XIX. "what Benefits we receive from him, fo far our CHAP. "Duty towards him, as well as that towards one "another, will appear to us by the Light of "Nature. And no doubt, if the Worship of "falfe Gods had not blinded the Heathens, "their moral Philofophy would have gone far"ther than to the four Cardinal Virtues; and "inftead of teaching the Tranfmigration of Tho' Souls, and to worship the Sun and Moon, "and dead Heroes, they would have taught us "to worship our true Author and Benefactor, as "their Ancestors did under the Government of "Noab and his Sons before they corrupted "themselves." * But after the Corruption enter'd, then began the Blindness and Infufficiency of Reafon in their best Philofophers; they were carried away with the Stream, and by a voluntary kind of Overbearance fided with it. they might know it was an Abfurdity and Injuftice to God the Creator, to worship the Crea ture παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, more than the Creator (as the Vulgar did and will do every where) or befides, or in Conjunction with him, as the Philofophers, with the Popish Writers might think. of fkreening themselves, with the vain Distinction of Relative Worship, wherein neither Gentile, Few, nor falfe Chriftian, ever could, or ever can find the Benefit of an Excufe; seeing relative Swearing (a kind of Worship) by the Temple, &c. is condemn'd as indefenfible. IT is very remarkable that the very learned Huetius +, among others, cites the Chinefe; and fhews that the old Romans for the firft 170 Years, *Opticks, p. 382. cultu Idolorum. Vol. II. † Alnet. Quæft. Lib. III. c. 6. de X were CHAP. were without Images in their Worship, in order XIX. to prove it the univerfal Practice of the first Ages after the Flood to worship God without them. Which brings an Argument home to their own Door, that he did not think of, viz. That in Cafe the Scripture had not condemn'd the idolatrous Manner of worshipping by Images, the uncorrupt State of Nature fupplies an Argument against it. THE Children of God therefore over the Face of the Earth having receiv'd their Original Portion, and common Grace to have fecur'd his Favour; if, in lieu of ufing the one Talent committed to them, they go and bury it in the Earth flothfully and criminally; for he that is unfaithful in a little, will be unfaithful alfo in much; and, whilft they pretend to know God, glorify him not as God, but hold the Truth in unrigh teous Idolatry; having no Senfe of Gratitude or common Thankfulness for the Favours and Bleffings they daily received from the Hand of his Providence, as the Apostle accufes them: If the Seed of Reason in their Heart, in Fact, neither produc'd God, nor Virtue; but Dæmons, Images, Chimeras of all forts were fet up there, as well as in their Temples, as Objects of Worship; and Immoralities and Vices of all Kinds was the Devotion and Religion there ; which tranfforin'd them into the Children of the Devil, Votaries to him and all his Wickedneffes: Is it not juft and righteous, at the laft Day, that Judgment with Vengeance fhould take place upon thofe who thus know not God, as well as upon them who obey not, or believe not, (when they may do both) the Gospel of Chrift? THO' CHAP. THO' they will not be brought to Account, XIX. for the two Talents, nor yet for the Five; yet they muft, and ought to give up an Account of the one Talent, how they put it to use; and let them who thus abused it anfwer as they will, they will be condemn'd out of their own Mouth. AND if this religious, Reasoning Ufe of their Talent was, and is in the Power of the Heathen World to have traffick'd withal, at leaft to have exerted fome Industry and Diligence towards pleafing God, who made them to that End of their Being, as the only Way to their Happiness; if Reafon was purposely given them to endeavour to extricate themselves out of those unhappy Circumftances what they can, and it was their Duty to God, and themselves, to do their utmoft; efpecially fince our Author tells them, "God's Will is fo clearly and fully "manifefted in the Book of Nature, that he "who runs may read it."* How then can it be a Crime in thefe Heathens perfonally to endeavour to relieve themfelves in their deplorable State, as he calls it? Was ever fuch a Contradiction as this is, to Reason, common Sense, and to himself, ever before offer'd by any Mafter-Author to his Difciples? When they know it to be one of the declar'd Purposes of his Book, to fet up the Sufficiency of Human Reafon independent of Revelation, as perfect and compleat, in all Parts of the World, to anfwer up to the five Talents, and do every thing explicitly that the Gospel of Christ can direct, towards pleafing God. * Chriftianity as old, p. 23, 24. X 2 THE СНАР. THE Prayer of Simplicius at the Conclufion of his Comments on Epit. fpeaks with more Modefty, and breathes Sentiments the reverse to thefe prophane Writers: " Grant, I befeech "thee, O Lord, the Giver and Guide of all "Reason, that we may be always mindful of "the Dignity, of the Nature, and the Privileges thou haft honour'd us withal; that we may act in all things as becomes free Agents to the fubduing and governing our Paffions, to the refining them from Flesh and Sense, "and to the rendring them fubfervient to excel"lent Purposes. Grant us alfo thy favourable "Affiftance to the reforming and directing our 66 66 Judgment; and enlighten us with thy Truth, "that we may difcern thofe Things that are really "Good, and having difcover'd them, may "love and cleave ftedfaftly to the fame. And, "finally, difperfe, we pray thee, thofe Mifts "which darken the Eyes of our Mind, that fo we may have a perfect Understanding, and "know both God and Man." Would any fuch Perfons reject, would they not greatly rejoice at a Saviour, and a Revelation from God? Tho' it is impoffible for any Man, in any part of the World, to come to God as his Servant, or pleafe him as his Worshipper, without believing him a Rewarder of those that feek and give their Diligence to please him; which is, as I have often fhewn, an implicit Faith in Christ, the Mediator of the New Teftament, the everlasting Covenant, which gave, and gives the diftinguishing Excellency and Virtue to his faving Gospel, or the true Means of pleasing God, from the beginning of the World, to the final End thereof, СНАР. Ir is true, the Author of Wisdom has well, XIX. obferv'd, fpeaking of the Degeneracy of these Gentiles, As for the Mysteries of God [the origi nal Promife] they knew them not; neither hoped they for the Wages of Righteoufness, nor difcern'd a Reward for blameless Souls, meaning an eter nal Reward agreeable to the Immortality of the Soul, as it follows. Yet the Defire of that Hap piness, furely, could never be implanted in Man in vain; and to what other Purpose, comparatively, could Reason be given but to endeavour for this Happiness, by fecuring the Favour of God in the beft manner they could? If God does not require of any Man what is explicitly impoffible for him to do in order to attain it; it follows, that the ufing Talent of Reafon put into their Power and Trust was, and is fufficient on their Part, exercis'd as it ought, to attain that Degree of Happinefs apportion'd to their one Talent, which, according as it is used, exceeds in the Proportion of ten to one, (confidering the Difficulties they lie under; or as it is exprefs'd in Luke xix. 17. Because thou hast been faithful IN A VERY LITTLE, have thou Authority over ten Cities; the Mina, Pound, in proportion to five Talents is very little indeed) in the State allotted to them; as the Proportion allotted to Chriftians feems to exceed in Degree of Happiness, as five improved to five, to one improved to one in the different Ufe of their Talents. And the Kind of Happinefs may differ as the Government over ten, five, &c. Cities, from the JOY OF THE LORD; wherein there is a Prophet, and a righteous Man's Re |