nece/ary to the attaining of it. 187 tranfcendent delight; for, as I obferved be- S ÿÌI fore, thefe are the reality, at leaft, the be- VII. ginning of wifdom or true religious virtue itfelf. Now, if they who have this qualifi- cation are thereby entitled to the favour of God, it followeth that they are in the heft preparation for wifdom, and a continual ad- vancement in proportion to the meafure of their love to it ; becaufe he is the Father of lights from whom every good and perfeEl gift cometh down, and he hath commanded fuch as lack wifdom, to ask it from him, with a fincere love to it, who giveth liberally and Both not upbraid. As he communicateth freely of his bounty to all his creatures, and his mercies are over all his works, he will not be fparing of his gifts to the objects of his peculiar complacency. Wifdom is a gift which it is every way worthy of him, and congruous to his moral attributes, to bellow on thofe whom he delighteth to honour. Providence indeed difpenfeth its gifts very liberally, and with an undiftinguiffhing hand, even to the unthankful and the evil ; but wif- dom is of a more peculiar nature, and a more certain mark of the divine favour, ap- propriated therefore to them who have a more efpecial intereft in his regard. As this is agreeable to the fentiments we na- turally
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