fible and inactive State; and when the Scene of fenfible Things at the End of the World fhall pass away, it is not improbable, but that they may return to their first Nothing, as not farther neceffary.

Q. What is the fecond Argument from Reafon to perfuade us that the Soul is immortal?

A. The universal Consent of Mankind, which fheweth it to be a natural Notion and Dictate of our Minds. Now when all Men, though diftant and remote from one another, and different in their Tempers and Manners, and Ways of Education; when the most barbarous Nations, as well as the most polite, agree in a Thing, we may well call it the Voice of Nature. And that they did thus agree in the Belief of the Soul's Immortality, is evident from the Teftimony of many antient Heathen Writers, and the Confent of feveral credible Hiftories; nay the very Idolatries of the Pagans themfelves confirm this Truth; for their Gods were no other than dead Men and Women, confecrated by the Superftition of the People, and worshipped with divine Honours and religious Ceremonies. Now the leaft that can be inferred from this is, that they believed that these Men and Women they worshipped, lived after Death, and had an Existence when feparated from their Bodies.

Q. But is it not a great Prejudice to this Argument, that the Epicureans among the Philofophers, and the Sadducees among the Jews, denied the Immortality of the Soul?

A. That fome few Inftances may be brought to the contrary, is no Proof that this Notion is not natural; and fome few Exceptions are O

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no better Arguments against an univerfal Confent, than fome few Monsters and Prodigies are against the regular Course of Nature; for Men may offer Violence to Nature, and debauch their Understandings by Luft, Interest, or Pride, and an Affectation of Singularity; which was the Cafe of Epicurus. And the Sadducees, from a Heat of Oppofition to the Pharifees, fell into this Error, mistaking the Doctrine their Mafter Sadoc had fo often inculcated, viz. That though there were no Rewards and Punishments after this Life, yet Men ought to live virtuously. This we are fure of, the more Men excelled in Piety and Virtue, the more firmly they believed a future State; and it is reafonable to learn what Nature is from the most perfect Patterns. And that the Senfe of Nature in this Cafe is very strong, is evident from the great Number of wicked Men in the World; who, notwithstanding it is their Interest there fhould be no Life after this, yet cannot overcome the Fears of it.

Q. What is the third Argument from Reafon, for the Immortality of the Soul?

A. Thofe natural Notions we have of God, and of the effential Difference between Good and Evil, bear great Evidence to this Truth: For the Belief of a God implies the Belief of his infinite Goodnefs and Juftice: From the first we may conclude him inclinable to make fome Creatures more perfect than others, and capable of greater Degrees of Happiness, and of longer Duration; becaufe Goodness is communicative and diffufive, and delights in being fo; and fince in Man are found the Perfections of an immortal Nature, which are Knowledge and

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and Liberty, we may infer, that he is endowed with fuch a Principle as in its own Nature is capable of an immortal Duration. From the latter, his infinite Juftice, we may conclude he loves Righteousnefs and hates Iniquity; but the Difpenfations of his Providence in this World being very promifcuous, that good Men often fuffer, and that for the Sake of Righteoufnefs; that wicked Men as frequently profper, and that by Means of their Wickedness, it is reafonable to believe a future immortal State for the suitable Diftribution of Rewards and Punishments. And there being a Difference between Good and Evil founded in the Nature of Things, it is reasonable to imagine they will be distinguished by Rewards and Punishments: But fince we find that in this World this Difcrimination is not always made, we may conclude there is a future State, where all Things fhall be fet right, and the Juftice of God's Providence vindicated; which is the very Thing meant by the Soul's Immortality.

Q. What is the fourth Argument from Reafon for the Soul's Immortality?

A. The natural Hopes and Fears of Men, which cannot well be accounted for without the Belief of an immortal State after Death. Now common Experience proves the Reality of fuch Hopes and Fears. Some have been defirous to perpetuate their Names to Pofterity, and by brave Actions have endeavoured to purchase Fame, which would fignify nothing, if they had not believed they fhould have exifted in another World to have enjoyed it. There have been many more, who by the Virtue and Piety of their Lives, by the Juftice and Honesty of

their Actions, have been raifed to an Expectation of Rewards after Death; and all the Arts of wicked Men have not been able to deliver them from Shame and Horror upon the Commiffion of any wicked Action, though covered with the greatest Privacy, and unknown to any one but themselves. Now what can fill the one fo full of Hopes, and deject the other with such Fears and Dreads, but that Nature fuggests to them the Certainty of an After-reckoning, when they shall be punished for their bad Actions, or rewarded for their good. And indeed the Certainty of future Rewards and Punishments, upon which Mens natural Hopes and Fears are built, is founded in the Nature of God, who is neceffarily infinitely good, and infinitely just, and therefore must be pleafed with, and approve fuch Creatures as imitate and obey him, and be difpleafed with fuch as act contrary thereto. And without punishing those who prefumptuously and impenitently break his Commandments, it cannot be imagined how the Honour of his Laws can be vindicated and· maintained.

Q. What farther Evidence and Affurance had the Jews, concerning the Immortality of the Soul, and a future State?

A. They had not only the Evidence of Reafon in this Matter, which was common to them. with the rest of Mankind; but all the Arguments from natural Light received a new Confirmation from the Mofaical Difpenfation. The Account Mofes gave of the Creation of Man, affured the Jews of the divine Original of the Soul, that it was not made of Matter, of the Duft of the Earth, as the Body was, but by the

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Breath of God. That it had a near Refemblance to the divine Nature in Purity and Spirituality, being made after the Image of God; which is a more exprefs Proof of its fpiritual and immortal Nature, than the Deductions made from Reason. They had the best Evidence of univerfal Confent from the conftant Faith and Tradition of their Fathers; and they were able to trace this Opinion of the Soul's Immortality from Abraham to Adam the firft Man, from whom it defcended to their Progenitors, They had evident Inftances of the Wisdom and Juftice of God's Providence in drowning the World, in destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbouring Cities, in his fpecial Favours towards Abraham, &c. and in the Series of Miracles, whereby they were brought out of the Land of Egypt; all which Proofs of a Providence facilitate the Belief of a future State. And in the Lives of the antient Patriarchs, they had vifible Examples of the Vigour of their Hopes; for thefe preferved them virtuous and innocent, when the reft of the World lay in Wickedness. And that God did intend to encourage good Men with the Hopes of Immortality, appeared to them in the Inftances of Enoch and Elias, who were tranflated into Heaven, without dying, after an extraordinary Manner. Besides, the whole Oeconomy of their Worship and Temple, their Rites and Ceremonies, were typical of greater and better Things, the Law having a Shadow of good Things to come. Heb.10.1 The general Promifes, in the Books of Mofes, of God's bleffing good Men, and declaring that he was their God even after their Death, were great Indications to them of the Happiness of 0 3

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