tizens of another Country, upon certain Affurance given them of future Glory. But confider, the Terms upon which we are to be happy in another World must be fuch, as are confiftent with our State and Condition in this. It is impoffible to imagine it to be reasonable for God to place us in this World, and then to give fuch Hopes of another, as fhould render us unfit to fupport the feveral Characters imposed on us here. And it is much to be doubted whether the best Men would not be rendered useless to this World by fuch Security given for their own future Happiness as fome feem to defire. They would probably be loft in the Profpect of their own future Happiness, and grow stupid to the World, and act as if they did, in the literal Senfe, hate Father and Mother, Brother and Sifter: Whereas now the Senfe of Religion under which they live, the Neceflity they know themselves to be under to work out their own Salvation, obliges them to discharge, all the Offices and Duties of Life regularly and honourably; fince there is no Way of fecuring our Happiness in another World, but by doing all the Good we can in this.

And if this Sort of Knowledge would probably render good Men ufeless to the World, it would certainly render bad Men exceedingly pernicious to it. Defpair is the Height of Madness; and were all bad Men to be made mad and outrageous, it would perhaps be hard to find Keepers to guard them, and to protect the rest of Mankind from their Fury. To live amongst Men who knew themselves deftined to eternal Misery, what else would it be but living among the Damned, and being exposed to all their Malice and Revenge, made ten times more malicious and revengful by their Despair?

But if it can ferve no good Purpose to communicate to us this Knowledge with respect to ourselves, and our own future State and Condition, what Purpose can it poffibly ferve to give us this Knowledge with respect to others, and their future Condition? What is it to us to know the exact Proportion between the Good and Bad, or to know how many or how few fhall finally mifcarry? Would this Knowledge alter our alter our own Condition in any Refpect? would it affect the Terms of our Obedience, or make it easier for us to

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work out our own Salvation? If not, to what Purpose is it. defired? unless perhaps you fecretly imagine that God means not to execute his Threatnings against Sinners, but will fave all at the laft ; and you want to be let into this Secret, that you may fin without Fear. If this be indeed your Cafe, do you not fee that your Curiofity is irreligious, and fprings from a corrupted Heart, which wants to be freed from the Fear of Hell, only to enjoy the Pleasure of Sin? And can you ftill wonder why God does not gratify such a Curiofity as this, and reveal the fecret Myfteries of his Providence, to encourage you in Vice and Immorality? It wants but little Reflection in this Cafe to fee that the Reason why this Knowledge is defired, is a very good Reason why it fhould not be granted.

In general, it is very abfurd to expect that Judgment fhould go before Trial: And therefore, as this Life is a State of Trial, and is naturally to be followed by a Day of Judgment, it is unnatural to declare the final State of Men before their Trial is over; and with refpect to any Judgment, but the Judgment of God, it

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is impoffible; for no other juft Judge can tell what his Sentence will be before the Trial is over.

The Scope which Men give to their Imaginations upon this Subject, when they leave their only fure Guide, the Word of God, is always dangerous, and oftentimes fatal to them. If you are contented to take God's Word for the Method he intends to pursue in the Judging of the World, you will foon fee, that, in order to be happy, you must be good. If you want Restraint, the Threatnings of God are terrible: If you want Comfort, the Promiles of the Gospel are the only proper Cordial for penitent Sinners. Thus will you find yourself equally guarded against Prefumption and Defpair, fo long as you follow the Light of God's Word. But if you indulge your own Conceit, and imagine that God will be either better or worfe to you, than he has declared, you expose yourself to manifeft Peril. If in the Gaiety your Heart you imagine God means little by his Threatnings, and made ufe of them only to deter Men from Vice, without ever intending a rigorous Execu tion, it is very probable that you will

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take Advantage of your own Discovery, and abate as much in your own Goodnefs, as you do in God's Severity. If you are of a colder Conftitution, and more inclined to melancholic Thoughts, your Imagination will fhew you God clothed only with Terrors; and your Heart, oppreffed with Fear, will fink, and leave you no Courage to go on with the Duties of Religion, from which your Fears will suffer you to have no Hope or Expectation.

If you extend your Thoughts farther, and lay Schemes for the general Judgment of the World, it is well if this unneceffary Concern for others does not prove prejudicial to yourself. If you confine the Mercies of God to yourfelf and your own Sect only, it is an Opinion which not only afcribes great Partiality to God, but it tends to introduce Cruelty and Inhumanity into the Temper of Man fo perfuaded. We eafily come to think it a Virtue to hate thofe whom God hates: And then the Confequence is, that there must be a Stop to all Intercourfe of good Offices with all Men, the few only excepted who think as we think. And thus, by paffing a rash Judgment in a dark myfterious

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every