Ser, 76. dences and fudden paffions; and especially to an affected feverity and morofenefs of carriage; which is very difguftful, and apt to beget diflike. And they are the more incident to thefe kind of imperfections; because, out of a juft hatred of the vitious cuftoms and practices of the world, and to keep out of the way of temptation, they think it fafest to retire from the world as much as they can; being loth to venture themselves more than needs in fo infectious an air. By this means, their spirits are apt to be a little four, and they must neceffarily be ignorant of many points of civility and good humour, which are great ornaments of virtue, though not of the effence of it.

Now, two or three faults in a good man, if an uncharitable man have but the handling and managing of them, may cafily caft a confiderable blemish upon his reputation; because the better the man is, fo much the more confpicuous are his faults; as spots are foonest discovered, and moll taken notice of, in a pure and white garment. Befides that, in matters of cenfure, mankind do much incline to the harder fide; and but very few perfons are fo charitable and equal, as to conftrue things to the best fenfe, and to confider a man all together, and fairly to fet the good that is in him, against his faults and imperfections. But,

2. Though good men many times contribute too much to the leffening of their own reputation with thofe among whom they live; yet the principal caufe of their fuffering in this kind, is not from themselves, but others; and that upon thefe three accounts.

Ift, From the hatred and oppofition of bad men to holinefs and virtue: and thefe are commonly the greateft number, and make the lowdeft cry. They are de clared enemies to goodness; and then how can it be expected they should have any great kindness for good men? They want virtue themfelves; and therefore they think themselves upbraided by the good qualities of others.

This enmity of wicked men against the righteous, and the true reafon of it, is very well expreffed in the Wifdom of Solomon, chap. ii. 12. 14. 15. 16. Let us (fay they) lie in wait for the righteous; because he is not for

Qur

our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings: he upbraideth us with our offending the law, and objecteth to our infamy the tranfgreffings of our youth. He was made to reprove our thoughts: therefore he is grievous unto us even to behold; for his life is not like other men; he is quite of another fashion. We are esteemed of him as reprobate filver: he abftaineth from our ways as from filthinefs. This is that which filleth the minds of wicked men with ma→ lice against the righteous; and malice will eafily invent ways to blaft any man's reputation. Good men do fometimes, as it is their duty, reprove thofe that are bad; or, if they do it not in word, yet they upbraid them in their actions, and contrary courfe of life: and both these are grievous and provoking to them. Not but that wicked men are many times in their confciences convinced of the real goodness of those whom they speak againft; but they will not own it, left in fo doing they fhould condemn themselves.

2dly, Another caufe of this, is the envy of those who perhaps have fome degree of goodnefs themselves. For great virtue is apt to raise envy in those who fall short of it and this makes those who are but imperfectly good, to detract from the eminent worth of others; becaufe they are fenfible they are outshined by them, and that it occafions a difadvantageous comparison, and makes their defects taken notice of.

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They can endure a man that is moderately good, and keeps pace with his neighbours: but if he endeavour to outstrip them, they presently combine against him, and take all opportunities to undermine his reputation; and will be very glad, either to find a blot in his escutcheon, or to fix one there.

3dly, There is fomething in the very prefence and nearnefs of goodness and virtue which is apt to leffen it. In matters of sense, the nearer the object is, the bigger it appears; and the farther diftant it is from us, the lefs it seems to be. But here it is quite otherwife: men are not so apt to value present worth, when yet they will reverence it mightily at a distance.

I know not whence it comes to pafs, but fo we certainly find it, that men are more fenfible of the goodnefs and excellency of any thing, under the want of it,

than

than while they enjoy it; and do ufually value it more when it is gone, than they did whilft it was prefent with them. Whilft we live with good men, and converse with them every day, we take but little notice of them; but no fooner are they departed, but we admire them, and every man's mouth is open to celebrate their good qualities. Perhaps familiarity, and acquaintance, and converfation, does infenfibly beget fomething of contempt; but whatever the reafon of it be, we find the thing most certainly true in experience.

II. Let us confider, in the next place, for what reafons the providence of God permits it thus to be. I fhall mention but these two.

