had elsewhere express'd for the Philosophers or Excellent Men among the Gentils which is the more to be wondred at since he so frequently acknowledges himself to have been first enflam'd with the Holy Love of true Philosophy by reading a Piece of Tully but were the matter to be carried by Votes I do not question but I could produce Testimonies in favour of those Men of such whose Antiquity Learning and Piety might more than Ballance the Authority of St. Austin 't is true their Faith differ'd much from that of a Christian and no Man I think in his Wits could expect it otherwise for how vast is the Distance between the Light of Nature and that of Revelation but if we look upon those Motives and Principles to Vertue by which they were acted they were such as a Christian need not blush at or be asham'd of they look't upon it not only as the Perfection of Humane Nature the Bond and Support of Society the Delight the Guide and Comfort of every particular Man's life but also as the Image of God that which did render us like him and therefore acceptable to him as the only thing that could unite Man to God that could raise Man above the bodily Pollutions of sensuality that could enable him to outbrave the fears of Fortune and of Death as that which could fit him for the Conversation of Heaven And lastly they look't upon it as the gift of God 'T is true together with all this you 'l say they were Idolaters I do not question but they did often partake in the Pollution of the Idolatrous multitude But if we regard the Idolatry of their Religion and compare it with that of the Heathen Multitude there was a vast difference between both and that in these three Points the Object the Acts of Worship and the Effects of it As to the Object the Philosophers 't is true did Worship Spirits but good ones the Multitude did worship Devils how contradictory are those Characters which the sensual infatuated Multitude bestow'd upon their Idols and those by which the Philosophers describe the Nature of their Gods or their Genii Lust and Cruelty make up the one Purity Goodness and Charity the other This needs no proof 't is Evident from almost all the Writings of ancient Philosophy that are extant yet I think it cannot seem superfluous to produce one Testimony containing an Account of the Nature of their Genii or Guardian Angels by which it will be easie to conclude what Notion they had of those Superiour Spirits whom they suppos'd to dwell always in Heaven in the presence of the Supreme God and whom thô they call'd 'em Gods they thought infinitely inferiour to that one God their Creator and ours But yet much Superiour as well in the Excellency of their Nature as Dignity of their place to those Angels which they look't upon as the Messengers and Ministers of God to Man and as the Guardians of Man and the Interpreters or Conveyers of his Requests to God These are thus describ'd by Apuleius Apuleius de Deo Socratis p. 68. Hic quem Dico prorsus Custos singularis praefectus Domesticus speculator proprius Curator intimus Cognitor assiduus Observator individuus Arbiter inseparabilis testis malorum improbator bonorum probator si ritè animadvertatur sedulò cognoscatur religiosè colatur ita ut à Socrate justitiâ Innocentiâcultus est in Rebus incertis prospector dubiis praemonitor periculosis tutator egenis opitulator qui tibi quaeat tum in Somniis tum in Signis tum etiam fortassè corâ—m câ—m usus postulat mala averruncare bona prosperare humilia sublimare nutantia fulcire obscura clarare secunda regere adversa corrigere The substance of all which is This our truly Guardian Angel our immediate Superintendent the Domestic spy of all our Actions the Conscious witness of our Desires and Thoughts the Approver and Encourager of our Vertue and the Hater and Discourager of our Vice if he be heedfully minded by us rightly known and religiously worship'd with Righteousness and Innocence as he was by Socrates will be our Council in doubtful our Guard in hazardous Affairs c. But all this while they were Idolaters admit it if they were damn'd for this Idolatry Good God! what will become of that great part of the Christian Church whose Practice at this Day is infinitely more inexcusable than theirs was because God has publickly declar'd that he has appointed one Mediator through whom he wills us to approach him there was then Room for the Plea of Humility but now a pretence of Humility what can it be in Reality but wanton fondness or Presumptuous wilfulness Thus widely did the vertuous and understanding part of Mankind differ in the Object of their Worship from the sensual and stupid Herd and since the manner of Worship is naturally derived from the Notions men entertain of that Being which is the Object of it