The Immortlllity ·of t'be Soul. 39 we ooafiderMan in this ~orrupt !tate, how a'Ver!e 'from good, and inclin'd to evil, ~ how 1~eak his direttive fuculty, l!owdifordered and turbulent his Paflions, how ma- Chap. n . nr Ple:~fures are preffingontheSenfes, to precipitate his ·flippery difpofition into atom- v--v----- 1'1iance, it is very evident, that befides the rules ofmorality, eternal Reafons are nece'ftary .to prefervein him a dutiful refpect to God. Take away the hopes and fears of thinas hereafter, what Antidote is of force againfl: the Poifon of inherent Lufrs ? What candifarm the World of its Allurementl;? How can Man, void of lnnocente, and full of Impurity, refi(l: the delightS of Sin, when the inclinations from within, are as frrong as temptations trom without? How greediiywill he purfue the advantages of this mortal condition, and fl:rive to gratifie all the fenfual appetites? The Romant when the fear of 11 C4rthage, that afpired to a !uperiority in Empire, was removed, prefentiy_ degenerated _ from Milirary Valour and Ctvll Vertues, mto Sofmefs and Luxury. So Jf Man were ~~;':~c:;,11 abfolv'd from the fear of Judgment to come, no refuaint would befl:rong enough to f•ll" flq" ,,;. ~~~~e:~ea~~e~~:r~~~er~~~~i~~s "';;.. ~\~ ~?~~eiui"~\i, ~~ ~~~~.:~d ~~ ti~tt ~!~: E£ii~E ~~~mp~~bly be~~athb~he N~~~~: i~nf~:~r::b~~yni~~~~ ~hei~yna~~~~ ~~~~~ne~:, r~~f0~. the craft and malice of Wit, he would become more monfl:ruouOy (that is, de- "' '"'· fignedly and freely) bruti!h. Now is it con~eivoable that God~ to keep his Subjects in order fuould be con!lrained to allure them With a beauuful decett, the pronufe of a Heaven ;hat has no reality, or to urge them by the feigned terrors of a Hell, that is no where? This is inconfi{[ent with his Wifdom, and many other Attributes. If it be objelled, That humane Laws are a fufficient fecurity of V <rtue, and curb fj'om Vice. I anfwer, This is apparently falfe: For, r. Soveraign Princes are exempted from temporal penalties, yet their faults are of the greatefr malignity by the contagion of their examples, and the mikhkf of theit effects, Their attions are more potent to govern than their Laws. Immmerable peri!h by the imitation of their Vices. Now to leave the highefl: rank of Men unaccountable, wo'tlld caufe a great diforder in the conduct of the reafonable Creature, and be a fpot in the Divine Providenee. 2. Many Sins direttly oppofite to Reafon, and injurious to the Divine Honour, are not within the compafs of Civil Laws. Such are fame Sim that immediately concern God, the disbelief and undervaluing his Excellencies; and fame that itnmediately re• fpect :oMarisfelf; as Sloth, Luxury, &c. An<lall vicious Principles that fecretly lodge in the heart, and infect it with deep pollutions, and many SinHhat break forth, ofwbieh the outward a& are not pernicious to the publick. ~· Man}leminent vertuesa:reofa private Nature, as Humility, Meeknefs, P3.tience, atndinefs to forgive, Gratitude, for which there are no encouragements by civil Laws 3 fo that they are but a weak lnfrrument to preferve Innocence, and refrrain from Evil. CHAP. XI. The Juftice of God ttn infallible .Argument of future Re,ompences. TEe N'a- . tural notion of God incbJdes Juftiee !'n perfection. In thi6 World' Jometimu Vertue ~tnd Vice are equallJ miferable. Sometimes Vice i< projpeTOY4. Sometim~s good Men are in the worjt cotzdition. The dreadful confr• fUences of ~enymg a future ftate. God's ahfolute Dominion over tlil! reafonablfi Creature, IS regulated by hi6 Wtjdom, and limited by bu Will. Thee/- fential b.eauty of Holinefs, with the pleafure that natural!J refult~ from g~d1 a810ns? and .the native turpitude of Sin, with the dijfiurbatict of the mmd rejlefJmg on1t, are not the·compleat recompences that attend the-Good arul'the Wicked. 2, THE fecond argument arifes foom the: IDi¥ine Goodnef~ and- Jufl:ice. God-as Univerfal Sovereign is Sllpream Judge of the World. For Judicature being . ~~~ elfe.nti~l part o£ Royalty, thefe 1\\ightsare- infeparable; . And• th'e! Naruntl•Notion of, the Iile1ty. mcludes Jullicein that pe!1fecti01r,_ as infii\it'OIYJexcels' the)< nwftl jllfr•GOv<rnors 6n the
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