;go Chap, i8, an Expofition upon tie Book,of Jo B. VerG a8® fear of the Lord ; but there is no degree of this fear Co inferior or low, but it is a beginning (at leaf+) of wifdom ; and there is nodegree of wifdom ío high or perfe&, but it bath its roote in or beginning from this fear. Solomon affirmes the fame thing (Prov. i. 7.) Thefear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, bur fools defpife wifdom andinflrutlion, Natural fools are defeÓtive in the principles of Reafon, fpiritual fools are defeétive in the principlesof Religion, in this grand principle cfpecially,the fear of the Lord. Fooles defpife wifdom in every notionof it,but molt of all in this ; but how much foever they defpife all wiicom,and are unfatisfied that the fear of the Lord is anypart of ir, yet'tis fo in it fell, and to the wife it appears fo, upon there following dcmonffrations. Fir++, To fear the Lord is an argument that we know'the Lord, and that knowledge is purell wifdom. Pharaoh Paid, irho is the Lord ? I know not the Lord. And therefore hehardned his heart again++ the fear of the Lord. He never feared what God threatned, till he felt what God infliCced ; and though he felt that often, yet as loon as it wasoff, he ceafed to fear, and fo brought it on again, till at fall hewas utterly overthrown. Pha- roab Said tohis grave and great Councellers, concerning the If- radices (Exo. i, i i .) Come, let to deal wifely with them, leaf{ they multiply. But not knowing the Lord who dealt with him by Mfes for their deliverance, he neither feared what he had laid, nor what he had dcne, till himfelf and his Egyptians were paff deliverance. Theywho fear the Lord know him, and they who knew him will not provoke him at all, but to their turnoff keep peace withhim, which is our wifdom, Secondly, To fear the Lord is anargument that we know our duty (Eccl. la. r3.) Let usbear the conchslion of the whole matter, fear God, and keep bis commandements,for this is the whole duty ofman. Ard is it not our wifdom ro know our duty ? So- town faith (Pro .14. g.) The wifdom of the prudent is to under- fland has way. What way ? the way of his duty, what heought to doe, and how he ought to walk, as in every thing, fo in every relation ; the fear of the Lord is the grand andgreat duty, the mol+ comprehenfive duty, the duty into which all other duties empty themfelves, and therefore to fear the Lord is our wif- dom. Thirdly,
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