it could not be otherwise but that they must differ as widely in the Essential parts of Worship as they did in the Objects of it Hence it was that while the People offer'd to their Gods their Lusts and Passions and sacrific'd to 'em in Uncleanness or Cruelty the Philosophers thought that nothing could be so welcom a Sacrifice to Their's as the Imitation of their Purity and Goodness holy Affections and good Works From both these differences there follow'd a Third Consisting in the different Effects which the Religion of the one and the other did produce the Idolatry of the one as Wickedness always will utterly estrang'd them more and more from the true God the Idolatry of th' other for so I 'le call it to avoid dispute seem'd to unite them more and more to him since they look't upon the Spirits they worshipp'd not only as the Creatures but most lively Images of the true God and acknowledg'd that all good Gifts proceeded from him thô they receiv'd 'em by the Ministry and Mediation of Angels and that Vertue which they look't upon as the only grateful Worship of God did exalt their Minds and by rendring 'em more like him must needs render 'em more near to him Thus they talk't whether thus they liv'd or no is not very material to my present purpose for after all thô their lives shou'd not have come up to their Philosophy these their Discourses could not choose but be some way serviceable to Mankind being a manifest reproof to the stupid Idolatry to the bruitish and barbarous Worship which then prevailed in the World These Doctrines could not but manifestly tend to convince the World of the Being and Nature of the Supream God they could not but tend to restore the Law of Nature to its just Authority and present the corrupt and degenerous World with a natural that is lovely Idea of Vertue and give 'em a just sense of the Obligation they lay under and of the Sanctions by which God establish't that Law which
hands that Life or Death Plenty or Poverty every thing depends upon his Will for the Winds and Seas Earth and Air Fire Hail and Vapour obey his Voice and are all of 'em as often as he pleases the Instruments and Executioners of his Will he that stills the Ragings of the Multitude and becalms the Passions of the Mighty he at whose Command new Creatures enter upon the Stage of the World and the old leave it what is it impossible for him to do nay what is it this Almighty Governor cannot do without moving one step out of the Common Road of his Providence without imploying any extraordinary Instrument or exerting any Act of extraordinary Power for what Secular Interest can there be imagin'd whose Success or Disappointment depends not upon some or other of these Natural Causes And yet we must acknowledge further Thirdly That the Almighty has not prefixt or set himself such immutable inalterable Laws but that he has reserv'd to himself the Prerogative of suspending or over-ruling 'em when he pleases I mean with respect to the Motions of Natural Bodies or Revolutions of Secular Affairs and if such an Interposal of Divine Power cannot be conceiv'd to be other than a Miracle I must confess I do not look upon one Age only but every Age an Age of Miracles Nay I believe such as these wrought every Day for the Protection or Relief of those who depend upon this Governor of the World for I know not to what purpose I should like Jonah or his Mariners call upon God in a Storm if it were never to be laid till it had naturally spent its force and fury I know not to what purpose I should implore the Almighty's direction upon all my Deliberations in perplex't and intangled Affairs if I could expect no other Light than what my Labouring Mind could give it self I know not why I should address my self to God in the Pains and Danger of an insupportable Disease if the Medicines will be the same and their Vertue the same if the Feaver will abate and its flames be extinguish't or extinguish life in the same degree and manner if I Pray or if I do not All these ways of Divine Providence are very plain and intelligible and therefore 't is manifest that we may without any absurdity ascribe to God such a Super-intendency and Direction over Humane Affairs as may render the issue of 'em most serviceable to the true interest of those that Worship him As to the second Part of Divine Assistance which consists in aiding us in the Attainment of Holiness and Vertue I do readily acknowledge as far as this is perform'd by the internal Operations of his Spirit by the Influx of Divine Light or Heavenly Vigour I do no more understand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manner of Sanctification than that of the Creation of the Soul This I know that Vertue is the Rational work of a Rational