T 54 SEKMONS uponthe SERM.XIX. Underfanding, as the Lulls and Inclinations of their carnal and perverfe Hearts. But Beloved, I hope it will not be tedious to you to tell you again and again of thefe things ; and to preis you to reft yodr Hearts upon them : To you that have fet your Hearts to love Chrift, and to wait for his Coming : To you that know there is no fuch powerful Help to the Mortification of your Lulls, as to confider the Day of Judgment ; no fuch fpecial Encouragement in your Difficulties, as the Comfort, Glory and Sweetnefi of it. Oh therefore ! . press your Hearts with this Truth : Hath not the Mouth of Truth averred it ? Would Jefus Chrif affure us of that which íháll never .be ? He that hash been fo pun&ual on his Word in léffer Truths, would he deceive us in this main Article ? Sure it fhould be no hard thing to perfú-ade you that are allured of his Fidelity and Love, that what lie isadt fpoken will come to pafs. If it were not lb, he would never have told you fo. You will find no lets than he bath promifed. If we did deceive you with ¡tgar'd and golden Words, it were another matter. Expe& not that I fhould bring Arguments from Nature, to prove it to you : God's Word is fufficient. Faith is built upon God's Tefimo- ny, and nothing elfe. Though other Arguments have their:life, and at other times I have produced them ; now I fhall forbear : Only, becaufe there are Godlefs Mock - ers,'who fufpeEl all, and do not fò much reafon againft this Article of our Chrifì- an Faith, as fcoff at it, and you may meet with Tome of thole ; I think it not amifs to.anfwer their Cavils. A Carnal and Devilifh Wit will find out r many Reafons, plaufible to themfèlves, and others like themfelves ; other wife it were enough to re- jea them as Blafphemies, with det cation :. But becaufe they pleale themfEves.in their.Atheifical Conceits, you (hall lee they make rather agamlf them, Man for them. I. If they fhould urge that Reafn in the Apofles Dayes , when Bl f.,hemy was not grown fo bold and-witty ; 2 Pet. 3. 3, 4. All things continue as they were from theBeginning of the Creation ; we might answer as the Apofle did, That 'Lis fit that things should keep one confiant Course, in the Day of the Lord's Patience and Mer- cy : But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief. Shall there never be a ,Change, becaufe the Preparations are not prelèntly vifihle? This is a manifef Lie. Patti - cular Judgments on flame wicked Men, do prove that there Ihall be a general Jù. o,- ment on All ; for feeing Tome are Suety punifhed, and others deserving no lets, ale fpared, he who is immutably Good, and impartially Juf, mule have a Day for pu- nishing there afterwards : And God bath Fire in fore, as well as Water, to burn up, as Ns ell as to drown the Objea of their Lulls and Pleasure. 2. Their great. Argument is the blern fh of Providence in their Eyes : The Teeming Negle& of the Good, and Evil done amongi Men. I Anfiner, That will prove ir, which theÿ bring to difprove it : For the Apofle telleth us, This is a mánifrff To- ken of the Righteous fudgment of God, 2 Thee. s. 5. What ? Evén the Calamity of good Men. Solomon made another, the quite contrary Ufe of it ; Eccles 3. 16, 17. Moreover, 7 faro the Place of 3udgmerit, that Wickednefs was there ; and the Place of Righteoufnefs, that 'Iniquity was there: I Paid in my Heart, God (fiaf judge the Righ- teous, and the Wicked; for there is a Time for every Purpose, and for every Work. The Wicked prosper, and defray. the.Juf. You make it an Argument for your Infi- delity : But 'tis an Argument againf it. Stay till the Affrzes come. It followeth not there is no Government, becaufe the Thief and Murtherer is not hanged as loon as he bath done the Fall. God's Day will come, and then they go to Prifon. When you fee Malefa&ors drinking, dancing, frollicking in Prifon, will you fay, I fee there is no Government in this Kingdom.? 3. Many think this is a Stare- Engine, to keep the World in better Order and Govern- ment. But I Animer, Needeth there a Lie to e/abltfh fo great a Benefit to Mankind? It cannot be. Doth Interelt or Virtue govern theWorld ? If sneer Tnterele, what a Confu- fion would there be of all things ? Then Men might commit all Villany, take away Mens Lives and Goods at pleafàre, when 'cis their Interell, when they could do it fafely and fecretly : Then Servants might poyfon their Matters, if they could do it without discovery : And we might prey one upon another, if it were in the pow- er of our Hands ; and fo live like wild and ravenous Beads : And by this Rule, catch he that catch can here, would be the bet, and Vice and Impiety would be the 'greateft Wisdom. But if Virtue govern the World, 'tis a dear cafe, Virtue cannot be fupported without Thoughts of the World to come : And .can we imagine, that God
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