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tained to the same knowledge in morals, as Socrates, Plato and Seneca.

Again. Some object against the credibility of the gospel, the mysterious doctrines, which it contains: "For surely," they say, " if God gives men a revelation, he will give them one which they can understand."

This is doubtless true. And such an one he has given us. But still it must be supposed, that a rev. elation from God relating to the invisible and eternal world, and to our preparation for an entrance into it, will contain some things, which, though intelligible as far as our practice is concerned, may yet be mysterious and incomprehensible in many unessential circumstances: For, indeed, almost every thing which we see, is so. Even the religion of nature contains as great and inscrutable mysteries, as the religion of the gospel. The eternity, selfexistence, omnipresence and foreknowledge of God are as inexplicable, as the doctrine of the Trinity. The connexion of body and mind in man is as mysterious, as the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. The influence of providence in supporting our frame, directing our motions and overruling our actions is as unsearchable, as the influence of the spirit in forming us to the temper, and assisting us to the duties of religion. The creation of the world and of the first man out of nothing is as inconceivable to our reason, as the resurrection of the dead after their bodies are mingled with dust. If then we reject the gospel, because we find in it doctrines, which we cannot comprehend, we shall not long retain natural religion, whose doctrines are quite as incomprehensible.

Every man who pretends to believe any thing about religion, must believe the eternity, omnipresence, foreknowledge and universal providence of

God; the existence and immortality of a rational mind united to this mortal body; the creation of man by the immediate power of God; and our continual dependence on him for life and breath, and for all our abilities and pleasures. Without a belief of these grand truths, there is no foundation for religion. But if every thing mysterious is, for that rea son, incredible, these must be discarded with the mysteries of the gospel. The infidel who cavils at the latter will not long spare the former.

Again. The man who renounces the gospel on account of its awful threatenings, will of course explode all religion. For if there is a future state of rewards and punishments, which religion, in its very nature, supposes; then, on any scheme of religion, the sinner is justly exposed to punishment; and the infidel, by discarding the gospel, does not get rid of his guilt and danger; he only throws away his remedy and his hope.

The religion of nature teaches us, that God is a holy and righteous Being, who loves virtue and hates wickedness: It leads us therefore to expect, that he will punish the latter as well as reward the former. As exact justice is not administered in this world, it is very credible, that we are to exist in another world, where such a distribution of rewards and punishments will be made, as justice requires. The Apostle says, "The Gentiles, who have not the law, are a law to themselves; they shew the work of the law written on their hearts; their consciences excuse or accuse them, as they do good or evil; they know the judgment of God, that they who do evil are worthy of death." Thus far the religion of nature may go. But "all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God." What then shall they do ? Reason teaches them their danger, but points out no security. Repentance is a duty; but will it be a rem

edy? If it prevent future transgression, will it also wipe off past guilt? Can it claim exemption from punishment already incurred, and demand a reward already forfeited by disobedience ? Certainly it cannot. It is only the revelation of God, which assures us, that "whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall find mercy" that this mercy is exercised toward men through the death of a mediator-that the grace of God is ready to the assistance of those who seek it. The man, therefore, who, offended at the threatenings of the gospel, casts it away, casts away with it all its promises as well as threatenings; all. its comforts as well as terrors. Its promises and comforts he can find no where else: Its threatenings and terrors he still will find in the law of reason and in the sense of conscience. And he will never rest, till he has suppressed and smothered these. If he is become an enemy to the gospel, because it denounces wrath to the impenitent, though, at the same time, it sets a hope of pardon before all; surely he cannot be a friend to natural religion, which holds forth wrath without a promise of mercy, and points out danger without providing a remedy.

It may naturally be expected, that they who reject the gospel, will reject all religion; for as long as they believe and realize the obligations of morality, the government of a providence, and a state of retribution, they cannot pacify their consciences in a course of vice. To reconcile their minds to their iniquities, they must discard these principles of reason with the doctrines of the gospel.

We see, then, the justness of our Lord's observation, "He who hateth me, hateth my Father also." He who despises the gospel of Christ, whatever respect he may pretend, or feel for the religion of nature, will soon trample on this, as well as the other. He first becomes an enemy to God by wick.

ed works; and then to excuse his wicked works, he admits atheism in speculation. libertine, whose heart is fully set in him to do evil, "The fool," the "says in his heart, There is no God. He is corrupt, and does abominable works." He therefore wishes there were no God, and endeavors to persuade him. self, there is none; or none who regards the actions, or will punish the iniquities of men."Through the pride of his countenance he will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts. He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten; he hideth his face, he will never see;" nor recompence what is done on earth.

Some perhaps will say, "Though we disbelieve the gospel, we are not atheists: We believe there is a God, as much as you Christians do."

But let me ask you, What kind of God do you believe? You talk of a God as the creator and upholder of the natural world, because you know not how to account for the existence and continuance of nature without him. You make the same use of him, as you do of gravitation and attraction. You consider him as a kind of philosophical cause; for you think it more rational to say, There is a God who made and sustains the frame of nature, than to say, It had no cause, or created itself, or was eternal. Now if you stop here, you are atheists in a moral sense, as much as if you thought the world came into existence by chance. Do you believe that God is a moral governor-that he exercises a particular providence-that he inspects your heart and observes your conduct-that he will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, and will finally punish or reward you according to your character? You may then say, You believe there is a God. And if you thus believe in God, you will believe also in Christ. But if you deny your

accountableness-disbelieve all future punishment -discard the idea of a providence directing the affairs of the world, and overruling the actions of men, you cannot pretend, that you believe there is a God in any rational and moral sense. Your God is nothing more than a natural cause of events, and in his hands the universe is nothing better than a system of mechanism. And such a belief will have no more influence on your heart and conduct, than a belief that the tides are caused by the moon, that a thunder storm is produced by electrical fire, or that the material system is held together by attraction. In short, the denial of all future punishment is atheism in effect; for he that disbelieves this, feels no accountableness to God, fears nothing from him, is under no moral restraint, and is intitled to no man's confidence. This corruption of sentiment seems to have been one main cause of the unbelief of the Pharisees, when Christ came to them. Though they condemned the Gentile world to future punishment, yet they imagined all Jews, and be sure all who belonged to their sect would be saved. Hence they practised iniquity without restraint, and hated and persecuted the Savior, who reproved them for their sins, and urged them to repentance as the con dition of salvation.

Our subject warns us of the awful danger of despising the gospel. There is a great difference, in respect of guilt, between those who reject the gospel, and those who have never known it. The latter " have no sin;" they are not chargeable with the sin of unbelief. The former " have no cloak for their sin;" for the gospel has been laid before them with its evidences, and they have hated it, and cast it from them. Their sin lies not in an error of judgment, but in perverseness of heart, and there. fore admits of no excuse.

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