The Excellency of Wifdom. 45 ¡geous, there is, by general confent, a corn- S ER M. mon flandard or ineafure eftablifhed, by II. which all things are valued which are ex- ` `r`' changed ; and fo Solomon fays, Ecclef. x. 19. Money anfwereth all things. It is this which maketh money itfelf fo much valued, be- caufe a man finds that ordinarily it is capa- ble of procuring him the greater abundance of thofe things which tend to render his condition eafy and to pleafe his appetites. What maketh gold more precious than the pebble or iron ? It is becaufe it can be fold for more, and by its price command a great- er variety of things which belong to the conveniency and pleafure of life. And, becaufe I would not diminifh any thing from its value, and I am fure I need not, in order to prove the point before us, that is, to thew the fuperior excellence of Wifdom, let it be added, that it may be confidered as affording men the means and opportunity of doing and receiving good of a higher kind, that is, of virtue itfelf. But, now, to thew the truth of what the authors mentioned fo conftantly and folemn- ly affirm, that wifdom is better than rubies, pearls, or whatever elfe can be defired in this world ; firft, let it be obferved, that none
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