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ral religion, it was sufficient, as we learn from the context, to leave the Heathens who had misimproved it, without ex

cuse.

Let us discover, if we can, the extent of natural religion. Let us ascertain its limits; so that we may avoid the two opposite faults of undervaluing the intellectual faculties given us by the God of nature, and of derogating from the necèssity and superiour excellence of that knowledge which is communicated to us by the God of grace.

"The invisible things of him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made."

The spirituality of God, renders his nature and his attributes imperceptible by our senses. In condescension, therefore, to our wants and our inability, he is pleased, if we may be allowed the expression, to embody himself in his works. These give us somewhat more than an intimation of their operator and his transcendent majesty. The order of the apostle's words, in which the eternal power of the Creator precedes his Godhead, leads us to the manner in which the objects that every where meet our eyes bespeak a great, an Almighty, and all-wise first cause. No reasonable man who contemplates the face of the universe can avoid concluding immediately and unhesitatingly, that it is the production of an omnipotent Being; and if so, of an eternal being; and if so, again, of a divine being: for, combine the ideas of omnipotence and eternity, and you necessarily have the idea of Godhead. Every sound mind will concur in the reasoning of Job; "Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee; or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?”*

The nineteenth Psalm affords a very beautiful and animated illustration of this subject. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy-work. Job, xii. 7-9.

Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun; which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is no thing hid from the heat thereof."

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Thus, although the immaterial divinity eludes our sensible perception, yet he cannot fail to be recognized by the eye and ear of reason in the harmony, the beauty, and the splendour of external nature. From the creatures, we ascend to the knowledge of the Creator-from the excellence of the things formed, to the glory of the mighty former. Years have been gathered into the grave of time—age has succeeded to age-still the worlds that lie scattered over yon immeasurable expanse, continue to publish the unwasting grandeur of the Architect of nature. Still,

"The spacious firmament on high,

With all the blue ethereal sky,

And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim.

The unwearied sun, from day to day,

Does his Creator's power display,

And publishes to every land

The work of an Almighty hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail,

The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And, nightly, to the listening earth,
Repeats the story of her birth;

Whilst all the stars that round her burn,
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,

And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What though, in solemn silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial Ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid their radiant orbs be found?

In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
Forever singing, as they shine,

The hand that made us is Divine.”

The language of the creation is in very deed, a universal language. It is addressed to all, and is intelligible by all. It is not locked up in books; neither is it confined to a chosen nation: all nations are blessed in it; all the inhabitants of the earth can read, understand, and profit by it. “From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same," it carries the knowledge of the divinity, and makes his name a praise in the earth.

But this knowledge of the divinity, necessarily implies a certain measure of information concerning such of his adorable attributes as have an influence more or less direct upon human conduct: his power; his wisdom; his sovereignty; his holiness; his justice; his goodness.

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His power and wisdom are alike discoverable by the attentive observer; in the creation, preservation, and government of all things.

Of his absolute sovereignty and uncontrolable dominion every man must be convinced, who reflects that he who made the universe, and for whose pleasure it is continued in existence, is of necessity the rightful proprietor of it; and may do what he wills with his own.

Of his goodness no man can be insensible who beholds the material sun shedding his genial and enlivening beams upon the evil as well as upon the good; the rains of heaven falling in kindly showers upon the unjust as well as upon the just; summer and winter, seed time and harvest, succeeding each other to all; and fruitful seasons crowning the toils, and gladdening the hearts, of the children of men.

His holiness and his justice are perceivable by all who will attentively follow the footsteps of his providence, and faithfully compare the actions of moral agents with their general consequences; the prosperous and adverse events which occur in respect to individuals and communities with the moral causes which give them birth. For surely the holiness and justice of God may be inferred from that distribution of good to the righteous and evil to the wicked which takes place even in the present life.

It is certain that where there is a law, there must be a law-giver. The notion of the one can never be entertained irrespectively of the idea of the other. The two are not to

be disassociated.

It is equally certain that the character of the law-giver is rationally inferrable from the nature and qualities of his system of laws.

But it would appear from experience, observation, and history, that, as there is a law in our members, so there is another law in our hearts, which scripture denominates the law of God. It is a law which is holy; and its commandments are holy, just, and good."* It is very evident, therefore, that the giver of this law must be a lover of holiness and justice; and that holiness and justice are among his perfections.

On this ground it is that our apostle in the context builds his condemnation of the Gentiles: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore," adds the apostle, and the judicial recompense which he records is truly formidable, "Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleaness through the lusts of their own hearts,

*Rom. vii. 12.

who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge," (observe, it is not said that they did not, or could not, know God, but that they did not like to retain God in their knowledge; the fault being more in the will than in the understanding) "God gave them over to a rep robate mind, to do those things which are not convenient."*

But, since such was the state, and such the deportment, of those who were in possession of this natural religion, and who ought to have been influenced by its principles, it is obvious that, whatever discoveries it may make, and however it may suffice to render mankind inexcusable for their sins, it is, of itself, inadequate to satisfy their wants-to strengthen their infirmities-to lead them to Heaven.

Let us mark the principal particulars in which it falls short of that perfection of religious knowledge which is indispensable to human nature in its degenerate state.

It is deficient in certainty. This is its grand and distinguishing reproach. In many instances it amounts to little more than surmise; and in no case perhaps reflects the unclouded light of truth. It must of necessity vary with the different capacities and powers of different minds. Thus it came to pass that however universal and permanent the impression of the divine existence, the doctrine of the divine unity gradually yielded to Polytheism; until, at length, the idols of the nations were multiplied to a degree not less absurd than wicked. And certainly the present state of the unevangelized world, authorizes inferences respecting the competency of natural religion altogether as unfavourable as those derivable from the opinions and practices of pagan antiquity.

Natural religion gives no assurance of a state of being after temporal death, how much soever it may encourage the hope of it. The immortality of the soul was a point much

Rom. i. 21.-28.

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