ledge, I found the Object ftill as far before me as it was, if not much farther, and could no more attain the full and exact Knowledge of any one Subject, than the hinder Wheel of a Chariot can overtake the former, though I knew much of what others were ignorant, yet ftill I found there was much more, whereof I was ignorant, than what I knew, even in the compafs of a moft confined and inconfiderable Subject. And as my very Knowledge taught me Humility in the Senfe of my own Ignorance, fo it taught me that my Understanding was of finite and limited Power, that takes in things by little and little, and gradually. 2. That thy Wisdom is unfearchable and paft finding out. 3. That thy Works, which are but finite in themselves, and neceffarily fhort of that infinite Wifdom by which they are contrived, are yet fo wonderful, that as the Wife Man faith, No Man can find out the Work that thou makeft from the Beginning to the End, Ecclef. 3. 11. If a Man would fpend his whole Life in the Study of a poor Fly, there would be fuch a confluence of fo many wonderful and difficult Exhibits in it, that it would ftill leave much more undiscovered than the most fingular Wit ever yet attained.

3. It taught me alfo with the Wife Man, to write Vanity and Vexation upon all my fecular Knowledge and Learning, Ecclef. 1. 14. That little that I know, was not attained without much Labour, nor yet free from much Uncertainty; and the great refiduum which I knew not, rendred that I knew poor and inconfiderable; and therefore,

4. I did most evidently conclude, that the Happiness and Perfection of my Intellectual Power, was not to be found in this kind of Knowledge; in a Knowledge thus fenfibly mingled with Ignorance in the things it feems to know; mingled with a Diffatisfaction in refpect of the things know not; mingled with a difficulty in attaining, and reftleffness when attained: The more I knew, the more I knew that I knew not; and the more I knew, the more impatient my Mind was to know what it knew not; my Knowledge did rather inlarge my defire of knowing than fatisfie it; and the most intemperate Senfual Appetite under Heaven, was more capable of Satisfaction by what it enjoyed, than my Intellectual

Intellectual Appetite or Defire was, or could be fatisfied with the things I knew; but the enlarging of my Understanding with Knowledge, did but enlarge and amplify the Defire and Appetite I had to know; fo that what Job's Return was upon his Inquifition after Wildom, Job 28. 14. The Depth faith, It is not in me; and the Sea faith, It is not in me; the fame Account all my feveral Boxes or kinds of Knowledge gave me, when I enquired for Satisfaction in them: My Abftract and choice Speculations in the Metaphyficks were of that abftract and comprehenfive nature, that when I had perused great Volumes of it, and intended my Mind close to it, yet it was fo mercurial, that I could hardly hold it; and yet fo extensive and endless, that the more I read or thought of it, the more I might. Natural Philofophy (though it were more tractable, because holding a greater vicinity to Senfe and Experiment, yet) I found full of Uncertainty, much of it grounded upon Imaginary Suppofitions, impoffible to be experimented, the latter Philofophers cenfuring the former, and departing from them, and the latter defpifing and rejecting both; the Subject as vaft as the vifible or tangible Univerfe, and yet every individual fo complicated, that if all the reft were omitted, any one had more Lines concentred in it, than were poffible for any one Age to fift to the bottom; yet any one loft, or not exactly scanned, leaves all the reft uncertain and conjectural: the very Difquifition concerning any one part of the Brain, the Eye, the Nerves, the Blood hath perplexed the most exact Scrutators. Thofe more dry, yet more demonftrable Conclufions in the Mathematicks, yet they are endless and perplexed : The Proportion of Lines to Lines, of Superficies to Superficies, Bodies to Bodies, Numbers to Numbers, nay, to leave the whole latitude of the Subject, fee what long, and intricate, and unfatisfactory pains Men have taken about fome one particular Subject, the Quadrature of the Circle, Conical, Oval, and Spiral Lines; and yet if it could be attained in the perfection of it, yet these three Unhappineffes attend it.

1. That it is but of little Ufe; it is only known that it may be known: That which is of ordinary ufe either in Architecture, measuring of Bodies, and Superficies, Mechanicks, business of Accounts, and the like, is foon attained,

and

and by ordinary Capacities; the reft are but curious Imper tinents, in respect of Ufe and Application.

2. That they ferve only for the Meridian of this Life, and of corporal Converfe; a feparated Soul, or a fpiritualiz'd Body, will not be concerned in the ufe and employment of them.

3. But admit they fhould, yet doubtless a greater measure of fuch Knowledge will be attained in one hour after our Diffolution. than the toilfome expence of an Age in this Life would produce And the like may be faid for Aftronomical Difquifitions. What a deal of do there is touching the Motion or Confiftency of the Sun or Earth; the Quality and Habitableness of the Moon; the Matter, Quantity, and Distance of the Stars; the feveral Pofitions, Continuity, Contiguity, and Motions of the Heavens, the various Influences of the Heavenly Bodies in their Oppofitions, Conjunctions, Afpects? When once the immortal Soul hath flown through the Stories of the Heavens, in one moment all thefe will be known diftinctly, clearly, and evidently, which here are nothing but Conjectures and Opinions, gained by long reading or obfervation.

