SERM. in authority, the people rejoice, faith the great politician Solomon.

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II.

It is therefore the concernment of all men, who, as the Pfal. xxxiv. Pfalmift speaketh, desire to live well, and would fain fee 1 Pet. iii. 10. good days; it is the fpecial interest of great perfons, (of the magistracy, the nobility, the gentry, of all persons that have any confiderable interest in the world,) who would fafely and fweetly enjoy their dignity, power, or wealth, by all means to protect and promote piety, as the best instrument of their fecurity, and undisturbedly enjoying the accommodations of their state. 'Tis in all respects their best wisdom and policy; that which will as well preserve their outward ftate here, as fatisfy their consciences within, and fave their fouls hereafter. All the Machiavelian arts and tricks, all the fleights and fetches of worldly craft, do fignify nothing in comparison to this one plain and easy way of securing and furthering their interests.

If then it be a grofs abfurdity to defire the fruits, and not to take care of the root, not to cultivate the stock, whence they sprout; if every prince gladly would have his fubjects loyal and obedient, every mafter would have his fervants honeft, diligent, and obfervant, every parent would have his children officious and grateful, every man would have his friend faithful and kind, every one would have those just and fincere, with whom he doth negociate or converse; if any one would choose to be related to fuch, and would esteem their relation a happiness; then confequently should every man in reason strive to further piety, from whence alone thofe good difpofitions and practices do proceed.

II. Piety doth fit a man for all conditions, qualifying him to pass through them all with the best advantage, wifely, cheerfully, and fafely; fo as to incur no confiderable harm or detriment by them.

Is a man profperous, high, or wealthy in condition ? Piety guardeth him from all the mischiefs incident to that flate, and disposeth him to enjoy the best advantages thereof. It keepeth him from being swelled and puffed up with vain conceit, from being transported with fond

11.

complacence or confidence therein; minding him, that it SERM. is purely the gift of God, that it abfolutely dependeth on his disposal, so that it may foon be taken from him; and that he cannot otherwise than by humility, by gratitude, by the good use of it, be secure to retain it; minding him also, that he shall affuredly be forced to render a strict account concerning the good management thereof. It preferveth him from being perverted or corrupted with the temptations, to which that condition is most liable; from luxury, from floth, from stupidity, from forgetfulness of God, and of himself; maintaining among the floods of plenty a fober and steady mind. It fenceth him from infolence, and faftuous contempt of others; rendereth him civil, condefcenfive, kind and helpful to those who are in a meaner state. It inftructeth and inciteth him to apply his wealth and power to the best uses, to the service of God, to the benefit of his neighbour, for his own beft reputation, and most solid comfort. It is the right ballaft of prosperity, the only antidote for all the inconveniences of wealth; that which fecureth, fweeteneth, and fanctifieth all other goods: without it all apparent goods are very noxious, or extremely dangerous; riches, power, honour, ease, pleasure, are so many poisons, or fo many fnares, without it. Again, is a man poor and low in the world? Piety doth improve and fweeten even that ftate: it keepeth his fpirits up above dejection, desperation, and difconfolatenefs; it freeth him from all grievous folicitude and anxiety; fhewing him, that although he feemeth to have little, yet he may be affured to want nothing, he having a certain fuccour and never-failing supply from God's good providence; that, notwithstanding the present straitness of his condition, or scantnefs of outward things, he hath a title to goods infinitely more precious and more confiderable. A pious man cannot but apprehend himself like the child of a most wealthy, kind, and careful father, who, although he hath yet nothing in his own poffeffion, or paffing under his name, yet is affured, that he can never come into any want of what is needful to him: the Lord of all things (who hath all things in heaven and earth at his disposal,

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SERM. who is infinitely tender of his children's good, who doth inceffantly watch over them) being his gracious Father, how can he fear to be left deftitute, or not to be competently provided for, as is truly best for him?

This is the difference between a pious and an impious man. Is the pious man in need? he hath then an invifi⚫ble refuge to fly to, an invifible ftore to furnish him; he hath somewhat beyond all present things to hope in, to comfort himself with: whereas the impious perfon hath nothing befide prefent appearances to fupport or folace himself by; the which failing, down he finketh into dejection and despair. Is the good man in affliction? he knoweth that it cometh not on him without God's wife appointment, nor without good intention toward him, for probation, exercise, and improvement of his virtues, or for wholefome correction of his bad dispositions; that it is only phyfic and difcipline to him, which shall have a comfortable iffue; that it shall last no longer than it is expedient for him that it should: wherefore he patiently submitteth to it, and undergoeth it cheerfully, with the fame mind wherewith a patient fwalloweth down an unfavoury potion, which he prefumeth will conduce to his health b. Never, indeed, hath any man enjoyed more real content, or hath been more truly satisfied, than good men have been in a seeming depth of adverfity. What men ever upon earth have been more forely afflicted, have underwent greater loffes, difgraces, labours, troubles, distresses in any kind, than did the holy Apoftles? Yet did they moft heartily rejoice, exult, and triumph in them all. Such a wondrous virtue hath piety to change all things into matter of confolation and joy. No condition in effect can be evil or fad to a pious man: his very forrows are pleasant, his

b Scimus amicos Dei ab amantiffimo, mifericordiffimo Patre Deo mala ifta pœnalia recipere, non ut pœnam seu vindictam iracundiæ, fed magis ut correctiones et medicamenta ftultitiæ, et adjumenta virtutis, ut malleationes five fabricationes, et tunfiones, five ablutiones, et candidationes. Guil. Par. de Sacram.

