Sixteen Sermons Volume 2, Sermon 7
SERMON VII. The Reputation of Good Men, after Death.
Preached on St. Luke's Day.
Pſal. CXII. 6. The latter Part of the Verſe.
The righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance.
AS the Deſire and Hope of Immortality, which is implanted in Humane Nature, is ſome Evidence of the Thing; ſo likewiſe that Natural Deſire which is in Men, to have a Good Name perpetuated, and to be remembred, and mentioned with honour,VOL. II. when they are dead and gone, is a ſign, that there is in Humane Nature ſome Preſage of a Life after Death; in which they hope, among other Rewards of well-doing, to meet with this alſo, to be well ſpoken of to Poſterity: And tho probably we ſhould not know the Good that is ſaid of us, when we are dead, yet it is an encouragement to Virtue, to be ſecured of it beforehand; and to find by Experience, that they who have done their part well in this life, go off with Applauſe; and that the Memory of their Good Actions is preſerved and tranſmited to Poſterity.
And among the many Advantages of Piety and Virtue, this is not altogether inconſiderable, that it reflects an Honour upon our Memory after death; which is a thing much more valuable, than to have our Bodies preſerved from Putrifaction: For that I think is the meaning of Solomon, when he prefers a Good Name before precious Oyntment, Eccl. 7.1. A good name is better than precious Oyntment. This they uſed in Embalming of dead Bodies,Serm. VII. to preſerve them from noiſomneſs and corruption: but a Good Name preſerves a Man's Memory, and makes it grateful to Poſterity; which is a far greater Benefit, than that of a precious Oyntment which ſerves only to keep a dead Body from ſtench and rottenneſs.
I ſhall briefly explain the Words, and then conſider the matter contained in them; the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance. By the righteous is probably here meant the good man in general; for tho' Juſtice and Righteouſneſs, are in Scripture frequently uſed for that particular Virtue, whereby a Man is diſpoſed to render to every Man his own; which is known by the name of Juſtice; yet it is leſs frequently, and perhaps in this place, uſed in a larger Senſe, ſo as to comprehend all Piety and Virtue. For ſo the righteous man is deſcribed at the beginning of this Pſalm, Bleſſed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his Commandments: And he is oppoſed to the wicked man, v. 10. the wicked ſhall ſee it, and be grieved; that is, he ſhall be troubled to ſee the Proſperity of the righteous; the manifold Bleſſings of his life, and the Good Name he ſhall 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 ſhall be well ſpoken of, and his Name mentioned with honour, and his Good Deeds recorded and remembred to all Poſterity.
So that the ſenſe of the words amounts to this, That eminently good men, do commonly leave a Good Name behind them, and tranſmit a grateful Memory of themſelves to after Ages. I ſay commonly, for ſo we are to underſtand theſe kind of ſayings; not that they are ſtrictly, and univerſally true, without exception; but uſually, and for the moſt part. It is poſſible, that a Good Man may ſoon be forgotten, by the Malice of Men; or through the partiality and iniquity of the Age, may have his Name blemiſht after death, and be miſ-repreſented to Poſterity: but for the moſt part it is otherwiſe; and tho' the World be very wicked, yet it ſeldom deals ſo hardly and unjuſtly with Men of eminent Goodneſs and Virtue, as to defraud them of their due Praiſe and Commendation after death. It very frequently happens otherwiſe to Good Men, whilſt they are alive; nay they are then very ſeldom ſo juſtly treated, as to be generally eſteemed and well ſpoken of, and to be allowed their due Praiſe and Reputation: But after death, their Good Name is generally ſecured and vindicated, and Poſterity does them that right, which perhaps the Age wherein they lived denyed to them. Therefore in the Proſecution of this Argument, I ſhall enquire into theſe Two things.
Firſt, Whence it comes to paſs, that Good Men are very often defrauded of their juſt Praiſe and Reputation, whilſt they are alive? And,
Secondly, What Security they have of a Good Name after death?
Firſt, Whence it comes to paſs, that Good Men are ſo frequently defrauded of their juſt Praiſe and Reputation, while they are alive? And to give our ſelves full ſatisfaction in this matter, Two things are fit to be enquired into.
