consider what you believe. Do you believe that unrighteousness will be the death of your soul; will eternally separate you from God, and the presence of his glory? and when you have reasoned the matter with yourself, you find it to be certainly so: should not such a thing be more deeply pondered? The bare proposal of an evident truth commands present assent; but if I further bend my mind to reason out the same thing to myself, I am occasioned to take notice of the grounds, dependencies, the habitudes of it, what it rests upon. and whither it tends, and thence more discern its importance, and of what moment it is, than I should have done, if upon first view I had assented only, and dismissed it my thoughts. And yet is it possible, you should think this to be true, and not think it a most important truth? Is it a small matter in your account, whether you shall be blessed or miserable for ever? whether you be saved or perish eternally? Or is it considered by you, according as the weight of the matter requires, that as you are found righteous or unrighteous, so will it everlastingly fare with you? Wherein wilt thou believe one upon the bare value of his word, that will lie to thee in any thing? Yea, and as it is the same authority that is affronted in every command, whence disobedience to one is a breach of all; so is the same veracity denied in every truth, and the disbelief of one belies all; and wilt thou believe him in any thing, thou | hast proclaimed a liar in every thing? Therefore, so little hast thou gained by disbelieving the divine revelation in this thing, that thou hast brought thyself to this miserable dilemma; If the word of God be false, thou hast no foundation of any faith left thee; if it be true, it dooms thee to eternal banishment from his blessed face, while thou remainest in thy unrighteousness. It will not be thy advantage then to disbelieve this gospel-record, but to consider it, and take it to heart; 'twill prove never the less true at last, for that thou wilt not believe it; shall thy unbelief make the truth of God of none effect? And if thou wouldst but reasonably consider the case, methinks thou shouldst soon be convinced. Since thou acknowledgest (as I suppose thee to do) that there are two states of men in the other world, a state of blessedness, and a state of misery ; | You may possibly say, you already conclude yourself and two sorts of men in this world, the righteous and the righteous, therefore no further employ your thoughts about unrighteous; let thy reason and conscience now judge who it. But methinks, you should hardly be able however to shall be allotted to the one state, and who to the other. put such a thing out of your thoughts; while as yet the Sure, if thou acknowledge a righteous Judge of all to the final determination is not given in the case. If a man have world, thou canst not think he will turn men promiscu- a question yet depending, concerning his life or estate; ously into heaven or hell at random, without distinction; though his business be never so clear, he will hardly forget much less canst thou be so absurd and mad, as to think all it, the trial not being yet past. And though in this matter, the unrighteous shall be saved, and the righteous perish. you have no reason to suspect error or corruption in your And then what is left thee to judge but that which I am Judge, (through which many honest causes may miscarry now urging upon thee, that when the righteous shall be in a human judicature,) yet have you no reason to suspect admitted to the vision of God's blessed face, the unright-yourself? If the Holy Spirit hath assured you, it hath not eous shall be driven forth into outer darkness. stupified you; but as you have then the less of fear, you It may be some here will be ready to say, "But to what have the more of love and joy. Therefore you will not purpose is all this, they were of the same mind before, thence mind such a concernment the less, but with the and cannot think that any one would ever say the contra- more delight; and therefore also, most probably, with the ry." Nor do I think so either; but 'tis one thing not to be- more frequency and intension. What a pleasure will it lieve a conclusion to be true, and another to profess a con- be to review evidences, and say, Lo! here are the meditrary belief; and one thing to believe a conclusion, ano- ums by which I make out my title to the eternal inheritther to think we believe it. Men often know not their own ance. Such and such characters give me tne confidence to minds. In practical matters, 'tis best known what a man's number myself among God's righteous ones. And do you belief is by his practice: for when any profess to believe lead that heavenly raised life? do you live in those sweet this or that practical truth, relating to their salvation, if and ravishing comforts of the Holy Ghost, that may bespeak they believe it not practically, i. e. with such a belief as you one whom he hath sealed up to the day of redemption? will command their suitable practice, it matters not what If you pretend not to any such certainty, but rely upon your belief they are of, or whether they were of that judgment