his creature to blessedness and the vision of his Creator 2. That he so ordered the means of man's Redemption that a greater glory came even by that Redemption that if man had never faln and a greater benefit to mankind For the latter it is apparent that if there had been no Mediator sent the least sin that any of the sons of men had committed had been inexorably fatal to them without any means of pardon And as Adam though in his full liberty and power was misled by temptation so might have he been or any of his posterity though he had stood that shock which now is admirably provided against by the satisfaction of Christ Jesus And as thus it is better with the children of men so the glory of God is wonderfully advanced by it for if man had stood in his innocence God had had only the glory of his justice in rewarding him or if he had faln the glory of his justice in punishing him but there had been no room for that glorious attribute of his Mercy in forgiving without violation to his Purity Truth and Justice that glorious attribute by which he so often proclaimeth himself Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God Merciful Gracious Long-suffering abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and yet that will by no means clear the guilty 3. That he so wonderfully ordered the Redemption of Man that all his Attributes were preserved inviolable His Truth The day thou eatest thou shalt dye his Justice yet his Mercy his Love to his creature yet his Hatred to Sin his Son shall dye to satisfie his Truth and Justice yet the sinner shall live to satisfie his Mercy the sin shall be punished to justifie his Purity yet his creature shall be saved to manifest his Love and Goodness And thus his Wisdom over-ruled Sin the worst of evils to the improvement of his glory and the good of his creature 4. His wisdom is manifested in this that by the redemption of man all those ways of his administration before the coming of Christ do now appear to be excellently ordered to the redemption of man and the making of it the more effectual The giving of a severe and yet most just Law which was impossible for us to fulfil shews us the wretchedness of our condition our inability to fulfil what was just in God to require shews us the necessity of a Saviour drives us to him and makes this City of refuge grateful and acceptable and makes us set a value upon that mercy which so opportunely and mercifully provided a Sacrifice for us in the Blood of Christ and a Righteousness for us in the Merits of Christ and a Mediator for us in the Intercession of Christ And by this means also all those Sacrifices and Ceremonies and Observations enjoyned in the Levitical Law which carried not in themselves a clear reason of their institution are now by the sending of Christ rendred significant 5. The wisdom of God is magnified and advanced in this in fulfilling the Prophecies of the sending the Messias to satisfie for the sins of Mankind against all the oppositions and casualties and contingencies that without an over-ruling wisdom and guidance might have disappointed it And this done in that Perfection that not one circumstance of Time Place Person Concomitants should nor did fail in it and so bearing witness to the infinite Truth Power and Wisdom of God in bringing about his Counsels in their perfection touching this great business of the Redemption of Man which was the very end why he was created and placed upon the earth and managing the villany of men and the craft and malice of Satan to bring about that greatest blessing that was or could be provided for mankind besides and above and against the intention of the Instrument Act. 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain 6. The unsearchable Wisdom of God is manifested in that he provided such a Mediator that was fit for so great a work had all the world consulted that God must suffer it had been impossible and had all the world contrived that any man or all the men in the world should have been a satisfactory Sacrifice for any one Sin it had been deficient Here is then the wonderful Counsel of the most high God the Sacrifice that is appointed shall be so ordered that God and Man shall be conjoyned in one Person that so as Man he might become a Sacrifice for Sin and as God he might give a value to the Sacrifice And this is that great Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh 2. The wonderful Love of God to Mankind I. In thinking upon poor sinful creatures to contrive a way for a Pardon for us and rescuing us from that Curse which we had justly deserved 2. Thinking of us for our good when we sought it not thought not of it 3. When we were enemies against God and against his very being 4. Thinking of us not only for a Pardon but to provide for us a state of Glory and Blessedness 5. When that was not to be obtained saving his Truth and Justice without a miraculous Mediator consisting of the divine and humane nature united in one person in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ here was Love and Goodness of the greatest magnitude that ever was or ever shall be heard of and sufficient to conquer our Hearts into admiration and astonishment But yet it rests not here As God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 so the only begotten Son of God was not behind in this wonderful Love No sooner as we may with reverence say was the Counsel of the Father propounded for the sending of his Son but presently the Son saith Lo I come Psal 40.7 Heb. 10.7 And now we will consider upon what terms he must come or else the redemption of mankind must dye for ever I. He must come and empty himself of his Glory of his personal Majesty and take our nature yet without sin he must go through the natural infirmities of infancy and childhood 2. And not only must he undergo this abasement but he must undergo the condition of a mean a low birth born of a poor Virgin in a Stable laid in a Manger under the reputation of a Carpenter's Son 3. And not only thus but as soon as he is born must use the care of his Mother to shift for his life away to Egypt to prevent the jealousie and fury of Herod 4. And when grown up to youth he must undergo the form of a Servant become a poor Carpenter to work for his living without any patrimony or so much as a house to cover him 5. He comes abroad into the World to exercise the Ministry and the Prologue to
