ly perfwaded that Both did) yet with Regard to the Clearness of the Representation, the Nature and Degree of its Glory, and more especially the Title to it, on which our Hopes are founded, in these Respects It is entirely Christian, and our Saviour may particularly be faid to have brought Life and Immortality to Light thro' the Gospel. A Happy Futurity is not only taught by his Doctrine, but founded on his Merits, and purchased by his Blood, and All our Pretenfions to it are built on the Propitiatory Oblation offered by Him to the Divine Justice, as an Atonement for our Transgreffions. This is the Meritorious Cause of our Salvation; This is the true Ground of the Christian Triumph, for which alone even our forfaken Sins are pardoned, and our best Works accepted. Here We have a fure Claim, where Others have but an uncertain Hope. In this as well as Other Inftances, our Faith excells the Efforts of unaffisted Reason, and 'tis the great Privilege and Bleffing of our Religion, that It opens to Us this gracious Method and Syftem of Mercy, and gives Us upon our beft Endeavours, tho' a more Humble, yet as fecure a Title to Acceptance and Happiness, as if We had been Self-sufficient, and could have pleaded Original Righteousness. Our Saviour,

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the Scripture tells Us, once fuffered for Us upon Earth, the Fuft for the Unjust, that He might bring Us to God, and to the fame Purpofe is now interceding for Us in Heaven, and tho' for that Reason, now We fee Him not, yet Believing in Him, We rejoyce with Foy unSpeakable and full of Glory. Juftified by his Merits We can look up with Comfort, and Supported by his Promifes We can look forward with Delight, and by Both can regard with Indifference the tranfitory Vanities and Troubles of this Life, fixing our Attention on that glorious Conclufion of them, which neither Force nor Fraud can deprive Us of, nor our most exalted Imaginations raise Us to a due Notion of its Value and Felicity.

And Is not This then a very Joyful Confideration? Would not Every Rational Person wish, that a Profpect so agreeable and delightful, might prove well-founded, and that our Hopes herein were fecure and certain? Where then is the mighty Foundation for Triumph in the contrary Opinion, the extraordinary Satisfaction pretended in having detected this Error? We know indeed the Misery of this Opinion, because We know for certain the fatal Delusion that They are under, and that irreverfible Misery, that will one Day sadly con

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vince them. But I would at present rather confider the Unhappy State of an Infidel upon his own Principles, the uncomfortable Influence that the Disbelief of another World has and muft neceffarily have upon the Enjoyment of this. A Brief Confideration of which will at least evidence the little Reason He has to be fo mightily pleased Himself with his imagined Discovery, or fo ftudious to propagate it amongst Others. To this End I fhall confider Him both as a Member of Society, and as a private Perfon, and in each View the Comfort and Defireableness of this Article of our Religion will appear, as the only tolerable Security from the Injuries of Others, the only fure Foundation for any personal Satiffaction.

As for the former, the Question is briefly this, whether Honefty, whether Virtue and Confcience are of any Service to Society, or whether It be more eligible to dwell amongst Thofe, who have no Restraint on their Paffions, nor any Tie whatsoever to regard the Life and Welfare of Others. That Any Doubt concerning a future State is reducible to Atheism, or what is just the fame to Us, to a Denial of Providence, is evident; and that upon the Disbelief of That, there cannot be either

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either any Obligation to, or any fufficient Enforcement of Virtue, is equally certain. Even Natural Religion owes all its binding Force to the Confideration of the great Author of Nature. Reason Itself is not, properly speaking, the Ground of Obligation, but only the Means and Manner of discovering the Will of Him, whofe Will We are in Duty bound to obey. Take away the Acknowledgment or Superintendence of that Being, to whom We owe our own, and We have certainly an uncontroulable Liberty over Ourselves and our Conduct. I might add, that upon this Atheiftical Suppofition, even the Reason of Things would bear a quite different Notion from what It does on Religious Principles, and a Man might argue as strongly for making his own private Intereft the chief Rule and Principle of his Conduct, as for any other Scheme whatever. It will be the lefs neceffary therefore to enlarge on the Insufficiency of every other Enforcement of Virtue. To omit many other material Exceptions to Each, there is this obvious and important Defect in them all, that They cannot prevent a fecret Mischief. Where there is no Obligation on the Conscience, no Apprehension of a Superior Being, or a future Account, there It is plain, that there is

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no other Motive to an Honest Practice, than what arises from the Convenience or Inconvenience attending it. Now Human Laws may frequently by Force or Fraud be evaded; Reason may be neglected, filenced or perverted; and as for Honour, or a Regard to Reputation, where It is duly ftated, It cannot affect our private Actions, and where It is not, as according to the prefent prevailing Notion of Honour, It is much otherwise, there This very Principle, which is to pass for a fufficient Restraint on Paffion, is really in itself more mischievous and deftructive, than any natural Paffion in our Constitution.

And is not then the Infidel in a comfortable Situation upon his own Principles, and is not Society deeply indebted to Him for his Difcovery? Is there not great Reason to triumph in fuch a Scheme, as would put Every One in Ishmael's Condition, of having his Hand against Every Man, and Every Mans Hand against Him, and would deftroy the most effectual Restraint that Men lie under from the Worft of Injuries and Cruelties to Each Other? Particularly, Can It be Matter of Satisfaction to Him, to destroy the only Security for that Life, beyond which He claims no Prospect, or at least for the Happiness of it, against the

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