is a great veil, which no man can draw aside, and beyond which all is darkness.

But were it possible, by the force of any reasoning, to discover the probability of a future state (and few persons will pretend that they can, by the light of nature, arrive at certainty with respect to the reasons, whatever they were, that made sq great an event probable to one, might give no satisfaction to another.

Besides, the magnitude of the question is such, and the interest we have in the solution of it is so great, that nothing but the strongest and clearest evidence could give general satisfaction with re, spect to it. Nothing less than a positive assurance from our maker himself could answer this purpose. And this which, if any thing could be said to require it, did so) revelation informs us has been gi yen, and in such a manner as must give entire sa tisfaction to every unprejudiced mind, life and im mortality being fully brought to light by the gospel, as I hope to evince in the prosecution of this dis

course.

It could not be expected that the Divine Being should give this assurance to every individual of the human race. It would be sufficient if it was given to some, to be communicated, with proper evidence

evidence of the fact, to others; and unless the communication was made to every person, this is all that could be done in the case. For this truth is of such a nature as to be incapable of strict, or mathematical, demonstration, such as that of twice two making four, but only of such proof as historical facts are capable of. But the evidence of a future state should not be undervalued on that account; because there are no kinds of truth of which we have a more firm persuasion than of those of the historical kind; as for example, that such a person as Julius Cæsar once lived at Rome, and that there exists at present such a city as Constantinople. What propositions do we believe more firmly than we do these? Now if our faith in a future life can be shewn to be as well founded as these are, it is quite sufficient for the purpose; be cause it will be a faith that men will not scruple to act upon. They would then live as expectants of immortality, and would do nothing that should imply a doubt of a future state. That is, they would lead virtuous lives, which is the end of all religion.

In what manner God was pleased to impart to mankind the first information concerning a future life we are not now acquainted, as we have no ac

count of it in the writings of Moses, or in any ʊther writings now extant. But we see the effect of it in the Jews, who to this day are all firm belicvers in it; and, with a few exceptions, appear always to have believed in it. We may, therefore, presume that, in some period of time past, mankind, or at least the ancestors of that nation, had satisfactory evidence of the Divine Being having given them this assurance. Because it is an idea that we cannot well suppose would ever have occurred to men themselves.

That there may be something in man that continues to exist, notwithstanding the change that takes place in him at death, may be imagined. But, upon that principle, man cannot be said properly to die at all. He only continues to exist in some other form or manner. But that man should really die, and after continuing in a state of death, come to life again at a future period, that is, that there should be a proper resurrection of the dead, which is the faith of the Jews, and Christians (being, I must now presume, the clear dectrine of both the Old and the New Testament) I will venture to say must ever have appeared in the highest degree improbable, and therefore incredible. Nothing but the express assurance of the Great Being who made

men

men could have satisfied them that he would revive them in those circumstances.

The original record of the communication of this most important truth having been lost, it pleased the Divine Being to renew it by Jesus Christ, the founder of our religion; who not only asserted the doctrine, as from God, and confirmed it by miracles, or such works as no man could have done if God had not been with him; but who himself actually died and rose again, as a proof of the reality of the thing. And this seems to have been all the evidence that mankind could have asked, if the most intelligent, and the most incredulous of them, had been required to say what would satisfy them.

As Jesus rested the evidence of his divine mission, and consequently his authority to preach the doctrine of a future life, in a more particular manner upon his own resurrection from the dead; and as, in all cases, examples have the greatest weight with mankind, I shall confine myself at this time to the consideration of the circumstances of his death and resurrection, shewing them to have been such as render those important events in the highest degree credible, both at the time when they took place; and, which is of much more conseW 4 quence

quence, în all future time. So that, had mankind, not only in that period, but in the most distant ages, been required to name the evidence that. would give them the most satisfaction, it will appear that it has been given them; and that, in any other circumstances than the actual ones, the. events would have appeared less credible than they do át present.

In the first place, however, I would briefly premise, that Jesus Christ was not only an uncommon man, but an uncommon prophet, the circumstances in which he appeared having been calculated to excite greater attention to him than to any other person who had ever appeared in that character; his coming having been announced some centuries be fore his birth; another prophet having been commissioned to declare his more immediate appearance, and no other prophet having appeared for near four hundred years before his immediate predecessor.

This circumstance alone, Independently of any others, shews that the Jews, among whom Jesus appeared, were not a credulous nation. For if this had been the case, as they are well known to have been very proud of having had prophets among them, there would have been, in so long a period,

many