in compliment to yourself, to gain the Credit of being a very discerning Man, or set forth your own Ability? If you did, remember, before it is too late, that for all thefe Things your offended God will call you into Judg

ment.

There is one Sort of Temptation more which I shall mention, and that but briefly: It is a kind of falfe Shame, which often, in young People efpecially, prevails over the Fear of God and the Senfe of Religion. When they find what Honour is often done to Unbelievers, and how well they are received, whilft Religion fuffers under the hard Names of Ignorance and Superftition, they grow afhamed of their Profeffion; and, if not really, yet affectedly they put on the fashionable Air of Disregard to every thing that is ferious. By degrees they harden, till, from being ashamed to own God, they grow bold enough to deny him, encouraged by Example and by Precept to brave his utmost Vengeance.

Thefe are the most common Temptations which betray Men into the Company and Friendship of Unbelievers, thofe Inftructors which caufe to err from the Words of Knowledge. How much it concerns you to guard against

against these Temptations will appear, in the Second Place, when we confider the Danger there is in listening to these Inftructors.

And here I can only fpeak to fuch as have not yet made fhipwreck of Reason and Confcience: For, though the hardened Unbelievers are in the greatest Danger, yet they are fartheft removed from the Power of Conviction: Nor will they perceive what Miseries they lay up in ftore for themselves, till they come to take poffeffion of their fad Inheritance; and then they will have but too much Time, and too many Calls, to reflect upon the wretched Choice they made. But, as for you, who have not yet renounced your God and your Redeemer; you efpecially, whofe eafy Fortunes, or flourishing Years, expofe you to the Temptations of crafty Sinners; give me leave to expoftulate this Cafe with all the Seriousness the Subject requires: And furely this is a ferious Matter, and deferves your cooleft Thoughts and Reflections. It is an unpardonable Folly and inexcufable Perverfenefs for Men to forfake Religion out of Vanity and Oftentation; as if Irreligion were a Mark of Honour, and a noble Diftinction from the reft of Mankind. To fear, where there is

true Cause of Fear, where our Souls and our eternal Happiness are at stake, is not below the Dignity of a Man. To out-brave God and his Juftice is a fad Inftance of Courage: And Men, who fin through such ridiculous Vanity, may value themselves for their Bravery in defpifing the Fears, and their Wisdom in deriding the Weakness of Religion, and expofing the Faith and Credulity of Men; but perhaps a little Time, a very little Time, may fhew them what learned Pains they take to dispute themfelves into Hell. We must answer for the Vanity of our Reafoning, as well as for the Vanity of our Actions: And, if we take Pains to invent vain Reasoning to oppose to the plain Evidences that God has afforded us of his Being and Power, and to undermine the Proofs and Authorities upon which Religion ftands, we may be fure we shall not go unpunished for fo notable an Abuse of fo rich a Talent entrusted with us by God: Much more, if we debafe Reafon, which was given us to be the governing Principle of our Lives, and force it to fubmit and follow our unruly Paffions and Affections, much more shall we be liable to the Vengeance of Heaven.

How

How far Men of irreligious Lives and Principles are chargeable with these Abuses, they can beft inform themselves: And furely the Hopes of Immortality, and Fears of Hell, fhould compose them to fo much Seriousness, as to ask themselves that Question. But, after all, if, upon a View of the whole Matter, and of the Evidences that Reafon and Revelation afford us of a future State, they will not fubmit to the Doctrines and · Precepts of Religion, they must be left to the Event for a fuller Demonstration of their Folly. If there be really a future State of Rewards and Punishments, both the Punishments and the Rewards must be very inconfiderable indeed not to make it worth a Man's while to live up to the Conditions of being happy. So that, when the Dispute is concerning the Folly of Irreligion, we may remit a great deal of the Truth in allowing the Punishment to be less than really it is, and the Argument will still have Force enough to convince Irreligion of Folly. The Punishment in all Cafes must exceed the Advantage the Offender will reap by tranfgreffing the Law; or elfe, as much as the Gain to be reaped by breaking the Law exceeds the Punishment annexed to

the

the Breach, fo much Encouragement there will be for Men to offend. Therefore we

may be fure that God, who is the wifeft of Lawgivers, has taken fuch Care to guard his Laws and Statutes, that there shall be no Encouragement for Offenders: Upon which Account we may affure ourselves, that, let the Pleasures and Advantages of Sin and Irreligion be ever fo numerous or great, the Punishment shall ftill be greater: So that Men fhall fay, when they are to pay the Price of their Sins, they have finned exceeding foolishly. Wicked Men spend their Time to no purpose in difputing against the Punishments of Sin, which are revealed to us; I mean, against the Nature of them: For, if they once allow that Sin and Wickedness fhall be punished, their own Reafon will inform them that the Punishment must at least be so great, as to make it worth a Man's while to abstain from Sin. So that all Sinners must be guilty of Folly in chufing the Sin with the Punishment, when the Punishment muft of neceffity exceed the Advantage of finning.

These are the easiest Terms that Sinners can flatter themselves with; and yet, even upon this View, the Pleafures of Sin will VOL. III. prove

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