270
FA11'H
BüILT
ON
IiNONLLDGH.
[DISC.
X.
trial,
for
the
sake of
a
Saviour
that
you have
not
much
acquaintance
with
?
How could you hold
out
in this.
conflict
till
the death,
if
you have
but little
knowledge
and
little experience of
that
gospel which
proniiseth a
crown_
of
life
?
Would
such
ignorance
as
yours
is,
endure
to be
plundered and
banished
?
To
be
scourged and
buffeted
?
To
be
fastened to the chains of
a
galley slave,
or
to
die
by
lingering
tortures
?
Do
you
think you could
bear
what
our
neighbours and brethren
in
France
have
endured
upon the account
of
your
faith,
and yet
have no
better
reason
to
give
for
it?
You
will
make
but a poor
con-
fessor
or martyr,
if
you
can
say no
more
for
christianity
that
an
heathen
can
say
for
his
national religion
?
If
you
have
no
more to plead in defence of the
blessed
Jesus,
than
a
native
of
Morocco hath for
his
prophet
Maho-
met
;
a
man
of
Ephesus
for
his goddess
Diana, or a
citizen
of
Athens for
his unknown
God.
Attend therefore
to
the advice
of
the
apostle
Peter,
1
Epist.
iii.
chap. ver.
14, 15.
But
and
if
ye
suffer
for
righteousness
-sake,
happy
are
ye;
and
be
not
afraid
of
their
terror,
neither
be
troubled;
but
be
ready always
to give
an
answer
to every man
that
asketh you
a
rea-
son
of
the
hope
that
is
in you
with
meekness
and
fear
And again
I
would
put
you in
mind
how he
concludes
his second epistle,
and
what
direction
he gives even
to
those
who had some good knowledge of
christianity
;
that
you
may be secured from
the
growing
apostacy of
the
age
:
ver.
17,
18.
Ye,
therefore,
beloved,
seeing
you
hnow
these
things
before,
beware
lest
ye
also being
led
away with the
error of
the
wicked,
fall
from
your
own
stedfastness
:
But
grow
in
grace, and
in
the
knowledge
of
our Lord
and Saviour
Jesus Christ.
Vith
Remark.
This doctrine
relieves
our
sorrows
at
the death
of
our
pious relatives
*,
for
we
know
to
whom
they
had
intrusted their
souls.
We
are;
in no
pain or
jealousy about their eternal
state
;
for when they leave
us
and
this world,
they have
parted indeed
with
their
friends
on
earth,
but
it
is
to dwell with
a better
friend
:
for
this
is
the
design
of our Lord
Jesus
Christ, and
of
his power-
ful
prayer
;
John
xvii.
24.
Father
Twill
that
they also
"This
sermon
was first
preached
on
occasion of
the
death of
a
worthy
member
of our congregation.