Opinion, though they fuppofed a fenfitive as well as a rational Soul in Man, which was the Seat of the Paffions, and, confequently, the Spring of all human Actions; yet this fenfitive Soul they gave up to Death as well as the Body, and preferved nothing but the purè intellectual Mind. And yet 'tis fomething furprizing to think that a mere rational Mind fhould be the fame Individual with a Man, who confists of a rational Mind, a fenfitive Soul, and a Body. This carries no Probability with it at firft fight,, and Reafon cannot undertake much in its behalf.

7

But, whatever becomes of these Speculations, there is a farther Difficulty, which can hardly be got over; which is, That this Notion of Immortality and future Judgment can never serve the Ends and Purposes of Religion, because it is a Notion which the generality of Mankind can never arrive at. Go to the Villages, and tell the Ploughmen, that, if they fin, yet their Bodies fhall fleep in Peace; no material, no fenfible Fire fhall ever reach them, but there is fomething within them purely intellectual which shall fuffer to Eternity; you will hardly find that they have enough of the Intellectual to comprehend your Meaning. Now Natural Religion is founded on the Senfe of Nature,

that

that is, upon the common Apprehenfions of Mankind; and therefore abstracted metaphyfical Notions, beat out upon the Anvil of the Schools, can never fupport Natural Religion, or make any Part of it.

In this Point then Nature feems to be lame, and not able to fupport the Hopes of Immortality which the gives to all her Children. The Expectation of the Vulgar, that they hall live again, and be just the fame Flesh and Blood which now they are, is juftifiable upon no Principles of Reason or Nature. What is there in the whole Compass of Beings which yields a Similitude of Duft and Afhes rifing up again into regular Bodies, and to perpetual Immortality? On the other fide, that the intellectual Soul fhould be the whole Man, how justifiable foever it may be in other Respects, yet 'tis not the common Senfe of Nature, and therefore most certainly no Part of Natural Religion.

But it may be worth inquiring how Nature comes to be thus defective in this material Point. Did not God intend Men originally for religious Creatures? and, if he did, is it not reafonable to expect an original and confiftent Scheme of Religion? which yet in the Point now before us feems to be wanting,

The

The Account of this we cannot learn from Reafon or Nature; but in the facred History the Fact is cleared beyond "Difpute. The Abfurdity upon the common Notion of Immortality arises from the Diffolution of the Body at Death; and the great Difficulty upon the Foot of Nature is how to preserve the Individuals for Judgment, which are evidently destroyed by Death. Now, if this Death was really a Breach upon the State of Nature, 'tis no wonder it fhould be a Difficulty in the Religion of Nature; for the Religion of Nature was most certainly adapted to the State of Nature. And the wife Man tells us, That God made not Death: For he created all Things that they might have their Being; and the Generations of the World were healthful; and there is no Poifon of Destruction in them; nor the Kingdom of Death upon Earth; for Righteousness is immortal. But ungodly Men with their Works and Words called it to them. If Immortality was the Condition of the Creation, if Death came in as a Surprize upon Nature, no wonder if the ftands mute and aftonifhed at the fatal Change, and feems neither willing to part with her Hopes of Immortality, nor yet able to maintain them. Upon the Plan of Nature the common Notion of Immor

tality was the true one: For take Death out of the question, which is the only Separation of Soul and Body that we know any thing of, and there is no Pretence for distinguish

ing between the Man and the intellectual Mind. The Vulgar certainly retained the true original Notion of Nature; but, when the original State of Nature was loft, the Notion grew abfurd; and it could not be otherwife. God made Man immortal, and gave him confiftent Hopes and Fears: Man made himself mortal by Sin: Muft not then thofe Hopes, which were confiftent Hopes upon the Foot of Immortality, become very abfurd, when joined to a State of Mortality? And thus the Coming in of Death obscured the Hopes of Immortality.

Laftly, If we confider how our Saviour has enlightened this Doctrine, it will appear that he has removed the Difficulty at which Nature ftumbled. As Death was no Part of the State of Nature, fo the Difficulties arifing from it were not provided for in the Religion of Nature. To remove these was the proper Work of Revelation: These our Lord has effectually cleared by his Gospel, and fhewn us that the Body may and shall be united to the Spirit in the Day of the Lord, fo that the complete Man shall stand

before

before the great Tribunal to receive a juft Recompence of Reward for the Things done in the Body. This Account is given in the Words preceding thofe of the Text: Who bath abolished Death, and brought Life and Immortality to Light through the Gospel. Now,, if the abolishing of Death was the bringing to Light Life and Immortality, it is plain that the Coming in of Death was that which darkened Nature in this great Point of Religion.

There are two Things, as we learn from our Saviour's Answer to the Sadducees, neceffary to confirm us in the Belief of a Resurrection to come; namely, the Knowledge of the Power of God, and of the Will of God: Do ye not therefore err, says our

Lord, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the Power of God? The Scriptures contain the Revelation of the Will of God; and therefore the Words, I reckon, are to be understood as if he had faid, Ye err, not knowing the Will of God and the Power of God. If we are fatisfied in these two Points, that God both can and will raise the Dead, we shall want nothing to affure us of the Certainty of a Refurrection. The Power of God we may learn from Reason and Nature: For what should make us doubt