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
as well the fear of reverence as that of caution and vigilancy as namely 1. The Majesty and Glory of God at which the very Angels of Heaven that are confirmed in an unchangeable estate of happiness carry an inward and express an outward reverence 2. But Majesty and Glory without Power is not perfect therefore the sense and knowledge of the almighty Power of God is a great object of our fear He doth whatsoever he pleaseth all things had their being from him and have their dependance on him 3. The deep knowledge of the Goodness of God and that Goodness not only Immanent in himself but Emanent and Communicative and from this diffusive and communicative Goodness of God all things had their actual being and from him they do enjoy it And both these Goodnesses of God the Immanent and Emanent Goodnesses are the noblest exciter of the noblest fear a fear springing from Love and that love fixing upon the Immanent goodness of God which is altogether lovely and perfect and also upon the Emanent and Communicative goodness of God as he is our Benefactor and wherever there is this love there is this fear both of Reverence and Caution We cannot choose but honour and reverence and be careful to observe and please whatsoever we thus love the intrinsick nature of that which we love for its own worth and perfection binds us by a kind of natural bond or result to reverence and honour and the extrinsick emanation of that goodness unto us binds us to reverence and esteem and honour it as our Benefactor by a double bond viz. first of Gratitude or Benevolence to him that communicates this good secondly by a bond of Prudence and self-preservation not to disoblige him from whom we have our good and upon whom we have our dependance lest a disobligation should occasion his substraction or abatement of that good from us Wheresoever there is dependance as there must be naturally love to that upon which is our dependance so there must be necessarily a fear both of Reverence and Caution even upon principles of self-love if there were nothing else to command it 4. A deep sense knowledge and consideration of the Divine Omniscience If there were all the other motives of fear imaginable yet if this were wanting the fear of God would be in a great measure abated for what availeth reverence or caution if he to whom it is intended do not know it and what damage can be sustained by a neglect or omission of that fear if God Almighty now it not The want of this Consiâ—eration hath made even those Atheists that â—et acknowledged a God such were Epiâ—rus Diagoras Lucretius Lucian and others â—mong the Philosophers and such was Eliâ—has his oppressor Job 22.13 How doth God now and can he judge through the thick cloud â—r David's fool Psal 94.7 The Lord shall â—ot see neither shall the God of Jacob regard But the All-knowing God searcheth the very thoughts and knows the Heart and â—ll the actions of our lives Not a word in â—ur tongue but he heareth it and knows our thoughts a far off 5. A deep sense of the Holiness and Purity of God which must needs cause in him an averseness unto and abhorrence of whatsoever is sinful or impure Lastly the sense of the Justice of God not only an inherent Justice which is the rectitude of his nature but a transient or distributive Justice that will most certainly distribute rewards to obedience observance and the fear of his Name but punishments to the disobedient and those that have no fear of him before their Eyes The deep consideration and sense of these attributes of the Divine perfection must needs excite both the fear of Reverence and the fear of Caution or fear of offending either by commission of what may displease God of omitting of what is pleasing to him 3. But although this knowledge of Almighty God and his Attributes may just excite a fear both of Reverence and Caution yet without the knowledge of some thing else that fear will be extravagant and disorderly and sometimes begets Superstition or strange exorbitancy in this fear or in the expressions of it and a want regularity of duty or obedience if a maâ— know that Almighty God is just and will reward obedience and punish disobedience yet if he knows not what he will have done or omitted he will indeed fear to displease him but he will not know how to please or to obey him therefore besides the former there must be a Knowledge of the Will or Law of God in things to be done or omitted This Law of God hath a double Inscription 1. In Nature and that is again twofold first the natural rudiments of Morality and Piety written in the Heart secondly such as are deducible by the exercise of Natural reason and light for even from the notion of God there do result certain consequences of Natural Piety and Religion as that he is to be prayed unto to be praised that he is to be imitated as far forth as is possible by us therefore as he is holy beneficent good â—erciful so must we be 2. But we have more excellent Transcript of the Divine Will namely the Holy Scriptures which therefore a man that fears God will study and observe and practise as being the best â—ule how to obey him And the very fear of God arising upon the sense of his Being and Attributes will make that man very â—ollicitous to know the will of God and â—ow he will be worshipped and served and what he would have to be done or not â—o be done And therefore since the glorious God hath so far condescended as by his Providence to send us a Transcript of his Mind and Will and Law he will be very thankful for it very studious of it much delighted in it very curious to observe it because it is the Rule and direction how he may obey and consequently please that great God whom he fears this Word he believes and prizes as his great Charter and in this Word he finds much to excite and regulate and direct his fear of God he sees Examples of the Divine Justice against the Offenders of his Law of the Divine Bounty in rewarding the obedience to it Threatnings on one Hand Promises on the other greater manifestations of the Divine Goodness in the Redemption of mankind by Christ Jesus and therefore greater obâ—â—gations as well to fear as to love such Benefactor And thus far of the kinds of the fear of God and of the causes or objects exciting it Now let us see how it doth appear thâ— this fearing man is the wise man and how the Fear of God discovers it self to be the true and best and only Wisdom which wiâ—â— appear in these particular Consideration following 1. Many Learned men considering that great similitude and image of ratiocination in some Brutes especially have therefore declined to define a Man by his Reason because of that
