46 INWARD WITNESS TD CHRISTIAN7TY. DRAM. M. truth of that gospel, by and to which they are called. Though they cannot argue for the doctrine of Christ, yet they find Christ dwelling within them. the hope of glory, Col. i. 27. They find the characters of Christ copied. out in their hearts, and the life of Christ, in some measure, transcribed in their lives. They find something of sacred influence from the gospel of Christ, which no other doctrines can pretend to; therefore, though they cannot give a rational account, which shall answer all the cavils of men; why they believe christi- anity, through the weakness of their knOwledge, yet their faith in Christ is strong ; for they are sure the doc- trine is divine,. because of the sweet and sanctifying in- fluence it has upon then-i. How condescending is God to poor sinners, to give such a religion to be saved by, that every one who re- ceives it shall have an infallible witness in himself of the truth of it, without the learning of the schools, and the knowledge of tongues ! Their chief argument for it is, they have divine holiness and divine peace. VIII. This inward witness of the truth of christianity is, or should be, always growing and improving. The testimony increases as the divine love increases ; the greater the degree of holiness we arrive at, the more are we confirmed in the truth of christianity, the testi- mony grows stronger, 2 Cor. iii. 18. You find that text approves of what I have now argued. When the apostle had been distinguishing between the religion of the law, and that of the gospel, that the one was cover ed with a veil, but under the other this veil was taken away : We, says he, under the gospel, with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory. We who behold the face of Christ Jesus in his gospel, we who here see a God reconciled in and by the death of his Son, we who see the holiness of Christ here describ- ed, copied, and exemplified, we are changed into the same image. The image of Christ is transcribed upon our natures, we go on from one degree of it to another; we are changed fromglory to glory, from one degree of glorious holiness 'to another : thereby the gospel ap- pears to have a fairer, a brighter; and a stronger evi- dence.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=