the best rule of wisdom prescribed it to man his best of visible creatures whom we have just reason to believe he would not deceive with a false or desicient rule of wisdom since as wisdom is the beauty and glory of man so wisdom in man sets forth the glory and excellency and goodness of God And consonant to this David a wise King and Solomon the wisest of men affirm the same truth Psal 111 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have they that do his commandments Prov. 1.7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom and instruction and 9.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the holy is understanding And when the wise man had run all his long travel of Experiments to attain that which might be that good for the children of men in the end of his tedious chace and pursuit he closeth up all with this very same conclusion Eccles 12.13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man and he gives a short but effectual Reason of it For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil And hence it is that this wise man who had the greatest measure of wisdom of any meer man since the creation of Adam that had as great experience and knowledge of all things and persons that made it his business to search and to enquire not only into wisdom but into madness and folly that had the greatest opportunity of wealth and power to make the exactest enquiry therein This wise and inquisitive and experienced man in all his Writings stiles the man fearing God and obeying him the only wise man and the person that neglects this duty the only fool and mad man And yet it is strange to see how little this is thought of or believed in the World Nay for the most part he is thought the wisest man who hath the least of this principle of Wisdom appearing in him that shakes off the fear of God or the sense of his presence or the obedience to his will and the discipline of Conscience and by craft or subtilty or power or oppression or by whatsoever method may be most conducible pursues his ends of profit or power or pleasure or what else his own vain thoughts and the mistaken estimate of the generality of men render desirable in this World And on the other side he that governs himself his life his thoughts words actions ends and purposes with the fear of Almighty God with sense and awe of his presence according to his word that drives at a nobler end than ordinarily the World thinks of namely peace with Almighty God and with his own Heart and Conscience the hope and expectation of Eternity such a man is counted a shallow empty inconsiderate foolish man one that carries no stroke in the World a man laden with a melancholy delusion setting a great rate upon a World he sees not and neglecting the opportunities of the World he sees But upon a sound and true Examination of this business we shall find that the man that feareth God is the wisest man and he that upon that account departs from evil is the man of greatest understanding I shall shew therefore these two things 1. What it is to fear God 2. That this fear of God is most demonstratively the best Wisdom of mankind and makes a man truly and really a wise man 1. Touching the first of these Fear is an affection of the Soul that is as much diversified as any one affection whatsoever which diversification of this affection ariseth from the diversification of those objects by which this affection is moved I shall mention these four 1. Fear of Despondency or Desperation which ariseth from the fear of some great and important danger that is unavoidable or at least so apprehended and this is not the Fear that is here commended to mankind 2. Fear of Terrour or Affrightment which is upon the sense of some great important danger that though possibly it may be avoided yet it carries with it a great probability and immediate impendency as the fear of Mariners in a storm or a fear that befalls a man in some time or place of great confusion or visible calamity And this kind of fear of Almighty God is sometimes effectual and useful to bring men to Repentance after some great displeasure of Almighty God by Sin or Apostacy but this is not that fear that is here at least primarily and principally meant but those two that follow 3. A Fear of Reverence or Awfulness and this fear is raised principally upon the sense of some object full of glory majesty greatness though possibly there is no cause of expecting any hurt from the person or thing thus feared Thus a Subject bears a reverential fear to his Prince from the sense of his majesty and grandeur and thus much more the majesty and greatness of Almighty God excites reverence and awfulness though there were no other ingredient into that fear Jer. 5.21 Will ye not fear me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence c. Jer. 10.7 who would not fear thee O King of Nations 4. A Fear of Caution or Watchfulness This is that which the Wise man commends Prov. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth always And this fear of Caution is a due care and vigilancy not to displease that person from whom we enjoy or hope for good the fear of a Benefactor or of that person from whom we may upon some just cause or demerit expect an evil as the fear of a just and righteous Judge And these two latter kinds of fear namely the fear of Reverence and the fear of Caution are those that are the principal ingredients constituting this fear of God that these excellent men commend to us as true Wisdom Now this fear of God ariseth from those right and true apprehensions concerning Almighty God that do with a kind of connaturality and suitableness excite both these two kinds of Fear and those seem to be principally these three 1. A true and deep sense of the Being of God namely That there is a most excellent and perfect Being which we call God the only true God the Maker of all things But this is not enough to constitute this Fear for Epicurus and Lucian did believe that there was a God yet were without the fear of him 2. A true and deep sense knowledge and consideration of the Attributes of God And although all the attributes of God are but so many expressions and declarations of his perfection and excellency and therefore all contribute to advance and improve this fear especially of Reverence yet there be some attributes that seem in a more special manner to excite and raise this affection of fear
