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2
INWARD WITNESS
TO
CHRISTIANITY.
[SERM.
1.
of
it, while they saw
it
disallowed
and opposed
by
the
world
round about
them.
It
was
evidently necessary
therefore for them
to
enquire, whether
it
came from
God
or
no
?
And it
is
with this view
.
the
apostle
John
writes
these words,
He
that
believeth
on
the
Son
of
God,
halt
the
witness in
himself
viz.
he
hath a
proof
within him-
self,
that eternal
life
is
in the
Son,
ver.
11.
and
is
to be
Obtained by
our
believing in
him.
It
is
to the
truth of
this
doctrine that the three bear record
in heaven, the
Father,
the Word,
and
the
Holy Ghost; and
the
three
on
earth,
the
spirit, and
the
water, and
the
blood.
And
though the
proof of
the sincerity and
truth of
our faith
now may be derived from hence
by
a
further
conse-
quence,
yet
the first and
direct
design
of
the
apostle
is
to shew,
that
the
truth
and divinity
of
our
religion
has
an
inward witness
to
it
in the
heart of
every believer.
Here
give me
leave to
put
you in mind,
that
it
is
necessary for
you, as
it
was
for the
primitive christians,
to settle
your
profession
of
christianity upon
solid
grounds
;
otherwise you
are christians
but
for the same
reason
that
makes a
Turk a
disciple
of
Mahomet,
or a
heathen a worshipper
of
the gods
of
his
country; that
is,
because
you were
born
in
such
a
climate,
and under
such á
meridian. And can you
be contented
with
so
poor
a
pretence
to the
noblest religion? and
lay so
sandy
a
foundation
for your
eternal
hopes?
Besides,
the
day
in which
we
live,
threatens
you with
bold
temptations;
and
how
will
you
stand
if
you have no
surer grounds
?
Infidelity
is a
growing
weed; the contempt and ridicule
of
revealed religion
flourish,
and
become fashionable
among the gay
part of
the
world;
and
if
you
are not
furnished
with some solid proofs
of
the gospel
of
Christ,
you
.may
be in
great danger
of
losing
your
faith;
you
may
be
tempted
to yield
up your religion to
a witty
jest,
and
become
a heathen
for company.
I
might
say
another
thing to awaken
you to
acquaint
yourselves
with some
arguments
that
will
justify and sup-
port
your belief
of
the
gospel.
Suppose you
think you
have complied with the rules
of
your
religion,
and
have
raised your
hopes
of
heaven
to
a
high
degree;
should
Satan the
tempter spread
his
darkness round your
souls,
and
in
a melancholy
and
gloomy
hour
assault your
faith
I