Tldrdly, How and why it must be justified by the sincere professors of the gospel.
1. How?
I answer — Three ways : —
[1.] It must he approved and received by themselves. It is wis- dom's children that can only justify wisdom ; they that have entertained it, felt the power and force of it in their own hearts ; yea, their very receiving is a justifying ; they show the clamourings of the world do not move them : therefore it must be approved by us before it can be recommended to others, and approved, not speculatively only, but practically, so as to resolve to follow after salvation in this way. ^Speculatively, they may approve it that have but fi6p<j)wcriv t?}? jvco- o-ect)?, Rom. ii. 18, 20 ; a form of knowledge, and dishonour it in their practices, as ver. 23, 24. Men may justify religion in word, by a bare naked approbation, and soundly vindicate it from the cavils and exceptions of men ; but godly men have eyes to see the beauty and excellence of it, and have sincerely accepted it: Acts ii. 41, 'They received the word gladly.' It is good news to a poor guilty con- science to hear of a pardoning God and a merciful and faithful Redeemer, the promise of eternal life, and a sure way how to come to it. They are said to justify God that accepted his counsel, Luke \'ii. 29, 30. The hearts of God's children are thoroughly possessed with the reality, excellency, and blessedness of this religion ; they know and believe the infinite consequence of these things ; their faith is a kind of justifying : John iii. 33, ' He that hath received his testi- mony, hath set to his seal that God is true.'
[2.] It must be professed and owned when it is vilified and in con- tempt and di.sgrace in the world. We must stand to Christ and his ways, though we stand alone, as Elijah, 1 Kings xix. 10, and not be ashamed of holiness, notwithstanding trouble and contradiction. Christ will be confessed before men, and will be ashamed before God and angels of them who are ashamed of him in the world, and refuse to own him and his ways and truths, only because they are despised and contradicted and discountenanced in the world. Pleading for re- ligion is one of the professing acts : 2 Cor. iv. 13, ' We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken ; we also believe, and therefore speak.' As David, when sore afflicted, did confess and avow his confidence in God, so we,
'Mat. XL 18, 19.] of her children. 107
heartily believing and approving the gospel, must make a bold profes- sion of it. The sacraments were ordained for this purpose, for badges of profession. Baptism is a visible entering into covenant with God : Mark xvi, 16, ' He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved ; and he that believeth not shall be damned ; ' where not only belief is re- quired, but open profession. Baptism is a badge and a bond ; a badge to distinguish the worshippers of Christ from others, and a bond to bind us to open profession of the name of Christ. The Lord's Supper it is a profession of communion : 1 Cor. x. 16, ' The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ ? ' and ver. 18, ' Are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar ? ' They that did any part of the sacrifices did eat and drink with God at the altar ; and ver. 20, 21, ' I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils ; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils.' Pr-ofessing communicating with Christ is not con- sistent with professing communicating with devils. So prayer and praise is a part of confessing : Kom. x. 10, ' With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salva- tion.' The first is proved ver. 11, ' For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed;' the second, ver. 13, 'For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' Calling upon the name of the Lord in prayer and praise, it is an open professing act, by which we own God in Christ for our God. So the assembling ourselves together for public worship is a part of this profession, and must not be omitted for fear : Heb. x. 23, with 25, ' Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.' How? ver. 25, ' Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is.' These assemblies were instituted for public converse with God, testifying their union and agreement in the same faith and worship. Indeed, in lesser truths, that fall within the latitude of allowable differ- ences in the church, profession is not always a duty, for in some cases we may have faith to ourselves ; but a denying of God, or being ashamed of him, is always a sin. When called to give an account, we are with boldness to own our profession : Acts iv. 10, ' Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole;' and Dan. iii. 17, 18, ' If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, 0 king ; but if not, be it known unto thee, 0 king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.'