A lancholy Effect upon you, I cou'd not C what Estate I fhall be in atter Death? What Eftate he was in before Life? Pain and Pleasure will leave their Impresions upon a Human Spirit; therefore if I was either happy or miferable before I was born, I mult still retain the Impreffion; but i do not now: THEREFORE I fhall not hereafter. I came out of Nothing, D and fhall return into it. As the Flame of an extinguished Candle diffolves and lofes itfelf in the circumambient Air, even fo the Taper of Life vanishes into pure Æther, and is no more when once the Laws of the vital Union are broken. Death itself is nothing; and after Death is nothing; why then fhou'd I be afraid of nothing? Take Courage, Man! Either die like yourself, Mafter of your own Fate and Happinefs, fo long as it is to be kept, or recover and live worthy the Character of a Perfon who knows how either to live or die. So wishes Your real Friend and Servant. This Letter was but Fuel to the tormenting Flame before burning in the Breaft of the fick Gentieman, who immediately dictated the following Answer. SIR, BEING not able to use my own, I have E G borrow'd another Hand to answer yours. You fay well, 'tis a gratefuller Office to ondeavour to remove the Disorders of the Mind than of the Body What you are of the common Lot of Mankind, as Death and Sickness, I could wish were my Cafe; but my Affliction is, that Despair and Hell are the common Lot of Atheists. Now your Argument cannot reach my Cafe, unless you H for prove that Atheism is as inevitable as Death and Sickness, and that therefore the Effects of it are to be born patiently, unless a Man will combat Neceffity, and fight a How that's a Next you wou'd have me believe, upon your bare Word, that If I could force you to believe me I wou'd, but all I can do is to deal with you as a reafonable Creature by opening my Breaft to you: And then leaving you at liberty to act as you pleafe: While we are in Health and Business, we may act contrary to our Intentions, and plead for Things we believe not; but when we come to die, the Vizard is taken off, and the Man appears as he is. This is my Condition, and therefore I can have no Motive to impofe upon my Friends. Religion is no Imposture, Heaven and Hell are real, and the Immortality of the Soul as certain as the Exiflence of the Body. For a Time we have officiously deluded and cheated one another out of Religion and Happiness; and God, who will not always be despiled by his Creatures, has chosen me as an Example to you all, and a Warning to the lazy and indiffrent Chriftian. But who, alas can write his own Tragedy with our Tears! or copy out the Seal of his Damnation without Hori or! That there is a God I know, because I continually feel the Effects of his Wrath. That there is a Hell, I am equally certain, having received an Ear. neft of my Inheritance there already in my Breaft. That there is a natural Confcience I now feel with Horror and Amazement, more of his Relations came to Town on • being continually upbraided by it with my purpose to fee him, and were forry to •Impleties, and with all my Sins brought find him in fo weak a Condition, as he frejb into my Remembrance: Why God has appeared to be in. (For now he was nomark'd me out for an Example of his Ven- thing but Skin and Bone, the Agonies he geance rather than you or any other of our lay under, doing the Work of the quickAcquaintance, I prefume, is because I have A eft Confumption.) He anfwered, "I am been more religiously educated, and have obliged in common Civility to thank you done greater Despite to the Spirit of Grace. all: But who are my Relations? Our What egregious Folly is it for Duft and Saviour faid fuch only as did Will of Afbes to contend with its Creator! To que- his heavenly Father were his Relations: I ftion bis Justice, his Power, nay his very may properly fay, that none but Atheist, Being! When at the fame time without the Reprobate, and all fuch as do the this God, every fuch Wretch wou'd imme- Work of the Devil, are my Relations. diately fall into nothing, being without him This little Tie of Flesh and Blood will difnot able to exift one Moment. What vile Ingratitude is it fcurrilously to reflect on his Religion, who died to reconcile juch Reflectors to himself! Don't mistake yourself; it's not a light Matter to question and contend with the God of Nature; to abuse Religi on and deny its Author, and, what is wort of all, apoftatize from it as I have done. Behold! God has met with me for it, after a long Forbearance of my inveterate Impiety and Profaneness! Let me intreat you by my Example to leave off your Sins: Who knows but God may yet receive you. Speak not this out of any Love for Virtue, or Hatred for Vice, for I am harden'd and impenitently reprobate. But like Dives I am unwilling my Brethren fhou'd come into this Place of Torment. Make what Use you pleafe of this; only remember, that if it does not reclaim you, it will enhance your Guilt, poffibly to be