of another life after this; and is evident from the opinion of all the wifer Heathens concerning this matter. Neither may it perhaps be altogether impertinent to obferve here, that the poets both Greek and Latin have unanimously agreed in this one particular circumftance, that men after death fhould not have judgment paffed upon them immediately by God himself, but by just men appointed for that purpose.

In order to this final judgment, not only the foul fhall furvive the diffolution of the body, but the body itself alfo fhall be raised again; this doctrine, though not indeed discoverable, with any kind of certainty by the bare light of nature, because the belief of the foul's immortality is sufficient to answer all the purpose of a future ftate, as far as is difcoverable merely by the light of nature; yet this doctrine of the refurrection of the body, when made known by Revelation, evidently contains nothing in it in the least contrary to right reason.

AFTER the refurrection and the general judgment, wherein every man fhall be judged according to his works; they that have done well, fhall go into everlasting happiness; and they that have done evil, into everlafting punishment; is a doctrine in itself very credible, and reasonable to be believed. Concerning the everlafting happi

nefs of the righteous, there is no difpute; it being evident that God in his infinite bounty may reward the fincere obedience of his creatures, as much beyond the merit of their own weak and imperfect works as he himself pleases. But the everlafting punishment threatened to the wicked, has feemed to many, a great difficulty; fince it is certain from our natural notions of the attributes of God, that no man shall be punished beyond the juft demerit of his fins. Here therefore it it to be observed, that no man can fay it is unreasonable, that they who by wilful and ftubborn difobedience to their almighty creator and moft merciful benefactor, and by the habitual practice of unrepented wickedness, have during this ftate of trial, made themselves unfit for the enjoyment of that happinefs which God has prepared for them that love and obey him, fhould be eternally rejected and excluded from it. Thus much, the wickedeft of men are willing enough to believe, and if bare deprivation of happiness was all the punishment they had reason to fear, they would be well content to fet ftill in their wickednefs.But, is it at all agreeable to reafon to believe, that the punishment to be inflicted by the final wrath of a provoked God upon his moft obftinate and incorrigible enemies, fhould be merely fuch a thing as is in its own nature lefs dreadful and

terrible, than even thofe afflictions which by certain experience we fee in the prefent life fall fometimes upon luch persons with whom God is not angry at all? Is it agreeable to reafon to believe, that God, who, as is evident by experience, fuffers the very beft of his own fervants, for the punishment of their fins, or even only for the trial of their virtues, to fall fometimes under all the calamities and miferies which it is poffible for the cruelest and most powerful tyrants to invent and execute; fhould punish his moft obftinately rebellious and finally impertinent creatures, with nothing more than the negation of happiness? There muft therefore be fome fenfible and pofitive punishment befides the mere negative lufs of happiness. And whoever ferioufly confiders the dreadful effects of God's anger in this prefent world, in the inftance of the general deluge, the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrha, the amafing calamities which befel the whole Jewish nation at the deftruction of Jerufalem, and other fuch like examples; in some of which cafes the judgments have fallen upon mixt mu!tidues of good men and bad together, not to mention the calamities which fometimes befall even good men by themselves: whofoever, ferioufly confiders all this, cannot but frame to himself very terrible apprehenfions of the greatness of

that punishment, which the defpifed patience of God fhall finally inflict on the impenitently wicked and incorrigible, when they shall be separated and be by themselves.

THUS all the credenda, or doctrines, which the Chriftian Religion requires our affent to, as of neceffity to be believed; are indeed, many of them not difcoverable by bare reafon unaffifted with Revelation, yet, when di'covered by Revelation, apparent y moft agreeable to found and unprejudiced reafon.

EVERY one of thefe de crines has a natural tendency, and a direct and powerful influence, to reform mens lives and correct their manners.. This is the great e d and ultimate defign of all true Religion, and it is a very great and fatal mistake, to think that any doctrine or any belief whatsoever, can be any otherwise of any benefit to men, than as it is fined to this main end. There was none of the doctrines of our Saviour, as an excellent Pr late of our church admirably expreffes this matter, calculated for the gratification of mens idle curiofities, the bufing and amufing them with airy and ufclefs fpeculations; much lefs were they intended for an exercise of our credulity, or a trial how far we could bring our reason to submit to our faith; but, as on the one hand they were plain and fimple, and fuch as by

their agreeableness to the rational faculties of mankind, did highly recommend themselves to our belief; fo on the other hand they had an immediate relation to practice, and were the genuine principles and foundation upon which all human and divine virtues were naturally to be fuperftructed. Particularly, what can be a more neceflary and excellent foundation of ture Religion, than that doctrine which the Chriftian Religion clearly and distinctly teaches us, concerning the nature and attributes of the one only true God, without any ambiguity and doubtfulness, those various and inconfiftent opinions and conjectures, those uncertain and oft-times falfe reafonings concerning the nature of God, which notwithstanding the natural poffibility of difcovering very many of the attributes of God by the light of true reafon, did yet in fact overfpread the greatest part of the Heathen world with Polytheism or Atheism ? what can be fo certain a preservative against idolatry, and the worship of falfe Gods; as the doctrine, that the univerfe, the heavens and the earth, and all things contained therein, are the creatures and workmanship of the one true God, and have a continual dependence upon him for the preservation of their being? what can be fo fure a ground of true piety and reliance upon God, as the clear Chriftian doctrine concerning