For fome obfervations on the moral effect of the doctrines of the proper eternity, or non-eternity of future punishments, I must refer my reader to the first part of this work. I fhall only, in this place, fuggeft farther, that this, as well as every other great mistake concerning chriftianity, is a means of making unbelievers, who will think themselves juftified in concluding, without reasoning or enquiry, that no religion can be true, or come from God, which contains a doctrine fo manifeftly unreasonable and absurd.

SECTION IV.

Of the time and place of future rewards and punish

ments.

T has long been the general opinion of chris

IT

tians, that the reward of the virtuous, and the punishment of the wicked, will take place immediately after death, when the foul will exist in a conscious ftate, feparate from the body, till the refurrection. But it appears to me, that the notion of the feparate existence of the foul, on which this whole doctrine is founded, is built entirely on the falfe philofophy of the Eaft, according to which, human fouls are lapfed angels, fettered in

thefe

these grofs bodies; and is by no means favoured by prefent appearances, according to which the power of thinking depends entirely upon the body, and especially upon the brain; fo that any injury being done to the one, a proportionable injury is done to the other.

If thought be fufpended in found fleep, and if for a time we be wholly deprived of it by a blow on the head, much more must all our faculties be deranged, and a period be put to fenfation and thought by death. And though particular texts, especially as they have been usually tranflated, are speciously enough alledged in favour of an intermediate confcious ftate, juft as fingle texts have been, with equal plausibility, alledged in favour of all the doctrines of Popery and Calvinism; yet fcriptural arguments of a more general nature, derived from a comprehenfive view of the order and defign of revelation, which are a much furer guide to truth, are strongly conclufive against it.

If the foul be capable of an exiftence feparate from the body, and, as is generally fuppofed by those who adopt this opinion, be capable of a greater exertion of its powers, when unfettered from this incumbrance of the flesh, what reafon could there be for a refurrection? The affection, which fome perfons arbitrarily fuppofe, that the foul must have for its old companion, is abfurd, when it was always a clog and a burden to it.

Alfo, what occafion was there for a general judgment, at the last day, which is clearly the scripture doctrine, if there will have been a previous feparate judgment for every individual of mankind, and they will all have actually received their proper reward or punishment before that time; which, with refpect to fome of them, will have continued feveral thousand years. Upon this plan, the general judgment must be a mere piece of pomp and parade, without any real ufe. Whereas, on the contrary, both the righteous and the wicked are represented by our Lord, in his account of the proceedings of that great day, Matt. xxv. as totally ignorant of their future ftate, and expreffing their furprize at the decision of their judge; when, according to this hypothefis, they could not but have been acquainted with it, by dear or joyful experience, long before.

If we examine the fcripture promises, we shall find no hint given of any thing taking place to the advantage of good men before the coming of Chrift to judgment. When our Lord encourages perfons to give to the poor, he says, Luke xiv. 14.

They cannot recompenfe thee: but thou shalt "be recompenfed at the refurrection of the juft;" not before. The apostle Paul, speaking of the duty and expectations of chriftians, directs their views to the fame great event, and to nothing before, or fhort of it. Titus ii. 11. "For the grace

" of

" of God, which bringeth falvation, hath appear"ed to all men; teaching us, that denying un

godliness and worldly lufts, we should live fo"berly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent "world; looking for that bleffed hope, and the "glorious appearing of the great God, and our "Saviour Jefus Chrift." The apoftle Peter had no other idea when he said, 1 Pet. iv. 12. "Be

"loved, think it not ftrange concerning the fiery "trial, which is to try you, as though fome "ftrange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, ❝inafmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffer"ings; that when his glory fhall be revealed, ye 66 may be glad alfo with exceeding joy."

The fame only time of the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked, is alfo particularly mentioned, Rev. xi. 16. where the four and twenty elders are faid to fall down upon their faces, and to worship God, faying, "We "give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, be"caufe thou haft taken to thee thy great power, "and haft reigned. And the nations were angry, "and thy wrath is come, and the time of the "dead that they should be judged, and that thou "shouldest give reward unto thy fervants the pro"phets, and to the faints, and them that fear "thy name, fmall and great, and fhouldeft de"ftroy them who deftroy (or corrupt) the earth."

All the exhortations of the New Teftament go upon this fame proper chriftian principle.

The punishment of the wicked is also always reprefented as taking place at the fame time, viz. the day of judgment, and not before. Thus it is only" at the end of the world," Matt. xiii. 14. that our Lord fays, "the Son of man shall send "forth his angels;" when "they shall gather cut "of his kingdom all things that shall offend, and "them that do iniquity, and fhall caft them into a furnace of fire. "Then," and not before, "fhall the righteous shine forth as the fun, in the "kingdom of their father."

66

When the apostles write to comfort the friends. of deceased chriftians, they drop not the most diftant hint of their enjoying any degree of happiness at present, which is a topic which they could not poffibly have overlooked on such an occafion, if they had really believed it, even though they had imagined that the refurrection was ever fo near at hand. It is plain, however, that the apostle Paul had not the notion of the refurrection being fo very near, when he wrote the Epistle to the Theffalonians, whom he endeavours to comfort upon this occafion. For, in the fecond Epiftle, which, in this respect, is only explanatory of the former, he fpeaks of the rife, progrefs, and deftruction of the man of fin, as to take place before this great event,

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