1. To keep good men humble, and, as the expreffion is in Job, to hide pride from men.

God's providence, in the difpofal and ordering of things in this world, feems rather to confult our fafety than our fatisfaction, and the fecurity of our virtue than the full reward of it. Now, if good men fhould always meet with that clear esteem and reputation which their goodness deferves, they would be in great danger of being puffed up with a proud conceit of themfelves; and pride is enough to fupplant the greateft virtue in the world. Such a dead fly as this were fufficient to fpoil a box of the most precious ointment. For man is an ambitious creature, and vain above all things; fo vain, as not only to be covetous of praife, but even patient of flattery; and the beft of men lie too open on this blind fide of human nature: and therefore God, who knows our frame, and how apt duft and ashes are to be proud, hath in his wife and merciful providence fo difpofed things, that good men are feldom expofed to the full force of fo ftrong a temptation. And for this reafon he lets loose envious and malicious tongues to detract from good men, for a check to the vanity of human nature, and to keep their virtue fafe, under the protection 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 hath got, takes the readieft way to fall into contempt; and certainly it is better of the two, that our

reputation

reputation should fuffer a little by the malice of others, than be ruined by our own pride and vanity.

God does not envy good men the reputation of their goodness and virtue; but he knows the weakness of human nature, and will not fuffer it to be tempted above. what it is able. When good men are grown up to perfection, and able to bear it, as they will be when they come to heaven, their good name shall be fully vindicated, and they fhall have praise, not only from men, but from angels, and from God himself.

2. This life is not the proper season of reward, but of work and service.

In this life God is pleased to give some present encouragement to piety and virtue, but referves the main of our recompence to be bestowed upon us at the end of our work. When our courfe is finished, then, and not before, we must expect our crown; when our accompts are caft up, and stated, and it appears what improvement we have made of our talents, then will come the Euge, bone ferve; Well done, good and faithful fervant. In the mean time, good men must be content. with fuch a portion of esteem as an envious and ill-natured world will afford them.

And thus I have done with the first thing I propofed to inquire into, Whence it comes to pafs, that good men are frequently defrauded of their due praise and reputation while alive? I proceed to the

Second inquiry, namely, What fecurity good men have of a good name after 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.

I. From the providence of God, which is concerned herein, upon a twofold account.

1. In refpect of the equity of it.

2. In regard of the example of it.

I. In refpect of the equity of it. God, who will not be behind-hand with any man, concerns himfelf, to secure to good men the proper reward of their piety and virtue. Now, praife is one of the most proper recompences of good and virtuous actions. This good men feldom meet with in this life, without a great deal of al

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lay and abatement and therefore the providence of God hath fo ordered things, that it fhould come in the propereft feason, when our work is done, and when we are out of the danger of the temptation of it.

2. In regard of the example of it. It is a great argument to virtue, and encouragement to men to act

part well, to fee good men applauded when they go off the stage. Every man that hath any spark of generofity in him, is defirous of fame; and though 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 uncom→ fortable things, if they fhould always be fo unfortunate, as never to meet with due esteem and approbation: but when men are affured, that they fhall 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 just sense of reputation and a good name, will be content to lay in for it be forehand, and patiently to wait the time which God knows fitteft for the beltowing of it.

II. The other part of the account of this truth is to be given from the nature of the thing; because death removes and takes away the chief obftacle of a good man's reputation. For then his defects are out of fight, and men are contented that his imperfections fhould be buried in his grave with him. Death hath put him out of the reach of malice and envy; his worth and excellency does now no longer ftand in other mens light; his great. virtues are at a distance, and not so apt to be brought into comparison, to the prejudice and difadvantage of the living; Mortui non mordent; "The example of the dead is 66 not fo cutting a reproof to the vice of the living:" the good man is removed out of the way, and his example, how bright foever, is not fo fcorching and troublesome at a distance; and therefore men are generally contented to give him his due character.

Befides that there is a certain civility in human nature, which will not suffer men to wrong the dead, and to deny them the just commendation of their worth. Even the scribes and Pharifees, as bad a fort of men as we can well imagine, though they were just like their fathers