superadd this advantage also for opportunity thereby of humane prudential considerations which otherwise by haste and precipitance in actions or words would be lost and it habituates the mind to a temper of caution and advertence and consideration in matters as well of smaller as of greater moment and so make a wise attentive and considerate man 7. It mightily advanceth and improveth the worth and excellency of most Humane actions in the World and makes them a nobler kind of thing than otherwise without it they would be Take a man that is employed as a Statesman or Politician though he have much wisdom and prudence in commonly degenerates into craft and cunning and pitiful shuffling without the fear of God but mingle the fear of Almighty God with that kind of wisdom it renders it noble and generous and staid and honest and stable Again take a man that is much acquainted with the subtiler kind of Learning as Philosophy for instance without the fear of God upon his Heart it will carry him over to pride arrogance self-conceit curiosity presumption but mingle it with the fear of God it will ennoble that knowledge carry it up to the honour and glory of that God that is the Author of Nature to the admiration of his Power Wisdom and Goodness it will keep him humble modest sober and yet rather with an advance than detriment to his knowledge Take a man industrious in his Calling without the fear of God with it he becomes a drudge to worldly ends vexed when disappointed overjoyed in success mingle but the fear of God with it it will not abate his industry but sweeten it if he prosper he is thankful to God that gives him power to get wealth if he miscarry he is patient under the will and dispensation of the God he fears it turns the very employment of his Calling into a kind of religious duty and exercise of his Religion without damage or detriment to it 8. The fear of God is certainly the greatest wisdom because it renders the mind full of tranquility and evenness in all states and conditions for he looks up to the great Lord of the Heavens and Earth considers what he commands and requires remembers that â—e observes and eyes all men knows that his Providence governs all things and this keeps him still even and square without any considerable alteration whatever his condition is Is he rich prosperous great yet he continues safe because he continues humble watchful advertent lest he should be deceived and transported 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 unsuccessful yet he remains still patient humble contented thankful dependent upon the God he fears And surely every man must needs agree that such a man is a wiser man than he who is ever changed and transported with his condition that if he be rich or powerful there is nothing more vain proud insolent than he and again let his condition become poor loâ— despised there is nothing under Heavâ— more despondent dispirited heartless dâ— contented and tortured than such a maâ— and all for the want of the fear of Almighâ— God which being once put into the Heaâ— like the Tree put by Moses into the Water cures the disorder and uneasiness of 〈◊〉 conditions 9. In as much as the true fear of God always mingled with the knowledge of thâ— Will of God and that Will is containâ— most fully in his written Word it muâ—â— needs be that a man that truly fears thâ— Lord must be instructed in the word of God and the Precepts thereof must needs bâ— deeply digested into his mind Now aâ— this Word is the Word of the ever-wiâ— God and therefore certainly must be fuâ— of most wise Directions So let any maâ—â— but impartially and deeply consider thâ—â— Precepts contained in the word of God hâ—â— shall assuredly find the best directions in thâ—â— in the world for all kind of moral and divine Wisom And I do confidently say that in all other Books of Morality there aâ—â— not so sound deep certain evident Instructions of Wisdom yet most strictly joyned with Innocence and Goodness as there are in this one Book as would be easily demonstrable even to a reasonable judgeâ—ent but this is too large a Theme for â—â—is place 10. But besides all this there is yet a â—cret but a most certain truth that highly â—proveth that wisdom which the fear of â—â—e Lord bringeth and that is this That â—â—ose that truly fear God have a secret â—â—idance from a higher wisdom than what 〈◊〉 barely humane namely by the Spirit of Truth and Wisdom that doth really and truly â—ut secretly prevent and direct them And 〈◊〉 no man think that this is a piece of â—â—anaticism Any man that sincerely and â—â—uly fears Almighty God relies upon him â—â—alls upon him for his guidance and direâ—â—ction hath it as really as the Son hath â—he counsel and direction of his Father â—nd though the voice be not audible nor â—he direction always perceptible to sense â—et it is equally as real as if a man heard â—he voice saying This is the way walk in it And this secret direction of Almighty God â—â—s principally seen in matters relating to the good of the Soul but it may be also found â—â—n the great and momentous concerns of this I se which a good man that fears God and â—egs his direction shall very often if not at all times find 2. Besides this direction a good man fearing God shall find His Blessing upon him It is true that the portion 〈◊〉 men fearing God is not in this life ofteâ— times he meets with crosses afflictions and troubles in it his portion is of a highâ—â— and more excellent state and condition that this life yet a man that fears God hatâ— also his blessing in this life oven in â—â—lation to his very temporal condition for either his honest and just intentions anâ— endeavours are blessed with success anâ— comfort or if they be not yet even hiâ— crosses and disappointments are turned into a blessing for they make him more humble and less esteeming this present World and setting his Heart upon a better For it is an everlasting truth That 〈◊〉 things shall work together for the best to them that fear and love Almighty God and therefore certainly such a man is the wisest man 11. But yet further certainly it is one of the greatest evidences of Wisdom to provide for the future and to provide for those things for the future that are of greatest moment importance and use Upon this account the Wise man Prov. 30. 25. admires the wisdom of the Ant that little creature that yet provides his meat in the Summer and we esteem it the folly of Children and Prodigals in this that they have no prospect for the future how they shall subsist hereafter Now the wisdom of a man
