The reasons of the Christian religion the first part, of godliness, proving by natural…

6. The imperfection of our Faith (even about the Gospel, and the Life to come) is the secret root of all our faults; of the weakness of every other grace, of our yielding to temptations; and of the carelessness, badness, and barrenness of our Lives. So Transcendent are the Concernments of the Life to come, that a certain, clear, and firm belief of them, would even deride temptations, and bear down all the trifles of this World, by what names or titles soever dignified, as things not worthy of a look or thought! What manner of person will that man be, in all holy Conversation and Godliness, who believing that all these things must be dissolved, doth look for the coming of Christ, and for the Blessed Consequents! 2 Pet. 3.11, 12, 14. 2 Thess. 1.10. O what a life would that man live! what Prayers, what Praises! what holy discourse would employ his tongue! with what abhorrence would he reject the baits of sin! who did but see, but once see, those unseen and future things, which every Christian professeth to believe? How contemptibly would he think and speak both of the pleasures ⟨image 4⟩and the sufferings of this dreaming life, in comparison of the everlasting things? What serious desires, and labours, and joys, and patience, would such a sight procure? How much more holy and Heavenly would it make even those that by the purblind World are thought to exceed herein already? And if we took our Belief to be as certain as our sight, Believing would do greater matters than it doth. I oft think what one told me, that an Infidel answered him, when he asked him, How he could quiet his Conscience in such a desperate state? saith he, [I rather wonder how you can quiet your Conscience in such a common careless course of life, believing as you do? If I believed such things as you do, I should think no care, and diligence, and holiness could be enough.]

6. The imperfection of our Faith (even about the Gospel, and the Life to come) is the secret root of all our faults; of the weaknesse of every other grace, of our yielding to temptations; and of the carelesnesse, badnesse, and barrennesse of our Lives. So Transcendent are the Concernments of the Life to come, that a certain, clear, and firm belief of them, would even deride temptations, and bear down all the trifles of this World, by what names or titles soever dignified, as things not worthy of a look or thought! What manner of person will that man be, in all holy Conversation and Godliness, who believing that all these things must be dissolved, doth look for the coming of Christ, and for the Blessed Consequents!