On H E B. XI. 6, ponder their offences,, rl!_ey tremble ~n· the fcarful 'expectation . ?f the Axe or Gallows; A linnet may c6nccallus fears from others, i.nd appear ;oily and brave, when confctence flings him·with fecret remorfe; ·asa Clock feems to be cillm and flill tb the eye; but 'ris full of fecret motions within; under a merry countenance there may be ableeding hcatt : To conclude,' fo fa r'is a finner from l:leipg a~le to9ucnch thefe terrours, that many times the more rltey are Qpjlofed, the more powerful they grow ; thus many who for a time liteatheti h6thing but defiance to cOnfcience, and committed fin with Fr~~d~~~~~~Inc!n~fs"~~erJ;e~~\~i~~.1!~~~k(~i~ ~~~.~~~e~r~Pf?~:!:t"~;c~~:~ ~:;, 1~~:n~~$~ and ferve in rhe vilcfl Drudgery, •fearing fevere puiiifl1ments. 2.. The bell: men who enjoy a f\veet calmnefs, and are not difquieted with the ter... rours of Confcience, t~ey' abhor that Doctrine wllidrdifcards the fear of a Deity; fo that thofe who are mofl friled from- thefe terrours, believe them· to be r:idicated in nature, and grounded upon truth; and~hofe who cfieem them Vain, are mbfl furioufl}r tormenre.P .with •them;. in which (efpect the Divine_goodnefs fhirt es forth in the greateflluQer tmv:lrds t hbfe Who love and feat him, and his juflice againfl t hofe Who contemn it; tlnis Cali'gula \Vho was the bojdef! Atheifl in the world,y~t when it Thundred, rnn with trembling under"his bed? as if'God from Heaven had fummoned him to Judgment; \Vhereas So'cratds, who was rhe Heathens Martyr, died with the fame tranquillity of lpirit wherein he lived. . • 3· 'Tis worthy of our ferious t\Joughts that thefe terro~rs of ~dnfcicnce are mofi: dreadful when the finner approach~'s death; the fenfe of guilt whtch before was [mothered, is then revived; cbnfcience like a lleeping Lyon awakes and dcfi:roys at once; experience tells W> m"'any £inners who have lived in a CenfelefS, die in a dcfperatc manner; and from whence doth this proceed but from the prefages of a future judgment' confcicnce anticipates th~ yengeance of God; then the Ala.rums arc encreafi, and the fiorm is more violent '; for the foul being renftble of its immort.al natur(', exten~s its fears to Eternity, and trembles at him who lives for ever, and can punifh for ever. Argnm<nt 3. The content of Nations ngrees in the belief of a God ; although the Gentiler did grofly miflake the li fe and eifence of the infinite Deity, imagining him to be of fame humane form and weaknefs, and in th is refpect were without God in the world ; yet t hey confpired in rh~ acknowledgement of a Divinity ; the multiplicity of -rheir falle gods flrengrhens the Argument ; it beiqg clea r they would rather have any God than none ; and this belief cannot be an impofiure, becaufe ~tis Firll:, Uniyerfal; What Nation fo b~rbarous as not to worfhip a God! certainly that which Is common to all men, hath a foundation in nature. Secondly, 'Tis perpetual ; falnwods are not long liv'd; but the Choracter and Im~ preilion of God is indelebly lealed upon the fpirits of men. Thus we fee the Univerfal Reafon o( the World to Determine there is a God. 2. The Scripture proves there is a God to Faith; Pfal. 19. David !peaking of the double manifeflation of God by his Works and his Word , appropriates a Converting power t6 the Word ; rh!s exceeds the difcovcry of God in the Creation, in refpect of its clearnefsand efficacy: P/ai.r38. 2. Tbou bafl magnijid thy Word above all thy Name; There are more apparent Characters of God's Attrtbures and Perfections in the Scripture, than in the Book of Nature ; in the Creation there is Pefligium, the foot-print of God; but in the Word there is Imago, his Image and lively Reprefentation: As the Angels when they affumcd viftble bodies, and appeared unto men; )'et by the brightne!S and Majefly of their appearance, dtfcovered themfelves to be above an humane Original; fo the Scriptures although conveyed to us in ordinary language and words; yet by their authority and fanctity evidence their Divine dcfcent ; and that there is a holy and righteous God from whom they pro.ceed. , There is a vehement Objection urged by Athcifls in aH Ages againfl a Divine Providence, and confequently againfl God's Being: the affhcred flare of innocency and goodnefs, and the profperous flare of oppreflion and wickednefs. Honefl men fuf- ··; fer, whilefl: the unrighteous and prophane !\vim in the Streams 5 H: 1 of Profperity; hence they concluded fortuna certa, aut incerta en. IPJ>O · t~atura, ha~ the char~e of thefe fllbluoary things; even the holy Prophet himfeif w:ts Plutmb and !~~~; ~~;~fa~er~~~~1~;~r:~~}r~3r.l?; ~~rcl:' :~cl ~~i~ ~~~~~ ~~1\; ~~~;:~!1~~~~~:~~~a; ~l~~~}~~rand chanty, wlul efr. the Swme, and other unclean Cre:1tures were fparcd. fa good faCh.on co'n; ':'~n were harrafl: \~'ttl~ troubles, when the wicked were exempted, and this ~fhook his ~~~h~~ott~he Fatth; but by e11trmg mto tbe San{/uary of God, where he underllood their cod he comes ~ivi:Je ProSs ss ' offv1dence.
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