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SERMON
XXXII.
HALM
FÓRTITUDE,
OR
REMEDIES AGAINST FEAR.
1
Cox.
XVI.
IS.
Stand Fast
in
the Faith, quit
you like
men,
be strong.
HAVING
described this holy temper
of
spirit, this for-
titude
both
of
the active and
passive kind,
and having
set
before
you
various
occasions for its exercise
in
the çhris-
tian
life,
I
proceed
now to
the
third
thing
which
I
pro
-
posed,
and
that
is,
to
excite
you by some engaging
mo-
tives,
to
seek
after
this
temper;
which
is
so
necessary for
a
christian.
I
shall
not
enforce this
from
the
light
of nature,
and
from
the
mere
laws
of
reason, which have
beers
joined
with
ambitious and
selfish
principles
in some
of
the pagan
heroes,
and
have influenced many
a
man,
in
the
days
of
heathenism,
to
some
great
exploits
of fortitude
and
fame.
There
is
nothing
in
all the
principles of natural
religion,
that
makes
the
mind brave
and
noble,
but it
receives high
advancements and glorious
efficacy
from christianity.
I
would
call you,
First,
To
Cast
your
eyes
on the noble
patterns of
cou-
rage
that
you find in
the New
Testament. I
do
not
in-
vite
you
t6
meditate
the examples
of
heathen warriors,
but
consider
the example
of
christian
heroes,
your prede-
cessors,
who have
stood fast
in
the faith,
who
have
quit-
ted
themselves like
men,
in
numerous and
shining
in-
stances
of
active and passive courage.
Look
at
the
blessed apostles,
Peter
and
John,
when they rejoiced
to
suffer
shame
for the
sake
of
Christ their
Lord, and
boldly told the council
of
priests,
that
they
must preach
the naine
of
Jesus,
in
opposition
to
their
menaces
They must
obey
God rather
than
men.
Look-
at
St.
Paul
the most
eminent christian
hero Behold
him
in
the midst
of
the Roman soldiers,
and a
violent multitude
of
unbelieving Jews.
Hear
how he
acknowledges
his
exalted Saviour before captains
and
centurions,
before
king
Agrippa,
before
Felix and
Festus,
who
were
two
successive
governors
of
Judea
!
And with the
same for
-
titude of
soul he
appeared
before
Caesar,
at
Rome,
"
I
am
not
ashamed,
says he,
of
the gospel
of
Christ,"