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glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, &c.

Tis not neceffary, to my present undertaking, that I should give an account, either of the main defign of the Apostle in this Epi

ftle, (which is principally to fhew the neceffity, which both Jews and Gentiles were under, of embracing the Gospel of Christ, in order to their juftification before God) or of the particular relation, which the words of the Text bear to such a general defign; because I intend only to make use of them, as defcribing that knowledge of God, which the Apoftle affirms, that no reasonable and confiderate man can easily miss of; fince from the beginning of the world, God has always given men fufficient evidence of his own existence, fo as to render those men inexcufable, who would not glorify him as God, nor be thankful to him as their Creator and preferver.

However, it may be obferved, that the words are laid down as a reason for that Asfertion, which goes immediately before them, That, in the Gospel, The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the

Truth

Truth in unrighteoufnefs.

The Apostle had

juft before teftified his great readiness to preach the Gospel to the Romans, as well as to all others; owning, that he was by no means afhamed of it, how much foever fome conceited men might despise the plainnefs and fimplicity of it, as well as the outward meannefs with which it appeared in the world; because he was fully convinced, that it was the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believed it, both Jew and Gentile: And that which makes this doctrine of the Gospel, when fincerely believed, and heartily embraced, fo powerful a means of Salvation, he declares to be this, That therein the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, i. e. That method which God hath taken to justify penitent finners by Jefus Chrift, is now more clearly discovered, than it was formerly under the Old Testament; one degree of faith being added to another, according as the revelation it felf; containing mo tives of persuasion, is improved; though it was faith in God, and hot the exact outward obfervance of a written law, which could render men righteous, or acceptable in the fight of God, even under that former more obscure declaration of his will: for

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a by works can no flesh be justified, in that all have finned. But the just shall live by Faith. But then farther, that which both fhews the neceffity of such a juftification by Chrift, and proves the doctrine of the Gospel to be fo powerful a means of bringing men to repentance, and thereby to falvation, is that clear Revelation, which is therein made from heaven, of the wrath of God fully declared against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men, whether Jews or Gentiles, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness. And that such a declaration of God's difpleafure, against all impenitent finners, is just and reasonable, appears from hence; that God hath always communicated fo much natural knowledge of his own Being to mankind, as to render them inexcufable for not glorifying him as God, their maker and benefactor, in the feveral duties or offices of natural Religion and Morality, in which they had been so grievously deficient. Even the Gentiles had light enough offered them, if they would have attended to it, to condemn their abominable practice, though they chofe darkness rather than light, because their works were evil. Because that which

a Vide Rom. 3. 20.

which may be known of God is manifeft among them, for God bath fhewed it unto 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: Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.

In these words there are two things evidently afferted by the Apoftle, both of them directly contrary to thofe pretences, with which Atheistical men endeavour to fkreen themfelves from all the terrors of Religion.

One is, That God has, from the beginning of the world, given fufficient manifestations of his own eternal Power and Godhead to mankind by his works, or by what he has plainly done, and daily does in the world.

The other is, That men having fuch evident means of knowing God, if they either disown, or take no notice of his Being; if they neither glorify him as God, nor fhew any gratitude towards him, they become utterly inexcufable; and will thereby certainly fall under his just indignation, for their neglect of him.

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The first of these Affertions is what I shall at present take notice of. For having already, in my former difcourfes, endeavoured to fhew;

I. That according to the general sentiments of mankind, there cannot be any perfect morality expected, where there is no belief of the first principles of Religion: And,

II. That therefore all focieties of men, which have ever fubfifted in any order in the world, have always profeffed the belief of God's existence, and at leaft of fome kind of providence, and fome expectation of divine rewards and punishments: And,

III. That this belief, or universal confent, did not arise from any art, or contrivance, or compact of men, in order to keep one another in awe; but was really antecedent to any fuch fuppofed contrivance, and built upon a more univerfal Principle:

I shall now, according to my intended method, proceed;

IV. To confider, upon what foundation this general belief or persuasion, of which I have hitherto

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