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of annihilation. This is evidently so; though the virtuous life here had nothing but pain, and the vicious continual pleasure; which yet is for the most part quite otherwise, and wicked men have not much the odds to brag of, even in their present possession: Nay, all things rightly considered, have I think even the worst part here. But when infinite happiness is put in one scale against infinite misery in the other; if the worst that comes to the pious man, if he mistakes, be the best that the wicked man can attain to, if he be in the right; who Who in his wits can, without madness, run the venture? would choose to come within a possibility of infinite misery? which if he miss, there is yet nothing to be got by that hazard: Whereas, on the other side, the sober man ventures nothing, against infinite happiness to be got, if his expectation comes to pass.

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That disposition of mind which is a propensity to act contrary to reason, is a depraved disposition. It is not because the faculty of reason which God has given to mankind is not sufficient fully to discover to them, that forty, sixty, or an hundred years, is as nothing in comparison of eternity-infinitely less than a second of time to an hundred years-that the greatest worldly prosperity is not treated with the most perfect disregard, in all cases where there is any degree of competition of earthly things, with salvation from exquisite, eternal_misery, and the enjoyment of everlasting glory and felicity. But is it a matter of controversy, whether men in general shew a strong disposition to act far otherwise, from their infancy till death sensibly approaches? In things that concern their temporal interest, they easily discern the difference between things of a long and short continuance. It is no hard matter to convince men of the difference between being admitted to the accommodations and entertainments of a convenient, beautiful, wellfurnished habitation, and to partake of the provisions and produce of a plentiful estate for a day, or a night; and having all given them and settled upon them as their own, to possess as long as they live, and to be theirs and their heirs for ever. There would be no need of preaching sermons, and spending strength and life to convince them of the difference. know how to adjust things in their dealings and contracts one with another, according to the length of time in which any thing agreed for is to be used or enjoyed. In temporal affairs, they are sensible that it concerns them to provide for future time as well as for the present. Thus common prudence teaches them to take care in summer to lay up for winter; yea, to provide a fund, or an estate, whence they may be supplied for a long time to come. And not only so, but they are forward to spend and be spent, in order to provide for their children after they are dead; though it be quite uncertain, who shall

Men

enjoy what they lay up, after they have left the world. And if their children should have the comfort of it as they desire, they will not partake with them in that comfort, or have any portion in any thing under the sun. In things which relate to men's temporal interest, they seem very sensible of the uncertainty of life, especially of the lives of others; and to make answerable provision for the security of their worldly interest, that no considerable part of it may rest only on so uncertain a foundation, as the life of a neighbour or friend. Common discretion leads them to take good care that their outward possessions be well secured by a good and firm title. In worldly concerns, men discern their opportunities, and are careful to improve them before they are past. The husbandman is careful to plough his ground and sow his seed in the proper season; otherwise he knows he cannot expect a crop: And when the harvest is come, he will not sleep away the time; for he knows if he does so the crop will soon be lost. How careful and eagleeyed is the merchant to improve opportunities to enrich himself? How apt are men to be alarmed at the appearance of danger to their worldly estate, or any thing that remarkably threatens great damage to their outward interest? And how will they bestir themselves in such a case, if possible to avoid the threatened calamity? In things purely secular, and not of a moral or spiritual nature, they easily receive conviction by past experience, when any thing, on repeated trial, proves unprofitable or prejudicial; and are ready to take warning by what they have found themselves, and also by the experience of their neighbours and forefathers.

But if we consider how men generally conduct themselves in things on which their well-being infinitely more depends, how vast is the diversity? In these things how cold, lifeless, and dilatory? With what difficulty are a few, out of multitudes, excited to any tolerable degree of care and diligence, by the innumerable means used in order to make them wise for themselves? And when some vigilance and activity is excited, how apt is it to die away, like a mere force against a natural tendency? What need of a constant repetition of admonitions and counsels to keep the heart from falling asleep? How many objections are made? How are difficulties magnified? And how soon is the mind discouraged? How many arguments, often renewed, variously and elaborately enforced, do men stand in need of, to convince them of things that are almost self-evident? As that things which are eternal are infinitely more important than things temporal, and the like. And after all, how very few are convinced effectually, or in such a manner as to induce them to a practical preference of eternal things? How senseless are men of the necessity of improving their time, as to their

spiritual interest, and their welfare in another world? Though it be an endless futurity, and though it be their own personal, infinitely important good, that is to be cared for. Though men are so sensible of the uncertainty of their neighbours' lives, when any considerable part of their own estates depends on the continuance of them; how stupidly senseless do they seem to be of the uncertainty of their own lives, when their preservation from immensely great, remediless, and endiess misery, is risked by a present delay, through a dependence on future opportunity? What a dreadful venture will men carelessly and boldly run, repeat and multiply, with regard to their eternal salvation; who yet are very careful to have every thing in a deed or bond, firm and without a flaw? How negligent are they of their special advantages and opportunities for their soul's good? How hardly awakened by the most evident and imminent dangers, threatening eternal destruction, yea, though put in mind of them, and much pains taken to point them forth, shew them plainly, and fully to represent them, if possible to engage their attention? How are they like the horse that boldly rushes into the battle? How hardly are men convinced by their own frequent and abundant experience, of the unsatisfactory nature of earthly things, and the instability of their own hearts in their good frames and intentions? And how hardly convinced by their own observation, and the experience of all past generations, of the uncertainty of life and its enjoyments? Psal. xlix. 11, &c. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever.-Nevertheless, man being in honour, abideth not; he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings. Like sheep are they laid in the grave.

