ment. It will be That in Effect, toward CHAP. which we now see a Tendency. It will be no III. more than the Completion of that moral Go vernment, the Principles and Beginning of which, have been fhewn, beyond all Difpute, discernible in the prefent Conftitution and Courfe of Nature. And from hence it follows, Thirdly, That, as under the natural Government of God, our Experience of those Kinds and Degrees of Happiness and Mifery, which we do experience at prefent, gives juft Ground to hope for and to fear, higher Degrees, and other Kinds of both in a future State, fuppofing a future State admitted: fo under his moral Government, our Experience, that Virtue and Vice are, in the Manners above-mentioned, actually rewarded and punished at present, in a certain Degree, gives just Ground to hope and to fear, that they may be rewarded and punished in an higher Degree Hereafter. It is acknowledged indeed, that This alone is not fufficient Ground to think, that they actually will be rewarded and punished in a higher Degree, rather than in a lower: But then, Laftly, There is fufficient Ground to think fo, from the good and bad Tendencies of Virtue and Vice. For these Tendencies are I. it PART effential, and founded in the Nature of Things whereas the Hindrances to their 'becoming Effect, are, in numberlefs Cafes, not neceffary, but artificial only. Now may be much more strongly argued, that thefe Tendencies, as well as the actual Rewards and Punishments, of Virtue and Vice, which arife directly out of the Nature of Things, will remain Hereafter, than that the accidental Hindrances of them will. And if thefe Hindrances do not remain; thofe Rewards and Punishments cannot but be carried on much farther towards the Perfection of Moral Government: i. e. the Tendencies of Virtue and Vice will become Effect: But when, or where, or in what particular Way, cannot be known at all, but by Revelation. Upon the whole: There is a Kind of moral Government implied in God's natural Go- · vernment: Virtue and Vice are naturally rewarded and punished as beneficial and mischievous to Society; and rewarded and punished directly as Virtue and Vice. ' The k Notion then of a moral Scheme of Government, is not fictitious, but natural; for it is fuggefted to our Thoughts by the Constitution and Courfe of Nature: and the Execution of this Scheme is actually begun, in the Inftances here mentioned. And these things CHAP. are to be confidered, as a Declaration of the III. Author of Nature, for Virtue, and against Vice: They give a Credibility to the Suppofition of their being rewarded and punished Hereafter; and alfo Ground to hope and to fear, that they may be rewarded and punished in higher Degrees than they are Here. And as all this is confirmed, fo the Argument for Religion, from the Conftitution and Courfe of Nature, is carried on farther, by observing, that there are natural Tendencies, and, in innumerable Cafes, only artificial Hindrances, to this moral Scheme's being carried on much farther towards Perfection, than it is at prefent". The Notion then of a moral Scheme of Government, much more perfect than what is feen, is not a fictitious, but a natural Notion for it is fuggefted to our Thoughts, by the effential Tendencies of Virtue and Vice. And thefe Tendencies are to be confidered as Intimations, as implicit Promises and Threatnings, from the Author of Nature, of much greater Rewards and Punishments to follow Virtue and Vice, than do at present. And indeed, every natural Tendency, which is to continue, but which is hindred from becoming Effect by only accidental Caufes, affords a Prefumption, that fuch Tendency will, fome Time or other, p. 85, &c. become H 3 I. PART become Effect: a Prefumption in Degree proportionable to the Length of the Duration, through which fuch Tendency will continue. And from these things together, arises a real Prefumption, that the Moral Scheme of Government established in Nature, fhall be carried on much farther towards Perfection hereafter; and, I think, a Prefumption that it will be abfolutely compleated. But from these things, joined with the moral Nature which God has given us, confidered as given us by Him, arifes a practical Proof" that it will be compleated: a Proof from Fact; and therefore a distinct one from That, which is deduced from the eternal and unalterable Relations, the Fitness and Unfitness of Actions. See this Proof drawn out briefly, Ch. vi. p. 167, &c. CHA P. 103 CHA P. IV. Of a State of Probation, as implying THE HE genèral Doctrine of Religion, that CHAP. our prefent Life is a State of Proba- IV. tion for a future one, comprehends under it feveral particular things, diftinct from each other. But the firft, and moft common Meaning of it, feems to be, that our future Intereft is now depending, and depending upon Ourselves; that we have Scope and Opportunities Here, for that good and bad Behaviour, which God will reward and punish Hereafter; together with Temptations to one, as well as Inducements of Reason to the other. And this is, in a great measure, the fame with faying, that we are under the moral Government of God, and to give an Account of our Actions to Him. For the Notion of a future Account and general righteous Judgment, implies fome Sort of Temptations to what is Wrong: otherwife there would be no moral Poffibility of doing Wrong, nor Ground for Judgment, or Difcrimination. But there is this Difference, that the Word Probation is more distinctly and particularly expreffive of Allure H 4 |