A Persuasive to a Holy Life, Tract · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Diviſion of Happineſs.
THough the ſupreme and chief Happineſs of Man conſiſts in the knowledge and love of God, yet there are other things which contribute to the completion of it, eſpecially in this World, viz. Thoſe which tend to the making our preſent condition eaſy and comfortable to us; ſuch as Health, Wealth, Friends, Reputation: the contrary whereto; as Sickneſs, Bodily-pain, Hunger and Thirſt, Diſgrace, &c. would render it grievous and unpleaſant. The former of theſe are eagerly purſu'd by a great part of Mankind, as their chief good and happineſs. Could we therefore demonſtrate (and I think it not difficult to do) that Holineſs or obedience to God's Commands, is the moſt effectual means to procure and ſecure theſe outward Enjoyments to us, ſo far as there is any good in them; I think we ſhould need no other conſideration to recommend a Holy Life and Converſation to all ſorts and conditions of Men.
Which that we may do the more clearly and ſatisfactorily, it will be convenient to make a diviſion of Happineſs according to the ſeveral ſtates of Man, and his ſeveral parts, and the particular ingredients, which make up the happineſs of each part, in each ſtate.
And becauſe I cannot think of a better, I ſhall make uſe of that of Dr. Wilkins, late Lord Biſhop of Cheſter, in his Treatiſe of Natural Religion.
The Happineſs then of Man is either that of this preſent Eſtate, which determines at Death; or that of a future Eſtate, which commences at Death, and continues to all Eternity.
The Happineſs of this preſent Eſtate may be divided into, 1. External, Or, that of the Outward Man: Or, 2. Internal, Or that of the Inner Man.
External Happineſs conſiſts principally in, 1. Health. 2. Safety, Liberty and Quiet. 3. Riches. 4. Pleaſures. 5. Honour and Reputation. 6. Friends: Under which Name I comprehend alſo Natural Relations: As Wife, and Children, and Parents, who are uſually called ſo in common Speech; as when we ſay, Such a Man hath good Friends, or his Friends are well to live.
Internal Happineſs conſiſts in the knowledge and love of God, manifeſted by our obedience to his Commands; the improvement of all our Faculties; inward peace of Conſcience, Joy and Tranquility of Mind.
The Happineſs of the future Eſtate, is the clear Viſion of God, likeneſs to him, and union with him by perfect love: 1 John 3.2. We ſhall be like him, for we ſhall ſee him as he is. This differs chiefly in degree from the precedent.
Before I run over theſe Heads in particular, I ſhall premiſe two things in general.
Firſt, That keeping of God's Commandments is every way for the good, benefit and advantage of the whole world, and Mankind in general. Sin, which is the breach of God's Law, is the only procuring and productive cauſe of all the Evils and Miſeries, Troubles and Diſtreſſes that are in the world. Did Men generally obey God's Laws, the whole Earth, which is now for the moſt part an Akeldama, or Field of Blood, would be turn'd into a very Paradiſe, into a Heaven: Men would then beat their Swords into Plowſhares, and their Spears into Pruning-hooks. Men who now are Wolves and Tygers one to another, who bite and devou… one another, would then be a protection and defence, and mutual help one to another. Whence come wars and fightings among you, (ſaith the Apoſtle James) come they not hence, even of your luſts, which war in your members? Running over all the Commandments of God, I might eaſily deduce and demonſtrate in particular, that each of them conduces to the publick good and benefit.
Secondly, The Commandments of God are not grievous or uneaſy; his Law is holy, and juſt, and good, his Precepts equal and reaſonable; nay, ſo ſutable and agreeable to the Nature and Reaſon of Man, that I will be bold to ſay, They ought upon their own account to be obſerved and obeyed by us, were there no Heaven to reward our Obedience, no Hell to puniſh our Diſobedience.
This is the foundation of that Stoical Doctrine, That Vertue is its own Reward, and that Happineſs conſiſts in the very doing of Vertuous Actions: And therefore a wiſe Man is ſatisfied with the Conſcience of well-doing, and will not do any diſhoneſt or wicked thing, to avoid any Suffering or Torment whatſoever. The reaſon is, becauſe God hath imprinted in our Nature an averſation from Vice, and diſlike of it; ſo that we cannot but condemn our ſelves for doing any thing that is diſhoneſt or unjuſt: Se judice nemo nocens abſolvitur: No …nocent perſon is abſolved, himſelf being Judge. Nor can any terrour or torment acquit us from blame, if to avoid it we do any vile or diſhoneſt action. But on the contrary, if we reſolutely ſtick to that which is good, whatever we ſuffer for it, we ſatisfie our own Conſciences, and rejoice in having done ſo, and gain the approbation and applauſe of all Men. The Evil of Sin is greater, and more to be avoided than the Evil of Pain or Suffering, tho that be a great Evil too; and that man be far from being happy, who labours under extreme Bodily Pain, eſpecially if without hope of deliverance: Such a Man's very Being would be a Burthen to him; it being a true ſaying, Praeſtat non eſſe quàm miſerum eſſe: Better not to be, than to be miſerable.
But our gracious God hath not put us off with ſuch a Reward as this; (which notwithſtanding the Apoſtle ſaith of the Chriſtians of his time, That if in this life only they had hope, they would be of all men the moſt miſerable:) but hath promiſed to recompence our Obedience with Eternal Life and Happineſs; and particularly our Sufferings for his Cauſe, and for Righteouſneſs ſake, with a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And for our encouragement hath permitted us to have a reſpect to this recompence of reward; as Moſes, that Man of God, and others of his Servants mentioned Heb. 11. had.