I. Their impiety. They are described as not liking to retain God in their knowledge,-as haters of God, as changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator. The pure and holy character of God, the spirituality of that worship which he requires, the rectitude of his law, were far from being pleasing objects of contemplation to their depraved hearts. Their affections were alienated from the God of truth and holiness; they, therefore, gave religious homage to a multitude of idol deities; and framed such a system of worship as encouraged them in their ungodliness and unrighteousness. They did so in opposition to the light of their conscience, to the great truths concerning the being and providence of God which were inculcated by the view of the constitution and order of the world, to the doctrines of revelation transmitted to them by tradition, and to the standing memorial afforded to mankind of the perfections and the moral government of God, in the history, preservation, ordinances, and laws of the Jewish nation. They substituted non-entities in room of the living and true God; impure and foolish rites in place of his holy worship; and pleased themselves with gods whose character accorded with their own, who laid no restraints on their corrupt desires, but allowed them to work all uncleanness with greediness.

The most marked feature in this impiety is, that it arose from hatred to God. This is the origin which the Scriptures assign to the apostacy of man from the God that made him. A principle of enmity has been introduced into his heart, which shews its operation in

the Jews as well as in the Gentiles, and which, while it discovered its strength in both, by their proneness to forsake and forget God, produced that system of idolatry and immorality that filled the world with spiritual darkness and death. To them all might fitly be applied the language in which Isaiah described the depravity and guilt of the Jews,-" Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken;—I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters; they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward:the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores*."

It is a mistake to suppose, that the principle of depravity in the human heart which gave rise to the gross impiety, polytheism, and idolatry of the heathen world, is at all different from that evil bias of the carnal mind which is enmity against God, and is not subject to his law. The alienation of the mind from God is not the peculiar characteristic of any age or of any portion of our race, but of every age, and of all mankind. It shews its operation in man under the profession of true religion as well as of false, and in all the stages of his existence, from his cradle to his grave. It is more palpable in the barrier which

Isa. i. 4-6.

it raises up between the presence of God and the soul in the system of idolatrous worship; but it is not less real in the multitude of nominal christians who live without God in the world. Their idols are those of the heart,-the gratifications of sense and of intellect: they seek their happiness, not in God, but in running the career of ambition, or in earning a reputation of benevolence and usefulness, or, in the enjoyments of domestic life. They are not gross transgressors, it may be, of the law of God,-they are not avowed unbelievers in his word,-they are not habitual neglecters of the forms of worship by which he is honoured; but does the favour of God form an element in their happiness? How often through the week, and through the year, do their hearts and affections rise towards Him who is alone adequate to be the strength of our hearts, and our portion for ever?

II. The immorality of the Gentiles was the natural consequence of their impiety and idolatry. It is religion that makes known to man the rule of moral duty, and that presents the most powerful motives to its practice. It is this that prescribes it in all its extent, and enforces it by divine authority. But in the impure and cruel rites, and foolish ceremonies that constituted the worship of the gods, what doctrine was there to be believed, and what law was there enjoined, which could be of the smallest use in regulating and directing moral conduct. The office of their priests was not to teach men to live virtuously, but what gods they were to worship, what sacrifices they were to offer, and in what manner the rites were to be observed. Their religion had no

relation to the state of the heart, or to the practice of the life, in any other way than to cherish and deepen their depravity, by exhibiting to them in the objects of their worship the grossest impurity and immorality. The very practices by which they worshipped the gods were in many instances of an immoral nature, and had a direct tendency to encourage vice and licentiousness.

The darkness and irreligion thus produced, influenced every thing, with which, as human beings and moral agents, they were connected. It led them to shew their blindness in regard to the very elements of moral truth and duty, and to call evil good, and good evil; to put darkness for light, and light for darkness; to put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. Hence, their civil laws and constitutions were, in many instances, directly at variance with moral obligation,-permitting, if not enjoining, the indulgence of sensual passion, and tending to stifle every sentiment of mercy and compassion in the human breast. This remark might be very fully illustrated and proved by a reference to the laws and customs of the most civilized heathen nations, many of which were revolting to humanity, and contrary to the first principles of morals. But I observe,

III. That their immorality was the consequence of the blindness and impenitence to which God gave them up, on account of their extreme impiety and idolatry. This fact, so awful in its nature, as the severest infliction of divine wrath, is twice asserted in one chapter*. "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to

• Rom. i.

dishonour their own bodies between themselves:-and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which aer not convenient."

This doctrine, so often alluded to in scripture, is quite accordant with our views of the holiness and justice of God. Is he on any ground bound to strive with the conscience of the sinner after he wilfully per. severes in blindness and impenitence? When moral agents have misimproved their advantages, and done dishonour to the government and majesty of God, is it not meet that they should be allowed to act according to the bias of their own hearts? Is it unjust in God to withdraw those divine influences from them which they have resisted, which they have never sought, and of which they are anxious to be quit? In infinite mercy he bears long with them, exercising his patience and forgiveness, and asks, with the compassionate tenderness of a parent towards his chidren, -"O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel; how shall I make thee as Admah; how shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together."

But we know there is a limit at which God gives sinners up to the lusts of their own hearts, and when, as it were, he commands the means and ordinances of

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his grace to let them alone. My spirit shall not always strive with man; my people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me. So I