II. To point out the insufficiency of reason, in things of a moral
and religious nature, in those respects, which are not only
important, but necessary.--And, here it will appear that mankind,
while _without Christ, are without hope and without God in the
world,_ with an evidence, I trust, convincing to every candid and
honest enquirer after truth and duty.--And,
1. The light of nature and highest wisdom of mankind, cannot attain
to such a clear knowledge of God as is necessary to salvation. What
God is, and who they are that have true conformity to, and communion
with him, are questions of the greatest importance in Religion. And,
they are questions which have been as little understood, and perhaps
as much misapprehended, by mankind, in general, as almost any which
have been discussed. Though, as St. Paul observes, the invisible
things of God be clearly displayed by, and to be understood from the
visible Creation, so that those are without excuse, who have not the
knowledge of God from the light of nature alone, yet the heathen,
after all their laborious researches, have not obtained this
knowledge. Upon a fair trial of human reason, in matters of religion,
under the greatest improvements of natural and moral philosophy, _the
world by wisdom knew not God._ So far from it, that the most learned
nations, and the greatest adepts in the sublime mysteries of
divinity, in the pagan world, have been so _vain in their
imaginations,_ as we are told and _their foolish hearts_ were _so
darkened,_ that they have represented and worshipped, the glorious
incorruptible God, by images made like to corruptible man, and to the
meanest and most despicable creatures, in the animal kingdom. They
have attributed to what they worshipped as God, all the weaknesses
and vices of fallen and depraved
man--PRIDE--ENVY--CRUELTY--REVENGE--and, even, INTEMPERANCE, and
LEWDNESS.
Not only among the heathen, but even in the most enlightened parts of
the christian world, there ever have been, and still are, in many,
very gross misapprehensions concerning the divine character, as well
as concerning the nature of true religion.--How grossly ignorant the
most enlightened of the heathen were with regard to God, and how much
they were plunged into strange and absurd idolatries and pollutions,
we read, in the following passage of inspired truth. _Professing
themselves wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the
incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and
birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things._ Not only the
common people, the vulgar, but their wisest men--their orators,
philosophers, and legislators did this.--They were even worse, than
the vulgar. Does this look like reason's being a sufficient guide in
matters of religion, or man's having any principle within him by
whatever name it may be called, which is able to lead him to the
saving knowledge of God? In order to know God, so as to be saved, we
must know him as he is; the one only living and true God. None but he
himself can tell us what he is. This he hath most plainly done in his
holy word. The scriptures, which were spoken and penned by the
special influence and inspiration of the holy Ghost, declare to us
WHAT and WHO God is. We only know him, in a saving manner, when we
know him, as glorious in holiness, wonderful in works, and fearful in
praises:--as the greatest, the wisest and best of all beings;--as a
sin-hating, and, at the same time, sin-pardoning God;--as infinitely
gracious and merciful. We must see him as infinitely excellent and
transcendantly glorious, as infinitely amiable and worthy of all
possible praise and adoration. He is goodness and benevolence itself.
He is possessed of all natural and moral perfections.--_And, Jesus
said, why callest thou me good? there is none good, but one that is
God._ He is a being of impartial, universal and infinite benevolence.
Reason cannot tell us what the true moral character of God is.--This
revelation alone teaches us. And we cannot be happy with, unless we
know the true God--and how he will be worshipped--how he can, and
will accept of us--how we may live to his divine approbation. The
light of reason cannot lead us into this true and saving knowledge of
God. It is above all that reason ever did, or can do. Says Paul to
the learned Athenian philosophers and judges--_for as I passed by,
and beheld your devotions, I found an Altar with this inscription TO
THE UNKNOWN GOD, him therefore whom ye ignorantly worship declare I
unto you_. Christ, as the great teacher come from God, alone gives us
the saving knowledge of the supreme Jehovah. _Whosoever denieth the
son, the same hath not the father: All things,_ says he, _are
delivered unto me of my father; and no man knoweth the son but the
father, neither knoweth any man the father, save the son, and he to
whomsoever the son will reveal him._ The gospel or christianity alone
gives us a saving knowledge of the only one living and true God.--The
divine character is to be known only from a divine revelation. If it
could be discovered without a divine revelation, or by the highest
efforts of reason--how could a divine revelation be absolutely
necessary?--The essential glories therefore, and perfections of the
Deity cannot be discovered by natural reason:--those glories and
perfections which make him what he is, or constitute his infinite
moral amiableness and transcendant excellence, and worthiness to
receive from all intelligent creatures all the services, which they
are capable of rendering unto him. He is light, all beauty and glory,
and in him is no darkness at all. But the human mind is darkened by
sin. The depravity of the heart brings on blindness of mind to the
spiritual beauty and glory of the divine character.--_Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through
the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
hearts._ What absurd and essentially erroneous apprehensions of the
nature and perfections of the God of Israel had the Syrians, in the
following proposal of theirs! _And the servants of the king of Syria
said unto him, their Gods, are the Gods of the hills; therefore were
they stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain and
surely we shall be stronger than they._ These heathen knew as much
about the true God, as heathen in general. They supposed the God of
Israel was only a local and tutelary divinity, who had taken the
people of Israel under his peculiar patronage. But the Jehovah of the
Jews was altogether different from any of the Idol-gods of the
Gentiles.--And he must, by his own revelation, inform us of his real
character and essential moral glories.
