which all the wisdom, and skill, and foresight in the world can make no amends. He that terrifies himself with the apprehension of future evils, declares in effect, that he doth not absolutely rely upon God for his ordering and disposing thein. And he, who doth not absolutely trust God with all his concerns, has no right to his protection and defence, no reason to expect his support and assistance; but is left to work out every thing, as well as he can, by the dint of second causes, by his own parts, policy, and prudence. And how wretched is his case, who has brought his affairs to that pass, as to be deprived of his best and faithfullest counsellor, his most kind and potent friend, and to live, as it were, without God in the world? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, says the apostle, Heb. x. 31. And surely, next to that, it is a fearful thing to take ourselves out of his hands, and to exempt ourselves from his care; which he is in good construction supposed to do, who sets himself with any degree of solicitude to take thought for the

morrow.

Let all of us, who are convinced of the reasonableness of these speculations, put them immediately in practice! let us even to-day, while it is called to-day, throw off all anxiety and concern for to-morrow! If we heartily believe the doctrine of divine providence, let us shew our faith by our works; let us live, as if we did believe it; industriously indeed, warily, wisely; because by these means we are to entitle ourselves to the protection of God; but withal, unconcernedly, cheerfully, resignedly, as knowing, that we are secure of his protection when we stand in need of it. Let us behave ourselves like dutiful children, under the guidance of a wise and gracious parent, who, we are satisfied, loves us, and will, as he thinks fit, and sees best, provide for us; and therefore we fall into all his commands and directions with an implicit obedience, and trouble ourselves with nothing farther, but only to do the duty which he hath appointed us, in our several places and stations. Let us cast all our care upon him, for he careth for us.

Nay, should he at any time seem to withdraw his favour and the light of his countenance from us: should he bring us into the pit and the snare, and lay trouble upon our loins, suffer the malice of our enemies, or (which is worse) the treachery of our friends, to prevail against us; let not this itself deject us or shake the firm repose of our minds, but let us still express ourselves in the same resolved manner that Job did under his severe trials: While I live, will I not remove mine integrity from me; though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job xxvii. 5. Let us even at such a time, take up words of holy assurance, with Habakkuk, and say: Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, Hab. iii.

17, 18.

Could we bring ourselves once to this divine temper of soul, could we work ourselves up into this devout confidence, all the turns and vicissitudes of human affairs, all the strokes of ill fortune which we feel or fear, would sit light and easy upon our minds: in the midst of confusion and troubles, of evils imminent, or already come; of real or fancied dangers; we might be even and serene: possessing our souls in patience, and the good things of life with pleasure! and enjoying the present moment, without a mixture of fears and disquiets, arising from near or remote possibilities: saying, nay, singing as the divine psalmist hath taught us, God is our hope and strength, a very present help in time of trouble! Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea: though the waters thereof rage and swell, and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same! God is our hope and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.

To whom, even to the God and Father of our life, the

wise dispenser of good and evil, the governor of events, and rock of our confidence, together with his only-begotten Son, and ever-blessed Spirit, be ascribed all glory and praise, now and for ever!

A

SERMON

PREACHED AT THE ROLLS' CHAPEL, DECEMBER 4, 1698.

THE WRETCHEDNESS OF A WAVERING MIND.

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.-GEN. xlx. 4. THESE are part of the dying patriarch Jacob's words, when he blessed the twelve, leaning upon the top of his staff, Heb. xi. 21. Of the eldest of these [Reuben] the character he gives is contained in the words I have read to you; of which there are several very different interpretations. I shall not trouble you with them, but take that, which they do most naturally and obviously bear. And according to that, Jacob does in these words seem to represent Reuben to be of a fickle, uncertain, irresolute temper; not utterly void of all propensions to goodness, but incapable of acting up to them; not without honest and virtuous resolutions, but unable firmly to keep and practise them. And this being his case, he pronounces upon him that he shall not excel. That is, that he shall never arrive to any pitch and perfection in virtue, nor ever command a thorough esteem and respect from good inen; that he should never be able eminently to distinguish himself by the exercise of those good qualities of mind, which procure honour and happiness to men in this world, and in another.

Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.

From which words a natural occasion will be given me of discoursing to you of the ill condition of that man, who like Reuben in the text, being unstable as water, is distracted between two courses of life, a good and a bad

one. The unhappiness and wretchedness of which state, after I have set out and proved to you at large, I shall apply myself to persuade the man that is thus bewildered, to retrieve himself by serious consideration, as soon as he can, and to fix a sure principle of virtue in his mind, that may guide and govern him throughout, and make him uniformly wise and holy.

I. Now the condition of a man who is divided between two contrary ways of life, between virtue and vice, godliness and irreligion, is certainly very wretched and deplorable. For he is in the meanest state of mind that human nature is capable of. He is perpetually restless and uneasy; full of anxiety and torment. He loses all the advantages of this world; and most assuredly forfeits all pretences to any in the next.

1. This doubtful, uncertain way of living and thinking proceeds from a mean state of mind, such as is beneath the dignity of human nature.

Man was made to discern and embrace truth; and, for this reason, is there a spirit in him; and the inspiration of the Almighty has given him understanding. Job xxxii. 8. He has faculties, whereby he may distinguish between true and false, right and wrong; and may fix to himself sure principles of action. When he does this, approves what is best, and sticks to what he approves, he does what he was designed to do, and answers the end of his being. When he does not, but suffers himself. to be swayed and bent different ways by different motives, and to float under uncertainties, then he forfeits the great prerogative, and the most distinguishing advantage that belongs to the reasonable nature. The Scripture therefore alloweth not to the irresolute and the inconstant the name of men: they are said to be children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. Eph. iv. 14. They are in the weakness and nonage of their reason, which is as yet not improved and ripened into its due strength and maturity.

The perfection of man is to be like God; for in his