turous devotion: on the contrary, I fortunes: but, at the same time, it is atfirm, that the love of ourselves, the our indispensable duty not to lie uninterest of mankind, and the most der it, without struggling for deliversimple and artless reason, do natu- ance.

rally inspire us with these sentiments; He, then, who doubts, and yet seeks and that to see thus far, is not to ex- not to be resolved, is equally unhapceed the sphere of unrefined, unedu-py and unjust: but if withal he apcated men. pears easy and composed, if he freely

It requires no great elevation of declares his indifference, nay, if he soul, to observe, that nothing in this takes a vanity in professing it, and world is productive of true content- seems to make this most deplorable ment; that our pleasures are vain condition the subject of his pleasure and fugitive, our troubles innumera- and joy, I have not words to fix a ble and perpetual: and that, after all, name on so extravagant a creature. death, which threatens us every mo- Where is the very possibility of enment, must, in the compass of a few tering into these thoughts and resoyears (perhaps of a few days,) put us lutions? What delight is there in exinto the eternal condition of happi-pecting misery without end? What ness, or misery, or nothing. Be- vanity in finding one's self encomtween us and these three great peri- passed with impenetrable darkness? ods, or states, no barrier is interpos- Or what consolation in despairing for ed, but life, the most brittle thing in ever of a comforter?

all nature; and the happiness of hea- To sit down with some sort of acven being certainly not designed for quiescence under so fatal an ignothose who doubt whether they have rance, is a thing unaccountable bean immortal part to enjoy it, such yond all expression; aad they who persons have nothing left, but the live with such a disposition, ought to miserable chance of annihilation, or be made sensible of its absurdity and of hell. stupidity, by having their inward reThere is not any reflection which flections laid open to them, that they can have more reality than this, as may grow wise by the prospect of there is none which has greater ter- their own folly. For behold how ror. Let us set the bravest face on men are wont to reason, while they our condition, and play the heroes as obstinately remain thus ignorant of artfully as we can; yet see here the what they are, and refuse all methods issue which attends the goodliest life of instruction and illumination. upon earth. Who has sent me into the world It is in vain for men to turn aside I know not; what the world is I know their thoughts from this eternity not, nor what I am myself. I am which awaits them, as if they were under an astonishing and terrifying able to destroy it by denying it a place ignorance of all things. I know not in their imagination: it subsists in what my body is, what my senses, or spite of them; it advanceth unob- my soul; this very part of me which served; and death, which is to draw thinks what I speak, which reflects the curtain from it, will in a short upon every thing else, and even upon time infallibly reduce them to the itself, yet is as mere a stranger to its dreadful necessity of being for ever own nature, as the dullest thing I nothing, or for ever miserable. carry about me. I behold these

We have here a doubt of the most frightful spaces of the universe with affrighting consequence, and which, which I am encompassed, and I find therefore, to entertain, may be well myself chained to one little corner esteemed the most grievous of mis- of the vast extent, without under

standing why I am placed in this serves to illustrate the principal seat, rather than in any other; or truths which our religion teaches. why this moment of time given me For the main scope of Christian faith to live, was assigned rather at such a is to establish those two principles, point, than at any other of the whole the corruption of nature, and the reeternity which was before me, or of demption by Jesus Christ. And these all that which is to come after me. I opposers, if they are of no use tosee nothing but infinities on all sides, wards demonstrating the truth of the which devour and swallow me up like redemption, by the sanctity of their an atom, or like a shadow, which en- lives, yet are at least admirably usedures but a single instant, and is ful in showing the corruption of nanever to return. The sum of my ture, by so unnatural sentiments and knowledge is, that I must shortly suggestions.

die but that which I am most igno- Nothing is so important to any rant of is this very death, which I man as his own estate and condition; feel unable to decline. nothing so great, so amazing, as eterAs I know not whence I came, so nity. If, therefore, we find persons I know not whither I go; only this I indifferent to the loss of their being, know, that at my departure out of and to the danger of endless misery, the world, I must either fall for ever it is impossible that this temper should into nothing, or into the hands of an be natural. They are quite other incensed God, without being capable men in all other regards, they fear of deciding, which of these two con- the smallest inconveniences, they see ditions shall eternally be my portion. them as they approach, and feel them Such is my state full of weakness, if they arrive, and he who passeth obscurity, and wretchedness. And days and nights in chagrin or defrom all this I conclude, that I ought, spair, for the loss of an employment, therefore, to pass all the days of my or for some imaginary blemish in his life, without considering what is honour, is the very same mortal who hereafter to befall me; and that I knows that he must lose all by death, have nothing to do, but to follow my and yet remains without disquiet, reinclinations without reflection or dis- sentment, or emotion. This wonquiet, in doing all that, which, if derful insensibility, with respect to what men say of a miserable eterni- things of the most fatal consequence, ty prove true, will infallibly plunge in a heart so nicely sensible of the me into it. It is possible I might meanest trifles, is an astonishing profind some light to clear up my doubts; digy, and unintelligible enchantment, but I shall not take a minute's pains, a supernatural blindness and infatuanor stir one foot in the search of it. tion.

