A Persuasive to a Holy Life, Title page – Publishers advertisement
A PERSUASIVE TO A Holy Life: FROM THE HAPPINESS That attends it both in this World, and in the World to come.
By JOHN RAY, F. R. S. Some time Fellow of Trinity College in Cambridge.
LONDON: Printed by Sam Smith, and Benj. Walford, Printers to the Royal Society, at the Prince's-Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCC.
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
HAving been deſired by a learned and pious *Mr. Edmund Elys.Friend to draw up ſuch a Perſuaſive as I now preſent the Reader with, finding my ſelf well at leiſure from other Buſineſs; and conſidering that it was ſutable to my Profeſſion, and preſent Condition; as being conducive to my preparation for that change which the pains and infirmities I laboured under ſeemed to threaten the near approach of; and might poſſibly be in ſome meaſure uſeful and beneficial to others: I was eaſily induced to comply with his Requeſt, and to employ thoſe Intervals I had of eaſe or remiſſion of pain, in Meditations upon this Subject. I do not pretend to any thing new, or not delivered by others. Practical Divinity and Morality are ſuch beaten Subjects, and have exerciſed the Wits and Pens of ſo many thinking men, that there is nothing of this nature can be ſaid or written, which hath not already been ſo. But becauſe not every man, nay ſcarce any man, hath read all that hath been written upon this, or any other Subject, ſomething new to every Reader may perchance occur in this Writing: And yet if there does not, it may not be unprofitable to read the ſame things over again, as the Apoſtle in effect ſaith, Philip. But to do every man right, I muſt acknowledge my ſelf to have borrowed a good part of my Matter out of the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr. John Wilkins, late Lord Biſhop of Cheſter, his Treatiſe of Natural Religion; wherein he hath in my judgment written ſo well concerning the Happineſs that attends a Religious Life in this World, that little which is material can be added; and therefore I might well have ſpared my pains: Only this Tractate may poſſibly fall into the hands of ſome who never ſaw, nor would elſe have ſeen that; and recommend to them the reading of the whole.
Two or three things I have to add to this Diſcourſe, which may be inſerted in their places.
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YET ought we not to reſt contented with this degree of love to God, but to labour after that which is more ardent and paſſionate; elſe how can we ſatisfie our ſelves in a time of Temptation, that our Obedience to God's Commands proceeds not rather from a Principle of Fear, or Self love, than of love to God.
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Indeed we are ſo made, as not much to value that which coſt us no pains; and on the contrary, as Dr. Cockburn well obſerves, the Mind of Man is never ſo well pleaſed, as when it uſeth its Reaſon, and always takes moſt delight in the things which it ſelf hath wrought. And therefore, as he proceeds, it was, and is wiſely provided, to ſet the Neceſſaries, the Comfor…s, and Conveniences of Life at ſome diſtance from Lazineſs and Sloth, and to hedge them about with ſome difficulties, that while we ſearch and labour for them, we may at the ſame time, and by the ſame means improve our Intellectual Faculties, and carry on the growth and perfection of our Souls. I might add, That the labour and exerciſe of the Body doth alſo conduce much to the Health and Strength, and Well-being of that. For as Hypocrates well ſaith, foreign, unſlothfulneſs in Labour, if I may make ſuch a Word, is the means to preſerve health.
2ly. Not only Bodily Neceſſaries, but the knowledge of the Myſteries of Nature, and the Works of God, and curious Mathematical Speculation, is not to be obtained without Study and Induſtry. But by this uſe and exerciſe of our Intellectual Faculties, our Mind and underſtanding is highly advanced and improved to ſuch a degree, as ſuddenly to penetrate and comprehend the moſt abſtruſe and ſubtile Inventions and Notions of Naturaliſts and Mathematicians. For as Weapons and Utenſils by lying by unoccupied do contract a Scurf or Ruſt, but do uſu & tractatione ſplendeſcere; become bright by handling and uſe, ſo do our Underſtandings alſo. And though this ſtudy and contention of mind be laborious and painful, yet the enlarging the Underſtanding, and acquiſition of Knowledge, and hitting upon uſeful Diſcoveries and Inventions, do abundantly compenſate for that; nay, ſometimes fill the Mind with unſpeakable joy and pleaſure. Pythagoras was ſo overjoyed at the invention of the 49th Propoſition of the Firſt Book of Euclide's El. that he ſacrificed a Hecatombe to the Gods: And I have read of a Smith, that upon the invention of an Engine to make Water to aſcend by deſcending, which was nothing elſe but Archimedes his Screw, and which had been invented, long before, though he knew nothing of it, was ſo overwhelmed with joy, that it broke his Brains, and quite diſtracted him.
