'Sean. XII. OfSelf-denial, and Suffering for ChriJl's Sake. 9 j Lion, to deny him, tho' the Magiftrate fhould command them to do fo, it is very obfervable,that in that veryPlace where he fpeaks of confeffing or denying him be- fore Men, he puts this veryCafe oftheir being brought before Kings and Governours for confeffing biro, Matth. ro. -r7. Bare (fays he) of Men, for they will deli- veryou up to the Councils, and they willfcourge you in their Synagogues ; andye fhall be brought,before Governours andKingsJbr myfake, for a Te/liynony again/? them and the Gentiles. But what Teftimony would this be againft them, if Chriftians were bound todenyhrjft at their Command ? But .our Saviour goes on, and tells them how they ought to demean themfelves, when they were brought before Kings and Governours, Verfe 19. But when they 'hall deliver you up, take ye no thought bow or what ye (hall fpeak; for it(hall be givenyou in that very Hour whatye(hall fpeak. But what need-ofany fuch extraordinary Aíf ftance in the cafe, if they had nothing,todo but to denyhim, when they were required by the Magiftrate to do it ? And then (proceeding in the fame Difcourfe) hk bids them, Verfe 28. Not to fear them that can kill the Body, and after that have no more that theycando ; that is, not to ,deny him, for Fear of any Temporal Pu- xiithment or Suffering the Magiftrate could inflia upon them 3 but to fear and Obey him who can deflroy Body and Soul in Hell. And upon this Difcourfe our Saviour concludes, Ver. 32, 33. Whofoever therefore (hall confefs me before Men, himwill Iconfefs alfo before my Father which is in Heaven : but whofoever fhall deny me before Men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in Hea- ven. And now can any thing be plainer, than that our Saviour requires his Difciples to make Confeffion of him before Kings and Governours, and not to deny him for fear ofany thing which they can do to them ? But let us enquire a little further, and fee how the Apoftles, who received this Precept from our Saviour himfelf, did underftand it. AEis q. 14. We find Peter and John fummoned be- fore the Jewifh Magiftrates, who friiily commanded them not to fpeak at all, not teach in the Name of Jefus. But Peter and John anfwered andPaid unto them, Whether it be right in the Sight ofGod, to hearken untoyou more than unto God, judge ye. And when they Iä11 perfifted in their Courfe, notwitlíftánding the Com- mand of the Magiftrate, and were called again before the Council, Chap. ç. 28. and The High-Prie,/l asked them, faying, Did we not flraitly commandyou, that you'hould not teach in this Name? and beholdye havefilled Jerufalem with your Dogrine: They return them again the fame Anfwer, Verfe 2g. Then Peter and the other Apo/lles anfwered andfaid, We ought to obeyGod rather than Men. And let any Man now judge, whether our Saviour did not oblige Merl to confefs him even before Magiftrates, and to obey him rather Men. And indeed, how can any Man in reafori think, that the Great King and Governour of the World fhould invert any Man with a Power to controul his Authority, and to oblige Men to difobey and renounce him, by whom Kings reign,'and Princes de- cree Judgment? This is a thing fo unreafonable, that it can hardly be imagined, that any thing but down-right Malice againft God and Religion could prompt any Man to advance fuch an Affertion. T fhould now have proceeded to the Fourth and la/l Particular, which I propofed to fpeak to ; namely, to vindicate the Reafonablenefs ofthis Precept of Self-denial and Suffering for Chrift, which, at firft Appearance, may feem to be fo very harfh and difficult. But this, together with the Application of this Difcourfe,, thall be referved to another Opportunity. SERMON
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