be the more confirmed and more refolute in the Faith.

Did Religion bestow Heaven without any terms or conditions indifferently upon all; if the Crown of Life was hereditary, and free to Good and Bad; and not fettled by Covenant upon the Elect of God only, fuch as live foberly and righteously and Tic. 2. 12. godly in this prefent world: I believe there would be no fuch thing as an Infidel among us. And without controverfie 'tis the Way and Means of attaining to Heaven, that makes profane Scorners so willingly let go the Expectation of it. 'Tis not the Articles of the Creed, but the Duty to God and their Neighbour, that is such an inconfiftent incredible Legend. They will not practise the Rules of Religion, and therefore they cannot believe the Promises and Rewards of it.

But however, let us suppose them to have acted like rational and ferious Men: and perhaps upon a diligent inquifition they have found, that the Hope of Immortality deserves to be joyfully quitted, and that either out of Intereft, or Neceffity.

I. And first, One may conceive indeed, how there might poffibly be a neceffity of quitting it. It might be tied to fuch Terms, as would render it impoffible ever to be obtain'd. For example, if it should be required of all the Candidates of Glory

and

and Immortality, to give a full and knowing Af fent to fuch things as are repugnant to Common Sense, as contradict the naval voy, the univerfal Notions and indubitable Maxims of Reason; if they were to believe, that One and the fame Thing may be and not be at the same time and in the fame respect; If allowing the received Idea's and denominations of Numbers and Figures and Body, they must seriously affirm, that Two and two do make a Dozen, or that the Diameter of a Circle is as long as the Circumference, or that the fame Body may be all of it in diftant places at once. I muft confess that the offers of Happiness upon such Articles of Belief as thefe, would be meer tantalizing of Rational Creatures; and the Kingdom of Heaven would become the Inheritance of only Idiots and Fools. For whilft a man of Common Capacity doth think and reflect upon fuch Propofitions; he cannot poffibly bribe his Understanding to give a Verdict for their Truth. So that he would be quite fruftrated of the Hope of Reward, upon fuch unpracticable Conditions as these: neither could he have any evidence of the Reality of the Promise, fuperiour to what he is conscious to of the Falfity of the Means. Now if any Atheist can fhew me in the Syftem of Chriftian Religion any such abfurdities and repugnancies to our natural Faculties; I

will either evince them to be Interpolations and Corruptions of the Faith, or yield my self a Captive and a Profelyte to his Infidelity.

II. Or, 2dly, they may think 'tis the Intereft of Mankind, that there fhould be no Heaven at all; because the Labour to acquire it is more worth than the Purchase: God Almighty (if there be one) having much overvalued the Bleffings of his Presence. So that upon a fair estimation, 'tis a greater advantage to take one's fwing in Senfuality, and have a glut of Voluptuousness in this Life, freely refigning all pretences to future Happiness; which, when a man is once extinguifh'd by Death, he cannot be supposed either to want or defire: than to be tied up by Commandments and Rules fo contrary to Flesh and Blood; to take up one's Cross, to Mark. 8. deny himself, and refuse the Satisfaction of Natural 34 Defires. This indeed is the true Language of Atheism, and the Cause of it too. Were not this at the Bottom, no man in his wits could contemn and ridicule the expectation of Immortality. Now what power or influence can Religion have upon the minds of these men; while not only their Affections and Lufts, but their fuppofed Interest shall plead against it? But if we can once filence this powerfull Advocate, we fhall without much diffi culty carry the Cause at the Bar of impartial Rea

fon.

Now here is a notorious inftance of the Folly of Atheists, that while they repudiate all Title to the Kingdom of Heaven, meerly for the prefent Pleafure of Body, and their boafted Tranquillity of Mind; befides the extreme madness in running fuch a defperate Hazard after Death, (which I will not now treat of) they deprive themselves here of that very Pleasure and Tranquillity they seek for. For I fhall now endeavour to fhew, That Religion it felf gives us the greatest Delights and Advantages even in this life also, though there should prove in the event to be no Refurrection to another. Her Prov. 3. ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

17.

But before I begin that, I must occurr to one fpecious Objection both against this Propofition and the past part of my Discourse; Namely, that Religion doth perpetually haunt and disquiet us with dismal apprehensions of everlafting Burnings in Hell; and that there is no fhelter or refuge from those Fears, but behind the Principles of Atheism.

(1.) Firft therefore I will freely acknowledge to the Atheists; that fome part of what hath been faid is not directly conclufive against them; if they fay, that before they revolted from the Faith, they had finned away all expectation of ever arriving at Heaven: and confequently had good reason so joy

fully

fully to receive the news of Annihilation by Death, as an advantageous change for the everlasting torments of the Damn'd. But because I cannot expect, that they will make fuch a shameless and senselefs Confeffion, and fupply us with that invincible argument against themselves: I muft fay again, that to prefer final Extinction before a happy Immorta lity does declare the most deplorable stupidity of mind. Nay although they fhould confefs, that they believed themselves to be Reprobates, before they disbelieved Religion; and took Atheism as a fanctuary and Refuge from the Terrors of Hell:

yet ftill the imputation of Folly will ftick upon them: in as much as they chose Atheism as an Opiate to ftill those frightning Apprehenfions, by inducing a dulness and lethargy of mind; rather than they would make use of that active and falutary medicine, a hearty Repentance; that they did not know the Riches of the goodness and forbearance and long-fuffe- Rom. 2.4. ring of God, and that a fincere Amendment of Life was never too late nor in vain; Jefus Chrift being the 1 Tim. 4. Saviour of all men, and a propitiation for the fins of the whole world; who came into the world to fave finners, Tim. 1. even the chief of them all; and died for the ungodly, and his bitterest enemies.

(2.) And fecondly, As to the Fears of Damnation; those terrors are not to be charged upon Religion it

D 2

self,

I

10.

14.

I

15.

Joh. 5.

Rom. 5. 6,

JO.