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SERM.
XVII.7
A
RATIONAL DEFENCE
OF
THE GOSPEL.
3
©l,
can bring against the
gospel, either
from
the
doctrines
or
from the professors
of it
:
And methinks,
I
would
fain
have you all
furnished
with this
glorious argument,
and learn
to
manage
it for
the
defence
of
your
faith.
Do
they tell
you,
that
*--doctrines
of
the gospel con-
tain
mysteries in them,
and
things
that
are unsearchable
;
Do
they
endeavour
to
put
you
out
of
countenance
by
ri-
diculing the
truths
of
christianity,
as
being
contrary
to
the
common
opinions and reasonings
of
Mien
Do they
re-
proach them as
foolish
and
unreasonable, and
do
they
endeavour
to persuade
you
that
they
are not
sufficiently
attested,
and
there
is
not ground
enough to
give
credit to
them
?
Though there
have been
particular
answers given
to each
of
these
cavils
in the first discourse
;
yet
you may
give
this general
and
short
reply to
all
of
them,
and
say,
"
I
am sure
they
are not contrary
to reason
;
for they
are
divine.
They are not incredible, nor do they want
sufficient
evidence;
for
God
himself
by his
own
Spirit
has borne
witness to
them
in
my
heart
:
He
has
wrought
an
almighty work
there
by
the
means
of
this
gospel;
He
has
created
me anew
unto
faith,
and
hope,
and holiness
:
'he
has
turned
my
heart
from
earth
to heaven,
and
subdued
the
sinful inclinations
of
my
nature
by
the precepts, by
the
promises, by the glorious
discoveries
of
this gospel
:
He
has
made
use
of
it
to
save
my
soul
;
and
I carry
about
me an
uncontrolable
proof that it
came
from
heaven.
Now
though
this
sort
of
argument
may have
but
little
force
in
it
sometimes for the conviction
of
the
infidel;
yet
it
is
of
sufficient
force to establish the believer.
But
I
proceed.
Do
they
fill
your
ears
with the
mean
and contemptible
character of
the
professorsof
this
gos-
pel
?
Do
they charge many
of
them with vicious
prac-
tices
?
Do
they
tell you
of
their different
opinions,
their
contests and
their quarrels
?
And
do they
discourage
you
by pointing
to
the apostates
that
have
forsaken the
faith
?
You
may
defend
yourself
and
your profession against
all
these objections
by
the same
general argument thus
:
"
Are the professors
of it
some
of
the
mean
and base
things
of
this
world?
But
they
are
saints,
and
this gos-
pel has made them
so
;
they
are the
sons
and daughters
of
the most
high
God
by
faith in this gospel
;
and
I
will
not
be
ashamed
to
reckon
myself
of
their
society,
and
to
number
myself amongst them. Are
there
many
that
are