3dly, No wonder then that Vertue which is the moſt excellent of all acquiſitions ſhould be difficult to attain. Indeed the difficulty and labour of attaining and exerciſing of it, makes it to be commendable or rewardable. And therefore though it be in it ſelf an excellent thing, and may be ſaid to be its own reward, yet becauſe it is difficult and uneaſy to Fleſh and Blood, in this our lapſed and degenerate Eſtate, God is pleaſed for our encouragement, to propoſe to us an ample reward, no leſs than Eternal Life and Happineſs. He hath promiſed to give grace and glory, and to with hold no good thing from them who lead a holy life. And if this be not ſufficient to quicken our endeavours, and to encourage us to ſtrive, and wreſtle, and run, nothing can; for I am ſure a greater than this cannot be propoſed, it containing all the good we can deſire, or are indeed capable of enjoying.
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And to all this out of Seneca's 84th Epiſtle; Dic quàm turpe ſit, plus ſibi ingerere quàm capiat, & ſtomachi ſui non noſſe menſuram; quàm multa ebrii faciant, quibus ſobrii erubeſcant; nihil aliud eſſe ebrietatem quàm voluntariam inſaniam, &c. Tell ſaith he, a Drunkard, what a filthy thing it is to pour down more than he can keep, and not to know the meaſure of his Stomach: How many things Men do when they are drunk, of which they are aſhamed when they are ſober: That Drunkenneſs is nothing elſe but a voluntary Madneſs. Extend this Habit or Condition of the Drunken Man to many days, and you will not doubt of his Madneſs; ſo that it is no leſs a Phrenzy than any other, only a ſhorter. Relate to him the Example of Alexander the Great, who in a drunken fit killed Clitus, his moſt dear and faithful Friend; and afterward when he came to underſtand the Fact, he would have died, to be ſure he deſerved it.
That Drunk…nneſs doth both inflame and diſcover other Vices, removing that Modeſty which prevents and gives a check to evil Endeavours, and which God hath engraft…d in …ur natures to be a powerful curb to reſtrain us from ſin. For more abſtain from Vice for fear of ſhame, than out of a good will and love to Vertue. When the ſtrength of Wine hath got poſſeſſion of the Soul, thoſe Evils which before lay hid, ſhow themſelves, and come abroad; for Drunkenneſs doth not make Vices, but manifeſt them, and bring them to light. Then the Adulterer doth not wait for the Twilight, or Bed Chamber, but without delay gives full ſ…inge to his Senſual Appetites. The unchaſ…e perſon confeſſes and publiſhe… his Diſeaſe: The Petulant and Quarrelſome cannot contain Tongue or …and: The Inſolent becomes more Proud; the Cruel more fierce and inhumane; the Spightful more malignant and miſchievous Much more he hath worth the reading, for which I refer to the Book.
ERRATA.
PAge 7. For cu…ul…te read cumulatum. P. 36. l. 15. after calls inſert it. P. 66. l. 28. for as read …s. P. 23. l. 25. for that read the. P. 69. l. 9. For the read they.
Several BOOKS written by Mr. John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society; and ſold by Sam. Smith, and Benj. Walford, at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-Yard.
CAtalogus Plantarum circa Cantabrigiam naſcentium, Oct. 1660.
Catalogus Plantarum Angliae & Inſularum adjacentium, Oct. 1670. 1677.
Catalogus Stirpium in Exteris Regionibus a nobis Obſervatarum, Oct. 1670.
Methodus Plantarum Nova cum Tabulis, Oct. 1682.
Synopſis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum Oct. 1690. 1694.
Diſſertatio de Variis Plantarum Methodis co…tra D. Tournefort, Oct. 1696.
Epiſtola ad D. Rivinum de Methodo Plantarum, in qua Elementa Botanica D. Joſ. Tournefort M. D. Tanguntur, Oct. 1696.
Sylloge Stirpium Europaearum Extra Britannias naſcentium, Oct. 1694.
Hiſtoria Generalis Plantarum, 2 Vol. Fol. 1686, 1688.
Dictionarium Trilingue ſecundum locos communes, Oct. 1672. 1689. 1696.
Ornithologia Franc. Willoughbei cum ſiguris; Recognovit, digeſſit, ſupplevit Joannes Raius, Fol. 1676.
