44 1sYWARD WRfiNESS TO CHRISTIANITY: CSERrif. they changed my nature, they subdued my sinful appe- tites, they made a new, creature of me, and raised -me.. from death to life ; they made me love God above all things, and gave me the lively and, well-grounded hope of his love : Therefore .I cannot doubt but that the chief principles of thistbook are heavenly. and divine, though I cannot so well prove that the very words and syllables of it are so too ; for it is The sense of scripture, and not themere letters of it; on which I .build myhope." I might say yet further, 3. This inward witness gives great support in .hours of darkness and temptations of thedevil, when such sud - den thoughts shall, be thrown into the mind, even of a learned christian : "Whatif the scripture should not be. divine? What if this gospel and theother epistle should not be written by inspiration?. What- if these should be merely the words of men, and not the very word of God ?" The believer, who feels a renewed nature, and a divine life working within him, can boldly repel these fierydarts of Satan, with such a reply as this : Though I cannot at present recollect all the arguments. that prove Matthew, Mark, and Luke, to be divine historians,, or Peter and Paul tobe inspired writers ; yet 'the substance andchief sense of their gospels, and their epistles, must needs be divine, and Cod is the author of it, for -it has begun the spiritual and eternal life in my soul ; and this is .my witness (or rather the witn.ess.of theSpirit,of God within me) that Christ is- the Son of God, the Saviour of sinners, and the religion that I profess and practise is safe and divine." And though there are many and sufficient arguments drawn .from criticism, history, and human learning, to prove the sacred authority of the bible, and such as may give abundant evidence town honest enquirer, and full satisfaction that it is the wordof God ;yet this is the chief evidence that the greatest- part of christians can ever attain of the divine original of-the holy scripture it- self, as.well -as the truth of the doctrines contained in it, .That :they. have found such a -holy and heavenly change passed upon them, by readingórhearing the pro- positions, the histories, the promises, the precepts, and the threatenings of this book: And thence theyare wont to infer,. that the God of truth would not attend a book,-
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