SECTION iii. 269 without faith in Christ, that is, where the gospel is preached with its clear proofs and evidences. And now as we have considered the way of salvation by faith, as it is described in the gospel, and seen the promises made to it, so let us also take a short review of the threatenings that stand bent and pointed against those who refuse this only way of salvation. John iii. 18. "He that believeth not on the Son of God is condemned already, because he hath not believed." Ver. 36. " lIe shall net see life, the wrathof God abided), on him.. Markxvi. 16. " He that believeth not shall be damned." i John v. 10; 12. " He that believeth on the Son of God, bath the wit- ness in himself He bath eternal life begun in him "but he that bathnot the Son hath not life." 2 Thess. i. 7, 8, 9. " They who obey not the gospel, shall be punished with everlasting de- struction, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire. Now surely he is a bold man that will dare venturehis final and eternal state of happiness or misery, upon his own pretences to mere sincerity in the prac- tices of any other religion whatsoever, in opposition to such aw- ful expressionsof the gospel of Christ, and especially in suchan age andnation of light and knowledge, where the gospel appears with so much divine evidence about it. II. If the heathen or infidel nations, with all their sincerity, are described in the NewTestamentas having no hope of eternal life, even where the gospel hadnotbeen published, surely much less ground is there for hope, where the gospel is known and refused. Consider a little what sort of descriptions the Spirit of God gives of the heathen world, because they were without a divine revelation, and without the.gospel, either in a patriarchal or .Jewish, or in a christian form ; Eph. ii. ],2, " They were with- out Christ, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Eph. iv. 8. Alienated from the life ofGod through the ignorance that is in them." Col. i. 21. " Alienated from God, and enemies in their minds by wicked works," &c. Read the dismal corruption and wretched state ofthe heathen world more at large ; Rom. i. 29-31. Eph. ii. 1 -3. Now if the heathen nationsare said to beutter strangers toGod, to be without God, and to be without hope, becausethey are without any gospel, without Christ, and without the promises, these things havenot been revealed or conveyed to them, much more shall per- sons who live ina land ofgospel light, be pronounced to be without God and without hope, if they refuse to believe in Jesus Christ, who has been revealed to them, andwhom' they have been taught to knowfrom their very cradles. What hope can they have, who shut their eyes against the light that shines so gloriously round about them : Whatsoever mollifying sense may be put upon some severe expressions of scripture, in favour of the heathens, who
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