Character of the heathen.

harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.

Mat. 28. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Mk. 16. 15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Ac. 26. 16. I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

Rom. 10. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

461. What character is ascribed to the heathen?

2 K. 16. 3. He [Ahaz] made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.

Rom. 1. 21. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness. 29.

Heathen gods-Idolatry natural to men.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.

462. What gods do the heathen worship?

Ps. 115. 4. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak. not: eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Is. 46. 6. They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth.

463. Are mankind naturally inclined to idolatry?

Ex. 32. 1. And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods which shall go before us. 2 K. 17. 16. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

Jer. 44. 17. We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in

1

Heathen under condemnation-Encouragement for missions.

the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

464. Have the heathen light enough to be under condemnation?

Ps. 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

Rom. 1. 19. That which may be known of God, is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.

Rom. 2. 12. As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law.

14. These having not the law, are a law unto themselves. Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.

465. What encouragement have Christians in latoring to convert the heathen to God and the gospel ?

Ps. 22. 27. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

Ps. 82. 8. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

Ps. 86. 9. All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

Ps. 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

Is. 32. 15. Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on

Encouragement for.

high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

Is. 59. 19. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion.

Is. 66. 8. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

Joel 2. 28. I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.

Mic. 4. 1. In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.

Mal. 1. 11. From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

Rom. 11. 25. Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved.

Rev. 11. 15. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The king

Provision for children-Juvenile instruction.

doms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ. [See 408 and 430.]

Parental Duties.

466. Ought parents to provide for their children?

2 Cor. 12. 14. The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

1 Tim. 5. 8. If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

467. Is it the duty of parents to teach their children, and to influence them to holiness?

Ex. 10.2. Tell in the cars of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.

Dt. 6. 6. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Dt. 11. 18—21.

Dt. 32. 46. Ye shall command your children to observe to do all the words of this law.

Pr. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Is. 38. 19. The father to the children shall make known thy truth.

Ep. 6. 4. Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.