year in a week in a day in an hour in an unthought of moment before a man hath opportunity to consider to bethink himself or to repent and then the door of life and happiness is shut Again there are a sort of men that consider this great Proposal and choose the Fear of Almighty God and with it Eternal Life and are content to deny themselves in things unlawful to obey Almighty God to keep his favour to walk humbly with him to accept of the tender of Life and Salvation upon the terms propounded by Almighty God And in the practice of this Fear they enjoy His favour and presence and love and after this life spent whether it be long or short and whether their death be lingring or sudden are sure the next moment after death to enjoy an immortal life of glory and happiness Judge then which of these is the truly Wise man whether this be not a Truth beyond dispute The Fear of God that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to depart from evil is Underâ—anaâ—â— OF AFFLICTIONS THE Best Preparation for them and Improvement of them and of our Delivery out of them JOB V. 6 7. Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground Yet man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward JOB's Friends though in the particular Case of Job they were mistaken yet they were certainly very wise godly and observing men and many of their Sentences were full of excellent and useful Truths and particularly this Speech of Eliphaz which importeth these two useful Propositions 1. That the general state of man in this world is a state of Trouble and Affiiction and it is so common to him so incident to all degrees and conditions of mankind that it seems almost as universal as that natural propension in the sparks to fly upward No person of whatsoever age sex condition degree quality profession but hath a part in this common state of mankind and although some seem to have a greater portion of it than others some seem to have greater and longer vicissitudes and intermissions and allays thereof than others yet none are totally exempt from it yea it is rare to find any man that hath had the ordinary extent of the age of man but his troubles crosses calamities afflictions have overweighed and exceeded the measure of his comforts and contentments in this life 2. That yet those Afflictions and Troubles do neither grow up by a certain regular and constant course of Nature as Plants and Vegetables do out of the ground neither are they meerly accidental and casual but they are sent disposed directed and managed by the conduct and guidance of the most wise Providence of Almighty God and this he proveth in the sequel of this Chapter And as in all things in Nature the most wise God doth nothing at random or at a venture so in this part of his providential dispensation towards mankind he doth exercise the same with excellent wisdom and for excellent Ends even for the very good and advantage of mankind in general and particularly of those very persons that seem most to suffer and be afflicted by them sometimes to punish sometimes to correct sometimes to prevent sometimes to heal sometimes to prepare sometimes to humble always to instruct and teach and better the children of men And indeed if there were no other end but these that follow this seeming sharp Providence of Almighty God would be highly justified namely first to keep men humble and disciplinable Man is a proud vain creature and were that humor constantly fed with prosperity and success it would strangely pust up this vain humor Afflictions and troubles are the excellent and necessary correctives of it and prick this swelling impostumation of pride and haughtiness which would otherwise render men intollerable in themselves and one to another Secondly to bring mankind to recognize Almighty God to seek unto him to depend upon him This is the most natural and specifical effect of Afflictions Hos 5.15 In their afflictions they will seek me early Joâ—ah 1. the rough and stubborn Mariners in a storm will cry every one to his God Thirdly to tutor and discipline the children of men in this great Lâ—sson That their Happiness lyes not in this World but in a better and by this means even by the crosses and vexations and troubles of this World and by these plain and feasible documents to carry mankind up to the end of their beings God knows those few and little comforts of this life notwithstanding all the troubles and crosses with which they are interlarded are apt to keep the hearts even of good men in too great love of this World What would become of us if our whole lives here should be altogether prosperous and contenting without the intermixture of crosses and afflictions But of these things more hereafter Now since the state of mankind in this World is for the most part thus cloudy and stormy and that ordinarily we can expect it to be no otherwise there are these Considerations which become every wise and good mind to acquaint himself with 1. What Preparation is fittest to be made by every man before they come 2. How they are to be received and entertained and improved when they come and while they are incumbent 3. What is the best and safest temper of mind when any of them are removed Touching the first of these namely Preparation before they come and the best preparatives seem to be these 1. A right and sound conviction and consideration of this most certain experimental truth namely That no man whatsoever how good just pious wise soever can by any means expect to be exempt from them but must be more or less subject to Affliction of one kind or other at one time or another in one measure or another for man is certainly born to trouble as the sparks sly upward And this certain truth will be evident if we consider the several kinds of affliction that are common to mankind and herein I shall forbear the Instances which concern our childhood and youth as such which yet notwithstanding are subject to afflictions that though they seem not such to men of riper years yet are as real and pungent and deeply and sensibly grievous to them as those that seem of greater moment to men of riper years But I shall apply my self to those Instances which are more evident and of which those that have the exercise of their reason may be more capable Afflictions seem to be of two kinds 1. Such as are common calamities befalling a Nation City or Society of men 2. Or more personal that concern a man in his particular Touching the former of these namely common calamities such are Wars Devastations Famines Pestilences spreading contagious Epidemical Diseases great Conflagrations experience tells us and daily lets us see that they involve in their extent the generality of men good and bad just and unjust
