faints, and what is the exceeding greatnefs of his power to us-ward, who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from the dead, and fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, &c. Eph. i. 17, 18, 19, 20. For the latter thus: that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleafing, being fruitful in every good work, and increafing in the knowledge of God, Col. i. 9, 10. If from these and the like texts we form a general idea of illumination, it will be this: illumination is a state of knowledge, confifting in the abolishing or relinquifhing thofe errors, which deprave and pervert our affections, and undermine and fupplant the empire and authority of reafon; and in entertaining and embracing thofe truths, which purify the one, and reftore and establifh the other: and all this in order to entitle us to the favour of God, and a bleffed eternity. I might content my felf with this general delineation of illumination: but because this is a fubject from which we cannot but reap fo much pleasure and advantage, as will abundantly requite whatever labour can be beftowed upon it; I will proceed to a fuller difcovery of it, if I can. Illumination then being a state of knowledge, and the object of this knowledge being truth, 'tis plain, that in order to form a juft and diftinct notion of illumination, it will be neceffary to enquire into two things: First, What kind of truths; and next, what kind of knowledge of these truths, constitutes illumination. 1. Of the truths which illuminate: we have many noble characters in the Old Teftament and the New, which diftinguish these from truths of an inferior nature: all which are, I think, comprized by Solomon in very few words; Prov xxiv. 13, 14. My fon, faith he, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honey-comb, which is fweet to thy tafte; fo fhall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy foul, when thou hast found it; then there fhall be a reward, and thy expectation Shall not be cut off. Solomon here, as is very ufual with infpired writers, does compare fpiritual with corporeal things, or illuftrates the one by the other. He tells us, that what honey is to the body, that wisdom is to the foul: and recommending the former from two incomparable properties, its miniftring to health and pleafure, he recommends the latter from advantages, which bear indeed fome refemblance; but are as much fuperior to thefe, as the foul is to the body. My fon, eat thou honey, because it is good; i. e. be caufe cause it both cleanfes and purges all noxious humours, and nourishes and strengthens the body: and the honey-comb, because it is fweet to the tafte; which is the fecond excellence of this fort of food, namely, its pleasantness ; and properly urged to invite the eater: then, proceeding to compleat the comparifon, he adds, fo fhall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy foul, when thou haft found it; i. e. it fhall minifter to the purification, ftrength, and delight of thy foul. But this is not all: tho' the parallel can be extended no further between boney and wisdom; yet he does not think fit for that reason to omit one of the greateft excellencies of wisdom: and therefore he adds, then there fhall be a reward, and thy expectation fhall not be cut off. Wisdom does not only perfect and entertain our minds; but alfo it gives us a title to those rewards, for the enjoyment of which it prepares and fits us. Here then we have from Solomon the true properties of true wisdom: by these we may pronounce fafely of all the different kinds of knowledge; diftinguishing the precious from the vile, and fixing the true estimate of each. If there be any fort of truths, whofe knowledge does not promote, but obStruct thefe great ends, thefe we are to defpife and flight, to fun and hate. But if there be any knowledge, that does neither oppofe or hinder, nor yet contribute to to these ends, unless accidentally, and very remotely; for this we may have fome, but no very great regard or esteem. But whatever knowledge that be which is attended by these fruits, this is that which we are to fearch for as for hidden treafure this is that which, when we have found it, we are to value above the gold of Ophir, the Topaz, and the carbuncle, and all precious ftones. The diftinguishing characters then of illuminating truths are four. 1. They purify us. 2. They nourish and strengthen us. 1. They purify us. This is a property which the royal Pfalmift frequently attributes to the word of God, that it is pure and clean, Pfal. cxix. and elfewhere. And the New Testament frequently afcribes to faith and hope, that they purify the heart, 1 John iii. 3. Acts xv. And this fure is the first thing neceffary to the perfecting the foul of man. 'Tis with the foul, as with the body; it must be first cleansed from hurtful humours, before it can be fed and nourished; purged of its errors and vices, ere it can be enriched with divine virtues, and attain that liberty and ftrength, where wherein confifts the true greatness and excellence of the mind of man. The firft Step towards the Perfection of virtue, is the relinquishing our vice; for we must cease to do evil, ere we can learn to do good: and the first step towards the Perfection of wif dom, is the difpelling thofe errors, which deceive and miflead the mind, and pervert life. What thefe were in the few and Gentiles, and what they are at this day in us, it is eafy enough to difcern. The mind of man, as far as I can obferve, is naturally prone to Religious worship. Not only the confideration of the wonderful mechanism and contrivance of the world, and of events, ftrange, fudden, and unaccountable; but alfo the confcience of his own impotence and obnoxiousness, inclining him to the belief, and prompting him to feek the patronage of an invifible all-fufficient power. In the next place, the mind of man is ever prone to propofe to him fome great, fome foveraign good; in which he may acquiefce, and by which he may fecure himfelf as well as he can, against the indigence and poverty of his nature, and the changes and revolutions, the difafters and the miseries, to which this mortal State is expofed. Thefe are two things of that importance, that no man can err in them, but the error must prove fatal to his repofe. He that fets up to himself for |