SECTION UI. 293 ,salvation to sinful and fallen man. What further force is added to this objection by the instances of Job, Jethro, Melchisedec; Cornelius, &c. I shall endeavour to answer in the following propositions, and herein, declare my sentiments with freedom, " Iiocv far any of the heathens may hope for salvation, and how littlehope the is for a modern deist enjoying the full light of phristianity." Proposition I. Since mankind have broken the laws of their Maker, and are become sinful creatures, and guilty before God, they have cutthemselves offfrom all hope of obtaining his favour and final happiness; by the law of innocency. There it none iigisteons, no, not one: They are all fallen short of glory and immortality : Their own consciences, upon a just enquiry, must lay them under condemnation, Every mouth is stopped, and all the world is become guilty before God ; Rom. iii. 19. IL The light of nature which informed innocent man, that lie must obey God in all things, may reach so far, as to inform sinful man, that he must repent of his transgressions, that he must endeavour after new obedience, with a persevering con- stancy ; and it may direct him' to apply himself, to seek forgive- ness and acceptance with God, by humble and fervent prayer : But this light of nature cannot teach him to make atonement for sin, nor could ever assure any man, that his repentance shall be accepted so far as to obtain forgiveness*. The utmost stretch of the light of nature, is well described in tho practice and hope of the Ninevites, in the book of Jonah, chapter iii. verses 8, 9. Let man neither eat nor drink, but becovered with sackcloth; that is Let him abstain from his usual refreshments and pleasures, and crymightily unto God : Yea, let them turn every onefrom his evil way : Who can tell, ifGod will turn and repent, and tuns away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? The hope of the light of nature, even in a repenting sinner, can reach no farther than, a who can tell, whether God will accept it l III. Since the light of nature and reason, could not inform a guilty creature, what is necessary and sufficient toatone for sin, orappease the just anger and resentment of God against it, nor assure him, that an offended God would ever be reconciled to him, notwithstanding his repentance, it pleased God in his infi- nite mercy, to make a revelation or discovery of pardoning grace toour first parents, inand by some glorious Mediator or Saviour, and to tell them that this Saviour shall be born of the woman, that he'should destroy the worksof the'devil, and relieve mankind from the curse and misery, in which the temptation of Satan, and their own guilt had involved them. This is the sense of the aw See the '" Insuficiency of Natural Religion," proved at large, in Mr. Thomas Halyburton's Excellent Treatise on the Subject, in quarto, and. Mr. NathanielTaylor's r' Preservative against Deism," first and second part, octavo. T 3
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