not the Capacity, or Leisure to do: Neither are Any able to
do this so early as to prevent their irregular Inclinations from being
first strengthen'd and confirm'd by ill habits: which when once they
are, Reason does in vain oppose them, how clear soever her dictates
appear. On the contrary, our Passions grown strong, do usually so far
corrupt our Reason as to make her joyn parties with them against her
self; we not only doing amiss, but likewise finding Arguments to
justify our so doing, even to our selves as well as others.

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