of the law, such as the sensual and earthly minded, are the enemies of the cross of Christ, and consequently of salvation by grace, and of the gospel, whatever they pretend to the contrary. So that by this single passage the antinomian error is, as it were, wounded unto death. And indeed all, who behold Christ crucified with the eye of faith, find the cross to be the death of sin. Observe also how the Apostle Peter teaches us to understand and profit by this blessed and glorious doctrine of the atonement. "Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries.”* The next subject, which I shall notice in a cursory manner, is the duty of confessing Christ› before men; and it is an indispensable part of the Christian character. For Christ has said,. "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven." It is therefore certain, that Christ will be confessed by those who are saved by him. And the duty may be easily understood if we consider the nature of conversion to God, and the conduct to which it invariably leads. For "if any man be in Christ," that is a true be liever, in vital union with him, "he is a new creature old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."* Being enlightened from above and taught of God, he obtains new and correct views of man, and of the religion of Jesus Christ, and learns to live and walk by new principles and new rules, all of a holy nature, and in direct opposition to those which influence the world around him, as well as to the folly and sin in which he himself had before lived. He is therefore convinced beyond all doubt, that if he would be a christian, and follow the gospel, according to the account which Christ himself has given of his own religion, he must break with the world; for "what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?" He sees also, that he has, for the future, to make his way against that mighty torrent of delusion and ungodliness which had hitherto, with his own consent and approbation, carried him along with it; and is reminded by the word of God to expect persecution, as there are hosts of enemies visible and invisible in league against him. He will be exposed, at the least, to ridicule and contempt, or to reviling and calumny, to the displeasure of intimate friends, perhaps to great temporal disadvantages, and should the times admit of such extremities, he may be called to the forfeiture of life. This therefore is a sort of turning point,-a crisis of unspeakable moment. His character and state, as a Christian, his hopes of the divine favor, his peace, honour, happiness, and that with regard to eternity, do, in some sort, hang upon, and are involved in the decision he may make. The struggle * ? Cor, V. 17, + 2 Cor, vị. 14. is always arduous, sometimes long, often agonizing. Many proceed thus far, after having heard the gospel with pleasure, and taken up a hasty profession without counting the cost; but at the appearance of opposition, they make a disgraceful retreat because they cannot suffer for Christ. "They receive the word with gladness;-but when affliction, or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended."* But the true convert, through grace, always determines aright, even in those extreme cases, which have often happened, when exposed to the loss of goods and of life itself; for these are small matters compared with the issue of the contest. He "chooses rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures" of this world; has respect to the recompence of the reward."† Christ himself intercedes for him, and cheers him with words inexpressibly sweet and encouraging : "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The believer hears, and takes fresh courage, and becomes stronger than all that oppose him, either on earth, or from hell, and simply for this reason, because Christ is in him, who is greater than he that is in the world. And should his enemies be suffered to prevail so far as to destroy the body, it is all that they can do ; and even this turns to his immense advantage, for they only dismiss him more speedily to the haven, where he would be, even to his Saviour's immediate presence, where there is fulness of joy, and where there are pleasures for ever more. In his * Mark iv. 16. + Heb. xi. 25. Rev. ii. 10. for he departure he is distinguished with peculiar honour, and rejoices and triumphs most of all when his enemies think, they have gained the greatest advantage over him. And this leads me to remark, that the courage needful to the Christian in his spiritual warfare 'differs from what the world dignifies with that name; and that we can neither know nor possess it unless we are. "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”* Many are brave in the field of battle, who are not "valiant for the truth upon the earth."+At the word of their commanding officer they would march up to a battery of cannon when opening upon them; but would not venture to take a single step against the ungodly fashions of the times: and should they be ordered to confess the Saviour before men, would be found weaker than the weakest of the weaker sex, and altogether without spirit. This may help us to understand who are meant by the fearful in Revelations the twenty-first and eighth, who together with the unbelieving, and murderers, and whore-mongers, and all liars, &c. have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. They are such as may indeed profess to believe in Christ, and call themselves by his name; but dare not stand up for him against the spirit, and maxims, and practice of the world; and therefore are in reality the servants of satan the prince of it, and must have their portion with him. But though confession may be explained so as to include the whole obedience of a christian, it has a special reference to the use we make of the faculty of speech in making known, and supporting Eph. vi. 10. Jer. ix. 3. the cause of Christ in the world. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."* The tongue is an index to the mind, by which the judgment and experience, the work of the Spirit within, and the salvation of the believer are disclosed, and become, in some sense, visible. And thus Christ receives the glory of his own grace; and probably on this account the tongue is called by David his glory. The tongue, in a state of nature, is the instrument of incalculable mischief: but through grace it becomes the organ of diffusing the choicest blessings among men. In this way salvation is communicated to others by the command of God. "The lips of the righteous feed many." And "a good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things: and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, bringeth forth evil things."t And now I beseech you to consider very attentively, whether you have attained such a knowledge of Christ, that you can confess him, and stand up for him, and for his doctrines against all the opposition you meet with from the world; as this will be good evidence that you have indeed believed in him with the heart unto righteousness? It is certain, that "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."§ Are you then in the daily habit of confessing Christ in your discourse, and in all your deportment, in the shop and in the field, in your families, and social intercourse, and worldly occupations, that others may understand who it is that maketh you to differ, and glorify God * Rom. x. 10. + Prov. x. 21. Mat. xii. 35. § 1 John, v. 4. |