lows up the greatest part of mankind; and then only we begin to consider, when all consideration is fruitless.

He therefore is a huge fool, that heaps up riches, that greedily pursues the world, and at the same time (for so it must be) heaps up wrath to himself against the day of wrath; when sickness and death arrest him, then they appear unprofitable, and himself extremely miserable: and if you would know how great that misery is, you may take account of it by those fearful words and killing rhetorick of scripture. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; and, Who can dwell with the everlasting burnings? That is, No patience can abide there one hour, where they must dwell for ever.

SERMON XX.

OF CHRISTIAN PRUDENCE.

MATTHEW X. LATTER PART OF VER. 16.

Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

WHEN Our blessed Saviour entailed a law and a condition of sufferings, and promised a state of persecution to his servants; and withal had charmed them with the bands and unactive chains of so many passive graces, that they should not be able to stir against the violence of tyrants, or abate the edge of axes, by any instrument but their own blood; being sent forth as sheep among wolves, innocent and silent, harmless and defenceless, certainly exposed to sorrow, and uncertainly guarded in their persons; their condition seemed nothing else but a designation to slaughter and when they were drawn into the folds of the church, they were betrayed into the hands of evil men, infinitely and unavoidably and when an apostle invited a proselyte to come to Christ, it was in effect a snare laid for his life, and he could neither conceal his religion, nor hide his person, nor avoid a captious question, nor deny his accusation, nor elude

the bloody arts of orators and informers, nor break prisons, nor any thing but die. If the case stood just thus, it was well eternity stood at the outer days of our life, ready to receive such harmless people: but surely there could be no art in the design, no pitying of human weaknesses, no complying with the condition of man, no allowances made for customs and prejudices of the world, no inviting men by the things of men, no turning nature into religion; but it was all the way a direct violence, and an open prostitution of our lives, and a throwing away our fortune into a sea of rashness and credulity. But therefore God ordered the affairs and necessities of religion in other ways, and to other purposes. Although God bound our hands behind us, yet he did not tie qur understandings up: although we might not use our swords, yet we might use our reason we were not suffered to be violent, but we might avoid violence by all the arts of prudence and innocence: if we did take heed of sin, we might also take heed of men. And because in all contentions between wit and violence, prudence and rudeness, learning and the sword, the strong hand took it first, and the strong head possessed it last; the strong man first governed: and the witty man succeeded him, and lasted longer: it came to pass, that the wisdom of the Father hath so ordered it, that all his disciples should overcome the power of the Roman legions by a wise religion; and prudence and innocence should become the mightiest guards; and the Christian, although exposed to persecution, yet is so secured that he shall never need to die, but when the circumstances are so ordered that his reason is convinced that then it is fit he should: fit, I say, in order to God's purposes and

his own.

For he that is innocent, is safe against all the rods and the axes of all the consuls of the world, if they

rule by justice; and he that is prudent will also escape from many rudenesses and irregular violences that can come by injustice: and no wit of man, no government, no armies can do more. For Cæsar perished in the midst of all his legions and all his honours; and against chance and irregularities, there is no provision less than infinite that can give security. And although prudence alone cannot do this; yet innocence gives the greatest title to that providence, which only can, if he pleases, and will if it be fitting. Here then are the two arms defensive of a Christian: prudence against the evils of men, innocence against the evils of devils, and all that relates to his kingdom.

Prudence fences against persecution and the evil snares, against the opportunities and occasions of sin, it prevents surprises, it fortifies all its proper weaknesses, it improves our talents, it does advantage to the kingdom of Christ and the interests of the gospel, it secures our condition, and instructs our choice in all the ways and just passages to felicity, it makes us to live profitably and die wisely; and without it, simplicity would turn to silliness, zeal into passion, passion into fury, religion into scandal, conversation into a snare, civilities into temptation, courtesies into danger; and an imprudent person falls into a condition of harmless, rich and unwary fools, or rather of birds, sheep and beavers, who are hunted and persecuted for the spoils of their fleece or their flesh, their skins or their entrails, and have not the foresight to avoid a snare, but by their fear and undefending follies are driven thither, where they die infallibly. Σκαιοίσι πολλοις εἰς σοφος διόλλυται Every good man is encircled with many enemies, and dangers; and his virtue shall be rifled, and the decency of his soul and spirit shall be discomposed, and turned into a heap of inarticulate and disorderly fancies, unless by the

methods and guards of prudence it be managed and secured.

But in order to the following discourse and its method, we are first to consider whether this be, or indeed can be, a commandment, or what is it. For can all men that give up their names in baptism, be enjoined to be wise and prudent? It is as if God would command us to be eloquent or witty men, fine speakers, or straight-bodied, or excellent scholars, or rich men: if he please to make us so, we are so. And prudence is a gift of God, a blessing of an excellent nature, and of great leisure, and a wise opportunity, and a severe education, and a great experience, and a strict observation, and good company; all which being either wholly or in part out of our power, may be as free gifts, but cannot be imposed as command

ments.

To this I answer, that Christian prudence is in very many instances a direct duty; in some an instance and advice, in order to degrees and advantages. Where it is a duty, it is put into every man's power; where it is an advice, it is only expected according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not: and even here, although the events of prudence are out of our power, yet the endeavours and the observation, the diligence and caution, the moral part of it, and the plain conduct of our necessary duty, (which are portions of this grace) are such things which God will demand, in proportion to the talent which he hath intrusted into our banks. There are indeed some Christians very unwary and unwise in the conduct of their religion, and they cannot all help it, at least not in all degrees: but they may be taught to do prudent things, though not to be prudent persons: if they have not the prudence of advice and conduct, yet they may have the prudence of obedience and of disciples. And the event is this; without