Earth's difembowel'd! meafur'd are the Skies!
Stars are detected in their deep Recefs!
Creation widens! vanquifh'd Nature yields!
Her Secrets are extorted! Art prevails!
What Monument of Genius, Spirit, Power!
And now, LORENZO! raptur'd at this Scene,
Whofe Glories render Heav'n fuperfluous! fay,
Whose Footsteps These?-Immortals have been Here.
Could less than Souls Immortal this have done?
Earth's cover'd o'er with Proofs of Souls immortal;
And Proofs of Immortality forgot.

To flatter thy grand Foible, I confess,

These are Ambition's Works: And thefe are Great :
But this, the least immortal Souls can do;

Tranfcend them all-But What can these transcend?
Doft afk me, What?One Sigh for the Diftreft.
What then for Infidels? A deeper Sigh.

'Tis moral Grandeur makes the mighty Man:
How Little they, who think aught Great below?
All our Ambitions Death defeats, but One;
And that it crowns,Here ceafe we: But, ere long,
More pow'rful Proof, fhall take the Field against thee,
Stronger than Death, and fmiling at the Tomb.

NIGHT the SEVENTH.

BEING THE

SECOND PART

OF THE

INFIDEL RECLAIMED.

Containing

The NATURE, PROOF, and IMPORTANCE, of IMMORTALITY.

PREFACE.

S we are at War with the Power, it were well if we were at War with the Manners, of France. A Land of Levity, is a Land of Guilt. A Serious Mind is the native Soil of every Virtue; and the fingle Character that does true Honour to Mankind. The Soul's Immortality has been the favourite Theme with the Serious of all Ages. Nor is it ftrange; it is a Subject by far the most Interesting, and Important, that can enter the Mind of

Man. Of higheft Moment this Subject always was, and always will be. Yet this its highest Moment seems to admit of Increase, at this Day; a Sort of occafional Importance is Jupperadded to the natural Weight of it; if that Opinion which is advanced in the Preface to the preceding Night, be just. It is there supposed, that all our Infidels, whatever Scheme, for Argument's Sake, and to keep themselves in Countenance, they patronize, are betray'd into their deplorable Error, by fome Doubt of their Immortality, at the Bottom. And the more I confider this Point, the more I am perfuaded of the Truth of that Opinion. Tho' the Distrust of a Futurity is a strange Error; yet it is an Error into which Bad Men may naturally be diftreffed. For it is impoffible to bid Defiance to final Ruin, without fome Refuge in Imagination, fome Prefumption of Efcape. And what Prefumption is there? There are but Two in Nature; but Two, within the Compafs of human Thought. And thefe are,-That either GOD will not, or can not punish. Confidering the Divine Attributes, the First is too grofs to be digefted by our strongest Wishes. And fince Omnipotence is as much a Divine Attribute as Holiness, that GOD cannot punish, is as abfurd a Suppofition, as the Former. GOD certainly can punish, as long as the wicked Man exifts. In Non-existence, therefore, is their only Refuge; and, confequently, Non-existence is their strongest Wish. And Strong Wishes have a firanje Influence on our

Opinions;

Opinions; they bias the Judgment in a Manner, almoft, incredible. And fince on this Member of their Alternative, there are fome very fmall Appearances in their Favour, and none at all on the other, they catch at this Reed, they lay hald on this Chimera, to fave themselves from the Shock, and Horror, of an immediate, and abfolute, Defpair.

On reviewing my Subject, by the Light which this Argument, and others of like Tendency, threw upon it, I was more inclin'd, than ever, to pursue it, as it appear'd to me to strike directly at the main Root of all our Infidelity. In the following Pages, it is, accordingly, purfued at large; and fome Arguments for Immortality, new (at least, to me), are ventured on in them. There also the Writer has made an Attempt to fet the grofs Abfurdities and Horrors of Annihilation in a fuller and more affecting View, than is (I think) to be met with elsewhere.

The Gentlemen, for whofe Sake this Attempt was chiefly made, profefs great Admiration for the Wifdom of Heathen Antiquity: What Pity 'tis they are not fincere! If they were fincere, how would it mortify them to confider, with what Contempt, and Abhorrence, their Notions would have been received, by Those whom they fo much admire? What Degree of Contempt, and Abhorrence, would fall to their Share, may be conjectur'd, by the following Matter of Fact (in my Opinion) extremely memorable. Of all

their Heathen Worthies, Socrates ('tis well known) was the most Guarded, Difpaffionate, and Compofed: Yet this great Master of Temper was angry; and angry at his Last Hour; and angry with his Friend; and angry for what deferv'd Acknowlegement; angry, for a right and tender Inftance of true FriendShip towards Him. Is not this furprifing? What could be the Caufe? The Caufe was for his Honour; it was a truly noble, the, perhaps, a too punctilious, Regard for Immortality: For his Friend asking him, with fuch an affectionate Concern as became a Friend, "Where be should depofit his Remains?” it was refented by Socrates, as implying a dishonourable Suppofition that he could be fo mean, as to have Regard for any thing, even in Himself, that was not Im

MORTAL.

This Fact well confider'd, would make our Infidels withdraw their Admiration from Socrates; or make them endeavour, by their Imitation of this illuftrious Example, to share his Glory: And, confequently, it would incline them to peruse the following Pages with Candor, and Impartiality: Which is all I defire; and that, for their Sakes: For I am perjuaded, that an Unprejudiced Infidel muft. neceffarily, receive jome advantageous Impreffions from them.

July 7, 1744.

CON