440 ITOLY FORTITUDE. besought him not to go up to that city. Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep, and to break mine heart `¿ For I am ready, not to bebound only, but also to die at Jerusalemfor the llame of the Lord Jesus. I know, says he, and the Holy Ghost is witness, that bonds and afflictions wait fór me, but none ofthese things move me, neither count I my life dear to'm-yself; that I may-finish mil course with 'oy, and the ministry which I have re- ceived ofthe Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel ofthe grace ofGod; Acts xx. 24. Now when a special occasion calls us to the exercise of this virtue, and to confess Christ before theworld, for us to be mealy- mouthed, and baffled, and frighted at the countenances of men, this is to forsake the example of the blessed apostles, and obey men rather than God. The prophets and the apostles, the an- cient saints and the primitive martyrs have given us noble pat- terns of this virtue ; and why should our spirits fail us, or our lips tremble, if-we are called to the same glorious confession ? Is not our religion divine ? Is not the gospel still worthy of the same honour"? Is not our God the same almighty ? Is not our Redeemer the sanie Jesus ? And does not á dying, a rising, and a reigning Saviour deserve the same homage of our tongues, and demand the sameglory at our hands? Yes, surely he demands it ofos, and he deserves it infinitely : And not only his apostles, but his own example teacheth us to practise this fortitude, both of the activeand the passive kind. In the Second plane then, behold this perfect pattern of fortitude, Jesus the Son of God When he came into the world in the midst of poverty, and made but a mean figure, as the son of a carpenter, he was called to oppose the wholenayion ofthe Jews, and the priests and prinpes of Jerusalem; he was sent to reform the vicious customs of'a wicked and degenerate age. How did he stand and face danger without fear ? Whenhe went into the temple, with what a sapred zeal did he scourge the buyers and sellers put of his Father's house of prayer ? Ye know what a noble testimony he bare to the truth, wlrn he was called before thegreat men, the rulers of the church and state. You know again, what instances of passive courage our Lord Jesus mani- fested, when he was hatefully reproached, and suffered shameful indignities from a rude multitude: When he was persecuted, 'when 'he was buffeted, when he wrestled with many and mighty sorrows, when his friends left him alone in the hands of his ceUel enemies. . It must beconfessed, his spirit trembled within him, and he was sore amazed, when it pleased his Father to bruise him, and put him to grief; and tomake his soul an offeringfixr sin; Is. liii. 10. These were unknown and inexpressible burdens, thatmade
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