162 Vol. I. Preached ere sc. Luke's Day. SERMON XXII. The Reputation of Good Men, after Death. PSAL. cxii. 6. The latter part of the Verfe. The Righteous (hall be in everlafling remembrance. A S the Delire and Hope of Immortality, which is implanted in Humane Nature, is fome Evidence of the Thing ; fo likewife that Natural De- fire which is in Men, to have a Good Name perpetuated, and to be remembred, and mentioned with honour, when they are dead and gone, is a fign, that there is in Humane Nature fome Prefage of a Life after Death ; in which they hope, among other Rewards of well-doing, to meet with this alto, to be well fpoken of to Pofterity : And tho' 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 Anions is preferved and tranfmited to Pofterity. And among the many Advantages of Piety and Virtue, this is not altogether inconsiderable, that it reffef s an Honour upon our Memory after death ; which is a thing much more valuable, than to have our Bodies preferved from Putri- fadion : For that I think is the meaning of Solomon, when heprefers a Good Name before precious Oyntment. Eccl. 7. t. .Agood name is better than precious Ointment. This they ufed in Embalming of dead Bodies, to preferve them from noifornnefs andcorruption : But aGood Name preferves aMan's Memory, and makes it grateful to Pofterity ; which is a far greater Benefit, than that of a precious Oyntment which ferves only to keep a dead Body from ftench and rottenness. I íhall briefly explain the Words, and then confider the matter contained in them ; the righteous shall be in everla/ling remembrance. By the righteous is probably here meant the good man in general ; for tho' Juftice and Righteoufnefs, are in Scripture frequently ufed for that particular Virtue, whereby a Man is difpofed to render to every Man his own ; which is known by the mine of '77ice; yet it is lefs frequently, and perhaps in this place, ufed in a larger Senfe, fo as to comprehend all Piety and Virtue. For fo the righteous man is defcribed at the beginning ofthis Pfalm, Bleffed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his Commandments : And he is oppofed to the wicked man, o. so. the wicked fhall fee it and be grieved ; that is, he fhall be troubled to fee the Prof- perity ofthe righteous ; the manifold Blediings of his Life, and the Good Name he shall leave behind him at his death ; which is the meaning of his being in ever- lofting remembrance; that is, long after he is dead, perhaps for many Ages, he (hall be well fpoken of, and his Name mentioned with honour, and his Good Deeds recorded and remembred to all Pofterity. So that the fenfe of the Words amounts to this, That eminently rood men, do commonly leave a Good Name behind them, and tranfnit a grateful Memory of themf lves to after Ages. I fay commonly, for fo we are to understand there kind of fayings; not that they are aridly, and univerfally true, without excep- tion ; but ufually, and for the molt part. It is poflìble, that a Good Man may loon be forgotten, by the Malice of Men ; or through the partiality and iniquity of the Age, may have his Naine blemifht after death, and be mif-reprefented to Pofterity : But for the nmfl part it is otherwife; and tho' the World be very wicked
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