own judgment of your case; are you sure you are neither or no: yea, it will prove in the issue better for them they mistaken in the notion of the righteousness required, nor had been of another, when their own professed belief shall in the application of it to your own soul? Possibly, you be urged against them. But let us consider a little, how in may think yourself, because in your ordinary dealing you practical matters of less concernment we would estimate a wrong no man, (yourself being judge,) a very righteous man's belief. You meet a traveller upon the way, who tells person. But evident it is, when the Scripture uses this term you, the bridge over such an unpassable river is broken as descriptive of God's own people, and to distinguish bedown, and that if you venture you perish; if you believe tween them that shall be saved and perish, it takes it in him, you return; if you hold on, he reasonably concludes that comprehensive sense before explained. And, however, you believe him not; and will therefore be apt to say to it requires at least much more of thee, under other expresyou, if you will not believe me you may make trial. Your sions, as thou canst hardly be so ignorant but to know. physician tells you a disease is growing upon you, that in And do but use thy reason here a little, and demand of a short time will prove incurable and mortal, but if you thyself: Is he to be accounted a righteous person, that presently use the means he shall prescribe, 'tis capable of thinks it fit to avoid wronging a man, but makes no conan easy remedy; how would you yourself have your be- science at all of wronging God? More particularly: Is it lief of your physician judged of in this case? Would you righteous, to live all thy days in a willing ignorance of the expect to be believed, if you should say, you do not at all dis- Author of thy being, never once to inquire, Where is God trust your physician's integrity and judgment, but yet you my Maker? Is it righteous to forget him days without resolve not to follow his directions; unless you would have number, not to have him from day to day in all thy thoughts? us believe too, that you are weary of your life, and would Is it righteous to estrange thyself from him, and live as fain be rid of it? There is no riddle or mystery in this. without him in the world, while thou livest, movest, and How ridiculous would men make themselves, if in mat- hast thy being in him? not to glorify him in whose hands ters of common concernment they should daily practise di-thy breath is ? to be a lover of pleasure more than God? a rectly contrary to their professed belief? How few would worshipper, in thy very soul, of the creature more than the Delieve them serious, or in their wits? But however, call Creator? Is it righteous to harden thy heart against his this believing, or what you will, we contend not about the fear and love? to live under his power, and never revename; the belief of such a thing can no further do you rence it? his goodness, and never acknowledge it? to afgood, you can be nothing the better for it, further than as front his authority, to belie his truth, abuse his mercy, imit engages you to take a course suitable and consequent to pose upon his patience, defy his justice; to exalt thy own such a belief. To believe that there is a hell, and run into interest against his; the trifling petite interest of a silly it; that unrighteousness persisted in will damn you, and worm, against the great all-comprehending interest of the yet will live in it. To what purpose is it, to make your common Lord of all the world? to cross his will, to do thy boasts of this faith? But since you are willing to call this own? to please thyself, to the displeasing of him? Whence believing: all the foregoing reasoning is to engage you to hadst thou thy measures of justice, if this be just ? C Job xxxv. Again, is it righteous to deny the Lord that bought thee, | of such righteous ones, in the beginning of the next to neglect that great salvation which he is the author of? chapter, They are sons-they shall be like, &c. And whereas he came to bless thee in turning thee from So that in a word, without some sight of God here, there thine iniquities, wilfully to remain still in an accursed ser- is no seeing him hereafter; without some likeness to him vitude to sin? when he was made manifest to destroy the now, none hereafter. And such as are destitute of that works of the devil, still to yield thyself a captive at his heart-conformity to the gospel, wherein the evangelical will? Whereas he died that thou mightest not any longer righteousness stands, are so far from it, that we may say live to thyself, but to him that died for thee, and rose to them as our Saviour to the Jews, Ye have neither again; and that he might redeem thee from thy vain con- heard his voice, nor seen his shape, i. e. you have never versation; and that thou art so expressly told, that such as had right notion, or any the least true glimpse of him; still lead sensual lives, mind earthly things, have not their your hearts are wholly destitute of all divine impressions conversation in heaven, are enemies to the cross of Christ. whatsoever. Is