free-agents; fitted to love God, and delight in him, and praise him; and so is man. 2. Because, as is fully proved before, it is made to be happy in another life: and that proveth that it dieth not with the body: and that proveth that its nature is incorruptible and that proveth that it shall be perpetual, unless any sin should forfeit its being, by way of penal deprivation; and that is improbable, both because God hath fitter ways of punishment, and intimateth in its corruptible nature, that this is not his intent, and because the state of future reward is like to be a confirmed state.

Sect. 34. Experience telleth the world, that so great is the folly and obduracy of man, and the force of present, sensual allurements, that nothing less than a perpetual misery, worse than annihilation, is rationally sufficient to be the penalty of that law, which is the instrument of governing the world; and therefore it is certain, that so much is in the law, and so much shall be executed.

Those thieves and murderers that have confirmed their infidelity, and overcome all the expectations of another world, will as boldly venture their lives to rob and kill, as if they were of little worth; yea, when they know that they must die, how desperately they go to the gallows, and how little they make of their lives. It is true, as was aforesaid, that nature abhorreth death; but we see among soldiers, that he that at first is timorous, when he hath been used awhile to kill men, or to see them killed by thousands, groweth senseless, almost regardless of his life, and will make, as it were, a jest of death; and when it is so ordinary a thing with men to kill birds, and fishes, and beasts, for their daily food and pleasure, why should they not easily bear their own, if they look for nothing after death? A beast loveth his life as well as we, and our death is no more painful than theirs, and we should have as much courage as a beast; especially, men that live a poor and miserable life on earth, would little fear that death which endeth it; and so human government itself would be in vain. He that would have an instrument to revenge him on his enemy, to kill his governor, or do any villany in the world, if it were not for fear of another world, might find enough among poor villains, that, by misery or melancholy, are weary of their lives: at least, as long as they run but a hazard, like a soldier in fight, and may possibly escape by craft, or flight, or friends, or strength, what wickedness will they not commit? What prince so just that hath not

some rebellious subjects, or some enemy that seeks his life; what man so good that is not envied by some? Who hath money or an estate, which one or other doth not desire; and if there were nothing but death and annihilation to restrain men, what prince, what person, had any security of his life or estate? If a rogue once grow but sensual and idle, he will deliberately resolve, 'I will venture my life to live in pleasure, rather than live in certain toil and misery; a life short and sweet is better than a longer which is miserable, and must end at last.' We see, if once men be persuaded that they shall die like beasts, that they are not much troubled at it, because they think that when they have no being, they shall have no fear, nor care, nor grief, nor trouble, nor pain, nor want; and though right improved reason, which hath higher expectations, makes a greater matter of the loss of them, yet sensual men so brutify themselves, that they grow contented with the felicity of a brute, and are not much troubled that they have no more. Annihilation, therefore, certainly is a penalty utterly insufficient even to keep any common order in the world, as I proved before; and therefore it is certain, that the penalty inflicted hereafter will be greater than annihilation; and if so, it must contain, with the being of the creature, a suffering worse than the loss of being.P

Sect. 35. The belief of a hell, or endless punishment, being that which, de facto, the restraint of the obedient part of the world, and that which proveth too weak with the disobedient part; it thence followeth, that a hell or endless punishment will be inflicted.

The reasons I have given before, 1. Because that experience showeth that the threatening of hell is necessary in the law;

The

› Magna est peccandi illecebra spes impunitatis.-Cic. pro. Mil. light of nature taught men, that God would not accept the sacrifices of the wicked, much less admit them to his glory. Donis impii ne placare Deos audeant, Platonem audiant, qui vetat dubitare quâ sit mente futurus Deus, cum vir nemo bonus ab improbo se donari velit. Cic. de Leg. 1. 2. p. 244. The Epicurean confesseth, Quod si qui satis opibus hominum sibi contra conscientiam septi esse et muniti videntur, Deorum tamen numen horrent, easque ipsas solicitudines, quibus animi noctes diesque exeduntur, à Diis supplicii causa importare putaut.-Cic. de Leg. 1. 1. p. 84. peccatorum tuorum, magis timueris quam temetipsum effugere, te autem nunquam. Nequitia ipsa est sui pœna.-Sen. Peccati dolor et maximus et æternus est.-Cic. Att. 11. ea solum incommoda quæ eveniunt improbis, fugiendam improbibatem putamus; sed multo etiam magis, quod cujus in animo versatur, nunquam sinit eum respirare, nunquam quiescere; inquit Torquatus Epicureus in Cic. de Fin. 1. 1. p. 85.

Nullum conscium alium enim potes

Itaque non ob

therefore itself is necessary in the execution. 2. Because God doth not govern the world by deceit.

Sect. 36. God will inflict more punishment for the final rejection of his government, than kings do for treason and rebellion against themselves.

There is no proportion between God and man, and between a fault against God and against man; therefore, if racks, torments, and death be justly inflicted for treason against a king, much more may be expected for rebellion against God.

Object. But men's sins do God no hurt, as they do the king. Answ, They do wrong, where they do no hurt. It is not for want of malignity in sin, but through the perfections of God, that they do not hurt him; but they displease him, and injure him; and they hurt the world and the sinner himself, who is not his own. A child is to be corrected for many faults, which do his father no harm. It is not hurting God that is the cause that sin is punished.

Object. But God is merciful as well as just.

