I 26 Of the Immortality of the )otil, &c. Vol. lÌ. born up under the anxieties of this prefent Life, with the hopes and expe&ations of a happierRatein another World, Mankind wouldbe the moll impeder and un- happypart of God's Creation. For altho other Creatures be fubje&ed to a great deal ofvanity and mifery, yet they have this Happinefs, that as they are made for á fhort' duration and continuance, fo they are only affe&ed with theprefent, they do not fret and difcontent themfelvesabout the future, they are not liable to be cheated with hopes, nor tormented with fears, nor vext atdifappointments, asthe Sons of Men are. But ifour Soul's be Immortal, this makes abundant amends and compenfation for the Frailties of this Life, and all the tranhtory fufferings and inconveniences of this prefent(fate ; human Nature, confidered with this Advantage, is infinite- ly above the brute Beafisthat perifh. As for thofe Torments and Miferieswhich we are liable to in another World, far greater than any thing that Men fuller in this life, this ought not in reafon to be obje&ed againft the Immortality of the Soul, as if this Do&rine did not tend to the Happinefs and Perte&ion ofMan : for if this be truly the cafe of Mankind, that God bath made Meus Souls of an Immortal Nature, and defign'd them for a per- petual duration and continuancein another (fateafter this life, in order to which fiate, he bath placed every Man in this World, to be as it were a Candidate for Eternity, he bath furni(h'd every Man with fuch Helps and Advantages, fuch Op- portunities and Means for the attaining ofeverlafting Happinefs, that if he benot grofly wanting to himfelf, he (hall not mifcarry 5 if this be the cafe, then an Im- tnortal Nature isa real andmighty Privilege. If God putevery Man into a capa- city of Happinefs, and if no Manbecomes miferable but by his own choice, if no Man falisfhort of eternal Happinefs but by his own fault, then Immortality is a Privilegein it felf, anda Curfe to nonebut thofe whomake it fo to themfelves. 2. This Do&rine tends to the Happinefs of Man confidered in Society, to the good Order and Government of the World. I do not deny, but if this Principle of the Immortalityof theSoul were not believed in the World, if the generality ofMankind had no regard to any thing beyond this prefent Life ; I fay, I donot deny notwith(tanding this, but there would be force kindof Government kept up in the World ; theNeceflitiesof human Nature, and the Mifchiefs of contention would compel Men to force kindof Order : but I fay withal, that if this Princi- ple were banifh'd outof the World, Government would want its nìoft firm Bafis and Foundation ; there would be infinitely more diforders in the World, were Men not reftrained from Injuftice and Violence by Principles of Confcience, and the awe of another World. And that this is fo, is evident from hence, that all Magiftrates think themfelves concern'd to cheri(hReligion, and tomaintain in the minds ofMen the beliefof a God, and of a future (late. This is the fourth Argument, That this Do&rine does evidently tend to the Happinefs of Man, and the goodOrderand Government of the World. I grant, that this Argument alone, and taken fingly by it felf, is far from enforcing and necefïarily concluding the Soul's Immortality : but if the other Arguments be of force to conclude, this added to them is a very proper inducement to perfwade and incline Men to the belief of this Principle ; it does very well ferve the pur- pofe for which I bring it, namely, to (hew that if there be good Arguments for it, no Man bath reafon to be averfe or backward to the belief ofit ; if by other Arguments we be convinced of the fuitablenefs of this Principle to Reafon, this Confiderationwill fatisfie us, that it is not againft our intereft to entertain it. And noMan that is not refolved to live wickedly, bath reafon to defire that the contrary (Mould be true. For what would a Man gain by it, if the Soul werenot Immortal, but to level himfelf with the beaf{a that perifh, and to put himfelf into a worfe and more miferable condition than any of the Creatures below him ? S E R-
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