have the least share of the comforts and conveniences of this life, but are exposed (many times even upon the account of their very virtues) to poverty, want, reproach, neglect, so that their very virtues are occasions oftentimes of such calamities, which must needs abate the perfection of life, which is a necessary ingredient into happiness. 3. But if their life be not rendered grievous upon the account of their virtues, yet they are not thereby privileged from ma. ny calamities, which render their lives unhappy, and oftentimes render them incapable of the exercise of those virtues which must take up their happiness : poverty disables them from acts of liberality; neg. lect and scorn by great men and governors, renders them incapable of acts of distributive justice; sick. ness and tormenting bodily diseases many times attack them, and render their lives miserable, and many times disable even their very intellectuals; and to these disasters they are at least equally liable with others; and if all these calamities were absent, yet there are two states of life which they must ne. cessarily go through, if they live, that in a great measure renders them necessarily incapable of these actions of virtue, namely, the passions and perturba. tions of youth, and the decays and infirmities of old age. 4. The highest good attainable by the exercise of virtue in the party himself, is tranquillity of mind; and indeed it is a noble and excellent portion; but as the case stands with us in this life, (without a farther prospect to a life to come,) even such a tranquil.

lity of mind is not perfectly attainable by us, and hath certain appendances to it, that abate that sincereness of happiness that is requirable in it, to complete the happiness of the human nature: And these are principally these two: 1. The necessity that we are un. der (considering the weakness of our nature) by our daily failings, errors, and sins, to turn aside from the perfect rule of virtue; whereby we are under a kind of moral necessity of violating or abating that tranquillity of mind; so that it seems in itself morally impossible either fully to attain, or constantly and uniformly to hold that tranquillity of mind. 2. Still mortality, death, and the grave terminate this felicity, if it only respect this life; and the fear and pre-apprehension of such a termination, sours and allays even that felicity, which tranquillity of mind otherwise of. fers: This fear and anticipation of death (as the Apostle says,* detains men captives all the days of their life; and in a great measure breaks that tranquillity of mind which is the constituent of this happiness. Again, though virtue, and virtuous actions "have had their elogiat by excellent philosophers, orators, poets, and we are told by them, that Si virtus oculis cerneretur,‡ it would appear the most beautiful thing in the world; yet it hath had but few follow. ers in respect of the rest of the world; and possibly would find a much colder entertainment, if the recompence of reward were not also propounded with it

*Heb. ii. + Eulogiums.

If virtue could be seen.

and believed; therefore there is, and must be, some. what else besides bare platonic notions of virtue, and naked proposals of it, that must give it a conquest over the satisfaction of our lusts and pleasures, espe. cially in the time of our youth and strength, and be. fore old age overtake us.

And hence it is, that in all ages, wise rulers and governors have annexed sensible rewards and hon. ors, and such things as have a lively and quick relish with them into the exercise of virtue.

And hence it is, that the most wise God himself hath not propounded virtue and goodness to the chil. dren of men singly as its own and only reward, but hath also promised, and really and effectually provi. ded a recompence of reward for it, that happiness which I have been all this while in quest after, and hath made virtue and goodness the way, the method to attain that happiness, which is in truth the end of it.

Upon the whole matter I therefore conclude, That the happiness of mankind, is not to be found in this life, but it is a flower that grows in the garden of Eternity, and to be expected only in its full comple. ment and fruition in that life which is to succeed after our bodily dissolution: That although peace of conscience, tranquillity of mind, and the sense of the favor of God, that we enjoy in this life, like the bunches of grapes brought by the spies from Canaan, are the prelibations* and anticipations of our happi

* Foretastes.

ness; yet the complement* of our happiness consists in the beatifical vision of the ever blessed God to all eternity; where there is a vita perfecta, a perfect life, free from pain, from sorrow, from cares, from fears, vita perfecta, a perfect life of glory and immortality, out of the reach or danger of death, or the loss of that happiness which we shall then enjoy in the presence of the ever Glorious God, in whose presence is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore. Amen.

'Full enjoyment.