Chap. i 2.,; '' r fitionupon the Booko fJo B. Vert. i 2. a great oppot.cul* y to gather wisdom -e, a price hi,th been in their hands, though p,..fíi }>ly u-iey havenot had hearts to make uCe of it. It is not runt:., g cHrough a great many years, that makes men wife, wifdome i.r aloft of God, not oftime. And as this doth not inferr, that arold men are wife, fo neither Oda it i nferr, that none but old m-n are. Wifdome is not-Co with the ancient, as as if it could be no w;ere else ; Gray haires have not ingroffed that whole comet airy, nor is itall given and granted to them. Wifdotne doth not alwales leanon afie; nor loop through Speliac'es. It loth riot alwais (a :'hnie defcrtbe venerable oldage) gee upon three leggs nor feewith four eyes. Young men may have wifdom ifGodgive it, andold men cannot havewifdome unlefë God give it . Some young men ha e unùcrgood as much as theancient, yea more than theanctent,as ::here will be a deareroccasion to {hew- at the thirty second Chapt.er,'zerf. 7, 8, 9. whither I referr the Reader,if God (hall carry on this work fo farr by my hand. Observe, at present, Fitt% Old risenfi ould be wife men. With the ancient k wifdome. Where should we go for wifdome but unto them ? Some will not fo much as fitfpe& youngmen for much wifdome, but we have reafun to lock for it among -the Ancients. The Apoftlz (a Job. 2.7 I, 12.) writ to Chri(tians ofall forts and tiles, un- der the titles of littlechildren, young men andfathers,anti he gives a fpecial reason of his dn:dication rep either of them. Iwrite un- toyou little children, becaufeyour fins are forgiven. I rs;ite to tots young men, becaufe you are prong, &c. I writeuntoyoufathers,trhy ? Becaufeyou haveknown him which was from the beginning. He gives' a reatán listable ro old men, Iwrite untoyoufathers, hecaufe you known biro that was fcorn the beginning.- As if he had lid, w if- dome and kno.vleuge are amongst odmen, amongst the fathers. I take it for granted, that you are knowing men, therefore I write unto you about there depths of knowledg, With the ancient ír wifdome. The Apottle (Leb. 5. tz.) gives a revere reproofro those who when for the time they ought to be teachers, yet hadneed that one teach there again Which be thefirfî principles ofthe Oracles ofGod. When for the tine, that ir, they had a great deal cf time, and therefore their proficiency in holy knowledge íhoúld have been great. And proportionably how much time every one bathhad, filch talent he bath had, and he shall be reckoned 229 G g 3 with
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