be a dreary prospect to the living. Ps. 23. But let the objector explain to us if he can, why it is not a dreary prospect to him, that his body is to be consigned to the grave until the resurrection? Is it because he knows that all this time his soul will be in heaven? Admit this true, I then ask, why it will not be a very dreary thing for his soul there, that his body must remain in the darkness, silence, and corruption of the grave, until the resurrection? If this is such a dreary prospect to his soul before death, why not after it? But further, the objector ought to consider, that it was not the prospect of immediate happiness after death, which cheered good men's minds in ancient times. No, it was the hope of being raised again from the dead. He that has this Scriptural hope needs no other cheer. He that wants it, will find the ideal prospect of immediate happiness for his soul a poor substitute for it.

3d. It is objected-"if your views be true, there is no need for any person being concerned about the salvation of his immortal soul." Answer: this is strictly true, if the objector, by salvation, means, the salvation of the soul from punishment in an intermediate state. In my First Inquiry it has been shown, that no such hell or place of punishment exists, except in men's imaginations. And in the present Essay it has been shown, that men have no such souls to be saved. Unless my views are proved false, all concern of this nature is forever put to rest, and for a very good reason, because no such soul was ever committed to their care. All concern is entirely out of the question, for want of the thing about which to be concerned. The Bible teaches man to be concerned about salvation from sin, ignorance of God, and all things which are dishonorable to God, and injurious to himself and others. Man's daily happiness depends on his being concerned about all this. No man can

live happy, or die in hope of future immortality, living in disobedience to the gospel of Christ.

4th. It is further objected-"if your sentiments turn out to be true, an end is put to all missionary zeal and exertion, for the heathens according to your account, have no immortal souls to be saved." Answer: so far as the object of missions is to save immortal souls from an endless hell, or any punishment whatever in a disembodied state, a final end is put to all missionary zeal and exertion. And if my sentiments turn out to be true, it is easily perceived, what immense sums have been expended in endeavoring to accomplish what never needed to be done. The object proposed is entirely imaginary, and it is high time a stop should be put to this soul saving business, and the zeal and money expended turned into a better channel. The apostles and others were missionaries, but their object was not to save men from hell, but from ignorance, idolatry, and wickedness, and turn them to the love and service of the one living and true God. It was no object with them to preach, what is a constant theme in our day, that men had immortal souls exposed to an endless hell, and that their desire was to save them from it, that they might live happy in heaven in a disembodied state. No; their object was to preach through Jesus the resurrection from the dead, and to give men the hope of this, who were living without hope, and without God, atheists in the world. Here is a field for missionary exertion, and few men are to be found in the community, who would not aid in accomplishing such a salvation. It is easily seen by every man, that the world needs such a salvation; but it is not so easily perceived they need to be saved from endless misery in a future state.

5th. It will likely be objected, "if your views be. rue why did not some of the great and learned find them

out long before this ?" Answer: these views are not new, for some of the great and learned have held them before me. Dr. Taylor in his correspondence with bishop Law says "no man can prove from Scripture, that the human soul is a principle which lives, and acts, and thinks independent of the body." As to man after death, he adds-" revelation alone can give an answer to this point; for whatever the metaphysical nature, essence, or substance of the soul may be, which is altogether unknown to us, all arguments, for the natural immortality of the soul, taken from the nature of its substance or essence, are manifestly vain; we can never prove that the soul of man is of such a nature that it can and must exist and live, think and act, separate from, and independent of the body; all our present experience shows the contrary; the operation of the mind depends constantly and invariably upon the state of the body, of the brain in particular." The late bishop of Carlisle asserts that upon a perusal of the Scripture by which we Protestants profess to be determined, we may possibly discern that the natural immortality of the human mind is neither necessarily connected with, nor to a Christian any proper proof of a future state of rewards and punishments." Paley, in his Natural Theology, says" that grand point, the resurrection of the human dead, might appear hopeless, did we not see the power at work adequate to the effect; but I admit it is first necessary to be persuaded that there is a God to do so. This being settled, there seems to be nothing in this process which need to shock our belief. They who have taken up the opinion, that the acts of the human mind depend on organization, are supposed to find greater difficulty than others do, in admitting a transition by death, to a new state of sentient existence, because the old organization is apparently dissolved.

66

But I do not see that any impracticability need be apprehended even by these."

6th. It may be objected" We do not see any particular advantages resulting from your views, and we may just as well retain our old opinions." Answer: This is not true; for some of the advantages which my views have over the common opinions have already been noticed, and I shall proceed to state a few more for the serious consideration of the reader. 1st. If my views be true, it is some advantage to embrace truth instead of error, allowing both to be attended with equal advantages. But will any man assert that truth has no advantage over error? But

2d. My views exhibit God's impartiality in a light which is certainly not done by the common opinions. For example, as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive, but not one of the human race shall enjoy future life and happiness sooner than another. Abel lived, and Abel died, and so do all men; but he has no advantage over the last man who shall die before the last trumpet sounds. Then all shall be awakened out of the sleep of death, and with those found alive, shall be changed in the same moment to immortality. But if the common opinions are true, Abel and many others, shall enjoy some thousand years happiness more, than a vast proportion of the human race. Indeed those found alive on the earth, shall never know what the state and condition of disembodied spirits are. And if

Dr. Griffin's calculations are correct, some disembodied spirits must make a short stay in heaven, hell, or the Catholic purgatory, before called to the general resurrection. He says, in the sermon already referred to, p. 18-"twenty thousand die a day, eight hundred and fifty-six an hour, and fourteen a minute." How long will the last fourteen be in any of those places, who happen to die before the last

trumpet sounds? Hardly a minute, according to the Dr's. calculations.

3d. If my views are correct, they put an end to the doctrine of ghosts; yea, show the impossibility of their existence. No ghost can come from heaven or hell, on my views, for there are none to come. But, has not many a child suffered much from the superstitious fear of ghosts? Yea, how many full grown intelligent men, have not been able to conquer the influence which this superstitious notion has over them? It cannot be denied, but the common opinion of disembodied spirits, affords a solid foundation for such fears. Nor can they ever be entirely destroyed, but by the removal of the erroneous doctrine on which they are founded. So long as people are taught, that souls exist after death in a disembodied state, there is a foundation laid for suspicions, that they may visit our world. The thing is at least possible, and who can certainly assure us to the contrary? But, if what has been stated in this Essay be true, the whole of these superstitious fears are swept away, and not a wreck is left behind. Is there no

advantage in all this?

4th. If my views are correct, a very popular objection against some Universalists is entirely removed. We shall state the objection in the words of a Universalist writer and sure no orthodox man will complain that it is too feebly stated. Mr. Hudson, in his Letters, p. 66, 67, thus writes. "If all men are introduced into heaven at death, then the inhabitants of the old world were snatched to immediate felicity as a reward of their wickedness, and the righteous Noah was left in this world of woe; then the wicked Sodomites were cursed with immortal glory, and the just Lot was blessed with pain and distress ; then the rebellious Korah was instantly conveyed to heaven, and those who were obedient were left in