KNOWLELX3E PREPARATORY TO A FUTURE STATE. 



HI 



they must appear satisfactory to every candid 

 and inquiring mind. When we consider the 

 universal belief of the doctrine of man s immor 

 tality which has prevailed in all ages and na 

 tions when we consider the desire of future ex 

 istence implanted in the human breast the noble 

 intellectual faculties with which man is endowed, 

 and the strong desire of knowledge which forms a 

 part of his constitution the capacity cf making 

 perpetual progress towards intellectual and moral 

 perfection the unlimited range of view which is 

 opened to the human faculties throughout the 

 immensity of space and duration the moral 

 powers of action with which man is endowed, 

 and their capacity of perpetual expansion and 

 activity the apprehensions and forebodings of 

 the mind, when under the influence of remorse 

 the disordered state of the moral world when con 

 trasted with the systematic order of the mate 

 rial the unequal distribution of rewards and 

 punishments wher. viewed in connexion with the 

 justice of God the absurdity of admitting tha* 

 the thinking principle in men will ever be annihi 

 lated and the blasphemous and absurd conse 

 quences which would follow, if the idea of a fu 

 ture state of retribution were rejected ; when 

 we attend to these and similar considerations, 

 we perceive an assemblage of arguments, which, 

 when taken in combination with each other, 

 carry irresistible evidence to the mind of every 

 unbiassed inquirer, that man is destined to an 

 immortal existence an evidence amounting to 

 a moral demonstration, and no less satisfactory 

 than that on which we rest our belief of the ex 

 istence of the Eternal Mind.* But the greater 

 part of mankind, in their present untutored state, 

 are incapable of entering into such inquiries and 

 investigations. For want of moral and intel 

 lectual instruction, they may be said to &quot;have 

 eyes, but see not, ears, but hear not, neither do 

 they understand,&quot; and hence, they pass through 

 the scenes of mortality, almost unconscious of 

 their relation to the eternal world, and altoge 

 ther unprepared forks exercises and enjoyments. 

 In the next place, the acquisition of knowledge, 

 in connexion with the cultivation of moral prin 

 ciples and Christian affections, would tend to pre 

 pare the mind for the intercourse and employments 

 of the future world. From divine revelation, we 

 are assured, that in the future state of happiness, 

 the righteous shall not only join the company of 

 &quot;the spirits of just men made perfect,&quot; but 

 shall also be admitted into &quot; the general assem 

 bly of angels. With these pure and superior 

 intelligences, and, doubtless too, with the inha 

 bitants of other worlds, shall the redeemed in 

 habitants of our globe hold delightful intercourse, 



For a full illustration of these and other evl- 

 dences of a future state, alon&amp;lt;* with various topics 

 connected with this subject, the author respectfully 

 refers his readers to a work which he lately pub 

 lished, entitled &quot; The Philosophy of a Future State. 1 



8 



and join in their sublime conversation on the 

 most exalted subjects. One of the employment* 

 in which they will be incessantly engaged, will 

 be, to contemplate the divine works and admi 

 nistration, and to investigate the wonders of 

 creating power, wisdom, and goodness, as dis 

 played throughout the universe. For such are 

 the representations given in scripture of the ex 

 ercises of the heavenly world. Its inhabitants 

 are represented as raising the following song of 

 praise to their Creator, &quot; Great and marvellous 

 are thy works, Lord God Almighty ! Just and 

 true are thy ways, thou King of saints,&quot; which 

 evidently implies, that both the wonders of his 

 creation, and the plan of his moral government, 

 are the subjects of their intense study and inves 

 tigation. And, in another scene exhibited in 

 the book of Revelation, they are represented in 

 the sublime adorations they offer to &quot; Him who 

 liveth for ever and ever,&quot; as exclaiming, &quot; Thou 

 art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, 

 and power; for thou hast created all things, and 

 for thy pleasure they are and were created,&quot; 

 plainly indicating, that the scenes of the mate 

 rial universe, and the divine perfections as dis 

 played in them, are the objects of their inces- 

 sant..contemplation. 



Now, in order to our being prepared for such 

 intercourses and employments, two grand quali 

 fications are indispensably requisite. In the 

 first place, the cultivation of moral principle and 

 conduct, or in other words, the attainment of 

 that holiness which the scriptures enjoin, &quot; with 

 out which,&quot; we are assured, &quot; no man can see 

 the Lord,&quot; that is can hold no delightful inter 

 course with him through the medium of his works 

 and providential dispensations. Without this 

 qualification, we are altogether unfit for being 

 introduced into the assembly of angels and other 

 pi re intelligences, and for joining with them in 

 their holy services and sublime adorations as 

 unfit as an ignorant Hotentot, a wild Bosheman, 

 or the lowest dregs of society, would be to take 

 a part in an assembly of learned divines, states 

 men, or philosophers. In order to a delightful 

 association with any r ank of intelligences, there 

 must exist a certain congeniality of disposition 

 and sentiment, without which, an intimate in 

 tercourse would be productive of happiness to 

 neither party. Persons of proud and revenge 

 ful dispositions, and addicted to vicious indul 

 gence, could find no enjoyment in a society 

 where all is humility and affection, harmony and 

 love ; nor could pure and holy beings delight in 

 associating with them, without supposing the 

 moral laws of the Creator, and the constitution 

 of the intelligent universe entirely subverted. 

 Such characters are as opposite to each other, 

 as light and darkness ; and, therefore, we may 

 as soon expect to make the East and Wesi 

 points to meet together, or to slop the planets in 

 their career, as to form a harmonious union be. 



