34 :NWARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY. tSERM. III. diligence I am employed for the honour of his name in the world. These things I find wrought in me by the gospel of Christ The discoveries of the nature and works of God, by his gospel, have filled my soul with holy won- der, and bowed my spirit down to adore him. The re- velations of his amazing condescension and love, have raised and fired my heart to love him ; the examples of superlative piety I meet with in this gospel, have excited my holy imitation ; , and the motives proposed here, are so awful and so alluring, that all my powers of hope and fear are joined and engaged to constrain my obedience to the excellent and divine precepts of this religion. I feel that I am quite altered from what I. once was, I am a new creature, and the change is divine and heavenly. There is something within me, that bears witness, that ray religion is fromGod. II. It is a witness that will, in some measure, appear in the life, wheresoever it is written in the heart : For eternal life is an active principle, it will be discovering and exercising itself. Is it possible, that a man should have the pardon of his sins, and sweet peace of consci- ence, a sense of the love of God, who is an infinite good, a joyful satisfaction in his heavenly favour, and manifest nothing of this in his aspect and be- haviour ? That he should shew no serenity of counte- nance, no sweetness of temper, no inward joy ? Is it possible that he should have an utter aversion to sin, a hatred of all iniquity in his heart, and not make it ap- pear in his life? That he should maintain a holy con- tempt of this world, and scorn of it, in comparison of the futureglories that his eye is fixed upon, so warm a zeal for God, and so hearty a love to men, and not ma- nifest it to the world ? Surely his life will be above, where his heart is ; and his heart will he in heaven, where his treasures are. Our conversation is in heaven, says the blessed Paul, under the influence of this religion and these hopes, Phil. iii. 20, 21. It is true, indeed, this is a testimony that cannot be communicated to others, in the same measure and man- ner that it is felt by the persons that believe. In this respect it is like the hidden manna, which none knows but they that taste of it; yet those that feed upon it daily will discover it in some outward appearances; as 5
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