1. From what Cauſe this proceeds?
2. For what Reaſon the Providence of God doth often permit it?
(1.) From what Cauſe it proceeds, that good Men have ſo often the hard Fate to be ill ſpoken of, and to be ſeverely cenſur'd, 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 beſt Men are imperfect; and preſent and viſible Imperfections do very much leſſen, and abate the Reputation of a Man's Goodneſs. It cannot be otherwiſe, but that the luſtre of a great Piety and Virtue ſhould be ſomewhat obſcured, by that mixture of Humane Frailty, which does neceſſarily attend this ſtate of Imperfection: And though a Man by great Care and Conſideration, by great Vigilancy and Pains with himſelf, be arrived to that degree and pitch of Goodneſs, as to have but a very few viſible Failings, and thoſe ſmall, in compariſon; yet when theſe come to be ſcann'd 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 Perſons in the World, of that excellent Goodneſs, but beſides the common and more pardonable Frailties of Humanity, they do now and then diſcover ſomething, which might perhaps juſtly deſerve a ſevere Cenſure, if ſome amends were not made for it, by many and great Virtues.
Very good Men are ſubject to conſiderable Imprudences, and ſudden Paſſions; and eſpecially to an affected Severity and Moroſeneſs of Carriage; which is very diſguſtful, and apt to beget diſlike. And they are the more incident to theſe kind of Imperfections; becauſe out of a juſt hatred of the vicious Cuſtoms and Practices of the World, and to keep out of the way of Temptation, they think it ſafeſt to retire from the World as much as they can; being loth to venture themſelves, more than needs, in ſo infectious an Air. By this means, their Spirits are apt to be a little ſower, and they muſt neceſſarily be ignorant of many points of Civility, and good Humour; which are great Ornaments of Virtue, though not of the Eſſence of it.
Now two or three Faults in a Good Man, if an Uncharitable Man have but the handling and managing of them, may eaſily caſt a conſiderable Blemiſh upon his Reputation; becauſe the better the Man is, ſo much the more conſpicuous are his Faults; as Spots are ſooneſt diſcovered, and moſt taken notice of, in a pure and white Garment. Beſides that, in matters of Cenſure, Mankind do much encline to the harder ſide; and but very few Perſons are ſo charitable and equal, as to conſtrue things to the beſt ſenſe, and to conſider a Man all together; and fairly to ſet the Good that is in him, againſt his Faults and Imperfections. But,
2. Though Good Men many times contribute too much, to the leſſening of their own Reputation, with thoſe among whom they live; yet the principal Cauſe of their Suffering in this kind, is not from themſelves, but others; and that upon theſe Three Accounts.
1. From the Hatred and Oppoſition of Bad Men to Holineſs and Virtue; and theſe are commonly the greateſt number, and make the loudeſt cry. They are declared Enemies to Goodneſs; and then how can it be expected, they ſhould have any great Kindneſs for Good Men? They want Virtue themſelves; and therefore they think themſelves upbraided by the Good Qualities of others.
This Enmity of Wicked Men againſt the Righteous, and the true Reaſon of it, is very well expreſt, in the Wiſdom of Solomon, ch. 2. v. 12. Let us (ſay they) lie in wait for the Righteous; becauſe he is not for our turn, and is clean contrary to our doings; he upbraideth us with our offending the Law, and he objecteth to our Infamy, the ſins 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 Silver, he abſtaineth from our ways, as from filthineſs. This is that which filleth the Minds of wicked Men with Malice againſt the Righteous; and Malice will eaſily invent ways to blaſt any Man's Reputation. Good Men do ſometimes, as it is their duty, reprove thoſe that are bad; or if they do it not in Word, yet they upbraid them in their Actions, and contrary courſe of life; and both theſe are grievous and provoking to them. Not but that Wicked Men are many times in their Conſciences convinced of the real Goodneſs of thoſe whom they ſpeak againſt; but they will not own it, leaſt in ſo doing they ſhould condemn themſelves.
2. Another Cauſe of this, is the Envy of thoſe, who perhaps have ſome degree of Goodneſs 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; becauſe they are ſenſible, they are out-ſhined by them, and that it occaſions a diſadvantagious Compariſon, and makes their Defects taken notice of.