overtaken in thisWorld, as I am, by the just Fudgment of God; ifE not, be fure you will be light on hereafter; which is all, and I wish I cou'd say enough, from Yours, &c. I C As foon as the Letter was read, and an Answer fent, the Night being far worn, we all took our Leaves, wifhing him good Reft, and a happier Condition the next Day, to which he reply'd, " Gentlemen, I thank you, but my Happinets is at an End, and as for any Reft tonight, all the Eafe I expect, will be in wishing for the Day, as in the Day-time I wish for the Night. Thus I fpend the little Remainder of my miferable Mo-G ments, in a fearful Expectation of my Diffolution, and the Account I must make upon it. But, Gentlemen, a good Night to you, and remember me to confirm you in the Religion I have difown'd, that you may ftand more cautioufly by my Folly, and fecure the Happiness I have forfeited." The next Day came feveral of his Friends out of the Country, having had an Account of his Circumftances. One of them told him, that he and several H folve in a Moment, but the Relation I fay, f ay, I defpifing this, there now remains no other for me to accept of; no other to make an Atonement and Satisfaction for me. There is no other Name under Heaven B D felf again: As foon as he opened his Eyes, he faid, 'O cruel, unkind Friends! to awaken me from a Dream in which I had a Ceflation from my Tortures." This he given, but the Name of Jefus, whereby we spoke with fo lively a Concern, that no may be fav'd. And 'tis this Jefus, whom one of his Relations cou'd refrain from I have reproached, ridiculed, and abused A Tears. " You weep, faid he, but your in his Members, nay, to whom I have in-very Tears come too late; was I like anduc'd others to do the fame. Methinks other Perfon that goes out of the World, your Breafts are all open to me, and in it wou'd be one of my greatest Troubles the midft of your Pity and Surprize, you to fee you weep; or at least it wou'd add wou'd bid me hope, believe,and fupplicate much to my Pains. For he must be unthe Mercy I have abufed: That Jefus natural and fenfeless, that wou'd not be Chrift came to fave Sinners, and to bring troubled at the Affliction of others, efpeto Repentance. Thefe, I know, are your cially his Friends, and Relations. But the Thoughts: Alas! how fain wou'd I hope, Cafe is otherwife with me: My Cup is and believe! Can a Man in Torments not full, and runs over already: The Bitterdefire to be freed from them? No, aflure nefs of my Soul is as great, as it poffibly yourfelves I wou'd, upon any Terms. can be in this World, and my Heart is full But the Wrath of God obftructs the Pow- of Horror and Anguifh. No Grief can er of hoping and believing, and tho' I add to mine, being already so great that wou'd, I can do neither. I know not C 'tis incapable of receiving more. Perhaps what fome Divines mean, who fay, He this may feem a Paradox to you at first; that defires to repent, in some measure does but what think you of Time and Eternity? it. I experience the contrary. A fruit- Can one add an Hour to Eternity which lefs With, that comes not to Act, is no comprehends, and fwallows up all Time? more than a Conviction, which shall lay Can one add any thing to the Wrath of fuch Perfons under greater Damnation. God, which includes the Fury of Devils You wou'd have me fupplicate that Mercy and Men, this being derivative from, and I have abus'd? Alas! that I have no dependant on that? And can any one add Hopes but what depend upon abus'd to my Grief and Torture, who am fallen Mercy! But why faid I Hopes? I have no into the Hands of the Living God? No, Hopes! My Hopes are fruftrated, my Ex- no, referve your Tears for your Sins, and pectations are cut off; and what remains caft them not away upon one, who is behind? Why I am bid to hope and be neither the better, nor worse for them." lieve! Oh! what Mockery is this upon me! To find me in Misery, and bid me be E happy, without affording me any Power of being fo! Indeed fhou'd Jefus Chrift fay fo to me, it wou'd be Comfort; but for you to fay fo, is the fame thing, as if you fhould bid a Malefactor shake off his Chains, and affume his Liberty, or call up the Dead to rife out of their Graves, and challenge their Estates and Honours again. How idle is it to bid the Fire not burn, when Fuel is adminiftred; to command the Seas to be smooth and calm in the midst of Storms! Such is my Cafe, and fuch are the Comforts of my Friends! But I am spent, and can complain no more; wou'd to God, the Caufe of my Complainings would ceafe? The Caufe of my Complainings! This renews my Grief, and fummons up the little Strength, I have left, to complain again. Like an extinguishing Flame, that recollects at once all Its Alimentary Matter, for one great Blaze before it expires. 