fo they contain excellent inftructions for the ordering mens actions in all states and conditions of life, from the highest to the lowest; and enforce each part of our duty from religious motives: Such as are the obedience due to God, our Creator and Governor, the rewards which attend righteoufnefs, and the punishments which follow wickedness by God's just appointment, both in this world and in the next. In which respect this book has much the advantage above all the moral tracts of the philofophers, in that it preffes the practice of our duty from the principles of religion, whereas they perfuade us to virtue by arguments taken from the agreeableness of it, to our reason and the dignity of our nature, without taking notice of the authority which God has over us, and whofe vicegerent our reafon and confcience is, and the obedience which his laws challenge from us, which way foever his will and pleaG fure

fure is notify'd to us, whether by the inward dictates of our own mind, or the outward voice of his prophets and meffengers (a). We find Solomon lays down this rule as the foundation of all his inftructions (b), the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is a true and folid principle of an univerfal probity and integrity. both of mind and action; it is fuch as the meaneft is capable of apprehending the force of, and being convinced by it. Whereas the notions of philofophers are only fine fpeculations to amufe men of fubtilty and leisure, and not fitted for the use of ordinary capacities: According to Tully's own obfervation recorded by Lactantius, (c) Philofo

(a) Duplex eft regula humanorum actuum, Ratio humana, & Deus ; fed Deus eft prima regula, a qua etiam humana Ratio regulanda eft; & ideo virtutes Theologicæ excellentiores funt virtutibus moralibus. Aquin. zda zda qu. 23. Art. 6.

(b) Prov. i. 7.

(c) Inftitut. 1. 3. c. 24. v. Ciceron. initio. I. 2. Tuc. Quat. Philofophia eft paucis contenta judicibus, Multitudinem confulto fugiens, &c.

phia eft res abhorrens à multitudine. It difdains to condescend to vulgar apprehenfions. have fouls to

But yet the meaneft be faved as well as the greateft, and that inftitution muft. needs be defective which doth not anfwer the neceffities of the far greater part of mankind.

per

The great fayings of the Philofophers are apt to ftrike us with admiration at the first hearing, and haps prevail with many of our own age to be of Julian the Apoftate's (d): opinion, who did not ftick to prefer the precepts of Phocylides, Theognis, and Ifocrates, before the Proverbs of Solomon. But when we thoroughly examine the maxims of thefe, and fuch like practical treatifes, of the heathen philofophers, we shall find many of them to be rather vainglorious boafts, or the high flights of a fanciful eloquence, than the words

(d) Apud Cyrillum, contr. Julian. 2. 7. p. 224.' Edit. Spanheim.

of truth and fobernefs. They are fuch as the authors of them would never abide by when they came to trial: And what force can we then fuppofe them to have, toward the reforming of habitual offenders? To tell fuch perfons that they act in contradiction to their reason, and below the dignity of their nature, is to make them accountable only to themselves; and confcience is but an empty name, unless we fuppofe that it binds men over to appear before a higher Tribunal. So faint are the perfuafives and feeble the reproofs of philofophy, when compared with the inftructions and motives contain'd in the book of Proverbs, which being fo peculiarly adapted to the meanest capacities, I would particularly recommend it to their frequent reading and diligent perufal.

The defign of the book of Ecclefiaftes is to convince us of the vanity of all things here below, and that from the experience of one who

had

had try'd what fatisfaction could be found in all manner of worldly enjoyments, and was acquainted with the extravagancies of madness and folly (e), as well as with the mysteries of wisdom and knowledge. This great prince, who had tried all things, instructs us not to fet our hearts too much upon the things of this world, as being empty and unfatisfactory in the enjoyment, and at laft ending in vexation of spirit: Nor to promise ourselves too much happinefs in any worldly bleffings, for then we shall be fure to find our felves disappointed: But to use the good things of this world with fobriety and moderation in refpect to our felves, with fubmiffion and thankfulness to God, and with charity to our neighbours (f), always remembring that the fashion of this world paffes away, and the flower of

(e) Ecclef. i. 17.

(f) See Ecclef. iii. 11, 12, 13, 14. v. 1, &c. vii. 13, 14. ix. 7.

xi. 1.

G 3

youth