one the other is Dead The Works of Love are the End of all Miracles and more Blessed then they Nay Love is the End of Faith as well as it is of the Law for the Apostle saith The End of the Commandment it Charity out of a pure Heart and of a good conscience and of Faith unfeigned It is the End of the very Creation of the World of all Gods Labors and Endeavours of all his Ways in all Ages all the faculties and powers of the Soul the very End of the Redemption of Mankind the End of the Jewish Oeconomy under the Law the End of all the Dispensations of Grace and Mercy under the Gospel the End of our Saviours coming down into the World the End of all his Miracles Tears and Blood the End of the Holy Ghosts appearing upon Earth the End of all the Means of Grace and in some sort the very last End of all Rewards and Punishments whatsoever The everlasting Continuance of this Love is the End of Eternity it self in a manner and if our Love be not the End of GODS Love his is of ours And if the Truth be deeply inquired into the Intermixture is so sweet that his is the End of ours ours of his For he Loveth us with the Love of Benevolence that we may Love him and he desires to be beloved of us that he may Love us with another Kind of Love distinct from the former even that of Complacency Which Love of Complacency is the Crown of ours and so Delightful to us that it is the very End of our Desire and begetteth in us a new Love of Complacency fitly answering his unto us NOW if Love be the End of all the laws Works and Ways of GOD of all our Saviours Labours and sufferings of our souls and Bodies of the whole Creation of all the Endeavours and Desires of the Deity in all the Dispensations of his Grace and Providence there must be something in its Nature Equivalent to all these Transcendent Undertakings to justifie the Wisdom that selected Love for its Sovereign Object for it is the office of Wisdome to suit the means and their End together so that the Excellency of the one may be worthy of all the Cost and Difficulty of the other For it is a foolish thing to pursue a base and feeble End by Glorious and Wonderful Methods because its Vileness will Disgrace the Design and with it their Beauty their very Grandure will be absurd where their Issue is but contemptible The Apostle therefore telleth us that Love is the fulfilling of the Law and that it is the Bond of Perfectness And pursuing its properties a little more Ample he saith Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envyeth not Charity Vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the Truth beareth all Things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Charity never faileth c. IT is one noble Effect of Charity that it suffereth afflictions cheerfully and patiently for the sake of its Beloved Another is its Kindness to its Object its sweet and Courteous inclination to do all manner of Good Another for which it is highly valuable is that it envieth not the Felicity or Glory of its Beloved but taketh Pleasure to see it far higher and greater then its own is not apt to vaunt and brag of its Perfections but hath an humble Esteem of all its Atchievments doth not behave it self in distasteful manner but studies and designes the Honour Benefit and satisfaction of its Object But that which of all other is its greatest Perfection is that it seeketh not its own it is not Mercenary or self ended but truly Generous and Heroick in its Performances It Sacrificeth it self and all its interests to the Advantage of its Object it preferreth the person it Loveth above it self desires its Exhaltation and delights in its Glory more then its own It is not easily provoked because it puts the best sence upon all that is done by its Object Thinketh no evil is not suspicious or malevolent or censorious but frameth honourable and fair Ideas of all that is thought or done by its Beloved Hateth all Impurity that may displease its Object all black and crooked Apprehensions that may wrang and disguise it beareth all with Hope and Equanimity because it believeth its Object to be Good and Wise till it must of necessity change its Opinion and entertain a Judgement tending to its condemnation It is no longer Charity then but dislike and aversion when it ceaseth to think well of its Object for it is another Principle or distinct in Nature from Love as its Actions are from the Actions of Love the diversity of the Effects evidently proving a Difference in their Causes THE Quality by which Charity rejoyceth in the Truth is an incomparable excellence and commendation of its Nature Because the Truth is GODS infinite Goodness and Love and Providence which are exercised in preparing Delights and Treasures for his Beloved The truth is the Felicity and Glory of the Soul And if it be true that all Eternity is full of Joys and all the World enriched with Delights that a man is infinitely beloved of GOD and made in his Image on purpose that he might