On the contrary, I am resolved to A man in a close dungeon, who treat those with scorn and derision knows not whether sentence of death who labour in this inquiry and care; has passed upon him, who is allowed and, so to run without fear or fore- but one hour's space to inform himsight, upon the trial of the grand self concerning it, and that one hour event; permitting myself to be led sufficient, in case it have passed, to softly on to death, utterly uncertain obtain its reverse, would act contrary as to the eternal issue of my future to nature and sense, should he make condition. use of this hour not to procure infor

In earnest, it is a glory to religion mation, but to pursue his vanity or to have so unreasonable men for its sport. And yet such is the condiprofessed enemies; and their opposi- tion of the persons whom we are now tion is of so little danger, that it describing; only with this difference,

that the evils with which they are teel way of the world consists in thus every moment threatened, do infi-acting the bravo. This is that which nitely surpass the bare loss of life, they term throwing off the yoke, and and that transient punishment which which the greater number of them the prisoner is supposed to appre- profess, not so much out of opinion, hend: yet they run thoughtlessly upon as out of gallantry and complaisance. the precipice, having only cast a veil Yet, if they have the least reserve over their eyes, to hinder them from of common sense, it will not be diffidiscerning it, and divert themselves cult to make them apprehend, how with the officiousness of such as miserably they abuse themselves by charitably warn them of their dan-laying so false a foundation of apger. plause and esteem. For this is not Thus not the zeal alone of those the way to raise a character, even who heartily seek God, demonstrates with worldly men, who, as they are the truth of religion, but likewise able to pass a shrewd judgment on the blindness of those who utterly things, so they easily discern that the forbear to seek him, and who pass only method of succeeding in our their days under so horrible a neg- temporal affairs, is to prove ourselves lect. There must needs be a strange honest, faithful, prudent, and capaturn and revolution in human nature, ble of advancing the interest of our before men can submit to such a con- friends; because men naturally love dition, much more ere they can ap-nothing but that which some way plaud and value themselves upon it. contributes to their use and benefit. For supposing them to have obtained But now what benefit can we any an absolute certainty, that there was way derive from hearing a man conno fear after death, but of falling fess that he has eased himself of the into nothing, ought not this to be the burden of religion; that he believes subject rather of despair, than of no God, as the witness and inspector jollity? And is it not therefore of his conduct; that he considers the highest pitch of senseless extra-himself as absolute master of what vagance, while we want this certain- he does, and accountable for it only ty, to glory in our doubt and distrust ? to his own mind? Will he fancy that

And yet, after all, it is too visible, we shall be hence induced to repose that man has so far declined from his a greater degree of confidence in original nature, and as it were de- him hereafter? or to depend on his parted from himself, to nourish in his comfort, his advice, or assistance, in heart a secret seed-plot of joy, spring-the necessities of life? Can he imaing up from the libertine reflections. gine us to take any great delight or This brutal ease, or indolence, be- complacency when he tells us, that tween the fear of hell, and annihila- he doubts whether our very soul be tion, carries somewhat so tempting any thing more than a little wind and in it, that not only those who have smoke? Nay, when he tells it us with the misfortune to be sceptically in- an air of assurance, and a voice that clined, but even those who cannot testifies the contentment of his heart? unsettle their judgment, do yet es- Is this a thing to be spoken of with teem it reputable to take up a coun- pleasantry? Or ought it not rather terfeit diffidence. For we may ob- be lamented with the deepest sadserve the largest part of the herd to ness, as the most melancholic reflecbe of this latter kind, false pretend- tion that can strike our thoughts. ers to infidelity, and mere hypocrites If they would compose themselves in atheism. There are persons whom to serious consideration, they must we have heard declare, that the gen-perceive the method in which they

are engaged to be so very ill chosen, ble of entertaining them in earnest. so repugnant to gentility, and so re- If they cannot be Christian men, let mote even from that good air and them, however, be men of honour: grace which they pursue, that, on and let them, in conclusion, acknowthe contrary, nothing can more ef- ledge, that there are but two sorts of fectually expose them to the contempt persons who deserve to be styled reaand aversion of mankind, or mark sonable, either those who serve God them out for persons defective in parts with all their heart, because they and judgment. And, indeed, should know him; or those who seek him we demand from them an account of with all their heart, because as yet their sentiments, and of the reasons they know him not.

