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tinued. God is very good to us in these advantages, and it becomes us to receive them with all thankfulness.

4. Let us obferve the bad confequences of defpifing and neglecting this advice; fear and anguish, distress and deftruction, shall come upon fuch. They may call for mercy, but God will not hear. v. 26. I will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh. Dreadful expreffion enough to make one tremble: and what a fad reflection will it be, that they brought all their mifery upon themselves, and that they eat only the fruit of their own doings. They live and die fools, and perish, without hope and without remedy. Let us then receive instruction, and be wife

and happy for ever.

CHA P. II.

In order to encourage his pupil to hearken to his advice, Solomon in this chapter fhows him, that wisdom may be obtained; reprefents the benefits of it, as what would fecure the bleffing and guidance of God, preferve from the fnares of evil men and women, and lead him in the way to happiness.

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Y fon, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee, that is, be careful 2 to remember them; So that thou incline thine ear unto wifdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding; command thy roving thoughts, check thy foolish.paffions, hear 3 with diligent attention and fincere affection, Yea, if thou crieft after knowledge, [and] lifteft up thy voice for understanding; if thou feekeft direction from men, and 4 above all from God by fervent prayer, (James i. 5.) If thou feekeft her as filver, and fearcheft for her as [for] hid treasures, with the greatest diligence, refolution, and per5 feverance, and art not difcouraged; Then fhalt thou underftand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God; know what true religion is, and be inclined to 6 prallife it. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his 7 mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding. He layeth up found wifdom for the righteous: [he is] a

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8 buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preferveth the way of his faints. 9 Then fhalt thou understand righteousness, and judg

ment, and equity; [yea,] every good path; thy duty to 10 God and man. When wifdom entereth into thine heart, II and knowledge is pleasant unto thy foul; Difcretion 12 fhall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man,] from the man that speaketh froward things, that would inftil bad 13 principles into thee; Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darknefs, of perplexity, poverty, 14 fame, and mifery; Who rejoice to do evil, [and] de

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light in the frowardness of the wicked, that is, to make 15 others as bad as themfelves; Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths; who at contrary to 16 reafon and understanding, and their true intereft: To deliver thee from the ftrange woman, [even] from the ftranger [which] flattereth with her words, that is, from 17 lewd women; Which forfaketh the guide of her youth, her husband, whom she chofe as fuch, and forgetteth the covenant of her God; her folemn vows of fidelity, to 18 which God was both a party and a witness. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead; the Hebrew is, to the giants, that is, finners of the old world, who for indulging flefbly lufts were fwept down to hell by the 19 flood. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. An awful paffage, intimating that it is very uncommon, and next to impoffible, for impure finners to be reclaimed. Wisdom will keep thee 20 from thefe paths, and incline thee to a better way; That thou mayeft walk in the way of good [men,] and keep the paths of the righteous; the ways of the holy patriarchs 21 and prophets, and other righteous men. For the upright fhall

As the jewish law inflicted heavy punishments on those who committed fornication and adultery, it is probable that the Jews had harlots among them from the neighbouring nations, which feduced them to impurity and idolatry; and might be tolerated in fome corrupt periods of their ftate. The cafe was the fame at Athens, where foreign ftrumpets were tolerated. Hence this name frange women came to be applied to all bad women, whether foreigners or Ifraelites,

fhall dwell in the land, and the perfect fhall remain in 22 it; enjoy the good things of life, and peace with them. But the wicked fhall be cut off from the earth, and the tranfgreffors fhall be rooted out of it; their hopes from this world fhall be disappointed, their families be extinct, and none left to preferve their memory.

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REFLECTION S.

ET us reflect on the importance of gaining wifdom, and the certainty of fucceeding in the at

tempt, as a motive to diligence in the pursuit of it. It is of the utmost importance, as it will teach the fear and knowledge of God, which is the nobleft fcience; and lead us in the paths of religion, which are the most pleasant paths. We are likewife fure of fuccefs, for God will give wisdom. But he will not give it to the flothful; we must take pains for it. Let us obferve the expreffions, we must incline our ear, apply our hearts, lift up our voice, feek and Search, as men who dig in the mines; we muft exert all the powers of the foul; must not be difcouraged by any difficulties, but perfevere in the attempt; then the gain will amply repay all the toil and labour.

