332 RniN .ND'-RECOVERY, &e. Maker ; let us consider the best schemes of religion and morality 'that were ever given by the heathen philosophers, and Observe bow grossly defectivethey are, and how little they themselves or their disciples ever practised them. Again, let us think of the wisest and best of them, whose virtues made such a blaze in the heathen world, how universally they neglected the love of God, as the principle of their virtues, and theglory of God, as their end of them ; " for though they knew God by the light of ha- ture, they glorified him not -as God;" Rom. i. 21. And let us farther review the wretched character that the apostle Paul gives of -the Gentile world, -in Rom. i. Ephes. ii. Col. i. &c. into what abominable iniquities they were plunged, even whole tribes and nations of-men ; and if we then reflect . how well these accounts of St. Paul agree:with the'reports ofmodern travellers, I fear we shall find but exceeding few who can make any claim or pre- . tence-to.the future - rewarding-grace of their Creator. And per- haps, upon a view of these matters of fact, the surest thing that reason can determine is this, that when all shall stand before the judgment-seat of God, the better sort of heathens can arise no higher in their utmost claims or pretences, than to be treated with some lighter punishments ; and that the more impious and abom- inable wretches will be distinguished by more severe and dura- -ble inflictionsof misery ; for the very best cannot lay a just and sure-claim to any reward. I will not Clare to say this is the.ut- snost favour God will shew them, but this seems to be the utmost certain claim or pretence to favour, which, by the light of nature, they can justly makefor themselves. QUEST. XI.What does Scripture reveal to us concerning the Punishment due to Sin'? Or, what are we to un- derstand by that Death .which the Scripture tells us was threatened to Man, as the Penalty due to the first Of nce, or as it is inflicted on Mankind on the ziccount of Sin? It is evident'from the second chapter of, Genesis, and from many other places in scripture, that death is the penalty threa- tened for the sin of man ; Gen. ii. 17. In the day thou' eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Now under this term dying mentioned in the original law of innocency, many of our chris- tián writers lieve generally supposed every thing to be in eluded which has,been ever., since called death, in the 01(1 or New 'Testament; viz. natural death, or the death of the body ; spiritual death, or the loss of God'sfavour and imagein the soul ; and eternal-death, or torment bothof soul and body in another
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