300 A RATIONAL DEFENCE OF TYIE GOSPEL. [SEAN. Xvrr. up in your memory, and all the reasonings that your in -. vention can supplyyou with, will hardly be able to keep your faith and hope firm and stecl'fast; for Satan goes be- fore you in skill and rational argument ; and though your arguments are strong and solid, yet he may baffle you by his hellish sophistry, and thus cheat you of your faith, and your hope, and your heaven, if you have not got this gospel wrought into your hearts with power, if you have not felt it to be the power of God unto salva- tion. Hence it comes to pass, that in times of great tempta- tion and persecution there are many. fall away, as the leaves of a tree in the blasts of autumn, when but here and there one stands and endures the shock : It is be- cause there are so few of the professors of the gospel have felt it to be the power of God to the conversion of their souls, and turning their hearts to Gód and heaven. And hence it comes to pass also, that several unlearned christians.in all ages, that could not argue much for the faith in a rational way, yet could dare to die for it, be- cause they had this argument wrought in their own souls; they had felt a divine power going along with it to change their natúxes, Vo.make them new creatures, to give them the hope ofheaven,: and a preparation for it. . IIL. Inference. From what you have heard of this subject, learn the wide extent of this argument for the defence of the gospel of Christ, and the invaluable worth of it to every christian, viz, that the gospel is the power of God to your salvation. It is an argument of wide extent: for it belongs to every christian, to the wise and to the unwise, to the -weak and the strong; there. is no sincere christian, no true believer in Christ, but bath got the foundation of this argument wrought withinhirn : He knows this gospel is divine, and he should not he ashamed to believe and profess it; for he bath felt it support his soul under a sense of guilt, and .give him solid hope of pardoning grace : He bath found it change his sinful nature, soften his heart into repentance, and turn, him from a sinner into a saint; it bath laid the foundation of eternal. life within him. And as it is an argument that belongs to every true christian; so it answers every objection that an infidel
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