Creature 't is the work of Man thô assisted by God 't is a Rational work which implies the Knowledge of our Duty and a Power to perform it and therefore this I know that this aid must consist in the Improvement of my rational Faculties in some accession to the Reason of my Understanding and to the Power and Liberty of my Will Now thô I cannot comprehend how God does this yet how easily can I believe it possible for him to do it since 't is natural to imagine that he who created my Understanding can improve it and he who invested me with a Rational Liberty can confirm or enlarge it or if you please rescue it from that diseas'd and servile Condition unto which it was degenerated and restore it to the health and soundness of its first State The Third Act of Divine Providence does not imply a new manner but a new degree of Assistance and therefore contains in it no further Difficulty this time which I have spent upon the illustration of Divine Goodness towards Man will not I hope be judg'd mis-imploy'd or lost if it be consider'd that such is the Confidence or rather such is the wantonness of some Men that they reject every thing which carries in it I will not say any seeming Contradiction but any seeming Difficulty But it doth not so nearly concern the Happiness of Man to be instructed in the manner as to be throughly perswaded of the Truth of Divine Assistance and therefore choosing rather to be tedious than defective in the proof of it I will add to those Arguments taken from the Nature of God whatever force and strength can be derived from the Consideration of Divine Government which is the Expression of the Divine Nature and the Image of its Perfection visible in its Effects The Gospel contains this Doctrine in almost every Page and the lives of Apostles and Martyrs are so many illustrious Instances of the Divine Faithfulness and Love performing those Promises which he had made 'em by his Son The Jewish Polity was a Theocracy God did for a great while preside over 'em immediately and govern 'em if I may so speak without a Substitute or Vice-roy Repeated Miracles repeated Prophecies extraordinary Manifestations of himself and extraordinary Revelations were the Illustrious proofs of God's affection and care for that People so that it were to insult over my Reader 's Patience or to reproach his Stupidity if I should go about to confirm this Truth from the old or New Testament 't is therefore only necessary to Examine what the Heathen thought of the Necessity of this Divine Assistance and what instances of it may be found amongst them whether the Gentiles had any Notion of the Fall and Corruption of Man is not here Necessary to be enquir'd but this I am sure they were extreamly sensible of that opposition which Vertue met with from the World and the Body they were extreamly sensible that the Inclinations of the one and the Affluence and Troubles of the other did naturally tend to engage 'em in Vice and therefore thô they do sometimes magnifie Humane Nature yet they were not so forgetful of their own Infirmities or the Condition of this Life as not to judge the Assistance of God indispensably necessary to render them Vertuous and Happy Hence 't is that Pythagoras Socrates and Plato were Eminent in that part of Religion which consists in Prayer and Invocation Max. Tâ—t Disser 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The life of Socrates was a life of Prayer And hence it was that they did generally ascribe their Laws to those Gods from whom they received their Oracles The Cretanes Romans c. not more Confidently believing that they received their Laws from Minos Numa Pompilius c. than that these received them from Jove Aegeria and other Gods and I wonder not that Cicero should somewhere say Nunquam vir magnus sine Divino afflatu That there never was a great Man who enjoy'd not some Divine Impulse since
found in Speculation but rarely if ever in possession and fruition The Number of the Fortunate and Happy is extreamly small and most Men if not all when they have worn life to its last Period may give that account of it which the Aged and as others no doubt thought Happy Patriarch did of his to Pharaoh Gen. 47. Few and Evil have the Days of the Years of my life been But it moves me not so much to hear this from the mouth of a Shepherd who from his Youth led a laborious and unsetled life But when I read the mournful Poems of Job the Discontents and Melancholy of Solomon Men no less Eminent for Wisdom and Philosophy than for their Worldly Glory and Prosperity when I read 'em bewailing the Lot of Mankind unable to reflect upon it without a mixture of Indignation Contempt and Womanish Sorrow I cannot but acknowledge that I am shrewdly tempted to despair of