them by the best means, and therefore comprehends the knowledge of our duty, the fear of God, and a hatred of evil. This wisdom is the greatest excellency of a rational being. It is to be preferred to gold and rubies, and every thing the heart of man can defire. It brings us fubstance; what is folid and durable, and will afford us the highest and nobleft delight. It directs in the government of kingdoms, churches, and families; difcovers the useful arts of life, and especially ennobles, enriches, and fanctifies the foul. It is abfolutely neceffary for all the fons of men; all their learning and wealth, without this, will only make them fo much the more contemptible and miserable. Let us all then, especially those who are in early life, pursue it; for wisdom loves thofe that love her, and thofe that feek her early fhall find her. 3. How inexcufable and miserable will they be who hate wisdom! Inexcufable, because it is offered them, and the way to poffefs it is plainly marked out. Confcience, providence, minifters, good books, and above all, the fcriptures, propofe it to our choice, and direct us in the way to attain it. It is eafily found by unprejudiced minds; but it must be fought daily and diligently, if we would come to a thorough knowledge of it, and be well skilled in thofe excellent arts which it teaches. But if this wisdom be neglected, the foul is wronged, whatever else it enjoys; and death, everlasting death, must be its portion. Hearken then to wisdom, for bleffed are they that keep her ways. CHA P. IX. This chapter contains a defcription of wisdom and folly, as perfons fending their invitations to mankind; and the different reception of their respective guests. These feem to be detached pieces, which Solomon might write and give to the young people about his court, to inftru&t them in the fame thing, by a variety of language and images, according to the manner of the easterns. He here defcribes wisdom as a princess, making a fplendid entertainment for her guests. I WISDOM I W ISDOM hath builded her houfe, fhe hath hewn out her feven pillars; in allufion to the cuftom of the eastern princes, who entertained their guests in gardens, where pavilions or tents were spread upon a num2 ber of pillars: She hath killed her beafts; he hath mingled her wine of various kinds; fhe hath alfo fur3 nifhed her table. She hath fent forth her maidens: 4 fhe crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whofo [is] fimple, let him turn in hither; I am willing to receive the weakest and the vileft: [as for] him that wanteth 5 understanding, fhe faith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine [which] I have mingled, that is, hear my inftructions, and receive my confolations : 6 and in order to this, Forfake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. And my first lefon is, that 7 to defpife reproof is a most hateful character: He that reproveth a fcorner getteth to himself shame, by being difappointed: and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] 8 himself a blot, by being cenfured and reproached. Reprove not a fcorner, left he hate thee: rebuke a wife man, 9 and he will love thee. Give [inftruction] to a wife [man,] and he will be yet wifer: teach a juft [man,] 10 and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy, that is, of holy things, the doctrines and fervices 11 of religion, [is] understanding. For by me thy days fhall be multiplied, and the years of thy life fhall be 12 increased. If thou be wife, thou fhalt be wife for thyfelf: but [if] thou scornest, thou alone fhalt bear [it';] I fhall receive neither benefit by the one, nor prejudice by the other; it is thine own intereft which is folely concerned. 13 A foolish woman, that is, folly, the contrast of true wisdom, [is] clamorous: [fhe is] fimple, and knoweth nothing; he speaks in a loud, impudent manner, but is per14 fectly ignorant of God and religion. For fhe fitteth at the door of her house, on a feat in the high places of the 15 city, To call paffengers who go right on their ways; who A circumstance of decorum, as it would have been reckoned an infamous thing in thofe countries for a lady to be attended by men fervants. who purfue their bufinefs, or are going to the place where 16 they might receive instruction: Whofo [is] fimple, let him turn in hither; ufing the fame language as wisdom, and urging the great pleasure arifing from prohibited gratifications and [as for] him that wanteth understanding, fhe 17 faith to him, Stolen waters, or pleasures, are fweet, and 18 bread [eaten] in fecret is pleasant. But to comply with her invitation would be deftructive, for he knoweth not that the dead [are] there; [and that] her guests [are] in the depths of hell; not only the bodies of those who had been murdered in their criminal pursuits, or died martyrs to their lufts, but the fpirits of the damned come to the entertainment, affembling as it were to feize their prey, and conduct the finner down to the depths of hell. I. E WE REFLECTION S. may learn to judge of our own character, by the manner in which we receive reproof. If we hate those who reprove us, blame them, defpise them, call them uncharitable, or impertinent, it fhows that, we are fools and fcorners; but if we love a faithful reprover, take his rebuke