XVI. welfare and our content. It obligeth us to preserve SERM. unto our reason its natural prerogative, or due empire in our souls, and over our bodies, not to suffer the brutish part to usurp and domineer over us; that we be not swayed down by this earthy lump, not enslaved to bodily temper, not transported with tumultuary humours, not deluded by vain fancy; that neither inward propensions nor impressions from without be able to seduce us to that which is unworthy of us, or mischievous to us. It enjoineth us to have sober and moderate thoughts concerning ourselves, suitable to our total dependence upon God, to our natural meanness and weakness, to our sinful inclinations, to the guilt we have contracted in our lives; that therefore we be not puffed up with self-conceit, or vain confidence in ourselves, or in any thing about us; (any wealth, honour, or prosperity.) It directeth us also to compose our minds into a calm, serene, and cheerful state; that we be not easily distempered with anger, or distracted with care, or overborne with grief, or disturbed with any accident befalling us; but that we be content in every condition, and entertain patiently all events, yea, accept joyfully from God's hand whatever he reacheth to us. It commandeth us to restrain our appetites, to be temperate in all our enjoyments, to abstain from all irregular pleasures, which are base in kind, or excessive in degree; which may corrupt our minds, or impair our health, or endamage our estate, or stain our good name, or prejudice our peace or repose: it doth not prohibit us the use of any creature, whence we may receive innocent convenience or delight, but indulgeth us a prudent and sober use of them all, with the sense of God's goodness, and thankfulness to him, SERM. who bestoweth them upon us. Our religion also XVI. further ordereth us (so far as our necessary occasions de Veritate, iv. 12. or duties permit) to sequester and elevate our minds from these low and transitory things, from the fading glories, the unstable possessions, the vanishing delights of this world; things indeed unworthy the attention, unworthy the affection of an heaven-born and immortal spirit; that we should fix our thoughts, our desires, our endeavours upon objects most worthy of them, objects high and heavenly, pure and spiritual, infinitely stable and durable; not to love the world, and the things therein; to be careful for nothing, but to cast all our care upon God's providence; not to labour for the meat that perisheth, not to trust in uncertain riches; to have our treasure, our heart, our hope, our conversation above in heaven. Such directions our religion prescribeth; by compliance with which, if man be at all capable of being happy, assuredly his happiness must be attained; for that no present enjoyment can render a man happy, all experience proclaimeth; the restless motions we continually see, the woful complaints we daily hear, do manifestly demonstrate. And who seeth not the great benefits and the goodly fruits accruing from observance of these laws Vid. Grot. and rules? Who discerneth not the admirable consent of all these particular injunctions in our religion Phil. iv. 8. with that general one, Whatever things are true, whatever things are just, whatever things are honest, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, or any praise, that we should mind such things, and practise them? Such, and far more excellent than I am able to describe, is the rule XVI. of Christian practice; a rule in perfection, in beauty, SERM. in efficacy far surpassing all other rules; productive of a goodness more complete, more lovely, more sprightful than any other doctrine or institution hath been or can be able to bring forth; much exceeding, not only the righteousness of blind Pharisees, but all the virtue of the most sage philosophers; somewhat in part concurrent therewith philosophy hath descried and delivered; (it is no wonder it should, since all of it is so plainly consonant to reason;) yet what philosophy hath in this kind afforded, is in truth, if compared with what our religion teacheth, exceedingly meagre, languid, and flat: two words here, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself, do signify more, do contain in them more sense and savour, to the judgment and relish of a well disposed mind, than the Ethics of Aristotle, the Offices of Cicero, the Precepts and Dissertations of Epictetus, the many other volumes of philosophical morality all put together; in matter our rule is far more rich and full, more sweet and sapid than theirs; in force and efficacy it doth also (as we shall hereafter see) far excel themc. 