queftion is anfwered, one might, methinks, afk him a crofs question or two. Why does the church of Rome presume to do that which an angel docs so exprefsly for. bid to be done? or was it fit for St. John to worship one, who (according to Bellarmine) was fo ignorant in the doctrine of the Catholick church, as to reprove him for doing his duty? as is evident from his fecond crafty anfwer to this text, that "St. John did well to give due "worship to the angel: and yet it is plain from this text, that the angel did not think the worship which St. John gave him to be his due.

It is very hard to imagine, but that a man of Bellarmine's understanding did intend to give up the caufe in his answers to this text but if he was in earnest, then the matter is brought to this plain and fhort iffue, Whether it be fitter for us to believe a Cardinal of Rome, or an angel of God?

5. Laftly, We should imitate the holy angels, by endeavouring to serve God as they do, in miniftring to the good of others. Whilst we are in the body, in this state of infirmity and imperfection, though we cannot ferve God with the fame activity and vigour that the blessed angels do; yet we may in the fame fincerity, and with the fame true pleasure and delight.

And we should learn alfo of them, to condefcend to the meanest services for the good of others. If the angels, who are no ways allied to us, do fo much excel us in the dignity and perfection of their nature, (for though David fays, that God made man a little lower than the angels; his meaning is, that he made him next below the angels in the rank of beings, but yet very diftant from them in perfection); I fay, if thofe glorious creatures, who are the chief of the ways and works of God, do not think much to humble themfelves to be minifters on our behalf; fhall we be fo proud, as to think much to ftoop to the lowest offices to ferve one another?

You fee, my brethren, what is the conftant work and employment of the bleffed fpirits above, to do good to men, efpecially in order to their eternal happiness; and this is the highest degree of charity, and charity is the highest perfection of men and angels: fo that, to employ ourfelves, with all our minds, and with all our might, VOL. IV.

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to help forward the falvation of others, is to be good angels (I had almost said to be a kind of gods) to men.

I hope that we all of us do hope one day to be like the angels, in the purity and perfection of their nature. So our Saviour has told us, that at the refurrection we fhall be like the angels. Now, as they are the patterns of our hope and happiness, fo let us make them the examples of our duty and obedience; according as our Saviour hath taught us to pray, that God's will may be done on earth, as it is in heaven; that is, that we may serve God, and do his will here on earth, (fo far as the infirmity of our nature and of our present state will admit), with the fame readiness and diligence, with the fame chearfulness and zeal, that the holy and bleffed angels do in heaven. And let us afpire continually in our minds after that bleffed time, when we fhall be free from fin and forrow, from affliction and pain, from diseases and death; when we shall ferve God without distraction, and do his will without wearinefs, and fhall be for ever with the Lord, amidst an innumerable company of angels, and the fpirits of juft men made perfect.

Finally, Let us blefs God, as for all the vifible effects of his merciful providence towards us, fo likewife for the invifible aids and protection of his holy angels; many times probably vouchfafed to us, when we are but little aware of it. But, above all, let us bless him for his Son, our Lord Jefus Chrift, who was made a little lower than the angels; that is, a mortal man; that by the fuffering of death for our fakes, he might be clothed with glory and honour, according to the working of that mighty power which God wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from the dead, and fet him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. him, O Father, with thee, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, dominion and power, both now and for ever: Amen.

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SERMON

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ERMON

303

LXXVI.

The reputation of good men after death.

Preached on St. Luke's day.

PSA L. cxii. 6.

The latter part of the verse.

The righteous fhall be in everlasting remembrance.

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S the defire and hope of immortality, which is implanted in human nature, is fome evidence of the thing; fo likewise that natural defire which is in men, to have a good name perpetuated, and to be remenbered, and mentioned with honour when they are dead and gone, is a fign, that there is in human nature fome prefage of a life after death; in which they hope, among other rewards of well-doing, to meet with this alfo, to be well spoken of to pofterity. And though 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 beforehand; 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 goodactions is preferved and tranfmitted to pofterity.

