tual Commerce, and propagating univerfal Peace and Harmony (provided Religion hath the allowed Superiority, and is therefore profecuted as our neceffary and fubftantial Wisdom, while thofe other are affumed only as our present, accidental and fuperficial Qualifications): Then indeed Learning is both useful and commendable, and may juftly be efteem'd a fubordinate and inferior Part of human Wisdom. But when the Pride of Reason would fwell into Self-fufficiency; when the Conceit of Science, falfly fo call'd, would exalt itself against our Great Creator; when the Knowledge of natural and material Objects takes us off from the practical Knowledge of fpiritual and divine Doctrines, and the fpecious Amusements of this World break in upon the important Concerns of the next; then the deepest Discoveries we can make, are but Emptiness, the brighteft Acquifitions are Madness and Folly.

IT will ever be an humbling Confideration, that after all our laboured Advances, after all our boafted Progress in Human Learning alone, we have added VOL. I. nothing

T

nothing to our main Happiness; we muft feek after that fome other Way, and be content to learn the Wifdom of those whom we at prefent efteem Fools,

THERE is but one common Paffage to Man's higheft Happiness, and it is Man's highest Wisdom to purfue it. He who would fhape out new Courses, and cut through different Currents, will find Uncertainty to be the Series of his Furfuits, and Mifery to be the End of them: Religion is the fafe, the only Channel, which can bring us thither, and that flows on directly into the Ocean of Eternal Blifs.

BUT to conclude: What will be the trueft Teft of Excellency and Defect; this will finally be determined to be the Cafe by Him, who will judge the World in Righteousness. When, at the laft Day, the Wantonnefs of Wit, the Bafenefs of Cunning, the Shallownefs of Human Penetration, the Emptinefs of every learned Amufement, and all the foolish Wifdom of this World fhall be fet at nought; Then fhall the Almighty exalt the Wif dom of thofe that fear Him, the Underftanding

derstanding of thofe that depart from Evil: He will number them among his own Children, and give them a glorious Inheritance among his Saints for ever Amen.

and ever.

VOL. I.

T 2 SERMON

SERMON XIII.

HE B. ix. 24.

For Chrift is not entered into the Holy Places made with Hands, which are the Figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the Prefence of God for us.

T is the main Business of this Epiftle, to set forth the fuperlative Excellency of the Chriftian, above the Mofaical Difpenfation; and this is done by an Induction of many Particulars. The Apoftle runs through and compares the Ceremonial Services.