publickly burnt at the Interment To which I conceive the Preacher alludes Eccles. 7. 1. where he says A good name is better than precious oyntment and the day of ones death than the day of ones birth When one cometh into the World none knows how he may prove if he do well in it he goes out with this publick testimony After which the Jews never mentioned such persons without a blessing on their memory But above all others the Primitive Christians were very observant this way They saw it was the will of their Lord and Master that the good work which was done upon him by Mary should be kept in perpetual memory and is therefore recorded in the Gospel They saw how the works of Dorcas were shewn at her death the Coats and Garments which she made for the poor They saw what need there was of great Incentives in those days when Christianity was a most dangerous Profession It is of no small force to make men love a Religion when they see it infuses excellent Principles that it excites so suitable practises that it is proof against suffering and death And the experience of that power it hath in some provokes and animates others to the same Upon these and the like considerations and perhaps with allusion to that Text where S. John is said to have seen the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar They had their Memorias Martyrum their places of Worship where they placed the Altars over the bodies of their Martyrs What with any intention to worship the Martyrs It was so suggested by the Adversaries and as vehemently denied by the Christians of those times By those of Smyrna in the undoubted acts of Polycarpus We cannot say they worship any other than Christ We love the Martyrs as being followers of Christ We celebrate the days of their passions with Joy We do it both in remembrance of those Champions of God and to train up and prepare others for the like conflicts Besides this which was peculiar to the Martyrs they had a lower degree of remembrance for Bishops and Confessors and all other eminent persons departed this life whom they not only praised in Orations at their Funerals but writ their names in their Diptychs or two-leaved Records which contained in one page all the names of the Living in the other the Dead that were of note in the Church All these were recited in the Communion-Service Where as the Living for themselves so for the Dead came their Friends and gave Oblations and Alms. Which before they were distributed among the poor were first offered up to God in a prayer like that which we use for the Church Militant here on Earth These Doles were their only Sacrifices for the dead Only Alms to the poor with which sacrifices God is well-pleased And their prayers were not for any deliverance from pains unless the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Apostles and Virgin Mother of Christ were in the same pains too and needed the same Deliverance For they were all mentioned alike and together as it is to be seen in the ancientest Liturgies Among all these Innocent Offices and Rites of the Primitive Christians was there any thing of prayer for souls in Purgatory Was there any thing of prayer to Saints departed this life Was there any foundation for those superstitious Observances Of adoring their Reliques of Prostration to their Images of Pilgrimage to their Shrines of making Vows of saying Masses of Offering to them and the like The Papists say there was they plead the practice of the Church for it they wrest places of Scripture to their purpose Nay the Rhemists and others alledge this very Text without which I should not have mention'd them at this time But as the Learnedst men among themselves have been so just not to charge this upon my Text and some of them confess they have no ground for these things in any one Text of Canonical Scripture So they would do us but right to acknowledg that none of these things was practis'd for some hundreds of years after Christianity came into the world In those Primitive times all their Offices for the Dead were either to give Testimony of that Faith in which they died and that death had not dissolv'd their Communion with the Living or they were to bless God for their holy Life and happy Death or to Pray to him not for their deliverance from Purgatory of which there was no Faith in those times but for the Increase of that Good which they believ'd them to be possest of already or for the Attainment of that farther good which they thought they were sure of namely for their speedy and happy Resurrection for their perfect discharge at the day of Judgement for the Consummation of their bliss with their own in the Kingdom of Glory Not to say how the Fathers differ among themselves in these particulars or how many of these particulars are omitted in the Roman Church as well as ours it is enough that here is nothing makes for them but much against those their Errors and Corruptions All that is agreed on all hands or that we find in the Practice of the first Ages being sufficiently contain'd in those Offices of our Church in the prayer for the Church-Militant in the Collect on All-Saints day and in the Office for the burial of the Dead where we pray That it would please God of his gracious goodness shortly to accomplish the number of his Elect and to hasten his Kingdom that we with all those that are departed in the true faith of his holy Name may have our perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in his everlasting glory Lastly Remembrance in Action is the other duty enjoyn'd in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitate their Faith that is their Christian profession and practice their whole Life and Conversation according to their own belief of that word which they have spoken The Reason of this duty is plain for it is our business in this world to recover the Image of God in which he created us to be like him here in Righteousness and Holiness that we may be like him hereafter in Glory and Happiness To this End God has given us those Lineaments of himself which are written sufficiently in our Nature but more fully and distinctly in Scripture In which Scripture he so oft and so vehemently requires us Be ye Holy as I am Holy be ye Just as I am Just be ye Merciful as I am Merciful be ye Pure as I am Pure be ye Perfect as your heavenly Father is Perfect This good Word of God which was given by the Prophets and Apostles is still inclucated on us by them that speak to us the word of God Which Office being primarily of Bishops as appears in my Text They are first and above all others to conform themselves to it to shew others how possible and how practicable it is Our Apostle suppos'd this in
