Serräk. CXXI. as difcover'd áy Natì reand áy.Revelation. abundant Reward for it felf, tho it have fore truth in it, if we fet aerie thofe fufferings and miferies and calamities, which Virtueis frequently attended within this Life ; yet if thefe be taken in, it is but a very jejune and dry fpeculation. For confidering the (trong propenfion and inclination of humaneNature to avoid thefe Evils and Inconveniences, a ftate of Virtue attended with great fufferings, would be fo far from being a Happinefs, that it would be a real mifery ; fo that the determinationof theApo(tle, r Cor. 15. 19. is according to nature, and the truth and reafon of things, that, ¡fin this Life only we had hope, we were of dl Men rorimifirahle. For altho it be true, that as things now ftand, and as the nature of Man is framed, good Men do find a ftrange kind of inward pleafure and fecret fatisfaftion of mind in the difchargeof their Duty, and in doing what is virtuous; yet every Man that looks into himfelf, and confultshis Own Breaft, will find that this delight and contentment fprings chiefly from the hopes which Men conceive, that a holy and virtuous Lifefhall not be unrewarded : and without thefe hopes Virtue is but adeadand empty Name ; and notwithftanding the reafonablenefs of virtuous A&ions compar'd with the contrary of them, yet when Virtue came to be encumbred with difficulties, and to be attendedwith fnch fufferings and in- conveniences, as weregrievous and intolerable tohumane Nature, then it would appear unreafonable to chufe that for a happinefs, which wend rob a Man of all the felicity of hisLife. For tho a Man were never fo much in love withVir- tue, for the native beauty and cotnlinefs of it ; yet it would ftrangely cool his affe&ion to it toconfider that he fhould be undone by the match, that when be had it he muff go abegging with it, and be in danger of Death, for the fake of that which he had chofen for the felicity of his Life. So that howdevout foever the Woman might be, yet I dare fay fhe was not over-wife and confiderate, 'who going about with a Pitcher'of Waterin one hand, and a Pan of Coals inthe other, and being asked what fhe intended to do with them, anfwered ; " That the in- " tended with the one to burn up Heaven, and with the other to quench Hell, " that Men might love God and Virtue for their own fakes, without hope of Re- " ward, or fear of Punifhment. And the confequenceof this dry Doftrine, does fufficiently appear in the Seht of the Sadduces, which had its rife from this Principle of Sadue, the Maffei. of theSe&, who out of an indifcreet zeal to teach fotnething above others, and in- deed above the pitch of human Nature, inculcated this Doerrine upon his Scho- lars, that Religion and Virtue ought to be loved for themfelves, tho there were no Rewardof Virtue to be hoped, nor Punifhment of Vice to be feared in ano- ther World; from which his Lifciples inferred, that it was not neceffary to Religion to believea future. (fate, and in procefs of time, peremptorily maintain- ed that there was no life after this. For they did not only deny the Refurre&ion of the Body, but as St. Paul tells us, they faid, that there was neither Angel nor Spirit; that is, they denyed that there was any thing of an immortal Nature, ,that did remain after thisLife. And what the confequenceof this was, we may fee in the Chara&er which Jofephsks gives of that Sect ; for he tells us, that the Commonalty ofthe Jews were oftheSe&ofthe Phatifees, but moft of thegreat and richMen were Sadduces; which plainly (hews that this dry fpeculation of loving Religion and Virtue for themfelves, without any expe&ation of future Rewards, did end in their giving over all ferious purfuit of Religion ; and becaufe they ho- ped for nothing after this life, therefore laying afide all otherconfideratiöns, they applyed themfelves to the prefent bufinefsof this Life, and grafp'd as much of the prefent Enjoyments of its power and Riches, as they could by any tneans attain to. And for a farther Evidence of this, that it is only or principally the hopes ofa future Happinefsthat bear Men up in the purfuitof Virtue, that give them fo much comfort and fatisfa&ion in the profecution of it, and make Men encounter thedif- ficulties, and oppofitions, and perfecutions theymeet withal in the ways of Re- ligion, with fo much undauntednefs and courage; I fay, for the farther Evidence ofthis, I (ball only offer this Confideration, That according to the the degree of this Hope and Allurance of another Life, Mens Conftancy and Courage in the . ways of Virtueand Religion have been. Before Chriffs coming into the World, and the bringing efLife and Immortality to light by the Gofpel, wédo not find in all Ages 121
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