consequences of loving our Neighbour as our selves If we loved him as our selves we would wish him as much good and do him as much good as we do to our selves We would willingly that other Men should do their Duties to us shew us all kindness and be helpful and beneficial to us in all our Wants and Necessities and why because we love our selves Had we the same love to them it would have the same effects We would do the same good to them that we desire from them To instance in the particular Commands Children Subjects and Inferiors would yield to their Parents Magistrates and Superiors all that Honour Reverence and Obedience which themselves would expect and desire from their Inferiors were they in the same Relations and Circumstances No Man would willingly have his own Body killed or wounded or any way tormented and put to pain because no Man ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as the * Eph. 5.29 Apostle speaks Did he then love his Neighbour as himself he would be so far from injuring him in that kind that he would not suffer others to do so if he could help it Every Man is jealous of the Loyalty of his Wife and impatient of having his Enclosure invaded and made common because he sets a high value on her Love and Fidelity and looks upon it as a great dishonour as well as an injury done him to be robbed of it Think we then he would offer such an abuse and wrong to his Neighbour did he love him as himself and were as tender of his Reputation as his own Did Men love their Neighbours as themselves there would be no need of Locks and Bars to secure their Goods from rapine and surreptions by Thieves and Robbers because there would be no such so that every Man might lie down securely and there would be none to make him afraid Love is so far from invading another's right that it is liberal and communicative and willing rather to part with its own The like if it were needful might easily be shewn in the rest of the Commandments relating to our Neighbour It remains now that we speak of the Effects and Consequents of a Holy Life upon the Soul or Inward Man They are I. The regulating and exalting of our Faculties and inabling them for their proper Functions II. The Peace Tranquillity and Joy attendant to and consequent thereupon 1st As for the regulating and exalting of our Faculties they are 1. The Vnderstanding 2. The Will 3. The Affections 1. The Vnderstanding As Sin and Vice doth stupifie and blind it and disable it to judge aright so the Commandments of God when obeyed do enlighten it and enable it to discern and approve things that are excellent Psalm 119.98 Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than miâ—e enemies for they are ever with me v. 99. I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation v. 100. I understand mâ—re than the aâ—cients because I keep thy precepts Psalm 111.10 A good understanding have all they that do his Commandments 2. The Will The Perfection whereof consists in a perfect resignation to the Will of God and true liberty that is freedom from the Bondage of Sin and Corruption from the slavery of Satan from the dominion of every vile Affection Wicked Men are real Slaves and Vassals to their Lusts This the very Heathen acknowledged as Cicero and Horace Juvenal Persius and others From this Bondage the Son of God delivers us John 8.34 Our Saviour saith Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin And v. 36. If the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed 3. The Affections or Passions The Law of God requires and commands us to moderate and rule them to place them upon their proper Objects and to keep them within their due bounds and good reason there is we should hold a strict hand over them Animum rege qui nisi paret Imperat. If they be given way to and the Bridle let loose they become the great disturbers of Mens peace quiet and tranquillity Anger Hatred Envy c. What storms and tumults do they raise in the Breast what mischievous imaginations do they excite what plotting and counterplotting of revenge breaking out many times into railings revilings opprobrious Language bitter Curses and Execrations they toss the Mind to and fro as contrary Winds do the Sea causing it to cast up Mire and Dirt. On the contrary where the Passions are duely governed and moderated kept within their proper bounds and channels the Soul is calm and serene and fit for any Employment or Exercise Civil or Religious 2dly The Happiness of the Inward Man consists in that peace joy and tranquillity that is attendant upon or consequent to our obedience to God's Commands 1. Pleasure and Delight attends the performance of our Duties Vertuous and Pious Actions are agreeable to the Nature and Inclinations of good Men It is as grateful and pleasing to a good Man to do good as to an hungry Man to eat or a thirsty Man to drink It is as great a satisfaction to his Rational Inclinations as those other are to the sensual Appetites Nothing can be more delightful and welcome to a generous Mind than an opportunity