40 THE KNOWLEDGE OE GOD. fora sure and satisfyinghope to rest upon. I proceed to make a few reflections on this discourse. Reflection I.--Since the rational knowledge of God and natural religion has its proper uses, and especially to lay a foun- dation for our receiving the gospel of Christ, let it not be des- pisedor abandoned by any of us. There may be some necessary occasions for our recourse to it in a day of temptation, whenour faith of the gospel may be tried andshaken. The gospel with all its glories is built upon it as a solid foundation ; and if these foundations be destroyed or despised, we may be terribly shaken and beat off from all our hope in some evil and unhappy hour. This gives us a rational ground for our faith in God, and it is necessary in order to our faith in Christ Jesus his Son. As St. Paul made glorious use of it in his discourse with the Athenian infidels, so we may be called by 'providence to converse with atheists and unbelievers, and we should be furnished with the same doctrines and principles of argument : for so far as they arejust and true, they are divine, since they proceed from God as the God of nature, who is the Author of our reasoning powers as well as of all the revelations of grace. II. Since this knowledge of God which is attainable by the light of nature has so many defects, let us never venture to rest in it. Dare not content yourselves with the lessons of the book of nature which are very imperfect and obscure in comparison of the discoveries of the book of grace. The sun in the firmament, with the moon and all the stars, can never give us that light to see God, which is derived from the Sun of Righteousness. What a deplorable thing is it that multitudes in our nation where the glory ofthe blessed gospel shines with such brightness, should be running back to the glimmering light of nature, and satisfy themselves with heathenism and philosophy ! That they should chuse to walk in twilight as the happiest and safest way, and refuse to be conducted by the blaze of noon, as though it were a deceitful and foolish light! What an affront against the authority and mercy of the God of, heaven to renounce his brightest blessings ! The God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them who believe not ; 2 Cor. iv. 4. and we have reason to fear he is leading them blindfold to eternal darkness. III. Since the nations which have only the light of na- ture, are forced to feel out their way to God through such dusky glimmerings, let us bless the Lord with all our souls, that we are born in Great Britain, a land ofclear light, where the gos- pel shines in its beauty and power, and surroundedwith various evidences; a land where the book of grace lies open before us, as well as the book of nature, to teach us the knowledge of God
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