CHAPTER II. 



PROOFS OF A FUTURE STATE FROM DIVINE REVELATION. 



THE evidences of a future state, which w 

 have endeavoured, in the preceding pages, to in 

 vestigate on the principles of human reason, are 

 amply confirmed and illustrated in the Revela 

 tion contained in the Sacred Scriptures. It is 

 one. of the distinguishing characteristics of that 

 revelation, that, in every important point, it 

 harmonizes with the deductions of sound reason, 

 and the principles of common sense. This was 

 naturally to be presumed ; since God is the au 

 thor both of the reasoning faculty, and of the 

 declarations contained in the volume of inspi 

 ration ; and this consideration forms a strong 

 presumptive argument in support of the divine 

 authority of the Scriptures, and should excite us 

 to receive, with cordial veneration and esteem, 

 a revelation which confirms the law of nature, 

 and is congenial to the sentiments of the wisest 

 and the best of mankind in all ages. If any 

 serious inquirer, .who had entertained doubts 

 on this subject, has been led to a conviction 

 of the reality of his immortal destiny, by such 

 arguments as the preceding, he will naturally re 

 sort to the Sacred Records for more full informa 

 tion on this important point ; and I should have 

 no fear of any one remaining long an enemy of 

 Revelation, when once a powerful conviction of 

 a future state has been deeply impressed on his 

 mind. If a man is fully convinced that he is 

 standing every moment on the verge of an eter 

 nal state, he cannot but feel anxious to acquire 

 the most correct information that can be obtained 

 respecting that world which is to constitute his 

 everlasting abode ; and if he is altogether care 

 less and insensible in this respect, it is quite 

 clear, that he has no thorough conviction of the 

 realities of a life to come. 



The Christian Revelation has &quot; brought life 

 and immortality to light,&quot; not so much on ac 

 count of the express assurance it gives of the 

 reality of a future world, but chiefly, as it clear 

 ly exhibits the nature and the employments of 

 that state, its endless duration, the ground on 

 which we can expect happiness in it, and the 

 dispositions and virtues which qualify us for 

 relishing its exercises and enjoying its felicities ; 

 and particularly, as it opens to our view the glo 

 rious scene of a &quot; resurrection from the dead,&quot; 

 and the re-union of soul and body in the man 

 sions of bliss. 



In illustrating this topic, it would be quite un 

 necessary to enter into any lengthened details. 

 When the divine authority of the Scriptures 

 is recognised, a single proposition or assertion, 

 when it is clear and express, is sufficient to de 

 termine the reality of any fact, or the truth of 

 any doctrine ; and therefore, 1 shall do little 

 more than bring forward a few passages bearing 

 on the point under consideration, and inter 

 sperse some occasional remarks. As some have 

 called in question the position, &quot; that the doc 

 trine of a future state was known to the Jews,&quot; 

 I shall, in the first place, bring forward a few pas 

 sages and considerations to show that the doctrine 

 of immortality was recognised under the Jewish 

 as well as under the Christian dispensations. 



As the belief of a future state lies at the very 

 foundation of religion, it is impossible to suppose, 

 that a people whom the Almighty had chosen to 

 be his worshippers, and the depositories of his 

 revealed will, should have remained ignorant of 

 this interesting and fundamental truth, and have 

 had their views confined solely to the fleeting 

 scenes of the present world. &quot; Faith,&quot; says 

 Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, &quot; is the 

 confident expectation of things hoped for, and 

 the conviction of things not seen.&quot;* It includes 

 a belief in the existence of God, and of the re 

 wards of a life to come ; for, says the same 

 apostle, &quot; He that cometh to God must believe 

 that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them 

 that diligently seek him.&quot; Having stated these 

 principles, he proceeds to show, that the ancient 

 patriarchs were animated in all their services by 

 their conviction of the realities of a future and 

 invisible world. With respect to Abraham he 

 informs us, that &quot; he expected a city which had 

 foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

 He obtained no such city in the earthly Canaan; 

 and therefore we must necessarily suppose, that 

 his views were directed to mansions of perpetui 

 ty beyond the confines of the present world. 

 With respect to Moses, he says, that under all 

 his persecutions and afflictions, &quot; he endured as 

 seeing Him who is invisible ; for he had a re 

 spect to the recompense of reward.&quot; That it- 

 ward did not consist in temporal grandeur, other 

 wise, he might have enjoyed it in much more 



* Doddridge s Translation of Heb. i. 1 