2. In order to make progrefs in religion, and experience its good effects, it is neceflary that we take pleasure in it. It must enter into the heart, and be pleasant to the foul; take poffeffion of the affections, and be pursued and entertained with relish and delight; yea, it must be preferred to every other gain and pleasure, Men neglect religion, or make very little improvement in it, because they come to it with reluctance; do not take delight in it, but efteem it a task, and therefore find it a burden. Let us labour to conquer this unhappy averfion, and regard religion as our most important business and highest pleasure.

3. The ftudy of wisdom, and the practice of piety, are the best fecurities against evil company and all its fnares. The love of reading and ftudy is very useful to all, especially to young minds, particularly when it is attended with a fuitable difpofition to receive and obey useful inftructions. It will keep them from thofe that fpeak froward

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things, that would corrupt their minds, argue or laugh them out of good principles, difpofitions, and resolutions; from men that rejoice to do mifchief, and take pleasure in the deftruction of their fellow creatures. It will also keep them from the company of bad women, which is more dangerous ftill, for they have various charms and artifices. to allure; and yet their abandoned characters ought, one would think, to deter every perfon from coming near them. If fuch fhould ever tempt young perfons, let them remember thofe awful words, none that go unto her return again; it is a thousand to one that they are never recovered; for whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Finally, wisdom will incline them to walk with the righteous, in the ways of good men ; to choose them for their friends and companions, to hearken to their advice, and follow their example; men, whofe lives are honourable, whofe end is peace, and whofe glory will be eternal. Stand therefore in the paths of wisdom and piety; ask for the good old way, and walk therein, and ye shall find reft to your fouls.

CHA P. III.

Solomon goes on to recommend the ftudy of wisdom, by the many benefits it brings; and cautions us against those things which are inconfiftent with it.

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Y fon, let me again intreat thee, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my command2-ments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, fhall they add to thee; a long, healthful, and profperous 3 life. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, but practise thefe duties: bind them as ornaments about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart; keep them in 4 perpetual remembrance: So fhalt thou find favour and good understanding in the fight of God and man; when perfons are governed by integrity, they generally find that a 5 good interpretation is put upon their actions. Truft in the

LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding, that is, to thine own wisdom and skill, as

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6 if that were fufficient for thy direction and profperity.

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all thy ways, in all thy undertakings, publick and private, daily and folemnly, acknowledge him, and he shall direct 7 thy paths, and protect and profper thee in them. Be not wife in thine own eyes, to the neglect of the rule now given: 8 fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It fhall be health to thy navel, or, as fome render it, to thy flesh, and marrow to thy bones; it is the way to obtain health of body 9 and cheerfulness of mind. Honour the LORD with thy fubftance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase; 10 with thy tythes, offerings, and first fruits. So fhall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy preffes fhall burst 11 out with new wine. My fon, despise not the chaftening of the LORD, as if it was not worth regarding; neither be weary of his correction; afflictions are fent for fome good end; they are very beneficial, and tokens of God's love, there12 fore be patient under them. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the fon [in whom] he delighteth.

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Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the 14 man [that] getteth understanding. For the merchandife of it [is] better than the merchandise of filver, and 15 the gain thereof than fine gold. She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst defire are not to be compared unto her; a comparison peculiarly beautiful, confidering how great their commerce was in Solo16 mon's days. Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honour; he comes to thee like a wealthy princess, with her hands full of bleffings. 17 Her ways [are] ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths 18 [are] peace; prefent peace and eternal reft. She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; a principle of immortality and happiness, alluding to the tree of life in paradife: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her which implies the difficulty of laying hold of her, and of keep19 ing that hold. The LORD by wifdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the hea20 vens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew, that is, the vapours arife from the fea and the earth, and furnish a supply of rain;

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