HEATHEN, pagans who wor

of the frame of the heart, Ps.||of sickness and death, Jer. xlix, lxxvii, 6.-2. Deep humiliation 11. The means to be made use of for heart evils and disorders, 2d to keep our hearts are, 1. WatchfulChron. xxxii, 26.-3. Earnest sup-ness, Mark xiii, 37.-2. Examiplication for heart purifying and nation, Prov. iv, 26.-3. Prayer, rectifying grace, Ps. xix, 12.-4. Luke xviii, 1.-4. Reading God's A constant holy jealousy over our word, John v, 39.-5. Dependhearts, Prov. xxvii, 14.-5. Itance on Divine grace, Ps. lxxxvi, includes the realizing of God's pre-11. See Flavel on Keeping the sence with us, and setting him be- Heart; Jamieson's Sermons on the fore us, Ps. xvi, 8. Gen. xvii, 1. Heart; Ridgley's Div. qu. 29. This is, 1. The hardest work ;| heart work is hard work, indeed. ship false gods, and are not ac-2. Constant work, Exod. xvii, quainted either with the doctrines 12.-3. The most important of the Old Testament or the chriswork, Prov. xxiii, 26. This is atian dispensation. For many ages duty which should be attended to, before Christ, the nations at large if we consider it in connexion with, were destitute of the true religion, 1. The honour of God, Is. lxvi, and gave themselves up to the 3.-2. The sincerity of our pro- grossest ignorance, the most abfession, 2d Kings, x, 31. Ezek. surd idolatry, and the greatest xxxiii, 31, 32.-3. The beauty of crimes. Even the most learned our conversation, Prov. xii, 26. men among the heathens were in Ps. xlv, 1.—4. The comfort of our general inconsistent, and complied souls, 2d Cor. xiii, 5.-5. The with or promoted the vain cusimprovement of our graces, Ps.toms they found among their Ixiii, 5, 6.-6. The stability of countrymen. It was, however, diour souls in the hour of temp-vinely foretold, that in Abraham's tation, 1st Cor. xvi, 13. The sea-seed all nations should be blessed; sons in which we should more par-that the heathens should be gatherticularly keep our hearts are, 1.ed to the Saviour, and become his The time of prosperity, Deut. vi, people, Gen. xxii, 18. Gen. xlix, 10, 12.-2. Under afflictions, Heb. 10. Ps. ii, 8. Isa. xlii, 6, 7. Ps. xii, 5, 6.—3. The time of Sion's lxxii. Isaiah Ix. In order that troubles, Ps. xlvi, 1, 4.-4. In the these promises might be accomtime of great and threatening dan-plished, vast numbers of the Jews, gers, Is. xxvi, 20, 21.-5. Under after the Chaldean captivity, were great wants, Phil. iv, 6, 7.-6. In left scattered among the heathen. the time of duty, Lev. x, 3.-7. The Old Testament was translatUnder injuries received, Rom. xii, ed into Greek, the most common 17, &c.-8. In the critical hour of language of the heathen; and a temptation, Matt. xxvi, 41.-9. rumour of the Saviour's appearance Under dark and doubting seasons, in the flesh was spread far and wide Heb. xii, 8. Is. 1. 10.-10. In among them. When Christ came, time of opposition and suffering, he preached chiefly in Galilee, 1st Pet. iv, 12, 13.-11. The time where there were multitudes of

