contented to see us " partial in the law?" Will he accept our plea, if we urge our fear of man as a reason of our not fearing and obeying him? No: he has bidden us "not to fear man, who can only kill the body ; but to fear him, who can destroy both body and soul in hell e."]
2. To our neighbours —
[What will they think of religion, if they see us, who pro- fess it, violating its most sacred obligations through fear of offending man ? Will they not imagine that it is not worth contending for ? Will they not be emboldened to shew the same preference to the world that we do ; and to regard the opinions of men more than the commands of God ? On the contrary, Would not a firm, bold, decided conduct tend to con- vince them, that God is worthy to be served, and that " his loving-kindness is better than life itself?"]
3. To ourselves —
[Our own everlasting welfare depends upon our steadfast- ness in the ways of God. " If we are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us :" " if we deny him, he will deny us;" " if we draw back, it will be unto perdition ; for his soul can have no pleasure in us :" " he only that overcometh, shall inherit all things ;" and " he only that endureth unto the end, shall ever be saved." If then we have any regard for our own souls, we must be valiant, and " quit ourselves like men :" for if even life itself be suffered to stand in competition with his will, our souls will be forfeited and lost for everf.]
It is not however sufficient to possess valour : we should also understand, III. In what way it should be exercised —
Here we are very liable to err : true Christian va- lour should be shewn,
1. In meek and patient sufferings —
[Passive valour is by far the most valuable. Would we see it illustrated ? Let us see how it operated in the Apostle Paul : " Being defamed," says he, " we entreat ; being perse- cuted, we suffer it." Would we behold the most striking ex- emplification of it that ever existed ? Let us behold Jesus, who had just before evinced his power over his enemies by striking them all to the ground with a word, yielding up himself to them, and led as a sheep to the slaughter. Behold him, " dumb be- fore them, even as a sheep before her shearers; giving his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and not hiding his face from shame and spitting:" " when
e Luke xii. 4, 5. f Matt. x. 39.