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all ministers of the Gospel, viz. that Secr.III. the folitary way of life is neceffary to qualify them for the offices of the focial; or, that he who would ferve God acceptably in public, must first prepare himself for that purpose in private. The reason is, because no man is properly qualified to teach wisdom and holiness, who doth not himself poffefs them. And a little reflection will convince us, how needful retirement is for the acquifition of both.

THE toils undergone by all who have ever made any great proficiency in wisdom, plainly prove close application and deep attention to be requifite for it's attainment. And they who imagine themselves to have discovered a shorter way, conducting them to it without ftudy, will find, fooner or later, that they have mistaken their road. "Hardly "do we guess aright at things that are "upon earth, and with labour do we "find the things that are before us a:" fhall we then expect a knowlege of those which are of a high and fpiritual nature, without any labour at all? The

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SECT.III. prophets themselves" enquired and "fearched diligently what things the

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fpirit of Chrift, which was in them, "did fignify." The royal Preacher, endued from above with "largeness of "heart as the fand upon the fea fhore," yet took pains, and those no flight ones, in the invention and difpofition of his difcourfes. For, " in order to teach the "people knowlege, he gave good heed, "and fought out and set in order many proverbs; yea, the preacher fought "to find out acceptable words, words "of uprightness and truth'.' And if Solomon were not exempted from study and meditation, no other man can have title to hope for fuch a privilege.

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BUT who fhall be able to fix his attention, amidst the hurry and diffipation of life? Who can meditate on wisdom, with the noise of folly sounding inceffantly in his ears? That bleffed perfon, who could fuffer no distraction of thought from the objects around him, withdrew from the multitude, that he might teach us to do the fame, who,

a I Pet. 1. 10.
Ecclef. xii. 9.

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alas, are often unable, when alone, to SECT. III. confine our thoughts, for a few minutes together, to one fubject. The world, like 'Martha, is "troubled about many things," and most about those which are of leaft concern; fo that, befides the profane, the unfeemly, and uncharitable difcourfes, which they must hear who are much converfant with it, the mind of a man fuffers not a little from the variety of light and unprofitable converfation in which he is frequently engaged. This fcatters the thoughts, and so indifpofes them for any fpeculations that are great and noble, fublime and facred, that fome time is required to reduce the wanderers, to compose the spirits, and to restore that tranquillity of foul which is indifpenfably neceffary for the profecution of religious enquiries. And although the general affertion of a famous reclufe, "that he always came out of company " a worse man than he went into it," favoureth too much of the cloister, yet whoever, as the world goes, fhould diligently note the times when he came out of company a better man than he

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SECT.III. went into it, might, perhaps, find his diary contained in a lefs compass, than at present he is apt to imagine.

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CERTAIN, however, it is, that for the productions of wisdom we are indebted to folitude, as the parent of attention. And therefore many, in all ages, have followed St. John into the wilderness, and chofen retirement, not out of any morofenefs of temper, or mifanthropy, but that they might give themselves, without let or molestation, to the pursuit of divine knowlege. this fituation, they found themselves always at liberty to chufe their companions. They could converfe at pleasure with patriarchs and prophets, apoftles, martyrs, and confeffors, with devout and learned bishops, and others, who once adorned the church by their lives, and have continued, fince their deaths, through many generations, to edify her by their writings. Here they could rally their scattered thoughts, and fix them upon fubjects, whence they might extract real profit, and durable pleasure. For meditations, while employed, in a general and curfory way, upon a variety

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of objects, like the rays of light diffu- SECT.III. fed in the air, difcover not the force and activity which they poffefs; it is clofe attention which collects and unites, and renders them operative. And an ability to beftow that close attention in a crowd, is granted to very few among the fons of men. Lauct devol and A DISPASSIONATE and unprejudiced state of mind is another requifite for the attainment of true wisdom. And as our fentiments take the tincture of our company, perfons continually engaged in the world are very liable to be corrupted, as well as diffipated. He who paffeth his time with men of bafe and antifcriptural tenets, will infenfibly become one of them, and will find, when it is too late, that "evil communications

corrupt" good principles, as well as • good manners.” The understanding will be blinded, and the heart hardened: wisdom will be shut out at every avenue; and the man will fit down in darkness and depravity, for the remainder of his days, determining with himself that there is no fuch thing as truth, without ever being at the trouble of making the

enquiry.

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