enjoy all the Best of all possible Treasures in his similitude he may well rejoyce in the Truth because no Truth can be greater or more delightful than that himself is exalted to the Throne of GOD and ordained to live in Communion with him BUT that Quality by which the Soul believeth and hopeth all things that concern the Honour and Fidelity of its Beloved is yet more acceptable and delightful than the former For a good opinion of the Nature and Intention of the Person with whom we are united is the Basis and Foundation of all our Respect the Cement of our Peace and the Life and Soul of all that Honour that is paid unto him The very Grace and Beauty of all our Conversation dependeth upon it and if it be true that we are more to love GOD for the intrinsick Perfections of his Essence then for all his Gifts the chief Business of our Knowledge is to Frame glorious Apprehensions of his Nature and to Believe him in all things so Kind and Wise that he is True and Faithful in all his Declarations and most fit to be Honoured in all the Dispensations of his Providence because he is ever mindful of his Protestations and Promises For then we can believe that all things shall work together for our Good can safely trust our selves and all that is ours in his hands resign our selves up to his Disposal with Joy and say Thy Will be done for it is Holy Good and acceptable Thy Will alone is of all other Wilis most Perfect and Desirable There are on Earth indeed more nice Emergencies many Obscurities and
they are freely given are not to be despised THAT which I desire to teach a man is How to make a Good use of all the Advantages of his Birth and Breeding How in the Increase of Riches and Honors to be Happy in their Enjoyment How to secure himself in the temptations of Affluence and to make a man glorious in himself and delightful to others in Abundance Or else if Affliction should arise and the State of Affairs change how to triumph over adverse Fortune and to be Happy notwithstanding his Calamities How to govern himself in all Estates so as to turn them to his own advantage FOR tho felicitie be not absolutely perfect in this World nor so compleat in Poverty as in a great and plentiful Estate you are not to believe that wealth is absolutely necessary because sometimes it is requisite to forfeit all for the sake of Felicity Nothing is absolutely necessary to Bliss but Grace and vertue tho to perfect Bliss Ease and Honour be absolutely necessary THERE are many degrees of Blessedness beneath the most Supream that are transcendently Sweet and delightful And it sometimes happens that what is most bitter to Sence is pleasant to Reason RATHER then make Shipwrack of a good Conscience we must do as Mariners in a storm cast our riches over board for our own Preservation It is better losing them then our selves VERTUE is Desirable and Glorious because it teacheth us through many Difficulties in this Tempestuous World to Sail Smoothly and attain the Haven CHAP. II. Of the Nature of Felicity its Excellence and Perfection THE Peripateticks so far forth as they contemplated the Nature and Estate of man in this World were Wise in defining the Goods of the Body Soul and Fortune to concur to Mans perfect Happiness For Difficulties and Conflicts are not Essential to the Nature of Bliss nor confistent with the fruition of its fulness and Perfection THERE is the Way and the journeyes end IN the Way to Felicity many things are to be endured that are not to be desired And therefore is it necessary to make a Distinction between the way to Felicity and the Rest which we attain in the end of our Journey THE Goods of the Soul are absolutely necessary in the Way to Happiness the Goods of the Body are very convenient and those of Fortune Commodious enough But the latter of these are not with too much eagerness to be pursued THE Goods of the soul are wisdom Knowledg Courage all the Virtues all the Passions Affections Powers and faculties And these you know are absolutely necessary THE Goods of the Body are Health Agility Beauty Vivacity Strength and Libertie and these shall in Heaven it self together with those of the Soul he enjoyed By which you may discern that the Goods of the Body are real Parts and Ingredients of Happiness THE Goods of Fortune are food and Rayment Houses and Lands Riches Honours Relations and Friends with all those convenient Circumstances without the Body that are subject to chance By which vertue is assisted and of which a noble use may be made in Works of Justice Hospitality Courtesie and Charity which may redound to our greater Felicity here and in heaven THE more Honor and pleasure we enjoy the Greater and more Perfect is our present Happiness Tho many times in the Way to Felicity we are forced to quit all these for the Preservation of our Innocence GALLANT Behavior in flighting all Transitory things for the Preservation of our Virtue is more conducive to our future Perfection