+

Secondly, It is farther objected: Serm. 2. That there is all the reafon in the world to believe that the greatest part, by much, of those who do outwardly acknowledge and profefs their belief of future punishments for the wicked, yet diffemble their real Sentiments, and make this Profeffion only for fashion's fake; because it is undeniably plain that their whole course of Life is fuch, as if they really believ'd nothing less.

Now, tho' I cannot but take notice that those of us, who profess that we believe future punishments, will have a great deal to answer for, if we shall be any ways acceffary towards the giving fuch an handle or bare pretence as this for the rejecting the belief of them; and must therefore most earnestly exhort all Chriftians, at their utmost peril, to beware of this; yet I think it will be very easy to show, that this Objection is of no manner of force to prove, what it here aims at. For

First, It is evident from Reafon that the lives of Men can never pass

for

for certain proofs and indications of ~~ the inward and real Sentiments of Serm. 2. w their minds, any where but there,

where we have good ground to fuppofe that Men do delign and endeaYour to conduct and govern their lives,

the real and natural Sentiments of their minds. But this we are fo far from having any ground to suppose of wicked Men, that we are fure of the quite contrary. We know very well that their lives are not govern'd by the natural Sentiments of their minds, which they scarce ever confult, much lefs ever obey, but by the unnatural heat and fury of their lufts and paffions and therefore their lives may indeed very well pafs for a true and lively copy and representation of thefe, but by no means of those. And we can no more argue that Men do not believe future punishments, becaufe they do not live agreeably to fuch a belief: than that they do not believe good husbandry better than extravagance, health than fickness, fame than infamy, because they do not act as if they did. Alas! we see nothing of the man in this cafe, but his lufts and paffions, which quite ob

D 4

fcure

fcure and hide his reafon, and not Serm. 2; only hurry him away from under the conduct of it, but even frequently carry him directly against it.

Secondly, We do almoft continually find in fact, that there is no manner of correfpondence between Mens lives and their real Sentiments, in this cafe: there being nothing more common than for Men, who have led very wicked Lives, to give us all the Affurance, that Men are capable of giving to one another, by words and all other outward Signs, of their having been fully perfwaded all along of the certainty of future punishments; and this too at fach times, when we can have no manner of reafon to doubt, but that thefe outward Signs are the faithful Expreffions of the inward fenfe of their minds: in times of greatest feriousness, when they have been under heavy afflictions, nay even, as they thought, drawing near to death it felf. And God knows it is but too too common with thefe very Men, after all these ferious and folemn Declarations of their ftedfaft belief of a State of future punishment

for

for the wicked, quite to forget themfelves, to return again to their vomit, Serm. 2. and live as carelefly and wickedly, as if they really had no notion of a future State at all.

From all which it is plain that we are never more mistaken, than when we argue from the lives of wicked Men, to the real Sentiments of their minds, in the cafe before us. They may, and doubtless do most of them, as plainly appears whenever they are heartily frightend and brought to be themfelves, fincerely believe a State of future punishments; but they live without thinking and attending to this belief, as they ought to do; and then it is no wonder that it has fo little influence upon them.

very

Thirdly, We hear it often objected that the evidences which we produce, both from Jews and Heathens, for their belief of future punishments, are very dark, imperfect and uncertain; that they fay and unfay, deftroy in one place what they advanc'd in another, feem to fpeak rather by chance and fancy, than by reafon, and deli

berate

Serm. 2.

berate judgment, and confequently are not much to be heeded in this

matter.

But to this I answer

First, That this Objection, however it may be granted to be true in part, yet is far from being univerfally fo; there being a great many, both of the Jews and Heathens, who have deliver'd their belief of future punishments, in fuch full and exprefs Terms, that they seem to come very near the Expreffions of the Gospel Revelation it felf about them. And, for this reafon, feveral of the Antients, as I hinted before, argu'd that the Heathens muft have had their notions and belief of them, fome way or other, from Divine Revelation.

Secondly, That, fo far as this is true, it is not much to be wondred at, nor does much affect the force of those Evidences, which we have been arguing from. For, confidering that the belief of future Punishments, is a belief against the Grain of Mankind, against their most beloved Lufts

and