Serm. LVIII. the Light of Natureand Revelation. 411 much greater affuranceof thefe things, and to whom the wrath of God is fo clearly revealedfrom Heaven; againft all ungodlinefr and unrighteoufnefr ofMen ? Fifthly, No Religion in the World ever urged this Argument upon Men, with that force and advantage which Chriftianity does. The Philofophy of the Hea- then gave Men no fteady affurance of the thing ; the molt knowing Perfons a- mong them were not agreed about a Future State ; the greateft part of them fpake but doubtfully concerning another Life. And befides the natural jealoufies and fufpicionsof Mankind concerning thefe things, they had only fome fair probabi- lities of Keafon, and the Authority of their Poets, who talkt they knew not what about the Elizian Fields, and the Infernal Regions, and the three ltìdges of Hell ; fo that the Wifeft among them, had hardly affurance enough in themfelves of the truth ofthe thing, toprefs it uponothers withany great confidence, and there- fore it was not likely to have any great efficacy upon the generality of Mankind. As for the Jewifh Religion ; tho' that fuppofed and took for granted the Re- wards of another World, as a Principle of natural Religion ; yet in the Law of Mofes there was no particular and exprefs Revelation of the Life of the World to come ; and what was deduced from it, was by remote and obfcure Confequence. Temporal Promifes and Threatnings it had many and clear, and their Eyes were fo dazled with thefe, thatit is probable that the generalityof them did but little confider a future State, till they fell-into great temporal Calamities under the Gre- cian and Roman Empires, whereby they were almolt neceffarily awakened to the Confiderationand Hopes of a better Life, to relieve them under their prefent E- vils and Sufferings ; and yet even inthat time they were divided into two great Factions aboutthisMatter, the one affirming, and the other as confidently denying any Life after this. But the Gofpel bath brought Life and Immortality to light, as we are affured fromHeaven of the truth and reality of another State, and a Future Judgment. The Son of God was fent into the World to preach this Doctrine, and rote again from the Dead, andwas taken up into Heaven, for a vifible demon- firation to all Mankind of another Life after this, and confequently of a Future Judgment, which no Man ever doubted of, that did firmly believe a future State. TheSum of all that I have faid is this ; the Gofpel hath plainly declared to us, that the onlyway to Salvation is by forfakingour Sins, and living a Holy and Vir- tuous Life ; and the molt effectual Argument in the World to perfwade Men to this, is the confederation of the infinite danger that a finful Courfe expofeth Men to, fince the wrath ofGod continually hangs over Sinners, and if they continue in their Sins, will certainly fall upon them, and overwhelm them with Mifery, and he that is not moved by this Argument, is loft to all intents and purpofes. All that now remains, is to urge this Argument uponMen, and from the ferious Confideration of it, to perfwade them to Repent, and reform their wicked Lives. And was there ever Age wherein this was more needful? when Iniquity doth not only, abound, but even rage among us ; when Infidelity and Profanenefs, and all. manner ,of Lewdnefs and Vice appears foboldly and openly, andMen commit the greateft Abominationswithout blufhing at them ; when Vice bath got fuch head that it can hardly bear to becheckt and controll'd, and when, as the Roman Hifto- rian complains of his times, Adea tempora, quibus nee vitia noflra nec remedia pati poffumus, perventum ell; " things are come to that pats, that we can neither bear " our Vices, nor the Remedies of them. Our Vices are grown to a prodigious and intollerable height, and yet Menhardlyhave the patience to hear of them ; and furely a Difeafe is then dangerous indeed, when it cannot bear the feverity that is neceffary to a Cure. But yet, notwithftanding this, we who are the Mel fengers of God to Men, to warnthem of their Sin and danger, mutt not keep fi- lence, and fpare to tell thembothof their fens, and of the Judgment of God which hangs over them ; that God will vifit for thefe things, and that his Soul will be aven- ged on filch a Nation as this. At leali we may have leave to warn others, who are notyet run to the fame excefs of riot, to fave themfelves from this untoward genera- tion. God's judgments are abroad in the Earth, and call aloud upon us, to learn Reghteoufn fr. G g g 2 But
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