then the greatest ease imaginable in our present condition IT is incumbent upon us as a special part of our Care to take heed that we be not ensnared by the easiness of Prosperity and that we do not set up our Rest in the Way to Happiness nor deceive our selves in thinking the Goods of Fortune Essential nor discourage our selves by thinking it impossiable to be Happy without them Our Thoughts and Affections must be always disentangled that we may run with Alacritie the Race set before us and close with the Sublimest Perfection of Bliss as our only portion and Desire FELICITY is rightly defined to be the Perfect fruition of a Perfect Soul acting in perfect Life by Perfect Virtue For the Attainment of which Perfection we must in the Way to Felicity endure all Afflictions that can befall us For tho they are not Parts of Felicity themselves yet we may acknowledge them great Advantages for the Exercise of Virtue and reckon our Calamities among our Joys when we bear and overcome them in a virtuous Manner because they add to our Honor and contribute much to our Perfection both here and hereafter FOR this purpose we are to remember that our present Estate is not that of Reward but Labour It is an Estate of Trial not of Fruition A Condition wherein we are to Toyl and Sweat and travail hard for the promised Wages an Appointed Seed Time for a future Harvest a real Warfare in order to a Glorious Victory In which we must expect some Blows and delight in the Hazzards and Encounters we meet with because they will be crowned with a Glorious and joyful Triumph and attended with ornaments and trophies fa r surpassing the bare Tranquillity of idle peace WHEN we can cheerfully look on an Army of Misfortunes without Amazement we may then freely and Delightfully contemplate the Nature of the Highest Felicity ARISTOTLE never heard of our Ascension into Heaven nor of sitting down in the Throne of GOD yet by a lucky Hit if I may so say fell in point blanck upon the Nature of Blessedness For a perfect fruition by perfect virtue is all that can be thought of It implies our Objective and our formal Happiness OBJECTIVE Happiness is all the Goodness that is fit to be enjoyed either in GOD or in his Creatures while Formal Happiness is an active Enjoyment of all Objects by Contemplation and Love attended with full Complacency in all their Perfections PERFECT Fruition implies the Perfection of all its Objects Among which GOD himself is one Angels and Saints are next the World also with all the variety of Creatures in it the Laws of GOD and his wayes in all Ages his Eternal Counsels and Divine Attributes are other Objects of our Content and Pleasure Unless all these be perfect in their Nature Variety Number Extent Relation Use and Value our fruition cannot be simply perfect because a Greater and more perfect fruition might upon the production of better Objects be contrived and no fruition can be truly perfect that is not conversant about the highest things The more Beautiful the Object is the more pleasant is the enjoyment But where Delight may be increased the Fruition is imperfect A Perfect Soul is a Transcendent Mystery As GOD could not be Perfect were it possible there could be any Better Essence then he so neither would the Soul be perfect could any more Perfect Soul be created IT is a Soul
ensue it for the Eyes of the Lord are over the Righteous And who is he that will harm you if ye be followers of that which is Good The only sure Way to live happily here upon Earth is to joyn all kind of Vertues together and to let them work in season according to their several Natures WHAT the efficacy of Prudence is may be seen in friendship in the Regiment of States and Kingdoms in the Rule and government of Private Famelies He that is fitted for all these is an Excellent Person IT is the office of Prudence in all Estates to find out the Temper of those with whom we are to deal and so to suit the Exercises of all Vertues with their several Humours as may make their Operation consistent with our own Repose and their Benefit without infringing our Duty IN Friendship it often falleth out by reason of the spiritual Sickness of those to whom we relate that we must either make shipwrack of Fidelity and a good Conscience or run the Hazzard of losing our Friend by displeasing that we may be Profitable to him There is no Duty so necessary as that of free and faithful Reproof no Duty so nice as this A Good man Knows it is incumbent upon him and yet is very Averse from the Discharge of it It is as Troublesome to himself as to the Person that needs it T is difficult to be done well and so unpleasant to both Here Prudence comes in and deviseth expedients for all Inconveniences and with a strange facility scatters all Doubts and Fears Three Things it discovers to be necessary in the foundation of the Business Three in the Superstructure and Three in the Conclusion He that reproves well must shew a great respect