ments and Motives it offers, unaccountable alfo. And till he be convinced in the fame Way, and by the fame Reasons that other Men are, he will continue as he is.

I represent these Things, not to fhew the weakness or invalidity of fuch an Argument as we are speaking of, but to fhew how eafily thofe that have efpoufed Interests inconfiftent with Religion and Chriftianity, may find out Expedients for the avoiding the Force of it.

But, Fourthly and Laftly, Let all this go for nothing. Let us fuppofe the Man to be very well fatisfied in his own Mind, both concerning the Matter of Fact, and the Cogency of the Argument he hath from thence, to live after another Rate, than he hath hitherto done; Nay, as often as he thinks of this Vifion, or is asked concerning it, he hath the fame Senfe, and makes the fame Judgment of it, that he did at firft; though it be many Years after I fay, fuppofing all this, yet doth it from hence follow, That fuch a Man will be effectually brought over to Vertue and Religion, after he hath long pursued a Course of Sin, and refifted the Arguments of the Gospel? Alas! it is very unlikely. How much alarmed foever he was at first, yet it is a Hundred to one (if he be fuch a Perfon as we speak of) but in Time, and by Degrees, the Impreffions will wear off, and Nature return to its firft Courfe. It was the newnefs and furprizingnels of the thing, that first wrought upon him; but that will not laft

0 3

always,

always. After he hath once got over the firft Tranfports, and is come again to his úfual Temper, and to his Bufinefs, and to his Company; the Argument, though it have the fame Force that it had at first, yet it grows flat and unaffecting, and will have no more effect upon him than the ftanding Motives of Chriftianity formerly had. Notwithstanding all his firft Convictions, he will live as tamely under the Bondage and Tyranny of his old reigning Luft (though, perhaps, not without fome Checks of Confcience now and then) as thofe that never had fuch kind of Means vouchfafed them, for their Converfion.

And it must needs be thus; for when all is done, Arguments will ftill be but Arguments. They can perfuade, but they cannot compel. The Efficacy of them, doth in a great Measure depend upon our Will and Choice, especially where they are to combat with ftrong Paffions and Prepoffeffions.

Are there not a Thoufand Perfons in our Days, that are as fully convinced of the Truth of the Christian Revelation, and the Neceffity of a Holy Religious Life in order to the going to Heaven, or avoiding the Pains of Hell, as they would be if one should come to them from the Dead? Nay, more fully, perhaps, than they would have been by the Teftimony of fuch an Apparition, had they wanted the Scriptures. And have not the Confciences of these Perfons, at feveral Times, by feveral Means, been feverely awakened?

And

And have they not at these Seasons, in the moft ferious manner imaginable, made Vows and Resolutions, to live a Holy Christian Life? And yet we fee they continue ftill Unreformed, ftill they are the fame Sensual, Careless, Unchriftian Livers that ever they were. I appeal to the Conscience of Men, whether this be not true; and why should we think it would fare otherwife with us, if God fhould send one from the Dead to reclaim us? That very Miracle would not convince our Understandings more than they have been convinced already; and, therefore, why should we think it would work more upon our Wills?

The Sum of all this Difcourfe, is this, That how prevailing foever we may imagine fuch an Experiment, as the Rich Man here offers to Abraham, for the Converfion of his Brethren, would be upon us; yet a Senfual Man, that was unwilling to give up himself to the Conduct of Religion, might easily find out Ways to avoid the Force that it ought to have upon his Mind; Nay, more eafily, perhaps, than he hath hitherto refifted the Motives of the Gofpel. And, therefore, we may certainly conclude with Abraham in the Text, that they that hear not Moses and the Prophets; or to put it into our own Language, they that hear not Chrift and his Apoftles, neither, in all probability, would they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the

Dead.

t

Nothing now remains, but that I draw Two or Three Inferences, from what hath been faid, and fo conclude.

In the First Place, From what I have Difcourfed upon this Argument, we may dif cover the Infinite Wisdom of God, in the pitching upon that Method he hath done, for the bringing Men to Vertue and Happinefs; namely, by the Standing Revelations of Mofes and the Prophets, and of Chrift and his Apoftles: For we may perceive this Method is everyway more accommodated for that End, than if God fhould be every Day working Miracles for the reclaiming particular Perfons.

As it is more fuitable to the other Methods of God's Providence; to the way that he hath chofen for the Government of the World, (which is by the fettled Standing Law of Motion, leaving Natural Caufes to produce their Natural Effects, and not interpofing his Omnipotency, but upon efpecial extraordinary Occafions :) So alfo, as we have feen, is it much more effectual for the convincing Mens Understandings, and the working upon their Wills, than the other Method of Private Miracles and Revelations would be.

We have feen how many Ways the Force of an Argument drawn from one's appearance from the Dead, may be evaded: But now, none of these Pretences can be made against the Evidence of a Publick Revelation, fo attefted, and confirmed, and conveyed down to us, as that of Chriftianity is. And befides,

there

there are many Arguments to be drawn from fuch a Revelation, to fhew the Credibility of it, which are altogether wanting to fuch a Private Miracle as we fpeak of.

Secondly, We may learn from hence, what little need there is of any new modern Miracles for the confirming to us any Doctrine of Chriftianity, which was long ago, in all the Articles of it, fo well attefted by the Illuftrious Miracles of Chrift and his Apostles.

And, more especially, we may learn from hence, what little Credit is to be given to those Miracles that are wrought, or pretended to be wrought, for the Proof of fuch Doctrines, as are really contrary to that Revelation of our Lord, as it is delivered in the Holy Scriptures.

We are fure that Mofes and the Prophets, Chrift and his Apoftles, taught nothing but the Truth of God, he having fo publickly and fo convincingly fet his Seal to all their Doctrines. And we are fure likewise, that the Scripture contains nothing in it, but what was taught by them, and confequently must be the Truth of God alfo. And, therefore, if any Doctrine or Article of Religion be at any Time recommended to our Belief, that doth not agree with thefe Holy Writings, or doth contradict them either directly, or by plain unavoidable Confequence; we may be equally fure, that that Doctrine cannot be true, nor is to be received by us, though we are told of never so many private Miracles that have been Wrought for the Confirmation of it.

Our