I6 Chap., 22. An Bxpofition upon the Rook of j o s. Nerf. L. defcribed (TM. t I r. to.) Thefear of the Lordis thebeginning of mildew, agood underflanding have all they that keep hit Com- mandements ; he doth not fay, a good underltandinghave all they that know his Commandements, for many may know theCom- mandements, and yet not h ave a good underftanding; but they have a good underftanding indeed that doe his Commandements. Ard when the Pfalmift faith, Thefear of theLordis the beginning cfwifdome, the word .8eginsing fignifies not only the firft ftep or entrance into a thing, but the bead or height of it ; fo that Be- ;inning is as much as chiefe, or principal!, the br:ft wifdome, the chiefe,the top wifdome,the head wifdome,or the head ofwifdom, is the fear of the Lord. yob gives the fame defcription of wifdome, in the fait words of the twenty _- eighth Chapter, Beholdthefear ofthe Lord that it ooifdome, and todepart from eviti that is underflanding. Would you know what is true wifdome, 'cis the fear of the Lord : would you know who is wife ? The godly man is the truly wife man, yea he is the only wife man. But then it may be queftioned, Maya wife man be profitable to kimrelfe y Doth not tieApoflle fay ( Rom. 14. 7.) prone ofus livetb to himfelfe, &c. Then how c <on a man bewife to himfelfe? And doth not the Apatie give the rule (aCor. 5. 15.) Chrifi dyedfor all, that they which live Jhould net henceforth live unto ehemfelves : If we may not live to our felves, how then doth he fay here, that the wife man is profitable to hirofelfe.? He that is profitable to himfelf, lives to himfelfe, doth he not ? I anfwer, Firft, the wife man muff not makehis own profit the end or the defigne ofhis wifdome, but he may looke upon his own profit as that which will be the ifiue, fruit, and confequent of his wifdome. A carnal man looks to and loves his worke for the rewards fake : A godly man may look to and love his reward for the workefake. (Troy. 9. 1a.) If thou be wife, thou ¡halt be wifefor thyfelfe, that is, the fruit or the good of thy wifdome will drop into thy own bofom. A wife manmay Tooke for his ad- vantage in the end ofbia worke, though he ù not tomakehis own ad- vantage the end ofbis worke. We are not tomake either tempo- rall or eternal) advantages, the end ofour wifdome ; but we may look upon them as fruits and effects that God lads us to by the exercifeofwifdome. Secondly,
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