Now this is that which the apostle intends. M For the doctrine," saith he, " and worship of the gospel, and for my work in preaching and dispensing it, I have neither trouble of mind, nor will I desert it; ' I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.' "
But you will say, " What great matter is this? I am persuaded there is not one present but will be ready to think that they would be as forward as the apostle in this matter. Ashamed of the gospel of Christ ! God forbid. What is there in it, that the apostle thus signally expresses it, that he would not be ashamed ?" I answer, Pray consider these three things : —
1st. The apostle here expresses it with especial reference to his preaching and professing the gospel at Rome. " I will come to Rome also," saith he ; " for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Now, there was at that time at Rome a collection of all the great, wise, and inquiring men of the world. And how did they look upon the gospel, and the profession of it? Our apostle tells you, 1 Cor. i. 23; — as a foolish, weak, contemptible thing. How did they look upon them that professed it? — as the filth and offscouring of all things, 1 Cor. iv. 13. Here is a collection of the rulers of the greatest empire of the world, — of all the wise and learned men and great philosophers, princes of the world, — all looking upon this gos- pel, obedience to it, and the worship of God in it, to be as foolish a thing as ever men engaged in, — fit for none but contemptible
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persons. But saith the apostle, notwithstanding this, " I am not ashamed of it."
And we may observe here, that there was not yet at Rome any actual persecution of the gospel, farther than shame and reproach. And the apostle declares by this word, that it is the duty of all men to gather up their spirits to confront present difficulties, whatsoever they be. It is loaded now with shame : " I am not ashamed/' It will come to blood : "I will not fear my blood." He expresseth the whole in this which was his present duty. And for a person of those parts and that learning which he had, to come among all the wise men in the world, to be laughed at as a babbler, as one that came with a foolish thing in his mouth, and to say, " I am not ashamed ;" — it was the presence of God with him, as well as a sense of duty, that enabled him hereunto.
Idly. To an ingenuous, gracious soul, in all sufferings nothing is more grievous than shame. Hence it is reckoned as a great part of the humiliation of Christ, that " he made himself of no reputation/' Phil. ii. 7, 8. He forewent all the esteem he might have in the world as the Son of God. And Isa. 1. 6, " He hid not himself from shame." So Heb. xii. 2, " He despised the shame." To be dealt withal as a vile person, as the offscouring of all things, as the " filth and dung of the city" (as the word signifies), to be carried before the face of scorners, makes a deeper impression upon gracious and ingenuous spirits than any thing else which can well be thought of. Therefore it is a great thing that the apostle saith, — " I am not ashamed of the gospel."
3dly. There is also a figure in the word, called Litotes, — wherein, by a negation of one, the contrary is affirmed, and that emphatically, — " I am not ashamed;" that is, " I am confident; it is a thing I glory in, that I make my boast of. I am ready to do and suffer any thing, according to the mind of God, for the gospel ; willing to undergo what- soever God calls me to, or to perform any thing he hath appointed, for the gospel."
The opening of these two things will give us ground for our obser- vation from the words; which is this:—
Observation. Not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but to own it, avow it, and profess it, as a thing holy and honourable, in all the duties it requires, against all reproaches and persecutions that are in the world, is the indispensable duty of every one who desires to be saved by the gospel.
I shall not produce many testimonies of Scripture to confirm this. But let us all be advised, in such a day as this, not to make darkness our refuge, and an unacquaintedness with our duty our relief; but let us search and see what Christ hath spoken concerning such a day, where there is the profession of the gospel.
224 THE DIVINE POWER OF THE GOSPEL.
I will give you one place, to which you may reduce all the rest: Luke ix. 26, " 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." The whole sum of the gospel is comprised in this, — the person of Christ and the words of Christ. The person of Christ takes up the whole work of the promise; and the words take up all the commands and institu- tions of Christ. We have heard before what it is to be ashamed of them. And what shall be the end of such? The Son of man shall be ashamed of them, when he shall come in his own glory, and his Fa- ther's glory. There can be no greater weight put upon words, to strike awe and dread into the minds of men. The Son of man, who loved us, redeemed us, gave his life for us, shall come again, though now he be absent, and we think things are put off for a season; and then he will inquire into our deportment about the gospel: at which time he will appear in all his own glory, the glory given him upon the account of his doing his Father's will, and the glory of his Father and the holy angels. Certainly we should be extremely troubled then to hear Christ say, " I am ashamed of you." You have the same repeated, Mark viii. 38. Our apostle gives the same great rule, Rom. x. 10, " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." " There is righteousness; let us rest there, — what need we do more?" Ay, but " with the mouth confession is made unto salvation;" — which confession comprises all the duties the gospel requires; and salvation as indispensably depends upon that as justification doth upon faith. We cannot be justified without faith, nor can we be saved without confession.