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النشر الإلكتروني

Could I lead you through the unbounded Regions of eternal Day, and fhew the mutual and ever-blooming Joys of Saints who are at reft from their Labour, and live for ever in the Prefence of God! Or, could I change the Scene, and unbar the iron Gates of Hell, and carry you, through folid Darknefs, to the Fire that never goes out, and to the Worm that never dies: Could I fhew you the apoftate Angels faft bound in eternal Chains, or the Souls of wicked Men overwhelmed with Torment and Defpair: Could I open your Ears to hear the Deep itself groan with the continual Cries of Mifery; Cries which can never reach the Throne of Mercy, but return in fad Echoes, and add even to the very Horrors of Hell! Could I thus fet before you the different Ends of Religion and Infidelity, you would want no other Proof to convince you that nothing can recompenfe the Hazard Men run of being for ever miferable through Unbelief. But, though neither the Tongues of Men nor of Angels can exprefs the Joys of Heaven, or describe the Pains of Hell; yet, if there be any Truth in Religion, thefe Things are certain, and near at hand.

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Confider therefore with yourselves, that when you judge of Religion, something more depends upon your Choice, than the Credit of your Judgment, or the Opinion of the World. For God's fake! think Religion at least fo ferious a Thing, as to deferve your coolest Thoughts, and not fit to be determined in your Hours of Gaiety and Leisure, or in the accidental Converfation of public Places. Truft yourself with yourself; retreat from the Influence of diffolute Companions; and take the Advice of the holy Pfalmift: Stand in awe, and fin not : Commune with your own Heart, and in Chamber, and be ftill.

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DISCOURSE

DISCOURSE II

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LUKE xvi. 31.

And he faid unto him, If they hear not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the Dead.

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T fometimes happens in Matters

of Reason, as it often does in Objects of Senfe: That which at first Appearance makes a fair Shew, upon Examination proves

to be worthless, and of no Efteem.

Some

Fruits, which allure the Eye most, can the least bear the Test of the Palate: They may be admired by the Traveller, who rides haftily by, and only fees them at a distance ; but, when they are ferved up at the Table, the Tafte foon rectifies the Miftake of the Eyes. So likewife, in Matters of Reafon;

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Some Arguments ftrike the Fancy immediately, and take the Judgment captive, before, it has Time fairly to examine the Merits of the Caufe; and yet, when the Vigour of the first Onset is over, and Time is given for Reflection, the Demonstration dwindles into nothing, and leaves a Man admiring that he was fo eafily deceived by fo palpable a Cheat. And this feems to be the Cafe of the Argument in which the Text is concerned: Who would not think that the Coming of one from the Dead would effectually convince an Unbeliever? Or, were we for ourselves to defire the last Evidence for a future State, what more should we defire, than to see one come from the Dead; one of our old Acquaintance; and to hear from him the Relation of what happened to him after Death, and of what he had feen and experienced in the other World? And yet this Evidence, our Saviour tells us, would have no Effect upon an Unbeliever: He, who can hold out against the Evidence that God has already given that he will one Day judge the World in Righteoufnefs, would not be perfuaded, though one rofe from the Dead.

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Our Saviour does not deny the Coming of one from the Dead to be an Evidence of a future State; nor yet, allowing it to be an Evidence, does he determine of what Weight and Authority it is, or ought to be. This only he affirms; That, let the Authority of it be what it will, they who will not submit to the Authority of a divine Revelation, will not fubmit to this: The Reason of which Judgment may appear from the following Confiderations:

First, If the Evidence of Revelation be in itself greater and more convincing than the Evidence given by one from the Dead can poffibly be, then there is no Reason to expect that he who rejects the greater should submit to the less Authority.

Secondly, If the Objections which the Unbeliever makes use of against the Authority of Revelation, lie ftronger against the Authority of one coming from the Dead, it is not to be supposed, that he will pass over that in one Case, which he so mightily ftumbles at in the other. Or,

Thirdly, If Unbelief be the Effect of a vitiated and corrupted Mind, which hates to be reformed; which rejects the Evidence, because it will not admit the Doctrine, not the Doctrine,

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