ON HOSEA XIV. -VERSE 9. 275 must needs be the best of all ends, both in regard of the excellency of it, as being infinitely and most ab- solutely good ; and in regard of eternity, so that the soul having once the possession of it, can never be to seek of that happiness which flowetli from it, John vi. 27. The proper means for the obtaining of this end, is the knowledge of God in Christ, as in his word he bath revealed himself, to be known, wor- shipped, and obeyed ; for there only doth he teach us the way unto himself: and true wisdom is the pur- suing of this means in order unto that end. For though many approaches may be made towards God by the search and contemplation of the creature, yet in his word he bath showed us a more full and ex- cellent way, which only can make us wise unto sal- vation through faith in Christ Jesus, 2 Tim. iii. 15. Prov. ix. 10. Eccl. xii. 12, 13. Jer. ix. 23, 24. All the thoughts and wisdom of men are spent upon one of these two heads, either the obtaining of the good which we want, or the avoiding and declining the evil which we fear. And by how much the more excellent and difficult the good is which we want, and by how much the more pernicious and imminent the evil is which we fear, by so much greater is the wisdom which in both these procures the end at which we aim. Now then what are the most excellent good things which we want ? Food is common to us with other creatures ; raiment, houses, lands, pos- sessions, common to us with the worst men : take the most admired perfections which are not heavenly, and we may find very wicked men excel in them. All men will confess the soul to be more excellent than the body, and therefore the good of that to be more excellent than of the other : and the chief good of it to be that which loth most advance it towards the
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