of shewing it self grateful to Parents Friends and Benefactors and making ample returns to those by whom he hath been obliged for the favours received Nothing more acceptable than to be employed in worthy Actions especially such as tend to promote publick good the peace and prosperity of our Country or Mankind in general The Heathen Poet could say Dulce decorum est pro Patria mori It is a sweet and comely thing even to die for ones Countrey Which yet I suppose is too high a flight or pitch of Charity for a Heathen to attain to and that there must be something of glory to carry them so far To overcome Evil with Good and return Kindnesses instead of Injuries thereby melting the Hearts of our Enemies and making them our Friends is certainly a more pleasant thing and much more for our peace and ease than revenging our selves of them To return good for evil is a Godlike quality our Saviour commanding us to love our enemies and to do good to them that hate us c. to engage us thereto proposes God's Example who causes his sun to shine on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Who is kind unto the unthankful and the evil Cicero in his Gratulatory Oration to Caesar for M. Marcellus makes him that forgives Enemies and restores them to their former Dignities like to God Non ego illum summis viris comparo sed Deo similem judico 2. Peace and joy and confidence towards God is a necessary consequent of Obedience to his Commandments 1 Joh. 3.21 If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God and whatsoever we
laying its Mouth as St. Augustin teaches me to speak to the Spring of all Happiness do more than taste the sweetness of it We may expect to have it fill'd with those delicious Pleasures which we know attend on Love and which in that State will be proportionable to the greatness of the good that is embraced and to the strength and ardency of the embracement And whereas here in this World Men are apt to love beyond all reason whereby their Love becomes adulterate and is mix'd with so many discontents thâ—t it proves but a bitter sweet there our Understanding will be in its full growth and highest pitch so that as nothing which is reasonable shall be omitted to be done nothing likewise shall be done that is unreasonable This Love will be grounded upon the clearest Judgment this Flame kindled by the purest Light so that there shall be no trouble or disquiet in it but perfect rest and peace And whereas in this World Mens Affections flow to things that are not near so big as themselves i. e. as their own Desires and so they languish and faint and fall sick even in the enjoyment of the best good it affords because they find it is not a supply proportionable to their want or to their expectation There will be no such emptiness or want of satisfaction in those Coelestial Enjoyments because we shall embrace not only our proper good but that which is commensurate to our desires and beyond our hopes Our Affections will not fall then upon that which cannot sustain the whole weight of them but feeling themselves born up to the greatest height of Love by a good so full that it will leave no room for complaint or uneasiness they will enjoy the most solid rest and satisfaction Do but conceive them in your Minds what a pleasure it is here in this Life to love and to be beloved and you will have some notion whereby to take a measure of the Life we are speaking of which will consist in such mutual Love and delightful correspondencies And they who have neither Father nor Mother Wife nor Children near Kindred nor Relations whereon to place their Affection let them consider if they have but a singular Friend what the pleasure is that two persons who sincerely and purely love take in the sweet Company and Conversation of each other Or if I must suppose any Man to be so unkind and so unhappy as to have no love for any body but his own self let him think what contentment he hath and how he is pleased if he can arrive any thing near to a quiet enjoyment of his dear self And such a delightful state may be a small Image of Heaven where holy Souls will love God with a far greater flame than ever they did or shall then love themselves because he will appear infinitely more lovely and to bear also a far greater love to them than it is possible for them to do to themselves Now none can tell how transporting it will be to a good Soul when it fâ—els it self the beloved of God as well as full of love to him because we cannot think how great the Love of the Almighty is unlesâ— we could know how great he is himself This is a thing that cannot fail to have a strange power over our affections and to master them so that we shall be quite taken out of our selves for we all extremely love to be beloved If any Neighbour shews us an unexpected and undeserved Kindness we are apt to think he is the best person in the World And the poorest Wretch in the World if we see in him the undoubted signs of an hearty love to us we cannot chuse but requite it with some expressions of kindness