"this world, but also in that which is to come. To "him, O Father, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be "all honour and glory, dominion and power, both " now and for ever," Amen.

Preached on St. Luke's day.

SERMON

LXXVI.

The reputation of good men after

death,

SERM.
LXXVI.

PSALM СХІІ. б,

The latter part of the verse.

The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance,

S the defire and hope of immortality, which A is implanted in human nature, is some eviし dence of the thing; so likewise that natural defire which is in men, to have a good name perpetuated, and to be remembered, and mentioned with honour, when they are dead and gone, is a sign, that there is in human nature fome presage of a life after death; in which they hope, among other rewards of welldoing, to meet with this also, to be well spoken of to pofterity: and though probably we should not know the good that is faid of us, when we are dead, yet it is an encouragement to virtue, to be secured of it before-hand; and to find by experience, that they who have done their part well in this life, go off with applause; and that the memory of their good actions is preserved and tranfmitted to pofterity.

And among the many advantages of piety and virtue, this is not altogether inconfiderable, that it reflects an honour upon our memory after death; which is a thing much more valuable, than to have our bodies preferved from putrefaction: for that I think is the meaning of Solomon, when he prefers a good name before precious ointment. Eccl. vii. 1. "A good name is better than precious ointment." This they used in embalming of dead bodies, to preserve them from noisomness and corruption: but a good name preferves a man's memory, and makes it grateful to pofterity; which is a far greater benefit, than that of a precious ointment which ferves only to keep a dead body from stench and rottenness.

I shall briefly explain the words, and then confider the matter contained in them; "the righteous " shall be in everlasting remembrance." By the righteous is probably here meant the good man in general; for though justice and righteousness are in scripture frequently used for that particular virtue, whereby a man is disposed to render to every man his own; which is known by the name of justice; yet it is less frequently, and perhaps in this place, used in a larger sense, so as to comprehend all piety and virtue. For so the righteous man is described at the beginning of this pfalm, " blessed is the man " that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in " his commandments:" and he is opposed to the wicked man, ver. 10. "the wicked shall see it, and be "grieved;" that is, he shall be troubled to see the profperity of the righteous; the manifold blessings of his life, and the good name he shall leave behind him at his death; which is the meaning " of his being in

SERM.
LXXVI.

SERM." everlasting remembrance;" that is, long after he
LXXVI.

is dead, perhaps for many ages, he shall be well
spoken of, and his name mentioned with honour,
and his good deeds recorded and remembered to all
pofterity.

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So that the sense of the words amounts to this, that eminently good men, do commonly leave a good name behind them, and tranfmit a grateful memory of themselves to after-ages. I fay commonly, for fo we are to understand this kind of sayings; not that they are strictly, and universally true, without exception; but usually, and for the most part. It is poffible, that a good man may foon be forgotten, by the malice of men, or through the partiality and iniquity of the age, may have his name blemished after death, and be mif-represented to posterity: but for the most part it is otherwife; and though the world F be very wicked, yet it feldom deals so hardly and unjustly with men of eminent goodness and virtue, ( as to defraud them of their due praise and commendation after death. It very frequently happens otherwife to good men, whilst they are alive; nay they are then very feldom so justly treated, as to be generally efteemed and well spoken of, and to be allowed their due praise and reputation: but after death, their good name is generally secured and vindicated, and pofterity does them that right, which perhaps the age wherein they lived denied to them. Therefore in the profecution of this argument, I shall enquire into these two things.

First, whence it comes to pass, that good men are very often defrauded of their just praise and reputation, whilft they are alive; And,

Secondly, what security they have of a good

name after death?

First,

First, whence it comes to pass, that good men SERM.

LXXVI.

are so frequently defrauded of their just praise and {
reputation, while they are alive? and to give our-
selves full fatisfaction in this matter, two things are
fit to be enquired into.

1. From what cause this proceeds ?

2. For what reason the providence of Gop doth often permit it?

(1.) From what cause it proceeds, that good men have fo often the hard fate to be ill spoken of, and to be feverely cenfur'd, and to have their worth much detracted from, while they are alive?

And this proceeds partly from good men themselves; and partly from others.

1. Good men themselves, are many times the cause of it. For the best men are imperfect; and present and visible imperfections do very much lessen and abate the reputation of a man's goodness. It cannot be otherwise, but that the luftre of a great piety and virtue should be somewhat obfcured, by that mixture of human frailty, which does neceffarily attend this state of imperfection: and though a man by great care and confideration, by great vigilancy and pains with himself, be arrived to that degree and pitch of goodness, as to have but a very few visible failings, and those small, in comparison; yet when these come to be scann'd and commented upon, by envy, or ill-will, they will be strangely inflamed and magnified, and made much greater, and more than in truth they are. But there are few persons in the world, of that excellent goodness, but befides the common and more pardonable frailties of humanity, they do now and then discover something, which might perhaps justly deserve a severe sensure,

SER M. if fome amends were not made for it, by many and great virtues.

LXXVI.

i

Very good men are subject to confiderable imprudences, and sudden passions; and especially to an affected severity and moroseness of carriage; which is very disgustful, and apt to beget dislike. And they are the more incident to these kind of imper(fections; because out of a just hatred of the vicious customs and practices of the world, and to keep out of the way of temptation, they think it safeft to retire from the world as much as they can; being loth to venture themselves, more than needs, in fo infectious an air. By this means, their spirits are apt to be a little four, and they muft neceffarily be ignorant of many points of civility, and good humour; which are great ornaments of virtue, though not of the essence of it.

Now two or three faults in a good man, if an uncharitable man have but the handling and managing of them, may easily caft a confiderable blemish upon his reputation; because the better the man is, fo much the more confpicuous are his faults; as fpots are foonest discovered, and most taken notice of, in a pure and white garment. Besides that, in matters of cenfure, mankind do much incline to the harder fide; and but very few perfons are fo charitable and equal, as to conftrue things to the best fenfe, and to confider a man all together; and fairly to fet the good that is in him against his faults and imperfections. But,

2. Though good men many times contribute too much to the leffening of their own reputation, with those among whom they live; yet the principal caufe of their suffering in this kind is not from themselves, but others; and that upon these three