among us at every meeting of Neighbour or Friends is this How do you that is are you in Health or no And the Answer Well or Ill that is in health or not As if Health were the chief or only good thing worth the enquiring after in the presence or enjoyment whereof we could not be miserable whatever else we wanted Nor in the absence happy or well whatever besides we possessed Indeed there is no taste or relish no comfort or delight in any worldly good where health is wanting and therefore it is by all Men highly valued and purchased at the dearest rate as Bishop Wilkins well observes Health is such a just temper and constitution of all the parts of the Body both solid and fluid as may inable the several Members and Faculties duly to perform their natural Functions from whence proceeds not only an indolency or freedom from Pain and Sickness but also vigor and activity alacrity and light-heartedness a pleasant and delicious sympathy in the Soul To this head I refer freedom from Bodily Pain the extremity whereof is altogether inconsistent with Happiness St. Augustine confesses That he was compelled to consent to Cornelius Celsus who affirmed Bodily Pain to be the greatest Evil. Neither saith he did his Reason seem to me absurd viz. That Man being compounded of two parts Soul and Body of which the first is the better the latter the worser the greatest good must be the best thing belonging to the better part that is Wisdom And the greatest Evil the worst thing belonging to the worser part that is Pain Whether this Reason be solid and conclusive let others judge but I fully agree with him in the Assertion That of all Evils we are sensible of in this World Bodily Pain is the sorest It drowning as I may so say and taking away the sense of all other Evils and wholly possessing the Soul It is such an afflictive and tormenting Passion such a Vultur or Tyger tearing and gnawing upon the Soul so abhorrent to Humane Nature that an excessive degree of it must needs make a Man miserable and unhappy unless we can reconcile and unite extremes the greatest Evil that Man is capable of suffering with the greatest good he can enjoy Hence the Torments of Hell are every where in Scripture set forth by consuming Fire unquenchable Fire everlasting Burnings and Hell it self called a Lake of Fire a Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone because Fire produceth the greatest Bodily Pain than which nothing is more terrible to Humane Nature and more likely to affright Men from Sin On the contrary St John in his Revelation considering the absolute inconsistency of Pain and Happiness tells us That in the New Jerusalem there shall be no sorrow nor any more Pain There is indeed a degree of Bodily Pain which may be said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not exceeding the measure of Man's Patience and there is a degree which we are not able to bear which takes up the whole Mind not suffering it to divert its thoughts one Minute to any other Object Away then with the foolish vaunts of the proud Stoicks who boast that their Wise Man is happy in Phalaris his Bull whom * Epist 52. St. Augustine thus smartly and ingeniously checks and confutes If Life may be happy in extreme bodily torment why do they advise a man afflicted with the most grievous Pains to depart out of it Why does not their Wiseman rather continue in it that he may enjoy the happiness of it Is a happy life to be forsaken and fled from But if such a Life be really miserable what else but pride hinders them from confessing it to be so You will say Did not the holy Martyrs endure the greatest Bodily Torments with invincible patience yea some of them with joy and exultation I answer 'T is true indeed they did so but then I suppose that as their Temptations and Sufferings were extraordinary so they were extraordinarily supported under them and that God as the Apostle saith did not suffer them to be tempted above what he enabled them to bear It seems to me most likely that he did quite take away or very much mitigate the sense of pain possibly by obstructing those Nerves which convey that motion to the Brain which excites such a sense or how else it seemed best to his Divine Wisdom I proceed now to prove that this Blessing is the portion of those who lead a godly Life who keep God's Commandments and abide in his Love And that 1. From the Promises of God 2. From the natural consequence of several Vertues commanded by him Such are 1. Temperance and Sobriety 2. Labor and Industry 3. A due government and moderation of our Passions 1. Health and Long Life I put them together the one for the most part being the consequent of the other are in Scripture promised as rewards to the obedience of the Commandments of God Exod. 23.25 Thou shalt serve the Lord thy God And I will take away Sickness from the midst of thee Deut. 7.15 And the Lord will take away from thee all Sickness and will put none of the evil Diseases of Egypt which thou knowest upon thee Prov. 3.7 8. Fear the Lord and depart from evil It shall be health to thy Navel and Marrow to thy Bones Prov. 3.16 It is said of Wisdom That length of days are in her right hand Psal 34.12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips that thou speak no guile Depart from evil and do good c. repeated 1 Pet. 3.10 On the other side Sickness and grievous Diseases and premature Death are often threatned as Punishments of Sin and Disobedience Deut. 28.60 61. