trouble our Heads fo well and throughly to confider and meditate upon them, that they may af fect and feafon our minds and hearts. This is evidently the root of our wickedness and impenitence, that we do not believe what God hath told us.

Let us therefore take heed of unbelief. The things which God hath commended to our Faith, are no Trifles, but matters of the greatest weight, and fuch as may juftly command our most ferions thoughts as long as we live. They are things, on the belief whereof depends no less, than our eternal happiness; and all Men must grant, that nothing can more deserve our best confideration, than how we may be eternally happy, and escape becoming eternally miferable. The matters that God in his Word hath informed us of, and directed us about, are of no lefs moment than everlafling Foy, and everlasting Torment; and there's no Man in his right Wits, who can think these are things to be flighted and dallied with. One would think it worth any Man's chief care and pains (whatever elfe he may have to do) to confider, what reafons may be given for the belief or disbelief of things of this nature. Indeed, were the matters revealed unto us by God, things which could neither greatly profit nor hurt us, whether we believed them or no; how much foever the fenfe of God's Authority thould fway us, yet we could not find any reafon in the nature of things to be otherwife than very indifferent about them; whether they be true or falfe, we could not be greatly concern'd to know it. But fee. ing they are fuch as hath been faid, it can be no indifferent matter to any one that is not a fool or madman, which of them is like to fall to his

fhare;

fhare; or whether there be any fuch things or no. And therefore now that we are told of them, is it pollible that we should have fo little regard to our own Safety, whatever we have to God's Glory, as not above all things to make an impartial Enquiry into the truth of them? O, let us take heed, left there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, Heb. 3. 12. The Apostle there tells us the truth of what we are now confidering, That it is our not believing God which keeps us from repenting, and being Jafe. Speaking of the Reft which God promised good Men, he affures us, that want of Faith will certainly keep Men from entring into it, v. 18. To whom (faith he) sware be, i. e. God, that they should not enter into his reft, but to them that believed not? This Reft, which he fware they should not enter into, was the Typical reft of the Ifraelites in the Land of Canaan, figuring to us our final Reft, after all the Troubles and Travels of this Life, in the Kingdom of Heaven. We fee (faith he again v. 19.) they could not enter in because of unbelief. And again, ch. 4. 2. The Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it. Let us labour therefore (faith he, v. 11.) to enter into that reft, that, V. 9. remaineth for the People of God, left any Man fall after the fame Example of Unbelief.

Secondly, We observe, That the wicked Man's pretence for his unbelief, is want of fufficient evidence. He wants one to bear witness of the things reveal'd, fome fuch Perfon as Lazar from the Dead, to convince him that these things are true. And, indeed, what is it that we more commonly hear from the Mouth of Profane Men, than fuch Questions as thefe. Who can tell (fay

M 4

they

they) whether these things are true or false? Such things as thefe you tell us of, and it is no News to hear a great deal of talk about them, but, how can it be made unquestionably evident, that thereare any fuch things? What Demonftrations can be given us of fuch a Being, as God? How can it be made undeniably evident, that the Scripture is the word of God? How can we be affured, that all is not a fiction and contrivance of crafty men to have their ends upon us? Till we can be affur'd of these things by fome clearer evidence to affure us of the truth of what we are told concerning things to come, we think it not wifdome to forgo the things prefent. Why fhould we forbear to take our pleasure in this World, which now we Taft, and Feel, and See, and are fure of, in hope of that which no Man can affure us that we fhall ever enjoy, or for fear of what, for ought we know, will never be.

This is the pretence for infidelity, and wickednefs, and thefe are the questions and difputings not of Reafon, but of Luft. How eafily can fuch People believe, where they have a mind to believe, tho' the evidence they have, is not comparable to that they have in the matter now in hand? Where evidence is wanting, whether a thing be, or no; it must needs be as unreasonable, to believe without evidence, that it is not, as that it is. And yet thefe Men who pretend the want of evidence, pretend alfo to believe the things not to be, of the Being, or not Being, whereof, they say they can have no evidence. When, by this, is evident enough, that neither their belief, nor disbelief, is grounded on Reafon, but only on Affection and Luft; whereby they are prejudic'd against the belief of what they love not, and therefore would not have to be true. They have ('tis plain )

no

no reason for their unbelief, but for want of Reason to alledge for the wicked courses they take, are forc'd to fly to a foolish pretence, for a colour of Reafon. For why? If they fhall confefs that they believe these things, or look upon them as things credible; they muft openly proclaim themselves Fools, for living as they do, and running wittingly on their own eternal Damnation. That therefore they may Sin on, and not seem to confefs themselves Fools, and Madmen for doing fo, they have no other fhift left, but a pretence, that they cannot believe for want of evidence. Let us have (fay they) but a clear demonftration of the Truth, and we will believe it as well as others.

But, alafs, whilst they would thus at once enjoy their Sins, and avoid the juft imputation of Folly, they give all confidering Men as plain a demonstration of their Folly as Men can do. They have evidence enough for Faith, if not for Science, and defiring more, they are just as reafo nable as a Blind-man, who walking in a dangerous path, wherein if he go, he is told he fhall fhortly fall into a Pit, out of which he can never be taken alive; will walk on ftill, notwithstanding all that can be faid or done to convince him, pretending he wants evidence enough of the truth of what is told him, because he fees not the Pit; and therefore he will not believe there is one, till fome Body do, what none can do, let him fee it. Faith is the Evidence of Things not feen. Heb. 11, 1.. And Things not feen admit not of fuch demonftrations as thefe People call for. They would Jee what is not yet to be feen, before they come thither, where they may be feen. As tho' one would not believe there is fuch a place as NewEngland, when you have told him he is invited

thither

thither by a Friend to an Inheritance there left him, and may certainly have it, if he will believe and go for it. But whatever proof you give him of the truth you tell him, he puts all off with this, that it is no demonftration, for he fees no fuch Country. And who can be fuch a fool, as to imagine he fhould, 'till he have fo much faith as to believe him that told him of it, so far at leaft, as to go thither where he may fee it?

Well, but thefe Mafters of Reafon cannot be convinced, fay what you will, till fuch Arguments be brought as fhall compel their confent ; that is, fuch as fo neceffarily, and evidently conclude the Truths commended to their belief; as that they can no longer deny their affenting to them; and nothing less than an evident impossi bility that it fhould be otherwife, will ferve their turn. And herein again is their folly manifested to all wife Men; for, upon the fame account, they may as reasonably fay, that they fhall be no longer masters of Reafon, fhould they believe themselves to be the Sons and Daughters of their own Parents; or that either their's, or any other's Eftates, are their own rightful Inheritance; for no fuch reafens can be produced to convince them of this, as will make it evidently impoffible that it should be otherwife. But fuch Men have no mind to part with their Eftates, because without them they could not live at the Sumptuous rate, as now they do; and therefore they can believe them their own, without fuch cogent Reasons, as they think necessary to make them yield. to be good.

It may be yet, that fome of these Infidels may grant us thus much: That feeing Faith is the Subftance of things hoped for, Heb. 11. 1. and these

things