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SERMON VII.

The Love of WISDOM neceffary to the attaining of it.

SERM.

VII.

PROVERBS VIII. 17.

I love them that love me, and those that seek me early fhall find me.

T

HE defign of this book is to teach men wisdom, that is, true religion and virtue, as we are told in the beginning of it, chap. i, 1, 2. The proverbs of Solomon, to know wisdom and inftruction, to perceive the words of understanding. The author ufeth many arguments which should induce us to make wifdom our choice and our ftudy, fome of which I have, in feveral difcourses, infifted upon, fuch as those taken from the excellency and pleasantness of its ways; from the confidence and fecurity of mind which arifeth from it in all the viciffitudes of time; and the promise of God that, they who find it shall obtain his favour. I have shewn you likewise, in explaining the

words

words of Solomon, chap. iii. 16. that though SER M. outward profperity is not the principal end, VII. nor the proper reward of religion, nay, to pursue it as the principal end is inconfiftent with fincerity; yet divine providence hath fo wifely and graciously ordered the state of things in this world, that, generally speaking, the practice of virtue is not detrimental to our present intereft, but rather tendeth to promote it. There are, befides these, particular arguments enforcing the particular branches of wisdom, as piety, diligence, temperance, justice, and charity, which I shall not infist on, and fome other general confiderations, especially the terrible punishment and miserable effects of folly, that is, of irreligion and wickedness, which I hope will be fufficiently plain to any attentive perfon, from what hath been said.

I fhall therefore, in the next place, confider fome of the means which Solomon propofeth, and the neceffary qualifications on our part that we may attain wisdom. It is certain that a great many of mankind come short of it, and even many of those to whom wildom crieth, and understanding lifteth up her voice; that is, who enjoy the best opportunities by the publication of the will of God to them, and the gracious inftructions

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SERM. he hath vouchsafed to the world by his me
VII. fengers. It is not confiftent with the nature

of true religious wifdom, nor indeed with
our nature, that it should be forced upon us,
or difpenfed as fome other of God's gifts
are to men promifcuoufly, without any re-
gard to previous difpofitions, or preparatory
endeavours used by them. It can never be
reasonably thought, that such an accomplish-
ment as wisdom, fo perfective of the human
nature, and advantageous to it, fhould pre-
vent our defires and our labour to obtain it
it is enough that God hath endued us with
a capacity, and furnished us with sufficient
motives and fufficient means, by a due im-
provement of, and attention to which, we
may arrive to fuch a measure of it as will
render us happy, and still more and more
happy in proportion to our proficiency.

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The firft qualification mentioned in the text is the love of wisdom, which will naturally introduce us to an acquaintance with it. Wisdom is represented in the stile and manner of writing ufed by Solomon and other ancient authors, as a divine person making a folemn entry into the world, displaying her native excellence and beauty, and inviting men, even the moft fimple and ignorant, to converse familiarly with her, in or

der

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der to their acquiring valuable knowledge, SER M. and those perfections which are highly or- VII. namental, as well as ufeful, and which will afford the most agreeable entertainment to their minds; but fuch as remain stupidly infenfible of her tranfcendent dignity, and through a vehement attachment to low and fenfual enjoyments, neglect her kind folicitations, can have no benefit by them. I fhall,

First, Endeavour to explain the love of wisdom, and fhew the feveral fentiments and difpofitions which are imported in it. And,

Secondly, How it contributeth to our obtaining wisdom.

First, To explain the love of wisdom, and fhew the fentiments and difpofitions which are imported in it. The affections. and paffions of the human nature, are the moving fprings which fet our active powers at work: Defire, hope, and joy, which are all included in love, have a powerful influence on the mind determining it to action. And as the operations of this principle are uniform, by understanding love, and the

natural

SERM. natural exertions of it towards any object VII. (and we cannot but be fenfible of it, if we attend to what paffeth in our own minds) we may understand how it operateth toward every object to which it is applied; which is only faying in other words, with refpect to the present fubject, that, as in all other cafes, the love of wisdom sheweth itself by a high esteem, by fervent defires, and by a fincere delight in its ways.

Various are the methods by which the objects of affection are introduced into the mind, fome wholly by the fenfes; no fooner the object is presented, than, according to natural instinct, the affection is raised, preventing any reflexion or confideration. Of this we have many inftances, and indeed, not only the defire of private good is thus excited, but our affection to other beings, a complacency in their happiness, or a vigorous inclination to do them good as far as it is in our power. Thus, for instance, if we see any of our fellow-creatures in distress or danger, how natural is compaffion, and how ftrong a principle, often prevailing even against private intereft, and the call of selfish inclinations? How quickly, and without any reflection at all upon the reasonableness of it, or confidering at all that

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