Serrn. XXII. Thé Reputation of GodMen, &c. 2. Let this Confideration, that the righteous shall be in everlafling remembrance, be an Encouragement to us to Piety and Goodnefs. This, to a generous Nature; that is fenfible of Honour and Reputation, is no finall Reward and Encouragement. Before the Happinefs of Heaven was clearly revealed, and Life and Immortality brought to light by the Goofpel, one of the greateft Motives to worthy and virtuous Deeds, was the earneft Defire which Men had of leaving a Good Name,be iinc1 ` them, and of perpetuating the Fame and Glory of their A&ions to after Ages. Upon this ground, chiefly, many of the braveft Spirits among the Heathen were animated to Virtue, and, with the Hazardof their Lives, to do great and glo-. rious Exploits for their Country. And certainly it is an Argument of a great Mind, to be moved by this Con- fideration, and a Sign of a low and bate Spirit to negle& it. He that hath no regard to his Fame, is loft to all Purpofes of Virtue and Goodnefs ; when a Man is once come to this, not to care what others fay of him, the next Step is, to . have no care what himfeif ekes. Quod cotfcientia eft ápud Deum, id fama ell npud homines, what Confcience is in refpe& of God, that is Fame in refpe& of Men. Next to a good Confcience, a clear Reputation ought to be to every Man the deareft thing in the World. Men have generally a great Value for Riches ; and yet the Scripture pronounceth him the happier Man that leaves a Good Name, than him that leaves a great Eftate behind him, Prov. 22. I. A Good Nam is rather to bechofen thangreat Riches. Ifthen we have any regard to a Good Name ; the belt way to fecure it to our felves, is by the holy and virtuous A&ions of a Good Life. Do well, and thou (halt be well fpokenof; if not now, yet by thofe who (hall come after : The fureft way to Glory, and Honour, and Immortality, is by a patient continuance in well-doing. God bath engaged his Promife to us to this purpofe, t Sam. 2. 3o. Them that honour me, I will honour ; and they that defpife me, fhall be lightly efleemed. The Name ofthe Wickedfhall rot, Pays Solomon; Prov. i o. 7. But God cloth ufually take a particular Care to preferve and vindicate their Memory, who are careful to keep bis Covenant,' and remember bis Commandments to do them. 3 4 and laflly, Whenever we pretend.to do Honour to the Memory ofGood Men, let us charge our felves witha ftrift Imitation oftheir Holinefs and Virtue, The greateft. Honour we can do to God, or Good Men, is to endeavour to be like them ; to exprefs their Virtues, and reprefent them to the World in our Lives. Upon theft Days, we fhould propound to our felves, as our Patterns, all thofe holy and excellent Perfons, who have gone before us; the Apofiles of our Lord and Saviour, and all thofe bleffed Saints and Martyrs, who were faithful to the death, and have received a Crown ofLife and Immortality. We fhould reprefent to our felves the Piety of their A&ions, and the Patience and Conftancy of their Sufferings, that we may imitate their Virtues, and be Fol- lowers of them,. who, through Faith and Patience, bave inherited the Promifes -, andfeeing we are compaffedabout with fuch a Cloudof Witneffes, we fhould lay afide every weight, and run with Patience the Race that isfet befàre us. Let us imagine all thofe great Examples of Piety and Virtue, ftanding about us in a Throng, and fixing their Eyes upon us. How ought we to demean our felves in fuch a Prefence, And under the Eye of fuch Witneffes ! And how fhould we be afhamed todo any thing that is unworthy of fuch excellent Patterns, and blufh to look upon our own Lives, when we remember theirs ! Good God ! at what a Diftance do the greateft part of Chriftians follow thofe Examples t and while we honour them with our Lips, how unlike are we to them in our Lives Why do we thus reproach our felves with diefe glorious Patterns ?, Let us ei- ther refolve to imitate their Virtues, or to make no Mention oftheir 'Names ; for while we celebrate the Examples of Saints and Holy Men, and yet contradi& them in our Lives, we either mock them, or upbraid our felves. Now the God of Peace, who brought again from the Dead our Lord Jefus Chri(t, &e. SERMON
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