back again nay if a Dog or such a dumb Creature do but fawn upon us or delight in our Company and with a great deal of observance follow us wheresoever we go we cannot but be so far pleased with this inclination towards us as to make much of it and to be troubled to see any harm befall it and to love to see it play and be well pleased Judge then what a pleasure it will be to pious Souls to find themselves beloved of him who hath put these kind Resentments into our Natures To what an height will the sweet breathings of his Love blow up the Flames of theirs Into what Extasies will they fall when they feel by the happy fruits what an exceeding great affection their heavenly Father bears to them It is above our present thoughts to apprehend the Joy that will then overflow them But we may conceive a little of it if we remember that God is love and that by our Love he will be in us and by his Love we shall be in him He proceeds to speak of the love of Saints and Angels The pleasure joy and delectation that naturally and necessarily flows from this knowledge and love of God the Happiness which the Body shall be exalted to and the eternal duration of all these This Eternal Life our Blessed Saviour hath brought to light through the Gospel and hath promised it to all those who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Rom. 2.7 1 John 2.25 And this is the promise that he hath promised even eternal life Some perchance may say The great disproportion that is between the Services and Rewards makes this Promise of Eternal Life difficult to be believed For who can think that God should recompence our poor and imperfect Duties and Services performed for a very short time with such an immense and eternal weight of Glory and Happiness To this I answer That though indeed it cannot consist with God's Justice to punish any Creature without or beyond its demerit yet nothing hinders but that he may be as bountiful as he pleases and in his Rewards exceed all the deserts and even expectations of his Creatures an hundred or a thousand fold Let us then admire the transcendent and unmerited goodness and love of God in doing such great things for us as sending his Son into the World to take our nature upon him to suffer Death for our Sins and to give us the great Promise of Eternal Life and let us endeavour in some measure to answer this Love by sutable Affections of the most ardent Love and Gratitude Let us also love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity which we have all the reason in the World to do considering the greatness of his Love to us manifested by the great things he hath done and suffered for us John 15.9 As the Father hath loved me saith our Saviour to his Disciples so have I loved you And v. 13. he proceeds to say Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for hiâ— fâ—iends Ye are my Friends c. By which Words he intimates that he was about to make the greatest demonstration of his Love to his
A PERSUASIVE TO A Holy Life FROM THE HAPPINESS That attends it both in this World and in the World to come By JOHN RAY F. R. S. Some time Fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge LONDON Printed by Sam Smith and Benj. Walford Printers to the Royal Society at the Prince's-Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCC THE PREFACE TO THE READER HAving been desired by a learned and pious * Mr. Edmund Elys Friend to draw up such a Persuasive as I now present the Reader with finding my self well at leisure from other Business and considering that it was sutable to my Profession and present Condition as being conducive to my preparation for that change which the pains and infirmities I laboured under seemed to threaten the near approach of and might possibly be in some measure useful and beneficial to others I was easily induced to comply with his Request and to employ those Intervals I had of ease or remission of pain in Meditations upon this Subject I do not pretend to any thing new or not delivered by others Practical Divinity and Morality are such beaten Subjects and have exercised the Wits and Pens of so many thinking men that there is nothing of this nature can be said or written which hath not already been so But because not every man nay scarce any man hath read all that hath been written upon this or any other Subject something new to every Reader may perchance occur in this Writing And yet if there does not it may not be unprofitable to read the same things over again as the Apostle in effect saith Philip. But to do every man right I must acknowledge my self to have borrowed a good part of my Matter out of the Right Reverend Father in God Dr. John Wilkins late Lord Bishop of Chester his Treatise of Natural Religion wherein he hath in my judgment written so well concerning the Happiness that attends a Religious Life in this World that little which is material can be added and therefore I might well have spared my pains Only this Tractate may possibly fall into the hands of some who never saw nor would else