therefore it is well that we be admonished of our danger. 3. All is not in us ingenuity toward God. 4. We are compounded of different principles: there is in us the law of the members, as well as the law of the mind, Rom. vii. 23. 5. It is but plain-dealing to the unconverted and apoftates.

Now to apply this.

1. This may better inform those that are conceit edly wife, and undeceive them in their partiality and felf-flattery. For fome think that in the gofpel-ftate we should make no ufe, no improvement of the threatnings of God. These are wife in their own conceit for you see the apostle doth fubjoin them. : 2. It gives an account of the true zeal of those that severely challenge immorality. No ignorance excufeth immorality in any inftance whatsoever : whereas invincible ignorance doth apologize for infidelity in the chiefeft point. The reafon is this, because for the great points of piety, righteousness, fobriety and temperance, God hath made every one to know them. But for the resolutions of his will, men must be perfuaded of God; and if God doth not make application to men, where he doth not give, he doth not require. The gofpel priviledges are not to give protection to finners; but are cities of refuge for penitents. They misunderstand the affairs of religion who take not all the principles of religion together, but do unfuitably diftribute; not alloting seasonably to the several constitutions their proper proportions. We take a great deal more care in the affairs of our bodies; in these we confider mens present state and condition: we confider

mens

mens age and conftitution ; and govern ourselves both to quantity and quality; for we know that unfeasonable and unproportionable food doth not nourish, but annoy with humours, and our body is the worse for it. So fpiritual dainties are not to intoxicate the head with conceit, but to establish and make a healthy conftitution of foul: and what is that, but to make a man ingenuous toward God, and in religion, rational and intelligent?

Lastly, I take notice of the boldness and prefumption of these obftinate, rebellious, and contumacious finners, who having this proclamation from the majesty of heaven, that the wrath of God, &c. yet will dare to continue in practices of unrighteoufnefs, and affume to themselves power and authority to controul the established laws of everlasting goodness, righteousness, and truth, and to vary from the reafon of things, to gratify their own fenfe, and to please their own humours, and to serve their own ends, and to take upon them to over-rule and unfettle all things that are holy, fettled, and established from eternity. What shall a man say to fuch perfons? And yet the atheistical and profane are guilty of this contumacy. But as the apostle says, their condemnation is juft, Rom. iii. 8. and their judgment lingers not, their condemnation fleepeth not, 2 Pet. ii. 3. For if a man be exemplary in wickedness, if he feduce others by ill practice, if he be an open scandal to government; we think it neceffary to cut him off, that others may not fin by his example, fo that we need not wonder at the judgments of God in this world; nor the future condemnation

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of the wicked and profane. For the text tells us, that those that are obnoxious to God's wrath, are perfons of ungodly practice; fo that they are of themfelves condemned: they cannot give an account to the reason of their own minds, nor fatisfy their own confciences; but are hurried on, and transported by furious and violent lufts; holding the truth in unrighteousness, they are felf-condemned before they be condemned of God.

DISCOURSE LVII.

The illuftrious Manifestations of God, and the inexcufable Ignorance of Men.

Rom. i. 19, 20.

Because that which may be known of God, is manifeft in them; for God hath revealed it to them. For the invifible things of him from the creation of the world, are clearly feen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; fo that they are without excufe.

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Hough I intended no further, yet confidering how full and pregnant this scripture is, against the affected atheism of a degenerate and an apoftate world; I fhall not yet take myself off.

In

In the former verfe the apoftle doth affirm that all ungodly and unrighteous perfons do hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs: all impious, profane and atheistical perfons, all unrighteous men, all controulers of the right of things, all intemperate persons are men that fin against principles of conscience, they imprison truth, and fin against their light; they go against the dictates of true reason, they go againft their very make; they know they do evil, and are felf-condemned in what they do. Now this being a great affertion, and an affair of life and death, the apoftle proceeds to prove it; and thefe words contain the apoftle's argument. He proves it thus, becaufe God is univerfally knowable of which argument, before I do proceed to difcourfe further, I have fomething to premise.

In that the apostle takes upon him to shew and prove by reafon. I obferve three things.

1. That here is a check and controul to the forward and presumptuous impofers on men that takë upon them to dogmatize, to dictate and determine, and are angry with all perfons that will not take up with their fenfe, and be concluded by it. These perfons take upon them more than the apoftle did,

2. I here observe that the great points of religion, ftand upon the grounds of trueft reafon; for the apoftle here, after he hath afferted, proceeds to provè by reafon.

3. God's ways and dealings with his creatures are accountable in a way of reason. But fome men think, that God ufes arbitrary power; and that they might efcape without punishment, if he would, and

that

that it is nothing but his will and pleasure, that they are challenged for lawless and unlawful practices. -In the 17th verfe he hath declared the way of life and falvation; and in the 18th, the way of mifery and death. Therefore the ways of God are accountable in reafon.

Now if this were not the way of God, a way worthy of truth, we might ask, why this apoftle may not refer us to his publick authority; who might, if any one, because of his extraordinary converfion and commiffion from heaven? But he declines that, and proves by reafon. But this great truth is hereby hinted to us, that the way of reafon is the way moft accommodate to human nature. Therefore let us lay afide impofing one upon another; or ufing any canting in religion. Let us talk fenfe and reafon; for the apostle doth here show and prove by reason. And this doth God himself, who hath all prerogative and priviledge; he faith, that he will draw them with the cords of a man; Hof. xi. 4. and what is that, but arguments fatisfactory to the mind of men? And in the evangelical prophet Isaiah, shew yourselves to be men, xlvi. 8. that is, awaken your rational and intellectual faculties, and take things into ferious and impartial confideration, and I will convince you. Certainly therefore it were well becoming the church of Rome, who doth fo highly pretend to apoftolical fucceffion, it would become this church, to fhew by evidence of reason, that their twelve fupernumerary points of religion, upon which we leave them, that there is reason for them.It is an apology for any finite, fallible creature, when VOL. III.

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