SECTION V. 313 superstitions ? How are they immersed in vice ? How abominable are many of their practices, and how profligate are their lives? How few of them have either thought or acted agreeably to the principles of reason, or to the dignity of human nature, or to the last revelation that was given to their fathers, that is, the religion of Noah ? What a dismal account does St. Paul give of them, who was the apostle of the Gentiles, and knew them well ! They were " filled with all unrighteausness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient toparents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affec- tion, implacable, unmerciful :" They " turn the truth of God into a lie, and his ;glory into the image of corruptible things, beasts and fishes, and worship the creature more than the Cre- ator ;" Rom. i. 23-30. They are enslaved to the devil, " the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the child- ren of disobedience, strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world, they have their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance and blindness of their heart, and give themselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness ;" Eph. ii. 17. iv. 18. I know I have cited several of these scriptures before, but I cannot help the repetition of them on this occasion. Several other such dismal and shameful accounts does the apostle give us of their state and practice. Travellers in modern ages, inform us of the same miserable cor- ruptions, and impious manners of the savages in the wilds of Africa and America : And perhaps we had been in the same state to this day, if the light of the gospel had never shone on the British Islands. It is true, there have been some few countries of the hea- then world, a little reformed and polishedby the light of nature, and by some commerce with the lands who have enjoyed revela- tion : But let it be remembered, that the greatett part of them have lost their traditional remains of the religion of Noah, andare over-run with brutish ignorance and impiety: Many of them worship the devil instead of the true God. Let it be observed also, that it is concerning the learned andpolite nations of Greece and Rome, that St. Paul brings in such a black catalogue of impious and abominable practices : It is the gospel that has re- fined the nations where it has been received, it is the gospel that has taken off the brutal character, and made them act likemen. What were the ancient inhabitants of Great Britain ? Their light of nature and reason lay buried under a heap of wild super- stitions. andbloody practices, before thegospel appeared among them : Nor is there any reason to think, that we should have been
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