well, apply our minds to grow wifer by it, and correct the error which he reproves, it is a sure mark of wisdom, and the way to grow better. Let us try ourfelves then by this mark, for, v. 12, if thou be wife, thou shalt be wife for thyself; but if thou fcorneft, thou alone Shalt bear it. 2. How defirable is it that young people should make a wife choice! Wisdom and folly, holiness and fin, each addrefs them, and folicit their compliance. O that they would examine the propofals of each, but always remember to take into the account future confequences. Wifdom's ad. drefs is mild and rational, fhe propofes your benefit, and only requires you to forfake what will be your deftruction. But carnal and criminal pleasures are noify and preffing; they promise you much delight in forbidden enjoyments; but the dead are there; and if you are the guefts of folly, the entertainment will end in the depths of hell. Thus does does Solomon fet before them, thus do faithful monitors and friends, set before them life and death, the blessing and the curfe; forfake then the foolish, and live. CHA P. . X. The former chapters were but by way of preface to recommend what follows to our practice. Here begin thofe choice and pithy fentences, called proverbs, and which are too unconnected to admit of reflections on the contents of each chapter. HE proverbs of Solomon. A wife fon maketh Tag a glad father: but a foolish fon [is] the heaviness 2 of his mother. Treasures of wickedness, that is, the treasures of wicked men, especially thofe gotten by wickednefs, profit nothing: but righteoufnefs delivereth from death, from the judgments confequent upon wickedness and from 3 eternal death. The LORD will not fuffer the foul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the fubftance of the wicked; he will feize it as the property of an enemy, 4 and make a spoil of it. He becometh poor that dealeth [with] a flack, that is, with an idle and deceitful hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, both as to the 5 world and the foul. He that gathereth in fummer, who improves his opportunities, [is] a wife fon: [but] he that fleepeth in harveft [is] a fon that caufeth fhame; he lofes the benefit he might enjoy, and will be a difgrace to his 6 friends. Bleffings [are] upon the head of the just but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked; an allufion to laying on the hand in bleffing, and covering 7 the face of a criminal when executed. The memory of the juft [is] blessed; tho' obscure while he lives, tho' flandered, yet hall he be spoken of with praise: but the name of the wicked fhall rot; it shall furvive them, but 8 it shall be regarded with abhorrence. The wife in heart will receive commandments; esteem it a privilege and a favour to be taught: but a prating fool fhall fall; one who loves to hear himself talk fhall fall into troubles and be 9 undone. He that walketh uprightly walketh furely; he VOL. V. D is is eafy and happy in the divine approbation, and the consciousness of his own integrity: but he that perverteth his ways, who ufeth indirect methods, shall be known and dif10 covered. He that winketh with the eye, who gives figns to his accomplices to do a man mischief while he is speaking him fair, causeth forrow: but a prating fool fhall fall. 11 The mouth of a righteous [man is] a well of life; wholesome, inftructive words fpring up as naturally as good water in a well, refreshing and strengthening all about him: 12 but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. Hatred ftirreth up ftrifes; malicious, ill-natured people by flander and talebearing raise disturbances, and make people quarrel about trifles: but love covereth all fins; overlooks and 13 conccals, or extenuates and makes the best of them. In the lips of him that hath understanding wifdom is found; he Shows it by his fpeech: but a rod [is] for the back of him that is void of understanding; nothing but correction will 14 teach a fool his duty. Wife [men] lay up knowledge, continually and fafely, as a treasure: but the mouth of the foolish [is] near deftruction, by venting unfeafonably all 15 he knows, to his own mischief. The rich man's wealth [is] his ftrong city; he thinks it will defend him against many of the evils of life: the deftruction of the poor [is] their poverty; wicked men take advantage to opprefs and ruin them; or, poverty fills them with fear and defpair, and 16 fo is the cause of their ruin. The labour of the righteous [tendeth] to life; wisdom and goodness make a man's life a bleffing to himself and others: the fruit of the wicked to fin; wicked men abuse it, and turn it into a curfe, make 17 it an occafion of guilt and ruin. He [is in] the way of life that keepeth inftruction: but he that refuseth reproof, when offered to him, erreth, wanders out of the way 18 of life. He that hideth hatred [with] lying or flattering lips, and he that uttereth a flander, is a fool; fhows a 19 bad heart, however wife he may feem. In the multitude of words there wanteth not fin; a man that is talkative will often fin: but he that refraineth his lips, who hath prudence to confider when and how and to whom he speaks, 20 [is] wife. The tongue of the just [is as] choice filver; when he speaks in his common and ordinary manner what he utters |