THE PREFACE. THE ufual Method whereby the Enemy of Mankind trains [o many into his bloody {nares, i6 by enticing the lower Faculties, the Senfes, the Fancy, and Pa.f/ions to prevail upon the Will and Mind, and accordingly hu motives are P!eafore or Pain that affifl w.; from fenfble things. But on the contrary, the ~reat Lover of Souls firfl enlightens the Vnderflanding, to difcover what u the moft ex_cellent Good, what the moft pernicioU6 Evil, and by that difcovery moves the W,ll to purfoe the one, and fly from the other, and fo defcends to work upon the A.Jfeflions and ~enfes, that with readinefl they follow the Dtreflton and Command of the Supmor Powers in Man. Thefe Objefls beingj}iritual and future, and therefore rais'd above the highefl Regions a{ Senfe, are on!J apprehended and become e.ffeflualby the Evidtnce of Faith. As the Spartan in Plutarch, after trying many ways to {et a Carc11.fl upright in a li11ing pofture, and finding that all hi£ endeavours were vain, it WIM [o fodden!J difcompos'd, the Head ./inking into the Bofom, the Hands falling, and all the Parts in diforder, concluded fomething Wtl6 wantin_g within, that u the living Soul, without which the fJ3ody btl6 no flrength to jupport it feif. Thw.; the most convincing Reafons, prefi with the greatefl vehemence of Ajfeflion, all the Powers of the World to come are of no Efficacy upon thofe who have not Faith, the vital Principle of all Heaven!J Operations. We live in an Infidel Age, wherein Wickednefs reiens with Reputation. The thou;5hts of the Mind are difcovered by the current of the Aflions. Were there aJeriow.; belief of the great Judgment, and the tmible Etemi!J that follows, tt were not po.f/ible for Men to .ftn fo fteefy, and go on in a War jo defoerate af?ainst God himfeif. Senfuality and Infidelity art! Elements of a Symboltcal quality, and by an eafie alteration are chang'd into one another. Fle/h!J Lusts darken the Mind, and render it unfit to take a diflinfl view of Thmgs Sublime and Spiritual. They hinder feriom Confideration, ( ejpeciaf!y of what may trouble the Confcience ) by their impetuow.; Diforders. And which i6 the worft e.ffefl, the corrupt Will bribes the Mind to argue for what it dejires. 'Tu the interefl of Carnalifis to put out the eye of Reafonr the prev[jion of t~ings eternal, that they may blind!J follow the Jen[ual Appetite. Thw.; Eptcurus with hu Herd (!M* one of them ft iles that Fraternity) .• E 1k.,ide denied the Immortality of the Soul, confonant!J to hit; declared Frinciple, that 't,"'/:' Po<eum. the Supreme Happmefs of Man corififl,d in the delithts of Senfe. And 'tu as natural that the dubelief of another State hereafter /hould firong!J en- ~ line Men to follow their LicentioiM Plea[ures. If the Soul, according to the zmyious fancy of thofe Infidels defcribed in the Book ofW ifaom, be aJP"frk of Ftre that preferves the vital heat for a little time, and gives Motion to the Members, Vig,or to the Senfes, and Spirits for the Thoughts, but u 'JUench'd B ~ - in
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