Goodness Justice Faithfulness p. 135. Chap. XI Of the Perfections belonging to the Powers and faculties of Acting viz. Power Dominion Distribution of future Rewards and Punishments p. 143. Chap. XII Concerning the Duties of Religion naturally flowing from the consideration of the Divine Nature and Perfections And first of Adoration and Worship p. 176. Chap. XIII Of Faith or Affiance p. 189. Chap. XIV Of Love p. 200. Chap. XV. Of Reverence and Fear p. 216. Chap. XVI Of Active Obedience to the Laws of God p. 227. Chap. XVII Of Passive Obedience or Patience and submission to the Will of God p. 239. SECOND BOOK Of the Wisdom of Practising the Duties of Natural Religion Chap. I. SHewing in general how Religion conduces to our happiness p. 285. Chap. II. How it conduces to our present Happiness in this world And first to the happiness of the Outward-man 1. In respect of Health p. 314. Chap. III. In respect of Liberty Safety and Quiet p. 324. Chap. IV. In respect of our Estates and Possessions Riches p. 330. Chap. V. In respect of Pleasure or the chearful enjoyment of outward blessings p. 344. Chap. VI. In respect of Honour and Reputation p. 353. Chap. VII How Religion conduces to the Happiness of the Inward-man As it tends to the perfecting and regulating of our Faculties and to the Peace and tranquility of our minds p. 372. Chap. VIII How Religion conduces to our Happiness in the next World p. 388. Chap. IX The conclusion of the whole shewing the excellency of the Christian Religion and the advantages of it both as to the knowledg and practice of our Duty above the mere Light of Nature p. 394. THE FIRST BOOK Shewing The Reasonableness of the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion CHAP. I. Concerning the several kinds of Evidence and Assent I Intend by Gods assistance in this First Book to treat concerning the Reasonableness and the Credibility of the Principles of Natural Religion in opposition to that Humour of Scepticism and Infidelity which hath of late so much abounded in the world not only amongst sensual men of the vulgar sort but even amongst those who pretend to a more than ordinary measure of wit and learning In my entrance upon this work I am sensible of what ill consequence it may be to lay the stress of a weighty cause upon weak or obscure Arguments which instead of convincing men will rather harden and confirm them in their Errors And therefore I cannot but think my self obliged in the management of this Argument to use my utmost caution and endeavour that it be done with so much strength and perspicuity as may be sufficient to convince any man who hath but an ordinary capacity and an honest mind which are no other qualifications than what are required to the institution of men in all kinds of Arts and Sciences whatsoever In order to this I judg it expedient to premise something concerning the several kinds and degrees of Evidence and Assent and to lay down some common principles which may serve as a foundation to the following Discourse The several ways whereby men come to the knowledg or belief of any thing without immediate Revelation are either by such Evidence of things as is more Simple relating to the Senses Outward Inward Understanding arising either from the Nature of the things in themselves Testimony of others concerning them Mixed relating both to the Senses and Understanding I. By Senses I mean those faculties whereby we are enabled to discern and know such particular objects as are present These are either 1. Outward by which we can apprehend external objects as when we see or hear or touch any thing presented to us 2. Inward by which we can discern internal objects and are conscious to our selves or sensible both of the impressions that are made upon our outward senses and of the inward motions of our minds namely our apprehensions inclinations and the power of determining our selves as to our own Actions and by which we can at any time be assured of what we think or what we desire or purpose II. By Understanding I mean that faculty whereby we are enabled to apprehend the objects of Knowledg Generals as well as Particulars Absent things as well as Present and to judg of their Truth or Falshood Good or Evil. That kind of Evidence may be said to arise from the nature of things when there is such a Congruity or Incongruity betwixt the Terms of a Proposition or the Deductions of one Proposition from another as doth either satisfie the mind or else leave it in doubt and hesitation about them That kind of Evidence is said to arise from Testimony when we depend upon the credit and relation of others for the truth or falshood of any thing There being several things which we cannot otherwise know but as others do inform us of them As namely matters of fact together with the account of Persons and Places at a distance Which kind of Evidence will be more or less clear according to the authority and credit of the Witness Besides these there is a mixed kind of