A 1 Job. iii. 21. against all manner of Difficulties; for fuch 3. The more a Man knows, and the better thofe Subjects are, upon which his Studies have been employed; the heavier fhall his Account be, unless his Piety and Virtue be proportionably eminent and exemplary. So little Reafon have we to be exalted with our Attainments; and not rather to fear more, as we improve more in Knowledge. And what Improvements indeed can poffibly be fo great, as to justify our being proud of them? For no Man can ever want this Mortification of his Vanity, That what he knows is but a very little, in comparison of what he ftill continues ignorant of. Confider this, and, instead of boasting of thy Knowledge of a few Things, confefs and be out of Countenance for the many more which thou dost not understand. And why fo forward to prefer thy felf before others, when there are so many Perfons whose Learning, and Skill in the Rules of Living, give them an undoubted Right to be preferr'd before You? If you would attain to useful Learning indeed, learn to conceal your Attainments, and be content that the World fhould think meanly of you. For Lowlinefs of Mind, and not thinking of a Man's felf more highly than be ought to think, is the moft difficult, but withal the most profitable Leffon; and the preferring others before our felves, is a Point of true Wisdom and high Perfection. Nor ought our Opinions of this kind to be changed, though we should fee another guilty of fome egregious Folly, or very grievous Wickedness; fince we our felves are Men of like Paffions and Frailties; nor can we tell how long our own Virtue may continue unfhaken. Remember then, that Infirmities are common to all Mankind; and fo remember it, as to perfuade your self, or at leaft to fufpect, that these are B dealt dealt to Thee in as plentiful a Measure, as to any other Perfon whatsoever. B Leffed is the Man, whom Truth condescends to Teach; not by dark Figures, and Words quickly forgotten, but by a full, and familiar Pfal. xciv. 12. Communication of it felf. Happy should we be, could we but fee things as they are, free from the Errors of our fond. Opinions, and the false Estimates we form from thence. How high a Value do we fet upon the Knack of Diftinguishing and Difputing nicely, in Matters hid from common Apprehenfions; but Matters too, which to know nothing of will not render a Man's Cafe one whit the worfe at the Day of Judgment? Egregious and Elaborate Folly! which overlooks useful and neceffary Points, as Things not worthy our Regard; and bends our Industry to find out thofe, which either turn to no Account, or what is worse than none. Thus taking pains, Pfalm cxv. to be ignorant at laft, and verifying in our own felves, the Prophet's Description of the Heathen Idols, which have Eyes, and yet fee not. Why should we then, with fuch eager Toil, ftrive to be Masters of Logical Definitions? Or what do our abstracted Speculations profit us? He, whom the Divine Word inftructs, takes a much fhorter Cut to Truth: For from this Word alone all faving Knowledge is derived, and without This no Mån underftands or judges aright. But he, who reduces all his Studies to, and governs himself by this Rule, may efta perfect establish his Mind in perfect Peace, and rest himself fecurely upon God. O Thou whofe very Effence is Truth, unite me to thy felf in perfect Love! The Variety of other Subjects tires and diftracts my Soul; in Thee alone I find the Sum of all my Wishes and Defires. Should all our Teachers be for ever dumb, and this great Volume of the Creatures continue shut to us, we might difpenfe with all the rest; if Thou would'ft vouchfafe thy own Information, and teach us by thy Self. The better acquainted any Man is with himself, the more he converfes with, and retires into his own Breast; and the lefs he wanders abroad, and dwells upon things without him, the more extensive and fublime is his Knowledge, and the more eafily attained. Because this Man receives, and is directed by, a Ray darted from Heaven into his Soul. A Mind fincere, and pure, and firm, is not diverted by Multiplicity of Objects. For the Honour of God is its conftant Aim; and, having but one End to pursue, it is in perfect Peace and Unity with it felf, and does not divide its Thoughts with Vanity and Self-love. For what can be a greater Hindrance than our own ambitious and ungovern'd Paffion? A truly good and pious Man