Thirdly, This efpecially recommends our Christianity to us, which contains fuch glad Tidings, which propounds fuch mighty Arguments to engage us to our Duty, fuch as no other Religion ever did or could. For fince Hope and Fear are the great Hinges of all Government, and the most prevailing Paffions of human Nature, what better thing can be propounded to our Hope than to be as happy. both in Body and Soul as we can be, and that for ever? What more dreadful thing to our Fear, than everlasting Mifery? And this indeed is the utmoft that can be faid or offer'd to men in order to the reclaiming them from their Sins, and recovering them to a confcientious Obfervance of God's Laws, That God hath appointed a Day, wherein he will call all Men to an account for the Deeds they have done in this Body, and reward the fincere faithful Christian with immortal Glory, and punith the Disobedient and Impenitent with everlafting Vengeance and if Men can harden themselves against these most powerful Confiderations, if they are not at all concerned or follicitous about their eternal Happiness or Mifery, what other Motives are likely to prevail with them, or able to make any impreffion upon them? For is there any thing of greater weight and moment, that can be propounded to the Reason and Understandings of Men, than what fhall become of them in a State which they are very fhortly to enter upon, and which fhall never have an end? I I humbly therefore beg your patience, whilst, with all the Plainnefs and Serioufnefs I can, I apply my self to these three forts of Perfons. I. To those who would feem to doubt of this fundamental Doctrine of a future Life. II. To those who profefs to believe it, but not fully and heartily. III. To those who do really and constantly believe it. I. I begin with those who would feem to doubt of this fundamental Doctrine of a future Life. And tho far better things are to be hoped concerning all here prefent, who fhew fo much refpect to Religion, as to bear a part in God's folemn Worship; yet fince nothing is more complained of than the prevailing Atheism of this Age; and fince, if we judg of Mens Faith by their Lives, we cannot but fufpect many of those who pass among us for Orthodox Believers, to be really no other than mere Infidels in thefe matters; I fhall not wholly pass this fort of Perfons by: not that I defign at large to shew you the Unreasonablenefs of Atheism, or to fet before you the undeniable Evidences we have of another World; but I fhall put the whole Caufe upon this fhort Iffue. Let us for once be so kind to the Sceptical Difputers against Religion, as to fuppofe what they are never able to prove, that it is a very doubtful thing whether there will be another Life after this; that it is poffible that all these Stories of a Judgment to come, Heaven and Hell, are mere Fables, the Inventions of craf ty Politicians and defigning Priefts; and that all good and virtuous Men have been miferably deceived and fed with fond Hopes and Fancies, and have unneceffarily troubled themfelves about the matters of Religion (and furely you will acknowledge this to be a very large Conceffion) yet granting all this, nothing is more plain than that if we would act prudently, and confult our own Safety, we ought to believe and live as if all these Doctrines of Religion were moft certainly true; for every wife Man will run as little hazard as he can, efpecially in fuch things as are of the highest Concernment to him, and wherein a Mistake would be fatal and undoing. Here therefore be pleased to confider, 1. What little hazard he runs, or what little lofs he ordinarily undergoes, who believes and acts according to thefe Principles, should they all at last prove falfe. 2. What extreme and defperate hazard he runs, who doth not believe, nor live according to them, should they all at last prove true. (1.) What little hazard he runs, or what little lofs he ordinarily undergoes, who believes and acts according to thefe Principles, fhould they all at laft prove falfe. All that this Man lofes or ventures, is only fome prefent Gratifications and Enjoyments which he denies himself; he croffes indeed the irregular Inclinations Inclinations of his Nature, and forbears those Exceffes that are truly hurtful to him; and lives according to the Dignity of his Species, and is poffeffed with Cares and Fears about another World, (and thefe even the Athei himself cannot wholly free his Mind from) and ties up himself to feveral Rules and strict Duties, which contribute not a little to his convenient living here; and perhaps is exposed to fome Hardships, Reproaches, and Sufferings for Righteousness fake; and this is the worst of his Cafe: But on the other fide, he is blessed at prefent with a contented Life, with Peace of Confcience, and the joyful Expectation of an eternal Reward hereafter; fo that if he be in the right, he is then made for ever; if not, if he be mistaken, his Condition however will be no worse than other Mortals: he will have loft indeed all the Pains and Trouble he was at about Religion; but if his Soul furvive not his Body, he will never be fenfible of it: this Difappointment will never vex nor grieve him in that Land where all things are forgotten. So that a virtuous and righteous Man may ordinarily pass his Days here more eafily and comfortably than any wicked Perfon, and please himself all his Life long with the Hopes or Dreams of future Glories; which Fancy alone (were it no other) will make him abundant recompence for all the Self-denial it puts him upon. But if these things at laft prove true, he is then blessed above all Expression: if they prove false and vain hopes, and there Ι be be no other Life after this, yet will it be as well with him as with the Atheist in the fuppofed State of eternal Silence and Infenfibility. He runs no hazard, he lofes nothing, except fome forbidden Pleasures, which in most cafes it is beft for him, even as to this Life, to be without. He is fafe, if thefe Doctrines be not true; and unspeakably happy for ever, if they be true. (2) Confider the extreme and defperate hazard that Man runs who doth not believe nor act according to thefe Principles, fhould they at last prove true: for he ftakes and pawns all that can be called good and desirable: he ventures being for ever undone and miserable, if he fhould chance to be mistaken in his Opinion, and it should at last prove that there is another Life after this. And therefore nothing would fooner convince fuch Men of their deadly Folly, than if they would but fometimes ask themselves, when they are calm and fober, a few fuch Questions as thefe: What tho I have almost perfuaded my self that Religion is nothing but a melancholy Dream, or a politick Cheat, or a common Error; yet what if at last it should be true? How difmal, and of what affrighting confequence is a miftake in fuch a matter as this? What amazing, furprizing Thoughts, Fears and Defpairs will it fill me with, if after all I fhall find my felf to be alive when my Friends had closed my Eyes, and fhould prefently be hurried away into the company of thofe Spirits, which I had before |