Evidence relating both to the Senses and Understanding depending upon our own observation and repeated trials of the issues and events of Actions or Things called Experience These are the several kinds of Evidence whereby we attain to the knowledg or belief of things The kinds of Assent proceeding from them are reducible to these two Heads I. Knowledg or Certainty which may be distinguished into three kinds which I crave leave to call by the names of Physical Mathematical Moral II. Opinion or Probability I. That kind of Assent which doth arise from such plain and clear Evidence as doth not admit of any reasonable cause of doubting is called Knowledg or Certainty 1. I call that Physical Certainty which doth depend upon the Evidence of sense which is the first and highest kind of Evidence of which humane nature is capable Nothing can be more manifest and plain to me than that I now see somewhat which hath the appearance of such a colour or figure than that I have in my mind such a thought desire or purpose and do feel within my self a certain power of determining my own actions which is called Liberty To say that we cannot tell whether we have Liberty because we do not understand the manner of Volition is all one as to say That we cannot tell whether we see or hear because we do not understand the manner of sensation He that would go about to confute me in any of these Apprehensions ought to bring a Medium that is better known and to derive his Argument from somewhat that is more evident and certain than these things are unless he can think to overthrow and confute that which is more plain and certain by that which is less plain and certain which is all one as to go about to out-weigh a heavy body by somewhat that is lighter or to attempt the
more And yet though it be their interest to believe this though they make it their study and business to perswade themselves and others of it it may reasonably be doubted whether ever yet there hath been so much as one person that hath hereby become absolutely free from these fears But for the most part those who would have them esteemed vain and imaginary without any foundation in nature these are the persons who are most assaulted with them Hi sunt qui trepidant ad omnia fulgura pallent So powerful and unconquerable are these impressions and therefore Natural 2. The second Reason I proposed to speak to was from the necessity of this Principle to the right government of mens lives and actions in this world and the preserving of society amongst them Nothing can be more evident than that humane Nature is so framed as not to be regulated and kept within due bounds without Laws and Laws must be insignificant without the sanction of Rewards and Punishments whereby men may be induced to the observance of them Now the temporal Rewards and Punishments of this life cannot be sufficient to this end and therefore there is a necessity that there should be another future state of happiness and misery All the Rewards and Punishments of this life are to be expected either from the Civil Magistrate who by virtue of his Place and Calling is obliged to the duty of distributive Justice Or else from Divine Providence according to that most usual course which we find by experience to be observed by him in his dispensation of these temporal things Now neither of these can afford sufficient motives for the government of mens lives and actions 1. Not all that may be expected from the Civil Magistrates because there may be many good and evil actions which they cannot take notice of and they can reward and punish only such things as come under their cognizance And if this were the only restraint upon men it could be no hinderance from any such mischiefs or villanies which men had the opportunity of committing secretly Nor would it extend to those who had power and strength enough to defend themselves from the Law and escape the penalty of it but that such might without any kind of check or fear follow the inclinations of their own appetites Nor would it afford any remedy in the case of such wicked Magistrates as should invert the order of their institution proving terrors to well-doers and encouragers to those that do ill 2. Not all that may be expected from common Providence For though it should be granted that according to the most usual and general course of things both virtuous and vicious actions are rewarded and punished in this life yet there may be many particular cases which this motive would not reach unto namely all such cases where a mans Reason shall inform him that there is far greater probability of safety and advantage by committing a sin than can be reasonably expected according to his experience of the usual course of things in the world by doing his duty Suppose the case of the three Children or of any other called to Martyrdom who may be threatned with torments and death unless they will blaspheme God and renounce their Religion if it appear to them very probable suppose a hundred to one that upon their refusal their persecutors will really execute what they threaten And if on the other side it prove very improbable suppose ten thousand to one that they shall be delivered by a Miracle In such cases it is not to be expected that the consideration of the ordinary course of Providence in the dispensation of Rewards and Punishments should be sufficient to restrain a man from any kind of Blasphemy or Villany whatsoever But the thing I am speaking to will more fully appear by consideration of those horrid mischiefs of all kinds that would most naturally follow from the denial of this Doctrine If there be no such thing to be expected as happiness or misery hereafter why then the only business that men are to take care of is their present well-being in this World There being nothing to be counted either