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INWARD WITNESS
TO
CHRISTIANITY.
[SEI
M.
III.
eternal
life,
.1
John
v.
20.
and
the original
and
spring
of
it
to all
his
happy creatures.
If
it
were possible
that
any
other doctrine
or religion could work such
an
in-
ward
witness in
the
hearts of
sinners; if it
were possible
that
any mere human
gospel
could
give
such a
life
and
happiness
as
I
have
described,
God
would never have
appointed
his
own
divine gospel such
a
doubtful
witness.
But I
may
say,
God
will
never
suffer
so
divine a
testi-
mony
to belong to
any religion,
but that
which
himself
bath revealed
;
and in
our
day
it
can belong
to
none
but
the
gospel
of
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
If
false
religions
çould
have this
witness,
could
work this
eternal
life
in
sinners,
we
could
hardly ever have
sufficient .rules to
judge of
the
true
religion
by.
Rejoice then
ye
that
have
found
this witness
in
your
souls,
that
have
eternal
life
begun in you
;
seek
after no
other
way to
heaven.
Be
not
drawn aside
from
the truth,
but
be
stedfast. Ye
cannot
find
such
another doctrine
among
men;
ye
cannot
find
another
religion
that
can of-
fer
such testimonies
as this.
It
is
then a
convincing,
an
infallible
witness
;
such
a
new
and heavenly
life
wrought
in
the
heart,
is
a
sure
proof that
the
doctrine
comes
from
God.
V.
It
is
a
strong and powerful
witness,
and
ever
ready
at
hand to
baffle
the most learned
sophisms,
and
the
boldest
temptations.
It
lies
so
near,
and
is
always
at
hand,
that it
is
a present shield against
every
flying
ar-
row from the camp
of
infidelity.
It
is
an argument
drawn
from sense
and vital experience, and it
effectually
answers
all
the subtle
cavils
of
false
reasoning. Suppose
a
crafty
philosopher should
pretend
to prove,
that
bread
is
not
wholesome,
that
water
is
useless
to allay
thirst,
or
wine is
mere
poison;
I
may boldly
maintain
the
wholesomeness,
and the happy
use
of
bread, water,
and wine; for
I
am
daily
nourished
by
this bread,
my
thirst
has been
perpetually quenched
by
water,
and
I
have often
found and felt
this
wine
refresh
me.
The
quibbles of
logic,
against
the sense
and experience
of
a
true
christian,
are but
as
darts of
straw
and
stubble
against
the scales
of
a leviathan.
.
When the
Greeks,
who seek
after
learning,
say
to
a
Christian,
"
How can
this gospel
be
true and
divine,
which
is
so
plain and
simple
in itself,
which
was
preach.