Gentiles. He assured the Greeks the apostles, during the time of our that vast numbers of the heathen Saviour's abode on earth, seem to should be brought into the church, have had but little notion of those Matt. iv, 23. John xii, 20, 24. doctrines, which those who deny For 1700 years past the Jews have the salvability of the heathens are been generally rejected, and the most apt to imagine, Rom. ii, 10 church of God has been composed to 26. Acts x, 34, 35. Matt. viii, of the Gentiles. Upwards of 480 11, 12. Mr. Grove, Dr. Watts, millions (nearly half the globe) Saurin, and Mr. Newton, favour however, are supposed to be yet the same opinion; the latter of in pagan darkness. Considerable whom thus observes: "If we supattempts have been made of late pose a heathen brought to a sense years for the enlightening of the of his misery; to a conviction that heathen; and there is every rea- he cannot be happy without the son to believe good has been done. favour of the great Lord of the From the aspect of scripture pro-world; to a feeling of guilt, and phecy, we are led to expect that desire of mercy, and that, though the kingdoms of the heathen at he has no explicit knowledge of a large shall be brought to the light Saviour, he directs the cry of his of the gospel, Matt. xxiv, 14. Isa. heart to the unknown Supreme, Ix. Ps. xxii, 28, 29. Ps. ii, 7, 8. to have mercy upon him; who It has been much disputed whe-will prove that such views and dether it be possible that the heathen sires can arise in the heart of a should be saved without the know- sinner, without the energy of that ledge of the gospel: some have spirit which Jesus is exalted to beabsolutely denied it upon the au-stow? Who will take upon him to thority of those texts which uni-say, that his blood has not suffiversally require faith in Christ;cient efficacy to redeem to God a but to this it is answered, that sinner who is thus disposed, though those texts regard only such to he have never heard of his name? whom the gospel comes, and are Or who has a warrant to affirm, capable of understanding the con- that the supposition I have made. tents of it. The truth, says Dr. is in the nature of things imposDoddridge, seems to be this; that sible to be realized?" Newton's none of the heathens will be con- Messiah; Dr. Watts's Strength and demned for not believing the gos-Weakness of Human Reason, p. pel, but they are liable to con-106; Saurin's Sermons, vol. ii, p. demnation for the breach of God's 314; Grove's Moral Philosophy, natural law : nevertheless, if there vol. i, p. 128; Turret Loc. vol. be any of them in whom there is i, quæst. 4, § 1, 2, 17; Dodda prevailing love to the Divine Be- ridge's Lectures, lec. 240, vol. ii, ing, there seems reason to believe 8vo edit.; Bellamy's Religion Dethat, for the sake of Christ, though lineated, p. 105; Ridgley's Body to them unknown, they may be ac-of Divinity, qu. 60; Gale's Court cepted by God; and so much the of the Gentiles. rather, as the ancient Jews, and even HEAVEN is considered as a VOL. I

U ul

place in some remote part of infi-place is, however, cannot be deternite space, in which the omnipre-mined. Some have thought it to sent Deity is said to afford a nearer be beyond the starry firmament; and more immediate view of him-and some of the ancients imagined self, and a more sensible manifes-that their dwelling would be in the tation of his glory, than in the oth-sun. Others suppose the air to er parts of the universe. be the seat of the blessed. Others

That there is a state of future think that the saints will dwell happiness, both reason and scrip-upon earth when it shall be reture indicate a general notion of stored to its paradisaical state; but happiness after death has obtained these suppositions are more curiamong the wiser sort of heathens, ous than edifying, and it becomes who have only had the light of na-us to be silent where Divine reveture to guide them. If we exa-lation is so.

mine the human mind, it is also Heaven, however, we are assurevident that there is a natural de-ed is a place of inexpressible felicisire after happiness in all men; ty. The names given to it are and, which is equally evident, is proofs of this: it is called paradise, not attained in this life. It is no Luke xxiii, 43. Light, Rev. xxi, less observable, that in the present 23. A building and mansion of God, state there is an unequal distribu- 2d Cor. v, 1. John xiv, 2. A city, tion of things, which makes the Heb. xi, 10, 16. A better country, providences of God very intricate, Heb. xi, 16. An inheritance, Acts and which cannot be solved with-xx, 32. A kingdom, Matt. xxv, out supposing a future state. Re-34. A crown, 2d Tim. iv, 8. Glory, velation, however, puts it beyond Ps. lxxxiv, 11. 2d Cor. iv, 17. all doubt. The Divine Being hath Peace, rest, and joy of the Lord, promised it, 1st John ii, 25. 1st Isa. lvii, 2. Heb. iv, 9. Matt. xxv, John v, 11. James i, 12. hath 21, 23. The felicity of heaven will given us some intimation of its consist in freedom from all evil, glory, 1st Peter i, 4. Rev. xxii, 3, both of soul and body, Rev. vii, 4. declares Christ hath taken possession of it for us, John xiv, 2, 3. and informs us of some already there, both as to their bodies and souls, Gen. v, 24. 2d Kings ii.

last; in the enjoyment of God as the chief good; in the company of angels and saints; in perfect holiness, and extensive knowledge. It has been disputed whether Heaven is to be considered as a there are degrees of glory in heaven. place, as well as a state: it is ex-The arguments against degrees are, pressly so termed in scripture, that all the people of God are lovJohn xiv, 2, 3: and the existence ed by him with the same love, all of the body of Christ, and those of chosen together in Christ, equally Enoch and Elijah, is a farther proof interested in the same covenant of of it. Yea, if it be not a place, where grace, equally redeemed with the can these bodies be? and where same price, and all predestinated will the bodies of the saints exist to the same adoption of children; after the resurrection? Where this to suppose the contrary, it is said,