good or bad but in order to these Those things which we conceive to be conducible to it being the only duties and all other things that are cross to it being the only sins And therefore whatever a man's appetite shall incline him to he ought not to deny himself in it be the thing what it will so he can have it or do it without probable danger Suppose it be matter of gain or prosit he is disposed to if he can cheat or steal securely this will be so far from being a fault that it is plainly his duty that is reasonable for him to do Because it is a proper means to promote his chief end And so for other cases of anger hatred revenge c. According to this principle a man must take the first opportunity of satisfying these passions by doing any kind of mischief to the person he is offended with whether by false accusation and perjury or if need be by poysoning or stabbing of him provided he can do these things so as to escape the suspition of others and humane penalties Now let any man judg what Bears and Wolves and Devils men would prove to one another if every thing should be not only lawful but a duty whereby they might gratifie their impetuous lusts if they might either perjure themselves or steal or murder as often as they could do it safely and get any advantage by it But these things are so very obvious and undeniable that the most prophane Atheistical persons do own the truth of them And upon this they are willing to acknowledg That Religion and the belief of another life is a very politick invention and needful for the well-governing of the world and for the keeping of men in awe from the doing any secret mischiefs Which by the way is a concession of no small advantage to the honour of Religion considering that it proceeds from the greatest professed enemies to it Whereby they grant that it is fit these things should be true if they are not or at least that it is fit that the generality of men should believe them to be true And though themselves pretend to believe otherwise yet are they not so far out of their wits as to be willing that those with whom they converse their Wives and Children and Servants should be of the same opinion with them because then they could have no reason to expect any safety amongst them What security could any man have of his Estate or Honour or Life if such with whom he is most familiar and intimate might think themselves at liberty to do all the secret mischiefs to them which they had the opportunity to commit But there is one thing more which those who profess to disbelieve this principle should do well to consider and that
versatione si non quicquid fieri potest pro futuro habes das in te vires rebus adversis quas infregit quisquis prior vidit In that various change and revolution of events which we behold in the world if we do not look upon possible dangers and troubles as future we do thereby strengthen our adversaries and disarm our selves When we see at any time the losses and imprisonments or poverty or funerals of others we ought presently to reflect this may be our case Cuivis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest One loses husband wife children estate We ought from all such spectacles to infer that though this be not at present yet it may shortly be our condition and accordingly by expectation to fortifie our selves against it Hic nos error decipit hic effoeminat dum patimur quae nunquam pati nos posse praevidimus Aufert vim praesentibus malis qui futura prospexit This is the error which doth deceive and effeminate men whilst they suffer such things as they did not expect and are not prepared for It breaks the force of evils when they come to foresee they will come 5. Often reflect upon your former experience That will be a means to prevent all despondencies to work in us hope and confidence There is no man so mean and inconsiderable if he will but take an impartial view of what he hath formerly seen and observed concerning Gods dealing with himself and others but may upon this account find reason enough to allay all murmuring discontented thoughts We have frequent examples to this purpose in Scripture Jacob David Jehosaphat the Apostle St. Paul in several places who all have had recourse to this remedy when they would strengthen themselves against discontent and despondency And I suppose there is scarce any serious man of so little experience but hath taken notice of and can remember how some crosses and disappointments have in the issue proved mercies and benefits to him And if it have been so formerly why may it not be so again 6. And lastly Labour after those particular vertues which are of near affinity to this of patience whereby it will be very much strengthened and promoted There is a certain chain of them mentioned Gal. 5. 22 and styled by the Apostle the fruits of the spirit as belonging more particularly to the spirit of Christianity The first is Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which beareth all things and endureth all things The next is Joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a chearful temper of mind in opposition to moroseness and frowardness Then Peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a composedness and sedateness of spirit free from all inordinate perturbations and without any kind of itch of quarrelling with others And next Long-suffering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the mind is not easily provoked or tyred but is easily appeased Then Gentleness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generosity benignity which signifies ' a mind most ready to part with any thing towards the help and relief of others in their necessities Then Goodness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. such an equal and ingenuous simplicity of manners whereby men are rendred easily