And, among the many advantages of piety and vir tue, this is not altogether inconfiderable, that it reflects an honour upon our memory after death; which is a thing much more valuable, than to have our bodies preferved from putrefaction: for that I think is the meaning of Solomon, when he prefers a good name before precious ointment, Eccl. vii. 1. A good name is better than precious ointment. This they ufed in embalming of dead bodies, to preferve them from noisomeness and corruption but a good name preferves a man's memory, and makes it grateful to pofterity; which is a far greater. benefit than that of a precious ointment, which ferves only to keep a dead body from stench and rottennefs.

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I fhall briefly explain the words; and then confider the matter contained in them. The righteous fhall be in everlasting remembrance. By the righteous is probably here meant the good man in general: for though justice and righteoufnefs are in fcripture frequently ufed for that particular virtue whereby a man is difpofed to render to every man his own, which is known by the name of juflice; yet it is lefs frequently, and perhaps in this place, ufed in a larger fenfe, fo as to comprehend all piety and virtue. For fo the righteous man is described at the beginning of this pfalm, Bleed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greaily in his commandments and he is oppofed to the wicked man, y 10. The wicked hall fee it, and be grieved; that is, he fhall be troubled to fee the profperity of the righteous; the manifold bleffings of his life, and the good name he fhall leave behind him at his death; which is the meaning of his being in everlasting remembrance; that is, long after he is dead, perhaps for many ages, he fhall be well fpoken of, and his name mentioned with honour, and his good deeds recorded and remembered to all pofterity.

So that the fenfe of the words amounts to this, That eminently good men do commonly leave a good name behind them, and tranfmit a grateful memory of themfelves to after ages. I fay, commonly; for fo we are to understand thefe kind of fayings; not that they are ftrictly and univerfally true without exception, but ufually and for the moft part. It is poffible, that a good man may foon be forgotten by the malice of men; or, through the partiality and iniquity of the age, may have his name blemished after death, and be mifrepresented to pofterity. But for the most part it is otherwife: and though the world be very wicked, yet it feldom deals fo hardly and unjustly with men of eminent goodnefs and virtue, as to defraud them of their due praife and commendation after death. It very frequently happens otherwife to good men whilft they are alive: nay, they are then very feldom fo juftly treated, as to be generally esteemed and well fpoken of, and to be allowed their due praife and reputation. But, after death, their good name is generally fecured and vindicated, and pofterity does them that right which perhaps the age wherein they

lived denied to them. Therefore, in the profecution of this argument, I fhall inquire into these two things.

1. Whence it comes to pafs that good men are very often defrauded of their just praise and reputation whilst they are alive; and,

2. What fecurity they have of a good name after death.

First, Whence it comes to pafs that good men are fo frequently defrauded of their juft praise and reputation while they are alive. And to give ourselves full fatisfaction in this matter, two things are fit to be in quired into.

1. From what caufe this proceeds.

2. For what reason the providence of God doth often permit it.

I. From what cause it proceeds, that good men have fo often the hard fate to be ill spoken of, and to be feverely cenfured, and to have their worth much detracted from while they are alive.

And this proceeds partly from good men themselves, and partly from others.

1. Good men themselves are many times the cause of it. For the beft men are imperfect; and prefent and visible imperfections do very much leffen and abate the reputation of a man's goodness. It cannot be otherwife, but that the luftre of a great piety and virtue fhould be fomewhat obfcured by that mixture of human frailty which does neceffarily attend this ftate of imperfection. And though a man, by great care and confideration, by great vigilancy and pains with himself, be arrived to that degree and pitch of goodness, as to have but a very few vilible failings, and thofe fmall in comparison; yet when thefe come to be fcanned and commented upon by envy or ill-will, they will be strangely inflamed and magnified, and made much greater, and more than in truth they are. But there are few perfons in the world of that excellent goodness, but, befides the common and more pardonable frailties of humanity, they do now and then dif cover something which might perhaps juftly deserve a fevere cenfure, if fome amends were not made for it by many and great virtues.

Very good men are fubject to confiderable impru

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