The four last things viz. death, judgment, heaven, hell, practically considered and applied in…

I shall now come to apply this great Doctrine.

1. Let us from what has been discoursed of Judgment to come, be excited to confirm our Faith in this great and useful Doctrine; and by serious and frequent thoughts to apply it to our selves. Some within the Church have only a superficial belief of this, as a point of the Religion wherein they were educated; but carnal Affections, Fear, Hope, Love, and Desire, control their Assent, as to its operation upon them. They believe in the general ⟨p. 212⟩that God is the Judg and Rewarder of our Actions, and in the absence of Temptation resolve to obey him: but when a strong Trial comes from some temporal Good or Evil that is present, their Faith is negligent, and unactive to keep them from Sin. Now to make our Faith powerful, we must,

1. Let us from what has been discours'd of Judgment to come, be excited to confirm our Faith in this great and useful Doctrine; and by serious and frequent thoughts to apply it to our selves. Some within the Church have only a superficial belief of this, as a point of the Religion wherein they were educated; but carnal Affections, Fear, Hope, Love, and Desire, controul their Assent, as to its operation upon them. They believe in the general ⟨p. 212⟩that God is the Judg and Rewarder of our Actions, and in the absence of Temptation resolve to obey him: but when a strong Tryal comes from some temporal Good or Evil that is present, their Faith is negligent, and unactive to keep them from Sin. Now to make our Faith powerful, we must,

First, confirm it by convincing Arguments, that it may be an undoubted Assurance, a certain Light, directive and persuasive in the course of our Lives. Some Doctrines of Religion, that are of an incomprehensible nature, and should be received with silent adoration for the Authority of the Revealer, are obstinately contradicted by some, upon a vain pretence that nothing is to be believed that will not endure the rigorous inquisition of Reason, and be comprehended by our narrow Minds: but Reason, though darkened, sees the necessity of a future Judgment. Nature and Scripture testify there is a God, and that he has a Right, and Power, and Will to distribute the rewards of Virtue, and the penalties of Vice to his Subjects. To deny this, is directly against the