228 
remarkzbly. It inculcates the fame fim- 
plicity, meekne‘s and forgivingrefs; the 
fame fear of an ever-prefent Deity ; the 
fame life-cheapening confidence in a fu- 
ture {tate ; the fame more than natural 
antagonifm to concupiicence; the fame 
kindne's to man, and indifference to 
rank and riches. To the Divinity, the 
epithet Father is as induftricufly applied 
in the Wildom, as in the Chriftian Canon ; 
the Holy Spirit is in both a very familiar 
term ; Children of the Lord, Sons of- God 
are *technical defignations lavifhed in both 
on proficients in fanétanimity, on the 
righteoufly and religioufly difpofed, on 
Babes of Grace, as is {till faid very analo- 
goufly. : . 
This Book cf Wi{dom, it is indeed 
fuch, is expreit with a perfection of elo- 
quence and a cerdiality of fentiment, . 
which muft for. ever preferve and endear 
it asa manual of piety, of berevolence, 
and! of the milder virtues, It feems to 
contain, as in a nard-box of aiabafter, 
the peculiar effence of vital Chriftianiry and 
evangelical religion; the aroma, which 
exhales from every Iplinter of the true 
crofs. I: is the very leaven, which gives 
tis favor to all che bread of Chriftian com- 
munion; the finapi-feed, which has rami- 
fied. into the tree of life. The eleemo- 
fynary. virtues only are Jefs infifed on 
here, than in the writings of the apofto- 
Iic charaGers, whofe circumftances indeed 
furnifhed particular motives for inforcing 
them. One might elle take this book for 
their monita fecreta ; for. the fyacdical 
infructions, the private direétory, the 
cracular text, the fummary of tepics, the 
common aiticles of faith and grounds of 
edification, which they were fent about 
feveially to promulgateand to paraphrale.+ 
The Proverbs of Solomon forma rich le- 
gacy of prece t; this New Teftament of 
Witdom is worthy of a greater than So- 
lomon, 
Who does not wifh to know,in order to 
venerate, fo admirable a teacher? But the 
¥ In the language of the Jews, a teacher 
cailed his pupil /o2 5 hence in their college 
flang, which continued te pervade the wri- 
tings of their prief's, Son of God anfwered to 
Ee .wen taughi, Gscisdaxz0g. Son of Sirach is 
prebably Pupil of sirach, Panl calls James 
(Gallt ans I 19) our Lord’s bother 3 he pro- 
bably means no more then fchcol-mate, fel- 
jew-ftucent: forthe mother of Jefus could 
have no other fon living (john XiX. 26 & 27) 
at the t.me of the crucifixion. 
3 By Ovigen (1. p..11) this idea is cone 
brined, : 
~ 
Who wrote the Wifdom 2 
roa. 1, 
teftimony of ecclefiaftical antiquity is un- 
fatisfa€tory, or dilcordant ; fo that inter- 
nal evidence alone remains to fupply the 
deficiency of information. Let us then 
detach and collect fuch fcattered paflages 
as appear to furnifh any perfonality of 
allufion, any felfith or individual afpeéts, 
any reference to the circumftances, the 
feelings, or the hiftory ot the enditer. 
Thefe are they : 
I was a witty child, and had a good 
fpirit. (VIII. 19). 
- J, thy fervant, and- fon of thine hand- 
maid, am a feeble perfon, and of a fhort » 
time. (IX. 5). . 
God hath granted me to fpeak as I 
would, and to conceive as is meet for the 
things that are given me: becaufe it is 
he that leadeth unto wifdom, and direéteth 
the wife: for in his hand are both we 
and our words; all wifdom alfo,and know- 
ledge of woikmanfhip. } : 
For he hath given me certain know- 
ledge of the things that are, namely, to: 
know how’ the world was made, and the 
operation of the elements ; the beginning, 
ending, and midit of the times; the alte- 
rations of the turning of the fun, and 
the change of feafons; the circuits of 
years, and the pofitions of fiars ; the na- 
tures of living creatures, and the furies 
of wild beaits ; the violence of winds, 
and the reafonings of men; the diverfi- 
ties of plants, and the virtues of roots ; 
and all fuch things as are either fecret or 
manifeft, them I know. (VII. 15—20). 
Thou haft commanded me to build a 
temple on thy holy mount, and an altar 
in the city wherein thou dwelleft, a refem- 
blance of the holy tabernacle, which thou 
ha{t prepared from the beginning. (IX.8). 
They faid: he profeffeth to have the 
knowledge of God, and he caileth himfelf 
the Child of the Lord. fam 
He was made to reprove our thoughts ; 
he is grievous unto us even to behold; for 
his life is not like othermen’s, his ways 
are of another fafhion. __ ; 
We are efteemed of him as counterfeits ; 
he abfaineth from our ways as from 
filthinefs ; he pronounceth the end of 
the juft to be blefled, and maketh his boaft 
that God is his father. - ; 
Let us fee if his words be true, and let 
us prove what fhall happen in the end of 
him ; forif the juft man be the Sow of 
God, he will help him, and deliver him 
from the hand of his enemies. 
Let us examine him with defpitetulnefs 
and torture, that we may know his meek= 
nefs and prove his patience ; let us con- 
Sag cemn 
