328 P.S$AY, &c. [SECT. V. he that can read all those texts of scriptures, which have been before made use of in this essay, wherein the existence of the spirit, after the death of the body, is so plainly expressed, and cannot find the "immortality of the soul" in them, or the " spirit's capacity of existence in a separate state from the body," must be left to his own sentiments to explain, and verify the expressions of Christ, and his apostles, some other way : Or he must acknowledge, that their expressions are somewhat incau- tious and dangeròus, since, it is evident, they, lead thou- sands and ten thousands, of wise and sober readers, into this sentiment of the soul's immortality. Whether the soul, in its own nature, be necessarily immortal, is a point of philosophy, and not to be sought for directly in scripture : But whether the great God, the governor of the world, has not appointed souls to exist, in a separate state of happiness or misery, after the bodies are dead, seems to me to be so plainly deter- mined in manyof the scriptures, which have been cited, as leaves no sufficient reason to doubt of the truth of it. To conclude, though I think the doctrine, of the sed parate state ofsouls, to be ofmuch importance in chris- tianity, and that the denial of it carries great inconve- niences, and weakens the motives to virtue and piety, by putting off all manner of rewards and punishments, at such a distance as the general resurrection, yet I dare not contend for it, as a matter of such absolute necessity, that a man cannot be a christian without it. But this must be confessed, that they, who deny this doctrine, seem to have need of stronger inward zeal to guard them against temptation, and to keep their heartsalways alive, and watchful to God and religion, since their motives to strict piety and virtue are sensibly weakened, by re- nouncing all belief of this nearer, and more immediate commencement of heaven and hell.
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