(3.) Thirdly, He that is Christ's will stand for Christ upon all occasions, and stand for religion. He will not be a lukewarm neuter. If we be Christ's, it is impossible but we should have a word to speak for him and for religion. If we be Christ's, we will be strong for Christ ; we will be true to him ; we will not betray Christ and the cause of religion that is put into our hands. But, by the way, let us take heed of making this a name of faction, as the Corinthians did, to say ' I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, and I am of Christ ;' as some that say they are neither papists nor protestants, but Christians. But in times wherein profession is required, a man must shew his religion here. Not to say, I am Christ's, is to be an atheist. In case of confession and profession of religion, we must own the side of Christ and say we are Christ's indeed.
It is said in the Revelation, that so many hundreds and thousands were sealed with a ' seal in their foreheads,' Rev. vii., throiiyhout. For even as the slaves of antichrist are sealed in the hand, they have a mark in their hand ; that is, they are bold for antichrist ; so all God's children are sealed in their foreheads. That is the place of confession and profession, the forehead being an open place. Christ carries God's broad seal. He seals all that come to heaven in the forehead. He seals them fii-st in their hearts to believe the truth, and then he seals them in the forehead, openly to con- fess, ' With the heart we believe, and with the mouth we confess to salvation,' Rom. x. 10. Therefore those that are not bold to confess and profess religion when they are called to it, they are none of Christ's ' sealed ones,' for he seals them to make them bold in the profession of religion. Let this be one evidence whether thou art Christ's or no ; if the question be, ' AVho is on my side ?' to own Christ's side, to stand for Christ and the religion reformed and stablished. If a man do not this, he cannot say I am Christ's ; but his heart will give his tongue the lie, if he stand not boldly for the cause of Christ. ' He that is ashamed of me before men, I will be ashamed of him before my heavenly Father,' Mark iii. 38.
It is a comfortable consideration, if upon trial we find ourselves Christ's, that we own the cause of Christ and his side. It is the best side, and we shall find it so in the hour of death and the day of judgment. If we find oui'selves to be Christ's, what a comfort will this be ? Of all conditions in
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the world, it is the sweetest and the safest condition to be in Christ. It is to have all below us ours, and all above us too to be ours ; to have God the Father ours, and God the Holy Ghost ; to have all in heaven and earth to be ours, * things present and things to come.' What a comfortable consideration is this in all stomas, to be housed in Christ, to dwell in Christ, to be clothed with Christ ! When the storm of God's anger shall come upon a nation, and at the day of judgment to be found in Christ, ' not having our own righteousness,' Philip, iii. 9, and in the hour of death to die in Christ ! If we be Christ's, we live in him and die in him, and shall be found in him at the day of judgment. If we be Christ's, we are in heaven already in Christ our head. We sit in heavenly places together with him. In all the vicissitude and interchanging of things in the world, which are many, ' life and death, and things present, and things to come,' there is a world of vicissitudes ; but in all, in life and death, look backward, or forward, or upward, or downward, if a man be in Christ, he is upon a rock. He may overlook all things as his servants. All things shall be commanded by God to serve for his good, and to bring him to heaven, to yield him safe con- duct. We study evidences and other things. This is worth our study more and more, to make this sure, that we are Christ's, and Christ is ours. The more we grow in knowledge, and faith, and love, the more we shall grow in assurance of this.
Use 2. Again, if we be Christ's, icJiy then should ice fear ivmtt, uJien all things are ours, and ice are Christ's? Can a man want at the fountain ? Can a man want light that is in the sun ? Can a Christian that hath all things his ; and in this tenure his, all things are his, because Christ is his, — can anything be wanting to him ? It should comfort us against the time to come, if we be stripped of all, yet we have the Fountain of all. We must be stripped of all at the hour of death, whether we will or no ; but if we be Christ's, and Christ be ours, all things are in him in an eminent manner. It is a wonderful comfort for the present, against all fears and wants ; and it is a comfort for the time to come, that when all things shall be taken from us, yet he that is better than all things, that is better than the world itself, will remain to us. Therefore let us think of these things. It is wondrous comfortable to be Christ's, and to be his in such a peculiar manner.