Second!?/, Nor will reason hesitate at all upon this particular, That there are degrees of goodness found among pleasures and delights ; some are better than others. Every life is not alike pleasant and happy. To deny this, is to make the most despicable worm, or fly, equally happy with the most excellent creature upon earth. And beside, for the conviction of such debauched persons as I am here arguing with, it will follow clearly from the denial of that truth, that they really gain nothing to themselves, by all their extra- vagant and licentious courses ; there being altogether as much plea- sure and felicity, in a temperate, chaste, and sober life, as there is in that beastly life they live ; and their ver}^ departure from the way of sobriety, to embrace the ways of debauchery, most clearly evinc- eth to the world, that they do not think all pleasures equal ; but that they do confidently expect to find more pleasure and satisfaction in the way that they choose, than they did in the way of sobriety, which they have left and abandoned.
Thirdly, I cannot be so uncharitable to think, but the relicts of rea- son in the most profligate person, will readily admit and grant, That Vol. VI. II h
484 THE llEASOXABLENESS Ol- PERSONAL llEFORMATION.
•wherever the good of pleasure, profit, and honour, meet together, and jointly conapire to make the life of a man more comfortable, and more durable upon earth ; that is much rather to be chosen, thana mere tran- sient touch of sensitive pleastirc, accomjmnied icith prese^it regret, andfbUoiced with the ruin of estate, name, honour, soul, and body. He that thinks otherwise, is more fit for a bedlam, than a rational and sober confutation. These things therefore I take for granted, they being innate and self-evident notions and principles in all men.
§ 5. The wisdom and goodness of God are clearly discernible, in leaving such principles of reason, and common notices of conscience in men after the fall, as prompt them naturally unto justice, chastity, temperance, and sobriety ; and do struggle within them, to restrain them from, or recover them out of their immoralities ; from which many advantages do result.
For hereby God is acknowledged all the world over ; men every where shewing by these things the work of the law written in their hearts; Rom. ii. 15.
Hereby kingdoms and commonwealth are preserved ; this being the common bridle, which restrains the outrageous lusts of millions of men, which else would turn the world into confusion ; though here and there some have slipt bridle and run into all excess of riot. We justly admire the providence of God, in butting, bounding, and restraining the boisterous ocean, by mountains, rocks, and sands : and as much is he to be admired, in curbing the insatiable lusts of men, by these innate principles of reason and conscience.
Hereby the way to sin is in some measure barred and shut up : and the further progress of sinners, already entered into, stopped and denied. For actions done with regret, cannot be supposed to be done so frequently and furiously, as if they were done without any regret ; or that the way to sin was smoothed to them with a full consent and approbation of their whole self For most sinners find in themselves what i\Iedea did,
Video meliora, proboque,
« They both see and approve that which is better, though they follow ^ that which is worse.'
In a Mord, these reb.cts of reason and conscience in men, are fit handles to catch hold on, for the turning them about from Satan unto God. "VMicn Paul reasoned with Felix, about temperance, righteousness, and judgment to come, his words laid hold upon these handles, and gave him such a shake, that the text saith, Felix trembled. And, O ! that this might take hold of the reason and conscience of every profane reader, and produce some more excellent and lasting effect upon his soul.
§ 6. These notices and dictates of reason and conscience in men, being so necessary, and many ways beneficial to themselves, as well as to the whole community ; it must therefore be a horrid villany to
THE llEASOXAELENESS OF rEHSOXAL REEOiniATIoy. Vi>>
war against theni ; and, by violence, to suppress and enslave thciu to their own lusts.
This is, as if a company of desperate ruffians, should assault inno- cent and noble travellers upon the lawful road, bind and gag their guides, whilst they rob and prostitute them. Thus deal brutish lusts, {headed by the devil) with the affections of men, travelling along the lawful road of duty, under the conduct of reason and conscience. For this villany it was, that the apostle tells us, " The wrath of " God was revealed from heaven against the Heathens, who lielcl " the truth in unrighteousness,'' Horn. i. 18. They had the light of natural reason and conscience in them, the inbred notions of good and evil ; which raised their hopes or fears, according to the nature and quality of their actions.
* Coiiscia mens ut cuique sua est, ita concipit intra Pectora j)^'ofacto spcmque metumque sno. Ovid,
But their headstrong boisterous lust, rudely and violently brake in upon reason and conscience, imprisoned and bound them ; as Zedekiah did the faithful prophet Jeremiah, for the discharge of his duty to him. For this, " tlie wrath of God was revealed from heaven against " them.'' And indeed, we cannot wonder it should be incensed against them, as it will against all that act like them. For into such a sin as this, many direful aggravations fall in together, to make it a monstrous and prodigious sin. Here we find an high and causeless abuse of the noblest natural faculties and powers of a man's own soul. What harm have thy reason and conscience done thee by stimulating and persuading thee to temperance, chastity, and sobriety : or by struggling and striving with thee, to prevent both thy present and future ruin ? Do they lay their faithful and loving hands of restraint upon thee, when they see thee running headlong into destruction ? And do they deserve for this, and no worse than this, to be thus trampled under foot, and abused ? Ask thyself, man, Whether thou thinkest thy very dog deserves to be hanged, for opening at midnight, and taking that thief by the throat, who came to cut thine t And darest thou use those noble powers within thee, worse than thou wouldst use a dog ? Humanity would blush at sucli an action.
These vile abuses of thy reason and conscience carry also in them an horrid contempt of God ; whose patent, officers, and delegates, thy reason and conscience are. Those certainly sin with an high hand against the Lord, who make nothing to controul, kick, and lay in irons, his conmiission-officers, appointed for no other end, but their present and future felicity. Nay,
Such men as these are found in a plain controversy with the devil, and that in a most unnatural and horrid plot against their own souls
* As each man's soul of good or ill is conscious, So hope for good he feels, but fears for vice.