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GOD SPEAKING.

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find in the world, nay, in the very midst of a Christian population, some, who, in the Cimmerian darkness of their minds, not only have no self-derived perception of spiritual truths, but are even able to stifle or absorb the rays of revealed light flowing in from without, and persist in denying or doubting the existence of a God and of a life after death, and even of their own rational souls, declaring themselves to be no better than the beasts that perish? How can there be, as is imagined, a "light of nature," a universal revelation, flowing into all men's minds, when we find instances like these?^[1]

No! but for the merciful Revelation that we have

↑ There may appear, perhaps, at first view, to be some inconsistency between the truths here presented, and the remarks made in a previous chapter (Chap. I.) concerning the ready belief of children, and even of savages, in the existence of a God. But the inconsisteney is only an apparent one. Infants and young children, not having their minds inwardly closed by a life of evil or indulgence in vice, have their perceptions still open to the influence of that power, communicated by God to every human mind,—not of discovering Divine truth, but of perceiving and acknowledging such truth when taught. Just so is it with the savage. He does not receive his knowledge of the existence of a God or Great Spirit, from an inner teaching; but he, also, has that knowledge by instruction from parents; which is proved from the fact, that in the various heathen nations, ideas of God differ, according to the different kinds of instruction they receive. That knowledge, such as it is, has been handed down by tradition from age to age and from generation to generation,—even from that most ancient time, when man, in a state of integrity, was in direct communication with God. And this is of Divine Providence, who mercifully takes care that with every people there shall be some knowledge of Himself, which may be man's guiding star to heaven; for "in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted of Him." (Acts x. 35.)

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[1] There may appear, perhaps, at first view, to be some inconsistency between the truths here presented, and the remarks made in a previous chapter (Chap. I.) concerning the ready belief of children, and even of savages, in the existence of a God. But the inconsisteney is only an apparent one. Infants and young children, not having their minds inwardly closed by a life of evil or indulgence in vice, have their perceptions still open to the influence of that power, communicated by God to every human mind,—not of discovering Divine truth, but of perceiving and acknowledging such truth when taught. Just so is it with the savage. He does not receive his knowledge of the existence of a God or Great Spirit, from an inner teaching; but he, also, has that knowledge by instruction from parents; which is proved from the fact, that in the various heathen nations, ideas of God differ, according to the different kinds of instruction they receive. That knowledge, such as it is, has been handed down by tradition from age to age and from generation to generation,—even from that most ancient time, when man, in a state of integrity, was in direct communication with God. And this is of Divine Providence, who mercifully takes care that with every people there shall be some knowledge of Himself, which may be man's guiding star to heaven; for "in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted of Him." (Acts x. 35.)

[1]