appears to be interwoven with human nature, and from the many inequalities which are in the fituations of men in this world, and the manifest advantages which the wicked frequently have over the righteous. But all the arguments derived from this fource do not reduce the matter to a certainty, and it is at least very questionable whether all thefe ingenious things would have been fuggefted, had not their authors borrowed, either directly or indirectly, from revelation. But although we allow all these arguments their full force, ftill it is the voice of fcripture that puts the matter out of difpute. Although more obfcurely revealed in the old, it is the new Teftament in particular, which hath brought life and immortality to light. Some Heathens, it is true, entertained certain confufed notions about the immortality of the foul, but the point never was confidered as fully settled.* With the most enlightened characters, and the most plaufible reafoners on the fubject, it was confidered rather as a probability than a certainty, as what they wished might prove true rather than as a point which they confidered as established by fufficient evidence. It is, if poffible, still less considered as an estab

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* With refpect to the immortality of the foul, notwithftanding the ftrength of the arguments used by heathen writers, which fometimes feemed to them convincing, yet, at other times, the greateft and wifeft among them exprefs themselves with great doubt and uncertainty concerning it. "I am now (faid Socrates a little before his death,) a"bout to leave this world, and ye are still to continue.in "it. Which of us has the better part allotted to us, Godonly knows." Again at the end of his most admirable discourse on the immortality of the foul, “I would have you know" (faid he to his friends who came to pay him their laft vifit,) "I have great hopes that I am now go"ing into the company of good men. Yet I would not "be too peremptory and confident concerning it. But "if death be only, as it were, a tranfmigration from hence to another place, and thofe things which are told us be "indeed true, that those who are dead to us are all alive

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lithed point among modern unbelievers. The more ancient deifts, following their founder, Lord Herbert, admitted the doctrine of the foul's immortality, and of a fizture life, as parts of natural religion, truths taught by the light of nature. But more modern Infidels, in whom is virified that paffage of holy writ, that, Evil men and feducers wax worse and worfe, I believe, pretty generally deny it, and confider death as an eternal fleep. Many of the Heathens had, it is true, their Elyfium and their Tartarus, as places of future rewards and punishments. But as this belief was far from univerfal, so it is probable that whatever notions of these things they entertained, were originally derived, either from fome tradition founded on a prior revelation, which, though pure at first, became by degrees more and more vitiated by means of the corrupt channel through which it was tranfmitted. Or it might be derived from an acquaintance with the facred writings, although they did not acknowledge them as divine revelation, or from fome communications, either direct or indirect, with those who had access to the facred Oracles. But from whatever fource it was derived, it had not fuch

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there, then &c." So likewife Cicero, fpeaking of the fame fubject. "I will endeavour, (fays he,) to explain what es defire. Yet I would not have you depend upon "what I fay as certain and infallible, but I may guefs as "other men do, at what may seem most probable, and far"ther than this I cannot pretend to go." Again "Which "of the two opinions (fays he,) that the foul is mortal or "or that it is immortal, be true, God only knows; which "of them is probable is a very great question." And again in the fame difcourfe, having brought all his arguments in favour of the immortality of the foul together he adds, "Yet we ought not to be over confident of it. For "it often happens that we are strongly affected at first with

an acute argument, and yet a little while aftewards ftag66 ger in our judgment, and alter in our opinion, even in "clearer matters than thefe. For these things must be "confeffed to have fome obfcurity in them." And again

a degree of clearness, or fuch a force of evidence as to have much influence on human conduct. Their notions both of future rewards and punishments, as well as of the particular virtues or crimes, which were either rewardable or punishable in their Elyfium or Tartarus were fraught with abfurdity. But thanks to him who is the light of the world, that he hath made that discovery of himself which human wisdom had long searched for, and must have forever looked in vain, had not the gospel brought life and immortality to light.