it no unrighteousness, that in these respects thy whole 8. Infer. We may further infer, from this qualification of life should be nothing else but a constant contradiction to the subject of blessedness, that righteousness is no vain the very design of his dying? a perpetual hostility, a very thing. That is not in vain, that ends so well, and hath so tilting at his cross? Is there no unrighteousness in thy happy an issue at last. Scripture tells us, that the labour obstinate infidelity, that wickedly denies belief to his glo- of the righteous tendeth to life: and that we may underrious truths, acceptance of his gracious offers, subjection stand it of their labour as they are righteous, we are more to his holy laws? No unrighteousness in thy obstinate, plainly told, that i righteousness tendeth to life; and that remorseless impenitency? thy heart that cannot repent? to them that sow righteousness shall be a sure reward. that melts not, while a crucified Jesus, amidst his agonies That the righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom and dying pangs, cries to thee from the cross, O sinner, of their Father. The righteous into eternal life. And enough, thy hard heart breaks mine! yield at last, and turn we here see that righteousness ends in the blessed sight of to God. Is it righteous, to live as no way under law to God's glorious face, in being satisfied with the Divine Christ? to persist in actual rebellion against his just go-likeness. Foolish sinners are justly upbraided that they vernment, which he died, and revived, and rose again, to spend their labour for that which satisfies not; take establish over the living and the dead? yea, and that much pains to no purpose. Such are all the works of sin, while thou pretendest thyself a Christian? In a word: Is toilsome, fruitless: What fruit had ye of those things (viz. it righteous to tread under foot the Son of God, to vilify which ye wrought when you were free from righteousness) his blood, and despise his Spirit? Is this the righteous- whereof ye are now ashamed; for the end of those things ness that thou talkest of? Are these thy qualifications for is death. But (it follows) being now made free from sin, the everlasting blessedness? If thou say, thou confessest and become servants to God, (which is paraphrased above thou art in thyself, in these several respects, altogether by servants to righteousness,) ye have your fruit unto hounrighteous, but thou hopest the righteousness of Christ liness, and the end everlasting life. The fruit is a conwill be sufficient to answer for all; no doubt Christ's tinual increase of holiness, a growing more and more like righteousness is abundantly available to all the ends for God; till at last everlasting life, satisfaction with his likewhich it was intended by the Father and him; but it shall ness, do crown and consummate all. never answer all the ends that a foolish, wicked heart will fondly imagine to itself. In short, it serves to excuse thy non-performance of, and stands instead of thy perfect sinless obedience to, the law of works; but it serves not instead of thy performance of what is required of thee, as the condition of the gospelcovenant. That is, it shall never supply the room of faith, repentance, regeneration, holiness, the loving of Christ above all, and God in him; so as to render these unnecessary, or salvation possible without them. There is not one iota or tittle in the Bible, that so much as intimates an unregenerate person, an unbeliever, an impenitent or unholy person, shall be saved by Christ's righteousness; but enough to the contrary, every one knows, that hath the least acquaintance with the Scriptures. Vain man! what, is Christ divided, and divided against himself; Christ without against Christ within? his sufferings on the cross and foregoing obedience, against his Spirit and government in the soul? Did Christ die to take away the necessity of our being Christians? And must his death serve not to destroy sin out of the world, but Christianity? Who hath taught thee so wickedly to misunderstand the design of Christ's dying? And when the Scripture so plainly tells thee, a that God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and that he became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey him; yea, and that he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know and obey him not; what should induce thee to think thou mayest be saved by him, whether thou believest and obeyest or not? No, if ever thou think to see God, and be happy in him, thou must have a righteousness in thee resembling his; the very product, the thing wrought in the work of regeneration. