k ir; fcibvavy of Che Cheoio0ical gtminavp PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY TWENTY. FOUR DISCOURSES on some of the Important and Interesting TRUTHS, DUTIES and INSTITUTIONS 03 the GOSPEL, AND THE GENERAL EXCELLENCY OF THE CyhrutiaTb tz/Cellato7i\; Calculated for the People of God every Communion, farticularly for the benefit of PIOUS jAMILIES, AND THE instruction of all, in the things which concern their salvation* By NATHANVPERKINS,A,M< Pallor of a Church of Christ in Hartford. HARTFORD: JXIMTED BY HUDSON £? COODW1 NfiCCXC V, i^^t^t^tj^t^i^t^^<^t^<^^<^<^ittritjr>&)t^> S>83>JCU2TJ0J/: TO the people of my Pafloral Charge— The following difcourfes are moil affec- tionately dedicated. I account it a happinefs to contribute to your eftablifhment in the truth — to unfold to you the great principles, duties, and Institutions of the Chriflian Religion — to defend them againft fuch as may rife up and deny them — and to lead you and your children in the right way of the Lord. I can bear you witnefs, that when thefe dif- courfes were delivered, you afforded an. uncom- mon attention. You have been very folicitous to have them made public, for your own infl ruc- tion and benefit ; and for the ufe and benefit of your children, when you mall be gathered to the great Congregation of the dead. They con- tain not the disputed peculiarities of a par- ty, but the grand principles and truths of our common Chriftianity, held facred by our Chur- ches in this Land, and by the whole Protes- tant Christian world, as .appears clearly from all their public Creeds and Confes- sions of Truth. They aire publiihed, as you willeafily recol- lect, nearly word for word, as they were deliv- ered. Particular reafons have induced me to 1Y do this. In one difcourfe only is there a devia- tion from the original form ; that on the Apof~. tie's caution Be not carried about with divers and firange doclrwes, or the danger of inftability, and pernicious tendency of error. What was merely local is omitted, but the fentiments in fubftance are carefully retained. Many learned and- judicious Characters, both of the Clergy and Laity, have urged to the pub- lication of these discourses, as being peculi- arly adapted to the day in which we live, and the flate of Religion in our nation : as calcula- ted for, and greatly needed in Chriftian Fami- lies ; there being no fuch feries of difcourfes to be found in any Volume already published, The defign of them is to convince fuch as need convic~tion~to reclaim fuch as may be wander- ing into error — to confirm the wavering — to confole the Chriftian, — and to exhibit to all ; fome of the important, enential practical princi- ples of pure and undented Religion. It is on- ly neceffary to add — My prayer to God is, that they may, by his divine bleiling, be the means of preventing the fpread of error and irreligion, and of reviving the decaying intereii of piety and holinefs, which can only be revived and fuppor- ted by a more ftricl: and confcientious regard to. all divine Institutions- N. R ************** * , * * * * * *********? * * *********' T HE C O N T E N T &, ^t^^^^^x/^^.f^of^r^^lf DISCOURSE I. THAT man has no principle within himfelf, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the purpofes of his falvation, or a fufficient guide in matters of faith and practice. Ephef. ii. 12. That at that time ye were without Chrifl, being aliens from the Commonwealth ff Ifrael, and ffraqgers from tfa Covenants of prom ij e, having ncJ:cfeyand without God in the world. DISCOURSE II. The fubjecl continued. DISCOURSE III. The ways in which the holy fcriptures are per- verted by unlearned and unliable men. 3. Peter, iii. 16. 17. Js alfoin all his Epylles, fpeaJking in ofthefe things, in which are fa me things hard io be which they that are unlearned and unfiable wr(fl, as they a the other fcriptures, unto their own defruFtkn, Xi beloved feeing ye know thefe things before* bewa led away with, the error of the wicked^ fall from jour cw faflnefs. DISCOURSE IV. Stated prayer a duty binding on all men. Acts, ii. 31. Aaditfball come to pafs that whefot-ver Jbali mil upon the name of the Lord* fhall be faved. VI DISCOURSE V. The duty of public worfhip, and its beneficial tendency. Mat. iv. io. Thin faith Jefus,get thee hence Satan, for it is writ- ten thoufoalt worfhip the Lord thy God, and him onlyfhali thou ferve. DISCOURSE VI. The fubjecl continued. DISCOURSE VII. The fubjeft concluded. DISCOURSE VIII. The Ordinance of the Lord's Supper, not a hu- man invention, but a divine inftitution. Mat. xxvi. 26. to the 31. And as they were eating, Jefus took bread ',' and bleffed it, and break it, and gave it to the difciples, and f aid take, eat, this is my body. — And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, faying, drink ye all of it . For this is my blood of the New Teflament which isfloedfor many for the rem'fjton of fin. But 1 fay unto you, I will not drink henceforth nf ibis fruit oj the vine, until that day, when I drink it new) with son in my Father's kingdom. And when they hadfungan hym", they went out into the Mount of Olives. \ DISCOURSE IX. Baptifm by water not a piece of fuperflition, but appointed by Jelus Chrift. Mat. xxviii. And this part, of the 19 verfe. — Baptifing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghojl. DISCOURSE X. The fubject continued and finifhed. vn DISCOURSE XL It is the will of the author of Chriftianity that, in the New Teftament difpenfation, there . mould be particular Gofpel Churches. I. Theflalonians, i. I. Paul and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the Church of the Tbeffalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jefus Chriji ', grace be unto you and peace from Cod our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrifl. DISCOURSE XII. The right way to underftand the infpired wri- tings. Luke, xxiy. 45 • Then opened he their under/landing, that they might underfiand thefcriptures. DISCOURSE XIII. The Gofpel to be fupported by thofe who enjoy it. Gal. vi. 6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teachefl in all good things \ DISCOURSE XIV. . The Apoftles, infallible guides in Religion, be- ing commiflioned, and immediately qualified, and infpired by the Redeemer. a. TheftHloifians, a. 15. Therefore, brethren, fland fafl, and hold the tradition which ye have been taught, whether by words 91- our Epijlle. DISCOURSE XV. The firfr. day of the week proved to be holy time, and fet apart by Chrift, to be a weekly Sab- bath to the end of the world. A&s, xx. 7. And upon the firfi day of the week when the difciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready fa depart on tht morrow, and continued hisfpeech wtti ' midnight t . via DISCOURSE XVI. The fubjeft continued and concluded* DISCOURSE XVII. The parable of the Tares. Mat. xiii. 24< 31. Another Parable put he forth unto them, fay* ing, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which fowed good feed in his f eld ; but while menflept, his enemy came a?zd fo Ran Chriftians, who, before the glorious Gofpel was preached among, and, through effi- cacious grace, embraced by them/ were Gen- tiles. Like other pagan nations, they were pro- iciTed Idolaters. They were wormippers, we are told, of the great Goddefs Diana. But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice? Wboyt the f pace of two hours cried out? Great is 1% Diana of the Ephefians. — And when the town* clerk had appeafed the people ', he faid, ye men of Ephefus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephefians is a worjhipper of the great Goddefs Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? But they were not further removed from the true knowledge of the only right object of all religious homage and praife, or more depraved in heart, than the heathen world, at large. They were, fays the Apoftle, dead in trefpaffcs and fins. This was their fiate before renewing grace had quickened them,and made them alive to God and virtue, to holinefs and happinefs. What is here affirmed of them, no one will difpute, is equally applicable to, and equally true of all mankind, in all ages and na- tions, before enlightened by a divine revelation and fanclif.ed by the power of divine grace. For all the human race, throughout the world, are alike in this refpe£t, as deflitute by nature of the principles, of holinefs. There is no dif- ference between Jew and Gentile-— one and a- nother. They are all, before interefted in a Re- deemer and fprinkled vvith his precious blood, without hope and without Gcd in the world. They are aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael and fir angers from the Covenants efpromi/e. As long as they are without Chrift, they have no part nor lot in falvation. For without him, the great evangelical maxim is, there is no falvation.. His name is the only one given under heaven among men, whereby we can attain to felicity, be pardoned as to our fins, or juflified as to our perfons. No man can come to the father with- out him. Whofocver denieth the fon, the fame hath not the father : but he thai achiowledgetk the fin, hath the Father alfo. — *3 What is intended, in the fubfequent dif- courfe, is to prove that the world of mankind, merely by their own reafon and wifdom, cannot attain to a faving knowledge of God : or that man has no principle within himfelf, antecedent to divine grace operating on the heart, which is adequate to all the purpofes of his falvation, by whatever name it may be called.