'Tis jutt fo with me: H But whither am I going?" As he faid this he fainted away, and lay in a Swoon for a confiderable Time, but by the help of fome Spirits, we brought him to him G You may eafily imagine, what Impreffions this wou'd make upon the Spirits of his Friends. However in the midst of their Grief and Amazement they had the Prudence to think of the Reputation of their Family, and to provide for as much Secrecy as poffible. They therefore convey'd him by Night to other Lodgings: But he was grown fo weak, that he fain ted away feveral Times in the Chair. They got him into his Chamber, and to bed, as foon as they cou'd. After a little Reft he yet found Strength to exprefs himself thus. "I am not concerned to enquire whither you have brought me, or your Reafons for fo doing. It had been fomething, had you chang'd my State with my Lodgings: But my Torments are rather greater than before. For I fee that difmal Hour juft at Hand, when I muft bid you all a fad Farewel." The Phyficians were now fent for again, but they ftill declar'd, they cou'd do nothing for him. Only they ordered him fome Cordial Julep, which they faid, might perhaps ftrengthen Nature, to hold out three or four Days longer, My Bufinefs calling me away for a Day or He A B D or two, I came again on Thursday Morning pretty early. When I came in, I enquired of his Friends how he had spent his Time. They told me, he had had little Company, and his Expreffions were much shorter than before: But that what he did fpeak, feemed to have more Horror and Defpair in it, than betore. I went to his Bed-fide, and ask'd him how he did? He reply'd, Damn'd and loft for ever. I told him, the Decrees of God were fecret. Perhaps he was punish'd in this Life to fit him for a better. anfwered, "They are not fecret to me, but difcovered, and my greatest Torment. My Punishment here is for an Example to others, and an Earnest to me of my own Damnation. O that there was no God, or that this God cou'd cease to be; for I am fure he will never have Mercy upon me! Alas, faid I, there's no contending with our Creator, and therefore forbear fuch Words as may provoke him more. "True, reply'd he, there is no contend. ing. I with there was a Poffibility of getting above God; that wou'd be a Heav'n to me." I entreated him not to give way to fo blasphemous a Thought for-Here he interrupted me. "Read we not in the Revelations of those that blafphem'd God, becaufe of their Pains? I am now of that Number. O how do I envy the Happinefs of Cain and Judas! But replyed I, you are yet alive, and do not feel the Torments of those that are in Heil. He answered; "This is either true or falfe. If it be true, how heavy E will thofe Torments be, of which I do not yet feel the uttermoft! Bat I know that 'tis falfe; and that I now endure more than the Spirits of the Damn'd. For I have the very fame Torture upon my Spirit as they have, befides thofe I endure in my Body. I believe that at the Day of Judgment the Torments of my Mind and Body will both together be mere intenfe; but as I now am, no Spirit in Hell endurts what I do. How gladly wou'd I change my Condition for Hell! How earnestly wou'd I entreat my angry Judge to fend me thither, were I not afraid he wou'd out of Vengeance deny me!" Here he clos'd his Eyes a little, and began to talk very wildly every now and then, groaning and gnashing his Teeth; but foon after opening his Eyes, he grew fenfible again, and felt his own Pulfe, fay ing, "How lazily my Minutes go on! When will be the laft Breath, the laft Pulfe that fhall beat my Spirit out of this decay'd Manfion into the defird Regions of Death and Hell! O! I find 'tis just at hand; and what shall I fay now? "Am I G not afraid again to die? Ah the forlorn Hope of him that has not God to go to! Nothing to fly to for Peace and Comfort!" Here his Speech fail'd him; we all believing him to be dying, went to Prayer, which threw him into an Agony; in which, tho' he cou'd not speak, he turn'd away his Face, and made what Noife he cou'd to hinder himself from hearing. Perceiving this we gave over. As foon as he could fpeak, (which was not 'till after fome Time) he faid, Tygers and Monsters, are ye alfo become Devils to torment me, and give me a Prospect of Heav'n to make my Hell more intolera ble?" Alas! Sir, faid I, 'tis our Defire of your Happiness that cafts us down at the Throne of Grace. If God denies Affiftance, who elfe can give it? If he will not have Mercy, whither must we go for it? He reply'd; "Ay there is the Wound; God is become mine Enemy, and there is none fo ftrong as to de iver me out of his Hands! He configns me over to Eternal Vengeance, and there is none that is able to redeem me! Was there fuch another God as he, who wou'd patronize my Caufe, or was I above, or ir dependent on God, I cou'd act and difpofe of myself as I pleas'd, then wou'd my Horrors cease, and the Expectations and Defigns of my formidable Enemy be fruftrated. But this cannot be; for IHere his Voice fair'd again, and he began to ftruggle, and gafp for Breath; which having recover'd, with a Groan fo dreadful and loud, as if it had been more than human, he cried out, "O the infufferable