tractable and placable and most amiable in the whole course of their conversations Then Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a dependance upon God for our support and deliverance Then Meekness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby we put a restraint upon our anger so as not to be provoked for any lesser cause or in a greater measure or for a longer time than may be fitting for the occasion always preserving our minds free from any sudden gusts of passion And lastly Temperance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continence whereby we contain all our passions with their just bounds either of joy in the affluence of things or of grief in the loss or of desire in the want of them A mind that is modelled and prepared with these kind of virtues will thereby be rendered generous and couragious fit for the undergoing of any kind of trouble or suffering which the providence of God shall think fit to call a man unto I have now done with the First thing I proposed to treat of namely The Reasonableness and Credibility of the Principles of Natural Religion in which I have endeavoured to establish the belief of Gods being to clear the natural notions of his Excellencies and Perfections and to deduce the obligation of Moral Duties from the belief and acknowledgment of the Divine Nature and Perfections THE SECOND BOOK OF THE Wisdom of Practising the Duties of Natural Religion CHAP. I. Shewing in general how Religion conduces to our Happiness I proceed now to the second Part of my design which was to shew The Wisdom of Practising the Duties of Natural Religion In which I shall endeavour to convince men how much it is upon all accounts their chief happiness and interest to lead a religious and virtuous course of life Solomon who is so much celebrated in Scripture for his wisdom and knowledg hath purposely written a Book the main argument whereof is to enquire wherein the chief happiness of man doth consist And having in the former part of it shewed the insufficiency of all other things that pretend to it he comes in the conclusion to fix it upon its true basis asserting every mans greatest interest and happiness to consist in being religious Let us hear the cnclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his commandements for this is the whole of man That is the serious practice of Religion is that which every considerate man after all his other disquisitions will find to be his chief interest and that which doth deserve his utmost care and diligence And because these words of Solomon do so fully express that which is to be the main argument of my following discourse I shall by way of preface or introduction to it more particularly consider the commendation which he here gives to the practice of Religion in that full and significant expression this is the whole of man Which words are by the Septuagint and Vulgar thus rendered this is All or Every man The word duty which is supplied by our English being not in the original or in other Translations This ought to be the way and course of all mankind so the Targum This is the course to which every man is designed so the Syriack This will be most profitable and advantageous to men so the Arabick Hoc est totum hominis This is the whole of man so some of our later Interpreters mosg properly to the scope of the place it being an usual Enallage in the Hebrew totius universalis pro toto integrante All for Whole So that according to these various interpretations of the words they may contain in them a threefold reference To the Essence the Happiness the Business of man According to which the sense of them must be that Religion or the fearing of God and keeping his
adjuvans promote all such things as may most effectually conduce to the improving of our health by obliging us upon the account of duty and conscience to a careful observance of the most proper means to this end Keeping us within due bounds in our eating drinking exercise preserving our minds in an equal frame of serenity and calmness supporting our spirits with contentation and chearfulness under every state of life so that nothing can be more true than that of Solomon That A cheerful mind doth good like a medicine and makes a healthy countenance whereas heaviness and cares will break a mans spirit and make it stoop I know there are other means to be made use of in order to the procuring of health various kinds of Medicaments to be applyed by the art of Physick according as the nature of several diseases shall require which Religion doth oblige a man not to neglect But yet this I think may be truely said That those who are most expert in the profession of Physick are not able to prescribe any Catholicon which shall more effectually operate both by way of prevention and cure than the observance of those duties which Religion and virtue do oblige us unto Nor is this true only in Theory and Speculation but it may appear to be so upon common experience to which I shall appeal for the further confirmation of it What kind of persons are those who enjoy the best state of health and the longest lives Are they not such generally who are most sober and regular in their conversations most temperate as to their bodies most free from all kind of inordinate passions fierceness anxiety cares as to their minds 'T is said of Moses that though he were exceeding old yet his eye was not dim nor was his natural force abated Which amongst other causes may be ascribed to those eminent virtues he was endowed with the temperance of his body and meekness of his spirit That beloved Disciple whose thoughts and writings seem to be wholly taken up with the Divine virtue of Love is upon account of this temper of his mind thought to have enjoyed a more vigorous old age than any of the rest Such a power is there in Religion