agreeable to him. Whether therefore we SERM. are fincere lovers of wisdom, we may judge, VII. by the pleasure we take in its ways and inftructions. The experience of delight, and the high relish of agreeable objects will powerfully determine the mind for its own fake to meditate upon them, and by this we may know whether we are after the flesh or the fpirit; for they that are after the flesh, mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the fpirit, mind the things of the spirit, Rom. viii. 5. For whatever kind of object yields us the greateft joy, that it is which the mind will naturally attend to, and frequently entertain itself with, Let us then compare the joy which arifeth from wisdom, and that which we have in other things, and thus judge of our own difpofitions: A perception of pleasure in the gratification of our natural appetites is the neceffary effect of our conftitution, and therefore is not to be condemned as if there were any thing criminal in it; but the mind is impotent and irreligious which is entirely under the power of them, and hath no taste of the rational and fuperior pleafantness of wifdom's ways, in which they who are wife perceive a vaftly greater dignity and happiness. These are the ways, these the N 3 fentie SERM. fentiments and difpofitions by which the VII. love of wisdom discovereth itfelf; and I fhall confider in the Second place, how they contribute to our attaining that excellent quality. We fee in the ordinary course of human life and affairs, defire putteth men upon that labour and diligence which are the ordinary means of fuccefs, and even reconcileth them to that difficulty and pain, which otherwife would feem very grievous; fuch an effect it had upon Jacob, as to make seven years of fervice feem but as a few days, Gen, xxix. 20, Which however he complaineth of chap. xxxi. 40. as very irkfom, the froft confumed him by night, and the heat by day; and in a multitude of inftances, we commonly fee that strong affections excite men to painful labour, and even make fufferings appear light, which otherwise would be thought infupportable. The covetous and the ambitious toil inceffantly, they rife early and fit up late, they eat the bread of forrows, that they may compafs the ends to which their feveral inclinations them, though they are under difcouragement from experience, which often fheweth that fuch endeavours are unfuccefsful. But there is a more certain con nection nection between the love of wifdom and the SERM obtaining it, because it doth not depend on VII. things without, which are not in our power, and the very affection is a part and degree of the acquifition and the enjoyment. An high esteem, an earnest defire, and tranfcen dent delight in religion and virtue, have in them the reality of religion and virtue itself, which being a quality of the mind, must be principally feated in the affections, and is really, though imperfectly, there where it is beloved. The love of wifdom includeth in it the root of every pious and virtuous inclination and every good practice; they who love it, will be disposed to hearken to its counfels, to receive its inftructions, and conform to its rules. Solomon telleth us, Prov, viii. 9. that the words of wisdom or righteousness are all plain to him that underftandeth; it is not difficult to a mind that hath a fervent affection to it, as Mofes excellently speaketh concerning the commandments of the moral law, Deut. XXX. II. And it is applied by the apostle to the word of faith or the gofpel, which is to us the rule of religious virtue. This com neither is that thou mandment is not hidden from thee, ven SERM. ven and bring it unto us, that we may hear VII. it and do it; neither is it beyond the fea, that thou shouldeft fay, who fhall go over the fea for us, and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it. But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayeft do it. The glorious character of wifdom's ways is plainness and perfpecuity; we are not put on an impracticable work, or fuch as is attended with infuperable hardfhips, as if it were like climbing up to heaven, or ranfacking the bowels of the earth ; they lie open to them, who with hearty defire, and with pleasure and alacrity, apply themselves in that honourable pursuit. Our greatest labour is with our own hearts, to get them duly prepared, divested of prejudices and prepofeffions, to quiet the clamors and tumults within, to impose filence upon the fenfes and the imagination, which, are continually prefenting to us vain diverfions and amufements; when this is done, and the fervent love of wisdom will effect. it, for how can we pretend to love that which hath not the afcendant in our hearts, and doth not command the attendance of our thoughts in preference to other things; but, I fay, when this is done, we may say, unto wisdom, as Prov. vii. 4. Thou art my fifter, fifter, and call understanding a kinfwoman. SER M. The man who hath arrived to a juft domi- VII. nion over himself, who hath the command of his paffions and can reftrain his loose irregular appetites, is already poffeffed of wisdom, and is truly a virtuous man. Now, this is fo far from being extremely difficult to the person who loveth religious wisdom, that it is the infeparable character and certain effect of a prevailing love to it; for how can it bet efteemed above all things, earnestly defired, and delighted in, unless other oppofite affections yield to it, and the mind, defpifing and forfaking them, cleaveth to it. It is true Solomon faith, Prov. xxiv. 7. That knowledge is too high for a fool, that is, the fcorner: The proud and the wicked man, whofe mind is enflaved to his paffions, imagineth a mighty difficulty in it, but it is of his own making; his corrupt and vicious affections confirmed by evil cuftoms are predominant, they are become even nature in him, and he is become impotent, unable to unlearn them, to deliver himself from their power, and change his courfe, as the Ethio pian is to change his fkin, or the leopard his Spots; that is, he hath made it hard for himself, by an habitual indulgence to his paffions, whereby he hath put himself under |