ture, and our own; and that which the Scripture teacheth us, is but to behave our felves as is most fuitable to both. We fet our Wits on work to find flaws in the Evidence, because we would not have any Evidence at all for fuch things as we love not; and therefore would not have to be true. Would we instead of this, fet our Reafon on work in good earnest, to confider God's Nature, and our own; and how it becomes us to carry our felves towards him as his rational Creatures; and how much the Things commended to our Faith tend to the perfecting and dignifying of our Nature, and to our both prefent and future Happiness, it might be hop'd that we would believe, and be converted. But whilft we like not to retain God in our Knowledge, no wonder if He gives us over to a Reprobate Mind. Rom. 1. 28. The Apostle speaks of fome, who come with all deceivableness of unrighteoufnefs, that they fhall mightily prevail among Men, and that because they receiv'd not the love of the Truth, that they might be faved. And for this caufe (faith be) God fhall fend them strong delufion, that they should believe a Lie; that they all might be damned, that believ'd not the Truth, but had pleafure in Unrighteoufnefs. 2 Theff. 2. 9, 10, 11.

Let us therefore (as we love our felves, and would not run blindly into the fire, which never fhall be quenched) beware how by indulging the Flesh, we let our Lufts get fo great a command over our Reason, that they put out our Eyes, or make us impatient of that Light which difcovers unto us their foulness. If we be not very cautious herein, we fhall quickly be enflaved to the God of this World, the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Difobedience, or Unbelief, who blindeth

blindeth the minds of them that believe not, left the Light of the glorious Gofpel of Chrift, who is the Image of God, should fhine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. Let us but have boneft hearts, but fo boneft, I fay, as to deal faithfully with our felves, and to confult our own greatest Intereft; Let us but confider how much it muft needs concern us to please the God who made us, and resolve to do his Will to the utmost of our power, and we fhall find verified in our felves, thofe Words of our Saviour, Joh. 7. 17. If any Man will do bis, i. e, God's Will, he shall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I Speak of my Self.

LUKE

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LUKE XVI. 30.

And he faid, Nay Father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the Dead, they will repent.

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BRAHAM had faid enough in the foregoing Verfe, to let the Rich man underftand, That the Holy Scriptures are a fufficient means appointed by God for the Conviction and Converfion of Sinners, and keeping them out of Hell. But it is hard for any one to fay, what will fatisfy a wicked Man. All that Abraham had faid feem'd yet too little. He likes, (as fuch Men do,) his own Way beft, and therefore he infifts yet upon it, and is not willing to be denied. What Father Abraham, Mofes, and the Prophets? Is it enough to hear them? Nay, Father, that cannot be. I, and tny Brethren, had heard them long enough, and are none of us the better for it. The Writing that they have left is but a dead letter, and if it speak by the help of another's Voice, is it poffible it fhould make fuch an Impreffion on the mind of the hearer, as the Words of a dead 'Man would do: How would the Apparition of a dead Man ftartle them, and keep them awake, who are apt to fall asleep when O

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the Scripture is read, or preach'd unto them. Alafs, I know by too fad Experience how little the Scripture is able to do upon Men of my Temper, addicted to pleasure, and given over to a volup tuous and Epicurean Life. It could never prevail with me to change my way of Living, or to abate any thing of any one fingle pleasure, or of what I was delighted in. I could always eat and drink as fumptuously and intemperately, and live as extravagantly in all Excefs, and yet as fecurely too, as if I had never read or heard one Word of the Scripture. My Back was never the more modeftly clothed, nor my Belly the more moderately fed, nor the Poor the more liberally reliev'd, nor any one of my Lufts one jot abridged or ftinted in the large and daily Provilion I made for the Flesh; I was as much governed by my own Will and Appetite, and by the vain customs and fashions of the World, as tho' I had never heard of any of thofe Laws or Premifes, Fudgments or Threatnings of God which are read in the Scripture. Nay, I was brought to fo little veneration for thofe Writings, which are esteemed fo facred, and I ftood fo little in awe of any thing which they contain, that I could at any time make my felf and my Company merry with them; it was our port to laugh at them, and they help'd us to many a feft, and made us feem witty one to another, whilft we boldly abus'd and profan'd them; and derided thofe as fimple credulous Fools, who believ'd them. But now, if whilft we were in this merry Mode, one from the dead had fuddenly appear'd anong us, and told us what they were doing in the other World where he had been, and bid us make ready to die, for we must

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fhortly go to keep them Company, would not this have fpoil'd all our Sport in a moment? Would not the fight of this Spectre, and the lamentable, Story he could have told us ftruck us to the Heart, and put us upon fome ferious Thoughts, and at laft, when the aftonishment was a little over, made us fenfible of our Folly? I am confident it would, and therefore Father Abraham I again renew my Suit to thee with all carneftnefs in behalf of my Brethren, that Lazarus may be forthwith fent unto them; they will then repent, otherwife I defpair of their Repentance, and lie trembling to think how fhortly they will be here. with me in this place of Torments.

How confident doth the Rich Man here feem, That his Brethren would repent, if one were fent from the Dead to Testify unto them. How little reafon he had for this great confidence, will, I hope, be fhew'd anon. But thus it is with this fort of Men. Repentance is a thing they will hardly be brought to by any means. To part with their Sins fo long as they Live, and can feel the pleasure of them, fomething is ever wanting to perfuade them to this. They are Men of Reason, and will do nothing till they fee fufficient Reafon, to perfuade them to it; but as foon as Reason is given them, they are as ready to be ruled by it, as others are to believe they know not what, nor why. They repent not yet, only because they are not Fools enough to believe every Story that is told them by Men that can know no more the truth of what they tell them, than they do. But they are fo much Men, fo wholly govern'd by Reafon, which the rafl credulity of others fhews they want, that when this perfuades, they will certainly re

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pent.