increased, their hope confirmed; that, to use the apostle's words, they did in the sequel return the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who were exercised by them. But leaving this point, though deserving perhaps further consideration, I proceed, and say further, that,

ceptance they found: the one was prompt | to our gross conceit, in themselves, or in enough to give thanks for the graces he their degree, good or bad; but according had received, and the advantages he con- to the disposition of our hearts, and the ceived that he had in his qualities and in effects they work upon them. That is his performances above others; but not not good which pleaseth our sense and having duly studied himself, did not per- fancy; nor that bad which disgusts them; ceive that he was rather bound to ask but that is good, which rendereth our pardon for the pride of his heart, and heart wiser and better, which correcteth the vanity that adhered to his performan- our inclinations, composeth our affections, ces, which rendered his thanksgiving very informeth our judgments rightly, and puriimproper and unseasonable. The other fieth our intentions; that is bad, which being conscious of his demerits and wants, hath contrary effects within us. We, it with a manner suitable to his condition, is likely, should pray with greatest seriin words few, but full and fit, did confess ousness and earnestness for the removal his unworthiness (which to do did best be- of those infirmities, for ease from those seem him), and implored mercy (which afflictions; which we see the holy aposwas the thing he chiefly needed;) so was tles (being better instructed in things, behis discreet prayer better accepted than ing more acquainted with themselves) the other's impertinent thanksgiving: I did rejoice, did glory in, did give thanks tell you (saith our Saviour) this man for; as finding the wholesome operation went down to his house justified rather they had upon their hearts; that by than the other. The two sons of Zebe- them their virtues were exercised and dee, conceiting that our Lord would short-improved, their faith tried, their patience ly become a great prince, and affecting to become favourites then, did confidently sue for the next place of dignity about him our Lord repressed their fond ambition by downright telling them first, that they knew not what they asked; then by demanding of them whether they were able to undergo the trials they should meet with; implying what they should rather have requested, that they more needed humility and patience, than pomp and pleasure and it was the same two persons, whose intemperate zeal he other-causes of action, but doth immediately where checked with an oz oldate olov лvεúμаTоs, Ye know not of what spirit ye are: and no wonder, if they, who knew not what they were, did ask they knew not what; that, being ignorant of their own hearts, they should indite absurd petitions; that in such a case they should desire things, not only incongruous and inconvenient, but dangerous and destructive to themselves. For to make a right distinction of these duties; to be able discreetly and pertinently, if I may so speak, to converse with God, it is requisite to look into our hearts, and from them to take fit matter, due measure, right season of request, and of acknowledgment respectively; things commonly not being as they appear to our present sense, or

11. The continual visitation of our inward parts doth not only yield much advantage (as in some measure hath been showed) at the long-run, by influence at the spring-head upon the principles and

conduce to good practice, preventing and stifling in the very birth many sinful and vain practices: that so many indiscreet and impertinent, so many irregular and unsavoury, so many unjust and uncharitable speeches do issue from our mouths, it is especially because we are not then employed upon this duty; are not watching over our hearts, and observing those inward fountains (levity and wantonness of thought, precipitancy and disorder of passion) from whence they overflow: were we intent there, we should perhaps endeavour to stop the current, and contain these inward bad motions from venting themselves. The like we may say concerning many unwarrantable actions, into which we inconsiderately plunge our

James i. 2; Rom. v. 3; 2 Cor. xi. 6; Gal. vi. 14; 1 Pet. i. 6. * Heb. xii. 11.

like in all men; whence he that by diligent study of himself hath observed them in his own soul, may thence collect them to be in others; he hath at least a great advantage of easily tracing them, of soon descrying them, of clearly perceiving them in those he converseth with; the which knowledge is of great use, as directing us how to accommodate ourselves in our behaviour and dealing with others.

No man indeed can be a good instructor or adviser in moral affairs, who hath not attained this skill, and doth not well understand the nature of man: his precepts and rules will certainly be fallacious, or misapplied without it: this is that, which rendered the dictates of the Stoics and other such philosophers so extravagant and unpracticable, because they framed them not according to the real nature of man, such as is existent in the world, but according to an idea formed in their own imaginations.

