́leaft harmless to us: as were the ravens to Elias, the lions' SER M. to Daniel, the viper to St. Paul, the fire to the three chil- III. dren. 1 Kings

Heb. i. 14.

But especially piety doth procure the friendship of the xvii. 6. good angels, that puiffant hoft of glorious and happy Pfal. xxxiv. fpirits they all do tenderly love the pious perfon; they 7. xi. 11. are ever ready to ferve and do him good, to protect him from danger, to aid him in his undertakings, to rescue him from mischiefs. What an honour, what a bleffing is this, to have fuch an innumerable company of noble friends (the courtiers and favourites of heaven) deeply concerned and conftantly vigilant for our welfare!

It alfo engageth the bleffed faints in glory, the fpirits of juft men perfected, the church of the first-born, to bear deareft affection to us, to further our profperity with their good wishes and earnest prayers, mightily prevalent with God.

It rendereth all forts of men our friends. To good men it uniteth us in holy communion; the communion of brotherly charity and hearty good will, attended with all the good offices they are able to perform: to other men it reconcileth and endeareth us; for that innocent and inoffenfive, courteous and benign, charitable and beneficent demeanour, (such as piety doth require and produce,) are apt to conciliate refpect and affection from the worst men. For, Vincit malos pertinax bonitas; men hardly Sen. de Becan perfift enemies to him whom they perceive to be their "ef. vii. 21. friend and fuch the pious man in difpofition of mind, and in effect when occafion ferveth, is toward all men k;

being fenfible of his obligation to love all men, and, as he Gal. vi. 10. hath opportunity, to do good to all men. It affureth and more strictly endeareth our friends to us. For, as it mak- oi ayado ἡδεῖς ἀλλής eth us hearty, faithful, conftant friends to others; fo it is. Arift. reciprocally tieth others to us in the like fincerity and Eth. viii. 4. faftnefs of good will.

It reconcileth enemies. For, when a man's ways do Prov. xvi. pleafe the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with

k Qui fibi amicus eft, fcito hunc amicum omnibus effe. Sen. Ep. 6.

7.

SERM. him. It hath a natural efficacy to that purpose, and DiIII. vine bleffing promoteth it.

Quæris

cerim ?

By it all converfation becometh tolerable, grateful, and ufeful. For a pious man is not eafily disturbed with any croffness or perverfeness, any infirmity or impertinency of those he converseth with: he can bear the weaknesses and the failings of his company; he can by wholefome reflections upon all occurrences advantage and please himfelf'.

In fine, piety rendereth a man a true friend and a good quid profe- companion to himfelf; fatisfied in himself, able to conamicus effe verse freely and pleasantly with his own thoughts. It is Sen. Ep. 6. for the want of pious inclinations and difpofitions, that fo

litude (a thing which fometimes cannot be avoided, which often should be embraced) is to moft men so irksome and tedious, that men do carefully fhun themselves, and fly from their own thoughts; that they decline all converfe with their own fouls, and hardly dare look upon their own hearts and confciences: whence they become aliens from home, wholly unacquainted with themselves, moft ignorant of their own nearest concernments, no faithful friends or pleasant companions to themselves; fo for refuge and ease they unfeasonably run into idle or lewd' converfation, where they disorder and defile themselves m. Nunquam But the pious man is, like Scipio, never lefs alone, than when alone: his folitude and retirement is not only tole oum folus. rable, but commonly the most grateful and fruitful part of

minus fo

lus, quam

his life he can ever with much pleasure, and more advantage, converse with himself; digefting and marthalling his thoughts, his affections, his purposes into good order ; searching and difcuffing his heart, reflecting on his past

1 Συνδιάγειν τε οὗτος ἑαυτῷ βούλεται· ἡδέως γὰρ αὐτὸ ποιεῖ.—(Ariftot. Εth. ix. 4.) τῶν τε γὰρ πεπραγμένων ἐπιτερπεῖς αἱ μνῆμαι, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίδες ἀγαθαί.

m Nemo eft, cui non fatius fit cum quolibet effe, quam fecum. Sen. Ep. 25.

Ενιοι τὸν ἴδιον βίον, ὡς ἀτερπέςατον θέαμα, προσιδεῖν οὐχ ὑπομένουσιν, &c. Plut. περὶ Πολυπρ. p. 916.

Ζητοῦσιν οἱ μοχθηροί μεθ ̓ ὧν συνημερεύσουσιν, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ φεύγεσιν. Arif. ix. 4.

III.

ways, enforcing his former good resolutions, and framing SERM. new ones; inquiring after edifying truths; ftretching his meditations toward the beft and fublimeft objects, raising his hopes and warming his affections towards spiritual and heavenly things; asking himself pertinent questions, and refolving incident doubts concerning his practice: in fine, converfing with his best friend in devotion; with admiration and love contemplating the divine perfections dif played in the works of nature, of providence, of grace; praifing God for his excellent benefits and mercies; confeffing his defects and offences; deprecating wrath and imploring pardon, with grace and ability to amend; praying for the supply of all his wants ". All which performances yield both unconceivable benefit and unexpreffible comfort. So that folitude (that which is to common nature so offenfive, to corrupt nature so abominable) is to the pious man extremely commodious and comfortable : which is a great advantage peculiar to piety, and the last which I fhall mention.

