that they either knew not their chiefeft Good, or if they had fometimes any Glimmerings of it, were at a Lofs which way to attain it.

Now that the State of the Heathen World was fuch a State of Ignorance, Error, and Confusion, and full of the evil Confequences of them, Fears and Distrusts, corrupt Opinions, and abominable Practices, before the coming of CHRIST, and the Preaching of the Gofpel, might be made appear from many Confiderations; but I fhall choose at prefent to reprefent it to you under thefe three Heads.

First, THEIR grofs Ignorance of the true GoD, and of the Government of the World by his Providence.

Secondly, THEIR being greatly under the Power of Satan, who blinded their Understandings, and incited them to all Manner of Wickedness.

Thirdly, THEIR Uncertainty about a Future State.

Firft, THE grofs Ignorance of the Heathen World, as touching the true GoD, and the Government of the World by his Providence, do plainly fhew the State they were in, to have been very wretched and miferable.

BEFORE Our Saviour came into the World, in Judah only was God known, and bis Name great in Ifrael: at Salem was bis Tabernacle, and his Dwelling in Sion. He had vouchfafed to make a clear Manifeftation of himself to the Jews, whom he had chofen for his own peculiar People, by many express Revelations, and alfo by many wonderful Difpenfations of his Providence towards them. But these were but a small Part in Refpect of the rest of the World, whom they defpifed, and were themselves generally hated by them. From whom therefore it was not likely, that they either should, or indeed would, receive any Information concerning the true GOD.

No, the far greater Part of the World, which were the Gentiles, were, as it were,

without God in the World. They were not Atheists, fuch as denied altogether the Being of a Gop, but they were ignorant of the true one. They were fo far from acknowledging no GoD at all, that they had an infinite Number of Gods, to which, after their Way, they paid their Adorations. They worshipped the Sun, and Moon, and Stars, the Earth and Air, the Fire and the Water, for Gods: Nay, they were fo far corrupted, as to make Gods of the vileft of Creatures, for they worshipt Stocks and Stones, nay, and went further yet, even Devils and Evil Spirits for Gods. And as their Gods were vile, fo were the Ceremonies of their Worship notoriously known to have been obfcene, inhumane, and barbarous.

IF fome of the wifeft among them did own the Supreme Gop, as St. Paul feems to own, Rom. i. 21. yet they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their Imaginations, and changed the Glory of the incorruptible God, into an Image made like unto corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four-footed Beafts, and creeping Things, ver. 23. As for the Generality of the

Hea

Heathen World, they knew nothing at all of him. The Athenians themselves, who, at the Time of CHRIST'S Coming, were fome of the most learned, and fo most refined Part of the World, were yet grofly ignorant of the true GoD, as you may fee by reading over the 17th Chapter of the Acts. And not at all better was it with the Romans, who were the other learned and refined Part of the World. The one Supreme GOD was loft in the Multitude of 'their Gods.

AND then as to the Government of the World by a Providence, tho' by their religious Rites and Adorations, they did seem to intimate, that they did hope for fome Good, or fear fome Evil from thofe to whom they paid them; yet the innumerable foolish and fuperftitious Customs and Observations among them, and their wonderful Nicenefs about them, their rakeing into the Entrails of Beafts, their Obfervations of the flying of Birds, and of a thoufand lucky or unlucky Omens, as they call'd them, do plainly fhew, that the far greater Part of them, the Vulgar at leaft, were fo weak and ignorant, as to

expect their Happiness or Unhappiness from them, more than from the wife and gracious and provident Direction of any Superiour Being.

!

IF any of the wifeft, and best, and thinking Men among them, did by grave and fober Reafonings bring themselves to a Belief of a Providence, fuperintending human Affairs, yet the Generality thought nothing at all of it. And no wonder, when one great Sect among them, who yet had the Reputation of Men of Parts, the Epicureans, taught, that the Gods did not concern themselves with the Government of the Things of this lower World, but enjoyed a perpetual Ease and Reft above, in which their Happiness did confist, and that therefore all Things here happen'd by Chance. And another, the Stoicks, taught, that all Things were determined by Fate and Destiny, which it was impoffible for any Man to alter.

THIS was the State of the World, as to the greatest Part of it, before CHRIST came, with Regard to GOD and his Providence. They were grofly ignorant of the