admit of certainty, and we have no real knowledge concerning it? But, pray, is not this a conjecture beyond all comparison more reasonable, than to fuppofe a being of INFINITE GOODNESS punishing his creatures with INFINITE TORMENTS?

AND perhaps, after all, fome mens ceafing to be may not, strictly and properly speaking, be fo much a punishment, as what nature hath fubjected them to.

INDEED, if we take a view of the bulk of mankind, their behaviour, diverfions, and employments, how little do they appear IMMORTAL BEINGS?

like

TRAVELLERS give accounts of many nations, who fhew but few figns of knowledge beyond feveral kinds of the mere brute creation: the principal difference between them is of shape, and that perhaps not always to the advantage of the former', and fpeech, which among fome of them, particularly the Hottentots, is extremely defective. The common employment of many of these IMMORTAL CREATURES is to destroy one another, to which fome of them are incited

CC 4

In the opinion of a late reverend and celebrated author, one fpecies of brutes, at least, hath much the advantage in this refpect, and in most other refpects alfo. See the account of horfes in Gulliver's Travels, and how much fuperior to Yahoos they are there represented,

incited both by malice and hunger; for no fooner have they gratified the former by fhedding the blood of one of their own fpecies, than they fatisfy the latter by feeding on his carcafe,

BUT we need not fearch diftant parts of the world to difcover brutes in human, shape, nor extend our inquiry after them fo far as the Cape of Good Hope, to the Hottentots there: let us only caft our eyes on many of the common people among ourselves, the Hottentots at home. Behold what wretched, stupid, mischievous, wicked animals numbers of them are, and what their employments and diverfions frequently confift in: for the most part how trifling or vile the former, how favage and cruel the latter! When numbers of the vulgar get together for their diverfions, or on any other account, and are without awe or controul, do but attend to their behaviour, the fubjects of their difcourfe, and their wife reflections. Or whoever has been prefent with five or fix hundred or a thousand fuch creatures in a ship of war, and obferved their demeanor, and heard their ribaldry, their oaths, curses, and blafphemy, and the confufed din of noife and nonfenfe among them, will have had a fine opportunity of obferving how.

much

much like immortal creatures they appear and behave.

HOWEVER, that we may be impartial, and not fuppofe great part of the lower class of people only feem little fuited to a state of immortality, let us caft our eyes on the higher orders of mankind, even the higheft,

How do the generality of kings and princes feem fitted for this ftate? What marks of true wisdom, prudence, virtue, and goodness, appear in most of them? And how are they employed? Thofe who do not fhut themfelves up in their feraglio's or palaces, where they are commonly immersed in brutal plea fures, are principally delighted with, and employed in, the deftruction of their own fpecies; and by this they hope to immortalize their names:-many of them have indeed perpetuated their infamy. As to the next rank of men, the ministers of the former:

their chief occupation, befides the gratification of their fenfual appetites, is to circumvent, fupplant, and destroy one another by cabals and intrigues; or to aid and affift their masters in tyrannizing over, and pillaging their fubjects; or in carrying deftruction into other countries. The principal employment: of numbers of nobility and gentry, and others: of affluent fortunes, is, to eat and drink and

rife up, or perhaps rather fit down, to play. Cards and dice, rioting and wantonnefs, are their delight, their enjoyment, and the chief bufinefs of their lives. View them in their

affemblies, their routs,

and their mafque

rades, and fee how much like IMMORTAL BEINGS they appear and act, and what ftrong fignatures of immortality and eternal life are impreffed upon them.

WERE a fuperior being, capable of difco vering the thoughts and intentions of mens hearts, or rather the wild imaginations and fancies of their brains, and taking in all the various tranfactions of mankind at one view, to behold us, what a scene of folly, madness, and wickedness would be difplayed to him?And how much like heirs of immortality and eternal life would far the greater part of mankind appear to fuch a being?:

HERE he would fee fome planting men, others in a moft cruel manner destroying, not single perfons only, but whole armies and nations also, and making this their diverfion or employment. Here he would behold unbounded licentiousness attended with exceffive mirth and jollity, riot and wantonnefs: there, the most grievous oppression and tyranny in fome, and in others the deepest forrow and mifery, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. In all men

he would difcern much weakness, in far thes greater part much wickedness. Under the moft fpecious appearances of friendship, morality, and religion, he would plainly discover much deceit, vice, and hypocrify. What dark clouds of ignorance, error, and fuper-. ftition would she fee this world enveloped with, and only a few fmall lucid appearances here and there of knowledge, virtue, and true religion? He would hear men preach temperance, juftice, and charity; and fee the fame men live in luxury, and in the practice of injuftice and cruelty. He would obferve fome men without thought or reflection; and others, who were flaves to their vices: and certain convenient and favourite opinions, fet up for free-thinkers. He would fee vaft numbers adoring the works of their own hands, and chriftians perfecuting chriftians on account of different modes of worship, and manifefting their love to mens fouls by: moft cruelly tormenting their bodies. He would behold multitudes of rational creatures playing the most apish and foolish tricks, in the worship of a being of infinite wisdom,/ and exercising the moft inhuman cruelties to please a God of infinite goodness.

THE bulk of mankind evidently appearing fe little fuited to, prepared for, or worthy of a future