have seen that and recommend to them the reading of the whole Two or three things I have to add to this Discourse which may be inserted in their places Page 10. ad finem YET ought we not to rest contented with this degree of love to God but to labour after that which is more ardent and passionate else how can we satisfie our selves in a time of Temptation that our Obedience to God's Commands proceeds not rather from a Principle of Fear or Self love than of love to God Page 67. Line 28. Indeed we are so made as not much to value that which cost us no pains and on the contrary as Dr. Cockburn well observes the Mind of Man is never so well pleased as when it useth its Reason and always takes most delight in the things which it self hath wrought And therefore as he proceeds it was and is wisely provided to set the Necessaries the Comforâ—s and Conveniences of Life at some distance from Laziness and Sloth and to hedge them about with some difficulties that while we search and labour for them we may at the same time and by the same means improve our Intellectual Faculties and carry on the growth and perfection of our Souls I might add That the labour and exercise of the Body doth also conduce much to the Health and Strength and Well-being of that For as Hypocrates well saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unslothfulness in Labour if I may make such a Word is the means to preserve health 2ly Not only Bodily Necessaries but the knowledge of the Mysteries of Nature and the Works of God and curious Mathematical Speculation is not to be obtained without Study and Industry But by this use and exercise of our Intellectual Faculties our Mind and understanding is highly advanced and improved to such a degree as suddenly to penetrate and comprehend the most abstruse and subtile Inventions and Notions of Naturalists and Mathematicians For as Weapons and Utensils by lying by unoccupied do contract a Scurf or Rust but do usu tractatione splendescere become bright by handling and use so do our Understandings also And though this study and contention of mind be laborious and painful yet the enlarging the Understanding and acquisition of Knowledge and hitting upon useful Discoveries and Inventions do abundantly compensate for that nay sometimes fill the Mind with unspeakable joy and pleasure Pythagoras was so overjoyed at the invention of the 49th Proposition of the First Book of Euclide's El. that he sacrificed a Hecatombe to the Gods And I have read of a Smith that upon the invention of an Engine to make Water to ascend by descending which was nothing else but Archimedes his Screw and which had been invented long before though he knew nothing of it was so overwhelmed with joy that it broke his Brains and quite distracted him 3dly No wonder then that Vertue which is the most excellent of all acquisitions should be difficult to attain Indeed the difficulty and labour of attaining and exercising of it makes it to be commendable or rewardable And therefore though it be in it self an excellent thing and may be said to be its own reward yet because it is difficult and uneasy to Flesh and Blood in this our lapsed and degenerate Estate God is pleased for our encouragement to propose to us an ample reward no less than Eternal Life and Happiness He hath promised to give grace and glory and to with hold no good thing from them who lead a holy life And if this be not sufficient to quicken our endeavours and to encourage us to strive and wrestle and run nothing can for I am sure a greater than this cannot be proposed it containing all the good we can desire or are indeed capable of enjoying Page 35. Line 4. And to all this out of Seneca's 84th Epistle Dic quà m turpe sit plus sibi ingerere quà m capiat stomachi sui non nosse mensuram quà m multa ebrii faciant quibus sobrii erubescant nihil aliud esse ebrietatem quà m voluntariam insaniam c. Tell saith he a Drunkard what a filthy thing it is to pour down more than he can keep and not to know the measure of his Stomach How many things Men do when they are drunk of which they are ashamed when they are sober That Drunkenness is nothing else but a voluntary Madness Extend this Habit or Condition of the Drunken Man to many days and you will not doubt of his Madness so that it is no less a Phrenzy than any other only a shorter Relate to him the Example of Alexander the Great who in a drunken fit killed Clitus his most dear and faithful Friend and afterward when he came to understand the Fact he would have died to be sure he deserved it That Drunkâ—nness doth both
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
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
