ofan Holy andVirtuous Life. 57 Reputation, which isfome fort of Blefiing to him that is gone. This difference Solomanobferves to us between good and bad men; The memory ofthejufl h blef fed, or wellfpoken of: but the name ofthe wicked (ball rot. ,Ti. And laflly, Religion and Virtue do derive a stetting upon our Po(}etity after us. Oh, that there werefuck an heart in them, faith Mofesconcerning the Peo- ple of Ifrael, that they wouldfear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them andwith their Children forever! And to this purpofe there are many Promifes in Scripture of God's bleffing the Poflerity ofthe righteous, and his (hewing merciesto thoufands of the Chileiren of them that love him, and keep his Commandments. And this is a great motive to Obedience, and toucheth upon that Natural Af- feûionwhichmen bear to their Children ; fo that if we have any Regard tothem, or Concernment for their Happinefs, we ought to be very careful of our Duty, and afraid to offend God; becaufe according as we demean our (elves towards him, we entail a tatting Bleffing or a great Curie upon our Children ; by fo ma- ny and fo firong bondshath God tyed our Dutyupon us, that if we eitherdefire our own Happinefs, or the Happinefs of thofe that aredearth to us, andpart of our felves, we mutt fear God and keep his Commandments. And thus t have briefly reprefented to you forceof the chief Benefits and Ad- vantages which an Holy and Virtuous life does commonly bring to men in this World, which is the firfl Encouragement mention'd in the Text ; re have your fruit untoholinefs. Before I proceed to the Second, I shall only juft take notice, by wayof . Appli- cation, of what bath been faid on this Argument. I. That it is a great Encouragement towell - doing, to confider that ordinarily Piety andGoodnefs are no hinderance to a Man's temporal Felicity, but very frequently great promoters of it ; fo that excepting only the cafe of Perfecution for Religion, I think Imay fafely challenge any Man, tofhew me how the Pra- âice ofany Part or Duty of Religion, how the exercife ofany Grace or Virtue is to the prejudice ofaMan's temporal Interefi, or does debar him ofany true Plea- fare, or hinder him ofany real Advantage, which a prudent and confiderate Man would think fit to chufe. And as for Perfecution and Sufferings for Religion, God can reward us for them, if he pleafe, in this World; and we have all the affurance that we can deliire, that he will do it abundantlyin the next. 2. The hope of long Life, and efpecially of a quiet and comfortable Death, fhould be a great encouragement to an Holy and Virtuous Life. He that lives well, takes the belt courfe to live long, and lays in for an happy old Age, free from the Difeafes and Infirmitieswhich arenaturally procur'd by a vicious Youth, and likewife free from the guilt and galling remembrance of a wicked Life. And there is no condition, which we can fall into in thisWorld, that does fo clearly difcover the difference between a good and bad Man, as a Death-bed For then the goodMan begins molt fenfibly to enjoy the comforts of Well- doing, and the Sinner to tafle thebitterfruits of Sin. What a wide difference is then to be-feen,, between the hopes and fears of thele two forts of perfons ! And furely next to the actual poffeffìon of Bleffednefs, the good hopes and comfortable prof-peaof it, are the greater Happinefs; and next to the aûual fenfe of Pain, the fear of Suffering is the greatelt Torment. Tho' there were nothing beyond this Life to be expeûed, yet if men were fure to be poffefs'd with thefe delightful or troublefome Paflions when they come to die, no Man that wifely confiders things would, for all the Pleafures of fin, forfeit theComfort ofaRighteous Soul, leaving this Worldfull ofthe hope of im. mortality; and endure the vexation and anguifh of a guilty Confcience, and that infinite terror and amazement which .fo frequently poffefieth the Soul of a dy- ingSinner. 3. If there be any fparkof a generous mind in us, it fhould animate us todo well, that we maybe well fpoken of when we are goneoff the Stage, and may tranfmit a grateful Memory ofour lives to thofe that fhall be after us.' I proceed now to the I Second
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