10 NATURAL RELIGION, ITS USES AND DEFECTS. [SER14I. I. 4. This natural knowledge of God, which is attain- able by the light of nature, serves to vindicate the con- duct of God, as a righteous governor in his severe dealings with obstinate and wilful sinners, both here and hereafter. This will leave themwithout excuse in the great day, when God shall judge the secrets of all hearts., Their own consciences will accuse them; and bear wit- ness against them. Rom. i. 20. 21. and ii. 15. " Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance on such sinners? God forbid ; for how then shall he judge the world ?" Rom. iii. 5, 6. As there have been many instances of a righ- teous providence in the present life whereby the. great God has already revealed his wrath from heaven against standing their sins, may evidently and justly excite in their hearts some hope of forgiving grace : and I think the wordsof anytext cannot intend less than this, that " God has not left them without witness, when he gave them rain from heaven, when he satisfied their appetites with food, and filled their hearts with gladness." What was it that these benefits of their Creator bore witness to ? Was it not that there was goodness and mercy to be found with him, if they would return to their duty, and abandon their own ways of idolatry and vice. Surely, it, can never be supposed, that the apostle 'here means no more than to say, that the daily instances of divine bounty in the common comforts of life, assured them, that God had some goodness in him, and blessings to bestow on their bodies; but ave themno hope of his acceptance of their souls, if they should return and repent ever so sincerely. The Ninevites themselves, when threat ened with destruction, " repented in sackcloth and ashes; for, said they, who can tell but God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not ?" Nor were they mistaken in their hope ; for ° God saw:their works, that they turned from their evil way, and he re: pented-of the evil that he had threatened ;" Jonah iii. 5 -10. And there is yet a more express text to this purpose, lion. ii, 1. CQ Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, arid forbearance, and long-suffering, not know- ing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? °' And if God leads us to repentance, by a sense of his goodness, surely hé gives hope that our repentance shall not be in vain: and though, perhaps, I could not affirm it withboldness, and certainty by mere light ofreason, yet r may venture to declare, upon the encouragement of these scriptures, that if there should be found any sinner in the heathen world, who shall be thus far wrought upon by a sense of the goodness of God, as to be led sincerely to repent of sin, and seek after mercy, God would find a way to make a. discovery of so much of the gospel, as was necessary for him to know, ra- ther than such a penitent sinner should be left under condemnation, or that a guilty creature should go on to eternal death in the way of repent- ance. Cornelius, the centurion, who feared God, who prayed to hint daily, and wrought righteousness, according to the light of his conscience, had both an angel and an apostle sent to him that he might receive more complete instruction in the i}tatters of his salvation. .4cts x, 1 -6 and frout,30, -35,
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