Blessings entailed on posterity.-His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. The root of the righteous shall not be mored.s A good name endureth after death.us all things pertaining unto life and The memory of the just is blessed. godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue.m Hence it is promised by our Lord, that, If we seek first the kingdom of God, all things shall be added to us.n Hence it is inferred, as consequential to the nature Thus is a liberal dispensation even of of the evangelical dispensation, that we temporal goods annexed by God's infalli- cannot want any good thing: He, saith ble word unto the practice of piety. It St. Paul, that spared not his own Son, but is indeed more frequently, abundantly, delivered him up for us all, how shall he and explicitly promised unto God's an- not with him also freely give us all cient people, as being a conditional ingre- things 20 In fine, hence it is proposed dient of the covenant made with them, as notorious, that nothing is permitted to exhibited in that as a recompense of their fall out otherwise than as conduceth to external performance of religious works to our good. We know, saith St. Paul, prescribed in their Law. The Gospel that all things work together for good doth not so clearly propound it, or so unto those that love God: nor will God, much insist upon it, as not principally be- in any case, suffer us to be tempted, by longing to the evangelical covenant, the any want or pressure, beyond what we which, in reward to the performance of are able to bear.P Thus is piety evidentits conditions by us, peculiarly doth offer ly profitable, as having the promises of blessings spiritual, and relating to the fu- this life, or exhibiting all temporal blessture state: as also scarce deserving to beings desirable to the practisers thereof. mentioned in comparison to those superior blessings. Yet as the celestial benefits, although not openly tendered in the Jewish Law, were yet mystically couched therein, and closely designed for the spiritual and hearty practisers of religion; so is the collation of temporal accommodations to be understood to belong to all pious Christians: there is a codicil, as it were, annexed to the New Testament, in which God signifieth his intention to furnish his children with all that is needful or convenient for them. His providence hath not ceased to watch over us, his bounty doth not fail toward us even in this respect; his care will not be wanting to feed us and clothe us comfortably, to protect us from evil, to prosper our good undertakings. Hence doth he command us to care for nothing, but to cast our care upon him, to recommend our business to him, because he careth for us; he will never forsake us; he will hear our prayers, and help us. Hence we are enjoined not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.1 Hence it is said, that The divine power hath given ! Prov. x. 7, 25. k Ps. xxxvii. 26; cxii. 2.; (Exod. xx. 6;) Prov. xii. 3. Prov. xi. 31; Deut. xxviii. 1; vii. 12; xi. 13. 2 Cor. iv. 17; Rom. viii. 18. 1 Pet. v. 7; Phil. iv. 6; Heb. xiii. 5. Matt. vi. 25; 1 Tim. vi. 17. But infinitely more profitable it is, as having the promises of the future life, or as procuring a title to those incomparably more excellent blessings of the other world; those indefectible treasures, that incorruptible, undefiled, and never-fading inheritance, reserved in heaven for us; that exceeding weight of glory; those ineffable joys of paradise, that lightsome countenance and beatifying presence of God; that inconceivably and unexpressibly joyful, glorious, perfect, and endless bliss; briefly, all that is comprised and intimated in those words of the Apostle, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Infinitely profitable surely must that be, which procureth those things for us: and in these respects great reason had St. Paul to say, that Godliness is profitable for all things. But farther to evidence and recommend this point, I might propound certain peculiar advantages arising from piety, which have a very general influence upon our lives, and do afford unto them exceeding benefit; but this I must, in regard to the time and your patience, at present forbear. SERMON III. THE PROFITABLENESS OF GODLINESS. 1 TIM. iv. 8.-but godliness is profitable for all things. IN discoursing formerly upon these words, I did propound divers general considerations, serving to confirm and recommend this assertion of St. Paul. I shall now insist upon some others more particular, which yet seem much conducible to the same purpose, declaring the vast utility of religion or piety. I. We may consider that religion doth prescribe the truest and best rules of action; thence enlightening our mind, and rectifying our practice in all matters, and upon all occasions, so that whatever is performed according to it, is done well and wisely, with a comely grace in regard to others, with a cheerful satisfaction in our own mind, with the best assurance that things are here capable of, to find happy success and beneficial fruit. Wise Man, is as the shining light. