fuch as have openly, and on fet Purpose appeared in the Defence of Irreligion; yet were they never able to ftifle the Convictions and Cries of Conscience. It cannot be, that a Man fhould be at perfect Peace within himfelf, without acting fo, as to get fome good Hope of avoiding thofe dreadful Mischiefs, he finds himself to have certain Apprehenfions of. For were there but half the Arguments we have, to prove the Certainty of a Judgment to come; could it by any pretence of Reafon be made probable, that Heaven and Hell are meer Fiction and Romance had moft Men confpir'd in denying God and Providence; did Judicious and Sober Men fide with Irreligion and Debauchery; the Contrary of all which is true: Yet Reafon and Wisdom would require that we should be Juft, and Temperate, and Chaft, and univerfally Good; because without thefe, we can never fatis fie the Natural Scruples and Objections of our Minds. This one Suggeftion (poffibly Things may be otherwife, than we have ftated and determined them) is enough to raise fuch Storms within us, as all the Diverfions of Sin can never lay again. Neither is this true in Speculation only, but in Experience and Practice too; for however fuch Men may feem to hector and defie Religion, yet all Atheists are inwardly fufpicious and miftruftful; they tremble and ftart at their own Shadow, and when it comes to the Pinch, bewray the greatest Cowardice in the World they they care not to die, and would gladly escape the Trial of what fhall follow Death. But on the other Hand, a Man of Integrity and Conscience, is in all Cafes, and in all Conditions the fame Man. Contingencies of Affairs may poffibly make fome Alteration in his Fortune, but none in his Happiness. Let the World fmile or frown; let him be refpected or contemned, commended or reproached, he ftill maintains his Poft, and remains unshaken. And as for Futurity, he is in no fearful Expecation from that neither; he apprehends nothing therein, that is formidable or Affrighting; nothing that can difcompose his Thoughts, or unfix his Refolution. He is willing to be diffolved, that fo he may be with Chrift; and looks upon Death only as a Paffage to a more Glorious Life. In all Refpects therefore, and upon all Accounts, as to this prefent World, we fee the exceeding Gain of Godliness; that had we no other Life to provide for, yet if we truly confult the Quiet and Happiness of This, we ought to fear God. II. I come now to the Second general Propofal, viz. to confider Man with Relation to his future Condition in the other World. And here I think it altogether needless to spend many Words in fhewing how well Piety provides for that; because those who object most against it, are yet willing to allow it its Reward hereafter. Nay indeed, Atheism it felf Call Impudence as it is) had never the Face to Charge Charge it with the leaft Poffibility of mifcarrying there. If there be fuch a Thing as Heaven and a future Reward, they will not, they cannot deny, but it fhall fall to the Lot of good Men. But we muft not put Things upon that Iffue ; we can't admit of any Iff's or Doubtings in this Matter: For befides the Conviction of Confcience, and the universal Confent of Mankind; the Teftimonies of the Law and the Prophets, of Chrift and his Apoftles, are fo many, and fo great, that nothing can be more plain and certain. The Throne hath been already feen, and the fudge appeared fitting upon it; The Books have been already opened, and the Dead, Small, and Great, have been feen standing before him: Nothing more certain in the Word of God: No Doctrine 'more clear and fundamental than this of future Judgment. And when God fhall think fit to convene all the Nations of the World before him; and lay open the Records of his Juftice; then will appear the Difference between good and bad Men. Those that have walked before God in Virtuous and Holy Converfation, fhall receive the bleffed Euge; out of that vaft Confluence of Men, then before him, he will own them publickly, and fay unto them; Come ye faithful Servants! For ye have done my Will upon Earth; ye have believed my Word, and obferved my Laws, therefore enter ye into the foy of your Lord. What the Nature and Plenitude of that Joy is, we cannot now in any compe tent tent Measure difcover: The Circumftances of our prefent Condition, incapacitate us for a full Defcription of it: It is fuch as neither Eye bath feen, nor Ear beard, neither hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive of it. In one Word therefore to conclude all: Since true Piety or the Fear of God is the moft certain Way to Happiness, fince it provides for all the States and Capacities, wherein we can poffibly be confidered; fince it fecures the Happinefs of this Life, both as to our Bodies and Minds, by infuring to us the trueft Honour and Refpect, by preferving us in our Health and Strength, by fecuring our Eftates and fe cular Interefts, by offering the moft Solid Grounds of Contentment in Affliction, and by giving Eafe and Quiet to our Minds; Laftly, fince it alone can give us Affurance of Future and Eternal Happiness in the World to come; what remains, but that we feriously devote our felves to the Service of God and Religion, and ftudy to bring forth the Fruits of a Holy Life; that we be devout and conftant in our Prayers; juft and upright in our Actions ; chaft and pure in our Thoughts; grave and fober in our Converfations; fo fhall we derive the Bleffing of God upon our Endeavours and Studies; fo fhall we render our Lives fatisfactory and comfortable here, our Departure hence quiet and Peaceable, and after Death receive our full Reward, even the unfpeakable Happinefs of Heaven, For furely I know that it fhall be well with them that fear God. FINIS. ERRATA. Age 5. Line 14. read Пouéves. p. 7. 1. 5. r. unto |