SERMONS, SERMON I. THE INWARD WITNESS TO CHRISTIANITY, 1 JOHN V. lo. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the Witness in himself, THE FIRST PART. THERE are two points of great and solemn import- ance, which it becomes every man to enquire into: First, Whether the religion lie professes be true and divine; and then, Whether he has so far complied with the rules of this religion, as to stand entitled to the blessings thereof. The christians ofour age and nation, have beennursed up amongst the forms of christianity from their child- hood ; they take it for granted their religion is divine and true, and therefore seldom enter into the first en- quiry : but when they come to think in good earnest about religious affairs, their great concern is with the second, viz. to know whether they have so far complied with the rules of the gospel of Christ, as to obtain an in- terest in the promised blessings of it. And when they hear such a text as this, He that believeth, hath the wit- ness in himself; they immediately expect that the mean- ing and desigh of it should be towitness the truth of their own faith, and consequently to prove their own title to salvation. But in the first christian age the case was far other- wise. The gospel itself was not then universally estab- lished, and the disciples of this new religion might have frequent doubts in their own minds concerning the truth VOL. I. 1$
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