Ebook The Theological Works of William Beveridge, D.D

The two great principles of human actions are hope and fear; no considering man ever undertaking any thing of moment, but either out of hope to get something which he thinks may do him good, or else out of fear of some evil which otherwise may fall upon him: and therefore He Who made us, and endued us with these principles, the better to keep us within the compass of our duty to Him, hath been graciously pleased to promise the best things we can ever hope for, to those who keep His Commandments, and to threaten the worst we can ever fear, to those who keep them not, which one would think should do it effectually. And yet we find the contrary by daily experience; for, notwith standing all God's threats and promises, men still go on in a continued course of transgressing His righteous laws: and the reason is, because, although the Word of God be the firmest ground in the world whereupon to build our hopes and fears, yet the things which He hath there promised and threatened, how great soever' they are in themselves, yet being not so present and visible to us as those we converse with upon earth, men have little or no regard to them, at least in comparison of what more nearly affects their senses. For men generally, and they also who are called Christians, live by sense, and not by faith. They do not really believe that God will do as He hath said; and therefore are seldom or never moved with the hopes of what He hath promised, or with the fear of any thing which He hath threatened.