Page images
PDF
EPUB

I.

[ocr errors]

SERM. fo he may direct his behaviour. Wifdom confifteth in forming designs suited to the dignity of our nature, and pursuing them by the best means in our power. Religion, then, could never juftly be called wisdom, if it had not a view to the future consequences of our prefent conduct, fecuring the greatest perfection and felicity that can be hoped for. No man can be esteemed wife, who is infenfible to his own true intereft; for it is an inclination infeparable from human nature, and juftified by the stricteft reason, to feek after happiness; it is a maxim which no one will deny, Job xxii. 2. He that is wife, is profitable to himself; which Solomon applies to his wife man, that is, the virtuous, who in the best manner provideth for his own safety and happiness 3 Prov. ix. 12. If thou be wife, thou shalt be wife for thyself; but if thou fcorneft, thou alone fhalt bear it. Though virtue doth stand on another foot, and there is really fuch a thing as moral excellence, neceffarily acknowledged and approved by our minds, abstracting from all confideration of interest,

yet is it very much strengthened, and intelligent creatures reasonably established in their choice of it, and their refolution to adhere

ta

I.

to it against all temptations, by this affu- SER M. rance, that it shall not hurt, but rather fecure their happiness, which hath been acknowledged to be the tendency of virtue, wherever any just notions of it have obtained in the world. If men believe there is a God, wife, juft, and good, they must conclude that righteousness is pleasing to him; and if the foul is immortal, and shall fubfift in another ftate, they who have done good in this life, have the best hope of being distinguished by the favour of the Deity in the next. These are matters about which the sacred rule of our religion hath not left us in the dark, as the heathens were; but taught us, with the greatest clearness and certainty, the wifdom of obedience to God's laws, and the folly of disobedience; because be hath appointed a day in which he will judge men by Jefus Chrift, according to their works. And thus pursuing his main scope, and delivering his inftructions agreeably to his grand principle, that virtue is wisdom, and that vice and wickedness is extreme folly: Solomon fays, chap. xxii. 3. A prudent man forefeeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the fimple pass on, and are punished. Again, the religious govern themselves by VOL. III. C

SERM. a cautious forefight of the unhappy confeI. quences of a finful course, and by views truly fublime, and far above this world. Chap. xv. 24. The way of life is above to the wife, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Having proceeded fo far, and endeavoured to fhew you what the wisdom is which Solomon fo much celebrateth in this book, perfuading us to ftudy it, and conform ourfelves to its rules, it would be, in the next place, very proper to confider the truth of his doctrine; to inquire whether religion, univerfal righteoufnefs, goodnefs, temperance, meekness, chastity, and all the other virtues in which he placeth wisdom, be really worthy of that character. If it be fo, then certainly the fear of the Lord, with the whole system of virtues which it includeth, or which depend upon it, must be high in our esteem; for we cannot help valuing wisdom as the proper improvement of our reafon; to think meanly and contemptuously of it, would be to forget ourselves, and to disparage what muft be acknowledged to be the excellence of our nature. But the pretences to wisdom, it is fuppofed, every man must have leave to examine,

and to judge for himself; obedience may SERM. be demanded by mere authority; the fub- I. ject is not at liberty to enquire into the reafons of what is enjoined by his fuperior; but counfel is addreffed to the understanding; and whatever is propofed under the character of wisdom muft neceffarily be fubmitted to our own confideration, that we may receive it so far as there appeareth fufficient cause to our own reafon and judgment. Now, certainly this is a doctrine which will abide the ftricteft and moft impartial trial, that true religion, and every branch of it, is wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding. Perhaps the best and most fatisfying way for illuftrating this, would be to enter into particulars, to confider the duties of piety, of justice, of meeknefs, of charity, and the reft; and to fhew that every one of them is indeed wisdom, most becoming men, exactly fuited to the state and relations of the human nature, and conducive to the highest and most important ends which fuch a Being ought to pursue; but that would be too large for the prefent defign. If we take the whole system together, it will not be difficult to judge whe ther it deferveth to be called wifdom, and whether

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

SERM. whether they are not the wifeft men, who I. form the difpofitions of their minds and their practice by its rules.

One notion of wisdom is, that it confifteth in a right judgment of things, of their nature, fo far as that falls within our knowledge, of their properties, relations, differences, and of their ends and uses. The difference between the wifeft man, and the weakest, in understanding, doth not lie in the materials of their knowledge, if I may fpeak fo; they have the fame ideas, the fame representations of objects in their mind conveyed by their fenfes: But whether it be for want of equal capacity, opportunity, or diligence, the one hath not fo thoroughly examined, and doth not fo well difcern their agreement or difagreement, their relations, diftinctions, and uses, as the other. A defect here must have a very unhappy influence on our conduct, which must be formed according to our sentiments and opinions of things. A man who is not able to distinguish, cannot know how to determine his choice, what to do, or forbear; what to chufe, or refuse; like a blind man placed among a great variety of things, some good and fome bad, who hath nothing

to

« PreviousContinue »