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4
HOLY
FORTITUDE,
-
XXXI.
Active
valour
is
necessary
for a professor
of
the
Chris-
tian
faith
:
And when and wheresoever divine providence
gives
us
any
just
occasions for the exercise
of
this sort
of
fortitude, let
no
Christian
refuse them,
or
shamefully
withdraw
from
his
duty.
The
occasions
we
have for
it
are
such
as
these:
I.
When
we
are called
to
profess
and practise
strict
piety, even
under
the special
view
and
notice.
of
profane
sinners.
Perhaps
our
dwelling may
be
cast among
pro
-
fligate wretches, who live
without God in
the world
;
but
we
must
not
be
afraid
to
own,
that
we
fear the
great
God, and
that
we
worship
that
awful name, which
their
blasphemies affront and
vilify.
Nor
must
we
be
asham-
ed
to
let
the world
know,
that
we
cannot
pass
a day
with-
out
calling
upon our God, and
that
prayer
is
as neces-
sary
to
us as
our
daily food.
It
is
strange and monstrous
that
it
should ever
be
accounted a matter
of
shame
among
creatures to
acknowledge the
God. that
made
them, or
that it
should ever need
any
courage
to
profess
homage and
adoration
to
our Creator
!
What
degene-
rate
times do
we
live
in,
that
it
should
require
some
forti-
tude
to tell the world,
that
we
who
are creatures
confess
a
God
!
And yet sometimes
even this very
fortitude
is
wanting,
and
we
are
contented
to
look like atheists,
lest
we
should
be
thought
religious. Base cowardice
!
and
degenerate times indeed
!
When
we
happen
into the company
of
infidels
and apostates
from Christianity, who throw
their
impious
jests
on the
gospel.
of
Christ,
we may find
a.
plain
call
of
providence
to
stand up for his name and
honour.
It
is
true,
there are
few
of
us who
are sent
to travel
beyond the seas, and
to
engage fin necessary converse
about
religion
with
heathens; but I
hinted before,
that
infidelity
is
a
growing
mischief
of
the
present
age,
:even
in our
own
land.
It
seems to be
a
spreading
infection,
and
how
far the
great God
may suffer
it
to
prevail,
lie
only knows.
There
are multitudes already
that
have
made shipwreck
of
the
faith
of Christ, and betake
them-
selves only to the dira
and glimmering light
of nature,
as
a
sufficient
refuge for
their
souls,
and their only
guide
in matters
of
religion
:
A
poor
doubtful
guide, and a
dangerous
refuge
!
And
yet these
men
are continually
instructing one
another
to wage'
wax
against
the
blessed