descry a thousand monuments of it. To those who have the advantage of revelation, no truths appear more simple and luminous, than that there is but one God, and that he only is entitled to religious homage. Yet how dubious, on these points, were the most celebrated Heathen philosophers! how embarrassed their research! how conjectural their opinion! And of that spiritual devotednefs which is the life of real religion, they had as little knowledge as the sons of modern unbelief. If from them we turn to the mafs of their contemporaries, or to those who are now in a similar condition, we are startled and shocked to see them "worship "and serve the creature more than the Creator "who is blefsed for ever*." One poor idolater bows to "the host of heaven;" another trembles before an evil spirit-Here, he finds his divinities in birds, and beasts, and reptiles; there, he "changes the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible mant," and lies prostrate before a deity of stone or of wood, the work of his chizzel or his axe. "He heweth him down "cedars, and taketh the cyprefs and the oak"he burneth part thereof in the fire; with part "thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and

" is satisfied;-yea, he warmeth himself, and "saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: "And the residue thereof he maketh a god, " even his graven image: he falleth down unto "it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, "and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. "And none considereth in his heart, neither "is their knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have ournt part of it in the fire; yea, I have

also baked bread upon the coals thereof; "I have roasted flesh, and eaten it; and shall "I make the residue thereof an abomina"tion? shall I fall down to the stock of a "tree*?"

The rites of Paganism are worthy of its creed. Instead of a worship, reasonable, reverend, and pure; it exhibits all the frightful varieties of whatever is absurd, or blasphemous, or obscene. Its effects on individual and social character, are precisely such as we might anticipate. Unrestrained by any just apprehensions of God, of his law, or his government, the most baleful pafsions domineer in the heart, and the most horrible excefses pollute the life. Moral distinctions confounded; the sense of relative obligation extinguished; crimes the most atrocious perpetrated with deliberation,

* Isaiah xliv. 14—19.

and upon principle, are, among the Heathen, the result of being "without God*." If, in the midst of this degradation and these enormities, the thought should occur, "that they "who do such things are worthy of death," a secret horror creeps through the blood; conscience, the scorpion of guilt, strikes his sting into the bosom; forebodings, equally dark and intolerable, the mysterious presentiment of "judgment to come," harrow up the soul. Whither, in this extremity, shall they turn for succour? All around them is one dreary waste; the reign of silence and of desolation. No friendly voice is born to the listening ear; no tower of help rises up to the anxious eye. The Comforter, who should comfort their souls, is afar off. They have not heard, like you, of the name of Jesus. They have none to tell them of

redemption through his blood, even the for"givenefs of sins, according to the riches of "his grace." And the termination of their mortal course-O brethren, how tremendous ! The heavens blacken; the tempest roars; the whirlwind rushes by; down pours the torrent; and without a refuge, and without a hope,

Ward's History of the Law of Nations, vol. i. p. 81-85, 104-106.

+ Eph. i. 7.

they are swept away in the ruin of the nations that forget God.

Exposed to this melancholy fate, the Heathen claim our sympathy; and we eagerly ask, Is their doom to such woe irreversibly sealed? Are they shut out, for ever, from the divine compafsions? No! To the praise of his grace, Jehovah hath thoughts of mercy, rich mercy, towards them. HE WILL DESTROY, saith the prophet, the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations-a design, the contemplation of which forms the

II. Part of discourse.

From the days of eternity, the Father hath given to the Mefsiah "the Heathen for his "inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the "earth for his pofsefsion*." The whole earth, therefore, being included in the covenant-grant, shall be filled with the knowledge, and subdued to the obedience, of Jehovah. On the maxims of carnal wisdom, the fact is, indeed, impossible, and the expectation wild. To extirpate prejudices implanted in infancy, nurtured by habit, confirmed by example, and consecrated by tradition to enlighten the stupid idolater, and soften the ferocious savage-to persuade men to despise as contemptible, and loathe as

Psal. ii. 8,

abominable, the objects of their respect and veneration—in a word, to change the opinions, the customs, the characters of nations; and unite them in a religion, simple, holy, heavenly -a religion opposed to every vicious principle, and every vicious act-a religion which proscribes all human merit, and prostrates all human pride - This is an undertaking which equally defies the policy and the power of man. And the belief that it shall, at any time, be attended with succefs, furnishes incessant matter of derision to the philosopher, and of sneer to the witling. Their mistake lies in supposing the God who made them to be as foolish and as feeble as themselves, or as little concerned in the salvation of sinners. But we, according to his promise, look for the interposition of his arm, by which, however mean the instruments, this prodigious revolution shall be effected with no lefs ease than certainty. For,

1. He directs the complicated movements of the universe. However confused and contradictory things may appear to our little minds; with him whose "understanding is infinite," there is neither surprise, perplexity, nor chance. "Known unto the Lord are all his "works from the beginning of the world*."

*Acts xv. 18.