INWARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY. that feedupon it daily, will discover it in some outward appear- nces; as you read of Jonathan, in the day when he was faint in pursuinghis enemies, he tasted of the honey, and his eyes were enlightened; 1 Sam. xiv. 27. Just so will it be with the soul that hall tasted of the gospel of Christ, this food of eternal life ; he will discover it in his language, in his behaviour ; and it is a' shame to those that profess to be believers, that in all things they look so much like the men of this world, and do not discover it in their lives, and witness what they have in their hearts, even the beginning of eternal life : If we are the the epistle of Christ, we shall be, in some measure, known and read of all men ; 2 Cor. iii. 2, 3. Christianity in thesoul, eternal life begun in the heart, will be like the sweet ointment of the right-hand, that bewrays itself, and cannot be hid; Prov. xxvii. 16. Ye christians, ye are the . light of the earth, ye believers are the salt of the world; ye must not appear like others if you would be like yourselves ; the honour ofGod your Saviour demands some sensible and impor- tant difference. Ye must not be too much like the world, if ye mean to give glory or evidence to the religion of Christ; John xv. 19. "I4ozn. xii. 2. III. Though thisinward evidence of the truthof christianity be,,af a spiritual nature, and spring from pious experience, yet it is a very rational evidence also,and may be made out and justified to the strictest reason. It is no vain, fanciful, and enthusiastic business; for while every believer feels the argument working stronginhisheart and soul, he finds also the convincing force of it upon his understanding: While he feels his inward powers sweetly inclined to virtue andholiness, whichby nature had strong inclination to sensuality and sin, and knows that this was wrought inhim purely by the gospel of Christ ; he cannot but infer, that must be a divine principle which has such divine effects. He knowsthat he was once blind and dead intrespasses and sins, but now he isawake, and alive to God and to righteousness : he isborn again, he dwells; as it were, ina newworld, thereis amighty and surprising change past upon him, even from death to life; and thencehe concludes, by the justestrules ofreasoning, that it must b e a doctrine of divine wisdom and power, that gave him this bles- sed resurrection : It is above and beyond nature, it is a miracle of grace;andnone but God couldwork it. And this is what I call the inward witness of the Spirit of Gcd to the truth of the gospel, at least in these latter ages of christianity. The outward and more visible testimony of the spirit consists in those sensible miracles that were wrought, and those wondrous gifts of healing, of tongues-,,&c. that were bestow- ed on the first christians ; lieb. ii. 4. Ronz. xv. 19. But the Spirit's inward testimony i "Th ei om dfit miracle of regeneration
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