cannot be but the nature itself must be defiled; efpecially as baptifm is expressly called the baptifm of repentance, for the remiffion of fins, Mark i. 4.

Thus I have laid before you what the scripture teaches us on the finfulness of our nature, including all the pofterity of Adam, without exception. I befeech you, therefore, my beloved hearers, to confider the concern you have in it, as a part of the whole. If you have any belief of the truth of the scriptures as the word of God, attempt not to warp or pervert them when speaking contrary to your fond prejudices. Defire not that ministers fhould speak unto you smooth things, and prophefy deceit; but receive with humility and fear the divine will, however heavy a fentence of condemnation it may carry against yourselves, viz. that you are finners by nature; that your hearts are estranged and alienated from the love of God; and that, if you die in that condition, you fhall not fee his face in mercy.

I now proceed to the fecond branch of this head; which was, To confirm the account given in scripture from experience, that is to fay, from the visible state of the world, and the teftimony of our own hearts.

Let us then fee what evidence is afforded us from the visible ftate of the world, that all have finned, &c. And here, my brethren, what

an

an inftructive leffon, but at the fame time what a humbling and melancholy profpect, opens to our view! There are many remarks which might be profitably made on the state of the world in every age, to fhew how much fin hath reigned in the hearts of men, and what defolation it hath wrought in the place of their abode. The great difficulty is, to range them in proper order, and propose them in a fimple and perfpicuous manner, that ordinary hearers may understand and profit by them. For this purpose, let us first take a view of mankind in a public or national, and then in a private or perfonal, capacity.

1. Let us confider mankind in a public or national capacity. In this view, what is the history of paft ages but the hiftory of human guilt? If, instead of taking up with the idle and vifionary hypothefes of philofophers, we only attend to what men have been in fact, we fhall be obliged to fay, with the Spirit of God, that "the imagination of the heart of man " is only evil from his youth." It is not proper here to omit, or rather it is highly neceffary to mention, the impiety and idolatry of the feveral nations of the world. Excepting the small number of Abraham's family, who were the election of God, and, by a peculiar difpofition of Providence, the depofitaries of his truths, every other nation upon the face of the globe, not only deferted the worship

of

of the true God, but fell headlong into the most stupid and fottifh idolatry. This was not peculiar to thofe nations who continued in ignorance, and whom the more improved and polished thought proper to distinguish by the name of barbarians, but was at leaft equally true of those who were moft highly civilized. Of the wifeft nations, as well as the wifeft men, the apoftle very juftly fays in this epiftle, ch. i. 22. 23. "Profeffing themselves "to be wife, they became fools; and chan"ged the glory of the incorruptible God, into

an image made like to corruptible man, and "to birds, and four-footed beafts, and creep"ings things."

I must make even a farther obfervation, and intreat your attention to it, That the wifeft in profeffion feem to have become the greatest fools. It feems to have been defigned in Providence, as a standing and indelible mark of the vanity of human wisdom, that those very nations who were most early in their application to, and most fuccessful in their cultivation of the liberal arts, were the moft extravagant and fenfelefs in their theological opinions, and religious rites. I mean, particularly, the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans; worshipping bulls and calfs, ferpents and infects, the most stupid of four-footed beafts, and creeping things of the most shocking form. This every one may fatisfy himVOL. I.

B

felf

felf of, who will look into the hiftories of theft celebrated nations, as they have been tranfmitted to us by themselves.

Confider, my brethren, the unnatural cruelty of the religious rites of many nations. It was frequent and general with them, to offer up human facrifices, and make their children pass through the fire; the very reflection on which is fufficient to fill a confiderate perfon with horror. Confider alfo the fcandalous impurity of fome of their ceremonies, and the obscene hiftory of the objects of their worship. Strange to think of indeed! yet fo it is, that most of the eminent writers of antiquity are employed in defcribing the drinking and merriment, the scolding and quarrels, the tricks and robberies, and the amorous intrigues of their gods and goddeffes.

If we think in a ferious manner on these undoubted facts, can we help saying, Oh! the ingratitude of thofe wretches among us. who call themselves freethinkers, who have been taught by revelation only to form rational and confiftent notions of the firft caufe and creator of all things, and yet reject revelation entirely, and pretend to found them upon human reafon! I am fenfible there are fome who do not think that the idolatry of the heathen world ought to be reckoned among their crimes; but if you will confult the Old Teftament, you will find it confidered there

as the first and most atrocious crime which folicited the vengeance of an offended God. If you confult this epiftle to the Romans, you will find it leads the way in the account given of human apoftafy. The first of all the ten commands, which were given as a fum of the moral law, is, "Thou fhalt have "no other gods before me." And indeed, if the first duty of natural religion be a confeffion and acknowledgement of God our creator, the first of all fins muft be, a contempt of his name, or a profanation of his worship.

But idolatry was not alone. From this, as a fruitful fource, flowed every other human vice. What a terrible detail is given us by the hiftorians of every age! On what is it that all the great tranfactions of the world have still turned? Has it not been on the ambition, cruelty, injuftice, oppreffion, and raging luft and impurity, of men. Whatever number of virtuous perfons was among them, they seem to have either lain concealed, or fallen a facrifice to the envy and malice of others. Since the firft murder, of Abel, by his brother Cain, what terrible havock has been made of man by man! We are fo habituated to this, that it makes little impreffion. We can even perufe, with attention and delight, the narratives of ftratagems of war, ferocity in combat, devaftation and bloodfhed. Who are the perfons

B 2.