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 oportunities to undermine his Reputation; and will be very glad, either to find a blot in his Eſcutcheon, or to fix one there.
3. There is ſomething in the very Preſence and Nearneſs of Goodneſs and Virtue, which is apt to leſſen it.
In matters of Senſe, the nearer the Object is, the bigger it appears; and the farther diſtant it is from us, the leſs it ſeems to be: But here it is quite otherwiſe; 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 paſs, but ſo we certainly find it; that Men are more ſenſible of the Goodneſs and Excellency of any thing, under the want of it, than while they enjoy it; and do uſually value it more when it is gone, than they did whilſt it was preſent with them. Whilſt we live with Good Men, and converſe with them every day, we take but little notice of them; but no ſooner are they departed, but we admire them, and every Man's Mouth is open to celebrate their Good Qualities. Perhaps Familiarity, and Acquaintance, and Converſation does inſenſibly beget ſomething of Contempt; but whatever the Reaſon of it be, we find the Thing moſt certainly true in Experience.
(2.) Let us conſider in the next place, for what Reaſons the Providence of God permits it thus to be? I ſhall mention but theſe Two.
1. To keep Good Men humble, and, as the expreſſion is in Job, to hide pride from Men.
God's Providence, in the diſpoſal and ordering of things in this World, ſeems rather to conſult our Safety, than our Satisfaction; and the Security of our Virtue, than the full Reward of it. Now if Good Men ſhould always meet with that clear Eſteem and Reputation, which their Goodneſs deſerves, they would be in great danger of being puft up with a proud Conceit of themſelves; and Pride is enough to ſupplant the greateſt Virtue in the World; ſuch a dead fly, as this, were ſufficient to ſpoil a Box of the moſt precious Oyntment. For Man is an ambitious Creature, and vain above all things; ſo vain, as not only to be covetous of Praiſe, but even patient of Flattery; and the beſt of Men lie too open, on this blind ſide of Humane Nature; and therefore God, who knows our frame, and how apt Duſt and Aſhes are to be proud, hath in his wiſe and merciful Providence ſo diſpoſed things, that good Men are ſeldom expoſed to the full force of ſo ſtrong a Temptation. And for this Reaſon, he lets looſe envious and malicious Tongues, to detract from Good Men, for a check to the Vanity of Humane Nature, and to keep their Virtue ſafe, under the protection of Humility.
And this is the way likewiſe to ſecure the Reputation which they have, and which otherwiſe would be in danger of being loſt: For he that is once proud of the Eſteem he hath got, takes the readieſt way to fall into Contempt; and certainly it is better of the two, that our Reputation ſhould ſuffer a little, by the Malice of others; than be ruin'd 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 Humane Nature, and will not ſuffer 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 ſhall 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 reſerves the main of our Recompence, to be beſtowed upon us at the end of our Work. When our Courſe is finiſhed, then, and not before, we muſt expect our Crown; when our Accounts are caſt up, and ſtated, and it appears what improvement we have made of our Talents, then will come, the Euge bone ſerve, Well done good and faithful Servant. In the mean time, Good Men muſt be content with ſuch a portion of Eſteem, as an envious and ill-natured World will afford them.
And thus I have done with the Firſt thing I propoſed to enquire into; Whence it comes to paſs, that Good Men are frequently defrauded of their due Praiſe and Reputation, while alive? I proceed to the Second Enquiry, namely, What Security 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.
(1.) From the Providence of God; which is concerned herein, upon a twofold account.
1. In reſpect of the Equity of it.
2. In regard of the Example of it.
1. In reſpect of the Equity of it. God, who will not be behind-hand with any Man, concerns himſelf, to ſecure to Good Men the proper Reward of their Piety and Virtue. Now Praiſe is one of the moſt proper Recompences of good and virtuous Actions; this Good Men ſeldom meet with in this life, without a great deal of allay and abatement; and therefore the Providence of God hath ſo ordered thing, that it ſhould come in the propereſt Seaſon, 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 an encouragement to Men, to act their Part well, to ſee Good Men applauded, when they go off the Stage. Every Man that hath any ſpark of Generoſity in him, is deſirous of Fame; and tho' Men care not how ſoon 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 uncomfortable things; if they ſhould always be ſo unfortunate, as never to meet with due Eſteem and Approbation: but when Men are aſſured, that they ſhall have this Reward, one time or other, and obſerve it to be ſo in experience; this is a great Spur and Encouragement to do virtuouſly: And a great Mind, that hath a juſt ſenſe of Reputation and a good Name, will be content to lay in for it beforehand; and patiently to wait the time, which God knows fitteſt for the beſtowing of it.