C 'Εκείνους μὲν γὰρ ἐπικούφιζεν ἡ χαρὰ τῆς μαρτυρίας, καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς τῶν ἐπηγγελ μένων, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν Χρισὸν ἀγάπη, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πατρικόν. Eufeb. v. 1. Mart. Lugd.

infirmities are wholesome, his wants enrich him, his dif- SERM. graces adorn him, his burdens eafe him; his duties are II. privileges, his falls are the grounds of advancement, his very fins (as breeding contrition, humility, circumfpection, and vigilance) do better and profit him: whereas impiety doth spoil every condition, doth corrupt and embase all good things, doth embitter all the conveniences and comforts of life.

III. Piety doth virtually comprife within it all other profits, ferving all the defigns of them all: whatever kind of defirable good we can hope to find from any other profit, we may be affured to enjoy from it.

He that hath it is ipfo facto vaftly rich, is intitled to immense treasures of most precious wealth; in comparison whereto all the gold and all the jewels in the world are mere baubles. He hath intereft in God, and can call him his, who is the all, and in regard to whom all things exiftent are less than nothing. The infinite power and wisdom of God belong to him, to be ever, upon all fit occafions, employed for his benefit. All the inestimable treasures of heaven (a place infinitely more rich than the Indies) are his, after this moment of life, to have and to hold for ever: so that great reason had the Wise Man to say, that In the house of the righteous is much treasure. Prov. xv. 6. Piety therefore is profitable, as immediately inftating in wealth: and whereas the defired fruits of profit are chiefly thefe, honour, power, pleasure, fafety, liberty, ease, opportunity of getting knowledge, means of benefiting others; all these, we shall see, do abundantly accrue from piety, and in truth only from it.

Κατ' ἀλή

The pious man is in truth most honourable. Inter ho- Sen. Ep. xc. mines pro fummo eft optimus, faith Seneca; whom Solomon translateth thus; The righteous is more excellent than Prov, xii. his neighbour. He is dignified by the moft illuftrious 26. titles, a fon of God, a friend and favourite to the fovereign av åyaKing of the world, an heir of heaven, a denizen of the Je- Dos μovos TIμητός. Arirufalem above: titles far furpaffing all thofe which world-tor. Eth. iii. ly ftate doth affume. He is approved by the best and moft infallible judgments, wherein true honour refideth.

3.

II.

SERM. He is refpected by God himself, by the holy angels, by the bleffed faints, by all good and all wife perfons; yea, Prov. xii. commonly, by all men: for the effects of genuine piety are so venerable and amiable, that scarce any man can do otherwise than in his heart much esteem him that worketh them.

8, 4.

The pious man is also the most potent man: he hath a kind of omnipotency, because he can do whatever he will, that is, what he ought to dod; and because the Divine Power is ever ready to affift him in his pious enterprises, fo that he can do all things by Chrift that ftrengtheneth him. He is able to combat and vanquish him that is

ioxupòs, the ftout and mighty one; to wage war with happy fuccefs against principalities and powers. He conProv. xvi. quereth and commandeth himself, which is the bravest 32. xxv. 28. victory and nobleft empire: he quelleth fleshly lufts, fubde Ben.v.7.dueth inordinate paffions, and repelleth ftrong tempta

Vide Sen.

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tions. He, by his faith, overcometh the world with a conqueft far more glorious than ever any Alexander or Cæfar could do. He, in fine, doth perform the most worthy exploits, and deferveth the most honourable triumphs that man can do.

The pious man alfo doth enjoy the only true pleasures; hearty, pure, folid, durable pleasures; such pleasures as Pl. xvi. 11. those, of which the divine Pfalmift fingeth: In thy prefence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleaRom. xv. fures for evermore. That all joy in believing, that gaiety Heb. iii. 6. of hope, that inceffant rejoicing in the Lord, and greatly Phil. iv. 4. delighting in his law, that continual feast of a good concxii. 1. i. 2. science, that serving the Lord with gladness, that exceeding cxix. 16.24. gladness with God's countenance, that comfort of the Holy 92.111.143. Spirit, that joy unspeakable and full of glory; the fatisc. 2. xxi. 6. faction resulting from the contemplation of heavenly truth, If. xxix. 19. from the fenfe of God's favour, and the pardon of his John xvi. fins, from the influence of God's grace, from the hopes 1 Pet. i. 8. and anticipation of everlasting bliss; these are pleasures

Pf. xliii. 4.

47.70.77.

xciv. 19.

20, &c.

Rom. xiv.

17.

d Tantum quantum vult poteft, qui fe nifi quod debet non putat poffe, Senec. Ep. xc.