si, ut sapientibus placet, non cum corpore extinguuntur magnae animae." (Vita Agricolae.)

Pliny, the celebrated naturalist, in very strong terms disavows all belief in a life to come," All men, (says he,) are in the same condition after their last day, as before their first, nor have they any more sense, either in body or soul, after they are dead, than they had before they were born." Opinions of a contrary nature, he denominates, "childish and senseless fictions of mortals, who are ambitious of a never ending existence." (Nat. Hist. L. vii. cap. 55.)

"As to Varro," says Dr. Ireland, "he is utterly silent as to the existence of a future state. Man, mortal man, is the beginning and end of his philosophy. To discover the art by which common life may be best conducted, is all his concernthe object of all his virtue. He never turned his views towards another world for the happiness which he sought. And we must conclude concerning a genius, distinguished at Rome by his capacity of research, his depth of penetration, his strong judgment, and extensive learning, that he indulged no hope of immortality, and that, to his eyes, futurity was "one universal blank."

From what has been said, we are now to make a few practical remarks. And,

1. We perceive the immense value of the Christian religion. Had revelation assured us of nothing but a future state of reward and punishment, it would even then have been a gift, not unworthy of divine munificence. This point, so important to the hopes and happiness of man, we are confident, would never, merely by the efforts of human reason, have been established. There is no ground for believing, that the human understanding ever would have accomplished what had been for thousands of years attempted without success. Never was experiment more fairly or extensively made. To establish, on rational grounds, the doctrine of immortality, was an affair, in which all men were equally interested. No subject could have been more popular, or have received more general attention.

Not only was the matter a long time under examination, but in conducting this examination were employed the most profound and soaring intellects; such as probably neither have been, nor ever will be excelled. The result was, that these very philosophers had less belief in the soul's immortality, than the vulgar, who yielded to the current opinions, however absurd. But the Gospel does vastly more, than merely to settle the controversy concerning the soul's surviving the body. It leads to the most rational views of moral obligation; it represents the divine law as perfect, unyielding, and universal; and by consequence, that depraved beings can obtain none but a gratuitous justification. It not only reveals an economy of mercy, but specifies the conditions, on which mercy may be obtained. It attributes that whole system of measures, which have been adopted for human salvation, to the intervention and sufferings of that august personage, in whom dwelt the fulness of Deity.

From the facts, which have now been stated, it appears, that Christians of ordinary abilities and information, have not only a more established belief in a future state, than uninspired philosophy could impart; but far more distinct, consistent, and rational views on the subject.

2. Our condition, as moral agents in a state of trial, is materially different from that of the heathen. All beyond the grave was to them peculiarly a land of darkness and shadows. All was obscure and fleeting. Nothing was well established, or well defined. If the soul were not extinguished by death, they knew nothing of its destiny ;—whether it would pass into the bodies of various animals ;-how long these transitions might continue; -or whether the soul, as a distinct agent, would ever become stationary. Without discarding the whole system of pagan mythology, they could not be ascertained, even should there be a retribution, by what law its decisions would be regulated.

Upon us, on the contrary, so copious a flood of light hath burst from that world, which was otherwise concealed, as to leave all terrestrial objects scarcely distinguishable. If Christianity be true, the present life is nothing, and that which suc

ceeds is every thing. Whether we cast our eyes to the heavens above, or look on the earth beneath, nothing imperishable is presented to our view, but human beings. All the monuments of human art shall crumble to ruins,-the earth itself shall wax old as a garment,-" all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as a leaf falleth off from the vine, and the falling fig from the fig tree." But the human soul is neither annihilated nor impaired by all the changes of the material universe. It will exist with all its powers of acting, of enjoying, and suffering. It will forever advance in knowledge, glory, and moral excellence, or sink in darkness, pollution, and misery. That intellectual spark, which our Creator hath placed within us, will soon kindle into the clear and resplendent glow of the seraph, or into those flames of hatred, malice, and rage, that will eternally torment the reprobate. With such a belief, and with such expectations, our responsibility must be inexpressibly great; and in the day of final judgment, the impenitent believer in revealed religion will have occasion to envy the milder doom of pagan sinners.

Finally, if so wide is the distinction between the religion of Christ and religion of nature, (as the latter has been understood both by ancient and modern pagans ;) and, if it has been found after a long and extensive experiment, that without divine revelation, the doctrine of immortality and a retribution is never likely to be made known, it is a duty imperiously demanded of Christians to communicate their religion to the heathen. If talents and learning are well employed, as doubtless they are, in collating manuscripts and versions, so that, if possible, no jot nor tittle, may be taken from the word of God, or added to it; how undeniably commendable are their labors, who at every personal hazard, preach among the gentiles, the unsearchable. riches of Christ! If, to preserve, restore, or expunge a single sentence, agreeably to the best evidence, that may be obtained, is an object, deserving severe and long continued scrutiny;

how vast, how noble is the object of communicating to millions, essentially ignorant and degraded by vice, not a few sentences only, but the whole volume of divine truth!

LECTURE XV.

HEATHEN MORALS, ESPECIALLY AMONG THE

ANCIENTS

HAVING, in preceding lectures, considered the character of heathen gods, and the manner in which they were worshipped, the present will consist of inquiries into the state of pagan morals.

Though men are often censured, with justice, for rashness and want of forethought, there are none, it is believed, from whose calculation futurity is wholly excluded. All persons abstain from many actions, which they would perform, were not the consequences forseen, or apprehended to be injurious. To those, on whom our happiness is known to depend, we are cautious not to give offence. Religion of every kind recognizes the existence of an invisible power, whether this power is possessed by one, or distributed among many. On this power it represents man as dependent, not only for his present being and prosperity, but for happiness after death, should the soul survive the body. No other hopes or fears seem calculaculated to produce effects so important, as those which result from religion.

So long as human creatures give no offence to that Supreme Power on which they depend, no evil is thence to be apprehended. But, when offence is given, methods of making known his displeasure will not be wanting. Nothing, therefore, can be more reasonable than the fears and hopes, which religion inspires. Nothing can be better founded, than the expectation, that the Deity will cause us to feel the effect, either of his approbation or displeasure. Now, it is very obvious,