is fo complete as to fuperfede the neceflity of any further information, is to give nature a degree of merit, to which he is far from having any just pretenfions, and to make a very ungrateful return for the invaluable advantages we have received, in this and many other refpects, from the Revelation made by Christ. But yet to affert, on the other hand, that natural religion gives us not the smallest ground to hope that we fhall furvive the grave, and that every argument for it, except those which Scripture fupplies, is. perfectly vain and nugatory, and unworthy of the leaft regard, is furely running into another extreme, no lefs deftitute of foundation, and no less hurtful in its confequences than the former *. The natural and moral evidences of another life after this, though confeffedly inferior, very greatly inferior in authority and force, to thofe of Revelation, yet undoubtedly have their proper weight and use

It has been very juftly observed, that fome writers, by exalting the powers of reason, in matters of religion, too high, have destroyed the neceffity of Revelation, and others, by degrading them too low, have rifqued the reasonableness of it, Div. Leg. vol. ii. p. 26.

and

and to depreciate their juft value, and fink them as much as poffible in the estimation of mankind, is to do no real fervice (although there may have been a fincere intention of doing it) to the cause of Christianity; which has no need, in this or in any other inftance, to rife on the ruins of human reason. On the contrary, it difdains not to receive reafon as its friend and ally, and occafionally to elucidate and confirm both its doctrines and its precepts, by fuch collateral arguments as that faculty is capable of fupplying. In the prefent cafe more especially, the confideration of a future state is a fubject fo full of comfort and fatisfaction, that the mind of man must neceffarily love to dwell upon it; muft wish to contemplate it in every point of view; to examine it in every light, whether natural or revealed; to let in conviction from every quarter; and must be foothed and delighted to find that fo important an article of belief, on which so much depends both in this life and the next, is perfectly conformable to the natural fentiments of the human heart, and the jufteft conclufions of the human underftanding. This must be the cafe, even with

the

the fincereft believers. But there are fome alfo (as is but too well known) in every Christian country, who are not believers, and yet profefs to receive, on the principles of natural religion, the doctrine of another life, and a day of recompence. Now, no one, I think, would wish to deprive even thefe of their perfuafion, on whatever grounds it rests, that they are formed for immortality, and that they are responsible for their conduct here, at the bar of their Creator hereafter. There are other unbelievers (for they are divided into many different fects) who, though not yet convinced of a future ftate of exiftence, are willing to liften to the natural and moral evidences in its favour, and to no others. These, surely, it is of great importance, both to fociety and to themselves, to bring, if poffible, to the acknowledgment of a future retribution. This acknowledgment will, even on their own principles, bind them down to a courfe of action very different from that which a contrary persuafion would have been apt to produce; and will, moreover, in all probability, pave way for their entire belief of a religion which

4

the

they

they will find fo perfectly harmonizing with their favourite oracle, Reafon, in this most interesting point, and which professes to give them the moft authentic information concerning that unfeen world, the reality of which they already admit to have been proved *.

Whereas if, on the contrary, with a view of converting the Infidel to Christianity, and impreffing him with a high sense of its dignity and importance, you fet out with affuring him that reason gives us not the slightest hope of immortality; that foul and body perish together in the grave, but are both raised to life again at that general resurrection which the Gofpel promifes; he will affent probably, without fcruple, to the former part of your propofition, but will never be perfuaded, on the fole authority of a Revelation which he rejects, to liften to the concluding part.

It may therefore contribute not a little, both to the fatisfaction of the Chriftian, and

That fundamental doctrine of religion (a future state) would, if believed, open and difpofe the mind seriously to attend to the general evidence of the whole. Butler's Anal. c. 1.

the

the conviction of the unbeliever, to ftate, with as much brevity and perfpicuity as the nature of the enquiry will admit, some of the plainest and most obvious of thofe proofs of a future existence, which our own reafon is capable of fuggesting to the mind*.

The first question that naturally prefents itself on this subject, is, whether that percipient and thinking agent within us, which

The fubftance of this and the two following fermons was written and preached feveral years ago. The difcourse now before us is not, I confefs, of that kind which I should naturally have selected for publication. But the progrefs which the doctrine of materialism has already made on the continent, and is now endeavouring to make in this kingdom, induced me to think, that a compendious view of the moft intelligible arguments for the immateriality and natural immortality of the foul, as well as of the other principal evidences of a future. ftate, both moral and fcriptural, would not be at this time either unfeasonable or unufeful. The young reader, at leaft, for whose use these three difcourfes were principally intended; will here find (what can alone be expected, on fo extensive a fubject, in so short a compass) fome general and leading principles to direct his judgement on a queftion of no small importance; to guard him against too hafty a desertion of the received opinion concerning it; and to prepare him for a more profound and accurate inveftigation of it, if ever he fhould feel himself difpofed to pursue the enquiry any farther.

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