5 Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τῶν προσταγμάτων τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, τῶν οὐρανίων νόμων τὴν ἀρετὴν, τῆς ἀγγελικῆς πολιτείας τὴν εὐταξίαν; τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡμῖν εἰσε ηγήσατο βίον, τοιούτους ἡμῖν ἔθηκε νόμους, τοιαύτην κατεστήσατο πολιτείαν, ὡς τοὺς τούτοις χρωμένους ἀγγέλους εὐθέως γίνεσθαι, καὶ ὁμοίους θεῷ κατὰ τὴν dívaμr Thy hμetépav. Chrys. in Joh. i. 14. Οσα παρὰ πᾶσι καλῶς εἴρηται, Χριστιανῶν ἐστι. Just. M. Apoll. 1. Quæ disputationes, quæ literæ quorumlibet philosophorum, quæ leges quarumlibet civitatum duobus præceptis, ex quibus Christus dicit totam legem prophetasque pendere, ullo modo sint comparanda? Aug. Epist. iii. ad Volus. Vid. Chrys. 'Avop. 19. · Δηλοῦν ἐθέλει τοὔνομα τὸ Χριστιανοῦ, ἄνδρα διὰ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ γνώσεως SERM. 4. We may hereto annex this consideration, which may pass for another peculiar advantage of our religion, that as it delivereth so excellent and perfect a rule of life, so it delivereth it unto us pure from any allay embasing, free of any clog encumbering it; for that it chiefly, and in a manner only requireth of us a rational and spiritual service, consisting in performance of substantial duties, plainly necessary or profitable; not withdrawing us from the practice of solid piety and virtue by obligations to a tedious observance of many external rites; not spending the vigour of our minds upon superficial formalities, (or busy scrupulosities, as Tertullian termeth them d,) such as serve only to amuse childish fancies, or to depress slavish spirits. It supposeth us men, men of good understanding and ingenuous disposition, and dealeth with us as such; and much more such it rendereth us, if we comply therewith. The ritual observances it enjoineth are as few in number, in nature simple and easy to perform, so evidently reasonable, very decent, and very useful; apt to instruct us in, able to excite us unto, the practice of most καὶ διδασκαλίας, σωφροσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, καρτερίᾳ τε βίου καὶ ἀρετῆς ἀν δρίᾳ, εὐσεβείας τε ὁμολογίᾳ ἑνὸς καὶ μόνου τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων θεοῦ διαπρέπειν. Euseb. Hist. i. 4. d Negotiosæ scrupulositates. Tertull. in Marc. 2. Quædam pauca eademque factu facillima, et intellectu augustissima, et observatione castissima Dominus, et apostolica tradidit disciplina, sicuti est baptismi sacramentum, et celebratio corporis et sanguinis Domini. Aug. de Doct. Chr. iii. 9. Dominus noster Jesus Christus leni jugo nos subdidit, et sarcinæ levi; unde sacramentis numero paucissimis, significatione præstantissimis societatem novi populi colligavit ; sicuti est baptismus Trinitatis nomine consecratus, communicatio corporis et sanguinis ipsius, et siquid aliud in scripturis canonicis commendatur. Aug. Ep. 118. ad Januar. wholesome duties: which consideration sheweth this SERM. doctrine to be complete, suitable to the most adult__XVI. age and best constitution, to the most ripe and improved capacities of man. But further, the est iter per præcepta, breve et efficax per Sen. 5. Our religion hath also this especial advantage, that it setteth before us a living copy and visible standard of good practice; wherein we have all its precepts compacted as it were into one body, and at once exposed to our view. Example yieldeth the Longum most compendious instruction, together with most efficacious incitement to action; but never was there or could be any example in either respect com-exempla. parable to this; never was any so thoroughly perfect in itself, so purposely designed, so fitly accommodated for imitation, or so forcibly engaging thereto, as this: there is not one flaw, one spot, one false or uneven stroke in all this copy, so that we are secure from doing amiss in transcribing any part thereof; it was intended to conduct us through all the parts of duty, especially those which are most high and difficult to our frail and decayed nature, general charity, self-denial, humility, and patience : it was admirably squared for the imitation of all men, the Person in whom it shined being, as it were, indefinite, and unrestrained to any single condition; he being in right and power superior to the greatest princes, though according to choice and in outward parts inferior to the meanest subjects; having under his command the largest wealth, although enjoying none; being able readily to procure to himself what glory and respect he pleased, yet pleasing to pass obscure and disregarded; so teaching those of highest rank to be sober and condescensive, those of lowest degree to be patient and content in their respective |