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way; but wickedness overthroweth the sinner b Again it is a fair ornament of a man, and a grand convenience both to himself, and to others with whom he converseth or dealeth, to act regularly, uniformly, and consistently; freeing a man's self from distraction and irresolution in his mind, from change and confusion in his proceedings; securing others from delusion and disappointment in their transactions with him. Even a bad rule constantly observed, is therefore better than none: order and perseverance in any way seemeth more convenient than_roving and tossing about in uncertainties.* But, secluding a regard to the precepts of religion, there can hardly be any sure or settled rule, which firmly can engage a man to, or effectually restrain a man from, anything. There is scarce in nature anything so wild, so untractable, so unintelligible, as a man who hath no bridle of conscience to guide or check him. A profane man is like a ship, without anchor to stay him, or rudder to steer him, or compass to guide him; so that he is tossed with any wind, and driven with any wave, none knoweth whither: whether bodily temper doth sway him, or passion doth hurry him, or interest doth pull him, or example leadeth him, or company inveigleth and haileth him, or humour transporteth him; whether any such variable and unaccountable causes determine him, or divers of them together distract him whence he so rambleth and hovereth, that he can seldom himself tell what in any case he should do, nor can another guess it; so that you cannot at any time know where to find him, or how to deal with him; you cannot with reason ever rely upon him, so unstable he is in all his ways. He is in Of all things in the world, there is nothing more generally profitable than light: by it we converse with the world, and have all things set before us; by it we truly and easily discern things in their right magnitude, shape, and colour; by it we guide our steps safely in prosecution of what is good, and shunning what is noxious; by it our spirits are comfortably warmed and cheered, our life, consequently our health, our vigour, and activity are preserved. The like benefits doth religion, which is the light of our soul, yield to it. Pious men are children of the light; pious works are works of light shining before men. God's word (or true religion) is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path; enabling us to perceive things, and judge rightly of them; teaching us to walk straitly and surely, without erring or stumbling; qualifying us to embrace what is useful, and to avoid hurtful things; preserving our spiritual life, and disposing us to act well with a vigor-effect a mere child, all humour and gidous alacrity without it a man is stark blind, and utterly benighted, gropeth in doubt, wandereth in mistake, trippeth upon all occasions, and often falleth into mischief. The path of the just, saith the a Luke xvi. 8; Eph. v. 8. 1 Thess. v. 5; John xii. 36; Matt. v. 16; Eph. v. 11; Psal. cxix. 105. diness, somewhat worse than a beast, which, following the instinct of its nature, is constant and regular, and thence tractable; or at least so untractable, that no *Via eunti aliquid extremum est; error immensus est.-Sen. Ep. 16. b Is. lix. 10; Job. v. 14; Deut. xxviii. 29; Prov. iv. 18, 19; Prov. xiii. 6; xi. 3, 5. with him.* man will be deceived in meddling with | tion, which by the Levites in Nehemiah him. Nothing, therefore, can be more is given to that, doth more clearly and unmanly than such a person; nothing can fully agree to the Christian (general and be more unpleasant than to have to do perfect) institution: Thou camest down from mount Sinai, and spakest with them But a pious man, being steadily gov-from heaven, and gavest them right judgerned by conscience, and a regard to ments, and true laws, good statutes and certain principles, doth both understand commandments.d And, The law, saith himself, and is intelligible to others: he the Apostle Paul, is holy; the commandpresently descrieth what in any case he ment is holy, just, and good :e as such it is is to do, and can render an account of his recommended to us by its Author; so we acting: you may know him clearly, and Christians are by many great arguments assuredly tell what he will do, and may assured that it is, and that it is such even therefore fully confide in him.t our natural reason dictateth; so (as to the chief instances thereof) the most wise and sober men always have acknowledged, so the general consent doth avow, and so even common experience doth attest. For, heartily to love and reverence the Maker of all things, who by everything apparent before us demonstrateth himself incomprehensibly powerful, wise, and good, to be kind and charitable to our neighbours, to be just and faithful in our dealings, to be sober and modest in our minds, to be meek and gentle in our demeanours, to be staunch and temperate in our enjoyments, and the like principal rules of duty, are such, that the common reason of men and continual experience do approve them as hugely conducible to the puplic good of men, and to each man's private welfare. So notoriously beneficial they appear, that for the justification of them we might appeal even to the judgment and conscience of those persons who are most concerned to derogate from them. For hardly can any man be so senseless, or so lewd, as seriously to disapprove or condemn them, as