Pangs of Hell and Damnation!" and expir❜d. See 127. Mr URBAN, REading in the learned Dr Waterland's Book, entitled The Nature, Obligation and Efficacy of the Chriftian Sacraments, I met with the following Paffage; Many Scripture Duties, which we have otherwife no Knowledge of, are yet juftly referred to the Law of Nature; fince Scripture hath discovered what Founda tion they have in the Nature and Truth of Things. This pleafed me so much that I immediately fet about an Attempt of tracing the feveral Reasons, and moral Fitneffes, cn which Providence feems to have grounded its Proceedings towards Mankind, as moral Agents, according to the Scripture Scheme. If you think the following, which is a Specimen of it, will bear inferting in your Magazine, 1 fhould be obliged to you for printing it; for I fall thereby know whether the Method, and my Manner of applying it, deferve the Approbation of bitter Judges than myself, or whether A B If this be granted, 'tis then apparent from the moral Fitnefs of Things, that this Pair were every way perfect in their Kind. They enjoyed every thing that was proper and ncceflary for Beings of fuch a Rank and Station. The Nature C of God, and the Reafon of Things require fuch a Conftitution in the moral World. PROOFS. For ft, It was not confiftent with the 'Attributes of God, with his Wifdom, Goodness, Mercy, &c. to create moral D Agents with a Conftitutional Propenfion towards Immortality: So that if he intended their Reafon fhould be uppermoft, it would have been unfuitable to his Character as an all-wife Creator to cause in them a natural Biafs towards things unreafonable, and a perpetual Conflict between their Paffions and their Reafon, the upper and the lower Principle. They fhould have been placed, at least, in an Equilibrium between Virtue and Vice. E F Conftitution of Things ought to have been fo, they will likewife prove that origi nally it was fo. For with refpect to God, we may fafely pronounce, that whatsoever ought to have been, hath been accordingly. This therefore being admitted, it follows, that the State and Condition of Human Nature was once as perfect as the Reafons, now produced, require it fhould have been. Or, in other words, that the Scripture Account of the State of Mankind before the Fall, is exactly answerable to the Reasons and Fitnefs of Things. Let us now then confider what appears to be Matter of Duty and Obligation proper for moral Agents placed in fuch a State, and in fuch Circumftances. Confideration of the Queftion, What is Fire? continued from p. 73. BUT now, whether Life and Intelligence, &.c. c. may be one, and the fame Thing, or not; I fhall not take upon me to fay: Nor whether he was in the Right, that gave us his Opinion, that there is a Soul, and a Body, that are terrene; and a Spirit that returns to God that gave it: But leave both thefe to the Determination of Theologifts. And only change the Places of this Author's firft and third Names, and fay; That as by the Name Soul we generally mean our better Part, that of us that returns to God that gave it, that Feeling cannot belong to it, or that we receive not Feeling from it; this being common to us with the Brute, is not allowed to have fuch Soul: Nay the Vegetable feems to poflefs it, when it opens and fhuts itself at the Presence, or Abfence of the Sun. And when I confider how this can likewife be caufed, tho' in a different Degree or Manner, by the Prefence or Privation of any other Fire, Heat or Warmth, I am further confirmed in my Opinion; that Fire is Morion; is Life; fuch as gives to us the Sense of Feeling, and to fuch other Parts at leaft of the Creation, as our Feeling can be continued, and given by. Yet Feeling I take to be the Faculty of knowing Mo tion to be let from its Ways or Manner of Being for the Time. And here I must again obferve, as I have elfewhere faid, that I cannot but conclude all our Senfes, all our Pallions, to be only dif ferent Modes of Feeling. And particular. 2dly, It would have been much more for the Good of Mankind, as moral Agents, and confequently more agreeable to the Reafons of Things, if their rational Fa. culties had been made fo clear and comprehenfive, as to have enabled them to difcern every Relation that was fit and proper for them to know; for thereby they would have been capable of compofing for themfelves a fit, proper and perfect Rule of Life. Moreover it would have been highly equitable, that their Paffions fhould have been modelled at firft into fuch a quiet Subjection to their Reafon, fo as not to prevent the putting this Rule in Practice. Temptations, Miferies, and all the bad Confequences, both of an ignorant and a disorderly Conduct mightly, that of the Sight to be only a Feeling then have been avoided. COROLLARY. H of Motion, of Fire (for that we fee any Thing elfe I cannot judge) in fuch a Manner by the Eye, as is not immediate If thefe Reafons are conclufive that the ly delructive of its vifive Faculty, or Mode |