278 A CAVEAT AGAINST INFIDELITY. gion so far as they knew it, nor glorify God so far as they were acquainted with him ; and they have been 'given up to " vain imaginations, their foolish heart has been darkened ; professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" instead of philoso- phers : 'l'hey became ridiculous idolaters, and worshipped birds and beasts, and creeping things, instead of God. The righteous " God gave them over toa reprobate mind, because they did not like to retain him in their knowledge ;" Rom. i. 18-27. There have been many Jews and heathens, who have had the gospel preached to them with sufficient evidence ; but when they had refused to receive it, the ministry of the gospel has been taken away from them, the apostles and preachers have been called off from such an unfruitful spot of ground, and have left that town, that country or nation in double darkness. See the History of the Gospel, and the Acts of the Apostles. Oar Saviour threat- ened this judgment to the unbelieving Jews, and it has been executed not only on them, but on the other sort of infidels besides. , Or if the means of knowledge have continued among them, yet theyhave been forsaken of God, and given up to blindness of mind. This also seems tohave been the punishment of mul- titudes of the Jewish nation. And St. Paul foretels the same terrible judgment upon some degenerate parts of the christian world. " Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lie ; that they all might he damned who be- lieved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness; 2 `rites. ii. 10. This has been evidentlyfulfilled in some members of the.anti-çhristian church. Now if this be the case, there is need of deep repentance for past insincerity and negligence : There is need of great hu- miliation of soul before an offendedGod, in order to make up the character of present sincerity : There is need of strong cries and prayers for pardoning grace for the time past, as well as for present light and assistance inall further enquiries after the truth. Thus I have gone through the several requisites of sincerity, which the great Judge of all may require and demand at the hands of every one who rejects the gospel under pretenceof its insufficient evidence. And I thinkupon the whole, it appears to be a very dangerous venture for those that renounce the religion of Christ, in our age and nation, to trust entirely to this pre- tence of sincerity in their enquiries; since 1 fear upon a strict examination, their pretences will be found very defective and in- sufficient. Question V. But if God insist upon such severe. terms in judging of our sincerity,-then uo christian can be saved any more than a deist or au unbeliever : For without sincerity in a true
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