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

In some there is Atheism full of Folly, or Folly full of Atheism, that they will not believe the prepared Plagues for the wicked in the next State, because they have no sensible proof of them. Reason, assisted by Divine Revelation, affords so clear an evidence of the future State, and the Rewards and Punishments in it, that if any sincerely apply themselves to consider ⟨p. 537⟩things, he will receive the most affective conviction of them. 'Tis true, there is not sensible evidence; for God will try our Faith before he satisfies our Sight: partly, that we may honour his Veracity, by yielding a firm assent to his Word before the actual accomplishment of what is promised or threatened; and partly that our Obedience may be voluntary and unconstrained, that his Goodness may take its rise to reward us. But these presumptuous Infidels live as if they had no Spirit, nothing of understanding in them: they are wholly under the Dominion of sense, as if they were free and lawless, independent and unaccountable: as if the most high Governor of the World were an inferior Being, without Power and Justice to vindicate the Honour of his despised Deity. They do not fear Hell, but are afraid they should be fearful of it. This is such a piece of folly, (but infinitely more woeful) as that of the West-Indians, who at their first invasion by the Spaniards, were so terrified by their glittering Swords, that they presently fled, and very considerately resolved to hide ⟨p. 538⟩themselves in the Day, and assault their Enemies in the Night. They were fearful to see their Danger, and rash to encounter it, and fighting in the dark, were killed in the dark. The threatenings of eternal Death are the brandishing of God's glittering Sword before he strikes; and sensual Infidels are afraid lest the belief of those terrible Truths should pierce into their Breasts; therefore are utterly averse from due considering their Danger, and will not foresee what they shall certainly suffer. 'Tis in vain to offer Arguments to convince them; for they are as deaf as Adders to the wisest Instructions, till Sense extort an Acknowledgement from them. They have hardened their Hearts and Faces against all Reproofs, and by an open contempt of Scripture-Threatenings, are past reclaiming. They are now fearless of that Judgment, the thoughts whereof make the Devils tremble:

In some there is Atheism full of Folly, or Folly full of Atheism, that they will not believe the prepared Plagues for the wicked in the next State, because they have no sensible proof of them. Reason, assisted by Divine Revelation, affords so clear an evidence of the future State, and the Rewards and Punishments in it, that if any sincerely apply themselves to consider