Sern1. C1YXI, a,r. dijcover'd Gy L\+rät!er..e and Gy.Revelation. 4_0:5 tions that are implanted in our Natures, than. thofe Aftions which 'are governed by reafon and difcourfe, and proceed from deliberation:1 To demonfirate this~by an:inflance ; If a Man upon a fudden fight of a Snake, do recoil and Shirt back, tremble and grow pale ; this is a better Argument ofa natural antipathy and fear, thanit is of a natural courage, if afterward, when he hath'commanded down his fear, he fhould by his reafon perfwade himfelf to take up theSnake intohis hand. If you would know what a Man's natural apprehenhons are, take him on the fud- den, and give him no time to deliberate. Therefore I-owe cunning Politicians have ufed this way of furprife and fudden queftions, to dive into the Hearts of Men, and difcover their Secrets. In like manner, if we would know what Mens natural Apprehenfions ate con- cerningthe Immortality of the Soul, and a future ftate, obferve what Mens firft Thoughts are, whether a Man's Cotifcience does not fuggeft tohim fuchFears up- on the commiflon offin. There's no doubt but Men mayoffer violence to their Natures, and reafon themfelves into great doubts about the Soul's Immortality; nay, Men may be bribed into the contrary Opinion : But this Man who inhis deliberate Difcourfes denies any Rewards after this Life, (hall by his natural A&i- ons acknowledge them, by thole Fears and Terrors, which his guiltyConfcience is ever and anon furpris'dwithal!. TheSum of this Argument is, That it is natural for Men that live pioufly and virtuoully, that do jufk and honeft and worthy Anions, to conceivegood hopes that it (hall fome time or other be well with them ; that however theymay meet with no reward and recompence in this World, yet verily there be a Reward for the Righteous: and on the other hand, wicked Men, tha they ulourifh and profper in their wickednefs, yet theyare not free from guilt, they are fearful and timo- rous, even when their condition fets them above the fear of any Man upon Earth. Now whatdoth this fignify, but that they have :Come fecret prefages of an after-Punifhment ? Nature fuggefis this thought to them, that there will be a time when all the Sins which they have committed, and the Wickednefs which they have done, (hall be accounted for. And 'tis no prejudice to this Truth, that fome Men fin againikl their Con- fciences, and by frequent A&s ofSin, andoffering notorious violence to their own light, bring themfelvesinto a brawny and infenfible condition, fothat they have not thofe flings and lathes, are not haunted with thofe fears and terrors which purfue common Sinners. This is but reafonable to be expe&ed, that Men by fre- quent a &s of Sin, fhould lofe the tender fenfe which Mens Confciences naturally haveof Good and Evil ; that Men that lay wafle their Confciences by grofs and notorious Sins, fhould lofe the fenfe of Good and Evil, and that their Confcien- ces fhould grow hard like the beaten road ; nay, it is fuitable to the Jutlice of God, to give up fuch Perfons to a reprobate fenfe, to an injudicious Mind, that they who would not be awakened and reclaimed by the natural Fear óf Divine Juftice, which God bath hid in every Man's Confcience, fhould at lalk lofe all fenfe and apprehention of thefe things, and be permitted fecurely and with- out Remorfe toperfel their own ruin. IV.This Do&tine ofthe Immortalityofthe Soul,doesevidently tend to the Hap- pinefsand Perfe&ion ofMan,and to thegood Order andGovernment oftheWorld5 to the Happinefs and Perfe&ionof Man, both confidered tingly, and in Society. t. To the Happinefs and Perfe&ionof Man, confidered in his (ingle capacity. If it bea thingdefinable tobe atall, then it is a thingdefinable tobecontinued in being as longasmay be, and for ever if it bepofüble. If Life bea Perfe&ion, then eternal Life is much more (o; efpecially if the circutnttances of this prefent Life be contider'd, together with the (latewhichwehope for hereafter. The conditionof Men in this prefetatLife, is attended with fo many Frailties, liable to fo great Miferies'and Suffer- ings, to fo many Pains and Difeafes, to fuch various Caufesof Sorrow andTrouble, ofFear and Vexation, by reafon ofthemany hazards and uncertainties, which not only the Comforts and Contentments ofour Lives, but even Life it felf is liable to, that thePleafure and Happinefs of it is by thefe very much rebated ; fo that were not Men trained on with the hopes of fomething better hereafter, Life it felf would tomany Men be as infupportable burden; ifMen were not fupported and born
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