So many, and many more than I can exprefs, vaftly great and precious advantages do accrue from piety; so that well may we conclude with St. Paul, that Godliness, is profitable for all things.

It remaineth that, if we be wife, we fhould, if we yet have it not ingraffed in us, labour to acquire it; if we have it, that we should endeavour to improve it, by conftant exercise, to the praise of God, the good of our neighbour, and our own comfort. Which that we may effectually perform, Almighty God in mercy vouchfafe, by his grace, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom for ever be all glory and praise. Amen.

"Acquiefcit fibi, cogitationibus fuis traditus. Sen. Ep. 9.

Sapiens nunquam folus effe poteft, habet fecum omnes qui funt, quique unquam fuerunt boni; et animum liberum quocunque vult transfert: quod corpore non poteft, cogitatione complectitur; et fi hominum inops fuerit, loquitur cum Deo. Nunquam minus folus erit, quam cum folus fuerit. Hier, adv. Jovin. i. 28.

SERMON IV.

THE REWARD OF HONOURING GOD.

1 SAM. ii. 30.

For them that honour me I will honour.

SERM. THE words are in the strictest sense the word of God, IV. uttered immediately by God himself; and may thence command from us an especial attention and regard. The history of that which occafioned them is, I prefume, well known; neither fhall I make any defcant or reflection thereon; but to take the words feparately, as a propofition of itself, affording a complete inftruction and ample matter of difcourfe. And as fuch, they plainly imply two things a duty required of us to honour God; and a reward proffered to us, upon performance of that duty, being honoured by God. It is natural for us, before we are willing to undertake any work, to confider the reward or benefit accruing from it; and it is neceffary, before we can perform any duty, to understand the nature thereof. To this our method of action I fhall fuit the method of my difcourfe; firft endeavouring to estimate the reward, then to explain the duty. Afterward I mean to fhew briefly why in reafon the duty is enjoined; how in effect the reward is conferred.

I. The reward may be confidered either abfolutely, (as what it is in itself ;) or relatively, (as to its rife, and whence' it comes.)

1. For itself, it is honour; a thing, if valued according to the rate it bears in the common market, of highest price

IV.

among all the objects of human defire; the chief reward SERM. which the greatest actions and which the best actions do pretend unto, or are capable of; that which ufually bears. most sway in the hearts, and hath strongest influence upon the lives of men; the defire of obtaining and maintaining which doth commonly overbear other most potent inclinations. The love of pleasure ftoops thereto : for men, to get or keep reputation, will decline the most pleasant enjoyments, will embrace the hardest pains. Yea, it often prevails over the love of life itself, which men do not only frequently expose to danger, but sometimes devote to certain lofs, for its fake. If we obferve what is done in the world, we may difcern it to be the fource of most undertakings therein: that it not only moveth the wheels of public action, (that not only for it great princes contend, great armies march, great battles are fought ;) but that from it most private business derives its life and vigour : that for honour especially the foldier undergoes hardship, toil, and hazard; the scholar plods and beats his brains; the merchant runs about so bufily, and adventures so far; yea, that for its fake the meaneft labourer and artificer doth spend his sweat, and stretch his finews. The principal drift of all this care and industry (the great reason of all this fcuffling for power, this fearching for knowledge, this fcraping and fcrambling for wealth) doth feem to be, that men would live in fome credit, would raise themselves above contempt1.

In fuch request, of fuch force, doth honour appear to be. If we examine why, we may find more than mere

1 Ιδοις δ ̓ ἂν καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν τοὺς ἐπιεικεςάτους, ὑπὲρ ἄλλου μὲν οὐδενὸς ἂν τὸ ζῆν ἀντικαταλλαξαμένους· ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ τυχεῖν καλῆς δόξης, ἀποθνήσκειν ἐθέλοντας. Ifocr. Orat, ad Philip.

Mors tum æquiffimo animo appetitur, cum fuis fe laudibus vita occidens confolari poteft. Cic. i. Tufc.

Laudis avidi pecuniæ liberales erant, gloriam ingentem divitias honeftas volebant; hanc ardentiffime dilexerunt, propter hanc vivere voluerunt, pro hac et mori non dubitaverunt. Cæteras cupiditates hujus unius ingenti cupiditate prefferunt. Aug. de Civ. Dei, v. 12.

Αἱ γὰρ δυναςεῖαι καὶ ὁ πλᾶτος διὰ τὴν τιμήν ἐσιν αἱρετά. Arif. Eth. iv. 3. Honos alit artes, omnefque incenduntur ad ftudia gloria, &c. Cic. Tufc. Qua 1.

VOL. I.