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I2.
HOLY
FORTITUDL,
tsERM.
XXXI.
I
might
add other
instances
of
a
kindred.
nature
in
.
common
life,
wherein christian
fortitude
is
greatly neces!
sery,
especially
in..this
corrupt and
degenerate
age As
when a
trader
must
look
poverty
in
the
face,
and
meet
approaching
ran
in
his
outward circumstances, unless
he make
some
inroad
.
upon
his
honesty, and
practise
falsehood and
deceit. But
if
the
case
be
thus,
if
a chris-
tian'sees
himself sinking
in
the
world,
.
by
the
frowns
of
providence,
he,
must dare to sink
rather
than cheat
his.
neighbour, and
save
himself
by
any hase and dishonest.
methods.
A
man
of
religion and
honour
must
stand
firm
to his'word,
must
follow
strict
equity in
all
things,
and neither enter into
any
methods
of
fraud,
nor
of
vio-
lence, to retrieve
his deee.ying
circumstances.
O
how
many
little
knavish contrivances do persons
often
practise to secure
a good
bargain
to
themselves,
and
sometimes they
support
their
dying
credit
in
the
world
at
the expence and
loss
of their innocent
neigh-
bour
!
They
borrow
what
they know
,they
are not
able to
pay:
They
draw
up
false
accounts
of
their
own
estate:
They
impose
upon
the
credulous
with words
of
a double
meaning, or
with downright lies: They almost
forget,
theyare'christians,
for fear lest they should
be undone,
and practise the
things
at
which an
heathen
would
have
blushed
and started,
because they have
not
.
courage,
enough to
be
honest and poor.
VIII.
Christians
have need
of
holy
fortitude,
to
ven-
ture.their
lives
at
the
demand
of
providence, and expose
themselves
to violence,
and
to
a
bloody death. Some-
times they
are
called to this glorious service in the cause
of God and
his
church
:
So
were many
of
the
prophets,
the
apostles,
and primitive.christians,
as
well
as
the mar-
tyrs
of later
ages.
Sometimes in
the
cause
of
our
coun-
try, divine
providence
calls
us
to expose
our
blood,
and
to assist
or guard the
nation
against
invasions
from
abroad, or tumults
at
home,
and
tó quell the rage
of
a,
.
brutal
multitude.
In a
just.
and necessary war
for
our country, or in defence
of
our natural
or
religious
rights,
we
may fight with
christian courage,
when
we
have
well
surveyed the
justice of
our
cause,
and
find
it ap
-.
proved
of
God.
And
there
are
seasons when
we
may be
called to
venture our lives for our christian
brethrea.
.1
John
iii.
t.