That the soul does not languish and decay with the body, is evident from the frequent instances of its sprightliness and vigour in the nearest approach of death: it has been often observed in men, whose long continued infirmities had reduced them to skin and bone, that notwithstanding, their souls were as vigorous, quick, and distinct in their operations as at any former period. This made Hericlitus say, that "The soul goes out of the body as lightning out of a cloud :" because it is frequently clearest in its perceptions, when taking its flight from the prison of the body. It was this also that helped to perfect the Earl of Rochester's persuasion of the immortality of the soul. When pining sickness had brought him near death, and his animal spirits were so exhausted that he could not move or help himself, and did not think he should live an hour longer, yet he observed that his reason and judgment were so strong and clear, that from hence he was fully satisfied, death was not the spending or dissolution of the soul, but only the separation of it from matter.

The intellectual and moral capacity which exalts and dignifies the soul, shows that it is designed for a much longer duration, as well as for a more perfect state, than that which the limits of time can afford. A creature so excellent in its nature, so richly adorned and nobly endued, cannot surely be confined by its Divine Author to that narrow measure of life, which, in the present state, is allotted to man, and afterward perish for ever.

In the exercise of its amazing powers, it can survey the solid earth, comprehend the terrestrial globe, fathom the capacious seas, view an almost endless variety of creatures inhabiting different elements and situations; it can reach other planetary orbs, and by certain rules of calculation, ascertain their bulk, tell their relative distances, describe the lines of their movements, and point out the period of their revolutions: it can extend its inquiries into other systems occupying boundless space, and, by means of glasses, descry unnumbered worlds, the production of the Divine hand equally with our own, and effectually preserved by his constant influence nay, it can find the grand centre of the whole, the almighty Creator, who is glorious in an assemblage of infinite perfections, the inexhaustible source of intellectual enjoyment, and in the delightful contemplation of his inexpressible excellencies possess moral happiness.

That perfection, of which from the nature of the soul it is manifestly capable, neither is nor can be attained in this life. All the inferior creatures appear to arrive at maturity, to gain the height of their respective progression, in the present state. But this is far from being the case of the soul. Even those men who have the best means of improvement, and are diligent and indefatigable in the use of them, can neither attain that measure of knowledge, nor that degree of happiness, of which they are evidently capable. In the most protracted life on earth, the understanding seems to be only in an infant

state; the grace of adult Christians appears to have something lacking in it; and, since both these are imperfect, their happiness must be so too. Now this imperfection, in these respects, shows that the soul is designed for a longer duration than the period of the present life, in which its utmost improvements fall so far short of the extent of its capacity. It does not reach the highest exercise of its faculties in time, its operations and exertions being weak and defective; and, therefore, as these have not arrived at their consummation, it is proper to conclude, that the soul shall be advanced to a perfect state, and consequently that there is another life, in which it shall act more agreeably to those powers with which it is endued. It cannot be thought consistent with the wisdom and goodness of God, to create the human soul merely to exist during its union with the body in this world.

If there were not a life to come, we should be utterly confounded, not able to find out any good reason for living at all, and be ready to consider ourselves as the most useless and superfluous race of beings in the creation, formed without design, and having no valuable end to propose to ourselves in living. What account could be given of the wisdom or goodness of the great Author of the human family, in producing such a creature as man, endued with the high prerogative of reason, if this world be the only sphere of his action, and this life the whole duration of his being. Whence is it that we have such enlarged powers, and yet are restricted

within so narrow a compass of time to exercise and improve them; are made capable of so high advances in knowledge and goodness, and yet confined and checked from reaching after them; and arrested in our progress, as soon almost as we begin to proceed? In a word, if our existence were not to exceed the bounds of time, and we had not a future state to expect, we should have some reason to expostulate with our Maker, "Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?" There is naturally in all men an invincible desire of surviving the body. The thought of annihilation strikes the soul with horror, unless when it justly apprehends the vengeance of the Almighty for obstinate guilt; and, even in this case, the desire of existence is far from being extinguished; it still operates, however overruled by the terrors of future misery. But, when happiness is the object of a lively expectation, the desire of existence is unavoidable; and it enlarges, in proportion as the soul increases in knowledge and goodness. The natural desire of immortality belongs to all men. With what reluctance does the soul leave the body, which arises from a fixed aversion from a dissolution, unless there be a well grounded hope that a life of blessedness will ensue. There is also in all true believers in Christ, not only a desire, but an expectation that the soul will live for ever, when separated from the body, in a state of felicity; which is a peculiar blessing from God.

"O! when will death, now stingless, like a friend,
Admit me of yon choir! O when will death,
This mould'ring, old partition wall throw down?
Give beings, one in nature, one abode ?

O death divine, that gives us to the skies!
That readmits us, through the guardian hands
Of elder brethren, to our Father's throne !"

Therefore it is rational to conclude, that he who planted this desire in the soul, will satisfy it. Had God intended nothing for us beyond this life, he would never have implanted in us such a vigorous propensity. It is true, some say that this desire of immortality in our intellectual nature, is not the effect of a Divine cause. Whether the Supreme Being has or has not done this, may not be necessary to assert; but we may affirm, that he has framed the constitution of the human mind in such a manner, as must necessarily produce this desire; which, virtually, is the same thing as if he had actually implanted the desire itself.

The suggestions of conscience bear prominently on this subject; amounting to satisfactory evidences, or direct proof, that the soul is destined to exist in a future state. Conscience speaks so clearly, and so constantly, in behalf of a life to come, that its testimony has a claim to our serious attention, and indeed cannot be rejected without doing violence to our moral feelings. The soul does not only suffer painfully under a sense of contracted guilt, but is liable to alarming apprehensions of deserved punishment to be inflicted in another world. When a man has notoriously violated the laws