14 A PERSUASIVE to 



would then be a protection and defence * 

 and mutual help one to another. Whence 

 come wars and fightings among you , (faith 

 the Apoftle James) come they not hence ^ e- 

 *ven of your lufls^ which war in your mem- 

 bers ? Running over all the Commandments 

 of God, I might eafily deduce and demon- 

 ftrate in particular, that each of them con- 

 duces to the publick good and benefit. 



Secondly, The Commandments of God 

 are not grievous or uneafy ; his Law is ho- 

 ly, and juft, and good , his Precepts equal 

 and reasonable ; nay, fo fuitable and agree- 

 able to the Nature and Reafon of Man, 

 that I will be bold to fay, They ought up- 

 on their own account to be obferved and 

 obeyed by us', were there no Heaven to 

 reward our Obedience, no Hell to punifh 

 our Difobedience. 



This is the foundation of that Stoical 

 Doftrine, That Virtue is its own Reward r , 

 and that Happinefs confifts in the very do^ 

 ing of Virtuous Adions : And therefore a 

 wife Man is fatisfied with the Confcience 

 of well-doing, and will not do any difho- 

 nett or wicked thing, to avoid any Suffer- 

 ing or Torment whatfoever. The reafon is, 

 becaufe God hath imprinted in our Nature 

 an averfation from Vice, and diflike of it ; 



fo 