fear was over then he fears that the rumor of his wealth and the former displeasure of his Brother Esau might make him and all his wealth a prey to his Brother and certainly had not the immediate providence of Almighty God strangely interposed he had not only selt the difficulties and unquietness of his great wealthy condition which were profitable for his instruction but he had suffered a total deprivation of it either by Laban or Esau or at least by the neighbours of the Shechemites exasperated by the treachery and cruelty of his two Sons Simeon and Levi. Upon these and many more Considerations it is most evident That a state of mediocrity in externals is to be preferred before an estate of much wealth honour or grandeur that of the two extremes poverty on the one side or very great wealth and glory on the other the latter is in truth more dangerous and difficult than the former but that Agur's Prayer a state of mediocrity neither poverty nor riches but food convenient for a man's coudition is the most desireable state in this life and that which avoids the difticulty of both extremes I would willingly from these Considerations therefore learn to attain such a temper and disposition of Soul as might be safe and useful for me in relation to all these three Conditions of Life which-soever of them the Divine Providence should send unto me 1. In reference to a Mediocrity or such a state of externals as might be suitable to the exigence and nature of my condition in this life I should make such a state my choice and not my trouble I should with all thankfulness acknowledge both the goodness and wisdom of Almighty God in giving me so competent and so safe a condition that hath by his Providence delivered me from the difficulties and inconveniencies and dangers and temptations of both extremes namely great want and great wealth and I shall bear my lot not only with great patience and quietness but with great contentation and thankfulness 2. In reference to an estate of Want or Indagence If it should please the Divine Providence to appoint that condition to me I should nevertheless comfort and support my self with such Considerations as these 1. Though my condition be narrow and necessitous yet it is that which the great wise Lord of the great Family of the World hath appointed to me I will therefore bear it with patience and resignation 2. Though it be an estate of indigence and narrowness yet it is such as affords me and my Family life and subsistence though not without much pains and difliculty it might have been worse and it may please God to make it better when he sees fit I will therefore bear it with contentedness as well as patience 3. Though my state be very narrow and pinching yet it is possibly much more safe than an estate of grandeur and affluence my account is the less my temptations not so dangerous my cares fewer my lessons of dependence upon God of humility and lowliness of mind of temperance and sobriety of contempt of the World of valuation of Eternity and provision for it are better learned in this extreme than in the other I shall therefore endeavour to improve the opportunities even of this hard condition and bear it not only with contentedness but thankfulness 3. In reference to an estate of Redundance and Affluence of externals an estate of wealth and plenty of honour and grandeur of power and authority and preheminence I will consider 1. That this is an estate full of temptations and temptations of the greatest size and the most dangerous nature as pride and insolence forgetfulness of God luxury intemperance carnal confidence and security contempt of others and infinite more and if any of these get the advantage they will do me more mischief than all my wealth will do me good 2. Therefore I will learn and exercise very great vigilance and attention that I be not cheated into these temptations 3. I will take a true estimate of the World and of all these goodly appearances that I am attended with from it and I will not take my measure and estimate of them by common opinion of the world or by their splendid outside but I will look more strictly into them and find whether they are not incertain deceiving things what stability there is in them what good they will do me after death what quietness or tranquility of mind they will give me or rather take from me whether they have in themselves any real influence to make me better or wiser 4. Upon these Considerations if I find as find I shall that they have not that real worth in them that the vain World imagins I will not set my Heart upon them nor lay any confidence upon them nor lay out much of my love unto them or any great esteem for them 5. I will set my Heart to a true and serious consideration of those durable riches and glory and honour that our dear Lord hath provided for us in the life to come and that eternal weight of glory will infinitely out-weigh all the wealth and honour and glory that I do or can enjoy in this World 6. And upon this consideration also I will rectifie my judgment concerning this World and the greatest glory of it and thereby habituate my self to a low esteem of the wealth I have or can have and set up my hopes and treasure in more noble and durable enjoyments 7. I will consider I am but a Steward when all is done and the greater my wealth or honour is the greater my account must be and the more difficult to keep them fair 8. That in as much I am but a Steward I will be very careful that my management of my trust may be such as will bear my Lord's scrutiny I will not employ my stock of wealth or honour to the dishonour of my Lord in riot or excess in vanity or oppression but will do as much good with it as I can according to the trust committed to me that I may give a just and fair and comfortable account of my Stewardship when my Lord and Master calls for it 9. That in as much as those very externals are in themselves blessings if well employed though not the blessings of the greatest magnitude I will with all humility and thankfulness acknowledge the Divine Bounty to me in trusting me with Abundance and will employ it to his Honour Seneca Thyest Act. 2. STet quicunque volet potens Auloe culmine lubrico Me dulcis saturet quies Obscuro positus loco Leni perfruar otio Nullis nota Quiritibus Altas per tacitum fluat Sic cum transierint met Nullo cum strepitu dies Plebeius moriar senex Illi mors gravis incubat Qui notus nimis omnibus Ignotus moritur sibi LEt him that will ascend the tottering Seat Of courtly Grandeur and become as great As are his mountain Wishes as for
