more earnestly his promised help; that you may be more deeply humbled, and so in due time may be more eminently exalted. Lay aside then your desponding thoughts. Under a lively sense of your wants, apply without delay to Christ. He knows all that is in your heart. He knew all that would be in your heart, when in the days of his flesh he said, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Your case then, as it is not beyond his knowledge, so neither is it beyond his power. He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him; and has declared, that those who come unto him, he will in no wise cast out.

SERMON XXI.

THE DUTY OF CONFESSING CHRIST BEFORE

MEN.

MATTHEW, X. 32.

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

IF Christianity require of its followers much painful self-denial, it also furnishes them with adequate encouragement. It is the support and the privilege of true Christians, that they serve a gracious master, who will not forget their work and labour of love, but will mercifully accept their imperfect services, and abundantly recompense them into their bosom.

What declaration can be more animating or more consolatory, than that of our Lord in the text! Far indeed from attempting to conceal or extenuate the difficulties attendant on a faithful adherence to his service, in the pre

ceding part of his discourse, he had clearly represented the dangers, to which his disciples. would, for his sake, be exposed. Let not this representation, however, diminish their exertions, or abate their ardour in his cause. An ample compensation for their sufferings is provided. Are they tempted to waver in their profession? Let them stedfastly contemplate this encouraging assurance, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven.

The general terms, in which our Lord delivers this declaration, plainly shew, that the purport of it is not to be confined to the apostles, or to the primitive Christians, but is equally applicable to all his disciples in all ages. In discoursing therefore on these words, I shall propose three objects for our consideration.

I. The Duty specified.

II. The Difficulties, with which it is attended. III. The Promise annexed to the Discharge of it.

I. The Duty specified is that of Confessing Christ before men: a duty repeatedly enjoined in the Scripture on all, who call themselves his disciples. And the meaning of the injunction is obvious. It is not enough for the followers. of Jesus to retain a secret attachment to his person and his service: they must openly

avow their relation to him; and in the face of the world must proclaim their dependence on him, and their expectations from him. They are the subjects, the soldiers, the servants of Christ. Ought they not then publicly to own him for their king, their captain, their master? To attempt to conceal their Christian profession, to admit in the heart their obligations and their devotedness to Christ, while outwardly they exhibit no proof that they belong to him, is in truth to deny him; to act as though they were ashamed of Him and of his Gospel.

The

But how is their confession to be made? St. Paul tells us, that as with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation*. Christian must embrace every seasonable occasion of delivering his religious sentiments with firmness, with meekness, and modesty. As he is ready to give to every one that asketh, a reason of the hope that is in him; so must he be careful that the hope itself be clearly and explicitly declared. He must not be ashamed of confessing, whenever a proper opportunity occurs, the faith of Christ crucified: nor by a criminal silence, when circumstances

*Romans, x. 10.

demand his interference, must he either countenance others in their errors, or suffer them to retain a supposition, that his opinions coincide with their own.

But the mere confession of the mouth is of itself a very defective discharge of the duty under review. Though a necessary part, it is yet the least important part, of that testimony which Christians are required to bear to Christ. It is an evidence, which to a degree may be advanced by those, who possess no other claims to the character of his people; and which, when unsupported by other less equivocal proofs, is altogether inconclusive and nugatory. To the confession of the lips must be added that of the life. The Christian. by his conduct, as well as by his words, must evince his relation to Christ. With the view then of elucidating the subject, and of enabling you to form an accurate conception of the duty enjoined, I proceed distinctly to specify some particulars in which the discharge of it principally consists.

1. To confess Christ before men, is to shew that we are uniformly influenced by a supreme regard to his will. All pretensions to be the subjects of Christ, while we withhold from him that obedience, which as subjects we owe to him, are preposterous and vain. We read