is to eclipse the glory of Divine knew that Eve was taken out of grace, and carries with it the legal him; and therefore says, This is idea of being rewarded for our now bone of my bone, and flesh of works. On the other side it is my flesh: she shall be called woman, observed, that if the above reason-because she was taken out of man, ing prove any thing, it would Gen. ii, 23. He was cast into a prove too much, viz. that we deep sleep, when God took one of should all be upon an equality in his ribs, and so formed the woman, the present world as well as that as we read in the foregoing words; which is to come; for we are now yet the knowledge hereof was as much the objects of the same communicated to him by God. love, purchased by the same blood, Moreover, we read that Peter, &c. as we shall be hereafter. James, and John, knew Moses and That rewards contain nothing in- Elias, Matt. xvii, as appears from consistent with the doctrine of Peter's making a particular mengrace, because those very works tion of them: Let us make three which it pleaseth God to honour tabernacles; one for thee, one for are the effects of his own opera-Moses, and one for Elias, 4th ver. tion. That all rewards to a guilty though he had never seen them creature have respect to the me- before. Again; our Saviour, in diation of Christ. That God's the parable, represents the rich graciously connecting blessings man as seeing Abraham afar off, with the obedience of his people, and Lazarus in his bosom, Luke xvi, serves to shew not only his love to 23, and speaks of him as addressChrist and to them, but his regard ing his discourse to him. From to righteousness. That the scrip- such like arguments, some contures expressly declare for degrees, clude that it may be inferred Dan. xii, 3. Matt. x, 41, 42. Matt. that the saints shall know one anoxix, 28, 29. Luke xix, 16, 19. ther in heaven, when joined togeRom. ii, 6. 1st Cor. iii, 8. 1st ther in the same assembly. Cor. xv, 41, 42. 2d Cor. v, Gal. vi, 9.

10.

Another question has sometimes been proposed, viz. Whether the saints shall know one another in

in

"Moreover, some think that this may be proved from the apostle's words, in 1st Thess. ii, 19, 20. What is our hope or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye heaven? the presence of our Lord Jesus "The arguments," says Dr. Christ at his coming? for ye are Ridgley, "which are generally our glory and joy; which seems to brought in defence of it, are taken argue, that he apprehended their from those instances recorded in happiness in heaven should conscripture, in which persons, who tribute, or be an addition to his, have never seen one another before, as he was made an instrument to have immediately known each bring them thither; even so, by a other in this world, by a special im-parity of reason, every one who mediate divine revelation given to has been instrumental in the conthem, in like manner as Adam version and building up others in

their holy faith, as the apostleshall know that some whom they Paul was with respect to them,loved on earth are not in heathese shall tend to enhance their ven, this will give them no unpraise, and give them occasioneasiness; since that affection which to glorify God on their behalf. took its rise principally from the Therefore it follows that they relation which we stood in to pershall know one another; and con-sons on earth, or the intimacy that sequently they who have walked we have contracted with them, will together in the ways of God, and cease in another world, or rather have been useful to one another as run in another channel, and be relations and intimate friends, in excited by superior motives; namewhat respects more especially their ly, their relation to Christ; that spiritual concerns, these shall bless perfect holiness which they are God for the mutual advantages adorned with; their being joined which they have received, and in the same blessed society, and consequently shall know one ano-engaged in the same employment: ther. Again; some prove this from together with their former usefulthat expression of our Saviour in ness one to another in promoting Luke xvi, 9. Make to yourselves their spiritual welfare, as made friends of the mammon of unright-subservient to the happiness they cousness, that, when ye fail, they enjoy there. And as for others, may receive you into everlasting who are excluded from their socihabitations; especially if by these ety, they will think themselves everlasting habitations be meant obliged, out of a due regard to heaven, as many suppose it is; and the justice and holiness of God, to then the meaning is, that they acquiesce in his righteous judg whom you have relieved, and ments. Thus, the inhabitants of shewn kindness to in this world, heaven are represented as adorshall express a particular joy up-ing the Divine perfections, when on your being admitted into hea-the vials of God's wrath were ven; and consequently they shall poured out upon his enemies, and know you, and bless God for your saying, Thou art righteous, O having been so useful and benefi- Lord, because thou hast judged cial to them. thus; true and righteous are thy

"To this it is objected, that if judgments, Rev. xvi, 5, 7. the saints shall know one another "Another question has been in heaven, they shall know that sometimes asked, viz. Whether several of those who were their there shall be a diversity of lanintimate friends here on earth, guages in heaven, as there is on whom they loved with a very great earth? This we cannot pretend to affection, are not there; and this determine. Some think that there will have a tendency to give them shall; and that, as persons of all some uneasiness, and be a diminu-nations and tongues shall make up tion of their joy and happiness. that blessed society, so they shall

"To this it may be replied, that praise God in the same language if it be allowed that the saints which they before used when on