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Beautifully printed in Four Vols. 8vo. Pr. 20s. DEFENCE of Natural and Revealed

A Religion: Being an Abridgment of the

SERMONS preached at the Lecture founded by the Honourable ROBERT BOYLE, Efq; By

Dr. Bentley

Dr. Stanhope

Mr. Derham

B. Kidder

Dr. S. Clarke

Dr. Ibbot

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With a GENERAL INDEX.
By GILBERT BURNET,
Vicar of COGGESHALL, ESSEX.

Printed for Meff. Bettefworth and Hitch; and may be had of the Editor, at his House on Clerkenwell-Green in London. As the Abridgment of the Philofophical Transactions has ⚫ been always efteemed a fingular Benefit to Literature, whereby a vaft Treasure of it has been put into the Poffeffion of many, who otherwife could never have had an Opportunity of obtaining it; fo one of the ufefullest Projects that has ever been executed in favour of Chriftianity, is this Epitome of the Boylean Lectures, which must be allow'd to be a Collection of the nobleft Apologies for Natural and Revealed Religion that the World was at any Time bleft with. But with all their Excellencies it cannot be denied, that they are too voluminous for many to read, and of too great a Price for many to purchase; and I may add, fome of them very difficult to be come at. There was ftill therefore fomething wanting to render them more univerfally ferviceable, and diffufe the Advantages that may be reaped from them. Nothing could be done fo conducive to this Purpose, as an Abstract of these ineftimable Difcourfes; fuch as this before us, where the Argument is fuffered to retain its entire Force, and the Reduction is of thofe Things only, which, though they greatly adorn the Subject, contribute little, if any Thing, to the real • Weight of it.'

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Vide the Works of the Learned, for Augußt 1737, P. 82.

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TREATISE

Concerning the STATE of

Departed SOULS,

Before, At, and After the

RESURRECTION.

The Introduction: The Subject, and the Method of handling it.

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HE mean, the uncertain, and the too often miferable State of the Affairs of Men, with regard to the present Life, gives us just Caufe to enquire, whether hu

man Happiness depends upon this alone: And fince we are compounded, and intirely made

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up

up of two Parts, the Soul and the Body; and fince the Life of the Body must perish, and be totally extinguish'd within the Compafs of one Age, we are further to inquire, whether the Mind, that other Part of Man, furvives the Extinction of the Body, or whether, like two dear Friends, that are never to be divided, they both of them live together, and both of them together die. If this latter be the Cafe, we are irrecoverably ruin'd; the Whole of us is perish'd and loft; nor is it worth while to make any Inquiry concerning things that have already ceas'd to be.

BUT if, on the other Side, the Soul remains after the Diffolution of the Body; if, after 'tis deliver'd from it, it enjoys a feparate Life and Vigour; then have we many Questions to ask, and many Inquiries to make relating to the Soul thus feparated, and thus exifting: What Sort of Life it enjoys? What Sort of State? and whether it be to remain the fame for ever? Or, if it be to undergo another Change, whether it is to inform a fecond Body of any Kind? what Diftinction there is to be made between those that are good, and those that are evil? what Sort of Rewards, what Punishments will be distributed to every one, according to their Merit? Laftly, it will be a pleasing Curiofity to pursue the Fate and the Fortune of the immortal Soul, from its Departure and

Deliverance

Deliverance from its earthly Body, even to the Confummation of all Things.

THESE are the Things that in the following Work we fhall treat of, according to our Power; and as we treat of them, we fhall diftinguish, as far as we may, between Things that are clear and that are obfcure ; between Things that are fecret and Things that are popular; that every Thing may be plac'd in its proper Station, whether 'tis in Light or in Shade. Mean time, I invoke God, the Father of Light, that he would vouchsafe to direct my Steps, and to dispel the Darkness within me, and the false airy Images of Things, that we may, at length, with Transport behold that Truth pure and naked, and undefil'd, with whose Charms we have long been inflam'd.

CHAP. I.

That human Felicity does not depend folely upon this Life, but that we are to expect a future

State.

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HAT there is a God; that he is the Author of all Things, and the fupreme Governor; that he is the Best and the Greateft of Beings; that he is holy, righteous, and juft; this the Nature of Things requires; this the universal Consent of men. This Foundation

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