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So Peter argued from the past and present state of the world. He says, "If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judg ment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly--the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptaation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." This perfectly agrees with the declaration in the text. "The wicked shall be turned

into hell, and all the nations that forget God."

6. It appears from what has been said, that the heathens are in a deplorable and perishing condition. They have forgotten God; they are sitting in the region and shadow of death; God has denied them the means of grace and the offers of salvation, and declared, that while they continued in the ignorance of heathenism, they shall be turned into hell and perish forever. This is the awful condition of not only a few individuals of mankind, but of whole nations and kingdoms, yea, of more than two thirds of the whole human race, who are now probationers for eternity. Is there nothing to be done, or can too much be done, to enlighten these immortal souls, that are ready to perish? On whom does this labour devolve? It certainly devolves upon the enlightened christian worlds whom God has chosen to the means of salvation. It is in their power to be workers together with God, in fulfilling his gracious promises to Christ and to his church, that "the

fulness of the gentiles shall be brought in." These heathen nations are to be found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; and it particularly devolves upon Europeans to enlighten the European, Asiatic, and African heathens; and upon American christians to enlighten American heathens. Wisdom and benevolence require us to exert ourselves to the utmost, to enlighten and gospelize the heathen nations on our borders; and to spare no pains nor expense to spread divine knowledge among them, both by the bible, and the preachers of the gospel. Much is doing, and more must be done.

7. If the heathens are in a deplorable condition, how much more deplorable is the condition of the impenitent and unbelieving in this enlightened age and enlightened land! God has chosen them to the most important external privileges and favours, that he ever has chosen, or can choose to bestow on any nation in the world. The religious privileges, which he granted to the Jews, were the greatest in kind that he ever bestowed upon them, by which he distinguished them from all the other nations of the earth. So the apostle expressly declares. He asks and answers this question : "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God." The same oracles, with the addition of the whole New-Testament, has been given to our nation, in distinction from the whole heathen world. Here God has been constantly pouring divine instructions into the minds of all, who have been willing to read, or hear the gospel. How then, can any of us complain of the doctrine of national and personal elec

So Peter argued from the past and present state of the world. He says, He says, "If God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly--the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptaation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." This perfectly agrees with the declaration in the text. "The wicked shall be turned

into hell, and all the nations that forget God."

6. It appears from what has been said, that the heathens are in a deplorable and perishing condition. They have forgotten God; they are sitting in the region and shadow of death; God has denied them the means of grace and the offers of salvation, and declared, that while they continued in the ignorance of heathenism, they shall be turned into hell and perish foreve This is the awful condition of not only a few ind uals of mankind, but of whole nations and kin yea, of more than two thirds of the whole hur who are now probationers for eternity.

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tion? He has actually chosen us to the great and infinitely important privileges of both. He has brought the kingdom of heaven, as near to us, as he can bring it, and invited, and commanded us to come in, and partake of all the spiritual and eternal blessings contained in it. How criminal and inexcusable must any of us be, if we neglect so great salvation? Must not any finally impenitent and unbelieving sinner in this land and in this place, be far more criminal and inexcusable, than any heathen in Tyre, or Sidon, or Ninevah, or Sodom, and Gomorrah, or in Asia, Europe, Af rica, or America, and deserve a heavier doom?

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