SERMON V.

Preach'd at Bishop-Stortford Church, August 17. 1703.

The Excellency and Usefulness of Wifdom, especially to Perfons of Quality and Eftate.

ECCLES. vii. II, 12.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance, and by it there is profit to them that fee the fun.

For wifdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

T

HE word which we here tranflate wifdom, is a word of a very large and comprehenfive fignification in the original; and, tho' chiefly us'd in fcripture, especially in

H 4

the

Ser. 5. the writings of Solomon, to fignify religion or virtue, which are beyond all difpute the highest and noblest instances of wisdom, yet frequently put likewife to fignify prudence or difcretion, in the conduct of our felves and our affairs; as alfo human learning and knowledge: and, in general, all forts and degrees of ingenuity, skilfulness, proficiency and attainment, in any art, fcience, or profeffion whatfo

èver.

In this place I take the word to be defign'd to comprehend the three first of these fignifications, viz. religion, prudence, and knowledge or learning. And this, not only because these are all good with an inheritance, and therefore the wife man's words may fairly be extended to any or all of them; but likewife because the two first of these, religion and prudence, are abfolutely neceffary to make even an inheritance it felf good: And therefore we cannot in reason fuppofe, that lefs than these was intended here by the wise man; and then, as to the laft, knowledge or learning, he himself gives us fufficient authority to take this into his meaning, by using a word in this very place, as fynoni

mous

mous to that of wisdom, which doth plain- Ser. 5. ly fignify knowledge or learning; the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. Some indeed there are, who would have these words to be tranflated otherwise, viz. The excellency of the knowledge of wisdom giveth life; and the feptuagint, it must be acknowledg'd, as alfo the Syriac and Arabic verfions, favour this tranflation.

But

then on the other fide it cannot be deny'd,
that the vulgar Latin, and many other ver-
fions of good authority, do agree with our
tranflation: And moreover fome of the
learned in the Hebrew tongue affure us,
that this other translation cannot be admit-
ted, without either altering the accenting
of the text, or doing manifeft violence to
the known rules of
grammar.

Many other fuch little difputes there are about the tranflation of fome other parts of these words, one of which only I think worth my taking notice of, and that is, that what we render, wisdom is good with an inheritance, is capable of being render'd, wisdom is as good as an inheritance; nay, or wisdom is better than an inheritance. And the reason of my taking

Ser. 5. notice of this is, that many men are so conceited, as to fancy that the wife man defign'd here principally to pay a compliment to riches, and to fhew what a vast help and advantage they are to wisdom. Where

as,

if this translation be allow'd, the direct contrary will appear, viz. That the wife man's principal defign in these words, was to give wisdom that preference to riches and all other worldly goods, which it really deferves; forafmuch as it always lends and communicates to them much greater helps and advantages, than it can poffibly borrow or receive from them. However, if these men can be contented to divide these words of the wife man equally between wisdom and riches, and to suppose that he defign'd by them to represent on both fides the usefulness and advantage of each of these to the other, I am very well pleas'd that our translation should stand as it doth, especially confidering that the wise man has taken exact care to give wisdom its due preference to riches, in the latter part of my text, altho' it fhould be allow'd that he had made no diftinction between them in the former.

Waving therefore all farther difputes Ser. about the tranflation of this, or any other part of my text, I fhall take the words just as they lie before us; and think it abundantly fufficient for my present purpose, that they seem to offer me a very fair occafion of difcourfing to you, upon these following heads.

Firft, The great excellency and useful-
nefs of wisdom in general. It is a
defence, and it giveth life.
Secondly, The more especial ornamen-
talness and advantageoufnefs of it, to
perfons of quality and eftate. It is
good with an inheritance.
Laftly, The pre-eminence of it to ri-
ches, and all other worldly goods.
The excellency of knowledge is, that
wifdom giveth life to them that have
it. And,

First, As to the great excellency and usefulness of wisdom in general. What is it, I beseech ye, by which we are distinguish'd, as a more honourable clafs of beings, from the beafts that perifh, and other inferiour works of the creation, but

our

5.