The Excellency of Wifdom. 3 to the confideration of fome arguments S E x M. whereby he inforceth it, and urgeth us to II. fludy, embrace, and conform our lives to ` ,r- - its dire&ion. One argument is contained in the text, which is a part of wifdom's ele- gant fpeech, addreffed to the fons of men, in the mofi open and folernn manner. She is reprefented, in the beginning of this chap- ter, as making a public appearance in a rude, ignorant, and corrupt world, loudly pro- claiming her do &rines and counfels, and calling upon all men, without exception, even of the molt fimpie and flupid, to hearken to them. And what confideration could be more powerful to engage their at- tention than this, that fhe fpeaketh of ex- cellent things; the opening of her lips is of right things, and her mouth fpeaketh truth. That this is the juft chaca&er of the in- ftru &ions and precepts of religious virtue, I will endeavour to fhew you in this difcourfe ; and then I (hall make fome praEtical reflec- tions. You cannot but obferve, that other writers of fcripture, as well as Solomon, at- tribute high excellency to religion ; particu- larly we meet with many declarations of that fort in the books of yob and the Pfalms. It is compared with things which are among men of the greateft price, and preferred to them ; s
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