— That we may do juftice, as far as we are able, to this great and important fubjecr, we will at- tempt to fhow — I. How far, .the light of reafon, without a ce- lefiial guide, can go, in things of a religious and moral nature, And — II. Point out its infufnciency, in thcfe ref* peels, which are not only very important, but al- together heceflary. — -— I. The firfl thing propofed, is to attempt to mow how far the light of reafon, without a divine Revelation, can go, in things of a religious and moral nature. If the ftate and character of mankind, in regard to Religion, mall, in what may be now offered, be placed in a new, or at leaft different light from what they are ufually, when the great and utter depravation of the hu- man heart is intended to be deicribed, it is ho- ped it will not be lefs ufeful. Certainly an at- tempt to inveftigate fuch a. fubjecr. as is now be- fore us is worthy of peculiar attention. The proper ftudy of mankind is man. Among all the enquiries, in which the wife and reflecting have engaged, that of discovering how far reafon, of itfelf, without any fupeniatural amflances, can carry us, in regard to the concerns of our true *4 and fpiritual happinefs, mufl be deemed one of the mod: highly interefting. — While mankind are without Chrift, they are aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael and ' fir an- gers to the Covenants ofpromife ; they are ftran- gers to all faving bleffings, and have no intereft in them. They have no good grounds upon which to expect the favour of the fupreme being, the pardon of Sin in this, or happinefs in anoth- er world. If without hope, they are in a loft and perifhing fituation. They have nothing within them, let it be called by whatever name it may, which can enfure this eternal peace and falvation. To affert or pretend that they have any principle of real holinefs, however fmall a fpark it may be confidered, is to afiert that they have fomehope from what is within themfelves, — ■ Some ground to hope for life eternal : then, this being the cafe, they are not aliens from the Com- monwealth of Ifrael or ftrangers from the Cov- enants ofpromife. For, if while without Chrift, they are all, without exception, aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael and ftrangers from the Covenants of promife, they muft be without hope, or in a loft and defperate ftate. To be aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael and fir angers from the Covenants ofpromife is, according to the very meaning of the exprefhons, and the opinion of expofitors, to have no lot or part, more or lefs, in any affignable degree, in the peculiar bleffings and fpiritual privileges of God's own people and fervants. Before renewed by faving grace, all men, without one exception, are without Chrift. Thev are without hope. And to be without hope in and from ourfeives, is to be in a loft and defperate ftate in and of ourfeives. It is added* 35 they are alio, without God in the world. And to be without God in the world \ is to be without an intereft in his fpecial favour — without a fa* ving knowledge of him* — and of courfe, without any title to his kingdom when they mail be re- moved from time into Eternity. To be with' out Chrift in the worlds is to have no intereft in the faving blemngs of his Gofpel and pur chafe. The feverefl critic cannot charge me with ha- ving extended, beyond jufl bounds, the meaning of the text. This, then, is the real date of all mankind, v/herever they may dwell, or to whatever na- tion they may belong, or whatever notions to the contrary, they may imbibe, while unfanclifi- ed by efficacious grace, aliens from the Common- wealth of IfraeUftr angers from the covenants of promife-y having no hope, and without God in the world. — A more wretched and forlorn conditioa can hardly be imagined. They are dead in trek paffes and fins. They are deftitute of the prin- ciples of true holinefs, or the power of fpiritual life. — Like the inanimate lifelefs body — held in the deep of death, they are without any motions of fpiritual life towards God or heavenly glories. —- If they had any meafure or degree of a really holy temper, or fpiritual life, it would, we may fairly prefume, never be loft, or extinguifhed, but be preferved until the day of Chrift, when all will berewarded according to their character and works. M Perhaps, no one doctrine is fo much, and fo often infilled upon, in facred Writ, as the per- ifhing condition of fmners. And, there is no one, mofl certainly, that has been fo much oV i6 nied, or that is fo humiliating. It dire&ly mil- itates againft our natural pride, and thofe high notions of our dignity, of which we are fo apt to boaft. — A patient and candid hearing is therefore requefted. — —There can be but two notions of our ftate before renewed by faving grace : one is that we have no really holy princi- ple of fpiritual life, in any degree, however fmall ; and the other that we have. All the various ideas and ways of reprefenting our condition be- fore regeneration, which have been adopted by different writers or feds, are refolvable into one, or the other of thefe. And, that the fcripture is moft clear and abundant, in the proof, that we are altogether deftitute, as we are by nature, of the true principles of holinefs or of fpiritual life, no one who impartially weighs what it offers, can, it is conceived, call in queflion. No words are more full than thefe, aliens from the common- wealth of Ifrael^Jlr angers from the covenants of promife, having no hope and without God in the wsrld* The reafon why any reject altogether the Gof- pel, or reproach it as a mere ficlion, is becaufe they believe that the light of natural reafon or confcience is entirely adequate to the purpofes of difcovering our duty, in its full extent, and guiding us fafe to happinefs. — And the reafon, alfo, why others* who profefs to believe it, have fwerved fo far from its pure do&rines, is a di& belief of the loft condition of man, or his being wholly under the power and dominion of fin. — Though it be acknowledged, that the world of mankind cannot, by mere natural reafon and wifdom, attain to a true and faving knowledge *7 <&i God ; yet it may be very ufeful to enquire how far the light of nature can go. And, we readily allow, that the light of nature and common reafon may teach us fome things con- cerning the being of God. That he doth exift, the whole univerfe is a clear demonftration. Sun, moon and ftars declare that the hand which made them is divine. Every thing a- tound us, and above us lead us to the Creator. The dawning and dying light equally proclaim the divine exiilence. Let a man but reafon on the nature of caufe and effect, and he cannot withhold his arTent from this proportion, there doth exiif fome great intelligent caufe of all things, both in the natural and moral world. Indeed, after opening our eyes on the beauties of Creation, it is an infinitely greater abfurdity not to believe in the divine exiftence, than not to believe our own. In reafon' s ear, all nature from the higheft to the lowed, cries aloud that there is a God. Becaufe that which may be known of God, is manifeft in them for God hath jhewed it unto them* For the invi/ible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly feen9 being underflood by the things that are made^ even his eternal power and Godhead. — The Pfaimifl hath a mod lofty and fublime paifage to the fame effect : The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firm.vmnt Jheweth his handy work. Day unto day uitereth fpeech, and night unto night Jhew- eth knowledge* There is no fpeech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their light is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world* It feems impoffible for any, in the exercife of reafon, to deny the being of a God > and of courfe, none can have any valid C 1 8 excufe for refuting to admit this firft principle of all religion. The very frame of our bodies— the ftructure of the human mind — the curious and exquifite formation of every animal or in- fect cannot fail to convince us, that there doth exift an Almighty Creator. Every houfe is built by fo?ne man, but he that built all things is God, The worlds rolling on high — the wonderful rev- olution—the grandeur, — the diftance, — the fize of the heavenly bodies — the beautifully variega- ted canopy of heaven, which cannot but pleafe and aftonifh us, when we open our eyes to be- hold it, prove, beyond all contradiction, that there is a God. The light of reafon is fufficient to teach us, then, the divine exiftence. Accor- dingly we find that God never fent a meflenger to declare or reveal this to us ; or would have a miracle wrought to eftablifh it.—And there is none but the fool in his heart can fay there is no God. If any men claiming to be phiiofophers have been found to be fpeculative atheifls, it is owing to their having perverted reafon, by their fophiftical arguments, and metaphyfical reveries. If barbarous nations and tribes of men have been difcovered, in remote parts of the world, where it appeared that they had no idea, at all, of a fupreme being, it is to be afcribed not to the in- fufficiency of nature's light, but to their ftupid inattention to that light. 