BUT who fhall be able to fix his attention, amidft the hurry and diffipation of life? Who can meditate on wisdom, with the noise of folly founding inceffantly in his ears? That bleffed perfon who could fuffer no distraction of thought from the objects around him, withdrew from the multitude, that he might teach us to do the fame, who, alas, are often unable, when alone, to confine our thoughts, for a few minutes together, to one fubject. The world, like Martha, is "troubled about

many things," and moft about those which are of least concern; fo that, befides the profane, the unfeemly, and uncharitable discourses, which they must hear who are much converfant with it, the mind of a

man fuffers not a little from the variety of light and unprofitable converfation in which he is frequently engaged. This fcatters the thoughts, and fo indifpofes them for any fpeculations that are great and noble, sublime and facred, that fome time is required to reduce the wanderers, to compofe the fpirits, and to restore that tranquillity of foul which is indifpenfably neceffary for the profecution of religious enquiries. And although the general affertion of a famous reclufe, "that he always came "out of company a worfe man than "he went into it," favoureth too much of the cloifter, yet whoever, as the world goes, fhould diligently note the times when he came out of company, a better man than he went

into it, might, perhaps, find his diary contained in a lefs compafs, than at prefent he is apt to imagine.

CERTAIN, however, it is, that for the productions of wifdom we are indebted to folitude, as the parent of

attention. And therefore

And therefore many, in all ages, have followed St. John into the wilderness, and chofen retirement, not out of any morofeness of temper, or mifanthropy, but that they might give themfelves, without let or molestation, to the pursuit of divine knowlege. In this fituation, they found themselves always at liberty to chufe their companions. They could converfe at pleasure with patriarchs and prophets, apostles, martyrs, and confeffors, with devout and learned bishops, and others, who

once

Here

once adorned the church by their lives, and have continued, fince their deaths, thro' many generations, to edify her by their writings. they could rally their scattered thoughts, and fix them upon fubjects, whence they might extract real profit, and durable pleasure. For meditations, while employed, in a general and curfory way, upon a variety of objects, like the rays of light diffused in the air, difcover not the force and activity which they poffef's ; it is close attention which collects and unites, and renders them operative. And an ability to bestow that close attention in a crowd, is granted to very few among the fons of men.

A DISPASSIONATE and unprejudi

ced state of mind is another requifite for the attainment of true wifdom. And as our fentiments take the tincture of our company, perfons continually engaged in the world are very liable to be corrupted, as well as diffipated. He who paffeth his time with men of bafe and antifcriptural tenets, will find, when it is too late, that "evil communications corrupt" good principles, as well as "good

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"" manners. The understanding

will be blinded, and the heart hardened wifdom will be fhut out at every avenue; and the man will fit down in darkness and depravity, for the remainder of his days, determining with himself that there is no fuch thing as truth, without ever being at the trouble of making the enquiry.

Happy,