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SERM.
III.
INWARD WITNESS TO
CHRISTIANITY.
51
christianity. When
we
therefore
shall be
attacked
with
arguments to
baffle
our
faith, and
when
the wind
of
false
doctrine
shall grow
strong,
and
shall
carry
away
many;
how shall
we
be
able
to
stand our ground, and
hold
fast
our
faith in
Christ,
if
we
have
not
this
inward
witness,
the
beginnings
of eternal
life?
Therefore it
is
that
so
many
christians waver and
are
led away,
sometimes
to
this new
doctrine, sometimes
to
another,
because they
feel
so
little
of
the
efficacy
and power
of
the gospel in
their hearts,
so
very
little
of
holiness
and eternal
life
within them.
If
you
cannot
argue
for
the
gospel with Iearning,
nor
from
experience, what
will
ye do in
an
hour
of tempta-
tion?
For
the
most part, christians
are
too little
bred
up
to
those methods
of
knowledge,
whereby
they
might
be
capable
of
giving
large,
and rational, and satisfac-
tory
answers
to
those that
may
set
themselves to
oppose
the
truth
and progress
of
the
gospel.
What
will
you
do
in the
darkness
of
such a
temptation,
when
those
that
are learned and ingenious
shall
attack your
faith,.
and
say,
"
Why
do you believe in
Jesus
?"
If
you
have.
this
answer ready
at
hand,
" I
have
found the
efficacy
and
power
of
the
gospel on
my
heart;"
this
will be
sufficient
to
answer all
their
cavils.
It
was
one
way
whereby
christianity
was
confirmed
in
the
hearts
of
the martyrs
of
old,
and
whereby they were
enabled
to
bear
up
against
all
oppositions, because they found such a divine
efficacy
attending the
gospel, such
a
new
and
heavenly
life
wrought
in
them,
as
enabled
them to go
through
great
hardships for
the sake
of
Christ.
But
this leads
me
to,
4.
The fourth remark,
viz.
If
there
be this inward
evidence belonging
to
the
gospel,
and
those
that
truly
believe,
then
you
have
a strong
encouragement to pro-
fess
christianity under
the
greatest
persecutions.
It
will
bear
you
out,
it
carries
its own
evidence with
it;
christi-
anity
in
the
heart
will
give
courage against temptation.
Think it not
strange concerning
the
fiery
trial,
says
the
apostle
Peter,
for
in
such
a
fiery
trial the
gospel bath
secured
thousands;
therefore,
says
St.
Paul, though
I
meet
with
reproaches
wheresoever
I
go,
though bonds
and imprisonments await
me,
and death
itself,
4cts
xx.
3.
yet I
am
not
ashamed
of
the
gospel
of Christ,
Roan.
i
16.
for
it
is
the
power
of God
to
salvation,
to
every