He is a Man, that effectually makes Good Job's Character of himself, who was also a Magiftrate: He puts on Righteousness, and it Job 29. cloaths him, his Judgment is a Robe and a Dia- 14. dem: He is Eyes to the Blind, and Feet he is to the Lame: He is a Father to the Poor, and the Caufe which he knoweth not, be fearcheth out: He breaketh the Faws of the Wicked, and plucketh the Spoil out of his Teeth.

He is a Man that looketh upon himself to have a Trust both with Reference to those above him, and those under him: And therefore he is careful to carry himself with an even fteady Hand, with refpect to both; ftudiously endeavouring, both to preferve his Allegiance to his Prince, and his Fidelity to the Publick: Neither invading the Rights of the one, nor injuring the Liberties of the other.

He is one, that, next to the Honour of God, studies the Peace'and Quiet of the Place where he is concern'd. And therefore as on one hand he is watchful in 'fpying out Dangers, and quick in applying fuch Remedies to them as are proper in the Place and Station he holds; So on the other fide, he neither takes nor gives the Alarm upon every flight Surmife, or popular Apprehenfion. He makes the beft of all Things that happen; and by his Prudence and Moderation, endeavours to extinguish growing Flames, rather than add Fewel to them; to calm and allay Mens Jealoufies and Animofities, rather than to excite and increase them.

Laftly,

Laftly, To conclude; He is a Man, that fears God, that honours the King; that is obfervant of the Laws; that is true to the Government; and that meddles not with them that are given to Change.

Having thus given you an Account of the Upright Man, under the feveral principal Relations in which he ftands; I come now, in the Second Place, for the Comfort of all that are fuch, and for the Encouragement of all others to endeavour to be fuch; to fet forth the Advantages and Privileges, that fuch a Man enjoys in evil and dangerous Times. To the Upright there arifeth Light in Darkness.

Darkness, as I told you before, is a Word by which the Scripture expreffeth any kind of Straights or Difficulties, or Adverfities. Thus Job 15. 21. Darkness is there oppofed to Profperity; thus, Lam. 3. 2. I am the Man (faith the Prophet) that have feen Affliction, by the Rod of his Wrath he hath led me, and brought me into Darkness. And thus likewise, to name no more Texts, Joel 2. 2. The Day of God's Vifitation upon Jerufalem, is called a Day of Gloominess and Darkness; a. Day of Clouds and thick Darkness.

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This now being the Notion of Darkness; when it is faid in the Text, To the Upright Man there arifeth Light in the Darkness; by Light we may understand any one of these three Things; that is to fay,

By Light we may understand Light for his Guidance and Direction; and then the Senfe is, That in critical and perillous Times, the Up

right Man of all others, will be best enabled to order and manage his Affairs.

Or, Secondly, By Light, we may underftand Safety and Defence, as the Word is fometimes taken in Scripture; and then the Sense is, That in evil Times the Upright Man walks moft free from Danger; He, of all others, may expect Security and Protection in a common Calamity.

Or, Thirdly, By Light we may understand Peace and Joy (as that likewife is another ufual Sense of the Word,) and then the meaning is, That in evil Times, let Things happen as they will, though it should be the Fortune of the Upright Man to be opprefs'd in the Crowd; yet this Happiness he will always have, that his Mind will be at perfect Ease and Peace. Nothing fhall ever difcompofe him, but in the midst of his Suffering, his Heart fhall be replenished with perpetual Comfort.

In any one of these Senfes the Text may be taken, and in all the Three it fails not to be made Good to the Upright Man.

First, To the Upright Man there arifeth Light in the Darkneß, taking Light for Guidance and Direction. Be the Times never fo Dark, he hath this Happiness, that he is rarely at a Lofs how to fteer his Courfe. He finds his Way eafily, when other Men are quite bewildred; and he readily expedites himself out of fuch Difficulties as those that act by other Principles, find themselves grievously intangled with. This is a Thing that should migh

tily recommend the Practice of Uprightness, especially in evil Times; and that it is really attended with this Advantage, muft needs be acknowledged upon thefe Two Accounts:

First, To an Upright Man, his Way lies plainer, and is more eafily feen and difcovered.

And, Secondly, He hath a greater Light to fee it by, than those that take other Measures in the Management of their Designs.

First, The Upright Man, of all others, most eafily fees his Way, for it lies plain and even, and ftrait before him. Whereas the Ways of Vice and Wickedness are extremely crooked, full of Windings and Turnings.

Whoever pursues evil Defigns, and is a Slave to bafe Affections, muft neceffarily intangle himself in infinite Labyrinths, through the Course of his Life. For having feveral Ends to pursue, and those many times inconfiftent one with another, it cannot be avoided but that in many Circumftances he lights into, he will be extremely at a lofs how to behave himself. If he go this way, then will fomething come to Light, which he ftudiously endeavours to conceal; if he go that way, then he difobliges fome Man or fome Party, whofe Intereft is neceffary to fupport him; if he go a third Way, he destroys that which is his main Defign. At what a Lofs now in fuch a Cafe as this, muft a Man needs be in the determining himself? Upon what a Rack is his Understanding put, to get fairly rid of these Difficulties? And yet fuch Di lemma's

lemma's as thefe is, every one that walks not uprightly, ever and anon crampt with in his Counfels and Deliberations.

But fuppofe he get well over the present Difficulty, yet he is but where he was; for upon the Emergency of Affairs, he is as much puzzled and nonpluft as before. The fame Method will not ferve him twice, for the carrying on his Defigns. As often as new Occafions arife, fo often muft he alter his Counfels, and take new Measures: So that he is always unfteady, often inconfistent with himself; utterly unrefolv'd what Man he shall be, or, what Part he fhall act, in the next Scene that offers itself.

Thefe Difficulties and Perplexities the Man of Intrigues is always hamper'd with; and they neceffarily arife from the various Flexures and Turnings of the Way that leads to his Ends: But the contrary of all this is the Lot of the Upright Man: For his Way neither lies on this fide, nor on that fide, but always ftrait forward. He hath but one great End to purfue, and that is to discharge a good Confcience: All his other Concernments are wholly regulated by that. The Confequence of which is, That he hath no clashing of Interefts to perplex his Deliberations; no little Turns that must be served, to divert him to the Right Hand or to the Left, but he always looks ftrait before him: So that all his Refolutions are easily made; most of thofe Difficulties that intangle other Men, are quite cut off and avoided; his Counfels

and