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knowledge, that there have been great Numbers of Men of the best moral Qualifications, whose intellectual Powers were no Ways inferior to theirs on the other side of the Question, who have profeffed the Truth, and experienced the Power of that Religion, which you have despised.-How many most excellent Perfons, of the greatest Integrity, Learning, and Sagacity, have at their Peril appeared to ftand by this Caufe; and have facrificed their Eftates, their Honours, and their Lives, to the defpifed and perfecuted Doctrines of the Crofs !It is certain, that you can't have a greater Affurance of being in the right, than these Men have had; and confequently there is at least a Probability on their Side, as much as on yours.-You yourfelf therefore, and all the unbelieving Gentlemen of your Acquaintance, who have any Degree of Modesty left, muft neceffarily own, that the Caufe poffibly may turn out against them.-And what if it fhould! I am even afraid to represent the Confequences in a proper Light; it will poffibly be elteemed Preachment or Cant; or be voted harsh, uncivil, or unmannerly Treatment. But, Sir, I would pray you to confider this Matter, without any Refentment of my ruftic Method of Addrefs. Confider it only as it is reprefented in the Scriptures; and in that View it will appear, that the dreadful Confufion, the amazing Horror, and the eternal Mifery, which will be the Confequence of your Infidelity, will be vaftly beyond the utmoft Stretch of your most exalted Apprehenfion or Imagination. As foon as your Soul is feparated from your Body, it will become the immediate Object of the divine Wrath; and how lightly foever you may think of thefe Things at prefent, you will find, that it is a fearful Thing to fall into the Hands of the living God.When the great Judge of the World fhall defcend

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defcend from Heaven, to take Vengeance on all thofes ubo do not obey the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, where will our unbelieving Gentlemen appear? Won't their Mirth be quite fpoiled, their farcaftic Flouts and Fleers be for ever over, when they must stand trembling at the left Hand of their Judge, having no poffible Refuge to betake themfelves to, no Plea to make for their Infidelity, no Place of Retreat in a diffolving World to hide their Heads !-What Comfort will it then afford them, to fay, «Alas!' "how have we been deceived! We never thought "it would have come to this!" Now we have found to our Coft, that there is fomething more in the Doctrines of a final Retribution than Fable or Fiction, Priest-Craft or Fanaticism, however we have in the Gaiety of our Temper rejected and defpifed them. Will they then be poffeffed of a fufficient Bravery and Prefence of Mind, to outface their glorious Judge, and to hear with Intrepidity the terrible Sentence, Depart, ye curfed, into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels ?-Will they,with their ufual frolic Humour, endure the Execution of this Sentence, and with Sport and Paftime welter in the eternal Flames of that Furnace of Fire, that is the deftin'd Abode of every final Unbeliever?

Now, Sir, does it not infinitely concern you to confider the Cafe before you in this awful View, to compare and make a proper Eftimate of the inconceivably different States of the Believer and the Infidel, both with refpect to Time and Eternity; and to enter upon the Difquifition you propofe, with a Mind duly impreffed with the vaft Importance of your coming to a fafe Conclufion?

You tell me, that you "can't from the Nature "of Things fee any Neceffity of fuch a Way of "Salvation, as the Gospel propofes. The Light "of Nature teaches us, that God is merciful; and

"confequently that he will pardon Sinners, upon "their Repentance and Amendment of Life." Let us then confider this Cafe impartially.

I think, there is no need of Arguments to convince you, that you are a Sinner. Do but confider the natural Tendency of your Affections, Appetites and Paffions, and review the past Conduct of your Life, and a Demonstration of this fad Truth will unavoidably stare you in the Face.-Let any Man enter into himself, and feriously confider the natural Operations of his own Mind, and he must neceffarily find, that, instead of a frequent and delightfuł Contemplation of the Perfections of the divine Nature, instead of a thankful Acknowledgment of his Obligations to the divine Goodness and Beneficence, and instead of that fublime Pleasure and Satisfaction that should flow from the Remembrance of his Cre ator and Benefactor, his Affections are naturally following mean, low and unreasonable, if not vile and wicked, Entertainments and Gratifications. He will find, that allCommunications with his glorious Creator are naturally painful and uneafy to him, while every trifling Amusement, and the vileft fenfual Ob. ject of his Thoughts, find a more easy Entrance, and a more peaceable Rest in his Soul.---From hence it is most evident, that the Heart is revolted from God; and that we have fubftituted the Creature in his Stead, as the Object of our Pursuit and Delight. And befides this; Who are there among the best of the Children of Men, whofe Confciences will not charge them with innumerable actual Trangreffions of the Law of Nature ?---From this View of the Cafe, you must therefore certainly find yourself in a State of moral Pollution and Guilt.