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this Law c. He will bring upon thee all the evil Diseases of Egypt c. also every Sickness and every Plague which is nâ—t written in this Law Prov. 2.22 The wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it Prov. 11.19 As righteousness tendeth to life so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own Death 2. Health and Long Life are the natural consequents of some Vertues commanded by God As 1. Temperance and Sobriety in the use of Meats and Drinks That this is a most effectual means to preserve Health I appeal to the general consent of Physicians who are the most competent Judges in this Case all unanimously prescribing a moderate Diet not only as a principal means to continue Health but also to cure many Diseases Hence Hipocrates saith 6 Epid. Sect. 4. Aph. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The exercise of preserving health is not to eat to satiety not to be slothful in labour That a very spare and ascetick Diet conduces much to Health and long Life may be confirmed by many eminent Examples St. Paul the first
in all his works Or 2dly His glorious Majesty which manifests it self in all Excellencies and Perfections infinite Wisdom infinite Power and Might sovereign Dominion over all things in respect whereof he is worthy of all Praise and Worship So that Holy is often equivalent to great and greatly to be feared and had in reverence of all that draw nigh to him In this sense God is often in Scripture called the Holy one of Israel that is that venerable Deity who is to be worshipped by a transcendent and incommunicable Worship and his Name to be invoked with the most profound reverence and devotion When Holiness is attributed to other things besides God it signifies either 1. A relative or outward Holiness which results from a Separation from common and profane use and application to a religious God being the Sovereign Lord of all things and himself holy whatever is in a peculiar manner related to him and appertains to his Worship and Service whether Person or thing hath a kind of relative Holiness and upon account thereof an esteem and respect is due to it Or 2. An inherent or inward Holiness or perfect conformity of heart and life to the Law and Will of God Which kind of Holiness is proper only to Rational Beings You will say If Holiness be such a perfect conformity c. then no Man ever was is or shall be holy in this Mortal Life Doth not the Scripture tell us 1 Kings 8.46 There is no man that sinneth not And Eccles 7.20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin James 3.2 In many things we offend all 1 John 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And an Heathen Man could say Nemo invenitur qui se possit absolvere innocentem quisque se dicit respiciens testem non conscientiam There is no Man to be found that can absolve himself and he that saith he is innocent must respect a Witness not his own Conscience I answer It is true that perfect and sinless Holiness is not attainable by Mortal Men in this present Life and therefore God is pleased to accept of sincerity of Obedience instead of Perfection and so we may define Holiness so far as it is attainable in this imperfect state to be a sincere and constant desire and endeavour to obey God in all his Commands More than this we cannot perform and less than this God will not accept 1. This Obedience must be universal without reserve or exception of any Command Whatsoever we shall be convinced to be God's Will and our Duty we must set about it and do it be it never so uneasy to Flesh and Blood Whatsoever we shall be convinced to be contrary thereto though never so pleasing never so customary to us we must resolutely shun and avoid it God must have the whole Heart he admits no rival Zeal for one Commandment will not compensate for the breach of another We must with the Psalmist Psal 119.128 Esteem all his precepts concerning all things to be right and hate every false way 2. This desire and endeavour must be sincere and hearty we must not harbour or entertain any secret inclination to any evil way We must withdraw all degrees of Affection from whatever is sinful or unlawful or prohibited by God The love or liking of any sin or even wishing it were lawful cannot consist with the love of God which is the spring and source of sincere Obedience Quis coram Deo innocens invenitur qui vellet fieri quod vetatur si subtrahas quod timetur Ac per hoc in ipsa voluntate reus est qui vult facere quod non licet fieri Augustin Epist 121. Who can be found innocent before God who wishes that might be done which is forbidden and would do it were it not for fear of punishment c. CHAP. III. What Happiness is HAppiness in general may be defined to be the secure and constant presence and enjoyment of whatsoever is really good desirable and delightful together with the absence of whatever is afflictive and tormenting It is described by Boetius to be Status omnium bonorum aggregatione perfectus An Estate perfect by the confluence of all good things And by Cicero Secretis malis omnibus cumulate bonorum possessio An accumulated possession of good things all evil things being withdrawn The holy Psalmist himself makes the happiness of the Beatifick Vision to consist in fulness of Joy and Eternal Pleasures Psal 17. ult In thy presence there is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore And by our Blessed Saviour the happiness of Heaven is called the joy of the Lord Matth. 