Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A66057
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A sermon preached before the king, upon the seventh of March, 1668/9 by John, Lord Bishop of Chester.
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Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing W2209; ESTC R7501
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10,448
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40
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this Rectitude of Mind whereby a Man is resolved in every condition to do that which shall appear to be his Duty before any External Greatness whatsoever There are two kind of Virtues amongst all the rest which are by General consent esteemed Venerable and such as do advance the Reputation of those who are endowed with them namely Wisdome Courage Because they have a more intrinsick rise and do less depend upon External advantages but seem rather to be rooted in the Inward Frame and Temper of Mind and withal are most beneficial both to our Selves and Others The former signifying a Man to have those Intellectual Abilities which are proper to his kind whereby the Humane Nature is to be distinguished from other things The other because it argues a Rectitude in the Will and a Power to subdue the Passion of Fear which is most natural to our present state of Infirmity and withal doth support a Man against Difficulties and inable for those two Services of Doing and Suffering as he ought And for this Reason the Vices that are opposite to these are amongst all others counted the most shameful There being no greater Reproach to be cast upon any one then to be esteemed a Fool or a Coward Now a Man that is Irreligious cannot justly pretend to either of these Virtues 1. For Wisdome This is so essential to Religion that in the Scripture-phrase especially in the Writings of David and Solomon they boty go under the same Name and there is very good reason why it should be so because there is such an intimate agreement between the Natures of them The Philosopher doth define Wisdome to consist in an ability and inclination to make choice of the right Meanes in the prosecution of our true End And nothing can inable a Man for this but Religion both as to the Subordinate End of Temporal Happiness in this World but chiefly with respect to that great and Supreme End of Eternal Happiness in the World to come 2. And then for Courage 'T is not possible for a Man to be truly Valiant unless he be withall truly Religious He may be bold and daring and able in a fearless manner to rush upon any danger but then he must stifle his Reason from considering what the Consequences of things may be what shall become of him hereafter if he should miscarry There being no man whatsoever so totally free from the Apprehensions of a future state but that when he is serious and considerate he must be startled with Doubts and Feares concerning it So that there cannot be any rational sedate deliberate courage but only in such as have some good hopes of a better Estate in the other World And 't is Religion only that can inable a Man for this 3. I proceed to the Third kind of Argument to this purpose from Experience By which I mean that Practical Knowledge which every man may attain by his own Observation of the usual course of things in the World And by this it will appear that no kind of persons have been more highly Reverenced in the Hearts and Consciences of others then those that have been most eminent for their Virtue and Religion which hath been alwayes true both with respect to Publick Communities and Private Persons First For Nations If we consult the Stories of former times we shall find that saying of Solomon constantly verified That Righteousness doth exalt a Nation but Sin doth prove a reproach to it And more especially the sin of Irreligion and Prophaness As this doth increase in any Nation so must the Honor and Reputation of that Nation decrease The Roman Empire was then at the highest as to its Name and Greatness when it was so as to its Virtue when they were most punctual in observing the Rites of their Religion though that were a false way of Worship most Heroical in their Justice Courage Fidelity Gratitude then it was that they deserv'd to Govern the World and to be had in greatest Honor above all other Nations And not only Tully and Polybius two Heathen Writers who upon that Account might be thought more partial But St. Austin also and Lactantius two of the Fathers do ascribe the flourishing of that Empire when it was at its height to the Religion and Piety and Vertue of those times And as they did afterward degenerate from this so did they decline likewise in their Greatness and Honor. 2. Thus also hath it been with particular persons Amongst the Heathen What Elogies do we find in the Honor of Socrates Aristides Cato Epictetus The latter of which though but a poor Slave had yet such a Veneration paid to his Memory that his Earthen Lampe by which he was wont to Study was after his Death sold for 3000 Drachms Nor was it otherwise amongst the Christians The Apostles were but poor Fishermen Illiterate Mechanicks Many of the Martyrs were but of mean condition much Opposed and Persecuted in the World And yet these Men during the time of their lives were highly Reverenced amongst those that knew them and since their Deaths what can be more Glorious then that Renown which they have amongst Men when the greatest Kings and Princes will not mention their Names without Reverence when whole Nations are willing to set apart and to observe Solemne Dayes and Festivals in Honor of their Memories And as it hath alwayes been thus formerly so I appeale to every mans breast whether it be not so now Let them but examin what their Inclinations are towards such Persons whom they believe to be truly Virtuous Not only to such amongst them as are their particular Acquaintance and Friends but likewise to Strangers nay to very Enemies whether they do not esteem and love them and will well to them I shall crave leave to speak briefly to two Objections that may be made against what I have been Proving I. The Scripture saith speaking of good Men That the World shall revile and persecute them and speak all manner of evil against them Our Saviour himself was despised and rejected of Men And his Apostles were used as the rubbish and off-scouring of all things To these two things may be said by way of Answer First It cannot otherwise be expected but that when a New Religion is to be set up men must be highly concern'd in their opposing of it and of those that promote it And the fore-cited Texts do particularly relate to this very case when Christianity was first introduced into the World and to be propagated by the Sufferings of those that Professed it which being an exempt case and not according to the usual course of things therefore these Texts are not equally aplicable to other Times and Places when and where the True Religion hath obtained and Kings prove Nursing Fathers to it Secondly Those that knew our Saviour and his Followers did highly Honor them And as for others that were ignorant of them and not sufficiently convinced of their goodness