though not wholly to prevent the infirmities of old age yet in a great measure to alleviate and abate them And on the other side if we consult experience Who are the men most obnoxious to diseases are they not such generally as are most vicious in their lives most given to surfeits debaucheries and lewdness whereby they do so far inflame their blood and wast their spirits as not to live out half their days Insomuch that no man of ordinary prudence who is to take a Lease for lives will be content if he can well avoid it to chuse such a one whom he knows to be vicious and intemperate But these things are so obvious to common experience that I need not enlarge upon them Only I would not be mistaken I do not say that none of those are Religious who are liable to diseases and are taken away in their younger years or that all such are religious who are free from diseases and live to old age Some may be naturally of so tender and brittle a make that every little blow will break them others of so tough and strong a constitution as to hold out against many batteries and assaults and yet neither of these to be ascribed either to the vices of the one or the virtues of the other but do rather belong to their condition and temper which being natural and not falling under the choice of our wills is not therefore capable of any moral good or evil Besides there ought allowance to be made as I said before for such exempt cases as shall seem good to the providence of God in the government of humane affairs Some good men may be taken away from the evil to come others may be exercised with diseases in their bodies for the cure of their minds or to make their patience and courage exemplary to others And some that are good men for the main may yet by their own carelesness in using the fittest means for the preservation of their health expose themselves to sickness none of which can be any prejudice to the thing I have been proving This being that which I affirm that so far as the infirmities of our natural tempers are capable of remedy by any thing in our power It is the observance of the duties of Religion that doth for the most part and generally prove the most effectual means to this purpose Which is all I shall say to the first thing I proposed to speak to concerning the health of our bodies CHAP. III. How Religion conduces to the happiness of the outward man in respect of Liberty Safety and Quiet SEcondly Religion is the most proper means to procure our external safety liberty quiet By safety I mean a freedom from those common dangers and mischiefs which others are exposed to By liberty the being at our own disposal and not under bondage restraint imprisonment By quiet an exemption from those many molestations and troubles by reason of disappointments enmity contentions whereby the conditions of some men are rendered very burdensome and uncomfortable I put these things together because of their near affinity to one another Now Religion is both the moral and the natural cause of these things 1. 'T is the moral cause of them upon account of that divine protection and assistance which the light of nature will assure us we are intituled unto in the doing of our duties besides the many assertions and promises in Scripture to this purpose of being protected in our ways and secured in times of danger If you will keep my statutes ye shall dwell in the land in safety Whoso hearkeneth to me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from the fear of evil There shall no evil happen to the just but the wicked shall be filled with mischief The Lord delivers the righteous out of all their troubles When a mans ways please the Lord he will make his enemies to be at peace with him 2. 'T is the natural cause of these blessings by preventing or removing all such things whereby the contrary evils are occasioned The most usual and general cause of mens sufferings is from the neglect of their duty and the violations of law they are obnoxious to the punishments of banishment imprisonment loss of goods or of life upon the account of some illegal irreligious acts murder theft sedition injuring of others needless contentions medling in other mens affairs where they are not concerned 'T is observable that in the legal form of inditing men for crimes our Law doth ascribe their guilt to their want of Religion their not having the fear of God before their eyes which doth dispose them to commit such acts as makes them obnoxious to legal punishment Now nothing can so
be of it The House of God where there are many mansions But streight is the gate and narrow is the way to it An hid Treasure a pretious Pearl Not to be obtained without putting such a value upon it as will make a man ready to part with all that he hath for the purchase of it A penny The wages of our daily service not to be given but to such as labour in the vineyard and hold out to the end A Feast or rich supper which they are altogether unworthy of and unfit for who do wholly devote themselves to the affairs of this world The Joy of our Lord and Master which they only are admitted to who are careful to improve the Talents they are intrusted withal The solemnity of a royal wedding from which all lazy slothful people who have not oyl in their lamps and do not watch for the coming of the Bridegroom shall be shut out and excluded into outter darkness 'T is a Prize which they only obtain who accomplish their race and run to the goal 'T is a Crown which is due only to such as fight valiantly and overcome 'T is an Inheritance and therefore belongs only to sons 'T is an Inheritance of the saints and therefore unsanctified persons can have nothing to do with it 'T is an inheritance of the saints in light and therefore cannot belong to such as still remain under the powers of darkness Heaven may be considered