Happiness as of something too great and Divine to make its abode upon Earth and to look upon all the fine Discourses that Men make of it only as so many flights of a bold fancy Happiness what is it or where is it in what distant Coasts or unknown Regions do's it dwell who and where are the Fortunate who and where are the Darlings of Heaven to whose Lot it happens Shall we like Bajazet in a melancholy Humour think Poor Silly Lazy Peasants Happy Knowl's Turkish Hist O happy Shepherd who had'st neither Sebastia nor Orthobales to lose as if secure Beggary and slothful want were Happiness happy thus might I call the Man born Blind he has no Eyes to lose Or shall we call the gaudy swarm which like Flies and Insects in Gleams of Sunshine do buzze and flutter in the Rays and warmth of Greatness and Prosperity Shall we call these Happy Ah! These are they that furnish Theatres and Poets with Tragic Stories amongst these Restless Passions Contemptible Levity ungovernable Insolence wither'd and meagre Envy wandring Lust Empty Pride Loud and Senseless Confidence and finally shameful and fearful Sins have their abode and can we call those Happy who are infested with such Legions of Evils Miserere tu felicium they are their own burden whil'st they are other's Envy Shall we then call the busie trading World Happy alas these would have thought it a Happiness not to have needed to trade or toil they love Wealth but most admire Martial Res non parta labore sed Relicta Not Gold they labouring dig themselves in Mines But what the toiling Ancestor resigns To his more happy Issue Whom lastly shall we call Happy Surely if any the Devout and Learned these are the Souls that converse with Heaven that dwell continually in the pure Light and feed upon the Bread the Joyes of Angels But alas if Happiness were the inseparable Companion of Learning how came the Stoic's ador'd Cato to be led by Pride and Humour and Vain-glory through burning Sands and dreadful Deserts how came he in a mood of desperate Discontent to dye his own Murderer Whence was it that the Learned and Eloquent Tully after so many brave Discourses of the Contempt of Death and Pain and briefly all humane Evils did sink so poorly under the weight of his Misfortunes whence was it that after he had taught the Soul's Immortality and its Translation into some glorious Star he should at last be so unwilling to let it leave this vile Clod of Earth and the Decay'd Melancholy and darksom Mansion of the Body if Learning did put Men in possession of Happiness why was our Raleigh so uneasie so unfortunate not more tos't by a restless Fortune than a restless Mind Why was our Verulam so utterly a Stranger to Happiness in both Fortunes as unable to govern and enjoy Prosperity aright as to bear up under Adversity if Learning were so Soveraign an Antidote against Misery if Philosophy were such a Paradise and Speculations were such luscious Meals the very fruits of the Garden why do the Learned leave their Sacred shades to haunt the Houses of great ones or the Courts of Princes why do they fawn and cringe and with all imaginable assiduity and artifice labour to insinuate themselves into such Men whose Esteem for them is a just Scandal to 'em and their Favours but so many public marks of Reproach O vilest sort of Servitude can it consist with the grandeur of a Philosopher with the true Liberty of a Christian Spirit to lacquey some Favourite of Fortune and for many years together with an obstinate Stupidity digest the Capricies of his Humour and not only dissemble his Vices but magnifie even his Vanity and Folly and not this only but there are slavish Arts of Insinuation to be practised upon every one that 's near him O glorious Merit when the same thing recommends the Philosopher that doth the Valet de Chambre or the Footman and yet after all even this Equals not the baseness the slavery of those who prostitute Philosophy and themselves to the Multitude and make an Ignorant and Insolent Herd the Arbitrary Soveraigns of their Principles their Liberty their Happiness for this depends upon their Popularity O how far should I prefer the humble Contented and Independent drudgery of an honest Hind before this un-manly Servitude how far should I prefer the generous and undesigning freedom and unconcernment of a Poet whatever Ignorance or Contempt of Interest it may be traduc'd for before the former sort of servile Philosophic Proggers And now there remains no place where Happiness can as much as be suspected to dwell unless among the Devout and Religious These sure live in Raptures and Transfigurations on the Mount these sure have their Conversation in Heaven and from thence derive Glory and Liberty and Joy and Peace and Hope these are Partakers of