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every one to get wifdom; and the flothful SERM. fervant is, in his account, a wicked one, and VIII. will be condemned for his unprofitablenefs: But, for the diligent and faithful, their recompence fhall be in exact proportion to the measure of their improvement.

Thus I have endeavoured to explain the seeking of wisdom early, and fhewn you, that it importeth a follicitude and earnest intention of mind to attain it, the choice of proper means, and diligence in the use of them. I proceed in the

Second place, to confider the advantages of it, the affurance we have of success, or the happy event, that if we seek wisdom early, we fhall find it. It will be the lefs neceffary to infift upon this, because I explained fo largely the influence which the firft qualification, the love of wisdom hath upon our obtaining it; and with the love of wisdom seeking it early, hath a neceffary connection, as the certain infeparable effect; so that the manner of its contributing to the end of our gowing wifer or more virtuous, is illuftrated the fame way. You fee the text containeth an exprefs promise made in the name of wisdom, they that seek me early shall find me. Diligence import

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SERM. eth in it, thofe difpofitions of mind, and VIII. that practice with which we must suppose

the fupreme Being, infinitely good, and a perfect lover of virtue, so pleased, that he will bestow whatever is neceffary on his part in order to mens poffeffing that bleffed quality and endowment with the happy fruits of it. It is the greatest evidence we can give of a prevailing love to wisdom, which furely God approveth above all things, and of a readiness to thwart and deny for its fake the love of ease and averfion to labour, and all felfifh affections, which might hinder our progrefs; the greatest evidence of a fpirit prepared to undergo all the difficulty and pains which may arise from the indolence and depravity, which every man may find in himself. The great qualifications which the fcriptures require (and they are all imported in diligence) for our making progrefs in religious wisdom, are, hearing, or a careful unprejudiced attention to divine inftruction, meeknefs, humility, and obedience; on thefe conditions God will give his holy fpirit, whofe good offices for our attaining wifdom and advancing even to confummate virtue, are largely explained in the gofpel. Our Saviour hath affured us, that his heavenly Father will give

his holy Spirit to them afk, and feek, and SERM.knock; that is, who use great earnestness, VIII. importunity, and conftancy, to obtain it, in order by that divine affiftance to become. wifer and better, more pious and virtuous.

Again, it is plain that diligence in feeking wisdom or religion is really practising it. This is a means which the nature of the thing, and the fcripture direct us to use; and we find in all thofe things the knowledge. whereof or dexterity in them is acquired, it is by application and practice we arrive to perfection. Thus it is that habits of all forts are attained, and facility and pleasure in them; that which men indeed have a capacity for, but are unpractifed in it, is difficult at first and painful, afterwards becometh eafy and delightful; and it cannot be otherwise confidering the imperfection of the human capacity. Seeing, therefore, the fecking of wisdom is doing those things wherein it confifteth, the effect of our being accustomed to them, must be our finding or increasing in it.

Having now finished what I intended, in general, in difcourfing on this text, I hope I fhall not depart far from the defign of it, in recommending two particular directions by way of application; one is, to feek wisdom in

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SERM. the beginning of every day; and the other, to VIII. feek it in the morning of life or in youth. First, Religion is the proper business of every day; it is not a folemn feparate affair, which only requires an attendance at fome special feafons, and ordinarily to be laid afide; it ought to mix itself with all our concerns, and if it be so, it must be fit for us to begin every day with it. Thus did the pious Pfalmift, Pf. v. 3. My voice fhalt thou bear in the morning. O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. They who fincerely feek God, feek wifdom in the first place, and fervent prayer is one means of obtaining it; James i. 5. If any man lack wifdom, let him afk of God, and it shall be given him. A religious dispofition will naturally direct to this; for if devout affections are prevalent, they will determine our first waking thoughts to it as the most esteemed object; and, furely, if the bent of our inclinations is towards wisdom, we fhall be inclined to fix on this as the beft opportunity for applying ourselves to it, when refreshed with fleep, the body giveth lefs difturbance to the mind, and is more free from that dulnefs and inactivity, which affect it when tired and worn out with la-. bour, and with thofe amusements and avocations

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cations with which the senses and the ima- SERM. gination load it through the daily courfe of VIII. our converfation with the world. Every day of our lives we enter into new scenes of vanity and temptation, against which the greatest vigilance and precaution we can ufe is fcarcely fufficient for our defence ; but certainly it must be a great advantage to have the foul fortified by an early refolution, as the refult of ferious thought, and by a diligent endeavour to get fuch impreffions made as may abide through the whole course of our affairs, and enable us to maintain an uniform tenor of spirit in all events which may befal us, and the variety of bufinefs in which we may be engaged. Other affairs which men are folicitous about, they apply themfelves to early; and if religion be a business of the greatest importance, it juftly requireth an early attendance; especially, that wisdom may get the start of folly in our thoughts, and the exercises of our minds (which very often it doth not) and a seasonable provifion may be made against the natural weakness of the mind, and the temptations which may be expected to affault it. The merchant, that he may increase his gain in the way of his lawful occupation; the husbandman, that he may know the state of his flocks, and whether

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