under a twofold notion either as a State Place 1. In the first sense 't is the same with Holiness consisting in such Godlike dispositions as may make us partakers of the Divine nature 2. In the second sense It denotes that other world where we hope to enjoy the beatifical vision in the blessed society of Saints and Angels Which Religion only and Holiness can qualify us for by working in our natures such a suitableness and congruity as must make such things to be felicities In brief That Salvation and Glory which the Christian Religion doth so clearly propose to us is as to the nature and essence of it but the very same thing with Religion consisting in such a conformity of our minds to the nature of God whereby we are made capable of the fruition of him in Heaven So that in this respect also Religion is the Whole of Man that is the whole Happiness and well-being of man doth depend upon it I have now dispatcht what I intended in this Discourse namely to prove the Reasonableness and Credibility of the Principles of Natural Religion which I have made appear to be in themselves of so great evidence that every one who will not do violence to his own faculties must believe and assent unto them I have likewise made it plain that 't is every mans greatest Interest to provide for his present and future happiness by applying himself to the Duties of Religion which upon all accounts will advance the perfection of his nature and promote his true wellfare both in this world and the other Insomuch that if we were to chuse the Laws we would submit unto it were not possible for us to contrive any rules more advantageous to our own interest than those which Religion doth propose and require us to observe upon pain of everlasting damnation and in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye hath promised to all those who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality CHAP. IX The Conclusion of the whole shewing the excellency of the Christian Religion and the advantages of it both as to the knowledg and practice of our duty above the meer light of Nature I Have now at large considered the Credibility of the Principles of Natural Religion and our obligation to the several Duties resulting from those Principles The purpose of all which is to shew how firm and deep a foundation Religion hath in the Nature and Reason of Mankind But not in the least to derogate from the necessity and usefulness of Divine Revelation or to extenuate the great blessing and benefit of the Christian Religion but rather to prepare and make way for the entertainment of that Doctrine which is so agreeable to the clearest dictates of Natural light For notwithstanding all that hath been said of Natural Religion it cannot be denyed but that in this dark and degenerate state into which Mankind is sunk there is great want of a clearer light to discover our duty to us with greater certainty and to put it beyond all doubt and dispute what is the good and acceptable Will of God and of a more powerful encouragement to the practice of our duty by the promise of a supernatural assistance and by the assurance of a great and eternal reward And all these defects are fully supplied by that clear and perfect Revelation which God hath made to the World by our blessed Saviour And although before God was pleased to make this Revelation of his Will to mankind men were obliged to the practice of moral duties by the Law of Nature and as the Apostle speaks having not the Law were a Law to themselves shewing the effect of the Law written upon their hearts yet now that God hath in so much mercy revealed his Will so plainly to mankind it is not enough for us who enjoy this Revelation to perform those moral duties which are of natural obligation unless we also do them in obedience to Christ as our Lord and Law-giver As we are Christians whatever we do in word or deed we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus and by him alone expect to find acceptance with God How far the Moral virtues of meer Heathens who walk answerable to the light they have may be approved of God I shall not now dispute Only thus much seems clear in the general That the Law of Nature being implanted in the hearts of men by God himself must therefore be esteemed to be as much his Law as any positive Institution whatsoever And consequently conformity to it must in its kind in genere morum be acceptable to him God loves the societies of mankind and because of the necessity of justice and virtue and probity to the preservation of humane society therefore he doth generally give a blessing and success to honest and good enterprizes and blasts the contrary with signal judgments and marks of his displeasure But we cannot from these outward dispensations infer any thing certainly concerning such mens eternal conditions Some of the Fathers indeed as Justin Martyr and Clemens Alexandrinus and Chrysostom have delivered their judgments for the salvation of such Heathens as live according to the light of Nature But the general stream of the rest is for the contrary opinion I shall not now enquire into the particular grounds and reasons of this difference It may suffice to say in general that the goodness and mercy of God as well as his