selves, not heeding whence they spring: | nations and first emotions of the soul are did we regard that such actions were arising from ambitious, covetous, froward dispositions, or from certain ill-grounded prejudices lurking in our minds, we should often surely forbear them: but while we keep none, or bad sentinels; while in the custody of our hearts we sleep, or are drowsy; while we neglect to examine and weigh our actions, what they are and whence they come, they (although very bad and hurtful) do steal by us, and pass as friends, and we hear no more of them, but in their woful consequences. What efficacy the consideration of God's omnipresent eye, beholding all our doings, hath, and how all wise men do press it as a powerful means to contain us from bad action, you cannot but well know; as likewise that some of them, in order to the same purpose, direct us to conceive ourselves always under the inspection of some person especially venerable for his worth, or for his relation to us, whom we should be afraid or ashamed to displease; and surely, were the faith concerning God's presence, or the fancy concerning the presence of a Cato, or a Lælius, strong enough, they could not but have great effect: however, did we but live, even in our own presence, under the eye of our own judgment and conscience; regarding not only the matter and body, but the reason and ground, that is the soul, of our actings; even that would do much; the love and reverence of our selves would somewhat check and control us; we should fear to offend, we should be ashamed to vilify even ourselves by fond or foul proceedings; it would, in the philosopher's esteem, supply the room of any other keeper or monitor, if we could thus keep ourselves; If (saith he) we have so far profiled, as to have got a reverence of ourselves, we may then well let go a tutor, or pedagogue.*

12. This practice doth much conduce to the knowledge of human nature, and the general dispositions of mankind, which is an excellent and most useful part of wisdom: for the principal incli

*Cum jam profeceris tantum, ut sit tibi etiam tui reverentia, licebit dimittas pædagogum.

-Seneca.

Sen. Ep. xi. 25.

Sen. Ep. 25.

Some caution indeed is in this matter to be used, that those motions of soul, which proceed from particular temper and complexion, from supervenient principles or habits, may be distinguished from those which are natural and common unto all which distinction to make, is of great use and benefit, in order to the governing, restraining, or correcting them.

If there be any in us, which are not observable in any other men; or in other men, which are not in us; those do not arise from common nature, but from the particular disposition of one or other respectively.

13. I add lastly, that universally this practice is requisite and necessary for the well governing of our heart. Politicians inculcate much, that to the well governing of a people, squaring fit laws for it, and keeping it in good order, the nature and humour of that people should be chiefly heeded and well understood; for that the grave Romans and light Greeks, the soft Persians and stout Germans, the subtle Africans and gross Scythians, would not be well managed in the same manner. So to govern any man's heart (since the hearts of men, as their faces, and as their voices, differ according to diversities of complexion, of age, of education, of custom, and manner of living),

it conduceth to know how it is disposed moulding his observations into pious acfrom any of those, or the like causes. knowledgments and earnest prayers to But how we are to guide and govern our God: thus while he casts one eye upon hearts, and what particular influence this earth, viewing the occurrences there, practice hath thereupon, I reserve for lifting up the other to heaven, there seeother meditations; when we shall en- ing God's all-governing hand, thence deavour more distinctly to show how we seeking his gracious favour and mercy. may apply our thoughts to due objects; Thus doth here that great and good man how curb and correct our inclinations; teach us all (more particularly men how order our passions; how rectify our of high estate and much business) to opinions; how purify our intentions: find opportunities of withdrawing their now I conclude with the good Psalmist's thoughts from those things which comrequests to God Almighty: Teach us thy monly amuse them (the cares, the gloway, O Lord; unite our hearts to fear ries, the pleasures of this world), and thy name. Give us understanding, and fixing them upon matters more improvawe shall keep thy law; yea we shall ob- ble to devotion; the transitoriness of their serve it with our whole heart. Search condition, and their subjection to God's us, O God, and know our hearts; try us, just providence; joining also to these and know our thoughts; see if there be meditations suitable acts of religion, due any wicked way in us, and lead us in the acknowledgments to God, and humble way everlasting. Amen. prayers. This was his practice among the greatest encumbrances that any man could have; and it should also be ours. Of those his devotions addressed to God, the words are part, which I have chosen for the subject of my meditation and present discourse; concerning the meaning of which I shall first touch somewhat; then propound that observable in them, which I design to insist upon.

SERMON XLVI.

THE CONSIDERATION OF OUR LATTER END.

PSALM XC. 12.-So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

The prophet David hath in the 39th THIS Psalm is upon several peculiar ac- Psalm a prayer very near in words, and counts very remarkable; for its antiquity, of kin, it seems, in sense to this here: in which it perhaps doth not yield to any Lord (prays he) make me to know my parcel of scripture; for the eminency of end, and the measure of my days, what it its author, Moses, the man of God, the is, that I may know how frail I am: greatest of the ancient prophets) most in concerning the drift of which place, as favour, and, as it were, most intimate well as of this here, it were obvious to with God) it is also remarkable for the conceive that both these prophets do reform and matter thereof, both affording quest of God, that he would discover to much useful instruction. In it we have them the definite term of their life (which a great prince, the Governor of a nu- by his decree he had fixed, or however merous people, sequestering his mind by his universal prescience he did disfrom the management of public affairs cern; concerning which we have these to private meditations; from beholding words in Job, Seeing man's days are dethe present outward appearances, to con-termined, the number of his months are sidering the real nature and secret causes of things; in the midst of all the splendour and pomp, of all the stir and tumult about him, he observes the frailty of human condition, he discerns the providence of God justly ordering all; this he does not only in way of wise consideration, but of serious devotion,

