S2 INWARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY: [SEAM. III.. one that believeth. Which is but the sense of.my text in other words. Every one that believes it in truth, bath this evidence. in himself,. 'even' eternal life : ;Therefore I count not.my life dear to me, &c. for the gospel will bear me out in my professionof it, in my publicationof it, and in my suffering for it. This is the way we shall learn to resist unto blood, and seal the truth of this gos pel with our mortal lives, if we have the seal of this truth abiding inour souls. .5th remark. As from this doctrine you have strong encouragement to profess Christianity, so you are here taught the best way to honour the gospel, and to propa- gate the christian religion in the world. Make this in- ward divine testimony appear to the world; let the eter- nal life that is wrought in your souls by this gospel, ex- press itself in all your outward behaviour amongst men. Thus the primitive christians did, and it was their work to propagate the faith of Christ this way. . The Gentiles and unbelievers were won by their conversation; 1 Pet. iii. 1. Thus the apostles did, who were as so many captains andofficers in the army of christians, going be- fore the camp, and making war against all the idolatry of the heathens.. Theymade that eternal life which was wrought in their souls, appear publicly, and discover itself unto men, and hereby the gospel gained victory and triumph wheresoever it went. When those who were ignorant of faith and its power, came into the as- semblies of christians, and found the gospel to be a doctrine of such divine attendants, it convinced their consciences, and changed many of them into new crea- tures; they fell down, and confessed that there is á God among the christians of a truth. When they see your conversation, when they behold your faith and holy fear, your zeal for God, your delight in his worship, your gentleness, your meekness, kindness, and goodness to- wards your fellow-creatures, your desire of the salva- tion of men, and readiness to deny yourselves for their good ; when the heathens know and behold this, they shall be won, says the apostle, by such a conversation as this is, to the belief of the saine doctrine, and, practice of. the same duties. OWhat unknown millions of arguments would support and adorn the doctrine. of Christ, if every professor .of it 6
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