a Man without
Religion, as if there were no God in the World. It is indeed
impossible for an infinite Being to remove himself from any of his
Creatures, but tho' he cannot withdraw his Essence from us, which
would argue an Imperfection in him, he can withdraw from us all the
Joys and Consolations of it. His Presence may perhaps be necessary to
support us in our Existence; but he may leave this our Existence to it
self, with regard to its Happiness or Misery. For, in this Sense, he
may cast us away from his Presence, and take his holy Spirit from us.
This single Consideration one would think sufficient to make us open
our Hearts to all those Infusions of Joy and Gladness which are so
near at Hand, and ready to be poured in upon us; especially when we
consider,

_Secondly_, The deplorable Condition of an intellectual Being who
feels no other Effects from his Maker's Presence, but such as proceed
from Divine Wrath and Indignation!

We may assure our selves, that the great Author of Nature will not
always be as one who is indifferent to any of his Creatures. Those who
will not feel him in his Love, will be sure at length to feel him in
his Displeasure. And how dreadful is the Condition of that Creature,
who is only sensible of the Being of his Creator by what he suffers
from him! He is as essentially present in Hell as in Heaven, but the
Inhabitants of those accursed Places behold him only in his Wrath, and
shrink within the Flames to conceal themselves from him. It is not in
the Power of Imagination to conceive the fearful Effects of
Omnipotence incensed.

But I shall only consider the Wretchedness of an intellectual Being,
who, in this Life, lies under the Displeasure of him, that at all
Times and in all Places is intimately united with him. He is able to
disquiet the Soul, and vex it in all its Faculties. He can hinder any
of the greatest Comforts of Life from refreshing us, and give an Edge
to every one of its slightest Calamities. Who then can bear the
Thought of being an Out-cast from his Presence, that is, from the
Comforts of it, or of feeling it only in its Terrors? How pathetick is
that Expostulation of _Job_, when, for the Tryal of his Patience, he
was made to look upon himself in this deplorable Condition!

_Why hast thou set me as a Mark against thee, so that I am become a
Burthen to my self_?

But, _Thirdly_, how happy is th