religion before them, in the face of all difficulties that could be thrown in their way, and to die with all the marks of joy and confidence, without ever confeffing the imposture? If the leading facts above-mentioned cannot be difputed, except upon fuch principles as muft invalidate all antient history, and fet afide all human teftimony, every argument a priori, fuch as thofe which arife from the confideration of the fufficiency of the light of nature, the natural incredibility of miracles, &c. will certainly not deferve a hearing. How fpecious foever they may be reprefented, their influence will not be felt. It will be clearly perceived that, whether it might have been reafonable to expect it, or not, God who made the world has actually interpofed at various times in the government of it; giving fome of his creatures, at leaft, fuch information respecting their conduct here, and their expectations hereafter, hereafter, as he judged to be useful and convenient for them; and whatever difficulties may attend the fpeculative consideration of a future life, it will not be doubted but that we shall in fact live again, give an account of ourfelves to God, and receive according to our works. APPENDIX, APPENDIX, CONTAINING ANE S ON THE Analogy between the methods by which the perfection and happiness of men are promoted, according to the difpenfations of natural and revealed religion. THE HE perfection of intelligent beings confifts in comprehenfion of mind, or that principle whereby ideas of the past and the future mix with thofe of the prefent, and excite one common fenfation; in which the good and evil fo perfectly coalefce, and are fo intimately united, that the medium only is perceived. Confequently, if happinefs be apprehended to prevail, in that portion of time of which we have this perfect comprehenfion, and every part of which VOL. II. may be faid to be prefent to us, we are confcious of pleasure only in the contemplation of it, the pain being loft, and abforbed, together with fo much pleasure as was equivalent to it. By this means happiness comes to be of a more ftable nature; and it is lefs in the power of fingle accidents to produce a fenfe of mifery. If we have any reafon to think that our existence will, upon the whole, be comfortable and happy; fince (man being immortal) our happiness must be infinite upon the whole, though it be limited and finite at any particular time, the thought is fo great and fo glorious, that the full apprehenfion of it must contribute ftill more to overpower the sense of any prefent evils, and give fuch an intenfenefs to all pleafurable feelings, as cannot fail to make our prefent ftate unfpeakably more eligible than it could other wife have been. Such is the conftitution of human nature, and fuch are the influences to which we are expofed in this world, that this comprehen fion of mind muft neceffarily be enlarged with the experience of every day. Infants are fenfible of nothing but what paffes in the prefent moment. The inftant that the impreffion of actual pain is removed, they are perfectly easy in mind, not being difturbed either with the remembrance of the paft, or the apprehenfion of the future. By degrees, ideas, which have frequently been prefent to the perceptive power at the fame time, begin to be affociated; fo that one of them cannot occur without introducing the other, and fo making the perception complex. By this means expectation begins to awake in the infant mind; but ftill, from the moment that, by the intervention of an affociated circumftance, the idea of any pleafure is conceived, the child is impatient till it be enjoyed. Indeed, it is generally feveral months before children how the leaft fign of patience in waiting for any thing. The most evident figns of preparing to give them food, ferve only to quicken their appetite, and their impatience to get it satisfied; nor are they eafy, till the meat be actually in their mouths. |