. Vide Naz. Orat. 1.

b Psal. lxxxvi. 11; cxix. 34; cxxxix. 23.

with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass ;) we might, I say, at first hearing, be apt to imagine that their prayer unto God is (for the comfort of their mind burdened with afflictions, or for their better direction in the management of their remaining time of life), that God would reveal unto them the determinate length of their life. But this

sense, which he words seem so naturally | ity and frailty, is a mean proper and apt to hold forth, is by many of the Fathers to dispose us toward the wise conduct of rejected, for that the knowledge of our our remaining life; to which purpose lives' determinate measure is not a fit such a consideration seems alike availamatter of prayer to God; that being a ble, as the knowledge of its punctual or secret reserved by God to himself, which definite measure; or more than it, upon to inquire into savours of presumptuous the same or greater reasons. curiosity the universal validity of which reason I will not debate; but shall defer so much to their judgment, as to suppose that the numbering of our days (according to their sense) doth here only imply a confused indefinite computation of our days' number, or the length of our life; such as, upon which it may appear, that necessarily our life cannot be long (not, according to the account mentioned in this Psalm, the same with that of Solon in Herodotus, above 70 or 80 years, especially as to purposes of health, strength, content;) will probably, by reason of various accidents, to which it is exposed, be much shorter (7 or 10 years, according to a moderate esteem ;) may possibly, from surprises undiscoverable, be very near to its period; by few instants removed from death (a year, a month, a day, it may be somewhat less.) This I shall allow to be the arithmetic that Moses here desires to learn; whence it will follow, that teaching (or making to know, so it is in the Hebrew) doth import here (as it doth otherwhere frequently in scripture) God's affording the grace to know practically, or with serious regard to consider this state and measure of our life (for in speculation no man can be ignorant of human life's brevity and uncertainty; but most men are so negligent and stupid, as not to regard it sufficiently, not to employ this knowledge to any good purpose.*) This interpretation I choose, being in itself plausible enough, and countenanced by so good authority; yet the former might well enough (by good consequence, if not so immediately) serve my design; or be a ground able to support the discourse I intend to build upon the words; the subject whereof briefly will be this, that the consideration of our lives certain and necessary brev

As for the latter clause, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom; it is according to the Hebrew, and we shall bring the heart to wisdom; implying, the application of our hearts to wisdom to be consequent upon the skill and practice (bestowed by God) of thus computing our days. As for wisdom, that may denote either sapience, a habit of knowing what is true; or prudence, a disposition of choosing what is good: we may here understand both, especially the latter; for, as Tully saith of philosophy, Omnis summa philosophiæ ad beate vivendum refertur, the sum or whole of philosophy refers to living happily; so all divine wisdom doth respect good practice. The word also comprehends all the consequences and adjuncts of such wisdom (for so commonly such words are wont by way of metonymy to denote, together with the things primarily signified, all that naturally flow from, or that usually are conjoined with them :*) in brief (to cease from more explaining that which is in itself conspicuous enough), I so understand the text, as if the prophet had thus expressed himself: Since, O Lord, all things are in thy hand and sovereign disposal; since it appears that man's life is so short and frail, so vexatious and miserable, so exposed to the just effects of thy displeasure; we humbly beseech thee so to instruct us by thy wisdom, so to dispose us by thy grace, that we may effectually know, that we may seriously consider, the brevity and uncertainty of our lives' durance; whence we may be induced to understand, regard, and choose those things which good reason dictates best for us; which, according to true wisdom, it most concerns us to know and perform. From which sense of the words we might infer many useful documents, and draw matter of much

* Οὐ γὰρ ἐστι φρένας ἔχοντος ἀνθρώπου ἀγνοεῖν | wholesome discourse; but passing over ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ζῶόν ἐστι θνητόν, οὐδ' ὅτι γέγονεν εἰς | all the rest, I shall only insist upon that Tò dobavεiv.—Plut. ad Apoll. p. 202.

Quis ost tam stultus, quamvis sit adolescens, *Natura dedit usuram vitæ, tanquam pecucui sit exploratum se vel ad vesperum esse vic- niæ, nulla præstituta die.-Tusc. Quæst. i. p. turum?-Cic. de Sen. • De Fin. ii. p. 95.

326.