122 Of the Immortality of the Soul, Vol. II. Ages of the World, fo many inftances of patience and conftant fuffering for Re- ligion, as hapned in the firft Age after Chritt. God did not think fit to try the World fo much in this kind, till they were furnifh'd with a Principle which would bear them up under the greateft fufferings, which' was nothing elfe but the full affurance which the Gofpel gave the World of a blet%d Immortality-after this Life ; the firm belief and perfwafionof which, made Chriftians dead to-the World, and all the Contentments and Enjoyments of it, and by railing them a- bove all the pleafures and terrors of Senfe, made them to defpife prefent things, in hopesof eternal Life, which God that could not lie had prom/ed. This was that which fet them above the fears of Death, fo that they were not to be frighted out of their Religion by the moft exquifite Torments, and all the moft horrid and fearful(napes that the malice of Men and Devils could drefs up Mifery and Af- fli &ion in. Whereas under the old Difpenfation of the Law, before the Revela- tion of the Gofpel, when the promifesofeternal Life werenot fo clear, andMens hopes of it more weak and faint, the exprefs Encouragement to Obediencewas founded in the promìfes of temporal Bleflings 5 God herein complying with the necef(ity of human Nature, which is not to be wrought upon to any great pur- pofe, but by Argumentsof Advantage. The fum of this Argument, which I have thus largely dilated upon, becaufe I look upon it as one of the moft thong and convincingof theSoul's Immortality, is this; That the Juftice of God's Providence cannot fuficiently be vindicated, but upon the fuppofal of this Principle ofthe Soul's Immortality : Whereas if this Principle be admitted, that Men pats out of this life into an eternal (tare of Happinefs or Mifery, according as they have behaved themfelves in thisWorld; then the account of the unequal Providences of God in thisWorld is eafie. For ifwe look upon this Life as a (late of probation, of tryal to wicked Men, and of exercife to good Men in order to a future and eternal (tote; and if we confider withal, how vaft the difference is betweenTime and Eternity, it will be eafie then to apprehend how all things may be fet flreight in anther World, and how the Righteoufnefs of God may appear, in giving an abundant recompence to good Men for all their temporal Service andSufferings, which do but prepare them the more foraquicker relifh of the Glory and Happinefs which is referved for them ; and on the other hand, inpunifhing wicked Men, whole fhort eafe and profpe- rity in this World will, by the juft Judgment ofGod for their abufe of the Bief- fìngs of this Life, fet out their Mifery andTorment to the greateft difadvantage. For as nothing commends Happinefs more than precedent Sorrow; fo nothing makes Pain andSuffering more bitter and intolerable, than to ftep into them out ofa (tareofeafe and pleafure; fo that the pleafures and profperity of wicked Men in this life, confider'd with the punifhment of the next, which will follow upon them, is an addition to their Mifery. This is the very flingof the fecond Death; and in this fenfealfo that of the wife Man is true, The eafe of the frmple will flay them, and the profperityofthefefool/ (hallbe the greataggravationoftheir defirutlion. a. AnotherNotion which is deeply rooted in the Nature of Man, is, that there is a difference between Good and Evil, which is not founded in the imagination of Perfons, or inthe Cuftomand 'Wage ofthe World, but in the Nature of things; that there are fome things which have a natural evil, and turpitude, and defor- mity in them; for Example, impiety and profanefs towards God, inju(tice and unrighteoufnefs towards Men, perfidioufnefs, injury, ingratitude, thefe are things that are not only condemned by the pofitive Laws and Conftitutions of particu- lar Nations and Governments, but by the general verdi& and fentiments ofHu- manity. Piety and Religion towards God, Juftice, and Righteoufnefs, and Fi- delity, and Reverenceof Oaths, regard to a Man's word and promife, and Grati- tude towards thofe who have oblig'd us, thefe and the like Qualities, which we call Virtues, are not only well fpoken of, where they are countenanced by the Authority of Law, but have the tacit approbation and veneration of Mankind : And anyMan that thinks thefe things arenot naturally and in themfelves good, but are meetly arbitrary, and depend upon the pleafure of Authority, and the Will of thofe who have the power of impofing Laws upon others; I fay, any filch Perfon may eafily be convinc'd of his error, by putting this fuppofition ; Sup-
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