a state of that happiness and glory that exceeds expreffion and apprehenfion; for eye hath not feen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man, the 'things that God hath laid up for them that love ' him,' and they only truly love God, that truly fear 'him: And they (namely, that fear God) fhall be 'mine faith the Lord, in that day when I make up my 'jewels 2.'

6

And now for the conclufion of this whole matter, let us now make a fhort comparison between the perfons that fear not God, and those that truly fear him and then let any man judge who is the fool, and who is the wife man. A man hath but a very fhort uncertain time in this life, which in comparifon of eternity, is lefs than a moment. The great God of Heaven in his word, affures us, that there is an estate of immortality after this life, and that that immortal eftate is but of two kinds, an eftate of never dying mifery, or an eftate of endlefs glory; and tells them, if you 'fear me, and obey thofe eafy commands that are 'contained in the book of the Holy Scriptures, which

1 1 Cor. ii.

2 Mal iii. 13.

'I have