Again : from every idea that we can form of God, we are forced to conclude, that he must be offended with vice, and pleased with virtue ; and, of consequence, that the one will be punished, and the other rewarded. This, however, is evidently not done in the present world ; for here vice often reigns triumphant, whilst virtue is calum niated and oppressed. \Ve may, therefore, naturally conclude, that there must be a period of retribution, when all these irregularities shall be finally adjusted.
But, in truth, were God actually to punish and re ward virtue in the present world, it would not remove one of our doubts and difficulties as to the equity of the divine administration, unless we were possessed of the omniscience of the Sovereign Judge, and knew precisely all the motives by which the actors have been influenced; for in these alone consists the merit and the demerit of their conduct. As such knowledge as this is wisely denied us in the present world, the season of final retribution is properly deferred till the time when the secrets of every heart shall be made known, and the whole universe made to recognise the justice and wisdom of the divine admi nistration.
It is indeed said, that virtue is its own reward, and vice its own punishment, even in the present world ; and certainly it cannot he denied, that the man who violates the eternal laws of providence will find himself punished in the very transgression. But a cautious sinner may avoid all these consequences ; he may be filled with envy, malignity, dishonesty, and every evil affection; his character may be stained with every shade and degree of moral turpitude in the sight of God, whilst it appears spotless and unsullied in the eyes of men. There is no temporal punishment provided for such guilt as this ; even conscience does not necessarily prove an avenger ; on the contrary, the wretch may find a kind of fiend-like enjoyment in the gratification of his unhallowed affec tions. \Ve grant, indeed, that the virtuous may expe rience much happiness in the approbation of their con science, even amidst the troubles and calamities of life ; but this is only in consequence of a conviction that they are acting according to the eternal rules of rectitude which God has established, and that consequently their conduct must be pleasing to him. The wicked, on the
other hand, often experience the greatest torture in the. compunction and remorse of their consciences ; but this arises solely from the fear of future punishment, which their guilty consciences tell them they have de served.
Such are some of the arguments which the light of nature furnishes in favour of the soul's immortality ; doctrine which has had a most extensive reception, and a no less extensive influence in every state of human society. The vulgar, who were not misled by philoso phical speculations, had distinct views of a state of re ward and punishment ; and though their creed was, in many respects, very erroneous, and very absurd, we firm ly believe that it had more efficacy than all the laws that ever were invented by man, in directing to that line of conduct which was conceived to be agreeable to the v. of the gods.
The question of Liberty and Necessity.
The question of liberty and necessity has always been conceived to be intimately connected with morals ; has had a place in almost all systems of moral science. Yet none has been involved in such perplexity ; and on none do the opinions of writers appear so diametrically opposite to each other. We consider this as a sure proof that they do not understand each other's reason ing, or that they affix totally different ideas to the terms in which their propositions are announced ; and w (dist they are exhausting their ingenuity in demolishing tl.e arguments of their adversaries, they are very often only combating the phantoms which their own imagination has raised. The advocates for liberty, on the one hand, charge the opposite doctrine with many tremendous con sequences. They represent it as subversive of ail in• ral agency, as breaking down the fences of virtue, and open ing the door to immorality and irreligion. And it mist be confessed, that Hobbes and others have held the doc trine in such a form as fully to authorize these conclu sions. But, on the other hand, Leibnitz and Edwards state the doctrine of necessity in such a way, as to vindi cate it from all such charges; and the latter author un dertakes to demonstrate, that the opposite scheme infal libly brings along with it all the evil consequences whit h its advocates have attempted to connect with the doc trine of necessity.