2. The light of reafon is fufficient to give all mankind fome knowledge of fome of the attri- butes of the divine nature. The heathen world may know from the things that are, the wifdom, power, and goodnefs of the Deity. If natural reafon can difcover the being of God, by its *9 ^vn refearehes, it can alfo, difcover fome of the attributes of his being ; fuch as his Almighty power, infinite wifdom and boundlefs goodnefs. The very idea of a divine exiftence implies, a glorious exiftence — a neceflary and eternal ex- iftence. It feems to be a clear dictate of reafon that if he exift at all, he mud exift, in fuch a manner, as no other being doth or can, by an abfolute neceftity of nature : that he mult be omniprefent— or every where, at one and the fame time : be excluded from, and confined to no fpace. Reafon teaches that he inhabits the infinitude of fpace. — If he be the firft caufe and Maker of all things, he muft be independent, alfufficient and unoontroulable ; he muft be in- finitely the greateft of all beings. Plato, a hea- then philofopher who has uttered more wife and juft fayings about the nature of the Supreme Being than any one of the antient fages, fpeak- ing of the divine omniprefence, or ubiquity of the Godhead, fays, he is, " a Circle whofe cen- tre is every where, and whofe circumference is no where." * That he muft be omnifcient, or poflefled of infinite knowledge, is a neceffary confequence of his omniprefence. — And reafon is likewife able to prove his Eternity. For if he made all things, he muft be before all, and above all, — that is, muft be eternal. Hence we find the greateft Lights in the pagan world, when they are fpeaking of their celeftial Divinities, ufe the epithets eternal — immortal — omnipotent. This is a full proof that reafon teaches man, if duly improved, that eternity, almighty power, and wifdom were fome of the perfections of God. And the incomprehenfibility of thefe attributes is no evidence that reafon does not difcover their* SO to be perfections of the divine exiflence.. Far exalted, indeed, above all finite comprehenfion is the felf-exiftenfc — necefiarily exilient — inde- pendent— all-fufiicient — omnipresent God. All nature is but a temple made by him, and filled with his prefence. Heaven is his throne, and the earth his footftool. His power is infinite.. Wherever we turn our eyes, we cannot help be- holding the difplays of it. The heavens declare its glory. All things, in Creation and Provi- dence, fpeak forth its greatnefs.-— Enough may be feen, in the occurrences of human life, to fatif- fy all men, even where the light of the Gofpel has never mined, that the Deity beart long with his creatures ; and that he rules, in his divine greatnefs and majefty, among the nations. They cannot, if they only exercife, in a proper man- ner their rational faculties, but know, that he is their preferver, and the benefactor of the world, who difpenfes his favors, with a liberal hand, to all men. Accordingly the Apoflle Paul, when the Priefts of Jupiter, at the City of Lyflra, would have done facrifice, or paid divine hon- ours to him and Barnabas, as divinities, fuppo- fing that the Gods were come down in the like- nefs of men, bid them defift, and told them who alone was the proper object of religious hom- age ; and, that, in the courfe of his Providence, he %ad given fumcient tokens of his preferving care and bounty : hying, Jirs. why do you thefe things ? we alfo are men of like paflions with you, and preach unto you that yejhould turn from thefe vanities unto the living God which made heaven, and earth, and the Sea, and all things that are therein. Who in times paHfuffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Neverthelefs he left not himfelf withmt a 21 tvitnefs, in that he did good \ and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful 'Jeofails -> filling our hearts with food and gladnefs. 3. The light of reafon, and confcience, which lad, all mankind have, and which, alfo, is effen- tial to moral agency and accountablenefs to God, farther teaches all men that worjhip and obedi- ence are due from the Creature to the Creator. Every rational creature, throughout ail worlds, is indilpenfibly bound by the very laws of his exiftence, to pay reverence and honour, worlkip and fear, gratitude and obedience to the author of the Univerfe. If reafon can only once dif- cover that there doth exiil an almighty, firft, intelligent Caufe of all things — and that he is porTefTed of fuch attributes as wifdom, goodnefs, omniprefence and omnifcience, its voice will call all men to pay divine honours to this great, eter- nal, almighty Being. It will inform us, that fuch perfections as inhere in his nature, neceiTa- rily claim from all men, homage and fubmiffion. Had we no divine revelation, or fuppofe God never gave one to man, at all, but had left him to the mere light of his own mind to find out the paths of duty and of felicity, we mould be indifpenfibly obliged to pay honor and homage to the ruler of the world. If we can prove that he made us, and is the Creator of all things, we can, alfo, prove that we ought to fear, reverence and worfhip him. That the Maker of the world, the Father of our fpirits and former of our bo- dies, deferves our grateful acknowledgements and devout adorations, is one of the mod obvi- ous dictates of reafon. Before we can deny this, we muft have perverted our reafon, or (hut 'out eyes upon a very plain truth. We can prove, from reafon, the obligation to pay divine hoiL- ours to God, as clearly as we can the duty of juftice between man and man — the offices of hu- manity-— and kindnefs — or any part of morality. And, by fimilar arguments. Our obligations to moral Virtue — to do juftly and and love mercy, to fpeak the truth and to relieve diftrefs, refult irom the relation we lland in, towards each oth- er. Man bears fuch a relation to man that he is bound to be juft, faithful, tender-hearted : — to mitigate the grief which he beholds, if in his power, and to advance the welfare of fociety. We are all brethren. We had our beings from one divine Author. We participate of the fame common nature. We are expofed to the fame calamities, and are Candidates for an endlefs exiftence, beyond the grave. We are, therefore, bound, by our very make and ftation, in the univerfe of the Almighty, to certain moral du^ ties to each other. Thele moral duties cannot be omitted or violated without high criminality. Our obligations to pay divine homage to God, in the fame manner, refult from the relations in which we, as rational Creatures, lland, towards him, the greateft and befl of all beings. He is our Creator — our Preferver— our Benefactor. He is the fovereign Lord, legiflator, all-wife dif- pofer, and proprietor of the world. The earth is the Lord's and the fulnefs thereof \ the world and they that dzueil therein. As he bears fuch rela- tions, reafon, by its own exertions, without any foreign affiftance, teaches all men to revere— to rruft in — and to pay "divine worfhip to him. To render unto God the things that belong to him^ is as much an exercife ef juftice, as to render un- to man the things that belong to him. A fyftem of morals which excludes the worfhip of the Dei- ety, or the duties which we owe him, is as eflen- tially defective and as repugnant to reafon, as if it excluded all the duties of the focial life, or which man owes to man. — Agreeably to this, we find all the pagan world, who admitted the being of a God, paying divine honours, of fome kind, to their fancied Divinities. Their mifta- king in the object of worfhip and the manner, does not weaken the force of the argument. It only proves the abfolute need of a divine Reve- lation to inftrud us, in the alone proper objed of all religious adoration and praife, the one living and true God, and the manner in which we may acceptably ferve him. Almoft all the writers of pagan antiquity, who have come down to us, and have not been buried in the rubifh of time, in fome part of their writings, either fpeak of, or recommend worfhip to their Gods — or the di- vinities acknowledged, in the refpeclive Coun- tries where they lived. This all know who have read them. I fhall mention but one particular inflance, and that is of a Prince famed for his greatnefs and amiable virtues ; Xenophon in- forms us, that what Cyrus the great preferred before all other things was the worfhip of the Gods. Upon this, therefore, he thought him- felf obliged to beftow his fir ft and principal care. He began by eftablifhing a number of Magi, to fing daily a morning fervice of praife to the hon- our of the Gods, and to offer Sacrifices, which was daily pra&ifed among the Perfians to Suc- ceeding ages. — That natural reafon, or the very nature of things, points out the obligations of divine honv 24 age, is plain from the appeal made by the fu - preme Being, in the following words ; a fori honour eth his father? and afervant his majier$ If then I be a Father? where is mine honour ? And if I be a M after? where is my fear ? faith the Lord of ho/Is. .-^- -The anxious enquiry of the awakened confcience is, wherewith jhall I come before the Lord? and bow my f elf before the high God ? Shalt I come before him with burnt offerings? with calves ofu year old ? Will the Lord be f leafed with thou- fands of rams? or with ten thoufands of rivers of oyl ? Shall I give my firft born for my trarfgrejf ion? the fruit of my body for the fin of my foul ? The folicitude is not whether the rational crea^ ture ought to worfhip andferve the Deity ; but how he is acceptably to worfhip and ferve him ; in what manner he will be worshipped. And, here, as will be foon proved, natural reafon fails us. It cannot teach us the way, in which we are to worfhip and ferve God* 4. The light of reafon and the confcience of mankind, moreover, give fome faint and glim- mering profpect: of a future flate. Confcience and reafon are different faculties and powers. Confcience is that moral reflecting power in the foul, that refpe&s right and wrong, good and evil ; or it is the moral fenfe ; or a fenfe of right and wrong. That all mankind have this fenfe, unlefs by along courfe of fmning and per- verfe reafoning, they have ftupified it, no one ever did deny, or difpute ; or can difpute, when he either infpects the operations of his own mind, or recollects that Chrift is reprefented as the true Light? that light eth every mail that comet h into the world. He, as Creator, has given to every man *5 the light of reafon and confclence ; otherwife man could not be a moral agent, or accountable creature, any more than the brutal world. And., that the heathen have this light of Confcience, the Apoftle to the Romans exprefsly declares. And when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, thefe having not the law*, are a law unto themfelves, which foew the works of the law written in their hearts, their Confclence alfo bearing wiinefs, and their thoughts mean while accufing