ment. It will be That in Effect, toward CHAP. which we now see a Tendency. It will be no III. more than the Completion of that moral Government, the Principles and Beginning of which, have been fhewn, beyond all Difpute, difcernible in the present Conftitution and Courfe of Nature. And from hence it follows,

Thirdly, That, as under the natural Government of God, our Experience of those Kinds and Degrees of Happiness and Mifery, which we do experience at prefent, gives juft Ground to hope for and to fear, higher Degrees, and other Kinds of both in a future State, fuppofing a future State admitted: fo under his moral Government, our Experience, that Virtue and Vice are, in the Manners above-mentioned, actually rewarded and punished at present, in a certain Degree, gives juft Ground to hope and to fear, that they may be rewarded and punished in an higher Degree Hereafter. It is acknowledged indeed, that This alone is not fufficient. Ground to think, that they actually will be rewarded and punished in a higher Degree, rather than in a lower: But then,

Laftly, There is fufficient Ground to think fo, from the good and bad Tendencies of Virtue and Vice. For these Tendencies are effential,

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PART effential, and founded in the Nature of I. Things whereas the Hindrances to their w becoming Effect, are, in numberlefs Cafes,

not neceffary, but artificial only. Now it may be much more ftrongly argued, that thefe Tendencies, as well as the actual Rewards and Punishments, of Virtue and Vice, which arise directly out of the Nature of things, will remain Hereafter, than that the accidental Hindrances of them will. And if thefe Hindrances do not remain; thofe Rewards and Punishments cannot but be carried on much further towards the Perfection of Moral Government: i. e. the Tendencies of Virtue and Vice will become Effect: But when, or where, or in what particular Way, cannot be known at all, but by Revelation.

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Upon the whole: There is a Kind of moral Government implied in God's natural Government: 1 Virtue and Vice are naturally rewarded and punished as beneficial and mifchievous to Society; and rewarded and punished directly as Virtue and Vice.1 The Notion then of a moral Scheme of Government, is not fictitious, but natural; for it is fuggefted to our Thoughts by the Constitution and Courfe of Nature: and the Execution of this Scheme is actually begun, in the

Inftances here mentioned. And these things CHAP. are to be confidered, as a Declaration of the III. Author of Nature, for Virtue, and againft Vice: They give a Credibility to the Suppofition of their being rewarded and punished Hereafter; and alfo Ground to hope and to fear, that they may be rewarded and punished in higher Degrees than they are Here. And as all this is confirmed, fo the Argument for Religion, from the Conftitution and Course of Nature, is carried on farther, by observing, that there are natural Tendencies, and, in innumerable Cases, only artificial Hindrances, to this moral Scheme's being carried on much farther towards Perfection, than it is at prefent m. The Notion then of a moral Scheme of Government, much more perfect than what is feen, is not a fictitious, but a natural Notion; for it is fuggefted to our Thoughts, by the effential Tendencies of Virtue and Vice. And these Tendencies are to be confidered as Intimations, as implicit Promises and Threatnings, from the Author of Nature, of much greater Rewards and Punishments to follow Virtue and Vice, than do at prefent. And indeed, every natural Tendency, which is to continue, but which is hindred from becoming Effect by only accidental Caufes, affords a Prefumption, that fuch Tendency will, fome Time or other, m p. 85, &c. become

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PART become Effect: a Prefumption in Degree proportionable to the Length of the Duration, Wthrough which fuch Tendency will continue.

I.

And from these things together, arises a real Prefumption, that the Moral Scheme of Government established in Nature, fhall be carried on much farther towards Perfection hereafter; and, I think, a Prefumption that it will be abfolutely compleated. But from these things, joined with the moral Nature which God has given us, confidered as given us by Him, arifes a practical Proof" that it will be compleated a Proof from Fact; and therefore a distinct one from That, which is deduced from the eternal and unalterable Relations, the Fitness and Unfitnefs of Actions.

See this Proof drawn out briefly, Ch. vi. p. 167, &c.

CHAP.

103

CHA P. IV.

Of a State of Probation, as implying
Trial, Difficulties and Danger.

TH

HE general Doctrine of Religion, that CHAP. our prefent Life is a State of Proba- IV. tion for a future one, comprehends under it feveral particular things, diftinct from each other. But the firft, and most common Meaning of it, seems to be, that our future Intereft is now depending, and depending upon Ourselves; that we have Scope and Opportunities Here, for that good and bad Behaviour, which God will reward and punish Hereafter; together with Temptations to one, as well as Inducements of Reason to the other. And this is, in great measure, the same with faying, that we are under the moral Government of God, and to give an Account of our Actions to Him. For the Notion of a future Account and general righteous Judgment, implies fome Sort of Temptations to what is Wrong: otherwise there would be no moral Poffibility of Doing Wrong, nor Ground for Judgment, or Difcrimination. But there is this Difference, that the Wod Probation is more diftinctly and particularly expreffive of Allure

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