fays he, any nation in the world more remote from "all religion than these were; yet, to fhew that there "is fome light in the midst of this darkness, I can, fays "he, truly affirm, that they have not only fome apprehenfions of the immortality of the foul, but a "moft confident perfuafion of it. Their opinion, fays "he, is, that the fouls of ftout and valiant men, after "death, fly beyond the highest mountains, and there "are gathered to their fathers and grand-fathers, and "live in pleafant gardens, with all manner of delights; but the fouls of flothful and unactive men, and those who do nothing for their country, are carried to Ayg"man, fo they call the Devil, and live with him in per"petual torments." The like, Xaverius and others, who laboured in the converfion of the remote parts of the Eaft-Indies, tell us concerning thofe nations, that they found them generally poffeffed with this principle, of the foul's immortality.

Now what will we call a natural notion, if not that which mankind in all places of the world, in all ages, fo far as hiftory informs, did univerfally agree in? What evidence greater than this can any man give, to fhew that any thing is natural? And if we believe a God, which I told you I do all along in this argument fuppofe to be already proved, can we imagine that this wife and good God would plant fuch a notion and apprehenfion in the understandings of men, as would put an univerfal cheat and delufion upon human nature?

And that the univerfal confent of all nations in this principle, cannot be refolved either into the fears and groundless jealoufy and fuperftition of human nature, nor into univerfal tradition, which had its original from fome impoftor, nor into reafon and policy of ftate, I inight fhew particularly: but having formerly done that, concerning the univerfal confent of all nations in the belief of a God, and the reafon being the very fame, as to this principle of the immortality of the foul, 1 fhall not need to do this over again upon this argument.

And that fome perfons, and particular fects in the world, have difowned this principle, is no fufficient objection against it. It cannot be denied, but the Epicureans among the philofophers did renounce this prin

ciple; and fome alfo among the Stoicks do fpeak doubtfully of it. The Sadducees like wife among the Jews fell into this error, upon a mistake and mifapprehenfion of the doctrine of their mafter Sadoc, who, as Jofephus tells us, did ufe to inculcate this principle to his fcholars, that though there were no rewards nor punishments after this life, yet men ought to be good and live virtuously; from whence in procefs of time, by heat of oppofition against the Pharifees, who brought in oral tradition, and inade it equal with the written word of God, they fell into that error, and denied the foul's immortality, not finding fuch clear texts for it in the Old Tellament, as to them did feem fully convincing of this truth. Xaverius likewife tells us, that among the feveral fects of religion which he found in Japan, there was one which denied the immortality of the foul, and that there were any fpirits: but he fays they were a fort of notoriously wicked and vicious perfons.

To thefe inftances, which are fo few, and bear no proportion to the generality of mankind, I have thefe two things to fay.

1. That no argument can be drawn è monftro ad naturam. A thing may be natural, and yet fome inftances may be brought to the contrary: but these are but few in comparison, and like monsters, which are no argument against nature. No man will deny that it is natural for men to have two eyes, and five fingers upon a hand; though there are feveral inftances of men born but with one eye, and with four or fix fingers.

2. But efpecially in matters of religion and difcourfe, which are fubject to liberty, men may offer violence to nature, and to gratify their lufts and interefts, may, by falfe reafonings, debauch their understanding, and by long friving against the natural bent and bias of it, may alter their apprehenfions of things, and perfuade others to the fame: but nothing that is against nature can prevail very far, but nature will fill be endeavouring to recover itself, and to free itself from the violence which is offered to it. So that mens understandings left to themselves, and not having fome falfe bias put upon them, out of a defign of pride and fingularity in opinion, which was the cafe of Epicurus; or out of the intereft of fome

C 3

fome luft, and a design to fet men at liberty to fin, which is the case of most who have renounced this principle; I fay, nothing but one of these two can ordinarily make men deny the immortality of the foul. Thus I have done with the first argument, namely, that the immortality of the foul is a natural notion and dictate of our minds.

SERMON

CLXXV.

Of the immortality of the foul, as discovered by nature, and by revelation.

2 TIM. i. 10.

But is now made manifeft by the appearing of our Saviour Fefus Chrift, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light, through the gospel.

I

The fecond fermon on this text.

