S'; 14 NATURAL ItLIGIO?r, ÍTS USES ANb bEFECTS. tSERM. 1. or should have. had . for this knowledge `of Gdd, which . was attained by their own reason, suffered the gentile nations to walk in their own ways, as my text expresseth it; Acts xiv. 16. Wretched and perverse ways of ido-, latry and mad superstition, with regard to God, and falsehood, treachery, hatred, malice, envy, towards their fellow-creatures. See the iniquities numbered up in a large and detestable catalogue ; Rom. i. E3-32. The histories of the heathen world, confirm these dismal ac- counts given us by the sacred writers, and enforce the charge upon them with abundant proof. And ' it is no wonder at all, that this knowledge had so little influence on the generality, of mankind; when so few of them ever attained it, when it was so imperfect as to the discoveries of it, and so dim and feeble in its evidences. It came into their. heads a. little, but it reached not to their hearts: or if it did touch them, it was but feebly, and with very small authority, and was not enforced upon the conscience with " Thus saith the Lord." . A single sentence, with this preface, has vastly greater power on the hearts and consciences of men, than whole volumes of their dark uncertain reasonings. 4. This knowledge of God by the light of nature, " doth rather serve to spew men their sin and misery, than discover any effectual relief;" and in this respect, it comes infinitely short of what the revelation of the gospel of Christ has done. It lays them under guiltand a sentence of death in their own consciences; but it dis- covers not the, plain and certain way of salvation and life: The hope that it gives is but feeble, and there are . but few who could spell it out*. * This might be exemplified in several particulars. The light of na- ture of itself gives no assurance of forgiveness to the repenting sinner; for the repentance of men is no compensation to a holy God, to God as a Governor of the world, for their perpetual rebellions against his laws, and the daily dishonour done to his authority. Such knowledge as the Nine - viteshad, Jonah iii. 9. when they said, " Who can tell but the Lord may turn away from his fierce anger ?" is.but a feeble motive to repentanceand new obedience, in comparison of such a word from God himself ; as Ex. xxxiv. 6. " And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, the 'Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious; long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. Proa. xxviii. 13. " He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy." The light of nature discovers no effectual atonement for sin, nor relief to a guilty conscience, by .all tile costly sacrifices and blood of animals ; but
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