. SERM, Course, deferved our Saviour's reprehenfions; and those men who, against the custom and ordinary use,; would needs pray with their faces covered, you know St. Paul infinuates of them, that they were fond and contentious perfons. Friendly admonition is very laudable, and of rare use; but being upon all occa→ fions immoderately used, or in publick fociety fo as to encroach upon modefty, or endamage reputation; or when the perfon admonished is otherwise employed, and attent upon his bufinefs; or being delivered in an imperioufly-infulting way, or in harsh opprobrious language; it becomes unfavoury and odious, and both in fhew and effect refembles a froward, malicious exceptiousness. It were infinite to compute in how many inftances want of due order, meafure, and manner, do spoil and incommodate action. It is Wisdom that applies remedy to these mischiefs. Things must be compared to, and arbitrated by, her ftandard, or else they will contain fomething of monftrous enormity; either ftrutting in unwieldy bulk, or finking in defective fcantnefs. If the do not fashion and model circumftances, they will fit ugly on the things that wear them; if the do not temper the colours, and defcribe the lineaments, the draught of practice will be but rude and imperfect, and little resemble the true patterns of duty: but if the interpofe, and perform her part, all things will appear conformable, neat, and delicate. . XIV. Wisdom difcovers our relations, duties, and concernments, in refpect of men, with the natural grounds of them; thereby both qualifying and inclining us to the discharge of them: whence exceeding convenience, pleasure, and content enfues. By it we understand we are parts and members of the great body, the univerfe; and are therefore concerned in the good management of it, and are thereby obliged to procure its order and peace, and by no irregular undertaking to disturb or difcompofe it, which makes us honeft and peaceable men: that we proceed 1 proceed from the fame primitive ftock, are children s ER M, of the fame father, and partake of the fame blood IX. with all men; are endowed with like faculties of mind, paffions of foul, fhape of body, and fenfe of things that we have equally implanted in our original conftitution inclinations to love, pity, grati➜ tude, fociableness, quiet, joy, reputation: that we have an indifpenfable need and impatient defire of company, affiftance, comfort, and relief; that therefore it is according to the defign of nature, and agreeable to reason, that to thofe, to whom our natural condition by fo many bands of cognation, fi militude, and mutual neceffitude, hath knit and conjoined us, we fhould bear a kind respect and tender affection; fhould cheerfully concur in undergoing the common burdens; fhould heartily with and induftriously promote their good, affift them in accomplishing their reasonable defires, thankfully requite the courtefies received from them, congratulate and rejoice with them in their profperity, comfort them in their diftreffes, and, as we are able, relieve them; however, tenderly compaffionate their disappointments, miferies, and forrows. This renders us kind and courteous neighbours, fweet and grateful companions. It reprefents unto us the dreadful effects and infupportable mifchiefs arifing from breach of faith, contravening the obligations of folemn pacts, infringing publick laws, deviating from the received rules of equity, violating promises, and interrupting good correfpondence among men; by which confiderations it engages us to be good citizens, obedient subjects, just dealers, and faithful friends. It minds us of the blindness, impotence, and levity, the proneness to miftake, and misbehaviour that human nature neceffarily is fubject to; deferving rather our commiferation, than anger or hatred, which prompts us to bear the infirmities of our brethren, to be gentle in cenfure, to be infenfible of petty affronts, to pardon injuries, to be patient, ex orable, IX. SER M. Orable, and reconcileable to those that give us greatest cause of offence. It teaches us, the good may, but the evil of our neighbour can in no wife advantage us; that from the fuffering of any man, fimply confidered, no benefit can accrue, nor natural fatisfaction arise to us; and that therefore it is a vain, base, brutish, and unreasonable thing, for any cause whatfoever, to defire or delight in the grief, pain, or misery of our neighbour, to hate or envy him, or infult over him, or devise mischief to him, or profecute revenge upon him; which makes us civil, noble, and placable enemies, or rather no enemies at all. So that Wifdom is in effect the genuine parent of all moral and political virtue, juftice, and honefty; as Solomon Prov. viii. fays in her perfon, I lead in the way of righteousness, and in the midst of the paths of judgment. And how sweet these are in the practice, how comfortable in the confequences, the teftimony of continual experience, and the unanimous confent of all wife men fufficiently declare. But