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WRM.
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INWARD WITNESS
T
p CHRISTIANITY.
25
himself.
There
is
a sweet serenity
and calmness
of spirit
belongs
to the souls
of
those in
whom
faith
is
lively
and
strong,
even when they
stand before
God,
though
he be
a.
God.
of terror
.
and
vengeance to sinners
;
for
they
know
Jesus
is
their atonement, their introducer, their
peace
;
and therefore
they love
to
draw
near
to him as
a
God
reconciled, they
rejoice
in
him as
their highest
leap-
piness.
_
Other. professions
of
men,
.when
they,hbandoned
sen-
sual
pleasures, and
the
vanities
of
this world,
yet taught
them
that their
happiness must
flow
from themselves,
and. made their
own
.virtues their
heaven,
without any
regard
to
God. These philosophers
were self-sufficient,
full
of
themselves; and they were
so
far from making
their
rivers
of
pleasure
to
flow
from the
right-hand
of
God,
that
they even:denied
their.dependance
upon
respect;
and
they
supposed their
wise
men to be
equal
with
God, deriving
.
all
their
blessedness
from
within themselves.
But christianity leads
the soul
out
of
itself. to
God,
as
it
gives a
clearer
-and
larger know-
ledge.,
of God
himself,
in
his
felicitating perfections,
than
the heathens could ever
attain;
it
assures
us,
that
being
near
to
God
is
our-
heaven,
and
the sight
of
him
is
our
happiness,
as well as
provides
a new
and
living way
of
access to
him,.
through
the death and
resurrection
of
Jesus Christ
:
therefore the believer
rejoices
in all
op-
portunities of
drawing
near'
to
God,
for
it
is
the begin-
ning
.o.fhis.
heaven,
and
his
delight
in it
is
an
inward,and
powerful witness
to
the
truth
of
his
religion.
.
IV.
Zeal and activity
for.
the service
of
God,
is
an-
ether.
part
.of.heaven,
another part of
eternal
life,
and
the holiness
of
it.
We have
abundant
reason
to
believe
that
heaven
is
not
a
state
of
mere enjoyment,
unactive
and
idle;
buta
state
of
service
and activity
for
that
Goa
whosewe
are, and from
whom
we
have
received infinite
favours.
The
angels
in
heaven
are
swift messengers
to
perform
the
will
of
.
their God,
Ps.
ciii.
20;:
21..
The
spirits.
of
just
men
made
perfect
are
like angels.
They
do
the.
will
of God
as
a.-
pattern
for
us
on
earth;, forwe
are taught
to pray;
that
his will
may
be
done
on
earth
.
as
it
is
heaven.
What particular.
services they,
are em-
ployed in
of
God,.
we know.
not; but
that
they are
for