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That man has no principle within himself, by whatever name it may be
called, which is adequate to all the purposes of his salvation, or a
sufficient guide in matters of faith and practice.
EPHESIANS ii. 12.
_That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
Commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of promise,
having no hope, and without God in the world._
The true character and state of mankind before savingly interested in
the gospel are not generally acknowledged, or believed, in the world,
to this day. Many thousand years have they had, to find out their own
state and Character in respect to their Maker and things of a moral
and religious nature; and they are now, as much as ever, divided in
opinion, and are as far from an union of sentiment, on so important,
and one would imagine, plain a point. An impartial inspection into
the human heart and extensive view of the history of the world and
moral things, we should conceive, would bring them all to one and the
same conclusion, and to an exact uniformity of opinion concerning the
state and character of mankind.
Whether man be fallen or not, is now, in reality, the dispute. Such
as reject with scorn, all idea of a revealed Religion as an
impossibility in its own nature, (and some are absurd enough to
reject it on this ground) affirm that the light of reason is entirely
sufficient for all the purposes of discovering to us, the whole of
our duty as rational creatures and to ensure infallibly our happiness
here and hereafter; if there be an hereafter. These say that we are
now just as we always were: that man never fell or apostatized from
his Maker; of course, that he is under no worse circumstances, nor
labours under any evils, under which he did not labour when he came
forth from the hands of creative wisdom, goodness, and power. And,
therefore, that he has an INWARD LIGHT sufficient for all the
purposes of his salvation--a sufficient guide in all things of a
moral and religious nature. The consequence is, that a divine
revelation is wholly unnecessary. If wholly unnecessary, we may be
certain, that a wise and good Being, who perfectly knows all things,
would not vouchsafe to give one.--For he does nothing in vain.--
Others, who admit a divine Revelation, believe that man is not so
fallen from God, but that he has a degree, though small, of real
moral goodness or holiness, which being duly nourished and attended
to, will issue in life eternal. But the Apostle, in the words now
read, says that all men are, before the Gospel be preached unto and
embraced by them, _without hope and without God in the world._--And,
what was intended, in discoursing upon those words, was to prove that
mankind, merely, by their own reason and wisdom, cannot attain to a
saving knowledge of God, or, in themselves, are in a helpless and
hopeless state--Two things were proposed to be largely considered,
I. How far the light of reason, unassisted, can go in the things of a
religious and moral nature.--
II. And, to point out its insufficiency, in these respects, which are
not only very important, but altogether necessary.----
The first of these has already been discussed.--And we entered, in
the preceding discourse, upon the second--and illustrated the
insufficiency of the mere light of reason.--1st. In regard to the
essential glories and excellencies of the divine nature and
character--and 2nd. in regard to the right way of worshipping and
serving God.