(2.) 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 Obſtacle of a Good Man's Reputation. For then his Defects are out of ſight, and Men are contented that his Imperfections ſhould 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 ſtand in other mens light; his great Virtues are at a diſtance, and not ſo apt to be brought into Compariſon, to the prejudice and diſadvantage of the living; mortui non mordent; The Example of the dead, is not ſo cutting a reproof to the Vice of the living; the Good Man is removed out of the way, and his Example, how bright ſoever, is not ſo ſcorching and troubleſom at a diſtance; and therefore Men are generally contented, to give him his due Character.
Beſides, that there is a certain Civility in Humane Nature, which will not ſuffer Men to wrong the dead, and to deny them the juſt commendation of their worth. Even the Scribes and Phariſees, (as bad a ſort of Men as we can well imagine) though they were juſt like their Fathers in perſecuting and ſlaying the Prophets, while they were alive; yet had they a mighty Veneration for their Piety and Virtue, after they were dead, and thought no Honour too great to be done to them. They would be at the Charge of raiſing Monuments to the Memory of thoſe Good Men, whom their Fathers had ſlain; and whom they would certainly have uſed in the very ſame manner, had they either lived in the days of thoſe Prophets, or thoſe Prophets had lived in their days, as our Saviour plainly told them.
All that now remains is, to draw ſome Inferences from what hath been ſaid, by way of Application; and they ſhall be theſe Three.
1. To vindicate the Honour and Reſpect which the Chriſtian Church, for many Ages, hath paid to the Memory of the firſt Teachers and Martyrs of our Religion.
2. To encourage us to Piety and Goodneſs, from this Conſideration; that the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance.
3. That when we pretend to honour the Memory of Good Men, we would be careful to imitate their Holineſs and Virtue.
1. To vindicate the Honour, which the Chriſtian Church hath for many Ages done to the firſt Teachers and Martyrs of our Religion; I mean more eſpecially to the Holy Apoſtles of our Lord and Saviour; to whoſe Honour, the Chriſtian Church hath thought fit to ſet apart Solemn Times, for the Commemoration of their Piety and Suffering, and to ſtir up others to the imitation of them.
This certainly can with no good colour, either from Scripture or Reaſon, be pretended to be unlawful; and when David here ſays, the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance; he cannot certainly be thought to exclude the moſt ſolemn Way of commemorating their Piety and Virtue.
I do not pretend, this Cuſtom can be derived from the very firſt Ages of Chriſtianity; but ſurely it is ſufficient, for the lawfulneſs of it, that it is no where forbidden; nay it is rather required here in the Text; the beſt way to preſerve the Memory of Good Men, being thus to commemorate them. And it may be of great Uſe to us, if it be not our own fault; the ſetting before our eyes, the holy lives of Excellent Men, being in its own nature apt to excite us to the Imitation of them.
Beſides that I could tell you, that though this cannot be proved ſo ancient, as ſome vainly pretend; yet it is of great Antiquity in the Church, and did begin in ſome of the beſt Ages of Chriſtianity. Memoriae Martyrum, the Meetings of Chriſtians at the Tombs of the Martyrs was practiſed long before the degeneracy of the Weſtern Church; and the Chriſtians were wont at thoſe Meetings, ſolemnly to commemorate the Faith and Conſtancy of thoſe Good Men, and to encourage themſelves from their Examples.
I know very well, that this did in time degenerate into groſs Superſtition, which afterward gave colour and occaſion to that groſs and Idolatrous Practice in the Church of Rome, of Worſhipping Saints. But this Abuſe is no ſufficient Reaſon for us, to give over the Celebrating of the Memory of ſuch holy Men, as the Apoſtles and Martyrs of Chriſt were; and propounding them to our ſelves for our Patterns. We may ſtill lawfully give them their due Honour; tho' the Church of Rome hath ſo over-done it, as to rob God of his.
