Who will dare to affirm that no portion of the merit of His sacrifice, who died for the salvation of all men, can ever extend to them? No consideration could induce me to treat of a subject so sacred and so momentous as this, any further than by making use of the light that scripture throws upon it.

In the 1st chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, St. Paul gives an appalling representation of the state of the heathen world; and says expressly, that " as the invisible things of Him (God), from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead, so are they without excuse: because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imagination, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."*

In this quotation, speaking of the Gentile world, the Apostle alludes to those learned. heathen nations which flourished at that time, amongst whom were philosophers, and men of

*Rom. i. 20-22.

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science and of deep research, both in Greece and Rome, such as Plato, Xenophon, Plutarch, Cicero, and others, who, as the Apostle speaks, knew God, as we perceive by their writings, which are still extant. Of these nations, the Apostle says, with great justice, that they were without excuse; and it cannot be doubted, as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge," that "God" (justly) "gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;" which, as may be seen by what follows, means things contrary to reason and nature. Notwithstanding, therefore, the Apostle had laid it down that "where no law is there is no transgression," and "that sin is not imputed where there is no law," it is clear that these wise heathens were amenable to the law of nature, they were of those who, the Apostle says, "having not the law, they are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience

also bearing witness."* And it cannot be doubted, that every man born into the world is bound by the law of nature, and that every man

*Rom. ii. 14, 15.

is answerable for his conduct according to his knowledge and ability. But what shall be said of those wholly unenlightened heathens who inhabit the new continents and islands which were discovered by our adventurous voyagers during the last century? Far from knowing God, they believed images of wood and stone to be their makers and protectors, instead of the living Jehovah, and were given up to idolatry—to the most profane and superstitious rites, and to the most abominable practices. What can we say of them, but that we leave them to the mercy of God, believing that every man is, in some degree, responsible for his actions, and will be judged according to his work; although the difference in the responsibility from the untutored savage to the well-instructed Christian must be incalculable, and by us unfathomable. This distinction is plainly laid down in scripture, in our Saviour's parable of the talents, and in his declaration, that "the servant who knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; but he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes, for unto whomsoever

H

much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."*

St. Paul took advantage of this distinction in his Epistle to the Romans, by the mode which he judiciously and delicately adopted for the purpose of convincing his brethren, the Jews, of their great depravity, by comparing them with the Gentiles whom they despised, plainly intimating that they who boasted of superior knowledge without adding to it virtue, would only receive the greater condemnation. “ Be

hold thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law, and art confident that thou thyself art a guide to the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the law. Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" The Apostle goes on to show that

* Luke xii. 47, 48. † Rom. ii. 17-21.

the Gentiles, whom he calls the uncircumcision, if they fulfilled the law, would judge or condemn the Jews, who, by the letter and circumcision, transgressed the law; and he concludes with the following expansive, just, and liberal declaration, applicable to all people: "For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God."*

To return to the heathen of the present day, whose countries I have mentioned as having been discovered in the last century. He must be void of the proper feelings of a man, and cannot join with the Roman poet in saying, "I am a man, and nothing that concerns man is alien to me,' who has not been filled with horror, mixed with much pity, at the recital of the crimes of which they were found guilty; crimes which were not committed occasionally, and through the force of temptation, but some of them established and thought proper and

* Rom. ii. 28, 29.