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SER M.
IV.

[86]

SERMON IV.

WISDOM the STRENGTH of the
MIND.

PROVERBS XXIV. 5.

A wife man is ftrong, yea a Man of knowledge increafeth ftrength.

T'

HE ftate of human affairs in this world is found by experience to be very uncertain; the prosperity we enjoy this day may not continue to the next; we fee fo many furprizing revolutions in the external conditions of men, of all stations in life, as confirm what the Pfalmift faith, Pfal. Ixii. 9. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. These changes very often have unhappy effects on the temper of our minds; they produce difpiriting fears and overwhelming forrows, and, as a confequence of both, perplexity and irrefolution, which are the dishonour and torment of the reafonable

fonable nature. In the fudden approaches SERM. of difficulty, the mind is filled with con- IV. fternation, which darkeneth the understanding, and confoundeth the active powers; and under the preffures of affliction and the reverses of what is commonly called fortune, it is feeble and unrefolved. It must be acknowledged that a defence against these evils would be very defirable; if there be any such thing at all to be attained as a just fecurity and confidence of mind on a rational foundation, who would not purchase it at any rate, that seeing it is not poffible to prevent outward changes, we may at least prevent their dismal inward effects, and pofsess a constant equanimity, an uniform peace and steady refolution in our fouls? And this, I think, Solomon doth in his book of Proverbs, among other great advantages, attribute to wisdom or religious virtue; particularly in the text, where he faith, A wije man is ftrong, yea a man of knowledge increaseth ftrength.

No one will imagine that it is bodily ftrength which is here meant, which hath no connection at all with wisdom (a fool, or a wicked man, may have more brutal force than the wifeft and the best of mankind:

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SERM. kind) but a rational and virtuous fortitude IV. which groweth up with other branches of religion, and is the happy attendant of an increafing and univerfal integrity.

In difcourfing on this fubject, I think it will be natural,

First, To confider the diseased and feeble ftate of mind against which wisdom is the proper remedy; or that weakness and the symptoms of it, which is natural to men without wisdom or virtue.

Secondly, I will endeavour to fhew wherein the strength of the wife man lieth, and how wisdom or religious virtue is the cure of our weakness and its symptoms.

ift, Let us confider the diseased and feeble ftate of mind, against which wisdom is the proper remedy; and it feemeth to confift in an indifpofition for the due exercise of its powers. The body is then diftempered and weak, when it is unfit for the functions of nature, when its members or organs are unapt for the right discharge of their proper offices in the animal œconomy; and fo the mind, rendered uncapable of fuch offices, fuch activity and exertions as become fuch a being, is weak and diseased. This is its unhappy case when

the

IV.

the understanding is fo over-clouded as not SER M. to difcern what is neceffary to a just conduct, or when the self-determining power is infeebled that it cannot act steadily and uniformly, or it hath not that felf-enjoyment, inward compofure and tranquillity, which ought to attend the due exercise of all its faculties in a found and healthful conftitution; fo that the principal symptoms of that weak and diftempered condition are darkness, irrefolution, and discomfort.

I have already infinuated, that the weakness against which wisdom fortifieth the foul is especially discovered in the difficulties of life, and therefore principally appeareth in the prevalence of the paffions which are excited by them, and are summed up in aversion, that is, in the prevalence of fear, and forrow, and anger. It is true, the other paffions have by a different manner of operation the fame effect; they are all of them the weak part of the human nature; they are, indeed, when duly governed, very useful and ornamental to fuch a creature as man in his prefent condition, and plainly fhew the great wisdom and goodness of our Creator; but reafon and moral confcience is the man; in its vigor and authority over the inferior fprings of action, our ftrength lieth: The

exceffes

SERM. exceffes of paffion and lower affection to IV. which we find ourfelves liable in this probationary state, are the diftempers of the mind which wisdom cureth. But what I chiefly intend at this time, agreeably to many paffages in this book, to which I may afterwards refer, is, to fhew how the wife man is strong, and the man of knowledge increaseth strength against the trials and adverfe occurrences of life.

ft, Fear is an infirmity natural to man, which very often hath pernicious effects, and in itself, abstracting from its effects, is very uncomfortable. I believe every one hath experience enough to make him fenfible that fear hath torment. Though there feemeth to be a great difference as to this particular in the natural frame and constitution of men; fome are much more hardy and refolved, more calm, and have greater prefence of mind in the expectation of evil than others; yet I scarcely believe there are any who have not felt fometimes fuch fhocks and furprizes, under the apprehenfion of danger, as were painful to them. Now, there needeth no reafoning to fhew that this is a weakness and mifery; we know it by an inward conscioufnefs. Every living creature, according to

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