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SIAN.
XVII.).
A.
RATIONAL DEFENCE
OF
TIHE
GOSPEL.
g
forms
of
devotion
;
for
they have no power to save
their
souls
:
And. marry
of
them
were
indeed brutish
and
shameful.
Mahomet,
the
founder of
the
Turkish
religion,
may
be
ashamed.
of
his
Koran, a
volume
of
fables
and
incredible
lies;: all his
followers.may
be
ashamed
of
their
prophet, and
of the
sensual paradise
that he
promises
them.
.The Jews,
under
the eye
of
Christ,
and the
sun-
beams:
of
the
gospel,
may
be
ashamed of the vain
traditions
ofl
their
:rabbins,
which
were never
divine
and
even
of their
old
rites and ceremonies which Moses
gave
them
;
far
all
these.
are
now
but
weak
and
beggarly
ele-
ments; the Spirit of
God,
them
so,
!
`al.
iv:
9.
They have
now
no
power to
save.
souls, since
God hath
abolished
them; nor indeed had
they
ever
any power
but
what
they
borrowed:.
from
this gospel
of
Christ,
which
lay
concealed
in
them: But
let
none
of
us
that
believe
and
profess:
the
gospel
of.Christ,
be.
ever
asham-
ed
of
any
of
the
doctrines,
or
precepts; or promises
of
it.;,
for
they are. all,
hóly,.
they
are
all
heavenly
;
all
of
them, have divine,
power aecnmpanying. them
to
lead
souls,. to;
salvation;
II.
Inference. Learn,
hence.-
the. true:
method-
of
ob-
taining
chnistipn
courage;:
courage
to
profess.
the gospel
of
Christ
against
all
opposition:
It.
is.
by getting
it
wrought
intrp
your
hearts, and
lives by.christian:
experi-
ence,
and
not
by
learning
a.
mere
form
of
words
in
a
road
of
education
and
catechism.
You must
feel
it
as
the, power
of
Go_
&
to
your.
salvation,
or
you.
will
never
suffer much
for
it.
Let
it
be
aningrafted
word able
to'
save your.souls;.
James
i.
21.
and,
then it will harden
your
faces
against
all
blaspheming
adversaries,.
and the
terrors of
a
persecuting world, then
you, will be
able to
render
a most
powerful reason
why
you
are hold
to
pro-
fess
this
gospel,
and
to answer.
every one
that
asks you
a
reason
of
the
hope that
is
in
you
:
you
will be
able to
oppose
those
that
set themselves against the gospel
of
Christ, when
you feel this divine
spring
of
courage
with-
in you.
I
have
encouraged
you before, to
acquaint
yourselves
with. reasons.
and arguments,
that
may
defend
your,
reli
gion,
and
support
your faith:
But
hours
of
temptation
may
come, when all
the knowledge
and
learned furni-
ture of your
head, all the
arguments.
that
are
treasured