'Tis a Doctrine of Natural Reason and Divine Faith: if we consider the essential and necessary Perfections of God, or the Frame of Man, we must strongly infer his accountableness for his Actions. There is an essential Subordination between Man and his Divine Maker, and being endowed with Understanding and free Faculties, 'tis becoming the Wisdom of God to govern him by a Law, to regulate his Choice and Actions: This is the Rule that distinguishes between Virtue and Vice, and the Holiness, Justice, and Goodness of God ⟨p. 6⟩are infallible assurances to us, that there will be Recompenses according to the diversity of Mens Actions, either conforming or transgressing his Laws. Besides, every Man has an internal Sentiment, a judicial Impression in his Breast of this great Truth. Conscience, the inseparable Faculty of the reasonable Soul, has a directing and reflecting Light, to show us our Duty, to examine our Actions, and accordingly to excuse and comfort, or to accuse and terrify; which Acts necessarily imply, that 'tis deputed by the Supreme Judg of the World, to observe our ways in order to its final Testimony ⟨p. 7⟩before his Tribunal. This Proof is the more convincing and palpable, in that those Persons who are exempted from humane Judgment by their Power and Dignity, those who are above Reproof, and by a fatal Privilege damn themselves with less contradiction than others, yet are not impenetrable to the stings of Conscience, but at times have a conscious feeling of their Guilt: and in those who have so far stupefied Conscience, that 'tis either silent, or speaks with a low Voice, yet when they are in distress, especially in the approaches of Death, Conscience recovers Life and Vigour, sets their ⟨p. 8⟩Sins in order before them, and flashes the Terrors of future Judgment in their faces; an evident presage that although Conscience was not strong enough to control their licentious Appetite here, it will be strong enough for their Conviction and Torment hereafter.
'Tis a Doctrine of Natural Reason and Divine Faith: if we consider the essential and necessary Perfections of God, or the Frame of Man, we must strongly infer his accountableness for his Actions. There is an essential Subordination between Man and his Divine Maker, and being endowed with Understanding and free Faculties, 'tis becoming the Wisdom of God to govern him by a Law, to regulate his Choice and Actions: This is the Rule that distinguishes between Vertue and Vice, and the Holiness, Justice, and Goodness of God ⟨p. 6⟩are infallible assurances to us, that there will be Recompences according to the diversity of Mens Actions, either conforming or transgressing his Laws. Besides, every Man has an internal Sentiment, a judicial Impression in his Breast of this great Truth. Conscience, the inseparable Faculty of the reasonable Soul, has a directing and reflecting Light, to shew us our Duty, to examine our Actions, and accordingly to excuse and comfort, or to accuse and terrify; which Acts necessarily imply, that 'tis deputed by the Supream Judg of the World, to observe our ways in order to its final Testimony ⟨p. 7⟩before his Tribunal. This Proof is the more convincing and palpable, in that those Persons who are exempted from humane Judgment by their Power and Dignity, those who are above Reproof, and by a fatal Priviledg damn themselves with less contradiction than others, yet are not impenetrable to the stings of Conscience, but at times have a conscious feeling of their Guilt: and in those who have so far stupified Conscience, that 'tis either silent, or speaks with a low Voice, yet when they are in distress, especially in the approaches of Death, Conscience recovers Life and Vigor, sets their ⟨p. 8⟩Sins in order before them, and flashes the Terrors of future Judgment in their faces; an evident presage that altho Conscience was not strong enough to controul their licentious Appetite here, it will be strong enough for their Conviction and Torment hereafter.
