254 SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 10.
faith and worship. Now, it was the manner of some to forsake these conventions and meetings, which was a grievous sin, and of very ill consequence ; not only as they deprived themselves of the benefit of these societies, but as they seemed to love their life, goods, or quiet and peace, and reputation, and liberty more than Christ ; and though they were convinced of the truth of Christianity, yet could not be noted as open professors of it.
{2d.) More private and personal, by holy conversation and godliness ; for we are to confess and glorify Christ both in word and deed. Con- fession indeed is a life of love and praise, in perpetual acknowledg- ment of this incomparable benefit which we have by Christ. This confession is always necessary to true christians, that their works be holy and agreeable to their faith ; for thereby they signify that they do believe in Christ, and expect eternal glory by him ; that he that is raised up by God from the dead at length will come again to bring us to himself As without faith there is no righteousness, so without this confession there is no salvation ; for this distinguisheth the christian from the hypocrite : Titus i. 16, ' They profess to know God, but in their works they deny him.' They confess fair, but their lives show they believe nothing. The very devils confessed Christ to be the Son of the most high God, Mark iv. 7 ; but it profited them nothing, because it was a confession extorted, and they were creatures in rebellion against God. Therefore holiness of life is one means of our confession ; otherwise we deny the Lord that bought us : Mat. v. 16, ' Let your light so shine before men, that others, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven ; ' and 1 Peter ii. 9, ' That you may show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.' Work^ are a sign as well as words ; the surer sign of the two, of the faith which is in our hearts. For it is a sign that faith prevaileth in us when we do things consen- taneous, and agreeable to our faith. Our profession in words may be contradicted by our works, and that is interpretatively a denial of the faith : 1 Tim. v. 8, ' If any provide not for his own, he hath denied the faith.' It is an act of uncharitableness or dishonesty. What ! profess Christ to be our Lord, and live in such rebellion and disobedience to him ? It is as if you should assure a prince of your loyalty, and yet actually be in arms against him. This confession is never out of season, and is our surest evidence.
(2.) By passion or suffering, enduring the hardest things that can befall you in the world for his sake. Of this our Lord speaketh: Mat. X. 31, 32, 'Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father in heaven ; but whosoever will deny me, him will I deny before my Father in heaven.' His name, his truth, his ways must be avowed before all the world, whatever it cost us. We cannot honour Christ so much as he will honour us, and therefore we must contemn the hatred of the world, and all the pleasures and profits of this life, that we may be faithful to him. Confession is a harder matter than usually we take it to be, and requireth good preparation : 1 Peter iii. 15, ' Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you,' &c. Not ready in point of knowledge only, to argue for the faith, but ready as to courage,
i
SERMON UPON ROMANS X. 10. 255
fortitude, and resolution of mind. Ao<^ov is not an account of the reasons, but of the nature and tenor of our christian faith. ''EToifioc, be ready, is the same with kToi^iaxi e^w, as St Paul saith, Acts xxi. 13, ' I am ready not to be bound only, but to die also at Jerusalem,' &c. And eTOifiaata^ Eph. vi. 15, ' Shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.'
II. The respect that is between these two, faith and profession. There is a double respect, such as between —
1. The cause and effect. First, We believe and then confess. Our faith is the cause of our confession : 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' David was sore afflicted, and yet professed his faith in God ; he could not suppress his boasting of the promises in his greatest distresses; so we believe in Christ, and therefore cannot but in word and deed express our confi- dence in him. When such a spirit of faith cometh upon us, there will not need many enforcements or excitements publicly to own Christ ; for this spirit of faith cannot be shut up in the heart, but will break out into confession. There cannot be a true and lively faith without confession, nor a true confession without faith ; for the effect cannot be without the cause, nor such a powerful cause without the effect.