morals, or in licentiousness of opinion. But if there are exceptions, they are few, and these only for a time.

The opposers of revelation, in the present day, if we can learn their sentiments from their writings, are generally Atheists. Though they sometimes speak of a God, yet they appear not to revere him as a moral governor, who will finally judge his rational creatures according to their characters. They oppose revealed religion, not because there is another, which they like better, as being more rational, and pure and better founded; but because they like none: They hate all in every form. They, perhaps, might have been Deists once; but they did not long remain such. Deism leads on directly to Atheism. They who run into the former, seldom stop short of the latter. Some may choose to reject the name, when they embrace the thing. there are those who have not much delicacy about the name. Infidelity used to have some modesty ; but now it has very much thrown off disguise.That which once called itself deism, has now the audacity to avow itself to be atheism.

But

2. It is an observation of the Apostle, "Evil men and seducers wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." One degree of error, as well as of vice, leads to another. When men begin to depart from the truth, they can no more prescribe bounds to their wandering, than when they depart from virtue, they can set limits to their corruption. The traveller, who, being disgusted with small inconveniences in his plain and beaten path, strikes off at a venture in expectation of an easier or straiter course, is soon disappointed. He meets with obstructions, which he did not foresee, and he must turn to avoid them. Still new difficulties occur and again he must change his course, until perplexed,

bewildered and lost, he sits down in despair of recovering his first path, or finding a new one, which will conduet him home. So is the man who forsakes the path of truth and uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness and error. His ways are crooked; he has none to guide him. One devious trait leads to another; the farther he wanders, the more difficult it is to return, and the more easy to wander still.

3. The Psalmist observes, "The meek God will guide in judgment, and the meek he will teach his way." Humbleness of mind is the best preparative for the residence of that heavenly Spirit who leads into all truth. Pride and self confidence oppose his influence and forfeit his direction. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, The Apostle speaks of those to whom God sends strong delusions, that they should believe a lie, and perish in the error of their way. These are they, who received not the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. If there are any whom God gives over to a reprobate mind, and a deceived heart, none more likely to be thus abandoned, than they who have known and hated the gospel of their salvation. Of such the Apostle speaks, when he says, "It is impossible for those, who have been once enlightened, and have tasted the good word of God, if they shall fall away, to be again renewed to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves afresh the Son of God." If we sin wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin, but a fearful looking for of judg

ment."

4. From the nature of the gospel we may conclude, that they who renounce it, will, of course, renounce all religion.

The gospel contains every thing, which belongs to the religion of nature, and every thing which is

wise and good in any religion whatever. It teaches us the existence of an all perfect Deity. It gives us the most exalted representation of his character and government. It lays before us the purest and plainest rules of virtue and piety. It enforces the obligations of duty by the strongest motives. It brings to view all the arguments for a holy life, which reason can suggest, and places them in the clearest light. It adds many encouragements, which reason could never ascertain, but which must wholly depend on revelation; such as the acceptableness of repentance for past transgressions, the grace of God to help the infirmities of the humble, the resurrection of the body from the dust of the grave, and the greatness and perpetuity of the rewards reserved for the obedient.

own.

They who reject such a religion as this, reject every religion which can be worthy of belief. When they have exploded the description which the gospel gives of the divine character-the precepts which mark out the duty of man-the motives which recommend his duty, and the hopes and assistances which encourage repentance and obedience; they may be challenged to shew, what materials are left, out of which they can fabricate a religion of their The enemies of the gospel cannot stop short of total infidelity, because, when the gospel is thrown aside, every thing is gone, which belongs to the religion of nature. If they pretend to believe and respect the latter, they can mean no more by it than a liberty to live as they list, and to follow the impulse of their inclinations, with only such restraints as are imposed by a regard to health, reputation, interest and the laws of society. To call this religion, is to profane a sacred name by applying it to a licentious life.

5. That temper, which urges men to cast away the gospel, will never be easy until natural religion goes after it.

There is nothing more true, than these words of our Savior, "He that hateth me, hateth my Father also." He who hates the character of Christ, hates the character of God. He who hates the religion of the gospel, hates the religion of nature.

The character of God, as drawn in the gospel, is such as reason must approve. If God is a Being of justice, truth, mercy and goodness, it must be his will, that his rational creatures imitate his character by the practise of these virtues. This imitation of God essentially belongs to natural religion, properly so called. The moral perfections of God are exhibited in the example of Christ, and recommended to our imitation in the precepts of his gospel. It is the substance of his religion, that we be renewed after the image of God-that we be followers of God as dear children, that we be holy as he is holy, righteous as he is righteous, and merciful as he is merciful. It is manifest, then, that they who hate the gospel, because it requires a holy heart and life, must hate the character of God, and all the virtues connected with it. It is a contradiction to suppose, that a man can be an enemy to Christ, and a friend to God-a hater of revealed, and a lover of natural religion; for God has manifested his own character in the person of Christ, and displayed the religion of nature in that of the gospel. The man who pretends to admire the character of God and the religion of reason, while he cavils at the doctrines and precepts of the gospel, is as inconsistent with himself, as a man who professes to be a friend to civil society and regular government, while he opposes every necessary measure of government, and condemns all the laws by which society is supported and preserved. VOL. IV.

D

6. The objections which infidels urge against the credibility of the gospel, operate as strongly against the credit of natural religion. Their objections against the Christian revelation, stop not there; they go farther; they militate against all religion. Hence it may be concluded, that they who renounce Christianity, will eventually renounce religion at large, if they have not done it already.

Some will ask, "Can it be supposed, that the gospel, if it were true in itself and important to men, would be confined to so small a part of the world? Is not God an impartial Being? Why then has he made so partial a communication of his will, and of the way of salvation ?"

But this objection, if it has any weight, may as well be made against natural religion as against the Christian revelation. Men have different capacities, are placed under different circumstances, have different advantages of education; and, were they ever so well disposed, they would make very different improvements in the knowledge of religion, as they do in all other branches of sci

Among the heathens there were some, who spake and wrote excellent things on the character and government of God, and on the nature and obligations of virtue. Now admitting that these had attained to a competent knowledge of religion, yet had all heathens done so ? Or could they all do so? Probably not one in ten thousand ever did, or ever could make the same attainments by the mere efforts of their reason, or by all the assistance within their reach, Natural religion, then, has always been as partial and confined, as Christianity is; and, indeed, vastly more so. For there is a much greater proportion of mankind, who enjoy the gospel, than there ever has been of heathens, who had at