or elfe excufing one another. All men have, and muflhave a Con* fcience ; a fenfe of right and wrong in moral things ; an accufer when they do evil, and an ex- cufer when they do well. — Ifthoudo well,jhalt thou not be accepted f Who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good ? Now this Con- fcience points out an hereafter to man. There is fome thing in the Soul that always looks for- ward to another flare of exiftence, and upward to a fuperior power, confcious of his avenging arm when we do evil, knowingly and habitually — feeling that all its exercifes and mofl fecret movements are open to an omnifcient eye* That there will be an hereafter, a world of re- tribution is the voice of nature. — • The light of reafon, or the knowledge, which we may attain by the exercife of our reafoning faculties, gives all men fome feeble and diftant glimmerings of another life, after this, where the good will be rewarded, and the wicked pun- ifhed. Man feems to wifh to exift longer, and ltill longer. He cheriihes the fond defire of immortality. He lhrinks back from the bare thought of annihilation. Not to be is an idea D 26 indefcribably painful- But, without a divine revelation, reafon only, as it were, carts a wifh- f ul glance over into another world. — It is mat- ter of fact, that the wifeft and bell among the learned Greeks and Romans rather hoped, than believed, that there will be a future Hate — Cice- ro, the prince of Roman Eloquence, who was at once an orator, a moraliil, a phiiofopher, and theologian, in one of his learned works, funis up all that the moft celebrated philofophers of his own time, and earlier days, had faid or writ- ten on the grand fubject of the immortality of the foul. He, in a lengthy dialogue, ingeniouf- ly exhibits all that the philofophers had faid for, or againft it* Andr he clofes all, with this re- markable faying, " that he rather hoped than be- lieved, that there was another ftate of being af- ter this.'>— -Reafon^. then, only conjectures about an Eternity. But the immortality of the foul is ueceifary to all religion. To talk of religion, if we be not to exift hereafter — if we be to fall in- to nothing at death, and mall fleep eternally in the grave, is the greatefl abfiardity.. — Reafon, then, leaves us much in die dark, on a point fo important, as that of a future ftate. "What fol- ly and madnefs, then, to prefer the boafted ora- cles of reafon to the clear light of divine revela- tion ! — We (land in perifhing need of a fafer guide, in our voyage through this tempeltuous Sea of life. And to refufe a perfect directory, the Chart of life, is like the mad feaman, who ftiould venture to traverfe the wide extended o- cean without a Compafs by which to fleer his courfe. While making our voyage through life, we do not fail on a pacific Ocean. We need all the help therefore we can procure. And hap- *7 py, if we may but reach the haven of eternal reft! 'In our enquiries on this fubjec~t, whether there be any principle in man, by whatever name it may be called, which is adequate to all the pur- pofes of his falvation, or a fufficient guide in matters of faith and practice, we will give all the credit to the reafon and confcience of man- kind, which can be given, confidently with fact, and the page of hiitory. The light of reafon can no further go, than I have conceded, it is apprehended. And, that it did no further go, in matters of religion, among the moil learned and civilized heathen nations, I appeal to all, who have ever read their hiftory. What the light of reafon is able to do, on moral subjects, will be ftated, in the progrefs of our argument* in its proper place. — We proceed — as was propofed — - XL To point out the insufficiency of reafon, in things of a moral and religious nature, in thole refpe&s, which are not only important, but ne- ceflary. — And, here, it will appear that man- kind, while without Chrijl, are without hope and without God in the world, withan evidence, I truft, convincing to every candid and honeft enquirer after truth and duty. — And., i. The light of nature and highefl wife of mankind, cannot attain to fuch a clear know- ledge of God as is necelTary to falvation. What God is, and who they are that have true * formity to, and communion with him, are q tionsof thegreateft importance in Religion. And, they are quellions which have been as little un- deritood, and perhaps as much unapprehended, 28 by mankind, in general, as aimoft any which have been difcufTed. Though, as St. Paul ob- ferves, the invifible things of God be clearly dif- played by, and to be underflood from the vifible Creation, fo that thofe are without excufe, who have not the knowledge of God from the light of nature alone, yet the heathen, after all their laborious refearches, have not obtained this knowledge. Upon a fair trial of human reafon, in matters of religion, under the greateft im- provements of natural and moral philofophy, the world by wifdom knew not God, So far from it, that the moft learned nations, and the greateft adepts in the fublime myfieries of divinity, in the pagan world, have been fo vain in their imagina- tions, as we are told, and their foolijh hearts were fo darkened, that they have represented and wor- shipped, the glorious incorruptible God, by ima- ges made like to corruptible man, and to the meaneft and moft defpicabie creatures, in the an- imal kingdom. They have attributed to what they worfhipped as God, all the weaknefTes and vices of fallen and depraved man— Pride — En- vy— Cruelty — Revenge — and, even, Intem- perance, and LEWDNESS. Not only among the heathen, but even in the moft enlightened parts of the chriitian world, there ever have been, and ftill are, in many, ve- ry grofs mifapprehenfions concerning the divine characlei, as well as concerning the nature of true religion. — How grofsly ignorant the moil enlightened of the heathen were with regard to God, and how much they were plunged into Strange and abfurd idolatries and pollutions, we read, in the following paifage of infpired truth. 29 Prof effing themfehes wife, they became fools, and chznged the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed beafls and creeping things. Not only the common people, the vulgar, but their wifed men — their orators, philofophers and legidators did this. — They were even worfe, than the vul- gar. Does this look like reafon's being a fuffi- cient guide in matters of religion, or man's ha- ving any principle within him by whatever name it may be called, which is able to lead him to the faving knowledge of God ? In order to know God, fo as to be faved, we mud know him as he is ; the one only living and true God. None but he himfelf can tell us what he is. This he hath mod plainly done in his holy word. The fcriptures, which were fpoken and penned by the fpecial influence and infpiration of the holy Ghoft, declare to us what and who God is. We only know him, in a faving manner, when we know him, as glorious in holinefs, won- derful in works, and fearful in praifes : — as the greated, the wifed and bed of all beings ; — as a fin-hating, and, at the fame time, fm-par- doning God ; — -as infinitely gracious and mer- ciful. We mud fee him as infinitely excellent and tranfeendantly glorious, as infinitely amiable and worthy of all poflible praife and adoration. He is goodnefs and benevolence itfelf. He is poifefTed of all natural and moral perfections. — And, Jefusfaid, why callefi thou me good ? there is none good, but one that is God, He is a being of impartial, univerfal and infinite benevolence. Reafon cannot tell us what the true moral char- acter of God is. — This revelation alone teaches lis. And we cannot be happy with, unlefs we 3^ know the true God — and how he will be wor- fhipped — how he can, and will accept of us — how we may live to his divine approbation. The light of reafon cannot lead us into this true and faving knowledge of God. It is above all that reafon ever did, or can do. Says Paul to the learned Athenian philophers and judges— for as I pa (fed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an Altar with this infcript'wn to the unknown God, him therefore whom ye ignorantly worjhip declare I unto you. Chrift, as the great teacher come from God, alone gives us the faving knowledge of the fupreme Jehovah. Whofoever den'uththefon, the fame hath not the father : All things, fays he, are delivered unto me of my father ; and no man knoweth the fen but the father, neither knoweth any man the father, five the f on, and he to whomfoever the f on will reveal him. The gof- pel or chriftianity alone gives us a faving know- ledge of the one only living and true God. — The divine character is to be known only from a di- vine revelation. If it could be difcovered with- out a divine revelation, or by the higheft efforts of reafon— how could a divine revelation be abfo- lutely neceflary ? — The elfential glories therefore, and perfections of the Deity cannot be difcovered by natural reafon : — thofe glories and perfections which make him what he is, or conllitute his in- finite moral amiablenefs and tranfeendant excel- lence, and worthinefs to receive from all intelli- gent creatures all the fer vices, which they are capable of rendering unto him. He is light, all beauty and glory, and in him is no darknefs at all. But the human mind is darkened by fin„ The depravity of the heart brings on blindnefs of mind to the fpiritual beauty and glory of the 31 divine character. — Having the 'under/landing dark- ened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, becaufe of the blind- nefs of their hearts. What abfurd and eflential- }y erroneous apprehenfions of the nature aad perfections of the God of Ifrael had the Syrians, in the following propofal of theirs I And thefer- vants of the king of Syria f aid unto him, their Gods9 are the Gods of the hills , therefore were they Jlro7igcr than we : but let us fight againfl them m the plain andfurely we J* hall be flronger than they* Thefe heathen knew as much about the true God, as heathen in general. They fuppofed the God of Ifrael was only a local and tutelary di- vinity, who had taken the people of Ifrael under his peculiar patronage. But the Jehovah of the Jews was altogether different from any of the Idol-gods of the Gentiles. — And he muff, by his own revelation, inform us of his real character and effential moral glories. 