of his virtue and temperance, and to build a tomb for him, publickly in the Ceramick,' &c. These two were his epitaphs, one by Antipater: Here Zeno lies, who tall Olympus fcal'd; But found out virtue's paths, which thither led. The other by Xenodotus, the Stoick, thus: §. LXXV. SENECA, a great and excellent philofopher (who, with Epictetus, fhall conclude the teftimonies of the men of their character) hath fo much to our purpose, that his works are but a kind of continued evidence for us: he faith, Nature was not fo much an enemy, as to give an easy paffage of life to all other creatures, and that man alone fhould not live without fo many arts: fhe hath commanded us none of these things. We have made all things difficult to us, by difdaining things that are eafy: houfes, clothes, meats, and nourishment of bodies, and thofe things which are now the care of life, were eafy to come by, freely gotten, and prepared with a light labour: for the measure of these things was neceffity, not voluptuoufnefs: but we have made them pernicious and admirable; they must be fought with art and skill. Nature fufficeth to that which the requireth. Appetite hath revolted from nature, which continually inciteth itself, and increases with the ages, helping vice by wit. First, it began to defire fuperfluous, then contrary things: laft of all, it fold the mind to the body, and commanded it to serve the lufts thereof. All these arts, wherewith the city is continually set at work, and maketh such a stir, do center in the affairs of the body, to which all things were once performed as to a Servant, but now are provided as for a Lord. Hence the fhops of engravers, perfumers, &c. hence of those that teach effeminate motions of the body, S 2 and and vain and wanton fongs: for natural behaviour is despised, which completed defires with neceffary help : now it is clownifhnefs and ill-breeding, to be contented with as much as is requifite. What fhall I fpeak of rich marbles curiously wrought, wherewith temples and houfes do fhine? what of ftately galleries, and rich furniture? These are but the devices of moft vile flaves, the inventions of men, not of wife men: for wisdom fits deeper; it is the mistress of the mind. Wilt thou know what things fhe hath found out, what fhe hath made? Not unfeemly motions of the body, nor variable singing by trumpet or flute; nor yet weapons, wars, or fortifications: fhe endeavoureth profitable things; fhe favours peace, and calls all mankind to an agreement: fhe leadeth to a bleffed eftate: fhe openeth the way to it, and fhews what is evil from what is good, and chafeth vanity out of the mind: the giveth folid greatness, but debaseth that which is puffed up, and would be feen of men: the bringeth forth the Image of God to be seen in the fouls of men:' and fo from corporeal, fhe tranflateth into incorporeal things. Thus in the 90th epistle to Lucilius. To Gallio he writeth thus: "All men, brother Gallio, are defirous to live happy; yet blind to the means of that bleffedness, as long as we wander hither and thither, and follow not our Guide, but the diffonant clamour of thofe that call on us to undertake different ways. Our fhort life is wearied and worn away amongst errors, although we labour to get us a good mind. There is nothing therefore to be more avoided, than following the multitude without examination, and believing any thing without judging. Let us enquire what is beft to be done, not what is most ufually done; and what planted us in the poffeffion of eternal felicity; not what is ordinarily allowed of by the multitude, which is the worst interpreter of truth. I call the Multitude as well thofe that are clothed in White, as those in other colours: for I examine not the colours of the garments, wherewith their bodies are clothed: I truft not mine eyes to inform me what a man man is; I have a better and truer Light, whereby I can distinguish truth from falfhood. Let the foul find out the Good of the foul. If once fhe may have leifure to withdraw into herself, oh! how will fhe confefs, I wish all I have done were undone; and all I have faid, when I recollect it, I am ashamed of it, when I now hear the like in others. These things below, whereat we gaze, and whereat we stay, and which one man with admiration fhews unto another, do outwardly fhine, but are inwardly empty. Let us feek out fomewhat that is good, not in appearance, but folid, united and beft, in that which leaft appears: let us discover this. Neither is it far from us; we fhall find it, if we feek it. For it is wisdom, not to wander from that Immortal Nature, but to form ourfelves according to his law and example. Blessed is the man who judgeth rightly: bleffed is he who is contented with his prefent condition and bleffed is he who giveth ear to that Immortal Principle, in the government of his life."