c 40 IN-WARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY. [SEAM. In. although it has so much human weakness in our eyes, I have felt a divine' power attending it, it hath been to me the power of God unto salvation. Let it want there- fore what human ornaments it will, if it has a divine efficacy in its I am sure it is from above." Thus whatsoever temptations are proposed to baffle his faith, and to stagger his belief of the doctrine of Christ, this one instance of its divinity, keeps the be-. liever steady: " I have found it of efficacy to begin eternal life in me, therefore I know it is from God." But as to this sort of objections, against the truth and divinity of our religion, arising from the doubtful or difficult evidence of the books of scripture, we may fetch a noble answer from theexperimental testimonyof which I am now speaking : And this shall be the sixth property of this inward witness. VI. It is such a witness to the truth of the christian religion, as does not depend on the exact truth of letters and syllables, nor on the critical knowledge of the co- pies of the bible, nor on this old manuscript, or on the other new translation : For how great soever the differ- ence may be between the various ancient copies of the books of scripture, or the elder or later translation of it, either in protestant or popish countries; . yet the sub- stance of christianity is so scattered through all the New Testament, and especially among the epistles, that every manuscript and every translation has enough of the gos- pel to save souls by it, and make a man a christian in- deed. How full of noise and controversy has the Chris- tianworld been, especially in the learned ages of it, in order to adjust and settle the ,true books of scripture, the true verses, and the true reading? _ How many doubtful words have crept into some of the written co- pies by the mistakes of transcribers? And how exceed- ing hard, if not impossible, is it in many cases to judge which was the true and authentic word or sentence? But the humble and sincere christian has learned so much of the same gospel, in which all copies agree, as has renewed his sinful nature, and wrought a divine life in him, and therefore he is sure the substance of this gospel must be fromGod. Nay,' if this .property of the inward witness be duly considered a little further in the nature and atte.ndantl
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