2. Let this Conſideration, that the righteous ſhall be in everlaſting remembrance, be an encouragement to us, to Piety and Goodneſs. This to a generous Nature, that is ſenſible of Honour and Reputation, is no ſmall Reward and Encouragement. Before the Happineſs of Heaven was clearly revealed, and life and immortality brought to light, by the Goſpel, one of the greateſt Motives to worthy and virtuous Deeds, was the earneſt deſire which Men had of leaving a Good Name behind them, and of Perpetuating the Fame and Glory of their Actions to after Ages. Upon this ground, chiefly, many of the Braveſt Spirits, among the Heathen, were animated to Virtue, and, with the hazard of their lives, to do great and glorious Exploits for their Country.
And certainly, it is an Argument of a great Mind, to be moved by this Conſideration; and a ſign of a low and baſe Spirit, to neglect it. He that hath no regard to his Fame, is loſt to all purpoſes of Virtue and Goodneſs; when a Man is once come to this, not to care what others ſay of him, the next ſtep is, to have no care what himſelf does. Quod conſcientia eſt apud Deum, id fama eſt apud homines, what Conſcience is in reſpect of God, that is Fame in reſpect of Men. Next to a good Conſcience, a clear Reputation ought to be to every Man the deareſt thing in the World. Men have generally a great value for Riches; and yet the Scripture pronounceth him the happier Man, that leaves a Good Name, than him that leaves a great Eſtate behind him, Prov. 22.1. A good name is rather to be choſen, than great riches.
If then we have any regard to a Good Name; the beſt way to ſecure it to our ſelves, is by the holy and virtuous Actions of a good Life. Do well, and thou ſhalt be well ſpoken of; if not now, yet by thoſe who ſhall come after; the ſureſt way to glory, and honour, and immortality, is by a patient continuance in well-doing. God hath engaged his promiſe to us to this purpoſe, 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour; and they that deſpiſe me, ſhall be lightly eſteemed. The name of the wicked ſhall rot, ſays Solomon, Prov. 10.7. But God doth uſually take a particular care, ſo preſerve and vindicate their Memory, who are careful to keep his Covenant, and remember his Commandments to do them.
3dly, and laſtly, When ever we pretend to do honour to the Memory of Good Men, let us charge our ſelves with a ſtrict Imitation of their Holineſs and Virtue. The greateſt honour we can do to God, or Good Men, is to endeavour to be like them; to expreſs their Virtues, and repreſent them to the World in our lives. Upon theſe Days, we ſhould propound to our ſelves, as our Patterns, all thoſe holy and excellent Perſons, who have gone before us; the Apoſtles of our Lord and Saviour, and all thoſe bleſſed Saints and Martyrs, who were faithful to the death, and have received a crown of life and immortality.
We ſhould repreſent to our ſelves the Piety of their Actions, and the Patience and Conſtancy of their Sufferings, that we may imitate their Virtues, and be followers of them, who through faith and patience, have inherited the promiſes; and ſeeing we are compaſt about with ſuch a cloud of witneſſes, we ſhould lay aſide every weight, and run with patience the race which is ſet before us.
Let us imagine all thoſe great Examples of Piety and Virtue, ſtanding about us in a throng, and fixing their Eyes upon us. How ought we to demean our ſelves in ſuch a Preſence, and under the eye of ſuch Witneſſes! and how ſhould we be aſhamed to do any thing, that is unworthy of ſuch excellent Patterns, and bluſh to look upon our own lives, when we remember theirs! Good God! at what a diſtance do the greateſt part of Chriſtians follow thoſe Examples! and while we honour them with our lips, how unlike are we to them in our lives!
Why do we thus reproach our ſelves with theſe glorious Patterns? Let us either reſolve to imitate their Virtues, or to make no mention of their Names; for while we celebrate the Examples of Saints and Holy Men, and yet contradict them in our lives, we either mock them, or upbraid our ſelves.
Now the God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c.