to set them forth as illustrious Examples of Fortitude Faith and Patience Did not righteous Men sometimes conflict with adversity and Misery there would be no use of such a Grace as Patience nay it could not be known that there were any such or to enhance their future reward The Martyrs who seal the Truth with their Blood shall in the judgment of Divines be advanced to a higher degree of Glory than ordinary Christians and â—e crowned with Aureolae suitable to their deserts But those two latter places of the Apostle are to be understood of the Primitive Times of Christianity when all the Poweâ—s of the World were Heathen when God was pleased to make use of the Sufferings of the Proâ—essors of it â—o propagate the Gospel after a strange and wonderful manner So that Sanguis Martyrum was said to be Semen Ecclesiae the Blood of Martyrs the Seed of the Church But now since the publick reception and acknowledgment of the Truth Since Kings have become â—ursing Fathers and Queens nursiâ—g Mâ—thers to the Chuâ—ch The case is altered and Religion instead of exposing its Professors to Sufferings doth rather promote their Worâ—dly Interest Those Afflictions which God is pleased to lay upon his Children and Servants as fatherly Corrections for their Miscarriages serving as Physick to purge out the Reliques of Corruption and to embitter Sin to them and quicken them to the performance of their Duty â—re no prejudice to our Assertion because we bring them upon our selves by our own default and 't is not holiness of Life but the want of it and neglect of our Duties which is always the procuring and often the productive cause of them For God doth not willingly afflict nor grieve the Children of men Lament 3.33 Here we may note the great imperfection of the Love of God even in the best Men Afflictions being oftentimes a more powerful Curb to restrain them from the commission of Sin and a more effectual Spur to quicken them to Duty than the Love of God as we see in David the Man after God's own heart Psalm 119.67 CHAP. XII Of the Hapâ—iness of the Future Estate or Of Eternal Life IT remains that we say something concerning the Happiness of the Future Estate after this Life is ended The Happiness of this Estate is called Eternal Life and consists in the Knowledge and Love of God and his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and the joy and delectation that necessarily results there-from John 22.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and â—esâ—s Christ whom thou hast sent That is know thee to be their God know thee so as to love thee Knowledge alone is not sufficient to make us happy the lapsed Angels know the Excellencies and Perfections of the Divine Nature but yet they are never the more happy for that Knowledge because they have no interest in God nor are like to reap any benefit or advantage by what they know of him So in Men here in this World Vertue and Knowledge may be separated A knowing Man may be a vicious Man and consequently unhappy Again Knowledge of the Mysteries of Nature and the Works of God though there be in Man an eager thirst after it and some pleasure in obtaining it yet if it terminates only in Knowledge and be directed to no further end it doth not contribute much to our Happiness It is a known saying Scire tuum vihil est nisi te scire hee sciat alter and truly I am apt to think there may be something of truth in it Those Men that exercise their Wits in curious Mathematical Speculations could they be assured that their Inventions and Discoveries should never come to the knowledge of any Creature but themselves I doubt whether the pleasure of the Invention would in their own esteem compensate the labor anâ— toil of the Inquisition But yet even in this State thus much may be said in commendation of Knowledge that it doth advance and enlarge the Understanding and render the Soul capable of a greater degree of Happiness as I have said before But in the World to come the Vision of God cannot be separated from his Love Such a knowledge of God will transform the blessed Souls to whom it shall be communicated into his holy Image We shall bâ— like him saith the Apostle for we shall see him as he is None shall be admitted to this sight but those that are pure in heart Without holiness no man shall see God And to these the clear understanding of all the Works of God both of Creation and Providence will stir upt he most exalted Affections of Admiration Love and Joy But I shall not proceed further in my own Words to describe the Happiness of a future â—state or Eternal Life because I find it so fully and clearly done by the Right Reverend Dr. Patrick now Lord Bishop of Ely in his Treatise of The Witnesses to Christianity Part 2d that I have nothing material to add to it Therefore I shall transcribe thence what he hath concerning the Love of God for the rest referring the Reader to the Book it self And if sâ—iâ—h he the Nature of this Life be furtâ—er â—xâ—mined you will find the Mind oâ— whicâ— he had spoken beforâ— is not the only Faculty that shall be 〈◊〉 but the Will shall conceive a 〈◊〉 aâ— grâ—â—t as the Knowledge of which I have 〈◊〉 For as God is the hiâ—hest â—bjâ—ct of the Understanding being the prime Truth so he is the chiefest Object of the Will being the first and best Good And therefore as the Understanding then shall most clearly know him so the Will in like manner