SERMON XXXI. Holy Fortituelei or Remedies against Fear. I Cos. xvi. 13.Stand Fast in the faith, quit yen tike men, be strong. IN the first ages of christianity, the professors of the gospel had great need of divine courage, that they might stand the many shocks of opposition, reproach and violence. The Corin- thian heathens, though they werea polite and learned people, yet they were blind and obstinate in their own superstitions and idola- try, and rooted in theprofane andvicious customs of their ances- tors. It required a large stock of holy fortitude, to profess and practise anew religion among them, that ran counter to all their former opinions, and their manners, Therefore St. Paul, who planted the gospel in that city, calls upon his converts to shake óff cowardice and fear, to stand firm and unmoved in the profes- sion of their faith, to behave like men of war, like heroes, in the practice of christianity, and to exert all their strength of soul in this glorious work. Stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. It is true, we live not inaheathen country, among lewd and barbarous superstitions : The land where our'lot is cast, is ho- noured with the christian name, and professes the religion of Jesus : yet let me tell you, infidelity is a growing temptation of this age, the gospel of Christ hathplentiful ridicule thrown upon it, by many of our neighbours that go under the name of chris- tians, and we may sometimes be called to put on courage for the defence of this gospel. But besides this, there are many things occuring in the divine life, that requireus to put on this holy fortitude of soul. The very natureof men is so corrupt andvicious, their hearts are so averse to the holy precepts of christianity, the multitude of sinners is so exceeding great in every nation, even where the gospel is professed, the customs of this world are so contrary to the rules of the gospel, and the malice and rage of Satan with his evil angels, is so constant and so violent against the religion and the name of Christ, that it is true at all times, as well as in the primitive. age, that all that will live godly in ChristJesus shall suffer persecution; 2 'l'im. iii. 12. When we become soldiersof Christ, and resolve to be religious in good earnest, we must
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