93 o A Difcourfe of the Fear of God. ~ourit. There is no. fuch Fool in the World as the carelefsChriftia-;;:£;;.;~ Chap. 9· is heed lcfs m hiS mam Bufinefs; and however thts Fear of God may he inconve- ~niem to our worldly Affatrs; however tt may be troublefome to the Flefb (for the ~~~~o~~c~hu~s'~~~~t(r:Co~}~~~1~~~~~.:~~ :~':,FJ~~a~~~)ni: l! ~~~: ~r~:~~%~ a Man robe efteemeda Fool in the World. I Cor. 3· 18. If •11Jmanamong yo•feemerh to be w:j~ m rhu World, let htm become • fool that he may be ~vije.. This Fear by rhus ~~~!~r:~~n~e~~roT-~~',f~o~t?.J:~~ht~~~in~f:'t1~~~ft~~~t~~~ ~ ~:~~~a~~j~emly; the~~fo'::i:~J~~t~~a~e';{~frJoo~~ ·~~dhe~~e fupream Intereft of the Soul , and Firft, Negatively, take all the Bleffings of the World thefe are not the higheft Intereft of the Soul ; the purfuit of earthly things is more worth than the gain of them: That Perfon that wafts ~imfelf in the gain of worldly Advamages, doth (if I fo~t~0lhi~d~~n~~~~~f:h ~~~~' ~v~~:, ~~jt~~\~~ ~~~dSw;a~c;~~ ar,~~f~nB~stt~ir~/~~d when they have got ir, what is the Reward? A Worm between their Fingers. Alas, a gre~t Eft~te n:any times pro~cs. Poyfon.. But I a_m _fure ic is never Bread, i~ can never gtveSausfachon; therefore tt ts not Wtfdom pnnctpally, or only tofoiJo,v that. Confider, how many Men of bafeft Spirits and loweft Parts, have wrought themfelves into worldly Eftates. He .rhat looks for Happinefs in this World, it is as if a Man. flwuld look for Tr~afure in a Coal-pit, he is not likely to find it there; therefore m the next place Pofiuvely ' 2. Secondly, The Fear of God promotes that which is the fupream Intereft of the Soul. The Soul is more noble than the Body, and therefore tbat which makes the Soul happy muft be our fupream Intereft. Seneea bath written a whole Epifl:le upon this Sub)e£!, WhAt ". ""' Wifdbm? And after he hath removed all natural En)oyments and Excellencies, he doth refolve true W1fdom to confift mrJus; this is his Expreffion, Then a Man is truly wife when he cloth ad bonum revenere .filum, return to his own good. Nowwbat1s the good of the Creature? Ianfwer, thereisadou· ble Good or PerfeClion, which belongs to eYCry Creature. t. The abfolute Good and PerfeClion wherein it was created, and rim • . is the PerfeClion of its Beauty. 2. There is a refpeilive PerfeClion and Good for which it was created, and that is the PerfeClion of its Ufe. · And therefore if you would know what is the fupream Intereft of the Soul? In one Word it is this, when a Soul doth arrive to the Image of God, which is the PcrfeClion of its Beauty, and to Communion with God, which is the PerfeEt ion of its Ufe. I. Firft, when a Soul arrives to the Image of God, which is tpe PerfeCtion of its Beauty. Thus we read, That Man was created after God's Image in RighteoufnefS "nd true Holinefs : Now this Grace of all other, bath the moll: powerful Influx upon the Converfarion of a Saint, and therefore is moft nece!fary to repair the Rtiines and Decays of God's Image. 2. Seeon:lly, As for the Enjoyment .of God and Communion with him, this Grace :likewife of all others bath the -moft excellent Power to bring us to that. The Fear of God is that Grace which makes God our Friend, and therefore it promotes our higheft Inrereft . Suppofe a Man were to live for ever in the World, I fbould then efteem it a piece of W ifdom for him to make the great ones of the World his Friends. But alas we muft appear before God as our Judge, and therefore to enfure God and 'get his Image, and enjoy his Favour, is the higheft and beft Wifdom. Yet let me -add this by the way, that the Perfon that fears God drives on a double Intereft, r'Prov. 16. 7· Jtf!hen ~ Man's wap pleafe the Lord, he rnA~e~h his Enemies to ke at peace _,.ith him. Take tlus therefore as a Rule, That a Rehgwus Confl:ancy wdl fooner '~!~P~:o~~.b:hr;~~,!':jfin~~;ha~~, ~a~~v~~e~,P7u~';4 ~~~~;~r~:,~ ,~~a~;;:i~in~~t {;od's1mage and ·his Favour are the fupream Imereft of .the Soul. TheFear of God will"brin~to the Soul both PerfeC\10~ and Sausfa6hon, and therefore tt 1S the bell: -wifdom. • - . • .- 3. Thiraly The Fear of God enables the Soul to avoid the moft deftruClive clan· -gers. All rh~ wifdom of the -World is exerc'ifed upon one of theCe rwo Points, either .to obtain fame good that ·a Man-defires, or to dechne fome Evil that a Man fears. :. Now
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