ters in Self: So that Self-Wisdom feems to be a Principle fo well obferved, that it least needed to be Preach'd up of any of the Duties of our Lives. Yet Self-Wifdom, we find, is here Preached up by the Wife Royal Preacher, and that as the Only WisdomIf thou be Wife, thou shalt be Wife for thyself; If thou art not Wife for thyself, thou art not truly Wife.

He, it seems, did not think the Generality of the World, however Wife they may be in their own Conceits, and fatisfy'd with themselves and their Choice, truly Wife for themfelves. We therefore find him marking out the feveral Ways of Worldly Wisdom, where by Men cheat themselves, vainly seeking their Happiness where it was not to be found; cenfuring all that fort of Wisdom, as fo far from True Self-Wifdom, that he pronounces it to be Nothing but Folly, Vanity, Madness. I fhall therefore confider,

I. What is the Common Wisdom of the World, that which paffes most for Wisdom amongst Men.

II. What Account this Worldly Wisdom turns to; whether it be True Self-Wisdom.

III. What Sort of Wisdom it is, that the Wiseman Does here recommend, which will make us truly Wife for Ourselves.

IV. The Properties and Preheminences of it above Worldly Wisdom. +

And

And Laftly, we will confider, How we may

attain it.

I.

I. Then we are to confider, what is the Common Wisdom of the World; That which paffes most for Wisdom amongst Men; That whereby Men feek for Happiness, nothing doubting the Wisdom of their Choice: If they can but obtain their Aim, they make sure of being Happy.

Not that I fhall undertake to trace out all the Ways of this Worldly Wisdom, which is Wifdom falfely fo called; and is in the Wiseman's own Language, (who beft understood it,) with better Propriety of Speech, called Folly ; which is therefore harder to be accounted for: For it is the peculiar Character of True Wisdom and Knowledge, to be always Simple, and Uniform, and Confiftent with themfelves; but Error, and Vice, and Folly, and all the other Irregularities, whether of Practice or Speculation, vary into ten thousand Shapes; So that for the One Single Way of Wisdom that leadeth unto Life, Error and Folly are infinite, and have a Multitude of By Paths,, that go down to the Chambers of Death.

There is a wonderful Variety in Men's Inclinations and Fancies, almost as great as in their Features. Some Men place all their Happiness in things that will fcarce yield fo much as a Diverfion to other Men. Most Men have fome Idol or other that they set

ر

up in their Hearts; and every one is pleased with his own Choice; would think himself Happy if he could but compass 'his End, whatever it be that he proposes to himself, and accordingly purfues it with all his Might. But if he is Mistaken in his Choice, and makes That his Chief End, which cannot make him Happy, This is a Fundamental Error, that imposes a Set of Falle Principles upon his Mind, and claps a wrong Biafs upon his Judgment in all Things; It mifguides him in all his Inclinations and Defires, and in all the Actions of his Life, and makes his whole Life One Vain Purfuit, One long Continued Folly.

To give some Instances:

One Man thinks it His greatest Happiness if he can but grow Rich; and to this Wife Design he will Sacrifice his Health and Ease: He will be Content to rife up early, and late to take his Reft, and eat the Bread of Carefulness. Reflections of Mind, and Scruples of Confcience, if they will be troublesome, and will still be running athwart to his great Design, must be ftifled and laid aside. These are those our Saviour calls the Wife in their Generation.

Another has Riches at Command, fufficicient for all the Reasonable Enjoyments and Conveniences of Life, but his Heart is fet upon growing Great: His Station is too Low for his Great Soul; and therefore he must make

make himself a Perfect Slave to his own Ambitious Spirit. He can have no Enjoyment of what he has, unless he can get into a higher Character, and make a Figure in the World. This is his great Aim, and in This he will Employ all his Stock of Wisdom. Pride itself muft then put on the Guife of Humility, and learn all the Humble Arts of Infinuation and Addrefs, of Compliance and studied Popularity: He must watch all Opportunities, fuit himself to all Tempers, and be ready for all Times and Turns. Thus provided he fets himself to Work, Plotting and Circumventing; Countermining Some, and Undermining Others; No Obstacle muft ftand in the Way of his Great Defigns.

But we fee the fame Spirit working alfo in the leffer Wheels, the Under-Traders in Politicks, who think themselves as Wife in their Lower Sphere. These are the Shrewd Men of the World, Men of Reach, who love to Outwit other Men, and affect to carry their Point by Management, and little knavish Cunning: And many of them do indeed play their Parts with great Dexterity. These are Politicians in Little, in whom you fee the bare Strength of Nature, what it is able to do by its naked Depravities, without Help or Improvement from Education or Art.

But another Sort of Men there are, that of all Things Hate Thought and Bufinefs. These are the Epicures of the World, who can find no Happiness but in their Pleafures, to which they therefore wholly give themfelves up, and have their Minds fraight with nothing but the luscious Ideas of Sensual Enjoyments: So their only Business is to caress and gratify their Natural Appetites, and they do as intirely spend all their Time and Forecaft upon the Body, as if they were All Body, or elfe had quite forgot that they have any Souls at all. Of all Men These think themselves the Wifeft in their Choice, even to the Deriding and Infulting over the Folly of other Men. They wonder how Any in the Flower of their Age can plod on in the dull Road of Bufinefs; but they shake their Heads with Scorn at the poor Moping Melancholy Fools, that will deny themselves the Comforts of Life, to punish and macerate their Bodies for Study or Devotion.

And fome indeed we find there are, that do as much Idolize Learning and Knowledge, as others do Riches and Honours; and are so Indefatigable in their Search after them, that they are ready to neglect themfelves and the Neceffary Supports of Nature: They spend many Fafting Days, and Watchful Nights, and never come to an End of Job xi. 12. their Labour. For Vain Man (fays Job,) would be Wife, tho' he be born like a Wild