"this world, but also in that which is to come. To " him, O Father, with thee and the Holy Ghoft, be "all honour and glory, dominion and power, both "now and for ever," Amen. SERM. PSALM CXII. 6, The latter part of the verse. The righteous fhall be in everlasting remembrance, A S the defire and hope of immortality, which is implanted in human nature, is fome evidence of the thing; fo likewife 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 fign, that there is in human nature fome prefage of a life after death; in which they hope, among other rewards of welldoing, to meet with this alfo, 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 fecured of it before-hand; and to find by experience, that they who have done their part well in this life, go off with applaufe; 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 preserved from putrefaction: for that I think is the meaning of Solomon, when he prefers a good name before precious ointment. Eccl. vii. r. "A good name is better than precious ointment." This they used in embalming of dead bodies, to preserve them from noifomnefs 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 ftench and rottennefs. ERM. SER M. LXXVI. I fhall 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 juftice and righteousness are in fcripture 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 juftice; yet it is lefs frequently, and perhaps in this place, used in a larger fenfe, fo as to comprehend all piety and virtue. For fo the righteous man is described at the beginning of this pfalm, "bleffed is the man "that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in "his commandments:" and he is oppofed to the wicked man, ver. 10. " the wicked fhall fee it, and be "grieved;" that is, he fhall be troubled to fee the profperity of the righteous; the manifold bleffings of his life, and the good name he shall leave behind him at his death; which is the meaning "of his being in 66 ever U 4 LXXVI. SERM. everlasting remembrance;" that is, long after he is dead, perhaps for many ages, he fhall be well fpoken of, and his name mentioned with honour, and his good deeds recorded and remembered to all pofterity. So that the fenfe 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 underftand this kind of fayings; not that they are strictly, and univerfally true, without exception; but ufually, 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-reprefented to pofterity: but for the most part it is otherwife; and though the world be very wicked, yet it feldom deals fo 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, whilft they are alive; nay they are then very feldom fo juftly treated, as to be generally esteemed and well spoken of, and to be allowed their due praise and reputation: but after death, their good name is generally fecured 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 fhall enquire into these two things. First, whence it comes to pafs, that good men are very often defrauded of their just praise and reputation, whilft they are alive; And, Secondly, what fecurity they have of a good pame after death? LXXVI. First, whence it comes to pass, that good men S ERM. are fo frequently defrauded of their just praise and reputation, while they are alive? and to give ourfelves 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 caufe it proceeds, that good men have so often the hard fate to be ill fpoken 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 themfelves; and partly from others. 1. Good men themselves, are many times the cause of it. For the beft men are imperfect; and present and visible imperfections do very much leffen and abate the reputation of a man's goodness. It cannot be otherwife, but that the luftre of a great piety and virtue fhould be fomewhat obfcured, by that mixture of human frailty, which does neceffarily attend this ftate 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 vifible failings, and thofe fmall, 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 perfons in the world, of that excellent goodness, but besides the common and more pardonable frailties of humanity, they do now and then discover something, which might perhaps juftly deferve a fevere fenfure, SER M. if fome amends were not made for it, by many and great virtues. LXXVI. Very good men are fubject to confiderable imprudences, and fudden paffions; and especially to an affected severity and morofeness of carriage; which is very disgustful, and apt to beget diflike. And they are the more incident to these kind of imper(fections; because out of a juft hatred of the vicious customs and practices of the world, and to keep out of the way of temptation, they think it fafeft 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 fpirits 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 effence of it. Now two or three faults in a good man, if an uncharitable man have but the handling and managing of them, may eafily caft a confiderable blemish upon his reputation; becaufe the better the man is, fo much the more confpicuous are his faults; as fpots are fooneft discovered, and most taken notice of, in a pure and white garment. Befides 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 beft 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 thofe among whom they live; yet the principal caufe of their fuffering in this kind is not from themselves, but others; and that upon these three accounts. 1. From |