and lower Faculties, that hinder their Belief: and for One Infidel, made so by a too weak Understanding, we may fafely affirm, there are Thousands by a too headstrong Will. The Neceffity of denying all Ungod linefs, and Worldly Lufts, of Renouncing the Pleasures, and Pomps, and Vanities of this World, is fo unwelcome a piece of News, to Men that are wholly engag'd, and as it were swallow'd up in them, that their first Care is, not to hear this diftaftful Message; and if that can't be avoided, their next endeavour is, to leffen and vilify, and, if pos fible, quite overthrow the Credit of it. Thus as St. Paul fays, 2 Cor. 4. 3,4. If the Gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft; In whom the God of this World has blinded the Minds of them that believe not, left the Light of the Glorious Gofpel of Chrift should shine unto them. Should they let this Glorious Light fhine in upon 'em, it would fhame and confound'em: They cannot bear the Piercing of its Beams, and the Discoveries it makes, and therefore they wilfully turn away their Eyes from it, or obftinately fhut and close them against it. They cannot endure to be forc'd to fee, that they are conftantly acting against the clear Manifestations of Divine Revelation, as well as the Natural Dictates of their Own Reafon; and nothing being fo uneafy, nay fo infupportable, to the very

Nature

Nature of Man, as to continue doing that, wherein he shall always condemn himself; they refolving ftill to continue the Purfuit of the Course that they have begun, are neceffarily driven to devise all the Shifts that Wit can invent, for the fmothering this Light, which to theirCondemnation is come into the World: For every One that doth Evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, left his Deeds bould be reproved.

These Men say in their Hearts the very fame of Religion itself, as the Atheists in the second Chapter of Wisdom do of the Religious Man, It is not for Our turn, it is clean contrary to Our Doings; it upbraideth us with the offending the Law, it was made to reprove Our Thoughts, it is grievous unto us,even to behold. No wonder then, if they would be very glad to rid themselves of fuch an Eyefore, that they should endeavour to destroy Religion from off the face of the Earth; just as the foremention❜d Wretches conclude to use the Religious Perfon; Let us Examine Him with Defpitefulness and Torture, Let us Condemn Him with a Shameful Death, who would make us asham'd of our Lives.

But it is not for the fake of the Shame only, which this glorious Light of the Gofpel, fhining in upon 'em, muft and does neceffarily produce, tho' that itfelf is fufficiently grievous and tormenting; but also, G

and

and that chiefly, for the Fear and Horror that it strikes through their Souls, that they truggle fo much to extinguifh it. For admitted, it would not only fhame, but terrify and amaze 'em, even in the midst of all their Jollity and Pleasures, like the Hand-writing on the Wall at Nebuchadnezzar's Feast, it would make their Counte. nance change, and loofen their Joints, and make their Knees fmite one against another, Dan. 5.6. And indeed till the Senfe of Religion be conquer'd, till this Spirit, that would continually be haunting 'em be laid, till the dismal Apprehenfions of a future Judgment, and an avenging God be remov'd; what Relish, what Satisfaction can there be, in the most alluring Pleasures of Sin? Whilst the Sword of Vengeance glitters over their Head, hanging by fo thin a Thread, as that of Life. They therefore, as it is faid of the wicked Elders in the Hiftory of Sufanna, their Pervert their Own Mind, and turn away Eyes, that they might not look up unto Heaven, nor remember just Judgments. The Remem brance of juft Judgments, is the first thing to be ftifled and overcome, before a Man can arrive to any Pleasure in Wickedness. The Language of the Atheist is exactly the fame in all Ages: they of our Time say but the Same thing over, that their Predeceffors in the Book of Wisdom said before, We are

born

born at all adventure, and we shall be as tho' we had never been; Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good Things that are prefent, and let us fpeedily use the Creatures, as in Touth. Let us fill our Selves with coftly Wine and Ointments, Let none of us go without his part of Voluptuousnefs, Let us oppress the poor Righteous Man, nor reverence the ancient grey Hairs of the Aged. Here the Argument they Ufe to excite One another to Intemperance, Injuftice, and Oppreffion, is, That there is no future Punishment for Sinners, nor any Reward for blame lefs Souls. But would we know whence this Belief of theirs Sprung? we are told in the Clofe of all, Such things did they imagine and were deceiv'd; for their Own Wickedness had blinded them, v. 21. It was their own Wickedness blinded them first, before their Blindnefs confirm'd them Wicked. And therefore it is faid, in the beginning of the Chapter, they Reafon'd within themselves but not aright, that is,purposely to deceive themselves,they inverted the Order of their Reasoning, and fo Reafon'd not aright. For the Argument would have run thus, if they had dealt honeftly, and durft even among themselves speak the Truth of their own Hearts, We are refolu'd to enjoy the good things that are prefent, we will fill our felves with coftly Wine, we will none of Us go without his part of Voluptuousness; Come on therefore, Let this be Our Belief,

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Belief, We are born at all adventure, and shall be hereafter as tho' we had never been. Thus fhall all the Pleasures of Life go down with lefs Reluctance, and with greater Guft. And they, who are refolv'd to live like Beafts, are glad to entertain an Opinion, that they fhall dye fo too. Whereas on the. contrary, They who lead a Virtuous Life, a Life becoming reasonable and thinking Men, have their Hope full of Immortality.

And this naturally leads to fhew on the other Hand, how much the good Difpofitions of the Heart, and the Inclination of the Will towards God's Commands, contribute towards Creating in us Faith,and a Belief of his Word. We thankfully indeed acknowledge, that Faith is the Gift of God; and fo it may also be, tho' produc'd by the Will; for all the good Inclinations of the Will are the Gift of God allo. The things of God, as they are Foolishness to the Natural Man's Understanding, fo they are Enmity to his Will; and therefore when God gives Faith, as he gives new Light to the Understanding, fo he gives new Motions and Inclinations to the Heart. So that whatever Disputes have been among Divines, fome placing Faith in the Under ftanding, and fome in the Will, it is wholly in neither; not Only in the Understanding, nor Only in the Will, but in the whole Soul,

the