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6BRM.
XV.)
A
RATIONAL DEFENCE
OF
THE GOSPEL.
259
Whereas
if
this
had been
all
the substance
of
the gospel,
he
had
no
reason
to be ashamed
of
it
either
among the
Jews
or
the heathens.
The
Jews,
had
a
knowledge
of
forgiveness
upon repentance, and
a
belief of it
long be-
fore
Christ came: And the heathen;philosophers
would
have
readily received
it,
as
a thing very little different
from what
their natural reason
might lead them
to
hope
,for;
though
it
could
not
fully
assure
them
of
it:
They
would
never have sought
to
expose and
ridicule
the
preaching
of
St.
Paul
as
mere babbling,
and called
him
a
setter
forth
of
strange
gods.
But
on
the
other
hand,
if
we
suppose him publishing
the
glorious doctrine which
I
have
described,
there
was
something
in
this
so
strange
to the ears
of
the heathens,
as
well
as
of
the blinded Jews,
that
might
well be
sup-
.
posed to
awaken
their opposition and
rage
;
and
there-
fore it
was a
great point
gained with
him,
when
he
had
courage enough
to
maintain
such
a
gospel,
and
to
say,
I
am
not ashamed
of
it.
,
This.
leads
me to
the second thing proposed.
Secondly,
What
is
included
in
these words,
I
am'
not
ashamed
of
the gospel?
To
this
I
answer
under
these
five
heads
:
1.
I
am
not
ashamed to believe
it
as a
man.
2.
I
am
not
ashamed
to
profess
it as
a
christian.
3.
I
am
not
ashamed
to
preach it
to
others as' a
mi-
nister.
4.
I
am
not
ashamed
to
defend
it,
and
contend
for
it
as
a good
soldier
of
Christ.
5.
I
am not
ashamed
to suffer
and die for
it
as
a
martyr.
1.
I
am
not
ashamed to
believe this gospel as
a man.
My rational
powers
give me
no
secret reproaches. My
understanding
and
judgment
do
not
reprove and
check
my
faith..
I
feel no
inward blush
upon the
face
of
my
soul,'
while
I
give
the fullest assent
to all
these truths,
to
this scheme
of
doctrine,
to
this heavenly
contrivance and
system of grace. A
rational
man, especially
who
has
been bred up in learning, should
be
ashamed to believe
fables and
follies,
but'I
believe all this gospel,
and
am
not
ashamed. My
own
reason
approves
it,
and justifies
me
in the persuasion
and belief
of
such a
gospel
as
this
is.
I
believe
it
with
so
firm
and unshaken
a
faith,
that
I
s2