You will say, "How can this be?" To clear it to you, I shall do three things: — I. I shall show you what there is iu the gospel that we are in danger to be ashamed of, if we look not well to it. II. How we may be ashamed of it. III. I shall give you the reasons why we ought not to be ashamed of it.
I. What is there in the gospel that we ought in an especial manner not to be ashamed of?
We ought not to be ashamed of whatever is in an especial manner exposed in the world to shame and contempt. The truth is, we do or have lived in days wherein it hath been so far from being a shame to be counted a Christian, that it hath been a shame for a man to be counted no Christian. It hath not been the especial duty of believers to profess the gospel in general, but the common custom of all. The profession of the gospel which many trust to in this world, is nothing but that conformity to the world which Christ curses. In this sense no man is ashamed of the gospel.
But there are some things that accompany the gospel which are
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exposed at all times to contempt and reproach, even where Christ and the gospel are publicly professed; and these we are to take heed not to be ashamed of. I will give you four instances: — 1. The spe- cial truths of the gospel ; 2. The special worship of the gospel ; 3. The professors of the gospel ; 4. The profession of the gospel according to godliness. These are things men are very apt to be ashamed of, as being all exposed to shame and contempt : —
1. There are some especial truths of the gospel that in all seasons are exposed to especial contempt and reproach. Peter (2 Epist. i. 1 2) calls it "The present truth;" which in the primitive times was two- fold. The apostle had to do with Jews and Gentiles ; and there were two especial truths exposed to contempt and reproach that he prin- cipally insisted upon, and would never forego. With the Gentiles, this was exposed to contempt, reproach, and persecution, — that there should be salvation by the cross, 1 Cor. L 23. " It is foolishness to all the Gentiles," saith he, " that there should be salvation by the cross." What doth the apostle do? — let go this doctrine, and preach some other? No; he tells you, chap. ii. 2, "he determined to know nothing among them, but Christ, and him crucified." But when he had to do with Jews, where lay the difference? In addition of Judaical ceremonies unto the worship of God, and some place in justification. Thus, Gal. v. 11, "If I preach circumcision," says he, "why am I persecuted?" — that is, " If I preach circumcision as they do, they would persecute me no more." Will he do it, then? No; Gal. vi. 12 : He will not give place ; he will preach the cross of Christ, and nothing else ; and preach against them, and encourage all to do so.
" How shall we know, then, what are the present truths of the gos- pel, that we may take care not to be ashamed of them?"
I answer, In two things: —
(1.) The first is, that we must shut our eyes very hard, or all the world will not suffer us to be unacquainted with them. A man must very much hide himself, if he will not know what the truths of the gospel are that meet with contempt and reproach in the world ; for he may hear of them everywhere.
(2.) For a general rule, take this: Consider the ways and methods God hath proceeded in for the manifestation and declaration of him- self, and we shall find whereabouts, in the general, the truths lie that we are not to be ashamed of, if we will continue our testimony to God: —
[1.] God made a revelation of himself principally in and as the per- son of the Father, the unity of the divine essence acting in the autho- rity and power of the Father in the creation of the world, in the giving of the law, and the promise of sending Christ. What was the oppo- sition the world made unto that declaration of God? — for the world doth never make conjunct opposition to the being of God, but unto
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the declaration that God makes of himself. While God made that declaration under the Old Testament, what was the opposition that the world made ? It was plainly in idolatry and polytheism. They would have many gods, or make gods, till he was grown among them an unknown God. The testimony, then, which the people of God were to bear, and not be ashamed to give, was the unity of the divine essence.
[2.] In the fulness of time God sent his Son; and he was imme- diately declared and manifested in the love and work of the Son, — the second person. Where lay the opposition of the world? It lay directly and immediately against the person of Christ, and against his cross; it would not believe that he was the Messiah, but called him " a glutton, a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners/' Wherein, then, consisted the testimony that believers were to give? Why, it was to the person of the Messiah, the Son of God incarnate, and to the work he had to do. God so revealing and glorifying him- self in the incarnation and mediation of the Son, — the truths which concerned his person were those which men ought j)eculiarly not to be ashamed of, and which the world peculiarly opposed.