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LXXVIII.

And when the woman faw that-it was a tree to be defired to make one wife, he took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.-Genesis, iii. 6.

THE tree of knowledge of good and evil seems not only to have been intended by the great Creator as a teft of obedience to our first parents; but also to have had a myftical meaning for the use of their pofterity. It seems to have been a kind of landmark fet up to warn mankind against trusting to their own wifdom. The tree of knowledge of good and evil fhould never be forgotten.

One should have thought an example involving fuch woeful confequences, might have deterred fucceeding generations from copying a crime fo big with mifchievous effects. But mankind undifmayed, have in all ages plucked, and eaten the fame baneful fruit. Inftead of obeying what we know, we unfettle our minds too often with en

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quiring into things we cannot know-we aim at more knowledge than fuits our station-and take God's word, tho' evidenced in the strongest manner, for nothing, that our frail reason cannot comprehend. Thus we eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as our first parents did; and muft expect to feel the fame woeful confequences. Like them we shall gain a knowledge of the good we have lost—like them, we shall gain a knowledge of the evil we shall suffer.

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LXXIX.

Wisdom crieth without: fhe uttereth her voice in the Streets.-Proverbs, i. 20,

BY the voice of Wisdom is here meant the united inftructions of reafon, and religion, which fhould be the grand regulating principles of mankind. This voice teacheth men their duty in general; and every man his own duty in particular.

Wisdom is continually pointing out to us in general-what we are-that we confist of a body and a foul, in which mortality and immortality are united. -It points out to us likewife where we are-that we are ftationed in a world, which will last only a few years, and end in a life of immortal happiness, or of mifery. She points out to us alfo, that the many gifts and opportunities we enjoy our timeour health-our fortunes-are the means which God hath given us to improve, in order to prepare our felves for this future ftate.

Befides this general inftruction-this uttering ber voice in the streets, Wisdom makes ftill a clofer application

plication to each man in particular.—To the rich man she crieth, Trust not in uncertain riches. Spend not on yourself what God hath given you in truft. Make to yourself a friend of the mammon of unrighteoufnefs by acts of kindness, and charity.

To the poor fhe crieth, Do not defpond. Caft Caft your care upon God. Turn your poverty into religion. To the gay and thoughtless the points out the vanity, and folly of what the world calls pleasure. She fhews its tranfient, delufive forms, its unfatisfying nature, and its mischievous confequences; and directs to pleasures of a purer, and more fatisfying kind.

To those who thirst after honour and glory, the fhews in what they truly confift-and in what way they may lead us, in the end, to happiness. Calculate, fhe cries, between time and eternity; and fee the difference between the vanishing reputation of this world, and having your names written in heaven.

Thus wisdom calleth upon man every where, and by a variety of means. She allures them by precept -by example-by confcience-by fear-by hope -to attend to their true interefts. So that, in fome fhape fhe inftructs every man in his duty.

LXXX.

Take heed that the light that is in thee be not darkness. -Luke, xi. 35.

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VERY faculty of a man's mind-his paffions -his affections-may all be called lights within him. They are all intended to lead him to useful purposes; and may all affift him in the conduct of a good life. But I fhall, at prefent, confine these lights to thofe of the imagination-reason-confcience, and the Holy Spirit of God.-Now it is the union of thefe feveral lights, which gives them their happy influence. When they are separated, and each acts alone, they too often mislead. Each, in the mean time, hath its several offices.

The imagination wanders abroad, and brings in various notices of things. It makes excurfions as far as the heavens above, and hell beneath. Like the net in the gospel, it gathereth of every kind, both bad and good.-Reafon fits at home, and difcriminates all thefe materials. It carries to use, fuch as are good; and repudiates fuch as are vain

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