6. It is of the utmost importance for mankind to be informed wherein confifts the true fource of rest and happinefs, or what are thofe objects, the poffeffion and enjoyment of which will render a man perfectly happy. For a fatisfactory answer to this enquiry, we will fearch throughout all the discoveries of human wisdom in vain. Man is, by nature, or rather by the God of nature, endued with fuch powers and faculties, with fuch a conftitution both of body and mind, as to have an ardent defire after, and be conftantly engaged in the purfuit of happiness. But what are the particular objects in the enjoyment of which true

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I know not; (faith he,) when I read the arguments in proof of the foul's immortality, me thinks I am fully "convinced. And yet, after I have laid afide the book, "and come to think and confider of the matter alone by "myself, I fall again, infenfibly, into my old doubts." And Seneca fays, "I eafily believed the opinions of great "men, promifing rather than proving a moft agreeable thing." Socrates alfo fpeaks of his own arguments with the fame doubt and uncertainty. "We ought to lay hold of the ftrongeft arguments for this doctrine, "which either our felves or others can fuggeft to us. If "both ways prove ineffectual, we must however put up "with the best proofs we can get, till fome promife or "revelation fhall clear up the point to us. But quotations are endless. See much more on this fubject, collected from various authors, in Edward's Mifcellany, Page 163 and 243 to 256, Edinburgh Edition. D

happiness confifts? How are thefe objects to be obtained ? Is all our happiness to be expected and enjoyed in the prefent life? Or is there an hereafter, a future state of exiftence and happiness beyond the grave? Or, if there is fuch a thing as future happinefs, what is the nature of that happiness? What are the particular objects in the full poffeffion of which it is to be enjoyed? And what are the particular qualifications of thofe who may be confidered as candidates for the enjoyment of that state of felicity? are queftions for an anfwer to which we fhall look to human wisdom in vain. From this ftate of darkness and uncertainty flowed that endless diverfity of opinions among the ancient philofophers about the chief good, or man's ultimate happiness. Some placed it in virtue without approaching any nearer to the end of their enquiry, becaufe what was virtue was a question equally undetermined with what was happinefs. Some placed happiness in the pleafures of the mind, fome in an abfolute dominion over the paffions, and their fubje&ion to right reafon, and fome in fenfual pleasure. Authors reckon up hundreds of opinions among philofophers about the chief good, or ultimate happiness of man, all equally remote from the truth; none that I know of placing it in the enjoyment of God here and hereafter, or in eternal rewards to be had at his right. hand, or in the perfection of his nature, having the foul affimilated to God, and dwelling in his blifsful prefence. forever. How mean and contemptible are all their ideas of the chief good, or of the ultimate happinefs of man compared with those of the Pfalmist. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. If certain individuals entertained fome faint ideas of future rewards, how mean and contemptible were the pleasures of their Elyfium? They were fuch as were unworthy of God to bestow, and unworthy of the dignity of a rational creature. The ut moft exertions of human wifdom never difcovered a true fource of reft and happiness.

7. The world by wifdom never difcovered a univerfal or a confistent system of moral duty. This must be admit

ed to be a matter of great importance in religion. Religion without morals, without purity of heart and life, is But little better than no religion at all. If we examine, one after another, all the various inftitutions bearing the name of religious inftitutions which have appeared in the world, we will fcarcely find one, Chriftianity, or the religion of the Bible excepted, which had any reference to or foundation in, either purity of heart or purity of mor als.* Their Gods were offended, not by immoralities, But by the neglect of fome rites and offerings, and they were to be appealed, not by repentance or amendment of life, but by fome expenfive offerings, fome decorations of their Temples, or, as the cafe might be, by the practice of

The religion of the Bible is the only religion which. appears to have any neceffary connexion with a fyftem of moral duty. So far were the various modes of heathen idolatry from inculcating any thing like a fyftem of pure. morality, that many parts of the worship of fome of their principal deities confifted in the practice of the groffeft im moralities. The most barbarous oppreffors, the most cru. el tyrants, and murderers, and the lewdeft proftitutes, fuch as were the most juft objects of execration while living were frequently added to the lift of their deities when dead, and their worship was fuited to the nature of the divinities they adored. The worship of one was celebrat ed with noife, riot and drunkennefs, another by the most fhameless lewdness and proflitution, and another by acts of cruelty and murder, by the inmolation of human victims, not only their enemies, but frequently of their own children, and fometimes of themfelves. It cannot be fuppofed that fuch worship would have any good effect on the morals of the people. As the heathens oftentimes clothed their deities with all the vices of the vileft of men, fo they did not confider themfelves, as under obligations to be better than their Gods. And accordingly, not only indulged their lufts out of principle, but run into cuftoms of the most horrid and abominable nature. The Apoftle gives the molt melancholy picture of the immorality of the