the latter part of his conduct, and the very reverse to what it would have been, had he continued in his righteoufnefs. And on the other hand, though a man has lived a wicked and vicious life for many years, yet if he forfakes his evil ways, and leads a fober religious life to the end of his days, the future ftate of that man fhall be happy; and he shall be freed from all the fatal confequences that would have followed, had he died in a state of impenitence.

I would now obferve, that we come to this knowledge, not by natural reafon, but by the affiftance of divine. revelation. This matter, were we left to reafon only, might be might be variously difputed; and we fhould have been in fome hazard of falling into a very dangerous

dangerous mistake. For, as appears from this paffage, it cannot be accounted less than a very dangerous mistake, to think that men who have been nearly equal in their vices, or in their virtues, when the whole of their conduct is confidered, fhall be nearly equal in their future mifery, or future happiness. Since the time of life, in which the one is righteous, may give him the advantage, or the difadvantage; not only may, but will most certainly do it, if we believe what is here afferted by the prophet. For though virtue and religion do in a very exemplary manner, influence the conduct of any man for several years; yet afterwards, if he grows indifferent to these things, and pursues a course of life entirely inconfiftent with them, and dies in this course,

B 3

courfe; according to this his future ftate will be determined, and not according to what he once was, when virtuous difpofitions had the afcendency. Unaffifted by divine revelation, it is probable, many perfons would have thought otherwife, and have confidered equal virtues as rendering men equally acceptable to God, and equal vices juft the reverse, in whatever period of life the one or the other of these had been performed. We might imagine the divine determination would be according to what the balance was, when the fum total of men's virtues and vices were compared. Neither does it indeed feem within the reach of our natural understanding, had we no revealed religion, to confute fuch an opinion. So far from it, that many

cafes

cafes might be put in the support of it very strong, and as fuch would generally be admitted.

Suppofe for inftance two perfons, whofe advantages for religion, and whose temptations in the world, are from first to last pretty much the fame; fuppofe also that the one becomes very early impreffed with pious and religious fentiments, is dutiful to his parents while young, and as he grows up difcovers very amiable difpofitions, is very exemplary in his conduct, and lives till a few years before his death, in a very fober, religious and virtuous manner; when, falling unhappily into evil company, or into the way of fuch temptations as draw him afide, he degenerates

into the practice of irreligion and vice, and perishes therein.

Suppose the other perfon, though poffeffed of equal advantages from a religious education, early difcovering very bad difpofitions, is difobedient to all parental authority in the infancy of life, becomes abandoned in his conduct, and continues incorrigible in vice and impiety, til towards the clofe of life; then admit he becomes a fincere penitent, that his confcience is powerfully impreffed with the convicting influences of religion, that from henceforth his heart is purified, and his life exemplarily virtuous and good, and that both continue fo till his departure out of the world. Now that of these two, without a divine revelation, we fhould agree that the latter was more worthy of the favourable regard of God hereafter, and would be more likely to obtain it; is

fo