Senn. XX 1.1. Good Men, oiler Death. i 5 and how apt Duft and Afhes are to be proud, bath in his wife and merciful Providence fo difpofed things, that good Men are feldom expofed to the full force of fo thong a Temptation. And for this Reafon, he lets lode envious and mali- cious Tongues, to detraa from Good Men, fora check to the Vanity of Humane. Nature, and to keep their Virtue fafe, under the prote&ion of Humility. And this is the way likewife to fecure the Reputation 'which they have, and which otherwife would be in danger of being loft : For he that is once proud of the Efteem he bath got, takes the readieft way to fall into Contempt ; and cer- tainly it is better of the two, that our Reputation fhould fuffer a little by the Ma- lice of others; than be ruin'd by our own Pride and Vanity. God does riot envy Good Men the Reputation of theirGoodnefs and Virtue i but he knows the weaktiefs of Humane Nature, and will not fuffer it to be tempt- ed, above what it is able. When Good Menare grown up to Perfeaion, and able to bear it, as they will be when theycome to Heaven, their Good Name fhall be fully vindicated, and they fhall have Praife, not only from Men, but from Angels, and from God himfelf. 2. This Life is not the.proper Seafon of Reward, but of Work and Service. In this Life, God is pleafed to give fome prefent encouragement to Piety and Virtue, but referves the main of our Recompence, to be beftowed upon us at the end of our Work. When our Courfe is finifhed then, and not before, we mutt expe& our Crown ; when our Accounts are craft up, and ftated, and it ap- pears what improvement we have made of our Talents, then will come, the Euge bone ferve, Well done good and faithful Servant. In the mean time, Good Men mutt be content with fuch a portion of Efteem, as an envious and ill-na- tured World will afford them. And thus I have done with the Firfl thing I propofed to enquire into ; Whence it comes to pafs, that Good Menare frequently defrauded of their due Praife and Reputation, while alive ? I proceed to the Second Enquiry, namely, What Security GoodMen have of a Good Name af- ter Death ? And the true Account of this is to be given, partly from the Providence of God, and partly from the Nature of the Thing. (t.) From the Providence of God; which is concerned herein, upon a two fold account. I. In refpea of the Equity of it. 2. In regard of the Example of it. t. In refpe& of theEquity of it. God, who will not be behind-hand with any Man, concerns himfelf, to fecure to Good Men the proper Reward of their Piety and Virtue. Now Praife is one of the molt proper Recompences of good and virtuous Anions ; this Good Men feldom meet with in this Life, without a great deal of allay and abatement; and therefore the Providence of God hath fo ordered things, that it fhould come in the propereft Seafon, when our Work is done, and when we are out of the Danger of the Temptationof it. 2. In regard of the Example of it. It is a great Argument to Virtue, and en- couragement to Men, to as their Part well, to fee Good Men applauded, when they go off the Stage. Every Man that hath any fpark of Generofity in him, is defirous of Faine; and tho' Men care not how foon it comes, yet they will be glad to have it after Death, rather than not at all. Piety and Virtue would be but very melancholy and uncomfortable things, if they fhould always be fo un- fortunate, as never to meet with due Efteem and Approbation : but when Men are affured, that they (hail have this Reward, one time or other, and obferve it to be fo in experience; this 'is a great Spur and Encouragement to do virtuoufly : And a great Mind, that hath a lull fenfe of Reputation and a goodName, will be content to lay in for it beforehand; and patiently to wait the time, which God knows fitteft for the bellowing of ir. (2. The other part of the Account of this Truth, is to be given from the Nature of the Thing : Becaufe Death removes and takes away the chief Obfta- ele of a Good Man's Reputation. For then his :Defeas are out of fight, and Men
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=