In these things, men who are prudent for their temporal interest act as if they were bereft of reason: They have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not; neither do they understand: They are like the horse and mule, that have no understanding. -Jer. viii. 7. The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming: But my people know not the judgment of the Lord.

These things are often mentioned in scripture as evidences of extreme folly and stupidity, wherein men act as great enemies to themselves, as though they loved their own ruin; Prov. viii. 37. Laying wait for their own blood, Prov. i. 18. And how can these things be accounted for but by supposing a most wretched depravity of nature? Why otherwise should not men be as wise for themselves in spiritual and eternal things as in temporal? All christians will confess, that man's faculty of reason was given him chiefly to enable him to understand the former, wherein his main interest and true happiness con

sists. This faculty would therefore undoubtedly be every way as fit for understanding them as the latter, if not depraved. The reason why these are understood, and not the other, is not that such things as have been mentioned belonging to men's spiritual and eternal interest, are more obscure and abstruse in their own nature. For instance, the difference between long and short, the need of providing for futurity, the importance of improving proper opportunities, and of having good security and a sure foundation in affairs wherein our interest is greatly concerned, &c. these things are as plain in themselves in religious, as in other matters. And we have far greater means to assist us to be wise for ourselves in eternal, than in temporal things. We have the abundant instruction of perfect and infinite wisdom itself, to lead and conduct us in the paths of righteousness, so that we may not err. And the reasons of things are most clearly, variously and abundantly set before us in the word of God; which is adapted to the faculties of mankind, tending greatly to enlighten and convince the mind: Whereas, we have no such excellent and perfect rules to instruct and direct us in things pertaining to our temporal interest, nor any thing to be compared to it.

If any should say, It is true, if men gave full credit to what they are told concerning eternal things, and these appeared to them as real and certain things, it would be an evidence of a sort of madness in them, that they shew no greater regard to them in practice: But there is reason to think, this is not the case; the things of another world being unseen, appear to men as things of a very doubtful nature, and attended with great uncertainty.-In answer, I would observe, agreeable to what has been cited from Mr. LOCKE, though eternal things were considered in their bare possibility, if men acted rationally, they would infinitely outweigh all temporal things in their influence on their hearts. And I would also observe, that to suppose eternal things not to be fully believed, at least by them who enjoy the light of the gospel, does not weaken, but rather strengthen the argument for the depravity of nature. For the eternal world being what God had chiefly in view in the creation of men, this world was made wholly subordinate to the other, man's state here being only a state of probation, preparation, and progression, with respect to the future state. Eternal things are in effect their all, their whole concern; to understand and know which it chiefly was, that they had understanding given them; therefore we may undoubtedly conclude, that if men have not respect to them as real and certain things, it cannot be for want of sufficient evidence of their truth: But it must be from a dreadful stupidity of mind, occasioning a sottish insensibility of their truth and importance, when manifested by the clearest evidence.

SECT. VII.

That Man's Nature is corrupt, appears, in that by far the greater Part of Mankind, in all Ages, have been wicked Men.

The depravity of man's nature appears, not only in its propensity to sin in some degree, which renders a man an evil or wicked man in the eye of the law, and strict justice, as was before shewn; but it is so corrupt, that its depravity either shews that men are, or tends to make them to be, of such an evil character as shall denominate them wicked men, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace.

This may be argued from several things which have been already observed: As from a tendency to continual sin; a tendency to much greater degrees of sin than righteousness, and from the general extreme stupidity of mankind. But yet the present state of man's nature, as implying or tending to a wicked character, may deserve to be more particularly considered and directly proved. And in general, this appears, in that there have been so very few in the world, from age to age, ever since the world has stood, that have been of any other character.

It is abundantly evident in scripture, and is what I suppose none that call themselves christians will deny, that the whole world is divided into good and bad, and that all mankind at the day of judgment will either be approved as righteous or condemned as wicked: either glorified as children of the kingdom, or cast into a furnace of fire as children of the wicked

one.

I need not stand to shew what things belong to the character of such as shall hereafter be accepted as righteous, according to the word of God. It may be sufficient for my present purpose to observe what Dr. T. himself speaks of as belonging essentially to the character of such. In p. 203. he says, "This is infallibly the character of true christians, and what is essential to such, that they have really mortified the flesh with its lusts;-they are dead to sin, and live no longer therein; the old man is crucified, and the body of sin destroyed: They yield themselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and their members as instruments of righteousness to God and as servants of righteousness to holiness." There is more to the like purpose in the two next pages. In p. 228. he says, "Whatsoever is evil and corrupt in us we ought to condemn; not so, as it shall still remain in us, that we may always be condemning it, but that we may speedily re

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