2. Our rational powers and confeience, un~. der the highefl cultivation, unaffifted by a' di- vine revelation, cannot inform us what kind of worfhip and obedience is to be paid to the true God. One of the difciples of Socrates, that great light of the pagan world, defired informa- tion from his Matter concerning fome difficulties attending prayer ; and above all, particular re- quells made to God, which have proved injuri- ous to the petitioners when granted* The phi- losopher owned himfelf utterly unable to fatis fr the difciple upon this head, and concludes with thefe remarkable words, " We mult continue in our ignorance, till it fhall pleafe God to fend a perfon into the world to give us full inform*- tion concerning our duty." The light of mere reafon, as proved in another part of this dif- courfe, teaches all men, over the whole face of the globe, provided they duly hearkened to it, and cultivated it, that they ought to honour and worfhip the divine Being. But it cannot tell what fort of homage he will accept, or how we are to worfhip him. He alone can fatisfy us, on this moft material point — a point of fupreme importance. He muft tell us, in what way, we are to pay divine honours to his glorious Majef- ty. He dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worfhipped by men's hands as though he needed anything from us. For he can nei- ther be inriched by our fervices, nor impoverifh- ed by the want of them. — With regard to the worfhip of the heathren, St. Paul has thefe re- markable words ; Becaufe that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their fooli/b heart was darkened. All their rites and forms of worfhip were abfurd, unworthy of the divine nature, and difgraceful to ours. It may be proper here, to mention fome flriking inftances of flrange and cruel methods of wor- ship, as a fpecimen of man's natural ignorance of the right way of honouring and ferving God. The Idol Baal, in fcripture mentioned fo often, was worfhipped by acts of cruelty, which the fot- tifh worfhippers inflicted upon themfelves. So defirous of eafe are mankind, and fo averfe to pain that we fhould rationally conclude, that no methods of tormenting themfelves could be in- troduced into their religious worfhip of their Idols. But the deluded Idolaters, inpaying their homage to Baal, cut and wounded their own 33 fiefh— gamed and mangled themfelves to pleafe their Idol And tlicy cried aloud \ and cut them- felvcs, after their MANNER, with knives and lancets till the blood gufljcd out upon them. — The Idol Moloch was worfb.ipped by acts of the dran- geft and mod unnatural cruelty. — Parents facri- ficed their children to this Idol ; and, it has been very common for parents to appeafe the anger of their fancied Gods, by facrificing their tender offspring. — How contrary to reafon — to nature ! The image of Moloch was made of brafs, in a hideous fhape, and het red hot ; and the devo- ted victim — the innocent child was brought by its own parents, and thrown naked into this burning brafs, and burnt to death, — and no re- gard paid to its piteous cries. The Carthageni- ans were wont, as we are told in hidory, to facri- flce their children, when public calamities vifited their flate, to placate the refentments of their gods. And, their cuflom was to felect, out of all, the faired and moll promifing — fuch as were bed beloved, and to offer them up in fa'crifice : to give up the fruit of the body for the fin of thefouL Many nations have, and do to this day, worfhip their Idols, by acts of extreme cruelty — by con- fuming themfelves in the fire. Modes of wor- fhip have been adopted, which are contrary to all the tender affections of human nature. And, no nation, people, or tribe ever yet could be found, in all the world, by voyages or travels, that ever had any rational or decent rites of wor- fhip, where the gofpel never fhined, whether in Europe, Afia, Africa or America. The mod civilized and learned heathen nations were as ab- furd — as extravagant — as ridiculous, in their E 34 idolatries, as the rude and favage. And it is confidently affirmed by fome modern travellers, that many tribes of men, in the interior parts of extenfive countries, have no word in their lan- guages, for either a God, or any worfhip. Whe- ther this be fo or not, we cannot abfolutely de- termine : — it refts upon the credibility of the reporters. What can, therefore, be more con- trary to fad, than to pretend that man has any principle in himfelf, which can be a fafe guide ia matters of Religion ? i$WWW§WWWWHWW«WWW^W ■- ^-- m5»* <-<*2>' < DISCOURSE II. That man has no principle within himfelf, by whatever name it may be called, which is ad- equate to all the purpofes of his falvation, or a fufficient guide in matters of faith and practice, EPHESIANS ii. 12. That at that time ye were without Chrijr, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Ifrael, and Ji rangers from the Covenants of promife, having no hope, and without God in the world, THE true character and Hate of mankind be- fore favingly interefled in the gofpel are not generally acknowledged, or believed, in the world, to this day. Many thoufand years have they had, to find out their own Hate and Char- acter in refpe& to their Maker and things of a moral and religious nature ; and they are now, as much as ever, divided in opinion, and are as far from an union of fentiment, on fo important, and one would imagine, plain a point. An im- partial infpe&ion into the human heart and ex- tenfive view of the hiftory of the world and mo- ral things, we fhould conceive, would bring them all to one and the fame conclufion, and to an exact uniformity of opinion concerning the Hate and character of mankind. Whether man be fallen or not, is now, in reality, the difpute. Such as reject with fcorn, all idea of a revealed Religion as an impoilibili- ty in its own nature, (and fome are abfurd enough to rejecl: it on this ground) affirm that the light of reafon is entirely fufficientfor all the purpofes of difcovering to us, the whole of our duty as rational creatures and to enfure infalli- bly our happinefs here and hereafter ; if there be an hereafter. Thefe fay that we are now juft as we always were : that man never fell or apof- tatized from his Maker : of courfe, that he is un- der no worfe circumftances, nor labours under any evils, under which he did not labour when he came forth from the hands of creative wif- dom, goodnefs, and power. And, therefore, that he has an Inward light fufficient for all the purpofes of his falvation- — a fufficient guide in all things of a moral and religious nature. The confequence is, that a divine revelation is wholly unneceffary. If wholly unnecelTary, we may be certain, that a wife and good Being, who perfectly knows all things, would not vouchfafe to give one. — For he does nothing in vain. — Others, who admit a divine Revelation, be- lieve that man is not fo fallen from God, but that he has a degree, though fmall, of real mo- ral goodnefs or holinefs, which being duly nour- ifhed and attended to, will iilue in life eternal. But the Apoftle, in the words now read, fays that all men are, before the Gofpel be preached unto and embraced by them, without hope and without God in the world* — And, what was in- .37 tended, in difcourfing upon thofe words, was to prove that mankind, merely, by their own rea- fon and wifdom, cannot attain to a laving know- ledge of God, or, in themfelves, are in a helplefs and hopelefs (late — Two things were propofed to be largely confidered, I. How far the light of reafon, unaffiited, can go in things of a religious and moral nature. — II. And, to point out its infufficiency, in thofc refpecls, which are not only very important, but altogether neceffary. The firft of thefe has already been difcuffed. — And we entered, in the preceeding difcourfe, upon the fecond — and illuftrated the infufficien- cy of the mere light of reafon — ill. In regard to the effential glories and excellencies of the di- vine nature and character — and 2nd. in regard to the right way of worshipping and ferving God. We now pafs — to obferve 3. The light of mere reafon, or confcience of mankind is wholly inefficient to difcover to us tyhefhvr Gddkmll accept of lis, at all;, and if he will, upon what, terms. It can tell us that he is the Maker of all things, the Preferver of all things, the governor of all things ; but can give us no inftruclion upon what terms he will receive us into his favour and friendfhip, or whether he will do it, at all. When we ponder deep on moral and religious fubjects, we cannot but be coa- fcious of many imperfections and Sins ? We fee! that there is a power on high whom we have of-^ fended. We dread his anger. When another world is ferioufly contemplated, we dare not ap- JL pear in it without fome firm hope. An invifibk God — an incenfed Judge is an alarming thought. The anxious enquiry is wherewith fhall we come before him — and bow ourfelves before a holy and pure God. Mere reafon cannot fatisfy the en- quiry. It knows not how we may come before him, or with what facrifices he will be pleafed. Being truly humbled and deeply grieved for our offences feems the moil natural way of hoping for pardon and acceptance. But, whether a ho- ly and righteous fovereign, on our repentance, can forgive us confiftently with his glories, or the fafety of his Univerfe, reafon cannot inform us. To cafl ourfelves upon his infinite clemen- cy is what reafon would advife. But, whether this would be fafe or not, is a grand uncertainty. Without a revelation, therefore, we do not know whether we may be pardoned — or if we may, how it may be confiitently done } or how we may be recovered from the evils, which all men feel, and of which the world is full. Reafon can fee the difeafe, under which all men labour, but can prefcribe no method of cure. All the wife men of the heathen world for thoufands of years together, have tiied to difcover a method of ef- cape from the evils, which all felt, and of which they juftly complained. But all in vain. — An Infinitely wife God gave human nature a fair tri- al— all advantages — and time long enough to fatisfy all reasonable men, how far it could go. Look round the world, at this day, and what fuccefs has boafted and almoft idolized reafon had in things of a moral and religious concern, among pagan nations ? — Look back on patt. ages, and where alas ! is the man — or the body of men that have found reafon a fufficient guide ? 