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Whereupon follows the description of the blessedness You have now what to answer to the atheist's profane query, What profit is it to serve God? to what purpose to lead so strict and precise a life? You may now see to what purpose it is; and whereunto godliness (which righteousness here includes) is profitable, as having, besides what it entitles to here, the promise of that life which is to come. There needs no more to discover any thing not to be vain (inasmuch as nothing can be said to be so, but in reference to an end, as being good for nothing) than the eviction of these two things:-that it aims at a truly worthy and valuable end; and that its tendency thereto is direct and certain. In the present case, both these are obvious enough at the first view. For as to the former of them: all the world will agree, without disputing the matter, that the last end of man (i. e. which he ultimately propounds to himself) is his best good: and that he can design no further good to himself than satisfaction; nothing after or beyond that: and what can afford it, if the vision and participation of the Divine glory do not? As to the latter: besides all that assurance given by Scripture-constitution to the righteous man, concerning his future reward, let the consciences be consulted of the most besotted sinners, in any lucid interval, and they will give their suffrage, (Balaam, that so earnestly followed the reward of unrighteousness, not excepted,) that the way of righteousness is that only likely way to happiness; and would therefore desire to die, at least, the righteous man's death, and that their latter end should be like his. So is wisdom (I might call it righteousness too; the wicked man is the Scripture fool, and the righteous the wise man) justified not by her children only, but by her enemies also. And sure, 'tis meet that she should be more openly justified by her children, and that they learn to silence and repress those misgiving thoughts; Surely I have washed my hands in vain, &c.; and P be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as they know their labour is not in vain in the Lord. INASMUCH as the season of this blessedness is not on this side the grave, nor expected by saints till they awake; we may further infer, 9. Infer. Ninthly, That their happiness in the meantime doth very much consist in hope; or that hope must needs be of very great necessity and use to them in their present state for their comfort and support. It were not otherwise possible to subsist in the absence and want of their highest good, while nothing in this lower world is, as to kind and nature, suitable to their desires, or makes any colourable overture to them of satisfaction and happiness. Others (as the Psalmist observes) have their portion in this life; that good, which as to the species and kind of it, is most grateful to them, is present, under view, within sight; and (as the apostles) Hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But those whose more refined spirits, having received the first fruits of the Holy Spirit of God, prompt them to groan after something beyond time, and above this sublunary sphere; of them the apostle there tells us, that they are saved by hope. They (as if he should say) subsist by it; they were never able to hold out, were it not for their hope; and that a hope too, beyond this life, as is the hope of a Christian; b if in this life only we had hope in Christ, &c. The hope of a Christian, as such, is suitable to its productive cause, | the resurrection of Christ from the dead; begotten to a lively hope by the resurrection, &c. Thence is it the hope of a renewed, never-dying life, the hope of a blessed immortality; whereof Christ's resurrection was a certain argument and pledge. Indeed the new creature is, ab origine, and all along, a hoping creature, both in its primum and its porro esse is conceived, and formed, and nursed up in hope. In its production, and in its progress towards perfection, 'tis manifestly influenced thereby. In the first return of the soul to God, hope, being then planted as a part of the holy, gracious nature, now manifestly discovers itself; when the soul begins to act, (as turning after the reception of the Divine influence is its act,) hope insinuates itself into (or induces rather) that very act. Returning is not the act of a despairing, but hoping soul. 'Tis God apprehended as reconcilable, that attracts and wins it; while he is looked upon as an implacable enemy, the soul naturally shuns him, and comes not nigh, till drawn & with those cords of a man, the bands of love. While it says, There is no hope, it says withal, (desperately enough,) I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. But if there be any hope in Israel, concerning this thing: if it can yet apprehend God willing to forgive, then Let us make a covenant, &c. This presently draws the hovering soul into a closure and league with him. And thus is the union continued. & Unsteadfastness in the covenant of God, is resolved into this not setting or fixing of hope in him; or (which amounts to the same) setting of hope in God is directed as a means to h steadfastness of spirit with him, and a keeping of his covenant. Revolting souls are encouraged to turn to the Lord upon this consideration, that salvation is hoped for in vain from any other; the case being indeed the same in all after-conversions as in the first. God as multiplying to pardon, and still retaining the same name, The Lord, the Lord gracious and merciful, (which name in all the severals that compose and make it up, is in his Christ,) invites back to him the backsliding sinner, and renews his thoughts of returning. And so is he afterwards under the teachings of grace, led on by hope, through the whole course of religion towards the future glory. Grace appears, teaching sinners to deny ungodliness, &c. and in the looking for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God, &c. So do they keep themselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Thus is the new creature formed in hope, and nour ished in hope; and if its eye were upon pardon at first, 'tis more upon the promised glory afterwards. And yet that last end hath in a degree its attractive influence upon it, from the first formation of it; 'tis even then taught to design for glory. 