of Evidence for their Unbelief, what Excufe will they find for their Infidelity?

This may convince Infidels themselves, that their Infidelity is no fecurity to them, for whether they will believe Heaven and Hell or not, if there be an Heaven they fhall lofe it, and if there be an Hell they fhall fall into it for their Infidelity; and defervedly too, if their Infidelity be caused by the fault of their Wills, not by a want of Evidence: And therefore no Man can be fecure in his Infidelity, till he be fecure that his Infidelity is not wilful; that there is no corrupt nor vicious Affection which byaffes and perverts his Judgment; and there is but one way of trying this, that I know of, and I am pretty confident it would cure all the Infidelity in the World: Let Men renounce all their finful Lufts and Vices, which make them infamous to the World; let them obey the Laws of the Gofpel, which are for the good of Humane Societies, for the good of their Families, which are the Ornament and Perfection of Humane Nature, whether the Gofpel be true or not, and then if they can disbelieve the Gofpel, it is not because their deeds are evil, not because they have fome Luft or other to ferve by their Infidelity, and this would make their Infidelity very excufable ; but

I know not of fuch an Infidel as this in the World. It is apparent and visible, that the Infidels of our Days promise themfelves fecurity in their Vices from their Infidelity: They laugh at Heaven and Hell, because they will not be at the pains to go to Heaven, and are afraid of Hell: Whatever Wit and

Reafon

Reafon they pretend to, all mankind fee which way their Inclinations lead them; and if they do not fee it themfelves, nor fufpect that this may be the Cause of their Infidelity, whatever Wit they may have, they have no Sense.

III. We fhall be judged alfo for not improving thofe Talents we are entrusted with; that is, for not doing Good in the World: This many Men are apt to forget. To fquander away, and wafte their Mafter's Goods, to do that which is evil, this they think they must give an account of, but if they do no hurt, they are not much concerned what good they do. But our Saviour in the Parable of the Talents, informs us better, that we must give an account of our Improvements: For he who received but one Talent, went and digged in the Earth and hid his Lord's Money, and when his Lord came to reckon with him, he faid, Lord, I knew that thou art an bard man, reaping where thou haft not fown, and gathering where thou haft not Strawed: And I was afraid, and went and bid thy Talent in the Earth: Lo, there thou hast what is thine. But bis Lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked Servant, thou knewest that Ireap where I fowed not, and gather where I have not ftrawed: Thou oughteft therefore to have put my Money to the Exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with ufury. Take therefore the Talent from him, And caft ye the unprofitable Servant into outer darkness, there fhall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth, 25 Matth.

Here we plainly fee, that this Servant was not punished for fpending his Mafter's Money, for he returned him the Talent which he gave

him; Lo, here thou hast what is thine; but for not improving it, as his other Servants had done: He was an unprofitable Servant, who had brought no advantage to his Mafter. And thus it is plain Men judge of Servants: He is a very wicked Steward indeed, who embezels his Mafter's Goods, but he is an unprofitable Servant who makes no Improvements: And thus God will judge of us, as we think it reasonable to judge of our Servants.

And good GOD! when we confider how many Talents we are entrusted with, it fhould make us tremble to think what little Improvements we make of them: Every thing that is improveable to the Service and Glory of God, is a Talent; and if we do not improve it to God's Glory, and to do good in the World, it is a Talent hid in a Napkin, or buried in the Earth. As to give fome fhort Hints and Intimations of this; for a juft Difcourfe about this Matter would be too long a Digreffion:

Power must be allowed to be a Talent, and a very improveable Talent; for every degree of Power gives Men great opportunities of doing good: Some Men move in a high Sphere, and can give Laws to those below; their very Examples, their Smiles or Frowns are Laws, and can do more to the reforming of the World, than the wifeft Inftructions, the moft convincing Arguments, the most pathatical Exhortations of meaner Men.

But though few Men have fuch a Power as this, yet moft Men have fome degree of Power; to be fure every Father and Master of a Family has; his Authority reaches his Chil

dren

dren and Servants, and were this but wifely improved, it would foon reform the World: But how few are there who improve this Talent? who use their Power to make those who are under their Authority obedient to God, which is the true Ufe and Improvement of Power.

Riches, I fuppofe, will be allowed to be another very Improveable Talent; for what Good may not a Rich Man do, if he have a heart to do it? He may be Eyes to the Blind,. and Feet to the Lame; a Father to the Fatherlefs, and a Husband to the Widow; a Tutelar Angel, and even a God to Men. And Riches are a Truft and a Stewardship, of which we muft give an Account. To fpend them upon our Lufts, in Rioting, Luxury, and Wantonnefs, this is to wafte our Mafter's Goods: And to keep them fafe, without doing any good with them, is to hide them in the Earth, as the unprofitable Servant did his Talent: And if we must be judged and condemned for not improving our Talent, for not putting our Lord's Money to the Exchangers, that when he comes he may receive his own with ufury, as our Saviour tells us; rich Men ought to examine their Accounts, and fee what Encrease they have made of their Talent; not how they have multiplied their Gold and Silver, but what good they have done with it.

Once more, Wisdom and Knowledge, efpecially the Knowledge of God and of Religion, is a very improveable Talent; for there is nothing whereby we can more advance the Glory of God, or do more good to Men; To in

ftru&t

struct the Ignorant, to confirm the Doubtful, to vindicate the Being and Providence of God, to fhame and baffle Atheism and Infidelity, to expound the Doctrines and Laws of our Saviour, and rescue them from perverse Gloffes and Comments; this makes the Glory of God more visible to the World, and ferves Mankind in their greatest and dearest Interests; it feeds their Souls with Knowledge and Understanding, directs them in the Way to Heaven, and minds them to take care of their Eternal State.

This indeed is the peculiar Care and Charge of the Ministers of Religion; they are the Stewards of the Mysteries of GOD; those whom our Lord has made Rulers over his Houfhold, to give them Meat in due feafon, 24 Matth. 25. And St. Paul tells us, It is required of thefe Stewards, that they be found faithful. But this is a Talent which thofe may have in great perfection, who are not by Office the Guides of Souls; and where-ever it is, it must be improved, and must be accounted for: We may many times do more fervice to God, and more good to Men, by giving wife and wholesome Inftructions, than by giving an Alms: This every Man who knows enough to take care of his own Soul, can do in fome measure; and this he must and ought to do, as well as he can: But fo few Men think of this, or charge themselves with it as belonging to their Account, that it is fit to mind you of it.

IV. We fhall be judged not only for our own perfonal Sins, but, in many cafes, for

the