.

I have given you, you shall infallibly attain everlaft ing life and happiness, and even in this prefent life, fhall have the influence and prefence of my favour, to fupport, to direct and blefs you: On the other fide, if you refuse my fear, and reject my commands, and prefer the unlawful and vain delufions of this 'prefent life, before the obedience of my will, and 'perfift impenitently in it, your portion fhall be ever'lafting mifery.' And now everlafting life and everlafting death being fet before the children of men, there are a fort of men that rather chufe to disobey the command of God, reject his fear, and all this, that they may enjoy the pleasures of fin for a season, those pleasures that are fading and dying, that leave behind them a fting, that renders their very enjoyment bitter, and that make even that very little life they enjoy, but a life of discomfort and unhappiness, in fpite of all their pleasures, or be they as fincere as their own hearts can promise them, yet they are but for a feafon, a season that in its longeft period is but fhort, but is uncertain alfo; a little inconfiderable accident, the breach of a vein, an ill air, a little ill digefted portion of that excefs wherein they delight, may put a period to all thofe pleafures, and to that life, in a year, in a week, in a day, in an hour, in an unthought moment, before a man hath opportunity to confider, to bethink himself, or to repent; and then the door of life and happiness is fhut. Again, there are a fort of men that confider this great propofal, and choose the fear of Almighty God, and with it eternal life, and are content to deny themfelves in things unlawful, to obey Almighty God, to keep his favour, to walk humbly with him, to accept of the tender of life and falvation upon the terms propounded by Almighty God: And in the practice of this fear they enjoy his favour, and prefence, and love; and after this life spent, whether it be long or fhort, and whether their death

D 2

death be lingering or fudden, are fure the next mo. ment after death to enjoy an immortal life of glory and happiness. Judge then which of these is the truly wife man, whether this be not a truth beyond difpute: The fear of God that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.

OF

AMONG YOU, SAVE JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED.

As the understanding is the highest faculty of the reasonable creature, because upon it depends the regularity of the motions or actings of the will and affections; fo knowledge is the propereft and nobleft act or habit of that faculty, and without which it is without its proper end and employment, and the whole man without a due guidance and direction : 'My people perifh for want of knowledge 1.'

And as knowledge is the proper bufinefs of that great faculty, fo the value of that knowledge, or employment of the understanding, is diverfified according to the fubject about which it is exercised: for though all knowledge of the most differing fubjects agree in this one common excellence, viz. the right representation of the thing, as it is, unto the understanding; or the conformity of the image created in the understanding, unto the thing objectly united to it, which is truth in the understanding: yet it must needs be, that according to the various values and degrees of the things to be known, there arifeth a diver fity of the value or worth of that knowledge; that

which is of a thing more noble, ufeful, precious, must needs be a more noble, ufeful, precious, knowledge, and accordingly more to be defired.

There have been doubtlefs many excellent understandings that have been converfant about an exact difquifition of fome particular truth, which though as truths they agree in a common value with all others, yet in refpect of their nature, ufe, and value, are of no great moment, whether known or not; as concerning the precife time of this or that paffage in fuch a prophane history; the criticism of this or that Latin word, or the like; which, though by accident, and by way of concomitance, they may be of confiderable use, when mixed with, or relating to fome other matter of moment; yet in themfelves have little value, becaufe little ufe. Others have fpent their thoughts in acquiring of knowledge in fome fpecial piece of nature, the fabrick of the eye; the progreffion of generation in an egg; the relation and proportion of numbers, weights, lines, the generation of metals; and thefe, as they have a relative confideration to discover and fet forth the wisdom of the great Creator, or to public ufe, have great worth in them; but in themselves, though they have the excellence of truth in them, and confequently in their kind feed and give light to the underftanding, which is a power that is naturally ordained unto, and greedy of, and delighted in truth, though of a low and inferior conftitution; yet they are not of that eminence and worth, as truths of fome other, either higher," or more ufeful, or durable na

ture.

As once our Saviour, in relation of things to be done, pronounced one thing only neceffary1; fo the Apoftle, among the many things that are to be known, fixeth in the fame one thing neceffary to be known, Chrift Jefus, and him crucified.

There are three steps;

I. Not to know any thing. Not as if all other

1 Luk. x. 42.

knowledge

knowledge were condemned; Mofes's learning was not charged upon him as a fin; Paul's fecular learning was not condemned, but ufeful to him; to be knowing in our calling, in the qualities and difpofitions of persons, in the laws under which we live, in the modeft and fober inquiries of nature and arts, are not only not condemned, but commended and useful, and fuch as tend to the fetting forth the glory of the God of wisdom. Even the discretion of the husbandmen God owns as his: For his God doth inftruct ' him to discretion, and doth teach him.' But we muft determine to know nothing in comparison of that other knowledge of Chrift Jefus, as the Apoftle counted what things were gain, yet to be lofs for Chrift 2, fo we are to esteem that knowledge of other things, otherwife excellent, useful, admirable, yet to be but folly, and vile in comparison of the knowledge of Christ. And this requires:

1. A true and right eftimate of the value of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus above other knowledge; and confequently an infinite preferring thereof before all other knowledge in our judgments, defire, and delight: And the preponderation of the knowledge of Christ above other knowledges excels moft knowledge in all the enfuing particulars, but excels all knowledge in fomne, and thofe of most concern

ment.

A

1. In the certainty of it. Moft other knowledges 3 are either fuch as we take in by our fenfe and experience; and therein, though it is true that the grofs part of our knowledge, that is neareft to our fenfe, hath fomewhat of certainty in it, yet when we come to fublimate and collect, and infer that knowledge into univerfal or general conclufions, or to make deductions, ratiocinations, and determinations from them, then we fail, and hence grew the difference between many philofophers. Again, the knowledge that we elicit 4 from sense, is but very narrow, if it stand there; 1 Isa. xxviii. 26. Phil. iv. 7. 3 kinds of knowledge. draw out. D 4 for

4