Divine Nature how can they therefore be destitute of a Divine Happiness But alas behold the Blessed Jesus and we shall find him as the Psalmist and the Prophets represent him A man of sorrow and acquainted with grief Hear again the most Zealous and the most Elevated of our Divine Master's Disciples 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men the most miserable O Happiness Thou Blessed State or rather pleasing sound Thou always sought and never to be found In what Grot do'st thou or what Cell Or in what Court or Temple dwell Where and what art thou art thou merely Name No otherwise known than by Reports and Fame Art a Reality or art thou just Like public Good and public Trust A solemn sacred but deceitful Notion Obj. answer'd But to return from this Revery this is after all but a slight and popular Objection which from the Evil Consequences which attend the Sins and Follies of the Multitude and from those Complaints which humane Infirmity has sometimes wrung from the wise and vertuous would unsoundly and illogically infer that there is no such
kinds of Pleasure we pursue than in the different degrees of our Inclination to it we are all equally allur'd and drawn yet not by the same but several Objects so that if Lust prevail in one Ambition as much prevails in another and Covetousness in a third and in others Intemperance or Sloth So that the difficulty of Vertue seems much the same to all the Sons of Adam the strength of Temptation consisting especially in our weakness not in the Excellency of the Object we are taken with but in our Inclination to it hence is it as Difficult for one Man to overcome his Covetousness as to another to o'recome his Lust and restless toilsom Ambition is as luscious and taking with some tempers as lazy and delicious Luxury with others if this were well-weighed it would make us more mild and gentle in our Censure of others and not so soft and easie in excusing our selves 'T is further worth our observing here that every Man's Vertue derives some tincture from his Constitution and Temper so that generally speaking 't is not difficult to guess a Man's Natural Constitution by the Complexion of his Religion however Vertue ceases not to be Vertue nor will that slight Allay of the natural Constitution extinguish its Vigour and Merit thô it behooves every Man to keep a strict and jealous guard upon his Inclinations for Nature soon revives even after it has been some time Buried and to labour most after that Perfection which does most contradict and oppose the particular Vice of his Constitution for it will be otherwise morally impossible to gain a Conquest over it and as impossible to gain a Rational Peace and Security without this Conquest A Second thing which is supposed in the Objection to incapacitate Man for Happiness is an unteachable stupidity consisting in a slow Conception and treacherous Memory 'T is true indeed the Heathen Philosophers did require in their Scholars the Knowledg of many abstruse and difficult Matters as antecedently necessary to Vertue and Happiness Skill in Mathematicks fitted a Man for the Platonic Philosophy and the Knowledge of Natural things was the Foundation on which the Epicuraean pretended his Divine Happiness and Vertue was to be built and Seneca reckons the unthinking Croud amongst the Beasts that Perish all of 'em did with one consent require three things to Compleat a Vertuous and Happy Man Nature Education or Instruction and Custom To the First they attributed the Disposition to Vertue To the Second the Beginning To the Third the Easiness and Constancy and to all three together the Perfection of it And hence it is that they did distinguish between Perfect and Imperfect between Political or Social and Philosophical Vertue and did not deem every Nature Capable of that Vertue which was Perfect and Philosophical But our blessed Lord and Master the Author of the Christian Philosophy requires no such qualifications in those who will be his Disciples All that he requires is an humble and an honest Mind freed from proud Prejudices possess'd with a sincere Love of the Truth and a sincere Resolution of obeying it accordingly St. Paul observes that such were most wrought upon by the Preaching of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1. Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world and things that are despis'd has God chosen Nor will any one imagine that Acute and Eminent parts are Necessary to render a Man capable of Being a Christian who shall consider the Brevity and Plainness of the Christian Faith and Law doth it require a deep and penetrating Judgment or a firm and tenacious Memory to enable us to understand or remember that plain and short Summary of Christian Practice The Grace of God teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and wordly Lusts Titus 2. and live Righteously Soberly and Godlily in this present world or that as brief and perspicuous Abridgment of the Christian Faith * John 17. This is life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent or that excellent Abridgment of both by St. Paul * Acts 20. Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ 'T is true all things are now ravell'd and entangled and the Faith and Vertue of Christianity is not half so conspicuous amongst Christians as their Theological Wars Tumults and Factions But this is owing to Man not to the Gospel to the Pride and Superstition of the one not to the Obscurity of the other Nor may any one here with any shew of Reason object That thô the substance of the Christian Faith and Practice is clear yet the Reasons of both are not so for who can ever imagine such a Stupidity of Nature as can disable any one to understand the Proofs by which the Scripture establishes the great Fundamental Article of our Faith That Jesus is the Christ the Messias or Mediator between God and Man or what Stupidity of Nature can render it an impossible Task to us to comprehend the two Fundamental Reasons of Evangelical Righteousness namely the Subserviency of it to the Happiness of this and of another Life and the Holiness of the God we Worship I do not write this as if I mean't hereby to represent Industry in search of Divine Truths as Superfluous and un-necessary but to assure all of how mean Capacities soever of the success of it I am not Ignorant how much some applaud themselves on the account of acquir'd Knowledge of doubtful or abstruse things how much others value themselves on a peculiar sort of Politicks remote enough indeed from Vertue and others on Accomplishments as remote from Reason as the others Politicks from Vertue and how much all of 'em do despise the dulness of those who cannot and the simplicity of those who strive not to equal 'em in these Attainments But all this doth not beget in me the least Scruple or Suspition of the Truth I have before asserted I know that our Duty is plain and that the Path of Duty is the most direct and Compendious one to the Happiness of this life and of another for I know that nothing is so taking with God as an humble Faith Devout Pure Peaceable and Charitable Religion As to worldly Happiness I know that a Man 's own Vertue supported by God's Spirit and guided by his Truth is the safest and the plainest Guide he can follow in Dark and Tempestuous times true Policy consists not in that Address or subtilty of Spirit which furnishes a Man at all times with plausible Shifts but in that Integrity and Vertue that needs none and the Beauty and Life of Conversation consists not in Artificial Faces Phantastick Dresses Mechanick Motions Shrugs and Cringes
Ambitious the Vain-glorious the Covetous the Lover seem to ascend and rise above themselves in the Acquisition of those Pleasures they aspire to the Monarch debases himself descends and stoops below his Fortune to meet his And yet I am not of Apollo's nor Solon's Mind I cannot think there is any great Happiness in the Ignorance and the quietness of a labouring Cottager such as Tellus or Aglaus Sophydius I love Security but not that which Contempt breeds I would have my Security owing not to the Littleness of my Fortune but the Greatness of my Mind I love a Quiet but a Philosophical life I would have my Tranquillity spring not from the Ignorance but Reason of my Mind from the Right Government of my Passions not from the Meanness of my Education or Fortune For the same Reason I do not call Men happy whose slow and easie Temper like the waters of the Dead Sea is not to be mov'd even by Wind and Storm I do not call Stupidity a Calm the Soul that is insensible of Trouble is so of Joy too whoever is incapable of any deep Impression is so of any serious Reflexion too and what is the state of such a Man I would not have my life pass by like a Dream whil'st fleeting or imperfect Images of things do scarce awake and too too slightly affect my drouzy or dazled sense In a word the Happiness I seek after is such a one which is owing neither to Natural Constitution nor to Fortune for then it would not be in our Power The Men then whom I call Happy are such who are possessed of true and solid Goods and those such which Fortune cannot give nor take away such were Christ and his Apostles and such are all those at this Day as are transform'd into the Glory and Image of the Divine Nature by the mighty Energy of the Divine Spirit and Divine Truths Let us consider therefore what the state of Christ and his Apostles was in this Life I will not take notice of those Ecstatic