in detestation of his Memory Such is generally though not always the curse of God that pursues wicked men Whereas contrariwise it is the Promise of God to the Just that they shall always be had in remembrance Psal. 112. 6. And that their memory shall be blessed as far as known Prov. 10. 7. Promises which as all other of Temporal things are to be understood with reservation to the Divine Oeconomy to that wisdom of God which orders all things in the Government of the world It becometh not the Majesty of him that governs all things to break his course and to work Miracles upon every particular occasion 'T is enough that he generally provideth that the same thing may be done otherwise and declares it to those by whom it ought to be done If they do it not if there be a faileur in them his Promise is not void his word is not broken since it was given with that Condition Which being not performed by them that were to have done it he can make reparation to those that suffer by it yea he hath done it already in this that he hath given them that which this typifies And what if they fall short of the shadow when they have the substance in a better and true Immortality The mean while we see what is required on our parts As the servants of God out of that store which he hath given us We are to pay what he hath promised good men 'T is that which all naturally desire but wicked men shall not attain only to the just God hath promised that we shall remember â—â—em and he commands that we should do it especially for good Bishops departed this life Our remembrance of them doth not differ in kind but in degree from what we owe to the memory of others 'T is a duty we are to pay them above others in our Thoughts in our Affections in our Words and in our Actions and Lives First in our Thoughts 't is not a simple remembrance that God requires for that being an act of the sensitive soul as I conceive doth not directly fall under precept For it is not in our power to remember or forget either what or when we please But it is in our power to do those acts which conduce to the exciting or to the helping of our memory This is that which God requires at our hands that we should endeavour to turn our minds towards such objects and contemplate in them the gifts and graces of God that as oft as we think of them we should acknowledg that good which was in them and which we have received by their means That we should pay them that honourable esteem which we owe to our spiritual Parents and Benefactors If we think upon them heartily in this manner it will work something upon our Affections We cannot but be sensible of the want of such men and therefore grieved for our loss when they are taken from us as the Asian Bishops were at those words of St. Paul when he said they should see his face no more Though God intend it for their gain whom he takes to himself and he takes them in that time which suits best with their Circumstances Yet even then we have cause to grieve for our selves and for the Church who are deprived of the presence and use of such men How much more when for ought we know they are taken away for our sins When for ought we know it was because the age was not worthy of them For ought we know 't is in order to some judgment of God which will come the sooner when they are gone when we have filled up the measure of our iniquities When Elijah was taken away in a very evil age Elisha cryed out O my Father my Father the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel What will become of Israel now thou art gone We dare not think so highly of any one man We have no such cause to despond of our Nation When it is bad we are to do our parts to make it better to pray that God would send more Labourers into his Harvest that he would double his gifts and blessings on those that are left And for those we have lost we must resign them to God both acknowledging his bounty in giving them to us and submitting to his will in taking them to himself So S. Bernard on the death of his Brother Gerard Lord says he thou hast given and thou hast taken away though we grieve that thou hast taken away yet we cannot forget that thou didst give him Yea we owe not only submission to God but thankfulness too for their sakes who are delivered by this means from so great and such manifold evils as continually hover about us in this life From sickness and pain from labour and danger from sorrow and fear and care and what not being delivered from Sin which is the Cause and from that Flesh which is the Center of all this They are past all evils else that have overcome Death They leave sorrow to us who call our selves the living Their life the only true life is immutable Joy eternal Rest Peace and Felicity Which if we seriously believe if we desire to be with them we cannot sorrow for our loss without joy for their gain and thanksgiving on their behalf to that good God who hath given them the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But thus much we owe upon the death of every true Christian though of never so mean a rank and condition We are to be thankful to God for his mercies and to profess it as we are taught in the Offices of our Church which have the same words of burial for the meanest of our communion as for those that are highest in their Graces and Gifts But there is a remembrance in Words that is due to these and not to the other namely the due praise of those their excellent Graces and Gifts which though they have not of themselves but through the bounty and liberality of God who is therefore to be chiefly respected and glorified in all the praise that we give to his creatures Yet since he is pleased to do them this honour above others and to make choice of them whom he so dignifies we are bound to allow it them we are to follow Gods choice to give them praise whom he hath so qualified for it Only with this care that we do it truly not to flatter the dead and profitably for the example and imitation of the living We have so much reason to do this that they who had only reason to guide them the Gentiles upon the death of any eminent persons had Orations made publickly in their praise The Jews without any particular Law for it had honour done to the Memory of Worthy persons at their Funerals 2 Chron. 32. ult The Rites of it are partly described 2 Chron. 16. 14. They laid their dead in a bed full of the richest perfumes which also were