as to think of beginning to live at that period of years, to which a few only attain ? As for you, young gentlemen, I heartily wish you may think more justly; let your souls, as it were, retire into themselves, and dwell at home; and having shaken off the trifles that make a bustle and noise around you, consider seriously, that the remaining part of your life is long only in one respect, (and in this indeed its length may be justly complained of) that it is fraught with every sort of misery and affliction, and has nothing agreeable in it, but the study of heavenly wisdom alone; "for every thing else is vanity*." Look about you and see, whether there is any thing worthy of your affection, and whether every thing you see does not rather excite your indignation and aversion? At home are contentions and disputes; abroad, in the fields, robbers; clamour and noise at the bar; wickedness in the camp; hypocrisy in the church; and vexation or lamentable mistakes every where. Among the rich and great there are false and inconstant friendships, bitter enmities, envy, fraud, and falsehood; and cares, in great numbers, flutter round the most stately and sumptuous palaces. What a considerable part of mankind are struggling with open and sharp afflictions? To whatever side you turn yourself, what do you commonly hear, but lamentation and mourning? How many complaints of the poor, that are distressed for want of daily bread, or drag a most wretched life under the * Τὰ δε ἀλλὰ τύφος. grievous oppression of powerful tyrants? How frequent are the groans of the sick and languishing? How great the multitude of those that lament their friends and relations, carried off by death, and will themselves, in a short time, and for the same reason, be lamented by others? And to conclude, how innumerable are the miseries and afflictions, of various kinds, that seem alternately to re-echo to one another? Can it be any wonder then, that a life of this kind should sometimes force, even from a wise man, such expressions of sorrow and concern, as the following: "O mother, why didst thou bring me forth, to be oppressed with afflictions and sorrows? Why didst thou introduce me into a life full of briars and thorns* ?" But you are now philosophers, and amidst these dismal calamities, you comfort yourselves with the inward and hidden riches of wisdom, and the sciences you have acquired. The sciences! Tell us in what part of the earth they are to be found? Let us know, pray, where they dwell, that we may flock thither in great numbers. I know, indeed, where there is abundance of noise, with vain and idle words, and a jarring of opinions, between contending disputants; I know where ignorance, under the disguise of a gown and a beard, has obtained the title of science: but, where true knowledge is to be found, I know not. We grope in the dark, and though it is truth only we are in quest of, we * Μήτερ ἐμὴ τὶ μ ̓ ἔτικες ἔπει πολύμοχθον ἔτικτες, Τίπτε μὲ τωδε βίῳ δωκας ακανθοφόρω. fall into innumerable errors. But, whatever may be our case, with respect to the knowledge of nature, as to that of heavenly and divine things, let us cheerfully embrace that rich present, which infinite goodness has made us, and be thankful, that the day-spring from on high hath visited us. "Be cause there was no wisdom on this earth, says Lactantius, he sent a teacher from heaven *." Him let us follow as our guide; for he that follows his direction, shall not walk in darkness. Let us pray. INFINITE, eternal Creator and King of heaven and earth, bodies, and spirits, who, being immoved thyself, movest all things, and changest them at thy pleasure, while thou remainest thyself altogether unchangeable, who supportest all things by thy powerful hand, and governest them by thy nod, the greatest as well as the least; so that the greatest are no burden to thee, nor dost thou contemn the least. Behold! the nations, before thee, are as the drop of the bucket, and like the small dust of the balance; and these isles of ours, with all the rest in the world, are, in thy sight, but a very little thing. Yet thou deignest to be present in our assemblies, and take notice of our affairs, which are very inconsiderable. Let our souls adore thee, and fall down, with the greatest humility, at the footstool of thy throne, continually intreating thy grace, and constantly offering thee glory. Our praises * Cum nulla in terris esset sapientia e cœlo misit doctorem. add nothing to thee; but they exalt ourselves, enhance our happiness, and unite us with the society of angels; yet thou receivest them, with a gracious hand, as most acceptable sacrifices, and incense of a sweet smelling savour. Let us celebrate thee, O Lord, who art great, and greatly to be praised. Let all nations praise thee, from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof. Set our hearts on fire with the flames of thy divine love, that they may wholly ascend to thee as burnt offerings, and nothing of ours may remain with us. O! blessed transmigration, where the blind confidence of the flesh is transformed into a lively and pure faith, that has no dependance, but upon thee alone, where self-love, and the love of the world, is exchanged for the love of thy infinite beauty; when our will shall centre in thine, and be altogether absorbed by it. Let this change, O bountiful Father, be brought about, for it is a change only to be effected by the power of thy hand; and, as soon as our souls are made sensible of it, thy praise shall be for ever sounded within us, as in temples devoted to thy service. Let thy whole church, O Lord, flourish and rejoice in the light of thy favour. Be favourable to this our university, city, and nation. Dispel, we pray thee, the thick clouds, and quiet the winds and storms; for when they rage most, and make the greatest noise, they know thy voice, and obey it. Thou art the only God of peace, who createst it with a word, and makest righteousness and peace mutually to kiss one another. We depend upon thee only; and to thee alone we render praise and glory, as far as we can, through Jesus Christ. Amen. EXHORTATION IV. OUR life is but a point, and even less than a point; but as it is not a mathematical point, as they call it, nor quite indivisible, when we divide it into minute parts, it appears something considerable, and assumes the imaginary appearance of a large space of time; nay, according to Aristotle's notion, it appears divisible in infinitum. Besides those common and idle divisions of human life, into the four stages of childhood, youth, manhood, and old age, and into periods of ten years, which suppose the yet smaller divisions of years and months; men have many various ways of distributing the periods of their life, according to the different occupations and studies they have been engaged in, the remarkable events that have happened to them, and the several alterations and revolutions in the course of their lives. And I doubt not, but you, young gentlemen, look upon this present instant of time, as the beginning of a new period of your life; you have my leave to do so, provided you seriously consider, at the same time, that the whole of the life, ་ |
