5t__ 8__________ ~o~r~H~E~A_V~E~N_. __ ~~-~C_ha~p_.X __ II. hereafter there wcr~ neither Happinefs nor Eternity. But this releafes the wonder that aU ft1en have not Farth. Ete~nal Things are not of co~fpicuous moment in the ~rnal Ballance. Some arc Infidels m Profeffion, openly declanng themfelves to be without Religion, without God, and have the fame credit of the Heaven and Hell difcovered in the Gofpel, as of the E!tjian fields, and St]gtan Lake, the Fables of the Poets. Thefe Jive as if they !lJould never die, and d1e as if they l11ould never live in the other World. as if Deat h caufed fo deep a lleep, that the Voice of the Son of God could not awaken them at the !aft day. Their Unbelief is not from Reafon, but vicious oppofite AfteE\i. ons; for the truth of the Eternal State is fo clearly revealed, and flrongly eflabliD 1'd in the Gofpel, that the fincere Mind mufl readily. a{[ent to ir. But the Wicked cannot de. light in the difcovery of that for which they are ~nprcpared~ and therefore try all ways to elude the Force of the mofl fat1sfymg Arguments. ThCJr Infidelity IS obflinate and incurable. An in !lance whereof we have in the Pl11trijees, who rejected our Saviour. Tho all the Chara£\ers of the Me/!iah were confpicuous in his Perfon, tho his DoC\rins were confirmed by Miracles, yet they would not yield up themfelves to that omnipotent convillion ; fo flrong were their carnal Prejudices againfl his humble State, and holy Dollrins. That Reproach is more juflly due to Infidels unde1· the Gofpel, than to lfrad in the Prophet: Who ts blind as my Servant? The Heathens who are blind from their birth, and have only fame glimmering .apprehenfions that Eternit~ fuccceds Time, are lefs culpable than thofe who have mfimtely more reafon to beheve 1t, and yet believe it lefs. The Plea for them will be a terrible Accufation againfl fuch Unbelievers. If a Blind Perfon falls, it moves Compaffion ; but if one voluntarily Jlmts .his Eyes againft the Sun, and refufes the Du·eE\10n of the L1ght, and falls from a Prec1p1oe, his Ruin is the jufl Confe-quence. of his Folly. Simple Ignorance excuf~s as to the degrees of the Fault, but aRell:ed w1lful Ignorance, now Reafon and Revelauon with umted Beams give fo clear a profpell into the Eternal World, aggravates the Guilt and Sentence of fuch Un· believers. Befides, the mofl who are Believers in Title, are Infidels in Heart. Our Saviour teUs the 'Jews, who pretended the highefl Veneration to the Writings of Mofo•, Thilt if rh'J had belteved Mofes, they would have believed him, for Mofes wrote of him. If Men did feriouDy believe fuch an excellent Reward as the Gofpel propounds, would it be a cold unperfwafive Motive to them ? The depravation of the Will argues a correfpondent de· fell in the Mind; tho not abfolute total Infidelity, yet fuch a ":eaknefs and wavering in the Affe.nt, that when Temptatlons are prefent and urgent, and 1t com~s to all:ual Choice Senfe prevails over Faith. This will be clear by univerfal Experience in temporai Things. The probable hope of Gain will make thofe who are greedy of Gold, prodi. gal of their Lives, and venture through tempefluous Seas to accomplifl1 their Defrres. And if the belief were equal, would not Men do or [offer as much for obtainmg )VlJat is infinitely more valuable? A firm Affent would produce adherence, and Faith in the Promifes, Fidelity in obeying the Commands of Chrifl. TertulliAn propounds it as a powerful ~~~;e;:!v/atlfot~;Ml~~~~~fri~~ T~;E::J7:i~:~:ffz:e{~f:~~~'~t{~o l~~:r~~a:S:' t~u;~:~; trueBlc{[ednefs, which others do for the vain Appearance of it? Men may be as truly Subjells without Subjellion, as Believers without a Heavenly Converfation, which is in· feparable from the Reality of Faith. Many in the Bofom of the Church are as truly, rho not fo notorioufly, Infidels, as Turks and Heathens. Indeed even in true Believers, theapprehenfion of eternal Things has fuch great allays, that temporal Things are over· valued and over-feared. A flrong Faith in the Truth and Power of God, would make the glorious World fo fure and near in,our Thoughts, that with indif!Crent Af!Cil:ions we lhould receive good or evil Th'ings here; Rejoice as if we rejoJced not, and mourn M if u·t ~;;~~~~ ;{~~r, ~rJ:~~S~~o~\~ ~~~0 h:~~a~:te pdu:1~n~:f a~~ l~~~d~-~~~~e:0 o~0cl,~ Arch-Angel were founding, and the noife of the di{[olving World were univerfally heard. Infidelity deads the Impreffion, and fuppre{[es the reigning Power of Eternal Things in our aearts. In lhort, Men are Heavenly or Earthly in their Choice and Converfation, as they are direaed by the fincere Light of Faith, or mi!led by the falfe Beams of Senfe. Secondly, Thefecondthingrequifire in order to a wife Choice, isConfideration. For as by Faith the Virtue of the Reward is difiufed through all the Fac~l[les, and the Powers of the World to come are felt in the Soul; fo by Confideratlon Faith 1s exemfed, and becomes e(lcctual, This llllites 0na reinforces the Beams of Eternal Truth, and lll· flames
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