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To set forth, however, more at large, the particulars in which the confession of JESUS CHRIST mentioned in my text consists, we must observe,

First, that it includes the acknowledgment of his divine nature-Immanuel, GOD with us, or in our nature; that is to say, that the Second Person in the Trinity emptied himself of his essential glory, had a body prepared for him, and came down from heaven to this ruined world to complete the atonement he had undertaken to make for the sins of the creature, and redeem fallen man from the curse of the law which he had broken, becoming, in consequence, an alien and an enemy to God, the slave of sin, and the prey of death, both temporal and eternal.

This acknowledgment of JESUS CHRIST as GOD over all, blessed for ever, is fundamental, my hearers, and lies at the very threshold of any and all saving faith. For however high our imaginations may soar in the idea of created excellencehowever omnipotent and effectual we admit the will of God to be in the choice and appointment of the means to the fulfilment of his purposes, still there is a flaw in our title to eternal life, my brethren, if he through whom alone we hope for it and have even now the assurance of it, hath it not in himself. Yes, my hearers, if he who died for my sins on Calvary was not God in all his essential properties, clothed in my mortal nature, then is there no atonement yet made for them adequate to their infinite demerit in the eye of sovereign purity and holiness: I am yet in my sins, I am yet unredeemed, nor will the hope I entertain equal the weight of a feather to counterpoise their damning nature. But blessed be GoD, my brethren, it is not so; for he that believeth hath the witness in himself that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son-and this is his commandment, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father.

To disown the deity of the Saviour, then, or to pervert the testimony which God the Father hath given of it by GoD the HOLY GHOST, or to qualify with any shade of creatureship this only foundation of Christian hope, is to deny the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and just such a denial too, as will render all other sin VOL. II.--33

needless to draw from the lips of the glorified JESUS, the awful rejection on his part, I never knew you. O my dear brethren and hearers, be upon your guard against the many vain talkers and deceivers, who are once more at work to overturn this sure foundation stone of the Catholic faith; arm yourselves with the sword of the SPIRIT, and in the more sure word of prophecy, behold him spoken of both as GoD and man, and, therefore, just such a mediator as our case needed, just such a day's man betwixt God and us, as might lay his hand upon both in the great controversy of this world's rebellion. Cast the anchor of your soul in this sure-holding ground, and then let infidelity rage, you shall not be moved away from the hope of the gospel, you shall not be shaken though high and gifted men set their seal to the falsehood; and in a coming day, from which I counsel you never to turn away your thoughts, when all the proud, and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, then shall the well done my good and faithful servant of thy LORD and thy God, confess and own thee before his Father and the holy angels. O glorious and blessed hope. Who that feels it but must lift up his voice against this damnable heresy, which wrenches from fallen man both time and eternity.

Secondly, thus owning JESUS CHRIST as the eternal and only begotten Son of God, we must witness this good confession of him, by openly and heartily embracing the religion he hath established in the world, and following the holy example he hath

set us.

That this is a reasonable duty, the dignity of his person, the nature of his office, and the unspeakable benefits conferred on us by and through hin, demonstrate, independently of any future consequences, whether good or bad. What, then, let me ask, should be the impressiveness of this duty upon our hearts, when we read, as we do in the text, that an open profession of CHRIST's religion before the world is essential to our reaping any benefit, either here or hereafter, by what he hath done and suffered for us. Whosoever shall confess or deny me before men, him will I confess or deny, accordingly, before my Father which is in heaven. And is it so, my hearers, that simple failure to profess ourselves openly to be the disciples of the crucified JESUS, will pass us to

the left hand on the great day of eternity? That however orderly and exemplary our lives may have been, however free from the great and crying enormities of the openly profane and ungodly that however the praise of men may have followed us, this one neglect shall stamp us as deniers of GoD and his CHRIST? Yes, it is so; as surely as heaven is now recording the thoughts of every heart in this congregation, it is so; because the failure, however unimportant it may seem, is direct rebellion against heaven's King, and saying in so many words we will not have this man to reign over us.—It is so, because it is direct evidence that we are ashamed of the gospel of CHRIST.It is so, because it demonstrates that the world, in some of its delusions, has more hold upon our affections than the honour of GOD, or the eternal interests of our immortal souls.-It is so, because it is in pointed disobedience to the express command of the author and finisher of our faith.