farther, 20. XV. The principal advantage of Wisdom is, its acquainting us with the nature and reafon of true religion, and affording convictive arguments to perfuade to the practice of it; which is accompanied with the pureft delight, and attended with the most folid content imaginable. I fay, the nature of religion, wherein it confifts, and what it requires: the miftake of which produceth daily fo many mifchiefs and inconveniences in the world, and expofes fo good a name to fo much reproach. It fheweth it confifteth not in fair profeffions and glorious pretences, but in real practice; not in a pertinacious adherence to any fect or party, but in a fincere love of goodness, and diflike of naughtiness, wherever difcovering itself; not in vain oftentations and flourishes of outward performance, but in an inward good complexion of mind, exerting itself in works of true devotion and charity; not in a nice orthodoxy, or politic fubjection of our judgments to the peremptory dictates dictates of men, but in a fincere love of truth, in asERM. hearty approbation of, and compliance with, the IX. doctrines fundamentally good, and neceffary to be believed; not in harfh cenfuring and virulently inveighing against others, but in careful amending our own ways; not in a peevish croffness and obftinate repugnancy to receive laws and cuftoms, but in a quiet and peaceable fubmiffion to the exprefs laws of God, and lawful commands of man; not in a furious zeal for or against trivial circumstances, but in a confcionable practifing the fubftantial parts of religion; not in a frequent talking or contentious difputing about it, but in a ready obfervance of the unquestionable rules and prefcripts of it: in a word, that religion confifts in nothing elfe but doing what becomes our relation to God, in a conformity or fimilitude to his nature, and in a willing obedience to his holy will: to which by potent incentives it allures and perfuades us; by representing to us his tranfcendently glorious attributes; confpicuously displayed in the frame, order, and government of the world: that wonderful Power, which erected this great and goodly fabrick; that incomprehenfible Wisdom, which preferves it in a conftant harmony; that immenfe Goodness, which hath fo carefully provided for the various neceffities, delights, and comforts of its innumerable inhabitants. I fay, by representing those infinitely glorious perfections, it engages us with higheft refpect to efteem, reverence, and honour him. Alfo, by minding us of our manifold obligations to him, our receiving being, life, reason, sense, all the faculties, powers, excellencies, privileges, and commodities of our natures from him; of his tender care and loving providence continually fupporting and protecting us; of his liberal beneficence, patient indulgence, and earneft defire of our good and happiness, by manifold expreffions evidently manifefted toward us; it inflames us with ardent love, and obliges us to officious gratitude to ward SERM.ward him. Alfo, by declaring the neceffary and IX. irreconcileable contrariety of his nature to all impurity and perverfenefs, his peerlefs majefty, his irrefiftible power, and his all-feeing knowledge, it begets an awful dread and a devout fear of him. By difco vering him from his infinite benignity, willing, and from his unlimited power only able to fupply our needs, relieve us in diftreffes, protect us from dangers, and confer any valuable benefit upon us, it en genders faith, and encourages us to rely upon him. By revealing to us his fupereminent fovereignty, uncontrolable dominion, and unquestionable authority over us; together with the admirable excellency, wifdom, and equity of his laws, fo juft and reasonable in themselves, fo fuitable to our nature, fo conduci→ ble to our good, fo eafy and practicable, fo fweet and comfortable; it powerfully inclines, and by a gentle force as it were conftrains us to obedience. By fuch efficacious inducements Wisdom urges us to all duties of religion, and withal furely directs us (as I before faid) wherein it confifts; teaching us to have right and worthy apprehenfions of the divine nature, to which our devotion, if true and good, must be fuited and conformed: and fo it frees us, as from irreligion and profane neglect of God, fo from fond fuperftitions, the fources of fo much evil to mankind. For he that wifely hath confidered the wifdom, goodness, and power of God, cannot imagine God can with a regardlefs eye overlook his prefumptuous contempt of his laws, or endure him to proceed in an outrageous defiance of heaven, to continue hurting himself, or injuring his neighbour; nor can admit unreasonable terrors, or entertain fufpicious .conceits of God, as of an imperious mafter, or implacable tyrant over him, exacting impoffible performances from, or delighting in the fatal miseries of his creatures; nor can fuppofe him pleased with hy pocritical fhews, and greatly taken with fuperficial courtships of ceremonious addrefs; or that he can in any |