could not be the ultimate end of creation. Suppose a queftion put to him by the author of his nature; Whether would he choose to venture forward into this future state of being, though unknown to him, or fall back into nothing? It cannot be doubted but that he would, and ought to embrace the former; and prefer the poffibility of exifting happily, to not existing at all. But fuppofe a revelation made to him, that this future ftate was to be a state of trial, and that, according to his behaviour, he should either enjoy happiness, or fuffer mifery; would he not enter into it upon these terms? He certainly would. If therefore this be likely to be the reafoning of a man in an embryo ftate, in regard to this world; it is alfo becoming the reafon of an adult man, in regard to the next world. In refpect to which, this. reasoning is stronger: For, if this life should be the object of defire to a perfon in an embryo ftate though this be a state of trial, temptation, and difficulty: The next is infinitely more defirable to one, who confiders the revealed account of it in this. For it is to be a state of eternal enjoyment, without temptation; of everlafting pleasure, without an allay of pain. What then shall we fay to thofe, who even cen fure their Creator for their existence, and endeavour to reafon themselves into the hopes of returning to nothing? The Analogy of reason fhews, that their fentiments are both foolifh and impious, and concludes against them in a forcible manner: For, if we may fuppofe, that a man would choofe to enter into this world, knowing it to be a state of trial, even for the fake of its temporal degree of happiness; much more would he choose this life, knowing it to be the means of a probability of eternal happiness in a state beyond it. L ET us now confider the Analogy between the the the maturity of it; and the whole life of man here, to his future life. THE Bible tells us, that temporal life is a probationary state to eternal life: For the world passeth away, and the luft thereof; but he that doeth the will of God, abideth for ever: And Analogy confirms this. For why should not temporal life be to eternal life, what the immaturity of temporal life, is to the maturity of it? And what are the first twenty years of man's life, but a ftate of trial, and exercife, and difcipline, and inftruction, to enable him to act fome ufeful Part in the world? A common mechanic, after having learned the neceffary qualification of language, fhall be obliged to ferve many years to acquire the skill of a trade, whereby he is to fupport himself; and they who are educated for the liberal arts, fhall ftudy with intenfenefs, and traverse the globe for knowledge, in order to be use ful to mankind. The great Roman orator was twenty fix years engaged in preparatory ftudies, before he was qualified to make one oration. And fhall eter-i nity of happinefs be made to depend upon lefs pains, and lefs trials, than the fhort enjoyment of a tranfient world? And further, in this ftate of temporary probation, it is to be observed, that children do many things, the reason of which they do not, and cannot fee, merely in obedience to authority; but they have fome kind of fenfe, that what is required of them, though at prefent uneafy to them, will fome time or other procure them pleasure. Analogus to this, in the mature ftate of man's life, the divine author of it may require things of him, the reasonablenefs of which though he fhould not fee, yet fhould he presume it; and act as chearfully upon the divine testimony, as upon the clear evidence of human reafon For the mature ftate of a man here is only childhood, in respect to the perfect ftate he will enjoy hereafter. It is, perhaps, upon this account, account, as well as innocence, that our Saviour fays,' fuffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of fuch is the kingdom of God: Verily I fay unto you, whofcever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, fhall in no wise enter therein. And except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. ET us now, in the second place, ftate the analogy between worldly cunning and true morality,. or between that which is improperly called prudence and religion; that is, the Analogy between the moral and spiritual man. There is a fort of virtue, or prudence, very confiftent with the character of a bad man, even an atheift: An avaritious man fhall be temperate, because it is a means to increase wealth; an ambitious man shall be generous, because it is a means to make friendship, and procure applaufe; the atheist fhall be temperate and generous, and, in many o.. ther refpects, fo far virtuous, as he evidently fees a moral practice is the means to preferve health, prolong life, and to give a true relifh to the pleasures of the world: But that, which constitutes true virtue, is acting thus in obedience to the divine lawgiver, and in hopes of a future reward. It is the Analogy between this last true prudence, and the improper prudence, or worldly cunning, which is to be confidered. Prudence, in general, is the habit of choofing proper means to acquire a defirable end; and worldly prudence is the choofing the likelieft means, to obtain temporal profperity. In this, men are ex ceedingly fagacious, and induftrious, and enterprifing: They compare paft things with the prefent, and judge, with a good degree of certainty, of what is the immediate matter of action, and with probability of futurity: They can lay schemes, the event of which fhall be at fome years diftance; they can expend money upon manufactures in the most moft diftant parts of the globe, and encounter many difficulties to bring home their wealth. The perils of the ocean, the fickliness of climates, and hoftile oppofition, though all united, fhall not deter them, from attempting to execute, a mercantile or an ambitious project. Now fhould not the Analogy of things teach us, that mankind ought to be more fagacious, more induftrious, and more enterprifing, in fpiritual things, fince they are of infinitely more importance? But this is not the whole of worldly prudence: Many men fail in the execution of their projects; the mariner perifhes at fea, the merchant becomes a bankrupt upon land, the farmer is impoverished by feverity of weather, and the warrier is taken or kil led in battle: But do these calamities and difap. pointments hinder the reft of mankind from engaging in the fame purfuits? Will not men, notwithftanding this, go to fea, enter into a precarious trade, plow their land, and go to battle? It would be folly not to do these things: Yet, in fpiritual things, they are deterred with every difficulty; all truths must be made demonftrable to them; their reward must be made fure, and almoft unconditional; the numbers of those that are to be faved muft be computed; and, if the appearance of things is, that a great part of mankind are bringing damnation upon themselves, this fhall frighten many a weak mind, even from attempting to be faved. But let Analogy have its full force, and the folly of this fpiritual iniprudence fhall appear: For, fince in all other things men are not hindered from reasonable pursuits, by evident and unavoidable difficulties; neither fhould they in their religion, in the work of their falvation, which is of infinitely more importance than all thofe things, which mankind pursue with fuch eagerness and fagacity. Our Saviour, therefore, very properly answered that queftion of more curiofity than ufe: Lord, are there there few, that be faved? Strive, says he, to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I say unto you, will feek to enter in, and shall not be able. He makes no comparison at all between the numbers, as being of no fort of ufe; but takes occafion to exhort them to that fpiritual diligence, which is the condition of falvation: For many, that feek it, fhall not be able, because they only feek, and do not strive. Many, in this anfwer, is a relative term, not to the number of those to be faved, which may be infinitely more, but to the mind and purpose of God, which is to fave all men; for he is not willing, that any fhould perife, but that all should come to repentance. They may, therefore, be very few, for ought we know, in refpect to those, which are faved; and yet be many, in refpect to the purpose of God, which was to fave All. Now, fuppofe men were to reafon in the fame manner in temporal concerns; it would put an intire ftop to all human industry: The mariner would not put to fea, till he had computed, whether there are more men, that escape, than perish, by the waters; the merchant would not trade, till he had computed, whether there were more men made rich, than impoverished, by traffic; the farmer would not fow his feed, till he had computed, whether there were more grains which grew, than failed: And, perhaps a true computation would, in many cafes, deter mine things on the difcouraging fide. But they do not argue fo: On the contrary, they fuppofe very justly, though multitudes fuffer lofs, and difappointment, in all forts of worldly purfuits yet it is not the nature of things, fo much as human. folly, and error, and precipitancy, that occafion it: And therefore, if they think they can pursue a fcheme rationally, they are worldly prudent in attempting it. And thus in religion should men argue: Though millions perish, every man is fure he has the means F of |