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272
A
RAT[ONAL DEFENCE
OF
THE GOSPEL.
rSERM. XV.
-I
am
constrained
to
be
a
Christian,
and
-believe
in
Jesus
Christ.
Thus
I
have endeavoured to answer those objections
against the
gospel, which
are pretended
to
arise
from
the
truths
or doctrines
of it
:
And before
I
proceed
to ,an-
swer
those
cavils which
are
raised against
it,
because
of
the
professors
of
it,
I
must
finish
the
present discourse
with a
word
or
two
of
improvement.
Use
1.
If
this be
a
gospel
not
to be
ashamed
of,
then
study
it
well
:
Learn
the
truths
and doctrines
of
it tho-
roughly
:
Truths
and doctrines,
which
St.
Paul,
sò
wise,
and
so
great a
man, did
not
blush
to
profess,
and
preach,
and
die
for.
Value
it
as he
valued
it
:
The
more you
know
it,
the more
you
will
esteem
it;
and the
better
you
are acquainted
with all
the glorious articles
of
it,
the
less you
will
be
ashamed
of
it
:
The
divine harmony
of
the
whole
will
cast a
beauty
and
a lustre
on every
part.
Use
2.
Furnish
yourselves
with
arguments
for
it
daily,
that
you
may
profess
it
without
shame,
and
de-
fend
it without
blushing
:
This
is
a
day
of temptation,
and
you know
not
what conversation you may
be
called
into
by
divine
providence;
you know
not
what cavils you
.rnay
meet
with
to
assault your faith, and attack christi-
anity.
Be
ready
therefore
to give
reasons
of
the hope
that
is
in
you,
and to
make
a
just
and
pertinent
reply
to
gain-
sayers,
and
convince those,
if
possible,
that are
led
away captives
by
the
wiles
of
the
devil
to forsake
Christ
and
his
gospel.
Let
not
every
turn
of
wit,
or
sleight
of
argument
and sophistry, make you
waver in
your
faith.
It
is
a
gospel
that
will
bear
the trial of reasonings and
re-
proaches;
It
lias
something
in
itself
that
is
divine,
and
therefore
it
is
able
to
support
the professors
of
it against
an army
of
cavillers:
Use
S.
Submit to
all
the institutions
of
it.
Profess
the
whole
of
the gospel
;
not
only
the doctrines,
but the
ordinances of
this
gospel, are
divine and glorious
;
they
have
something
in
theist
that
spew
they come from
God,
ar:d they have
something
in
them
that
evidently leads to
God. They have
all
something
in
their
sense
and
signi-
fication
that
discovers divinity.
Wait
upon God there-
fore
in all his
ordinances,
in
the
assemblies
of
Christians,