they also come not into this Place of Torment. But Abraham said unto him, they have Mofes and the Prophets, let them bear them. He replies, Nay, Father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the Dead, they will repent. And be faid unto him, If they believe not Mofes and the Prophets, neither will they be perfuaded, though one rofe from the Dead, Luke 16. 27, and following Verfes. Which feems to give no greater Authority to the Refurrection of the Dead, and therefore not to the Refurrection of Chrift himself, than to the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets, to confirm the Promises of another Life. But it is certain this is not our Saviour's Meaning, who fo often appeals to his own Resurrection from the Dead, as the laft and greatest Confirmation of his divine Authority, and of the Truth, and Certainty, and Divinity of all he did and taught, and particularly of the Promife of immortal Life. And the Thing fpeaks it felf; that thofe exprefs Promifes, which Chrift has made us of immortal Life, and that Confirmation that he has given us of thefe Promises by his own Refurrection from the Dead, is much beyond any Evidence that Mofes and the Prophets have given us. Nor can I fee any reafon from what our Saviour makes Abraham here to fay, to think otherwise. For,

First, Suppofing we fhould grant, that Dives thought that his Brethren wanted a better Evidence for another Life, and the Rewards and Punishments of good and bad Men, than Mofes and the Prophets had given them; yet Abraham's Anfwer, that thofe who would not believe Mofes and the Prophets, would not believe fuch a Meffenger from the Dead, as Dives de

fir'd, is a very good Anfwer, without fuppofing that there could be no better Evidence for another Life, than that Mofes and the Prophets had given them; much lefs without fuppofing that the Refurrection of our Saviour himself from the Dead is not a better Evidence and more certain Proof of immortal Life.

To understand what Abraham means by one rifing from the Dead, we must consider what it was that Dives defired of Abraham, which was only to fend Lazarus to his Brethren, to affure them of that Place of Torment prepared for bad Men; not that Lazarus fhould, in the Gofpel Notion of the Refurrection, rife again from the Dead; that is, re-affume his Body immortal and glorious, and appear to them in his glo rified Body; for this was what Abraham could neither do for Lazarus, nor for him felf; but that he fhould appear to them, as Ghofts and fe parate Souls us'd to do in a vifible Shape and Form, fo as to be known by them; not in a true human Body, one raised from the Dead. Now Abraham was certainly in the right, that tho' Mofes and the Prophets have not given us the highest Evidence, that can be given, of immortal Life, yet they have given us much better Evidence of it than the Apparitions of Ghofts and Spirits could do; and that thofe, who would not believe Mofes and the Prophets, would much lefs believe an Apparition of Lazarus, whatever he fhould tell them of the other World, and of the State of their Brother Dives in it. For what Authority hath a Ghoft or Apparition? Who knows what it is? Whether it be the Perfon it reprefents, or fome deluding and counterfeit Spirit? And then, who can tell, whether it fpeaks true or falfe? And is this to be compared to the Authority

Authority of a standing Revelation, which, tho' it do not speak fo plainly as the Gofpel does, or give fuch undeniable Proofs of Immortality, yet is certainly to be credited beyond any Apparitions, which have no Authority at all; which may a little awaken and terrify Men at prefent; but the Fright will foon be over, and they will believe and live just as they did before? Abrabam's Answer may fatisfy us of the Vanity of this whole Difpute about Apparitions, as far as may concern Religion, and the Belief of another World, in it. For this will convince any Man, who will not believe the Law of Mofes, much less who will not believe the Gospel of Chrift. Here is no comparison made between the Mofaical and the Gospel Revelation; between the typical Promifes of the Law of Mofes, and the plain and express Promises of the Gospel of Christ, confirm'd by his own Refurrection from the Dead.

But after all, it does not appear to me from any thing in this Parable, that Dives's Brethren were Infidels, who believed nothing of the other World. For Dives does not defire Abrabam to fend Lazarus to give them a greater Affurance of the other World; nor does he fay, that they would believe it ever the more, if Lazarus went unto them; but that they would then repent Nor does Abraham fay that they would not believe the other World upon the appearing of Lazarus, but that they would not be perfwaded, that is, to repent and reform their Lives. And that is certainly true. There are many Men who believe Mofes and the Prophets, and, which is more than that, they believe the Gospel of Chrift too, and yet live very wicked Lives, and have great need to be fummon'd to Repentance,

The moft effectual Means Dives could think of for this, was to fend one from the Dead to preach Repentance to them. But Abraham tells him otherwise, that those who will not hear Mofes and the Prophets, who will not repent of their Sins at their Admonition and Reproofs, would not repent, tho' one fhould come from the Dead to perfuade them. Which does not relate to the different Degrees of Evidence, but to the Power of Perfwafion. And it is certainly a great Truth that thofe, who will not be perfwaded to repent of their Sins by all the Arguments of the Law and the Gospel, would not be perfwaded, tho' a Meflenger from the Dead fhould preach to them.

- And now I would defire the Infidels of our Age seriously to confider, what there is wanting in this Evidence, to give us the most abfolute Affurance of a bleffed Refurrection into immortal Life. Let them but fuppofe for a while that the Gofpel gives us a true Account of what Chrift did and taught, of the Doctrine which he preached, and the Promises which he made, of his Death and Refurrection from the Dead; and then deal fincerely with themselves and the World, and fay what is wanting in this Evidence. For this is the Gospel Evidence, whether it be true or falfe. For, whether the Gospel contains a certain Proof of immortal Life, and whether the Gospel it felf be a credible Hiftory, are two diftinct Questions, and ought to be distinctly answered; tho' Infidels, to give the better Colour to their Infidelity, are defirous to confound them. I never yet met with any Man, who was fo hardy, as to deny, that the Gofpel contains fuch unquestionable Proofs of immortal Life, that, fuppofing the Gospel to be true, there can be no doubt made of it. Now

this is all that I am at prefent concern'd for, to fhew you, that Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel. And if our Infidels would plainly confefs this, which they dare not deny, it would lay the Axe to the very Root of Infidelity. For,

First, They must then confefs, that there may be a better and a stronger Proof of immortal Life than any the Light of Nature can give them; which would make them fenfible, that the Light of Nature is not the only or the best Guide in Matters of Religion.

Secondly, They must confefs the Neceffity of Revelation to give us the certain Proof of immortal Life. And one would think, this fhould be a good Means to reconcile them to Revelation. For the Gofpel Proof of immortal Life, which is the moft certain Proof that can be gi ven, can be had only from Revelation.

Thirdly, They must confefs, that if the certain Knowledge of immortal Life be the most defirable thing in the World, it is as defirable to have fuch Proof of immortal Life as the Gospel has given us; and therefore, that all Men ought at leaft to wifh, that the Gospel were

true.

Fourthly, They must confefs, that there is a certain Proof of immortal Life got abroad in the World, whether it be true or falfe, and therefore that they are infinitely concerned to examine impartially the Truth of it: For if it fhould prove true, and they refufe to believe it, they could not plead Ignorance in excufe for their Infidelity. All this muft own'd, we acknowledge the Gospel Proofs of Immortality to be good and certain, fuppofing the Gospel Hiftory to be true; and whoever owns all this, can never be an Infidel long. CHAP.

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