2. Do not rest in a common work, that you hear the word, and are some way affected, Herod rejoiced, Felix trembled. God hath never our hearts till he hath gained our love as well as our fear. Felix trembled ; God gained upon his fear ; but he never hath our hearts till he hath our delight, and such a ^delight as is not controlled by other delights, when I love him above all, and rejoice in his word more than in all riches.
SERMON UPON PROVERBS lU. 17.
Her toays are ways of pleasantness, and all her -paths are peace.
Prov. iii. 17.
In the context you have an exhortation to get spiritual and heavenly wisdom. The argument is first generally propounded, and then parti- cularly amplified.
1. Generally propounded : ver. 13, 'Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.'
2. Particularly amplified —
[1.] By the worth and excellency of wisdom : ver. 14, 15, * The merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold,' &c.
[2] The utility and profit : ver. 16, ' Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honour.' She is represented as a queen, having both hands full of blessings : ' In the right hand length of days, in the left hand riches and honour.' He speaks pro more foederis, according to the manner of the covenant, wherein tem- poral things are explicitly promised, though spiritual and eternal things are implied : * In her right hand length of days.' What do men desire more than to live long and happy ? Wisdom will teach us to live for ever : ' And in her left hand riches and honour ; ' all good things in this world, so far as not to hinder us of the things of a better world, shall be vouchsafed to us.
[3.] The third argument is in the text, the pleasantness of wisdom ; which is added to sweeten the difficulties in attaining to it, or pur- suing after it, or exercising the virtue of it in the regulation of our lives and actions. It is hard to get it, and then to exercise it ; but ifc is recompensed with an answerable sweetness : ' Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.'
Where note — (1.) The subject, ways, paths; the general course or particular duties which wisdom prescribeth ; (2.) The predicate, j)leasantness, peace. They are not only pleasant, but safe ; they are accompanied with spiritual sweetness, and produce solid tranquillity in the mind of man.
Doct. That the man whose actions and ways are guided by heavenly wisdom enjoyelh true peace and delight.
I. For stating the point —
1. By wisdom is meant the heavenly doctrine revealed in the word of God, especially the gospel or salvation by Christ; for this is called
368 SERMON UPON PROVERBS III. 17.
• The wisdom and power of God,' 1 Cor. i. 24 ; and it is said, the holy scriptures, ' through faith in Christ Jesus, do make us wise unto salvation,' 2 Tim. iii, 15. He is a fool that is wise to other things and is not wise to the saving of his soul, for he is wise in trifles, and neglects necessary things. Well, then, the ways and paths of wisdom are the ways and paths of faith and holiness. Faith is necessary to solid rejoicing ; for it is said, 1 Peter i. 8, ' In whom believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory;' and Rom. xv. 13, ' The God of hope fill ye with all joy and peace in believing.' And holiness concurreth necessarily ; for it is not only a godly man's dutj'', but his delight; and it is rewarded with joy and peace: 2 Cor. i. 12, 'For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that, in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.' Some degree of comfort followeth every good action ; before our full and final reward we have the solace of a good conscience during our service.
2. That these delights are not carnal delights, but spiritual. Man is ever inviting himself to some delight ; the oblectation of his mind cannot lie idle, but usually consults with flesh and blood in choosing his delights, and careth for the body more than the soul. But bodily delights and pleasing the sense were our old slavery: Titus iii. 3, ' Serv- ing divers lusts and pleasures.' These draw down the mind, and dull our desires and endeavours towards better things ; therefore here we need not use the spur, but the bridle, and must refrain ourselves, because these delights corrupt the mind ; and such a kind of peace is not the quiet and repose of the soul in God, but the numbness and deadness of conscience ; carnal security, not a true peace. But the delights and peace which wisdom inviteth us unto are chaste and rational, such as ennoble the soul, and raise it to God, and do not put it in vassalage to sense. When our joy runneth out in a spiritual channel, there is no excess in it, no snare by it. The pleasures of sense are base and dreggy, but these are heavenly and spiritual.