neceffary to the attaining of it. x85 filler, and call underflanding a kinfwoman. S E R M. The man who hath arrived to a juft domi- VII. nion over himfeíf, who hath the command of his paílions and can reftrain his lode irre- gular appetites, is already poffeffed of wifdom, and is truly a virtuous man. Now, this is fo far from being extremely difficult to the perfon who loveth religious wifdom, that it is the infeparable charaaer and certain effe& of a prevailing love to it; for how can it be efteemed aboye all things, earneftly defired, and delighted in, unlefs other oppofite of- -- fe uions yield to it, and the mind, defpifing and forfaking them, cleavetb to it. It is true Solomon faith, Prov. xxiv. 7. That knowledge is too high for a fool, that is, the fcorner : The proud and the wicked man, whofe mind is enflaved to his paffions, imagineth a mighty difficulty in it, but it is of his own making ; his corrupt and vicious affeaions confirmed by evil cuftoms are pre- dominant, they are become even nature in him, and he is become impotent, unable to unlearn them, to deliver hicnfelf from their power, and change his courfe, ás the Ethio- an is to change his fkin, or the leopard his (pots; that is, he bath made it hard for himfeíf, by an habitual indulgence to his pallions, whereby he hath put himfeíf under their
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=