IV.

may make all that I have commanded thee SER M. i. e. All that have a natural Genius to fuch Arts as are neceffary to the Work, I have called, or moved by a fecret Inftinct, to help and affift in it: And to enable them to forward it with Expedition and Exactnefs, I have endued them with extraordinary Wifdom and Understanding, fuch as they could not, in their prefent Condition, by the utmoft Stretch of their human Wit or Ingenuity, acquire.

This is enough to explain the Text as far as the Occafion and Meaning of it is concerned. As to the Difference in the Sense of the Words, Wisdom, and Understanding, and Knowledge, which fome Commentators pretty much labour; and who Bezaleel and Aboliab were, any further than what the Text fays of them; and particularly whether Hur, Aboliab's Grandfather, was the fame with that Hur, who, together with Aaron, held up Mofes's Hands in the Wilderness, Exod. xvii. 10, &c. when the Ifraelites fought against Amalek, and vanquished him, and who is thought by fome to have been

*Vid. Paul. Fagium in Locum. Et Buxtorf. Hiflor. Arca,

C. 2. n. 3.

+ Vid. Rivet. & Patric. in loc.

K 2

the

SER M. the Husband of Miriam, the Sifter of Moses;

IV.

These are Points which the Ufe I design to make of the Words does not at all require me to determine. The reafon of my making Choice of them for my Text, is the Teftimony they give of the Affiftance and Aid which the Holy Spirit of GOD fometimes vouchfafes to Men in the Exercife of their worldly Profeffions and Trades; from whence I would willingly take Occafion to suppose, that whenever Men fhine or excel in any Calling or Art, they only reflect Rays that originally defcend from Heaven.

It is true the Text fpeaks of an extraordinary Inspiration, which the Exigency of the Cafe made neceffary then, but which Artificers, that have human Means of Instruction, are not ordinarily to expect. But still we may infer from it, that there is an ordinary Affistance from the Spirit of GOD, vouchfafed to every Man in his Calling or Employ, provided it be but honeft and juft. For fince all lawful and useful Profeffions whatever tend more or lefs to the promoting and carrying on God's great, and universal, and harmonious Scheme, of conducting and convoying Men fafely and commodiously through a World where we have fuch abundant Needs

to

IV.

to fupply; we may be fure that his own SER M. Concurrence and Aid will always be ready to quicken and facilitate any Endeavours of Men to the Furtherance of the fame good Purpose and End. I would therefore conclude, that the Spirit of GOD, which in Bezaleel and Aboliab was to be seen in fuch Strong and visible Lines, may be difcerned in Miniature in every Artist engaged in the fame or any other Employ, though not fet to work by fo immediate a Call, or fo directly in the Service of GOD. And if you will allow this Conclufion to be juft, I then would make use of it to fupport the two following Obfervations, or Heads, which I propose for the Subject of the Remainder of my Dif course, viz.

I. FIRST, That Mens Skill, Understanding, and Excellence in any Profeffion, Calling, or Art, is to be attributed to the Divine Affistance and Aid, by whofe Holy Spirit it is infpired or infused.

II. SECONDLY, That the several different Occupations, Employments, and Trades, of Ufe in Life, are Ways which GoD appoints to Men, to render them helpful and benefi

SER M. cial to one another, and ferviceable to him

IV.

felf.

My Introduction having run out into a pretty large Length, my Time won't permit me to be fo full on thefe Heads as at first I defigned; I must therefore confine myself to fome general Remarks, and then close the whole with a practical Application, in which I shall have an Eye to the Reason of my fixing on this particular Subject, upon the Occafion of my ftanding here at prefent,

I. FIRST then I am to observe, that the Skill, and Understanding, and Excellence of Men, in any Profeffion, Calling, or Art, is to be attributed to the Divine Affiftance or Aid, by whose Holy Spirit it is inspired or infused. That this was the Cafe of Bezaleel and Aboliab, and of thofe that worked under them in the forming the Tabernacle, and the Utenfils belonging to it, and the holy Garments appertaining to the Priests, my Text itself fufficiently proves. That this was, however, an extraordinary, and indeed a miraculous Cafe, we have already allowed; the Circumftances of the Time and Place requiring, that they who, in fuch Emergency,

could

IV.

could have no other Instruction or Help but SER M. what must come immediately from Heaven, should be favoured with greater Affiftances from thence, than Men in no fuch Need or Neceffity. But this (as I have obferved) is no juft Reason why we fhould confine the Interpofitions of Providence to fuch extraordinary Cafes alone: On the contrary, it is much more confonant to our Notions of the Divine Goodness, to fuppofe, that even in the most ordinary Cafes it is ready to help; though where we are able to do something of ourselves, we are not to expect that Providence fhould do all. Where our own Diligence, and Induftry, and Application can acquire or improve any Art or Knowledge we defire to study or profefs; there we are not lazily to fit down, and wait till they are infpired, but with Labour and Pains to apply. and exercise our own Faculties and Powers, and to make what Progress and Advances we can, by the Help and Affiftance of ordinary Means. And when we have thus been just to ourselves, we may then, with the better Affurance, hope, that GOD will alfo do his Part by us. He will help our natural Abilities first, to try what Effort they can make; and then if any thing truly needful prove be