'Tis begotten to the lively hope, (where though hope be taken objectively, as the apposition shows of the following words, to an inheritance, yet the act is evidently connoted; for the thing hoped for, is meant under that notion, as hoped for,) and its whole following course is an aiming at glory; am seeking glory, honour, immortality, &c. Thus is the work of sanctification carried on;" He that hath this hope purifieth himself. Thus are losses sustained; The spoiling of goods taken joyfully through the expectation of the better and enduring substance. The most hazardous services undertaken, even an apostleship to a despised Christ,-P In the hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised. All difficulties encountered and overcome, while the helmet is the hope of salvation. All worldly evils are willingly endured; and all such good things quitted and forsaken, for Christ's sake and his elect's. And if the question be asked, (as it was once of Alexander, when so frankly distributing his treasures among his followers,) What do you reserve for yourself? The resolved Christian makes (with him) that short and brave reply, HOPE. He lives upon things future and unseen. The objects any one converses with most, and in which his life is as it were bound up, are suitable to the ruling principles of life in him. They that are after the flesh, do savour the things of the flesh; they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. The principle of the fleshly life is sense: the principle of the spiritual life is faith. Sense is a mean, low, narrow, incomprehensive principle, limited to a point, this centre of earth, and ro viv, this now of time; it can reach no higher than terrene things, nor further than present things; so brutish is the life of him that is led by it; wholly confined to matter and time. But the righteous live by faith. Their faith governs and maintains their life. They steer not their course according to what they see, but according to what they believe: and their daily sustenance is by the same kind of things. Their faith influences not their actions only, but their comforts and enjoyments. They subsist by the things they believe, even invisible and eternal things; but it is by the intervening exercise of hope, whose object is the same. The apostle having told us from the prophet, that the just shall live by faith, presently subjoins a description of that faith they live by, viz. that it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; it substantiates and realizes, evidences and demonstrates those glorious objects, so far above the reach and sphere of sense. It is constantly sent out to forage in the invisible regions for the maintenance of this life; and thence fetches in the provisions upon which hope feeds, to the strengthening of the heart, the renewing of life and spirits. Our inward man, (saith the apostle)" is renewed day by day; while we look, or take aim (which is next in the series of the discourse, for the intervening verse is manifestly parenthetical) not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal. And the word here rendered look doth plainly signify the act of hope as well as that of faith; for it doth not import a mere intuition or beholding, a taking notice or assenting only that there are such things, but a designing or scoping at them (which is the very word) with an appropriative eye; as things that, notwithstanding their distance, or whatsoever imaginable difficulty, are hoped to be attained to and enjoyed. And here are evidently the distinct parts of faith and hope in this business; faith, upon the authority and credit of the Divine word and promise, persuades the heart that there is such a glorious state of things reserved for the saints in general, (faith can go no further, for the word of promise goes no further,) and so serves instead of eyes in the Divine light, to view those glories; or it presents them n 1 John iii. 3. q1 Thess. v. 8. 8 Hab. ii. 4. u 2 Cor. iv. 16, 18. 