1. But yet further. Certainly it is one of the greateft evidences of wisdom to provide for the future, and to provide for thofe things for the future that are of greatest moment, importance and ufe. Upon this account the wife man admires the wifdom of the ant, that little creature, that yet provides his meat in fummer; and we esteem it the folly of children and prodigals in this, that they have no profpect for the future how they fhall fubfift hereafter. Now the wifdom of a man that feareth God difcovereth itself in this, that it provides and lays up a good and safe store for the future, and that in respect of these three kinds of futurities: 1. For the future part of his life: 2. For the future evil days: 3. For the future life that is to take place after this prefent, fhort and uncertain, and tranfitory life. 1. In refpect of the future time of his life. It is true our lives in this world are but short at best, and together with that fhortnefs they are very uncertain. But yet the man fearing God makes a due and fafe provifion for that future portion of his life, how fhort or how long foever it be. 1. By a conftant walking in the fear of God he tranfmits to the future part of his life, a quiet, ferene, and fair conscience, and avoids thofe evil fruits and confequences which a finful life produceth, even in the after-time of man's life. The bruifes and hurts we receive in youth, are many times more painful in age than when we firft receive them. Our lives are like husbandmen's feed-time; if we fow evil feeds in the time of our youth, it may be they may live five, ten, or more years before they come up to a full crop, and poffibly then we tafte the fruit of thofe evil ways in an unquiet mind or confcience, or fome other four effects of that evil feed. All this inconveniency a man fearing God prevents, and inftead thereof reaps a pleafing and comfortable fruit of his walk in the fear of God; namely, a quiet 1 1 Prov. XXX. 25. con confcience, and an even, fettled, peaceable foul. 2. But befides this, by this means he keeps his intereft in, and peace with Almighty God, and makes fure of the best friend in the world for the after-time of his life, to whom he is fure to have accefs at all times, and upon all occafions with comfort and acceptance; for it is an infallible truth, that God Almighty never forfakes any man that forfakes not him firft. The fecond futurity is the future evil day, which will moft certainly overtake every man, either the day of feeble and decrepit age, or the day of fickness, or the day of death; and against all thofe the true fear of God makes a fafe and excellent provifion. So that although he may not avoid them, he may have a comfortable paffage through them; and in the midst of all these black clouds, the witnefs of a good confcience fearing God, and the evidence of the divine favour will fhine into the foul like a bright fun with comfort, when a man fhall be able, with Hezekiah, to appeal to Almighty God, Remember now, O Lord, 'I befeech thee, how I have walked before thee in 'truth and in uprightnefs of heart, and have done that which was good in thy fight1? This will be a cordial under the faintnefs of old age, a relief under the pains of ficknefs, and cure of the fear of death itfelf, which to fuch a foul will be only a gate and paffage to a life that will be free from all pains and infirmities, a life of glory and immortality. 3. The third futurity is the life and ftate after death. Moit certain it is, that fuch a ftate there will be, and that it is but of two kinds, a state of everlasting happiness, or a ftate of everlafting mifery; and that all men in the world do most certainly belong to one of these two ftates or conditions: And as it is moft juft and equal, fo it is moft true, that they that truly fear God, and obey him through Jesus Christ, fhall be partakers of that everlasting ftate of bleffed VOL. I. 1 Isa. xxxviii. 2. D re's nefs and immortal happiness: and on the other fide, they that reject the fear of God, contemn and disobey his will, fhall, without true repentance, be fubject to a state of everlasting mifery. Now herein the truest and greatest wisdom of a man appears, that he duly provides against the latter, and to obtain the former; all other wisdom of men, either to get human learning, wealth, honour, power, all wisdom of statesmen and politicians, in comparison of this wisdom, is but vain and trivial. And this is the wisdom that the fear of God teacheth and bringeth with it into the foul: 1. It provides against the greatest of evils, the everlafting state of mifery, and infelicity, and eternal death: 2. It provides for and attains an everlasting eftate of bleffedness and happiness, of reft and peace, of glory and immortality, and eternal life; a ftate of that happiness and glory that exceeds expreffion and apprehenfion; 'for eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things that God hath laid up for them that love 'him,' and they only truly love God, that truly fear 'him: ' And they (namely, that fear God) fhall be 'mine faith the Lord, in that day when I make up my ' jewels 2.' And now for the conclufion of this whole matter, let us now make a fhort comparison between the perfons that fear not God, and those that truly fear him ; and then let any man judge who is the fool, and who is the wife man. A man hath but a very fhort uncertain time in this life, which in comparison of eternity, is less than a moment. The great God of Heaven in his word, affures us, that there is an estate of immortality after this life, and that that immortal estate is but of two kinds, an estate of never dying mifery, or an estate of endless glory; and tells them, if you 'fear me, and obey thofe eafy commands that are 'contained in the book of the Holy Scriptures, which • I have I have given you, you fhall infallibly attain everlafting life and happiness, and even in this prefent life, fhall have the influence and prefence of my favour, to fupport, to direct and bless 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 everlafting mifery.' And now everlasting 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 pleafures of fin for a feafon, thofe pleafures 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 spite of all their pleasures, or be they as fincere as their own hearts can promise them, yet they are but for a feafon, a feason that in its longest period is but fhort, but is uncertain alfo; a little inconfiderable accident, the breach of a vein, an ill air, a little ill digested portion of that excefs wherein they delight, may put a period to all those pleasures, 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 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 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 |