to him. " With the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." " If we will be Christ's disciples indeed, we must take up our cross daily and follow him :" we must follow him " without the camp, bearing his reproach :" and so far must we be from dreading his cross, that we must " glory in it," and " rejoice that we are counted worthy to bear it," and " esteem as Moses did, the reproach of Christ as greater riches than all the trea- sures of Egypt." We must never be ashamed of Christ ; for, if we be, he will be ashamed of us " in the presence of his Father, and of the holy angels." " If we confess him, he will confess us ; but, if we deny him, he will deny us." When the Apostle says, " they gave themselves unto us by the will of God," it must not be understood as if he gloried in gaining proselytes to himself: it is of their union with the Church, as avowed friends and followers of Christ, that he speaks ; and this all must be, if they would approve themselves faithful to their Lord and Master: this is the will of God respecting every child of man; that we " come out from the world, and be separate " from it, and be " as lights shining in a dark place," " holding forth in the whole of our spirit and conversa- tion the word of life."
Let me then urge upon you all this duty. The Churches of Macedonia acted thus in defiance of all the malice of men or devils : though brought by means of it into " a great trial of affliction and deep poverty," they turned not back, but strove the more to glorify their God in proportion as their enemies sought to suppress their zeal. So then do ye also : harbour not for a moment that " fear of man which bringeth a snare ;" " fear not man, who can only destroy the body ; but fear him, and him only, who, when he has destroyed the body, can destroy both body and soul in hell."]
Next, we would invite you to imitate also their liberality —
[ Your obligations to it are as great as theirs : for you, as well as they, " have been redeemed by the precious blood of that spotless Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ" The occa- sion too, if not altogether similar, is quite as urgent : for if we plead not now in behalf of persons reduced to the deepest dis- tress by persecution, we plead for those whose circumstances are most indigent, and whose temporal benefit is consulted
with an ulterior view to the welfare of their souls ^ •
May I not add too that the means afforded you are similar ?
i' This was delivered in aid of a Visiting Society, where the souls of the persons visited are the chief object." But the subject may be adapted to any charity, by stating its peculiar purposes.