Answ. True; and therefore he showed mercy to sinners in the day of mercy; and it is for the contempt and abuse of mercy that he condemneth them: if the mercy abused had been less, the sin and punishment had been less. A merciful king and judge will hang a murderer or traitor: mercy to the good requireth punishment to the bad. God's attributes are not contrary; he is merciful to the due objects of mercy, and hath penal justice for the objects of that justice.

Object. But after this life the ends of punishment cease, therefore, so will the punishment; for there will be none in the next world to be warned by it, nor any further sin to be restrained, unless it be a castigatory purgatory for the sinner himself.

Answ. 1. I have proved that the law was necessary to the government of this world; and if it was necessary that God say, Everlasting death shall be the wages of sin,' then his truth and justice make the execution necessary afterwards.

2. When this life is ended, we look for a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness: and the penalties of the sinners of this world may be a means of that righteousness

Ut fulmina paucorum periculo cadunt, omnium metu; sic animadversiones magnarum potestatum, terrent latius quàm nocent.-Sen. Solon's counsel for the felicity of the Commonwealth was, Ut boni præmiis invitentur, et mali pœnis coerceantur.-Cic. ad Brut. Oderunt peccare mali formidine pœnæ. -Hor.

of the next; as the punishment of the devils is a warning to us, and proposed to us for our terror and restraint.

3. How little know we whether thousands of the orbs which we see are not inhabited; and whether the penalties of earthly sinners may not be a warning to any of those superior worlds. God hath not acquainted us with all the uses that he can make of sinners' punishments: and, therefore, when nature telleth us what is due, it is folly to say it will not be, because God hath no use for it.

Object. But hell is a cruelty which expresseth tyranny rather than wise justice.

Answ. That is but the voice of folly, partiality, and guilt: every thief that is hanged is likely enough to think the same of his own punishment and judge. If you think it such a cruelty, why was not the threatening of it enough to govern you, and to counterpoise a feather, the trifles of sordid, fleshly pleasure? Why did you choose it, in the choice of sin? Were you not told of it, and was not life and death offered to your choice? Would you choose that which you think it is cruelty to inflict? Who is it that is cruel to you but yourselves? Why will you now be so cruel to your own souls, and then call God cruel for giving you your choice? O, sinners, as you are wise, as you are men, as ever you care what becometh of you for ever, have mercy upon yourselves, and do not refuse, and obstinately refuse, the mercy of God, and then call him unmerciful. Have pity on your own souls. Be not so cruel against yourselves as to run into endless misery for nothing, and then think to lay the blame on God. God calleth now to you in your sin and wilfulness, and entreateth you to have mercy on yourselves, and then he will have mercy on you in the day of your distress: but if you will not hear him, but will have none of his mercy now, wonder not if in vain you cry to him for it then.

Object. But I would not so use an enemy of my own.

Answ, 1. He doth not deserve it, for you are not gods, 2. You are not governors of the world, and so his fault respecteth not any such law and judgment of yours, by which the world must be governed. 3. Nor have you the wisdom and justice of God, to do that which is right to all. Yet are you not bound yourselves to take complacency in the evil of your enemy, but to use just means to bring him to a better mind and state.

Sect. 37. The sum of all here proved is, that all sin deserveth endless misery, and naturally induceth to it; and that all un

godly, impenitent souls shall certainly undergo it; and that none can be saved from this misery, but by turning to God, and being saved from their sins."

CHAP. XVI.

Of the present Sinful and Miserable State of this World.

SECT. 1. Though all men may know all this beforesaid to be their duty, and sin to be so evil, and to deserve such punishment, yet none do live perfectly without sin, according to the law of nature.t

I have heard but of few that pretend to such perfection, and those few have confuted their own pretences, and been the furthest from it of many others: and, therefore, this I have no need to prove.

Sect. 2. The greatest part of the world do bend their minds and lives to the satisfying of their flesh, and live in ungodliness, intemperance, and unrighteousness, neglecting God and future happiness, and that holy life which is the way thereto.

This being a matter of public or common fact, doth need no other proof than acquaintance with the people of the world.

Sect. 3. Yea, there is an aversion and enmity in them, to the life which God in nature doth prescribe them, and a strong inclination to a fleshly life.

There needeth no other proof of this than the wonderful difficulty which we find in persuading men to change their lives, to live to God, and to forsake their sensuality and worldliness; and the abundance of reason and labour that is lost upon them, when we cannot so much as make them willing.

Audetis ridere

Dat ille veniam facilè, cui venia est opus.-Sen. Agam. nos, cum Gehennas dicimus et inextinguibiles ignes, in quos animas dejici ab eorum hostibus cognovimus? Quid Plato vester in volumine de animæ immortalitate? Nonne Acherontem, nonne Stygem, &c., nominat? In quibus animas asseverat volvi, mergi, exuri? Nec ejus authoritas plurimum à veritate declinat? Quamvis enim vir lenis et benevolæ voluntatis inhumanum esse crediderit capitali animas sententiâ condemnare; non est tamen absonè suspicatus, jaci eas in flumina torrentia flammarum globis, et cænosis voraginibus tetra.-Arnob. adv. Gent. 1. 2, p. 14.

* Bias (in Laert.) inquit, Ita amandum quasi odio simus habituri: Plurimos enim esse malos: and though Cicero (in Læl.) says, That it is a sentence, Sapiente planè indigua, it is his mistake of the sense of it; for it is true, that in well-grounded friendship we must avoid suspiciou, which is all that Cicero pleads for: but yet we must know men to be men, and mutable; and all just love is not well-grounded, intimate friendship.