firft orders and difpofes all his Bufinefs regularly, before he enters upon the Execution of any Defign: He fuffers no vicious Inclination to divert him, but makes every Undertaking fubmit to the Dictates of Reafon and Religion. The fharpeft as well as nobleft Conflict is that, wherein we labour to gain a Conqueft over our felves; and this fhould be our principal and conftant Care, to get ground every Day, by bringing our Paffions more and more under, and becoming more masterly Proficients in Virtue and Goodness. Nor may we fuppofe any Degree of Virtue fo exalted, that it fhould ceafe to be a State of Proficiency; for fuch is the Condition of Mortals, that their utmost poffible Perfection in this Life, is ever embafed with an Allay of Imperfection; and their brightest Notions are clouded with fome Confufion and Obfcurity. But in the Study of our felves we are beft capable of avoiding Mistakes. Therefore a true Senfe of what we are, and that Humility, which cannot but proceed from fuch a Senfe, is a furer Way of bringing us to God, than the most laborious and profound Enquiries after Knowledge. Not that Learning is in its own Nature blameable; for the Understanding of any thing whatsoever, confidered fimply, and as it really is, ought to be acknowledged commendable and good; the Gift and Ordinance of God. But the Danger is, when we give this the Precedence in our Efteem, before things abundantly better: I mean a good Confcience, and a virtuous Converfation. The true Reason then why, in an Age where Learning is had in univerfal Admiration, fo little Profit is made; and both Error and Vice do, notwithstanding, fo wretchedly abound; is, in Truth, no other, than that Men generally mistake their main Business and proper Excellence. They had rather cultivate their Parts than their Manners, and account it a greater Accomplishment, to know much, than to Live well. Oh! would Men but beftow half the Pains in rooting out Vice and planting Virtue in its ftead, which they are content to throw away upon captious and unprofitable Queftions, and the Oppofi1 Tim. iv. 20. tion of Science, falfly fo called; what a bleffed Reformation fhould we fee? Then would not the Vulgar, and Meaner Sort, abandon themselves to fuch fcandalous, brutish, and abominable Wickedness. Nor would the Men of Senfe and Learning, and Quality, continue fo profligate and diffolute in their Manners, and blemish, as they do, their Honour and Attainments, with fhameless and licentious. Impurities. Surely this could not be, did Men but confider at all, that that a Day of Judgment there will come, wherein Measures will be taken very different from Ours; when the Enquiry, upon which our Affairs must all turn, will be, not how much we have Heard or Read, but how much we have Done; not how Eloquent our Expreffions, but how Pure and Devout our Lives; how much our Manners, not our Capacity or Breeding, our Wit or Rhetorick, diftinguished us from common Men. But, if the Credit and Honour of the thing were the only Confideration; yet even thus, Where is the Fruit of all this mighty Toil? What is become of all the Eminent Divines, Philofophers, Lawyers, Orators, Perfons celebrated far and near just at the Time when they lived and flourished? but now fomebody else enjoys the Gains of all that Learning and Fatigue; and 'tis odds, whether he that lives upon their Labours, ever fo much as fends one Thought after them. Thefe Men, fo eminent in their refpective Profeffions, no doubt, thought themselves confiderable in their own Time; but now that Time is gone, and they are loft in univerfal Silence. Their very Names are buried as deep as their Bodies; and the one was scarce fooner out of Sight, than the other out of all Mention and Remembrance. Ah wretched Men! How have you been deluded? How short and withering a Good does that Fame and Reputation prove, which you vainly promifed your felves would be eternal; always fresh and flourishing, always precious in the Mouths and Memories of Pofterity? But this, and no better, is the Condition of all worldly Honour. Oh! had you but been equally careful to improve in Piety, and rendered your Virtues as eminent as your Learning, your Studies then had not been fruitlefs; but followed with a Recompence, which would not thus have forfaken you. But this is the fatal Error of our Age, that infinite Numbers are destroyed by unprofitable Knowledge. They lay |