and Tenderness to the Person a necessity of the Discharge of that Duty his Aversness to it and how Nothing but his Perfect Love could make him undertake it The foundation of the Success is laid by these Provisions In the Superstructure he must consider whether it be best to be done merrily or severely by a Brief Hint or a strong Enlargement according to the Temper and Degree of the Person He must chuse out the Best Opportunities and consult the Honour of him he reproveth And if he be displeased and grow angry at the Liberty he must in the Close of all bear it patiently surmount it with Courtesie and pursue him with Kindness He that rules his own Passion is Master of another mans He must needs win him and Melt him For no man thus dealt with is so very a Beast as to be angry long Or the mischief is when he that reproveth miscarrieth in some of these Rules especially the last for there are few so prudent as not to be exasperated with the Affront that is put upon their kindness and Fidelity when they are injured for their Good Will few so discreet as to consider which way their patience and Meakness are to be made the Instruments of Amity and Happiness IN the Management of Empires and Kingdomes Prudence hath a vast and Mighty Province to reign in A Good King when he designs the extirpation of Vice and the Establishment of Righteousness and pure Religion meets with many Rubs and Obstacles in his Way all which are sweetly and easily by Prudence removed His Great encouragement is the Beauty of Religion and the Assistance of GOD. For he Knows very well that Equity and Piety are such Glorious Things that tho few practice them as they ought to do yet all admire them GODLINESS and Honesty need nothing but to be maintained and assented by the Prince when they are once countenanced by authority all the Enemies of Religion are confounded and dare not lift up their face against it Wise an Holy men may easily be exalted and are more capable of Exaltation then others As they are more faithful when they are in power they will be more Grateful to the Prince and more Obliging to the people and in all Respects more able to serve them both The Good will secure the Throne and exalt the Kingdome Prudence in such a work Knows where to begin and where to end by what steps and Degrees to proceed what Instruments to use how to Oblige and how to Awe whom to Oblige and Awe where to remit the Rigor of the Law and where to be severe The Truth is Prudence consists most in attempting the Business for it will go on and is ever waited with success when undertaken A King that is so Wise as to design and endeavor the Refurmation of his Nation must needs be Prudent GOD has assured him The Throne is established by Righteousness When it Goeth well with the Righteous the City rejoyceth and when the wicked perish there is shouting By the blessing of the upright the City is exalted but it is overthrown by the Mouth of the Wicked IN Families the force of Prudence is prodigious Some men by the assistance of this Vertue live more happily upon a mean state then others upon Thousands they have more respect among their Servants more honour among their Neighbors more plenty at home more Authority abroad more peace comfort every where then Men forty times above themselves in State Grandure Its first care is to be Wary in the Choise of Servants For they that are good act well by Nature and have little need of Force and compulsion Its next Business is to oblige them which is done by a religious example which instilles a Reverence a strict prohibiâ—â—tion of all Debauchery a sweet and affable Behaviour a plentiful Provision for their comfortable Subsistence a prudent connivance at smaller faults a Distribution of Rewards as well as punishments for the Encouragement of their Vertues a meek and Gentle reproof of their Faults a kind acknowledgment of their Good deserts which is a cheap and easie kind of payment yet more Obliging then any Dry gift of Gold or Silver A prudent man will so demean himself in his Family as to make himself cordially beloved of all so ordereâ— his affairs that the Services of those about him shall be like Preferments By which Means it will first come to pass that he shall have his choise of servants because it will be esteemed a Blessing to be with him and in the next place their service will be mingled with respect and Love They will befaithful as well for his sake as their own In the Midst of all this his Prudence will guid him to take a strict account and to make all his Servants see it is impossible to cheat him Thus in all Affaires Prudence happily demeans it self and of this Gift especially is that of solomon to be understood A gift is as a precious stone in the hand of him that hath it whithersoever it turneth it prosporeth FOR the Foundation of all kind of Prudence you must remember that he that winneth Souls is Wise. Mens Hearts are the stars by whose Influences the affairs of