Pleasures which they felt when they did those God-like Works which we call Miracles what Triumph could be equal to theirs who saw Diseases Devils and Death subject to their Commands what joy could be equal to theirs when they gave Life to the Dead Sight to the Blind Strength to the Lame c To what a height was Wonder and Delight rais'd in each of these Performances for nothing could be more wonderful than the Power or delightful than the Charity conspicuous in 'em but this I pass over because this Power is not to be attain'd by us Let us come to that which is I mean the Vertues of Christ and his Apostles He had not a hole where to lay his Head 't is true but how truly great was he in himself how much above the mean and unmanly desires of Ambition Covetousness or Lust he indulg'd himself in no sensual Carnal Pleasures 't is true but how Calm that Soul which no Angry or Envious Passion disturb'd where nothing but sacred Love dwelt the love of God the love of Man and the rational and wise love of himself how Happy that Soul which was illuminated with Divine Knowledge supported by an unshaken Faith fill'd with joyful Reflexions and glorious Hopes that Soul which in the silence of the Night and the Retirements of the Mount did pour forth it self in Prayers and Hallelujah's that Soul which full of God and full of Heaven had no room for uneasie Cares or afflicting Sorrows 't is true our Saviour met Death with pale looks and melancholy pangs of Soul but 't is as true that his Faith surmounted his Fears his Agony endur'd but for a little while an undisturb'd Peace and a well-settled serenity of Mind immediately follow'd it and his trouble and Pain in Death like the Ecclipse that attended it did but o'recast and darken the joy the light within not extinguish it who could finish the last Act of Life with more humble Majesty or with more settled Peace in the Life and Death of our dear Lord we behold that of his Disciples for they were all Followers of him as they desir'd we should be of them what can be happier than their state here was their Life was Regular and Philosophical their Joy steady and Rational their Love of God vigorous their Charity to Man servent and Diffus'd their Desires as to the World modest their Minds resolv'd and brave in Afflictions Chearful and Compos'd in Death it self Let it stand then as an unshaken Truth That Happiness may be attain'd in this Life for what the Followers of our Lord and Master attain'd to that may we their Natural Passions and Infirmities were the same with our's our Trials and Temptations are far less than theirs we serve the same God we are guided by the same Truths supported by the same Power elevated by the same Hopes we have the same Peace bequeath'd us the same Spirit the same Heaven promis'd us and we march under the Conduct of the same Captain of our Salvation who by his Death has Abolish't Death and brought Life and Immortality to Light Nor ought this to seem to us an over-daring or presumptuous Position since the Possibility of Happiness is a Notion Consonant to the Common sense of all Mankind for 't is Happiness which Laws enacted for the Government of the Multitude and Philosophical Rules prescrib'd for the Government of our Passions do aim at All Law-givers have ever promis'd the people Wealth and Peace and Glory and Security as the fruits of their Obedience and all Philosophers have ever promis'd Tranquillity of Mind and Rational Pleasure to their Followers as the Rewards of Conformity to their Precepts And as it cannot surely be deny'd but that the Kingdom is most Happy which by just Laws and a well-temper'd Authority is freed from those Fears and Distractions from those Mischiefs and Confusions to which others are expos'd by Anarchy or Tyranny by the Insolence of the Multitude or the Impotence of the Prince so it cannot be deny'd but that the Man is most Happy whose well-settled Peace is establish't upon solid Grounds of true Wisdom being neither oppress'd by the Tyranny of Superstition nor vex't and disquieted by the Insolence of unruly Passions to which the weakness of Reason subjects Men. As to Religion which is a third governing Principle this only proposes a more perfect Happiness and a more plain and direct way to it than Nature of it self could it only relieves and recruits our Natural Power by that of Grace and encreases the Light of Reason by a participation of new Rays of Revelation If then Happiness be the great End which Law and Philosophy Revelation and Reason God and Man do unanimously propose to us how absurd and palpable a Contradiction were it to all these to deny the Attainment of it possible To look back now upon this whole Chapter The Conclusion and sum up the substance and force of it 't