8 (as so many substantial realities,) demonstrates them, sub- about the supreme end, (then it might be truly said, delimits them to view, whence hope reaches forth to them; beration itself was a defection,) nor to pervert and misincontends against and triumphs over all attending difficul- cline his will; and so its action, in proposing its end, ties, and possesses them; gives the soul an early antici- would be simple intention, not choice. But so hath the pated fruition of them, for its present support and relief. apostacy and sin of man blinded and befooled him, that he So that it rejoices in the hope of the glory of God. It is at a loss about nothing more than what is the chief good. might well therefore be said, I had fainted, if I had not And though St. Augustine reduce Varro's two hundred believed, or who can express how sad my case had been, and eighteen differing sects about it to twelve, that's enough if I had not believed for there is an elegant aposiopesis to prove (but daily experience doth it more convincingin the Hebrew text, the words "I had fainted" being sup- ly, and sadly) a real, though most unjust competition. plied in the translation. If I had not believed, what had be- Therefore a sinner can never be blessed without choosing come of me then? q. d. Inasmuch as faith feeds, as it his blessedness; and therein it highly concerns him to were, those hopes, which more immediately, the Lord makes choose aright, and that a spirit of wisdom and counsel use of, for the strengthening his people's hearts, as it was guide his choice. While man had not as yet fallen, to deintimated in the following words, compared with Psal. xxxi. liberate whether he should adhere to God or no, was a 24. In the present case; faith ascertains the heart of the gradual declension, the very inchoation of his fall; but truth of the promises, so that thus the soul states the case having fallen, necessity makes that a virtue which was to itself. Though I have not walked to and fro in those a wickedness before. There is no returning to God upper regions, nor taken a view of the heavenly inheri- without considering our ways. The so much altered tance; though I have not been in the third heavens, and state of the case, quite alters the nature of the things. seen the ineffable glory; yet the gospel revelation, which It was a consulting to do evil before; now to do good. hath brought life and immortality to light, the word of the And hence also, a choosing the Lord to be our God, beeternal God, who hath told me this is the state of things in comes a necessary duty. Which is to make choice of this the other world, cannot but be true: my faith may therefore very blessedness, that consists in the knowledge, likeness, be to me instead of eyes: and the Divine testimony must and enjoyment of him. And now, inasmuch as this blesssupply the place of light: both together, give, methinks, a edness is not fully attained by the longing soul, till time fair prospect of those far distant, glorious objects which I expire and its eternity commence; here is a great discohave now in view. Now this awakens hope, and makes very of that wisdom which guides this happy choice. This it revive, and run to embrace what faith hath discovered is great wisdom in prospection; in taking care of the future; in the promise: In the hope of eternal life, which God and at how much the further distance one can provide, so that cannot lie hath promised. 'Tis the word of God that much the greater reputation of wisdom is justly acquired causes the soul to hope, (i. e. believed, for disbelieved, it to him; yea, we seem to place the sum of practical wisdom signifies nothing with it,) and that not only as it contains in this one thing, while we agree to call it providence, una narration, but a promise concerning a future state. Ider the contracted name of prudence. The wise man makes may without much emotion of heart, hear from a travel- it at least an evidence or part of wisdom, when he tells us • ler the description of a pleasant country, where I have not the prudent foreseeth, &c. The righteous man so far exbeen; but if the lord of that country give me, besides the cels in this faculty, as that his eye looks through all the account of it, an assurance of enjoying rich and ample periods of time, and penetrates into eternity, recommends possessions there, this presently begets a hope, the plea- to the soul a blessedness of that same stamp and alloy, that sure whereof would much relieve a present distressed es- will endure and last forever. It will not content him to be tate; and which nothing but that of actual possession, can happy for an hour, or for any space that can have an end; exceed. That 'tis not more so with us here, admits of no after which it shall be possible to him to look back and Is God less to be believed than a man? Will recount with himself how happy he was once: nor is he we deny him the privilege of being able to discover his so much solicitous what his present state be, if he can but mind, and the truth of things credible, which we ordina- find he is upon safe terms as to his future and eternal state. rily allow to any one that is not a convicted liar? Christ As for me, saith the Psalmist, (he herein sorts and severs expects his disciples should very confidently assure them- himself from them whose portion was in this life,) ↑ I shall selves of the preparations made for them in another world, behold-I shall be satisfied, when I awake; he could not upon that very ground alone, that he had not told them the say it was well with him, but shall be, q. d. Let the purblind, contrary: Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in short-sighted