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SERMON VII.

Sunday, May 3, 1835.

ON PROVIDENTIAL WARNINGS, AND DIVINE VISITATIONS.

AMOS, III. 6.

Shall the trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?

ONE of the remarkable and most humiliating consequences attending the disobedience and fall of our first parents, is the fact, that we are not only become naturally prone to sin by the depravity of our MORAL WILLS, but that our intellectual capacity (or power of right reasoning, in order to the discovery of TRUTH) is very materially and fatally deteriorated; insomuch that human wisdom, upon the most important of all topics, (that of religion,) has, in all ages of the world, been only a monumental proof of human error, human pride, human wickedness, and human folly: and therefore it was, that our blessed Lord thanked his heavenly Father for

having "concealed the knowledge of himself from the wise and prudent men of this world, and for having, on the contrary, revealed it unto babes ;" that is, to those who were simple-minded and single-hearted, of an honest, humble, and child-like spirit.*

Now, in order to attest this fatal deterioration in man's understanding, it will be sufficient to mention one single instance of absurdity and folly, which is a great deal more prevalent (in different degrees) than many people imagine or will admit ; and of which some of the greatest wits and most clever men, both in ancient and modern times, have afforded examples; I mean, the absurdity and the folly of infidelity !!!

[It was the prevalence of this folly and absurdity in the pious David's time, that provoked him to pen the 14th and the 53d Psalms, both of which are expressed in nearly the same language: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!" The Psalmist then adds, "they are corrupt, they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good, &c."]

It will be objected, perhaps, by some, (who know but little of the various opinions which various men, and various societies of men, venture to broach, and endeavour to maintain, both in this * Matt. xi. 25.

and in other countries,) that "surely, in these times of liberal education, and extension of religious knowledge, there can be no such denomination of person as a real infidel!" Whereas, I reply, that, of a certainty, there are many infidels, both avowedly infidels, (and with whom I have myself personally disputed,) and there are many not avowedly so, but only timidly, secretly, and desiring to be so; and there are, also, many practical infidels, who do not know that they are infidels, but who require to be shown and instructed in what respects they are infidels.

Indeed, my brethren, none of you need be surprised at my pronouncing such a seeming “libel” upon the human intellect, [for you will remember that TRUTH ITSELF, when unflattering, is accounted "libellous" by the laws of our country,] none of you, I repeat, need be surprised at my declaring, that there are, and have been, and ever will be, many infidels in the very heart of CHRISTENDOM, as there were also in the very heart of God's ancient own kingdom and people of ISRAEL; for, if you will but refer to the sacred records, you will discover, that among the JEWS, one-third of the whole nation. (that were distinctly called the sect of the Sadducees) were professedly infidels and materialists, they "believed in neither angel nor spirit!” * * Acts, xxiii. 8.

and also, that among the GREEKS, St. Paul discovered an altar at Athens dedicated" to the UNKNOWN GOD.” * And, if you will furthermore consult the very recent history of our own times, and the journals of the public press, you will find that the names of Rochester, and Bolingbroke, and Hume, and Paine, and Taylor, in this country, and Voltaire, and Rousseau, and Diderot, and half a nation of " philosophers," (falsely so called,) in a neighbouring country, abundantly testify that men of genius, of talent, and of taste; men of learning, of rank, and of refinement, have been, and can be, so morally depraved, and intellectually deceived and darkened, as almost, martyr-like, to maintain theories which reduce themselves to a degree below the very brutes in reason, and below even the very devils in religion!

It was this fact (that men of talent, and comparatively mental superiority on other subjects, may be, and frequently are, so desperately deluded with respect to divine truth and knowledge) which made St. Paul address his Galatian converts with so strong an adjuration as the following,† "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach unto you any other Gospel than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed!" And, upon another occasion, St. James (another witness of the truth) + Gal. i. 8-9.

*Acts, xvii. 23.

desiring to ground every Christian firmly in the PRINCIPLES OF TRUTH, observes, first of all, "Thou believest that there is one God:" he then approvingly adds, "thou doest well!" and then further propels this foundation-stone into its place, by the force of this additional consideration, "The devils also believe and tremble!"* As much as to say, "Let that point be for ever settled in your mind, in spite of all human speculations; in spite also even of infernal suggestions; and remember, that there is no merit in this belief, which is the belief also of the very devils, and that you must both know and believe much more, in order to be a Christian."

Now therefore, my brethren, permit me, with that fidelity which is required of me in my office, to inquire of every one of you, whether this point is sufficiently and for ever settled in your hearts and minds? And whether, as rational, spiritual beings, you admit, and are disposed to admit every other point, which, reasonably and religiously, as St. Paul would argue, depends upon it? If you believe in a God, so true and so tremendous, as the only true God; do you believe likewise in his attributes? Do you believe in his omniscience, in his omnipotence, and in his omnipresence? Do you believe in his provi

* James ii. 19.