272 A RAT[ONAL DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL. rSERM. XV. -I am constrained to be a Christian, and -believe in Jesus Christ. Thus I have endeavoured to answer those objections against the gospel, which are pretended to arise from the truths or doctrines of it : And before I proceed to ,an- swer those cavils which are raised against it, because of the professors of it, I must finish the present discourse with a word or two of improvement. Use 1. If this be a gospel not to be ashamed of, then study it well : Learn the truths and doctrines of it tho- roughly : Truths and doctrines, which St. Paul, sò wise, and so great a man, did not blush to profess, and preach, and die for. Value it as he valued it : The more you know it, the more you will esteem it; and the better you are acquainted with all the glorious articles of it, the less you will be ashamed of it : The divine harmony of the whole will cast a beauty and a lustreon every part. Use 2. Furnish yourselves with arguments for it daily, that you may profess it without shame, andde- fend it without blushing : This is a day of temptation, and you know not what conversation you may be called into by divine providence; you knownot what cavils you .rnay meet with to assault your faith, and attack christi- anity. Be ready therefore to give reasons of the hope that is in you, and to makeajust and pertinent reply to gain- sayers, and convince those, if possible, that are led away captives by the wiles of the devil to forsake Christ and his gospel. Let not every turn of wit, or sleight of argument and sophistry, make you waver in your faith. It is a gospel that will bear the trial of reasonings and re- proaches; It lias something in itself that is divine, and therefore it is able to support the professors of it against an army of cavillers: Use S. Submit to all the institutions of it. Profess the whole of the gospel ; not only the doctrines, but the ordinances of this gospel, are divine and glorious ; they have something in theist that spew they come fromGod, ar:d they have something in them that evidently leads to God. They haveall something in their sense and signi- fication that discovers divinity. Wait upon God there- fore in all his ordinances, in the assemblies of Christians,
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