matter of this importance, I think one fhould scarce truft to a demonftration, unlefs it had paffed the test of the most folid and impartial part of mankind, and food the fhock and tryal of many ages. But, alas, after the utmoft efforts of wit and luft, what has ever yet been produced, that has been able to undergo the examination even of an honest man? what arguments have yet been ftarted against a judgment to come, that have been able to work upon any who were truly ferious in the point? and if a judgment to come, why not an kell? revelation is plain; and reafon can find no inconfiftency in the doctrine. Human laws punifh a fingle offence fometimes with death or banishment; with loss of eftate: andi by this, and divers other ways, extend the punishment of the criminal to his pofterity: that is, make it as eternal as they can. And fhall it be thought unjust in God to punish the repeated provocations of an impenitent life; the neglect of that great falvation wrought by the blood, and published by the mouth of his dearly beloved fon; and all this wilfully in defiance of the light of the gospel, and folicitations of the fpirit; in defiance of mercies and chaftifements; fhall it, I fay, be thought unjust in God to punish this by a miferable eternity? when infinite goodness has in vain tried all imaginable means to reclaim reclaim a finner, what has be to complain of, if God leave him to the effects of his own choice? fin, as it alienates our affections from God here, fo muft it certainly exclude us from his prefence and his favour hereafter. And what can be the cafe of that wretched creature, who is banished for ever to thofe black and difmal regions, which no ray, no influence of divine good nefs can ever reach? where fhall thofe unhappy creatures dwell, which fhall be chafed by the prefence and glory of God out of the new heaven and the new earth, (or which rather can never approach either) but in that outward darkness, which is parted from the world of the bleed by an unpaffable gulph? Ah then! if this be fo, what do wretched men gain by growing impudent in wickedness? Alas! the more infenfible men are of the deformity and danger of fin, the more defperate their state, the more incurable their difeafe; and the nearer they to death and deftruction: My Spirit fhall not always ftrive with man. This is indeed a bleed advantage, to ftand upon the brink of damnation! 'tis a glorious victory, to have defeated all the means of grace and happiness! 'tis an heroick atchievement to be able to extinguish all true fenfe and reafon, as well as religion, and become impregnable, impenetrable to all arguments, to all motives, which either the tendereft love or the profoundest wisdom of God and man can attack us by! 2. I cannot but think that those very men, who for the most part are obdurate and infenfible, do fuffer fome, though rare returns of anxiety and fear. Why elfe are they fuch avowed enemies to folitude and retirement? to all ferious and calm reflections; that they are ready to take up with a moft trifling and contemptible business or diverfion? nay, tired with a dull and taftelefs repetition of a folly; they chuse to repeat it to their lives end, rather than be alone, and thoughtful? what is this, but to confefs that there is fomething within, which they are afraid to awaken? that there is fuch a brightness in divine truth, that they dare not open their eyes upon it, left it fhould fill their fouls with the terrors of God? this height of wickedness then at beft is a state fit only for fortunate finners, who can rowl and tumble from folly to folly, from one impertinence or extravagance to another, endlefly: and yet what becomes of thofe poor things, when a dif after, when a difeafe, nay, but a wakeful hour by night forces them to retire into themselves? 3. A finner does not foon arrive at this ftate of infenfibility. It cofts him very dear to grow impudent in his luft. Many a pang, many a torment has he suffered first; firft often has he felt the wounds of conScience; often has he trembled and fhrunk at the menaces of God. The foul can no more be reconciled to fin, than the body to excess, but by paffing through many painful and fickly fits, many uneafie pangs and qualms. And is it not worth the while to endure fo much in order to be damned? is it not an infallible mark of more than vulgar wisdom, to purchase mifery at fo dear a rate? to endure hardship as good foldiers of Chrift Jefus, for a crown, a never-fading crown; this with them is an undertaking that deferves to be expofed, and lashed with the utmoft feverity of fpight and confidence: but to fuffer, as it were, repeated martyrdoms to gain an hell, this is what they think becomes men of their parts and gallantry. Bleffed God! to what degree of madness and stupidity may men of the finest natural parts fink, when abandoned by thee? or rather, when they themselves abandon thee, and that light which thou haft fet up in the world? our Lord and Mafter thought the profits. and pleasures of the whole world a poor compenfation for the loss of the foul: What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, &c. Matt. xvi. But these men, rather than it fhould not perifh for ever, will charge through fhame and pain, remorfe and fickness, and all the obftacles that Q 4 God God has fet between us and a desperate height of wickedness. 4. Though a finner may come to that pafs, as to Jupprefs his confcience, and mafter his fears; yet he must ever be conscious to himself of the fruitlefness and the meanness of a courfe of fin. He must needs be inwardly fenfible, that he has wearied himfelf to commit iniquity to no purpose; that his mind has been restless and tempefluous, like a troubled fea, cafting up its own mire and dirt, he must be conscious to himfelf, that he is false and unjust, unconftant and ingrateful, and in bondage to fuck lufts as are mean and poor, and injurious to his repofe, and which he has often wished himfelf free from. And this, no doubt, must be a bleed condition, when a man's own mind does to his face affure him, that he is that very thing which all the world con demns and fcorns, and which he cannot en dure to be charged with, without refenting it as the highest affront! certainly it were better that all the world fhould call me fool, and knave, and villain, than that I fhould call myself fo, and know it to be true. My peace and happiness depends upon my own opinion of myself, not that of others: 'tis the inward fentiments that I have of myself, that raise or deject me; and my mind can no more be pleafed with any fenfation but its own, than the body can |