25. 21 and 23. Happiness is usually distinguished into Objective and Formal Objective Happiness is that Object or thing which renders us happy Formal Happiness is the union with or enjoyment of that Object The supreme Objective Happiness of Man his chief good or last end is the ever blessed Deity His Formal Happiness is the enjoyment of the Object which consists in the knowledge and love of God and that joy and delectation which naturally and necessarily flows therefrom John 17.3 And this is Life eternal that they may know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whâ—m thou hast sent You will say If the happiness of Man consists in the love of God how can holiness of life be said to render a Man happy I answer Because holiness or obedience to the Commandments of God is in effect the same thing with the love of God By the Apostle John it is made to be the very same 1 John 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Câ—mmandments And Galat. 5.3 Love is said to â—e the fuâ—filliâ—g of the Law Dr. Hammond in his Note upon John 14.15 observes that the Notion of loving God in Scripture but especially in the New Testament seems most fitly to be taken from one most eminent Act and Expression of Love amongst all Men that is doing those things which are most grateful and acceptable to the beloved Now our only way of doing things grateful to God is our performing what he commands and therefore it is consequent that our obedience to the Will or Commands of God in the highest and most perfect manner is stiled the loving of him being indeed the prime if not only way of demonstrating our love to him John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and ver 23. If any man love me he will keep my word and 1 John 2.5 He that keeps his word in him is the love of God made perfect c. Another Notion there is of the love of God viz a desire of union and near conjunction with him but this but seldom lookt upon in
the Scriptures Thus far Dr. Hammond Love is by some Divines distinguished into Appreciative and Sensible or rather Passionate Appreciative Love is such an affection whereby we prize or value any one Object above another Sensible or Passionate Love is that which hath a greater influence upon the Body and doth more strongly move and affect it Our Love to God in this state is of the first kind such an affection or disposition of Soul whereby we prize him above all things so that neither Father nor Mother nor Wife nor Child though they may more sensibly and passionately affect us are so much esteemed by us we can be content to part with them when God pleases and quietly to submit to his Will No Worldly advantage much less the gratifying any Lust can prevail with us to break any one of his Commandments CHAP. IV. Of the Division of Happiness THough the supreme and chief Happiness of Man consists in the knowledge and love of God yet there are other things which contribute to the completion of it especially in this World viz. Those which tend to the making our present condition easy and comfortable to us such as Health Wealth Friends Reputation the contrary whereto as Sickness Bodily-pain Hunger and Thirst Disgrace c. would render it grievous and unpleasant The former of these are eagerly pursu'd by a great part of Mankind as their chief good and happiness Could we therefore demonstrate and I think it not difficult to do that Holiness or obedience to God's Commands is the most effectual means to procure and secure these outward Enjoyments to us so far as there is any good in them I think we should need no other consideration to recommend a Holy Life and Conversation to all sorts and conditions of Men. Which that we may do the more clearly and satisfactorily it will be convenient to make a division of Happiness according to the several states of Man and his several parts and the particular ingredients which make up the happiness of each part in each state And because I cannot think of a better I shall make use of that of Dr. Wilkins late Lord Bishop of Chester in his Treatise of Natural Religion The Happiness then of Man is either that of this present Estate which determines at Death or that of a future Estate which commences at Death and continues to all Eternity The Happiness of this present Estate may be divided into 1. External Or that of the Outward Man Or 2. Internal Or that of the Inner Man External Happiness consists principally in 1. Health 2. Safety Liberty and Quiet 3. Riches 4. Pleasures 5. Honour and Reputation 6. Friends Under which Name I comprehend also Natural Relations As Wife and Children and Parents who are usually called so in common Speech as when we say Such a Man hath good Friends or his Friends