PART I. SERMON XV. 215 the whole world this faith and this doctrine, therefore 1 am debtor to the Greeksand barbarians; I would make others parta- kers of the same hope. Would to God, that not only thou, Agrippa, but all those that hear me, were not only almost, but altogether such as I am, except only these bonds, these sufferings which I endure for Christ's sake ; Acts xxvi. 22. 4. I am not ashamed to contend for it as a good soldier of Christ; to defend it when it is attacked, and to vindicate the cause of my Lord and Master. Where it is assaulted I endeavour to secure it, though with many reproaches from the carnal preju- dices ofmankind. I oppose them all ; for theyoppose my Saviour and his cross, and I buildmy everlastinghopes there. Lam set for the defence of the gospel of Christ; Phil. 1. 17. and I will contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints; Jude ver. 3. And he gave us an instance of it, that when Peter, who was an apostle, seemed to diminish some of the glory and the Iiberty of the gospel, he withstood him to theface; Gal. ü. 11. " There shall noman silence me, or stop my mouth, when I am preaching acrucified Saviour, and when I expressmy faith in the libertyand latitude of the gospel ófChrist. For ifI durst withstand an apostle under his criminal concealments, and in his diminution of the honour of this doctrine, surely! dare oppose all the world besides." 5.. Lastly, I am not ashamed to suffer and die for it as a martyr. Load me,with reproaches, ye Jews, my countrymen, and load me withchains, ye magistrates of Rome ; of none of these am I ashamedor afraid, but with all boldness I am always ready that Christ should be magnified in my life, or my death Phil. i. 14, 20. And as for my friends that are full of sorrow lest Paul should be sacrificed for the faithof Christ, What mourn ye, and break my heart for ? I am not only ready to be bound, but to diefor the sake of Christ. I count nothing dear to me, no sear my life precious to myself; that 1 mayfinish withjoythe course of mil ministry of this gospel, that I may testify the grace of my God; Acts xx. 24. and xxi. 13. I might add also, that St. Paul intends and means more than he expresses by a very usual figure of speech : I am not ashamed of it, that is, I glory in it, I make my boast of it. If there be any doctrine worth boasting of, it is the gospel of Christ. If I have any profession to glory in, it is that I am a .chsistian. Once Iwas a pharisee, and I counted it my gain and myhonour; Phil. iii. 7, 8. But what things were gain to me,these I counted loss for Christ ; yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Iglory in being a minister of thegospel; it isthe highest honour Godcould have put upon me, who am less thanthe least of
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