Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A97190
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An essay on grief: with the causes and remedies of it
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R. W.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing W91A; ESTC R232331
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41,961
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234
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Satisfaction of Mind depends not upon any of the external Enjoyments of Life for its Happiness nor is it liable to be depriv'd of it by any Accidents or Misfortunes It s Happiness is within its self and whatsoever happens from without can neither really add to it nor detract from it it s neither sollicitous nor careless about the things of Sense 't is moderate in its Desires neither tormented with Fears nor impatient in its Hopes neither anxious about Life nor afraid of Death Its Actions are always one and the same and the Great measure of them is Conscience as it is rightly inform'd by the Precepts of true Religion In a word Peace of Mind is that which prudently and chearfully performs whatever God commands and patiently bears whatever Punishments he inflicts And has also this great Perfection to perswade our Search after it that when we can once Attain it 't is our Own for Ever And this leads me to consider in the next place what are the most proper Methods we can make use of to obtain this Peace and Calmness of Mind which may support and comfort us under all Afflictions And this is what I observed in the Second place the fixing in our Minds a true Sence of Religion joined with a sincere Endeavour of living up to all the Precepts of it The main Design of Religion is to enlarge our Understandings to rectify our Wills to subdue our Lusts and irregular Passions and to wean our Thoughts from this World by proposing the Eternal Happiness of the Next that is It teaches us to walk by Faith and not by Sense To forego all these short and imperfect Pleasures for those perfect and endless Joys which all they shall have a full Possession of who by patient Continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality It endeavours to work upon our Understanding by convincing us of the Unreasonableness of being too much concern'd at any thing that may befall us here since these Afflictions which are but for a Moment if we make a good use of them will work out for us a far more exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory It shows us that what we here call Felicity is not able to satisfy us and therefore perswades and invites us to set our Affections upon that immense and everlasting Good where we shall have nothing more to desire than what we enjoy or nothing to add to our Happiness because it will be perfect For true Happiness is that which when we are once possest of there can be nothing left us to Desire because that alone is able to satisfy us For He that desires any thing above all Others will make all other things subordinate to this His chief Happiness and if he can be secure in his Enjoyment of that whatever may befal him 't is impossible he should be miserable If we could therefore make God our chief Happiness and resolve our Actions into a Conformity to His Will we may be said to be properly as Happy as this State can be capable of And though hereafter we shall receive large Additions to it yet it will be the same Happiness continued to us in a more full Enjoyment of the chief Good which could not so clearly manifest it self to us under this Veil of Flesh which in a great measure intercepts that glorious Appearance But besides Religion is not only our greatest Comfort and Support under Afflictions by laying before us the Rewards of the next Life but also the Happiness of this it hath the Promise of this Life as well as that which is to come Whatever State we are in it gives us Peace and Ease under it it makes every Condition happy because it brings Patience and Contentment along with it It makes us Enjoy that we have and keeps us from Craving what we have not in a word Godliness with Contentment is great gain How much better is it for us had we no Prospect of another Life to live at Ease and free from Troubles in this than to be continually vexing and tormenting our selves at every cross Accident that may befall us and make our Condition miserable enough in it self still more miserable by an Addition of new and unnecessary Sorrows and Troubles The Best of the Heathens though they had very uncertain and obscure Notions of another Life and were ignorant of the Rewards proposed to the Observance of God's Commandments yet in their Writings forbid the indulging our Sorrows upon a Principle of Peace and Quiet in this Life and from the Incongruity they found in them to the Actions of right Reason and to that Order Grace and Constancy that Greatness and Majesty which ought to be observed in the exact Practice of Vertue How much more ought we who have larger Degrees of Knowledge and more sublime Rules to guide our Lives by to be constant and watchful in the Duties of that Religion in the keeping of which there is great Reward In this World true Peace and Tranquillity of Mind and in the World to come Eternal Life But of all the great Branches of Religion there is none more necessary for the governing of our Lives and the supporting our weak Nature under all Afflictions than these Two First The belief and acknowledgment of a Providence And Secondly The Immortality of the Soul As to the First The Belief of a Providence is the main Foundation of all Religion And is not only the greatest Encouragement to a Holy Life but is also the true Source and Principle of all our Happiness and Comfort in this World That this Universe is governed by Almighty Wisdom and Power that all things here are under the especial Care of infinite Goodness and Mercy that they are at the immediate Disposal and Order of an Omnipotent Being and that Chance and Fortune have no management of any of our Affairs is the greatest Blessing and Happiness of Mankind What an unspeakable Satisfaction must it be to the Minds of Good Men to think that Providence is alway watching over them and that the Malice of the most Wicked Men can never do them the least Injury without God's order or permission It is a noble Saying of the Great Heathen Emperor M. Aurelius That if there were no GOD to take Care of Humane Affairs He would not desire to Live any longer in the World All the Enjoyments of this World would be very unpleasant as well as uncertain if that Harmony which is now observ'd in all the Divine Acts of Providence were chang'd into Confusion and Man now the most exalted of all sublunary Beings would become the most helpless and unhappy of all the Creatures Troubles and Calamities are unavoidable and therefore we must expect them For Man is born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward and therefore it is necessary that we should seek out for some Support under them and depend upon something that may be at all times a Comfort to us Now Comfort is nothing else but the