ing in this Treatife, a Subject, which claims attention from all degrees of Men, and wherei the most puissant Prince is as much concern'd, as the meanest Vaffal. It is a future eftate, and what becomes of men, when their Bodies do drop from them, and what they must do to inherit that eternal Glory, which a merciful God hath been pleas'd to promife them, that I intend to speak to; and if there be fuch a thing, as a retribution after Death, and our Souls, when they leave their Earthly Tabernacles, muft come to an after-reckoning, and appear before the dreadful Tribunal of a just, and infinite Majesty, certainly that Man is unjust to himself, and an Enemy to his own prefervation, that dares neglect his preparation for that great, and tremendous Audit, and prefers not meditation on that laft account before all the fenfual enjoyments of this World.

My Lord, We are fall'n into an Age, wherein fome few daring men (indeed their number is inconfiderable, compared with the more fober part of Mankind) have prefumed to mock at a punishment after Death, and term'd that a Bugbear, deriv'd from the Tales

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of Priefts, and the melancholy of contemplative men, which the wifer World heretofore was afraid to entertain, but with most ferious reflections. When the ripeft and most fubact judgments for almost Six thousand years together, by the inftinct of Nature, and Confcience, have believ'd a future Retribution, it's pretty to fee a few raw Youths, who have drown'd their Reafon in Senfuality, and scarcely ever perus'd any Books, but Romances, and the lafcivious Rhapsodies of Poets, affume to themselves a power to controul the univerfal Jenfe, and confent of Mankind; think themselves wifer, than all the grave Sages, that have liv'd before them; and break fefts in their Riots and Debaucheries, upon that, which not only Chriftians, but Jews, Mahometans, and Heathens, the fubtileft and most knowing of them, have, ever fince we have any Record or Hiftory of their Actions, and Belief, profefs'd, and embrad'd with all imaginable Reverence.

And, Are not things come to a fine pass, My Lord, when Christianity, the cleareft Revelation that was ever vouchfafed to moir, hath been receiv'd, confirm'd, and approv ́d of A 4

in the World above Sixteen hundred years, and the greatest Philofophers, in many of those Countries, where it hath taken Root, have not dared to doubt of the truth of it, the convin= cing power that came along with it, proclaiming its Divinity and Majefty; that these bold Atten= tates fhould now begin to arraign its Authority, and put us upon proving the first Principles of it, as if the World were return'd to its former Barbarifm, and we had once more to do with Infidels, as if men had divefted themselves of Humanity, put on the nature of Beafts, and were fent into the World to understand no more, but the matter and motion of the Malmsbury Philofophy.

I confess I have fometimes blamed my felf for accufing thefe Libertines of Atheism, when I have understood, what mortal Enemies they were to Lying, and Non-fence; for how should not they believe a God, that cannot speak a fen= tence, but muft fwear by him; or the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, that put fo remarkable an Emphafis upon's Wounds, and Blood; or another World, that do so often imprecate Dam= nation to themselves; or the being of a Devil,

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who do not feldom wish, he may confound them ?! Would not any man conclude, That Perfons who do fo exclaim against every mistaken, and misplaced word, and are fuch perfect Mafters of Sence, and value themselves fo much upon their Veracity, muft needs believe the existence of those things, they make use of in their ingenious Oaths and Curfes, the Pompous Ornaments which in this Licentious Age fet off the Glory, Wit, and Gallantry of fuch accom plifh'd Pretenders? But though we must not be fo unmannerly, as to accufe thefe Wits of contradictions in their Difcourfes, yet any man that doth not love darkness better than light, may foon perceive how faulty this way thefe Scep ticks are, there being nothing more common with them, than to fmile at the Notion of that God, by whom they Swore but just before; and to raille that day of Judgment, which they feem'd to acknowledge in their abfurd wishes and imprecations.

Some have I known, who, in a ferious Fit, have been pleas'd to tell me, that if they could be fure, there was another World, and a Retribution for Good and Evil, none fhould exceed

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them in ftrictness of Converfation, and exact piety of Life; and I am so charitable to believe, that these speak the fenfe of most of the rest, and that the imaginary want of certainty in this dubious Point, diverts them from venturing on that innocence and purity, which was the glory of the Primitive Chriftians. But may it not be requifite to enquire, whether thefe Doubters have ever taken the right way to be fatisfied? If one, that had never heard of fuch a City as Exeter, fhould be told, that a Friend of his lately deceafed there, had left him a Thousand Pounds; and he should reply, That if he were certain there were fuch a City, he would repair thither, and yet would not enquire of those that are able to inform him: might it not be prefumed, that fuch an one had no mind to be fatiffied? And I durft appeal to the Confciences of thefe men, that doubt of an after-retribution, whether they did ever fincerely and impartially defire or endeavour to be fatisfied about it? Did they ever do, what every rational man ought to do, that is willing to be ascertained of the truth of a common report? Did they ever put themfelves to half that trouble, to be convinced

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