this Subject, that Men were apprized and forewarned of this Constitution, and of the Consequences of a wicked Life. The Debate before us was, in the Beginning of it, confin'd to the Case of Christians. Not because others also shall not be brought into Judgment, and punished as their Iniquities deserve; but because the Gospel, the Punishments denounced in which only we are now considering, concerns itself only with Christians. And these have no reason to complain that they are not previously inform'd of the Danger, and forewarn'd of the terrible Consequences, of their Disobedience. For as Life and Immortality are brought to light by the Gospel, so also in the same Gospel is revealed, in the plainest and most positive Terms, the Wrath of God against all Ungodliness, and Unrighteousness of Men.2 If Men will not believe this Revelation, in this Particular, but pervert its plain Meaning, tho' expressed in variety of Phrases, and repeated a thousand times over, by vain and groundless Criticisms, and darken Truth by Words without Knowledge; it is their own Act, and their own Fault, and the Consequence be to themselves. They cannot, with any reason, reproach their Creator, as if he had not done his part, in setting before them while they were in their State of Probation, that the Wages of Sin is Death, eternal Exclusion from his heavenly Kingdom, and an everlasting State of Punishment with the Devil and his Angels. And it is methinks something surprising, that Christians should make such a Doubt of this matter, with the plain Declarations of the Gospel lying open before them, since it was a Doctrine commonly received, even by the Heathens. Socrates, 2 Rom. i. 18.

1 2 Tim. i. IO.

3 In Plato's Phædon. p. 178. Ed. Cant.

1

(from whom, by the bye, rather than from the Gospel, Mr. W. seems to have borrowed his Division of Mankind) plainly supposes that some Sinners, such as have been guilty of great and repeated Acts of Sacrilege, Murder, or the like, will be judged incurable, and condemned to Hell, (ὅθεν οὔποτε ἐκβαίνουσιν) from which they will never be delivered. But it is foreign to the Point in hand, to collect the Authorities to this purpose. And it is, in some measure, done already, in Mr. Ray's Discourse, which I referred to above. Bishop Butler, as usual, represents this matter in a fine Light. "Gentile Writers," says he, "both Moralists and Poets, speak of the future Punish"ment of the wicked, both as to the Duration and 'Degree of it, in a like manner of Expression and of Description, as the Scripture does; so that all which "can positively be asserted to be matter of mere "Revelation, with regard to this Doctrine, seems to "be, that the great Distinction between the righteous "and the wicked, shall be made at the End of this "World; that each shall then receive according to his "Deserts. Reason did, as it well might, conclude "that it should, finally and upon the whole, be well "with the righteous, and ill with the wicked: But it "could not be determined upon any Principles of Reason, whether human Creatures might not have "been appointed to pass through other States of Life "and Being, before that distributive Justice should finally and effectually take place. Revelation "teaches us, that the next State of Things after the "present, is appointed for the Execution of this "Justice; that it shall be no longer delayed: But the Mystery of God, the great Mystery of his suffering "Vice and Confusion to prevail, shall then be finished;

1 Analogy of Religion, &c. p. 39, 40.

"and He will take to him his great Power and will reign, by rendering to every one according to his "Works." This great Point Christians are now assur'd of, with all the Clearness imaginable; and if they miscarry in their main Pursuit by depending on something else, the Blame will lie at their own door. Again,

As Men were sufficiently apprized of this Constitution of Things, of these Consequences of a wicked Life, or what is the same in other Words, of the Perpetuity of future Punishments; so they were at liberty, and had it in their power to avoid them. It is implied in the very Notion of a State of Trial, that as it must administer Occasions to try our Virtue, so it must furnish us with all necessary Means to secure it: For when Men are really tried above their Strength, it is, in the Account of Morality, no Trial at all. So much seems to be clear, à priori, from the very Nature of a State of Probation. And if we attend to our own, we shall find it to be the Case in fact. It is evidently in our power to avoid all such gross Acts, and all such Habits of Vice, at least, as will in the end prove absolutely fatal. It is in our power, not to contract any evil Habits at all. And tho' when they are contracted, and are become inveterate and of long standing, it is with great difficulty that they are relinquished; yet may even This be done, at least in ordinary Cases, by the Grace of God, and a willing Mind. But suppose the worst, that it is possible for Men to destroy their natural Liberty, and by a long Custom of sinning render themselves incapable of Amendment: still it is to be remembered, that they were not born with this Incapacity, but purchased it at the Expence of great

Industry in the Trade of Vice; in opposition to the repeated Admonitions of their own Consciences, and of the Spirit of Grace. This fatal Subjection to Sin is the Fruit and Effect of a long and voluntary Service. This Case therefore, supposing it a real one, is nothing to the purpose; and being set aside, I say Men have sufficient power to avoid all such Courses, as will bring upon them these eternal Punishments. No Temptations befal them, but such, (due Care presupposed on their part,) as the Providence of God will preserve them under, or make a way for them to escape from. If they fall, they may rise again; if they be overtaken in a Fault, they may recover; Repentance is a Remedy, allow'd and provided by the very Terms of the Christian Covenant ; which does not require Perfection from Man, which he is not capable of here, but Sincerity and Honesty of Heart, which he is. One would think there should be no need to observe such obvious things as these. And yet the Writers on the other side seem wholly inattentive to them, when they represent the Case, as if Men were to be damn'd for Weaknesses inherent in their Nature, or Temptations foreign to it; that is, in both Cases, for something which they cannot help. Hear how piteously Mr W. laments the Condition of poor Mankind, upon the Supposition that much the greatest Part of them must inevitably be damned, for endless Ages of Ages, for all the infinite Ages of Eternity; "and all this for the Sins of this short "Life; fallen into generally by the secret Snares of "the Devil, and other violent Temptations; which they "commonly could not wholly either prevent, or avoid." (P. 18, 19.) I am concern'd at present only with the latter Part of this Sentence, which seems to proceed entirely upon Mistake. No Man was ever damned,

nor ever will be, upon account of the Snares of the Devil, (the Guilt of those be upon his own Head,) nor for any Temptations whatever, which he could not avoid; but solely for his own wilful Wickedness, and that too unrepented of. Besides, if there be any Temptations which Men cannot either wholly prevent, or avoid; still may they not resist them? Or, if they cannot resist the Temptation, (which however to suppose, is not very consistent with any Religion, nor ever supposed that I know of in Scripture, but much to the contrary,) cannot they repent of the Sin, into which the Temptation led them, and avoid that, for the future? If they can do none of these things, they seem not to be the proper Subjects either of Reward or Punishment; and so are not at all concern'd in the Argument before us. But the truth is, Temptations hurt no Man, any farther than he makes them his own Act and Deed. And he is then only tempted in moral Account, or so as it shall be imputed to him for Sin, when he is drawn away of his own Lust, and enticed. Then when Lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth Sin: And Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth Death. Jam. i. 14, 15. And therefore the Temptations of the Devil are never urged in Scripture, as Mr. W. urges them here, in excuse, or alleviation, of Men's Wickedness; but in aggravation of it. So the Devil enter'd into Judas, when his own wicked and corrupt Heart was become a fit Habitation for him, and the Man was ready to execute every thing that the Fiend could suggest. So in the Case of Ananias and his Wife, Acts.v. St. Peter says, why hath Satan filled thine Heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the Price of the Land? The Intent of which Question is not to excuse Ananias, by throwing the blame.