are well to live Internal Happiness consists in the knowledge and love of God manifested by our obedience to his Commands the improvement of all our Faculties inward peace of Conscience Joy and Tranquility of Mind The Happiness of the future Estate is the clear Vision of God likeness to him and union with him by perfect love 1 John 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is This differs chiefly in degree from the precedent Before I run over these Heads in particular I shall premise two things in general First That keeping of God's Commandments is every way for the good benefit and advantage of the whole world and Mankind in general Sin which is the breach of God's Law is the only procuring and productive cause of all the Evils and Miseries Troubles and Distresses that are in the world Did Men generally obey God's Laws the whole Earth which is now for the most part an Akeldama or Field of Blood would be turn'd into a very Paradise into a Heaven Men would then beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Men who now are Wolves and Tygers one to another who bite and devouâ— one another would then be a protection and defence and mutual help one to another Whence come wars and fightings among you saith the Apostle James come they not hence even of your lusts which war in your members Running over all the Commandments of God I might easily deduce and demonstrate in particular that each of them conduces to the publick good and benefit Secondly The Commandments of God are not grievous or uneasy his Law is holy and just and good his Precepts equal and reasonable nay so sutable and agreeable to the Nature and Reason of Man that I will be bold to say They ought upon their own account to be observed and obeyed by us were there no Heaven to reward our Obedience no Hell to punish our Disobedience This is the foundation of that Stoical Doctrine That Vertue is its own Reward and that Happiness consists in the very doing of Vertuous Actions And therefore a wise Man is satisfied with the Conscience of well-doing and will not do any dishonest or wicked thing to avoid any Suffering or Torment whatsoever The reason is because God hath imprinted in our Nature an aversation from Vice and dislike of it so that we cannot but condemn our selves for doing any thing that is dishonest or unjust Se judice nemo nocens absolvitur No â—â—nocent person is absolved himself being Judge Nor can any terrour or torment acquit us from blame if to avoid it we do any vile or dishonest action But on the contrary if we resolutely stick to that which is good whatever we suffer for it we satisfie our own Consciences and rejoice in having done so and gain the approbation and applause of all Men. The Evil of Sin is greater and more to be avoided than the Evil of Pain or Suffering tho that be a great Evil too and that man be far from being happy who labours under extreme Bodily Pain especially if without hope of deliverance Such a Man's very Being would be a Burthen to him it being a true saying Praestat non esse quà m miserum esse Better not to be than to be miserable But our gracious God hath not put us off with such a Reward as this which notwithstanding the Apostle saith of the Christians of his time That if in this life only they had hope they would be of all men the most miserable but hath promised to recompence our Obedience with Eternal Life and Happiness and particularly our Sufferings for his Cause and for Righteousness sake with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory And for our encouragement hath permitted us to have a respect to this recompence of reward as Moses that Man of God and others of his Servants mentioned Heb. 11. had CHAP. V. Of Health HEalth is a Blessing so necessary to our Well-being in this World that without it we cannot enjoy any thing else no not our own selves And therefore the common salutation
Friendship affords us we reap many and great Benefits from it As 1. Faithful Counsel and Advice which is of great moment in any doubtful Matter it being true Plus vident oculi quà m oculus Many Eyes see more than one Or any Matter of weighty concernment wherein it is not safe to trust to our own Judgments Prov. 27.9 Ointment and perfume rejâ—ice the heart so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel How great comfort must it needs be to have one whom we may securely unbosom our selves to and trust with a Secret to whom we may open our Griefs disburthen our Minds and so find ease and relief 2. Seasonable Reproof This saith the Author of the Whole Duty of Man is of all others the most peculiar Duty of a Friend I might add the greatest benefit he can bestow upon his Friend it being indeed that which none else is qualified for Such an unwilingness there is in most men to hear of their faults that those that undertake that Work had need have a great prepossession of their Hearts to make them patient of it Of the absurdity and unreasonableness of this unwillingness to be reproved Cicero saâ—th very well Atque illud absurdum est quod ii qui monentur eam molestâ—am quam debent capere non capiunt eam capiunt quâ debent carere Peccâ—sse enim se non anguntur objurgari mâ—lestè ferunt quâ—d câ—ntra oportebat