-An whole volume of these excellent things hath he written. No wonder a man of his doctrine and life, efcaped not the cruelty of brutish Nero, under whom he suffered death; as also did the apostle Paul, with whom, it is faid, Seneca had converfed. When Nero's meffenger brought him the news that he was to die; with a compofed and undaunted countenance he received the errand, and presently called for pen, ink, and paper, to write his laft will and teftament; which the captain refufing, he turned towards his friends, and took his leave thus: Since, my loving friends, I cannot bequeath you any other thing in acknowledgement of what I owe you, I leave you at least the richest and best portion I have, that is, The Image of my Manners and Life; which doing, you will obtain true happiness.' His friends fhewing great trouble for the lofs of him, Where, faith he, are those memorable precepts of philofophy; and what is become of those provifions, which for fo many years together we have laid up against the brunts and afflictions of providence? Was Nero's cruelty unknown to us? S 3 What What could we expect better at his hands, that killed his brother, and murdered his mother, but that he would also put his tutor and governor to death? Then turning to his wife, Pompeja Paulina, a Roman lady, young and noble, befeeched her, for the love the bore him and his philofophy, to fuffer patiently his affliction; For (faith he) my hour is come, wherein I muft fhew, not only by difcourfe, but by death, the fruit I have reaped by my meditations. I embrace it without grief; wherefore do not difhonour it with thy tears. Affuage thy forrow, and comfort thyfelf in the knowledge thou haft had of me, and of my actions; and lead the rest of thy life with that honeft industry thou haft addicted thyfelf unto. And dedicating his life to God, he expired. §. LXXVI. EPICTETUS, contemporary with Seneca, and an excellent man, thought no man worthy of the profeffion of philofophy, that was not purified from the errors of his nature. His morals were very excellent, which he comprized under these two words, Suftaining and Abftaining; or Bearing and Forbearing: To avoid evil, and patiently to fuffer afflictions: which do certainly comprize the Chriftian doctrine and life, and are the perfection of the beft philofophy that was at any time taught by Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans, when it fignified virtue, felf-denial, and a life of religious folitude and contemplation. How little the Chriftians of the times are true philofophers, and how much more thefe philofophers were Christians than they, let the Righteous Principle in every confcience judge. But is it not then intolerable, that they should be efteemed Chriftians, who are yet to learn to be good Heathens; that prate of Grace and Nature, and know neither; who will prefume to determine what is become of Heathens, and know not where they are themselves, nor mind what may become of them; that can run readily over a tedious lift of famous perfonages, and calumniate fuch as will not, with them, celebrate their memories with extravagant and fuperfluous praises, whilft they make it laudable to act act the contrary; and none fo ready a way to become vile, as not to be vicious? A ftrange paradox, but too true fo blind, fo ftupified, fo befotted are the foolish fenfualifts of the world, under their great pretences to religion, faith and worship. Ah! did they but know the peace, the joy, the unfpeakable ravishments of foul, that infeparably attend the innocent, harmless, ftill, and retired life of Jefus; did they but weigh within themselves the authors of their vain delights and paftimes, the nature and difpofition they are fo grateful to, the dangerous confequence of exercifing the mind and its affections below, and arrefting and taking them up from their due attendance and obedience to the most holy crying voice in their confciences, 'Repent, Return: All is vanity and vexation of spirit.' Were but these things reflected upon; were the inceffant wooings of Jefus, and his importunate knocks and intreaties, by his Light and Grace, at the door of their hearts, but kindly answered, and He admitted to take up his abode there; and lastly, were fuch refolved to give up to the inftructions and holy guidance of his Eternal Spirit, in all the humble, heavenly and righteous converfation it requires, and of which he is become our captain and example; then, oh! then, both root and branch of vanity, the nature that invented, and that which delights herself therein, with all the follies themselves, would be confumed and vanish. But they, alas! cheat themselves by misconstrued fcriptures, and daub with the untempered mortar of mifapplied promifes. They will be faints, whilft they are finners; and in Christ, whilst in the fpirit of the world, walking after the flesh, and not after the Spirit, by which the true children of God are led. My friends, mind the Just Witness and Holy Principle in yourselves, that you may experimentally know more of the divine life; in which (and not in a multitude of vain repetitions) true and folid felicity eternally confifts. IV. Nor is this reputation, wisdom, and virtue, only to be attributed to Men: there were Women alfo, in |