and increase; whereas, when miraculous powers cease, there is not only one of the evidences withdrawn, but a recommendation and means of admittance alfo.

However, far be it from us to determine by anticipation, what GOD may or may not do! The natural powers, which favour the execution of this great command of our Saviour's, to preach the gofpel to all nations, ought to be perpetual monitors to us to do fo; and, as we now live in a more adult age of the world, more will now be expected from our natural powers. The Jews had fome previous notices of CHRIST's first coming, and good perfons were thereby prepared to receive him; however, his appearance, and entire conduct, were very different from what they expected; fo that they ftood in need of the greatest docility and humility, in order to become disciples and apoftles. And it is probable, that fome. thing analogous to this will happen at CHRIST'S fecond coming. We may perhaps fay, that fome glimmerings of the day begin already to fhine in the hearts of all those who study and delight in the word and works of God.

PROP. LXXXV.

It is not probable, that there will be any pure or complete Happiness, before the Destruction of this World by Fire.

THAT the restoration of the Jews, and the univerfal establishment of the true religion, will be the causes of great happiness, and change the face of this world much for the better, may be inferred both from the prophecies, and from the nature of the thing.

But ftill, that the great crown of glory promifed to Chriftians must be in a state ulterior to this establishment, appears for the following reafons.

tures.

Firf, From the express declarations of the fcripThus St. Peter fays, that the earth must be burnt up, before we are to expect a new heaven, and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness; and St. Paul, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; the celestial glorious body, made like unto that of CHRIST, at the refurrection of the dead, being requifite for this purpose.

Secondly, The prefent diforderly state of the natural world does not permit of unmixed happiness; and it does not feem, that this can be rectified in any great degree, till the earth have received the baptifm by fire.

But I prefume to affirm nothing particular in relation to future events. One may juft afk, whether CHRIST's reign of a thousand years upon earth does not commence with the univerfal establishment of Christianity; and whether the fecond refurrection, the new heavens, and new earth, &c. do not coincide with the conflagration.

One ought alfo to add, with St. Peter, as the practical confequence of this propofition, that the diffolution of this world by fire is the ftrongeft motive to an indifference to it, and to that holy converfation and godlinefs, which may fit us for the new heavens, and new earth.

SECT. III.

OF A FUTURE STATE AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THIS LIFE.

PROP. LXXXVI.

It is probable from the mere Light of Nature, that there will be a Future State.

I DO not here mean, that mankind in ancient times did discover a future ftate, and reason themfelves into it. This, I apprehend, is contrary to the fact, a future ftate having been taught all mankind by patriarchal revelations before or after the flood. Nor do I mean, that men could have done this without any affiftance, primarily or fecondarily, from revelation, and by mere unaffifted reafon. This is a problem of too deep a nature to be determined conclufively; or, if it can, we fhall determine for the oppofite fide, as it seems to me, as foon as our knowledge of the powers of the human mind is arrived at a fufficient height. My defign is only to fhew, that the works of GOD are fo far opened to us in the prefent age, that, when the queftion concerning a future ftate is put, we ought to determine for the affirmative, though the authority of his word be not taken into confideration. Here then I observe,

First, That it is not poffible to produce any evidence against a future ftate; fo that the probability' for it muft at least be equal to that against it, i. e. to the fraction, if we fpeak acccording to the precife language used in the doctrine of chances. We are apt indeed to conclude, that because what we see is, fo what we fee not, is not; and confequently that there is no future ftate; i. e. we make our ignorance of the means by which our existence is preferved after death, and of the manner in which we are to exift, an argument against it. But this is utterly inconclufive. Our ignorance is a nothing, and therefore can be no foundation to go upon; and we have every day inftances of the mistakes which reafoning from it would lead us into. If there be really a future state, it seems very poflible, that its connection with other realities in this ftate may afford prefumptions for it; and that it does fo, I fhall thew in the paragraphs that follow: but, if there be no future ftate, this non-entity cannot have any properties or connections, upon which to erect an argument for it. We must therefore, previously to all probable arguments for a future ftate, own that we are ignorant whence, we came, and whither we go; and that our not being able to penetrate into the dark regions beyond death, were that abfolutely the cafe, would not. be an evidence, that there is nothing in those regions. That we can both penetrate thither, and difcover fomething in these regions, is my next bufinefs to fhew. For,

Secondly, The fubtle nature of fenfation, thought, and motion, afford fome pofitive prefumptions for a future ftate. The connection of thefe with matter, and their dependence on it, are perhaps more fully feen in the foregoing account of vibrations and affociation, than in any other fyftem that has yet been produced. However, there remains one chafm ftill,

viz. that between fenfation, and the material organs, which this theory does not attempt to fill up. An immaterial fubftance may be required for the fimpleft fenfation; and if fo, fince it does not appear how this fubftance can be affected by the diffolution of the grofs body at death, it remains probable, that it will fubfift after death, i. e. that there will be a future ftate.

Or if we take the fyftem of the materialists, and fuppofe matter capable of fenfation, and confequently of intellect, ratiocination, affection, and the voluntary power of motion, we muft, however, fuppofe an ele mentary infinitefimal body in the embryo, capable of vegetating in utero, and of receiving and retaining fuch a variety of impreffions of the external world, as correfponds to all the variety of our fenfations, thoughts, and motions; and when the fmallness and wonderful powers of this elementary body are confidered in this view, it feems to me, that the depofition of the grofs cruft at death, which was merely inftrumental during the whole courfe of life, is to be looked upon as having no more power to destroy it, than the accretion of this cruft had a fhare in its original existence, and wonderful powers; but, on the contrary, that the elementary body will ftill fubfift, retain its power of vegetating again, and, when it does this, fhew what changes have been made in it by the impreffions of external objects here; i. e. receive according to the deeds done in the gross body, and reap as it has fowed.

Or, if these fpeculations be thought too refined, we may, however, from the evident inftrumentality of the mufcles, membranes, bones, &c. to the nervous fystem, and of one part of this to another, compared with the fubtle nature of the principle of fenfation, thought, and motion, infer in an obvious and popular, but probable way, that this principle only lofes its prefent inftrument of action by death. And the