sensualist embrace this present world, who God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many can see no further: let me have my portion in the world mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to come; may my soul always lie open to the impression to prepare, &c. intimating to them, they ought to have of the powers of the coming world; and in this, so use that opinion of his plainness and sincerity, as never to every thing as to be under the power of nothing. What imagine he would have proselyted them to a religion that are the pleasures of sin, that are but for a season; or what should undo them in this world, if there were not a suffi- the sufferings of this now, this moment of affliction, to cient recompense awaiting them in the other, but he would the glory that shall be revealed, to the exceeding and etercertainly have let them known the worst of their case: nal glory? He considers, patient afflicted godliness will much more might he expect, they should be confident triumph at last, when riotous raging wickedness shall laupon his so often and expressly telling them, that so it is.ment for ever. He may for a time weep and mourn, while If his silence might be a ground of hope, much more his the world rejoices; he may be sorrowful, but his sorrow word. And surely so grounded a hope cannot but be con- shall be turned into joy, and his joy none shall take from solatory and relieving in this sad interval, till the awa- him. Surely here is wisdom; this is the wisdom that is King hour. from above, and tends thither. This is to be wise unto salvation. The righteous man is a judicious man; he hath in a measure that judgment (wherein the apostle prays the Philippians might h abound) to approve things that are excellent, and accordingly to make his choice. This is a sense (little thought of by the author) wherein that sober speech of the voluptuous philosopher is most certainly true, i A man cannot live happily, without living wisely. No man shall ever enjoy the eternal pleasures hereafter, that in this acquits not himself wisely here, even in this choosing the better part, that shall never be taken from him. In this the plain righteous man outvies the greatest sophies, the scribe, the disputer, the politician, the prudent mammonist, the facete wit; who, in their several i Epicurus. excuse. 10. Infer. Lastly, Since this blessedness of the righteous is, as to the season of it, future, not expected till they awake, we may infer, that 'tis great wisdom and sagacity that guides the righteous man's choice; while he waves a present and temporary, and chooses this future and expected, blessedness. 'Tis true, that philosophy hath been wont to teach us, that choice or election hath no place about the end, because that is but one, and choice always implies a competition. But that very reason evinces, that in our present state and case, choice must have place about the end. That philosophy might have suited better the state of innocent Adam; when there was nothing to blind and bribe a man's judgment, or occasion it to deliberate Rom. v. 2. xii. 12. Psal. xxvii. 13, 14. z Tit. i. 2. a Psal. xix. 49. John xiv. 1, 2. c De Civit. Dei, lib. 19. d Josh. xxiv. 15. e Prov. xxii. 3. f Est bene non potuit dicere dicit erit. h Phil. i 9, 10. k and their lot is among the saints? They that were too wise before, to mind so mean a thing as religion (P the world through wisdom knew not God; strange wisdom!) that could so wisely baffle conscience, and put fallacies upon their own souls; that had so ingenious shifts to elude • conviction, and divert any serious thought from fastening upon their spirits; that were wont so slyly to jeer holness, seemed as they meant to laugh religion out of countenance; they will now know, that a circumspect walking, a faithful redeeming of time, and improving it in order to eternity, was to do, not as fools, but as wise; and begin to think of themselves, now at last, as all wise and sober men thought of them before. CHAPTER XVI. The second general head of the improvement or use of the doctrine propound; ed from the text, containing certain rules or prescriptions of duty connatural thereto. 1. That we settle in our minds the true notion of this blessedness. 2. That we compare the temper of our own spirits with it, and labour thence to discern whether we may lay claim to it or no. Next follow the duties to be practised and done in reference thereto, which I shall lay down in the ensuing rules or prescriptions. kinds, all think themselves highly to have merited to be accounted wise: and that this point of wisdom should escape their notice, and be the principal thing with him, can be resolved into nothing else but the Divine good pleasure! In this contemplation our Lord Jesus Christ is said to have rejoiced in spirit, (it even put his great comprehensive soul into an ecstacy,) Father I thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes; even so Father, because it pleased thee! Here was a thing fit to be reflected on, as a piece of Divine royalty; a part worthy of the Lord of heaven and earth. And what serious spirit would it not amaze, to weigh and ponder this case awhile; to see