4 The Scriptures teach humility 1 God the author of Peace, not of division 2 Unity 3 Controversy to be avoided. 5 Dispute on speculative points extinguisheth piety. 6 Divisions in Religion, injury occasioned by them 7 Blessings on the peace-maker 8 Rewards of Charity and Meekness 9 The spirit of contention calmed by reflection 1 Sin, error, and negligence.. 2 Immorality.... ...... 3 Effects of immorality on Faith. 4 Pride and Humility 5 The alliance of humility with peace. 6 False security breedeth pride; fear, humility. 1. Happiness CHAPTER X. HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY. 2 True happiness from Religion SECT. PAGE 3 Influence of Religion on prosperity and adversity...... 97 4 Earthly riches sometimes an obstacle to true happiness 98 5 True distinguished from false happiness 6 Spiritual and temporal benefits... CHAPTER XI. ... ib. 99 AFFLICTION AND ADVERSITY. 1 Affliction 100 .... 2 Sorrow ib. 3 No support from merit in prospect of death 4 On the late remembrance of God in trouble 5 Death 101 ib. 102 6 The last hours of the Christian.. ib. 7 The memory of the just is blessed 8 Christ's agony, and the instruction it affords to all afflicted and mourning Christians.. CHAPTER XII. ib. 103 CHRISTIAN FAITH AND DUTY. 1 Devotion 2 Human thoughts and actions cannot ransom man 5 God's invitations to holiness of life 6 God's perfect law, a mirror wherein to behold ourselves 7 God's perfect law in the books of Holy Scripture 8 God's perfect law, man's rule of life SELECTIONS FROM HOOKER. CHAPTER I. GOD. 1. The existence of God. AT the bare beholding of heaven and earth the infidel's heart by and by doth give him, that there is an eternal, infinite, immortal, and everliving God, whose hands have fashioned and framed the world; he knoweth that every house is builded of some man, though he see not the man which built the house; and he considereth that it must be God which hath built and created all things, although, because the number of his days be few, he could not see when God disposed his works of old; when he caused the light of his clouds first to shine, when he laid the corner-stone of the earth, and swaddled it with bands of water and darkness, when he caused the morning star to know his place, and made bars and doors to shut up the sea within his house, saying, hitherto shalt thou come, but no further. 2. The properties and operations of God. The true properties and operations of his Deity are, to know that which is not possible for created natures to comprehend; to be simply the highest Cause of all things, the Well-spring of immortality and life; to have neither end nor beginning of days; to be everywhere present, and inclosed nowhere; B to be subject to no alteration nor passion; to produce of itself those effects which cannot proceed but from infinite Majesty and Power. 3. The power of God. By every effect proceeding from the most concealed instincts of nature, His power is made manifest. 4. The wisdom of God. Whatsoever either men on earth, or the angels of heaven do know, it is as a drop of that unemptiable fountain of Wisdom; which Wisdom hath diversely imparted her treasures unto the world. As her ways are of sundry kinds, so her manner of teaching is not merely one and the same. Some things she openeth by the sacred books of Scripture; some things by the glorious works of nature; with some things she inspireth them from above by spiritual influence; in some things she leadeth and traineth them only by worldly experience and practice. We may not so in any one special kind admire her that we disgrace her in any other; but let all her ways be, according unto their place and degree, adored. 5. The perfection of God. That perfection which God is, giveth perfection to that he doth. That, and nothing else, is done by God, which to leave undone were not so good. 6. The works of God unsearchable. Where God himself doth speak those things which, either for height and sublimity of the matter, or else for secresy of performance, we are not able to reach unto, as we may be ignorant without danger, so it can be no disgrace to confess we are ignorant. Such as love piety will, as much as in them lieth, know all things that God commandeth, but especially the duties of service which they owe to God. As for his dark and hidden works, they prefer, as becometh them in such cases, simplicity of faith before that knowledge, which, curiously sifting what it should adore, and disputing too boldly of that which the wit of men cannot search, chilleth for the most part all warmth of zeal, and bringeth soundness of belief many times into great hazard. Dangerous it were for the feeble brain of man to wade far into the doings of the Most High; whom although to know be life, and joy to make mention of his name; yet our soundest knowledge is, to know that we know him not as indeed he is, neither can know him: and our safest eloquence concerning him, is our silence, when we confess without confession, that his glory is inexplicable, his greatness above our capacity and reach. He is above, and we upon earth; therefore it behoveth our words to be wary and few. |