shall most ardently love him and find perfect satisfaction in that Love There is a necessary connexion between these thing and it cannot be otherwise but that from the best Good clearly known there will flow the greatest Love drawing along with it the greatest delight and the most perfect repose And therefore to see God contains in its Notion both Love and Delectation with Rest and Satisfaction Love naturally flows from thence as from its Fountain and the other naturally flow from Love which is the highest Act of that Faculty which we call the Will as knowing and conâ—emplating is of the Vnderstanding Desire indeed is the first motion of it when any thing is apprehended to be good for us but that will there be quenched in possession and enjoyment and no more of it can be conceived to remain than a longing for the continuance and increase of this Happiness which yet will be so certain that we shall be rather confident than desirous The Will therefore having such a glorious Object always before it will be wholly employed in Love and spend it self without any decay in flames of affection towards this universal Good which shines so fairly and brightly in its Eyes It will apply it self to the enjoyment of it with as great a vehemency as it can and
Apostles and to all true Believers by laying down his Life foâ— them The Apostle Paul carries this yet higher Rom 5.7 8. For scarce for a righteous man will oâ—e die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to diâ— But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us This exceeds the highest degree of love Man ever attained to Ephes 5.2 As Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Philip. 2 6 7 8. Who being in the fâ—rm of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant and was made in the likeness of man And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross That the Eternal Son of God equal with his Father should so highly advance our Nature as to unite it to the Divine in one Person that so he might be qualified by the Sacrifice of himself to expiate our Sins to make an atonement for us and to reconcile us unto God The greatness of this Love together with the freeness and unmeritedness of it there being not any the least Motive on our part to inviâ—e him to it is so matchless and stupendious that it challenges the highest degree of â—eâ—iprocal affection and gratitude Magnes amoris amor Love is the Loadstone of love We cannot chuse but love them again in whom we discern any Expressions of unfeigned love to us as I have before noted And our love for the degree of it must be in some measure answerable to the Dignity and to the merit of the Person who loveth us For Favours done us and Benefits bestowed upon us Gratitude is the most natural I might say necessary ebullition of the Mind of Man To this purpose Seneca Epist 81. In hoc fidei populi credamus Nihil esse grato animo honestius Omnes hoc urbes omnes etiam ex Barbaris regionibus gentes conclamabunt In hoc bonis malisque conveniet Erunt qui voluptates laudent erunt qui labores malint erunt qui dolorem maximum malum dicant erunt qui nè malum quidem appellent Divitias aliquis ad summum bonum admittet alius illas dicet humanae malo vitae repertas nihil esse eo locupletius cui quod donet Fortuna non invenit In tantâ— judiciâ—rum diversitate referendam bene marentibus gratiam omnes uno tibi quod aiunt ore affirmabunt in hoc tam discors turba câ—nsentiet In this let us believe what People generally agree in That there is nothing more honest and commendable than a grateful Mind All Cities all Nations even of Barbarous Countries all Men both good and bad consent in this There are some who commend Pleasures others prefer Labours Some there be who say that pain is the greatest Evil others who will not grant it to be any Evil at all One will admit Riches to be the chiefest good another affirms them to be the Mischief of human Life and that none can be richer than he upon whom Fortune cannot find any thing which she may bestow In such a diversity of Judgments about other things that thanks are to be returned to those who have deserv'd well of us all with one Mouth affirm In this these Dissenting Parties are all agreed We are by Nature inclined to requite kindnesses non docti sed facti non instituti sed imbuti sumus And if we cannot do that to retain at least a grateful sense and memory of them and upon all occasions to acknowledge our obligations to such Benefactors as we are not able to recompence to honour and love them and to do all we can to please and gratifie them Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixeris You cannot say worse of a man than that he is ungrateful Ingratitude being an unnatural Sin Seeing then we cannot requite this transcendent kindness of our Saviour's to us nor make him any amends for that great Salvation he hath wrought for us and those inestimable Benefits he hath bestowed on us let us not be wanting to do what in us lies to express our gratitude by acknowledging and celebrating his