enemies and unintermitted dangers and difficulties that our light afflictions which are here but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Our afflictions and incoveniences in this world 1. are light in comparison of that exceeding far more exceeding weight of glory 2. As they are but light so being compared with that eternal weight of glory they are but for a moment The longest life we here live is not ordinarily above threescore and ten years and though the more troublesom and uneasie that life is the longer it seems yet compared with the infinite abyss of Eternity it is but a moment yea less than a moment if less can be yet such is the longest stay in this life if compared with Eternity And the gracious God hath presented this greatest and most important truth to us with the greatest evidence and assurance that the most desponding and suspitious Soul can desire 1. He hath given his own Word of Truth to assure us of it 2. He hath given his own Son to seal it unto us by the most powerful and convincing evidence imaginable by his mission from Heaven on purpose to tell us it by his Miracles by attestations from Heaven by the laying down his own Life in witness of it by his Resurrection and Ascention by the miraculous Mission of his Holy Spirit visibly and audibly Again 3. He hath confirmed it to us by the Doctrine and Miracles of his Apostles by their Death and Martyrdom as a Witness of the Truth they taught by the numerous Converts and Primitive Christians and godly Martyrs who all lived and dyed in this Faith and for it who made it their choice rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season declaring plainly that they sought a better City and Countrey that is a heavenly Heb. 11.15 25. and this Countrey and this City they had in their Eye even whiles they lived in this troublesom world And this prospect this hope and expectation rendred this lower world of no great value to them the pleasures thereof they esteemed but low and little and the troubles and uneasiness thereof they did undergo patiently cheerfully and contentedly for they looked beyond them and placed their hopes their treasure their comfort above them And even whiles they were in this life yet they did by their faith and hope anticipate their own happiness and enjoyed by faith even before they actually possessed it by fruition for Faith is the substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. and makes those things present by the firmness of a sound perswasion which are in themselves future and to come And this is that which will have the same effect with us if we live and believe as they did and be but firmly and soundly perswaded of the truth of the Gospel thus admirably confirmed unto us This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Heb. 10.38 The just shall live by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 We live by faith and not by sight and excellent is that passage to this purpose 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal And therefore if we do but seriously believe the truth of the Gospel the truth of the life to come the best external things of this world will seem but of small moment to take up the choicest of our desires or hopes and the worst things this world can inflict will appear too light to provoke us to impatience or discontent He that hath but Heaven and everlasting glory in prospect and a firm expectation will have a mind full of contentation in the midst of the lowest and darkest condition here on Earth Impatience and discontent never can stay long with us if we awake our minds and summon up our faith and hope in that life and happiness to come Sudden passions of impatience and discontent may like clouds arise and trouble us for a while but this faith and this hope rooted in the Heart if stirred up will like the Sun scatter and dispell them and cause the light of patience contentation and comfort to thine through them And as we have this hope of immortality and blessedness set before us so the means and way to attain it is easie and open to all no person is excluded from it that wilfully excludes not himself Isa 51.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat without money and without price Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest The way to everlasting happiness and consequently to contentation here is laid open to all It was the great reason why God made mankind to communicate everlasting happiness to them and when they wilfully threw away that happiness it was the end why he sent his Son into the world to restore mankind unto it And as the way is open to all so it is easie to all his yoak is easie and his burthen light The terms of attaining happiness if sincerely endeavoured are easie to be performed by virtue of that grace that God Almighry affords to all men that do not wilfully reject it namely to believe the truth of the Gospel so admirably confirmed and sincerely to endeavour to obey the precepts thereof which are both just and reasonable highly conducing to our contentation in this life and consummating our happiness in the life to come And for our encouragement in this obedience we are sure to have if we desire it the special grace of the Blessed Spirit to assist us and a merciful Father to accept of our sincerity and a gracious Saviour to pardon our failings and deficiencies So that the way to attain contentation in this life and happiness in the life to come as it is plain and certain so it is open and free none is excluded from it but it is free and open to all that are but willing to use this means to attain it And I shall wind up all this long Discourse touching Contentation with this plain and ordinary Instance I have before said that our home our Countrey is Heaven and Everlasting Happiness where there are no sorrows nor fears nor troubles that this World is the place of our travel and pilgrimage and at the best our Inn Now when I am in my journey I meet with several inconveniencies it may be the way is bad and foul the weather tempestuous or stormy
