194 within him, will put him upon 2 Here is one pretends to come to him from the Dead, but how fhall he be certain that he did really come from thence? For any thing he knows, it may be fome Trick put upon him. Some knavifh Fellow had a mind to fright him, or fome bigotted Religionist, affuming the Person of a Ghost, thought by this pious Fraud to convert him to his Perfuafion; as he hath read in Story fuch Pranks have been plaid to ferve a Turn, or promote a good Caufe. And whereas his Reafon might tell him, that this could not be fo, seeing the Perfon that appeared to him, had both the Countenance and the Voice of his Friend, yet that he would get over; the Imposture was cunningly carried on, and the Surprize and Fright it put him into, did fo diforder his Judgment, that he was not able to diftinguish between the True and the Counterfeit. But fuppofing he be convinced, that here was no Juggle in the Matter, but what appeared was a true Spirit or a Ghoft, if there be any fuch; yet how fhall he know that it was the Ghoft of his Friend? If he was fure it was he; he would gives Credit to what he reported, becaufe of the former Experience he he had had of his Integrity: But this he can not any way be certain of. For any thing he knows to the contrary, it may be one of those ill-natured Inhabitants of the Air, that are fo much talked of, that make it their Business to difturb the Reft and Quiet of Mankind; and take a pleasure in filling their Heads with Fears and Scruples, and drawing them to all kind of Superftition. He hath heard and read of fuch: And there is no Man of any Perfuafion or Religion, Jew, Turk, or Heathen; nay, all the feveral forts of Heathens at this Day, which are to be found either in the Eaft or Western Indies, and Chriftians too of all: Communions; there is none of these but have Stories to tell of Apparitions and Vifions, for the Confirmation of their feveral Doctrines and Tenents. Now that all thefe Apparitions are to have Credit given to them, is abfurd; because they contradict one another in their Discoveries, How, therefore, can he tell whether this particular Apparition that is made to him, ought to be credited or no, as to what it declares concerning Religion, and the State of the other World? In plain English, rather than fuch a Man as we are speaking of, will be prevailed upon to quit his dearly-beloved Lufts and Vices, he will find Excufes and Reasons a great many, why he ought not to believe any thing that is conveyed to him in fuch a Manner, as we now fuppofe. - Efpecially, if we confider, in the Third Place, What Advantages he will make for O 2 his his purpose, from that very Way, that we now think, would be moft effectual to convert him; that is, One coming from the Dead. Here is an Apparition, pretends to be fent upon a particular Meffage to him from the other World, to perfuade him to embrace fuch a Religion, and change his way of Living; and threatens him with horrible Punishments if he doth not: The very Unufualnefs of the thing will put fome Apprehenfions into him, (efpecially confidering his Concernment to find out all the Ways that can be, to elude the Force of the Argument) that it is not fo convincing, doth not carry in it fo great Evidence, as at firft: fight there feemed to appear. For what imaginable Reafon can be given why he should be dealt with in a way for different from that, that the reft of Mankind are? The Particularity of the Miracle will give occafion to him, to fufpect the Truth of what it discovers. If his Neighbours and Friends were thus haunted, he might think he had Reafon to be alarmed, and to apprehend fome Danger in that Courfe of Life he is fo much diffuaded from: But fince none in the Place where he lives, is thus exercifed befides himself, he cannot fatisfie his Reafon as to this way of proceeding with him. If this Means of Conviction was Rational and Strong, without -doubt others would have it afforded to them; and be convinced by it as well as he: But fince no fuch Thing appears, as the Apparition itself is unaccountable, fo are the Argu ... ments ments and Motives it offers, unaccountable alfo. And till he be convinced in the fame Way, and by the fame Reafons that other Men are, he will continue as he is. I reprefent these Things, not to shew the Weakness or Invalidity of fuch an Argument as we are speaking of, but to fhew how eafily those that have efpoufed Interests inconfift ent with Religion and Chriftianity, may find out Expedients for the avoiding the Force. of it. But Fourthly and Laftly, Let all this go for nothing. Let us fuppofe the Man to be very well fatisfied in his own Mind, both concern ing the Matter of Fact, and the Cogency of the Argument he hath from thence, to live after another Rate, than he hath hitherto done; Nay, as often as he thinks of this Vision, or is asked concerning it, he hath the fame Senfe, and makes the fame Judgment of it that he did at firft; though it be many Years after I fay, fuppofing all this, yet doth it from hence follow, That fuch a Man will be effectually brought over to Vertue and Religion, after he hath long purfued a Course of Sin, and refifted the Arguments of the Gofpel? Alas! it is very unlikely. How much alarmed foever he was at first, yet it is a Hundred to one (if he be fuch a Perfon as we fpeak of) but in Time, and by Degrees, the Impreffions will wear off, and Nature return to its firft Courfe. It was the Newness and Surprizingness of the thing, that first wrought upon him; but that will not laft O 3 always. always. After he hath once got over the firft Transports, and is come again to his ufual Temper, and to his Bufinefs, and to his Company; the Argument, though it have the fame Force that it had at firft, yet it grows flat and unaffecting, and will have no more effect upon him than the ftanding Motives of Chriftianity formerly had. Notwithstanding all his firft Convictions, he will live as tamely under the Bondage and Tyranny of his old reigning Luft (though, perhaps, not without fome Checks of Confcience now and then) as those that never had fuch kind of Means vouchfafed them, for their Converfion. And it must needs be thus; for when all is done, Arguments will ftill be but Arguments. They can perfwade, but they cannot compel. The Efficacy of them, doth in a great Measure depend upon our Will and Choice, especially where they are to combat with ftrong Paffions and Prepoffeffions. Are there not a Thousand Perfons in our Days, that are as fully convinced of the Truth of the Chriftian Revelation, and the Neceffity of a Holy Religious Life in order to the going to Heaven, or avoiding the Pains of Hell, as they would be if one fhould come to them from the Dead? Nay, more fully, perhaps, than they would have been by the Teftimony of fuch an Apparition, had they wanted the Scriptures. And have not the Confciences of thefe Perfons, at feveral Times, by feveral Means, been feverely awakened? And |