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V.

fuperftition, in prefumptuous confidence, we SERM. may embolden ourselves, and edify one ano. ther in fin, for St. Paul fpeaks of fuch edification*, but we cannot grow in zeal and pure religion. I fhall conclude this head with the excellent words of Solomon, which show the great advantage of religious knowledge |. My Son eat thou honey because it is good, and the honey-comb which is fweet to thy tafte, fo fhall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy foul, when thou hast found it there fhall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off

I am in the Third place to propose fome directions for our attaining useful and falutary knowledge, and the first is, a high efteem of it. If it be pleasant to our fouls, if we have a juft fenfe of its excellency, and thus our af fections are captivated to it; it is the best preparation of mind we can have for this most important acquifition. Solomon, therefore, in the beginning of his book of Proverbs enlarges fo much on the dignity and excellence of wifdom, that he may engage men to fall in love with it, and that from fo juft a principle they may be determined to the conftant

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and

*

I Cor. viii. 10.

Prov. xxiv. 13,14.

SERM. and diligent purfuit of it. He would have V. us above all things folicitous to acquire the

knowledge of the holy; to regard the riches, honours, and every kind of fenfible enjoyment, as but trifles in comparifon. He reprefents wisdom as the principal thing; its inftructions are right; they have an innate beauty and rectitude, a tranfcendant worth which commands the approbation and refpect of every attentive intelligent being; there is a dignity in them which whenever we turn our thoughts to it, ftrikes the mind with veneration and eftem. Other things which poffefs the affections of carnal and worldly men when fet

against it, appear to The merchandize of

be of no worth at all.
filver, the gain of gold, and the price of rubies,
or indeed whatever we can defire in this
world, is but low and mean, does not fill the
capacity of the foul, nor fatisfy its large de-
fires, and is but of a perifhing nature and mo-
mentary duration. When men are got tho-
roughly into this way of thinking (and a fe-
rious attention will not fail of bringing them
to it) and when the love of wisdom is the
ruling affection in the foul, those things which
to fordid, earthly and fenfual fpirits, appear
mysterious, will become familiar; or what

others

others look on with indifference and neglect, SERM. they will fee a real, a tranfcendent beauty V. and glory in; a hunger and thirst after it, an ardent defire to this moft amiable form, will overcome all difficulties; and wifdom will be found of them that thus feek her early, and with the most earnest intention of mind *through defire a man having feparated himfelf, feeketh and intermedleth with all wijdom. In pursuance of this,

Secondly, let us use the means of attaining knowledge with great diligence and care. There is no other way to prove our fincerity and our love of wisdom. Let a man profess what he will, we shall never believe him to be intent upon obtaining any end, whilft he neglects the means which he knows, and has the opportunity of ufing. Let us, therefore, labour for it affiduously, and as Job expreffes the longing defire and folicitude of the miserable for the grave, dig for it as for hid treasures. Now, the principal means to us chriftians are the fcriptures, in which God, has given a compleat revelation of his will. and them we ought conftantly to fearch The Pfalmift has given us an excellent exam

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* Prov. xviii. 1.

SERM. ple, he meditated in the law of God, ̈ day and IV. night; he ftudied it with care, and to that and his practifing what it enjoins, he attributed all his attainments in wisdom.

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kow I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day. Thou thro' thy commandments haft made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more underftanding than all my teachers, for thy teftimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. And again, † How Sweet are thy words to my tafte? yea fweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding. That revelation which David enjoyed the advantages of, though imperfect in comparifon of the later and better one God has Vouchfafed to us in thefe laft ages of the world, by his Son, the moft excellent mesfenger from heaven, who has declared the Father and his will to mankind, yet was fo initructive to him, that we fee he speaks of it as matter of his highest delight. It is of the fame fcripture St. Paul speaks, when he fays, that Timothy from a child had known the holy feriptures, which were able to make

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him wife unto falvation. Much more is SERM. the New Teftament the doctrine of Chrift, V. which himfelf calls, a fountain of living water, our fure guide to all neceffary truths'; and he who fearches and enquires into it carefully, and without prejudice, fhall have that falutary knowledge which fhall be a well of water in him Springing up to everlasting life.

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But, thirdly, it is above all things neceffary, that we use the means of knowledge, and particularly the laft mentioned, namely, that we fearch the holy fcriptures without prejudice and prepoffeffion. If we fuffer our minds to be under any bias, and corrupt inclinations, or worldly interefts to get into our religious counfels, and influence our enquiries; or if we give up ourfelves implicitly to the direction of human authority, in matters of faith and confcience, this is not the way to attain to the knowledge of the truth, but to imbibe error, to be overwhelmed with thick dark. nefs, and to run into fuperftition and a contentious party-zeal, instead of rational piety, meekness and charity, which are pure and undefiled religion before God the Father. And befides an unprejudiced fearch of tures, after the example of the

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generous

Bereans,

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