labouring under the burthen and pref

Serm. I. fure of much worfe Evils, than any of these. And what can that be? but, either

First, A Mind distracted and torn in pieces, by the violence of those boyftrous, turbulent and vexatious Lufts and Paffions, which we are too apt to beget, cherifh, and blow up into a flame within our own Breasts: fuch as Ambition, Pride, Avarice, Revenge, Malice, Envy, Anger, Uncleanness, and the rest of that Hellish Crew: which, whenever they fingly, much more joyntly, take poffeffion of a Man, deftroy all his true Peace and Tranquillity of Mind; and, by continually hurrying him on to new Projects, for their Gratification: plunging him in new Difficulties, by their rafhnefs: vexing and fretting him with their Difappointments: pulling him different, nay perhaps contrary, ways to ferve their various Humours: and ftill, the more they are ferv'd and obey'd, clamouring yet louder for Service and Obedience: harrafs and torment his Soul, beyond all expreflion. Or

Secondly,

I.

Secondly, A Mind fadly conscious to it felf of an abominably wicked Serm. I and ill-fpent Life: of its having been in a continued courfe of Rebellion against the Laws of its own Reason, and the yet infinitely more perfect ones of an All-wife and All-good God: and of having thereby brought it felf, not only under its own diflike and hatred, but also under the most severe Difpleafure and dreadful Curfe of God: within the verge of Hell, and almost within the feeling of those inconceivable Torments, which are there prepar'd for the Devil and his An- Matt. 25, gels.

41.

And this is that wounded Spirit, which I intend now folely to insist upon. And, that I may not feem to fome Men to talk only of a Chimara of my own making, I fhall beg leave to obferve how frequently the very Heathens themselves (whofe Authority, it is to be hop'd, will pafs with our Admirers of Reason and Natural Religion, free and unquestion'd) fpeak of fuch a wounded Spirit as this, in their Writings; telling us over and over,* That fo great is the Power of* Tull. Q

A 3

rat. pro

Con- Milan.

+Plutarch.

105.

Confcience, that thofe, who have comSerm. 1. mitted any Fault, live in perpetual fear of Punishment; † That many forrows pag. 556. and grievous perturbations of Mind, Edit. Parif. Repentance and continual Tumults and Diforders, Diffidence concerning even their prefent State, and black and melancholy fufpicions of their future Ones are the natural Confequences of Mens #Senec. evil Actions. That, in proportion to Ep. 97, 98. Mens Sins, their Fears will grow upon them, and never let them be quiet : that for thefe, they will be scourged * Juvenal. and mightily tormented. * And Laftly, That they Night and Day carry about in their own Breafts a Witness against themselves, which doth fecretly terrify, lafh and torture them, and fill them with dreadful apprehenfions of Punishments to come. Nay even † Lucretius himself doth, more than once, acknowledge this to be the common cafe of Mankind, even while he blameth them for it, and fuppofeth their Fears, upon this account, to be altogether Childish and unreasonable, without the least Ground or Foundation in Nature, and the pure effects of Fancy, or Education.

Sat. 13.

Lib. 1. lib.3.

But

But furely, with his good leave, it

is much more likely, that fuch univer- Serm. 1. fal Fears, as he himself confeffeth thefe to be, fhould proceed from fome fix'd and uniform principle of Nature or Reafon, common to all Mankind, than from the unfettled and perpetually varying ones of Fancy and Education; and confequently it must be allow'd to be highly probable, at least, that these Fears have fome real Object exifting in Nature to answer them, as all other fuch univerfal affections of our Minds are generally deem'd to have. And indeed, without fuppofing that they have fo, I cannot poffibly fee what one wife or good end can be promoted by thefe Fears and if fo, Humane Nature muft needs appear to be a very odd and unaccountable thing, having thefe Fears, as certain Seeds of Mifery, fown in it, without any other Reafon, or for any other end or purpose, than purely to make it miferable. Which, how confiftent foever it may be with the Notion of a World huddled together by chance (as indeed any thing, how odd foever, may confift with that) yet it can never be reconcil'd to the A 4 Notion

Notion of an All-wife and All-good Serm. 1. God, who created Mankind, and implanted these Fears in them.

Befides, let wicked Men pretend what they will, fince, on the one hand, it is abfolutely impoffible for them to demonftrate, that there will be no fuch thing as a state of future Punishment for the Wicked: and fince, on the other hand, it cannot be deny'd but that there are a great many, at least probable, Arguments that there will be fuch a State; there muft ever be just and reafonable grounds for thefe Fears and mif-givings of Confcience: there muft ever be, (all things confider'd) not from Fancy or Education, but from natural and Rational Conviction, Diftrufts, Jealoufies and Fore-bodeings upon our Minds, of a dreadful ftate of Punishment, to follow and do justice upon an habitual ftate of Sin.

And thus much I thought neceffary to premife, in order to engage the attention even of meer natural Men, if any fuch there be here, to the following part of my Difcourfe;

by