The Immortality of the Soul. 43 able of all Natural things; Life it felf, and to their great cofl: ofpains and mifery, if·there ~ were not an efl:atc wherein he would reward rheir heroick love of hnnfel f, with a good ~· that un(peakably rranfcends whate.ver is defirable here below? _ 2 • Though Vice in refpect of 1ts turpnude, be the truefl: d1fhonour of Man, and be lttended wirh regret, as contrary to his Reafon, yet there is a fimher punifhment Naturally due to it. Malefa_ctors befides the infamy tha~ ~leaves. to their crimes, and the fecret twinges of Confctence, feel the ngour of crvtl Jufl:tcc. And tf no Phyfical evil be infliCted as the jufl: confequent of Vice, the viciouOy inclin 'd would -defpife the moral evil, that is elfential to it, as an imaginary puni01ment. And when the remembrance of Sin diflurbs their refl:, they would prefemly by pleafant diverfions, call off their thoughts from fad objeCts. · 2. Suppofing no other punifhment but what is the immediate effect of Sin, themoll vicious and guilty would many times fuffer the leaf! punifhment. For the fecret Worm of Confcience is mofl: fenfible, when v1ce IS lirft fpnngmg up, and has tender roars. But when vicious habits are cqnfirm'd, the Confcience is pafl feeling the firfl refentments. There are many inflances of thofe who have made the foulefl crimes fa familiar as to lofe the horror that naturally attends them. .And many_ tha~ have been profperons in their villanies, dye without ronnenting refle~I~ms on t~e1r gUilt. So. that 1f ~he r~ be no. further punifhments, we muft deny the Dtvmc Providence, of wh1ch J ufhce , IS an enunent part. ·--~--------~---------- CHAP. XII. Two Arguments more to prove future fJ?.!compenfts. 'Tu not pojJible for Civil Juftice to difpence Rewards and Puni}hments according to the Good and Evil ACfions of Men. All Nations agree in the acknowledgment of a Future State. The innocent Confcience u fopported under an unjujf Sentence, by looking tg th~ fuperiour Tribunal. The courag• of Socrates in c[ying, with the caufe of it. The guilty Confcience terrifies with the apprehenjion of Judgment to come. Tiberius hu complaint to the Senate of hu inward Tortures. An Anfwer to theObjeCfion, that we have not fen- · jible evidence of what u mj(!)ed, and wh,;~t u fuffered in the next Life. Why Sin, a Tranjient ACE, u puni}hed with Eternal Death. 3· ·r· IS not poflible for humane Juflice to diflribute Recompence exaWy according to the Moral qualities of Actions, therefore we may rationally inferr there will be a future Judgment. This appears by confidering, •. 1. That many ttmes thofe crimes are equally punifht here, that are not of equa)l]luilt : Becaufe they proceed from different fources, that lye fa low as the flrictefl: inquifition cannot difcover. And many fpecious actions done for corrupt ends, and therefore without Moral Value, are equally rewarded with thofe wherein is the deepefl tincture of Venue. The accounts of civil J uflic': are made by the mofl vifible caufe, not by the fecret and mofloperattve and influemtal. ThereforeafuperiorTribunal isneceffary, to which not ?nly fenfible Actions, but _their mofl_inward Principles are open, that will exaCtly JUdge '!f Moral Evils accordmg to the~r aggravations and allays, and of Moral good accordmg to the vanous degrees that are truly rewardable. 2. No temporal benefits are the proper and campleat reward of obedience to God. Not the proper; f~r they are common to bad and good : But the reward of Holiuefs b:,~l~: foc~'/;:'ri~t~e ~:~:,no~~:~~~e ~:~~ftf~0a~ ~r~:~~h~:;J:~/~~~~::~~:t."n1~d ~hey are not the compleat rewards of obedience. For God rewards his Servants accordmg ..totheinfinite treafures of his goodnefs. The fenfible World, a Kingdom fovaft, fa nch, fa dehghtful, is enjoyed by his Enemies. We may therefore certain ly inferr .. he has referved for his faithful Servants a more excellent felicity as becomes his glonous . Goodnefs. · ' ~· Th~ extreamcfl Temporal Evils that can be inflicted here, are not correfpond en t tothe guilt of Srn. Men eau only torment and kill the Body, the inflrument and lefs gmlty G 2 part,
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