18 Religion and Virtue, S ER M. a cautious forefight of the unhappy confe- I quences of a finful courfe, and by views truly fublime, and far above this world, Chap. xv. 24. The way of life is above to the wife, that he may depart from hell be- neath. Having proceeded fo far, and endeavoured to fhew you what the wifdom is which So- lomon fo much celebrateth in this book, per - fuading us to Rudy it, and conform our - felves to its rules, it would be, in the next place, very proper to confider the truth of his doctrine ; to inquire whether religion, univerfal righteoufnefs, goodnefs, tempe- rance, meeknefs, chaflity, and all the other virtues in which he placeth wifdom, be re- ally worthy of that character. If it be fo, then certainly the fear of the Lord, with the whole fyflem of virtues which it indu-. deth, or which depend upon it, muft be high in our efleem ; for we cannot help va- luing wifdom as the proper improvement of our reafon ; to think meanly and contemp- tuoufly of it, would be to forget ourfelves, and to difparage what mull be acknow- ledged to be the excellence of our nature. But the pretences to wifdom, it is fuppo- fed, every man muft have leave to examine, 2 and
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