wealth or honour or power or splendour or great equipage in this World but all that he demes in reference to this World is 1. That the comfortable presence and sense of the favour and love of God should be with him If God will be with me 2. That the Protection of the Divine Providence may be continually over him and will keep we in the way that I go 3. That he would supply him not with curiosities or delicacies but with necessaries and will give me bread to eat and raâ—ment to put on And the truth is this should be the Rule und Measure of every good man in reference to this life and the enjoyments of it and the desires of them until he come to his Father's house in peace that house wherein there are many mansions that the great Father of whom all the Family in Heaven and Earth is named hath provided for such as fear and love and obey him Indeed the two former of these though they be no more than what the bountiful God freely affords to all that truly love him and depend upon him are of a strange and vast extent First the comfortable presence of God supplies abundantly all that can be desired by us and abundantly countervails whatsoever else we seem to want it is better than life it self And when the Ancients would express all that seemed beneficial or prosperous in this life they had no suller and comprehensive expression of it than that God was with him Joseph Gen. 39. 3. And when his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper 1 Sam. 18. 14 28. the wisdom and courage and success of David is resolved into this one thing The Lord was with him But certainly though the Divine presence should not manifest it self in external successes and advantages the very sense of the savour and comfortable presence of God carries with it an abundant supply of all other deficiences Psal 4. 6 7. The light of the countenance of Almighty God is the most supereminent good and occasions more true joy and contentment than the redundance of all external advantages Secondly the Divine protection and providence is the most sure and safe protection and supplies the want of all other The munition of Rocks is thy defence and all other desences and refuges without this are weak impotent and failing defences Except the Lord watch the city the watchman watcheth but in vain That therefore which I shall fix upon is the last of his three desires If he shall give me meat to drink and rayment to put on The desires of a good man in relation to the things of this life ought not to be lavish and extravagant not to be of things for grandeur or delicacy or excess but to be terminated in things of necessity for his present subsistence convenient food and rayment If Almighty God give more than this it is matter of the greater gratitude as it was to Jacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies c. for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands But if he gives no more we have enough for our contentation Almighty God who is never worse than his word but most commonly better hath not given us any promise of more neither hath he given us commission to expect or ask for more If he gives more than necessary he exalts his bounty and benificence and yet if he gives no more it is bounty that he gives so much and is matter both of our contentation and gratitude This the wise man Agur made his request Prov. 30. 8. Give me neither poverty nor riches seed me with food convenient for me This our Lord teacheth us to ask in his excellent form of Prayer Give us this day our daily bread and this is that which the Apostle prescribes for the Rule of our contentation 1 Tim. 6.8 And having food and rayment let us be therewith content And truly if it pleaseth God to allow us a sufficiency and competency for the necessity of our nature we have very great Reason to be contented with it not only as it is a duty enjoyned unto us but upon most evident conviction of sound Reason both in regard unto Almighty God in regard of our selves and in regard of others I shall mingle these Reasons together 1. It becomes us to be contented because whatsoever we have we have from the free allowance bounty and goodness of God he owes us nothing but what we have we have from free gift and bounty If a man demands a debt of another we think it just he should be paid what he demands but if a man receive an alms from another we think it reasonable he should be content with what the other gives without prescribing to the measure of his bounty But the case is far stronger here we are under an obligation of duty to be charitable to others wants by virtue of a Divine Command but Almighty God is under no other law of conferring benefits but of his own bounty goodness and will 2. It becomes us to be content because our measure and dole is given unto us as by him that is absolute Lord of his own bounty so by him that is the wisest dispenser of his own benefits he knows far better than we our selves what proportion is fittest for us he hath given us enough for our necessity and we are desirous to have somewhat more the wise God knows it may be that more would do us harm would undo us would make us luxurious proud insolent domineering forgetful of God The great Lord and Master of the great Family of the World knows who are and who are not able to bear redundancy And therefore if I have food convenient for me I have reason to be content because I have reason to believe the great and wise God knows what proportion best sits me it may be if I had more I were ruined 3. We must know that we are but Stewards of the very external blessings of this life and at the great Audit we must give an account of our Stewardship and those Accounts will be strictly perused by the great Lord of all the Family in Heaven and Earth Now if our external benefits be but proportionable to our necessities and necessary use our Account is easily and safely made Imprimis I have received so much of thy external blessings as were necessary for my food and clothing and for the feeding and clothing of my Family But on the other side where there is a superfluity and redundance given over and above our necessary support the account is more difficult where much is given much will be required There will be an account required how the redundant overplus was employed how much in Charity how much in other good works and God knows that too too often very pitiful accounts are made of the surplusage and redundancy
