Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life — John Shaqi
Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian lifeMasham, Damaris, Lady
Religion
Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life
Masham, Damaris, Lady
Christian life -- Anglican authors
But there is still, beyond this, a farther impediment to Mens obeying
the Law of Nature, by vertue of the meer Light of Nature; which is,
that they cannot, in all circumstances, without Revelation, make
always a just estimate in reference to their happiness. For, tho' it
is demonstrable that the Law of Reason is the Law of God, yet the want
of an explicite knowledge of the penalty incur'd by the breach of that
Law, makes it not to be evident to all Men that the incuring of this
penalty shall (in all cases) make the preference of breaking this Law,
an ill Bargain: which it may, sometimes not be to many, in regard of
the discernable natural consequences of such a Transgression. For tho'
observance of the Law of Reason is, in the constitution of Natural
Causes, visibly to those who consider it (generally speaking) the
means of our greatest happiness, even in this present World, yet if
there be no future Life (which that there is, is made certain to us,
only by the Revelation thereof in the Gospel) to answer in for
Transgression of this Law; the breach of it may, tho' not naturally,
yet accidentally, in some cases, conduce to Mens greater happiness;
and, very often, notwithstanding that to have obey'd the Law of Reason
they may discern would have been better for them than to have follow'd
their Appetites, had they been early so accustom'd, yet now that they
have contracted different Habits, which are like a _Right Hand_, or
_Eye_ to them, the difficulty of a new course of Life may appear too
great for the attempt of it to be adviseable; since the consideration
of the shortness and uncertainty of Life may make Men apt to say to
themselves on such occasions,
_Who would lose the present Hour,
For one that is not in his Power?
Or not be happy now he may,
But for a Future Blessing stay:
Who know not he shall live a Day?_
The Revelation of an Eternal Life after this, with an express
Declaration of Everlasting Rewards and Punishments annex'd to our
Obedience, or Disobedience, to the Law of Nature (tho' such a Future
State may be reasonably infer'd from all things happening alike to the
Good, and to the Bad in this World, and from Men's Natural desire of
Immortality) is yet but a necessary inforcement of the Law of Nature
to the far greatest part of Mankind, who stand in need of this
knowledge, and are uncapable of an Inference so repugnant to what
their Senses daily tell them in the case; and wherein the Truth
asserted has scarcely ever procur'd an unwavering assent from the most
rational of the Heathen Philosophers themselves. Now the
unquestionable certainty of a Future State, wherein Men shall receive
Everlasting Rewards, and Punishments, we alone owe the knowledge of to
Jesus Christ, _who only has brought Life and Immortality to Light_.
The willingest to believe the Souls Immortality were before our
Saviours coming, at best, doubtful concerning it; and the generality
of Mankind, were yet far less perswaded of it.
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