The Immortality of the Soul. ~- ~~r~~;~~ ~e~~~~fs~r~o~st~~te;~~h e~~r~1~~~d~Gres.For~~~ ~~:;df~~f~ ~~~ ~~~w~ ~ that his Nature is capable of excellent Perfections and Joys. Now if be !hall ceafe to befor ever, why is this knowledge and defire but to render him more unhappy, by gnef for the prefent fhormefs of Life, and by defpair of a future Immortality i In thi• refpefralf6 rl1e condition of the Beafiswould be better than of Men. Fotthough ther' are for ever deprived qf Life, yet they are uncapable of regret, becaufe they cannot by relleftion know that they po!fels it, and are without the •leaf\ imagination or deGre of Immortality. They are alive to the ~tefent, but dead to the future. By a favourable ~gnorance they . pafs iilto a fiate of not Being; with as much ind1fference, as from w3.tchmg to Oeep, or from labour to repofe. But to Man that underf\ands and values Life and Immortality, how dark and hideous are the thoughts of Annihilation ? Let him injoy all poffible de:igbts to fenfe, or del.rable to the powers of the Soul , How WJ!I the {weetnefs of all be )oft in the bitternefs of that thought that he iliall be deprived of them for ever ? How frightf~l is the continual apprehenlion of an cverlafiing period llfors ;u tmibi- to his Being, and all Enjo)rrnents foitable to it ? After that a pro~pel't of Eternity has ?:r~d~ ~;nv~~nv~~~~~n~, :f0t\~:~::~h,ti~~js~~h~i:~~~ :~~~~~~u~~~ni~ae ~ft~a~~;:dt~~'i~: mlulm · tc. clin'd him to themofl: durable liappinefs? If it were thus, 0 livin& Image of the 1~- . mortal God, thy condition is very miferable! What the Il.om•m w1 fht in great angmlh =~t:~H~ f~rt~~: ~{! :0~t!~:tbe·tt~~a:h~~ ~~d~~r~~f ~~:rn~a~~~f~dhna~t I~~e;~rnb~::e~~o~~~e or that 'it lbould be fulfilled. If it be objell:ed that many Men are n'ot only with~ out fear of Annihilation; but deGreit, therefore Immortality is not fuch aPriviledge that the reafonable Cre3ture naturally afpires to. , I an[wer; the inference is very prepofierous; for the reafon of their choice is; becaufe 11 Plmfq;""[d· they are attentive to an objell: infinitely more 11 fad and all\iftive, that is, a flate of ever- ::;~~I7ffi'~ft~ · hfiing Torments, which the guilty ConfcieQce piefages to be the jufl: recompence of their mmtm, ma~u Crimes. So that inclofecl between two evils, an eternal fi3.tc of not Being, and an Etet_, ~!J;~.Jt~:r nity ofMifery, \is rea[onable to v~nture on the lean, to efcape the _greater. But fup- ~i::n ~~1~:;;. re~;fi~. 311Xs1~Jee~h~~~~~~~~ ~:~~~~~s;e :~Za\n~~t L~~~re~~n~o~~~~trngasSi~n~Cs~el~~~ ~~:F!,~ar,, ibarp Pains, orfome othergreatC3lamiries, may be willing to Die, but fuppofinga freedom from thofe evils, the deGre of Life as the mof\ precious and dear enjoyment would f\rongly return. And that the deGre of Immortality is Natural, I £ball add one mof\ viGble l'ef\imony. For whereas the lower fort ofCreatures, that finally perilh in Death, are without the leaf\ knowledge of a future Eflare, and are therefore carelefs of leaving a memorial after them : On the contrary, Men are folicitoos to fecure their Names from Oblivion, as confcious of their Soul's [urviving in another World. This ardent .raffiort, not direfted by higher Principles, excites them to ufe all means, to obtain a kind of Immortality from Mortals. They reward Hifrorians, Poets, Orators, to celebrate their Aftions. They ere/J:Momtmentr of durable Bra[sand Marble, toreprefent the Effigies of their Faces: They endeavour by triumphal Arches, Pyramids, and other Works of Magnificence, to eterni~e ~heir Fame, to live in the Eyes, and Mouths, and Memories of the Jiving in all fucceednlg times. Thefe indeed are vain lhadows, yet argue the delire of Immortality to be Natural. As 'tis evident there is a Natural Affeftion in Parents to preferve their Children, becaufe when they are depriv'd of their Living Prefence, they dearly value and preferve their Dead Piftures, though but a poor confolation. o. The neceffity of a future !late,wherein a juf\ retribution lhall be made of Rewards and Punifhments ro Men according to their Aftions in this Life, includes the Soul's Immortality. For the proof of this I lhall lay down fuchthings as certainly eflablilh ir. 1. The fir(\ Argument is drawn from the Wifdom of God in Governing the rea[onable World. In thcqualityofCreator.he hasafupre~m Title to Man, andconfequentlyishis Rightful Governour, and Man lm Natural SubJeft. Now Man bemg endowed w1th free faculties, the powers of knowing and chuGng, is under a Law clearly impref\ on his Nature by the Author ofit, that f\riftly forbids Moral Evil, and commands Moro! Good. And to enforce the Authority of this Law, the Wifdom of the Lawgiver, and theTe.mper of the Subjeft requires, that willing obedience lhould be attended \yith certain revr11rds, and voJunrary difobedience with unavoidable puni01ments. For Man being lo fram'das to forcfee the confequences of his a/J:ions, the inward fpringsof Hope and Fear work and govern him accordingly. And thefe nece!fary clfefts of Vmue and Vice nluO: be (o grear; as may rationally induce Man to :everence and obferve the La~ of his Maker, in.the prefence of th<; f\rongefl Temptation to the contrary, . " Now Jf
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