preserved in your Memory but this is by no means enough the great Duty to which you are most strongly oblig'd is to form and order your Profession and Practice according to their Good Example that so you may be truly like unto them The Reasons of this important Duty are as obvious as they are obliging For 1. When God doth give Holy Rulers 't is on this design that their Example might be imitated 'T is found by experience that Imitation is one of the strongest Principles of Human Nature which is more easily drawn by Example than by the wisest Reasons And especially the Practice of a Ruler or Magistrate is commonly more prevalent than any Law The true Observation of the Poet is almost in every Bodies Mouth Clau◠Componitur Orbis Regis ad exemplum [a] Cicero in his last Book de Legib. has most wisely observ'd that Vitious Rulers are most pernicious to a State saying of 'em Plus exemplo quam peccato nocent and adds that a very few Eminent Persons Vel corrumpere mores civitatis vel corrigere possunt How often is it charg'd on Jeroboam the first King of the Ten Tribes that He made Israel to Sin His idolatrous practice did infect the whole Nation But when Righteous Rulers are given to a People the Wisdom and Mercy of God provide a Remedy against Vice and a cogent Motive unto the practice of Religion For the Religious Example of a Prince or Ruler doth in a special manner adorn the Doctrine of Christ and is proper to convince the World that Piety is not a mean and dishonourable Character as many do falsly imagine that strict Religion is inconsistent with Honour and Greatness and are prejudic'd against it when they see it entertain'd by Persons of a lower Rank [a] In the early Ages of the Christian Church this was a common Objection made by the Heathens that the Christians were mostly of the meanest Rank and Condition as is related by Minut. F. Chrysost in 7 Hom. on the 1 Ep. Cor. and many others But this Objection is refuted by the Christian Example of those who have Power and Authority and therefore an Imitation of such is most reasonably urged And there want not Instances of the happy Effects which the Piety of Rulers hath produced in their Subjects as 't is related That the People of Israel serv'd the Lord all the days of Joshua who did not only lead 'em in their Wars but went before them in the Path of Righteousness Josh 24.31 Hence 't was that when God did promise to the Jewish Nation that He would restore their Judges as at the first and their Councellours c. immediately is added as the consequent of such a Blessing Afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness Isa 1.26 A II. Reason which enforces this Duty is That the imitation of Pious Rulers is the best way of honouring 'em after their death All agree that a good King or Queen ought to be honoured after their leaving of the World Many ways have been invented and still are us'd to honour deceased Rulers such as Poems and Orations publick Mourning and pompous Funerals costly Monuments and other Memorials of the dead The Gentiles were willing to build Altars and Temples and pay Divino Worship to their deceased Rulers not to mention the extravagant and absurd Methods which some barbarous Nations used [a] D. Siculus in his ◠B. relates of the Aethiopians that if any of their Kings were maimed his Friends would maim themselves and when a King died his Acquaintance kill'd themselves to honour him But as the last are altogether unlawful so the former are very doubtful and inconsiderable for they may proceed from another Principle besides true Esteem for the deceas'd But when we imitate the Piety and Vertue of a Ruler after his Death this is an infallible Testimony of unfeigned Esteem This doth erect the most lasting Monuments unto his Memory for by this means the Souls of Men become so many Shrines and Temples where he lives and inhabits after he is taken out of the World In the III. And last place The Imitation of Holy Rulers renders 'em publickly useful after their death and so doth compensate the Damage that is caus'd by their departure out of the World If the deceas'd Queen whose death we lament could be rais'd to life again this would be justly counted a publick and exceeding Gain but it will be a far greater Advantage if her Holy Example doth live after Her Her Life abstractly considered can't do such Service unto our Nation or the Protestant Interest as her Faith and Piety can do were they generally followed for these would be a far better defence and safe-guard then any Courage or Conduct then any Armies or Navies can be God himself has assur'd us That rigteousness exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 We of this Age have had a convincing Experience of the Truth of what the Psalmist has affirmed Psal 33.16,17 That no King is saved by the multitude of an Host and a mighty Man is not delivered by much strength An Horse is a vain thing for safety O that We and our Brethren could be perswaded to try this unfailing Experiment I mean the Practice of True Holiness to which God hath promised deliverance and success Isa 33.6 Wisdom and righteousness shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation To the same purpose is the known Declaration made by the blessed God Psal 81.13,14 O that my people had hearkned unto me and Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have subdued their Enemies c. But because the Imitation of Holy Examples is attended with some difficulty and the Absence of 'em after the Death of the Persons is apt to weaken their Influence the Apostle lays down a most proper Direction to assist the Performance of this Duty Considering the end of their conversation The Original word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is translated consider hath a significancy which our Language can't well express for it imports such an accurate contemplating as is us'd about the most sublime and worthy Objects accordingly a Greek Interpreter expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. very exactly reviewing and illustrates it by the Instance of a Limner who accurately views the Original The Object of this Consideration viz. The End of their Conversation is not I conceive to be restrain'd unto the very last Moment of their Life but takes in the Circumstances of their Death and the Manner how they acted their last Part when they were leaving the Stage of the World And truly there can't be a more worthy Spectacle than a Christian ready to encounter the last Enemy The Lights of the World never shine so bright and glorious as in their setting And an attentive regard unto the Exit of a Christian and the finishing of his Course will very much assist the Imitation of his Faith and Piety