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SEAM.

IIL

INWARD WITNESS

TO

CHRISTIANITY.

45

which

was

not

agreeable

to

his

mind,

with

such glo-

rious

instances

of

his own power

and

grace.

Though

it

must

be

still confessed,

that

this

argument

is

much

stronger,

and

the

evidence

brighter for the general

truth

of christianity, than

it

can possibly

be

for the sa-

cred

autharity of

any one verse

or chapter of

the New

Testament.

I

have

dwelt the

longer

on

this

sixth

property of

the

inward

witness,

because I

think it of great importance

in

our

age,

which

has

taken

so

many steps towards hea-

thenism

and

infidelity

:

for

this

argument or

evidence

will defend a christian

in

the profession

of

the

trùe

re-

ligion,

though

he may

not

have

skill

enough to defend

his bible.

[This

sermon may

be divided here,

if

it.be too

long.]

VII.

This

is

an universal

witness to

the

truth of the

gospel

;

for

it

belongs to every

true

christian.

The

weak,

as well

as

the strong,

enjoy this

inward

evidence

in

some

measure

and

degree.

This

is

an argument

of

some force

and conviction to

him, who

is

but

young in

grace-and

knowledge,

as well as

to him who has

made

high advances

in

the

faith;

and

is

grown

up

to the

sta-

ture

Of

a

man

in

Christ.

Though it

must"

be

acknow-

ledged,

that

where faith and

love, holiness

and peace

are

weak;'

the

'evidence

of

this

testimony

is

weak also

;

yet

it

may

sometimes stand

firm

and

strong, and shine

bright

in

those christians,

whose

intellectual

powers

are

but-mean' and

low.

Some

persons

of great

holiness may

have

but

little

natural

Parts,

poor

understandings,

a

mean education, and can

scarce

give

any clear

rational

account'

of

the

things

of

this world,

or

of that

which

is

to come; and

these enjoy

.a

great

degree

of

this

ie

}ward

.

witness

the

truth

-of

christianity,

that

a

divine

life is

begun. in them,

and

that the

gospel

-has

effectually

wrought

in

them a

new

nature

;

those

great and precious

promises

of

the

gospel

having made

them

partakers

of

the divine

nature,

they

are sure those promises must

be divine,

2

Pet.

i.

4.

and

1

Cor. i.,22,

23.

Not

many

wise,

not

many

mighty, not

many

noble

are

called;

but

'God

hath

chosen

the

poor, and the

weak,

and

foolish

things

of

this,

world,

to

confound the

wise

and

the

'nighty:

Nor

yet

hath

he

chosen,

or called one

of

them,

without

giving

them

a

sufficient witness

to the