Upon all thefe Confiderations, I concluded that my Intellectual Power, and the exercife of it in this Life, was given me for a more fure and certain, ufeful, advantageous, fuitable and becoming Object, even to know thee, the only true God, and Jefus Chrift, whom theu hast fent, Jo. 17. 3. À Knowledge that is ufeful for the acquiring of Happiness here and hereafter; a Knowledge of a fubject, though infinitely comprehenfive, yet but one; a Knowledge, that though it ftill move farther; yet it fatisfies in what is acquired and doth not difquiet in attaining more; a Knowledge that is of fuch Ufe in the World that is to come, as it is here; a Knowledge, that the more it is improved in this Life, the more it is improved in that which is to come; every grain of it here is enlarged to a vaft proportion hereafter; a Knowledge that is acquired, even with a confent, a desire to know, because thy Goodness pleafeth to fill fuch a desire, to instruct from thy felf, and there is none teacheth like Thee.

12. Cch.

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12. Concerning Humane Prudence, and Understanding in Affairs, and Dexterity in the managing of them.

I have been always careful to mingle Juftice and Honefty with my Prudence; and have always esteemed Prudence, acted by Injuftice and Falfity, the arrantest and most devilish Practice in the World; because it prostitutes thy gift to the fervice of Hell, and mingles a Beam of thy Divine Excellence with an extraction of the Devil's furnishing, making a Man fo much the worfe by how much he is wifer than others. I always thought that Wifdom, which in a Tradesman and in a Politician was mingled with Deceit, Falfity, and Injuftice, deferved the fame name: only the latter is fo much the worse, because it was of the more publick and general Concernment; yet, because I have often obferved great Employments, especially in publick Affairs, are fometimes under great Temptations of mingling too much Craft with Prudence, and then to mifcall it, Policy; I have, as much as may be, avoided fuch Temptations: and if I have met with them, I have refolvedly rejected them.

I have always obferved, that Honefty and Plain-dealing in Tranfactions, as well publick as private, is the best and foundeft Prudence and Policy, and commonly at the long-run over-matcheth Craft and Subtilty; Job 12. 16. for the Deceived and Deceiver are thine, and thou art privy to the Subtilty of the one, and the Simplicity of the other; and as thou, the great Moderator and Obferver of Men, doft difpenfe Success and Difappointments accordingly.

As Humane Prudence is abufed if mingled with Falfity and Deceit, though the End be never fo good; fo it is much more imbafed, if directed to a bad End, to the dishonour of thy Name, the oppreffion of thy People, the corrupting of thy Worship or Truth, or to execute any Injustice towards any Perfon. It hath been my care, as not to err in the manner, fo neither in the end of the exercifing of thy Providence. I have ever efteemed thy R

Pru

Prudence then best employed, when it was exercised in the preservation and fupport of thy Truth, in the upholding of thy faithful Minifters, in countermining, difcovering, and difappointing the Defigns of evil and treacherous Men, in delivering the Oppreffed, in righting the Injur'd, in prevention of Wars and Difcords, in preferving the publick Peace and Tranquility of the People where I live, in faithful advising of my Prince; and in all thofe Offices incumbent upon me by thy Providence under every relation.

When my End was most unquestionably good, I ever then took moft heed that the Means were fuitable and juftifiable. 1. Because the better the End was, the more easily we are cozened into the ufe of ill Means to effect it; we are too apt to difpenfe with our felves in the practice of what is amifs, in order to the accomplishing of an End that is good; we are apt, while with great intention of mind we gaze upon the End, not to care what course we take, fo as we attain it; and are apt to think that God will dispense with, or at leaft over-look the mifcarriage in our Attempts, if the End be good. 2. Because many times, if not moft times, thy Name and Honour do more fuffer by attempting a good End by bad Means, than by attempting both a bad End, and also by bad Means; for bad Ends are fuitable to bad Means; they are alike; and it doth not immediately, as fuch, concern thy Honour; but every thing that is good, hath fomewhat of thee in it; thy Name, and thy Nature, and thy Honour, is written upon it; and the blemish that is caft upon it, is in fome ineafure caft upon thee; and the Evil and Scandal, and Infamy, and Uglinefs that is in the Means, is caft upon the End, and doth difparage and blemish it, and confequently it difhonours thee. To rob for Burnt-offerings, and to lye for God, is a greater Differvice to thy Majefty, than to rob for Rapine, or to lye for Advantage.

Whenfoever my Prudence was fuccefsful, duly to attain a good End, I ever gave thy Name the Glory, and that in Sincerity. I have known fome Men (and if a Man