all places knows our thoughts our wants our sins our desires and is ready to supply us with all things that are good and fit for us beyond all we can ask or think hath incomprehensible Wisdom and irresistible Power to effect what he pleaseth that leaves not any of his works especially mankind without his special care and superintendence over them without whose will or designed permission nothing befalls us 2. That this most Wise and Just and Powerful God hath appointed a law or rule according to which his will is that the children of men should conform themselves and according to the upright endeavours of the children of men to conform thereunto he will most certainly give rewards and according to the wilful transgressions thereof he will inflict punishments and that he is a most strict and infallible observer of all the wayes of the children of men whether of obedience or disobedience thereunto 3. That this law and will of his he hath communicated and revealed unto the children of men in his Holy Word especially by the mission of his Son Jesus Christ who brought into the world a full and complete collection of those holy Laws of God whereunto he would have us conform 4. That he hath given unto mankind in and through Christ Jesus a full manifestation of a future life after this of rewards and punishments and according to that law of his thus manifested by his Son he will by the same Jesus Christ dispense and execute the sentences of rewards and punishments and judge every man according to his works 5. And that the reward of faith and obedience in that other life to come shall be an eternal blessed happy estate of soul and body in the glorious Heavens and in the presence and fruition of the ever Glorious and Eternal God 6. And that the punishment of the rebellious and disobedient unto this will and law of God thus manifested by his Son shall be an eternal separation of soul and body from the presence of God and the conclusion of them under chains of darkness and everlasting torments in hell fire 7. And that the Son of God hath given us the greatest assurance imaginable of the truth of this will of God of this happiness and misery by taking upon him our nature by his miracles by his death and resurrection and ascention into glory and by his mission of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation into his Apostles and Disciples both to instruct the world in his trust and to evidence the truth of their mission from him 8. That Almighty God though full of justice and severity against obstinate and rebellious yet is full of tenderness love and compassion towards all those that sincerely desire to obey his will and to accept of terms of peace and reconciliation with him and is ready upon repentance and amendment to pardon whatsoever is amiss and hath accordingly promised it And that he hath the care and love and tenderness of a father towards us that in our sincere endeavour of obedience to him we shall be sure of his love favour and protection that in all our afflictions and troubles he stands by us and will not leave us that he will most certainly make good every promise that by Christ he hath sent unto us for the life that is present and that which is to come that the Law he hath sent us by Christ to submit unto is an easie and good Law such as will perfect our nature and fit it to be partaker of his glory and that all his thoughts towards us in our faithful endeavour to obey him are thoughts of love favour peace bounty and goodness And of this he hath given the greatest assurance that is possible for mankind to expect or desire even the sending of his Eternal Son into the world to take upon him our nature to acquaint us with his Father's will and love to live a life of want and misery and to dye a death full of shame and horror to rise again to dispatch Messengers into all the world to publish the good will of God to mankind to ascend up into glory and there to make intercession for us poor worms at the right hand of God giving us also hereby assurance of our resurrection and of his coming again to judge the world and to receive his obedient servants into eternal glory These be some of those principal Objects of that Faith that overcometh the World being soundly received believed and digested 2. As touching the act it self it is no other than a sound real and firm belief of those Sacred Truths And therefore it seems that they that perplex the notion of Faith with other intricate and abstruse definitions or descriptions either render it very difficult and scarce intelligible or else take into the definition or description those things that are but the consequents and effects of it He that hath this firm perswasion will most certainly repent of his sins past will most certainly endeavour obedience to the will of God which is thus believed by him to be holy just and good and upon the obedience or disobedience whereof depends his eternal happiness or misery will most certainly depend upon the promises of God for this life and that to come for those are as natural effects of such a firm perswasion as it is for the belief of a danger to put a man upon means to avoid it or for the belief of a benefit to put a man upon means to attain it Some things are of such a nature that the belief or knowledge of them goes no further but it rests in it self as the belief or knowledge of bare speculative truths But some things are of such a nature as being once truly and firmly believed or known carry a man out to action and such are especially the knowledge or belief of such things as are the objects of our fears or of our hopes the belief of such objects do naturally and with a kind of moral necessity carry a man out to action to the avoiding of such fears and the attaining of such hopes And therefore faith and belief in reference thereunto comes often in the Scripture under the names of hope and fear as being the proper effects of it Instances we have of both 2 Cor. 5.10 11. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 1 Joh. 3.2 3. But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and every man that bath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Therefore we need not be so sollicitous touching the nature of faith what kind of faith it is that must save us certainly if it be a true and real assent of the mind to these great truths of
