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IO
INWARD WITNESS
TO
CHRISTIANITY.
[SERM:
-1.
God
would
be
gracious to
you or
me,
compassionate
to
such
ill
-
deserving sinners, as
we
are,
the light
of
nature
could never determine.
It
is
only
the
Son
of
God,
that
carne
down from the bosom
of
the
Father,
could
so
well
inform us
how
the
Father's heart
worked towards such
sinners,
in
the designs
of pardon and
reconciliation.
2.
Again,
the light
of nature
could never tell
us, how
often God
would
pardon
sinners. Suppose
it
could
be
found
out
by
reason
that God
is
so
compassionate
that
lie would forgive offences,
yet it could never
be
inferred
bow often
we
could
be
forgiven; and
if
he
had
pardoned
us once,
we
might for ever
despair
if
we
had committed
new
iniquities
:
For
who
but a
divine messenger
can tell
us,
that
he
will
often
repeat
his
pardons?
3.
The
light
of nature
could never inform
us how
great
the
offences
were
that
could
be
forgiven;
reason
could
never
tell
us,
the
rebellions
of
the
biggest
size,
and
treasons
of
the blackest aggravation, should
be
all
can-
celled;
the light
of
nature
could never
say,
All
manner
of
sin
and
blasphemy
shall
be
forgiven
to
men.
This
the Son
of
God
only
hath taught
us,
who came from
the
bosom
of
the
Father, and
who
laid
a foundation
for
the
brightest
displays
of
pardoning
grace.
4.
Reason,
with
all the principles
of natural
religion,
could
never
teach
us
what
we
must do
to
obtain
pardon,
and
on
what terms God
would forgive.
Reason indeed
might require
us
to
repent of
sin,
but
it could never as-
sure
us,
that
he
that
coi
fesseth, and
forsaketh
his sin,
shall
find
mercy.
Nor
could
it
chew
us-any
mediator
or
reconciler
between
God
and
man,
nor
how,
or
in
what
manner,
we
must address ourselves
to him,
or
to an of-
fended
God
by
him
;
reason
could
never
start
a
thought
of
this
strange
way
of
salvation,
that
we
must
believe,
or
trust
in
another's
sufferings,
in
order
to the
pardon
of
our
own
sins;
that
we
must depend
on the merits and
right-
eousness
of
one
that
died, in
order
to obtain forgive-
ness
and
life
;
that
by
faith
in the
blood
of
Christ, God
will
justify/
them
that
believe in
Jesus. What
could the
light
of
mere
nature
teach
us
concerning
this
Jesus
?
And
yet there
is
no
other
name
under
heaven
whereby,
we
can
be
saved,
Acts
iv.
12.
5.
The
light
of
nature, or any
religion
invented
by"