294 The W fdöm of Religion. Vol. I, always prove bitternefs in the end, and for the little fweetnefs which they yielded; leave a terrible fling behind them. Thus have I briefly reprefented the Reafonablenefs and l'Yifdom of Religion. It is of infinite perfe&ion, and of a vaft influence and extent, it reacheth to the whole Man, the Happinefs of Soul and Body ; and to our whole duration, the Happinefs of this World and the next ; for Godlinefi (that is, true Religion and Piety) hath the Promife of this Life, and of that which is to come. But now where are the Effedts of true Religion, in the full compafs and extent of it, to be found ? Such real Effe&s as do in any meafure bear a proportion to the power and perfe&ion of their CauCe ? For nothing certainly is more Excel- lent and Amiable in its Definition than true Religion is ; but alas! how iimper- fe& is it in theSubje& ? I mean, in us, who ought to thew forth the Power and Perfe&ion of it, in the Pra%ice and Adions of our Lives, the belt demonftration of the excellent Frame and Temper of our Minds. What a confli& and firugling do the beft Men find between their Inclination . and their Duty ? How hard to reconcile our Pradtice and our Knowledge, and to make our Lives to agree with the Reafon of oral Minds, and the clear Convi- &ion ofour Confciences ? How difficult for a Man in this dangerous and imper- fed State, tobe in anymeafure either fo wife or fo good as he ought ? How rare is it for a Man to be good natur'd, gentleand eaue.to be intreated, without being often betray'd into tome weaknefs and fìnful compliances, efpecially in the bad Companyof our Betters ? How next to impoffible is it to be flria and fevereire our Lives, without being lower ? to govern our Lives with that perpetual Cau- tion, and to maintain that evennefs of temper, as not to be fometimes peevifh and paffionate ? and when we are fo not to be apt to fay with Jonah, we do Weil to be angry ? There are two Precepts in the New Tefiament, that feem to me tobe the niceft of all other, and hardeft to be put in Practice. One is that of our Bleffed Savi- our, Be wife as Serpents, and innocent as Doves. How hard is it to hit upon the jutt temper of Wildom and Innocency 5,,tó be wife, and hurt no body ; to be innocent, without being filly ? The other is, that of the Apoftle, be angry and fin not. How difficult is this, never to be angry but upon juft Caufe ? And when the Caufeof our Anger is jult, not to be rranfported beyond due bounds, either as to the degree of our Anger, or as to theduration and continuanceof it ? This is fo very nice a Matter, that one would be almoft tempted to think that this were in effeA a prohibition of Anger in any Cafe ; be ye angry, and fin not ; be' ye fo, if' ye can without Sin. I believe whofoever obferves it, will find that it is as eafie to fupprefs this Paflion at any time, as to give way to it, without offending inone kind, or other. But toproceed, How hard a Matter is it, To be much. in Company, and free in Converfation, and not to be infe&ed by it ?' To live in the mtdit ofa wicked World, and yet to keepour felves free from the Vices of it ? To be temperatein the ufe ofthings pleating, fo as neither to injure our Health, nor to lofe the ufe of our Reafon, nor to offend againft Confcience? To Fail often, without being conceited of, it, and bargaining as it were with God for Come greater Liberties in another kind ; and without cenfuringthofe who do not tie up themfelves to our ftriP Rules ei- ther ofPiety or Abflinence ? when perhaps they have neither the fame Opportu- nities ofdoing it, nor the fame Reafon to do it that we have ; nay perhaps have a much better Reafon for not doing jaibas we do : For.no Man isto prefcribe, to othershis own private Method, either of Falling, or of Devotion, as if he were the Rule, and his Example a kind of Proclamation, enjoyning all his Neighbours the fame Days of Fatting and Prayer which he himfelf, for Reafons heft known to himfelf, thinks fit to obferve. And then how hard is it tobe chearful without being vain? and grave and fe- rions, without being morofe ? to be ufefùl and inftrudive to others, in our Con - verfation and Difcourfe, without affuming too much Authority toour (elves? which is not thebelt and molt effefual wayof doing good to others ; there be- ing fomething in the Nature of Man, which had rather take a hint and inti n
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