SECT.III. enquiry. Happy, therefore, is he who, like St. John, fpendeth his early days in privacy, and there acquainteth himfelf betimes with the excellencies and perfections of divine wisdom. For "Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth

away'; yea, she is eafily feen of them "that love her, and found of fuch as "feek her. She preventeth them that "defire her, in making herself first "known unto them. Whofo feeketh "her early shall have no great travel, "for he fhall find her fitting at his "doors "."

a

UPON the fame principle, we may account it one of the no fmall advantages which St. John enjoyed by his retreat into the wilderness, that he was thereby delivered from the vain janglings of the many religious fects and factions, at that time in Judea. For the authors and abettors of fuch are naturally confined in their views, and obftructed in their fearch after truth, by having affumed it for a firft principle, that they are the men, and that wifdom muft needs live and die with

"

a Wifdom. vi. 12.

" them."

"them." Hence they become more SECT. III.
folicitous about the defence of their own
particularities against those of other fec-
taries, than careful to advance and pro-
pagate the general principles of true re-
ligion. This hath been but too much
the cafe for fome time past in Christen-
dom, which, like Jerufalem before it's
deftruction, is crumbled into innumer-
able parties, biting and devouring one
another; infomuch that it is now diffi-
cult for one writer to lay down a pofi-
tion in theology, which another shall
not immediately fet himself to contro-
vert with all his might, as heretical and
antichriftian. The dispute foon becomes
a trial of skill, and the paffions and pre-
judices of the combatants spread a cloud
over the queftion, in which truth and
charity often vanish together. Thus
dark and tempeftuous are these lower
regions. But, by ftudy and meditation
in folitude, the Christian, in heart and
mind, afcendeth to a purer element,
from whence he beholdeth the ftorms
produced by contending factions far be-
neath him, and expatiateth at pleasure
in those fields of light and ferenity,

which

SECT.III. which open themfelves on all fides to his view. He confoleth himself by contemplating the church, as the formerly fubfifted in original purity and unity, and as she will hereafter exist in her triumphant ftate above, when her members of every age and nation shall all lift up their voices together, and make their found to be heard as one, in giving Glory to God, and to the Lamb. Difencumbered of paffions and prejudices, he followeth after the truth which leadeth to godlinefs, and the wisdom whofe end is falvation.

FOR the attainment of that wisdom a third thing requifite is divine illumination. Wisdom is one of those " good "and perfect gifts," which "come "down from the Father of lights," and must be fued for, with humility and fervour, in petitions like thefe ---"Give "me wisdom that fitteth by thy throne, "and reject me not from among thy "children For though a man be "never so perfect among the children "of men, yet if thy wisdom be not "with him, he fhall be nothing re

garded - O fend her out of thy holy

❝ heavens,

heavens, and from the throne of thy SECT.II. glory, that being present she may la"bour with me, that I may know what "is pleafing unto thee. For the know"eth and understandeth all things, and "she shall lead me foberly in my doings, and preferve me by her power 66 For what man is he that can "know the counfel of God; or who " can think what the will of the Lord ❝is, except thou give wisdom, and fend

66

thy Holy Spirit from above?" Such gracious promises are made, and are ready to be fulfilled to the retired Chriftian. Let but the pollutions, and diftractions of the world be removed, and the wisdom which "is firft pure, and "then peaceable," will enter in. To receive the law, Mofes was called away from the congregation to the top of the mount. Ezekiel beheld the vifions of God, while a folitary captive upon the banks of Chebar. Daniel was informed concerning the restoration of Jerufalem, and the advent of Meffiah, on the evening of a day dedicated to retirement, for the purposes of fafting and prayer.

SECT.III. St. John was an exile in the defolate Patmos, when the glorious fcenes described in the book of Revelation were made to pass before him, and he was enabled to extend his view, through all the different revolutions of empires, and periods of the church, to the end of time. And although we no more look for visions and revelations from heaven, yet from thence we expect, according to the most fure promife of our Mafter, the gift of the Spirit, to blefs and prosper us in our studies, to open to us the scriptures, and our understandings, that we may understand them. The fame Spirit that gave the word, giveth likewise the interpretation thereof. And the latter, as well as the former, is best received in folitude, which appears to be thus admirably calculated for the attainment of wisdom, as it requireth study and attention, a difpaffionate and unprejudiced mind, and that illumination which is from on high.

SIN, in the language of fcripture, is ftyled folly, to intimate to us, that true wisdom and bolinefs are infeparable companions. That, therefore, which

con