inwardly to blame or slight those who truly act according to them. The will of men sometimes may be so depraved, that dissolute persons wantonly and heedlessly may scoff at and seem to disparage goodness; that good men, by very bad men, for doing well, may be envied and hated (their being so treated is commonly an argument of the goodness of their persons and of their ways :) but the understanding of men can hardly be so corrupted, that piety, charity, justice, temperance, meekness, can in good earnest considerately by any man be disallowed, or that persons apparently practising them can be despised ; What, therefore, law and government are to the public, things necessary to preserve the world in order, peace, and safety (that men may know what to do, and distinguish what is their own), that is piety to each man's private state, and to ordinary conversation: it freeth a man's own life from disorder and distraction; it prompteth men how to behave themselves toward one another with security and confidence. This it doth by confining our practice within settled bounds: but this advantage appeareth greater, considering that the rules which it prescribeth are the best that can be. Such they must needs be, as proceeding from infallible wisdom, and immense goodness; being indeed no other than laws which the all-wise and most gracious Lord and Maker of the world, out of tender kindness to his subjects and creatures, with especial regard to our welfare, hath been pleased to enact and declare. What of old he said to the Israelites concerning their laws, may with greater advantage be applied to those which should regulate our lives: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (For thy good; that was the design of their being commanded, thereto the observance of them did tend.) And that commenda Nihil est tam occupatum, tam multiforme, tot ac tam variis affectibus concisum atque laceratum, quam mala mens.- Quint. xii. 1. † Οἱ ἐπιεικεῖς ἑαυτοῖς ὁμονοοῦσι καὶ ἀλλήλοις, επί τῶν αὐτῶν ὄντες, ὡς εἰπεῖν· τῶν τοιούτων μένει γὰρ τὰ βουλήματα, καὶ οὐ μεταῤῥεῖ, ὥσπερ εύριπος.-Arist. Eth. ix. 6. • Deut. x. 12, 13. but rather, in spite of all contrary preju- | disgrace, jarring with others, and no less dice and disaffections, such things and dissatisfied with himself. If you observe such persons cannot but in judgment and what doth impair the health, doth weakheart be esteemed by all men. The lustre en and fret the mind, doth waste the of them, by a natural and necessary effica- estate, doth blemish the reputation, doth cy (like that of heaven's glorious light) expose the whole life to danger and troudazzleth the sight and charmeth the spirits ble; what is it but thwarting these good of all men living; the beauty of them rules? If you consider a place where irresistibly conquereth and commandeth these are much neglected, it will appear in the apprehensions of men: the more like a wilderness of savage beasts, or a they are observed, the more useful and sty of foul swine, or a hell of cursed needful they appear for the good of men; fiends; full of roaring and tearing, of all the fruits which grow from the ob- factions and feuds, of distractions and servance of them being to all men's taste confusions, of pitiful objects, of doleful very pleasant, to all men's experience moans, of tragical events. Men are there very wholesome. Indeed, all the good wallowing in filth, wildly revelling, bickwhereby common life is adorned, is sweet-ering and squabbling, defaming, circumened, is rendered pleasant and desirable, venting, disturbing and vexing one anothdoth spring thence; all the mischiefs which infest particular men, and which disturb the world, palpably do arise from the transgression or neglect thereof. er; as if they affected nothing more than to render one another as miserable as they can. It is from lust and luxury, from ambition and avarice, from envy and spite, and the like dispositions, which religion chiefly doth interdict, that all such horrid mischiefs do spring. In fine, the precepts of religion are no other than such as physicians would prescribe for the health of our bodies, as politicians would avow needful for the peace of the state, as Epicurean philosophers do recommend for the tranquillity of our mind, and pleasure of our lives; such as common reason dictateth, and daily trial showeth conducible to our welfare in all respects: which, consequently, were there no law exacting them of us, we should in wisdom choose to observe, and voluntarily impose on ourselves, confessing them to be fit matters of law, as most advantageous and requisite to the good (general and paticular) of mankind. So that what Plutarch reporteth Solon to have said, that he had so squared his laws to the citizens, that all of them might clearly perceive, that to observe them was more for their benefit and interest than to violate them, is far more true concerning the divine laws. If we look on a person sticking to those rules, we shall perceive him to have a cheerful mind and composed passions; to to be at peace within, and satisfied with himself; to live in comely order, in good repute, in fair correspondence, and firm concord with his neighbours. If we mark what preserveth the body sound and lusty, what keepeth the mind vigorous and brisk, what