A plain discourse upon uprightness showing the properties and privileges of an upright man…A plain discourse upon uprightness shewing the properties and priviledges of an upright man…

Its true, a tempest may bend the boughs of a living tree, or perhaps the tree it self, if the storm be great; but they return to their straightness, they come to themselves, but the rotten sticks and branches are broken and overturned; just so, some strong temptation may drive an upright man out of his honest way, but he soon returns, and by mending his pace, makes amends for his stumbling. Three Scriptures give the upright man his character, concerning this matter. Proverbs 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always. To be always afraid looks like a miserable life among men; but to have a waking eye, and careful heart for fear of sin, is no more a misery, than to walk, or ride, with a vigilant regard to prevent a fall. This fear is not troublesome or vexatious at all, he's an happy man that uses it, and no wise man will count the other happy for going, running, riding without fear ⟨p. 42⟩or wit in danger every moment to break his bones. Again, Hos. 12. 6. Keep mercy and judgement, and wait upon thy God continually. The whole life of a sincere Saint is a continual waiting upon God; whatever his work be, whoever his company, wherever he goes, whenever he eats or drinks, yet in all these he waits upon his God, and serves the will of his heavenly Father. And agreeable to this is the other passage, Prov. 23. 17. Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Most emphatical both for the duty commanded, and for the term of the duty, both most apposite to set out an upright man. The fear of the Lord, that is universal Religion, be thou in th•, more than if he had said, let the fear of the Lord be in thee; be surrounded with it, swallowed up in it. And then, this all the day long, not only a fit of Religion at thy prayers in the morning and another at night, but work and walk, eat and drink in it all the day long, yea all thy life long, which is but a long day.

Its true, a tempest may bend the boughs of a living tree, or perhaps the tree it self, if the storm be great; but they return to their straightness, they come to themselves, but the rotten sticks and branches are broken and overturn'd; just so, some strong temptation may drive an upright man out of his honest way, but he soon returns, and by mending his pace, makes amends for his stumbling. Three Scriptures give the upright man his character, concerning this matter.