Proceed to the fecond argument, that this notion or principle of the immortality of the foul, doth not contradict any other principle that nature hath planted in us, but doth very well accord and agree with all thofe other notions which are most natural. I fhall mention two, which feem to be the most natural notions that we have, and the most deeply rooted in our natures, the one is the existence and the perfections of God; and the other the difference of good and evil. Mankind do univerfally agree in these two principles, that there is a God who is effentially good and juft; and that there is a real difference between good and evil, which is not founded in the opinion and imagination of perfons, or in the custom and ufage of the world, but in the nature of things. Now this principle of the immortality of the foul, and future rewards after this life, is fo far from clashing with either of these principles, that the contrary affertion, viz. that our fouls are mortal, and that there is nothing to be hoped for, or feared beyond this life, would

would very much contradict those other principles. To fhew this then particularly:

1. The immortality of the foul is very agreeable to the natural notion which we have of God, one part whereof is, that he is effentially good and juft.

ift, For his goodness. It is very agreeable to that, to think that God would make fome creatures for as long a duration as they are capable of. The wisdom of God hath chofen to difplay itself, in creating variety of things of different degrees and perfections; things devoid of life and fenfe; and feveral degrees and orders of sensitive creatures, of different shapes and figures, of different magnitude, fome vaftly great, others extremely little, others of middle fort between these. And himself being a pure fpirit, we have no reason to doubt, but he could make creatures of a fpiritual nature, and fuch as fhould have no principle of felf-corruption in them. And feeing he could make creatures of fuch perfection, if we believe him to be effentially good, we have no reason to doubt, but that he hath done fo. For it is the very nature of goodness, to communicate and diffuse itself, and to delight in doing fo; and we cannot imagine, but that the fame goodnefs which prompted and inclined him to give being to thofe creatures which are of an inferior degree of perfection, would move him likewife to make creatures more perfect, and capable of greater degrees of happiness, and of a longer enjoyment of it, if it were in his power to make fuch; and no man that believes the omnipotency of God can doubt of this. For he who, by a pure act of his will, can command things to be, and in an inftant to start out of nothing, can as easily make one fort of creatures as another. Now the power of God being fuppofed, his goodness fecures us of his will: for we cannot imagine any fuch thing as envy in a being which we fuppofe to be perfectly good; nothing being more inconfiftent with perfect goodness, than to be unwilling to communicate happiness to others, and to grudge that others should partake of it.

Now, this being fuppofed, that God could and would make creatures of a fpiritual and immortal nature, and the utmost imaginable perfections of fuch

crea

creatures being knowledge and liberty, wherever thefe perfections are found, we have reafon to conclude that creature to be endowed with a principle that is of a fpiritual and immortal nature. Now, these perfecti ons of understanding and will being found in man, this argues him to be endowed with fuch a principle, as is in its own nature capable of an immortal duration.

It is true indeed, this fpiritual part of man, which we call his foul, is united to a visible and material part, viz. his body; the union of which parts conftitutes a peculiar fort of creature, which is utriufque anundi nexus, "unites the material and immaterial "world, the world of matter and of fpirits." And as it is very fuitable to the wifdom of God, which delights in variety, that, there should be a fort of creatures compounded of both these principles, matter and fpirit; fo it is very agreeable to his goodness to think that he would defign fuch creatures for as long a duration and continuance as they were capable of. For, as it is the effect of goodness to bring creatures forth into the poffeffion of that life and happiness which they are capable of; fo to continue them in the enjoyment of it for fo long as they are capable.

The fum of all this is, that as it is agreeable to the wifdom of God, which made the world, to difplay it felf in all variety of creatures, fo it is agreeable to his goodness, to make some of as perfect a kind as creatures are capable of being. Now, it being no repugnancy nor contradiction, that a creature should be of a spiritual and immortal nature, we have no reason to think, but that the fruitfulness of the divine goodness hath brought forth fuch creatures; and if there be reason to conclude any thing to be of a fpiritual and immortal nature, certainly the principle of understanding and li→ berty, which we are confcious of in ourselves, deferves to be reputed fuch.

2dly, It is very agreeable to the juftice of God, to think the fouls of men remain after this life, that there may be a ftate of reward and recompence in another world. If we believe God to be holy and juft, we cannot but believe that he loves righteoufnefs and goodnefs, and hates iniquity; and that as he is Governor

and