pledge of thofe Joys; and at least gives him one Heaven upon Earth, though the other should prove a Delufion. Now what are the mighty promises of Atheism? let us know the glorious Recompences it propofeth; Utter Extinction and Cel fation of Being; to be reduced to the fame condition, as if we never had been born. O dismal reward of Infidelity! at which Nature does fhrink * Vide Po- and fhiver with horror. What fome of the Lear

cockii No

tas ad

Portam

158, &c.

Plutarch.

nedeft Doctors amongst the Jews have esteem'd the Mofis, p. moft dreadfull of all Punishment, and have affigned for the portion of the blackest Criminals of the Damn'd; so interpreting Tophet, Abaddon, the Vale of Slaughter and the like, for final Excision and Deprivation of Being: this Atheism exhibits to us, as an Equivolent to Heaven. We all know what hath been disputed among Schoolmen to this effect. And 'tis an observation of Plutarch, that the Ge"On i nerality of mankind us, as well Women (ñv, &c. p1104, as Men, chofe rather to endure all the Punishments Ed. Ruald. of Hell, as described by the Poets; than part with the Hope of Immortality, though immortal only in mifery, I easily grant, that this would be a very hard Bargain; and that Not to be at all, is more eligible, than to be miferable always: our SaMar. 14.2, Viour himself having determin'd the question; Wo to that man, by whom the Son of Man is betrayed; good

1105.

were

were it for that man, if he had never been born. But however thus much it evidently fhews, That this defire of Existence is a natural Affection of the Soul; tis Self-prefervation in the higheft and trueft meaning, 'tis interwoven in the very Frame and Conftitution of Man. How then can the Atheist reflect on his own Hypothefis without extreme forrow and dejection of Spirit? Will he fay, that when once he is dead, this Defire will be nothing; and that he that is not, cannot lament his Annihilation? So indeed it will be according to his Principles. But notwithftanding, while he continues in Life (which we now fpeak of this dusky Scene of Horror, this melancholy Profpect of Final Perdition will frequently occurr to his Fancy; the fweeteft Enjoyments of Life will often become flat & infipid, will be damp'd and extinguifh'd, be bitter'd and poison'd by the malignant and venomous quality of this Opinion.

Is it not more.comfortable to a Man, to think well of himself, to have a high Value and Conceit of the Dignity of his Nature, to believe a noble Origination of his Race, the Offspring and Image of the great King of Glory: rather than that men first proceeded, as Vermin are thought to do, by the fole influence of the Sun out of Dirt and Putrefaction?

Is it not a firmer foundation for Contentment

and Tranquillity, to believe that All things were at firft created, and are continually order'd and disposed for the Beft, and that principally for the Benefit and Pleasure of Man; than that the whole Univerfe is mere bungling and blundering, no Art or Contrivance to be feen in't; nothing effected for any purpose and defign; but all ill-favouredly cobled and jumbled together by the unguided agitation and rude fhuffles of Matter?

Can any man wish a better Support under af fliction, than the Friendship and Favour of Omnipotence, of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness; who is both able, and willing, and knows how to rePhil4.13. lieve him? Such a man can do all things through. Chrift that strengtheneth him, he can patiently suffer all things with cheerfull fubmiffion and refignation to the Divine Will. He has a fecret Spring of fpiritual Joy, and the continual Feast of a good Conscience within, that forbid him to be miserable. But what a forlorn deftitute Creature is the Atheist in Diftrefs? He hath no Friend in Extremity, but Poison or a Dagger or a Halter or a Precipice. A violent Death is the last refuge of the Epicureans, as well as the Stoicks. This, fays Lucretius, is the diftinguishing Character of a genuine Son of our Sect, that he will not endure to live in Exile and Want and Difgrace, out of a vain fear of death;

Lib. 3.

but

but difpatch himself refolutely into the State of e-. ternal Sleep and Infenfibility. And yet for all this fwaggering, not one of a hundred hath boldness: enough to follow the Direction. The base and degenerous faying of one of them is very well known; That Life is always fweet, and he fhould ftill Mecadefire to prolong it; though after he had been Senec. maim'd and distorted by the Rack, he should lastly Debilem be condemn'd to hang on a Gibbet.

*

nas apud

Ep. 101.

facito Manu; debi

coxa, &c.

And then, as to the Practical Rules and Duties of lem pede Religion: as the Miracles of our Lord are peculiarly eminent above the Lying Wonders of Damons, in that they were not made out of vain Oftentation of Power, and to raise unprofitable Amazement; but for the real Benefit and Advantage of men, by feeding the Hungry, healing all forts of Diseases, ejecting of Devils, and reviving the Dead: fo likewise the Commands which he hath impofed on his Followers are not like the abfurd Ceremonies of Pagan Idolatry, the frivolous Rites of their Initiations and Worship, that might look like Incantation and Magick, but had no tendency in their Nature to make Mankind the happier. Our Saviour hath enjoyn'd us a Reasonable Service; accommodated to the rati- Rom.12.L onal part of our Nature. All his Laws are in themselves, abstracted from any Confideration of Recompence, conducible to the Temporal Intereft of them

that

that obferve them. For what can be more availing to a man's Health, or his Credit, or Estate, or Secu rity in this world, than Charity and Meekness, than Sobriety and Temperance, than Honefty and Diligence in his Calling? Do not Pride and Arrogance infallibly meet with Contempt? Do not Contentioufness and Cruelty and Study of Revenge seldom fail of Retaliation? Are not Envious and Coverous, Discontented and Anxious minds tormentors to themfelves? Do not we fee, that Slothfull and Intemperare and incontinent perfons deftroy their Bodies with difeafes, their Reputations with disgrace, & their Families with want? Are Adultery and Forni cation forbidden only by Mofes and Cbrift? or do not Heathen Law-givers punish fuch Enormities with Fines,or Imprisonment, with Exile,or Death? 'Twas Julianus an objection of Julian the Apoftate; that there were apud Cyno new Precepts of Morality in our Religion: Thou fhalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. Why all the World, fays he, is agreed about thefe Commandments: and in every Country under Heaven, there are Laws and Penalties made to enforce all the Ten, excepting only the Sabbath and the Worship of strange Gads. We can an fwer him another way; but he may make our Infi dels afhamed to complain of thofe Ordinances as hard Impofitions, which the fenfe of all Nations has

rillum,

P. 134.

thought