whom I owe myself and whose will I pray daily may be done It was an adorable instance of this humility in David when to add to his present sad condition Shimei cursed him so bitterly and although he had power and opportuleft him to revenge it yet he forbad it for it may be the Lord hath bid Shimei curse And again 2. What am I that I must not be crossed or reproached or contemned or disappointed Alas a poor weak sinful man I cannot be made lower in the esteem of the world than I am in my own If the world reproach spoil me of what I have if I am poor or scorned it is but what I deserve and less than I deserve for my sins at the hand of God Though perchance I am slandered or falsly accused by them yet I know ill enough of my self to make me bear patiently even a false accusation and they cannot make me more low and vile in the esteem of others than I am in my own And thus Humility breaks and quenches the passions and keeps the mind serene and undisturbed under all external occurrencies But to descend to particulars more distinctly 2. Humility gives Contentation in any condition or station And the reason is because an humble mind is never above that station or condition of life that the Divine Providence orders but rather under or below it or at the most holds pace with it When the mind runs beyond the condition of a man it is like a spend-thrift that lives beyond his Estate and therefore becomes necessarily poor and never enjoys what it hath because it busies it self evermore in anxious pursuit of what it hath not And that mind that in relation to the things of the world runs beyond its station can never be contented nor quiet and though he attain this year what he anxiously pursued the last year yet still his mind will be running farther and still keep before his acquests as the fore-wheel of the Coach will still run before the hinder-wheel But an humble man is ever contented with what the Divine Providence and Honest Industry allotts him and enjoys it comfortably and thankfully and can sit down with a narrow fortune with this contenting contemplation That which I have is given by the Bountiful God of liberality not of debt if I had less it were more than I could deserve for I can with Jacob say out of the sense of my own unworthiness I am less than the least of all thy mercies blessed therefore be his name 3. Humility gives always Patience under all Adversity of what kind soever it be and this is always an effect and companion of true humility upon these ensuing Considerations 1. The greatest cause of Impatience is not so much from the pressure and force of any external cross or calamity as from the great disturbance and reluctance of the mind of him that suffers it and this it is that raiseth up the waves and billows within the cross or calamity it may be is rough and beyond the power of him that suffers it to extricate or control And on the other side when it meets with a mind as tumultuous and contumacious as the calamity or cross it raiseth a storm as when the wind and tide are contrary or like that state of Paul's voyage in the Adriatick Sea where two Seas met Act. 27. which oftentimes endangers the vessel He that violently and impetuously contends against a calamity is like one bound with a strong yoak or bond his strugling like a wild Bull in a net galls him more than the yoak it self otherwise would do and a proud and haughty spirit commonly miscalled courage contributes more to his own uneasiness than his cross doth But an humble lowly mind is naturally more able to bear his cross with more patience because it is evident that the softness humility and quietness and calmness of his mind breaks the force of the calamity and renders it more easie by submission to it 2. Again every true humble man looks upon the worst condition that he is under to be less than he deserves As long as a man lives in the world there is no condition so troublesom and painful and uneasie but it may be worse and an humble man always thinks that that condition or circumstance of his life which may be worse is not the worst that he deserves It may be I am poor but yet I am well esteemed I deserve both poverty and disesteem it may be I am poor and under a cloud also of ignominy and reproach yet I have my health of body and composedness and steadiness of mind and this is more than I deserve It may be I am with Job under a confluence and complication of calamities loss of Estate of Children and Relations censured by my very friends as an hypocrite and one under the displeasure of Almighty God my body macerated with diseases yet I have life and where there is life there is hope Wherefore doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Lam. 3.39 the living man hath no cause to complain because although he suffer the loss of all other things yet his life is spared and given him for a prey The humble man is patient therefore under his sufferings of any kind because he carries with him the due sense of his own unworthiness and demerit and upon a judicious account looks upon his meanest lowest worst condition as better than he deserves at the hand of God 3. The humble man is patient under all conditions because he always bears a mind entirely subject and submitting to the will of the great Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth and whom he knows to be the Sovereign Lord of all his Creatures to be the great dispenser or permitter and rector of all the events in the world to be the most Wise Just and Gracious God and therefore he doth not only submit to his will as an act of Necessity which we cannot control or as an act of Duty in obedience to his Sovereign but as an act of Choice of Prudence and because the will of his Maker is wiser than his own and more eligible than his own and therefore he makes the will of his Maker his own choice and upon the account of true judgment concludes that whatsoever the most Powerful and Irresistible the most Wise and Prudent the most Just and Merciful Will of God appoints for him is not only fit for him to submit unto but also to choose and as well cheerfully and thankfully as patiently and quietly to follow and elect And therefore since he well knows that all the successes of his life are under the regiment government and providence of the most Glorious Sovereign Wise and Merciful God even those that seem in themselves most troublesom uneasie and grievous he patiently and cheerfully comports with the Divine Will in the tolleration of them and waits upon his All-sufficiency and Goodness in his due