391 THE SOUL NEVER SLEEPS. which come by reflection; not for that it does not think, but be- cause its thoughts are still employed and imposed upon by the brainin sensations, as the brain is employed continually by croud- ing impressions from theobjects of sense and feeling from within or without. Thus I have endeavoured to answer the chief objections of this great writer, against the constant consciousness of the soul. And indeed so far as my ideas reach, or my reasoning powers will help me, constant or perpetual cogitation seems to belong to the very nature, essence and substance of a spirit, and that when it ceases to think it ceases to be. And herein it bears a very near resemblance to God, and is the fairest image of its maker, whose very being admits of no sleep nor quiescence, but is all conscious activity. COROLLARIES.-1. Hence it will follow, that the soul is in its own nature immortal ; for nothing but the power which bath given it this active life and being can destroy it. It is entirely out of the reach of all the material world to hurt it : It cannot lay aside its own thinking; it cannot put itself out of being: Nor can we conceive how any other spirit can make it cease to act, i. e. cease to be. Such an active being as a spirit cannot be de- stroyed but by annihilation ; and surely God, whose right and prerogative is to create, or give being to a creature, bath not put it into the power of any creature to annihilate his works, or take away their being. 2. Hence it will follow also, that when the human body dies, thesoul exists and continues to think and act in a separate state; and when it is freed from all the avocationof sensations . and sensible things, it will live more entirely in the reflection on its own operations, and will commence 'a state of happiness or misery, according to its own former conduct ; either rejoicing in the testimony ofa good conscience, or under inward anguish and bitter self-reproaches from the consciousnessof its own guilt.
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