39 £ven, in the countries bleflfed with the Gofpel, what delufion, what Error, what fuperftition ! — Without a divine Revelation all is darknefs, in a moral view : — -all is helplefs and hopelefs : — there is no pardon ; — there is no falvation. Rea- fon could never mow one fin forgiven or lead a ftep beyond the grave — or have any idea of {he refurrection of the body. AtL mankind are, therefore, in themfelves, without hope and without God in the world. Under all the preffures of adverfity, or difma! pains and calamities of life, feparate from reveal- ed Religion, there is no relief for them. All would be darknefs,--myftery — -and difpair. They could not conjecture for what the world was made — for what it is preferv* — why they were made rational creatures — What defign is aimed at, in the government of the world — or what the real and true character of the Maker of it is— or what will be the end of the whole. 4. The reafon and confeience of mankind do not clearly difcover a future flate, nor place before them rewards and motives fufficiently ifrong and powerful to induce them, amid the attractions, temptations and vanities of this world, to act with a wife reference to another. Conscience is God's monitor, reprover or counfellor within the foul. In many important cafes, it dictates what ought to be done, and what ought not to be done in regard to our beha- viour towards our fellow men, and towards our- felves as connected in fociety. It mows us plainly what moral ties, in a multitude of in* ftances, which cannot qow be enumerated, bind 40 us. When we do wrong, it punifnes us by fc- vere renionftrances and upbraidings. When we do well, it teftifies in our behalf, and adminifters rich confolation by felf-approving reflexions. It, confequently, ferves as a natural law to all men. It is the Deity's law written or imprint- ed on all minds. From its prefent fevere re- proofs for vicious, and pleafmg joys, for virtuous and upright conduct, we may gather, fairly, that there will be a future reckoning — a day of judg- ment— a world to come — a place to remunerate the juft, and to inflict punifhments on theincor- igible. At lead, we may conclude all this to be highly probable. Confcience, then, points us to a future ilate as a. probability. Accordingly the moft, though no^all of heathen nations and tribes have had fome faint andconfufed idea of. another life after death. Some wavering belief of it. They conjectured that there might be, or would be a future exiftence. The rational and fober livers among them hoped there would be another life. But no nation, not favoured with revealed light, ever entertained any tolerably confident or rational notions about it, either of the rewards to be conferred upon the good, or the evils to be endured by the wicked. — With their Poets and Orators all was fable and fiction. They defcnbed, with much ornament of lan- guage, their Elysian fields — and reprefented, in a terrifying manner, their furies. — .Few, indeed, if any, had a juft idea that one holy, righteous and good Being made and prefi- ded oyer the whole u.niverfe. Some have doubt-, cd whether ever one of the heathen philofophers really believed, unlefs he had Teen the Old or 41 New Teftament, the unity of the Godhead. So- crates is reprefented by fome as dying a Martyr to this belief — but, in his lafl moments, he or- dered facrifice to be offered to the idol-gods of his country — thereby giving his dying teftimo- ny to polytheifm. However this may be, it is certain to a demonftration that the heathen have univerfally been polytheifts or have admitted a plurality of Gods. They had their great and their houfhold or domeftic divinities — their ter- reftrial and celeftial divinities, more than thirty thoufand in all. Almofl every thing in nature, as well as the fun, moon and liars, was worfhip- ped — fuch as groves of trees, fountains of water, rivers, various plants and infecls. As concerning, therefore the eating ofthofe things that are offered in facrifice s to Idols, we know that an Idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called Gt/ds whe- ther in heaven or in earth fas there be Gods many and Lords many) but to us there is but one God the father of whom are all things and we by him. The right way to know what reafon can do, in things moral and religious, is to fee what it actually hath done, in pall ages, among themoft learned and polifhed nations. They had great men — learned men — philofophers — poets-ftatef- men — and orators : efpecially the Romans and Greeks. They were opulent, and had many fchools of wife men. Thefe cultivated fcience, and fpared no pains in their refearches, to dif- cover truth. They did all that reafon could do, when learning is moil liberally encouraged and happily flourilhes, as to a difcovery of a future F world — and what rewards await the virtuous., and what puniihinents will be the portion of the wicked. After all, their notions were ridiculous, childilh, felf-repugnant, and contradictory. It is true, thry had fome judicious, weighty, moral, fayings; for in this argument, I would allow them as much as can be allowed them^ confidently with fact. But no fyftem of hea- then morals propofed any thing, as motives drawn from another world of any force to in- duce people to ad with any due reference to it— or to prepare for a happy immortality. Reafon, confequently, doth not, properly fpeaking, look into another world. It merely conjectures about it. — The Gofpel, or a divine revelation only ful- ly difclofes an Eternity to man. — It lays before him Immortality : an Immortality of blerTednefs, when life is no more, if it have been improved in a pious and virtuous manner.*-— It denounces on the wicked everlafting mifery. But is now 'made manifefi by the appearing of our Saviour Je- fus drift* who hath abol/Jhed death, and hath brought life and immortality to fight through the Go/pel. We can now look through all the waftes and glooms of death and the grave to a refurreetion of the body— to a judgment-feat — to an endlefs exiftence after death — to eter- nal rewards for the pious— and everlafting woe to the defpifers of God and Virtue. By the Gof- pel, therefore, we have hope, pleafmg enraptur- ing hope — we have light, like the glorious lu- minary of the iky in his meridian altitude — we have life, fpiritual and divine— we have the fa- ving knowledge of God— we have a fulnefs of fe- licity opened before us, and promifed to us, up- on our repentance, faith, and new obedience. 43 5* Reafon and conference arc unable to renew and change our hard hearts, or to give us a true and real fight of the excellency of fpiritual and divine things. To fubdue the obduracy of the heart, to flay the enmity there is in us againft *he law, character, and perfections of God, is be- yond all that reafon and confidence can effect. The powers of reafon can tell us of our dark, blinded corrupt ftate. Men of fcience and 'lib- eral enquiry, in ail ages, and among all people, have feen, confefled, and bewailed the imper- fections and frailties, the infirmities and excee- ding depravation of human nature ; like a mag- nificent pile of buildings in ruin--or a fertile and luxuriant foil overrun with noxious plants. It was impoffible for candid and inquifitive men among heathen tribes not to have difcovered the perverfenefs and vices of human nature, in gen- eral, they are fo plain ; though they called fome things Virtues which were not — and fome things Vices which were not. But reafon never could fuggeft, or give a hint of any plan of refloration to a right temper or a holy and innocent condi- tion. There is nothing — no principle in man- no light— or quality that can fanctify, purify--, and regenerate the foul. But an inward reno- vation is abfolutely neceffaryto moral happinefs, to become like Gcd, to be either conformed to his perfections, or fitted to enjoy his prefence in heaven. The wifeit and belt heathen confefled it was not in man to heal the moral diforders of his nature, or to rectify the temper, fo great was its obliquity ; and affirmed that a fuperior pow- er was needed to effect this, and to make us meet to enjoy forever the favour and friendfhip of the Creator of the Univerle. They felt that a rev1 44 lationwas neccffary to lend and direct men how to live, fo as to be hereafter bleffed, and never once thought of difputing the polTibility of fuch a thing. And nothing, in that Revelation which we enjoy-, is plainer than the doctrine of efficacious grace, or more infifled upon than the need of a divine power to fandtify, purify, and change our difordered and depraved nature. Divine influence is eiTentially requifite, to renew us and to implant within the foul the principle of holinefs. Becaufe the carnal mind is enmitfa- gainft God : for it is not fubjecl to the law of God, neither indeed can be. —But the natural ma.i