What,

But do the Scriptures speak thus decidedly upon this point? Yes, verily. Wherefore GOD, also, hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD to the glory of God the Father. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. then, becomes of the delusion under which so many labour, who in the main are not actually opposed to the religion of the gospel, and even cherish something like hope towards GoD through the LORD JESUS CHRIST, whilst they are unknown to any Christian profession? What possible excuse can be made for them in this neglect, when the many express texts of Scripture which bear upon the point are strengthened and enforced by the very nature of the subject, and by the positive declaration of our LORD himself, that in the mighty strife between light and darkness, between sin and holiness, between heaven and hell, for our souls, there can be no neutrality permitted, we

must of necessity take sides, and that openly, so as to be known as soldiers of JESUS CHRIST, or confederates and servants of the devil. He that is not for me is against me, saith the Saviour, and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Do nonprofessors hear this and yet continue unconcerned? Do the wavering and double minded hear it, and not burst through the cobweb excuses which keep them in the verge of sin and death? Does the careless and thoughtless sinner, who is openly fighting against GoD, hear it, without realizing the inevitable doom that awaits him? Will any plead ignorance of the conditions on which salvation is offered? Why, on such an interest as eternity, the very excuse condemns him who makes it. Will any one say that they choose and prefer damnation? No, not one. Yet they could not take a more certain method to ensure it than to deny the LORD that bought them. Oh ! what a deep and desperate delusion has the god of this world spread over the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of CHRIST, who is the image of GOD, should shine unto them. Oh! how many amiable and estimable persons there are, of whom every thing that is lovely and of good report can be witnessed by all who know them, who are yet unknown to the LORD JESUS, as confessors of his only saving name. Oh! what a death-doing mischief it is, that the men of name and note among us, of wealth and influence, of learning and leisure, think scorn of confessing the name of CHRIST, and never consider the deadly blow which their descending example inflicts upon religion and morals, and upon the peace and order of social life; nor yet of the awful account they have to give in, in this respect, for themselves and others. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.

The open and outward confession of the name of CHRIST, though in itself of such importance as to render useless whatever else we do, this being refused, yet is no otherwise effectual to our salvation, my hearers, than as it binds us to the profession and practice of his religion. Whatever he hath done and commanded, therefore, that are we to observe and do; and this not. only once or occasionally, but constantly, throughout the whole course of our pilgrimage here. For he hath set us an example

that we should follow his steps. Here, then, my brethren, the whole personal history of JESUS of Nazareth is set forth as the model by which we are to frame and fashion the course of our lives. Whatever of patient, prayerful submission to the will of GOD was manifested by him, must, in our measure and degree, be exemplified by us. Whatever of non-conformity to the world, in its vain and vicious attractions to power and pleasure, whatever of self-denial, humility, meekness, and holiness shone in his conversation in the world, must mark our course through its temptations, provocations, and disappointments. Whatever of mercy, benevolence, ready forgiveness of injuries, and righteousness in rendering to all their dues, was shown and observed by him, must also be shown and steadily followed after by those who would be his disciples indeed. As he fulfilled all the public and private duties enjoined by the Jewish religion, so must we be found walking in all the commandments and ordinances of that which he hath established in his Church, not only as trials of our obedience, but as means of his grace. That these are required of all who name the name of CHRIST, and hope for a share in his heavenly kingdom, is clear beyond controversy, as it also is, that only through the power and grace of our Redeemer can fallen creatures be furnished to fulfil them. How, then, let me ask, can those who deny the Saviour, by refusing themselves to the profession of his religion and the participation of its ordinances, the utmost of whose acknowledgment of him is occasional attendance on the public worship he has instituted, in whose families the voice of prayer and praise is unknown, how can such, I say, entertain the slightest hope either of grace to perform their duties, or of mercy to obtain acceptance for such poor, broken services as the best of us can render. And yet talk with such persons in a more serious moment, and you will find a sort of careless unformed reliance upon CHRIST and his merits, for their future happiness, or rather for their escape from future misery; or see them at the approach of that hour when this world and all its promises is about to fail them, and you will find them as busy and as earnest in their calls upon the Saviour, as intent upon the forlorn hope of a death-bed repentance, as eager to grasp at his sufficiency to save as if the name of CHRIST

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