these two great effects in order to the subduing and conquering of the world without us by rendring it poor inconsiderable contemptible in comparison of those everlasting joys and happiness of the next life and the world within us by chaining up our exorbitant lusts and passions under the fear of the judgment to come and by ordering composing and regulating them in contemplation of the great reward annexed to our dutiful obedience unto God in this life But I shall come to particulars and follow that tract that is before given in the distribution of the world as well within as without us and consider the particular method of faith in the subduing and conquering them 1. Therefore in reference to the world within us namely 1. our Passions 2. our Lusts 1. As to our Passions 1. Faith directs their due placing upon their proper objects by discovering what are the true and proper objects of them out of that large and comprehensive law of God which presents them as such to the soul and to be observed under the pain of the displeasure of the glorious and Almighty God 2. Upon the same account it teacheth our passions and affections moderation in their exercise even about their proper objects and due subordination to that supreme love a man owes to the supreme good God Almighty 3. Upon the same account it teacheth us under our obligation of duty to God to cut off crucifie and mortifie the diseases and corruptions of passions as malice envy revenge pride vain-glory ostentation 2. In reference to our Desires 1. Natural it teacheth us great moderation temperance sobriety it tells us these very natural propensions are apt to grow unruly and consequently hurtful and therefore that we are to keep them in subjection and under discipline both to Religion and to Reason And this it doth by assuring us that such is the will and law of our Creator by assuring us that the same Almighty God is the constant observer of all our most intimate deportments it assures us that the Son of God died to redeem us from the captivity of our lusts that if we be kept still in servitude under them we make an ungrateful return to his love and what in us lyes disappoint him of the end of his sufferings It shews us the great falseness deceit and treachery of these lusts that they are ready upon every occasion to rebell against God and his Law placed in our souls that they are upon every occasion ready to betray us to our worst enemy and if they once get loose from discipline and subjection they are hard to be reclaimed and therefore must be kept under a careful vigilant and austere discipline that if we do so order them we are safe in a great measure from the temptations of the world and the devil who could not hurt us without the compliance inordinateness treachery and correspondence of these close enemies within us 2. As touching those degenerate and corrupt lusts as Covetousness Malice Envy faith doth first of all in general shew us that they are prohibited by the great Lord and Law-giver of heaven and earth and that under severe penalties again secondly it shews us that they are the great depravers and embasers of our nature the disturbers of the peace serenity and tranquility of our minds again thirdly if shews us that they are vain impertinent and unnecessary perturbations such as can never do us any real good but feed our vain imaginations with deceits instead of realities But particular instances in relation to these several lusts will render these truths more evident 1. Therefore for Covetousness or immoderate desire of wealth ambition the immoderate desires of honour or power we shall see how faith or true assent to the truths of God revealed in his Word doth correct and crucifie this lust and that principally by these ensuing Considerations 1. Faith discovers to us that the great Lord of heaven and earth to whom we owe a most universal and indispensible obedience hath forbidden this lust hath told us we must not be over-sollicitous for the things of this life and we have no reason to suspect his wisdom in such prohibitions for he is infinitely wise and knows best what is fittest for us to do or not to do neither have we cause to suspsect his love to us or to think he envies us in his commands either to enjoyn what might be hurtful for us or to forbid what might be beneficial to us for it was his free and immense love that gave us at first our being and therefore certainly can never envy us any thing that might be good or convenient for that being which he at first freely gave and still freely continues to us 2. Faith shews us the vanity and lowness of such desires re-minds us that when death comes all these objects will be utterly insignificant that they are transient incertain objects such as are not only fitted barely for the meridian of this life but such as oftentimes take wings and fly away from us before we leave them such as in their very enjoyment satisfie not but instead of satisfaction are oftentimes vexations and thorns to afflict us 3. Faith presents us with better things more safe to be desired more easily to be attained more securely to be kept namely our peace with God and the firm and sound assurance of everlasting happiness 4. Faith presents us with an assurance of the divine particular Providence which gives and takes away and grants or denies the things upon which our desires are thus fixed and therefore renders our immoderate cares and thoughtfulness for the businesses of this life either needless or vain Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things commands us to cast our care upon him for he careth for us that knows what is fittest for us if abundance he is able to supply us without torturing our selves with care or sollicitousness if the contrary either we covet in vain and our endeavours shall be disappointed or at least they shall be given but a curse and vexation with them given us in anger given us to our hurt and the same may be said in all points in relation to ambition and desire of honours or power 2. Again in relation to malice or envy against the prosperity of others faith shews us how vain and foolish a thing it is and the rather because the wise and great God is the dispenser of all things hath the absolute and unlimited propriety in them disposeth them according to his own good pleasure What reason hath any man to envy that disposal which the God of heaven makes Again 3. For revenge the great Lord of the world hath reserved that as a branch of his own supreme Prerogative vengeance is mine saith the Lord what have you or I to do to invade his prerogative it is his own right and he best knows when and where and in what degree to exercise it 2. I come