had indeed all that Evidence for the Immortality of the Soul, which Nature gives the reft of Mankind; but then they believed another Life, without all those fabulous Stories, which reprefented it as ridiculous to wife Men, and believ'd it with greater Certainty than the Pagan Philofophers did : Which is an Argument that they had more certain Evidence for it than the Heathen World had. And therefore, for the greater Confirmation of our Faith, 'tis worth enquiring, What Evidence the Jewish Church had of a Future State, before Life and Immortality were brought to Light by the Gofpel.

That Anfwer which Abraham gave Dives, when he defired him to fend Lazarus to affure his Brethren of that Place of Torment which was prepar'd for wicked Men in the other World, They bave Mofes and the Prophets; let them hear them: And if they believe not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rife from the Dead: I fay, this proves that Abraham thought there was fufficient Evidence in the Law and the Prophets, to convince any Man of another Life, and of the Rewards and Punifhments of good and bad Men. And I fhall endeavour to fhew you as plainly as I can, what this Evidence is; and how far it exceeds that Evidence which the mere Light of Nature gives us. We muft indeed argue upon a Suppofition of the Divine Authority of the Mofaical Revelation; which, whatever. fome amongst us now think of it, it is certain the Jews did moft firmly believe, and do fo to this Day. And my Bufinefs at prefent is, not to prove the Divine Authority of Mofes and the Prophets, but only to fhew you what greater Evidence those, who did believe Mofes and the Prophets, had of another Life, than the mere

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Light of Nature furnish'd the reft of Mankind with.

First then I obferve, That all the Natural and Moral Arguments for the Immortality of the Soul and a future State, receive a new Confirmation from the Law of Mofes. To reprefent this plainly to you, I fhall take a Review of thofe Natural and Moral Argumens, which I have already enforc'd from the Light of Nature, and Dictates of Reason. and fhew you what an additional Strength the Mofaical Revelation has given to them.

The firft Natural and Moral Argument for the Immortality of the Soul, is the Immateriality of it; the Account of which, to fave Tranfcribing, you may fee above. Now all this, which the Light of Reafon and Nature gives us fuch high Probabilities of, the Mofaical History of the Creation confirms beyond all doubt; as will ap pear, if we confider thefe following Things.

1. That Account which Mofes gives of the Creati on of Man, Gen. 2. 7. And the Lord God form'd Man of the Duft of the Earth, and breath'd into bis Noftrils the breath of Life; and Man became a living Soul. This is a very different Account from what Mofes gives us of the Formation of all other Creatures; and reprefents the peculiar Dignity of Man, by that peculiar Care which God exprefs'd in making him. In the firft Chapter he reprefents God as confulting and advifing about it: And God faid, Let us make Man in our Image, after our Likeness, v. 26. And here, That be form'd Man of the Duft of the Earth, and breath'd into bis Noftrils the Breath of Life. which proves the real diftinction betwixt Soul and Body, and their very different Originals: God first form'd the Body of Man, and then breath'd

into him the Breath of Life. So that the Soul is not the Crafis and Temperament of the Body, nor any part of it, nor of the fame Nature with it, but a diftinct Principle, immediately infus'd by God. When the Body was perfectly form'd by a Divine Art and Incomprehenfible Wisdom, then God breath'd into it the Breath of Life. Now God's breathing, which is a Metaphorical Expression, muft fignify his immediate Production; that tho' the Soul be no part of the Divine Effence, yet it is a kind of Natural Production, as Breath is, and nearly refembles its Maker Which exprefly diftinguishes the Original of Soul and Body; the Soul is the Breath of God, the Body is form'd of the Duft, And we may obferve farther, That the Body is originally with out Life and Senfe: When God form'd it, it was very Artificial; but a dead ftupid Lump of Earth, till God breath'd into it the Breath of Life, and then Man became a Living Soul.

Now this Account of God's making Man, gives us the true Philofophy of human Souls, and confirms all that I have already difcours'd upon this Argument: For here we fee that the Soul is Immaterial; for it was not made of Matter, of the Duft of the Earth, as the Body was, but by the Breath of God: It has an inmediate Divine Original, and has a near Refemblance to the Purity and Spirituality of the Divine Effence. And this proves, beyond all dif pute, that it is not Mortal and Corruptible, as the Body is.

It is evident from this Account of God's mar king Man, that the Soul is the only Principle of Life, Senfation, and Knowledge, and all that ftrictly belongs to a reafonable Nature; that the Body is only the Organ and Inftrument of the Soul, but has no Life, or Senfe, or Thought, or

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Reafon

Reason of its own, for all this it receiv'd by God's breathing into it the Breath of Life: And therefore as the Body had no Life or Sense, before the Soul was breath'd into it, fo it is no great Wonder if it be the fame dead, ftupid, fenflefs Matter, when the Soul is remov'd from it. But this I hope does not prove, that, because the Soul gives Life to the Body, therefore it dies with it too. It is not an evident Demonftration, that the Life of the Body depends upon the Soul, but it does plainly prove, that the Life of the Soul does not depend upon the Body: And therefore the mere Death of the Body can never prove the Death of the Soul. There is no appearance of Reason, to prove that the Soul dies with the Body; but very great Reafon to prove it does not, because the Soul has a Principle of Life in it felf.

Now let any Man judge, how much greater Evidence this is of the Immateriality, and confequently Immortality of the Soul, than what the mere Light of Reafon and Philofophy gives us. We conclude, and that with the highest Philofophical Probability, that the Soul is Immaterial; and therefore does not die with the Body, because it

a Living, Thinking, Reafoning Being; which, according as we can judge by all the appearances of Nature, Matter is not capable of; and this the wifeft Men and the beft Philofophers have acquiefced in. But the Mofaical Account of the Creation of Man, leaves no room for mere Probabilities and Conjectures, and different Hypothefes in Philofophy; but plainly tells us, That the Body was form'd, by God of the Duft of the Earth, without any Life and Senfe, but was animated and quickned by the Living Soul which God breath'd into it. So that Life, Senfation, and all Intellectual Powers and Faculties, are im

mediately

mediately feated in the Soul; and the Body is only an Organ and Inftrument to convey external Impreffions to the Soul, whereby it converfes with this Material World. And then we may as well conclude, That a Mufician dies when his mufical Inftruments are out of Tune, and broken, as that the Soul dies with the Body,

2. To affure us of the Divine Original and Divine Nature of the Soul, Mofes acquaints us, That Man was made in the Image and Likenefs of God. Let us make Man in our Image, after our Likeness, Gen. i. 26. Now let any Man judge what this Image and Likeness of God muft fignify. A little Reason and Philofophy will fatisfy us, that this cannot relate to the Body, but the Soul: For God has no Body, and therefore no external Shape and Figure And therefore, this' Likenefs and Similitude muft fignify fome more Spiritual Refemblance of the Divine Nature and Perfections. God is a Spirit; and therefore a created Spirit approaches nearer the Divine Nature than Body does. God is Original Infinite Mind; and therefore all Intelle&tual Perfections, fuch as Knowledge, and Wif dom, and Liberty of Choice, have the nearest Resemblance to the Nature of God. God is perfect Rectitude, Juftice, Goodness, Truth; and therefore fuch Moral Perfections, the Notions and Ideas of which are imprinted on the Mind, are our fpiritual Conformity to the Divine Nature. And herein Chrift and his Apoftles place our Likeness and Conformity to God; when we are renew'd in the Spirit of our Minds, and created after God in Righteoufnefs and true Holiness, 'tis call'd the New Creature, and the Divine Nature. This is the Original Conftitution of Human Nature; and it is certain no reasonable Creature can be like to God without it.

That