may be added, that most of the heathen deities were departed heroes; and a book of Homer and another of Virgil, contain a particular account of the state of the good and the bad after death.

Almost every heathen nation, indeed, entertained different ideas concerning this state, which in general were so ridiculous and extravagant as to render a particular revelation on the subject highly necessary; but that they had some notions of a futurity is past dispute, and not merely of a futurity, but also of a state of retribution. They were in general of opinion, that bad men would be committed to some place of punishment, and that those who had distinguished themselves by virtuous actions, would be admitted into a country where they would enjoy every pleasure which their hearts could desire. The funeral honours which they paid to their departed heroes, is a clear proof of their belief in a world to come. Those who had rendered them

selves conspicuous by their bravery and magnanimity, they always considered as gone to a place of consummate felicity, to receive the reward of their past good conduct. Fully impressed with this notion, they frequently paid them religious honours; either imploring their assistance, or celebrating those virtues which had rendered them immortal. And this opinion concerning a futurity is found, not only among those nations where arts and knowledge met with the greatest encouragement, but in those countries where the minds of men were most rude and barbarous, and where they were involved in the grossest ignorance. In the re

motest parts of the globe; in those parts which are at the greatest distance from civilization, we find the same notion strongly prevailing. And whence could this general notion of a futurity arise ? Whence does it happen, that wherever the belief of a God is to be met with (and with very few exceptions indeed, wherever there is a being which may be

called human, some belief of higher powers prevails) there is also some notion of an existence beyond the present? To imagine that it was entirely invented and propagated by lawgivers and politicians, is absurd. Had that been the case, it would have been confined to some particular nations, while others could have had no idea at all about it. Is it not much more reasonable to suppose, that God Himself has made provision, that it should be communicated to men through the whole world, and that He did it for the wise design, to engage them to the practice of those virtues, which will, for the most part, make them happy in this world, and certainly prepare them for future glory and felicity?

The remainder of this important subject will be prosecuted in a future Lec

ture.

LECTURE XLVII.

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We have been considering that subject in which every individual amongst us is most deeply interested; which ought not one moment to be lost sight of, as it constitutes the dignity of man; which, indeed, throws that light into the

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variegated picture of human life, which renders it delightful to the imagination, and without a belief in which, duty and obligation would be no more than words of transient impression, conscience would be a feeble and an inoperative principle, suicide in certain circumstances would be manly dignity, and the great practical rule of life would be "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."

The natural argument for a future state, which we shall next mention, is that taken from the unequal distribution of good and evil in this present life.

The general rule of the Divine Government in this world is, that virtue should be rewarded and vice punished. But the exceptions to this rule are so many and so striking, that the man who acts from a principle of cool self-interest, would in many instances think himself justified in paying no regard to it. The wisdom of the men of this world, and of those who act for immortality, is of a different nature. With respect to the exceptions to the great general rule just laid down, it is a remarkable circumstance that the highest degree of virtue is not rewarded in this world, and the highest degree of vice is not punished. How many, for the sake of conscience, and the good of others, are called to sacrifice that on which all human happiness depends, human life itself! How