re- ceiveth not the thi?igs ofthefpirit of God : for they are foolifhnefs unto him; neither can he know them for they are fpiritually difcerned. — No man can come unto me, except the father, which hath feiit me, draw him ; and I will raife him up at the laft day. — Not that we, are of ourf elves fufficient to think any thing as of ourfelves, but our fufficiency is of God. — Paul may plant and Apollos water, but it is God that giveth the increafe. — lea they have thofen their own ways, and their foul delight* eth in their abominations. Men do not chufe piety and virtue from any principle within themfelves. They chufe their own evil practices which lead to ruin. They ac- tually hate God and holinefs, truth and religion, or their conduct would not be fuch as we fee it is, when we carefully examine it. They are not willing fo be, and to do, as they ought. They will not, though urged by the weight of the moft powerful arguments and all the ardor of impor- tunity, live up to the light which they have ; or wifely and diligently improve the talents with which they are entrufted. They hide, like the AS flothful fervant, their talent in a napkin. They have no difpofition to improve it. They refera- ble the prodigal fon, in the parable, wafting their fubflance in riotous living. All men have a propenfity to wander from the truth. They do not, and never did, duly and faithfully, im- prove the light of reafon, or thole notices of God — of virtue — of the moral law which they had, or now have. All, of courfe, who fliali finally perifh, will be felf-condemned. They will never have it in their power to fay that then- Maker has been, either unjuft or hard with them ; or to reply as the flothful fervant did, Lord I knew thee that thou -art an hard man, reaping where thou haft not f own, and gathering where thou haft not ft rawed. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth ; lo ! there thou haft that is thine. In the fixth and laft place, reafon and con- fcience are inefficient to give us a full and com- plete fyftem of morality, or moral truths. Let the fyftem of morality taught and believed by the belt and wifeft of heathen nations, be can- didly examined and critically mfpe&ed, and it ■will appear a maimed and imperfect, a broken and defective fyftem. They had endlefs conten- tions about what they termed the chief good, that is, the real duty and happinefs of man. One of their moft eminent moralifts reckons up more than one hundred different and contradict- ory opinions on this fubject. Some placed it in felf-indulgence : fomein riches- — fome in infen- fibility— -and all in that which never can render us bleffed, and in which it can never be found. — ■ Had any one leifure, and could fummon up a 4J Sufficient : flock of patience to collecr. from all the heathen writers on moral fubjecls, their various and f elf -contradictory rules of moral living, we fhould fee how utterly unable mere reafon is to form a complete fyftem of moral virtue. It would be great injuftice to the fubjecl; be- fore us, not to remark here, that fome of the greateft moralifls amon^ the Greeksand Romans, had feen the writings of Mofes, or the New-Tef- tament, and had gleaned from them, a great pro- portion of the moral leffons which they deliver- ed. Many of them, which is indeed much to their honour, travelled into the famous coun* tries of Afia, where mankind werejirft planted by the adorable Creator, and where communi- cations from the Almighty were firft made to man, and they returned home to their own coun- tries, enriched with thfe learning of others. But with all thefe advantages none of them, Socra- tes, Plato, or Seneca, who were univerfally known to be moft renowned for moral fayings, formed any thing like a full and perfect fyftem. They leave out many important virtues. They admit many odious and horrible vices ; fuch as felf-murder, cruelty, inceft, and revenge Aim they place all the virtues on a' wrong founda- tion, and perfuade to the practice of them from improper and weak, or iinifter and wicked mo- tives. Even the celebrated Cato, who gave forth many moral maxims— -who was called honeft, juft, inflexible in integrity— -who was faid by his cotemporaries to be poilefied of a ilern virtue, put an end to his own life, becaufe he could not bear to be a witnefs of the corruption and degen- eracy of the age, in which he lived Few crimes 47 perpetrated by man can be more heinous than ielf-murder. There is fomething terrifying in the extreme to think of umering ourfclves, un- called, unbidden into the prefcnce of the Deity and into the invifible world. Many nations now in the world where theGofpel was never known or chrif- tian doctrines propagated, have no ideaat all of the Creator of the univerfe, or immortality of the foul, or pious duties, or fear of, or love to God. — The heathen tribes of this Land, as thofe tell us who have had the bed opportunities of information, where no European has difleminated any feeds of religious belief, have no idea who made them — or who made the world-— or of duty to God. In the interior parts of Africa, a late traveller there, afferts, that various tribes, vifited by him, as far as he could learn, had no idea at all of a- ny God or religion, or even words to exprefs a- ny worfhip to be paid to any power above them. But admit this to be a miftake, ftill truth com- pels us to believe them extremely ignorant on moral and religious fubjecls. They have however as bright faculties and powers of mind as the na- tions who have the Goipel. The immenfe differ- ence is to be afcribed principally to that very Chriftianity, which is, alas ! fo much neglected by us. — If we would know what light there is in man — what light all men have~or what help all need, we mud fee what nations, which never enjoyed any divine Revelation, have known — done— and be- lieved as to God, Piety, and Morality. Super- ficial reafoners, men who indeed pretend to rea- fon and philofophy— and reject the GofpeL 4» tell us of the fufficiency of nature's light — of rea- fon and confcience — or any other principle, lofe, and bewilder themfelves by not fairly looking into the hiftory of the heathen nations and their moral writings*, and feeing what their ideas, notions, and improvements have been, and frill are. Their hiftory, in truth, is but one continued narrative of ignorance— idolatry— vices — unnat- ural lufts— wars— bloodmed— barbarity-and mif- ery ; and their moral writings, fo far as they have reached our times, contain no jufl or full fyftemof morality at all. If a man were to conform himfelfto the whole of their rules of moral living, and underflood them all, his life would be a fcene of inconfiftence and error, vice and folly j and his end felf-murder. Our modern fcepticks, it muft be carefully remembered, colled all their ideas of morality and of God, if any jufl ones they have, and fo far as any of their ideas be juft, from that very Religion which they reject. They are, therefore, like a wayward and perverle Child that difowns its parent, merely becaufe he wifhes him to be good and happy — to be and do right ; and takes the indifpenfibly neceffary meafures for this purpofe. — And if, among the haters of Religion, any be found at this day who have adopted the Atheifts Creed, under the fplendid name ofphilofophy — it is a mod {hi- king proof of what is the fubjecl: of this dif- courfe. — Upon the whole, we may come to this conclufion, that all the conduct of man, fince the day he was expelled from the earthly para- dife for his Apoftacy, proves clearly, even to a demonftration, that there is no light in him, or guide to duty and happinefs, which may be de- pended upon — or which is fafe for him to truft 49 to— *or fuflicient to lead him to God and gjlu- ry. Without Chrift and the Gofpel, all is dark- nefs — confufion, and defpair. There is no hope, no help, no falvation, no true fyftem even of morality, if we deny a Saviour and his Gofpel. See what the pagan world is from the holy Apof- tle Paul. He will tell you the truth. He will not deceive you by mifreprefentation. — But ho\tf can I read ! How can you hear without confu- fion !— I fhudder at their awful and horrible vi- ces, and utter depravation of heart, and morals. Prof effing themf elves wife, they became fools* And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds , andforefootedbeafls, and creeping things. Where- fore God alfo gave them up to uncle ah nef, through the lujls of their oil n hearts, to di/honour tin ir own) bodies with them [elves. \/\ ho changed the truth cf God into a lie, and worj tipped and ferved the creature more than the Creator, who is bleffidfor* ever, amen* For this cauje God gave them up to vile afftclions : for even their women did change the natural uf into that which is again/1 nature. And I ike wife alfo the men, leaving the natural ufe of the woman, burned in their lulls one towards another, men with men, working that which is un~ feemly, and receiving in them/elves that recompence of their error which was meet, and evtn as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them ever to a reprobate mind, to do thofe things which are not convenient— being filed with all unrighteoufnefs, fornication, wiekednefs, covet' §ufnef, nialicioufnefs , full of envy y murder, debate^ deceit*, malignity, whifperers, backbiters, haters of God,, defpitefuli proud, boqftersj inventors of evil G 5° things, dif obedient to parents, without under/lan- ding, covenant breakers, without natural ajftclion, implacable, unmerciful, — Here is a true account of the polifhed heathen of the antient Roman Empire: of their philofophers as well as of the vulgar. More ignorant and Savage nations and tribes are, if poflible, flill more vile. — What, then, is human nature ? What is man's true (late or character before renewed by divine grace I — What ! is he as holy and innocent as Ad- am was when he was firft formed ? Is he, in his mind, fair and unfpotted, as a clean meet of pa- per ■? — Has he a light in himfelf fufficient to all the ends of fpiritual life on earth, and eternal life in heaven ! See what mankind are without the Gofpel, — Aliens from the commonwealth of If- rael fir angers to the covenants of premifey having no hope, and without God in the world. I think it proper, here, to fubjoin a few paf- fages of Scripture, out of many, which declare that mankind are corrupted and depraved — or that they have no principle within them, fuffi- cient to enable them to attain to eternal life with- out the powerful operations of divine grace. — How full to this purpofe are thofe words Gen. 6. 