SERMONS. SERMON I, The Inward Witness to Christianity, 1 Joxx v. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God, itath the Witness inhimself, THE FIRST PART. THERE are two points of great and solemn importance, which it becomes every man to enquire into : First, Whether the religion he professes be true and divine; and then, Whether he has so far complied with the rules of this religion, as to stand entitled to the blessings thereof. The christians of our age and nation, have been nursed up amongst the forms of christianity from their childhood ; they take it for granted their religion is divine and true, and there- fore seldom enter into thefi first enquiry : but when they come to think in good earnest about religious affairs, their great concern is with the second, viz. to know whether they have so far com- plied withthe rules of the gospel of Christ, as to obtain an in- terest in the promised blessings of it. And when they hearsuch a text as this, Ile that believeth, bath the witness in himself' they. immediately expect that themeaning and design ofit should beto witness the truth of their own faith, and consequently to prove their own title to salvation. But in the first christian age the case was far otherwise. The gospel itself was not then universally established, andthedisciples ofthis new religion might have frequent doubts in theirown minds concerningthe truth of it, while they saw it disallowed and op- posed bythe world round about them. It was evidently neces- sary therefore for them to enquire, whether it came from God or . no i And it is with this view the apostle John writes these
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=