goodness to us and the great things he hath done for us singing with the holy Psalmist * Psâ—l 103.1 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits And by devoting our selves to his Service and doing always those things which are pleasing and acceptable to him Lâ—t his love constrain us not to live any longer to our selves but unto him who hath died for us and rose again 1 Cor 5.16 Who hath redeemed us to God by his blood Revel 5.9 And made us Kings and Priests unto our God Let us have a care that we do not frustrate the Grace of God as to our selves and render this great undertaking of our Saviour in vain to us nay an aggravation of our Condemnation For how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation As the Apâ—stle speaks Heb. 2.3 Let not the difficulty of obeying God's Commandments and leading a holy life deter or discourage us from endeavouring it We know that neither Learning nor Riches nor any thing that is excellent is to be obtained without pains-taking Now nothing so excellent so desirable so worthy our utmost endeavours as Eternal Life this will abudantly recompence all our labour and travel nay though we were put to suffer Persecution Imprisonment or even Death it self for Conscience sake and bearing witness to the Truth we should have no need to râ—pent it Our Reward shall be answerable to nay far exceed our Work 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory To sum up all in brief Since then 1. A Holy Life and Conversation here secures to us an interest in a Future State of Eternal Bliss and Happiness Glory and Immortality in the World to come and thereby delivers us from the fear of Death that King of Terrors as it is denominated Job 1â— 14 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as â—ristotle calls it The most terrible of all terribles Which the wisest Philosophers by all their Argumentations could never either arm others against or secure themselves from the fear of the very best of them even Socrates himself being doubtful of the immortality of the Soul our Saviour alone having brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Of which Death wicked men cannot but have a dreadful apprehension because of that indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish which is threatned against those who obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness Rom. 2.8.9 2. Since also it conduceth much to the well being and happiness of the outward and inward Man in this present Life as I have endeavoured to demonstrate in this Discourse Moreover 3. Since this Holiness and Obedience is even in the judgment and by the confession of vicious Persons themselves better and more eligible than the life they lead And Lastly Since it is more facile easy and pleasant than the Slavery and Drudgery of Sin and Satan Since I say all this is true and certain surely it is the greatest folly and madness imaginable for a little false and transient Pleasure and to gratify some deceitful Lust as the Apostle justly calls them Ephes 4.22 to forego not only our hopes of that Eternal Life and Happiness which our Saviour hath purchased for us and upon our Obedience promised to us those sincere and solid Pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore Rev. 22.14 our right to the Tree of Life and of entring in through the Gates into the New Jerusalem which is their portion who keep God's Commandments but also that present comfort and satisfaction of mind that inward peace and joy which attends the Conscience of well doing here Mark what a * Seneca Epist 27. Heathen saith of these sensual Pleasures Dimitte istas voluptates turbidas magno luendas non venturae tantùm sed praeteritae nocent Quemadmodum scelera etiamsi non sint deprehensa cùm fierent solicitudo non cum ipsis abit it à voluptatum improbarum etiam post ipsas poenitentia est Non sunt solidae non sunt fideles etiamsi nâ—n nocent fugiunt Dismiss saith he these troubled or muddy and impâ—re pleasures which you must pay dearly for they are hurtful not only when they are coming but when they are past As crimes though undiscovered when they are committed leave not the committers of them without solâ—â—tude so Repentance always attends unlawful Pleasures they are not solid they are false and deceitful and though they were not hurtful yet are they transient only in motion and suddainly gone As for Riches or Honours or any other worldly good they are also unsatisfactory We find our Expectations in the pursuit of them frustrated in the acquisition and enjoyment being presently full and weary of that which we did most eagerly and impotently desire and long after And yet were there never so much worth and goodness in them they are 1. Uncertain as the Apostle calls them 1 Tim. 6.17 they may be taken away from us before we die 2. They are of short continuance if they abide with us till death we must then necessarily part with them For as the same Apostle saith ver 7th of the same Chapter We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out FINIS