The ſame Ornithology much enlarged in Engliſh, 1678.
Franc. Willoughbeii Hiſtoria Piſcium cum figuris. Recognovit, digeſſit, ſupplevit J. Raius, Oxon, Fol. 1686.
Synopſis Methodica Animalium Quadrupedum & Serpentini Generis, 1693.
A Collection of Engliſh and other Proverbs, Oct. 1672. 1678.
Obſervations made in a Journey through moſt parts of Europe, 1673.
A Collection of unuſual Engliſh Words, with an account of preparing our Engliſh Minerals, in 120 1674 1691.
The Wiſdom of God manifeſted in the Works of the Creation, in two parts, viz. The Heavenly Bodies, Elements, Meteors, Foſſiles, Vegetables, Animals, (Beaſts, Birds, Fiſhes, and Inſects) more particularly in the Body of the Earth; its Figures, Motion, and Conſiſtency, and in the admirable Structure of the Bodies of Man, and other Animals; as alſo in their Generation, &c. 3d Edition, much enlarged.
Three Phyſico-Theological Diſcourſes, concerning, 1. The Primitive Chaos, and Creation of the World. 2. The General Deluge, its Cauſes and Effects. 3. The Diſſolution of the World, and future Conflagration, 2d Edition enlarged, 1693.
A Collection of Curious Voyages and Travels, by D. Rauwolfe, with Catalogues of ſuch Trees, Shrubs and Herbs as grow in the Levant, Oct. 1693.
Several other Books Printed for S. Smith, and B. Walford.
DR. Richard Lucas's Practical Chriſtianity; or, an account of the Holineſs which the Goſpel enjoyns, with Motives to it, and the Remedies propos'd againſt Temptation; with a Prayer concluding each diſtinct Duty, In 8o price 3 s. 6 d.
—His Enquiry after Happineſs, in three parts, in 8 vo.
Vol. I. Of the poſſibility of obtaining Happineſs.
Vol. II. Of the true Notion of Human Life.
Vol. III. Of Religious Perfection.
Theſe three Parts bound in two Vol. Price 10 s.
—Chriſtian Thoughts for every day of the Month; with a Prayer, wherein is repreſented the Nature of unfeigned Repentance, and of Love towards God, 12o Price 1 s.
—The plain Man's Guide to Heaven; containing his Duty, firſt, towards God; ſecondly, towards his Neighbour: with proper Prayers, Meditations, and Ejaculations; deſign'd chiefly for the Country-man, Trades-man, and ſuch-like. In 12o. Price One Shilling
—The Duty oF Servants; containing, firſt, their Preparation for, and Choice of a Service; ſecondly, their Duty in Service; together with Prayers ſuited to each Duty, all which may be accommodated likewiſe, for the moſt part, to Apprentices. To this is added a Diſcourſe of the Sacrament, ſuited peculiarly to Servants. The Second Edition. In 12o
—Twelve Sermons preached on ſeveral occa…ons before Their Majeſties, the Lord Mayor, &c. ſome of which were never before printed. In Octavo.
A Perſuaſive to a Holy Life.
CHAP. I. Some Miſtakes, about the Object of Happineſs.
HAppineſs is that which all Men deſire, and yet but few obtain: One reaſon is, becauſe they miſtake their Object, placing it in ſomething wherein it is not to be found. Some in Bodily Pleaſures, whom Ariſtotle calls foreign: others in Riches, whom the ſame Author calls foreign: Others in Honour and Power, whom he denominates foreign: which things cannot make us happy: Becauſe,
1. They are not in our Power, but may forcibly be taken away from us; and ſhould they continue with us during Life, at Death we muſt neceſſarily part with them.
2. They make us not better, being common to good and bad. Now if bad Men may poſſeſs them, they cannot render us happy; becauſe, as the Poet truly ſaith, Nemo malus felix. No wicked Man can be happy.
3. They cannot ſatisfie the vaſt deſires, or fill the Capacity of the Soul. The Soul of Man is ſpiritual and immortal, and therefore Bodily Pleaſures, or Temporal Enjoyments are no way ſuitable to it, nor of anſwerable duration.
My buſineſs in the following Diſcourſe ſhall be, to prove that a Holy Life is the only Happy Life, even in this World, advancing us to as high a degree of Happineſs as we are capable of in this Imperfect State, and the only preparatory to a State of Eternal Felicity in the World to come.
Before I proceed to prove this, it will be requiſite to explain the Terms.
1. What is meant by Holineſs. 2. What by Happineſs.