LXXVIII.

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

THE tree of knowledge of good and evil feems

not only to have been intended by the great Creator as a teft of obedience to our firft parents; but also to have had a myftical meaning for the use of their pofterity. It feems 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 fhould have thought an example involving fuch woeful confequences, might have deterred fucceeding generations from copying a crime fo big with mischievous effects. But mankind undismayed, have in all ages plucked, and eaten the fame baneful fruit. Instead of obeying what we know, we unfettle our minds too often with enquiring into things we cannot know we aim at more knowledge than fuits our station-and take

God's

God's word, tho evidenced in the ftrongest manner, for nothing, that our frail reafon cannot comprehend. Thus we eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as our firft parents did; and muft expect to feel the fame woeful confequences. Like them we fhall gain a knowledge of the good we have loft-like them, we fhall gain a knowledge of the evil we fhall fuffer.

Wifdom

'LXXIX.

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

Br

Y 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 gen eral; and every man his own duty in particular.

Wisdom is continually pointing out to us in general-what we are that we confift. 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 laft 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

joy our time-our health

opportunities we en

our fortunes are the

means which God hath given us to improve, in order to prepare ourselves for this future ftate.

Befides this general inftruction-this uttering her voice in the fireets, Wisdom makes still a closer ap

plication

plication to each man in particular.-To the rich man fhe crieth, Truft not in uncertain riches. Spend not on yourself what God hath given you in truft. Make to yourself a friend of mammon of unrighteousness by acts of kindnefs, and charity. To the poor fhe crieth, Do not defpond. 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 mifchievous confequences; and directs to pleasures of a purer, and more fatis fying kind.

To those who thirst after honour and glory, she shews in what they truly confift-and in what way they may lead us, in the end, to happiness. Cal. culate, 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 Wildom calleth upon man every where, and by a variety of means. She allures them by precept by example-by confcience-by fearby hope to attend to their true interefts. So that, in fome shape she inftructs every man in his duty.

Take

LXXX.

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

EVE

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 ufeful purposes; and may all affift him in the conduct of a good life.—But I fhall, at present confine thefe lights to thofe of the imagination-reafon-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 feparated, and each acts alone, they too often mif

lead.

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 gofpel, 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 and