which they have to entertain this sus- If then there are persons who sinpicion in religious matters, what cerely inquire after God, and who, they offered would appear so misera- being truly sensible of their misery, bly weak and trifling, as rather to con- affectionately desire to be rescued firm us in our belief. This is no from it; it is to these alone that we more than what one of their own can in justice afford our labour and fraternity told them, with great smart- service, for their direction in finding ness, on such an occasion. If you out that light of which they feel the continue (says he) to dispute at this want. rate, you will infallibly make me a But as for those who live without Christian. And the gentleman was either knowing God, or endeavourin the right for who would not ing to know him, they look on themtremble to find himself embarked in selves as so little deserving their own the same cause, with so forlorn, so care, that they cannot but be unwordespicable companions? thy the care of others: and it re

And thus it is evident, that they quires all the charity of the religion who wear no more than the outward which they despise, not to despise mask of these principles, are the them to such a degree, as even to most unhappy counterfeits in the abandon them to their own folly: but world; inasmuch as they are obliged since the same religion obliges us to to put a continual force and constraint consider them, while they remain in on their genius, only that they may this life, as still capable of God's enrender themselves the most imperti- lightening grace; and to acknownent of all men living. ledge it as very possible, that, in the

If they are heartily and sincerely course of a few days, they may be troubled at their want of light, let replenished with a fuller measure of them not dissemble the disease. Such faith than we now enjoy; and we a confession cannot be reputed shame- ourselves, on the other side, fall into ful; for there is really no shame, but the depths of their present blindness in being shameless. Nothing betrays and misery; we ought to do for them, so much weakness of soul, as not to what we desire should be done to us apprehend the misery of man, while in their case; to entreat them that living without God in the world: no- they would take pity on themselves, thing is a surer token of extreme and would at least advance a step or baseness of spirit, than not to hope two forward, if perchance they may for the reality of eternal promises: come into the light. For which end no man is so stigmatized a coward, as it is wished, that they would employ, he that acts the bravo against heaven. in the perusal of this piece, some few Let them therefore leave these impie- of those hours, which they spend so ties to those who are born with so unprofitably in other pursuits. It is unhappy a judgment, as to be capa- possible they may gain somewhat by

I

the reading; at least, they cannot be or strictly mathematic evidence, such great losers: but if any shall apply as is impossible to be denied or themselves to it, with perfect sinceri- doubted of by any; which would ty, and with an unfeigned desire of render the constant design of Proviknowing the truth, I despair not of dence, already stated, entirely ineftheir satisfaction, or of their being fectual, and force both good and bad convinced by so many proofs of our to be believers, without any regard divine religion, as they will here find to their qualifications and temper of laid together. Mons. Pascal. mind: nor, on the other side, may we depend on such weak and precarious arguments, as are not really 116. On the degree of Evidence that ought to be expected in Religion. honest, and impartial men. I intend sufficient or satisfactory to even fair, As, on the one side, it is a great here to consider what that degree of error, in all cases, to expect such evi- evidence is which ought to be insistdence, as the nature of the subject ed on; without which we are not, renders impossible; so it is as weak, and with which we are obliged to acon the other side, to lay the stress quiesce in divine matters. Now this of important truths on such evidence, degree of evidence I take to be that, as is in its own nature unsatisfactory and no other, which upright judges and precarious: or to assert, with are determined by in all the imporgreat assurance, what can no way be tant affairs of estate and life, that proved, even by that sort of evidence come before them; and according to which is proper for the subject in de- which, they ever aim to give sentence bate. An instance of the first sort in their courts of judicature. we have in Autolicus, an heathen, in choose to instance in this judicial his debates with Theophilus of An- evidence, and these judicial detertioch; who appears weakly to have minations especially, because the perinsisted upon seeing the God of sons concerned in such matters are, the Christians, ere he would believe by long use, and the nature of their his existence; while one of the known employment, generally speaking, the attributes of that God is, that he is best and most sagacious discoverers invisible. And almost equally pre- of truth, and those that judge the posterous would any philosophic most unbiassedly and fairly, concernsceptic now be, who should require ing sufficient or insufficient evidence, the sight of the air in which we of all others. Such upright judges breathe, before he would believe that then never expect strictly undeniable there was such an element at all. or mathematic evidence; which they Whereas it is clear, that the air may know is, in human affairs, absolutely be demonstrated to be sufficiently impossible to be had: they do not sensible and real, by a thousand ex-require that the witnesses they exaperiments; while yet none of those mine should be infallible, or impecexperiments can render it visible to cable, which they are sensible would us just as the existence of a supreme be alike wild and ridiculous; yet do Being may be demonstrated by innu- they expect full, sufficient, or conmerable arguments, although none vincing evidence; and such as is of those arguments imply even the plainly superior to what is alleged possibility of his being properly seen on the other side: and they require by any of his creatures. But then, that the witnesses they believe, be, so that we may keep a mean here, and far as they are able to discover, of a may neither on one side, expect in good character, upright, and faithful. our religious inquiries, overbearing, Nor do they think it too much trouble