2. Our rational powers and conscience, under the highest cultivation,
unassisted by a divine revelation, cannot inform us what _kind_ of
worship and obedience is to be paid to the true God. One of the
disciples of Socrates, that great light of the pagan world, desired
information from his Master concerning some difficulties attending
prayer; and above all, particular requests made to God, which have
proved injurious to the petitioners when granted. The philosopher
owned himself utterly unable to satisfy the disciple upon this head,
and concludes with these remarkable words, "We must continue in our
ignorance, till it shall please God to send a person into the world
to give us full information concerning our duty." The light of mere
reason, as proved in another part of this discourse, teaches all men,
over the whole face of the globe, provided they duly hearkened to it,
and cultivated it, that they ought to honour and worship the divine
Being. But it cannot tell _what sort_ of homage he will accept, or
how we are to worship him. He alone can satisfy us, on this most
material point--a point of supreme importance. He must tell us, in
what way, we are to pay divine honours to his glorious Majesty. He
dwells not in temples made with hands, neither is worshipped by men's
hands as though he needed any thing from us. For he can neither be
inriched by our services, nor impoverished by the want of them.--With
regard to the worship of the heathen, St. Paul has these remarkable
words; _Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as
God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened._ All their rites and forms of
worship were absurd, unworthy of the divine nature, and disgraceful
to ours. It may be proper here, to mention some striking instances of
strange and cruel methods of worship, as a specimen of man's natural
ignorance of the _right_ way of honouring and serving God. The Idol
Baal, in scripture mentioned so often, was worshipped by acts of
cruelty, which the sottish worshippers inflicted upon themselves. So
desirous of ease are mankind, and so averse to pain that we should
rationally conclude, that no methods of tormenting themselves could
be introduced into their religious worship of their Idols. But the
deluded Idolaters, in paying their homage to Baal, cut and wounded
their own flesh--gashed and mangled themselves to please their Idol.
_And they cried aloud, and cut themselves, AFTER THEIR MANNER, with
knives and lancets till the blood gushed out upon them._--The Idol
Moloch was worshipped by acts of the strangest and most unnatural
cruelty.--Parents sacrificed their children to this Idol; and, it has
been very common for parents to appease the anger of their fancied
Gods, by sacrificing their tender offspring.--How contrary to
reason--to nature! The image of Moloch was made of brass, in a
hideous shape, and het red hot; and the devoted victim--the innocent
child was brought by its own parents, and thrown naked into this
burning brass, and burnt to death,--and no regard paid to its piteous
cries. The Carthaginians were wont, as we are told in history, to
sacrifice their children, when public calamities visited their state,
to placate the resentments of their gods. And, their custom was to
select, out of all, the fairest and most promising--such as were best
beloved, and to offer them up in sacrifice: _to give up the fruit of
the body for the sin of the soul._ Many nations have, and do to this
day, worship their Idols, by acts of extreme cruelty--by consuming
themselves in the fire. Modes of worship have been adopted, which are
contrary to all the tender affections of human nature. And, no
nation, people, or tribe ever yet could be found, in all the world,
by voyages or travels, that ever had any rational or decent rites of
worship, where the gospel never shined, whether in Europe, Asia,
Africa or America. The most civilized and learned heathen nations
were as absurd--as extravagant--as ridiculous, in their idolatries,
as the rude and savage. And it is confidently affirmed by some modern
travellers, that many tribes of men, in the interior parts of
extensive countries, have no word in their language, for either a
God, or any worship. Whether this be so or not, we cannot absolutely
determine:--it rests upon the credibility of the reporters. What can,
therefore, be more contrary to fact, than to pretend that man has any
principle in himself, which can be a safe guide in matters of
Religion?