saveth and improveth the estate, what upholdeth the good name, what guardeth and graceth a man's whole life; it is nothing else but proceeding in our demeanour and dealings according to the honest and wise rules of piety. If we view a place where these commonly in good measure are observed, we shall discern, that peace and prosperity do flourish there; that all things proceed on sweetly and fairly; that men generally drive on conversation and commerce together contentedly, delightfully, advantageously, yielding friendly advice and aid mutually, striving to render one another happy; that few clamours or complaints are heard there, few contentions or stirs do appear, few disasters or tragedies do II. We may consider more particularoccur; that such a place hath indeed ly, that piety yieldeth to the practiser all much of the face, much of the substance kind of interior content, peace, and joy; of Paradise. freeth him from all kinds of dissatisfacBut if you mind a person who neg-tion, regret, and disquiet; which is an inlecteth them, you will find his mind gall- estimably great advantage for certainly ed with sore remorse, racked with anx- the happiness and misery of men are ious fears and doubts, agitated with storms of passion and lust, living in disorder and f Plut. in Sol. : tent and pleasure do spring; that it only ministereth reason of content, and disposeth the mind to enjoy it; that it extirpateth the grounds and roots of discontent; that it is the only mother of true, sober alacrity and tranquillity of mind, will, upon considering things, be manifest. wholly or chiefly seated and founded in | ion, and from it alone, such inward conthe mind. If that is in a good state of health, rest, and cheerfulness, whatever the person's outward condition or circumstances be, he cannot be wretched: if that be distempered or disturbed, he cannot be happy. For what if a man seem very poor; if he be abundantly satisfied in his own possessions and enjoyments? What if he tasteth not the pleasures of sense; if he enjoyeth purer and sweeter delights of mind? What if tempests of fortune surround him; if his mind be calm and serene? What if he have few or no friends; if he yet be thorough ly in peace and amity with himself, and can delightfully converse with his own thoughts? What if men slight, censure, or revile him; if he doth value his own state, doth approve his own actions, doth acquit hmself of blame in his own conscience? Such external contingencies can surely no more prejudice a man's real happiness, than winds blustering abroad can harm or trouble him that abideth in a good room within doors, than storms and fluctuations at sea can molest him who standeth firm upon the shore. On the other hand, the greatest affluence of seeming goods will avail nothing, if real content of mind be wanting. For what will the highest eminence of outward state import to him that is dejected in his own conceit ?g What if the world court and bless him, or if all people do admire and applaud him; if he be displeased with, if he condemneth, if he despiseth himself? What if the weather look fair and bright without, if storms rage in his breast, if black clouds do overcast his soul? What if he do abound with friends, and enjoy peace abroad; if he find distraction at home, and is at cruel variance with himself? How can a man enjoy any satisfaction, or relish any pleasure, while sore remorse doth sting him, or solicitous doubts and fears do rack him?* There is no other thing here in this world that can yield any solid or stable content to our mind. For all present enjoyments are transient and evanid ; and of any future thing, in this kingdom of change and contingency, there can be no assurance. There is nothing below large enough to fill our vast capacities, or to satiate our boundless desires, or to appease our squeamish delicacy.i There is nothing whose sweetness we do not presently exhaust and suck dry; whereof thence we do not soon grow weary, quite loathing, or faintly liking it. There is not anything which is not slippery and fleeting; so that we can for a long time hope to possess it, or for any time can enjoy it, without restless care in keeping it, and anxious fear of losing it. Nothing there is, in the pursuance, the custody, the defence and maintenance whereof, we are not liable to disappointments and crosses. Nothing consequently there is productive of any sound content to the fastidious, impatient, greedy, and restless heart of man. The greatest confluence of present, corporeal, secular things (of all the health, the riches, the dignity, the power, the friendships and dependencies, the wit, the learning and wisdom, the reputation and renown in this world), will not afford much of it: which is yet but an imaginary supposition; for in effect hardly do all such accommodations of life concur in any state. There is ever some dead fly in our box, which marreth our ointment;k some adherent inconvenience, which soureth the gust of our enjoyments: there is always some good thing absent, which we do want or long for; some ill thing present, or in prospect, which we abhor, would avoid, do fear may come. If, therefore, we would find content, we must not seek it here ; we must want it, or have it from another i Prov. xxvii. 20. h Prov. xxvii. 24. |