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"in fuch a cafe, the standing ordinary means of "conviction failing to influence them, it is not "to be expected, that any extraordinary means, "of what kind foever, fhould be able to do it; no, not tho' one should come from the dead, "on purpose to warn them of their danger. For, "however fuch a message might startle and amaze "them at the firft, might for a while put new

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thoughts, new refolutions into them; yet it "would work no total change: They, who were "abfolute infidels before fuch a message, would, " in all probability, continue infidels ftill."

Which truth, thus largely explained and stated, I proceed now, under my

Second general head, to confirm, by various arguments and reflections. And

Firft, We will fuppofe, that fuch a meffage from the dead, as that, for which the rich man here intercedes, is really in itself an argument of greater ftrength and force to perfuade a finner out of the error of his ways, than any standing revelation, however fo well attested and confirmed: I will fhew, nevertheless, that it would not be complyed with. Becaufe

If, It is not, for want of ftrength, that the standing ordinary ways of proof are rejected, but for want of fincerity and a difinterested mind in thofe to whom they are propofed; and the fame want of fincerity, the fame adhefion to vice, and averfion from goodness, will be equally a reason for their rejecting any proof whatfoever. The evidence they had before, was enough, amply ènough to convince them; but they were refolved not to be convinced: And to thofe, who are rè

folved not to be convinced, all motives, all argu ments are equal. He that fhuts his eyes against a fmall light, on purpofe to avoid the fight of fomewhat that displeases him, would (for the fame reafon) fhut them alfo against the fun itself; and not be brought to fee that, which he had no mind to fee, let it be placed in never fo clear a light, and never fo near him. The truth is, fuch a

man understands by his will; and believes a thing true, or false, merely as it agrees or difagrees with a violent inclination: And therefore, whilst that inclination lafts in its strength, he difcerns nothing of the different degrees of evidence, nor diftinguifheth at all between a weak motive and a ftrong one. But,

2dly, A motive, however ftronger in itself than another, may yet make a weaker impreffion, when employed, after that the motive of lefs, tho' fufficient, ftrength hath been already refifted. For the mind doth, by every degree of affected unbelief, contract more and more of a general indifpofition towards believing: So that fuch a proof, as would have been clofed with certainty at the firft, fhall be fet afide eafily afterwards, when a man hath been used to difpute himself out of plain truths, and to go against the light of his own understanding. 'Tis in infidelity, as in a vicious courfe of life; a sturdy, hardened finner fhall advance to the utmost pitch of impiety with lefs difficulty, lefs reluctance of mind, than perhaps he took the first steps in wickednefs, whilft his confcience was yet viligant and tender. Should therefore the evidence of one arifing from the dead, be in itself more powerful than that of the standing

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standing gofpel-proofs, yet, we fee, it would operate as little, or lefs than they, upon a perfon who had before-hand rejected thofe proofs. Nay,

3dly, The peculiar ftrength of the motive may of itself, perhaps, contribute to fruftrate the efficacy of it; rendering it liable to be fufpected by him to whom it is addreffed. He is confcious, how little he hath deferved fo extraordinary a privilege; how much rather he hath deferved to have the ordinary means of grace withdrawn, which he hath fo long baffled and defied: And he will, therefore, as foon as his firft furprife is over, justly begin to wonder, how fuch a favour came to be bestowed on him; why God fhould, for his fake, do what was never before done, fince the foundations of the world were laid; fhould reverfe the laws of nature merely to produce an effect, which tends rather to spread the interests of irreligion, than to ftop the growth of it; which encourages men to be as vicious as they can, in order to qualify themselves for God's greateft indulgences and mercies: For that (he well knows) is his only qualification. He will conclude therefore, That there must have been some mistake or delufion in the matter. It might be a mere dream which he faw, the imagery of a melancholic fancy; fuch as now and then prefents itfelf to a mufing, thoughtful men, when their fpirits are low, and the spleen hath gotten poffeffion of them; and fuch as they mistake at that time for a reality, though they are afterwards fatisfied, that it had no existence any where, but in their own difordered imagination.

Or, if he cannot help believing, that fuch

things he saw and heard, he may ftill have room to believe, That what this airy phantom faid, is not abfolutely to be relied on: For it might be one of thofe ill-natured beings, who are at enmity with mankind, and do, therefore, take pleasure in difturbing and perplexing their minds, and filling them with vain and groundless terrors. Or it might, after all, be one of his jocund unbelieving acquaintance [now alive,] dreffed up in fuch a form, and acting fuch a part, on purpose to get the advantage of his credulity, and to expose him.

But whoever, or whatever it was, 'tis not conceivable that it should be indeed that very person, whose shape and voice is affumed: For if there be any fuch thing as hell, he is certainly tormented in the flames of it. And while he is fo, can it be imagined that he should either be enough at eafe, or have concern and compaffion enough for his furviving friends, to contrive fuch expedients for their recovery? And by that means defeat himself of the pleasure he may one day hope for in their company? Damned fpirits do not, furely, use to entertain fuch charitable defigns: They must needs be all envy, despair, and rage; and have fo much of a Diabolical nature in them, as to wifh rather, that all men fhould share, than endeavour that any should escape, their torments.

For these, and many other reasons, which the evil fpirit, who is ever ready to affift men's doubts on these occafions, will be fure to infufe, he'll fufpend his judgment of this strange event a while, till he hath confidered further of it. In the mean

time, during this fufpenfe, the heat of the im❤ preffion abates, and that of his lufts and paffions returns; and then 'tis odds but the scale turns at laft on nature's fide, and the evidence of one or two fenfes gives way to the united bent and tend ency of all the five. Efpecially, if it be confidered,

4thly, How far thefe fufpicions of his will be improved and heightened by the raillery and laughter, he will be fure to meet with, on this head, from his old friends and companions. We may imagine, what reception they would give to fuch a story, and the teller of it; how many pleasant and gay things they would fay on this occafion: Which will have so much the keener edge, in the present cafe, because they are turned upon one, who, 'tis probable, hath taken the like liberties before; hath himfelf laughed with them on this very supposition as loudly, and ridiculed fuch idle tales, as heartily as any man. They will be fure, therefore, to put him in mind of his own waking thoughts, ere these dreams had as yet made their impreffion on his fancy, and to encounter him with thofe reasonings, and that fcorn, with which he used to encounter others, on the like occafions; till they have made him ashamed first to vouch the truth of the relation, and afterwards even to credit it. For, when a man is surrounded on all fides with oppofition and contempt for believing, what he himfelf would not have believed, upon the relation of another; and what, for his vices fake, he paffionately wishes he may not have reafon to believe; tis not hard to imagine, how he may be brought to give up the clearest evidence, and fuffer him

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