262 A RATIONAL DEFENCE OF THE GOSPEL. [SEEM. XV.. glory in, it. is that I am' a christian Once I was a phari-_ see, and I counted it my gain and my honour ; Phil. iii. 7, 8. But what things were gain to me, those Icounted lossfor Christ ; . yea, doubtless, and I count all things but Coss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesusmu Lord. I glory in being a minister of thegospel; it is the highest honour God could have put upon me, who am less than the least of all saints. TO me is this grace given to preach among the gentiles the unsearch- able riches of Christ, Eph. iii. 8. I glory in it to that degree, that I am dead to all things else. God forbid I shouldglory in any thing save in the cross of our Lord Jesus, whereby the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. Gal. vi. 14. I glory in my sufferings for Christ: and my friends, if ye understood the value' of these things, they are your glory too. If I am offered up a sacrifice for the service of 'vour faith,. I joy and rejoice together with you all. Phil. ii. 17. O ! that you would but rejoice' together with me in it. Thus I have shewed you that all these things are im- plied in St. Paul's not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ, and I have proved it toyou from other parts of his epistles. The third general head I proposed to speak to, was this, What is there in this gospel that may be supposed to expose any man to shame ? And this question is very needful ; for if there were nothing in it that men might take occasion to throw their scandals and. to at, it had been no. great matter for St. Paul have cried out, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. To this I answer in general, this was a gospel that con- tradicted the rooted prejudice's of the Jews, and was se- v.erely ,reproached by those that professed great know- ledge in their law it was also a new and strange thing to the gentiles. h crucified Christ was a 'stumbling- block to the Jews, and foolishness to the Greeks. 1 Cor. i. 23. There was something in the faith, and practice, and worship of the gospel so contrary to the course of their education in the world, so opposite to their carnal inclinations, and to the customs and fashions of their country, that a man might well be afraid and ashamed to profess it, when they lift their tongues, and their
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