The 1mmortnli'ty of the Soul. CHAP. X. · ·. The Moral .Arguments for the Soul's Immortality. 'The reJflefl. dejire of the. Soul to a~ inteUeCfu~l eternal Happinej5, ar$ues it /prvive5 the .fJody. The lower order . of Creatures obtt~m thm perfecfton here. It rejleCfs upon Nature, if the more noble fails of its end. That wicked Men would choofe Annihilation, u no proof againSl Man's Natural Dejires of Immortality. The nece.Jlity of a future flate of Recompences for Moral ACfions, proves the Soul to be Immortal. The, wifdom of God, as Governo'!r .of the World, requiTes there be Rewards and Puni/hments annezt to hts lAws. Eternal Rewards are onry powerful to make Men obedient to them in thu c~rrupt St~te. Httlnane Laws : are no [ujficient Jecurity o{Vertue, and reflramt from V1ce. o. I ~:~~r~fe;vec~~:~~~l t: i·t~~~~g I~~~~~~~~ ~~re~ft~~rm l'~~ !r 1:~~s tl~:~ ~: fufficient evidence by internal light, the Natural Not1ons of the Deity, and by many vifible Tefiirnonies in the Order of his Providence, and Government of the World. <> 1 • The refile fs defire of the Soul to an intellell:ual and eternal Felicity nol attainabfe here, is a firong Argument that 'tis referv'd t~ a future fi~r~. The Underll:anding i,s . . . inclin'd to the knowledge of Truth, the Will to the frUition of Goodnefs ;· and 1H .. ' what degree foever we difcover the one, and injoy the other in our prefent cdndition1 ' we are not content. As one that is burnt up wJth fuch a Thirfi that only an Ocean' '' can quench, and has but a little fiream to refrefh him. God is the only. fatisfyingOb· jet!: of the rational Faculties; and here our conceptions of Him are fo imperfell:, that we approach nearer the Truth by denying what is inconfiO:ent with his Nature, than in affirming the proper Perfel.tions of it. And the communications of his Love to u! inflames the Soul with new delires of fuller enjoyment. This delire of Happine!S is etfen• tial to Man, as Man. Now 'tis univerfally acknowledged that Nature is not a vah1 Principle, it produces no fuperfluous inclinations in any f9rt of Creatures, much lefs in Man, and in thacwhicb is mofi proper to him, and in order to the railing him to his Perfell:ion. The Natu ral Motion of a Stone has a Centre where to reO: ; Plants arrive to their full growth and beauty ; the Beafis have prefent fatisfall:ion, and are happy Animals. But Man, in whom the two lower lives, and the intellectual are united , is here only in his way to bappinefs, hisbe£1: endeavoursarebut imperfell: etfays towards -it. Now if the Soul does not furvive the Body, and in a feparate fiate obtain its defires, it will reflell: upon Nature for imprudence or malignity, in dealing worfe with the mofi noble order of vi fible Beings. The BeaO:s excel Man in the quicknefs and vivacity of the powers of Senfe, being their Perfection, and in him fubordinale Faculiies, and are more capable of Pleafi1te from fenfible things; and Reafon his eminent Prerogative, makes him more liable to mifery. For Man ardently afpiring to a Spiritual Happinefs, that here he cannot enjoy, much lefs hereafter if the Soul perifh, i$ under a remedilefs infelicity. His Mind isdeceivcd and fiain'd with Errors, his Will tormented wi1h ~~~~~ t(~~~~,"{~~~~t~~~o~b~~ro~;~~: a!:lt~} ilifsud~a:~ 1~e :~~~~~i~)ur~ndo: cannot fufpect, without the higllefi Impiety, that he would "'~ aU Men in vain, and ~~;i~~J~~~iFler~:b\~e ~Jre:;.:n~~·be ~~Jo~;dg~~~~~~~~i~.fai~~~ 1~~~e~[~~t"~~ t~; more fOrceable if we confider that Holy Souls, who excd in Knowledge and Vertue, do moO: inftamedly long for the enjoyment of this pure felicity. And is it poflible that the Creator fhould not only endow Man with rational powers, but with venues that exalt and enlarge their c&pacity to render him more miferable? To imalline that he cannot, or will not fully and eternally fatisfie them, is equally injurious to hiS Perfeftions. Itthere- ~ore necetfarily follows that the Soul lives after Death, and fully enjoys the happinefs 1t earneO:ly defir'd whiles in the darknefs of this earthly Tabernade. Add further, that Man alone ofall Creatures in tbe lowerWorld underfiands and•deftres fmmortality. The Conception of it· is peculiar to his Mind, and the defireof .it as mtrmfick
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