men excelling in all other kinds of knowledge, so far excelled by those they most contemn, in the highest point of wisdom; such as know how to search into the most abstruse mysteries of nature; that can unravel, or see through the most perplexed intrigues of state; that know how to save their own stake, and secure their private interest in whatsoever times; yet so little seen, (often, for not many wise) in the matters that concern an eternal felicity! It puts mé in mind of what I find observed by some, the particular madness, (a dementia quo ad hoc,) as 'tis called; when per- THUS far we have the account of the truths to be consons, in every thing else, capable of sober, rational dis-sidered and weighed that have dependence on the doctrine course, when you bring them to some one thing, (that in of the text. reference to which they became distempered at first) they rave and are perfectly mad. How many that can manage a discourse with great reason and judgment about other matters, who, when you come to discourse with them 1. That we admit and settle the distinct notion of this about the affairs of practical godliness, and which most blessedness in our own minds and judgments; that we fix directly tend to that future state of blessedness, they are in our own souls apprehensions agreeable to the account as at their wit's end, know not what to say; they savour this scripture hath given us of it. This is a counsel leadnot those things! These are things not understood, but by ing and introductive to the rest; and which if it obtain such to whom it is given; and surely that given wisdom is with us, will have a general influence upon the whole the most excellent wisdom. Sometimes God doth, as it course of that practice which the doctrine already opened were, so far gratify the world, as to speak their own lan- calls for. As our apprehensions of this blessedness are guage, and call them wise that affect to be called so, and more distinct and clear, it may be expected more powerthat wisdom which they would fain have go under that fully to command our hearts and lives. Hence it is, in name; Moses, it is said, was skilled in all the wisdom of great part, the spirits and conversations of Christians have Egypt, &c. But at other times he expressly calls those so little savour and appearance of heaven in them. We wise men fools, and their wisdom, folly and madness; or rest in some general and confused notion of it, in which annexes some disgraceful abject for distinction sake; or there is little either of efficacy or pleasure; we descend applies those appellatives ironically, and in manifest deri- not into a particular inquiry and consideration what it is. sion. No doubt, but any such person as was represented Our thoughts of it are gloomy and obscure; and hence in the parable, would have thought himself to have done it is our spirit is naturally listless and indifferent towards the part of a very wise man, in entertaining such delibe- it, and rather contents itself to sit still in a region all lightration and resolves, as we find he had there with himself. some round about, and among objects it hath some present How strange was that to his ears, m Thou fool, this night acquaintance with, than venture itself forth as into a new shall they require thy soul, &c. Their wisdom is some- world which it knows but little of. And hence our lives times said to be foolish; or else called the wisdom of the are low and carnal; they look not as though we were flesh, or fleshly wisdom; said to be earthly, sensual, devil-seeking the heavenly country; and indeed who can be in ish; they are said to be wise to do evil; while to do good they have no understanding; they are brought sometimes as it were upon the stage with their wisdom, to be the matter of Divine triumph; where is the wise? and that which they account foolishness is made to confound their wisdom. And indeed do they deserve to be thought wise, that are so busily intent upon momentary trifles, and trifle with eternal concernments? that prefer vanishing shadows to the everlasting glory? that follow lying vanities, and forsake their own mercies? Yea, will they not cease to be wise in their own eyes also, when they see the issue, and reap the fruits of their foolish choice? when they find the happiness they preferred before this eternal one is quite over; and nothing remains to them of it, but an afflictive remembrance? that the torment they were told would follow, is but now beginning, and without end? when they hear from the mouth of their impartial Judge, Remember, you in your life-time had your good things, and my faithful servants their evil; now they must be comforted, and you tormented? when they are told, n you have received the consolation; you were full, ye did laugh, now you must pine, and mourn, and weep? Will they not then be as ready to befool themselves, and say as they, See, those (righteous ones) are they whom we sometimes had in derision, and for a proverb of reproach: we fools counted their life madness, and that their end was without honour; but now, how are they numbered among the sons of God, m Luke xii. 20. good earnest in seeking after an unknown state? This |