And can you, in fuch a State as this, reflect upon a God of infinite Purity and Justice with Comfort and Courage? Won't Confcience fly in your Face,

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and upbraid you with your Guilt and Danger? Don't your Rea'on tell you, that the great Creator and Governor of the World is too holy to approve, and too just to overlook, fuch a fixed Averfion to him; and fuch numerous Sins and Provocations against him, as you cannot but charge to your own Account?

But "God is merciful." True, he is so, to all proper Objects of Mercy; and in a Way agreeable to the Laws of his immutable Justice and Holiness. But can you fuppofe, that God will give up his Juftice and Holiness, as a Sacrifice to his Mercy, out of Compaffion to thofe, who deferve no Pity from him; to those who refuse the Offers of his Mercy in the Gofpel, becaufe difagreeable to their finful Defires and Imaginations?

But "Repentance will entitle the Sinner to Par"don, without any other Atonement.". ."---Are you fure of this? Certain it is, that Mankind have always, in all Ages, thought otherways. What elfe was the Meaning of thofe Sacrifices, that have every where obtained; and what the Meaning of thofe fuperftitious Aufterities, and fevere Penances, that have been so commonly practiled in the Heathen World, if fome Atonement, befides Repentance, was not thought neceffary to pacify an offended Deity --Confider, I intreat you, that as Sin is contrary to the divine Nature, it must be the Object of God's Difpleasure. As it is contrary to the Rules of his governing the World, it m. ft deferve Punishment.--If God be the Rector and Governor of the World, he must have fome Laws to govern by. If he has Laws to govern by, they must have fome Penalties to inforce them. If his Laws have Penalties annexed to them, these must be executed; or else they would be but Scare-Crows, without Truth or Juftice.---1 intreat you alfo to

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confider, how the Repentance of a guilty Criminal can answer the Demands of Juftice.---What Satiffaction will our Sorrow for Sin afford to the divine Being? How will it repair the Dishonour done to the Perfections of his Nature? How will it rectify our depraved Appetites and Paffions, and qualify us for the Enjoyment of his Favour? How will it vindicate his Holinefs, and difcover to the rational World his natural Averfion to Sin and Sinners ? Or how will the Fear of God's Difpleasure be a fufficient Restraint to Men's Lufts and vicious Appetites, if Sinners may fuppofe, that when they have gratified their Lufts, and taken their Swing in Sin, they can repent when they please; and thereby have an eafy Access to the Favour of God? In a Word, What Evidence can you poffibly pretend to from the Light of Nature, that Repentance only will fatisfy the divine Juftice, and reconcile you to God?

But after all, were it even fuppofed, that Repentance would neceffarily give us a Claim to Mercy, without any other Satisfaction to God's Juftice, it muft then be another Sort of Repentance than you feem to fuppofe. You must then allow, that this Repentance must be a thorough Change of Heart and Life. For you can hardly fuppofe, that we are qualified for God's Favour, while all the Powers of our Souls are in direct Oppofition and Averfion to him. nd is this Repentance in our Power? Can we at Pleasure renew our own Souls, and give ourfelves new Affections, Difpofitions, Defires and Delights? Can we change the Bent and Bias of our Inclinations to the Objects of Senfe, and bring ourfelves to love God above all Things, and to take our chief Delight and Complacency in him?-This must be obtained, in order to enjoy the Favour of God. And yet it is manifeftly out of our Reach. It must be the Effect of an Almighty Power.

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