5. And God J aw that the wickedncfs of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is evil from his youth. — The Pfalmift David fully teftifies what man is when he puts himfelf forward as an example. Who can under/land his -errors ? cleanfe thou me from fecret faults. — Behold I was Jbapen in iniquU ty, and in fin did my Mother conceive me.— The prophet Jeremiah fpeaks of man's depraved ftate in very ftrong terms. — The heart is deceitful a~ 5i hove all things, and defperately wicked, who can know it ? It follows, / the Lord fearch the heart, to give to every man according to his works. If the heart be deceitful above all things, and def perately wicked, is it, at the fame time poffefled of any degree of a holy principle — or has it any. light to guide it to heaven, or to be a fufficient directory in matters of faith and practice ? — How the Apoflle Paul viewed man as he is in himfelf, appears from the long quotation above made from him, and alfo from the following words— What then are we better than they ? no, in no wife, for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin. As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one, — And again, Now we know that what things foever the law faith : it faith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be flopped \ and all the world may be- come guilty before God— for all have finned and come ihort of the glory of God. The fame infpi- red teacher leads the mind to the fource of all, the fin of the firft man, who flood as a public head for all his pofterity. Wherefore as by one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin : and fo death pa fed upon all men, for that all have finned. — Again, you hath he quickened, who were dead in trefpajfes and fins. — Our blefled Lord himfelf fays, he came tofeek and fave that which was loft. If we be not loft we need no Saviour, or atonement, or help. — It appears, then, with an evidence exceedingly ftrong, that all have finned and come ihort of the glory God — and that man, in a natural flate, is wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked. He has no principle in himfelf, by whatever name it may be called, which can, being duly exercifed, ;5* form him for the feivke pf God oft earth, or his immediate prefenee in heaven. What remains is to add a few reflexions by way of improvement. I. And what hath been faid teacheth us the importance of realizing the mifery and ruin of the condition of all men, as they are born into the world. A want of a belief, or due fenfe of this, leads to a denial of the Gofpel — to a rer je&ion of the propitiatory facrifice of the Re- deemer-r-to almoir. every herefy and error. Men cannot bear to admit fo mortifying a truth as that of their ruined and fallen, guilty and miferable Hate. Pride rifes up, and repudiates the unpleafing doctrine. Qn$ fays we are not depraved ; another affirms which indeed is the fame thing, that we have a light of our own adequate to all the purpofes of our falvation: — a third contends that there is a portion of real fa- ving grace in every human heart. All thefe, in effect, difown tlie fcripture do&rine of the text, the utterly ruined and perifhing condition of man in himfelf. The truth endeavoured to be eflablifhed in the above difcourfes, is that the light of reafon or high eft wifdom of mankind is inefficient to teach us the true and faving knowledge of God. It is of the utmoft moment to realize this. The world, by wifdom knew not Qod. — Where t/iere is no mficn the people pcrijh : but he -For unto whomfoever much is given, of himjhall muck be required. G *• r *« j: #* x »• r ** ♦ » : ** v ** (, »* •:< * * DISCOURSE III. The ways in which the holy Scriptures are per- verted by unlearned and unliable men. 2 PETER, III. 1 6. 17. ^ alfo'in all his Epifiies, /peaking in them of thefe things , in which are fome things hard to be un- derJiood,whichthey that are unlearned and unjla- ble wrcfl, as they do alfo the other fcriptures jinto their own de/lruclion. Ye therefore, beloved feeing ye know thefe things before, beware left ye -alfo being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own Jledfq/lncfs. THE holy fcriptures, though by divine grace able to make us wife unto falvation, are almoft wholly difufed by multitudes, who never- thelefs would wifh to be thought friends to the re- ligion and morals which are taughtin them. They even lie by, in many houfes covered with duft, as if of no confequence in the direction of human life, and unworthy of a careful attention or fe- rious perufal. Their purity, their beauty, their fublimity, which fome of the befl&and greatefl characters that ever adorned human nature, have not only admired, but extolled, are overlooked, either through a want of difcernment to .acknow- 6<3 ledge, or of tafle to relifli their merit. — Soma: read them only from cuftom or for amufe- merit.— -Others read them merely to cavil at, reproach, and pervert them. Others, again,, fearch them, not to be guided by the light which they fhall exhibit, but to fupport or confirm the opinions, which they have previoufly imbibed, and are refolved not to relinquish. Hence not only different, but contradictory principles arq pretended to be drawn from them. Lire all other things of importance and worth, they are liable to be abufed and mifapplied. It. is however no valid, nor, indeed, plaufible ob- jection againfl their divinity, or ufefulnefs, that they are capable of being mifconftrued and mif- underftood. If it pleafe the majefty of heaven and earth to fpeak to man, at ali concerning his duty and happinefs as a moral agent, he mud fpeak to him in man's language, But all hu- man language is imperfect, capable of being per- verted and wrongly conftrued— of courfe," the holy fcriptures are fo. In truth, every thing done by man is imperfect. He Jives in an im- perfect world. His language, when moft refin- ed, is imperfect.-— It would therefore, befpeak a high degree of folly and iiiconfidcration either to difeiieem, or to think meanly of the holy fcriptures, becaufe they have been mifimproved and profaned. And, it is equally difgraceful to reafon and repugnant to philofophy to look up- on them as fabulous, or to imagine that no cer- tain and fixed fyftem of doctrines is contained in them, merely becaufe different fects of Chriftians have underilood them differently, and drawn from them, not only different, but contradicto- ry, tenets. 6t The ferious mind will moil fincerely regret, what cannot but be acknowledged, that they have been fo often and fo grofsly perverted. The candid and honeft will not be prejudiced againft them, or neglect, molt diligently to at- tend to them, though they have been fo much mifapplied and mifunderftood. To guard, therefore, againfl the danger and commonnefs of wrefting and perverting the word of God to our deftru&ion is a fubjecl highly important and interefting in itfelf ; at all times proper ; but at this day, it is apprehended, to be peculiarly feafonable. It is a mbject feldom difcuffed, but if properly managed may be emi- nently ufeful to all chriftian families and indivi- duals. It may be made very fubfervient to ad- vance the caufe of rational religion, and to pre- vent the mind from what is vifionary and fanci* ful in matters of infinite concern. The time and attention of the hearer will con- sequently be well employed, if his mind may be deeply impreffed with the importance of rightly underftanding the fcriptures and with the great- nef s of the danger of wrefting them to his own diftruclion, as is often done by unlearned and unliable men : and the pains and anxiety of the fpeaker will be amply rewarded, if he may but bring any affi (lance to, or fugged what may prevent any one, if it be, even, but one, from wrefting them to his own deftruclion. For the falvation of one foul is of more worth than the material world, and the lofs of one, or his final deftru&ion is greater than words can defcribe. For what Jh all it profit a man if he fkould gain the whole world and lofe his own foul ? Or what floall a man give in exchange for his foul.--** 02 These confideratlons have induced trie f© make choice of the paffage now read, as the fub- £€& of difcourfe at this time. It contains the danger and commonnefs of the fin of perverting and abufmg the fcripture to our deftruction. It (lands connected with the foregoing verfes in this manner. St. Peter had been defcribing, with great force and folemn grandeur, the end of the world- — the diffolution of the fyftem oi creation— and the coming of the fon of man to judge the Univerfe. He fpeaks of the heavens palling away with a great noife — the Elements melting with fervent heat- — the Earth and all its works being confumed in one univerfal con- flagration-— the day of judgment-— the perdition of ungodly men — the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteoumefs — the per- fection of felicity for the pious and virtuous. In the text he informs us, that St. Paul, his brother in the kingdom and patience of Chrift, had, in all his holy Epiflles to the Churches, fpoktn of thefe grand and folemn fubje&s ; and that fome things contained in his Epiftles were difficult to te underflood— -that is, required attention and