delicto dolere objurgatioâ—e gaudere It is absurd that they which are admonished receive not thence the trouble which they ought to have but that which they ought to want For they are not sorry that they have sinned but they take it ill that they are reproved Whereas on the contrary they ought to grieve for their Offence but rejoice for their Reproof 3. Condoleance and Coâ—solation in any Adversity Affliction or Suffering as Sickness the Death of any near Relation or Friend loss of Worldly Goods by Fire Shipwrack Innundation Invasion of Enemies or the like He that condoles with his Friend in such Accidents doth as it were bear pâ—rt of his Burthen and by consolatory Considerations strengthens his Spirit and enables him to support it And there is great need of this to some Natures which otherwise are in danger to be oppressed and overwhelmed with Grief and even distracted by such Calamities 4. Relief and Supply of Want in case of Poverty and Necessity a true Friend as well as a Brother is born for adversity and will rather rejoice in contributing liberally to the support of his Friend than desert him or deny his assistance In this case Friends may be a snare to us tempting us to put our confidence in Man rather than God and to think our Security greater in the multitude of friends than the providence and protection of God 5. Prayers to God for us recommending us to him for all Blessings both Spiritual and Temporal Now all true Friendship is grounded upon Vertue Virtus amicitiam gignit contiâ—et nec sine virtute Amicitia ullâ— pacto esse potest Cic. de Amicitia Virtue doth both beget and maintain friendship nor can there possibly be any frienship without Vertue True friends are such as sincerely desire and endeavour each others real good both spiritual and temporal but such friendship cannot be contracted and continued but only between persons truly religious that love and fear God We cannot expect fidelity and the benefits before recited from any but those who are so qualified And those that are so their friendship is courted by all Men and who so happy as they that can get an interest in it CHAP. XI Of the Happiness of the Inward Man I Proceed now to treat of the Happiness of the Inner Man the Soul or Spirit and that consists in the love of God and of our Neighbour whatever makes the Soul happy must be suitable and agreeable to the Nature of it Now the Soul is a spiritual substance and therefore its Objective Happiness must be so too The Soul is immortal and therefore the Object which makes it happy must be of eternal duration The Desires of the Soul are very vast and extensive nay infinite and therefore not to be satisfied but by an Infinite Good From the Love of God flows an universal Obedience to all his holy Commandments John 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words It is the nature of love to desire and endeavour to please and gratifie the Party beloved And therefore he that loves God will labour to please him by doing those things that are acceptable to him and right in his sight The Love of God will add Wings to his Soul and constrain him to run the ways of his Commandments which will no longer seem grievous or burthensome to him but pleasant and delightful yea eligible were they proposed to his chioce in competition with the short and unsatisfactory Pleasures of Sin Now Holiness of Life and Obedience to the Commandments of God hath the proâ—ises of all good things both for the Soul and Body for this Life and a better Psal 84.11 He will give gâ—ace and glory and nâ— good thing will â—e withhold from them that liâ—e uprightly Psal 34.10 They that fear the Lord shall nâ—t want any good thing Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for goâ—d to them that love God 1 Tim. 4.8 Godliness is profitable to all things having the promises of the Life that now is and of that which is to come Moreover those that love God cannot but be happy because they that love him shall be beloved of him both of the Father and of the Son John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be beloved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him And again v. 25. If a man love me my Father will love him aâ—d we will come to him and make our abode with him God is the fountain of Happiness whatever good is in the Creature it came from him and is but a Beam of his Light Whatever is in the Creature in a limited restrained imperfect manner is in him without limitation without restriction without imperfection He both can and will make them whom he loves as happy as they are capable of being God is the only Object that deserves the highest degree of our Love and he requires it And therefore it is as well against our Duty as our Interest to deny it As for the Love of our Neighbour that is commanded us by God Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self repeated Matt. 22.9 1 John 4.21 And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his Brother also From this immediately flows the performance of the Duties of the Second Table That great Rule of doing to others as we would they should do to us in like case and the contrary of not doing to others that we would not should be done to us are necessary