PROOFS FROM THE LIGHT OF NATURE. 



49 



implies this obvious absurdity &quot; that two 

 sUaight lines may enclose a space.&quot; This 

 node of proving the truth of a proposition is 

 considered by every geometrician, as equally 

 tonclusive and satisfactory, as the direct method 

 of demonstration ; because the contrary of every 

 falsehood must be truth, and the contrary of 

 every truth, falsehood. And if this mode of 

 demonstration is conclusive in mathematics, it 

 oight to be considered as equally conclusive in 

 moral and theological reasoning. If, for exam 

 ple, the denial of a future existence involves in 

 it the idea that God is not a Being possessed of 

 impartial justice, and of perfect wisdom and 

 goodness notwithstanding the striking displays 

 of the two last-mentioned attributes in the sys 

 tem of nature we must, I presume, either ad 

 mit the doctrine of the immortality of man, or 

 deny that a Supreme Intelligence presides over 

 the affairs of the universe. For, a Being di 

 vested of these attributes, is not entitled to the 

 name of Deity, nor calculated to inspire intelli- 

 |ent minds with adoration and love ; but it is 

 reduced to something like uncontrollable fate, or 

 mere physical force, impelling the movements 

 of universal nature without a plan, without dis 

 crimination, and without intelligence. On the 

 same principle (the reductio ad absurdum,) we 

 demonstrate the earth s annual revolution round 

 the sun. The motions of the planets, as viewed 

 from the earth, present an inexplicable maze 

 contrary to every thing we should expect in a 

 well arranged and orderly system. These bo 

 dies appear sometimes to move backwards, 

 sometimes forwards, sometimes to remain sta 

 tionary, and to describe looped curves, so ano 

 malous or confused, that we cannot suppose an 

 Infinite Intelligence the contriver of a system of 

 such inextricable confusion. Hence the astro 

 nomer concludes, on good grounds, that the earth 

 is a moving body ; and no one thoroughly ac 

 quainted with the subject ever calls it in ques 

 tion : for when our globe is considered as revolv 

 ing round the centre of the system in concert 

 with the other planetary orbs, all the apparent 

 irregularities in their motions are completely ac 

 counted for, and the whole system appears re 

 duced to a beautiful and harmonious order, in 

 accordance with every idea we ought to form of 

 the wisdom and intelligence of its author. 



In the same way, the admission of the doc 

 trine of a future state accounts for the apparent 

 irregularities of the moral world, and affords a 

 key for a solution of all the difficulties that may 

 arise in the mind respecting the equity of the 

 Divine administration in the present state. In 

 opposition to the desponding reflections and 

 gloomy views of the sceptic, it inspires the vir 

 tuous mind with a lively hope, and throws a 

 glorious radiance over the scenes of creation, 

 and ovtr every part of the government of the 

 Almighty, It exhibits the Self-existent and 



Eternal Mind as an object of ineffable sublimity} 

 grandeur, and loveliness, invested with unerring 

 wisdom, impartial justice, and boundless bene 

 volence, presiding over an endless train of intel 

 ligent minds formed after his image, governing 

 them with just and equitable laws, controlling 

 all things by an almighty and unerring hand, 

 and rendering all his dispensations ultimately 

 conducive to the happiness of the moral uni 

 verse. It presents before us an unbounded 

 scene, in which we may hope to contemplate the 

 scheme of Providence in all its objects and 

 bearings, where the glories of the divine per 

 fections will be illustriously displayed, where 

 the powers of the human mind will be perpe 

 tually expanding, and new objects of sublimity 

 and beauty incessantly rising to the view, in 

 boundless perspective, world without end. It 

 dispels the clouds that hang over the present and 

 future destiny of man, and fully accounts for 

 those longing looks into futurity which accom 

 pany us at every turn, and those capacious 

 powers of intellect, which cannot be fully ex 

 erted in the present life. It presents the most 

 powerful motives to a life of virtue, to the per 

 formance of beneficent and heroic actions, to 

 the prosecution of substantial science, and to the 

 diffusion of useful knowledge among all ranks 

 of mankind. It affords the strongest consola 

 tion and support, amidst the trials of life, and 

 explains the reasons of those sufferings to which 

 we are here exposed, as being incentives to the 

 exercise of virtue, and as &quot; working out for us a 

 far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.&quot; 

 It affords us ground to hope that the veil which 

 now intercepts our view of the distant regions 

 of creation, will be withdrawn, and that the 

 amazing structure of the universe, in all its sub 

 lime proportions and beautiful arrangements, 

 will be more clearly unfolded to our view. It 

 dispels the terrors which naturally surround the 

 messenger of death, and throws a radiance over 

 the mansions of the tomb. It cheers the gloomy 

 vale of death, and transforms it into a passage 

 which leads to a world of perfection and happi 

 ness, where moral evil shall be for ever abolished, 

 where intellectual light shall beam with efful 

 gence on the enraptured spvit, and where celes 

 tial virtue, now so frequently persecuted and 

 contemned, shall be enthroned in undisturbed 

 and eternal empire. 



Since, then, it appears, that the denial of a 

 future state involves in it so many difficulties, 

 absurd consequences and blasphemous assump 

 tions, and the admission of this doctrine throws 

 a light over the darkness that broods over the 

 moral world, presents a clue to unravel the 

 mazes of the divine dispensations, and solves 

 every difficulty in relation to the present condi 

 tion of the human race the pretended philoso 

 pher who rejects this important truth must be 

 considered as acting in direct opposition to ihose 



